0Nike goes MACHSPEED

The PGA Tour has entered its Fall Series, a time when many players will be testing new equipment in anticipation of the 2010 season. From the looks of things, they’ll have plenty to get their hands on.

Justin Leonard will arrive at the Presidents Cup with a new Nike SQ MACHSPEED driver. He says he’s hitting the ball 10 to 12 yards farther with it. Nike designers made the club with a deeper center of gravity and a shape designed to increase clubhead speed by making the head more aerodynamic. The MACHSPEED also has Nike’s STR8-FIT adjustable technology. The club will hit stores in March; suggested retail will be $360.

Meanwhile, Japanese clubmaker Miura, which has attained cult status among some of the game’s best players, has brought a hybrid to the U.S. market. The Precious Edition model comes in lofts of 17, 20 and 23 degrees, and is said to offer a higher, more iron-like ballflight instead of the boring trajectories some hybrids feature. The idea, says chief designer and patriarch Katsuhiro Miura, is to help mid- and high-handicappers hold greens more readily on long approach shots. Suggested retail will be $239 with the standard shaft, a Nippon NSPro 950 steel. Other shaft options will be available.

Also on the way: wedges with interchangeable faces from TaylorMade. The company was showing them off at Cog Hill during the BMW Championship. TaylorMade is hoping the ability to insert a new face will not only provide fresh grooves for exacting players, but also save them the trouble of choosing a whole new wedge when a favorite wears out.