Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 444 i Today's Golfer

Playing golf with very good players is always a humbling experience. When they're world top-10 players and Major champions, it's just awe-inspiring, and a little never-racking. Fortunately, Matt Fitzpatrick is one of the most down-toearth superstar golfers I've ever met, and the afternoon Michael Catling and I spent with him recently was fascinating and educational. Matt isn't your typical PGA Tour star. Firstly, he's incredibly ‘normal’. We met him the day after the Open, at his former club, Hallamshire in Sheffield. He turned up (early) with no entourage, and carried his own bag into the clubhouse, greeting members as he passed, happily signing autographs and posing for selfies. He then spent the next couple of hours schooling us on how to improve during a few holes on Hallamshire's front nine.…

Korn Ferry Tour star Curtis Luck was disqualified at the Boise Open after turning up late for his tee time. Rule 5.3 states that a player must tee off at (and not before) their starting time. If they don't, the penalty is disqualification unless the player arrives no more than five minutes late or the Committee decides that exceptional circumstances prevented the player from starting on time. None of these exceptions applied to the Australian, even though he was on site finishing his warm-up.…

1 PING GLIDE 4.0 WEDGE £129 | SAVE £30 Ping's fourth-generation Glide wedge is halfway between a full-on blade wedge and a much deeper, traditional cavity back. Available in seven lofts, the specs are fully customisable and the face is great at dissipating moisture, so you can expect zero reduction in spin between dry and damp conditions. It ranked as the most forgiving and accurate wedge in our 2023 launch monitor test. 2 SHOT SCOPE PRO LX+ LASER, GPS & SHOT TRACKING £299.99 | SAVE £30 This is more than just a fantastic rangefinder. The three-in-one functionality means it operates as a GPS and shot-tracking device, thanks to 16 plug-n-play tags. We consider it the best rangefinder on the market because of all the extra features, like the adaptive slope…

GET IN TOUCH As well as email (editorial@todaysgolfer.co.uk) and post (Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA), you can contact us using any of these social platforms… @Thetodaysgolfer @TodaysGolferBauer @Todaysgolfer @Todaysgolfer PING LETTER OF THE MONTH WINS… A BRAND NEW PING PUTTER RRP £250 BRILLIANT BALLS TEST I'm a 73-year-old novice golfer. I've been taking some lessons and played my first round only a week ago. I'm also an engineer/scientist and wanted to commend you and your collaborators at Loughborough on your recently-published golf ball testing and analysis. It is a first-class piece of research work, carefully done, systematic, thoroughly analysed and loaded with useful information for novices like me, as well as for much more experienced, even professional, players. At my stage of ‘development’, it probably makes the most…

I define ‘release’ as a ‘swing of the clubhead’. It can swing more – the clubhead overtaking the handle through the strike – or it can swing less, the handle remaining ahead of the clubhead. I want you to take control of this element of your technique, as it is key to harnessing attack angle, launch and spin – all key elements of short-game shots. RELEASE 1: DOWNWARD BLOW, LOWER FLIGHT In Release 1, clubhead swing is kept to a minimum, the handle leading the clubhead through the strike. The clear and obvious result of this Release is a delofted clubface… resulting in a lower flight, less carry and more run. On turf, it is the Release we'd use for a chasing chip-and-run shot. We can characterise the Release with…

Now we move to the opposite extreme – very soft or fine sand that your feet sink into. We instinctively feel the weight of this type of sand, and it can be intimidating. But the key to success here is to make maximum use of the sand wedge's trump card – the sole's bounce – and that means applying the strong release/clubhead swing of Release 3. ADDRESS: SET UP TO MAXIMISE BOUNCE Soft, heavy sand will grab and slow the clubhead, given half a chance. Use your set-up to promote use of sole bounce and keep your sand divot as shallow as possible: ■ Play the ball forward in your stance… up off that flared lead foot. ■ Drop the handle back an inch or so to create some backward…

FIND MORE FAIRWAYS Joakim Haegmann The first Swede to play in the Ryder Cup triumphed three times on the European Tour and won in the Seychelles on the 2022 Legends Tour If I want to be really sure to hit the fairway I will go to the baby fade. It's my fairway finder. It costs some distance, but there are occasions when it is worth it. The changes I make to my swing are because I want to offer an open face with a little bit more loft on the club, because more spin equals more control. New clubs rev about 2,500rpm; I'm trying to put on 3,0003,200rpm with this shot. That extra spin gives me the control I need, the same as with irons it's easier to hit a…

YOUR COACH SIMON PAYNE UKCC Level 3 coach and PGA Fellow pro at Cowglen GC, Glasgow I'm going to ask you to miss two out of three short putts. I suspect some of you are thinking, “I'm pretty sure I can handle that,” but it's not quite as simple or as nonsensical as it sounds. Many club golfers believe that if they get a certain number of putting stroke basics right – alignment, ball position, quiet hands, shoulders controlling the stroke and so on – that the putterface takes care of itself, and the putt will be holed. That's not the case. Those basics may promote a successful outcome, but they cannot guarantee it; however good our basics, we still need the ability to control the aim of the face……

“How well you play golf,” said golfing legend Tommy Armour, “depends on how well you control that left hand of yours.” Almost a century after the Silver Scot won his three Majors, not much has changed. We might now call it the lead hand in deference to our lefty friends, but its capacity to ruin shots – generally through a cupping wrist that delivers weak, scoopy strikes – remains undiminished. This is where the Hanger comes in. Formed by two pieces of plastic that screw on to the club handle, its curving length sits midway between your forearms at address. That cupping sees the arc press against your trail forearm as you swing; but get the lead wrist to flatten – ideally from as early as the takeaway – and…

The amount of choice available to modern day golfers is absolutely phenomenal. Options – whether they be different drivers, balls or putters – allow us to choose equipment better suited to our own games. You just need to know what you're looking for… Back in 2004, TaylorMade expanded long game choice by introducing the first Rescue. It brought huge and immediate benefits in helping golfers launch and flight long shots from the deck. All of a sudden we could hit 3 and 4-hybrids with much more confidence than the corresponding long irons. And, because shots launched higher and spun more, we could land and stop approaches from distance in a way that was just never possible with long irons. Over the last 20 years, hybrids have been a godsend to…

GOLF WORLD TOP 100 ULTIMATE TESTS GB&I THE MOST AUTHORITATIVE RANKINGS IN THE GAME WELCOME There is no doubt that our recent GB&I rankings have placed more emphasis on courses that are playable and fun. I fully accept that not everyone will agree with this development. Some golfers value courses that examine their game thoroughly and that's why I thought there was merit in a ranking that highlights courses that do this most proficiently. It's not simply the ‘hardest’ courses – though I am sure this ranking will be labelled in those terms and these 100 courses certainly aren't easy – but courses that challenge in a thoughtful, sensible yet comprehensive way. I decided to ask only single-figure handicappers to compile this ranking for two reasons. Firstly, because I tend…

BARE MY SOUL Name: Lanto Griffin Nationality: American Age: 35 Tour: PGA Pro wins: 5 What was your first job? I played poker. I got into it pretty hard in high school and college and for a minute I thought I was going to play pro. I'm glad I didn't go down that route, though – I'd be 100 pounds heavier! What's the most money you've ever gambled on the course? In Vegas, we did play for $5,800 a hole but I didn't put up the money. Ironically, though, the guy we played with is a big-time poker player and he ended up winning about $50,000 that day. How much was your first pay cheque? It was $975 in the Hooters Winter Series in Central Florida. The funny thing about…

LETTER OF THE MONTH In 2022, my wife and I had our first child, a little girl. Despite the immeasurable joy it brought us, it desperately felt like I needed to dedicate some time to helping my mental state, which is when I rediscovered my love for the game. One of the first things I did when I picked my clubs back up was subscribe to Today's Golfer and immediately it made me feel like I was ‘back in the community’ again. Fast forward 18 months and my wife has actually joined my local club, thanks to their beginner programme. Our little one has even started hitting golf balls with her toy clubs and last week she found my latest copy of TG on the coffee table and couldn't resist…

Let's start with hopefully the most common lie – the ball sitting cleanly on dry sand that's neither compacted nor powdery. It takes a little experience to be sure you are indeed playing from regular sand, but your eyes (sand colour, grain size) and your feet (how soft is the surface underfoot?) should give you all the feedback you need. ADDRESS: DOWN THE LINE Stand square A square address position promotes more energy down the line of the shot, which helps you get the ball to the hole without needing to add excessive power. Look to create a square heel line, but a flared lead foot – 45º or so to aid rotation – will give the toes an open look. Stand wider… and further away A wider stance, a…

1. GET COMFORTABLE WITH ONE SHOT SHAPE I've chatted a lot with my coach about how, for consistency and scoring, it's important to work with one shot shape. That way, you know what the ball is going to do and you can take one side of the course out of play. The only time I tinker with this formula now is when I'm really on my game and have full control over my swing. 2. PRACTISE WITH YOUR 9-IRON Basically, you want to practise with the most forgiving and easy-to-hit club that still gives you solid feedback on your ball-striking. For me, that's a 9-iron. I've used this club to perform many drills over the years. I think it gives you good versatility and the way you strike it gives…

WHAT BALL? Titleist Pro V1x Matt is a long-time Pro V1x user and has switched into the 2023 model, which has lower long-game spin while maintaining spin levels around the greens thanks to a new high gradient core design. Titleist TSi3 driver (9°) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei AV Raw Orange 65 TX Matt started life on tour playing Ping drivers but switched to a TaylorMade M2, which he used right up until the Titleist TSi3's launch. He's now averaging more than 303 yards on the PGA Tour this year. Ping G430 Max 3 wood (15°) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Orange 75 TX Matt's switch into the G430 wasn't a big surprise as he had played the G425 Max for the past couple of years. The G430 Max ranked among…

Jarmo Sandelin In the Seychelles, I had an amateur partner who got worse the more advice I gave him! In the end we reversed my tips and he went on to win the tournament! Thomas Bjorn People try so hard – way too hard. I always try to get them to swing 60 or 70%. They try it when they're playing with us, and other things they normally don't try, and it works. We often see half-decent golfers become poor players in Pro-Ams. I always try to encourage them to find their tempo, because that is what we are trying to do ourselves. It's not a time to have a coaching school – that's what the range is for! It's the mindset you have to change. Marc Farry We always…

Watch hundreds of video tips at www.todays-golfer.com HERE TO HELP YOU SAVE SHOTS QUICK TIP ELBOW ROOM Picture yourself at set-up. Monitor the gap between your elbows when your arms are relaxed and comfortably extended. In a sound swing, this margin remains pretty constant, but problems arise when the gap increases. To work on maintaining this crucial gap, find a bungee or some other stretchable exercise band, position it around your elbows and work through your swing. You'll need to check: ■ Top of the backswing: Splayed? If the bungee is stretching at this point, check poor body contribution or lack of forearm rotation. ■ Impact: Chicken wing? If you can feel it stretching through the strike, chances are your core has stopped rotating; you'll hit with the hands and…

YOUR COACH DEANA RUSHWORTH Former England international and Advanced PGA Professional, Witney Lakes Resort deanagolfpro.co.uk 1. Restriction Take a look at the image above. You'll see that the shoulders have turned nowhere near 90º; but when you see the hips have scarcely rotated at all, that's not surprising! For the many golfers out there with locked hips or pelvic restriction, it's almost impossible to avoid this position… with any and all attempts to increase shoulder turn going unrewarded. 3. Better… by about 40 degrees! If your lead heel does lift, it should only do so in response to your turning hips. But if poor mobility is thwarting hip rotation, this thought won't be of much help. So instead, let's attack this from another angle, the lead heel rising to push…

YOUR COACH SAM HEAD Six-time tour winner and PGA coach based at the Bedfordshire GC Samanthahead.com 1 It is much easier to define the benefits of standing the correct distance from the ball than to define what that distance actually is! The ideal gap means you are neither crowding the ball nor reaching for it; it sets up effective balance and posture, while giving you room to swing athletically. But it's not easy to know if you have found this optimal distance. It will change depending on height and build… but this test works brilliantly for all. 2 Use a mid-iron and take your regular stance. Don't try to second-guess yourself – just set up as normal (1). Now from here, take a small squat and jump vertically, up into…

Fourteen clubs, a 1.68in ball and a 150-acre playing surface. On the face of it, golf doesn't seem to have much in common with other sports or activities… and it's not immediately apparent how playing anything other than golf could actually improve your performance. But think again. From Bob MacIntyre playing shinty to Tiger Woods enjoying a game of table tennis, elite golf is awash with players getting their sporting kicks away from the course; and in almost every case, their chosen activity serves up some extremely useful golfing kickbacks. Young Scot MacIntyre is a particularly interesting case. After a strong early start to his professional career, he began to struggle with the pressures and loneliness of life on tour. “I was away from home, one of the youngest guys…

Understanding sole grinds and bounce can be really confusing, so if you have any doubts at all, we'd thoroughly recommend a full wedge fitting session with Mizuno. If you're happy to go it alone, here's an explanation of the T24's five sole grinds: S SOLE High bounce, with limited toe and heel relief, making it a good choice for full shots. D SOLE Mid bounce, with moderate toe and heel relief, so a good choice for golfers who gently manipulate the face in the short game. C SOLE Mid/high bounce, generous toe and heel relief, suited to a wide range of players and conditions. V SOLE High bounce, with aggressive toe and heel relief, good for additional versatility and steeper attack angles. X SOLE Low bounce, with aggressive toe and…

OGIO All Elements £279 For 2023, Ogio have made some very funky bags for golfers looking to add some personality to their game. The Double Camo won't be everyone's cup of tea, but there are another seven bright patterns to choose from. It's made from a waterproof fabric with sealed seams for excellent wet weather protection. Sun Mountain H2NO Lite £359 Like far too many things, the cost of cart bags has skyrocketed over the last couple of years, which makes choosing wisely more important than ever. Sun Mountain have been a trusted golf bag manufacturer for decades, so your hard earned cash is safe in their hands. For a cart bag, the H2NO is very lightweight, it has a 14-way top and we like how it's guaranteed to be…

Ecco Biom H4 £180 A leather upper with waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex membrane make the Biom a great choice for wet or warm conditions. We like the natural shaping and generous fit, which comes from scanning thousands of feet. Duca del Cosma Bologna £199.95 More boot than shoe, but that just adds additional protection in stopping moisture seeping over the top cuff and down into the shoe. The Bologna look great off-course too. Skechers Go Golf Pro 5 Hyper £160 If they're good enough for former US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick's feet, they're good enough for you. Arch-Fit tech gives feet excellent support no matter what the terrain.…

Driving: Marked out of 30 for aspects such as width of fairway, how well bunkered they are, additional hazards, length, number of elevated and exposed tees, thickness of rough and length of carries. Approach play: Marked out of 30, including relative length of hole, number of bunkers around greens, how many dog-legs there are and prevalence of other hazards, plus size and firmness of the targets. Short game: Marked out of 10, comprising how penal the greenside bunkers, surrounding slopes and the rough are, plus firmness of green. Putting: Marked out of 20 for the size, movement and speed of surface, plus how many tiers there are. A Miscellaneous category of 10 possible marks (zero, one or two for each of the five) for: weather, and what one might expect…

FRONT NINE The summer might be over, but there are lots of things to love about autumnal and winter golf, not least the addition of preferred lies. However, there are a few things you need to know before you pick your ball up in the middle of the fairway… When are winter rules being introduced? There is no set time, though the decision rests with the Committee who can introduce a Local Rule for preferred lies (also known as Winter Rules). Most courses in the UK implement a Local Rule from October 1 until April 30, but it's worth checking your club noticeboard for the status of the course before teeing off. Where do winter rules apply? Any part of the general area cut to fairway height or less. This…

GORDON SARGENT Lived up to his billing as the world's best amateur by carrying America to a fourth consecutive victory in the Walker Cup at St Andrews. He won all four matches and even drove the 356-yard 18th with a 3-wood! JOANNE CARNER The LPGA legend made history (again!) after bettering her age by four shots in the first round of the US Senior Women's Open. The 84-year-old even averaged 201 yards off the tee. EUGENIO CHACARRA The Spaniard risked a lot by leaving university a year early to join LIV, but he's now won twice in 11 months after outlasting Matt Jones in an epic, 10-hole playoff at the Asian Tour's St Andrews Bay Championship. ALEJANDRO TOSTI The soon-to-be PGA Tour star is building quite the reputation as the…

Thanks to stunning Monte Rei Golf and Country Club, eastern Algarve, Portugal Visit www.monterei.com If the short game remains a mystery to you, don't worry; you're not alone. I've watched countless players of all standards struggling with shots inside 40 yards. And in almost every case I see the same, underlying reason: confusion. Fundamentally, golfers are not sure what they are trying to do. The vast range of lies, slopes, shot lengths and clubbing options is more than enough to befuddle even an accomplished player… and it's this lack of clarity that compromises execution and performance. My solution was to develop a simple short game system that would allow every golfer to choose the right shot every time. Based on taking charge of the swing or release of the clubhead…

When the sand is firm – for example after heavy rain – we need to employ a steeper angle of attack that helps the clubhead break the surface – much more of a downward, digging feel than a forward, splashing strike. The limited clubhead swing of Release 1 will give you that. ADDRESS: SET UP TO HIT DOWN Your set-up needs to promote a descending strike that encourages the sharp, leading edge of the club to engage the sand. Make these key changes: ■ Move the ball position back of centre in your stance, and ensure that your hands are ahead of the ball. ■ Stand a little open to encourage a steeper, out-to-in swing path. ■ Open the clubface a touch to make sure you still have enough face…

Matt Fitzpatrick doesn't carry the aura you might expect of a Major champion and Ryder Cup star. Instead, he has an air of normalcy as he begins a short game demonstration without any prompts or notes. Those who know him best will tell you that he is incredibly well educated on all aspects of the game. He is obsessed with making marginal gains and has tracked almost every shot he's ever hit since he was 14. His database covers all of his shot patterns, tendencies and strokes gained, which he uses to inform his practice and strategy on the course. Driving and chipping used to be two of the weakest areas of his game, he tells us, but he has worked hard to turn both into super strengths. How he's…

Today's Golfer has just asked Jose Maria Olazabal to pick his single favourite Ryder Cup moment. The Spaniard falls silent and exhales. “There are too many Ryder Cup highlights to choose just one,” he smiles. “But if I was going to name one I'd say two. I'd say 2012, because I was the captain and we got that dramatic win, and Valderrama in 1997. That was special because it was in Spain and I had been out of the game with injury for the whole of 1996. For a time I could not walk, let alone play, so to come back and make the team and then for us to win against a stronger US team, that was fantastic.” And with that, Ollie's Ryder Cup highs and lows – plus…

A sudden cardiac arrest is one of the biggest killers in the UK. Often it strikes without warning and it doesn't discriminate by age, gender or even fitness level. Golf courses are the fifth-most likely place for people to suffer a cardiac arrest, but not enough golf clubs – or golfers – are equipped to help save a person's life on the course. Often there is very little time to react and even less time to think, which is why learning CPR and having a defibrillator close to hand is so important. We believe every club has a duty of care to its members and visitors. That's why we've joined forces with Motocaddy – whose electric trolleys and app can pinpoint defibrillator locations – to make every golf club in…

PLAY BETTER The benefits of being able to swing the club faster are obvious – longer drives mean shorter approaches, more greens hit in regulation and, ultimately, lower scores. But the best way to increase your clubhead speed is less clear. There is an argument for simply trying to hit harder, but golfers who try this typically run up against loss of form or posture and a drop in timing and strike quality… immediately undoing any of the marginal speed benefits gained by the more aggressive swings. Targeting three different skill levels, the three exercises detailed in this article will help you build speed in the right way… with no sacrifice of swing shape, rhythm or strike point. By all means turn to the drill designed for your level first……

The ability to find the centre of the face consistently is a key part of a successful short game. You will know just how energetically the ball springs off the face when you find the sweet spot… but also how that energy disappears when you miss it. This of course has serious implications for distance control, with erratic striking ruining any chance you have of building up a confident touch. The club golfer typically looks for complicated technical solutions here, but very often all that's needed is a renewed focus on the impact strike point. Use this three-step plan to get back on track. Find a marker pen Look for one with a strong, visible colour – like red – and draw a small dot on the ideal strike point:…

When it comes to hitting effective pitch shots, trajectory control is perhaps the biggest problem club golfers face. While accomplished players drive in their wedge shots fairly low and penetrating with plenty of spin, the typical amateur tends to scoop the ball up into the air – a weak flight at the mercy of winds, which tends to come up short. I'll show you a method that flattens out the flight, helping you get the ball back to the pin on a regular basis. Like all new shots, it takes a little work to gain confidence; but with the potential to save a huge number of shots, the knockdown wedge will reward your effort time and again. YOUR COACH NEIL TURLEY PGA Club Professional and Golf Operations Manager at Monte…

YOUR COACH NATALIE LOWE TPI Level 3 trainer and UKSCA Strength & Conditioning coach, owner of Pro-Fit Golf Conditioning based in Manchester pro-fitgolfconditioning.com At last, what you've all been waiting for… an exercise you can do sitting down! The only prop you'll need this month is a chair or sofa. But while the demands here are pretty simple, the benefits can be profound. We are going to work on spine mobility, the absence of which is a common cause of the famous out-to-in, over-the-top, slicing attack path. A stiff spine, its vertebrae locked together, can only turn as a unit, placing pressure on the lower back and typically throwing that trail shoulder out and forwards as the body rotates through. But if we can loosen it up and gain some…

TAYLORMADE MG4 TOTAL: 38/40 Tech & Feel TaylorMade invented raw face wedges so that club golfers can benefit from the additional feel and spin preferred by their staff players. Others have incorporated that tech into their own wedges, and it's beneficial to golfers looking to wring every last drop of performance from their short game. We love the MG4's new laser-etched Spin Tread grooves, designed to eliminate spin differences between wet and dry conditions. 10/10 Cosmetics We've always been big fans of the straight, leading-edge style of the lower lofts in TM's MG family, a look lots of decent players enjoy. For this generation there's a fraction more belly in the centre of the leading edge in the higher lofts, which gives the impression of being able to slip the…

After signing for 58 (-12) at LIV's Greenbrier tournament, former US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau reckoned he'd just played the greatest round of his career. Golf's quirky scientist has now racked up 11 tour wins globally, but it was a trip to Scottsdale Golf in Warrington during Open week that got his game back on track. DeChambeau, who split from equipment sponsors Cobra at the turn of the year, wanted some equipment help after shooting 74 in the first round of the Open Championship. He turned to the club fitters and makers at Scottsdale Golf. “Bryson contacted us as he wanted to have his clubs checked and shafts spinealigned using SST Puring Technology,” says Scottsdale Director, Bradley Stubbs. “That service isn't available on any of the tour trucks”. The American…

How do we course architects test the world's best players beyond just adding length? One good way is by adding more par 3s. Five is a good number. It means the length of approach shots can be controlled. These days it is hard for approach shots into par 4s to be much more than a short iron for elite players. However, the obvious factor is presenting a firm and fast test, but that has its drawbacks as we saw at St Andrews for The Open last year, when players were driving the ball even longer distances! Firm and fast still holds true though, as is always illustrated when rain comes midway through an event, making courses longer but the greens like dart boards. Green design and, if a course is…