Virginia Golfer Mar / Apr 2023 | Page 41

VESSEL GOLF CARBON FIBER PLAYER III STAND BAG
If you ’ ve ever used a Vessel Golf bag , you know it ’ s a luxury yet very practical product . The brand ’ s Tenth Anniversary Carbon Fiber Collection Player III stand bag — labeled for authenticity — sports nice detailing and useful functionality . For example , its sixway divider layout maximizes organization and protects clubs . But the real story here is the infusion of OmniFlex carbon fiber material from Carbitex , which is known as a pioneer and leader in flexible carbon fiber . In this case , the carbon fiber in the bag is durable , lightweight and exceptionally flexible , offering a textilelike feel along the front gussets of the side pockets , the range finder pocket handle , and the bottom carry handle . Plus , the bag also boasts soft , premium synthetic leather panels . Thanks to the padded equilibrium strap with a self-adjusting , four-point swivel disk , the bag is super comfortable to carry for 18 holes . And the rotator base helps stabilize the bag on the ground when the legs are deployed . $ 1,595 , vesselgolf . com
CALLAWAY // PARADYM DRIVER
Callaway ’ s adjustable Paradym driver features an all-carbon 360-degree chassis that eliminates titanium from the body — pushing weight and stability to the limit . Specifically , it ’ s repositioned forward for more ball speed and distance , and toward the back of the clubhead for more MOI and forgiveness . Its A . I . Jailbreak system stabilizes the clubhead for faster ball speeds . The face cup is paired with a forged titanium clubface , to provide higher energy transfer to the ball than with a standard driver face insert . In our testing , ball flight was simply outstanding with pinpoint straightness and solid impact feel . Trajectory is comparable to any competitor model , with respect to easily achieved peak height . Loft is adjustable at the hosel , while the perimeter weighting is tunable via a 15-gram sliding weight that helps fine-tune the shot shape by 12 yards right and left . $ 600 , callawaygolf . com
PING // G430 IRONS
Expect Ping ’ s G430 multi-material irons to add nearly 10 yards to your shots , with welcome accuracy . That ’ s due to a low CG with strong lofts and a thin face that boosts ball speed without skimping on forgiveness . A key contributor to the extra distance : the PurFlex cavity badge and its seven flex zones that bend more to hike ball speed across the face at impact . The badge also contributes to a solid feel . Shorter hosels create a more compact , clean look and help lower the CG , aligning it closer to the force line to increase ball speed and ensure solid impact , especially from shots struck low on the face . A slight bounce angle increase throughout the set helps smooth turf interaction , as well . High-density tungsten toe and shaft tip weights contribute to a high MOI and tight shot dispersion . $ 185 / club with graphite shaft ; $ 170 / steel , ping . com
COBRA // AEROJET
Cobra ’ s Aerojet irons incorporate the company ’ s proprietary “ PWRSHELL ” frame and a hot clubface that enhances ball speed . A bridge behind the clubface strengthens the structure — and helps catapult your shots at a faster speed — but is free-floating within the head and encased with a polymer foam that helps solidify the impact feel . Expect a slightly lower launch with less spin than other new irons . And that means a lot of distance that ’ s easy to attain with your regular swing . We found the irons to be noticeably longer throughout the set and getting shots airborne was a piece of cake . Lofts are slightly on the strong side , which should result in up to six extra yards per shot . $ 999 / set with steel shafts , $ 1,099 / graphite , cobragolf . com
vsga . org V IRGINIA G OLFER
39