PKG can best be described as men’s athletic underwear. Heard of SAXX? Same concept. Without going into detail of the male anatomy, PKG provides a comfortable fit and support for sporting and everyday activities. Their patented “Keyhole Comfort Technology” creates the best underwear experience for men.

Experience? really? That’s what I first thought. But to fully understand, you need to put a pair on. Only then will you appreciate the thought put into these underwear. PKG are simply the most comfortable underwear I have ever put on. They are perfect for golf, the gym, cycling, running or just normal everyday use.

PKG comes in two models; Weekday and Weekend. Both are similar but the differences are the Weekend’s has a more luxurious waistband, but can roll over. The Weekday’s have an anti-roll waistband and come in more colours than the Weekend’s. The Weekend’s are also $10 more expensive and in my opinion, aren’t worth it. Weekday’s are $25 and Weekend’s $35.

$25 is a little steep for a pair of underwear, compared to the pack of 3 Joe Boxer’s from Costco for $15. But give one a try and you’ll be hooked. For more information and all colours visit www.mypakage.com. The Weekday’s are available at The Harvest Golf Shop.

The G20 Driver

What Ping Says: The G20 is for all ability levels, the external weighting of the large, forgiving G20 driver helps launch the ball high with low spin for maximum distance and accuracy. PING’s proprietary high-balance point shaft enables you to swing a club head at more mass with the same speed, generating fast ball speeds at a high MOI, for long straight drives. The G20 launches the ball .75 degrees higher and with 200 less rpm than the G15.

First Impression: The G20 feels lighter that the G15, but in fact the club head is 2 grams heavier than it’s predecessor. This is due to their high-balance point shaft; allowing more mass at the head, but keeping the overall swing-weight down. Gone is the black finish in favor of a metallic gray or graphite colour.  The club sets up very well when grounded and I found it aesthetically pleasing, although I still prefer the matte finish of my R11 to the gloss of the G20.

First Swings: The G20 feels perfectly balanced. I knew were the club head was throughout the swing, but it never felt lagging or too heavy. The club seemed to cut through the air like a knife; a reference to the improved aerodynamics of the club. The performance was outstanding; I hit 5 consecutive drives like it was on a frozen rope and the distance was long. For me, I hit the standard TFC 169D shaft a little high for my liking and could probably benefit from the lower launch/spin TFC 169D Tour shaft.

Pros: Sets up well; looks great; easy to swing and $329 is not as harsh on the pocketbook.

Cons: Only 2 stock shaft options to choose from. Club is still a little plain and boring, but with the success of the G series why change?

Overall: The PING G20 driver is definitely an improvement over the G15 but is just an evolution rather than a revolution. Either way, a large variety of skill levels are going to improve their distance and accuracy with this driver.

The G20 Irons

What Ping Says: With the G20 irons, you’ll hit the ball long but with distance control. Perimeter weighting and a deep cavity design, the 17-4 stainless steel heads are highly forgiving. An elastomer cavity badge provides solid feel and sound while enhancing distance control.

First Impression: The club face has a darker finish than the G15 that helps reduce glare. The club head also had more of a satin finish and not as “rough” as previous versions. Additionally, PING has done a very good job of hiding the wide sole at address; providing a clean, thin look that resembles more of a Eye2 iron than G15.

First Swings: The sound is soft and pleasant, but very solid. You could hit this anywhere on the face and it would feel good. The new CFS steel shaft provided good feel and reaction. The ball flight is high; too high for myself, but that’s what the G20 is good at.

Pros: Great looks, CFS shaft, sound, custom fit options and at $749 in steel shafts for a set, many golfers will be adding these to their bag.

Cons: Not a lot of feedback on shots. Might be too high of a ball flight for some golfers. If that is the case, wait for the new i20 irons next spring.

Overall: Another solid product from a company that invented the cavity back iron.

The Harvest Golf Club has the entire G20 product line in stock, with demos in right and left handed and available for custom fitting. If you are interested in being fit or just want to try, contact the Golf Shop today.

With the explosion of handheld devices such as ipods, iphones, blackberry and numerous other “smart” devices has come the addition of applications for these devices, also known as Apps. This multi-billion dollar market includes Apps that do about anything and everything, including bar code scanners, radio, banking, travel, games and many useless apps. But besides apps that record your golf swing, no one has really developed an application that actually improves your game. Until now.

PING golf has just released their iPING Putter App and cradle for the Apple iOS platform that can be used with certain model ipods and iphones. The app is a FREE download from the iTunes app store and works in conjunction with their exclusive putter cradle for the 4th generation iPod touch and iPhone 4.

To get started is very easy, purchase the cradle from an authorize  PING dealer (Cradles are in stock at The Harvest GC for $29.95) and download the iPING app. Then slide either your ipod or iphone into the cradle and snap the cradle to the shaft of the putter. The app itself is very slick, just tap start and hit five consecutive putts from 10 feet. Using all the sensors built into the device, the app produces results for stroke type, impact angle, tempo and consistency.

In a matter of a couple minutes you can determine your swing path and face angle at impact; the two major factors in determining if you make or miss a putt. The app is simple to use that even a non-techie can figure it out. You also have the ability to compare your stats to previous sessions, other users or over a dozen PGA Tour players including Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson and Lee Westwood.

One thing the iPING doesn’t do however is tell you how to correct your putting stroke flaws. Although some may be logical and easy to fix, others will require the attention of your local PGA Pro to determine the best course of action. Overall, the iPING app and cradle is an extremely useful tool to help golfers sink more putts and improve their game. The iPING cradle can be purchased at The Harvest Golf Club for $29.95.

Watch the video below for full details of how the app works:

While most other game improvement irons on the market have a tendency to have a “bulky” look due to their wide sole and thick top line, the Burner 2.0 is able to produce the same forgiveness, while having a thinner, cleaner appearance at address. Similar to the varying face thickness, the top line thickness is different for each club as it gradually decreases from the long irons into the short irons. The innovation of the MFSD (Multi Functional Sole Design) has three separate technologies that create an optimal balance between sole geometry and performance. The first is the design of a recessed toe and heel, as it reduces drag and friction when contacting the ground, promoting greater consistency. Secondly, a bevelled sole generates a low, deep center of gravity which makes it easier to produce optimal launch angles. Last but not least, a penetrating, raised sole increases the level of the overall playability of the iron, which benefits the different skill levels of all golfers.

White Out?

When I first heard about Taylormade’s new “WHITE OUT” drivers for 2011, I was skeptical about how the consumer would react. Nothing can be further from the black painted drivers we have become accustomed to over the last decade. But when I first put one in my hands I was surprised on how minimally invasive the white colour was. The non-reflective, matte white paint is very pleasing to the eye. In fact, I hardly even noticed it was white. Both the R11 and Burner 2.0 are incredibly easy to look at and align. And that is the purpose; white crown combined with a black face make both these drivers easy to align towards the target.

Both drivers have subtle, computerize silver and red graphics around the edge of the crown, but it didn’t interfere with the looks of the club and probably assists in the alignment of the drivers.

Is it Just Paint?

Quick answer: NO. Besides what the competition says, these are not repainted versions of the R9 and Burner 1.0. Both have been reengineered from the ground up, creating the best drivers Taylormade has ever produced. The white makes them just that much better. But now that we have addressed the paint, lets look at each driver on an individual level.

R11 Review

The R11 driver looks similar to the R9 in terms of the head shape, moveable weight and flight control technology but the engineers have taken it a step further with a Adjustable Sole Plate (ASP). With these 3 exclusive technologies, the golfer can now adjust flight path (MWT), loft (FCT) and face angle (ASP) on an individual basis. What does this mean? Well, you can now fine tune each aspect more precisely to get the most accuracy and distance out of your drives.

Real World Testing

I took my R11 9 degree the stock Fujijura Blur stiff flex shaft out to the range and put it through the paces. First impression; wow this feels good. Besides the good looks of the white paint the R11 has a distinctively better sound than the R9. Not has hollow as it’s predecessor, the R11 has a more solid feel but doesn’t go as far as being a “dead” or “clunky” sound. After a few hits I dialled up the loft a degree to help promote a more right to left ball flight but then opened the face to produce a more square look at address.

After shaking some winter rust off the swing I truly had the R11 dialled in and was hitting it just as, if not better, than my R9 TP.

Burner Superfast 2.0 Review

After hitting the R11 for a bit I didn’t want to put it down, but I wanted to try the new Burner 2.0 just to get an idea. First impression when I picked up this latest version was immediate gratification. Gone is the spaceship looking duel crown the Burner 1.0 sported, and although I never liked it, it still preformed very well. But now the Burner 2.0 has a more traditional looking crown and combined with the white paint makes it a very sexy looking driver. It is the lightest Taylormade driver ever at 279 grams, a few grams light than the first version, which has allowed Taylormade to lengthen the club by an inch to produce more club head speed and more distance. This is Taylormade’s longest driver EVER!

Real World Testing

It took me a few swings to get use to the extra inch, but after that I was bombing this driver. Even though it has no adjustability, I was hitting the Burner 2.0 so well I am now considering switching from the R11, it was that good. The sound was a little more hollow that the R11, but a lot of people are going to like this driver. Not only does it look better with the removal of the dual crown design and the white paint, it just preforms hands down.

For the better player, the Burner 2.0 TP looks even better with a slightly open face at address and a more bulged toe creating a nice compact look.

Both drivers are available at The Harvest Golf Shop. The R11 has a price tag of $449 and the Burner 2.0 comes in at an attractive $339! I recommend that you take advantage of our NO CHARGE club fitting service with our certified CPGA Club Fitters to find the right Taylormade Driver for yourself.

Driver

The new K15 driver looks like a slightly flattened G15. The driver features patent pending Straight Flight Technology that uses an extreme external weight pad to move 10% of the clubhead mass towards the heel. By repositioning the centre of gravity this provides a natural rotation through impact. The design of the K15 driver means that the external sole weight pad is largely concealed and is not visible at address. Not only has this driver replaced the Rapture V2, but the G15 Draw line as also been discontinued as the K15 will be targeted to the player that previously fit into the Draw head. The K15 was built to do one thing well, hit it straight.

The K15 has a larger 460cc head design that moves weight away from the clubface to push the centre of gravity backwards and provide a higher trajectory. By increasing the length from heel to toe Ping have also been able to create a larger surface to provide high levels of forgiveness and higher ball velocity.

The Ping K15 driver features the TFC 149D graphite shaft that uses high balance point technology that allows the head mass to increase without affecting swing weight or the overall club weight to allow clubhead speed to remain consistent. This allows the K15 driver to generate higher ball speeds for longer and straighter drives.

The K15 may replace the Rapture, but it won’t replace the premium price that the Rapture driver commanded. The K15 will be priced the same as the G15, which currently stands at $349 CDN.

Irons & Hybrids

The K15 irons look almost identical to the G15, but once again these are designed purely to help the golfer hit it straight and as far as possible. But the K15 doesn’t have as many options as it’s G15 counter part. First off, you can’t get the K15 in a 3 or 4 iron. Secondly, the hybrids, available in a 3, 4, 5, and 6, cannot be purchased separately and are only available as a combo set with the irons. With that being said, you can get the K15 hybrids, but only as an addition to your already purchased K15 irons. Just produced the serial number off the irons and hybrids can be ordered.

The K15 iron features a titanium face, like it’s departed Rapture cousin, to produce long, straight ball flights and maximum forgiveness on mishits. The K15 hybrid that complements the set is a slightly tweaked version of the G15, with more internal heel weighting to get the ball airborn and straight. A K15 combo set will cost $1,199 CDN.

The K15 line will be available  starting September 1st and The Harvest Golf Club is taking pre-orders immediately.  A Ping demo day will be scheduled in the early part of September at The Harvest to give everyone the chance to try for themselves.

Overall the K15 line should complement the G and i series nicely, but is more of a game-improvement club and will be targeted towards higher handicap players.

At first look, the all white mallet produces flashbacks of my old Zebra putter from the mid nineties. Designed by Dave Stockton, the contrast of the white head against the green putting surface, coupled with the circular hole and 3 black lines, help aid alignment; a la a reversed Odyssey 2-ball. I was happy to see that Taylormade has reverted back to a more traditional, softer on the eyes, looking mallet. A far cry from their recent “fighter jet” designs.

This isn’t a gimmick. Lining up a putt is amazingly easy to accomplish and the head sits very square and level. I found it pleasing to the eye.

For a mallet putter, it has a lighter than expected weight, something that I personally prefer, as I find heavy milled putters to have too much mass. The Rossa Corza Ghost is balanced very well and produces a smooth and effortless stroke. But does it roll the ball into the hole? And more importantly would I like it?

The first putt I hit was like butter. The Ghost seemed to gently caress the ball towards the hole. The solid, yet muted feel of this putter with Taylormade’s AGSI+ face insert put one of the best rolls on a golf ball I’ve seen yet. 5 more putts and I was sold! But how much?  I was expecting a tag of $299 to $350, for such a fine work of art. Nope.  To find out that the Corza Ghost retails for $199 CDN just made a great putter even better.

Will the Ghost replace my trusty Odyssey #5 that I just can’t keep out of the bag no matter how hard I try? Maybe, only time will tell. But many people, especially those with alignment issues, are going to find this putter a god send. It may be the best putter to have a Taylormade stamp.

Available June 1st for $199 CDN, the Golf Shop at The Harvest is now taking orders.

When the R9 and R9 460 were released TaylorMade’s engineers had not yet discovered a way of combining the best element of both clubs. Now they have and the result is the R9 SuperTri. To allow a 460cc club head to accommodate both Movable Weight Technology and Flight Control Technology TaylorMade had to find a way of saving weight and they have managed to do this by using their own Ultra-Thin Wall technology more effectively throughout the club and reducing the weight of the Flight Control Technology mechanism by some three grams.

The large head of the R9 SuperTri is supremely forgiving and, with the centre of gravity shifted backwards, it’s never been easier to launch the ball high and with more spin. The result is longer drives with the 75 yard side-to-side change of the Movable Weight Technology offer total control. Even off centre hits deliver excellent distance thanks to the Inverted Cone Technology at the back of the clubface which promoted faster ball speeds even when you don’t hit it quite flush.

The TaylorMade R9 SuperTri golf driver also features a reshaped crown that helps to improve the aerodynamics of the club while also offering the deepest clubface that TaylorMade have ever produced in a MWT driver. The new shape is augmented by a black colour scheme that marks a welcome return for the black PVD clubface that so impressed in the r7 SuperQuad driver.

The TaylorMade R9 SuperTri comes with a Fujikara Motore 60-gram shaft which is both lighter and easier to launch than the Motore 65 that was used in the R9 driver. The R9 SuperTri is the most advanced dirver that TaylorMade have ever produced and offers the level of high performance that you would expect from a TaylorMade driver.

The R9 SuperTri is now available at The Harvest Golf Shop for $449.00