TALES FROM A TOUR CADDIE SEPTEMBER 2012, ISSUE 10 VOL 53
Cheers, tears and cheating
Inside the R&A Gear Lab £4.20
Where clubs get banned
The Scoring Issue
Hit more greens
EXCLUSIVE TIPS BY WESTWOOD & COWEN MAKE MORE BIRDIES
SEPTEMBER 2012
HIT MORE GREENS, WITH WESTWOOD AND COWEN ■ ERNIE ELS’ OPEN GLORY ■ TITLEIST 913D AND PING ANSER DRIVERS ■ MARK ROE’S CHIPPING TIPS ■ KIAWAH RYDER CUP
Players relive the Ryder Cup that changed things forever
NEW TITLE PING DRIVIST & ERS First look at 9 and Anser13D
Mark Roe on chipping PLUS: The new and easy way to get out of bunkers
Putt like Stricker How to copy one of the world’s best strokes
ERNIE ELS: LEARN FROM MY COMEBACK
EVENTS / EQUIPMENT / COURSES / NEWS / OPINION
10 THINGS We’re talking about in golf...
TITLEIST 913D The new 913D2 and 913D3 drivers won’t be available to the public until November, but both clubs have been on Tour driving ranges for weeks, and Rory McIlroy put one in the bag after Trackman tests at the Irish Open. He said: “All the numbers suggested I was hitting the ball longer. I’m getting less spin, which is great in the wind and it carries 15 yards further in calm conditions.” There is no word yet on its price.
1P
Testing, testing...
From drivers to balls, Tour pros have been checking out equipment manufacturers’ new models in recent weeks. Typically, it’s a hush-hush process that generates buzz.
rototype. It’s a word that turns heads on Tour practice ranges and sends golf writers scrambling for tidbits of information and sneak-peek photos. At times the product is out in the open; at others it is kept hidden under headcovers, in white, unmarked boxes or in the safety of the Tour vans. In all cases it piques curiosity. Welcome to the Tour’s
Golf World September 2012
prototype season, a time when manufacturers bring yet-to-be-released equipment to their professional staffers to garner feedback and product validation. Once upon a time, as few as 10 years ago, manufacturers would wait until after the Majors before unveiling prototypes. No more. Hoping to gain any edge they can, players today are increasingly open to equipment
experimentation, even mid-year. Two of the biggest ‘launches’ came in the form of new drivers from Titleist and Ping. Titleist’s new 913 line features a D2 version with a 460cc clubhead and a full pear profile, while a D3 model has a slightly smaller (445cc) head with a traditional pear profile. Rory McIlroy switched at the Irish Open, while 14 players at the AT&T and 14 more at the
PING ANSER Ping’s Anser driver has a 460cc titanium head with a matt-black finish. It’s adjustable for loft plus or minus half a degree. Adjusting loft can alter the face angle – the more the loft, the more the face is closed; the less loft, the more it is opened. The driver has four standard lofts; 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees and is set to arrive in pro shops from mid August. Lee Westwood is said to be impressed.
French Open put it in their bags. At the Scottish Open, Ping gave its players the new adjustable Anser driver to try, ahead of its launch to the public at the beginning of August. It is designed to offer more precise fitting options that focus on dialling in the proper loft (see above). “Though we always bring our new product out for Tour validation before releasing it to market, we’re also seeking player feedback,” said Chris McGinley, VP of golf club marketing for Titleist, who was on hand at Congressional. “What our players tell us can help shape the finished product that comes to market.” Earlier this year Callaway unveiled its X Utility iron – an iron-like hybrid
available in 18, 21 and 24 degrees. Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els had the club in the bag at the recent US Open and its use continued at Congressional with Brendan Steele, JB Holmes and amateur Beau Hossler (who found it a better fit from a distance-gap standpoint and easier to work the ball than his hybrid) putting the club in play. Their feedback, and the popularity of the club among players, has persuaded Callaway to develop a version for the public. Srixon, meanwhile, conducted testing of prototype balls during practice rounds with several staff players, including Vijay Singh, Robert Allenby and Kevin Stadler. The feedback was the ball performed similarly to their current ball off the driver and irons, but
produced a slightly flatter flight on full wedge shots (a desirable trait for most Tour players) with slightly more spin. The Tour is also a fertile proving ground for new shafts. In recent weeks Mitsubishi’s latest iteration of its Diamana series, the +Plus (a mixture of the first and second generation Diamanas), has been spotted. Kyle Stanley put the new Diamana +Plus White Board (which features a more active tip section for a higher launch) in his Titleist driver. The past few weeks were just the start. More prototypes will work their way on Tour in the weeks ahead, some eventually making it to shops, others not. Either way, the prototype season is here – and the buzz has begun.
September 2012 Golf World
EQUIPMENT Behind the technology
RIP, 4-iron?
It could be time to swap out your 4-iron for the latest fast-face hybrid technology.
L
ike last month’s milk, your 4-iron is way past its expiry date. But with so many choices, finding a replacement isn’t as simple as it used to be. Hybrids are a good option, but so are the new super gameimprovement (SGI) 4-irons that produce higher ball speeds and more distance than traditional irons. If your goal with a 4-iron is to hit the ball to a specific part of the green, then one of these new SGI irons might give you more speed without sacrificing control. This is why some tour players, including Tiger Woods, have put game-improvement long irons into their sets instead of a hybrid of similar loft. However, if your intent with a 4-iron is to land the ball somewhere around the green (because you lack swing speed and consistent centre-face contact), then a hybrid is a better option. A hybrid has a larger face, more off-centre-hit forgiveness and a lower centre of gravity. Bret Wahl, TaylorMade’s vice president of research and development for irons and putters, says new iron technology is reducing the hybrid’s advantage. The main difference is the ability to produce faces in irons that flex. “Ball speed is magic,” he says. “Once you start helping people generate ball speed, you can convert that into different performance objectives.” Wahl says the increased speed means lower-lofted irons will be able to maintain an acceptable trajectory. But for average players, irons still offer less ball speed and forgiveness than most hybrids. In fact, today’s hybrids have clubhead stability similar to that of the much bigger drivers from 10 years ago, says Alan Hocknell, senior vice president of research and development for Callaway. “Hybrids feature more driver-like technology than irons,” Hocknell says. “With an iron, you have less flexibility in terms of packing lots of weight into a smaller space.” As for which option is best, it’s a matter of managing the distance gaps in your set using a launch monitor under the eye of a club fitter. That’s what 2009 PGA champ YE Yang did, and it’s why he has dumped his 4-iron and 5-iron. He said: “I knew when I was more accurate with my 4-hybrid than I was with my 5-iron it was time to switch to a 5-hybrid, too.”
4-IRON V 4-HYBRID Five players with average to above average swing speeds hit shots with a Callaway RAZR X HL 4-iron and a matching 4-hybrid. A launch monitor measured the results.
4-iron
© GOLF DIGEST
Produced a tighter dispersion for four of five players.
4-hybrid
All players had more speed, more spin and launched the ball higher.
4-iron shots flew longer for faster swings. 4-hybrid shots flew farther for average swings.
Golf World September 2012
CALLAWAY RAZR X HL £549 (SET) The wide sole, undercut cavity and variable-thickness face are designed to help shots launch higher and faster, particularly on ones hit low on the face (4-iron: 24°).
ADAMS IDEA SUPER £229 A maraging steel face combined with slots in the crown and sole, which feature an inner shelf, are designed to improve face flex at impact for increased ball speed (4-hybrid: 22°).
NIKE VR_S FORGED £599.95 (SET)
COBRA AMP £159
Engineers used a steel alloy featuring nickel, chromium and molybdenum to make the face 2.5 millimeters thick to help improve resiliency at impact (4-iron: 22°).
A deeper and more compact face design which utilises high strength steel promotes a penetrating ball flight. Adjustable Flight Technology allows you to fine tune it to match your game (4-hybrid: 22°).
CLEVELAND CG BLACK £659 (SET) Cleveland’s first iron with a titanium face continues a commitment to lightweight technology – keep the overall weight low to maximise swing speed. (4-iron: 21°).
CLEVELAND MASHIE #4 £129 A redesigned sole goes from two rails to four rails and a centre keel to reduce turf drag. Designers used lightweight technology in the shaft and grip, reducing the overall weight by more than 20g (4-hybrid: 23°).
THE 2012 OPEN
The eyes have it
Ernie Els has been using the revolutionary new ‘Eye Gym’ to fine-tune his focus and putting feel. It worked a treat at Royal Lytham & St Annes. WORDS: Jock Howard PHOTOGRAPHY: Getty Images
W
ant to improve your performance skills dramatically in sport, business studies and in life? Ernie did. Want to be part of the established and exciting cutting edge Technology of Visual Performance Skills? Ernie thought he did. Want more productivity at work, better academic results at school or co-ordination and concentration at sport?’ Ernie wanted the last bit of this. Dr Sherylle Calder is a Sports Scientist, or Hand-Eye Co-ordination Doctor. Take your pick. She works out of Cape Town in South Africa, and until recently the South African Netball Team were her most famous clients. That was until Ernie Els stepped into her offices in January this year. Els, winner of three Majors (1994 US Open, 1997 US Open and 2002 Open Championship) wanted a fourth. The problem was that his game was in bad shape, and he was putting like a lemon. In the 10 years since that famous moment at Muirfield, when he finally got his hands on the Claret Jug, Ernie had experienced a heart-wrenching loss to Phil Mickelson at the 2004 Masters, a gut-turning defeat to Todd Hamilton at the 2004 Open at Royal Troon, and an excruciatingly painful injury to his anterior cruciate ligament, when he fell off a banana boat in the summer of 2005. Much more importantly, he also had to come to terms with the fact that his son, Ben, (who is now 10) was autistic. As a result of all this, he moved his family from Wentworth to West Palm Beach, in Florida, where the care for Ben was worldrenowned. It was nevertheless an upheaval for his daughter Samantha (now 13) and his wife, Liezl. Amid all of this, he started to dive down the World Rankings. He was in a very bad place; both on the course and off it. There were demons in
Golf World September 2012
his head. He was short-tempered, feeling sorry for himself, and becoming increasingly frustrated with his performances on the golf course. Indeed, the 42-year-old’s putting had reached such an all-time low that people were telling him to give up the game. He didn’t even qualify for this year’s Masters. So, at the end of last year, he did the unthinkable and started using the belly putter; an instrument he had chastised and criticised for years. Using it, he had said publicly, was as good as ‘cheating’. “As long as they are still legal,” he now said, “I’ll carry on cheating like the rest of them.” And then, the Eureka moment; he met Dr Calder, who he now claims has revitalised his putting (and so his game) in a hugely dramatic, Lazarus-style fashion. Calder also works with rugby players (the England rugby team), hockey players, Formula One drivers and downhill skiers. There is an example on Dr Calder’s website drsheryllecalder.com of Eye Gym, as it is sometimes called; where balls appear on a screen, and where you are supposed to hit the space bar when particular balls appear. It helps your reactions; and trains the brain, apparently. Ernie does it for 20 minutes, before he plays a round of golf. It’s as important to him as hitting balls, or warming up in a real gym. It has helped him to retrain his whole outlook on putting. Dr Calder has told him that he will need to repeat this training aid some 13,000 times before the full effects will be seen in his results on the course. Given he was only halfway through this number when he won his second Claret Jug, his fellow professionals may be quaking in their FootJoys at just what lies ahead. Dr Calder has already been proclaimed as the new Putting Doctor, and you can bet that following the extraordinary happenings at Lytham, her methods will be much in demand
RIGHT: Ernie Els lifts the Claret Jug for the second time after a back-nine 32 at Royal Lytham saw him overhaul Adam Scott. BELOW: Scott’s finalround 75, including bogeys on his last four holes, left him shell-shocked.
Don’t worry about me
Lee Westwood hoped to make this year’s Open his first Major win in 58 tries. He didn’t. But life will go on – and quite nicely. Words: John Huggan PHoToGrAPHy: Matthew Harris, Getty
s
tanding behind the fifth tee on the Old Course at St Andrews during last year’s Dunhill Links Championship, a small boy suddenly collapsed. Very quickly it became apparent he was having an epileptic fit. As everyone in the crowd instinctively took five paces back, Lee Westwood stepped forwards. As the alarming seizures took their natural course, the 39-year-old father of two looked after the lad as if he were his own. When the convulsions were over, he stayed long enough to make sure all was well. For good measure, he signed a glove for the young fan. “I was so impressed by that,” says Billy Foster, Westwood’s (currently injured) caddie. “Lee’s strength of character really shone through in those few minutes. He has great humanity.” It’s high praise. In any endeavour, the slowly nodding respect and admiration of public and peers is perhaps the truest and most meaningful gauge of success in life. Jack Nicklaus has it, in part through being golf’s most gracious ‘loser’. Tom Watson gets it for the way he conducts
Common fault 1:
Swaying
Swaying – drifting laterally away from the target during the backswing – is often the result of the common instruction to shift your weight. Weight moves from centre to back foot to front foot during the swing, and is a central aspect of any dynamic movement. Yet the golf swing is a rotation; if you simply sway on to your back foot you encourage a more linear action totally inappropriate for hitting something that’s out in front of you. The trick is to blend weight shift with body rotation.
the fix:
Make a coiling weight shift It is important not to be afraid of letting your weight shift; after all, this is where a lot of clubhead speed and power comes from. Consequently, I am happy to have a little lateral movement in my swing, to help my weight move into my right side; these images show how my head moves a little to the right, away from the target, from address to the top of the backswing.
lee weStwood
Pete adds: beat a reverse Pivot Almost the opposite of the sway, a reverse pivot sees weight stay on the left side on the way back and move to the right as you come down. Being told to keep your head still can cause this.
1 Take your regular set-up. Use your hands to focus on your sternum and your belt buckle.
2 These two points should turn around your central core. Try this move as you turn up and back.
3
However, to avoid the sway make sure your weight shift and lateral movement is accompanied by a turn. I like to think of the three elements working together in what I would term a ‘coiling weight shift’, in which the shoulders make a full rotation as I turn my weight into my right side. Here I am only halfway back, but my shoulders are coiling nicely. I am starting to feel pressure along the inner side of my right foot, whereas with the sway weight moves to the outside.
Keeping your hands on sternum and belt, turn up and forward. Repeat this move to groove a better pivot.
September 2012 Golf world
The essential Pete Dye The Ocean course at Kiawah Island provides a Major test from one of the world’s most interesting architects. WORDS: Ron Whitten PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephen Szurlej
Golf World September 2012
PETE DYE
I
first met Pete Dye 30 years ago and met his wife, Alice, soon after. I’ve played golf with Pete on at least a dozen of his designs, and with Alice on several others. (Once, during the inaugural round at Bulle Rock, she allowed me, briefly, to set a course record. Then she holed out to break it by two.) I’ve attended an Indianapolis 500 with the Dyes, stayed in their various homes and dined with them (more than once) on TV trays. I’ve also walked construction sites with Pete, in Nebraska, California, Indiana, Florida and, yes, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, site of this month’s PGA Championship. On one memorable trip, Pete showed me his new drainage system at Old Marsh in Florida
during a thunderstorm, then we rushed over to Seminole to compare its system. We ended up clinging to the trunks of palm trees during the height of Tropical Storm Gordon. Over the years, Alice has sent me many notes of encouragement, and Pete has gently needled me. His best jab was in 2005. In a panel discussion before a packed audience, I tried to sound profound, and Pete responded: “See, that just goes to show how little you really know about golf course design.” He was right, of course. Pete Dye, 86, has brushed more course design off his dusty khakis than I’ll ever experience. But I’ve devoted a lot of time over the past three decades to studying his courses, listening to him, and learning. And I took notes.
BELOW: The 17th was brutal in the 1991 Ryder Cup at 197 yards. Now it’s at 223 yards – and it’s all carry.
DYE: A HALL OF FAME DESIGNER Pete Dye has done much to change the face of golf since starting his course design career in 1959. He has more than 100 courses to his credit, many of which have hosted numerous PGA Tour and LPGA events, Major Championships, a Ryder Cup and a Solheim Cup.
September 2012 Golf World
Inside the R&A’s
Gear Lab The Home of Golf is also home to one of the most sophisticated golf testing facilities in the world, where new equipment is approved for play – or banned. We took a look inside.
D
Words and PhotograPhy: Mark Alexander
espite his calm appearance and welcoming smile, Steve Otto has a lot on his plate. As director of research and testing at The R&A, he is entrusted to ensure all clubs and balls meet with the rules of golf and that those rules are relevant to the way we play the game. As jobs go, this one carries some weight. Add in some fundamental research into the physics of the game and a steady supply of expert advice to some of the world’s leading players, and you can see why his schedule is brimming over. Otto is a man in demand. When he’s not dishing out guidance at tournaments or testing the latest production models in one of his squeaky clean laboratories in St Andrews, Otto can be found catching up with golf club manufacturers around the world as they strive to develop the next big thing. “Innovation is good for the game,” he says calmly. “Moving forward with new technology is a good thing. Our job is to look at the impact these innovations have on the game.” If he isn’t flying off to Japan or the US to meet with manufacturers, they are usually flying in to meet him – it has been known for company reps to jet in ahead of a major tournament with a single club as hand luggage to gain assurance from the professor of golf
Golf World September 2012
that their latest creation conforms to the rules. “I constantly marvel at how clever they are,” he says understandingly. “The engineering resources and the innovations they put into golf clubs and balls are stunning. These are very clever people.” Of course, it’s not all plain sailing in the world of prototypes, mock-ups and technological breakthroughs. Despite developing good working relationships with most manufacturers, there are some that flaunt the rules despite Otto’s best efforts. “There are certain areas of the world where companies try to make money from non-conforming products,” Otto says sternly. “These people actively market clubs that do not conform to the rules – they use non-conformance as a marketing hook. “We govern by consent, so we see it as cheating. We see it as not playing to the rules and therefore not playing golf, but actually we have no ability to restrict that trade. In the interest of golf and the integrity of the game, we want people to use conforming clubs and play to the rules.” Though manufacturers are advised to submit samples to the R&A for confirmation of conformance, they are not obliged to do so. According to the R&A’s latest version of the Rules of Golf, if they opt out of the process they assume “the risk of a ruling that the club does not conform”. Though most manufacturers see it in their own
1. Testing
The golf robot has the ‘perfect’ swing and is used to test clubs and balls.
2. Force resistance
A calibration ball is assessed for its ability to resist forces of thousands of Newtons.
3. Reconstruction
An optical system capable of producing 3D reconstructions of the grooves on a golf club.
4. Conforming
A set of irons ready for testing to verify they conform to the rules.
1
2
3
Think ‘hole it’!
Start early
Find the spot
Always think that you’re going to hole out. “I’d be happy just to get this close” is the attitude of an also-ran. Sure, getting the ball close might be a great result, but please don’t make that your goal. Think ‘in the hole’ to focus your concentration to a level that is needed to be successful. There is no room here for tentative indecision. Chip shots require accelerating clubhead speed and aggression. Build that aggression into your thought process and you’ll feel confidence start to emanate into your fingertips.
The thought process for every short game shot starts as you begin your walk from where you hit your approach. If you wait until you get to your ball to start figuring out what to do then careless mistakes are highly likely. You’ll have missed getting a good look at the lie of the land and you may start to feel rushed. Get ahead of the game by formulating your thoughts on how you’re going to play the next shot before you get there. At least 15 yards short of the ball, visualise the flight on the chip and how it’s going to roll up to the hole.
A lot of amateurs just look at the pin, then back to their ball and hit the shot. That’s not the way to do it. Determine where you want to land the ball so it will then roll, like a putt, into the hole. Here, I’m working out where this shot needs to land and I’m marking the point with three balls. I’ll visualise the flight I’ll put on the ball to make it land, roll and drop in. That gives me the club I need. From there, it’s all about executing the first half of the shot. I don’t need to worry about the hole anymore. I just want to strike the ball so it lands on my spot.
‘Always think you’re going to hole out. ‘I’d be happy just to get this close’ is the attitude of an also-ran’
4
5
6
Walk in sideways
Right arm and hand
Set the shaft and loft
This is the key. I’ll never walk into the chip in a closed fashion. I’ll always move into the ball sideways with my shoulders open so that I can see the line I want to play the ball on. This is important because it’s all part of feeding information to your brain so that you get a feel for the shot.
It’s so much easier to get your clubface alignment right if you approach the ball with the club in your right hand for a right hander. You then build your stance around your clubface. This is absolutely key to consistent chipping. Aim the clubface first and then take your stance around the club.
When you’re aiming the clubhead, remember that you’re also positioning it at address to reflect the impact position. You’ve visualised the flight you want, so now is the time to set the club and shaft in a way that will provide that flight and roll.
Golf World September 2012
YOUR GAME With Mark Roe
7
Practice makes perfect Keeping to a set routine is fine with putting and the long game, but I don’t advocate a set drill over the ball when chipping. This is a feel shot and you shouldn’t execute it until you feel comfortable. I don’t care if you have five practice strokes, 10 or 15. Keep looking at the spot you’re aiming for and rock back and forth until you feel the distance for the shot in your hands. Find the rhythm you need, then step back into the ball and hit it with the same rhythm you’ve found. All those practice strokes are free, use them.
ADDRESS THE ANGLES The biggest mistake amateurs make is that they don’t hit the ball with the same loft and angles that they set at address. You should never alter the loft on the club in the middle of the stroke. The address position is also the impact position – don’t get too handsy on a chip.
September 2012 Golf World
top 100 rankings / DEALS / ADVICE / adventure
courses
The world’s best places to play
Golf World September 2012
The new links by the Atlantic It’s a remote, wild and beautiful course, alongside the sea. But it’s not in Ireland or Scotland – it is Canada’s heralded Cabot Links. Officially opened last month, first reviews liken it to Bandon Dunes in Oregon; that resort’s owner, Mike Keiser, is also involved here, along with designer Rod Whitman and Ben CowanDewar. And like Bandon, the emphasis is on ‘fun’ golf. “The things that, to me, make golf fun are playing from appropriate distance, not having water hazards and thick rough that choke off play and choke off options,” said Cowan-Dewar. There are six different sets of tees and, like Bandon, it’s walking-only. Every hole offers an ocean view and five holes play adjacent to the beach. It’s certainly remote, on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton. UK golfers could combine a trip here with the Cape’s Highland Links, one of Golf World’s Top 100 courses in the world you can play. GETTING THERE: Fly into Sydney or Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cabot Links is 100 miles from Sydney and 200 from Halifax. $130 a round until October 14. www.cabotlinks.com
September 2012 Golf World