Scotty Cameron's 'greatest hits'; Why Stan Smith is No Longer Pale; and TaylorMade's Stripe is an Easter Hit

The arrival of spring has brought quite a few apparel and equipment drops worthy of a deeper look.

If Scotty Cameron were a musician and the putters that bear his name his collective artistic work, there would be no shortage of gold and platinum awards lining his office walls. Beginning April 15, Titleist will roll out seven 2022 Scotty Cameron Phantom X mallet putters — with three more dropping on June 17 — that include entirely new head shapes and updates from previous models.

Cameron is calling this lineup of Phantom X's to be "the ‘greatest hits’ of what we’ve developed — the solid stainless-steel faces, the new necks, the new shapes — rolled out in high-end, premium precision milled mallets designed to inspire us all to play better."

The 2022 Phantom X line is considered to be among Scotty Cameron's "greatest hits."

Titleist

The March 2021 release of Phantom X putters was met with such acclaim by professionals that the brand decided to update the Phantom X 5, 5.5 and 12 putters, redesigned the Phantom X 7 and 7.5 models, and created the new Phantom X 9 and 9.5 models. These seven will be available in the April release.

A new Phantom X 11 and 11.5 and a straight-shafted Phantom X 5s will drop in June.

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Cameron relies heavily on tour professional feedback and understandably so. Last season, Patrick Cantlay won the BMW Championship with an Phantom X 5. Jin Young Ko, the current women's World No. 1, plays a Phantom X 5.5 that was inspired by the Futura X 5.5 that Justin Thomas has used to win 12 of his 13 PGA Tour titles. Max Homa and Garrick Higgo have each won on the PGA Tour with Phantom X models, while Will Zalatoris plays a Phantom X 11.

What To Know: 
> Nine of the 10 models are made with a solid, precision-milled 303 stainless steel face and body that dovetails with a 6061 aircraft grade aluminum sole and flange component. The Phantom X 12 features an aluminum face and sole with stainless steel wings for maximum MOI, 
> The new line is available in 33-, 34- and 35-inch and in one of four specific neck and shaft configurations.
> The Phantom X 7 was originally introduced as the 2021 My Girl Limited, so it has been completely revamped as an angular wingback mallet with a single-bend shaft and an integrated aluminum flange and sole component. 
> Each putter comes with an updated Pistolero Plus grip, which has less taper in the low hand, making it an ideal complement with the Phantom X mallet putters.
> The sight lines for each vary in color: Phantom X 5, 5.5, 5s (sight lines are painted black); Phantom X 7 and 7.5 (sight lines are a combination of black and white lines); Phantom 9, 9.5, 11, 11.5 and 12 (sight lines are light gray).
> The Phantom X 5, 5.5, 7, 7.5, 9, 9.5, and 12 putter models will be available on April 15 through Titleist authorized golf shops.
> Cost: $429.

Stan Smith In Color

While Adidas' Stan Smith strictly white shoe is fashionably chic, an entire generation — maybe two — likely has little background on the shoe's namesake. 

So gather round for a quick history lesson. 

In addition to white tint, the Stan Smith x Vice Golf is available in solar red and signal green. 

Adidas

Individually, Smith, a product of California, won two tennis majors (U.S. Open, 1971; Wimbledon, 1972). Yet he was considered a greater doubles player, having won five majors, including four U.S. Open titles between 1968 and 1980, and finishing as runner-up eight times.  

In 1978, Adidas renamed its popular tennis shoe after Smith, and it was the shoe to have if you played tennis. Today, it's more for fashion than on-court — and on-course — function. In 2021, Adidas launched the Stan Smith golf shoe.

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In a radical departure from the all-white Stan Smith colorway, Adidas collaborated with Vice Golf to create a limited edition Stan Smith x Vice Golf model. Vice Golf is known for its bold-colored golf balls and that is evident in these shoes — which come in solar red, signal green and white tint.

What To Know:
> The shoe features an adiwear rubber spikeless outsole and has been reinforced in the medial and lateral sides to provide additional stability throughout the golf swing.
> The iconic Adidas three stripes and Vice Golf logo are etched on the medial side of the left and right shoes, respectively. Vice Golf’s mantra, ‘embrace your vice,’ is embossed on the heel, while a Stan Smith signature endorsement patch is on the tongue.
> The limited edition will be available in limited quantities on adidas.com, the Adidas app, vicegolf.com and at select retailers beginning March 25.

Unmistakable in Black

Back in the day, country music performers were known to wear exquisitely designed and garish outfits on stage. Not uncommon were tassles dangling from sleeves of suit coats that featured ornate designs and patterns in lavish colors. They were clearly a sight to behold.    

Then there was Johnny Cash, who dressed from head to toe in black. His look was as unmistakeable as his voice. 

And that is probably the best way to describe Cobra Golf's limited edition LTDx drivers that are available in an all-black color scheme with a black crown and sole. The colorway is offered in all three of its models — LTDx, LTDx LS and LTDx Max — in select lofts and flexes. Each driver also features a custom blacked-out Lamkin Crossline grip, and a premium aftermarket UST LIN-Q white shaft. 

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Everything else in the line remains the same. The LS is a low-spin model for lower handicap players with fast swings and the ability to work a ball; the Max offers the ability to move adjustable weighting for better stability or draw bias; and the LTDx is a happy medium of the first two and gives both low spin and maximum forgiveness.

The LTDx Black drivers retail for $599 each.

TaylorMade's Response

Not going to lie. TaylorMade Golf's new Tour Response Stripe golf ball is an attention grabber in much the same way as a well-decorated Easter egg.

Through digital graphics and color, the Tour Response Stripe will benefit golfers in several ways. First, the ball features a 22-millimeter digital band that wraps around the center of the golf ball. Inside the digital band there is a thin black line. The outer band facilitates better aim, while the line can be synced with putter sight lines. 

The Stripe also uses a multi-color design that also helps create better alignment, along with immediate feedback on the putt's roll. A well-struck putt will make the graphics roll consistently, while a miss-hit will make the digital band look as if its wobbling. 

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Along with the Response Stripe, TaylorMade has also released the Tour Response, with an 100 percent cast urethane cover, and the Soft Response, which has an extended flight dimple pattern.  

What To Know:
> The Tour Response now has the company's Tour Flight dimple pattern, which was introduced in the TP5/TP5x golf ball. The pattern hypes better aerodynamics to promote maximum carry. The ball also has a low 70-compression design with a Hi-Spring core that pushes the boundaries of ball speed.
> The Soft Response is TaylorMade's softest ball, designed for enhanced feel while maintaining ball speeds and distance. The ball is best suited for moderate swing speed players. The Soft Response's extended flight dimple pattern decreases drag and optimizes lift, allowing the ball to stay in the air longer at lower speeds and lower spin rates.
> Tour Response and Tour Response Stripe retail for $39.99; the Soft Response for $29.99. 

Notable

Radmor, the maker of sustainably-sourced golf clothing, announces the launch of its men's and women's spring collections. Radmor eschews the use of virgin polyester in favor of natural cellulose fibers like Peruvian Pima cotton, elastane yarns and Tencel. 

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The men's styles include the Taylor Polo, the Batty Polo and the Colby Band-Collar. Radmor's ever-popular Maxwell Pimalite Tees, Higgins player hoodies and Perkins player crews are also back for 2022. The biggest news is on the women's side which has been expanded. The line includes the Michelle Polo retro pique and retro strip prints, the Lauren Polo ombre stripe print, the Olivia LS jersey and the Ella performance shorts. The lines are available online at radmorgolf.com. ...

In celebration of the Masters, Royal Albartross is introducing a new collectible men’s shoe, the Pontiac V2 Major, in white with green laces and accents. The Pontiac V2 Major is anchored by a new, lightweight Nova-01 sole, which provides improved grip and stability. Textured Italian leather uppers complete the shoe’s laid-back, off-course vibe. The Pontiac V2 Major ($275), which is also offered in slate gray and admiral blue, will be available for pre-order later this month and with a delivery expected in April.

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