Virginia Golfer Jul / Aug 2017 | Page 41

HONMA TW-G6 ball Finding the right golf ball for your unique game is a matter of trial- and-error. You may well want to try Honma’s new TW-G6. Yes, it’s pricey. But it’s really solid—with respect to feel and performance. It’s actually a six-piece ball that features a soft-spin urethane cover, two high-resilience layers, two softer layers and a soft rubber core. “The more layers in a golf ball, the more opportunities engineers have to finely tune the ball’s performance,” says Adam Sheldon, general manager of Honma Golf USA. “We tested 4-piece and 5-piece models, as well. But our main goals were for the ball to maintain high initial velocity and low spin off the driver, and to have optimum spin and feel from the irons. Without a doubt, the overall best- performing ball in our testing was the 6-piece.” $80/dozen. honmagolf.co.jp/en PING Camo Ketsch Realtree Xtra putter PING has consistently been a force in the putter market since the 1960s. Yet its new Camo Ketsch Realtree Xtra looks nothing like any model the company’s ever introduced. The mallet features a camouflage finish that is visually striking. “The first thing that grabs you is the incredible detail of the camo design that makes these putters distinctive in the marketplace,” says John A. Solheim, the company’s chairman and CEO. “Using a proprietary anodized sealing process, we apply the multi-colored camo graphic to the milled aluminum head. The graphic permeates the material with vibrant and rich detail while creating an extremely hard, durable shell.” The Ketsch shape has been popular among golfers, and this version features contrasting orange sightlines that make aiming a snap. $325. ping.com CALLAWAY Epic irons Callaway’s had a runaway hit with its Epic driver this year. And now come the Epic irons. More than 70 engineers helped design these, using ultra- premium materials and advanced technologies, such as a new version of the company’s proprietary 360 Face Cup that incorporates an ultra-thin rim around the perimeter of the face’s underside to add ball speed on mis-hits. Each iron in the set is uniquely constructed with precise amounts of tungsten that helps optimize CG location, for maximum performance at its specific loft. The CG is lower in the long irons for high launch and long carry, and higher in the short irons for lower, more controllable flight. $260/iron with graphite, $250/steel. callawaygolf.com vsga.org J U LY / A U G U ST 2 0 17 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R 39