Luckily for me last week I took the Nike Method Putter for a spin, alas not a brilliant deduction into the way the mind of the Worlds #1 works but it is the same putter the Stuart Cink used to win the exact same competition this time last year. So below is a quick golf club review on the Nike Method Putter.

When you choose your putter it should be the club that you are most comfortable with in your entire bag. Lets face it most of us play nearly 40% of all our shots with a putter but we spend more money on our drivers and irons. When you look at the number of putters that are available the sheer multitude of what is available can be a little daunting but when it comes to precision my personal opinion is that a putter where you can put the shaft of the club over the top of the ball and the blade of the putter behind the ball gives the cleanest strike. The Nike Method 001 Putter pretty much offers all of that and of course being from the swoosh a little more.

The sales bumph on the Method Putter range is immense especially as there are five versions of the club to meet the needs of any golfer. As my personal preference is the design inventively named the Nike Method 001 that was the one I took for a few hours on the practice green and then 18 holes.

Nike are using the fact that they have two (three if you now include Tiger Woods) big winners on the US PGA Tour as a major player in their advertising and it isn’t much of a shock to be honest. Looking back at the way Stuart Cink was putting at last years British Open, especially that putt on the 18th to get the play off with the ageless Tom Watson, there had to be something to it and Cink openly talks about how the putter improved his game.

Nike have done a good job of curing one of my major ills on the green, the addition of the “Polymetal Grooves” mean there is a greatly reduced skip of the ball as it leaves the club face. This removes the skip as teh ball is struck and takes away the skidding as the ball rolls true along the green. The benefit of this is that the roll along the green is now as you read it, where before the skip and skid would cause a discrepancy in even the most experienced of golfers putts.

So after having this club with me on the practice green for a little longer than normal and taking the advice of the club pro on a few things, I started to get to grips with the Nike Method Putter. Normally I wouldn’t take the advice of the club pro before going out on the course but I was having a few issues with my putting with this club, I was going 3 feet long on pretty much every putt and it wasn’t because I was putting badly. The reason I was hitting long was because of the reduction in the skip and skid, because the ball was rolling straight off of the club face I didn’t need to hit the ball quite as hard to get a smooth roll.

Overall this caused me a few issues out on the course and I would say that the club would need a few more hours (well quite a lot actually) for me to get used to over my beloved Scotty Cameron but having said that I do see a massive benefit in getting a true roll on the ball in the way that the Nike Method 001 Putter does. I was struggling with putts between 6 to 10 feet but it would seem that the advantage I had with this club was at the greater distances and my putting nemesis the uphill putting!

Uphill especially I was hitting either into the cup or much closer than I normally would, meaning I was finding it a lot easier to make less mistakes on the green! Would I recommend this putter for a higher handicap golfer? Many of the clubs I review I think they are designed with the tour pro in mind and not the average Joe looking to enjoy his game, when testing this for this golf club review I had with me my long suffering buddy who also used the putter and he managed to drop from his average of 34 putts in that round to 29.

Now before this became Tiger Woods new putter I was already convinced about this being a fantastic club but I guess with the endorsement of the worlds best golfer and the benefits to all levels of golfer, adding to that the huge amount of increase in accuracy and control on slower greens, this is a great leap forward in technology as well as club development.

The price tag is a little expensive but again as previously mentioned if you are going to be using this more than any other club in your bag it is worth shelling out for the extra control. Oh yeah one more thing I love the grip on this club! Seriously comfortable to grip and even after a number of hours on the practice green I was still happy to continue.

Nike Method 001 Putter
		$127.00
Nike Method Putter
		$249.99
NIKE Method Putter

The Callaway Diablo Edge Irons have been designed for a maximum distance giving a lower center of gravity and ensuring that your ball has less chance of rocketing off into the lake to the left or the trees to the right. This also means that you have better control over the ball when hitting into the green.

They have what Callaway Golf are calling the “Solid Impact Sole Design” This means that the base of the club is wider and the lower leading edge design actually moves the sweet spot so if you have a nasty habit of topping the ball and can’t be bothered to spend hours at the range with your pro to keep your head straight, you need these clubs. The sweet spot on these clubs is awesome, I even managed to hit a sensible six iron which is my “club to be avoided at all costs”!

The sales bumph that comes with these clubs (as with many of Callaway Golf’s clubs) is huge so for the first time ever I have opted to skip the sales bumph and tell you if you want to see more there are a few links at the bottom of this post that will guide you through to all the plugging stuff!

I spent two hours on the range with the Callaway Diablo Edge Irons and shot around 200 balls before taking them out on the course and I have to say it was a good job I did because the lower sweet spot was giving me a few issues to start with. As soon as I realized what the problem was I was able to strike the ball cleanly and play a wide range of shots with no problem.

The only issue I had with the clubs was a distinct issue with being able to play a punch shot. The lower sweet spot was causing the ball to pop up quicker than I was used to meaning a higher trajectory than normal. A few minor changes to the swing and I was away.

Out on the course was pretty successful as well getting a good distance and extra yardage from the clubs, I also found good control from my approach shots. Luckily I was on form with my putting and chipping as the extra distance was causing the odd overshoot and leaving me with possible 3 putt opportunities.

Overall a very nice set of clubs and very good for all ranges of golfer. The set I was using were fitted with the Callaway Diablo Edge Graphite Stiff shaft with low Torque and a mid Kickpoint. Although nice I am not completely convinced these clubs suit my game as I have a habit of a long drive and a habit of having to dig myself out of trouble with my second shot.

The regular shaft from Callaway on the Diablo Edge Irons was very good for my high handicap buddy and his improvement was around 3 shots on the round that we played! That in itself is a pretty good selling point!

Callaway Diablo Edge Irons
	$599.00
Diablo Edge Irons
	$599.95
Callaway Mens Diablo Edge Irons – RH Steel (4-AW)
	$799.99
Callaway Women’s Diablo Edge Irons – (Graphite) 4H,5H,6-SW
	$799.99
Callaway Men’s Diablo Edge Irons – (Graphite) 3,4H 5-PW

On seeing this I was off to the course for my usual few hours on the range to test out a few things and with this in my mind I made straight for the pro shop where the much wound up assistant and my good buddy Mike was waiting with the Sasquatch 2 Fairway Wood ready for me to take for a spin. He had seen the shot knew I was coming and had it ready and waiting for me (everyone needs Mike at their club, not only does he know his clients but he knows the game inside and out). With 100 range balls and the club in hand off I went.

Now I wasn’t expecting to be able to hit this the same as the worlds number one but I was expecting to be able to play a variation of shots to see how the hell he managed to start the ball heading off towards Hawaii and end up in the middle of the green with a chance of an Eagle. This is acually the slightly older version of this club with the new Dymo being the more up to date and slightly sexier version of the club.

When it comes down to it the 15 degree club face on the 3 Wood and the general feel of the club is pretty much the same as most other three woods on the market and gives a fairly average distance and control. However like with most clubs that come with the Nike Swoosh it has a certain appeal that makes you want to give the club a little more respect. I have no idea why that is as in my opinion other club makers who have been around longer and have more experience have a number of superior products, but there is something about the Nike clubs that make you want to respect them more.

The Nike SasQuatch 2 Fairway Woods are nice they have a great deal of control and very little drag in the swing, they also have a nice sweet spot which allows for that extra bit of forgiveness that the amateur golfer is looking for when hitting their tee shot or their approach shot with a fairway wood.

I just want to add that I always test fairway woods with an extra little test and that is how good they are for punch shots onto the green. Holding the club down the shaft and using a putting motion can sometimes overcome minor obsticles and give the line of flight that a wedge or closed iron can’t. The Nike Sasquatch 2 Fairway Woods came up pretty good, the head is a little heavier, not by much but a little heavier which means that it was able to navigate through short rough nicely.

All in all a good club and especially good if you are looking for a slightly cheaper option to the more expensive and newer version of the club the Dymo. This club allows the amateur golfer more forgiveness when it comes to those tricky shots that require that extra bit of push.

Nike SasQuatch 2 Fairway Wood
	$79.97
NIKE SasQuatch 2 Fairway Wood with Steel Shaft

Taylormade R9 SuperTri Driver

I remember back to when I first started playing golf and my 1 wood was exactly that it was made of wood and damn heavy to boot, but at the time no one knew any better. Then you get your first metal head driver and it pretty much is like swinging a lump of lead around, but as things have evolved clubs are now much lighter and a great deal easier to swing. The Taylormade R9 SuperTri Driver is probably the most complexed and complete driver I have tried.

The club I was given to test was the right handed, 9.5 degree head with a Fujikura Motore 60, stiff shaft which fits in with all regulations of allowed clubs and all that competition stuff that can cost you dear if you are unaware. OK so some sales bumph before we tell you how the round went:

TaylorMade R9 Super Tri Driver

The TaylorMade R9 Super Tri Driver offers terrific distance that is achieved through optimization. This club has a 460cc head and a lower cg, meaning long shots that get you to the green faster. This club promotes up to 75 yards of side-to-side trajectory change for straighter, longer tee shots. This club has a new aerodynamic shape with deeper face, meaning bigger hits with more spin, which carries the ball farther.

Additional Features:

Body Construction: Titanium
Shaft: Fujikura Motore 60
USGA conforming

Now normally when I test a club I take it to the range and give it 100 range balls to see how the club handles, but due to me being late arriving at the course for my round I had to forego my usual warm up and make straight for the first tee where my buddies were waiting for me. As I stepped up to take my first drive on the long par 4 opening hole it was remarked on that I was cheating as I had some sort of futuristic club! A few practice swings and I then hit my first ball with the Taylormade R9 SuperTri Driver…..

Remember the film “Tin Cup” when golf pro Roy Macklevoy spoke about the ringing in your loins when you hit that sweet shot, well that was pretty much the feeling I got when I hit this club for the first time. the perfect draw from the centre of the club (with cries of “Bandit” and “Cheat” from behind) finishing around 290 yards in the centre of the fairway. This was the result on all but two of the drives, one was wayward left because of an over corrective stance and the other was long and in the rough because I under estimated the distance to the dog leg.

I have to say I would have probably been able to control the ball better with the draw and distance had I had time on the driving range with the club before going out onto the course, but the overall thoughts on the Taylormade R9 SuperTri Driver are that it is one hell of a club but it can take a little getting used to. In my party of 4 on the course I had two 28 handicappers who had a go with the club, both were aware that the club was very much different to the basic clubs in their bag and they struggled with the overall club head speed. With that in mind the shaft was completely different and the club itself capable of a lot more than they were used to.

The general conclusion is that the club is pretty special but with that in mind I would suggest strongly to get the right advice on the club shaft that you are going to use with this. As mentioned before I used the Fujikura Motore 60 stiff shaft and at the moment my handicap is around the 14 mark so it is worth keeping in mind that a regular shaft would be better for a higher handicapper. Just remember to get down the range and practice with this beast of a club and keep it hidden from the wife she may get a little jealous!

Taylormade R9 SuperTri Driver
	$350.00
TaylorMade R9 Supertri Driver (460cc) : right, 10.5 Fujikura Motore 60 Graphite (Regular)
	$399.95
Men’s TaylorMade R9 SuperTri Driver
	$399.99
TaylorMade R9 SuperTri Driver

The Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver is what we like to call a beast of a club. There are certain clubs that look mean, certain clubs that have a real technological look and feel and then there are clubs that were made to just (in the words of Tin Cup) Grip it and Rip it. The Big Bertha Diablo Driver in my opinion is one of the latter.

Callaway have managed to get the horns into the design but only in the form of a logo on the face and bottom of the club as you can see from the images below. When we arrived at the driving range with the Diablo Driver we were actually really pleased with it, before a ball was hit the general practice swings felt good and smooth along with a really nice ball address. Then we tried it with a ball…..

OK Sales bumph below before we go into all that…

CALLAWAY Big Bertha Diablo Neutral Driver Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Neutral Driver Finally, a driver that combines wicked power and distance with the generous sweet spot Callaway Golf s Big Bertha is famous for. Edge Technology provides a high MOI ) and an optimized center of gravity location for this Diablo Neutral Driver that produces long, penetrating ball flights with the desired shot shape. It also helps golfers release the club at impact with full power, especially when swinging aggressively. Hyperbolic Face Technology increases ball speed across the entire face of the club helping send balls further down the fairway, even on miss-hits. Features: Hyperbolic Face Technology: creates Callaway s highest ever ball speeds across the entire face Edge Technology: optimizes CG location and ball flights with a higher MOI and helps release the club at impact with max power Neutral head shape allows you to select a driver that will most benefit your typical shot shape S2H2 Design increases discretionary weight to add stability

Sounds complicated doesn’t it? Well basically it is far more complicated than it needs to be and lets face it you are here for a proper golf club review on what the club is actually like. So carrying on from where we left off….

The club strikes the ball with one of the most thumping sounds I have heard from a golf club in the last 3 years, ever since the Nike Square thingy that made that horrible thwack sound, this club is as predicted a beast. For the higher handicapped golfer this club would probably help reduce their score a little but it may take a little getting used to as do all new higher end clubs. However this club as a very large sweet spot on it and if you are a little erratic when it comes to your drives then this could be the club for you.

Slowing down your swing and building up a little at a time would benefit you greatly with this club as it would no doubt give a greater and more forgiving shot if you nurtured your swing to work with the Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver. For the lower handicapper then if you are looking for a big benefit from a new driver you would probably not get as much from it as a higher handicapper but the 9 degree face is a beauty if you catch it right.

Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver
		$121.99
Mens/Right Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver 9° Driver Neutral
		$129.00
Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver
		$149.99
Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver (Neutral, Right-Handed, Graphite, Stiff, 10-Degree)

Not one to state things from the ministry of the absolutely obvious but the Callaway Big Bertha Irons 2008 version look a little different to your average set of irons. Callaway as with every other club manufacturer claim that this “Revolutionary Technology!” will see you “Hitting straighter and further than you eve have before. Hmmmm sounds familiar doesn’t it.

Starting off have a look at the sales bumph (pay special attention to the i-Brid part):

CALLAWAY Big Bertha 08 Traditional Irons 3-SW Graphite Shafts Callaway Big Bertha 08 Traditional Irons 3-SW Graphite Shafts To build the most forgiving all-stainless steel set of golf clubs they ve ever developed, Callaway Golf engineers set aside conventional thinking, utilized innovative technologies and have redefined the shape of super game-improvement. While other Big Bertha iron sets feature i-brids, clubs designed to replace hard-to-hit long irons, this traditional iron set offers traditionally shaped long irons are available as well, featuring increased offset, a larger effective hitting area and a constant width sole for maximum forgiveness.

So instead of the hybrid clubs they use a very special technology to make the club feel and handle like an iron but look like and act like a hybrid, confused yet? I was so I took the clubs to the range to see what this extension of the normal iron was going to do to my game.

They are light weight at the lower end of the range from 7iron through to the wedge but the higher clubs 3, 4 and 5 are heavier. The reason for this is that they are there to give better distance using the same theory as a hybrid club. After hitting a few rather average shots over a period of 5 minutes I decided to put the clubs down and consult with the club pro, because something wasn’t quite right and I have been playing pretty well of late.

My good friend Miguel told me that I was over compensating for the clubs and should treat them as irons and not hybrids. This made all the difference. Swinging through the ball I noticed that I was getting good flight and straight solid shots. I then decided to let my good friend RT out with them, he has a 28 handicap and a horrible hook at the moment as well.

The result was very favorable increasing his accuracy by around 10% and in his own words “I think I could get a pretty good score with a set of these you know!” I would say that was a fairly good endorsement of the clubs.

My problem at the moment is I have tried a number of Callaway and Big Bertha clubs in the past few months and in the case of the Squareway I actually purchased the clubs. Having always been a fan and done very well with King Cobra Golf Clubs in the past I am very quickly seeing that my game could improve with a change of make in my bag.

With this in mind I set out on the course for 18 holes with the Callaway 2008 Big Bertha Irons and although it took me a few holes to actually get going the overall improvement on my game was noticeable to both me and my playing partner who remarked “Your playing on your own again next week, either that or I want 4 more shots a round!”

The Uniflex shaft is very good but if you have a higher speed then you will benefit from the Stiff shaft, there is also a ladies and senior shaft.

Now I haven’t made a solid decision yet as I need to check and see what my budget will allow but is I find I have the spare cash then a set of these clubs could well end up in my bag by the end of June for the next medal outing. This is the one downside to the Callaway 2008 Big Bertha Irons the price although much less than the high end Callaway clubs that require a lotto win in order to pick them up in the shop let alone put them in your bag.

All in all a nice idea and gives a good solid improvement to the average golfers game.

Callaway 2008 Big Bertha Irons
		$329.00
Callaway Big Bertha Irons Steel, 4-SW
		$391.99
Mens/Right Callaway Big Bertha Irons 3-PW

Anyone that knows me and my game is more than aware that I have an problem with fairway woods. Yes the old 3 wood, 5 wood and 7 wood hardly ever get into my bag let alone used when they do make it in there. So I was a little surprised to find myself in the fairway wood section of the club shop earlier today with a 3 wood in my hand. This however was no normal 3 wood, Callaway have done it again changed a straight forward club and turned it square! The Callaway FT-i Squareway Fairway Wood looks different and offers something a little extra.

As per normal with anything Callaway I was given the appropriate information that as normal means absolutely nothing to around 80% of golfers and I have included it below in the sales bumph:

Callaway FT-i Squareway Fairway Wood – RH Graphite The revolutionary design of the FT-i Driver progresses into the fairway woods. The FT-i Squareway Woods from Callaway are bound to help you get it out of the rough and onto the green. Like the FT-i Driver did for drivers, did for drivers, the FT-i Squareway Woods set a new standard in fairway woods. With a moment of inertia (MOI) approaching that of our best-selling drivers, they are the most forgiving fairway woods Callaway has ever created. The Squareway Inertial Design positions discretionary weight to the extreme corners of the clubhead, raising the MOI for unparalleled resistance to twisting. The result is straighter and more forgiving shots hit over a wide area of the face. Multi-material construction combines a stainless steel face, sole and body with a lightweight, carbon composite crown so Callaway Golf engineers can move discretionary weight where it is needed most. An oversized head shape allows for a higher MOI to increase forgiveness and stability at impact for better accuracy. VFT Technology maximizes ball speed and perimeter weighting for more distance and forgiveness S2H2 increases discretionary weight by removing it from the hosel and repositioning it in the perimeter of the clubhead.

The Callaway FT-i Squareway Fairway Woods are available in 3,5 and 7 woods which are the following lofts:

So is it any good? Well I took my left handed 28 handicap buddy with me to the driving range so we could put the club (both left and right handed) to the test to see if it lived up to its own advertising. After around 10 balls I started to get into the swing of things and the ability to hit the ball with a fairway wood started to come back into life. I am going to say that I had a regular flex Fujikura shaft which was completely perfect for my club head speed of around 87mph. I was hitting straighter and longer than I could with the rescue club I have been using instead of the woods.

My good friend RT was also impressed, although not completely successful with every swing when striking the ball off the surface when he did it was around 75% of the time and it was clean and with a good distance on it, this was also with the Fujikura regular flex shaft and there was talk of him replacing his Mizuno woods with a nice new set of Callaway FT-i Squareway fairway woods.

I on the other hand was very impressed and once I have played 18 holes with the Callaway FT-i Squareway fairway 3 wood as long as I have no major issues, and by major I mean should the club burst into flames or something like that, I will be purchasing the club to add to my bag. Its a great club, easy to hold and comfortable to swing on top of that it strikes the ball beautifully. For once I have nothing bad to say about a club, think I might have to go get myself checked at the docs!

Callaway FTi Squareway Fairway Wood
		$101.99
Mens/Right Callaway FT-i Squareway Woods 3 Wood
		$149.99
CALLAWAY FT-i Squareway Wood with Graphite Shaft

The first thing I noticed before I had even picked it up was the fact that it has this kind of go faster wing around the top of the head, it hard to describe it is supposed to be a groove and create less drag on the swing it does make the TaylorMade Tour Burner TP a little more distinctive. Next thing was the weight, it is according to the bumph 17% lighter than other drivers and it does actually feel much lighter in the initial pick up of the club. Then you swing it and the club is noticeably lighter through the whole motion of the swing.

Sales bumph below:

TaylorMade Tour Burner More legendary burner speed and power for the serious golfer. * Dual crown and weighted power-base promote increased carry and distance * Modern head shape promotes lower, deeper and precision-placed CG for higher launch angle and lower spin * SuperFast Technology promotes increased swing speed, faster ball speed and added distance * Inverted Cone Technology dramatically expands the portion of the clubface that delivers high COR for consistently longer drives on off-center hits * SuperFast 60-gram shaft is exceptionally lightweight and stable to promote greater distance and accuracy

Now where I would normally stick with clubs that are suitable for the average club player in my opinon this is for the more advanced golfer, basically anyone with a 15 or higher handicap is going to struggle to get to grips with this club quickly. It took me a while to get used to the lighter weight and the faster head speed that came with the lighter weigh. Also the Superfast 60 gram shaft is designed to give max distance and if you have a slower swing speed this will effect your ball control as it will twist less in the swing effecting your impact zone.

The club is priced by Austad’s at $399.95 and if you are an improving player looking for a club to increase distance I would advise going for a different club, either the Callaway FT-5 or the Nike Sumo2 5900 range which has a better accuracy for the higher handicapper and although the sound is wrong (oh so wrong) the clubs themselves offer a good range of improvement for the higher handicapper.

All in all the TaylorMade Tour Burner TP is a very good club that takes technology of the game to yet another level with reduction in weight and the increase in head speed. The unfortunate thing is that it will mean that courses need to increase their lengths in order to keep par 4 challenging.

Taylormade Tour Burner TP
		$168.93
TAYLORMADE PreOwned Tour Burner TP Driver

There is sales bumph as you can imagine:

TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver – New for 2008 ! Pre Book for Mid April Delivery ! Features Dual crown with small, thin top with large, weighted power-base has a low, precision-placed center of gravity for low, tour-caliber spin and longer distance at higher swing speeds Inverted Cone Technology promotes a fast ball speed from a larger portion of the face for longer distance on off-center hits 60-g SuperFast shafts are engineered for faster swing speeds and increased distance RE*AX SuperFast 60 shaft by Fujikura Shaft Torque: 3.1 except for Flex R (3.2) Tip Size: .350 in Butt Diameter: .600 in Grip: TV Lite 60 Grip Weight: 44 g

Now having seen that there is an offer to pre-order I am guessing that there is a big price tag attached to this new beast of a driver that offers low spin and higher trajectory but the TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver looks the part before I have even come close to getting to grips with it I have a feeling it is going to be a nice club, but I thought that about the Nike Sumo2 5900 as well so watch this space I will get hold of one this week and tell all.

But if you want to catch a glimpse of it (and lets face it that is all it will be to start with) see if you can see Mike Weir at the Masters today he is apparently carrying one in his bag at the moment.

QUICK UPDATE
I have managed to get hold of the TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver today so will drop an update to the site tomorrow.

Taylormade Tour Burner Driver
		$81.93
TAYLORMADE PreOwned Tour Burner Driver

I have attached the photo below so you can see why I am completely jealous of her this week and think she truly does have the worlds best job sometimes:

Yes she is at the Masters this week, not only is she there but she gets to see all the action close up as you can see she is caddying this week as well.

Now having spent some of the week with Janet during the Andalucia Open two weeks ago I can tell you that being a caddy is not a glamorous position and that a great deal of it is standing around while your golfer practices before you have to carry their clubs around the course that you would rather be playing. It does however have other advantages as you will see from the photographs on Janet’s Caddie Travel website where she sells and promotes her photography from around the globe.

Thanks for making me jealous bloke stuck in rainy Spain this week Jan! )