The 2020 PGA Merchandise Show swept into Orlando last week, showcasing a voluminous range of brands and products, from the giants of the industry down to the one-man inventor types.

Since the days of featheries and wooden clubs, golf has been a game that, perhaps more than any other, is about a never-ending search for improvement. For the golfers, it is: how can I improve my swing, my stroke, my game? For merchandisers, it is: how can we make golfers swing better, hit it farther, hit it closer, roll it truer, shoot lower scores, and have more fun?

That spirit was alive and well in Orlando, even if some of the products on display strained the imagination. Walking around the show floor, two things became evident: (1) there is not a single facet of the game that someone isn't trying to improve with the most creative ideas possible, and (2) some people are really starting to overthink this game!
 

The 2020 PGA Merchandise Show swept into Orlando last week, showcasing a voluminous range of brands and products, from the giants of the industry down to the one-man inventor types.

Since the days of featheries and wooden clubs, golf has been a game that, perhaps more than any other, is about a never-ending search for improvement. For the golfers, it is: how can I improve my swing, my stroke, my game? For merchandisers, it is: how can we make golfers swing better, hit it farther, hit it closer, roll it truer, shoot lower scores, and have more fun?

That spirit was alive and well in Orlando, even if some of the products on display strained the imagination. Walking around the show floor, two things became evident: (1) there is not a single facet of the game that someone isn't trying to improve with the most creative ideas possible, and (2) some people are really starting to overthink this game!

The Delta Putt: This is a training aid for putting that involves striking a triangular "puck" down a track toward a target. Each side of the triangle has a different-sized bump corresponding to difficulty level (amateur, pro and tour), and the only way to putt the puck straight down the track is if both the stroke path and putter face are square at impact. The feedback is instantaneous and allows you to make adjustments based upon it. Of course there is way more to making putts than just a square face, but it's an interesting aid and fun to try.