Virginia Golfer May / Jun 2019 | Page 41

TITLEIST PHANTOM X 12 You’ve probably never seen anything quite like Titleist’s Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12. Part of a new technically advanced line of mallets, its multi-material construction includes a precision-milled solid aluminum face, 303 stainless steel head with enhanced vibration dampening, and two customizable stainless steel heel-toe weights. Cameron’s adamant that this model offers the ultimate in technology, stability and forgiveness. “It’s so much faster looking and … a major leap in performance,” he says. The entire Phantom X line marks the debut of the new Pistolero Plus grip in cement gray with gloss black paint-fill accents. $429, scottycameron.com TAYLORMADE SPIDER X The 10th generation of TaylorMade’s popular Spider putter, the Spider X sports a completely redesigned frame. It incorporates three new weights—aluminum (2 grams), steel (6 grams) and tungsten (12 grams)—that optimize weight preference. Plus there’s a 15-gram composite core weight. The CG is also deep—three times deeper than a traditional blade putter, according to the company. The putter also features the new True Path alignment system that was derived from research on 10,000-plus 12-foot putts that revealed golfers make contact with the ball toward the toe of the putter two of every three times. $350, taylormadegolf.com BRIDGESTONE TOUR B XW-1 Bridgestone calls the TOUR B XW-1 its softest and highest-spinning wedge ever for better players. The wedge is offered in three sole configurations. The F (Flat) sole in the 50-degree gap wedge aims to optimize turf interaction on full or mid- range approach shots, adding stability at impact for a more penetrating ball flight. The M (Multi-Purpose) sole on the 52-, 54-, 58- and 60-degree lofts is versatile for all the various shots golfers will likely hit during a round—from hooded bump- and-runs to open-flange floppers. And the A (Forgiving) sole on the 56-degree sand wedge lends forgiveness to explosion-type of bunker shots or flagstick- seekers from out in the fairway. $140, bridgestonegolf.com CALLAWAY PM GRIND 2019 Phil Mickelson has one of the world’s best wedge games. So it made sense that he helped design and inspire his sponsor’s wedges. Enter Callaway’s latest—the PM Grind 2019—that he co-created with renowned wedge maker Roger Cleveland. An improvement over the original version of this club from 2015, this rendition eases the process of hitting low-flying, high-spinning knockdown shots—short pitches that bounce twice and stop—and high-and-steep flops that stop on a dime. It features micro-ridges in the flat parts of the face between the grooves, for 84 points of contact with the ball. $160, callawaygolf.com vsga.org M AY / J U N E 2 0 19 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R 39