The current Pro V1 and Pro V1x launched in January 2025. Titleist has kept its flagship balls on a reliable two-year cycle for the better part of two decades, so the arrival of a new one isn’t any particular surprise. If anything, it’s right on schedule. The surprise is where it’s happening.

Kicking off in Japan

This week at the Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama Country Club, the 2027 Pro V1 and Pro V1x begin what Titleist is calling a “global validation phase” that will play out across the world’s professional tours over the next several months. Tour reps from both the PGA Tour and the Japan Golf Tour will be on the range and inside the ropes, working with players as they get ready to put the new balls in play.

Did I have “next Pro V1 launches in Japan” on my bingo card? I did not. Then again, with the PGA Tour overseas this week, not much is happening over here right now anyway.

Already in play

In fairness, “begin” is doing a bit of heavy lifting. Titleist has had final candidates in front of tour players since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, and the move from testing to tournament play started weeks ago.

Neal Shipley was one of four players to put the 2027 models in play at the Biltmore Championship Asheville, the opener of the FedExCup Fall. For what it’s worth, he posted a 62 on his way to a career-best T3 finish. Two weeks later, more early adopters followed at the Bank of Utah Championship, the LPGA’s LOTTE Championship and the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links.

So, the Japan launch is less a debut than a ribbon cutting for a ball that’s been in the building for a while.

So, what’s new?

I’d love to tell you. Unfortunately, as is tradition with Titleist tour launches, the company is being excruciatingly vague about the performance story. There’s nothing on speed or spin (you know, the stuff you actually care about), and not a word about construction or aerodynamics. The most concrete detail on offer is that the 2027 models mark the 15th generation of Pro V1 and the 13th generation of Pro V1x.

Riveting stuff.

To be fair, this is the playbook, and it’s been the playbook for as long as I can remember. Get the ball on tour, let the players do the talking and save the deep dive for when retail is closer. (And no, Left Dash isn’t part of this. It got its update this past January, so for once I’m not even a little bit bitter.)

What we can say

We had a chance to check out the new balls a couple of weeks ago. I can’t say much about that just yet (embargoes being what they are), but I will say this: it’s going to be interesting to see how Titleist tells this story, and how the golf world responds when it does.

One more thing worth keeping in mind. Between the USGA’s June walk-back and the tolerance-free Model Local Rule proposed for elite play as early as 2028, the rule book is anything but settled. Whatever the 2027 Pro V1 turns out to be, it’s arriving while the rules for the ones that follow are still being written.

With that, we’ll have more when we’re allowed to say more.

In the meantime, what are you hoping to see from the next Pro V1 and Pro V1x? Let us know in the comments.

The post Now on tour: 2027 Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

I want to know what happens across the entire group. How consistent is the contact? Where do the misses go? What changes when I adjust the club? Does the driver still perform when the swing isn’t perfect?

Those questions have also changed what I pay attention to during a fitting. Here are five things I think are worth watching the next time you test a driver.

1. Pay attention to shaft length

The golf equipment industry still can’t seem to agree on the definition of an inch. One manufacturer’s 45.75-inch driver may be another manufacturer’s 46.

That can make a difference when you’re comparing clubs.

A longer shaft can create more clubhead speed and potentially more distance. It can also make it harder to consistently find the center of the face. If you start missing the sweet spot more often, the extra speed doesn’t necessarily help.

A slightly shorter driver may not cost you as much distance as you expect because better contact can make up for some of the lost clubhead speed. You may also end up with a tighter dispersion pattern. If one driver is suddenly longer than everything else in your fitting, check the playing length before assuming the head is responsible for all of it.

2. Adjustable loft changes more than loft

When you change the loft setting on an adjustable driver, you are also changing the face angle.

Adding loft generally closes the face while decreasing loft opens it. Face angle has a significant influence on where the ball starts.

I used to think about an adjustable hosel mostly as a way to dial in launch and spin. Now I also pay close attention to what happens to starting direction.

If a driver is producing the launch conditions you want but the ball is consistently starting somewhere you don’t want it to, the hosel may give you another way to improve the setup. The bottom line here is don’t look at the loft number by itself. Watch what happens to the entire ball flight when you make the adjustment.

3. Not all movable weights do the same thing

Seeing a weight track on the bottom of a driver doesn’t automatically mean you have a huge amount of adjustability.

What matters is how much mass you are moving and how far you can move it.

A meaningful amount of weight moved across a wider area of the clubhead can have a noticeable effect on center of gravity and ball flight. A lighter weight moving a short distance may produce a much smaller change.

This is something I would experiment with during a fitting rather than assuming the weight settings will do what you expect. Move the weight. Hit some shots. Look at the pattern.

4. Give the driver you don’t like a chance

Golfers tell us all the time that they can’t hit a club well if they don’t like the way it looks.

Testing has made me question that.

I’ve watched golfers complain about the shape, color or look of a driver at address and then produce some of their best results with it. I’ve also seen the opposite. A driver can look perfect behind the ball and perform poorly for that golfer.

Looks still matter. You have to enjoy the club you’re putting in the bag.

Just don’t eliminate something after two swings because the head shape isn’t your favorite. Give it enough shots to see what the performance looks like first.

5. Don’t let your longest drive win the fitting

One perfect strike can make almost any driver look good.

You hit one 10 yards farther than everything else and suddenly that becomes the club to beat. Meanwhile, the other shots may be going all over the place.

I care much more about what happens across the entire group.

Where did the misses go? How wide was the dispersion? Did ball speed hold up when contact moved away from the center? Was the carry relatively consistent?

Your best swing probably isn’t the one that needs the most help from your equipment. I want to know what the driver does when the strike moves a little high, low, heel or toe. It’s fun to hit long drives but you want to establish a pattern of consistently long and straight drives.

What I’m looking for now

Years of driver testing have made me less interested in finding the setup that can produce one incredible drive and more interested in finding the one that gives me the best collection of shots. I want something I have confidence in, even when I’m not having my best day on the golf course.

The post 5 Driver Fitting Lessons I Learned From Years Of Testing appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

I’m a big fan of golf’s evolution to being more progressive but I still have a handful of traditions I never want to let go of (no matter how many commenters call me snobby or elitist).

Today is a much better day for the haters—we’re talking about the traditions that should be retired.

Despite my love of golf’s history and decorum, there are certain elements that no longer have a place in our game. They are beyond outdated at this point and it’s time to put them out to pasture.

Without further delay, here are seven golf traditions we can live without.

1. Making stroke play the default for every round

Don’t get me started here.

Stroke play has its place within golf but I just don’t understand why so many golfers treat it as the only legitimate way to play.

It’s basically the hardest way to play a very hard game. One disastrous hole can hang over an entire afternoon. Someone takes a nine, decides the round is ruined and spends the next three hours complaining about their swing.

Match play gives you a fresh contest on the next tee. Stableford provides a reason to keep chasing points. Alternate shot gives you a teammate to celebrate with.

Golf offers too many ways to compete for every round to become another tedious man versus course battle (spoiler, the course usually wins).

We should all want to try different formats to have more fun on the course.

2. A “round of golf” having to be 18 holes

Nine holes is real golf. I’m even here to defend that six holes after work or a quick three-hole loop before dinner should qualify as a round of golf.

Yet golfers frequently talk about a shorter outing as though it’s an incomplete assignment or not as satisfying based solely on the number of holes completed.

That mindset makes the game harder to fit into everyday life. If you can’t spare most of a day, you start thinking you can’t play at all.

Not all of us have a six-hour block of time to spare, man. I’m sure most of us would prefer more golf if given the option but it’s not something that is feasible for a lot of people.

I’m a big proponent of courses making shorter visits easier to book and golfers should stop apologizing for enjoying them. Short courses and reduced rates for fewer holes are two ways to make that happen.

Let’s normalize a legitimate “round of golf” being various lengths of time and number of holes played.

3. Taking hats off indoors as a test of character

I understand that some clubs have this rule and I follow it when I’m a guest. You go inside a clubhouse and you take off your hat.

But I’ve never understood why a golfer quietly wearing a hat in the clubhouse is considered less respectful than someone who removes it and then treats the staff terribly.

This concept of having to take your hat off indoors extends beyond golf. To me, this is one of those rules that is purely a tradition because someone decided it should be many years ago. There is no functional reason why having your hat on indoors should be considered disrespectful.

I believe courtesy should be measured by behavior. Be polite. Tip generously. Clean up after yourself. Be considerate of the people around you.

Those things tell me considerably more than whether I can see your sweaty hair.

Whereas other private club rules (such as no-phone zones) potentially serve a reasonable purpose, it no longer makes sense for golfers to get tapped on the shoulder every time they forget to take their hat off when walking indoors.

4. Calling them “men’s tees” and “women’s tees”

This is a pretty obvious one to me. There is nothing political about it, in my eyes.

A tee marker doesn’t know your gender. It also doesn’t know your age, ego or what you shot five years ago.

We should describe tees by color, number, animal or playing distance—whatever the case, we should then help golfers choose a set suited to their game. Forget about automatically trudging to the “men’s tees” because it’s a tradition.

A woman who hits it farther than the men in her group shouldn’t feel nudged forward. A man who would enjoy the course more from a shorter distance shouldn’t feel embarrassed about moving up.

The objective is to play an interesting course at a manageable length. Gender contributes nothing useful to that decision.

5. Hyper-specific dress codes that go beyond presentable clothing

A course can reasonably ask people to show up in clean, appropriate clothes. I think that’s totally fair.

Where courses jump the shark with dress codes is when we get into elaborate policies covering shirt collars, sock length, the number of pockets on your shorts and precisely where your shirt must end.

Clothing rules become especially frustrating when they reject something comfortable and functional simply because it doesn’t resemble what members wore decades ago. Come on, man.

While I feel comfortable in a more standard golf outfit, clubs going extremely granular on dress code is a tradition we need to shoot into the sun.

6. A hole-in-one meaning that the ace-maker has to buy drinks for everyone

I’ve written about this before, but one of golf’s most ridiculous traditions is that golfers making a hole-in-one are responsible for paying the 19th hole tab.

Huh? This is like the groom having to pay for everything at his bachelor party.

The hole-in-one tradition is to the point where golfers buy insurance for such an occasion.

Look, I don’t want to be a curmudgeon—making an ace is really cool and it’s a blast to celebrate them. It’s so unlikely (12,500-to-1 odds for mere mortals) that it’s worth making a big deal of every one. 

Enjoy that accomplishment however you want. But doesn’t it seem a little dated for a golfer to make a hole-in-one and then feel obligated to immediately open a tab? 

If anything, it should be the other way around. 

Also, not everyone drinks alcohol. We need some new traditions.

7. Giving the best charity scramble prizes to the lowest score

Well, you know my feelings on charity scrambles at this point.

A charity scramble should raise money and give people a fun day on the course. Yet we often reserve the best prizes for the team that turns in the lowest score—in a format where verifying what anyone actually shot is nearly impossible.

As I’ve written before, cheating in scrambles is a (very first-world) problem. Attaching valuable prizes to the results gives dishonest teams another reason to shave a few strokes. Meanwhile, the honest group that paid the same entry fee gets to applaud a score nobody believes.

Give the winners a trophy and bragging rights. Put the expensive prizes in a drawing open to every participant.

If the purpose is supporting a good cause, your generosity shouldn’t need to come with a 48 on the scorecard.

So those are the seven traditions I want to retire. What do you think? Let me know below in the comments.

Top Photo Caption: Jason Day writes on his scorecard. (GETTY IMAGES/Carl Recine)

The post The 7 Golf Traditions That Should Be Retired appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

A break.

Life piles on. Deadlines, bills, soccer practice, dance recitals, tee times, date nights. The constant buzz of bad news and headlines. We tell ourselves to keep grinding and we usually do, until the wheels start to fall off.

That’s why we’re hitting pause for Mental Health Week. No emails, no meetings, no overflowing notifications with “urgent” subject lines. Just space and time to breathe. Some of us will play some golf. Others will hike, fish, hang with the kids or finally take that nap in the hammock we hung up last summer.

Some will do nothing at all. And that’s the point.

You wouldn’t run your car for years without an oil change (unless you’re 18-year-old me). You wouldn’t take out a set of clubs caked in mud and expect to break 80. You, yeah, you, deserve the same time and attention.

Stick with me. If you think we’re “goin’ soft,” allow me to throw you some examples. Wyndham Clark, previous U.S. Open champ, opened up about his battles that nearly ended his career after losing his mom. Therapy and sports psychology are why he’s still on Tour or even playing at all. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian alive, went public about his fight with depression and treatment. Kevin Love, five-time NBA all-star, has made mental health a permanent part of his platform. They are but a few examples of competitors at the highest level facing mental challenges.

They didn’t lose their edge by talking about what set them back. They found a way it use it to their advantage.

For most of us, the pressure isn’t winning a major or Game 7. It’s the everyday.

Think about the last time nothing was “clicking.” You worked longer, stayed up later, skipped lunch and told yourself to “push through.” Did it fix anything? In the moment, maybe. The reset never comes in those frantic hours. Ignoring your mental health doesn’t make you tougher, friends. It just delays the crash.

Change comes from taking a step back. A long walk with your favorite podcast, a quiet morning coffee, an honest chat with someone you trust.

Many of us just bottle it up. We’ll swap jokes about our bad backs, a chunked wedge—but stress, anxiety and grief? Forget about it. I’ve been there.

What I’m here to tell you, friends, is there is nothing heroic about carrying a load until something snaps.

Mental Health Week is our way of drawing a line in the sand. We’re telling ourselves, and our 20 million readers, that rest isn’t a reward for reaching your breaking point. It’s a tool for keeping yourself in check in the first place.

If you’re dealing with something that goes beyond a long weekend of peace and quiet, there’s help out there. No shame, no lectures, just real ears to listen and help guide you. TalkSpace has been a solid option for us lately. It lets you connect with licensed therapists (this is crucial) wherever you are.

On your phone, on your own schedule.

TalkSpace gave me a place to work through the heavy stuff with someone who knows what they’re doing, without having to flip through an old Golf Digest (IYKYK).

You’d take a lesson to fix your swing. This is no different.

So here’s the ask.

Join us. Give yourself some time. Take a walk without your phone or maybe use it to call a friend. Sit on the porch until the sun goes down. Or, if the weight feels bigger, start a conversation this week with a pro.

Our content is still here for your viewing pleasure. You may see posts, receive our newsletter or even see a reel or two on Instagram. The beauty of the modern world? These are all scheduled in advance.

Don’t worry. We’ll be back in just a week.

Life isn’t about white-knuckling the day. It’s about showing up and feeling like you have the bandwidth to do exactly that: show up. That means knowing when to pause.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here are some resources you can lean on:

Talkspace

988lifeline.org

SAMHSA Hotline: (1-800) 662 – HELP

The post Strong Enough To Step Back appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

From PGA TOUR Superstore and Golf Galaxy to TaylorMade, Callaway, PING and more, we’re keeping tabs on the latest offers so you don’t have to. Without further ado, check out the deals below and save yourself some money.

Five Deals Worth Checking Out Right Now

1. One Month Free of PuttView Pro

PuttView is giving MyGolfSpy readers one month of PuttView Pro free with exclusive code MGS5.

The new PuttView app is built around putting practice and green-reading technology, giving golfers tools to work on reads, pace and overall putting performance directly from an iPhone Pro.

Normally, this kind of tech can feel pretty niche or expensive to experiment with. A free month gives you a chance to actually use it, see how it fits into your practice routine and decide whether it’s something you want to keep.

Use code MGS5 to get started.

2. Up to 50% Off at Callaway Certified Pre-Owned

I already covered this sale, but in case you missed it, I’m rehashing it here because it’s simply too good not to mention again.

Callaway Certified Pre-Owned is taking up to 40% off clubs and up to 50% off Elyte equipment, and I say this as someone who has shopped there for years: this is one of the best sales I’ve seen them run.

I’ve ordered “Like New” and “Very Good” clubs that arrived looking essentially brand new, sometimes still shrink-wrapped. Pair that kind of condition with discounts this deep, and the value is outstanding.

If you’re looking for a driver, fairway wood, hybrid or iron set, this is one of the first places I’d check right now.

3. Up to 60% Off + An Extra 25% off Clearance at Golf Galaxy

This is a great sale, period.

Golf Galaxy is taking up to 60% off clearance, with an extra 25% off select clearance items, and the sale covers just about everything: clubs, apparel, footwear and accessories.

The obvious headliner for me is the Callaway Elyte driver at $300. Getting a brand-new driver at that price is ridiculous. But there’s a lot more to dig through here, especially if you’re willing to spend a little time browsing the clearance section.

Lots of footwear, apparel, and accessories at some really awesome prices.

4. 2 for $70 Maxfli Golf Balls

We’ve already talked plenty about how highly we think of Maxfli golf balls here at MyGolfSpy, and for good reason. Across the lineup, they continue to offer excellent performance for the money.

Right now, you can get two dozen for $70, which works out to just $35 per dozen. For a solid golf ball from a brand that has performed extremely well in our testing, that’s a really good price.

If you need to restock before the end of the season, do it now.

5. $160 Off Jones Trouper Golf Bags

You already know that I’m a huge fan of Jones bags, and I’ll always call them out when they’re on sale.

Carl’s Golfland currently has the Jones Trouper available in both khaki and light blue for $180, which is $160 off its usual $340 price. That’s nuts. The Trouper is one of the best-looking stand bags in golf, and getting one for barely more than half price is a worthwhile deal 24/7, 365.

If you want something a little smaller, Carl’s also has the Jones Rover down to $165, which is $135 off. Also insane.

These will certainly sell out fast. Get one before they’re gone.

The post The Best Golf Deals of the Week appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Cleveland has continued producing the model specifically for him, allowing him to preserve the design he trusts while regularly refreshing the hitting surface. And that distinction matters. Seeing an older wedge in a PGA Tour player’s bag doesn’t mean the physical club has survived thousands of practice shots. In fact, it virtually never does.

Many of us feel a tinge of guilt seeing pros replace their wedges more often than I replace my Brita filter. Meanwhile, I’ve kept the same wedges for several seasons now. Average Janes and Joes don’t typically have the bandwidth (budget) to replace our wedges so frequently.

But is that guilt meaningful? Every two months is unreasonable but should recreational golfers follow a more aggressive replacement schedule than we do?

The answer might surprise you.

How often do Tour players replace their wedges?

It’s worth starting out by saying that even Tour pros have replacement schedules that vary by player and by club, to say the least.

Adam Scott has described replacing all of his wedges four times per year, timed around the majors. He wants fresh grooves heading into those four events. So he sometimes goes just one month between replacements.

Jordan Spieth changes his 60-degree wedge every few tournaments with his other wedges lasting a couple of months. Given some of the increased demands on a 60-degree, it shows that replacing every wedge simultaneously isn’t necessarily the best approach.

Justin Thomas displays another route. He replaces approximately one pitching wedge per year, two gap wedges, three sand wedges and four (or more) lob wedges. Vokey rep Aaron Dill calls it the 1-2-3-4 method.

I just wanted to show how there is certainly no consensus among the best players in the world.

These golfers practice extensively including in bunkers where a wedge face can really take a beating. They also have equipment support readily available and don’t have to factor in how much a club costs.

Their replacement frequency reflects that workload and the control they demand.

But back to the question at hand: Does a pro golfer’s habits have any relationship to what a weekend hacker should be doing?

What our testing found

In our most recent groove-wear test, our Director of Testing Phillip Bishop collected baseline data with a new 56-degree Vokey SM10 and then repeated the measurements after 300 and 500 bunker shots.

Titleist supplied the wear simulation as it was decided that 500 bunker shots represented approximately 75 rounds. Performance measurements came from shots off grass toward a 50-yard target.

The worn wedge lost almost 47 percent of its average spin. Spin variability also increased substantially.

The takeaway here is that it’s not solely about stopping the ball. Many golfers associate wedge freshness with clipping a pitch shot and seeing the ball take two hops and magically come to rest. In reality, distance control and launch angle are even more important.

The worn wedge produced considerably less predictable results. 

This was an accelerated wear test using one wedge rather than a universal prediction for every golfer’s 75th round. But obviously it demonstrates what substantial wear can do while leaving room for differences in practice habits, conditions and wedge construction.

Two big keys here? Understanding how much golf you play and monitoring your wedge’s performance.

Playing 20 rounds a year is a lot different than playing 100 rounds per year. Do you practice a lot or not at all? Do you notice any difference in the feel of a pitch shot?

Those answers contain a lot of information for what each golfer should do.

Can groove sharpening replace buying a wedge?

We get this question a lot so I wanted to address it.

Cleaning a wedge removes dirt and debris from existing grooves. You should do that before and after each shot or at least as often as reasonably possible (yes, it does make a difference).

Sharpening grooves removes metal to alter the groove edges or geometry. The process can’t put worn metal back into place and working inside the grooves does not recreate the original milling or texture across the entire face.

What I’m saying is that sharpening is a repair attempt with a different scope from replacement. In our groove-sharpening testing, it was determined that the process is unreliable. Sometimes sharpened wedges produce more spin, sometimes less.

A new wedge provides fresh grooves and face texture plus an unworn sole and leading edge. It also creates an opportunity to check your loft, bounce and grind.

There is a rules consideration, too. Equipment standards restrict groove dimensions and edge sharpness. Cutting grooves wider, deeper or sharper can make a previously conforming wedge nonconforming.

Sharper is not automatically better or permissible. It might help … but it might also leave you worse off than before.

For a heavily worn scoring club, replacement offers a far more predictable starting point than a handheld tool.

When should you replace yours?

So what is the final consensus here?

Treat rounds played as a prompt to inspect your wedges, rather than an automatic expiration date.

This is more like checking your car’s oil than it is checking the milk in your fridge. When you hit a certain mileage, it’s time to assess where you are at—but that doesn’t automatically mean you have to replace your wedges.

Titleist recommends evaluating groove performance around 75 rounds and checking physical condition earlier. Your practice sessions count toward wear, too. As I mentioned, repeated bunker shots and sandy lies can accelerate deterioration. 

If you suspect a problem, compare your current wedge with a fresh one of similar specs using the same ball and comparable shots. Look at launch, spin, carry consistency and rollout. If you have historic wedge performance data, that will make this comparison even easier.

Start with your most-used wedge. You may need a new sand or lob wedge while your gap wedge still performs well. What do you use most around the green? Are you a one-tool player who always reaches for a 56-degree? Do you play a wide variety of shots? That is all part of the equation.

And it’s worth remembering that fresh grooves don’t require purchasing the latest release. An unused previous-generation wedge can refresh the hitting surface without paying flagship prices as we see with Matsuyama using a wedge model that was introduced in 2018.

Tour players and our groove-wearing testing show why wedge condition deserves attention. Ultimately, your own workload and performance should determine when that attention turns into a purchase.

So, no, you don’t have to replace your wedges every couple of months.

The phrase “your mileage may vary” is the one to keep in mind.

Top Photo Caption: Hideki Matsuyama hits a wedge shot during the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (GETTY IMAGES/Brian Spurlock)

The post Tour Pros Frequently Replace Their Wedges. How Often Should You? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Those aren’t bad questions. I just think there are better ones. After spending so much time looking at MyGolfSpy test data, these are the questions I wish more golfers asked before deciding what goes in the bag.

1. What happens to my miss?

Your best swing probably isn’t the one that should make the decision. We’ve seen in driver testing that performance can change quickly once impact moves away from the center, with some drivers losing considerably more ball speed and carry than others. I want to know what happens when I miss it a little high, low, heel or toe because that’s probably more useful than knowing which club produced my single longest shot.

2. How tight is my carry window?

Average carry gets most of the attention but I’d also want to know how much that number moves from shot to shot. MyGolfSpy tracks carry consistency because a club that flies 170, 171 and 169 is much easier to plan around than one that flies 165, 176 and 169, even if the averages end up close. Especially with irons, predictable distance matters.

A few years ago, I switched my irons because the set I had was the longest I had ever had. However, when I missed one these irons were 10 or 12 yards short. The new iron set is on average a few yards shorter but that carry window is less than half the size.

3. What happens at the other end of the set?

If you’re getting fitted for irons and only hitting a 7-iron, ask for another club. We test with 5-irons, 7-irons and pitching wedges and the rankings can change quite a bit throughout the set because long irons need enough speed and launch while short irons need control. You’re buying a set of irons, not one 7-iron. This is exactly why combo sets are so popular and have become an important solution for players.

That’s also where a fitting can help. PGA TOUR Superstore’s certified fitters use launch monitor data to look beyond one club and help determine how the entire set should work together.

4. Am I looking at carry distance or total distance?

Carry tells you how far the ball flies. Total distance includes what happens after it lands. That matters with drivers, fairway woods and golf balls because two products can reach the same total distance in completely different ways, with one carrying farther and another relying more on lower spin and rollout.

5. What happened to spin and descent angle when I gained distance?

If an iron or golf ball suddenly gives you five extra yards, this is the next thing I’d check. Our 2026 golf ball testing showed a clear relationship between iron distance, spin and descent angle, with longer shots often coming with less spin and a flatter landing angle. That doesn’t make the extra distance bad but you need to know whether the ball will still stop where you need it to.

6. Does this performance hold up when conditions change?

Perfect launch monitor conditions don’t always tell the whole story. Our 2026 wedge test is a great example: from 50 yards in dry conditions, the entire field was separated by fewer than 500 rpm of spin but add moisture and the gap grew to more than 3,700 rpm. If you play early in the morning, from wet rough or in humid conditions, I’d want to know whether the performance I’m buying is still there.

7. Is this club forgiving or just straight?

Forgiveness and a straight shot aren’t necessarily the same thing. Forgiveness can also mean retaining ball speed, protecting carry distance and keeping the overall shot pattern tight, and we’ve seen drivers that do one of those things extremely well without necessarily doing all of them. So when someone tells me a club is forgiving, my next question is, “Forgiving in what way?’ Different types of forgiveness will matter for your specific golf game.

8. Does this golf ball work through the whole bag?

A golf ball can look great with the driver and produce a completely different result with the irons or wedges. Our robot testing has shown that spin, flight and even relative rankings can change depending on the club being tested. You only get one golf ball on the course so I want one that works for the shots I hit from tee to green, not just the one that wins the driver test.

Find the Right Golf Ball for Your Game

Use the MyGolfSpy Golf Ball Selector to compare 48 golf balls using data from our 2026 robot test. Filter by swing speed and see how each ball performs from driver to wedge to find the best fit for your game.

Tony Covey

Employee #2, Editor, Jack of All Trades

9. What changed when this number got better?

This is probably the question I ask most often when looking at test data. If distance went up, what happened to spin? If the spin went down, what happened to carry and rollout? Did launch go higher and, if so, what happened to peak height and descent angle? Golf equipment has a lot of levers and moving one can affect several others so a better number is useful only if the rest of the performance still works for you.

Too many golfers go into a club fitting with the concept of looking for one specific metric. What does a change in that metric do to the rest of your game?

10. What problem am I trying to solve?

Before you buy anything, figure out the problem you are trying to solve. Do you need more distance, a tighter dispersion pattern, more height with your irons, better performance on mishits or more spin around the green? If you don’t know the problem, it’s very easy to get distracted by a number that looks better but doesn’t help your game.

If you aren’t sure what that problem is, that’s another good reason to get help from a fitter.

Final thoughts

You don’t have to interpret every number on your own, either. PGA TOUR Superstore’s STUDIO fittings pair certified fitters with Trackman data and a large selection of head and shaft combinations to help you work through the same questions: What happens to your misses, are your carry numbers are consistent and what changes when one metric improves?

If you’re considering new equipment but aren’t sure where to start, you can use PGA TOUR Superstore’s fitting locator to find a STUDIO fitting near you and work through the process with a fitter.

The post 10 Golf Equipment Questions I Wish More Golfers Asked Before They Buy appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

We tested at three speeds: “high” is a 116-mph driver swing and a 90 mph 7-iron swing, “mid” is 102 and 80, and “low” is 86 and 65. The wedge tests (a 35-yard shot and a full 56-degree shot, dry and wet) were the same for everyone. All rankings are relative to the 48 balls tested.

Vice Pro Plus: The spin option

If you want the ball to stop, this is the Vice to play. The Pro Plus was one of the highest-spinning balls in the whole test and that spin shows up everywhere: off the driver, with the 7-iron and especially around the greens, where it ranked in the top five percent for full-wedge spin.

The catch in this situation is that extra spin costs distance with irons. How much you lose depends on how fast you swing.

• High speed: Expect a long tee ball but shorter irons. Its 7-iron carry fell to the bottom 10 percent so plan on taking more club.
• Mid speed: This is its best fit. MyGolfSpy named it a high-spin pick at this speed and its 7-iron distance held up in the middle of the field.
• Low speed: It’s probably not your ball. There isn’t enough swing speed to carry all that spin and it finished near the bottom for 7-iron distance.

Best for: Mid- to high-speed players who will give up a few yards with their irons for more stopping power, especially with wedges.

Vice Pro: The middle option

The Pro is the most balanced of the three and it’s the pick if you want a lower, more penetrating flight. It flew lower than most balls off the driver at every speed which helps if your tee shots balloon or you often play in wind.

Around the greens, it falls in the middle of the pack for spin. It won’t check up like the Pro Plus but it kept most of its spin in wet conditions.

• High speed: It’s a tougher fit here because its 7-iron distance landed in the bottom quarter of the field.
• Mid speed: This is its sweet spot. MyGolfSpy named it the Great Buy at this speed and it paired top 20-percent 7-iron distance with a flatter flight.
• Low speed: It’s a strong option. It ranked in the top third for 7-iron distance.

Best for: Mid- and low-speed players who want a lower flight, solid iron distance and urethane feel at a value price.

Vice Pro Air: The distance option

The Pro Air is for golfers who care more about easy iron distance than spin. It was one of the lowest-spinning urethane balls in the test and that low spin turns into yardage. At mid and low speeds, it ranked in the top 15 percent for 7-iron distance.

What you give up is stopping power. It was below average for wedge spin and it lost more spin in wet conditions than almost any other urethane ball. Expect some rollout on firm greens.

• High speed: The results are mixed. It was good with irons but the low spin cost it off the tee where it ranked in the bottom 10 percent for driver distance.
• Mid speed: It delivers strong iron distance with a higher-than-average flight which is useful if you need help getting the ball up.
• Low speed: This is its best fit. It had top 15-percent 7-iron distance.

Best for: Slower to moderate swingers who want more iron distance and who don’t need maximum spin around the greens.

Which Vice ball should you play?

• High speed: The Pro Plus gives you the most spin. The Pro Air keeps spin down but gives up driver distance.
• Mid speed: All three fit, depending on your priorities. Choose the Pro Plus for spin, the Pro for a lower flight, iron distance and value or the Pro Air for iron distance and height.
• Low speed: The Pro Air and the Pro both give you strong 7-iron distance. The Pro flies lower off the driver. The Pro Plus gives up too much with your irons.
• Around the greens: The Pro Plus is the clear choice for wedge spin. The Pro Air gives up the most, especially in wet conditions.

You can check all three at your own swing speed in the Golf Ball Selector.

Find the Right Golf Ball for Your Game

Use the MyGolfSpy Golf Ball Selector to compare 48 golf balls using data from our 2026 robot test. Filter by swing speed and see how each ball performs from driver to wedge to find the best fit for your game.

Tony Covey

Employee #2, Editor, Jack of All Trades

The post Vice Pro vs. Pro Plus vs. Pro Air: Which Vice Golf Ball Should You Play (2026)? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

What We Tried

Dunning Golf’s Precision Insulated Pant.

Who Tried It

Tyler. Soft Goods Testing Manager and self-proclaimed sports savant. When I’m not with my family or playing golf, I’m probably digesting wayyyy too much sports media.

When it comes to golf pants, I’m looking for something that not only is functional but also appeals to me in terms of looks. Deion Sanders said it best when he said, “Look good, feel good, play good.” I truly believe this statement and there’s something to be said for feeling comfortable on the golf course.

The new Dunning Precision Insulated Pants are meant for on-course play and for wearing in the office as well. I had the opportunity to test them in both settings and I’m excited to share my experience.

On the course

When I’m looking for a new pair of golf pants, I consider three main things:

1. How do they look? If they don’t pass the eye test, they’re not for me.
   
2. Do they restrict my normal range of motion? When choosing new golf pants, I look for pants that operate like any other comfortable pair of pants.
   
3. How’s the storage space? I need room for my phone, keys, etc. Pockets that fit these things are a must!

When considering the first of these criteria, they look good, they’re comfortable, and they have a handful of different colorways. A lot of golf brands are trying to be loud and boisterous to grab your attention but Dunning doesn’t need to. The Precision Insulated Pant is a classy, traditional option.

No. 2 was perfect. I can’t stand when my pants (golf or not) restrict my normal range of motion. If they’re too tight on the calves, the crotch or the butt, you’ll be stuck constantly adjusting and getting comfortable again. The eight-percent Spandex is just enough to make the Precision Insulated Pant comfortable regardless of the position or movement.

The Precision Insulated Pant felt great during my swing and the “look good, feel good, play good” mentality started to kick in around the second hole.

As far as storage goes, my phone fit seamlessly and the back pocket is wide enough for your scorecard. Speaking of pockets, the front pockets are insulated and feel very similar to a winter coat. If you’re in between shots on a cool day, you can slip your hands inside and get some quick relief. The back pockets not only are wide but also feature an overlap in the fabric that closes off the pocket and protects it from the elements.

Dunning lists “thermoregulating” as a key feature of the Precision Insulated Pant and I can confidently say that it works and that it’s not just marketing B.S.

In the office

Comfort (not performance) should be the top priority when wearing golf pants in a work setting.

When I wear golf pants to the office, it’s usually because I just finished up an early morning round of golf or I’m planning on playing after work. As I said, comfort has to be key when wearing golf pants in a non-golf setting. The pants are made up of 92-percent polyester and eight-percent Spandex, making them less stretchy than some golf pants, but stretchy enough to feel like they have an athletic fit.

If you’re like Nacho Libre and prefer super “stretchy pants,” the Precision Insulated Pant may be slightly less stretchy than you’d prefer. If you’re fine compromising between insulation and elasticity, the Precision Insulated Pant is a good balance.

Speaking of insulation, I was impressed at how warm I was kept when I was out in the cold but also how the temperature was manageable when moving indoors.

The elastic waistband was a big win, especially after I’d pounded 60 ounces of water and eaten some snacks. It gave me all the stretch I needed when my gut decided to make an appearance. The fit was great on the course and the trend continued while sitting at my desk.

I can confidently say that the Precision Insulated Pant is meant for both on and off the course.

Final thoughts

I don’t have many golf pant brands that I have locked and loaded for recommendations when a friend is searching but I just added Dunning to my arsenal.

The Precision Insulated Pant is a true performer with a focus on the actual golfer. I was most impressed by the comfortable fit and insulated pockets but I couldn’t help but admire the numerous colorways and spacious pockets. Dunning exceeded every benchmark I had in my mind for golf pants and earned a place in my rotation.

The post Dunning Precision Insulated Pant Review: I Found The Only Pants You Need For Fall Golf appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Ups and downs, man. Golf is a freaking roller coaster. 

For instance, I suffered through a pretty significant down a week ago when I played terribly during the first tournament I’d ever entered. Honestly, that tournament was the crescendo at the end of some fairly poor play. I spent a couple of weeks leading up to that competition playing middling golf—not bad but not good. My swing didn’t feel great. My approach was a little off. And my handicap was rising. 

The difficulties with the tournament just put a punctuation mark on it all and forced me to question my decision to play golf at all. 

So, yeah, I was low. 

And then two days ago, I walked 18 holes with my teenage son and played the best round of my life, shooting a four-over-par 76 on my home course. The round took a chunk out of my handicap and all of a sudden, I was riding high and optimistic about the future. 

Ups and downs. 

It would be easy to gloss over the downs and dismiss them as part of the process—every golfer has bad days so why dwell on them? But progress isn’t always linear. Sometimes, you get worse before you get better and I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have had the best round of my life without those bad days. 

The poor tournament play sent me into a spiral of self-doubt which forced me to reach out to my coach for guidance and support. My main issue was the driver. I was pulling every ball off the tee hard to the left, finding deep rough. I sent my coach videos of my swing and we got to work. He diagnosed the issue—a severely closed stance that only got more closed with every pull off the tee—and immediately had me address the situation with my alignment. My closed stance was exacerbating my tendency to pull the ball so his solution was to open my stance and try to induce a fade. 

We started by taking two alignment sticks and running them like tracks, one next to the ball pointing just left of the target and the other along my toes pointing further left of the target. Without changing anything else in my swing, I started hitting balls with that new wide-open alignment and the impact was immediate. I worked through my bag, hitting slight fades with my wedges and irons. When I got to my driver, the slight fade turned into a big, ballooning slice. I sent more videos to my coach and he had me step closer to the ball. The slice turned into a baby fade. 

I spent a couple of days experimenting with the new setup until I was comfortable enough with it to take it onto the course. Opening my stance so drastically on that first tee was scary. My miss is to the left but here I was aiming left. But I committed to the change and even told my son that I was going to play a fade off the tee all day. 

And that’s exactly what I did. I hit a beautiful fade that landed just shy of the green on the opening hole, a short par-4, and then proceeded to land fades in the fairway all morning, finishing the front nine at one under par. I lost a little distance off the tee but the consistency was off the charts. 

I fell apart for a couple of holes after making the turn, scoring a couple of double bogeys after sending a couple of shots out of bounds, but I managed to right the ship and finish strong with a series of pars and one birdie thrown in for good measure. 

It was delightful, and really encouraging, largely because I don’t think I had my “A” game. There were the aforementioned errant strikes that went out of bounds but also a couple of chips that I misplayed and putts I’d like back. 

I know I’m never going to have a perfect round of golf but I could see room for improvement in this round while still scoring well. That’s encouraging. 

Let me be clear: in no way do I think we’ve suddenly “fixed” my driver. I have a feeling the big stick is going to be a constant battle throughout this process. It’s frustrating but I feel that my game is wholly dependent on how I’m hitting the driver. If I keep it in play, the rest of my game is good enough to score low. But my driver misses are huge and costly and they can quickly tank a round. I’m hoping the fade will minimize those misses but I know there will be more lows after this high wears off. I’m sure of it. 

But that’s OK. That’s golf. You gotta enjoy the roller coaster ride, celebrate the victories and learn from the losses. So far, so good. 

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 that tournament golf is hard. 
https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/scratch-by-50-tournament-golf-is-different/

The post Scratch By 50: The Highs And Lows Of Golf appeared first on MyGolfSpy.