Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 449 i Today's Golfer

We’ve said for a number of years now that driver performance only actually increases incrementally from year to year. The naysayers on social media who chomp that “if all these claims are true, we should all be hitting it 500 yards!” miss the point. There is no doubt - and our tests have proved it - that if you swap a six or seven-year-old driver for one of the new models, you will hit it further. However, this year brands aren’t talking about distance - forgiveness is front and centre, and ‘highest MOI ever’ is a phrase we’ve heard a lot of recently. TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max and Ping’s G430 Max 10K are two new launches that break the mythical 10,000 g-cm2 MOI barrier twice as much forgiveness as a driver…

The estimated amount Tiger pocketed from his Nike contracts over 27 years, TaylorMade responded to the Nike split by submitting a trademark application for a Sunday Red brand. 2,627 Attempts it took Jersey Jerry, of Barstool Sports, to ace the 7th hole at Pebble Beach on a simulator. He was at it for 37 hours, though we’ll let you decide whether it should count as an official hole in one or not… 1 Haotong Li’s tie for seventh at the Dubai Desert Classic was his first top 10 since winning the 2022 BMW International Open. He had failed to make the weekend in 25 of his previous 31 starts. 477 YARDS A new record, set by Max Homa, for the longest drive on the PGA Tour since the ShotLink era…

RRP £130 | underarmour.co.uk ↘It’s often said that if you want to make some quick gains, upgrading your equipment is a good place to start. But have you ever thought about how much distance you could be giving up with the golf shoes you’re wearing? Under Armour have spent the last few years working with Jordan Spieth and renowned biomechanist JJ Rivet to maximise power potential - and our data suggests they might have hit the jackpot with their latest release. It’s called the UA Drive Pro, a shoe scientifically engineered using a revolutionary threelayer ‘Swing Support System’ to provide smarter traction and support throughout the golf swing. The technology works in several parts, most notably with the integrated lacing system and spikes, which are positioned at the optimal angle…

One of the things I get asked the most is: “Who’s going to win the Majors this year?” So, to save me having the same conversations again and again, I’m going to put my predictions down in print and the next time anyone asks that question, I’ll just direct them to this article. In truth, predicting any of the Major winners well in advance is total guesswork. There are so many factors to consider. So much depends on the conditions and the form of the player heading into the week. Have they played too much? Have they played too little? Will they cope with the pressure of a Major? You could be on fire heading into a Major, but those events hit differently and unless you’ve been there and done…

THIS MUCH I KNOW There is good reason to believe one of the greatest shots of 2023 was played far away from Augusta National, Royal Liverpool, Marco Simone and Finca Cortesin. On the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, with 231 yards left of his season, Peter Baker knew everything he had worked for over the previous year was on the line. The South Staffordshire player and Adilson da Silva stood first and second on the Legends Tour’s Order of Merit and lay eight yards apart on the fairway of Belle Mare Plage’s par-518th. Baker was a stroke in front in the tournament so held the advantage because his rival had to win the event and hope the Englishman did not finish second in order to claim the Order of Merit.…

British Heart Foundation The British Heart Foundation is an official supporter of our Drive for Defibs campaign. WHAT IS A SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST? A cardiac arrest usually happens without warning and occurs when there is an electronic malfunction in the heart, resulting in an irregular heartbeat that disrupts the effective pumping action of the heart. The lack of blood flow to the brain and other organs means the person stops breathing normally and will be unresponsive and unconscious. Death can occur within minutes if CPR and defibrillation are not carried out. IS A CARDIAC ARREST THE SAME AS A HEART ATTACK? Although the terms are often used interchangeably, a heart attack and cardiac arrest are two very different things. A heart attack is a plumbing issue and happens when the…

This is the approach to the 16th green of the brand new Dunas course at Terras da Comporta, near Lisbon. A short par 4 with its well-protected green slightly elevated, it is a good example of the type of hole that so often demands a high, floating lob or pitch for the approach. This should be a fairly simple assignment, but I so often see amateur golfers overcomplicating it with needless moves and techniques. In this article we are going to strip the shot back to basics. The three keys here are all I use to execute the shot well on a regular basis. They can do the same for you. YOUR COACH PEDRO FIGUEIREDO A DP World Tour professional. Follow him on X @ PedroFiggy and Instagram @pfiggy KEY…

YOUR COACH SIMON PAYNE UKCC Level 3 Coach and PGA Fellow Pro at Cowglen GC, Glasgow How close would you expect to chip the ball from inside 20 yards? Five or six feet perhaps? Well, according to data capture specialist Shot Scope, the typical 15-handicapper averages no better than lift from inside 20 yards… a shot that leaves little chance of a successful up-and-down. In this article we’ll look at what is, for me, the number one reason these figures are no better than they are: a poor concept, which leads to an equally shaky execution. If you want to chip the ball better, it’s time to re-examine what you are trying to achieve on these shots. Back story For the vast majority of club players, the priority on chipping…

In every full shot we hit, we swing 40 inches or so of golf club around ourselves at speed. This rapid circular motion creates some serious forces… forces that can easily destabilise us unless our address position is robust enough to contain and control them. The key here is to engage the correct, stabilising muscles in our body while generally strengthening and conditioning sound posture. Here, I will show you a simple exercise to develop your address in these two important areas. All you need is a resistance band. Always consult your GP before adopting any new fitness regimen. YOUR COACH NATALIE LOWE TPI Level 3 Trainer and UKSCA Strength & Conditioning Coach, owner of Pro-Fit Golf Conditioning pro-fitgolfconditioning.com Place the band on the floor, your hands gripping the loops…

Name: Gary Evans Nationality: English Age: 54 Tour: Legends Former Tour: European What was your first car - and what do you drive now? A Volvo 343 GL that I bought off my next-door neighbour for £300. When you went over a bump, you’d still be bouncing about too yards down the road! It was burgundy, with cloth interior, but I thought it was the best car in the world. Now, I drive a BMW 320d, which is a great car. It’s very understated. Great fuel economy, cheap to run, and no-one looks at it twice. What was your first job? Stacking shelves in Tesco. I worked 8pm until 7am. I did that five nights a week and got paid £90. I would have been 17, just after leaving school.…

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 STARTING THEM YOUNG LETTER OF THE MONTH As a golfer for more than 40 years, I was very excited to take George, my two-yearold son, to the pitch and putt course last summer I and introduce him to the game as early as I thought practical. I bought him a 7-iron, putter and bag for his birthday and he was very keen on hitting the soft balls around the house, so I thought I might just have the next Tiger or Rory to nurture. George started so…

♦ He learned the game at his father’s nine-hole Himley Hall course and was taught by Sandy Lyle’s father, Alex. In 1985, he wasthe joint winner of the Brabazon Trophy, after a tie with Roger Roper, and represented GB&I in that year’s Walker Cup. He turned pro the following year. ♦ Baker was a frequent contender on the European Tour from the late 1980s, with three wins and a highest Order of Merit finish of seventh in 1993. His one Ryder Cup appearance for Europe came in the losing 1993 team. Hewon three of his four matches. ♦ Since turning 50, he has played on the Legends Tour, where he is a five-time winner after victories inthe 2019 Senior Open Hautsde France and the 2023 Irish Legends, JOB Championship, Staysure…

Watch hundreds of video tips at www.todays-golfer.com HERE TO HELP YOU SAVE SHOTS YOUR COACH STEVE ASTLE Advanced PGA Professional at Morley Hayes, Derby and Head of Coaching at East Midlands Golf Academy emga.co.uk QUICK TIP SEE THE TRUE PICTURE Picture yourself over a longer putt say 25-30ft. You are looking down at the ball and the hole is somewhere ‘out there’… off to your left if you are a right-hander. Because you can’t see the hole, you must use your perception of where you think it is to send the appropriate messages to your muscles for length and line. But how accurate is that perception? To find out, take a good look at the hole to gauge its position. Look back down to the ball, but don’t hit it.…

A green hit in regulation is of course the par of the hole minus two shots. According to data capture specialist Shot Scope, the typical 15-handicapper manages this just 23% of the time, a figure that amounts to a little over four greens hit per round. There are three ways you can use that information: 1. Take pressure off your long game. Hitting just four from 18 greens to match your peer average is not as daunting as you might have thought. 2. Manage your expectations. When we understand a missed green is far more exception than rule, it becomes significantly easier to accept. 3. Improve the figure. Data capture allows us to set real, definable targets… which improves motivation and ultimately, performance. To set you on your way, try…

A new golf season gives us the chance to start afresh, to replace old, bad habits with some much better moves before we have regrooved them. In addressing two of the most common - and most damaging - swing traits I see, this article will help you build your 2024 swing on much firmer foundations. Make these drills part of your pre-season preparation. 1. EARLY EXTENSION Because we golfers are hitting a ball on the ground, we have to tilt forward from the hips to promote the appropriate, angled swing arc. Elite golfers typically set their spine around 40° from the vertical. Most club golfers have no trouble setting this address angle… but maintaining it through the swing is another matter. By far the biggest problem is so-called early extension,…

PING G430 MAX 10K £599 Lofts: 9°/10.5°/12° Stock shaft: Ping Alta CB Black (mid-to-high launch), Ping Tour 2.0 Chrome (mid launch), Ping Tour 2.0 Black (low launch), Ping Alta Quick (high launch from slower swing speeds) If you’re the type of golfer who likes the confidence boost of standing on the tee knowing the game’s most forgiving driver is in your hands, the Max 10K has your name all over it. Drivers just don’t come any more forgiving. It wasn’t our test pro’s fastest or longest driver of 2024, as we’d expect of a super-MOI model. But posting a carry distance just four yards back from the very longest while also being one of the two most forgiving drivers on the market is a first-class performance and those results were…

CAMIRAL GOLF & WELLNESS, GIRONA, SPAIN IBERIAN EXCELLENCE Ranking the 100 greatest holes throughout Spain and Portugal WELCOME Welcome to this celebration of Iberian golf. I term it that for two reasons. One, because in addition to the 100 entries covered here, we include guides to the myriad different golf breaks offered by both countries. And two, because the number of different courses featured in the 100 holes is remarkably high. We didn’t actively seek such diversity of courses, but once we had nominations of holes from so many different ones, I admit that we didn’t need much encouragement to include holes from far and wide. In fact, 73 courses are represented in the list and I love the fact we haven’t just listed four or five of the best…

The bombshell departures no one saw coming No, Jay Monahan isn’t leaving. Not yet, anyway. And neither is Greg Norman. The departures we’re referring to are happening much closer to home following the shock resignations of Keith Pel ley and Martin Slumbers. The DP World Tour have confirmed that Pelley will leave his position as Chief Executive to return to his native Canada. Pelley, 60, has agreed to become the new head of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns NHL’s Maple Leafs, NBA’s Toronto Raptors, and MLS side Toronto FC. Guy Kinnings will take over from Pelley on April 2, 2024, stepping up from his current role as Deputy CEO and Executive Director of the Ryder Cup. The surprise shake-up comes at a critical time for the DP World…

NEW SERIES The pursuit of power is something every golfer obsesses over. Buying the latest set of clubs might guarantee a few extra yards, but the bigger gains will come once you start using your body more efficiently. In order to hit the ball a long way, you need a strong and stable base to help unload all the power you’ve stored up in your backswing. This bite-sized HIIT workout will help to activate multiple muscle groups in your lower half, so you can train your explosiveness, balance and coordination. Always consult your GP before adopting any new fitness regimen. YOUR COACH DR ZACH GOULD Sign up to the Dr Golf app and getfreeaccess for the first 28 days drgolfglobal.com Scan here for more workouts and videos. 1 DUMBBELL JUMP…

Understandably, there is some concern about the future of the DP World Tour after a tough couple of months. Big names Jon Rahm, Adrian Meronk, Lucas Herbert and Tyrrell Hatton have all gone to LIV Golf and Chief Executive Keith Pelley, who has played such a huge role in strengthening the Tour, is moving back to Canada to join Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. But let’s keep this blether positive because, while the moves will impact the Tour, they create space for new stars to break through and for new ideas to be developed. Let’s look at the field for the Bahrain Championship, which is happening as I write this, and a few names stand out. Alex Fitzpatrick, brother of Matt, is a player who has been climbing the ranks…

With a single extra MPH of clubhead speed gaining you three extra yards of distance, even a modest swing power increase can get you a club or two closer to the green. That said, that extra speed is only any good to you if it is controlled and allows you to find the centre of the face. Tailored to your skill level, these ideas will allow you to achieve that… Shot at the beautiful Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta, Lisbon, Portugal. comporta.com YOUR COACH ADRIAN FRYER solidgolf.ra.uk Fellow of the PGA based at Liverpool Golf Centre liverpoolgolfcentre.co.uk BREAK 100 Find some thick rough Apologies to all 100-Breakers. I’d love to talk to you about X-Factors, Force Plates and ground reaction forces, but I’m afraid I have a much simpler…

It’s become an accepted part of golf that you practise on the range and play on the course. This makes it pretty much the only sport where your practice is removed from the environment in which you compete. While there is a lot to be said for working on your game on the range, it has its drawbacks. For starters, golf is all about the task of getting the ball around the course and into the hole - something the range can’t offer. On the range we tend to play ‘golf swing’, not golf. But moreover, range work denies you the chance to hone a whole host of qualities - creativity, resilience, scoring under pressure, decision-making - that are at the heart of playing the game, and posting your best…

TAYLORMADE QI10 LS £529 Lofts: 8°/9°/10.5° Stock shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Limited Blue 65 (mid launch), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Ltd Black 65 (low launch) The Qi10 LS has a huge amount riding on it, as this is the model that will be played by the majority of TaylorMade’s tour stars, including Rory McIroy. Our data has the LS producing our fastest ball speed of not just the low-spin driver category but, in the hands of our pro, the fastest ball speed of any driver we tested this year. That highlights the benefit of front-weighted, low-spin drivers for high-speed players, and a performance that explains why brands spend millions on R&D to create tech such as carbon driver faces. In our fastest ball speed setting, the LS was just two yards…

You might be surprised to learn that we believe Portugal has as many as nine different areas to consider for a golf break. One of the main reasons for that is the fact we are sure there are three separate breaks in each of the Algarve and Lisbon. The city of Porto gives a seventh option on the mainland, and then you add in the archipelagos of Azores and Madeira. All five areas have access to a coastline of some description, which helps them offer a variety of courses that is rare to golf breaks abroad. Here’s what to expect from the three areas. 1. LISBON The capital’s three areas are the Blue Coast (south of the city), the stretch west of the city centre (out towards its west coast),…