High-handicap irons in 2026: the forgiveness promised and what a swing robot measured
In a July 2026 robot test of four super game-improvement 7-irons, carry varied by barely five yards from one head to the next. What…
Section
Gear
Drivers, irons, wedges, balls and shoes, judged on what changes your score rather than on the marketing. Fittings, prices and where to buy, including used equipment.
Mallet putters 2026: what golfers praise and complain about in five current models
Five current mallets, from Scotty Cameron, TaylorMade, Odyssey, Ping and L.A.B. Golf, share a 3-degree loft and a 70-degree lie, yet sold new in…
Vokey SM11, RTZ 2, MG5, Opus SP+ or s259: the 2026 wedges and what golfers complain about
Four of the five current wedge families sell new for $197 to $200 a club in the U.S. this fall, and the Callaway costs…
Qi Max, Quantum Max, G440 or T350: the 2026 game-improvement irons and what golfers say
Three of the four game-improvement sets on U.S. racks this fall cost between $1,000 and $1,100 for seven clubs; the Titleist T350 costs about…
The two-year-old driver: Qi10 Max, Ai Smoke Max, G430 Max 10K and what owners say
In October 2026, the drivers of 2024 cost $200 to $350 less than the models that replaced them. The TaylorMade Qi10 Max, Callaway Paradym…
Premium or mid-range golf ball: Pro V1, Q-Star Tour, Tour Soft and what $1.50 more a ball buys
The gap between a premium ball and a mid-range one is $18 a dozen in October 2026, or $1.50 a ball. Off the driver…
Lake balls brand by brand: Pro V1 to Tour B after a season, and where U.S. golfers buy them
Recovered Pro V1, TP5, Chrome Soft, Z-Star and Tour B: what each brand publishes, what a dozen cost in October 2026, what research says…
The nine-hole bag: which six to eight clubs to carry after work, and a light bag to hold them
Six to eight clubs, one strap, nine holes before dark. How to build a half set around your game, what goes in the pockets,…
Hybrid or long iron: the ten-ball range test that settles which club belongs in your bag
Most golfers carry one club they do not trust from 190 yards. Ten balls on the range, alternated between a long iron and a…