Nike has been trumpeting the fact that the Darrell Survey found that more players used Nike clubs at the Masters than any other brand.

But several news organizations are reporting that the numbers are inflated because Nike paid a number of aging past champions $20,000 each to play their clubs. Billy Casper shot his famous 106 using Nike clubs—apparently the first time he has used that brand.

I don’t expect Nike to stop there. Having the top spot on the survey is worth a lot. And Nike is perhaps the best sports marketing organization in existence. Look for them to spend a heap of money signing up players on every tour they can get to.

I’ll even write their copy for them now:
Nike: Number one on the PGA, Champions, Nationwide and Hooters Tours. Number one with the LPGA. Shouldn’t it be number one with you?

I found a very interesting looking ball on Saturday while playing at my club. From the hex pattern on the surface, at first I thought it was some sort of mutant Callaway. Pink, it was. And semi-transparent, too.

So, having no shame, I hit it as a second ball for the next three holes (until I put it in the pond on 15).

It wasn’t a bad ball. It flew long enough, and straight. And it had a nice soft feel. It both chipped and putted well.

Of course, when I got home, I couldn’t remember what it said on the ball. So it took me a while to find one on the ‘net.

Turns out it was a Volvik Crystal Rainbow ball And—no surprise here—it’s designed for women.

The ball has a 70 compression and a semi transparent surlyn cover.

I didn’t play it long enought to do a real review. But I can say that I had a generally positive reaction to it (in spite of the girly pink motif).

You can get them at Austads.

Golf Digest is reporting that the USGA has requested that ball manufacturers submit prototypes of balls that fly 15 to 25 yards shorter than current limits.

The goal presumably is to find ways to protect courses against the assault of the 300 yard drive (or in the case of Mr. Woods, the 290 yard 3-wood).

But not everyone thinks that limiting the ball will do the trick. TaylorMade-Maxfli’s Dean Snell says that ball speeds have increased

as much as 30 miles per hour in the last 15 years, despite the ball’s performance on the initial velocity test not changing. Tour level balls now spin off the driver just like two-piece distance balls do. That’s the primary change, not some new enhanced ball speed characteristic, he says.

Snell suggests that instead of limiting the ball, courses should be set up to challenge the long ball hitter.

I’ve said as much in previous posts.

Over the winter, I received a surprise package from Maxfli. Inside was a box of their new Black Max Golf Ball with the words “Prototype” on the box (see the photo).

It was then that I knew that The Golf Blogger had arrived. 

I’m sure that the intention was that I try the balls early in the season and then report to you before their official release.

Unfortunately, I live in Michigan. It’s only been in the last couple of weeks that I’ve been able to get out on the course. And now, the ball is out in a regular box:

So I’ve lost my exclusive. But I’ve played the Black Max golfball for five of the seven rounds I’ve gotten in.

And I like it. I get decent distance with it (although I don’t think as much as with my DT SoLos) and it flies straight (I had a round where I hit every fairway). The distance issue is, no doubt due to my slower swing speed. It’s a high end ball for higher swing speeds.

I’ve also been able to get a lot of spin for those wedge shots (ok, except on the nightmare round of last week). It stops on a dime, and I actually backed it up twice.

And—to me—most important of all, I like the way it rolls with my putter.

This last is always the key for me. To be frank, it really doesn’t matter if a ball gives me five or six more yards off the tee; I’m going to be hitting a longer club than most to the green. (No driver-wedge holes for me. Its more driver-seven wood.)

But when I get near the green, my game gets going. And once I get it on the green, my putting will save my round more often than not.

So, for me, a ball’s behavior when putting is critical.

The Black Max has a good feel and it rolls true. I’ve heard that it makes a “different” sound when struck, but being quite deaf, this makes no difference to me at all.

I think that this ball compares very favorably to other high end balls like Titleist’s Pro V. But in the end, I think that you’ve got to have a higher swing speed to take advantage of it.

You can buy the Black Max here.

  I’m interested in what you have to say. Add your own review by clicking on the comments link below.

I’ve favored a heavier putter for quite some time. I think that it encourages a smoother, less handsy stroke. I also use it in place of a wedge from the rough close to the green (there’s a whole lot less that can go wrong with a putter.) and can accurately run it up to the green from 30 yards out in the fairway.

A typical Ping Anser style putter head weights 300 - 330 grams. The Snake Eyes Strike-Line Putter Headhead I use (shown above) weights 400 grams.

Apparently I’m not the only one who has this idea. The’s a company called Heavy Putter, which makes ultra-heavyweight putter heads that weight between 450 and 550 grams. There’s a picture below:

I’d get one of these, but they’re horribly expensive for a putter: $259.

If you want to try a heavy putter, you’re much better off getting one of the Strike Lines. You can put one together for less than $50.

I’m doing my taxes right now on the computer and taking a break by crusing the golf sites—dreaming about what I’m going to do with the rebate. I keep coming back to this one: the Big Bertha 454 Driver.

It’s a beautiful looking club. Here’s Callaway’s official blurb:

Maximized weighting along the back ribbon of the club makes it ultra-resistant to twisting and deadly accurate off the tee. Massive two-piece, 454cc all-titanium clubhead construction for a high Moment of Inertia with more resistance to twisting on off-center hits. Huge effective hitting area on the club face for more forgiveness. Patented Callaway Golf technologies include Short Straight Hollow Hosel (S2H2) design that repositions weight from the hosel area to the perimeter. Plus, Thru-Bore technology provides improved feel and club head control. Lightweight, ultrathin titanium face designed right up to the new USGA Characteristic Time (CT) test.

I’m interested in what you have to say. Add your review by clicking on the Comments link below.”

Golfsmith has dropped the price on new TaylorMade R7 drivers by $100 to $399.

r7 Quad HT Driver