Scotty Cameron’s Studio Select Newport 2, with its crisp, clean-cut angular shape sums up Titleist’s dedication to performance and use of advanced technology.

Having complete confidence and trust in your putter when you pull it out of your bag is essential if you want to be averaging 29 putts rather than 36. Suitable for low to mid handicappers, this impressive Newport 2 is also used by the Tiger himself. Although Tiger could probably win the Masters putting with his lob wedge, this stylish stick of steel is one of the best performing clubs on the market.

With its bold, Tour-inspired Cherry Dot graphics and its Mid Slant neck providing a full shaft of offset is guaranteed to produce stroke-saving results. Having had this particular putter in my bag for a year now, I have consistently found it to have a reliable and an incredibly soft face, providing me with brilliant touch and feel on every green.

At around £179, you may be put off by its price tag, but you shouldn’t be. If you want to knock five strokes off your score on a regular basis and you are keen player, then this is certainly the putter for you.

- Scotty Cameron by Titleist Studio Design Newport 2 putter review

Priced at around £599 (steel), these new semi-cavity Tour Preferred irons by TaylorMade are worth every penny. TaylorMade have blended modern technology with the classic design of a blade to create these very impressive new irons.

Having recently been fitted at The Belfry for these clubs, I found them to be really forgiving, considering their thin topline and blade-like appearance. I didn’t want a completely bladed iron, as I knew it would only make my life harder in my attempt to get down to scratch this summer.

Knowing that only around 40% of professionals on tour play with forged blades, I realised that I would struggle if I bought something like the new Nike Victory Red blades. Having had the Tour Preferred irons in my bag for two months now, I’m itching to hit my next shot every time I pick them up. They give me a penetrating ball flight through the air, allowing me to shape and work the ball both ways.

I now have the confidence to hit a range of shots out on the course from a low punchy draw into wind with 4-iron, to a high towering fade with 8-iron.  

Suited for a low to mid handicapper, the classic blade shape and shorter blade length from heel and toe, provides a clean, contemporary, compact appearance at address.

See also:

- TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons review
- TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons gallery

Two-time European Tour winner Peter Hedblom shares the secrets of his success by telling us what's in his golf bag:

DRIVER

I'm using the new TaylorMade R9 with an x-flex Mitsubishi Fubuki shaft. The face of the R9 is a little deeper than my previous driver, which I really like.

FAIRWAY WOODS

I have two 3-woods that I often use, but in the bag at the moment is this 14.5° TaylorMade Burner - but it has been bent to 13°. My 5-wood is my baby! It's a TaylorMade V-Steel and the combination of the x-flex Mitsubishi Rayon shaft and the classic head is just perfect. The shaft is an inch shorter than standard.

IRONS

I play TaylorMade's TP forged with Dynamic Gold S300 shafts. For the last six years I have played bladed clubs because they can give me more distance control.

WEDGES

I have Titleist vokey wedges. I find that I use my sand iron from the fairway and lob wedge in bunkers. My favourite lay-up distance is 75 metre, for an easy, three-quarter sand iron.

PUTTER

My TaylorMade Rossa Monza Spider has been in my bag for almost a year! I get such a smooth roll with this putter and it has such a good sweetspot.

BALL

I use the TaylorMade TP red as my ball speed with this has improved by 3mph.

What's in the bag?

- Jeev Milkha Singh
- Ian Poulter

 

I have always had a very basic looking putter in the bag and have never really looked at any of the newer shapes and technology on the market.

However with my short putting regularly letting me down I decided it was a time for change. So I picked out this mallet putter which has a very distinct and modern look with clear alignment aids and high-density perimeter wings, which  should really help the putter face stay square and help me put those tricky, nervy short putts away.

On the practice green when I first took it out I holed 9 out of my first 10 putts, and got a little excited. It really gave me confidence.

On the course short putts were being holed, as I felt that as long as I lined them up correctly then I could make a good enough stroke to hole out.

I did find longer putts harder to hit with a slight lack of feel, but this is something that should go with a little more time out on the course and on the practice greens.

All in all this is one of my favourite clubs in my bag at the moment, not only to look at but to use as well.

See Also:

The Ping Rapture V2 fairway wood features a tungsten sole weight which creates an optimal centre of gravity for a higher launch and lower spin rates. So, how did it perform for me, a 17-handicapper?

Using this club off the tee was so pleasing that the driver stayed in the bag for most of the round even though the course I was playing was long and set up perfectly for my Wilson Smooth. I was consistently able to find the middle of the fairway and even managed to keep up with my playing partner's drives.

When you find a club like this it is difficult not to get carried away as the game will, inevitably, bite back at some point. But, if you have a fairly consistent and rhythmical swing, then the Ping Rapture 3-wood (16 degrees) should really help with your distance and making greens in two on the long holes should become a lot easier, as I discovered.

I found the ball easy to clip away from tight lies on the fairway, but stuck to my hybrid from the rough. For now I'm content to know I have a club in my bag that can be used not just off the fairway to reach the long par 5s, but a safety option from the tee without losing a great amount of distance.

At £185 the only question is whether it is worth the investment. Feedback from colleagues suggests that the is one of the most consistent-performing clubs on the market and if you’re not one to swap and tweak every few weeks, then the price tag should be of no concern!  

Where next?

- Ping Rapture V2 driver video review
- Ping Raptute V2 driver custom fitting blog
- Ping Rapture V2 driver review

“If you seriously want to improve your scoring, then concentrate on 100 yards and in…not blasting the ball 300 yards!”

Having lost count of the amount of times that I had heard this from my local professional, I conceded that there might be an element of truth to it and reluctantly parted company with my trusty, yet rusty and worn-down wedges.

Whilst looking for a replacement, the Ping Tour-W was an obvious choice. With its classic looks and versatility around the greens, it is clear to see why the Tour-W is trusted by thousands of professionals and amateurs alike. Likewise, the latest offering from Ping is available in a range of loft, bounce and finish options, making it adaptable to the needs of different players and different conditions.

Initially, I bought a 54-degree wedge to bridge the gap between my current pitching and sand wedge. The low bounce on the sole of the club ensured a clean, crisp strike from tight lies whilst the deep grooves provided spin and control unlike any other wedge on the market.

Shortly after, I purchased the 58-degree model and opted for a slightly higher bounce on the sole of the club. This helped to slide the club underneath the ball when escaping from bunkers and thick rough, yet unlike many other wedges, did not reduce playability from the fairway or fringe. Again, the result was accurate shots and lower scores.

If I was to criticise the Tour-W, then some golfers might find it slightly heavy. However, I found that these negatives were far outweighed by the consistency and forgiveness that resulted.

SEE ALSO:

Gallery: Ping Tour-W pictures

The Ben Sayers Benny hybrid features a specially designed groove configuration to increase spin and control from different types of lie. Weight is placed low and deep in the head for added forgiveness.

What a club! Without doubt one of the biggest game improving sticks that I have ever had the opportunity to pick up and use.

Now I am one of the higher handicappers in the Golf Monthly office (21). I have always found hitting long irons a struggle and therefore found long par 4s and par 5s a bit of a struggle.

However, the Ben Sayers Benny hybrid has changed this with the discovery of a club that I can hit with ease and confidence off the fairways. The hybrid has a decent sized head and is really a 7-wood if anything, but it regularly gives me distances of up to 200 yards off the fairway which is simply outstanding for a player of my experience (and lack of talent).

Off the tee it is also very handy for hitting into long par 3s or tight fairways as I find it offers really magnificent control. (Hitting a club straight and long as a high handicapper is always exciting).

It can be found with 19, 22 or 26-degree loft, so you can see which one offers you the best fit for your missing yardage.

Now if I could just get my short game sorted then I might be dangerous!

See also:

- Ben Sayers Benny hybrid review

- Ben Sayers Benny driver review

Having played the same driver for six years, I decided it was time to invest in a new club. So, I went straight to the local pro who provided me with a high-tech fitting system using the Vector Pro Launch System.

He asked me to play six shots with the driver I had in my bag, a TaylorMade Firesole, which had a 10° loft with a regular graphite shaft. From this I had an average yardage, club head speed, ball speed, a graph with the trajectory of each shot and information about how much spin was being generated as well as my launch angle on impact.

Although good distance-wise, with a modern driver I could be hitting it 20 yards further and I was advised to think about using a stiff shaft to counter the spin I was putting on the ball as my club head speed was high.

I tried a few different drivers before the Ping G10 was put in my hands. The pro suggested that I would benefit from generating a higher launch angle and handed me the 12° driver. The improvement was instantaneous.

The club has a 460cc titanium head and “a new thin crown pattern provides discretionary weight which is repositioned inside the head to optimize the CGT location for higher launch and lower spin.”

I have been using the driver for five months and the improvement in my game has been excellent. The club is unbelievably forgiving. I am hitting it 20 yards further and more importantly it is going straight down the middle. I couldn’t be happier with the improvement and have found I don’t get so nervous on the first tee with a watching crowd!

See also:

- Ping G10 driver video review
- Ping G10 driver review
- Ping G10 irons

I was very, very impressed with the Nike SQ Dymo2 driver that provides further square improvements. It provided a solid feel and sound, as well as a great flight. I liked the head cover and shaft colours so it was all very positive.  

At address the clubhead sat well. The ball felt a little harder off the clubface. Shots that were not quite out of the middle still went a long way and were straighter with a high-ball flight. Overall, by keeping the ball in play more, an excellent driver for me. This is a club that I will be keeping in the bag.

See also:

- Nike SQ Dymo2 driver video review
- Nike SQ Dymo2 driver pictures