GolfBarons

Sometimes golf likes to re-write history based on the popularity of products or brands. The golf ball is one such example. Ask the majority of golfers and they would say the ProV1 changed golf with its multilayer design. We beg to differ, as a ball came along 3 years earlier and its impact was greater than purely performance. This is the story of the TopFlite Strata Tour 90.

**Warning - this content will hopefully offend some viewers** Let's face it, the search for a new driver is in many ways the same as the search for a new love. The upside of a good decision is enormous. The downside, a potentially expensive disaster. We figured we'd 'help' identify some pitfalls and ensure you succeed in your quest.

Golf is a game that can travel anywhere with you, and golf courses can emerge before your eyes; all you need is a little imagination. Philbert has such a golf course in his backyard, and he invited Kippa for a hit. Snakes, holly, asbestos; what could possibly go wrong? Remember to throw in your golf clubs whenever you go on holiday. You just never know when the opportunity will strike.

Location: 18th hole, Sanctuary Lakes Golf Club, Point Cook, Victoria, Australia. Our admiration for All Abilities golfers is no secret. The passion and resilience remind us of everything that the game of golf should be about. But rather than just admire their skill, we thought we'd test our own ability to adapt, with the help of an awesome caddie, and the advice of an All Abilities superstar.

The easiest way to tell the impact of a golf club on the game is to look at images before and after. The PING Anser is the best example that golf has seen. This Reboot takes a look at its origins, the man behind it, and the way it shaped the game of golf.

Long irons, long-iron replacements, and driving irons. On the surface, all would seem mutually interchangeable. But what if there was a club that feels more at home being used off the tee (be it off a tee or otherwise), maybe for driving? Or even just to replace your long-irons or long-iron replacements. Enter the Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi. It's been described as a long-iron replacement, but we like to think of it as a driving iron, for driving. And it's outrageously good. The same Maraging steel face as the ST200 fairway woods provides both speed and that crisp, powerful sound at impact, and they look awesome. Philbert would have hit them but Kippa was having too much fun.

As Bob Rotella said in his book, Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, "People with great dreams can achieve great things." When it comes to golf, Gary Adams was no exception. This reboot tells the story of Gary Adams and his TaylorMade metalwood. Another game-changer. *and yes we know the wood we were using was the 1981 version. Hard to get your hands on the original original. Forgive us.

Kippa puts the Mizuno ST220 drivers through their paces (ST-Z and ST-X) under the watchful and jealous eye of Philbert. The ST-Z might be built for the bomber, but the ST-X has a twist in its tail (or a draw/fade, whichever you prefer).

When was the last time the middle child was the star? As Kippa knows all too well, it's rare. Given the Mizuno Pro has 3 models in the family, it presents an opportunity to the 223. Is it ready to buck the trend and be the one to shine? And what about Norman and the nose? Filmed on the range at 13th Beach Golf Links, Victoria, Australia, World.

Having dealt with distances during his caddying life on Tour, Kippa is the perfect person to talk about why the Garmin Z82 is so good, and how to squeeze the most out of it. The GPS paints the picture, and the RangeFinder allows Kippa to use his favourite word: specificity. With a unit like this, does anyone really need a caddie, other than as a glorified packhorse?

Kippa loves his Blueprints, but there's a time in a golfer's life when they have to concede they're getting old and need more help. Can the i59 suit Kippa's eye as well as hide his mishits?

If you only watched driver reviews on YouTube, you'd think everyone swings it at 110mph plus, solely motivated by gains in distance. Well Philbert, partly out of necessity, calls bulldust. There are many reasons people buy drivers that have nothing to do with distance. In other words, he's ashamed of his reality. So what boxes, other than length, does the Stealth tick?

Taylormade Golf's senior director of product creation Tomo Bystedt joins Phil to talk all things engineering, travelling the world post-Covid, experiencing his first Masters at Augusta, 'Tiger's divot', the greatest start to a round (possibly ever), and the history of clubmaking. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up to GolfBarons® at https://www.golfbarons.com Where Swing Meets Swagger® -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up for our free digital golf and lifestyle magazine, BarønsLife, Tenuous Links Podcast episodes, and other awesome content, delivered to your inbox - https://www.golfbarons.com ****** GolfBarons® is the only golf show dedicated to the fun yet educational side of the game. We regularly produce tips, myth busting, unique challenges, product reviews, and golf resort experiences for the next generation of golfers. Currently on Nine, Gem HD, 9Now, Fox Sports, Foxtel On-Demand and Kayo. Where Swing Meets Swagger® Sign up at https://www.golfbarons.com

Kippa and Philbert wax lyrical about all the takeaways from the Masters – the hits and the many misses – while also reliving some past experiences caddying on the PGA Tour. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up to GolfBarons® at https://www.golfbarons.com Where Swing Meets Swagger® -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up for our free digital golf and lifestyle magazine, BarønsLife, Tenuous Links Podcast episodes, and other awesome content, delivered to your inbox - https://www.golfbarons.com ****** GolfBarons® is the only golf show dedicated to the fun yet educational side of the game. We regularly produce tips, myth busting, unique challenges, product reviews, and golf resort experiences for the next generation of golfers. Currently on Nine, Gem HD, 9Now, Fox Sports, Foxtel On-Demand and Kayo. Where Swing Meets Swagger® Sign up at https://www.golfbarons.com

Ever wondered what it's like to go in-between the ropes at Augusta National during the Masters? Philbert sits down with Kippa to reveal all the secrets from golf's most mysterious (and loved) major. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up to GolfBarons® at https://www.golfbarons.com Where Swing Meets Swagger® -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up for our free digital golf and lifestyle magazine, BarønsLife, Tenuous Links Podcast episodes, and other awesome content, delivered to your inbox - https://www.golfbarons.com ****** GolfBarons® is the only golf show dedicated to the fun yet educational side of the game. We regularly produce tips, myth busting, unique challenges, product reviews, and golf resort experiences for the next generation of golfers. Currently on Nine, Gem HD, 9Now, Fox Sports, Foxtel On-Demand and Kayo. Where Swing Meets Swagger® Sign up at https://www.golfbarons.com

The fitting of golf equipment is more important than ever particularly given the number of options available from heads to shafts to grips and beyond. Some would argue it's even more important for Phil given he's 6'6" (not that you'd know it from his clubhead speed). In this series, 'Fitting Philbert', Benji from TaylorMade is tasked with taking the tall guy through his first-ever club-fitting. Part 1 introduces the process, the technology, and the scoring clubs. https://www.taylormadegolf.com.au/locations.html?lang=en_AU#

In this episode, Phil sits down with Chris Voshall from Mizuno USA, to discuss his story in golf, design and engineering concepts, name-dropping, and ultimately Chris nominates his GolfBarons Cup Team.

Filmed at the PING Fitting Studio in Melbourne, Kippa is taken through his paces by PING Fitter Matt Austin, as he tries to sort his wedge game out, from gapping to versatility. Kippa does everything he can to hold on to past glories, and Matt does everything he can to not laugh at his VIB (Very Important Baron). Wedge fitting is a skill in itself. Make sure you find someone like Matt who has the knowledge to go along with the technology.

The club we hit more shots than any other is also the least fitted club in the bag. Too often, golf shops will tell you "it's all about personal preference". Well, it's about a lot more than that. Here, PING Fitter Matt Austin takes Kippa through a comprehensive putter fitting, puts up with Kippa pretending he knows stuff, and allows him to think he's the star of the show. Filmed at the PING Fitting Studio in Melbourne.

What goes into a driver fitting? Kippa needed a new big dog and enlisted the help of Matt Austin from the PING Fitting Studio in Melbourne. You'll get to understand the process, hear Kippa dropping names, watch Kippa try and pretend he's swinging within himself, but most importantly learn what goes into a driver fitting.

Location: 2nd Hole, Gunnamatta Course, The National Golf Club. Victoria. Australia. For those with all senses intact, golf is hard enough with all the nuances of uneven ground, different grasses, and other obstacles. Imagine the courage and dedication required to play the game if you were blind, yet thousands of golfers do so every week earning massive respect along the way. But they love it. We wondered what it would be like for Kippa, an elite player to play an entire hole blindfolded. Sure we sprung the idea on him but to help we equipped him with one of the world's kindest and most patient caddies, Philbert. The result? We describe it as uncomfortably entertaining.

Does Bounce make a difference? We decided to put our resident Iron Byron, Kippa, through a series of tests to determine whether he could feel the different bounces on wedges and also what difference bounce made if any. We used the same loft (58o) of the Mizuno ES21 across 3 bounces: 8o, 12o, and 16o. The key takeaway? Bounce matters so get fitted by someone who knows. Filmed at Mandalay Golf Club, Beveridge, Victoria.

Golf is the sport of choice for elite sportspeople everywhere but particularly basketballers. What started with Jordan and Bird, the golf obsession is cementing its place in the NBA through Steph and his Warriors mates, and guys like JR Smith. But what can you learn about golf, or more particularly putting, from basketball? Kippa has a great lesson, with a few name-drops, plus it gave Philbert a chance to dress up in his favourite outfit.

After Shooter took to Kippa's old irons with a hammer early last year, all in the interests of 'science', Kippa decided it was time to get fitted for what were to become his beloved Blueprints. PING Fitting Guru Matt Austin took him through a comprehensive iron fitting with just enough cynicism (we would have preferred more). Filmed at the PING Fitting Centre in Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia.

There was a purity and simplicity in how golf clubs used to be made, and this putter was no exception. Its story is as much about the club, as the man who designed it, used it to win a Major, and had another player do the same. Following Mickelson using a similar design to win the PGA, maybe putter choice will go back to simpler times.