In this video provided by Nike Golf, Stuart Cink and Paul Casey talk about their experience with the new Victory Red STR8-Fit Tour driver. Tom Stites, Nike’s director of product creation, also explains what makes the club special.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Nike Clubs and Custom Fitting

I don’t write a lot about training aids and devise in The Shop blog. Honestly, there are so many gadgets and gizmos out there—some of which are clever and helpful, others which are junk—I can’t keep up with them. But this morning, as he was preparating for his Wednesday morning match against Miguel Angel Jimenez, England’s Oliver Wilson broke out a unique training aid that catch my attention.

With golf gloves tucked under each arm, he hit a series of pitch shots and wedge shots while standing on a Pro Stance, an inflatable tube designed to help golfers improve their balance.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter

(Photo by David Dusek)

Here is a complete list of the clubs that Dustin Johnson used to win his second consecutive AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am:

DRIVER: TaylorMade R9 (10.5°) with Fujikura Motore F1 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade R9 (15°) with Aldila RIP 90 shaft
HYBRID: TaylorMade Rescue TP (22°) with a Matrix Ozik Altus shaft
IRONS: TaylorMade R9 (3-9) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
WEDGES: TaylorMade RAC (48°, 54°), Cleveland 588 Chrome (60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron for Titleist Newport 2 prototype
BALL: TaylorMade Penta

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about TaylorMade clubs, and schedule your fitting with GolfTec.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter

(Photo by Todd Bigelow/Aurora/SI)

MARANA, Ariz. — Last week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, TaylorMade tour reps showed a new prototype rescue club to a few PGA Tour players in hopes of getting some feedback. Jim Furyk, Charles Howell, Rory Sabbatini and Dustin Johnson all tried it.

The new club has not officially been named, but will likely be called the Rescue TP ’10. Cosmetically it is very similar to the current Rescue TP and features TaylorMade’s adjustable face angle technology, but it has a smaller head and deeper face in the toe area. The club also features an area in the rear of the sole that houses a weight plug.

Here are three photos of the club:

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about TaylorMade clubs, and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter

(Photos by David Dusek)

MARANA, Ariz. — The controversy sparked by Phil Mickelson, John Daly and other golfers who recently started using Ping Eye2 wedges made before 1990 has created a problem for Hunter Mahan.

Mahan has been using a pre-1990 58° Ping Eye2 lob wedge for years. He likes the look and feel of the club, but this week at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship he would be the only player in the field using an “old groove” Eye2.

That doesn’t sit well with Mahan, because he knows that if he does well using the old wedge some people might question whether his success was due to his skill or the grooves.

So this week Mahan has been practicing with an Eye2 lob wedge that is identical to his old club except that it contains grooves that conform to the new USGA standards. Tuesday morning on the range he had three Eye2 wedges in his bag. The two copper-colored clubs in the photo have the old grooves. The silver-colored wedge that you can partially see has the new grooves. 

“I don’t want the focus to be on the grooves,” he told me. “It’s really kind of unfortunate, but right now the players are taking the blame for all of this.”

Mahan said he has not made up his mind which club he is going to use in his match Wednesday against South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel. But from his tone and body language, I sensed that he really wants to avoid any controversy.

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Ping clubs, and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter

(Photo by David Dusek)

In this video provided by TaylorMade Golf, big-hitting Robert Garrius, who led the PGA Tour in driving distance in 2009, gives his first reaction to the new R9 SuperTri driver.

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about TaylorMade clubs, and schedule your fitting with GolfTec.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter

The Burner irons released in 2009 have proven to be extremely popular, but TaylorMade admits that slower-swinging players and golfers who naturally produce a lower ball flight don’t get the full benefit of the clubs.

With the release of the new Burner SuperLaunch irons on April 1, TaylorMade hopes to address that shortcoming.

According to a release, the Burner SuperLaunch offers the highest moment of inertia (MOI) of any iron the company has ever produced, which means it will resist twisting on off-center hits and be more forgiving than just about any irons in TaylorMade’s lineup.

Like last season’s Burner irons, three sub-groups make up a single set of Burner SuperLaunch irons.

The long irons have an extremely wide sole that helps them work through the turf effectively and lowers the center of gravity; thin faces to create more ball speed; and a lower profile to make them easier to hit. In contrast, the short irons have a thinner sole, slightly thicker faces and higher, more-traditional profiles. The mid-irons bridge the other two designs.

Unlike better-player irons, the Burner SuperLaunch has a thick topline, which is reassuring and helps high-handicappers and slow swingers hit straight shots more easily.

The standard set of Burner SuperLaunch irons (4-Attack Wedge) will retail for $599 with steel shafts and $799 with graphite shafts. A 3-iron and sand wedge will be available separately.

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about TaylorMade clubs, and schedule your fitting with GolfTec.

ClubTest 2010: Max-Game Improvement Irons

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter

Officials from Ping and the USGA met Wednesday in hopes of working out a reasonable solution to the controversy surrounding the use of Ping Eye2s with square grooves. At 3:16 pm Thursday I got the following e-mail statement from the USGA:

Officials from the USGA and PING met yesterday in Dallas to discuss the use of PING EYE2 clubs on the PGA Tour.

USGA President Jim Hyler issued the following statement today:

“We met with representatives from PING yesterday. Our conversation with PING regarding the status of the PING EYE2 irons on the major professional American tours was productive, and we are hopeful that a solution can be found that respects and reflects the best interests of golfers and the game.” 

Eight minutes later I got an e-mail statement from Ping saying:

“We had a productive meeting with the USGA yesterday regarding the PING EYE2 groove debate on the PGA Tour,” said PING Chairman & CEO John Solheim. “I’m encouraged by their willingness to openly discuss some of the challenges the golf industry faces relating to equipment issues. We left the meeting with an understanding we would continue to seek a solution that benefits golfers and acknowledges the importance innovation plays in the game.”

As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” And this baby is far from over.

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Ping clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTec.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter

(Photo: Phil Mickelson’s Ping Eye2 lob wedge, which he’s no longer carrying. By Robert Beck/SI)

DRIVER:  Titleist 909 D3 (8.5°)  with UST Proforce V2 86 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD:  Titleist 906F2 (13°)  with UST Proforce V2 95 shaft
HYBRID: Titleist 909H (19°) with UST Proforce V2 104 shaft
IRONS: Titleist 755 (3-PW) with Royal Precision Project X shafts
WEDGES:  Titleist Vokey Design (54°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Sensicore shafts
PUTTER: Odyssey White Hot #2
BALL: Titleist Pro V1

Take a look inside more PGA Tour winners’ bags.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Titleist Clubs and Custom Fitting