Ping sort of seems to be the forgotten man among the major manufacturers these days. I don’t see their advertisements on televison. I can’t tell you who’s on their pro staff. They aren’t making the golf news sites and blogs with their equipment. I don’t know anyone who has their newer clubs (although plenty are still playing with 10-year-old models). And they certainly are not being pushed in any of the local pro shops.

It could be just a local thing—maybe they get more traction in other areas—but I get the feeling that they’re kind of sliding backwards.

Still, they continue to focus on producing very player-friendly clubs, such as the new G5 irons, which made Golf Digest’s 2006 Hot List.

The G5s are a refinement of last year’s G2 series, with a wider sole and more perimeter weighting. The weight port on the back of the clubs is larger, too, reducing vibrations and stabilizing the face.

The wider sole was created through Ping’s redesign of the undercut cavity. The pull direction is parallel to the ground, rather than perpendicular to the face. This lets Ping move more mass to the the back of the clubhead.

They’re still not particularly attractive, with their tumbled finish and blunt lines. But with Ping, its all about playability.

PING G5 Iron Set 3-PW w/Steel Shaft

The Srixon ZUR-S is another entry in the high-end ball market that made the Golf Digest 2006 Hot List.

Boasting the thinnest cover in golf, the Z-URS is a three piece ball with a “PBDS” enhanced core and a high velocity ionomer boundary layer. The urethane-elastomer cover is just 0.020” thick. A 330 dimple pattern is said to provide “high trajectory with strong penetrating ball flight.”

Srixon is marketing these balls to players who want tour performance with a softer feel. In fact, they promise a refund if you don’t agree that the ball is as good as the Pro V-1.

SRIXON Zur-S

Jesse Ortiz is one of the most respected names in the club design business. As chief designer at Orlimar, he helped to turn that company into a major player in the golf business.

Now, he returns with the Bobby Jones line of clubs, which made the Golf Digest 2006 Hot List.

The Players Series hybrid increases stability with its triangular head and improves playability with a wide contoured sole. The crown’s maraging steel construction allowed Ortiz to redistrubute down and back for higher trajectory shots.

Golf Digest called it a “retro cleek” and praised its ability to get out of the rough.

What I like best about the clubs is their elegant, classic look. They’re a set that is worthy of the Bobby Jones name.

Bobby Jones by Jesse Ortiz Utility Wood

Adams new Idea A2 Irons made the 2006 Golf Digest Hot List in the Game Improvement Club category. That’s not surprising, considering that Adams has built its reputation on its easy to hit clubs.

The A2 set features 3- and 4- hybrids, hollow back mid irons and cavity back short irons. Each iron is designed to offer the golfer high launch with consistent distance.The set is promoted as best for mid to high handicappers, but in fact, the hybrids appear in the bags of quite a few pros on the Nationwide, PGA and Champions tours.

The 3 & 4 Hybrid iWoods offer a tour preferred design and shape. Adams says that they offer a lower center of gravity, higher moment of inertia (resistance to twisting) and less spin than conventional hybrids. The hybrids have Aldila NV 85 gram hybrid shafts.

The 5- through 7- irons have a hollowback design that lets Adams move the weight low and back to ease the difficulty of hitting these clubs.

And because most golfers don’t have as much trouble hitting the 8 - PW,  Adams has designed these with a cavity back that more readily allows players to shape their shots.

ADAMS A2 Iron Set 3-PW w/Steel Shaft

Sonartec is a brand that flew under the radar until Todd Hamilton used one from every conceivable lie and distance to win the British Open. Then, one of the best kept secrets in golf was out. Luke Donald had one in his bag when he won the recent Honda Classic.

The Sonartec SS-2.5 is the company’s latest fairway wood offering, and it made the 2006 Golf Digest Hot List.

This model actually goes in the opposite direction of most manufacturers by raising the center of gravity so that it is in line with the impact point on the ball. This, Sonartec says, will produce a more penetrating ball flight.

On the down site, Golf Digest notes that it also makes the club a little less forgiving than others.

SONARTEC SS-2.5 Fairway Wood

For me, Mizuno has always had the aura of high end clubs that I can’t hit. Maybe that’s because when I played with guys that had them, they were kicking my butt.

But Mizuno has been making some highly rated game improvement clubs in recent years, among them the MX series of clubs.

The MX-500 Driver builds on the MX Game improvement series, offering “high launch trajectory, optimum spin rates, and maximum ball speed.”  It made the Golf Digest 2006 Hot List.

The technology that drives this begins with a graphite toe insert, a graphite crown and a perimeter weight slot,  allowing Mizuno to distribute weight around the club head, and positioning the CG low and deep in the head. Six different CORTECH face areas generate high initial ball velocity for greater distance X-Sole design for solid feel and sound. The head ofers the maximum allowable USGA 460cc volume.

The heads come mounted on Mizuno’s new Exsar® 50 Graphite shafts.

MIZUNO MX-500 Composite Ti Driver

Adams Golf has made its reputation on easy to hit fairway woods, and it promises that the new RPM Low Profile Fairway Wood is it’s best yet. The club landed on the Golf Digest 2006 Host List.

Like all Adams Fairway Woods, the club features the patented “upside down” technology, which lowers the center of gravity and increases the club’s moment of intertia. The club also has a twin rail design on the sole which Adams says reduces ground interference by 54 percent.

Golf Digest complained about the shallow face a bit, but I prefer a more shallow faced fairway wood. I think they inspire more confidence than the taller ones. I’ve also had good luck with the Adams clubs I’ve tried over the years. I never believed that they were the longest clubs around, but they were among the most consistent.

ADAMS RPM LP Draw Fairway Wood w/Exotic Shaft