Arccos 360 System
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Like every other sport these days, golf is turning more and more to big data to improve performance. The pros have Shotlink and an army of technicians to compile their stats. The rest of us have something just about as good… the Arcos 360 System. The technology records every shot on every round and helps you analyze the data for the ultimate in game improvement — not to mention bragging rights with your buddies!
Arccos 360 uses 14 ultralight sensors that easily attach to each club grip and communicate with a free app for iOS and Android devices. It requires no tagging, tapping or other disruptions to your pre- (or post-) shot routine.
The company introduced a second-generation system this fall. It boasts low-profile sensors that are more than 50% smaller and lighter than the original and also showcases a powerful new shot detection algorithm that increases accuracy and virtually eliminates the need for editing. Additional features include sensor batteries certified for a minimum of two years, power saving to reduce drain on your phone battery, and GPS 2.0, which provides hands-free shot mapping combined with rangefinder distances.
$250 www.arccosgolf.com
Bridgestone New e6 Series Golf Balls
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Longer? Straighter? Every ball manufacturer says so, but Bridgestone testing proves the new e6 Series ball is 9 yards longer and 31 percent straighter than leading competitors. How, with data gathered from more than 2 million in-person and online ball fitting sessions.
There are two models on the market now, both featuring Delta Dimple Technology that minimizes air resistance to enhance distance and accuracy. The e6 Soft provides that “giving” feel when struck and reduces driver spin for longer distance while optimizing launch angles with irons for superior stopping power. The e6 Speed delivers explosive initial ball velocity for straight distance.
“We’ve learned through years of conducting fittings that the vast majority of golfers are using a product that is detrimental to their performance,” says Adam Rehberg, Golf Ball Marketing. “Few generate the speed necessary to make the Pro V1 or other Tour balls perform optimally, and the results could be dramatic losses in distance and accuracy. The new e6 series is precisely designed to provide longer and straighter shots.”
$29/dozen www.bridgestonegolf.com
Tour Edge Hot Launch 2 Drivers and Fairway Woods
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“Why does a set of clubs have to cost thousands of dollars for someone to have fun playing golf?” asks Tour Edge president David Glod. “The goal of our Hot Launch engineers was to create products with state-of-the-art technology that can be custom fit for anybody’s game, and yet make it affordable. With this equation, everyone wins!”
With that worthwhile goal in mind, Tour Edge has introduced the Hot Launch 2 Driver in two models, one adjustable and the other slice-fighting, for under $200 and delivered to the store 48-hours after ordering. Both models feature 460cc titanium four-piece forged heads with a deep face design and variable face thickness to provide power from more contact points.
The drivers can be built to each player’s specs for loft, length, shaft flex, and grip size at no extra cost.
Hot Launch 2 fairway woods have many of the same features including variable face thickness to produce more distance as well as a shallow face design combined with a low center of gravity to heighten launch angles and lower spin.
Priced from $130 to $199 www.touredge.com
PowerPlane Training Device
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Keep your head steady! It’s probably the swing thought most often violated by every golfer who ever swung a club. Now there’s help for the unsteady-head-afflicted among us. Designed by an MIT engineer and PGA teaching professional, Tour Pro Tech’s PowerPlane automatically positions two invisible vertical planes around the golfer’s head. If your head moves out of the zone anytime during your swing, PowerPlane alerts you with a beep. The company says this real-time feedback changes behavior from the very first swing, resulting in centered contact, more distance and better accuracy.
“Every tour pro and elite amateur share one thing in common: their heads stay within a defined zone from address through impact,” states Tour Pro Tech’s CEO and founder Rich Kosowsky. “After analyzing tens of thousands of golf swings, fluid motion of the head within this defined zone, the PowerPlane Zone, has been confirmed as the single most important absolute in golf.”
PowerPlane weighs about a pound, easily fits into the side pocket of a golf bag, and operates for 300 hours on standard batteries. You simply slide it open to turn it on. Grab the Sonic Sensor from the back and clip it to your hat. Set up over the ball, look at the target, look back at the ball, and swing! That’s it. You’ll know immediately whether you stayed in the zone during the swing and at impact. Different modes are available for every swing from the driver to the putter.
TGA Junior Clubs
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For the young golfer on your list, properly fit clubs will produce better shots and build their enthusiasm for the game. TGA Premier Junior Golf has expanded on its junior golf expertise with the launching of its own line of custom fit golf club’s for boys and girls.
TGA’s equipment is designed with technology that makes it easier for beginning and experienced junior golfers to excel. This is especially true with the TGA driver, which has one of the largest driver heads on the market for juniors.
The company makes five sizes of clubs designed with shaft flex and weighting for age group and height. TGA distributed weight from the hosel out along the top-line of the club creating a well-positioned sweet spot in the center of the clubface creating easier and more consistent shots.
Full sets as low as $89 www.playtga.com
