The first day of the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show is in the books. It proved to be a very fruitful day and I’ll attempt to quickly summarize what I saw. By the way, there will be more in-depth articles on each product mentioned down the road.
The day started by visiting with IOFIT which is a company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Their product is a smart shoe that features sensors that inform golfers what’s happening with weight distribution throughout all aspects of the golf swing. The shoes in my brief time wearing them are comfortable and stylish (the suede wingtips in particular). Surprisingly light and they also feature a really great spikeless pattern. The technology works and I am going to be more than happy to further elaborate on this product.
Upon leaving the first appointment of the day I went down to the Vertical Groove Golf booth to further learn about what and who they are. I had the pleasure of interviewing Co-Founder Rubin Hannan and gained some valuable insight on the brand, their 2017 which was very successful, their new fairway wood and other things that the brand has in the hopper. There is a hybrid and a putter in the works.
Speaking of putters I met with the folks at the EVNROLL Putters booth and the booth was busy and for a good reason. EVNROLL just launched a new putter here at the show called the EVNROLL ER9 10 K. This putter is futuristic in appearance but it also just happens to roll the golf ball really well, is super stable through impact and feels great. Perhaps a longer look is in order.
As the day wore on I visited the TaylorMade Golf booth where I learned about some new innovation from the brand as far as putters and wedges go. Bill Price is the VP at TaylorMade Golf and the wealth of knowledge that he possesses is second to none. We talked about the new putters coming out from TaylorMade Golf that features Blast Motion and the new Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedge. These wedges feature high spin numbers, versatility and forgiveness. The finish darkens over time. Sticking with TaylorMade Golf the brand has re-introduced an updated version of the Project(A) golf and a new Project(S) which is a 3-piece golf ball that offers a softer feel and longer distance.
I caught up briefly with two of my favorite brands in the world. CHASE 54 and TRUE Linkswear. I’ll be doing more in-depth coverage of both companies but I will say that CHASE 54 has upped their fabric game again as they’ve released a lighter, airier fabric that features great hand. TRUE Linkswear is back doing what they do best. Make comfortable shoes that perform, look great and offer versatility not seen in other brands. Not only is TRUE back to their roots in shoe design but the brand has also returned home to the Pacific Northwest. The ownership group has changed and TRUE is back and staying TRUE to who they are.
Other brands that I checked out included IBKUL which features men’s and ladies apparel (on and off course) with vivid, stunning and playful prints. AfterShokz was a product that I was really curious about. AfterShokz offers premium headphones and premium sound through “Bone Conduction Technology”. I was mostly curious about their open construction and the sound because I love hearing music how the chords were intended. As it turns out they made a great first impression and I can see them being a great all-around product whether for golf or everyday life. Bolle Eyewear has some new golf-specific sunglasses on the market and their lenses are not made the standard polycarbonate often seen through the eyewear industry. However, what they use is much clearer and provides far greater optics than polycarbonate.
In conclusion Day One was amazing. It was a day that was hectic, informative and educational.
Until The Next Tee!!
The Next Tee (TNT) 