I designed a protective Iphone Skin using the RIP Skull and Crossbones. I'll give a freebie RIPSkin (fits Iphone 3G/3GS, other models to come) for the first dozen RIP orders along with free shipping to lower 48. I'll also pass along a nifty RIP wallpaper for you Iphone/Ipad.

The RIP continues it's Tour domination this week with a European Tour victory at the Czech Open.

Skins distinctive headcovers are made from a supple top grain cowhide. This leather is the same used in leather garments so they combine a soft feel with leathers' durability. They are lined with a thick polyester pile to further protect your clubs. The numbers are raised embossed on the top of the headcover and the seams are top-stitched on each side for a classic look.

They're available in black, red, shoe brown, bomber jacket brown, white, and black & white. There's a longneck model with a sock/shaft protector and a all leather clubglove. The Clubglove design is nice because you can easily slide the cover on and off the clubhead without struggling with it. Especially nice after you've 4 putted and are in no mood to be fiddling with a headcover.

Skins makes the individual orders for me and ships them all at once, please allow about 3 weeks for delivery.

Matrix continues their successful summer on Tour with a victory at the Wyndham Championship last weekend. The winner had a Matrix HD in his driver and fairway.

Matrix tells me that "HD" refers to the hexdecagonal (16-sided) internal platform on which the new designs are built. With the stronger 16-cutt butt section, Matrix engineers were able to better structure and strengthen the tip without adding overall weight and, at time, even lowering balance points to better match today's high MOI, low CG heads. The result is a stronger tip-strength-to-weight ratio than found with any previous Matrix Ozik.

Matrix also has a mid price line called Radix that incorporates the HD design that I've been getting great feedback on from some of my regular customers.

PGA Championship winner used Mitsubishi Fubuki in his driver and fairway http://clubmaker-online.com/fubuki.html and Dynamic Gold Tour Issue in his irons. The Czech Open champ played the new Aldilar RIP in driver and fairway http://www.clubmaker-online.com/products/aldila.rip.html , and the winners in both the LPGA and Champions Tour played Graphite Design Tour AD. http://www.clubmaker-online.com/products/gd.tourad.di.html

I've got a collection of clubmaking articles at my resource page. There are how-to articles for do-it-yourselfers that enjoy building their own tools and clubmaking gadgets and a lot of interesting reading. My resource page is here http://www.clubmaker-online.com/resource.html

A member of my Shoptalk discussion group wrote a great article about ten years ago when the Spines and Spining debate started to unfold. He's updated the article and it's great reading.