One of the coolest parts of Life At The Turn is that members are not just waiting for products to show up. They are actively thinking about which brands and ideas fit our mission and how to bring them into Community Labs.
That is exactly what is happening in the thread Potential Brands/Companies For Product Reviews
It started with one member’s outreach idea and it has quickly turned into a running shortlist for future Labs, testing formats and even full blown project concepts.
Kicking things off: three brands with big upside
The conversation began when Rearviewmirror thinking about what products intrigued him the most to see reviewed.
He highlighted three targets:
- ProTee launch monitors
- 4D Motion Golf
- Alphard e golf carts
All three sit in that sweet spot of being slightly under the mainstream radar, but with strong game improvement potential and a customer first feel.
Rearviewmirror’s plan was to bring the conversation to a central thread so the members could have their opinions and voices heard.
This is the place to drop brands, products and ideas that LATT staff can review and, where possible, reach out to.
Categories, not just brands: tech and tools
From there, the discussion moved from three specific brands to broader categories that could anchor entire Community Labs.
CF _ The Golf Guy framed it perfectly around the upcoming PGA Show and new product cycles, suggesting LATT think in buckets:
- Personal launch monitors
- For example: Rapsodo, FlightScope Mevo+ Gen 2, Uneekor portable units
- A natural fit for our launch monitor guides and ongoing data discussions
- Data, analytics and coaching
- Tools like Sportsbox AI and other biomechanical platforms
- Pairing these with coaches or structured training could create deeper, long term testing beyond “I used this for two weeks”
- Zero torque putters
- L.A.B. was the obvious example, especially with recent investment that hints at more innovation coming
- This lines up cleanly with the shaft and putter conversations happening all over the forum
- Smart clubs and sensor technology
- OnCore’s smart ball concept came up as one example
- There is a lot of curiosity about how far embedded tech can go while still feeling like “real” golf equipment
This type of category thinking is important. It means future partners are not just “a brand that sent us clubs” but part of a story: speed, data, putting, tech or training.
Beyond gear: sports science, hydration and performance
frazzman80 added a different layer to the thread that goes beyond equipment.
He pointed out that most of us invest hours into practice, lessons, range time and fittings, but know almost nothing about:
- How to hydrate properly before and during a round
- How many calories we should be taking in
- When to eat during the round to keep performance steady
- Whether that hot dog at the turn is helping or hurting our back nine scoring
Pros work with nutritionists and performance teams. Most golf media does not touch this in any meaningful way.
The suggestion was clear.
Bring in experts. Think sports scientists, nutritionists, maybe even sports psychologists and ask them to:
- Join a live call
- Contribute an article
- Or even help design a small test where members track performance with different fueling strategies
It fits the LATT mission perfectly. Real golfers, real golf, and not just another “here is a new club” review.
Deep dives: wedges, grinds and fittings
On the equipment side, KC Golf steered the conversation toward wedges and fitting.
Building on another member’s comment about Vokey fittings, he suggested:
- A detailed wedge fitting feature, ideally working with Titleist / Vokey
- A clear explanation of grinds, bounces and leading edges
- Real world examples of how different grinds work better for specific swing types, turf and shot preferences
Several community members know golfers who have gone through the full Vokey experience in California and rave about it. Turning that into a Lab, a series or a filmed deep dive would give members something they rarely get: a front row seat to elite level wedge fitting.
Zero torque putter Lab and training ideas
Picking up on the zero torque theme, Indy_Oz connected it to the way LATT is currently testing shafts.
His idea:
- Build a small group test around zero torque or stability focused putters from multiple brands
- Use a fitting environment equipped with something like SAM PuttLab
- Let each tester keep whichever putter works best for them and pass the others on, similar to how the shaft test rotates product
He also mentioned that this format could extend to:
- Putters
- Drivers
- Fairway woods and hybrids
Irons get more complicated because of cost and fitting requirements, but the concept is there.
On the training and fitness side, he threw out a few more potential partners and categories:
- TPI movement and swing assessments, combined with PT led training plans
- Mach 3 Speed Training systems
- HWPO Golf, designed by Mat Fraser with Scott Stallings
- GolfForever, with its mobility and swing pattern focus
There is clearly appetite in the community for tests that blend tech, coaching and physical training, not just new hardware.
DBK even teased that he has an idea for how to handle a putter test, hinting that this thread may shape actual projects sooner rather than later.
A Maltby Community Lab concept
One of the more creative ideas in the thread came from Papa 3 Putts, who leaned into what makes Maltby special: high quality forged irons at a reasonable price.
His proposal was to turn that into a full Community Lab and competition.
The structure he laid out:
- Four club builders
- LATT covers the Maltby heads, but participants invest their own money in shafts, grips, ferrules and supplies
- Each builder chooses a different Maltby iron model
- A draft with a randomizer determines who picks first
- A clear spending cap so the project stays grounded in Maltby’s “high quality without 1500 price tag” story
Timeline:
- 30 days to gather components
- 15 days to build to desired specs
- Bonus points if you take the set for a proper loft and lie tune up
Then comes the fun part.
- Each builder takes creative photos of their finished set and posts them for a community vote
- The top two vote getters play a 1 v 1 irons only match, scored through Virtual Tour style play
- The winner gets a thrift store trophy
- The runner up gets a set of iron covers
Even in hypothetical form, it captures exactly what LATT is trying to be. Education, creativity, a bit of friendly chaos and a big focus on member involvement.
Where this goes next
The thread Potential Brands/Companies For Product Reviews
is already doing what it was meant to do.
- Members are flagging brands that align with the community
- Staff like Marty and DBK are building a list and thinking about timing
- New testing formats and Community Lab ideas are being sketched out in public
Some of these concepts will likely become real Labs. Others might turn into articles, calls or long term partnerships.
If you have a brand, product or idea you think fits the LATT mission, or if you want to be part of building and testing, the best place to add it is right inside the thread: