We’re approaching the end of another dramatic and fascinating year in the golfing world, which saw a career Grand Slam achieved, a historic away Ryder Cup victory and plenty of new technology introduced to the market.
You might think that it’s getting harder and harder for golf equipment brands to keep coming up with new innovations each year, but somehow they manage it.
We’ve rounded up some of our favourite equipment stories of the year, to give you a flavour of everything that has happened over the last 12 months.
Srixon’s big year
They may not have the marketing budget or the calibre of staff players to compete with the likes of TaylorMade, Callaway or Titleist, but Srixon had a fantastic year in 2025.
After bringing out their ZXi Woods and Irons, which received positive reviews, the momentum continued. Seven different golfers won on the PGA Tour whilst using Srixon irons, including major victories from Scottie Scheffler and Srixon staffer JJ Spaun.
The death of the blade putter?
A whopping 35 of the 47 winners on the PGA Tour this season chose to use mallet putters rather than blades. This is a pattern which has been seen among the very best players in the game too, with every single one of the top ten in the World Rankings using a mallet putter.
It’s been a trend on the rise for a number of years. But Scottie Scheffler’s high-profile switch to a Spider X mallet in early 2024 really helped things to snowball. The world’s best player switched out his blade and since then has not looked back, winning thirteen times including three majors.
The main reason for this is that mallet putters can provide higher levels of stability and forgiveness. If it’s good enough for the best players in the world, perhaps it might be time for amateur golfers to consider the switch too. Some players have even taken things one step further…
The birth of zero torque
Zero torque putters weren’t born in 2025 but they really exploded in popularity again this year, both among amateurs and professionals. Pretty much every major equipment brand now produces a zero torque putter, with Scotty Cameron (low torque) becoming the latest to join the trend just last month.
JJ Spaun’s putting display brought LAB back into focus at the US Open too, whilst TaylorMade’s Spider 5K ZT won lots of plaudits for adding a premium feel to the technology.
It’s not for everyone, but the fact that so many brands now offer a low or zero torque option suggests that it’s here to stay.
Driver ‘issues’ for Scheffler and Rory
This title may be a little misleading, given that the golfers occupying the top two spots on the world rankings both had incredible seasons. However, both golfers managed to achieve multiple wins, including majors, without using the latest TaylorMade driver.
Both were still using the Qi10 Driver from back in 2024, despite efforts from TaylorMade to get them to switch into the new model. There was also the issue of both players’ drivers failing the conforming test at the PGA Championship, which drew more attention again.
McIlroy did put TaylorMade’s 2026 driver into play for the closing events on the DP World Tour, and was seemingly impressed with what he saw. I’m sure the boffins at TaylorMade will be hoping it stays in the back come the start of the new year.
20 years of Adidas Tour360
It wasn’t all about golf clubs though – there was plenty of other gear that made the spotlight too. One of our favourites was the re-release of the very first Adidas Tour360 shoe, which celebrated it’s 20th anniversary this year.
To mark the milestone, adidas released a special limited-edition version that blends the original look with all the brand’s latest tech. You still get the classic waterproof leather upper, paired with things like Lightstrike and Boost cushioning.
The outsole has been updated too, with a seven-spike Thintech setup and extra traction lugs to give you plenty of grip.
Titleist continue to dominate
This may not come as a surprise, but Titleist yet again finished top of the rankings when it comes to the most-played driver, irons and wedge on the PGA Tour throughout 2025. They accounted for more than 40% of all drivers used, finishing top of the table for the seventh straight season.
2025 saw the release of the new T-Series irons, and this helped them to more than double the usage of the next closest competitor. In total there were 12 different wins using Titleist irons.
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The success continues when it comes to wedges, with Vokey adding up to 56% of all wedges on the PGA Tour and racking up a whopping 26 wins.
You can’t discuss Titleist without mentioning golf balls though, and their Pro V1 and Pro V1x models were used over seven times more than the nearest competitor, featuring in 73% of golfer’s bags and also contributing to 26 victories.
Amazon enter the golf ball market
Amazon made its first move into golf balls in 2025 with the Amazon Basics Core Soft, a low-compression, two-piece ball aimed at beginners and anyone who doesn’t want to spend much on something they might lose.
We reviewed it last month and found it was soft-feeling and decent for the price, but performance was hit-and-miss. The distance and spin were noticeably down compared to more premium options.
It’s cheap, simple and does the job, but definitely more of a value option than a genuine challenger at the higher end of the market.
PowaKaddy in portrait mode
It’s one of those things that, when you see it, you wonder why it hasn’t been done that way before. This year PowaKaddy revealed a new range of electric golf trolleys with one eye-catching feature: the screen on the handle was shaped like a phone screen in portrait, rather than landscape.
It makes perfect sense because it means that when you’re in GPS mode, you get the full shape of the hole in front of you. It makes it so much easier to see where you are, and what you have in front of you before every shot.
Couple that with the fact that the trolley range itself is really impressive, and you’ve got a really great overall product.
So that’s our list of our favourite golf equipment stories from 2025. Did we miss anything out? Let us know what you think below!
