Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i Golf World

‘Do we really want to see Rory McIlroy pounding a tee shot and seeing it fly aboutthe same distance as one of our drives?’ Just about every man and his dog have had their say in the long-running saga that is the distance debate, so what’s the harm in lobbing a few more opinions into the mix! The golf public and media, including ourselves, have been critical of the R&A and USGA for being slow to recognise and react to an issue that has permeated the sport for decades now. But while that criticism is justified, it is worth reiterating that this is a complex conundrum with many moving parts. In the spirit of looking forwards rather than backwards, though, there was actually a lot of refreshing material in the…

1 Victory at the age of 46, two years since your last win. That must feel good? Very good. I felt pretty comfortable the whole week, but I’d been not wanting to say how good I felt, but more trying to keep a lid on it and just see how things went. But I felt I was swinging well and especially I felt good about how I’ve been putting. I’ve put in a lot of hard work with Phil Kenyon and I’ve been working with Ben Davis on the psychological part of it, but I really felt quite calm on the greens and rolled a lot of good putts. That was the key to winning, really. You’ve got to putt well to win any tournament, but especially these in the…

PURE FUNDAMENTALS Woods’ fundamentals have always been pure, so there’s no real change at address in the remodelled golf swing. Check out how his arms hang almost vertically from his shoulders and how his hands are fairly close to his thighs. A ONE-PIECE MOTION Woods keeps his hands and the club out in front of him in the early stages of the swing. Rather than move to the inside, the clubhead traces the target line path on the way back. Note how his left shoulder is coiling downwards underneath his chin. SHORTER IS BETTER Abbreviating his backswing length has improved Woods’ synchronisation. Contrary to what you might think, the shorter swing doesn’t mean a loss of power. Enhanced timing and efficiency more than compensate for the reduction in distance the…

Justin Rose’s high-profile switch from TaylorMade to Honma last January made headline news the world over, but it wasn’t the only key equipment change the 2013 US Open champion made in 2019. Rose also put a new putter into play. Rose first came across the AXIS1 brand several years ago, but his interest was piqued at the 2016 Pebble Beach Invitational, where the company’s founder, industrial engineer, Luis Pedraza, showed him the distinctive Joey model. Rose was intrigued by the head design and how it placed the centre of gravity directly in the centre of the face and in direct line with the axis of the shaft to keep the face square at impact. In layman’s terms, AXIS1’s technology mitigates misses and improves accuracy. Shortly afterwards, however, Rose signed a…

The purpose of Rule 8.1a is to support the principle of playing the course as you find it and restricts what a player may do to improve certain ‘conditions affecting the stroke’ for the next stroke the player will make. It remains the case that you can’t alter the lie of your ball at rest, the area of your intended stance, the area of your intended swing, your line of play or the relief area where you will drop or place your ball. But there has been one very significant change to the latest version of this rule that not all club golfers are aware of. You are now able to avoid a penalty by restoring the conditions you improved in a breach of Rule 8.1a. For example, if a…

1 PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHALLENGE “Great golf courses equally test a player’s physical and mental agility. Many tour pros these days say they don’t care where the ball goes off the tee as long as it’s way out there. Well, here it matters. You can easily get into a position where your approach shot becomes extremely difficult. Getting up-and-down, even more so. If you can get a tour player putting his hand on several different clubs on the tee, you’ve mentally engaged him. Whatever selection he makes, if he doesn’t pull the shot off, he’ll have to put it behind him and move on.” 2 PERFECT BALANCE “You can’t predict the winner very easily at Sawgrass because the course has great balance and doesn’t favour a one-shape hitter or a…

DESIGN Muirfield-like layout of an outer and inner loop ensure constant changes of direction; subtly-angled fairways leading to dramatic, shelving greens. 26.0 OUT OF 30 SETTING The sandy, boulder-strewn and muscular heathland terrain on the southern borders of Fontainebleau forest is perfect golf land. 17.0 OUT OF 20 PLAYABILITY Broad fairways and modest length ensure an inclusive challenge. Tree removal programs mean fewer branches overhang fairways. 12.5 OUT OF 15 MEMORABILITY A rare combination of exposed rock, dynamic landforms and pristine, ancient forest make each hole easy to recall. 8.5 OUT OF 10 CONSISTENCY Eclectic bunker shaping and depth. Some small areas of fusarium in otherwise excellent greens. Fescue seeding is sharpening the fairways. 8.0 OUT OF 10 PRESENTATION Ongoing bunker renovation and reworking plus tree clearance are causing some…

‘SO MUCH OF THE TIME IT’S ABOUT PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES. IT’S ABOUT KNOWING WHEN NOT TO PLAY A SHOT THAT CAN PUT YOU IN TROUBLE’ A former tour champion himself, Pete Cowen has reinvented himself as one of the most in-demand teaching professionals in the game. His work with Rory, Henrik Stenson and Brooks Koepka has seen him amass more than 250 PGA Tour victories and eight majors. Here he presents his 10 short game commandments. 1 Don’t swing to stay in balance, swing in balance. If you watch someone who hits it down the middle all the time, they swing within themselves, finish perfectly in balance and can hold that position for 20 seconds. Most golfers can’t do that because their mechanics aren’t good enough. 2 The swing is…

It has become increasingly difficult to find a corner of England that hasn’t been transformed by technology, messy politics, rapidly-changing demographics, and other 21st Century bustle, especially one within two-and-a-half hours of London. But the north Norfolk coast retains a charm and a degree of separation that keeps it truly distinct and wonderfully seductive for weekenders seeking a little peace and quiet. Designated in 1968 an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covering 175 square miles that prevents development of a stretch of cliffs, coastal marshes, dunes, mud flats, shingle, and glacial moraine inhabited by a world-renowned collection of birdlife, and a hinterland of rolling chalk terrain and arable land, human life has been sustained here for 800,000 years, long, long before golf arrived. More recently, the Romans, Anglo-Saxons (including the…

Srixon’s AD333 Tour ball was launched in 2014 on the back of its super successful AD333 marquee ball. The AD333 Tour combined wood and iron distance with excellent wedge spin and a soft responsive feel for moderate club golfer swing speeds. In 2017, Srixon introduced a new ball to America. Because AD333 Tour wasn’t in their range at the time, Srixon decided to call the ball ‘Q-Star Tour’. So with Srixon revealing a third generation Q-Star ball in America this spring, now seemed like the perfect time to bring Europe and America back in line. So if you’re an AD333 Tour fan, be warned you’ll need to look for Srixon Q-Star instead. Cover material: Urethane Construction: Three-piece Models: Pure White, Tour Yellow Price: £34.99 dozen www.srixon.co.uk…

“It’s no great secret that TaylorMade threw the kitchen sink at developing their highly successful TP5 and TP5x. But it’s fair to say the success didn’t run too deep throughout their ball line – especially in the mid price-point range. The Tour Response addresses that issue. Soft feel Tour-calibre balls is a growing category – and a potentially lucrative one. If the Tour Response performs as the company claim, there’s going to be one hell of a shoot-out between Callaway, Srixon and TaylorMade this season.”…

“While we were shocked when TaylorMade showed us images of Truss during our exclusive 2020 product presentation, you can only judge when you have the putters in your hands. TaylorMade’s approach in developing a stable blade required serious outside-the-box thinking – and it is superbly executed. The stability gain is obvious, yet the putter doesn’t look any different to a normal blade at address. There are big benefits for golfers who love centre-shafts because the stability boost simply can’t be matched by others.”…

FETCH The Fetch has a sneaky high MOI since the putter head has a ball-sized hole in the centre. The whole head also fits inside a hole to retrieve a ball without bending. ANSER 2 It’s no surprise to find that the most copied putter design of all time is part of the Heppler line. A good option for slight arc putting strokes. ZB3 A narrow body, short slant hosel design with lots of toe hang. A good fit for strong arc putting strokes. It’s the simplest single dot alignment aid you’ll find. PIPER C A centre-shafted mini mallet that’s also available as a longer armlock model. Two white sight lines frame the ball beautifully. Good for straighter strokes. TYNE3 A modern ‘fang’ design that spreads mass and increases stability.…

“Good golf is generally around seeing good pictures, and being able to react to those images. People often think of me as a very technical player when I’m rehearsing my swing. However, I’m nearly always rehearsing a specific feel. I’m not stepping through conscious positions or moves. I’m trying to create the overall movement to support the picture of the shot that I’ve seen in my mind. It’s always just good self-talk, telling yourself a good story all the time. Simple, but you’ve got to do it.”…

Byron Nelson was one of the most graceful and elegant golfers of his time – of any time, in fact. There’s so much to admire and enjoy in this photograph, taken on the practice range at Augusta National in the 1950s. And the golf swing is only a part of it. For a start, although Nelson is not wearing his usual trademark sweater, his polo shirt is neatly buttoned all the way to the top. He has the deep baseball cap of the time with the cord resting above the peak. His tailored trousers are perfectly creased and he’s sporting a pair of pristine black-and-white brogues without the kiltie. The image captures a beautiful moment in time. Even though modern swing theory has evolved greatly during the past few decades,…

My initial reaction to the long-awaited results of the “Distance Insights Project” initiated by the R&A and the United States Golf Association was one of pleasure. Finally, the message was getting through. Finally, the blue-blazer brigade was listening. And finally, some acknowledgement of what everyone involved in the game knows: Allowing Tour professionals to hit turbo-charged golf balls with frying-pan drivers might appeal to the loud-mouths who yell mindless inanities like mashed potatoes,” but the reality is that longer and longer drives are a cancer in the game at the top level. My second thoughts were a little darker. “Angry” might be too strong a description of my mood; “frustrated” not quite enough. Why, when the dire implications have been so obvious for so many years, has it taken the…

Here at Golf World, we’ve been predicting for many years that the game’s future lies in a unification of the PGA Tour and European Tour to create a single, all-conquering, global tour. The biggest uncertainty, in our view, has always been when, not if, this would occur. Well, it appears the answer could be coming a lot sooner than anyone thought. And, in a surprise twist, this global tour may emerge in a way few could have predicted, in the shape of a brand new offering that threatens to depose the PGA Tour and European Tour as golf’s top tier. What’s happening? A British-based organisation – the World Golf Group (WGG) – are creating a brand new circuit of golf events they’re calling the ‘Premier Golf League’ (PGL).Their aim is…

MARCH 21, 1940 Aged 27, Ben Hogan finally breaks his winning duck, almost 10 years after turning professional, picking up his first individual title at the North and South Open. “I had finished second and third so many times I was beginning to think I was an also-ran,” he says. “They’ve kidded me about practising so much. Well, they can kid me all they want because it finally paid off. I know it’s what finally got me in the groove to win.” After their reporter phones in the results, the Greensboro Daily News mistakenly credits the victory to Walter Hagen. When the reporter phones to tell them they got it wrong, the typesetter replies, “Who the hell is Hogan?” Hogan answers that question emphatically by going on to win the…

With at least 10 excellent options scattered within an hour’s drive of the city centre, you won’t lack for options, which include the very central Royal GC and the slightly further afield Royal Copenhagen and Rungsteds. They are all worth the additional journey, but serve as mere preludes to the main event. Fifteen miles north of the city centre lies the 36-hole Scandinavian Golf Club. It’s home to the New and the Old courses, built from the proceeds of tech millions, on the grounds of a former rifle range and around an ultra-modern cathedral-like clubhouse. The latter – shown here – is the essential option, Old by name but opened as recently as 2010, a year ahead of its younger sibling. Robert Trent Jones II’s lead architect Bruce Charlton laid…

I’m always making subtle changes to my game and it’s no different as we approach the start of the season proper. I felt like I really started to get some momentum going at the very back end of last year during the Hero tournament in the Bahamas. So when I managed to get my swing grooved, I didn’t want to put my clubs down too much during Christmas. I played more than I normally would over the holiday period just to keep a little bit of that momentum going, so I feel very clear with my swing. I’m working on the sequencing of my backswing and the way I set the club. I think it was getting a little bit too deep too quickly and that started a chain of…

@Sharkface28 A “professionals” ball like Jack Nicklaus has been advocating for so long. @dmbrenna Bifurcation. @doctorgolf247 Ban the tee peg! Takes driver out of most players hands... only the bravest would take it from the tee. @kylerevive Put hazards in at 290 carry, tighten and slow down fairways and grow rough longer. Messing with equipment is a ridiculous idea. @DavidBelshaw Leave the amateur game alone, especially the seniors and ladies. For the pros, narrow fairways, don’t rake the bunkers and remove all free drops for line of sight and grandstanding. @paulmcm6 The issue is the pro game. Make bunkers real hazards. Nicklaus promotes this. Tighten fairways with graduated rough. Ban free drops from grandstands. And make pros observe the time to play a shot. Sorted!! @hackhawk Bring back hickory... @Richard97859136…

A vital component of good bunker play is using the bounce on your wedge by opening the clubface and setting up correctly. I choke down the grip to compensate for my feet digging into the sand and to encourage me to stay a little lower and get into the sand. At address, the shaft should be pointing to the right, matched by the body aiming a little left of target. Swing along your body line and trust the bounce of the club to prevent it digging, especially in soft sand. If the sand is firmer, open up less, activate less bounce and get a little steeper. Hit the sand an inch behind the ball in soft sand and half to quarter-of-an-inch in firm sand. If you have a lot of…

Having amassed a collection of almost 30,000 titles, Alastair Johnston is, perhaps, the world’s most prolific golf book collector. Born in Scotland but long ago relocated to the United States, he began collecting more than 50 years ago, the books spanning more than 400 years and filling his home in Cleveland, Ohio. Last month news broke that he would gift the collection to the R&A, allowing them to create the world’s largest golf library, set to be based in St Andrews. Here, he explains how that decision came about, but first takes us back to how his collecting initially began. ‘AS I SCANNED THE 20 VOLUMES ON MY SHELF, I REALISED THAT I HAD BECOME A GOLF BOOK COLLECTOR’ “In the late spring of 1969 I experienced the defining moment…

If you’re looking for more distance off the tee, look no further than to the man who has fine-tuned the swings of Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, grandson of Claude, son of Butch. And though you may laugh, take heed when he says you have more in common with DJ and Brooks than you may realise. ‘IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO HIT CONSISTENT SHOTS IF YOUR FUNDAMENTALS AREN’T RIGHT. THINK OF IT LIKE THIS. IF THE HOUSE IS POORLY BUILT, IT WILL CRUMBLE’ There are parallels between what I might coach a Tour pro and a mid-to-high handicapper. There have been times with Brooks where he’s been happy with how he’s hitting the ball and he’s said “I don’t need a lot this week. I’m swinging really good. Just make sure my…

An apprentice to the great ‘Putting Doctor’ Harold Swash, Phil Kenyon is perhaps the greatest golf coach you’ve never heard of. This low-profile is through choice, but since taking on his first client in 2008, one Henrik Stenson, Kenyon has forged a reputation as the go-to guy putting coach among the world’s best players. Rory McIlroy Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Gary Woodland have all enlisted his expertise and the softly-spoken Lancastrian has to limit who he works with. Despite the demand, he was happy to offer Golf World an insight into his teaching methods and share his expertise. Better still, as he explains here, any player of any standard can reap instant rewards by following his advice. “Putting is one area of the game where you can…

“Tour level balls – soft, urethane covered models – designed to work at club golfer swing speeds are a huge trend. Some of that spike can be attributed to the Q-Star Tour’s predecessor the AD333 Tour. The Q-Star Tour features all of Srixon’s best tech so we have no doubt it will be a roaring success with serious but more average swing speed club golfers. This year, club golfers have been indulged with golf ball choices. Deciding between Q-Star Tour, TaylorMade’s Tour Response and Callaway’s Chrome Soft is a tough call.”…

The High MOI putter market is a battleground that TaylorMade will continue to fight to protect in 2020. The new Spider S (stability) keeps the company at the forefront of the forgiving putter conversation. Unlike the Spider X, the S is made from lightweight aluminium, which means the engineers have been able to add a significant amount of discretionary weighting to enhance forgiveness. The head is loaded with two 48g forward tungsten weights plus a 65g rear tungsten bar to maximise stability. The multi-material construction means an improvement of 500 MOI points over the Spider X. It’s available in navy or a cool chalk colour and comes with a Super Stroke Pistol GTR 1.0 grip. Price: £299 www.taylormadegolf.co.uk…

Ball-striking has always been the heart and foundation of my game. I place a great deal of emphasis on creating a consistent and stable address position that enables me to keep everything connected and use the ground as I swing. Over the years, this has created a golf swing that produces powerful and accurate iron shots. Overleaf, I’ll explain what I focus on to strike the ball purely with my irons. POWER MOVES ★ CHIPPING ★ SWING STUDY ★ PUTTING ★ TOUR INSIGHT ★ FIVE-MINUTE LESSON ★ STRATEGY ★ PUTTING ★ LEARN FROM A LEGEND ★ THE ARCHIVE ★ MENTAL GAME My key thought as I address the ball is to ‘get in and over it’. I do this for one key reason – to maintain the connection between my…

There aren’t too many players on the European Tour these days who don’t incorporate some type of alignment aid on their golf ball – whether that’s hand drawn, or part of the ball’s paintwork or design. My preferred alignment guide is the simplest and most common of all – a straight black line. I draw one on every ball I use – in practice and out on the course in tournaments. For me, it’s all about peace of mind, especially on those three- or four-footers where confidence is absolutely everything. I want to know that I’m going to start the ball rolling on my chosen line every single time. The European Tour stats tell us that holing putts from three to 12ft is the most important factor when it comes…

GW You’re known for the huge ‘lag’ you create in your downswing? How do you do it? SG: “Anytime I see an analysis of my swing on TV or in a golf magazine, I can guarantee the observer will always reference the amount of lag I create in my downswing. I’m often asked how I create it, but in all honesty it’s just one part of a chain of downswing movements that start when I drop my hands and rotate my hips to initiate my move towards the ball. If you want to take anything from my swing, look at my hips and see how open (aiming left) they are at impact (above). That’s the key to my ball striking.” GW What is the next stage of your practice putting…

TOMMY HORTON 1987 “Tilting the shoulders and hips is a common cause of swaying. Many golfers believe it creates a wider swing, but too much lateral movement inhibits the swinging of the club.” GARY PLAYER 1993 “Golf is played from 100 yards and in. Surely it makes sense to have the equipment you need from those distances, but a lot of people don’t – and that amazes me. ” NICK FALDO 2006 “With a buried lie close to the flag, I play the ball back, rest the back of my right hand on my knee, cock my wrists parallel to the ground and then drop the club on the ball.”…

NEW MAVRIK DRIVERS BRANDEN GRACE “I love the sound, it feels hot and the numbers have been great, so it has gone straight into the bag.” Erik van Rooyen “It’s a beautiful club. I love the way it sits on the ground and really like the sound.” GUIDO MIGLIOZZI “The driver is very good. It’s very consistent, easy to control and it’s easy to hit fairways with it.” OLI FISHER “It’s gone straight into the bag for me. It sits great and I can shape it really easily.” KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT “I like the looks and I have picked up 2mph of ball speed, so it carries further.” THOMAS DETRY “I’ve been hitting it far and I’ve been hitting it straight! It is really, really stable and I love it.” RRP:…

‘I HAVE TO SAY I’M PRETTY PROUD OF WINNING EUROPEAN TOUR EVENTS IN FOUR DIFFERENT DECADES. THERE’S LIFE IN THE OLD DOG YET!’LEE WESTWOOD Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship European Tour Abu Dhabi GC, January 16-19 Champion: Lee Westwood, €1,047,741.36 Omega Dubai Desert Classic European Tour Emirates GC, January 23-26 Champion: Lucas Herbert, €490,323.18 Farmers Insurance Open PGA Tour Torrey Pines North & South, January 23-26 Champion: Marc Leishman, $1,350,000 Gainbridge LPGA LPGA Tour Boca Rio GC, January 23-26 Champion: Madalene Sagstrom, $300,000 Waste Management Phoenix Open PGA Tour TPC Scottsdale, January 30-Feb 2 Champion: Webb Simpson, $1,314,000 Saudi International European Tour Royal Greens GCC, January 30-February 2 Champion: Graeme McDowell, €529,337.57 ISPS Handa Vic Open European Tour 13th Beach Golf Links, February 5-9 Champion: Min Woo Lee, €162,915.90 ISPS Handa…

55 Jordan Spieth’s current world ranking. He was second at the beginning of 2018 and top of the pile in 2016. #Slump 408 Number of PGA Tour events played by Brett Quigley, with zero wins. It took the 50-year-old just two starts to get his first win on the Champions Tour, at this month’s Morocco Champions. #LateBloomer 7.3 Strokes gained with his putter during Lee Westwood’s victory in Abu Dhabi. He ranked 161st for SG putting last season, giving up more than half a shot per round against the field. #ChangedMan 32 Number of consecutive pars by Harold Varner III from the beginning of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a new PGA Tour record. He then went birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey to finish level par and miss the cut by one. #Steady Collin…

While the Couer d’Alene Resort in Northern Idaho has much to commend it – being one of America’s most beautiful resort courses – all the headlines are always grabbed by its 14th hole, aka ‘the floating green’. A par 3 of anything from 95 to 218 yards, depending on its position that day, you’re aiming at 15,000sqft of island and two attempts to find solid ground – failure to do so results on a drop on the green and a sense of regret. When all parties are safely on the green, the ‘Putter’ boat shuttles you across. Putt out and the captain of the boat presents you with a personalised certificate, commemorating your achievement, regardless of your score. A cure for slow play it’s not, but no one’s complaining. www.cdaresort.com…

TaylorMade category director Mike Fox worked with Fowler on the design of the new ball. Equipment editor Simon Daddow talked to him about the project. SD: How much collaboration was there between Fowler and TaylorMade in the design? MF: The work with Rickie was a true collaboration. It’s not TaylorMade putting Rickie’s name on something – he genuinely designed it. We talked to him monthly, if not weekly, about Pix. SD: Where and how did the design process start? MF: Initially, Rickie came out to Carlsbad, and we spent two or three hours sketching stuff out, looking at inspiration boards. We had hundreds of ideas, and used those to come up with 50 or so concepts. We sent prototype boxes under a cloud of secrecy for him to test. He’d…

1 SHE IS THE YOUNGEST EVER WINNER OF A PROFESSIONAL GOLF EVENT Thitikul took her first Ladies European Tour title – the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship – less than five months after her 14th birthday, beating Lydia Ko’s previous record by more than a year. The youngest European Tour winner is Matteo Manassero at 17 years and six months, the youngest PGA Tour winner Charles Koscis at 18 and a half when he won in 1931. In the modern era, Jordan Spieth is the youngest PGA Tour victor; he was just shy of his 20th birthday upon winning the 2015 John Deere Classic. 2 SHE’S WON TWO PROFESSIONAL EVENTS AND IS STILL AN AMATEUR Thitikul skipped the 2018 Ladies European Thailand Championship as it clashed with preparations for an…

‘WITH THIS REPORT, BIFURCATION IS NOW ON THE TABLE – ONE SET OF RULES FOR THE PROFESSIONALS, ANOTHER FOR US AMATEURS’ The R&A and USGA have finally admitted the pros are hitting the ball too far. Having read the Distance Insights Report, not only is it surprising that it took so long to reach that conclusion, but it’s also plain to see that things must change quickly to safeguard the future of golf. The findings are pretty stark. Hitting distances and the length of golf courses have been increasing for more than 100 years, with driving distances in the elite game increasing by about one yard per year since 2013. These increases are leading to a reduction in the variety and creativity of shots played and greater emphasis on power…

NEW WORLD ORDER I have to say that all the recent talk of the new world tour – the Premier Golf League – is just what the game needs. I appreciate that golf is a game of traditions that should be respected and where possible upheld, but for too long the game has been treading water at best and going backwards at worst. The old adage that you adapt or die is entirely applicable to golf. Failure to embrace a changing landscape and to appeal to new generations who have not been brought up on 18 holes, shirts and ties and annual memberships is now clearly damaging the game. It’s not what the vast majority of younger golfers want, so unless we can find ways to appeal to what they…

The generally accepted story of how TPC Sawgrass’ famous 17th hole was conceived is that Alice Dye, the wife of architect Pete Dye and an accomplished golfer in her own right, came up with the idea of creating an island green after visiting the site at the end of the first day’s construction. While that is true, Dye had originally planned for the hole to play alongside a very small lake. It is common practice in Florida for architects to dig out sand on the property to create mounding and other course features. The deep, empty pits later become lakes and water hazards in a practice known as “cut and fill”. The area adjoining the 16th hole was simply that. Dye had dug a huge hole to create quality landfill…

His coaching résumé includes world number ones Tiger Woods and Justin Rose, his reputation for approaching the game from a slightly different angle precedes him. Here, the Canadian zeroes in on improving your iron play. A lot of my coaching focuses on alignment and ball position. That stuff is vital because the ball is just sitting still. You can stand to it in a way that gives you a mechanical advantage to leverage power and accuracy. In golf, so many people aim right, get the ball position too far forward and then try to get the ball back to the target. One thing we are always focused on is making sure everything is neutral. It’s not very sexy, but it helps with consistency and competency. With any iron, the ball…

Bob Rotella is the world’s foremost sports psychologist and author of the best-selling sports pyschology book of all time; Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect . He has worked with the likes of Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy to deliver more than 300 PGA Tour titles and a total of 74 majors. The key to better performances, he says, is to control your fears and doubts and quieten the mind. “I believe that it’s impossible to overestimate the importance of the mind in golf,” he explains. “Despite what you will have heard, there is no such thing as ‘muscle memory’ because your muscles have no capacity to remember anything. Memory resides in your head, so no matter how long you practise and no matter how skilled you…

“We haven’t compared the new Chrome Softs with competitor products yet, but early signs are the new models nudge the Chrome Soft up a level. Even though my swing speed is nowhere the recommended 100+ mph for the Chrome Soft X, I was impressed with the performance. Callaway are targeting elite golfers with the X since many amateurs already love the standard Chrome Soft. We can see serious players switching out of the Titleist Pro V1 on performance alone, even before factoring in the cost savings.”…

TaylorMade have made huge strides in the tour ball category since launching their five-piece TP5 a few years ago. Four of the world’s top 10 now regularly play TP5 or TP5x. Most recently, Rickie Fowler ditched his Titleist Pro V1 for one. So with the likes of DJ, Rory, Jon Rahm, Rickie and Jason Day all content, TaylorMade’s golf ball engineers have turned their attention to you – the club golfer. TaylorMade say that 80 per cent of the balls they sell in the US are either tour level (over $40 a dozen) or budget buys (below $20 a dozen). This clearly leaves a huge gap in the middle. After surveying thousands of average golfers, TaylorMade developed the brand new Tour Response. It has many of the hallmarks of a…

TB1 Heel-shafted blade A traditional narrow body, toe and heel weighted blade with single sight line. Like all four Truss models, there’s a cobalt blue PureRoll insert for great sound, feel and roll. Twin sole weights mean each head can be weighted for 33”, 34” and 35” lengths. TB2 Centre-shafted blade A centre-shafted narrow body blade. Unusually, another benefit of Truss is how designers can introduce hosel offset (not really possible in centre-shafted models before), which helps how models set up. TM1 Heel-shafted mallet A compact fanged mallet with single sightline. Like all Truss models, a KBS CT Tour shaft, which weighs 120g, is designed specifically to reduce deflection during the stroke and at impact, improving accuracy consistency. TM2 Centre-shafted blade A compact fanged mallet with a centre shaft. Whereas…

My philosophy on the short game has always been to keep things as simple as possible. That means your thought process any time you find yourself within 60 yards or so of the green, should go something like this: First, ask yourself if you can putt the ball. If you can, then do… always. Your worst putt is likely to be better than a mediocre chip or pitch if the conditions are appropriate. If you can’t putt, consider playing a running chip with a mid-iron. If you can’t stop a running chip, play a lofted chip. If it’s too far for a lofted chip, then and only then, think about pitching. As a rule, though, you should try to keep wrist action out of your short game technique. If you…

POINT 1 It’s easy to aimlessly smash your tee shot when you’ve got such a wide target to hit, but that’s when you get into trouble. Apply the same focus as any other tee shot. Pick a specific target, visualise the shot and commit to its execution. POINT 2 You want the easiest angle into the flag for your second shot, especially if there’s a tricky feature like the Valley of Sin in play. Decide where you want to play your second shot from and hit your tee shot into that position. Allow enough margin for error that your usual miss will still be OK. POINT 3 The pin position dictates how aggressive you can be. If it’s close to a hazard, you play to the safe side of the…

Nerves are good. They make us excited and up for the challenge ahead. They help us focus and pump performance driven chemicals around our body. Some golfers use nerves really well. Whenever Tiger Woods is asked about them, he’ll say he is nervous in every tournament. But he sees them as positive and that they show he cares. “The day I don’t get nervous is the day I quit,” he says. But for other golfers, nerves are negative and often debilitating. In response, they tense up, feel nauseous or upset and their inner voice starts telling them over and over again that they shouldn’t be anywhere near the golf course. Nerves are often described as butterflies in your stomach. They indicate how ‘activated’ you are. This activation affects muscle tension,…

1. What’s your biggest achievement/disappointment? Biggest achievement obviously was winning [the Scandinavian Invitation] in Sweden. Biggest disappointment, jeez, I don’t think there are many. I feel privileged to be a professional golfer playing on the European Tour. Who wouldn’t be? 2. The course you’d pay to play... Goodness, let me think. For some reason, Carnoustie sticks in my mind. I love that place. 3. How did you spend your first big pay cheque? On petrol to go to the next event! 4. Most extravagant purchase? I bought my wife a Rolex for her birthday last year. 5. Who’s the most famous person in your phonebook? It’s either Rory or Ernie. 6. The last time you were star struck? Probably during the Open at Carnoustie, seeing Tiger walk up to the…

Feb 27-March 1 The Honda Classic PGA Tour PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Purse: $7,000,000 Oman Open European Tour Al Mouj Golf, Muscat, Oman Purse: $1,750,000 HSBC Women’s World Championship LPGA Sentosa GC, Singapore Purse: $1,500,000 Women’s NSW Open LET Dubbo Golf Club, Australia Purse: €210,000 March 5-8 Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA Tour Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando Purse: $9,300,000 March 12-15 The Players Championship PGA Tour TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida Purse: $15,000,000 Magical Kenya Open European Tour Karen CC, Nairobi Purse: €1,100,000 Investec South African Women’s Open LET Westlake Golf Club, South Africa Purse: €200,000 March 19-22 Valspar Championship PGA Tour Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, Florida Purse: $6,900,000 Hero Indian Open European Tour DLF G&CC, New Delhi, India Purse: $1,750,000 The Saudi Ladies Championship…