The Equipment Debrief: A 'Ridiculous' (Good) New Golf Ball And Putters Aplenty In A Busy Week For Gear

Balls, irons, putters, wedges, shoes, more balls… ‘New Gear Season’ continues with a series of exciting new launches this week - so, make a brew, for there's lots to cover.

Half of the Golf Monthly equipment team might be out in Orlando at the PGA Show attending important meetings (playing golf), but some of us, even over Christmas, have been doing some thorough equipment testing.

Let's dive straight in...

Where to even start? Let’s go with grips, and the news that Sergio Garcia has joined Team JumboMax.

The former Masters champion, a LIV player since 2022, has opted for the JumboMax Tour Series (size Standard Jumbo).

“It makes the club feel more balanced, and that makes it easier for me to get the club back in line and in front of me when I’m hitting the ball,” says Garcia.

We had a good nose through the Spaniard’s bag at LIV Golf UK back in 2024, and we know how particular he is about every little detail so far as his equipment is concerned, so it’s a massive endorsement for JumboMax to sign one of the best ball strikers in the game.

We should take this opportunity to remind you about the importance of playing with the right grips for your game (even better, just listen to Sergio below).

Talking of LIV, Garcia’s Fireballs GC team will face a new-look 4Aces GC outfit this season, with Dustin Johnson’s side teaming up with Under Armour for the upcoming campaign.

We’ve already seen the yet-to-be-released Under Armour Drive Pro Clone shoe being worn on tour, and it’s this model, which is set to launch in early February, that Johnson, Thomas Detry, Thomas Pieters, and Patrick Reed will be wearing.

NEW VOKEY SM11 WEDGES

Next up, wedges, and the latest line from Vokey.

What comes after SM10? Correct. The Vokey Spin Milled sequence continues with the Vokey SM11 wedges, which will be making their tour debuts at The American Express and Dubai Desert Classic.

Available for fittings from January 22 and in golf shops worldwide from February 20, the line-up consists of an industry-leading 27 unique configurations of six tour-proven grinds: F, S, M, D, K and T.

You can read more about the technology and what our wedge guru, Sam De’Ath, thinks about the latest offering in his Vokey SM11 verdict.

"RIDICULOUS" NEW BALL

If you’re looking to put a new golf ball model in the bag in 2026, there’s the new Bridgestone Tour B balls to consider.

Tiger Woods may have spent the majority of last year on the sidelines recovering from injury, but the 15-time Major winner, along with fellow Bridgestone ball player, Jason Day, was involved in helping to develop the new Tour B lineup.

“A ball you are going to have to try,” says Woods. “I am always looking for more pop off the tee,” he adds, clearly very happy with the latest model.

Day is equally impressed, describing the ball as “ridiculous.” “Get fit for this ball,” adds the Australian. “You’ll thank me later.”

We’ll leave one of our equipment experts, most likely Mr De’Ath, to give you the full lowdown on the new Bridgestone Tour B series.

SRIXON'S REBRAND

Elsewhere, news of a significant rebrand.

“Obsessed with it” marks the start of a new chapter for Srixon, reinforcing its commitment to performance, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of better.

Srixon says the shift is about returning to what golf is really about, not a polished product, but a living, breathing obsession.

More on this below...

NEW SHOES FROM PUMA

Now for a shoe update. Puma fans will be delighted to hear about the new Avant Tour, which offers a combination of classic style, premium construction, performance and comfort.

A few key details for you: premium full grain leather uppers, one-year waterproof protection, profoam midsole cushioning, an 8-spike performance outsole, three colorways, RRP $170.

Here they are. First impressions?

We also want to draw your attention to the launch of the new Cobra King and Cobra King Max irons.

Both new models, which feature game-improvement performance for the mid- and high handicap player, were built using the same 3D-printing technology found in Cobra’s premium 3DP lineup.

The irons, described by the brand as its “most advanced max-game improvement irons to date”, will be available online February 6.

The standard King irons are aimed at the fast players in the 10-20 handicap range, while the Max version features a slighter larger profile and is geared towards those players seeking high launch.

PUTTERS GALORE

We finish with details on a busy launch week for new putters.

Hopefully you’re feeling positive about your golf for the year ahead. Perhaps you want to start the season with a new putter.

Good idea… put one of these on your list to try.

First up, and staying with Cobra, the brand’s 3DP Tour putters are on the way.

Available from March 13 at $379 per model, the all-new range uses 3D printing to deliver Cobra’s most stable, forgiving and technologically advanced putters to date.

Once again, Descending Loft Technology - which we’ve seen with Cobra putters in the past, such as the Cobra King Vintage Cuda - aids end-over-end roll performance.

Cobra’s putter lineup has also been expanded with the launch of the MIM putter family, designed to replace the Vintage line.

MIM stands for ‘Metal Injection Molding’, a process that combines the consistency or forging with the efficiency of traditional casting.

The new line will also be available on March 13, and they will retail for $279 per model.

Now, the eagle-eyed golf fans out there may have noticed a few new Scotty Cameron putters being used on tour.

The popularity of mallet putters continues to grow, so it's no surprise to see more options of this nature - and the new Phantom mallets look very easy on the eye.

Three tour-inspired head shapes - Phantom 5, 7 and 9R - and nine unique putter head, neck and shaft combinations have been created and refined to inspire confidence and provide exceptional performance.

We look forward to testing the different shapes and sharing our thoughts in the coming weeks, ahead of the in-store date of February 27, which gives you a bit of time to find that $600 (£449).

Meanwhile, Scotty Cameron has also added the Santa Fe and Fastback 2 models to its Studio Select lineup, which will offer new configurations to fit even more putting strokes.

Finally, some equally aesthetically-pleasing new 2026 models from Bettinardi - SB3 (also in left-handed) and SB5.

They’re the latest models to join the Antidote Series, both zero torque models built on Simple Balanced technology.

Don't worry if all this has made your head spin - we’ll continue to update our best putter guides as the new models arrive, giving you buying tips and advice to help you choose a suitable model.

Right, off to the putting green.