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travisMathew Arrives In Style
- by14STIX on6th February, 2010 inBlog
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Leave it to travisMathew to roll a custom painted (and logo'd) Volkswagen Type 2 van onto the showroom floor at this year's PGA Show. Normally, if I see a Type 2 on the street I think of two things: hippies and THE LIBYYYYYANS! But I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that travisMathew found a way to make the unrefined look classically stylish; after all they did transform Bubba Watson from a pleated-pant-and-sail-mast-shirt-wearing-scrub to a tailored and polished pro (hey, Bubba: urwelcome!). In fact, just about everything about their booth was on point - from the eye-popping paint job on the van, to the remixed Beach Boy's tunes playing subtly in the background, to the travisMathew branded water bottles and bottle openers (which has proved its utility on a number of occasions now). The Cali-cool vibe was definitely well executed.
I was lucky enough to get the invite into the travisMathew booth for a sneak peak at the 2010 lineup. The thing that struck me instantly was how much the line had expanded over last year's. There are 25 new shirts shipping in 2010 complemented by 15 styles of pants and shorts, a handful of outerwear options - including rain gear - dozens of t-shirts, hats and, of course, the signature TM belt buckles, which will have 9 different finish options.
I managed to snap a few pics of some of the new pieces. My shoddy photography doesn't do the fabrics justice, but it should give you a little idea of where the brand is going this year. The color palate features lots of deep blues, teals, chocolate browns, khakis, creams and variations of greys, ranging from charcoal to a nice light heather. Most of the shirts are 60/40 cotton/poly blends, but they also mixed in are a few styles featuring a jersey-soft 100% combed pima cotton as well as a few 100% Drytech polyester versions, which will be perfect for summer. My only criticism on this year's offering is that there were not more styles that featured technical fabrics that are breathable and wick moisture. I know that sentiment will probably offend cotton and style purists, but from a utility standpoint where I live cotton just isn't wearable on the course from May until September, unless you want the back of your shirt to look like a Rorschach test.
But what the line lacks in technical fabrics is more than made up for it in its attention to detail and its function. Many of the new shirts like the 'Double-Double', 'Stitch', and 'Dub' feature great contrast stitching on pockets, plackets and sleeves. They also pulled off a fashion risk that rarely works in my opinion - reversible garments. The 'Re-Verb' shirt can be right-side-out for a seamless look or flipped inside out to reveal contrast stitching and a pocket on the left chest. Perhaps my favorite piece in the entire collection is the 'Magestic' short which features a classic looking golf short when worn one way but goes all Optimums Prime to turn into pool/beach-ready board shorts when flipped inside out. They're really clever without being campy. On a more traditional note, I really took a liking to the grey 'McCord' and blue heather 'Mally' pants. Both are jean cut (five pocket style) and have a nice weight to them that will be great for Spring and Fall.
2010 promises to be a big year for travisMathew with the greatly expanded line and the signings of Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba, Billy Horschel, and Arron (no longer dresses) Baddeley. Like it's team of players, the new offering is youthful but not young. It's simply a versatile, well-made lineup that will turn heads much like its cherry Type 2 V-Dubya. Yep, travisMathew has arrived.
Subtle, TM, very subtle.
A look at that candy clearcoat paint job on the side of the Type 2.
The 'Brasher' polo paired with the 'McCord' pant, white with gunmetal outline TM buckle, and grey Bahamas hat.
I told you my photography skills suck. Those blurry lines...that's corduroy.
The 'Double-Double' (an In-N-Out reference?) in chocolate paired with the 'Sear Short', white leather belt with shiny nickle buckle and brown 'B-Stripes' hat.
A closer look at the 'Sear Short' - an updated take on the classic sear sucker.
The 'Staple' shirt in dress blues paired with the 'Short Penne' short in grey/white plaid, grey leather belt, black and white outlined buckle and grey heather 'Jonesin Cap'.
A closer look at the 'Short Penne'.
These solid gold (ok, plated) TM buckles are not for sale. One will be given to each winner on the PGA Tour this season - even if they're not a travisMathew staffer. Ogilvy already has his and Bubba almost got one a few weeks back.
The travisMathew bottle opener in action. I promise this photo was take after 10:30AM. 
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Need A Hand? HJ Glove Is Here To Help
- by14STIX on3rd February, 2010 inBlog
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I did a total double-take and laughed out loud when I walked by this booth at the PGA Show. HJ Gloves? Seriously? Of all the initials they could have picked for a glove company they chose HJ?
Maybe I have a the sense of a humor of a 7th grade boy, but HJ and glove in the same sentence immediately causes laughter. To make things worse they feature a ladies HJ Glove called the Fashion Gripper. Here are some of the features of the Fashion Gripper if you can't quite read them below:- High performance micro-fiber leather (hilarious!)
- Remains soft and tacky when wet (c'mon stop! OK don't.)
- Reinforced palm patch for provides extra durability (I could not make this up.)
Apparently, HJ Glove has been around since 1976 so they must know what they're doing. Just in case HJ Glove needs some help promoting their products, I thought I'd send them a couple of slogans.- "HJ Glove - Giving golfers a hand since 1976"
- "HJ Glove - Having trouble releasing? Try an HJ."
THINK YOU CAN BEAT OUR SLOGAN? DROP YOURS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. WE'LL ANNOUNCE THE WINNING CAPTION ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER TOMORROW.
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2010 PGA Show Link Catalog
- by14STIX on2nd February, 2010 inBlog
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My first visit to the PGA show was an absolute whirlwind. I thought that a day and a half on the show floor would be more than enough to see and properly cover all that I wanted to, but it turns out that I could have spent another day and a half there - easily. I've spent the past few days massaging my sore feet (and surprisingly inflamed hip - what?) and sorting through ways to bring you all some interesting posts. I'm still working on the interesting part (we'll see if I ever get there), but in the meantime I thought I put down a catalog of links from the most interesting exhibitors. Over the next few weeks I'll follow up with posts about some of those in this list - and, fingers crossed, should have some contests and giveaways to bring to you as well, so stay tuned for that.
Ok, so here's the list with links and a couple of pics. It's in no particular order mainly because we're just not that organized. Deal with it.
KIKKOR GOLF / www.kikkor.com
Definitely not your dad's golf shoes. As a bit of a sneakerhead, I gotta say these kicks will probably find their way onto my feet soon. Be on the lookout for some sick looking apparel from Kikkor this year as well.
HOCKEY STICK PUTTERS / www.hockeystickputters.com
We bet Happy Gilmore would have beat Shooter by a lot more if he had one of these. He probably wouldn't have gotten his ass beat by Bob Barker either.
RJB COLLECTOR / www.rjbcollector.com
RARE - UNIQUE - EXCLUSIVE - BETTINARDI. Scotty who? These putters are DOPE! That's my personal favorite from the collection, in case you care.
GENTLEMAN'S VICE / www.gentlemansvice.com
Look familiar? Yep, they've been on our site for a while. We've known the guys at Gentleman's Vice since junior golf days. They had a killer PGA Show - so you know we had to give them some run here.
PUMA GOLF / golf.puma.com
Puma made a big splash in the golf apparel world dumping Geoff Ogilvy in favor of Tour rookie Rickie Fowler. Like the brash new face of the brand the 2010 lineup shows lots of flash - and substance. Look for big things from both Rickie and Puma this year.
IOMIC GRIPS / www.iomicusa.com
These things look more like Fruit Roll-Ups than grips, but I wouldn't recommend trying to eat them (how much California Sensamilla did you smoke anyway?). We're expecting them to make a big splash when they hit the mainstream market in the US this year.
SUMI-G / www.sumi-g.com
Voted the number one new golf company of 2009, Sumi-G is known for incredibly well engineered and beautifully simplistic designs like the Dormy belt shown here. They also make elegant looking head covers, divot tools and score card wallets and other leather goods.
TRAVISMATHEW / www.travismathew.com
Y'all know that I'm a big fan of travisMathew. I've done my fair share of hyping this new kid on the golf apparel block and when the guys at TM invited me to take a tour of the 2010 I was totally floored; one, because they were cool enough to extend the invite and, two, because the new lineup absolutely blew past all expectations. Adding Geoff Ogilvy, Billy Horschel, Bubba Watson, and Aaron Baddeley to the TM team is going to garner even bigger exposure for the brand - but in our opinion the 2010 line is every bit as good as these guys games.
EDEL PUTTERS / www.edelgolf.com
A fitting system with 30 million variables just to fit a putter? Sound excessive? Well, not to David Edel who uses a very unique fitting process based on a player's perception of geometrical shapes to fit players with the perfect putter. He's able to whittle down those 30 million options into a flat stick that's custom crafted for your game. So, if you're missing putts in bunches, maybe it is the arrow and not the Indian after all...
HIGH DEFINITION GOLF / www.hdgolf.com
High Definition Golf has taken golf simulation to the next level. Other simulators on the market look like blown up versions of PS3 games, but High Definition Golf's images are so stunning and clear that if there was a fan misting salt water spray in your face you'd swear you were really at Pebble Beach. On top of that it measures data like club head speed, path, face angle, ball speed and spin, launch angle and spin axis. Let's see EA Sports try and touch that.
ABACUS / www.abacus-golf.com
The PGA Show was our first exposure to this London-based brand. It's making its way into US stores this year and I, for one, can't wait to get my hands on it. Great colors. Functional outerwear. Unique patterns. It's fashionable without that whole look-at-how-trendy-I-am nonsense.
POLO RLX GOLF / www.ralphlauren.com
The RLX line was a total showstopper. This was by far the sickest lineup at the show. We snapped a bunch of pics from the booth and even managed to get a little video of longtime Polo brand ambassador and my personal golfing idol - Tom Watson. Stay tuned for that.
ILIAC GOLF / www.iliacgolf.com
I'm a bit of a belt junkie. It looks like Iliac is going to help me get my fix. They make fantastic leather belts like this black and gold d-ring (M-I-Z baby!), traditional pom and tassel head covers, gorgeous leather golf bags as well as sporty apparel, outerwear and headwear. Preppy, but not pretentious.
LAMBDA GOLF SHOES / www.lambda-golf.com
Hands down the most unbelievably beautiful golf shoes on the market. Hey, Lambda, if you're reading this, please send me a pair of the Ferrera's in white/black croco (see above). Thanks. Sincerely, 14STIX.
AIR SPORTS WATCH / www.airsportswatch.com
I always wear a watch when I play. Don't know why. Always have. I'll also sport some sort of band on my opposite arm. Sometimes its a rubber band from asparagus at the grocery store. Sometimes it's a Trion-Z band. The Air Sports Watch kills two birds with one stone. That's why I picked up a white one at the show.
PENNINGTON&BAILES / www.stadiumpants.com
We flat out begged the guys at P&B for a pair of old gold trousers with black Mizzou "M's". I think I put on a pretty convincing act so hopefully they'll have some ready for me by the time golf (or spring football) season starts. I can't think of a better way to show your school spirit than a pair of these pants. Grown men don't wear jerseys, c'mon get serious.
ROBOCUP / www.finetunegolf.com
My pops and I built putting greens for friends and family last Christmas. RoboCup is going to be the perfect addition to my own putting green - sparing me the grueling 10 foot walk to the retrieve balls from the cup. Now, if I could only teach my dog to fetch beer from the fridge I'd be all set.
BONUS LINKS / OTHER COMPANIES TO CHECK OUT:- GOLF GATORS / www.golfgators.com
- TONINO LAMBORGHINI GOLF / www.tlgolf.se
- BLACK WIDOW GRIPS / www.bwgrips.com
- PGA TOUR SIMULATORS / www.pgatoursimulators.com
- ZEN ORACLE PUTTERS / www.zenoracle.com
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14 STIX Is Headed To The 2010 PGA Show
- by14STIX on25th January, 2010 inBlog
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14 STIX is heading down to Orlando for the 2010 PGA Show on Wednesday. It's our first time at the show, so we're totally fired up and can't wait to score some great new deals and bring you inside looks at all the new equipment, apparel and gear being launched this season. Here's how you can stay up on the latest from the 2010 PGA Show:
1. 14 STIX BLOG: Check the blog for video, pics and news from the show. We might even be able to score a couple of interviews. We'll be armed with our Flip Mino, iPhone, and laptop so be sure to check in this week.
2. TWITTER: We'll be tweeting live from the show floor. Not currently following us on Twitter? Well, get on it already - click here.
3. FACEBOOK: If you're too busy photo-stalking the girl that sat next to you in sophomore History class to keep up with us on Twitter you can stay parked on Facebook and keep up with the latest from the show there. Become a fan of the 14 STIX page here.
Let us know what you're fired up to hear about at the show. Drop some comments below.
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A Good Weekend For Watsons
- by14STIX on25th January, 2010 inBlog
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It was a good weekend to be a Watson. My childhood golfing idol and fellow Kansas Citian, Tom Watson, defeated Fred Couples at the Champions Tour's season opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship. Tom nearly shot is age on Friday, firing a smooth 63 and closed with rounds of 66 on Saturday and a 65 on Sunday that included birdies on the final two holes. The birdie on 18 was set up by a expertly struck pitching wedge from 147 yards in the first cut of rough that landed twenty feet from the hole and rolled to within four. Watson calmly knocked in the four-footer (though the stroke did have a little bit of that pulled inside-closed and pushed open follow through that we saw on the 18th at Turnberry last summer) and in doing so became the 13th oldest player to win on the Champions Tour.
Bubba Watson, of trick shot fame, also concluded the weekend in a good spot - on top of the leaderboard at the Bob Hope Classic. Watson and Alex Prugh share a one shot lead over Bill Haas heading into today's final round. A win for Bubba would be his first on tour and a second for Travis Mathew staffers in three weeks. Follow all the action over at PGAtour.com
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Practice Tracks: Dan Black feat. Kid Cudi - Symphonies (Remix)
- by14STIX on20th January, 2010 inBlog
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Dan Black is an artist from the UK mainly dabbling in electronica. He's getting ready for the debut of his new album "UN" later this summer, and in advance of the release collaborated with one of my favorite artists, Kid Cudi, on the remix of "Symphonies". You can download it here if you like what you hear. Recognize that beat? Yup, that's Rhianna's "Umbrella". It seems that Mr. Black is pretty fond of that beat because he laid down the vocals to Notorious B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize" to the same drum/snare combo.
Don't believe me? Watch and listen.
We're still partial to "Symphonies" because of Cudi's verses. So, go ahead and download it, throw it on the ol' iPod and go work on your game.
Oh, I added a poll to these installments called UP or DOWN. Let us know what you think of this week's track by voting after the jump.
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Keep Your Eyes Off Pat Perez's Bag
- by14STIX on19th January, 2010 inBlog
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Pat Perez does not like guys checking out his bag. In fact, it displeases him so much that he's gone to unusual lengths to protect its contents. Most likely if you want to peek at it you'll have to pull out a magnifying glass, which really doesn't sound all that flattering if you ask me, Pat.
PP actually had the folks at TaylorMade reduce the font size of the numbers on his irons in an effort to make it more difficult for competitors to figure out what club he's hitting. I guess I understand the line of thought, but honestly, Pat, shouldn't you be more worried about your own shot rather than what the guy next to you is trying to do? It served you well at the Bob Hope last year (-33 under!) dude and I expect that a similar focus would get you into the winners circle for the second time. And besides, golf is supposed to be a game based on honor and integrity. I guess that Pat doesn't feel the same way about his fellow competitors, which is sort of a sad commentary in itself.
Future Perez pairing partners, consider yourself warned. The fiery Mr. Perez likes boxing, so you could catch a right hook for your wandering eyes.
What do you think about Double P's shrinkage? Vote after the jump.
(Photo Credit: Golfweek/Alex Micelli)
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Global Golf Post
- by14STIX on18th January, 2010 inBlog
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Quick post today. There are lots of places to get your weekly fill of golf news and tournament coverage these days. I've always have been (and will be) partial to Golfweek because of the high level of writing and the consistent and relentless focus on improving its content and format.
Recently, I came across an all digital weekly golf publication called Global Golf Post. It's an interesting concept with solid writing, elegant layout, and stunning images. The part that appeals most to me is the ability to archive the content. Since it's all digital I can go back to any article, picture or issue anytime. Another great advantage that Global Golf Post enjoys is immediacy. The new issues is delivered to my inbox first thing on Monday morning - whereas I have to wait until the following Saturday for Golfweek to arrive.
If you're interested in Global Golf Post you can sign up for a subscription here. Check it out. Let us know what you think.
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Will Bubba Be The Next To Join The Travis Mathew Team?
- by14STIX on12th January, 2010 inThe Deals
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Bubba Watson shows that he'd not only be tough competition in a long drive contest but also in a backyard game of golfer's H.O.R.S.E. You can can check out some of his other trick shots here. Now, if he had a someone to play against these videos would ad campaign worthy - perhaps reminiscent of this famous series.
Incidentally, Mr. Watson also appears to be showing off some new gear from Travis Mathew.
We don't know if Bubba is wearing TM gear because he likes it or because a new deal might be imminent (I suppose the two don't have to be mutually exclusive) but the speculation among fellow bloggers The Khaki Crusader and Chapeau Noir Golf seems to lean toward the latter over the former.
We should have a better idea starting on Thursday as Bubba is scheduled to kick his 2010 season off in Hawaii at The Sony. Looking at the first round pairings, it seems that no matter what Mr. Watson has on he'll most likely be upstaged by his less sartorially subtle playing partner...well, at least until they tally up the score card that is.
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Ogilvy Puts TM On Repeat Victory at SBS
- by14STIX on11th January, 2010 inBlog
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Geoff Ogilvy successfully defended his title at the Mercedes BenzSBS Championship this past weekend, joining Stewart Appleby as the only other player to win the event in consecutive years since the tournament moved to Kapalua in 1999. Appleby actually won the event three straight years.
The first event of the 2010 season was a fresh start for Ogilvy having recently inked a multi-year deal to become a Titleist Brand Ambassador that includes playing the Titleist golf ball, Titleist golf clubs, wearing Titleist headwear and carrying a Titleist golf bag.
Find out what Geoff had in the bag this week here.
In addition to the new equipment deal, Ogilvy shed his familiar Puma apparel in favor of emerging industry upstart (and one of 14 STIX's favorite lines...) Travis Mathew shirts and pants. That's the iQ polo that he's wearing in the photo to the left and you can get it here. A win by Ogilvy in TM gear should be huge for the fledgling company. He's the biggest most recognizable name on their growing PGA Tour / Nationwide Team and has always been one step ahead of the fashion curve (thankfully not 50 steps ahead like the guy G.O. beat this week). Travis Mathew hasn't yet announced the deal with Ogilvy but there's a conspicuous "New Player" to be announced on their newly redesigned website. Hmmm, wonder who that could be?
We'll be catching up with the guys at Travis Mathew later this month at the PGA Show in Orlando so stay tuned for more info on the deal and all the latest from their upcoming Spring/Summer line.
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© 14 STIX GOLF 2008.
