Golf News 'Callaway' Special Edition March 2017 by Golf News

SPECIAL EDITION

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DANNY WILLETT CURRENT MASTERS CHAMPION PUTS EPIC IN PLAY

CALLAWAY STAFF PLAYER INTERVIEWS ALEX NOREN JAMES MORRISON THOMAS PIETERS MEET THE MAN BEHIND THE EPIC DRIVER LATEST CALLAWAY GEAR

An aerospace-grade titanium Exo-Cageâ&#x201E;˘, and triaxial carbon crown and sole save tremendous weight and amplify ball speed. The Speed Step CrownÂŽ streamlines aerodynamics, and our Adjustable Perimeter Weighting delivers precision fitting to fine-tune launch conditions.

The New GBB Epic is a Driver unlike any other. Two titanium rods inside the head connect the crown and sole. We call it Jailbreak Technology™. At impact with the ball, the crown, sole and face bend, flex and rebound in every driver. Only Jailbreak Technology reduces crown and sole deflection, which allows the face to flex more freely and transfer energy to the ball more efficiently. Ball speed and distance have increased dramatically. Jailbreak is a tremendous shift in power, and it’s only in Epic.

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FEBRUARY MARCH 2017 2017 | DANNY | NEWS WILLETT

FRONT COVER INTERVIEW

“ONLY 86 PLAYERS HAVE WON THE MASTERS AND I’M ONE OF THEM”

After capturing the green jacket at Augusta last year, DANNY WILLETT has struggled to recapture the form that saw him break into the Major league, but the 29 year old from Sheﬃeld is conﬁdent that hard work and patience will soon have him back in the winner’s enclosure

o you think you gave yourself enough credit for winning the Masters? It's tough to kind of take the time out to assess that when you’re playing all the time. I guess I need to do it a little bit more. But it's a tricky one. As a professional golfer, you're always trying to get better. You're always trying to train harder, practise harder. Even if you're playing great, and winning tournaments, it never seems enough. Even if it’s the Masters, you’re out there a few weeks later, trying to get better. But winning major championships doesn’t happen very often, and I think it's one of those times when you do need to step back and reflect. Nic [Willett’s wife] obviously tries telling me to do that that on a regular basis, and sometimes I'm willing to listen and sometimes I’m not. How often do you look at the green jacket hanging in your wardrobe? When I’d just won it, quite a few times. I’d just look at it, and think to myself, ‘You know what, 86 guys have won the Masters, and you've got one hanging up in your wardrobe’. It’s quite common for first-time Major winners to experience a dip in form in the immediate aftermath. How conscious were you of that, and did it make things more diﬃcult? That's the thing – it’s so crazy how your mind works with these things. You think that you should be able to play well every time, just because you've done what you've done, but it doesn’t happen like that. There's 156 guys every week working hard and practising, and it's not as easy to win every tournament, as what you feel like it should be when you're playing well. Having said that, any season in which you win a major should probably be considered a good season. I also won in Dubai, so two wins, but there have been nine months or so when I haven’t been playing so great. I could have won in Italy, but Francesco [Molinari] played great in the final round and beat me by one. If I’d won that one, all of a sudden the last two months of the season might not have been as bad. It's just how things fall into place. The game has been average for a few months, and I’ll just keep working hard, and hopefully I can come back out the other side and have a good spell again.

DANNY WILLETT | MARCH 2017

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IF MY WIN AT THE AUGUSTA TAUGHT ME ANYTHING, IT’S THAT WHEN I GET THE CHANCE, I FEEL LIKE I'LL BE READY TO TAKE IT THERE AND THEN Obviously there are extra pressures and demands when you’re a Masters' champion, with public appearances, media and sponsors’ requests, and more travelling. How has that affected you? The Masters was a phenomenal week, and, yeah, it changes your life massively, and, all of a sudden, life becomes a lot busier. People want a lot more of your time, and you need to travel around a bit more, and kind of do things that you haven't been used to doing. There were a few little scheduling issues – maybe I was playing too much and trying to force the issue, instead of just playing a limited amount and backing myself to do well in the tournaments that I normally play in. So yeah, it took me a while to get used to that. I’m now trying to reset the goals and looking to get to the form that I showed back at the start of last year. Coming into 2017, is there any sense in trying to create the sort of routines that led to your success at the Masters last year? No, I think that's virtually impossible. There are so many variables that go into playing good golf. The one constant in my book is hard work. And I believe if I keep working hard, then the inevitability of playing well is only just around the corner. You see that so many times in golf – guys that miss three or four cuts suddenly get a win. Just look at Graeme Storm last month in South Africa. It's just the nature of the game. You can be beating your head against the wall for months, and then, all of a sudden, you hit the jackpot. I think the only thing that you can really control is to work as hard as can. And if that leads to playing great, fine. If it doesn't, you're just going to keep working hard, and wait for the next chance that you get. If my win at the Augusta taught me anything, it’s that if I keep working hard, when I get the chance, I feel like I'm pretty ready to take it there and then. To know that I have that within me provides a massive confidence boost. Is there anything specific that you have been working on in your game? I’ve been working on trying to take the left side out of the golf course out of play by hitting fades off the tee. To do that you need to aim left, but sometimes that’s turned into a straight pull, which often leaves you in the rough, a bunker, or with no direct route to the green. Last year I had that safety valve, and we’re just working on getting that back. You’ve put Callaway’s new Epic driver in the bag. What performance benefits did you find during testing that made you switch from your XR16 driver? I put the Epic driver into play at the Hong Kong Open at the end of last year. I did quite a bit of testing away from the course before that point, working with Callaway’s tour staff to dial in the numbers and see how they compared with the XR16. First and foremost, a driver, in fact any club, has to fit my eye – look right and feel right – and the Epic did that straight away. It’s upright and sits really nice and square behind the ball at address. I don’t like to see the face at all closed, and if anything the Epic sits slightly open, which is perfect for me. Performance-wise, I was getting a 1 or 2mph faster balls speeds off the face, up to around 169mph, which gives me a few extra yards, but what I really liked was its consistency across the face, especially in terms of its spin. With some drivers you lose or gain a lot of spin, depending on where you strike it on the face, but with the Epic those spin rates remain really consistent wherever you hit it, which makes a massive difference. Will you be putting in any different combinations of clubs into your bag for the Masters? I don’t really change my club set-up to suit a golf course, or switch in other clubs. I did have a bit of a draw bias to my clubs at Augusta last year. People think you need to draw the ball to play well there, but if anything a fade is more important.

We can’t talk about 2016 without re-visiting your first Ryder Cup. Looking back on it now, how do you reflect on the whole experience? First and foremost, the team atmosphere was fantastic. Clarkey did a great job and unfortunately our golf wasn't up to standard. The American team played very well. They holed the putts when they had to hole the putts, and unfortunately we didn't. But the week as a whole, and how the guys bonded, and the friendships you make, was great. The Ryder Cup has always been boisterous, but do you think things got out of hand at Hazletine? Whenever you’ve got 150-200,000 fans at a tournament, you’re going to get the odd one or two that don’t actually go there to watch the golf. That’s a shame, but I don’t think that’s ever going to stop. Being in America, with their fans, and how much they wanted to help their team win, it was always going to be difficult to keep a lid on that. That’s just how it is. But, as player, I don’t think you should have people saying unpleasant things to your parents and your wife. I don’t think that’s our sport, that’s not what we play for, that’s not what we do. Unfortunately, that happened and there’s no denying that it slightly tarnished my first experience of the Ryder Cup. The whole affair over your brother’s remarks in the press caused a bit of a stir. Did you feel that it in affected your performance on the course? I was disappointed with what he wrote, and it obviously put a bit of a downer on my first Ryder Cup. Coming to America as a European, you're already a bit of a target, and it kind of focused the attention a bit more on me. There's some pretty rowdy American fans every Ryder Cup, that's the nature of the beast. I spoke to Peter on the phone after I was made aware of what was said and what had been going on. I told him that I was disappointed in what was said and what was written about the American fans that supported me fantastically at the Masters. It was tough to then concentrate, because you don’t want people to think badly of yourself. I kind of wanted to get off the golf course and get it sorted, draw a line under it, and get back to what we were doing. You played with Tiger Woods on his comeback in Europe in Dubai. What was that like? I'd not actually met him properly before. At the Ryder Cup, I might have brushed past him and said ‘hello’, but nothing more than that. My first memories are of him chipping in at the 16th on Augusta in 2005, which is when I was really getting into golf. I remember him and his caddy going crazy. and the cameras shaking and the ball just dropping in. It's moments like that that he created for guys that are my kind of age. That really spurred me on to train harder and to practise harder, and to try and accomplish even a miniscule amount of what he has achieved. You’ve set up a foundation to encourage youngsters into the game. Can you tell us about the thinking behind Wee Willetts? I set up the Wee Willetts to get young kids from around the Yorkshire area involved in golf. If they’ve never picked up a club before, they can go along and give it a go. I was fortunate enough that my first coach, Peter Ball, up at Birley Wood, near where my mum and dad lived, was like that as well. He was brilliant with the kids’ coaching, and he gave me my first half set of clubs, half a bag of practise balls, waterproofs and shoes, and he let me go up there and practise. He coached me for a few years when I was first starting. We didn’t have loads of money. I do try and give a little bit back, but there is obviously still more that I can do, and I will try to keep that going. I am still relatively young within the golfing game, and I will keep trying to give back to the local area and the local people.

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FEBRUARY 2017 | THOMAS PIETERS

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FLY AWAY,

PIETERS

Belgian sensation Thomas Pieters reveals why he never wants to miss another Ryder Cup, why playing in Mexico left him feeling high – but only due to the lack of oxygen – and why he’s a true European at heart

I NEVER FEEL EMOTIONALLY DRAINED AFTER A TOURNAMENT, but it took me months to recover from the Ryder Cup. When you win an event on tour, you tend to go a little flat physically the next week, but after Hazeltine I just couldn’t get up for much for months. I suppose that’s what happens when you spend a full week just absolutely flying on adrenaline, and you literally give everything you have to a single cause. There’s no doubt I’m addicted to the Ryder Cup – I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I never miss another one, starting in France, because I really want to make Thomas Bjorn’s team. He was the vice-captain assigned to look after me at Hazeltine, and he was so good with me. I think he was proud of the way I had handled myself, and the way I had played. He’s already telling me I have to make it in France, so I better not let him down! Mexico was a cool place to play the WGC tournament. It reminded me a little bit of Buenos Aires. I went for a walk around the neighbourhood that we were staying in and it was really cool. The people were really nice and the food was awesome. The golf course was interesting too, although it felt strange playing a WGC event on a course with narrow fairways, because these tournaments are usually played on wide, open courses. It’s great to see these events move around the world a bit more, and visit more ‘old school’ courses. It would be cool to have a WGC event back in Europe soon.

I get a real sense of pride being at a tournament that features just the top 60 players in the world. It’s so cool to be a part of it, and I definitely still walk down the range and see guys that I grew up watching and think ‘I have done alright so far’. I have worked hard to get here, and I occasionally like to take time to let everything sink in and enjoy the moment of being at these tournaments. But then I have to also tell myself that I am here to win, and that I am good enough to do that. I always looked up to Adam Scott, for example, and when I first played against him at the WGC-Match Play, I was so nervous and almost star-struck. Now I can call him a friend, so I’m not going ‘Oh my god, it’s Adam Scott’ when I see him at an event. Now it’s more like, ‘Hey dude, fancy a few holes?’ Finishing second at the Genesis Open and fifth at the WGC pretty much secured my PGA Tour card, but I don’t see the need to leave the European Tour. In fact, I’ll never leave the

European Tour – it is where my home is. I’ll definitely play more events on the PGA Tour, but it’s great to able to play on both. I went to college in America, and I have a lot of friends and great connections there, but I don’t think I would move there full time. Certainly not for the moment. I’d much rather be close to my family at home right now. Next year, I will probably play a 60/40 split between Europe and the US. I’ll play my minimum on the PGA Tour, and hopefully get into the FedEx Cup, but once August rolls around there’s only one thing that matters: the Ryder Cup! Once you have played in the Ryder Cup, there is nothing better in golf. It’s like a crazy drug, and I am totally addicted. It’s difficult to describe why. Once you make that team, and step onto the plane, you are just immersed in this unbelievable experience for a week that changes your life. The vibe is amazing, and competing in that atmosphere was unbelievable. I want more. I had spoken to Nicolas Colsaerts about it a lot, so I had an idea of what to expect, but I don’t think anything can prepare you for playing in it. And then if I look back at what happened to me, and the experiences I had with Rory on the golf course, it was just beyond anything I could have hoped for. Rory definitely inspired me and brought me out of my shell. He was amazing. He takes it really personally – even if he loses a hole, he takes it personally, and it taught me a lot about how to play with passion in such an incredible

The altitude was crazy in Mexico. Being so far above sea level – I think it was over 2,000 metres – really tested my fitness. As soon as you walk up any kind of hill, you feel that lack of oxygen. The good thing about the altitude is how far you can hit the ball. I hit a drive that was almost 400 metres during practice. If you get the right spin on the ball and the right trajectory, it just didn’t come down. I also hit a 9-iron 190 metres.

atmosphere, but still produce great golf. It was a special feeling to have Darren put that much faith in me. He picked me as a wild card and then kept that faith, so I was so happy to be able to play well and get him some points. I never really knew Darren before the Ryder Cup, but now I have a very special relationship with him. I can ask him anything ■ PIETERS & MCILROY FORMED A WINNING PARTNERSHIP AT HAZELTINE

and approach him, and he will always have my back.

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EQUIPMENT | FEBRUARY 2017

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CALLAWAY HYBRID LASER/GPS £329, BRANDFUSION.CO.UK Callaway’s new dual laser and GPS distance-measuring device to give golfers the best of both worlds when seeking on-course accuracy. The Hybrid Laser-GPS combines the pin-seeking precision of a laser rangefinder with the added convenience of GPS course mapping, wrapped up in a compact device weighing just 220g. The laser can lock on to flags up to 300 yards away with accuracy to within a single yard, and also offers six-times magnification for multiple-target measurements up to 1,000 yards away. The GPS unit is preloaded with more than 30,000 golf courses, without any download or subscription fees, and offers distance measurements to the front, centre and back of greens, plus lay up and carry yardages to hazards and doglegs.

CALLAWAY SUPER SOFT £19.99 FOR 12, CALLAWAYGOLF.COM

ODYSSEY WORKS PUTTER £179, ODYSSEYGOLF.COM Odyssey’s new range of O Works putters benefits from a new type of insert that contains hundreds of individual stainless steel ‘microhinges’ which flex on impact, lifting the ball out of its impression to produce topspin for a smoother roll and improved distance control. The range comprises five blade models (#1, #1 Tank, #1 Wide, #2 and #9) and six mallets, #7, #7 Tank, R-Line, R-Line CS, V-Line Fang CH and a 2-Ball. They all feature an updated version of Odyssey’s high contrast Versa alignment system, which highlights the proper face angle throughout the stroke. A new red highlight lines provides an additional aid to make sure the clubhead is lined up exactly to the target. There are two Tank counterbalance option in the range that feature heavier heads and shafts, which serve to quieten the hands and engage the big muscles to deliver more stability at impact and promote a more consistent stroke.

CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT X

CALLAWAY MACK DADDY FORGED WEDGE

£32.99 FOR 12, CALLAWAYGOLF.COM

£139, CALLAWAYGOLF.COM

The all-new Chrome Soft X has been designed to offer a lower spinning, slightly firmer feeling alternative to the Chrome Soft. Boasting a four-piece design, it features a Dual SoftFast core that increases speed for improved distance, while HEX dimples reduce drag to help it stay in the air longer. A soft urethane cover increases spin control and feedback for better chipping and putting feel. A higher compression than the standard Chrome Soft gives the X a slightly firmer feel and a lower flight that faster swingers will benefit from. It comes in white, yellow and TruVis colour options.

The latest incarnation of the Mack Daddy wedge range boasts a host of new design features, including reduced offset, a squarer toe, and a straighter leading edge. Created by wedge guru Roger Cleveland, they offer the clean, traditional appearance that tour pros prefer, but their versatile design ensures they can be used by a wide variety of players. Forged from soft carbon steel for added feel and consistency, extra spin is created via a new 16-groove configuration that incorporates an added groove at the bottom to promote added stopping power on pitches and chips. The face features three different groove patterns to further increase spin as the loft increases. Added control comes from progressive centre of gravity positioning, which moves up as the loft of each wedge increases. This promotes a lower and easier-to-control flight in the higher lofts, without sacrificing spin. A new R sole grind offers the versatility necessary to play shots from a broad range of grasses and lies, with a defined crescent sole and mid-bounce making it easy to play a wide variety of greenside shots. They are available in a choice of two finishes – nickel chrome with copper strike or brushed slate. Lofts/bounce options are 50°/10°, 52°/10°, 54°/10°, 56°/10°, 58°/8° and 60°/8°.

While Callaway's new Chrome Soft X ball is a firmer version of the Chrome Soft, another new Callaway ball for 2017, the SuperSoft, is its softest ever twopiece ball. The new version has a compression of just 35, making it 20 points softer than the brand’s Warbird ball, and its ultra low compression core means reduced spin for a straighter ball flight and longer distance from the tee. Lowdrag Hex dimples also contributes to reduced spin on woods, hybrids and irons, although wedge shots and chips will still benefit from control and feel courtesy of a new softer Tri-ionomer cover formulation, which enhances spin and distance control around the greens. They are available in yellow and pink by the dozen, and a new multi-pack featuring a sleeve of blue, yellow, orange and white.

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SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION

10 MINS WITH…

JAMES MORRISON Two- time European Tour winner James Morrison lets you know a bit more about him…

Where do you live? Weybridge, Surrey. Where do you play? I play at St George’s Hill Golf Club in Surrey. When did you start to play golf? I started to play golf at the age of 16, when I started playing with a mate of mine at school,. We used to play the local pay-and-play courses in Surrey. I went down from an 18 handicap to scratch in 10 months, which I still think is my biggest achievement in the game so far. I turned pro in 2006, playing oﬀ a plus-four handicap. Were you good at any other sports? I used to be in the same England youth cricket team as Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara and Tim Bresnan, with whom I still remain friends. If you could change one

rule of the game? It would have to be slow play. I’m a quick player, so I don’t like hanging around. Some players take forever, so more penalties for slow play please! The best advice you’ve been given? Paul Casey told me three years ago that if your work ethic doesn’t match your ambition, you’ve got no chance of succeeding. A day doesn’t go by where I don’t think of this. Favourite venue? Wentworth, because I can stay at home! Beyond that, every country is very unique, China, Malaysia and Dubai are all fun to play in. Every week is a great week. Your dream four ball? Justin Rose for the golf side, plus Will Ferrell, Robin Williams, and Sir

Winston Churchill. Best shot you’ve hit? The second shot into 18 at Maderia, when I won in 2010, It was my first year on tour, and it was early in the season and I was only just finding my feet. The 18th is a par five over water, and my caddie told me to lay up, but I took a 3-wood out of the bag to get up-anddown for the win. Best mates on Tour? David Horsey, Matt Nixon and Wade Ormsby. Holes-in-one? I’ve had four. My best one was in the Irish Open at Royal Portrush, to win a BMW. I also won another BMW at Wentworth last year. I picked up Andy Sullivan and carried him to the green. First pay cheque? It was a Challenge Tour

■ WILL FERRELL

PABLO LARRAZÁBAL | TOUR PROFESSIONAL

#IWEARCALLAWAY ...DO YOU? @ApparelCallaway CallawayEuropeApparel.com ■ ST GEORGE'S HILL GOLF LUB ©2017 Callaway Golf Company. Callaway and the Chevron device are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. Perry Ellis Europe is an official licensee of Callaway Golf Company.

event in Italy, and my Dad was caddying for me, pushing a trolley. I think it was 1,100 euros. Most nervous you’ve been on Tour? That was playing with Tom Watson at The Open in a practice round. It was on a Sunday, so a week before the tournament started, and even then I was still shaking. Are you one of the gym bunnies on tour? Not exactly. I knew the physical side was one area that I needed to work on, so I spend about six hours a week in the gym working on my ﬁtness. I’ve had Crohn’s Disease since I was 16, which aﬀects the digestive system, so I’ve had to manage that and plan my diet accordingly. Touch wood, I’ve had no issues for a while now, and I’ve been working with a personal trainer.

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DRIVING FORCE

MEET ALAN HOCKNELL THE CREATIVE BRAIN BEHIND CALLAWAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW EPIC DRIVERS

[10] MARCH 2017 | EQUIPMENT

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TALE

EPIC

Massive, Huge, Incredible, Awesome. Whatever your understanding of the word ‘Epic’, seeing it used as the name for a new driver will certainly raise your expectations when it comes its performance. Here, Alan Hocknell, senior vice president of research and development at Callaway Golf, discusses the innovations involved in the company’s latest range of drivers and explains why they more than live up to their unashamedly boastful name

hat makes the new Epic drivers a breakthrough in terms of design, technology and performance? Epic represents the best of everything Callaway has ever done in driver design. It has a very refined multi-material construction with some of the thinnest titanium, and certainly some of the thinnest carbon materials, we have ever used. Epic has the benefits of what we have learned about moving the centre of gravity both left and right and up and down, and how important moment of inertia is for everyone. The aerodynamic properties of both Epic drivers have been prominent in our thoughts. These essential performance ingredients, added to new Jailbreak Technology, have seen us make a big stride forward, similarly to when we introduced Face Cups to fairway woods, hybrids and irons, which added ball speed in large amounts. What is Jailbreak Technology? Jailbreak was a research and discovery thing. In the early stages, we witnessed something we had never seen before. It was a phenomenon whereby utilising vertical rods in the head of a driver would potentially encourage the body and face to react very differently on impact with a golf ball. It was different from our other models of impact we had studied, and we weren’t quite sure at the time what we were seeing. However, we are sufficiently resourced at Callaway, and

curious enough, to experiment further, mostly on computer, using a simulation tool. This research led to some early prototypes that demonstrated a clear ball speed enhancement, while still adhering to the current Characteristic Time rule [which measures the elasticity of the face], and it was at this stage our senior management team got involved in the project. Our findings showed that Jailbreak – although it wasn’t called that at this point – was a potential future ingredient for a driver. The next stage was to understand how we could manufacture this particular piece of technology in a driver head so that it survived impact with a golf ball. We also had to consider how we could add it into a driver production processes that already involved carbon, titanium and several other things. So it was a huge challenge. Who thought of the name Jailbreak? It came from our innovation team. Some of the first prototypes had three vertical rods, so it really did look like prison cell bars. But clearly, the name also comes from the fact that we are trying to break free from some of the design constraints we feel we’ve been under as well. When did you first witness the full performance advantages of Jailbreak? The thing we didn’t understand at the time was how we could turn it into something so meaningful. There was something of a ‘light bulb moment’ when the prototypes did what the neurosimulations suggested were possible – until this point, it had all

been quite theoretical. Once we started testing the prototypes we then saw that this stiffening attribute to the body and face had more effect on the performance of the driver head than we had previously thought, but we still had to understand how to harness it effectively. How diﬃcult was it to manufacture a driver with such a complex internal structure? There are 1,041 manufacturing processes in an Epic driver. Compare this to XR 16, which has 618, and it gives you some idea of how complex this product really is. Jailbreak itself makes the tooling much more complicated, and with all the different materials and different parts, there are different challenges in the way they go together, and how the whole head is finished. There are also 368 individual inspection points during the creation of an Epic driver – these could be to measure metal thickness or check weight, or a particular dimension on the head. How will golfers know if they should choose an Epic or an Epic Sub Zero driver? The majority of people will require some sort of left-right shot shape correction. The standard version focuses on that performance metric very heavily, so we would expect that element to be the primary fitting tool for the majority of golfers. However, there are a large number of people who may not value that form of adjustability quite so much, or may not need it – they already hit the ball well – and they may require help controlling backspin on the golf ball. In those instances, the Sub Zero is for them.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

EQUIPMENT | MARCH 2017

[11]

a tube in which to hold the gravity core; and you needed a screw on the bottom of the tube to hold the gravity core in. In our Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond driver, for example, we had two of these chambers, and they were not in ideal positions for MOI. They were also expensive in terms of the amount of weight they used in the overall make-up of the head. On our perimeter-weighted Epic driver, we were focused on moving the maximum amount of weight, in the most efficient way, and we found that we didn’t need a super-long track to go all the way from one side of the head to the other to achieve this. We have actually gained more adjustability in Epic, with a much shorter track and a heavier moveable weight. In our early adjustable weight drivers, we wanted a really long track because it was very impressive, and it made intuitive sense that the weight had to move a long way. What we have since discovered is that it is actually more efficient for the track to be as short as possible – meaning you can locate it more in the back of the club versus in the middle of the club – and this then makes the weight more efficient from an MOI perspective. 3D printing has been used on the Epic drivers. How and why? The Speed Step on the crown of the head – which improves airflow and head speed during the swing – has previously been cast into the head during the production process. However, with Epic we have used 3D printing for the first time. The Speed Step is printed onto the head in a series of layers, which gives us a high degree of control over the dimensions of the step. It also makes it very light, because it is now made from a polymer material rather than being part of the metal frame.

■ THERE ARE TWO EPIC MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM TO SUIT YOUR GAME

What performance advantages will golfers see in using an Epic driver? We have seen significant ball speed gains across the board, whether it’s a Tour pro hitting a ball or a mid-handicapper. Some people will see circumstances where the ball speed gain is much, much bigger, by marrying all the adjustable elements together. But there are always other factors involved to make the opportunity to gain even more performance very likely, such as spin rate or dispersion. Just how forgiving is the Epic driver? It is 1,000 points (12.5%) more forgiving than Great Big Bertha. This measurement represents the resistance to rotation that the driver has, and this is important when golfers do not hit the centre of the face. A forgiveness increase from 7,000 points to 8,000 points (Epic v GBB) is a very big deal. The Great Big Bertha has been popular on Tour and with average golfers, so now you take that performance and upscale it, and you are getting to a level with some of the most forgiving drivers around, with the addition of maximum adjustability. ■ TITANIUM BARS WELDED TO THE SOLE AND THE CROWN HELP TO TRANSFER MORE ENERGYTHROUGH THE FACE FOR FASTER BALLS SPEEDS

In most drivers, that low spin characteristic usually comes at the disadvantage of having low forgiveness (low MOI), but for the first time, the Epic Sub Zero driver does not suffer this drawback. This is a huge performance benefit. Each Epic driver genuinely has different performance characteristics, but both clubs are equally forgiving, and that has never been done in a fitting system. There is now much more capability across the two drivers to cover the performance requirements of an entire spectrum of golfers like never before. Is it essential to be custom-fitted for an Epic driver? Our philosophy is that we want to be able to design golf clubs

for individuals. With the ability to adapt the characteristics of the club through the settings you use, whether that is adjustable weights or even the choice of shaft, we are now giving all golfers the opportunity to perfectly tune a driver just for them. We see Epic as the ultimate fitting platform, and every golfer will benefit from this level of personalisation. What is different about the adjustable weighting on Epic? Our previous drivers that had the gravity core, really tried hard to move the centre of gravity vertically up and down, but it was expensive in the way that it was done – expensive in terms of weight, because you needed the gravity core itself; you needed

What has been the reaction to the Epic among your tour staff? Quite a few of our players put it straight into the bag. Danny Willett, Sebastien Gros and Pablo Larrazabal all put Epic drivers in play at the UBS Hong Kong Open back in December, while Marc Leishman was the first to put an Epic product into play, a fairway wood, at the Australian PGA Championship. Can you sum up what the Epic range represents? It represents the bringing together of all the best elements of current Callaway driver development and marries them to Jailbreak Technology, to give every golfer a clear and consistent ball speed advantage. By putting all the ingredients together, Epic drivers address the needs of a great number of golfers, because they can control ball flight and unlock distance, while also maintaining forgiveness.

[12] FEBRUARY 2017 | EQUIPMENT

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■ JAILBREAK TECHNOLOGY - TWO 3G TITANIUM BARS LOCATED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE CLUBFACE CONNECT THE CROWN AND SOLE. THIS MAKES THE FACE MORE EFFICIENT, TAKING ON MORE OF THE LOAD CREATED AT IMPACT, AND FORCING IT TO REBOUND ENERGY OUTWARDS TO INCREASE BALL SPEEDS AND OVERALL DISTANCE.

AN EPIC CLUB

When you launch a driver with the name ‘EPIC’, you’d better be sure that it lives up to its name. Callaway believes its latest Big Bertha driver does just that and here’s why

ome 15 years after launching the game-changing ERC II – a £500

tested some of the early prototypes, and measured its performance across the full

driver that oﬀered huge distance gains for all types of golfer, but

spectrum of golfers, the name stuck.

also slightly bent the Rules of Golf – Callaway has unveiled its latest

Early testing by some of Callaway’s tour professionals saw distance gains of up to

ball-bashing beast – the Great Big Bertha Epic, a £465 driver that

21 yards over previous Callaway drivers, including the XR 16, while amateur golfers

promises to deliver ERC-style distance gains while staying firmly

of all standards have reported swing speed increases of between 2-5mph, leading

within the laws of the game.

to significantly increased yardage.

While the ERC II was judged to have had too much spring in its face, which

For higher-speed swingers, there is an Epic Sub Zero version that has two fixed

contravened the rules governing the co-efficient of restitution, Callaway’s Epic driver

weight ports in the sole that can be switched between a 12g and a 2g screw

has a face the comes close to the legal limit, while at the same time harnessing the

instead of the sliding weight. The taller head looks more compact at address and

energy that is lost through the crown and the sole of other drivers, through the

this is the one that Rory McIlroy started the season using to impressive effect

introduction of two titanium bars that connect that latter to the former directly

before being sidelined with a rib injury. According to Callaway’s head of research and product development, Alan

behind the clubface. 'Jailbreak Technology' sees two titanium bars connect the crown to the sole

Hocknell, the Epic driver is an amalgamation of all the most successful elements of

directly behind the impact area to produce increased ball speeds across the entire

previous Callaway drivers, along with a number of completely new technologies

face. The titanium bars – which weigh 3g each – stand parallel to each other and

and manufacturing processes that combine to deliver what he describes as a

are connected at either end to the crown and sole. The size, strength and position

‘paradigm shift in power, speed and distance’.

of each bar work together to reduce how much the crown and sole deflect at

“Epic represents the bringing together of all the best elements of current

impact, forcing the face to take on more of the load created than ever before. This

Callaway driver development and marries it to Jailbreak Technology, to give every

results in faster ball speeds across the entire face, promoting more distance for all

golfer a clear and consistent ball speed advantage,” says Hocknell. “By putting

ranges of swing speeds.

all the ingredients together, Epic drivers address the needs of a great number

The ‘Epic’ name was originally just a title given to the project by Callaway’s design team when they were drawing up plans for a new driver, but once they had

of golfers because they can control ball flight and unlock distance, while also maintaining forgiveness.”

AVAILABLE IN RH 9.5°, 10.5° AND 13.5° LOFTS AND IN 9°, 10.5° AND IN 13.5° LH (CUSTOM ORDERS ONLY), THE GBB EPIC AND GBB EPIC SUB ZERO DRIVERS HAVE AN RRP OF £469.

FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT CALLAWAYGOLF.COM

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EQUIPMENT | FEBRUARY 2017

EPIC BY NUMBERS

■ NEW WEIGHT TRACK – A REDESIGNED SLIDING WEIGHT TRACK FEATURES A SHORTER TRACK WITH A HEAVIER SLIDING WEIGHT. BOTH INNOVATIONS INCREASE MOI, AS WELL AS DELIVER UP TO 21 YARDS OF SHOT-SHAPE CORRECTION. AN OPTIFIT HOSEL ALSO ALLOWS FOR FURTHER FINE-TUNING OF LOFT AND FACE ANGLE.

[13]

THE PERCENTAGE OF CALLAWAY STAFF PRO'S WHO PUT AN EPIC OR EPIC SUB ZERO INTO PLAY AT THE SONY OPEN, THE FIRST FULL FIELD EVENT OF 2017. IT WAS THE HIGHEST INITIAL CONVERSION EVER FOR A NEW CALLAWAY DRIVER.

THE SCORE PGA TOUR PLAYER ADAM HADWIN SHOT IN THE CAREERBUILD CHALLENGE IN HIS VERY FIRST EVENT WITH THE EPIC. HE BECAME JUST THE EIGHTH PLAYER EVER TO SHOOT 59 OR LOWER ON THE PGA TOUR.

KEVIN KISNER’S SCORE IN HIS FIRST WEEK WITH THE EPIC DRIVER AT THE SONY OPEN. HE GAINED 3MPH IN BALL SPEED.

THE NUMBER OF EPIC DRIVERS IN PLAY AT

■ LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS - THE EPIC’S 460CC CLUBHEAD CONSISTS OF AN EXOCAGE COMBINED WITH CROWN AND SOLE PANELS MADE OF TRIAXIAL CARBON, A LIGHT AND STRONG COMPOSITE MATERIAL DEVELOPED BY CALLAWAY. DESPITE THE CROWN WEIGHING JUST 9.7G AND THE SOLE ONLY 5.8G, THE STRUCTURE IS INCREDIBLY LIGHT AND STRONG, WITH EXCEPTIONAL MOI AND A LOW CENTRE OF GRAVITY THAT MAKES IT EASY TO LAUNCH THE BALL HIGH WITH LOW SPIN.

■ REDESIGNED SPEED STEP CROWN - THE CROWN FEATURES AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE SPEED STEP TECHNOLOGY FOUND IN THE XR 16 DRIVER. ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BOEING, THE SPEED STEP IMPROVES AIRFLOW TO ENCOURAGE MORE SWING SPEED AND DISTANCE WITHOUT EXTRA EFFORT. RATHER THAN BEING CAST ONTO THE CROWN, THE NEW SPEED STEP IS 3D PRINTED FOR EVEN MORE PRECISE WEIGHT AND SHAPE CONTROL.

■ MORE SHAFT OPTIONS THE STANDARD SHAFT OPTIONS ARE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE OFFERED IN CALLAWAY’S HISTORY, WITH FOUR BRANDS TO CHOOSE FROM IN A WIDE VARIETY OF WEIGHTS, FLEXES AND TORQUES. GOLFERS CAN CHOOSE FROM DIAMANA M+ GREEN, PROJECT X HZRDUS, FUJIKURA PRO GREEN AND ALDILA ROGUE MAX IN FIVE WEIGHT CLASSES: 40G, 50G, 60G, 70G, 80G.

THE CAREERBUILD CHALLENGE. THAT LIST INCLUDED PHIL MICKELSON, DANIEL BERGER, MARC LEISHMAN, EMILIANO GRILLO, DANNY LEE AND PATRICK RODGERS.

THE NUMBER OF EPIC DRIVERS IN PLAY AT THE FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR EVENT OF 2017. DANNY WILLETT, BRANDEN GRACE, ALEX NOREN, KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT AND THOMAS BJORN ALL

■ THE STANDARD EPIC DRIVER DELIVERS A HIGH, SOARING BALL FLIGHT WITH MID LEVELS OF SPIN

■ THE EPIC SUB ZERO IS A LOWER-SPINNING OPTION WITH A MORE PENETRATING TRAJECTORY

PUT IT STRAIGHT INTO THE BAG.

[14] MARCH 2017 | ALEX NOREN

ALEX THE GREAT Four wins on the European Tour in 2016 have catapulted Sweden’s ALEX NOREN into the world’s top10, and set up a tilt at the game’s biggest prizes, and perhaps a potential date in Paris next year….

ow hard has it been to get back into the routine on tour again after such an incredible 2016? I had quite a bit of time off over Christmas and the New Year, perhaps a little too long, maybe. I took a month and a half or even more, and it probably would have been good to have thrown another tournament in there somewhere, just after Christmas or something, just to get back at it. Maybe I'll change that for next year. So coming into Abu Dhabi and Qatar, I perhaps didn't feel as good as I did last year. I did a lot of training, but not all of it really worked out the way I wanted to. But you know, once you get back into the normal routine, you soon get back to the style of golf that you are used to playing. I find that not trying the shots that you would like to pull off, but instead relying on those that you know you can play usually work better for me. What kind of shots were you working over the winter? I've always played with a bit of a fade, and I tried to straighten it out, and also worked on getting some more distance. I also spent a little time working on my chipping with my coach, Matt Belsham. It's a long process to make a big change to your swing. To do that probably takes a few years. Obviously my game was great last year, but I always want to get a little bit better. I’ve also changed my approach to practice. Now I’m trying to play more actual golf on the course, focusing on getting the ball round in good scores, rather than spending hours on the range working on my swing and technique. I’ve dedicated more time to my whole game as well – so I’m practising wedges and my short game a lot more, rather than just getting stuck out on the range hitting drivers. Can you put your finger on why everything clicked for you in the second half of the season with those four wins? Well, it was down to a few things. I've been working with my coach for about three years now, and it's gradually been getting better and better. We both have a little bit better understanding of my swing, and rather than always trying to change it, we’ve stopped trying to constantly tinker with it. For me, the turning point in the season came when I played in the US Open at Oakmont. I missed the cut there, but playing such an unbelievably tough golf course was a real eye opener. I came to France, and I've always had trouble in France, and it felt so much easier to cope

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ALEX NOREN | MARCH 2017

are so many good tournaments for me to play, and I’m just trying to focus on them and my game, rather than looking too far ahead. Of course, it would be amazing if I could make the team in 2018. I watched the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, and I think it’s an extraordinary event. You don’t see the guys that pumped up at any other event. I got the goosebumps when Rory made his putt against Patrick Reed in the singles. It affected me a lot, and you can see how much it means. It’s about so much more than yourself when you’re playing in a team, and I think that brings an extra dimension to it. Do you think you've moved on to another level as a player? Well, when I compare myself to all those other guys that I'm trying to beat, I can see a lot of weaknesses in my game, and also a few strengths. I don't think I'm such a different player from what I was before. It's more like I'm more aware of my weaknesses and my strengths, and I can strategically play to them. So I don't feel like my skill level has increased dramatically. It's more that I just know my game better. So I'm not going for shots that I have quite a low percentage of making. My bad shots aren’t quite so bad. It's more relaxing to play when you don't have those really errant shots. With regards to my ranking, I don’t give it much thought. I never think ‘Hey, I’m a top 10 player now, or what have you.

I GOT THE GOOSEBUMPS WHEN RORY MADE HIS PUTT AGAINST PATRICK REED IN THE SINGLES. IT AFFECTED ME A LOT, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH IT MEANS. IT’S ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN YOURSELF WHEN YOU’RE PLAYING IN A TEAM, AND I THINK THAT BRINGS AN EXTRA DIMENSION TO IT. with compared to what I just experienced at Oakmont. So I finished eighth in France, and won the Scottish the week after, and that gave me a lot of confidence to move on from there. It was easier in Crans, and then again at the British Masters. Confidence breeds confidence. When you look back at your victory in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, how important was that win that sparked the great run? And will you be back to defend the title this summer at Dundonald? Yeah, it was huge for me to win the Scottish Open, especially coming down the last two holes. It was quite a tough wind, and being able to par those two holes felt like I could stand my ground under pressure, which is always a confidence boost. That made it a lot easier the next time I had a chance to win, because I was a lot more nervous over those last few holes than I’ve ever been. I tihnk the Scottish Open will be even better this year, with it being part of the Rolex Series. I’m looking forward to defending my title. One of the reasons behind the Rolex Series is to try and keep young players like you in Europe, and not have them go to the PGA Tour. What effect do you think it will have going forward? I think if you have all those $7 million tournaments – and they said they are trying to get even more – and then you have the WGCs and the majors – that's a great schedule. As a European, I love playing in Europe, and Asia and Africa and the Middle East, but also I love playing in America. But it would be great to have a competitive schedule that allows us to live in Europe. I think the European Tour is great, and I love where it is heading. So, if you want to live in Sweden, you can do so, and still have a great schedule. You purposefully didn't change your schedule to have a better chance of the making the Ryder Cup team last year. Are you still comfortable with that decision, and how important was that decision in where you are in the game today? Changing my schedule by adding one or two more tournaments, just to get a pick for Ryder Cup, wasn’t part of my plan, so I can honestly say I didn’t have any regrets about the decisions I made. All I'm trying to do is get a game that can compete with the best players in the world, and I think I have a good plan how to do that. A lot of people came up to last year me saying, ‘Don’t you wish you were at the Ryder Cup? And I’m like, ‘Maybe zero.’ Golf is so punishing all the time. I don’t ever dwell on it. There’s so much to look forward to. Have you given much thought to the Ryder Cup in 2018? It isn’t really on my mind. Now that I’m inside the world’s top 50, there

You’ve put Callaway’s new Epic driver in the bag. Can you talk about the testing process that you did in the off-season and what sort of performance benefits you saw that made you make the switch from your XR16 driver? I’ve tried both Epic drivers, and Iiked them both, but the one that suits me best is the Sub Zero. It has a little bit of a smaller head than the standard model, which suits my eye and feels a bit more upright. It also creates less spin, which allows me to have more loft, around 9.5 degrees, rather than 8, which lets me fade or draw the ball a little bit more easily. I didn’t do a lot of testing on Trackman on the range with it, as I generally prefer just to take a new club out onto the course, play with it a lot, and see how it performs under different conditions, such as downwind, upwind, and on different types of holes. I’ve not played with a more consistent driver than the Epic, and what’s really impressed me most is the way it performs when I don’t quite catch the centre of the clubface. Even low impacts, or those marginally off-centre hits, still get the ball out there, which is a huge performance benefit for me. Have you tried Callaway’s new Chrome Soft X ball? I’ve tried it on the driving range and on short game practise, and really like the way it shapes up. It really holds its line in the wind and generates lots of spin around the greens, so I’m really happy with the way it performs across the board. I was playing the Chrome Soft ++ last year, which was a firmer version of the Chrome Soft. I’ve always preferred a firmer ball, which flies really well through the wind, and this is exactly what the Chrome Soft X offers. Do you think becoming a dad for the first time has changed your outlook on your golf? My whole life used to be golf. If I played bad, I was sad. I was really happy if I played well. Now it’s a combination of knowing where you are with your golf and having something else that’s really important. That just makes the wins less fun and the losses less bad. Having a baby has actually helped my golf a lot. It’s just relaxed me a bit. Looking after my little one has made me focus on something other than golf, which has been beneficial to my overall game. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself and your game in the last 12 months? I think the most interesting thing for me, is that I now understand that you don't have to hit every shot perfect to win. You watch TV and you see these amazing players not missing a shot, but that's not actually true. As long as you manage your game, and miss it on the right places, and hole enough putts and chip good enough, you've got a chance. I think that's been the difference – trying not to be perfect.

WHAT’S IN NOREN’S BAG? DRIVER

CALLAWAY EPIC (9.5˚)

FAIRWAY CALLAWAY EPIC (15˚) HYBRID

CALLAWAY APEX HYBRID (18˚)

IRONS

CALLAWAY APEX PRO (4-9)

WEDGES CALLAWAY MACK DADDY 2 (47˚, 52˚, 56˚, 60˚) PUTTER

ODYSSEY WORKS #1

BALL

CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT X

An aerospace-grade titanium Exo-Cage™, and triaxial carbon crown and sole save tremendous weight and amplify ball speed. The Speed Step Crown® streamlines aerodynamics, and our Adjustable Perimeter Weighting delivers precision fitting to fine-tune launch conditions.