The biggest news came at the start of Day 1 of the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show: Tiger Woods signed multi-year contract to play a TaylorMade driver, fairway woods, irons and wedges.

While there’s no topping that Show Stopper, there are plenty of other items of interest at the Orange County Convention Center. We spent all day Wednesday walking the PGA Show floor in search of the coolest new stuff.

We’ve listed our 10 favorites, which we call Show Stoppers, below.

Bubba Shows Off Indoor Skills at Oakley

Two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson was on hand at the Orlando County Convention Center in the Oakley booth, and he was putting on a clinic with his new pink Volvik S4 golf balls.

Watson described his testing process with the golf balls to the crowd of about 100 PGA Show attendees. He asked “Teddy,” his caddie Ted Scott, to test the golf balls out for him after seeing they were a sponsor of the long drive contest. After positive feedback from the looper, Watson spent three months testing the balls before finally deciding he wanted to play them in 2017; he then asked Volvik for a pink version. Watson said there’s a big-picture vision for playing the pink balls, and that’s growing the game for potential junior golfers.

Bubba also participated in a closest to the pin contest, where he hit it to 6 feet from 123 yards on the indoor simulator — he jokingly questioned the accuracy of the simulation — and was ripping drives that topped out at 329 yards despite choking up on his driver because the ceiling was too low for full extension.

Even indoors, Watson is a shot maker who adapts nicely to his environment.

Cobra PUR Wedges

Cobra has added a flashy new wedge to its Cobra King line. They’re called PUR wedges, and are made of 304 stainless steel. Since stainless steel doesn’t rust, the wedges don’t require plating, which causes them to spin “a few hundred rpm more,” according to a Cobra-Puma Golf representative.

Like other King wedges, the new models have Cobra’s notchback design, which makes them especially versatile on open-face shots. They’re available in lofts of 50-60 degrees and with three different sole grinds (wide low, classic and versatile).

Duo Trac Smart Ball

There’s a new player in the data-collection space: Duo Trac. Its new golf ball — the Gen i1 — has sensors in its core that provide feedback on ball rotation and face angle on your putts. After lining up the ball to your target and stroking a putt, the sensors transmit information through an algorithm and into the company’s app.

Assuming a golfer can get his or her speed right, the goal of putting is to zero out face angle at impact, ensuring a perfectly square strike that gets the ball rotating end-over-end as fast as possible toward the intended target. One WRX editor (not throwing anyone under the bus, but his name is Andrew Tursky) may need a bit of work on his stroke, as shown by the data above.

The company is set to release the putting-only golf ball in the summer for $140, and has plans to release a golf ball that provides feedback on chipping and full swings at a later date.

Ecco Golf Shoes

Ecco is releasing a variety of new golf shoes in 2017, everything from performance-first models to golf shoes that will play just as well on the course as they will for dinner afterward (pending a shower in between).

The Ecco Cage Pro ($210 standard, $230 with BOA) is a hybrid shoe that combines a leather upper with a polyurethane heel section, making it one that most golfers will gravitate toward because of its stability, comfort and water resistance. The shoes have “spider grip” cleats (non-removable) that are designed to reduce the amount of mud, grass and sand that can get caught in their claws, thus improving traction throughout the swing. The shoe is available in four colorways, and also offered in two colorways with the BOA closure system.

The Ecco Cool shoes ($280) are the first ever golf shoes to use Gortex in their construction, according to Ecco, which makes them ultra waterproof. A see-through midsole also helps to whisk away moisture and heat. They have an elastic sock lining, a leather upper and are available in four colorways.

Ecco’s LUX shoes ($300) have TPU (thermoplastic urethane) uppers and a leather lining for a classic look. They’re the most “normal” looking spikes in Ecco’s 2017 lineup, if that’s what you’re into.

Lastly, the Ecco Casual Hybrid shoes ($180) have an antique, hand-finished design in “moonless” and “whiskey” colorways for a laid back, yet classy look.

Foresight GCQuad… and Zombie Golf

Foresight unveiled its new GCQuad launch monitor at the PGA Show, and it has been a clear favorite among attendees.

The new unit improves on the company’s GC2 (ball data) and HMT (club data) launch monitors by merging them into a dedicated device and improving just about every aspect of their performance (accuracy, ease of use, etc). The GCQuad sells for roughly $18,000, not bad for what a lot of people consider to be golf’s best indoor launch monitor.

What caught our attention inside inside the Orange County Convention Center, strangely, was a bit of Foresight software in development. We were lured into a game of “Zombie Golf,” a Foresight-exclusive game that’s still in development. It involves hitting punch shots at zombies the same way you might hit shots at the range-ball-cart-picker-upper guy. The more zombies you hit (kill), the more points you get… and you’ll have to work fast to keep them away from the tee.

This, truly, is the future of recreational golf.

GolfWRX on Golf Channel

Set to air on Friday on the station’s Morning Drive show, GolfWRX Editor in Chief Zak Kozuchowski joined a panel of equipment experts “on the main stage.” The foursome discussed a variety of topics including Tiger Woods’ decision to sign with TaylorMade and current golf equipment trends. Also on the panel were Jonathan Wall from PGATour.com and Rick Young of Score Golf. Matt Adams of PGA Tour Radio’s Fairways of Life hosted the segment.

Make sure to tune in to Golf Channel on Friday to see what Kozuchowski had to say.

Michelle Wie signs with Callaway

Callaway announced a multi-year equipment deal with Michelle Wie at the opening of Day 1 of the PGA Show. The 2014 U.S. Women’s Open winner will use a full bag of Callaway clubs, including a Callaway golf ball and Odyssey putter.

In the past, Wie has been one of the few LPGA Tour players to use muscleback irons. We’ll keep an eye on her bag this weekend at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic.

P2 Putter Grips

P2 putter grips – short for “palms squared” – positions the shaft in the back of a putter grip to improve biomechanics throughout the stroke. With a larger topside portion, the grips keep the wrists in a more locked position during the putting stroke that’s more stable and prevents wrist breakdown.

The original P2 Core Range putter grips were released in 2016 and weighed between 80 and 90 grams. The new P2 Tour grips were made lighter because of tour player feedback, and are now between 50 and 75 grams.

There are four different models available. Each has a unique shape and is available in four different colorways. The grips sell for $29.95 each.

Ping Sigma G Putters

Ping’s new Sigma G putters are offered in 15 different models, and there’s something for everyone in the new line. They use a multi-material construction that combines stainless steel, aerospace-grade aluminum and a high-grade elastomer to improves forgiveness and feel. Full story.

Titleist 2017 Pro V1, Pro V1x Golf Balls

Regardless of what Titleist golf ball you’ve been playing, the company wants you to test both of its new premium golf balls in 2017… and for good reason. Titleist changed the core design of its new Pro V1 golf ball, making it the lowest-spinning and softest-feeling ball in the line. The new Pro V1x received aerodynamics improvement. Full story.

Related

• Show Stoppers: Demo Day at the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show
• All the photos from Day 1 of the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show