Used clubs can make sense. A fully custom setup can, too. But for most beginners, a complete set in one box with everything you need is the right starting point.

I picked five of them to put through their paces. I hit them on a launch monitor, played them on the course, tracked the differences, and handed a few off to friends and family to get a range of perspectives. The technology gaps between sets at this level tend to be smaller than the marketing suggests but there’s real variation in club selection, bag quality, feel and value.

Here’s my honest take.

The sets

The five sets I tested span from $199 to $1,599. You’ve got an Amazon Basics set at one end and a Stix Golf premium DTC offering at the other, with MacGregor, Vice Golf, and Callaway in the middle. Each one represents a different philosophy about what a beginner needs.

Amazon Basics 6-Piece Complete Set — $199

Let’s start at the floor.

The Amazon Basics set is exactly what it looks like. It’s an entry-level, no-frills option that exists for one specific type of buyer. If you tend to pick up hobbies and drop them, and you don’t want to throw real money at something you might abandon after six weeks, this makes sense. It’s also a reasonable option for a teenager who wants to go to the range with friends and just needs something to swing.

The driver is surprisingly long for the price. I wasn’t expecting much and it held its own from a distance standpoint. The irons are functional. The heads are huge, which is a common theme across beginner sets, but they do their job.

The wedge is a different story. It’s clunky in an unnecessary way even at this price point.

The bag, the construction, the overall feel of the product all tells you exactly why this costs less than $200. It’s not a knock against the Amazon set. It’s just something you should understand going in.

Here’s the real issue, though, and it applies to any partial set like this one. If you stick with golf, you’re going to want to fill in the gaps. And you can’t. There’s no matching 6-iron or 8-iron to add. The set that got you started becomes the set you eventually have to replace entirely. For some buyers, that’s fine. Just go in with eyes open.

MacGregor MacBLK Complete Set — $569

This is the smartest buy in this test I did.

The MacBLK looks and feels like it costs significantly more than it does. In terms of aesthetics and on-course feel, it sits much closer to the Stix sets than it does to the Amazon Basics. The driver sits beautifully at address with a top-down look I prefer to the Stix.

From a performance standpoint, the MacBLK driver was a few yards shorter for me than the Stix and flew a touch higher but the gap was nothing that would push me away from this MacGregor set.

The CNC precision-milled putter face is something I want to call out specifically. Milled faces are a premium feature. You typically pay a lot more for that kind of consistency and feel on its own, let alone as part of a complete set.

The one legitimate gap in this set is the wedge situation. You go straight from a pitching wedge to a 56-degree sand wedge which leaves a hole in your short game around the 50-degree range. It’s not a dealbreaker but it’s something you’ll want to address as you get more comfortable with the game and notice that gap on the course.

If someone asked me today for a complete set that delivers real value and won’t make you feel like you’re playing with budget equipment, the MacBLK is the answer at this price.

Vice Boost Plus Complete Set — $899

The Vice Boost Plus is a newer option from Vice. They built it on the specific idea that most beginner clubs are engineered around assumptions that don’t hold up for average golfers and that purpose-built specs from fitting data will serve you better than off-the-shelf design decisions.

It’s a compelling argument and you can feel it in some places more than others.

The wedge gapping is the standout. You get a pitching wedge, a 50-degree gap wedge and a 56-degree sand wedge.

The full-face wedge design is also worth calling out. Full-face grooves give you more flexibility with shot manipulation around the greens, a genuinely useful feature for someone still learning what they can and can’t do with a wedge.

The irons are solid and not difficult to hit. I liked the putter.

The driver lost me a bit. I felt it was harder to control than it should be in a beginner set. It’s got plenty of distance but the consistency that I saw from other set options wasn’t there. The fairway wood and the hybrid were better.

Ball flight across the entire Vice set trends lower than what I saw with the Callaway. That can be an asset for distance but for a beginner who is already fighting to get the ball in the air consistently, a lower ball flight throughout the bag is worth knowing about.

Callaway XR 13-Piece Complete Set — $1,499

The Callaway XR is the nicest complete set in this test.

What separates it from everything else here is that the clubs feel like individual clubs, not like a package set. The irons in particular feel and perform much closer to what you’d get if you walked into a store and bought a set of game-improvement irons off the shelf. The launch is high, the ball flight is consistent, and mishits are more forgiving than I expected.

Two hybrids—a 4 and a 5—replace the long irons entirely. For a beginner, that’s the right call.

The Odyssey DFX mallet putter is the highest-quality putter in this test.

The wedge situation gives you pitching wedge, gap wedge and sand wedge, AW. They feel a little chunky, which is typical for this category, but they do their job. I’d add a blade-style lob wedge to this and then it truly has everything you need.

I love everything about this set and, although I know it’s priced higher than others, the quality is obvious. I think the reach for this one extends well beyond beginners and into higher handicappers and even some upper-mid handicappers who need an entire set replacement at a reasonable cost.

Stix Golf Compete 14-Club Set — $1,599

I want to be upfront about something with the Stix: I’m reviewing an older version of this set, not the current C02 Compete. I’ve had it for a few years. The Stix set is the extra set we keep around for when people visit. I originally picked it up to do my own comparison against what I was playing at the time.

That context makes this a stronger review in some ways. I’ve had real time with these clubs and the latest versions from Stix are all very similar in their performance.

The wedges are the best of anything I tested. They feel precise, they’re versatile around the green, and they’ve held up well over time. If wedge performance matters to you, the Stix delivers.

The all-black aesthetic is genuinely sharp. That doesn’t affect performance but let’s not pretend presentation doesn’t matter to someone who is new to the game and thinking about how they’ll look on the course.

The driver, fairway wood and hybrid are good. Like the Vice set, ball flight trends lower throughout the bag compared to the Callaway.

The current C02 Compete also adds adjustable loft and lie on the woods and hybrid, which is an unusual feature at any price point, and the irons won a Most Wanted award from MyGolfSpy for accuracy and value. That’s relevant context if you’re considering the new version.

At $1,599, the Stix is the most expensive set in this test. The case for it is strongest if you’re a more serious beginner who wants a complete, performance-ready setup and isn’t in love with the major brand names. Keep in mind that Stix has other set options at lower price points where you’re getting similar technology and performance but maybe not as many clubs.

Next on the list for me is to do a comparison of all current Stix options and see which ones stand out.

The bottom line

I’m determined to test more sets like this and keep digging deeper into the complete set options. I’ll get more involved with how to narrow down the length and shaft you need in future articles. Here’s my final recap on these five. What should I test next?

• Not sure if you’ll stick with it: The Amazon Basics at $199 gets you on the range without the risk. If golf clicks, you can upgrade.
• Want real value: The MacGregor MacBLK at $569 is the smartest buy in this test. It performs and it looks good.
• Care about the short game: The Vice Boost Plus is the cool kids’ set. It looks great and has those little bursts of performance that will keep you coming back to the brand.
• Ready to invest: The Callaway XR is the best complete set in this test. Built like real clubs, the Odyssey putter is legit, and you can upgrade piece by piece for years.
• Want premium DTC: The Stix C02 Compete has the best wedges I tested and a 14-club setup that leaves nothing out.

The post I Tested 5 Complete Golf Sets From $199 To $1,599. Here’s Where to Spend Your Money appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

I hate to sound like a grumpy old man, but I’m jealous of college kids. Specifically, the college kids that play Division 1 golf and dominate my algorithm with their practice sessions. You know what I’m talking about. They make short videos that start with, “This is how a D1 golfer practices…” and then they walk you through their four hour practice session where they fine tune every damn aspect of their game. I’m happy that these kids get to live their best lives, but if I could siphon some of their free time for myself like a vampire, I would. 

Time is limited and I’ll be the first to admit that practice is the first thing to get sacrificed when I’m carving out a schedule, especially since I’m trying to play more rounds. Sometimes I feel like “just practicing” is a cop out and I should be out there playing 18. 

“You shouldn’t feel guilty about practicing when you’re focusing on the things you’re working on,” Hahn told me. “Playing a bunch doesn’t do you much good if you’re not working on the technical side of things too.” 

I’m still trying to bake in the swing changes that Hahn instituted and build on that foundation, so yeah, practice is key. Fortunately, with Hahn’s help, I’ve gotten much better at making my limited practice time actually count for something. Here’s a look at a typical hour-long practice session as I attempt the impossible of trying to reach scratch. 

A Bucket of Balls 

If I can, I’ll go straight from the gym to the course, but that doesn’t happen often, so most days I have to devote 5-10 minutes at the beginning of practice doing weird things that make me look like I’m in a Jazzercise video from the ‘80s. After taking my leg warmers off, I work through a bucket of balls, but this process looks entirely different than it did just a couple of months ago. With my coach’s guidance, I’ve stopped spending hours just raking and hitting balls at the range and started focusing on very specific aspects of my game. 

The specifics shift depending on what Hahn wants me to incorporate, but right now I’m dialing in my setup with my long irons and driver, trying to create a shoulder tilt so that my body is forming a reverse “K” at address, with the lead shoulder slightly higher than the trail shoulder. My natural set up is the opposite, with a lead shoulder that’s lower than the trail shoulder, which makes it hard to rotate and results in a pull. Elevating my lead shoulder and hip opens my body, allowing me to get deeper into my back hip on the turn and create an inside to out swing path. It’s also drastically improved my start line, eliminating my nasty pull. 

Every range session also includes partial swings with an abbreviated finish with my wedges. This simple move seems to ground my swing in solid mechanics and help me compress the ball with all of my irons. 

I’m a red-blood American dude who likes big trucks and ‘90s rap, so naturally I devote some of the bucket to my driver. But instead of sending it with full swings, I work through a progression of 25% swings where I focus on the club release, and 50% swings where I pay attention to the club path and ball flight. I’ve also been playing with the pause drill, where I stop at the top of my backswing for a fraction of a second, which seems to help me time up the sequence of the downswing. I still have some issues I’m working through with the driver, but breaking the swing down like this during practice has given me so much more consistency with the big stick on the course. 

That might sound like a lot, but it doesn’t take that long. Some days, I don’t even make it through an entire bucket of balls. 

Small Ball 

After the range I move to the practice green to work on my short game, focusing on close range chip shots. But instead of hammering out easy shots from the collar, I treat myself like a dick and drop balls in the thick rough and on drastic slopes. Why? Because that’s where my ball seems to land on the course.  I’ve had blow up holes in the past where it will take me three attempts to get my ball out of the thick rough just four feet from the green. Practicing these hard shots on a regular basis has helped me get out of trouble in the last few weeks more times than I can count. After I’m done torturing myself with painful lies, I’ll play a quick round of “up and down” where I chip from the collar and try to one putt through nine holes. 

Putting 

Putting? No, I don’t practice putting. Not really. By the time I get to what is arguably the single most important part of the game, I’m usually out of time. As a result, I’m losing a shocking amount of strokes to a scratch player once I reach the green. Crazy that I’m not getting better at the thing I’m not practicing, right? 

What can I say? I’m not perfect. I know I need to dedicate more time to the art of rolling the ball. I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to miss another four foot birdie putt, so I’ll work on it. I promise.

But putting isn’t the only hole in my game that I don’t practice. Pitch shots longer than 20 yards are hard to pull off at my club, and there’s no practice bunker either. I suck at sand shots too. Is it crazy that I’m thinking of building a sand bunker in my backyard? 

I’m a work in progress and I can still get better at this whole practice thing. For instance, I built a really great hitting bay in my backyard and I have a quality putting mat beneath my porch. Since joining a golf club in March, I’ve barely used those facilities in my backyard. Sure, going to the range and putting on a legitimate green is better, but why aren’t I hitting balls for 20 minutes at the end of each day in my backyard? Why aren’t I taking 10-minute putt breaks during the work day? How much better could I get if I added these low-lift practice sessions to my regular day?

I’d like to find out.

Hit me up in the comments and let me know if there’s a practice schedule, or particular drill, that works for you.

Dig deeper into one golfer’s struggle to get better at golf in middle age and read last week’s Scratch by 50 where Graham learns to stop aiming at flagsticks. 

The post Scratch by 50: How I Started Practicing Better appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Aside from loafers, that is.

So, when assigned to write about the new Athens step-in golf shoe from Kizik, I had a lot of catching up to do. At my age, mental pliability is a good thing.

So let’s start this missive with a brief primer on Kizik and then we can dive into the company’s new Athens golf shoe.

Sound like a plan?

What is Kizik and why is “step-in” a thing?

Have you ever tried to force your foot into a sneaker that was already tied, probably because you kicked them off last night while watching BritBox (told you I was a Boomer)? If so, you know that at best it’s a 50-50 proposition. Can you get your foot all the way in without the back of the shoe folding under your heel?

As life challenges go, it’s not up there with food, shelter or personal fulfillment. Fortunately for humankind, wherever problems exist, inventive souls thirst for solutions.

Enter Kizik founder Mike Pratt.

“The idea kept me up at night. How do you make a shoe that can collapse and pop back up? One that stays on after you step in, is more comfortable and is so much more than a slip-on shoe?”

Pratt filed for his first hands-free shoe patent in 2009. Eight years later, in 2019, the Kizik brand made its debut. A year later, NIKE licensed Kizik technology, making “hands-free” quasi-mainstream.

The concept took a huge leap forward in 2021 when Kizik introduced the Cage®, a flexible support system on the heel that provided extra bounce to make the back of the shoe pop back into place. Today, Kizik offers running shoes, hiking shoes and casual footwear for men, women and children.

That, friends and neighbors, brings us to the subject at hand, the new Kizik Athens golf shoe.

About that…

The Athens is Kizik’s first golf shoe. The company says it’s a “natural extension of Kizik’s growing sport category.” Kizik adds that the new shoe features “course-ready traction” and “all-day comfort.”

That, friends, is right out of the lifestyle brand-turned spikeless golf shoe playbook.

The hands-free step-in experience is interesting. The Athens does have laces which we can only presume are there to tighten the shoes as needed. The whole point of the “step-in experience” is to free you of the day-to-day drudgery of tying and untying your shoes just to take them off and put them back on again.

I kid, I kid.

There are videos of the step-in process on Kizik’s website. Once you get past the “why would I want that?” part, the technology is pretty cool. The rear portion of the shoe compresses and pops back into place instantly. And not for nothing, the shoes look extremely comfortable.

One concern would be traction. We’ll know more once we get samples in but as with most lifestyle companies that venture into golf footwear, the sole does not seem overly aggressive. Kizik does call the outsole “high traction” with “multi-directional lugs for better grip.”

We’ll see.

The other concern, which again is common for lifestyle brands branching into golf footwear, is stability. Again, we’ll have to see about that.

Kizik Athens golf shoe price and availability

Kizik’s new Athens golf shoe is available in men’s and women’s models. The men’s version is available in two colorways. The first is what Kizik calls “White/Surf the Web.” The shoe itself is white while the Cage® portion wrapping the heel is blue. The other is “HarborMist/Shadow.” That would be a kind of gray with a black Cage®.

The women’s version is available in White/Surf the Web only.

The Athens golf shoe retails for $149.95. It’s available now on the Kizik website and at Kizik retail locations.

The post Why Would You Want A “Step-In” Golf Shoe? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Confusion. Curiosity. Skepticism. And a lot of jokes about whether the irons come with a supercar.

The thread started with Forum member Green4Spinach admitting they initially thought the whole thing was an April Fool’s joke before asking:

“So who’s giving McLaren a chance in golf? Who’s making room in their bag for a McLaren driver??”

Now that the wraps are officially off, we at least know McLaren isn’t treating this like a simple licensing play.

According to the MyGolfSpy launch coverage, McLaren Golf debuted with two fully MIM’d iron sets—the blade-style Series 1 and the more forgiving Series 3—both carrying a reported $375-per-iron price tag. The company also brought in legitimate golf industry talent, including former COBRA product development head Ryan Badgero, along with designers who previously worked at Titleist, Wilson and Callaway.

That part caught the Forum’s attention.

“It’s definitely not just putting McLaren on someone else’s gear. From the looks of it they are building a full fledged golf club manufacturer.” — GolfSpy_ZZ

Still, most members immediately focused on one thing:

The price.

“I’m expecting McLaren to enter golf to out-PXG PXG.” — mpatrickriley

“I’m definitely putting these on the spectrum of unobtainable. For the average person.” — Rob Person

“Maybe I’ll find them at a thrift store in twenty years.” — Rob Person

And honestly, once the technical details started rolling out, the conversation only got more interesting.

The Series 3 irons feature tungsten weighting, a carbon fiber bonnet and a dual-camber sole designed to improve turf interaction and help reduce heavy strikes. McLaren is also leaning heavily into Metal Injection Molding (MIM), a process more commonly associated with precision manufacturing than mainstream golf equipment.

That sparked one of the more fascinating discussions in the thread:

Could McLaren actually bring something new to golf equipment?

Forum member Green4Spinach referenced comments from a golf club expert suggesting McLaren’s expertise in “aerodynamics, metallurgy, and telemetry” could potentially create “very different product outcomes from what typical OEMs do.”

But even then, the Forum wasn’t fully buying into the hype.

GolfSpy_ZZ jumped in with what might have been the most grounded comment in the entire thread:

“I do wonder how much can actually be done within the confines of USGA rules.”

That tension pretty much defines the entire conversation around McLaren Golf right now.

Golfers are intrigued by the engineering story. They like the idea of Formula 1 brains applying themselves to golf clubs. But they also know there are only so many ways to make a conforming iron or driver.

The aesthetics became another dividing line.

Some members loved the futuristic styling.

“Very F1 looking irons.” — Vertical

Others were less convinced.

“Cool to look at though… from afar…” — Theclubclub

“Not my cup of tea.” — Chubbs1991

And CrashTestDummy77 said the clubs reminded him of “something Nike would put out,” which honestly feels like a surprisingly accurate description.

Then came Justin Rose. Rose becoming McLaren Golf’s first major staff player instantly made the launch feel more legitimate, especially after reports surfaced that he had been involved in development for nearly a year.

Forum members immediately began tracking his results once the irons went into play.

“Well. Rough tournament for Justin finishing T65. Wonder how McLaren is feeling about their irons.” — Hacker60521

Another member, rkj427, pointed out that Rose had reportedly said McLaren would continue making adjustments to the irons based on his tournament feedback.

Of course, because this is the Forum, the thread eventually drifted into complete nonsense in the best possible way.

When Lefty11 asked:

“Do they make left handed clubs?”

Green4Spinach immediately responded:

“Their car is neither left hand drive or right hand drive, since the driver sits in a central seat.”

Rob Person wondered whether buying a McLaren car came with a free set of irons. Another member suggested the eventual driver would probably look “like a bicycle race helmet.”

And honestly, that probably sums up the current mood around McLaren Golf better than anything else:

Nobody seems fully convinced.

Nobody seems fully out.

But everybody is watching.

The post What Are Golfers Saying About McLaren Golf? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

You’re going to be hard-pressed to find a shoe as light as your favorite running shoe but I’ve assembled a list of four strong contenders that will feel light on your feet and easy to transport to and from the course.

adidas ADIPOWER 26

The adidas Adipower 26 is a great lightweight option compared to other spiked models from this year’s 2026 Most Wanted testing.

Testers appreciated two specific aspects of the Adipower 26:

• The Adipower 26 is not only lightweight but affordable. Coming in at $140 is no small feat for a high performing, lightweight golf shoe.
  
• This might be the most stable spiked golf shoe of 2026. If stability is a priority, this one’s for you.

The only potential downside is reduced comfort but this is always a concern when it comes to lightweight golf shoes.

Under Armour Drive Pro Clone

The Under Armour Drive Pro Clone was made specifically for those who always walk the golf course.

As I mentioned with the Adipower 26, it’s not uncommon to lose comfort when you decrease the weight of a golf shoe. Under Armour figured out the recipe with the Drive Pro Clone by creating a golf shoe that not only maintains comfort but offers top-of-the-line comfort without increasing weight.

On top of that, the traction was noted as being able to hold up in any condition. If you reside in a geographical location that features a myriad of conditions, the Drive Pro Clone will do everything you need it to do.

The only potential downside is less stability due to a wider fit. If you have wide feet, you’re in luck. If you don’t, you can expect a slight loss in stability.

Alma Mater Beta Lite

The Alma Mater Beta Lite was named the most comfortable spikeless golf shoe of 2026 by our testers.

It looks and fits like a sneaker while maintaining the lightweight title. If you’re going for a more casual look on the golf course, the Beta Lite might be the most comfortable option.

The Jordan 1 Low G, Pluto P1 and Reebok Club C walked so the Alma Mater Beta Lite could fly.

The only downside is a higher price but let’s be honest, you get what you pay for. The Alma Mater Beta Lite is great.

FootJoy Pro/SL

The FootJoy Pro/SL features quality performance at a fraction of the cost of other top FJ models ($185).

Testers labeled the FootJoy Pro/SL as the “best-fitting golf shoe on the planet.” To go along with that, the Pro/SL is as stable as they come.

Per usual, the cushion takes a slight hit due to the lightweight nature and overall construction of the shoe. Don’t get me wrong: the cushion isn’t bad, our testers noted that it’s more firm and responsive than it is “squishy.”

Closing thoughts

Although these four golf shoes take the cake in terms of lightweight design, there are plenty of other options that might be more suited for your situation/golf game.

We test dozens of golf shoes every year focused on how they will help you on the course. Curious how we test golf shoes? Here’s are the things we consider:

• Comfort

• Traction

• Stability

• Elements

For those of you not quite sold on the shoes listed in this article, here are the links to our Most Wanted golf shoes of 2026.

The post The Best Lightweight Golf Shoes Of 2026 (4 Worth Trying) appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

To be clear, my issue is not that expensive golf polos exist. If someone wants to spend $120, $150 or more on a golf shirt, that is entirely their business. I’m not interested in policing how people spend their money, especially in a sport where we routinely justify $600 drivers, $400 putters and enough launch monitor subscriptions to fund a small municipality.

My issue is much more specific: what are you actually getting for the money?

A premium polo needs to justify being premium. That justification can come from material, construction, fit, durability, hand feel, provenance or something meaningfully distinct like a great brand story or a different value proposition. The shirt doesn’t necessarily need to be “complex,” but it needs to be authentic and a different value proposition. That’s where two bands really stand out: B. Draddy and Dock Street.

B. Draddy polos are expensive. There’s no getting around that. But when you’re buying one of their 100-percent cotton polos, you’re getting a different value proposition than you are with most premium golf shirts. You’re not just buying another synthetic performance polo with a slightly different collar and a $120 price tag. You’re buying texture. You’re buying softness. You’re buying a shirt that looks and wears more like an actual piece of clothing.

Dock Street is a different kind of example. Its polos are not cotton. They’re performance shirts. But Dock Street gives you something a lot of premium golf apparel lacks: a reason to care.

Founder Brandon Evans grew up on Dock Street in Wilmington, North Carolina, and built the brand around lighthouses, coastal Carolina and the idea of guidance. That could easily become gimmicky but, in this case, it feels personal. Evans was a financial analyst who lost his job the day before his daughter was born. With the support of his wife, he finally took the leap into the golf business he had been talking about for years.

Simply put, that’s an awesome brand story. As a fellow Black American in the golf space and a lighthouse fanatic myself, Brandon’s story and Dock Street as a brand resonate deeply with me. Dock Street’s shirts are inspired by real lighthouses, including Bodie Island, Oak Island, Calibogue Light, and Santa Marta. The designs are not random patterns thrown onto a synthetic polo to make it look premium. They are tied to place, memory and symbolism.

One of my favorite details is that Evans wanted a specific thread for the Dock Street logo so that, if the sun hit it just right, it would shine from the fairway like a lighthouse from the shore. That is the kind of small, almost obsessive detail that makes a brand feel human.

That, to me, is also a value proposition. Not the same one B. Draddy offers, but a real one. B. Draddy makes the case for premium through material and texture. Dock Street makes the case through story, specificity and intent. Both are doing something more interesting than simply charging $120 for another synthetic polo and hoping the collar copy does the rest. That is where my criticism of premium polos really lives.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: golf apparel has become overwhelmingly synthetic. Polyester, spandex, elastane and nylon dominate the space. Those materials have a place. I’m not pretending they don’t. If you’re playing in extreme heat, sweating through 18 holes or want something that dries quickly, a good performance polo can make sense, but synthetic does not mean premium; not by a longshot.

Too often, golf brands take a fairly standard polyester polo, add a pattern, give the collar a marketing-friendly name and act like they’ve reinvented menswear. That’s where I struggle. A shirt being stretchy and moisture-wicking is not, by itself, enough to justify a premium price anymore.

Cotton, on the other hand, offers something different. It is not made of microplastics and, in my opinion, it usually looks and feels better than performance material. A good cotton golf polo can still be relaxed and comfortable, but it gives your outfit a level of depth that most synthetic shirts simply don’t. That’s why I have far less hesitation with an expensive cotton polo than I do with an expensive synthetic one.

Again, this does not mean every cotton polo is automatically worth the money. It also doesn’t mean every synthetic polo is a ripoff. Take Dock Street, for example. I think those polos are well worth $95. There are excellent performance polos, and there are less-than-stellar cotton polos. The point is not “cotton good, polyester bad.” The point is that premium pricing needs to come with a premium reason.

B. Draddy and Dock Street, to me, often give you that reason. Their shirts feel and look distinct. They occupy a space that most modern golf apparel has abandoned in favor of ultra-light, ultra-stretchy, ultra-similar performance wear.

That’s what I want more of in golf apparel: difference that actually means something. If a brand is going to charge premium prices, give me premium materials. Give me a real point of view. Give me a story, a texture, a detail or a reason to feel connected to what I’m wearing. Because, if I’m honest, that matters to me.

So yes, premium golf polos can absolutely be worth it. But they need to earn the premium. And for my money, a well-made cotton polo or a performance polo with genuine meaning behind it has a much stronger case than yet another expensive synthetic shirt that’s just like the others.

The post Premium Golf Polos Can Be Worth It… They Just Need To Earn It. appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

It’s the player who claims to be a single-digit—but rarely breaks 85 when you play with them.

In golf, we often talk about sandbagging but vanity handicaps might be just as common.

You’ll usually notice it in a few ways:

• They play better alone
• Gimmes are generous
• Mulligans are plentiful

Is this you? Here are three signs your handicap is lower than it should be.

You don’t log your worst rounds

This is one of the most obvious ways that a golfer is carrying a vanity handicap.

If you post only the good rounds, that’s all your handicap is based on. The recipe for handicap calculation depends on accurate scoring for all rounds meeting the official handicapping criteria. (For more insight into how to correctly post scores for an accurate handicap index, check out your local or national golf association’s website.)

If you play a few rounds of golf throughout the week, your handicap index will look drastically different if you omit your “blow-up round” of 93. Too many golfers end up six holes deep and decide “this one isn’t getting posted.” If you’re looking for accuracy, post the bad rounds, too.

Too many gimmes

This is the silent killer in terms of a legitimate handicap.

PGA Tour players make just over 90 percent of their four-footers. If a Tour player misses one in10 putts from this distance, imagine how many you (an amateur) would miss if you putted out every single one.

I take gimmes inside three feet once in a while. However, anything outside of three feet is an absolute “must putt.” You’re not good enough to consider a four-footer automatic. Respect the game and putt it out.

Just as bad as taking too many gimmes is the oh-so-familiar “re-putt.”

This is defined as:

(a) Missing your first putt from inside about eight feet
(b) Then putting it again with claims such as:

• “I didn’t line it up.”
• “I needed to clean my ball.”
• “I rushed that.”
• “I usually make those.”

Excuses aside, you missed the putt. Tap it in for bogey and move on to the next hole.

My childhood best friend put it perfectly: “If you need to take a gimme, you were nervous about missing the putt.”

Too many “unplayable” shots or too many mulligans

Now this is a nasty fried-egg lie. I took a picture and then started mentally preparing for what was sure to be a blow-up hole.

My wife asked if I was going to move it. I shook my head and said, “Nope, gotta play it as it lies.”

If you’re playing for fun and not keeping score, go ahead and move it. If you’re grinding every day with the goal of becoming a single-digit handicap or a scratch golfer, play it as it lies. You’re only hurting yourself by wimping out on the tough shots, not to mention maintaining an accurate handicap index.

Mulligans are the last thing we’ll focus on that negatively affects handicap calculation.

If you hit a bad shot, a mulligan might seem like the logical move. If you’re focused on maintaining an accurate handicap, it’s the worst move possible.

That mulligan might only make a difference of one stroke on the scorecard but there’s a high likelihood that it will positively affect you much more than you think.

You see, if you hit your tee shot into the water, you’re not just saving one stroke, but potentially two or three because you have to avoid the pressure of having to hit that same shot again, potentially with the same disastrous result.

I’m all for a breakfast ball on the first tee (if you didn’t warm up on the range) in a friendly game but I discourage any mulligans outside of that. Mulligans are a major problem when it comes to having an accurate handicap.

Final thoughts

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably rethinking some of the ways you play golf.

You don’t have to change—but don’t be surprised if it feels a little uncomfortable showing up to a money match or tournament wearing a vanity handicap like a badge of honor. You will inevitably pay the price.

If you track your handicap accurately, you might find yourself winning more money, avoiding being embarrassed, and maybe even sleep a little better. Don’t be the guy who claims to be a 5 handicap on the first tee and ends up firing an 89.

The post Three Reasons Your Handicap Is Lower Than It Should Be appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Being that PGA Tour wins often translate into retail sales, it’s a bit wild that TayorMade doesn’t have a new version of their Spider in golf shops.

That changes today with the release of the new TaylorMade Spider Tour Torched putter line. The line features a fresh finish and an ideal combination of adding new design tweaks and conserving the elements that made the Spider Tour so successful.

A new “torched” finish

The namesake PVD finish will no doubt be the first thing that people notice about the new Spider Tour Torched putters. The inspiration for the finish came from Rory McIlroy’s torched Spider Tour X. It’s a solid marketing move to make these look like McIlroy’s back-to-back Masters-winning Spider.

Unfortunately, actually torching thousands of retail putters is not really logistically possible. As such, TaylorMade needed to mimic the torched look with a PVD finish.

So the putters are not actually torched but the finish makes them look like they were.

It’s a very rich and interesting finish. Overall, the color is a mixture of chocolate and bronze. However, the intensity of the color varies with the shape of the putter head. The angles and cavitie produce subtle purple-ish hues and shift the finish between matte and glossy.

The finish also changes appearance dramatically with light level. It is far more bronze in the sun than indoors.

As I said, it’s a very interesting finish. I can see it being a bit polarizing since it is a departure from the classic putter choice of black or silver. Hopefully, shoppers will be able to take it outside to see how cool it looks under natural light.

The Spider Tour Torched center of gravity story

There is another story below the new finish that many golfers may miss entirely. The Spider Tour models are all unequivocally mallet putters. However, because of variations in center of gravity location, they do not all play the same, and will not fit the same players.

The classic Spider Tour was all about placing the weights in the rear corners. The Torched Spider Tour maintains this weighting scheme with its sole weights mounted all the way back in the rear corners.

When you look at the other three models, you’ll see the weights creeping toward the front of the putter.

At one time, the Spider Tour X weights were built into the periphery of the putter. Now they are on the sole and more toward the front. The Spider F weights are more forward and the Spider V weights are all the way at the front.

As the weights move forward so does the center of gravity. More importantly, the more forward the center of gravity, the more that the putter feels like a blade rather than a mallet.

This means the Spider Tour has the most mallet-like feel and the Spider V the most blade-like feel.

They all share the Spider Tour Torched name but they are very different putters. I know I always recommend that you roll everything in the shop but it is especially important for this line. I bet you will love the feel of one or two models and not really vibe with the others.

TPU PureRoll insert

Although it may not get the credit it deserves, I believe the PureRoll insert contributes greatly to the Spider’s success. The insert delivers expected roll with exceptional feel. That seems important to me.

It’s impossible to pinpoint the exact reason why the Spider has proven to be so successful but I have no doubt it would be less successful without the PureRoll insert.

The TaylorMade Spider Tour Torched putter models

The 2026 The TaylorMade Spider Tour Torched putter includes four distinct head shapes. The actual model count is much higher since three of the four heads come with optional neck and alignment options.

As with the weight position, your stroke needs will likely dictate the neck option that works best for you.

Spider Tour Torched

The classic Spider Tour should be a staple of any Spider line. Arguably, this is the model that kicked off the whole Spider phenomenon back when Jason Day and Dustin Johnson tore up the Tour with their red and black slant-neck versions.

The Spider Tour has the most rearward center of gravity and should feel the most mallet-like of the set. The standard version is available in slant-neck and L-neck builds. Interestingly, the slant neck features the TruePath alignment scheme and the L-neck has a single long line for targeting.

Spider Tour Torched Counterbalanced

Technically, the Spider Tour Torched Counterbalanced model is just a build variant of the Spider Tour. I wanted to include it as a separate model for a couple of reasons.

First of all, you can see what the Spider Tour looks like with the TruePath alignment scheme. Remember that TruePath first appeared with the Spider Tour X. It was added to Spider Tour models later.

This is also the face-balanced Spider Tour model. The spud neck makes this model fit putting strokes with minimal arc.

Although this is a counterbalanced model, it is built at a traditional length. While many counterbalanced putters are built to 38 inches, the stock length for this one is 35. That means you will not have three or more inches of shaft above your hands when you take your traditional grip.

This was my surprise favorite from the group. Overall, it feels a bit heavy but it seems so normal in my hands. I have yet to find my “it” 38-inch counterbalanced putter model but I dig this 35-inch CB Spider.

Don’t overlook this one in the shop.

Spider Tour X Torched

The Spider Tour X is the other classic Spider design. It feels like the little brother of the Spider Tour but it has produced big-time Tour wins (and resulting sales) for TaylorMade. Although I was not initially a fan of the new weight plan, I’ve warmed to it.

Moving the weights forward created a putter that fits a different player than the Spider Tour. With the original weight design, the difference between the Spider Tour and Spider Tour X was primarily aesthetic.

The new weight plan shifts the CG and now the Spider Tour X fits a different stroke.

Is that a significant design difference? It’s possible McIlroy misses a few putts with the old design that he made with the new one and would still be chasing his green jacket(s).

There are four Spider Tour X models: three with TruePath (L-neck, slant-neck, double-bend) and a L-neck with a single long line.

Spider Tour F Torched

Fang-shaped Spiders are not a new thing for TaylorMade. The 2020 Spider S putter was a fang-shaped model. The entire Spider GT and GTX lines were basically fang putters with turtle-shell tops.

The Spider Tour F has a traditional fang shape. It resembles the new TaylorMade SYSTM2 Bandon putter quite a bit.

The weight position gives the Spider Tour Torched F the second most forward CG position. The neck choice will dictate how blade-like you want the putter to feel. If you are wanting more of a mallet feel, go with the double-bend shaft. The L-neck will add toe hang and feel more like a blade. 

Spider Tour V Torched

The Spider Tour Torched V is the most blade-like of the Spiders. It looks like a mallet but the forward CG and L-neck will make it feel like a blade.

If you have the chance, roll the L-neck versions of the Spider Tour and Spider Tour V side by side. They feel like very different putters because they are very different putters. The overall build components are the same but the arrangements make them different.

Think Chevy Corvette versus Chevy Silverado. Same materials and company, very different cars.

Of all of the Spider models, the Spider Tour V probably fits the most specific player. This player wants a blade putter with some of the alignment and stability gains of a mallet.

This may explain why the Spider Tour Torched V is only available with a L-neck.

Will the TaylorMade Spider Tour Torched release catch fire?

TaylorMade is not afraid of mixing things up with their Spider line releases. Some of them, like the Spider Tour X, end up being huge hits. Other Spider variants are not as popular and end up disappearing from the lineup.

Which end of the popularity spectrum will the Spider Tour Torched line end up on?

I believe this line will do well. The only possible consumer hang-up is the finish. If the finish is widely rejected, the line is doomed. That’s why I really hope folks get a chance to see it outside. It looks so much better under natural light.

Ignoring the finish, the Spider Tour Torched line is one of the most complete Spider lines TaylorMade has released. The Spider Tour and Spider Tour X are the perennial popular picks. The Spider F and Spider V are models that should attract players moving from blade putters to mallets.

In the current marketplace where $600 putters have become commonplace, the MSRP of $349.99 adds some heat to the release as well.

If the finish clicks with the consumer, the TaylorMade Spider Tour Torched putters will be the hottest putter of the summer season.

How’s that for a hot take?

The post How Hot Are The New TaylorMade Torched Spider Tour Putters? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

TaylorMade went the other way. They maintained the unconventional looks of their popular Spider ZT putter while expanding its dimensions.

Could bigger actually be better?

Maybe it is like the 7-11 soda size marketing plan. If the 32-ounce Big Gulp is good, how could the 44-ounce Super Big Gulp not be even better?

(If you know how many ounces are in a Team Gulp, it may be time to cut back on the soda.)

Bigger body, same looks

The Spider ZT Max is unapologetically larger and heavier than the Spider ZT but looks just like it. The tale of the tape shows the Spider ZT Max to be about half an inch longer than the Spider ZT and about a quarter of an inch wider.

In terms of mass, this increased material equates to a nine-gram increase from the 370-gram head weight of the standard-length Spider ZT.

Visually, you recognize that you are playing a larger putter but it doesn’t look that much larger. I credit this to TaylorMade keeping the overall proportions in the same ratio.

The TruePath alignment aid is nearly the same width on both models. Not only does this keep the aid at ball-sized width but it normalizes the look at address between the two models.

For both versions, when you put the putter behind the ball, you focus on the TruePath, not the extra head material. This is a great way to make a large putter look much smaller.

The larger body is important, though, since it boosts stability and MOI.

Although TaylorMade hasn’t released any numbers, I would expect the Max has a larger MOI than the Spider ZT which is already high.

Ultimately, the increased size and weight tuns the super-stable Spider ZT into a super-duper-stable Spider ZT Max.

Maxing out gains for the longer versions

I am sure there will be a whole bunch of happy standard-length Spider ZT Max customers this summer. However, I think the happiest new Spider ZT Max owners will be those that purchase longer models.

In both the counterbalanced and long version of the Spider ZT Max, the extra shaft length facilitates a heavier head weight. For the 38-inch counterbalanced version, the head weight jumps to 398 grams.

For the 46-inch version, the weight jumps to an unbelievable 472 grams!

The heavier (and don’t forget larger) head and heavier shaft make the Spider ZT Max amazingly stable. With a 79-degree lie angle, it will perfectly interface nearly upright at the center of your chest, allowing you to sweep your putts into the hole with ease.

Naturally, we will be watching to make sure that you are not anchoring it to your body which, according to the USGA and R&A, is banned.

Sometimes the atypical is exceptional

There’s no arguing that the original Spider ZT looks like a potato masher. The Spider ZT Max looks like it could squish spuds for a whole battalion.

Calling it a “potato masher” is not an insult, it is a celebration.

Not too long ago, a company wouldn’t dare market a putter that looks like the Spider ZT Max. It would be relentlessly ridiculed for not looking like a Newport 2.

Golfers didn’t understand the benefits of the large mallet putter so they were mocked. No doubt, there would be comments about how only terrible putters would even consider using something that looks like this.

I revel in the fact that we have moved past that phase. In the current landscape, atypical-looking putters are commonplace and generally accepted as normal equipment.

We are in the golden age of mallet putters. Now is the time when TaylorMade can make a far-out putter like the Spider ZT, have it win on the PGA Tour, and finish second overall in the 2025 Most Wanted Zero-Torque Putter competition.

Creating putters like the Spider ZT Max brings celebration, not consternation.

A whole bunch of us have putters like the Spider ZT Max in our bags. Our playing partners don’t tease us for playing these putters. Instead, they often envy our putting prowess.

Don’t be surprised if your buddy has one in the bag next weekend as well.

By the way, I hope you enjoyed the teaser photo of my new mySpider ZT creation. I’ll have that story for you very soon.

Even though it is larger, TaylorMade isn’t charging more for the Spider ZT Max. Pricing for the Spider ZT Max is the same as the Spider ZT. The standard-length MSRP is $449 while the counterbalance and long models are $499 and $549 respectively.

The post How Much Larger Is The New TaylorMade Spider ZT Max? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

It’s the first traditional Odyssey Jailbird Cruiser build featuring their new Ai-DUAL insert.

As with most counterbalanced putters, the head is heavier than the standard head (380 grams versus 360). The extra weight of the shaft above your hands balances out the extra weight of the head.

The intention of this type of counterbalanced build is to increase stability of the putter without increasing the swing weight beyond the playable range.

Thanks to Wyndham Clark and Rickie Fowler putting them in their bags, the 2014 Jailbird Cruiser went from obscurity to white-hot popularity a few years ago. Everyone wanted to play the hottest putter on the PGA Tour.

Could this Jailbird Cruiser reignite that fire?

Where did the Cruiser concept come from?

Counterbalanced putters have existed for decades. The Heavy Putters company in the mid-2000s was all about heavy heads with offsetting weights in the shaft/grip. They had loyal customers but the counterbalancing boom didn’t really happen for another decade or so.

Not to get too deep in the woods but it was the anchoring ban that took effect on Jan. 1, 2016, that truly created the counterbalanced putter category.

When the USGA/R&A banned anchoring, they effectively killed off the belly putter. Although the belly putter was not actually banned, it was tough to use a belly putter without sticking it into your belly.

As an alternative, companies like Odyssey introduced lines of counterbalanced putters. These putters offered the stability of the belly putter without the need for anchoring.

Years before the ban took effect, Odyssey launched their Tank line of putters in 2013. They were so into the new concept that they had an actual tank in their booth at the 2013 PGA Show.

Odyssey wanted consumers to know that their new heavier line of putters (aka Tanks) would be stable enough to replace the departing belly putters.

Over the next decade or so, the Tank branding was replaced with the Cruiser name when the story became more than just one of mass once Odyssey added armlock and broomstick putters to the Cruiser family.

Is the Ai-Dual Jailbird Cruiser right for you?

That is probably the most important question and only you can answer it. Is a counterbalanced putter like the Jailbird Cruiser the right putter for you?

As with any putting technology, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The concept of putting is simple: all you need to do is take a short stroke and roll the ball a short distance into the hole.

In reality, that is a complex task since all of us have putting quirks. Ideally, these quirks can be addressed and cured with the correct putter.

That putter fix could be a specific alignment scheme, neck type or a counterbalanced build.

If your putting stroke tends to be handsy or quick, a counterbalanced putter could smooth things out. If you miss a bunch of short putts because you twist the putter, a Jailbird Cruiser could be a godsend for you.

Keep in mind that just like zero-torque, counterbalance will not be a fix for everyone. For some, it could even make things worse.

I went fairly deep into the woods with this question for myself a few years ago and I determined that counterbalanced putters did not match my putting needs. But that is just for my stroke.

For others, though, a putter like this new Odyssey Ai-DUAL Jailbird Cruiser could be the way to smooth out the stroke and make more putts.

Go demo the putter and see if it addresses your putting barriers. Going from loathing to loving putting could be just 38 inches away.

The post Can The New Odyssey Ai-DUAL Jailbird Cruiser Fix Your Putting Problems? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.