Golf Monthly's Top 5: new golf equipment launched

published 16 October 2008

Over the last month the biggest brands in golf have been busy launching new clubs. Titleist has launched new 909 drivers and Scotty Cameron putters, PING has launched a Rapture v2 range, PING iWi putters and PING s57 irons, Callaway has launched a new square driver – the Callaway FT-iQ. Cleveland has launched a new Launched driver and Mizuno has produced new irons and a hybrid. Wilson too has launched new Di9 irons and Nike has launched a whole new range.

Here we select our five favourite items recently launched, all well worth a closer inspection if you are in the market.

1. PING Rapture v2 irons PING’s new Rapture v2 irons bring new meaning to the word forgiveness. Whilst we aren’t hugely keen on chunky looking irons, it’s hard to argue with how easy these are to strike well. If you are serious about improving your consistency off the deck, these are a must-try.

2. Callaway FT-iQ driver The original square driver from Callaway was undoubtedly very straight but it lacked distance. To resolve this problem they’ve made the Callaway FT-iQ as aerodynamic as possible. The result is a great looking club that's extremely easy to hit straight and long.

3. Titleist Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport Squareback This has all the feel you’d expect from a good Scotty Cameron putter with the added bonus of a square head that helps alignment. Very impressive.

4. Nike Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons Over the ball they look like a classic blade but from the back you can see a sizeable cavity that really helps forgiveness. The forged feel was a real winner that we reckon any decent ball striker will enjoy using.

5. Mizuno MX Fli-Hi utility Over the ball the long head has a, shall we say, distinctive look. But the performance was extremely impressive. Powerful, easy to use from a variety of lies and offering good control this is an excellent utility that wowed the GM team.

In his current role, Neil is responsible for testing drivers and golf balls. Having been a part of the Golf Monthly team for over 15 years and playing off a handicap of 3, he has the experience to compare performance between models, brands and generations. For 2022 he thinks the main trend in drivers is: "In a word, consistency. Whilst all the brands are talking about ball speed (and the new drivers are certainly long), my biggest finding has been how much more consistent the ball flights are. Mishits don't seem to be causing the same level of drop-off or increase in the spin numbers. This means that more shots seem to be flying the way you want them to!" As far as golf balls are concerned the biggest development is in the, "three piece, non-Tour, urethane-covered section. For regular golfers, these models offer superb performance at both ends of the bag without denting your wallet quite as much as the premium Tour-played options."

Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he is now the brand's Digital Editor and covers everything from Tour player interviews to gear reviews. In his time at Golf Monthly, he has covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.

Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons (4-9): Mizuno JPX 919 Forged Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X