WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The high-end XXIO line of men’s and women’s clubs ($1,200 driver, anyone?) continue their focus on distance, or more precisely the distance you’ve lost, by pushing the limits of lightweight woods and irons. Using driver shafts that weigh less than 40 grams, clubs with a total weight that’s about 25 percent lighter than standard models and heads that create hidden ways of adding more spring to the face at impact, these clubs aim to restore lost swing speed or create more velocity for improved distance for even the most trajectory-challenged golfers out there.

Price: XXIO Prime driver ($900), fairway woods ($600), hybrids ($400). XXIO Prime irons ($275 per iron, $1,100 for a four-piece set). XXIO Prime Royal women’s driver ($1,200), fairway woods ($800), hybrids ($450). XXIO Prime Royal women’s irons ($300 per iron, $2,400 for an eight-piece set and $1,200 for four-piece set). Available at retail on Feb. 12 (XXIO Prime), and March 12 (XXIO Prime Royal).

THE DEEP DIVE: A recent study of average golfer distances by Foresight Sports (makers of the GCQuad and GCHawk launch monitors) was as enlightening as it might be discouraging. According to Foresight’s data, the average male golfer hits his driver between 200-260 yards and the average female is between 140-200 yards. Conservatively, those numbers at the low end are at least a football field behind the professional averages. For the irons, the advantages may be even more glaring, with men hitting their 7-irons 115-155 yards and women at 65–115 yards. Again, at the low end, those distances may be 40-60 percent shorter than their professional counterparts.

In short, most average golfers are short, woefully so, and the real culprit is speed. The XXIO line of clubs always has sought to help average golfers find the distance they’ve been missing, largely through lighter weight designs. The flagship of that philosophy is its XXIO Prime clubs, which feature the lightest weights and fastest-flexing faces to help average golfers with below average swing speeds manufacture some of that distance they lack.

The new XXIO Prime lineup, which also includes the women-friendly XXIO Prime Royal women’s clubs, includes drivers that weigh around 250 grams or about 25 percent lighter than standard models with shafts that are as light as 36 grams—at least a third lighter than standard models and about the weight of those prescription reading glasses many XXIO potential customers might be sporting.

The entire collection of woods, hybrids and irons all feature fast-flexing titanium faces, powered by a special alloy (Super TIX-Plus). In the drivers, the face is supported by a pattern of alternating stiff and flexible zones that are designed to transfer more energy into the ball.

The driver, fairway woods and hybrids utilize what XXIO calls a “flat cup face” construction designed to improve off-center ballspeeds with more consistent face deflection over a larger area.

The irons feature channels cut along the perimeter of the back of the face to improve deflection, particularly on impacts low on the face. The sole features extra trailing edge relief in what’s called “a step sole” design to reduce contact points with the turf for less speed loss due to ground friction and smoother contact regardless of the lie.

“It’s safe to say that the new XXIO Prime woods and irons are the most advanced set of clubs ever developed for players with moderate-to-slow swing speeds,” said Jeff Brunski, vice president of research and development at Cleveland/Srixon/XXIO. “From the exotic materials and construction to the ultra-lightweight shafts, every detail has been engineered to add distance and accuracy, specifically for players who have lost some yards over the years. XXIO Prime is truly different and special.”

Not just a flat-out pursuit for the lightest clubs in the game, the XXIO Prime lineup again includes its counterbalanced weighting in the woods and irons. The extra mass toward the grip end is designed to help golfers position the hands and the club properly at the top of the backswing and then as the downswing begins the weighting helps to keep the club closer to the body for a more powerful move that approaches the ball more on plane instead of an over-the-top casting motion.

The XXIO Prime Royal woods and irons feature an even more ultra-lightweight design to help even more moderate swing speed women players generate distance.

The XXIO Prime clubs will be in stores Feb. 12, while the XXIO Prime Royal offerings are set to arrive March 12.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The e12 Contact employs a “Contact Force” dimple that features a raised area in the center. The company says this causes 38 percent more contact with the clubface at impact than traditional dimples. That brings a more efficient transfer of energy and an ability to activate the core of the ball better for faster ball speeds while reducing sidespin off longer clubs.

PRICE: The e12 Contact is at retail Feb. 26 at a cost of $30 per dozen. In addition to white, the ball will be available in matte green, matte red and matte yellow.

THE DEEP DIVE: When it comes to designing golf balls, Bridgestone is fortunate to be able to rely on a worldwide team of more than 900 rubber and polymer engineers. The company leaned in on that expertise in the creation of its new three-piece e12 Contact ball, which features a rather intriguing dimple design.

The “Contact Force” dimple, features a raised area in the center that the company says results in 38 percent more contact with the clubface at impact than traditional dimples. That brings a more efficient transfer of energy, and an ability to activate the core of the ball better for faster ball speeds while reducing sidespin off the longer clubs. On the shorter shots, it provides additional friction for more spin (almost 600 rpms according to the company). “It’s almost a game-improvement golf ball,” said Elliot Mellow, Bridgestone’s marketing manager for golf balls.

The “Contact” in the ball’s name refers to “contact science,” or the science of what happens when ball meets club. “Contact science is about the moment of impact,” said Mellow. “It’s about how rubber reacts in a high heat, high friction interaction much like the rubber on a tire meeting the road. We have some expertise in that area.”

The Contact Force dimple appears to result in a shallower dimple, which should make the ball fly higher, but Mellow said that was addressed. “As we went through the prototype process the performance was fine from an aero standpoint, but with consumers in higher spin situations we saw some issues with the ball ballooning a little bit,” he said. “We made some modifications to the depth and the outer portion of the dimple to flatten the flight a little bit.”

Those familiar with the e12 line will notice only one model in this iteration as opposed to the Soft and Speed models of the past. According to Mellow, this ball is closer to the Soft than the Speed in feel thanks to a softer core formulation.

Si Woo Kim played the three rounds of The American Express contested at PGA West’s Stadium Course without a bogey, carding 17 birdies and one eagle. But it was the final birdie, on the par-17th hole Sunday where he rolled in a 19-foot putt, that secured a one-shot win over Patrick Cantlay, who nearly stole the tournament with a final-round 61 that included a 38-foot birdie bomb at the last.

Kim’s iron play was solid all week as he ranked second in greens in regulation with his Callaway Apex Pro 19 irons. The clubs have KBS Tour V 125 shafts with Golf Pride’s MCC grips. Kim got off to a good start on the front nine that included a pitching wedge to seven feet at the fourth hole and a lob wedge to four feet at the seventh, both leading to birdies. Starting the back nine he knocked another pitching wedge tight at the 10th for another red number. At the par-5 11th, Kim made birdie again after chasing a driver off the deck up near the green and getting it up and down.

It is a play Kim is familiar with. “I have a lot of confidence with that shot,” Kim told Golf Digest in 2017. “I grew up playing that shot in amateur tournaments. The grass in Korea is much higher than here so the ball sat up on the fairways and it was an easier shot. But I still hit it here.”

Kim’s driver is a Callaway Epic Speed that he put in play last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. The Epic Speed has a smaller footprint to improve aerodynamics with a forward center of gravity, a trait Kim favors. Kim averaged more than 300 yards off the tee and hit more than 70 percent of his fairways with the club. For the week he picked up more than 11 strokes on the field tee to green.

As for the putter Kim used for the winning stroke, it is an Odyssey Toulon Madison—the same model in Kevin Na’s bag when he won last week’s Sony Open.

What Si Woo Kim had in the bag at the 2021 American Express

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Driver: Callaway Epic Speed (Fujijura Ventus Black 70X), 8.5 degrees

3-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero, 13.5 degrees

5-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero, 18 degrees

Irons (3-PW): Callaway Apex Pro 19

Wedges: Callaway Jaws MD5, (56, 60 degrees)

Putter: Odyssey Toulon Madison

Week in and week out, the equipment scene shifts on the PGA Tour. At The American Express in La Quinta, Calif., that meant new irons for Brooks Koepka, new iron shafts for Rickie Fowler and an equipment contract for one of the game’s new pros. Looking ahead, Jason Day appears to have a very different bag of clubs heading to the Farmers Insurance Open.

Day’s equipment overhaul
Although Jason Day’s absence from TaylorMade’s holiday card indicated he would no longer be with the company for the coming year, a report in The Australian sheds addition light on what might be in the 12-time PGA Tour winner’s bag when he tees it up this week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, which he won in 2015 and 2018.

According to the report, Day will use a Ping driver, TaylorMade fairway woods, Mizuno irons, Artisan wedges and an Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter. Golf Digest has learned the irons are Mizuno’s JPX921 Tour, and it stands to reason the driver would be Ping’s new G425. At the Masters in November Day used a TaylorMade SIM Max 3-wood.

As for the wedges, Artisan’s Mike Taylor (who for years worked on Tiger Woods’ clubs for Nike) said Day reached out via Instagram and they did some testing recently, which resulted in Day better controlling his launch and distance with the clubs.

Day is an equipment free agent for the first time since turning pro, having been with TaylorMade throughout his PGA Tour career. Still, there’s something to be said about playing whatever you want. In 2018, all four majors were won by equipment free agents: Patrick Reed (Masters), Brooks Koepka (U.S. Open and PGA) and Francesco Molinari (Open Championship).

Brooks Koepka signing with Srixon? Perhaps.
It’s tough to keep things a secret, especially when the breadcrumbs are so out in the open. Although all a Cleveland/Srixon spokesperson said about a potential relationship with Brooks Koepka is that “We can confirm that we have been working with Brooks. He has been testing all of our products,” Koepka was spotted at The American Express using a set of Srixon’s ZX7 irons, and he is no longer listed as a brand ambassador on the Titleist website, indicating he has made a ball change, too. A recent tweet from the same spokesperson stated, “I have some BIG NEWS that I can’t say just quite yet.” Like we said, follow the breadcrumbs.

Rickie Fowler goes graphite in his irons
Although Rickie Fowler stuck with his Cobra RF Proto 33 irons, he had new shafts in them at The American Express—Mitsubishi’s MMT 125 TX, a graphite iron shaft that employs metal mesh technology (MMT). Designed to be somewhere between a steel and graphite shaft, the MMT uses a metal mesh made up of individually braided strands of 304 stainless steel. That is integrated within the tip section of the shaft to improve the density and stability of the shaft, while also allowing for thinner overall composite wall construction to produce a consistent launch and spin.

Augenstein signs with Wilson
Given the recent success of players moving from college to the pro game, signing one of the top collegiate amateurs is a solid addition to any tour staff. However, for a company such as Wilson, to land John Augenstein, the 2019 U.S. Amateur runner-up and former No. 3-ranked amateur in the world, could signal a significant shift for its tour staff.

Augenstein joins a staff whose primary star power includes Gary Woodland, Kevin Streelman, Brendan Steele and Padraig Harrington. Not bad as all have won multiple times on the PGA Tour, and Woodland and Harrington own major championships. Each, however, is 36 years old or older, and signing Augenstein to a multiyear deal provides an injection of youth.

A four-time All-American at Vanderbilt University, Augenstein was named 2020 SEC Player of the Year and was a finalist for the 2020 Collegiate Player of Year award.

“We are excited to have a young, exciting and accomplished player like John join our Wilson team,” said Tim Clarke, Wilson Golf president. “As we build our presence and gain momentum at the highest level of golf, we are committed to partnering with the game’s next generation of superstars to provide them an opportunity to play some of the best equipment on the market to achieve success.”

Augenstein made his pro debut at The American Express, putting the company’s Staff Model blade irons (3-9) and Staff Model wedges (48 and 52 degrees) in the bag. He will be testing the Wilson LABs prototype driver and woods throughout the season. The changes for him are sweeping as he played 13 full-swing Titleist clubs at last November’s Masters.

Kevin Na is on a nice little roll, having won four times in his last 55 events on the PGA Tour after taking the Sony Open in Hawaii. Na birdied the par-5 18th to win by one.

Na put himself into position after 54 holes with a third-round 61. “I’m making my share of putts,” he said after Saturday’s round. “These greens can be really tricky out there and the grains can fool you. And it’s tough to read. If I can make some momentum putts tomorrow, I think I’ll be alright.”

Momentum putts. Na made those Sunday. One of the best putters on tour (he ranked fifth in strokes gained/putting last season), he knocked in putts of 14 feet for birdie on the second and a six-footer at the ninth for another. Then after a bogey on the 12th, Na rattled off three in row—a 14-, 10- and five-footer—for a trio of birdies to take the lead. He made one more short birdie putt at the last to secure the win.

Na’s putter is an Odyssey Toulon Madison. The slant-neck hosel blade measures 35 inches in length and has just 2.25 degrees of loft. The noticeable white shaft is from L.A. Golf. The putter also features flowing bumpers that melt into the back flange while the deep cross-hatch grooves on the face control sound and feel by channeling vibration.

Although Na’s work on the greens was impressive, it almost paled in comparison to his performance in his last win at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in 2019. In that event, Na made a PGA Tour record 556 feet, 7 inches of putts over the four rounds. His strokes gained/putting mark for the week was an almost unheard of 14.516 strokes better than the field.

Also noteworthy is Na’s driver, Callaway’s Great Big Bertha Epic. He has used the same driver for each of his last four wins dating to the 2017 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.

Guess the driver is on a nice little roll, too.

What Kevin Na had in the bag at the 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The Wilson D9 driver leads a new wood family with the company’s most intense re-thinking of face design in its history. In fact, the thought process on the face for the new driver went beyond human cogitation and heavily into computer simulation, producing a variable thickness design without a single spot where the face thickness is contant. That design results in more consistently higher ball speeds at face center and beyond.

Price: Driver, $350; fairway wood, $220; hybrid, $200 (at retail on Jan. 26).

THE DEEP DIVE: The real genius in the metalwoods design process today seems to be about doing things in ways you hadn’t considered before. Wilson’s design team across all sports, known as Wilson Labs, found that one of the best ways to come up with a new plan is to find inspiration not just from human brains but from the thoughts, shapes and angles conceived by computers.

That combination of human engineers, computer simulations and even the decidedly analog input of tour players like Gary Woodland and Brendan Steele, led to the company’s most aggressive driver face design in its history. The design grew from computer modeling of 17 different segments of the face, running hundreds of simulations at a clip. The end result was more face flexing and better ball speed for both the best hits and those not quite your best, all from a face with a variable thickness pattern its team hadn’t considered or couldn’t even have imagined.

The design is known as the PKR face for “peak kinetic response,” which is basically geek-speak for pushing the limits of the spring-like effect test while still staying durable. Similar versions of the face were tested and played on tour early last year as part of developing a consumer driver that learned from the best players at the same time it was learning from high-speed computers. Speed is one way to describe the performance objective of the design, said Wilson’s Jon Pergande, global innovation manager, but speed is also an even more apt description of the design process.

“We were able to get to this solution quicker because we had done a lot of the work virtually,” he said. “It takes us five steps down the road so then we can spend time on these small tweaks, not the big changes. We’re prototyping a much more advanced design right away.”

While past Wilson drivers had variable thickness patterns that were typically thicker in the middle and thinnest at the perimeter around that central portion, this design moves from thick and thin sections in a less regimented design, said Bob Thurman, vice president of Wilson Labs and Wilson Sporting Goods research and development.

“This face has no place where there’s constant face thickness,” he said, noting that some of the thinner sections are close to the center, a pattern that would have normally been thought of as a durability concern until computer simulations showed that it wasn’t. “It really does turn into a system where it’s not like it’s thicker in the middle and you just taper it out. It’s more like recognizing we need it thin here to solve this problem and thick there to solve a different problem.”

One key solution of the new variable pattern is lining up the driver’s center of gravity with the place on the face with the highest measured flexibility. That means the most direct transfer of energy at the most active spot on the face. Another came in improving the sound of the head’s larger frame, again aided by a computational optimization process. Rather than using two ribs in the rear interior to control vibration, the smarter choice was to move a single larger rib far forward, close to the face. Conventional thinking might suggest that putting more internal mass forward would hurt forgiveness.

“With the large head one of the goals was actually to move weight forward to hit those center of gravity targets so this was a win-win,” Pergande said. “We got weight in a direction that helps us compared to where we started, and we got a sound where we wanted it to be.”

Also helping weight distribution and sound is the use of a multilayer carbon composite crown. Seen on previous Wilson drivers and borrowed from some learnings in the company’s tennis racket division, two different layers of carbon composite surround a layer of kevlar to strengthen the crown and damp vibration for improved sound.

The driver also continues past Wilson ideas on internal weighting based on loft. While there is a more central and forward weighting on the 9-degree model, the 10.5- and 13-degree heads feature progressively more of a rearward and heelward mass. Also, the design features a 10-gram fixed weight chip in the rear perimeter that helps increase off-center hit stability or moment of inertia (MOI). It also allows that weight chip to switch to just three grams for the softer shaft flexes, creating a superlight model that weighs less than 280 grams with an ultralight grip, as well, a concept that’s been part of Wilson drivers for several years, including most recently the D7.

“It’s really an effort at making the club the most playable for the typical consumer using that loft,” Pergande said.

The rest of the D9 metalwood lineup also includes new thinking on the face. While the company’s metalwoods have used high-strength Carpenter Custom 455 steel in the past, the D9 fairway woods and hybrids for the first time employ a variable face thickness pattern for better ball speed on center hits, high and low and heel and toe as well.

Both the fairway woods and hybrids also benefit from a weight-saving crown structure. Large thinned out sections separated by thicker bands save as much as six grams that help to lower the CG and improve perimeter weighting.

The D9 driver ($350) comes in three lofts (9, 10.5 and 13 degrees) and is not adjustable to save more mass to improve the head’s mass properties. The D9 fairway woods ($220) come in three lofts (15, 18 and 21 degrees), while the D9 hybrids ($200) feature six lofts (17, 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31 degrees).

The Wilson D9 lineup will be in stores Jan. 26.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: A low center of gravity along with a new Power Hole 2.0 design driven by Wilson’s Intelligent Design Computer Simulation process help maximize ball speed and forgiveness across the face of the D9 irons.

PRICE: The seven-piece Wilson D9 irons will be available Jan. 26 ($650 in steel, $750 in graphite).

THE DEEP DIVE: Often club design is about making compromises and like a good negotiation, you don’t get everything you want, but you get enough of the things that are important to you. For Wilson’s D9 iron, the thought was more singular: Get every yard of distance possible.

“Everything we did with this iron was about improving ball speed,” said Jon Pergande, Wilson’s manager of golf club innovation. “Figuring out how to optimize ball speed, launch angle and spin rate to maximize distance was the goal.”

Most noticeable in that endeavor is the latest iteration of Wilson’s “power holes” technology, which feature polymer filled cutouts along the sole that contribute to the flexing of the face at impact. The new approach to D9, however, wasn’t simply to increase the number of power holes. Instead, it was to look at the number of slots per row, the width of the slots, the height of slots, the spacing between slots and the toe-heel biasing. The result is what the company calls Power Hole 2.0.

Wilson received a large assist in the design of Power Hole 2.0 from its Intelligent Design Computer Simulation process to maximize ball speed and forgiveness across the face. “We were able to iterate the size and dimensions of these holes and what it does to ball speed,” said Bob Thurman, Wilson’s VP of research and development. “Ten sizing variables of the holes were parameterized, which allowed us to find the optimal design for ball speed.”

The power holes might be the most noticeable component of the iron, but it is not the only one contributing to the distance recipe. In the D7 a decision was made to enhance moment of inertia rather than get the center of gravity as low as possible. In the D9, lowering the CG height to help get increase launch took precedence. To do so, weight was moved from the perimeter to lower in the clubhead.

“There was a modest penalty in a slight loss of moment of inertia, but we felt the benefits gained were worth that tradeoff,” said Thurman.

The face is still a stamped stainless steel, but how it is welded to the body is significantly different. Instead of being welded entirely on the perimeter of the face, the face of the D9 iron is welded to the outside surfaces of the topline and toe areas leading to a more flexible face. Combined with the power holes, the end result is an increase of more than 25 percent in unsupported face area for more face flex at impact.

The seven-piece Wilson D9 irons will be available Jan. 26 ($650 in steel, $750 in graphite).

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The new Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x both feature a softer cover as well as a reformulated core along with a fast, high-flex casing layer to generate speed. The real news, though: The first new dimple patterns since 2011 with the new Pro V1 having 388 dimples and the new Pro V1x has 348 (both in a tetrahedral pattern).

PRICE: Available in golf shops Jan. 27, the 2021 Pro V1 and Pro V1x are available in white in Nos. 1-4; 5-8 or all the same play number (00-99). The high-optic yellow version is only available in Nos. 1-4. Price is $50 per dozen.

THE DEEP DIVE: In the creation of the latest iteration of the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x paid considerable attention to an area of golf-ball design consumers don’t pay much attention to: dimple design.

This is nothing new for Titleist—a company that has produced close to 2,000 dimple patterns since the debut of the Pro V1 in 2000. On an annual basis the company will create between 40 and 160 dimple patterns.

The new Pro V1 has 388 dimples, and the new Pro V1x has 348 (both in a tetrahedral pattern), marking the first time the dimple counts have changed since 2011. Dimple patterns, however, are far more than simply the number of them. The diameters, shapes, depths, relationship of dimples on surface are all important and Titleist looked at all of it, starting in 2012 and creating more than 60 versions of the Pro V1 pattern and more than 30 iterations of the one for the Pro V1x.

“We knew we had a good pattern on our hands, but we wanted to make sure it was as good as it could be,” said Michael Madsen, director of aerodynamics and research engineering for Titleist. “When we are looking to put new dimple patterns, we look at the trajectory of the ball and how we want it to fly. Deep dimples, the flight goes down. Shallow dimples, the flight goes up. So there is somewhere in between that maximizes distance for that pattern. As we go lower in dimple count the trajectory is typically higher and vice versa. That’s why different patterns. If you use the same pattern for both the performance of one of the balls is being hurt. ”

Still, for all the attention paid to the dimple patterns, no single element of ball design determines performance. “We have a lot of new tech in these balls and it required balancing all the pieces to get it to come together,” said Madsen.

That includes a reformulated 2.0 ZG Process core for both the single-core Pro V1 and dual-core Pro V1x to help generate speed. A fast, high-flex casing layer originally used on the Pro V1x “Left Dash” model (originally made for tour but eventually made available to consumers) adds speed while reducing distance-robbing spin on the long clubs. The cover is the softest ever used on a Pro V1 and Pro V1x for more short-game control.

As always, Titleist went through extensive player testing and feedback as well as its tour validation process, with prototypes on tour at last year’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.

One of the players immediately putting the ball in play was Cameron Smith, who went on to use the ball in becoming the first player to break 70 in four rounds in a single Masters a few weeks later.

“The last time they had a new ball I put it straight in and did well and the same happened here,” Smith told Golf Digest in November. “I have my windows set with all the clubs and this ball hit all of them just like the last ball. This ball, however, around the green, feels a little bit stickier. The ability to control the ball around the greens for me is number one. I don’t hit a lot of greens in regulation, so I need to be able to control it out of the rough and fairway near the green and the new cover does that.”

Available in golf shops Jan. 27, the 2021 Pro V1 and Pro V1x are available in white in numbers 1-4; 5-8 or all the same play number (00-99). The high-optic yellow version is only available in numbers 1-4. Price is $50 per dozen.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: In pursuing more distance both off the driver and through the bag, the three-piece ERC Soft ball marries that benefit with a focus on the different way many average golfers approach their short games compared to better players. Rather than relying on spin for short shots (and thus a ball with a urethane cover), this ball’s ionomer cover reacts best for players who want their short shots to stop through higher launch.

Price: $35 a dozen (available at retail on Feb. 25).

THE DEEP DIVE: Without saying as much in its marketing, Callaway’s update to its ERC Soft golf ball is dedicated to a simple two-fold premise: First, most average golfers want more distance, from the driver, yes, but really every club. Second, most average golfers have the same relationship with the low, checking, one hop-and-stop chip shot as they do with space flight. It’s just not something they do. Or can do. Ever.

That recognition means the three-piece ERC Soft, like the 2019 original, eschews the tour-preferred urethane cover for a distance-enhancing ionomer cover. But rather than the traditional cover formulation, the ERC Soft’s cover employs a hybrid collection of ionomers and an impact modifier additive from Dow Chemical known as Paraloid. That improves high-launch, low-spin formula that works so well for distance on full-swing shots, but it adds an element of softer, higher-launching control (with a touch more spin) on short-game shots. Because that’s what helps this class of golfers get around the golf course most efficiently, says Alan Hocknell, Callaway’s senior vice president of research and development.

“This is about matching the characteristics of the ball to the characteristics of the player more correctly,” he said. “This player is still playing a targeting game of golf near the green. This player uses trajectory rather than spin in order to land the ball close to the hole and keep it there. So with that we realize there isn’t as much of a desire for the ball to have particularly high, high spin rates near the green so long as it still has a high launch angle.”

The Paraloid impact modifier improves the composition of ionomers used in the ERC Soft’s cover. Typically, an ionomer cover is a blend of elements designed for durability, faster resilience and soft feel. Those elements sometimes work against each other, particularly if the desire is to make a soft ionomer cover fast off the driver or a soft ionomer cover durable off a short wedge shot.

“This new molecule can get us to a new place by having a soft feel with durability with speed,” Hocknell said.

Hocknell said another way the softer feel benefits the average player is how it’s more forgiving on less than solid center strikes.

“Even when you don’t hit the center of the face you’re still getting a lot of these same speed and spin benefits,” he said.

Like the original, this ERC Soft features the Triple Track alignment markings where a red line is framed by two blue lines to enhance the perception of target alignment.

The ERC Soft is available in white and yellow and will be at retail Feb. 25 ($35 per dozen).

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 wedge offerings add the “M” grind to three lower lofts (50, 52, 54 degrees) to its custom WedgeWorks lineup to join higher-loft options, which were an original part of Titleist’s SM8 stock lineup. The crescent-shaped grind is generally ideal for players who take shallower divots and those who play in firmer, sandy soils.

Price: $200 (custom order).

Maybe it’s not going to win him a Nobel prize (although he surely deserves one for positive attitude), but Vokey’s persistence in recognizing the sole shapes, curves, contours and angles that better players hit their best wedge shots with is not an insignificant skill. It’s also the basis for the constant reexamination of his wedge offerings, the latest being adding the “M” sole grind to the more full-swing lofts (50, 52 and 54 degrees) to Vokey’s custom WedgeWorks lineup. Previously, the M grind was only a stock option on the SM8 in higher lofts.

Vokey calls the versatile M grind his favorite because it works for a variety of setups and shot styles. He calls it ideal for players who opt to play two wedges after their pitching wedge, like a 52- and a 58-degree. It’s a grind currently preferred by No. 10 in the world Patrick Cantlay and recent Masters runner-up Cameron Smith.

The M grind offers a medium bounce with a crescent-shaped sole contour that provides heel, toe and trailing edge relief. It plays best in firm conditions, according to Titleist Vokey wedge tour representative Aaron Dill.

“The grind in the back allows you to open up the wedge and get under the ball a little easier, while the front of the wedge allows you to get out and produce that lower, stronger ballflight,” he said, noting the shape is ideal for players with a shallower, more sweeping swing.

The new models are part of the M Grind Collection in the WedgeWorks lineup, which offers multiple customization options including custom stamping, toe engravings and paint fills. These wedges come in Vokey’s “Raw” finish. Like all SM8 wedges, the grooves are 100 percent inspected for closer conformance to original design parameters and a heat treatment is designed to improve durability of those specifications, while the heads feature the same approach to forward center of gravity for more consistency.

The M Grind Collection is available for custom order ($200).