Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2017 i Golf World

If the major powers that be in golf (otherwise known as the PGA Tour) get their way, next year’s US PGA Championship at Bellerive CC in St Louis, Missouri could very well be the last time the event takes place in August. There are strong indications that it will move to May in 2019. The reasons for the schedule change are plentiful but the main catalyst is financial – the PGA Tour’s desire to shift its FedEx Cup Play-off Series from September to August, thereby avoiding a TV ratings clash with the popular NFL (American Football). To facilitate the move, the PGA Tour’s flagship event – The Players – would revert to its former date in March. This is particularly interesting given that it was only 10 years ago that…

UP Tommy Fleetwood The 26-year-old’s season continues to soar with victory in the French Open. As a result, Fleetwood now tops the Race to Dubai rankings and sits 15th in the world rankings. Danielle Kang A birdie at the 18th sees the 24-year-old Californian win her first major, the Women’s PGA Championship. More remarkable still, it also happened to be her first LPGA win. Kenny Perry Four rounds in the 60s help the 56-year-old win the 38th US Senior Open – his second – and a tiny silver trophy. “When my putter gets hot, I usually win,” was how he later called it. Golf punter Man stakes bet on the four major winners. Sergio and Koepka deliver. If Rickie (the Open) and Justin Thomas (PGA) come in, man’s £2 bet…

When Tiger Woods limped off the 18th green at Torrey Pines in southern California, having just won the 2008 US Open in a Monday play-off against Rocco Mediate, it would have taken a brave man to wager that his 14th major championship victory would be his last. A little more than a decade into his professional career and in his physical prime (that broken leg aside), Woods looked set to dominate golf for the foreseeable future. At the time, it would not have been too outlandish to predict that, by now, he would be the undisputed greatest player of all time with more than 20 major championships and 100-plus PGA Tour titles to his name. Fast-forward a decade, however, and the record books tell a different story. Not only has…

1 Going for gold (again) It’s way beyond the horizon at this moment in time but good news from the International Olympic Committee last month, for they’ve approved golf as an Olympic sport for the 2024 Games. Prior to this correct decision, golf had only been confirmed until the 2020 Games in Tokyo . Where the 2024 Games are actually being held is still uncertain – at this point in time Paris (and Le Golf National) is the frontrunner. 2 The price of gold You can’t put a price on winning Olympic gold, they say, but they were proven wrong last month. Chandler Egan’s 1904 Olympic gold medal, won in the team event, was auctioned by Lelands and sold for $120,000. Egan’s silver in the singles also sold, but for…

‘I don’t buy into the US players’ claims that it’s easier to climb the world rankings on the European Tour ’ I’ve been really encouraged by the new formats the European and PGA Tours have been trying and I think team golf is fantastic in the doses that we have it. I don’t see it as a model for every tournament going forward, but I think the events that have implemented it right now are going to be very successful because they’re the exception, not the rule. The Zurich Classic benefited amazingly from switching from traditional 72-hole strokeplay to a two-man team format this year. There were some exciting partnerships and the strength of the field really benefited as well. I think people were really into it and the television…

I’ve improved my pitching in the last couple of years with what I like to describe as a more ‘childlike’ approach. For a long period of time I was a bit too systematic – using a clockface system to hit the ball certain distances and perhaps being too aware of positions in my action. I’ve always been very technical because I wanted to have a technique to rely on but I’ve really benefited from transitioning back to being more natural in my approach. Now, I visualise the shot in detail –how it will come off the face, the trajectory, and the bounce and release when it lands – and trust that I can execute it. This has also made me much more creative. Practice makes perfect The key for amateurs…

I feel like I’m a good driver. I’m able to move it both ways and flight it higher and lower, which means I’m able to hit the ideal drive for any situation. That said, I predominantly like to hit the ball with a fade, because that’s when I feel like I have the most control. It’s not going to go as far, but it helps me hit a lot of fairways. Most amateurs would benefit from sacrificing a little distance in order to hit it straight. ADDRESS Alignment and ball position can help You need an athletic posture and neutral grip. Once you have that nailed, ball position and alignment are critical because understanding how that affects your swing path and attack angle is vital to hitting different shot shapes.…

It’s really easy to let old habits slip back into your game when you’re on the road. It’s the same for amateurs if you’re playing a lot without checking things in practice or having regular lessons. I video my swing pretty much every week when I’m away just to check it’s all in the correct positions. One of the big things I’m working on is trying to get my lower body working correctly so I have the correct sequencing in the downswing. This helps you attack the ball from the inside, so as well as helping me hit the ball more solidly, it could also cure your slice. Hips turn before shoulders The downswing should start from the ground up, with your hips turning back to the ball before your…

Rory McIlroy ranks inside the top three on the PGA Tour in driving distance, ‘strokes gained – off the tee’ and ‘strokes gained – approach’. But one thing that separates the great from the good is that they never stop trying to improve. The 28-year-old has worked with the same coach, Michael Bannon, since he was a boy so developing his technique has always been evolution rather than revolution. “I don’t stray too much from what I’m always trying to do because Michael and I have worked together for so long and figured out what works and what doesn’t,” McIlroy revealed to Golf World. “But I saw a couple of videos of my swing at the start of the year and there were a couple of positions we weren’t totally…

TaylorMade Spider Tour Two back weights, wide of the putter’s face, help increase the stability in the head and give this putter its famed forgiveness. A light aluminium body is framed by heavier steel to create high MOI and resistance to twisting on off-centre strikes. The Pure Roll insert is made of surlyn and is designed to deliver a soft impact feel. It features grooves angled at 45° to deliver forward roll. Odyssey O Works 2-ball O Works technology comes in nine popular Odyssey shapes, both blade and mallet, plus two counterbalanced. The face holds a plate of so-called steel ‘microhinges’, bonded to an elastomer layer. On impact, the two work together to deliver forward roll with a softer feel. Versa alignment sees the classic 2-Ball shape, launched in 2001,…

1 KEEP YOUR TEMPER UNDER CONTROL “Throwing clubs, sulking, and barking profanity make everyone uneasy. We all have frustrations, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way. I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder – for better or worse.” 2 PLAY WHEN READY “If you’re consistently your group’s slowest, you’re a slow player, period. Play ‘ready golf’. Hit when ready, even if you aren’t away, until you reach the green. Play when it’s your turn on the tee and green.” 3 DON’T CALL OFF “There are few good reasons for breaking a golf date. Deciding last-minute to clean the garage doesn’t cut it.” 4 REPAIR THE GROUND Fix ball marks and replace divots. Rake the bunkers like you mean it.…

What are the key performance benefits golfers are going to get from the TP5 balls? It basically comes down to the fact that this ball is going to be long off the tee and even longer with your irons. Our tour players are extremely excited about it. Everyone gets excited about hitting it further, of course, but it was also very important with this new ball that we delivered great control around the green. Without that control, the world’s top players won’t play the ball. How have you managed to maintain that short-game feel while adding ball speed and distance at the other end of the bag? It’s been a 10-year journey that really started with TP Red LDP, which was used by Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia, among others.…

When Rory McIlroy signed with TaylorMade back in May, many assumed he was joining the company to leverage the technologies in the company’s new M1 and M2 drivers and fairway woods. However, the real driving force behind McIlroy’s decision was the performance of the TP5x ball, which he had started testing shortly after the Masters. After a frustrating seventh-place finish at Augusta, McIlroy blamed his ball for his inconsistent performance, telling the media: “I need to change my golf ball. That’s the big thing.” McIlroy was particularly unhappy with how his previous ball performed in the blustery conditions, stating, “I thought my golf ball this week was doing weird things in the wind. It was very inconsistent so there’s one thing I will change and try to work on the…

His advice guided Tiger Woods to all four major titles during the former world No.1’s most prolific period. But then came the split, after six years of almost continual success. And then came the book, detailing his time working with arguably the most talented player in the game’s history. Hank Haney was inside the ropes when Woods took golf to a new level, and also took Mark O’Meara from journeyman to two-time major champion. Now he shaves shots off the handicaps of club golfers, and that’s where Golf World started our chat... Now that you are not teaching full time, what are you up to these days? I’m doing a lot of radio shows. I did 275 shows for Sirius XM PGA Tour radio last year. I enjoy…

Web: www.callawaygolf.com  Price: £369 MONTH ONE My custom-fitting data was off the charts – an average smash factor of 1.5 showed how efficiently the club was converting my club speed into ball speed off the face. This gave me huge confidence as I took it onto the course, which translated into good performances where it matters. One of the most efficient driver heads available. MONTH TWO I’m a member at a very tight, tree-lined course and the inch shorter shaft certainly helped me control the ball and get it in play. I’m generally a better iron player because I compress the ball. I found this club to be excellent if you’re not someone who naturally hits up on the driver. Very effective if you hit down on the…

MUST PLAY A NEW CLASSIC Sand Valley, Wisconsin Wisconsin was unusually the focus of the golf world in June when the heartland state of America staged its first US Open. Erin Hills impressed many, especially given it is just 11 years old. And yet its status as Wisconsin’s shining light in golf terms might be short lived, for a new resort with two courses of mouth-watering potential has just opened. Sand Valley is 130 miles north-west of Erin Hills and is the brainchild of Mike Keiser and his two sons, Michael and Chris. Keiser, of course, is the man who left his first career in greetings cards to create Bandon Dunes – arguably the most successful golf resort in the world. Only an exceptional site would persuade Keiser to do…

Turin was Italy’s first capital and remains one of the great cities of Europe today, writes Chris Bertram. In addition to the art, history and style that can be lapped up – as well as the predictably appealing food, wine and cafe culture – it has two Top 100-ranked courses and three others that sit very comfortably among Continental Europe’s elite. Notably easy access from the UK add to the reasons Turin should be on your mind for an autumn break. ROYAL PARK I ROVERI If you’re impatient by nature, you’ll love the start to this trip. Within 15 minutes of your golf bag rolling off the belt at Turin-Caselle airport, you’ll be lifting them out of your car at Royal Park. Just 13km separates the airport and the golf…

Most amateurs aspire to hit the ball with a draw, but a fade is actually the shot many of the world’s top professionals prefer because it can be so reliable and consistent under pressure. It’s also a good shape for hitting irons into greens because the ball will land softer after a fade than a draw. This makes it much easier to get the ball close to pins on the right of greens (for a right-hander) or tucked on the front of the green or over hazard. It’s more simple than you think to produce the out-to-in swing path and face angle you need to hit a gentle fade. Aim at the target Your feet, knees, hips and shoulders should all be parallel to each other and aiming parallel to…

1 SHOULDERS ALIGNED TO SLOPE Match your shoulders to the slope as closely as possible while still maintaining balance. Getting them parallel to the ground makes it easier to make solid contact, which is especially important when the ground is higher behind the ball. 3 PICK YOUR LANDING SPOT You must understand how the ball will react from the lie and read the terrain like a putt to find the spot to land it. Here, you must land it short of the green and left of the target as the ball will come out hot and break right. 3 COMMIT TO A SIMPLE ACTION Play the shot like a standard chip with as much loft as you dare. A little wrist hinge will add clubhead speed and steepen your attack…

Fourteen senior major championships took place between June 2014 and May 2017. Jeff Maggert won two of these blue riband events, Colin Montgomerie, Rocco Mediate, Paul Broadhurst, Marco Dawson and Gene Sauers all claimed one apiece. And the other seven titles? Well, they’re all on display in Bernhard Langer’s trophy cabinet. It is a period of golfing domination that has taken the German into the record books as both the first man to win all five senior major championships and the first man to claim nine senior major titles. “To surpass Jack Nicklaus’ record of eight senior majors is pretty neat,” he said. “Whenever you can do something just similar or close to what Jack has achieved, you have done something pretty special.” Langer turns 60 this August. We tell…

1990  Born West Palm Beach in Florida on May 3, the son of Bob Koepka, a self-taught golfer who reached scratch without a lesson in his life. At three days old, Bob takes Brooks to the course for his first taste of the game. 2000  Brooks soon reaches a standard where he can advise his father on how to fix the flaws in his self-taught swing, but he much prefers baseball. But aged 10, he’s a passenger in a car that is hit at a crossroads. The injuries to his nose rule more physical sports out for the summer. Koepka spends his days playing golf. The die is cast. 2003  Wins the club championship at Sherbrooke Country Club in Lake Worth aged 13 and 14, beating his dad, amongst others.…

1 Ping G400 driver The thinner one-piece titanium crown and tungsten weight moves the CG lower and deeper to make it incredibly stable and forgiving. The turbulators are bolder. The forged face is thinner and lighter and the sound and feel has been greatly improved. Web: www.ping.com Price: £389 2 Ping G400 fairway It features many of the same enhancements as the driver. Plus, a maraging steel face that is 28% thinner, 18% lighter and 30% more flexible than its predecessor. The result is 2mph extra ball speed, a higher flight and seven more yards. It is available in 14.5°, 17.5°, 20.5° and 23.5°, plus an SF version in 16°, 19° and 22°. Price: £240 3 Ping G400 hybrid The maraging steel face makes the face 11% thinner, 10% lighter…

‘The strangest part of this whole affair is that Langer is so obviously risking his well-earned reputation’ According to the Bible (Genesis 1:3 to be precise), it was the Good Lord who long ago announced there should be light. And now, the time has come for the R&A and the USGA to follow suit (Rule 14:1b to be precise). We’re talking anchoring and the lamentable nonsense golf’s ruling bodies have created in the wake of what has to be one of the most cowardly pieces of legislation the game has ever seen. Exhibit A is Bernhard Langer. Long the dominant figure on America’s Champions Tour, Langer is the most high-profile example of a player taking what many feel is unfair advantage of a rule badly in need of re-writing. Have…

1 Alter the backswing for tricky distances I like to use my body turn to hit my set distances. I have five different lengths of backswing: hands to hips, hands to abs, hands to chest, hands to shoulder and full. I know exactly how far the ball will carry with all my wedges with each swing. The more you practise by swinging to those positions the better feel you’ll get for distance control – and it will help your full swing too. Exact yardages give a base to refer to under pressure. Three backswing lengths – hips, chest and full – should be enough for most amateurs. 2 Narrow the stance to get more feel I have a slightly narrower stance than my full swing because you’re looking for more…

A lot of amateurs shy away from using their fairway woods and long irons, or simply don’t hit them as well as they could. This leaves a big distance gap between the driver and the mid-irons and prevents you from hitting shots that could make a big difference to your score. If you learn to hit these clubs well and love them rather than fear them, it will enable you to hit safer tee shots and more greens in regulation from outside 150 yards. Here are a couple of pointers to improve your technique with fairway woods and long irons. Weight moves forward Keep the upper body centred over the ball and the weight transferring forwards through impact so the low point in the swing stays just ahead of the…

Most of the swing is guided by how you take the clubhead away from the ball in the first couple of feet – the technical positions and the tempo. I’ve worked a lot to keep the club more in front of my sternum, which helps me take my hands away more along my hip line so the club follows on a good path. A good feeling to help achieve this is to feel like I keep the connection between my left bicep and my chest – I don’t want to feel like it’s pressing against my chest but equally there shouldn’t be any separation either. If you set the club off well in the takeaway and move it there with a steady tempo, not a lot of things can go…

‘A 63 FOR A PAR 72 IS A HECK OF A SCORE, EVEN IF IT WAS THE ‘MILWAUKEE OPEN’’ THE RECORD HOW GOOD, REALLY, WAS THOMAS’ 63? Was Justin Thomas’ round one for the ages... or was Johnny Miller correct? It has long been one of golf’s spookier anomalies. And when Justin Thomas nipped round in nine under par on day three at Erin Hills it represented the 31st time someone had shot a 63 in a major championship (two men, Greg Norman and Vijay Singh, have done it twice). Remarkable. Statistically, Thomas’ effort – one that included nine birdies, an eagle and two bogeys – represents the best of the lot in that it is, relative to par, the lowest-ever score in any of the four majors. But, as…

1 Can Quail Hollow step it up a notch? The North Carolina course has been a regular PGA Tour stop in recent years. Zac Blair’s memories of Quail Hollow aren’t terribly good. The Salt Lake City native, currently in his third full year on the PGA tour, missed the cut in his first visit to the course for the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship, and last year he was disqualified during the second round after violating Rule 4-3b. On the par-5 5th, he missed a short birdie putt and hit himself in the head with his putter, bending the shaft. When he tapped in for par moments later, he was no longer using a conforming club. You might assume Blair, a student of course architecture, wouldn’t have a kind word to…

After the Masters, I looked at a lot of different things with my equipment. I worked with the TaylorMade guys on the range and looked at the golf ball data on Trackman. When I reviewed the numbers, I thought to myself, “Wow, this is what I need; this is exactly the thing that I’ve been struggling with.” Over the course of the next few days, I tested different combinations of clubs and balls and came to the conclusion that switching to the TP5x was the best way forward for me to improve, get back to World No.1 and win more tournaments and majors. The performance of the ball in the wind was the big thing. It was noticeable how stable the TP5 ball was. My old Nike ball was really…

Sergio Garcia “I’m so thrilled about my new TP5 golf ball. I’m able to get the ball flight that I want more consistently. Not only does it go far, it flies amazingly in the wind - it holds its line very very well. Around the greens, it’s better than the old balls used to be. The whole combination of it has allowed me to be here with a Green Jacket. It’s a really amazing ball.” Jason Day “The ball is freakishly off the charts. I was surprised when I tested it against Titleist and seeing how long it’s going without having to sacrifice anything. You just don’t realise how much better it is over Titleist, there’s no competition between them. Once people find out how good this ball is, they’re…

1 Prepare to hit up on the ball Your address position dictates how you’re able to move your body and the club throughout the swing. The two important elements of an athletic posture are a good connection to the ground and good angles so you can engage the ground as you swing. From face on, your spine should tilt slightly away from the target so it points at the ball just inside your front heel. 2 Create swing speed with width You’ll be able to swing the club faster if you use the full length of your arms to get the clubhead away from the centre point of your swing, the left shoulder. A natural turn in the backswing will create width. Keep your shoulders turning all the way to…

‘The clubhead feels great gliding through the turf and I’ve felt the bounce save me a few times’ Web: www.clevelandgolf.co.uk Price: £120 Classic looks ✔ I’m a traditionalist when it comes to wedges and the RTX-3 profile is clean and simple to look at. I love the straighter leading edge as it helps me square the face up and sits tight in behind the ball. The raw finish doesn’t reflect any sunlight. Great through the turf ✔ I was custom fitted and I’m absolutely confident with my bounce and grind. The clubhead feels great gliding through the turf and I’ve felt the bounce save me a few times when I know I haven’t struck it as crisply as I’d like. The grind also keeps the leading edge tight to the…

JPX900 Tour V MP-25 LOOKS The thinner top line, minimal offset and matte silver finish gives the JPX900 Tour a really compact and refined aesthetic. The straight leading edge sits the clubhead beautifully behind the ball at address and makes it very easy to square the face to your target. The slightly thicker top line and shinier silver finish gives the clubhead a look that is traditionally associated with a more forgiving club. The greater contrast of the white grooves against the silver emphasises the loft and makes the longer irons look easy to launch. DISTANCE This was definitely the longer of the two. The pitching wedge averaged 119 yards carry, the 7-iron was 155 yards and the 4-iron was 185 yards. This was because the ball was launching a…

“There is no doubt about it, this could be the Keisers’ greatest achievement; to bring links golf to 30 million people – that live within four hours’ drive – who have never experienced it before. The original purchase was 2,000 acres, so given it was such a huge parcel I used CAD technology to analyse the entire land and find the most dramatic topography. Then I used my feet to see what it felt like on the ground. Our site has an enormous V-shaped ridge running through it, 80 feet tall. My course will be uber, playable. It will be the biggest golf course you’ve ever seen or played; the 7th fairway is 160 yards wide! Just try missing that. The closest thing I can think of to relate it…

DESIGN There are some walks between tees and greens but it’s routed well and there is nothing silly about any of the holes. 19.1 OUT OF 25 SETTING Very good for a course among real estate. Plenty of elevated valley views and the housing is rarely in your eyeline. 11.5 OUT OF 15 PRESENTATION Excellent. Obviously it has a great climate but it is also a popular course. Yet it was in immaculate condition. 17.7 OUT OF 20 PLAYABILITY A big strength, as per the ethos of building it with the recreational golfer in mind. Hit it half-decent and you’ll score nicely. 12.2 OUT OF 15 HOLES Loads of good ones, from sporty par 4s to epic par 3s and risk-reward par 5s. Great mix which exceeded our expectations. 12.7…

1 Getting there is really easy; Turin-Caselle airport is 10 minutes from Royal Park and served by numerous airlines – including easyJet, Monarch, BA and Ryanair – from all over the UK. 2 The snow-topped Alps host skiing in the winter but this is not a summer-only destination. Located at a much lower altitude, it stays remarkably mild from December to February. 3 Royal Park and the Hotel Atlantic offer package deals that make a three-night break here very competitive despite the clearly high level of quality. Contact the club for further details. 4 Away from the courses you can visit the Lingotto building – the former Fiat factory with a rooftop test track (above) – or head into the city centre for museums, chic shops and cafés. 5 Especially…

I see amateurs struggle with bunker shots far more than they really should given their ability levels. Often I see players who are competent in the other areas of the game fall to pieces when they walk up to their ball in sand. It often comes from a lack of understanding and confidence, which can easily be overcome with the right knowledge and a bit of practice. These tips will help you save par from a variety of bunker lies. 1 GREENSIDE Take a wide stance with more knee flex, the ball two inches forward of centre. Open the face and drop your hands a little. The swing is powered by turning the upper body so the legs stay stable. Hit the sand 2-3 inches before the ball. Right arm…

This is an incredibly difficult situation because the quick green sloping away from you means you need height and spin to control the ball’s release, yet everything about the lie – in thick rough on a downslope – is preventing you from launching the ball high and generating backspin. You need a bit of imagination to get it close. Analyse the lie Your club will be de-lofted as you are on a steep downslope and will not generate much backspin from the rough, so you must allow for a low launch and lots of release. Visualise how the ball will launch and release to clarify strategy then commit to the execution.…

THE RULE The anchoring ban stated that, as of January 1, 2016, ‘all golfers will be prohibited from anchoring the club either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point” in making a stroke.’ Players are no longer allowed to anchor the putter to any part of the body that prevents the club from swinging freely. The question over Langer’s stroke is whether his left hand is in any way touching his chest, thus anchoring the stroke. THE EXPLANATION Asked to explain his stroke after his victory at the Chubb Classic in 2016, his self-proclaimed “first win unanchored”, Langer explained that while his practice strokes are anchored, which is allowed, his strokes proper were not. “I am aware of my left arm and hand, and my hand is definitely not…

Mizuno’s JPX900 Tour irons came full circle at the US Open as they claimed victory in the hands of the specific player they were designed for. Chris Voshall, Mizuno Golf product engineer, tells the incredible story. “Two years ago we were working on how the JPX range was going to evolve from the 850. We started looking at the disconnection between the JPX models, which are the majority of our sales, and our tour staff, who always played our MP models. We wanted to expand JPX beyond game improvement and make them more of a high-tech, aggressive and younger golf club. We decided to target a particular type of player as the visualisation of what JPX should be.” This is where Brooks Koepka comes in. The big-hitting and aggressive 27-year-old…

‘It’s our most eagerly anticipated opening since the Olympic Course,’ says Gil Hanse. ‘We’re just excited to take the veil off and let people get out and play it’ When Florida’s Streamsong Resort opened its doors in late 2012, it was instantly propelled onto the top 100 lists of many of the game’s best travelled minds. Comprised of Streamsong Red and Streamsong Blue, the former was the work of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the latter of Tom Doak – though all three owed a debt to Mother Nature, who provided the natural contouring and a sense of drama. The accolades rolled in, but rather than bask in the glory of creating one of the game’s greatest resorts, Streamsong started work again. The image below is the fruit of their…

We’ve teamed up with the wonderful Vidago Palace in northern Portugal to give one lucky reader the chance to win a seven-night golf holiday for a couple, worth over £2,500. The prize includes seven nights’ bed and breakfast for one couple, unlimited golf, airport transfers and complimentary use of the Wellness Center. This prize is not available to use in High Season and Festive Season. The golf course has been redesigned by Cameron & Powell from an original 1936 layout. It features many raised greens and tees, all built to USGA specification, and offers mesmeric views of the surrounding area. Many of the holes are flanked by centuries-old trees. The facilities also include an academy, driving range, chipping area and two putting greens. The Vidago Palace Hotel is member of…

It’s very rare to see a professional golfer misjudge the pace of a putt, but amateurs do it all the time. Think back to the last time you three-putted and I bet it was because your distance control was off on the approach putt rather than a bad read. On longer putts, the most important part of the line/ distance equation is the pace you impart on the ball. Think about it. Unless you are beyond hopeless when it comes to reading the line, if you get the distance correct on a long putt you’re never going to finish too far from the cup. But even if you get the line spot on, you can still have a fairly lengthy second putt if you get the pace all wrong on…

One of the great things about golf is that there are so many different ways to successfully play a hole. My game is very different to someone like Bubba Watson – and nowhere is this more obvious than our strategies on the par-5 13th at Augusta. The key is that we both play it in a way that suits our strengths. Bubba is all about over-powering it, whereas I want to take bogey out of play and trust my short game to make a score. You can learn a lot from our different strategies. Jordan’s masterplan “Bubba has an advantage here for sure. I don’t try to get too fancy. I might pull off an aggressive drive and leave a mid-iron in instead of having a long iron distance. But…

‘I was leading but seemed to be the only one [except maybe Jack] who noticed I was putting like an idiot’ The 1962 US Open, where Palmer-Nicklaus broke in their hyphen, was set at Oakmont in Palmer country, 42 miles from Latrobe. Demonstrating a sense of theatre, the USGA paired Palmer and Nicklaus for the first two days. Fearing overlong rounds on what still might be the most difficult golf course in America, the blazer brigade with their armbands, briar pipes, shooting sticks, Croix de Guerres, and dandruff sent the players out in twosomes all three days, including Saturday’s double round. “From our opening tee shots Thursday, the galleries were extremely loud and extremely partisan, but I didn’t notice,” said Nicklaus. “I was playing golf. My father told me about…

BUILT FOR SPEED The Tri-Fast Core This core consists of three components – a very low compression inner and a stiffer outer core and mantle. These layers, in the form of soft, new and more resilient polymers, combine to create lower spin and increased ball speed. on full shots. BUILT FOR CONTROL The Dual Spin Cover The Dual Spin cover features an ultra-soft cast urethane cover and a rigid TP inner cover. The enhanced responsiveness and spin is created as the rigid inner cover pinches the soft urethane cover against the clubface at impact. The result is a multi-layer cover that delivers fast ball speeds and distance without sacrificing feel or control around the green.…

First, it’s important to understand that, yes, we are pulling a lot of spin out of iron shots. That statement might scare people, but the lower spin reduces drag. Some other premium balls use spin to reach their peak elevation. The problem with using spin to get height, though, is that there are significant drag consequences, that ballooning trajectory you often see, for example. And those consequences affect distance. The new TP5 ball launches slightly higher with lower spin, so it’s more direct. It has a stronger trajectory and a significant decrease in drag. This means that with, say, a 5-iron, you’re going to see up to 3mph more ball speed versus any other ball, which obviously equates to more distance. The higher launch angle is critical because the last…

I got to spend a day with Rory shortly after the Masters. I knew he’d been playing other stuff this year and that he’d had a few issues. I knew that our ball would solve those issues. I told him that before we tested, so all I had to do was show him. Thankfully, we were able to test in Florida where it was windy. With Trackman you can see how far the ball actually flies and you can see the launch angle, spin and ball speed. Importantly, you can track this data in a ‘normalised’ and ‘unnormalised’ mode. In the normalised mode, the top players hit the ball virtually the same distance every time with any given club. When we asked Rory to hit 7-irons in normalised mode, all…

Nick Wright, Editor “I can see why many top players have switched to this ball. It’s difficult for amateurs to quantify performance but it just feels ‘right’. It has plenty of power in the long game and good feel around the greens. I’ve always been a fairly low hitter but I’ve added height and distance to all my shots through the bag.” Kit Alexander, Senior Editor “It’s as long as any other premium ball but what really sets it apart is the performance in the wind. I’ve never hit a more stable or longer ball in wind. Plus, I’m confident I have total short game control. The feel is just right – soft and spinny enough for finesse, but firm enough to feel solid.”…

‘Simply returning the clubhead at impact with it’s true loft and smooth acceleration will deliver a crisp contact and pop the ball up nicely’ Consistent strike A deadly short game is only possible if you know how the ball is going to launch and react on the green. You have to deliver the clubhead consistenty and strike the ball crisply to hit predicatable and repeatable chip shots. Keep your body relaxed Poor chippers often get tense, and it’s very hard to have an effective and smooth technique when your muscles tense up. Relax and accept the consequences and you’ll be amazed at how much your results will improve. 1. Address the ball for a simple action I like to stand a little open to my target to help my release…

There isn’t much of a golf culture in my home country, but my family was always into sport. My father played field hockey. As soon as I could walk, I had either a tennis racquet or a hockey stick in my hand. When my dad took up golf at 45, I went with him. I got started with a cut-down 7-iron. I realised I had some ability for golf when I was about 12. I was able to do stuff the others had a hard time doing. I could hit the ball as far with a putter as I could with a 3-wood. I could hit all the shots, with all the spins. To be honest, I could “see” the course in ways my friends could not. I had the…

BEST FOR TEST Bruntsfield Links The fourth oldest club in the world (1761) offers one of Edinburgh’s sternest tests, shaped by the collective hand of Willie Park Jnr, Dr Alister MacKenzie and James Braid and having been employed for Open Championship qualifying in recent years. Six miles north-west of the city, it’s a mature parkland a world away from all you’ve left behind. BEST FOR HISTORY Musselburgh Links If you head to Edinburgh and don’t play the oldest course in the world, seek medical assistance on your return home. A 30-minute drive from the city, you’ll be heading back through history to this nine-hole host of six Open Championships. Evidence shows the game was first played here in 1672, and while it’s not the most challenging course on your itinerary,…

As the club gets longer and we want to hit it further, the tendency to swing harder increases. But you will hit the ball further by maintaining a smooth tempo with a wide arc and making a solid contact, rather than trying to smash it and losing control of what your body and the clubhead are doing. You should aim as precisely as you do for a putt – aim small and miss small. A fairway may look like a big area to hit but it’s important to pick a specific target in the distance. Once you’re fully focused on exactly where you want to hit it, it’s much easier to commit to your swing.…

‘I lost my finger in a pedal bike accident when I was 17. I hit a pole and did a flip in the air. That was really scary!’ What’s your earliest memory? Our local golf pro made a tiny putter up for me when I was two years old. That’s the only memory I have from my early childhood. I was pretty good with it. What’s the closest you’ve been to death? I lost my finger in a pedal bike accident when I was 17 years old. I hit a pole and did a flip in the air. We were going really fast and I looked back to see my friends and all of a sudden I was up in the air. I went really high. I could have landed…