It's new gear season! But what actually matters as brands launch their brand-new equipment?

In this episode of Your Golf Podcast by NCG, Tom Irwin sits down again with PGA Pro Jack Backhouse to unpack everything we’re about to see from this year’s biggest launches.

Tom and Jack cut through the hype around new drivers, irons, and balls to explain what innovations are real performance gains and what’s just marketing. They dive into what brands are prioritising - from ultra-fast ball speeds and novel materials like advanced carbon composites to redesigned face structures and adjustable weighting - and how those changes should influence your club choices.

Along the way they break down the tech talk so you’re not drowning in buzzwords: what launch conditions you should be paying attention to, how new materials affect feel and performance, and why some trends (like ever-higher spin rates) aren’t always beneficial for every golfer. They also discuss how these 2026 designs are being tested — including how simulator and TrackMan data are used in real product development — and offer insight into what improvements truly translate to better golf, not just better specs on paper.

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