Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show (Kick Point)

In episode one, Dan and Joe kick things off by looking at the growing trend of players using two drivers and the emergence of even more mini drivers to the market. Dan provides his view on Nike's work in the golf shoe market, Joe reveals how the Tour fitters use 'hot melt' to improve the performance of drivers and the two discuss the interesting club line up of the men's world number one, Scottie Scheffler. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode

After seeing the Cobra Limit3d irons secure their first win on Tour in the bag of Angel Hidalgo, we start this week's episode with a slightly unplanned chat about innovation in golf club manufacturing. With the emergence of the PXG Allan zero torque putter and multiple manufacturers launching 10k MOI drivers at the start of 2024 we ask, is it okay that golf club manufacturers end up going down the same path of innovation whether they came up with the idea or not? 

Meanwhile, Joe's been testing Fujikura's latest invention. It's a potential 'difficult second album' for a product that has been almost universally well-received and Joe gives his verdict on the sequel. He then gets stuck into this week's explainer, which is all about putter necks and what each style does to a putter's characteristics. 

Finally, Joe dives into the bag of Lydia Ko, current AIG Women's Open champion and Olympic Gold Medalist. After we chatted about the differences between professional men's and women's club specs last week, we thought it would be a good idea to take a proper look inside the bag of one of the best golfers in the game. 

Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint 

Back in the autumn, you may remember Joe saying, ' I've seen a new club coming out that I like looks of so much, it is going in my bag no matter what the performance is like.' Well, that club is here, and it's called TaylorMade Qi35. In this episode, we're bringing you our in-depth review and verdict of all five (yes, five) new driver heads, three fairways & the lone new hybrid. We'll go over all the new tech and Joe will give his thoughts on each model as it sits in the new range. Let us know how you're feeling about release season!

Are you interested in all the new clubs coming out, or is it much of a muchness to you? Remember, you can get in touch with us via our email below with any opinions or thoughts on the show - we'd love to hear from you! We'll return to our normal programming by the end of the month!

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com    

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf       We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en 

Further reading:

https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/taylormade-qi35-driver-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/taylormade-qi35-max-fairway-wood-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/taylormade-qi35-tour-fairway-wood-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/taylormade-qi35-ls-driver-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/taylormade-qi35-max-driver-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/hybrids/taylormade-qi35-hybrid-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/i-didnt-think-the-perfect-golf-club-existed-until-i-hit-this-one      

With the Titleist GT range being the newest driver family currently on the market (more to come on this in January...) we thought it would be a good time to compare it to its older sibling, the TSR. How much, if any, gains were made in Titleist's newest driver offering and what changes were made in the new design? 

The Ask The Pod wanted to know what our favourite clubs we've ever used are. While Dan only has one club he's got much affinity for, Joe has used so many in his long career that he runs us through a whole bag of his favourites - stick around for a particular story about a trip to Orlando... Finally, we get stuck into another retro What's In The Bag and dive into the clubs Sir Nick Faldo used to win the 1996 Masters. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com     

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf        We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en 

We're back in the studio this week with special guest Ludvig Aberg who talks us through the ins and outs of his equipment choices. The world number six joined us back in October last year to chat about his relationship with relatively new sponsor Titleist and his close relationship with Adidas golf. Before all that we've got in-depth reviews of the gorgeous new Mizuno Pro S3 and JPX925 Forged irons and a full round-up of the Wilson Dynapower family of drivers, fairways and hybrids. 

Check out our full reviews of all the equipment mentioned in this week's episode here:  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews

We're back in the studio this week after our recent trip to The Wisley. Joe has been out testing Cobra's new LIMIT3D iron, the first fully 3D printed iron to be available at retail. Cobra launched the irons with bold claims of 'blade looks' with 'game improvement forgiveness' and Joe's testing reveled some incredible findings. 

It felt fitting after chatting about the LIMIT3D iron to delve into the wider relationship between golf club manufacturing and 3D printing.  What exactly is it? What are the benefits of 3D printing when it comes to club manufacturing and prototyping? When will we see more of this? Finally, this week's WITB dives into the bag of Ludvig Åberg. The super Swede signed a deal with Titleist at the end of 2023, but his bag still holds a few secrets and pieces of Tour sauce well worth tuning in for. 

As always, fell free to get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

Thanks for joining us for another episode of Kick Point! First, our Tested This Week comes in the shape of Seed golf balls, a direct-to-consumer golf ball brand now available in the UK and US that claims to offer balls that perform as well as the big brands best balls for half the price. Joe has been out on the golf course and with his Trackman to put these claims to the test... 

Joe's explainer this week is something of a back to basics, but with a Kick Point twist, all about bounce. Joe talks through what bounce is, how we can use it to our advantage on course and asks why iron sets don't come with different bounce options.  

Finally, this week's What's In The Bag is Viktor Hovland. The Norwegian has had a tough year on Tour after winning the FedEx last year - has he made any drastic equipment changes to try and help him out?

As always, fell free to get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

Joe's in storytelling mode this week with two belters about the time he met Rory McIlroy at Celtic Manor and a little-known piece of insight into Tiger Woods' rudimentary equipment secret. We're also bringing back the explainer this week to talk about (get your giggles out of the way now) shaft length. It is a vital and often misunderstood part of the fitting process that has an impact on pretty much everything from distance to consistency - Joe is here to explain exactly how to get it right for your game. 

Finally, this week's What's In The Bag is on Tommy Fleetwood. Joe has a direct line to Tommy Fleetwood's actual fitter at TaylorMade HQ, so we've got plenty of insights to share about the Englishman's 2025 set-up. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and 'Ask The Pod' via our email: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com

Sign up for the weekly Kick Point newsletter, released every Friday: https://www.golfmonthly.com/newsletter 

Get three issues of the Golf Monthly magazine delivered to your door for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

Watch us in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf Chapters: 0:00:00 Hello! 0:01:45 Our golfing goals for the year 0:08:10 What we want to see in pro golf this year 0:10:52 When Joe met Rory! Rory's disgraceful grips  0:17:59 Explainer: Does shaft length matter? 0:30:30 Tiger's unique and rudimentary equipment trick 0:42:29 Tommy Fleetwood What's In The Bag

Sit back, relax, and get a drink in your hand; it's nearly Masters week! To celebrate, we're heading back to 2019 to take a deep dive into the winning bag of Tiger Woods. Can you call 2019 retro? Either way our popular retro WITB series is back. Thanks to this week's partner GolfClubs4Cash, we have examples of Tiger's clubs with us on set this week. We must stress these aren't Tiger's actual clubs (that would've been some coup), but it's a wonderful addition to Joe's detailed What's In The Bag. 

Also this week, Joe catches us all up with his adventures at LIV Golf Singapore. From bumping into Rick Shiels in a 7-Eleven at midnight to embarrassing himself in from of Bryson DeChambeau (again) he's got plenty of Tour gossip and exciting equipment stories to share. Listen out for our exciting Golf Pride Honorary Starter grip set giveaway at the start of the episode, and head over to our Instagram (@kickpointgolf) to get yourself entered before the competition closes on Monday. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and 'Ask The Pod' via our email: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com

Sign up for the weekly Kick Point newsletter, released every Friday: https://www.golfmonthly.com/newsletter 

Get three issues of the Golf Monthly magazine delivered to your door for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

Watch us in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf

Chapters:

0:00:00 Intro  0:02:41 Golf Pride giveaway!  0:08:17 Joe's stories from Singapore  0:12:54 When Joe met Bryson 0:18:24 DJ's and Phil's clubs 0:21:32 Tour-only equipment finds & crazy Singapore golf shops 0:26:58 Bumping into Rick Sheils 0:31:01 Our new newsletter! 0:34:23 Some correspondence... 0:38:41 Tiger Woods 2019 What's In The Bag

We're on the road this week, bringing you a special episode from inside the Precision Golf Fitting Centre in Surrey. Joe has mentioned the studio several times in previous episodes (he used to work at Precision Golf too!) so we thought it was time we took a deep dive into what an independent fitting centre is and why Precision Golf is so revered in the fitting industry. We'll chat about how the studio works, what advantages you might get from being fitted at an independent studio, and just what makes them so different from any other fitting centres. 

We're also joined by Precision Golf owner Simon Cooper who takes charge of this week's explainer, looking at shaft frequency and shaft analysers. There's also time for an Ask The Pod and this week we're asked how to go about building the perfect half-set and if it's possible to be fit for just half a set of clubs. Thanks for downloading and Happy New Year from Dan, Joe and the whole Kick Point team! 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf     We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en    

Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

It was a hell of a performance from our relief pitcher (and equipment expert) Sam De'Ath, but he exits stage left to a rapturous reception as Joe retakes his throne on the Kick Point set this week. Not only is he back, but he's also providing a hot take about caddies - 'Why do we have them?'. Given that a few members of the Golf Monthly team are former caddies, his answer certainly ruffled some feathers within the office...

As for the rest of the show, we have a Kick Point first - we talk about a club we've BOTH reviewed! Yes, I've taken a break from shoes and bags and been thrown in the deep end to discuss the PXG Secret Weapon Mini Driver - are mini drivers worth it or simply a bit of a marketing gimmick? We discuss. We discuss club gapping on this week's 'Ask The Pod' as we answer listener questions before diving into our latest What's In The Bag and taking a closer look into the equipment used by Ryder Cup star Max Homa following his move to Cobra for the 2025 season. Get in touch with Dan and Joe and 'Ask The Pod' via our email: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com

Sign up for the weekly Kick Point newsletter, released every Friday: https://www.golfmonthly.com/newsletter 

Get three issues of the Golf Monthly magazine delivered to your door for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

Watch us in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf

Chapters: 0:00:00 Intro  0:02:52 Joe's revelation about caddies 0:08:27 PXG Secret Weapon mini-driver review 0:26:17 'Ask The Pod' - Helping with gapping 0:40:07 Max Homa's What's In The Bag 2025 

This week Dan and Joe take a deep dive into the bag of women's world number one Nelly Korda, discuss some of the best 'budget' irons and drivers on the market right now and take a dive into the Halfway Hut at The Belfry. 

Also this week, Joe also kicks off a new franchise he's coined 'Gear That Changed The Game' with the Ping Eye2 Copper Beryllium wedge - a wedge he describes the 'most iconic wedge of all time'. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

Drumroll please…….… Joe is back! As we say here in England, super sub Sam De’Ath had great innings (Google it, Americans), but it’s time for the star of the show to return and talk golf gear. His back is better, his beard is trimmed, and his makeup is done - we couldn’t be happier to have ‘The Pro’ back.  And it's a bumper episode to return to. Joe will give us insight into two of his favorite things - Taylormade irons and golf grips. Yes, we’re diving deep into his review of the latest P790 irons whilst also talking about the new Golf Pride Align Max grips and how revolutionary they could prove to be for your game. Other items on the agenda - we answer questions about Joe's experience with Bryson DeChambeau’s irons on Ask The Pod and investigate what Hideki Matsuyama is swinging with in the latest What’s In The Bag?

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and 'Ask The Pod' via our email: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com

Sign up for the weekly Kick Point newsletter, released every Friday: https://www.golfmonthly.com/newsletter 

Get three issues of the Golf Monthly magazine delivered to your door for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

Watch us in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf

Follow us on social media: Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kickpointpod

Chapters: 

0:00: Intro - Joe's back!  7:56: PGA Tour winners aren't using 2025 drivers - why?  18:37: TaylorMade P790 iron review 27:50: Golf Pride Align Max grip review 36:06: Ask The Pod - Joe's experience playing with Bryson's actual clubs 51:25: Hideki Matusyma 2025 What's In The Bag 

Joe has been testing some stunning clubs from Japan, specifically the Bose Iron Factory, owned and founded by Falcon Matsubura. After a chat about these rather intimidating blades, the lads chat about Japanese forging practices more broadly - is it still the gold standard? 

After that, Joe has another piece of 'gear that changed the game' in the shape of the TaylorMade R7 Quad driver before the pair dive into the bag of recently crowned PGA Champion Xander Schauffele. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

Joe has been busy testing launch monitors over the last few months, so we thought we'd start this episode by getting him to talk through the key differences camera and radar based systems, while also giving his verdict on launch monitors from right across the price spectrum - what would Joe recommend going for if we was building his very own home simulator? After that, he gets stuck into what Dan thinks is the most interesting explainer to date - shaft puring (stick with it!)

After a quick stop at the JCB Golf & Country Club halfway hut, our What's In The Bag this week is Matt Fitzpatrick, one of the most meticulous minds in the game of golf with a similarly intricate bag set up.  

Get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

It's a mega episode for you this week as we dive into Adam Scott's bag. Though he's now known for being one of the biggest tinkerers in the game, there was a time when he didn't change a single club in the bag for years at a time. Joe examines each club in the Australian's bag (at the time of recording) and the story of when and why he finally started to change clubs. 

Before all of that, we've got an explainer on compression in golf balls while the Tested This Week looks at PXG's latest Xtreme range of golf balls, a new bag from Big Max and a golf shoe described by Joe as the lovechild of a Nike Air Force 1 and a Croc. Finally, this week's Ask The Pod features some of our favourite products of the year that aren't golf clubs, including rangefinders, shoes and apparel we've been enjoying in 2024. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode

Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint  

Further reading: https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/balls/pxg-xtreme-golf-ball-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/laser/voice-caddie-laser-fit-rangefinder-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/shoes/ecco-street-720-golf-shoe-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/balls/taylormade-2024-tp5x-golf-ball-review 

This week, we welcome our first ever guest onto Kick Point - Richard Bland. We spoke to Richard at his home club The Wisley the week after he won the Senior PGA Championship in Michigan. With very mixed bag, this episode is a really interesting dive into a fellow equipment nerd's bag. 

After we spoke to him, Cleeks GC went on to win its first team event at LIV Houston and Richard went on to win the US Senior Open, so we'll consider this appearance Kick Point's first podcast bump! Hope you enjoy this special (we've got plenty of guests lined up to join us very soon) and we'll be back next week with our usual format back in the studio. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

Another big dog has entered the chat. Ping has arrived with its new G440 family of golf clubs. After a two-year wait since G430, has the brand been able to elevate what was one of the most successful and popular club families in its history? We've got our in-depth verdicts on the whole driver family, fairway woods, hybrid and new game improvement irons too. 

In a bid to include some non-new-release content, Ask The Pod is also back this week with a question from a very mysterious listener with two different aliases. They ask, why doesn't every golfer use some form of game-improvement iron to get the most forgiveness possible? 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com     

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf        We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en 

Further Reading:

https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/ping-g440-sft-driver-review     https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/ping-g440-lst-driver-review     https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/ping-g440-max-driver-review     https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/ping-g440-iron-review     https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/hybrids/this-new-club-can-hit-all-the-shots-and-is-a-must-try-this-year https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/ping-g440-max-fairway-wood-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/ping-g440-lst-fairway-wood-review   

On this episode, Dan's in charge of Tested This Week with a new watermelon pattern bag from Ping and G/FORE's new G/18 shoes to show off in the studio. Meanwhile, Joe's been busy doing some investigative journalism and has been chatting to the founder of Avoda Golf, Tom Bailey. Avoda irons have been in the bag of one Bryson DeChambeau since this year's Masters, and Joe tells the story of how Avoda Golf came to be and how its relationship opened up with Bryson. 

Finally, the WITB this week dives into the golf bag of Akshay Bhatia. While not the biggest name in the game (just yet), a quick look in his bag reveals what seems to be a real gear nerd and equipment tweaker. Joe takes a detailed look at some of the unique choices he's made including a draw bias driver and a Tour-only driver adapter. 

As always, fell free to get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

Happy New Year! As is customary at the start of a new calendar year, new drivers are launching. The first to go in 2025 is Callaway and in this episode, we take a deep dive into the new Elyte range. You've likely already seen images of them online, and it's fair to say the new range has been taking a bit of heat for the design. But, can Elyte battle back by being one of the best-performing drivers of the year? Joe has been busy testing all three drivers and the new game improvement irons and will give his full, in-depth verdict here. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com   

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf      We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en     

Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint  

Further reading:

https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/callaway-elyte-driver-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/callaway-elyte-triple-diamond-driver-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/callaway-elyte-x-driver-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/callaway-elyte-irons-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/callaway-elyte-x-irons-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/callaway-elyte-x-fairway-wood-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/hybrids/callaway-elyte-hybrid-review

Another jam packed episode for you this week, including a brand new segment 'Ask The Pod'. The lads start this week with a review of Titleist's new GT drivers. Joe was lucky enough to enjoy the full fitting experience at the Titleist Performance Centre in Woburn and shares his thoughts both on that experience and the performance of the new drivers. After that, this week's explainer is on gear effect. We all benefit from the changes manufacturers make to golf clubs to alleviate gear effect, but what exactly is it? 

Also this week is the launch of 'Ask The Pod'. It's a fairly self explanatory section, where Dan and Joe field equipment related questions from listeners and viewers - easy! To have your question answered in a future episode of Kick Point, you can get in touch via kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. 

Finally, Joe is joined by Ian Poulter, who offers a detailed look at the whats and the whys of the equipment in his golf bag. Stick around for some impressive insight on his new Titleist GT2 driver and his thoughts on tapering grips. 

You can WATCH full episodes of the Kick Point podcast via:  https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Mentioned this week: 

Titleist GT2 driver: https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/titleist-gt2-driver-review Titleist GT3 driver: https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/titleist-gt3-driver-review Titleist GT4 driver: https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/titleist-gt4-driver-review 

While we remain in the equipment Twilight Zone, Joe has decided once again to get all philosophical about golf equipment. He's questioning everything about how the golf bag is set up. Why don't we carry two drivers? Why do we use so many irons?  This week, he gives some out-of-the-box suggestions for how we should think about making the most of all 14 clubs in the bag. 

This week's Ask The Pod is seeking buying advice. As a 10 handicapper looking to get down into single figures, what are the best irons on the market right now? Joe offers up some options to help whittle down the search. Finally, though we're in equipment purgatory, we're confident that Billy Horschel's clubs will be locked in place for at least the next few months, so we thought it would be a good time to investigate the goings-on in his equipment. Broadly a Titleist man, he switched to the new GT driver at the end of the summer - but what else lurks in the former Florida Gator's bag? 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com    You can also WATCH every episode in full at www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode  

Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint

Further reading:  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/ping-i530-iron-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/mizuno-pro-245-iron-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/titleist-t150-iron-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/callaway-2024-apex-pro-iron-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/best-golf-deals/mid-handicap-irons-96139  https://www.golfmonthly.com/best-golf-deals/best-irons-for-low-handicappers-213078 

This week, Joe gives us his insight into how to build your very own club workshop, we explain what the data you see on a launch monitor actually means, Dan tests the new Adidas Codechaos shoes AND Louis Oosthuizen joins us for a what's in the bag special. It's another jam-packed episode, hope you enjoy it! 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Further reading:  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/shoes/adidas-codechaos-25-golf-shoe-review 

Cobra's newest family of drivers, fairways, hybrids and irons are here, and we're here to break down everything you need to know about DS-Adapt! From all the new tech to the results of Joe's extensive testing, it's all here this week. We've dedicated the whole episode to the new range as Dan and Joe dive into all of the technical details and their opinions on the performance of the new clubs as we herald the start of driver launch season. 

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf   We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en  

Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint 

Further reading:

https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/cobra-ds-adapt-ls-driver-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/cobra-ds-adapt-max-k-driver-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/cobra-ds-adapt-max-d-driver-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/cobra-ds-adapt-x-driver-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/cobra-ds-adapt-x-fairway-wood-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/cobra-ds-adapt-ls-titanium-fairway-wood-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/fairways/cobra-ds-adapt-max-fairway-wood-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/cobra-ds-adapt-iron-review 

We’ve got something a little different for you on this week’s episode - our first retro WITB. As we’re entering a period with new equipment being seeded into players' bags (which we can't talk about until embargoes lift), we thought we’d pause the modern WITBs and dive into some retro ones - and where better to start than with Tiger Woods? Joe focuses specifically on the clubs he used to win the 1997 Masters, a tournament he won by 12 shots with no less than four different manufacturers in the bag. 

We're also popping Tested This Week on the back burner for the next few episodes as we can’t quite reveal to you what we’re currently testing, so Joe decided to lead a history lesson on some of the best and worst equipment switches in modern history. Think Justin Rose's move to Honma, the Pro V1's first every victory and Mickelson's pre-Ryder Cup club switch. Finally, this week's Ask The Pod seeks advice on trying different grip sizes and types and Joe thinks he has the solution...

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com   You can also WATCH every episode in full at www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

This week's episodes comes from The Wisley in Surrey - our first podcast outside of the studio! To commemorate the feat, Joe and Dan dive deep into the world of putters, first looking at the takeover of L.A.B putters before Joe talks through the benefits of getting a putter fitting and the kinds of questions you should be asking a fitter when getting your next flatstick. 

After a quick foray into the halfway house, the What's In The Bag this week is that of one Rory McIlroy. A long-time TaylorMade ambassador, there's still plenty of tour sauce in Rory's bag to get stuck in to. 

It's the last Friday before Christmas and we were feeling the perfect mixture of festive and silly to bring you the first annual Pointy Awards (see what we did there?) to commemorate the year in equipment. Awards handed out include: Most Innovative/Disruptive Release, Best Equipment Change, Most Innovative Use Of A Golf-Specific Product Off The Golf Course, Best Costume Design & The Rising Star. Enjoy the episode and Merry Christmas from Dan, Joe and the whole Kick Point team! 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com 

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf    We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en   

Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint  

If you're a bit of a putter nerd or a total putter newbie, then you're in luck this week as our guru Sam De'Ath returns to give us the full lowdown on the latest craze in flatstick technology - zero torque putters! Unfortunately, that means no Joe this week. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice he had a bit of tape on the sole of his shoe all last week, and I would like to say he's sitting out this week out of embarrassment, but that would be lying... Instead, this episode was supposed to air last week, but one of the products we spoke about was embargoed, and we can't be upsetting the friendly companies that supply us with these clubs to test, can we? However, we promise that this episode is worth the wait. We cover zero torque - what they are, why you might use one and which ones we think are the best depending on what kind of golfer you are.  Get in touch with Dan and Joe and 'Ask The Pod' via our email: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com

Sign up for the weekly Kick Point newsletter, released every Friday: https://www.golfmonthly.com/newsletter 

Get three issues of the Golf Monthly magazine delivered to your door for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

Watch us in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf

Follow us on social media: Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kickpointpod

Chapters: 0:00:00 Intro  0:06:23 What is a 'zero-torque putter'? 0:10:23 Is L.A.B Golf here to stay? 0:14:43 What are all the models? 0:16:55 Best looking zero-torque putter 0:29:34 Best feeling zero-torque putter 0:39:29 Best for alignment 0:46:41 Best inside 5ft 0:50:59 Best overall zero torque putter 0:57:28 'Ask The Pod' - Building the top and bottom of a bag

You thought our run of interviews was over. We thought our run of interviews was over. That was until Matt Fitzpatrick invited us for an in-depth chat about his golf clubs at a recent Skechers event in London. While Joe covered his clubs extensively in an episode a few months ago, his in-person chat with Matt allowed him to ask some of the questions left unanswered by his research while also diving into the equipment changes he's made over the late summer. 

Also this week, Joe explains exactly what CG is in a golf club and how it affects ball flight, Dan has a new GPS watch that might have too much data and our best Ask The Pod to date asks us, 'What should I invest in first - lessons to get my swing in good shape before buying new clubs, or new clubs so I can make sure I'm learning with the correct equipment?' There's also a guest appearance from Ozzy Osbourne, sort of... 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Further reading:  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/gps/voice-caddie-t11-pro-gps-watch-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/accessories/prgr-portable-launch-monitor-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/accessories/rapsodo-mobile-launch-monitor-review 

0:00 Intro waffle  2:55 Srixon ZXi drivers: What are they all about?  7:04 ZXi driver technology 10:22 ZXi looks 16:30 ZXi drivers summary  17:22 Srixon ZXi drivers review 23:47 Sirxon ZXi fairways & hybrids review 26:11 Srixon ZXi utility iron review 33:26 Srixon ZXi7 iron review 38:39 Srixon ZXi5 iron review 45:06 Srixon ZXi4 iron review 49:30 Ask The Pod - Best driver set up for slower swing speed golfer...

While the Big Five have announced their driver range for 2025, there is still a big and largely underrated brand we have yet to discuss: Srixon. Its new ZXi range is huge and includes three drivers, a fairway wood, a hybrid, a utility iron and three new irons. We get stuck into the depths of the new range and try to work out why Srixon doesn't pull the weight it should in the golf game. 

There's also a very in-depth Ask The Pod this week focussing on the options for a golfer whose swing speed is sub 90mph, focussing on the shaft and fitting options available. 

Joe's got something he wants to get off his chest this week. He thinks the new PXG Wildcat driver has been criminally under-spoken about and wants to give what he thinks is an emerging new driver sub-category the time of day. How can this shortened, lighter, loftier 460cc head driver benefit slower swing speed golfers? The explainer this week focuses on whether the shafts we can also use the shafts Tour pros use. Of course, you can, in theory, but the real question is, should you? Ask The Pod wants to know about Joe's wildest 3D printing dreams (strap in for that segment), while the WITB this week looks at Aaron Rai. The Englishman has been steadily making his way up the world golf rankings and is known for a handful of equipment quirks. We check out his old TaylorMade driver, orange castle tees, double winter gloves and much more.  Get in touch with Dan and Joe and 'Ask The Pod' via our email: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com

Sign up for the weekly Kick Point newsletter, released every Friday: https://www.golfmonthly.com/newsletter 

Get three issues of the Golf Monthly magazine delivered to your door for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

Watch us in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf

Chapters: 00:00 Intro  02:10 PXG Wildcat driver review  09:23 Can I use the same shafts as Tour pros?  21:08 Ask The Pod - What clubs would we design with a 3D printer? 36:55 Aaron Rai WITB

This week Dan and Joe are 'Live From LIV' with a bit of a different, but nonetheless jam-packed, episode of Kick Point. The lads were on site at JCB Golf & Country Club for the LIV UK event back in July and have lined up six WITB specials with some of the game's biggest names. This week, they're joined by Henrik Stenson who talks through his eclectic and somewhat aging bag of equipment. Yes, that iconic 3-wood is still in the bag but there's also some new nuggets and equipment tweaks the Ice Man is still making. 

Before they chat to Henrik, Joe wanted to sit back and take stock of the year in equipment so far. Seeing as it was the summer holidays when they recorded this, Dan and Joe spend some time grading each of the major equipment manufacturers year so far. Who goes home to happy parents with their A grade and who has plenty to work on going into next year? 

You can WATCH full episodes of the Kick Point podcast via: https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Did you really think our series of What's In The Bag interviews was over? In what can only be described as a scheduling error on Dan's part, we (Dan) forgot to publish this episode we recorded in late August featuring our interview with Martin Kaymer - so here it is! 

Not only do you have a deep dive into the two-time Major winner's bag to enjoy, but Joe also explains why he thinks the new PuttOut AirBreak putting mat is a revolutionary new product for at-home putting practice. Finally, in an explainer that should've probably come a lot earlier to the podcast, we take a look atswing weight, what is effects and how to better understand which swing weight best suits your game. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Further reading:  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/golf-tech-and-training-aids/puttout-airbreak-putting-mat-review 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode  

Another busy episode this week, thanks for joining us! To start, Dan has a James Bond-themed show-and-tell from a recent trip to Stoke Park. The name's Pride, Golf Pride...

Meanwhile, Joe's been testing a viral training aid called 'The Butter Blade' and explains how using something that makes practice harder could be the key to better golf out on the course. This week's explainer focuses on the difference between professional men's and women's clubs. Having both watched the AIG Women's Open and Solheim Cup over the end of the summer, we wanted to discuss the key differences between the specs of men's and women's clubs and how most amateur golfers might be better served looking in the bags of LPGA Tour players for an ideal set up and spec sheet. 

Our Ask The Pod this week comes from Matthew, who wants to know how he can be sure he's getting a good fitting service next time he buys a new club. Joe gives him some easy questions you can ask to make sure the fitter you're going to knows what they're doing. Finally, our WITB deep dive this week looks into Sahith Theegala's bag. The charismatic American has only been on the Tour for two years, yet he's felt like something of a regular atop leaderboards on the PGA Tour. He also has two 8-irons in this bag, what's that all about? 

Further reading: 

www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/golf-tech-and-training-aids/could-this-miniature-training-aid-be-the-key-to-improving-your-iron-play  Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint 

Happy Masters Friday! We hope you're enjoying the tournament, and thank you for spending some time with us when there are plenty of other exciting things happening in the world of golf. After a suspiciously L.A.B Golf DF3-shaped Odyssey putter appeared on Tour last month, we ask if copying in the golf equipment industry is a problem or just fair game. Elsewhere, Joe's been playing around with his putter (again) and has changed the shaft in his trusty blade for the first time. Should we all be thinking about our putter shafts in as much detail as driver and iron shafts? 

Ask The Pod this week wants to know how long ball manufacturers make old models of golf balls for its Tour pros. We then discuss whether something is going on with Rory's TP5 golf ball after he was caught on a hot mic during TGL last month...

We are also thrilled to welcome Rick Shiels onto the show this week. Joe met golf's biggest YouTuber in Singapore last month to chat all things equipment and equipment testing. Has he always been an equipment geek? What are his favorite things to test? How would he make the game easier for amateurs through equipment? All of this and more is answered in our chat.  Get in touch with Dan and Joe and 'Ask The Pod' via our email: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com

Sign up for the weekly Kick Point newsletter, released every Friday: https://www.golfmonthly.com/newsletter 

Get three issues of the Golf Monthly magazine delivered to your door for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

Watch us in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf

Chapters: 0:00:00 Hello!  0:03:35 Equipment copycats! Fair game or blatant cheating?  0:12:43 Joe's testing new putter shafts... 0:22:38 Ask The Pod - When do ball manufacturers stop making old golf balls? 0:36:34 Rick Shiels interview!

This week, Joe has yet another iron family to review, this time from PXG. As well as the game improvement PXG Black Ops irons (the first ever true game improvement iron from PXG), he's also recently tested the 0311 P & XP Gen 7 irons. Despite the complex naming system that PXG continues to employ with some of its franchises, Joe gives his full verdict on these fresh offerings in the iron market to see if they can compete alongside the more established brands. 

The explainer this week may sound a little simple, but stick with us. The tee is a part of equipment that isn't given enough time in our opinion, so we thought it was only right to spend some time on the topic. Do you think about what tee you use and why? Stick around as Joe dives into this surprisingly interesting equipment sub-category and reveals the results of some tee testing (yes, really) he's recently conducted. 

Finally, the 2017 Masters Champion and the most decorated European in Ryder Cup history Sergio Garcia joins us for an in-depth look at his equipment. Now an uncontracted player, Sergio's bag comes with a few surprises and a real mixture of equipment brands. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Further reading:  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/pxg-0311-black-ops-iron-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/pxg-0311-xp-gen-7-iron-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/pxg-0311-p-gen-7-iron-review 

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf  We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en 

Brace yourselves for the biggest (and best?) episode of Kick Point to date. It's a bumper episode, so settle in for the ride. Building on last week's head-to-head versus old and new driver generations, we've put three different brands head-to-head in the ultra-competitive compact distance iron category. It's an epic three-way pitting the TaylorMade P770, Callaway Apex Pro and Mizuno Pro 245 against each other. Joe has tested all of them and gives his verdict on each iron across multiple categories and Dan comes up with a new scoring system that we'll politely call 'ad-hoc' for now. 

This week's Ask The Pod is likely the most philosophical question we've received as a listener enquires whether he should buy a set of blades despite his 18 handicap ability - what do we buy golf clubs for if not to enjoy them? Then, YouTuber James Robinson joins us for a What's In The Bag special. As a content creator who reviews pretty much every club there is to be reviewed, what does a man with the ultimate choice decide put into his bag? He joins Joe for a conversation about his equipment and spends some time discussing wider equipment topics. 

Thanks to James for joining us! You can find him on:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JamesRobinsonGolf  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesrobbogolf/?hl=en 

Further reading: 

https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/taylormade-2024-p770-iron-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/mizuno-pro-245-iron-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/callaway-2024-apex-pro-iron-review 

In this week's episode, some new Malbon clothing arriving on Joe's doorstep leads to a debate about the direction of modern golf fashion - is it truly promoting more inclusivity into the game? Joe's explainer this week revolves around tipping the golf club, then he wraps up the episode with a very deep dive into the bag of Bryson DeChambeau. Probably the most complex WITB that Joe will have to report on, it includes Bryson's new and very unique Avoda irons. 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe by dropping an email to: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com. We would love to hear your suggestions for reviews, player's bags to cover and golf gear terminology to debunk.

NB: we filmed this episode before Bryson's US Open triumph at Pinehurst, hence why we don't reference it! 

We have an injured soldier this week. Despite looking like he's in his late 20s, Joe is decaying at the standard rate for someone in their early 40s, and as such suffered a back injury in the lead-up to this week's show. Luckily, we have a super sub waiting in the wings. 

So, for the first time, we welcome fellow Golf Monthly equipment tester Sam De'Ath onto the show. We've mentioned Sam in passing on many episodes as our chief fairway wood and hybrids tester amongst other things. So, with Sam on this week, we thought it made sense to take a deep dive into the latest fairway woods on offer. We break down this large category by looking at the most forgiving options, best for sound & feel and best for distance before crowning our overall winner. Of course, there's also an Ask The Pod and this week we help a listener from Down Under with a query about his muddled bag set-up. Enjoy! 

Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com     

We're now on YouTube! Watch full episodes at: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf        We're also now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf/?hl=en Check out our full reviews of all the equipment mentioned in this week's episode here:  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews Get three issues of Golf Monthly magazine for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint 

It's our first every 'emergency' episode! Of course, there's no such thing as a real emergency when you're running a golf equipment podcast, but a busy week for Dan in Florida meant we had to sit down for a catch-up. Because of that, we're on our laptops today and no in the studio - so we apologise in advance for the less-than-perfect sound quality we usually pride ourselves on. 

So, coming up this week, we've got all of the down low on what it's like to be inside the TGL arena and a behind-the-scenes look at all of the best (and worst) equipment we saw at the PGA Show. Why does TGL insist on using a Full Swing Kit as its launch monitor? Do players change their equipment to play TGL? And are Cobra bringing our favourite iron to the masses in 2025? All of this and more are answered this week. Enjoy! 

This week, Joe gives his verdict on the latest Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal irons. One of the most popular iron franchises for the discerning golfer who still requires some of added forgiveness, Joe reviews all three new models that were launched last month. After that, the Explainer this week focusses on loft & lie on golf clubs. We all likely know what loft is and what lie angle is, but Joe divea into what they effect when it comes to hitting the ball and why both are such important aspects of club fittings to get right. 

We're also very excited to welcome Patrick Reed onto the podcast for a WITB special. Patrick has one of the most unique bags on any of the global tours, and Joe managed to corral him for a chat earlier this year at the LIV UK event. From his custom ferrules to his flatter than flat irons and spoon wedge, it's one of the best WITB interviews we've had on the podcast so far - enjoy!  Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Further reading: https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/mizuno-jpx925-hot-metal-irons-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/mizuno-jpx925-hot-metal-hl-irons-review https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/mizuno-jpx925-hot-metal-pro-irons-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/ping-g430-max-10k-driver-review 

Thanks for all your well wishes to the injured Joe The Pro last week! He'll be back (no pun intended) better than ever next week. So, given his stunning debut performance last week, Sam De’Ath returns to spread knowledge and wisdom about hybrids for the new golf season. We ask whether the club is falling out of fashion on Tour; why we think the average golfer should be using more of them and Sam runs through which of the latest releases are the best for you. We also get technical with wedges and answer the question - 'should people have their wedges bent flatter than their irons?' Get in touch with Dan and Joe and 'Ask The Pod' via our email: kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com

Sign up for the weekly Kick Point newsletter, released every Friday: https://www.golfmonthly.com/newsletter 

Get three issues of the Golf Monthly magazine delivered to your door for just £5 at https://www.magazinesdirect.com/kickpoint   

Watch us in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KickPointGolf

Follow us on social media: Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/kickpointgolf TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kickpointpod Chapters: 0:00 Intro  5:39 Are hybrids going out of fashion? 11:59 Best-looking hybrids  21:00 Best sound and feel 27:50 Most forgiving hybrids  36:08 Best hybrids for distance  38:50 Best hybrids to hit off the fairway 43:22 Best hybrids to use out of the rough 48:12 Most workable hybrid  51:16 Verdict - best hybrid of 2025 52:52 Kick Point x Golf Monthly magazine offer 54:44 'Ask The Pod' - Should I flatten the lie angle on my wedges?

Another jam packed episode for you this week, thanks for downloading! Tested this week features TaylorMade's 2024 P Series irons. With the well-loved P770 receiving a face lift and the all-new P7CB being introduced a few weeks ago, Joe gives his full verdict on how well TaylorMade has refined and improved on its flagship iron series. 

This week's explainer is something of a back to basics on grips. It's the only part of the golf club golfers actually touch, so it's an important facet of the game to get right. Joe dives into different grip types, tapers, compounds, grip tape and, of course, finds a way to shoe horn in Scottie Scheffler's famous grip trainer. 

Finally, the lads are very excited to welcome two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson onto the podcast. The colorful left hander is known to have one of the most unique set ups in the game - specifically when it comes to his grips - and Joe spent some time with Bubba at the LIV UK event in July to ask him just how his bag of equipment came to be. All of this, plus another edition of Ask The Pod, enjoy!  Get in touch with Dan and Joe and Ask The Pod via our email kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com  You can also WATCH every episode in full at https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/kick-point-the-golf-gear-show-every-single-episode 

Further reading: 

https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/taylormade-p7cb-iron-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/irons/taylormade-2024-p770-iron-review  https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/drivers/ping-g430-max-10k-driver-review