2012 PGA Merchandise Show Preview

Next week, the PGA will be having their annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando from January 25th thru January 28th. 3Jack Golf will be attending the event.


We will be having a ‘Tweet Up’ at the Brickhouse Tavern and Tap, right on I-Drive, about a mile from the Orange County Convention Center. It will be on Thursday (Jan 26th) night at 8pm. For directions, go to:

http://brickhousetavernandtap.com/locations/orlando/

You can also e-mail me at Richie3Jack@yahoo.com


The first day will be the ‘Demo Day’ portion of the PGA Show. For those who have never been there, it’s held at Orange County National Golf Club’s driving range which was rated the Best Driving Range in the County by GOLF Magazine. It’s a giant, circular range and the every square inch of it has a tent where people can demo new equipment.


Last year, the highlights for me were the following:

- Graphite Design Tour AD-DI shafts
- Oban Devotion shafts
- Fourteen Golf Wedges
- Wilson Staff Wedges
- Bettinardi Putters
- Heavy Golf Wedges and Drivers
- Callaway Razr irons and driver
- KBS Hybrid Shaft
- Miura K-Grind Wedge (which I now own)
- Prazza Golf Ball
- Foresight Sports Launch Monitor
- TourStriker

After that I spent the entire day Thursday at the actual show. Then Friday I took off to play some golf instead (weather was beautiful that day). The weather this winter has been good in Florida, but they are predicting scattered showers on Demo Day. If so, I probably will not show up to Demo Day and schedule to be at the show on Friday instead.

Last year I talked with some people from Trackman and FlightScope at the show. I also found the HIRZL glove at the show and discussed some things with putting with David Edel (Edel Golf) and wound up buying a putter. After that I spoke to the AimPoint guys like John Graham, Jamie Donaldson and Mark Sweeney.

The actual show is like a smorgasbord of golf. They have every type of golf club one could want, along with training aids, universities with PGM programs, retailers for driving ranges, golf vacation packages, etc.

Here’s what I’m interested in this year:

1. Driver Shafts

I should be getting Wishon Golf’s Shaft Bend Profile software sometime this week along with his book ‘In Search of the Perfect Driver.’ I plan on going thru the software and making note of any companies who have a shaft that is not in the current version of the Shaft Bend Profile software.


2. Yonex


They were at the show last year, but they didn’t have their new E-Zone equipment there.


3. Other Equipment I Have Yet to Demo

Here are a few clubs I’m interested in:

Ping G20 driver
Titleist 712 blades
Bridgestone irons and woods
Taylor Made RBZ
Adams UL woods
Scratch Golf SB-1
Cobra S3 woods


4. Edel Wedges


Edel wedges are a very different design from the typical OEM designed wedges and due to that, they usually prescribe a much, much higher bounce angle for their wedges than people are used to. I’ll have to learn more about them.


5. Tour Striker

Rumor of a Tour Striker driver coming out at the show.


If you have any other things you may be interested in, please let me know.










3JACK