Every year, the great and the good of the golf industry converges on Orlando in Florida to attend the PGA Merchandise Show and find out what will be revolutionise the game over the next 12 months and beyond.
With more than 1,100 exhibitors stands, and even more products, it takes virtually all of the three days of the show to see just a small percentage of the latest equipment, clothing and gadgets that are set to hit the pro shops later in the year.
It’s not just the traditional heavyweights of the golfing industry that arrive to launch their products, but also the newcomers to the market that are eager to prove they are here to stay by adding value to the lives of golfers worldwide.
It’s easy to think that this gathering held at the Orange County Convention Centre is a prime example of reinventing the wheel, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The numbers are there to illustrate how important this event is and how it impacts golf’s ever-changing landscape. In the UK alone, golfers spend £4 billion annually, of which most of it is allocated towards the golfing industry.
Sifting through what is useful and practical can be time consuming, given the sheer volume of products on display, so here are a few of the best under-the-radar-finds from this year’s show.
Bomb-it Mini Driver
Inconsistency is what drives amateur golfers to despair, and can lead to the inevitable club toss after a poor strike that has seen a ball thinned into the water or chunked into the sand. The Bomb-it Mini Driver is a training aid that is designed to help golfer hit their driver’s sweet spot with far greater frequency.
The Bomb-it Mini Driver’s clubhead is miniature, and takes some getting used to when it is lined up behind the ball. There are two types, the Pro Mini, which has a 37cc volume, or the Am Mini, which measures 55cc. Most modern drivers are between 440cc-460cc, which is 12 times bigger than the Pro Mini.
The design of both Mini Drivers is to reinforce the old adage of ‘aiming small and missing small’, so If you can hit this cleanly, you should be able to find it easy to find the centre of the clubface of a much bigger, normal-sized clubhead.
Priced at $149, it is made by Momentus, which is behind a whole range of successful swing training aids.
Golfzon’s Home Simulator
All a golfer really wants from a simulator is the opportunity to feel like they are in a realistic environment where they can practice making good swings.
Golfzon’s latest simulator – the Vision Compact – gives golfers the opportunity to play most of the top 100 courses worldwide from the comfort of their living room.
Golfzon has used the latest 3D mapping and includes a shifting mat that simulates the different types of lies in golf. Any wayward shot that will have you playing from the sand or the rough will resemble an actual course as the reality is frighteningly real.
Golfzon’s investment in the 3D mapping and graphics gives golf simulator enthusiasts the chance to experience the sound of the seagulls at St Andrews, where the 150th Open will be played, or the sanctity of Amen Corner at Augusta. At a fraction over £18,000, the Vision Compact it isn’t cheap, but it’s impressive nevertheless.
PUTT OUT
The beauty of the PGA Merchandise Show is that you can leave the Golfzon stall, where you need around £18,000 to purchase one of their products, and move onto Putt Out, which retails for £25.
Despite its small price tag in comparison, Putt Out is every bit as useful in the quest to become a better golfer. Putt Out focuses on aim and speed.
It is a little ramp that shows you how far a golf ball would have gone past the cup by rolling back the same distance. It really is a smashing little device because of its transportability. It folds up very efficiently and can fit into a briefcase, giving golfers the chance to practice their putting any time during the day they have a free moment.
It isn’t just the amateurs who will find this helpful; this is the type of instrument that a golfer like Rory McIlroy could use in the quest to become a more consistent putter. McIlroy went as far as hiring a putting coach and, with the Masters coming up in April, the Northern Irishman will be practicing his putting in order for him to exorcise his Augusta Demons.
The best golf betting websites have the Irishman as the third favourite at 9-1 for Masters glory, but, if he can sink the putts on the slick Augusta greens, then victory for McIlroy will finally earn him the Grand Slam he craves. The Masters will be covered extensively around the world, with most bookmakers currently listing Dustin Johnson as the favourite for the Green Jacket. A proposition bet on him to be leading after the first day would definitely prove to be worthwhile.
Oncore Genius Ball
At every golf club around the world, the post-round talk will at some stage drift to a ball that could be tracked by some sort of electronic device. Every golfer bemoans his luck when he loses his ball in areas that don’t include water.
Oncore’s Genius Ball is traceable via an app. No matter how badly you splice or snap-hook into the rough, you will be able to trace the location of your ball.
If that wasn’t enough to convince golfers to buy it, then the innovative technology within the ball will. The Genius also transmits back information on your launch angle, spin rate, carry distance and velocity etc. Oncore is planning to release this ball at the end of summer.
There is one thing that all golfers have in common, from world number one Dustin Johnson to the hacker at the local municipal course – everyone wants to improve. The PGA Merchandise Show is where improvement begins. After this year’s show, golfers will sleep well in the knowledge that phenomenal innovation is coming their way in 2018, which will ultimately help them lower their scores.