Tee time: Tiger making ’19 debut at Torrey Pines

SuperStroke – which makes putter and full-swing grips used by the likes of Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia, Jason Dufner and many more – has a new, full lineup of putter and full-swing grips called Traxion. The Traxion line consists of 15 putter grip models, Tour Swing grips and Wrap Swing grips. There are two main technologies that separate this line of grips from any grips in the company’s history. The first, and the technology for which the line is named, is called “Traxion Control.â€� This design uses X-shaped treads on all of the grips for added surface texture to enhance feel and performance, according to the company. This Traxion technology is placed strategically in certain areas, called “Traxion Zones,â€� that SuperStroke considers to be “high-sensory areas.â€� The other main feature used throughout the Traxion line is SuperStroke’s new Spyne technology. The ridges on the underside of the grips, which function as a reminder of where the golfer should place their hands, has been more heavily embossed than ever before. “Traxion and Spyne are two technologies that are almost universally preferred and can help every golfer improve their game,â€� said SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. Traxion putter grips The putter grips, which come in 15 different models, each have No Taper designs – that means they have a uniform width rather than a skinnier lower-hand region. SuperStroke says this helps to quiet the hands and minimize grip pressure. Also, each of the Traxion putter grips has an adjustable weight port in the butt-end of the grip, allowing golfers to counter-balance their grips, or add weight as needed. The new Tech-Port is compatible with SuperStroke’s CounterCore weight system of previous releases. Here are the putter models available in the Traxion line: Tour (1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 5.0), Flatso (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0), Pistol GT (Tour, 1.0 and 2.0), the new Claw-style (1.0 and 2.0), XL Plus (Tour XL +2.0 and 3.0, Flatso XL+2.0) and SS2R. Colorways include black, gray, red, white-and-blue and white-and-red. They are currently available at retail, and the Traxion grips are selling for $29.99 each. Traxion Tour swing grips SuperStroke’s new Tour Swing grips are made of polyurethane, but as Dingman recognizes, polyurethane grips have presented performance problems. Based on the company’s putter knowledge, however, he says the Tour Swing polyurethane grips don’t suffer the same issues. “In the past, choosing a polyurethane swing grip meant compromising performance for comfort,â€� says Dingman. “Leveraging what we’ve learned from our putter grips, we’ve been able to fix that. We made huge strides last year with our Cross Comfort swing grip, and the Traxion Tour elevates performance to an even higher level.â€� The two-piece Tour Swing grips have a “soft, tackyâ€� polyurethane outer layer, according to SuperStroke, and a firmer rubber inner core to improve stability. SuperStroke calls this two-piece design “Torsional Performance,â€� which the company says results in improved feel, feedback and control. As part of the Traxion line, the Tour Swing grips also have the Traxion Zones and Spyne technology as featured in the putter grips. SuperStroke says the Traxion Tour grips will ship in May 2019. They will be available in two colorways (white-gray and white-red-gray) and four sizes — $7.99 for undersize and standard, $8.49 for midsize and $8.99 for jumbo. The white-red-gray colorway is only available in standard and midsize. Traxion Wrap Swing grips The Wrap Swing grips, also made from polyurethane, have deep wrap channels that SuperStroke calls “GeoSpeed Channels,â€� which are designed to minimize grip pressure, and thus increase speed. Also, they have Traxion Control by way of the X-shaped treads between the channels; the wrap grips have bigger X shapes than the Traxion putter grips or the Tour Swing grips, however, providing increased durability, according to a SuperStroke representative. Like the Tour Swing grips, the Tour Wrap grips have a two-piece construction with a tacky polyurethane outer layer and a rubber inner core. The Wrap Swing grips, however, have “Taper Control,â€� meaning the lower hand section is larger than on its Tour Swing grips. The Traxion Wrap grips will be available in gray, black and tan colorways, and they will sell for $5.99 in undersize and standard, $6.49 for midsize and $6.99 for jumbo. Recently, PGATOUR.COM caught up with SuperStroke’s Vice President of Marketing Stephen Graham to learn more about the benefits of Spyne and Traxion technology as it relates to the Tour and Wrap grips, which will both be hitting retail in late May. PGATOUR.COM: How can the Spyne technology help beginning or weekend golfers, especially if they’ve never had a reminder-type grip before? Graham: Consistency. The thing that leads to consistency is hand positioning on the grip. It doesn’t matter, whatever instructor you go to will tell you to always go back to the basics. It’s grip, it’s stance, it’s alignment. Honing in on that, the only thing we can control here at SuperStroke is hand positioning and encouraging repeat hand position. That’s where the Spyne comes in. In terms of building off of the old reminders — we used to call them reminders way back when — is to make the Spyne visible so people can understand what’s going on and actually see it, and put their hands on it and feel it. The idea here being repeat hand position to increase consistency and squaring that clubface at impact. Is there a certain spot on the hand where you tell golfers you should put the reminder, or the Spyne technology, on their hand? Or is it different for everyone? No, that’s a great question. The answer to that is ‘no,’ because everyone holds the club differently; some people are more finger-oriented, some people are more palm-oriented, some people have small hands versus XL hands. While there are different size grips for that, from undersize to jumbo, everybody is going to be unique. Our goal here is that the same individual — as long as they pick it up and place it in their hands consistently — will have a greater chance of repeating the hand position and squaring the club face consistently at impact. That’s the goal. So even if you hit it 20 yards to the right, you can play golf as long as you always hit it 20 yards to the right. So that’s what we’re trying to get the beginner and the intermediate golfer to do is for them to enjoy the game more. It will increase their consistency and therefore increase their performance. How does the Spyne technology from SuperStroke differ from reminder grips from the past? I would say the concept is of a Spyne or a reminder is not new, it’s being able to see it and the visibility of it compared to years passed. Reminders from 20 years ago, whatever, were on in the interior of the grip. Whereas – kind of ‘seeing is believing’ — if I can see the Spyne, I can see the reminder, it just recaptures and validates that I have to put my hands in the same position. It’s simply the idea of making it visible so people can see the technology. We’re always of the idea that if you can see it, you can definitely believe it. You can definitely feel it. When it comes to Traxion technology, how is that beneficial for golfers compared to other grips on the market? The whole idea behind the Traxion series – obviously we’ve learned a lot from our putter grips – what the golfer will notice when they pick up the Traxion Wrap or the Traxion Tour model is they’ll notice a different tread pattern. That’s the X shape in the grip. It’s because of that, the tackiness, built into the polyurethane material that will alleviate a lot of that grip pressure that the beginner and intermediate golfers mentally go through. They think they have to hold onto the club because it will go flying out of their hand. It’s just because of that added texture and added tackiness that allows them to ease up on the grip pressure, which allows them to swing the club more freely and square it up at impact, and also increase their club head speed. … we do have the Taper Control technology built into the grip, which in plain English is a reduction in the taper rate on the lower hand. The idea there is to decrease and minimize grip pressure in order to help increase club head speed. Where can people buy the Traxion Tour and the Traxion Wrap grips? All the major golf retailers, from PGA TOUR Superstore, to Golf Galaxy, Roger Dunn, Edwin Watts, all the major golf retailers will carry the Traxion Tour. PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE: Buy equipment here

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Mackenzie Hughes won the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson. Here’s a look inside his bag. Driver: Ping G425 LST (10.5 degrees @9.75) Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7 X 5-wood: Ping G425 MAX (17.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 80 6.5 TX 7-wood: Ping G425 MAX (20.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green RDX 90 6.5 TX Irons: Ping i210 (4-6), S55 (7-PW) Shaft: Project X 6.5 Wedges: Ping Glide 2.0 (52-SS, 56-WS, 60-TS) Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Putter: Ping Scottsdale TR Piper C Grips: Golf Pride Multi Compound Black/Blue 60R (+3RH, +2LH) Ball: Titleist Pro V1

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