Golf World June Issue Preview

‘DISTANCE IS KILLING THE GAME’ IS IT TIME TO THROTTLE BACK TECHNOLOGY... OR IS IT TOO LATE?

JUNE 2012, ISSUE 6 VOL 53 DENIS PUGH’S BEST TIPS ■ PLAYER’S IRONS TESTED ■ THE GREAT DISTANCE DEBATE ■ THE MAN WHO MADE LUKE DONALD ■ CLARKE, SCHWARTZEL, DAY, WIE, BJORN

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TEE-TO-GREEN TIPS BY DENIS PUGH

Quick tips

‘jr’ more compact

A good posture with weight central in the feet, shoulders back and a good spine angle.

Staying centred over the ball starts here. I used to move off the ball to the right at this point, but not so much now.

I feel that in my downswing the club is working more from the inside and on a more shallow plane.

In the past, I tried to get the club in front of me too early and that would get me too much on top of it. It would also mean that my body would have to slow down to let my arms catch up.

Rose now has a solid, Repeatable swing

Playing predominantly in America, Justin Rose seems to have flown under the media radar.

But he’s now over two years down the line with his coach Sean Foley and the adjustments they’ve been making are looking nicely grooved in his action. As swing sequences go, the images on this spread take a bit of beating. Justin is unhurried in his approach (something he’s worked on mentally) and when the rhythm is there, he doesn’t look like making mistakes. His swing is very correct, a collection of solid angles and planes that might be described as ‘text book’.

“I’m swinging the club well, hitting a lot of quality shots,” he says. “And my short game’s pretty sharp. So when I do miss, I can still score pretty well. At the Honda Classic, for example, I only hit seven greens one day, but managed to shoot one over. So I have the ability to grind it out.

“I have got a few strings to my bow right now, and it does boil down to making putts.

“At the Transitions I led the field in greens in regulation and finished 29th. And hopefully the putter can once again heat up, but you have to be patient.”

Foley has had Justin working on a number of areas to build his consistency. He’s on a flatter plane at the top and does not exaggerate the move onto his right side as much as he used to. Staying more ‘centred’ means that he’s found it easier to drop the club on the inside from the top of the backswing. The whole action is more controlled and more compact. It’s repeatable and that’s a ‘buzz’ word for a pro.

“I used to lose the driver right,” says the Englishman, “but that’s not the case any more. You’ve got to keep adapting, and that I think is where my mind is. I’m trying to keep learning, keep focusing and see where it takes me.”

Justin Rose Home club: noRth hants, england. Driver: tayloRMade R11 (8˚) ball: tayloRMade penta tp5 JUNE 2012 // www.golf-world.co.uk

You can see at the top of the backswing that everything is nicely on plane with my left arm across my shoulders.

By coming low and from the inside, I can turn and rotate my body through the ball nice and aggressively.

A full turn to the target with my right knee close to the left and good balance; I can’t ask for much more.

Š Golf diGEst

The right elbow is nicely tucked in. Staying centred has helped me drop my arms onto a more shallow plane in the transition.

Driving Distance (rank): 291 yaRds (48th) Driving accuracy (rank): 59.64% (96th) gir: 70.37% (11th) www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

JUNE 2012 // www.golf-world.co.uk

NO DOUBTING THOMAS At 40 Denmark’s Thomas Björn has found a (relative) peace that has helped him shed some old demons and win four times in 19 months.

BY JOHN HUGGAN, PHOTOGRAPH BY MATTHEW HARRIS, GETTY

➨

www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

DAVE ALRE D

THE MAN WHO MADE LUKE No.1 Rugby union coach Dave Alred turned Donald into an ‘assassin’. Now a host of tour stars, including Padraig Harrington, seek his advice – and this is why.

WORDS BY DUNCAN LENNARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY

W

hen performance expert Dave Alred began working with Luke Donald in January 2010, Donald was ranked world number 32.

Fast forward 15 months and Donald is staring down Lee Westwood at Wentworth to win the BMW PGA Championship and become, officially, the best player in the world.

While Alred would be the first to credit other members of the Donald support team for that dramatic ascent – not least coach Pat Goss and caddie John McLaren – the difference in Donald’s air down the stretch is manifest. Gone is that rather meek, Mr-Nice-Guy smile, replaced by a chin set forward with intent and intensity.

While Alred’s own mindset metaphor of “assassin” might smack a little of hyperbole, the new direction is obvious. “His confidence, assurance and general front-footedness have all improved,” believes Alred. “He’s become much more of the hunter through his own hard work.”

A former rugby union and league player, Alred turned to performance coaching in the mid ’90s.

He joined England’s union international set-up in 1995 to coach kicking and develop mental preparation, and was a fixture throughout the most successful decade in the team’s history, including the 2003 World Cup triumph. During this period he spent much time with Jonny Wilkinson, instilling in him the sang-froid and technique that enabled him to drop an extra-time goal to clinch the World Cup. With coaching principles revolving around developing the ability to perform under pressure, it was perhaps only a matter of time before a golfer enlisted his services.

“He’s not a traditional sports psychologist,” said Donald, just before becoming world No.1.

“He’s more a performance guy. We try to make practice more efficient; look at ways of practising more under pressure, not just hitting balls and not thinking about it. It’s hard to quantify, but if you look at my results, it seems to be working.”

That success has naturally drawn attention, with Irishmen Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, who met Alred at the Celtic Manor Ryder Cup, now also benefiting from his wisdom.

“He made a massive difference to Luke’s game and I wanted to know why this had come about,” adds Harrington. “I’m not going to say publicly Alred is solely responsible for the difference in Luke’s game, but I’m convinced their association has been a huge factor. And I’m dumbfounded this has gone largely unnoticed.”

We caught up with Alred at TaylorMadeadidas’ UK HQ, where he described the methods that have drawn such praise – and explained how they can work for everyone, from the club golfer right to the world’s best player.

When you first spent time with Luke, where did you see the opportunities for improvement?

I’d have to answer that by saying “everywhere!”

People will say “hang on, he was already top 30, he can’t have been that bad”. I’m not saying he was bad. He was actually very good in a lot of areas; at the time he was number one in sand saves. But that doesn’t mean he can’t get better.

I’m not interested in ranking. I’m interested in the standard of performance and the challenge of improving it. Many coaches ask you to focus on the areas you’re weak in. I don’t like that because you are confirming those areas are weak, as well as placing a limit on the areas you’re good at. So you have to completely destroy that concept, and then say ‘Let’s get better at everything’. It’s the ➨

www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

01 drivinG

Develop power from the ground up.

The Tour player sweeps the ball up into the air off a high tee, creating a powerful shot; the amateur tends to squeeze down more, hitting a weak, choppy cut. As a consequence, he tends to tee the ball low.

Both shots are rooted in what happens at the change of direction; the pro works from the ground up, the amateur from the top down.

Groundwork Instead, understand that power comes from unwinding from the ground up. The Tour pro begins the downswing with the lower body.

He works his feet against the ground like a shot-putter, using the resistance of the turf to drive forward, creating springlike power through a kind of spiralling twist.

The move is as much a down‘spring’ as a downswing.

This aggressive lower body move flattens the downswing plane, causing the club to drop in behind. It’s this that allows the pro to create a shallow angle of attack.

Because the shoulders uncoil later in the downswing pros retain the swing’s low point behind the ball, allowing the sweeping, low-to-high move that permits a soaring flight with less backspin.

Cold shoulders Expressions like “put your shoulder to the wheel” underline the sensation of power we feel in our shoulders. At the change of direction – as we start our attack on the ball – it is massively tempting to lead the assault with that upperbody strength. It is, though, counterproductive in a rotational move like the golf swing. n Shoulder power can throw the club out in front of you, creating a steep, choppy action and a weak ball flight. n Starting down with the upper body also tends to shift the head and shoulders towards the target, which moves the swing’s low point forward (hole-side) of the ball. That creates a downward angle of attack and, once again, a weak ball flight – with obvious launch angle problems for the low-lofted driver.

BaCkswinG Coil v downswinG Coil Many amateurs are familiar with the instruction to coil – wind up – during the backswing, so building powerful torque as the shoulders turn against the hips. It’s an instruction that can do more harm than good. If you are coiled tightly at the top, the downswing wants to begin by releasing that spring. Often, the path of least resistance is an unwinding from those coiled shoulders.

Many big hitters, on the other hand, are relaxed going back. They create powerful body coil more at the start of the downswing, as the lower body spirals against the ground while the shoulders remain momentarily passive. In other words, at the start of the downswing the pro increases coil while the handicap golfer decreases it.

JUNE 2012 // www.golf-world.co.uk

tou r tuition

0 2 i r o n p l ay Deloft the clubface at impact.

TrusTinG The loFT

The Tour player strikes his irons with a powerful, penetrating flight: the typical amateur, in contrast, sends the ball out on a weaker, higher trajectory. There is a simple reason for this.

The Tour pro understands the most efficient strike applies power down into the ball. He knows a downward strike practically guarantees clean contact and transfers maximum pressure and force into the ball. He trusts even a delofted face has enough degrees to send the ball skyward. This trust sees him deliver the club on a downward arc into the ball; the lead wrist is straight, while the trailing wrist retains some flex.

numBers Game A 7-iron is typically built with a loft of around 34°. By impact, however, the Tour player has created forward lean in the shaft, which delofts the face, making the club stronger. In essence, they are turning a 7-iron into a 6-iron.

The amateur does the exact opposite. At impact the shaft has this backward lean, which adds loft to the face. This time, the 7-iron has been converted to an 8-iron. Often this difference is down to trust, as I’ll explain.

The club maker’s true loft

Pro impact shaft lean

Amateur impact shaft lean

no help required Amateurs, on the other hand, often add loft as they try to help the ball into the air. Even good amateurs, who know this is not a recipe for great ballstriking, can do this instinctively. It tends to lead to a flicking of the wrists through impact, the upper wrist collapsing and the lower wrist straightening. The best you can hope for here is a clean, high shot, as you are adding height and losing power. More often you can expect both divots before the ball and thin shots, as that scooping impact is hard to time.

Feel The squeeze The first step to building this Tour impact is to feel it. Take your 7-iron, and pose impact. Rest the club on your lead or left thigh, as above – a position that naturally gives the shaft some forward lean.

Now position your hands around that shaft angle, with fingers stretched. Feel how the back of your higher wrist is flat, while the back of your lower wrist is still hinged back.

Once you have grasped the sensation of this position, try to replicate it with a few practice shots.

Trust the loft, and try to apply pressure into the ball with the back of the left wrist straight and right wrist bent.

FoCus on The BadGe A word of warning. At first it can be hard to return the face to square; you can end up with an excessive holding off move that leaves the shot out to the right and can cause a shank. But bear with it, and realise this compressing strike must work with a rotation of the forearms, which squares the face. That bowed left wrist should feel like the glove badge begins to look down to the turf through impact as the forearms rotate – very different from the badge looking up to the sky.

www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

VICTORY FOR THE GENUINE ARCHITECT Why American Gil Hanse was chosen over a host of superstar players to win the job of designing Rio’s Olympic course.

WORDS BY JOCK HOWARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANSE DESIGN

Hanse’s impression of the 17th in Rio, a short par 3.

T

here was a bit of a surprise when the designer of the new Olympic course for Rio 2016 was recently announced.

Although the list of heavyweight contenders to design the course included Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam, Greg Norman, Robert Trent Jones Jnr and Gary Player, it was relatively unsung Gil Hanse who emerged with what is the highest-profile course construction job of the 21st century.

JUNE 2012 // www.golf-world.co.uk

Hanse, with LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott, was selected over seven other finalists to build the course for the Brazil Olympics, the first time golf will be included in the games in 112 years.

“It’s very humbling, given the amazing cast,” says Hanse, who expects to break ground on the course in October. “It was all I could do to hold back tears. We have worked really hard at this for a long time.

Don’t get me wrong; I love what we do and we are very fortunate and very blessed; but

sometimes when you’re choking back dust and you’ve been on a bulldozer for 12 hours and it’s 90 degrees and all you want is a beer, sometimes you think ‘Oh man, this is a little bit hard’. This is a nice reward for that dedication and effort.

“We are excited that the jury was paying attention, and we were able to impress upon them that we would be the right fit for the project. As part of the overall process, each of the eight firms was required to submit pretty extensive

OLYM PIC COU R SE

American Gil Hanse beat a host of big names to win the Rio Olympic design job.

designs. We are a little way down the road in that respect, so it’s not like we are hitting the ground right now with day No.1. I think this summer will involve a lot of refining the design and going through whatever permits are required, getting the necessary approvals to break ground. As long as we hit the ground in October, the time line that has been articulated is comfortable. It’s not great, but I think given that climate, warmseason grasses, we should be able to get the

golf course up and running by the middle or end of 2014, and I believe the schedule that was put out was to have test events in 2015 prior to the 2016 games.”

The course will be built on a very open site, which has lots of mangroves, along the edge of a lagoon. Hanse is not planning to plant a lot of trees on the property. If anything, they will plant lower growth vegetation. Hanse, of course, designed the stunning Castle Stuart course near Inverness, which received rave reviews after

the Scottish Open was held there.

“I think the fact that Castle Stuart was so well received gave people a certain level of proof that we could build a golf course from scratch that would be well accepted by the players and also was able to handle a championship,” says Hanse. “People asked me last summer about Castle Stuart, wanting to know if I felt offended if the guys went out and shot 20-something under? My answer was ‘no’. We really don’t fixate on a score. We love to find a great ➨ www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

DIS TANCE DE BATE

OUT TO

LAUNCH The PGA Tour’s average driving distance broke the 290-yard barrier for the first time ever last year.

The march seems relentless – but is it good for golf?

D

WORDS BY MIKE STACHURA ILLUSTRATION BY CARL WIENS

istance, for lack of a better word, is golf’s drug of choice. And as with antidepressants, cholesterol medications and erectile dysfunction pills, it is so in demand we are surprised it’s not being distributed in contraband shipments.

But on the PGA Tour, where the average driving distance broke the 290-yard barrier last year with the largest one-year jump since 2003, that drug seems as easy to get as Tic Tacs and M&Ms. From tour events and gym workouts to computerised ball-flight models and sophisticated biomechanics analyses, distance is everywhere and in everything.

Through the first seven events this year, the driving distance average on the PGA Tour is 289.7, higher than it has ever been at this point in the season. Distance solves every problem, elevates every soul and fundamentally changes the trajectory of every shot – and ultimately every career. It’s the foundation of ad campaigns, whether it be obscenity-laced endorsements of longerthan-normal fairway woods or bizarreworld tee shots over Vegas Strip fountains.

It’s all anyone wants, and like over-thecounter allergy medicine, it’s available just about anywhere you look.

Mostly, though, it pays.

Last year the average rank on the US money list of the top 30 in driving distance

was 67th, while the average rank for the bottom 30 in driving distance was 119th.

And the numbers are skewing higher, too.

Through the Northern Trust Open in February, there were 42 players within 20 yards of the driving distance leader. For the same period five years ago, that number was 16. Ten years ago, it was one.

Increasingly, what used to be thought of as big distance is now so commonplace just about anyone can get it. More players have recorded a 340-yard drive so far this season than will make the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The list of players with double-digit 350yard drives on the PGA Tour this year ranges from 6ft 3in Keegan Bradley to 5ft 8in Mark Wilson. And though the case can be made that those numbers are distorted based on who played in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions with its waterslide-like fairways, consider this: Despite its smallest field since the event moved to Maui in 1999, there were more 350-yard drives at Kapalua this year (386) than any other year, a full four times as many as there were a year ago.

Paul Loegering sees the distance demand every day on the practice tees of PGA Tour events as the tour manager for TaylorMade.

The desire for the longer ball is relentless, and his tone almost sounds as if he is delivering something slightly less legal than improved launch conditions.

“Players will come off from the previous ➨ www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

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PLAYER COMMENTS “Very comfortable, very cool and very necessary. A real winner.”... “They grip great, and they’re shockingly lightweight.”

SPIKELESS WEIGHT 13.5oz SLIP RESISTANCE High FLEXIBILITY Maximum PRICE £100 TECH TALk Designed to be worn on and off the course, this waterproof shoe has a rubber-nub outsole which is designed to enhance comfort and traction. With 47 possible size and width combinations (the most of any spikeless shoe), finding the right fit won’t be a problem.

PLAYER COMMENTS “When the spikes eventually wear out, I’ll still have some stylin’ shoes to wear.”... “The comfort is second to none.”

CLASSIC WEIGHT 22.3oz SLIP RESISTANCE Maximum FLEXIBILITY Moderate PRICE £275 TECH TALk The calfskin leather upper has a waterproof Gore-Tex lining, and the vegetable-tanned, leather-covered insole is removable. The water-repellent leather outsole includes TPU in the heel area.

PLAYER COMMENTS “They’re a little beefy, but it seemed the harder I swung, the more steady my feet stayed.” ... “Maybe not my first choice for a 36-hole day, but these made me strut like Ben Hogan.”

JUNE 2012 // www.golf-world.co.uk

SPIKELESS WEIGHT 13.5oz SLIP RESISTANCE Moderate FLEXIBILITY Maximum PRICE £110 TECH TALk The outsole is made with 100 thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) traction bars that provide more than 800 traction angles for grip in all conditions. The upper, which is made from leather and a performance textile, is lined with a breathable mesh.

PLAYER COMMENTS “More comfortable than bedroom slippers. More functional than you’d believe.” ... “After 18, I didn’t take these shoes off, and that’s never happened.”

SPIKELESS WEIGHT 12.3oz SLIP RESISTANCE High FLEXIBILITY Maximum PRICE £130 TECH TALk The outsole is designed so your entire foot is 10 millimeters above the ground (half the industry average), and its flexibility helps stability by maximising the shoe’s ground contact. A wide toe box allows your toes to spread during the swing.

PLAYER COMMENTS “Great comfort and surprisingly good grip.” ... “They might look a little different, but they’re the most comfortable golf shoes I’ve ever worn.”

CLASSIC WEIGHT 17.4oz SLIP RESISTANCE Maximum FLEXIBILITY High PRICE £125 TECH TALk The DryJoys Tour has a breathable leather upper. The shoe’s outsole features soft TPU in the forefoot (for added flexibility), a fiberglass-composite bridge in the midfoot and Softspikes Cyclone cleats (designed for green-friendly traction).

PLAYER COMMENTS “Great style and stability.” ... “A bit stiff to start, but after a round it becomes the best shoe to play golf in.” ... “I love the alligator-accents look.”

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PLAYER COMMENTS “As they started to break in, they were among the more comfortable shoes I tested.” ...“The cushion in the sole almost formed around my foot.”

CLASSIC WEIGHT 17.1oz SLIP RESISTANCE Maximum FLEXIBILITY High PRICE £160 TECH TALk The water-resistant leather upper features high-strength fibers to increase stability. Sections of the outsole are designed to flex independently to maintain ground contact, and cushioning in the heel provides comfort and support.

PLAYER COMMENTS “With these shoes, it felt easy to swing through the shot and stay stable.” . . . “It’s definitely a shoe you can wear for four-plus hours.”

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AT H L E T IC WEIGHT 17.2oz SLIP RESISTANCE Maximum FLEXIBILITY High PRICE £99.99 TECH TALk The leather upper with synthetic overlays combines with the company’s low-profile outsole and TPU forefoot to provide stability. A moulded polyurethane insole inlay is designed for cushioning and support.

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PLAYER COMMENTS “It felt like my feet were firmly planted during every shot no matter the terrain or how hard I swung.”

AT H L E T IC WEIGHT 15.7oz SLIP RESISTANCE Maximum FLEXIBILITY Maximum PRICE £185 TECH TALk The leather upper is made from yak (for better strength and breathability over traditional leathers) and contains a hydrophobic compound that helps protect against the elements. A flexible midsole arch support is intended to mimic the shape of the foot.

PLAYER COMMENTS “They have a comfortable feel.” ... “There’s little to no foot fatigue or discomfort. It’s an all-around good shoe.” www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

2012 NEW PRODUCTS

PA U L M c G I N L E Y

MA STE R TH E M I D - R ANG E LOB

Turn three shots into two by mastering those tricky approaches from 40-50 yards.

Maybe you have come up a little short in two on a par 5, or even a long par 4; perhaps you have simply missed a well-protected green badly. Whichever way it happens, the midlength lob – 40-50 yards – is a shot the club golfer needs regularly. Unfortunately, in my

experience it is also an area where he struggles.

Many amateurs can play a green side flop shot or a standard pitch, but this “in-between” shot – needing quick height but also an element of distance – causes problems. As a result, the club player seems to “overplay” the shot,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK NEWCOME

adding unnecessary adjustments to a technique that can and should remain fundamentally simple. Follow my approach and you will add much-needed control and consistency to this important shot – and start turning those three shots into two.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

www.taylormadegolf.eu

SET-UP: HOW TO CREATE STRAIGHT HEIGHT

On a shot like this, you need the ball to fly high and settle quickly. For these reasons, I always play this shot with a slightly open clubface. An open face not only increases loft – it also imparts soft-landing cutspin. However, the face also influences shot direction: if the right-hander simply opens the face, the ball will fly right of the pin. The answer is to follow this plan.

Open the face of your lob wedge slightly, so for the right-hander it points two or three yards right of the target. That’s plenty to enhance the loft, and promote soft cutspin.

While maintaining the loft on the clubface, re-align its leading edge so it is square to your ball-to-target line. You can see here how this rotation moves the grip end back, away from the target.

Simply set up around this new handle position. As you will see, it puts your feet and shoulders in a position where they now aim left of the flag. When you do this, ball position takes care of itself.

What you have done here is create a situation where the clubface is aiming at your target, while remaining open to the path of the swing, set by your alignment.

That’s the recipe for straight height. Do not overdo this. I’ve seen amateurs lay the face wide open, and aim 15 yards left of the flag! If you cut too sharply across the ball with extreme loft, the ball pops up and goes nowhere. In normal circumstances, opening the face by a couple of yards – and adjusting your alignment accordingly – is enough.

www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

e xc lu s i v e

‘the olympics should be left to amateurs’ In a rare chance to get three superstars together, Darren Clarke, Charl Schwartzel and Jason Day discuss the majors, the Olympics and the health of the world game.

Words BY peter masters PHOTOGRAPHy by howard boylan

We chatted to Day, Schwartzel and Clarke at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi.

se an fole y

GOLF’S HOTTEST COACH

swing when you’re winning Sean Foley has guided Woods, Mahan and Rose to recent victories. He reveals how he got his big break, maths in the swing... and realising his Tiger dream.

Words BYLAWRENCE DONEGAN PHOTOGRAPHy by GETTY

F

or me it was always about being a coach, not a player.

When I was 10 years old and started taking lessons, I absolutely idolised my coaches.

When we were kids we would go to the golf course and all my buddies would go to the 1st tee and I would go straight to the range with 40 tokens. I was a swing nerd back then and I’m just the same now.

I’ve always been very analytical, very critical, a big thinker. Whenever I had the chance, I used to just sit on a wire basket at the range and watch the pro teaching all afternoon. I was pretty fortunate to be able to gain an understanding of the golf swing at that early stage. The main thing I learnt was that the swing is all about impact.

Everyone gets there differently, but what is crucial is that moment when the clubhead meets the ball.

My passion for teaching

When I turned pro after college I joined the Canadian PGA and played a few sectional events without setting the world on fire. But I was fine about that. It was all about teaching for me. I hooked up with a few Canadians who were playing on the Hooters Tour and the Canadian Tour.

I used to go on the Hooters Tour, paying my own expenses and not even getting paid for teaching. I just wanted to learn, to figure out how to do the job because what I do now was always ultimately the goal; not to be a player but a coach, like Butch (Harmon) and ‘Led’ (David Leadbetter) and

Chuck Cook. Back then I would typically stay with my players, five of us to a room in a cheap motel. I learned another lesson then: profit is revenue versus expenses. Even now, when things are going a bit better, I don’t live the high life. We shop on the internet for flights and hotels, and do it as cheap as we can.

First chink of PGA Tour light

My first break into what you would call the ‘big league’, the PGA Tour guys, came from Stephen Ames. I was working at Glen Abbey in Canada and Stephen had this tournament there for kids – a kind of Ryder Cup contest between the best young players in Canada and their equivalent in Trinidad. Nike approached me to do a camp for the Trinidadian kids.

I met Stephen during the opening ceremonies and we were talking about the swing. I watched him play that day. I was in awe. It was the best golf I’d ever seen but I spotted something and mentioned it to him. I was sure the way he was going through the ball and releasing would affect

‘Two months into the move to orlando my wife said, ‘This is just a bad idea.’ We were struggling to pay the rent’

his back at some point. Obviously he wasn’t thrilled to hear this. Then, shortly after he won the Players Championship in 2006, he hurt his back and went to see a chiropractor friend of mine in Canada who said: “You should start seeing Sean Foley.”

The big move to Orlando

We were living in Toronto at the time and I was working with the Canadian junior golf team. I said to my wife ‘We need to move to Orlando’. If I want to be a golf coach for Tour players (and I did) then that’s where I need to be. She was good enough to say ‘yes’, and so we went.

I hooked up with a golf club down there in Florida to teach some kids, but when we got there that all fell through, so all I was left with was two kids. I would make the two kids breakfast, take them to school, pick them up from lunch then take them to the golf course, teach them, and then take them home, and make dinner. I went from being quite a big noise in Canada, where I was like the Leadbetter guy or something, to basically oblivion.

I used to go to Orlando’s public course – Orange County National – and walk up and down the practice tee soliciting lessons.

I didn’t realise how saturated Orlando was with instruction and all the big names.

Two months into the move my wife said, ‘This is just a bad idea.’ We were struggling to pay the rent and I told her, ‘Look, everything will be fine.’ She said, ‘How can you say that?’ I said, ‘Because I’m Sean and it always works out for me.’ It was a humbling time but very necessary. ➨ www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012

THE EDUCATION OF

MICHELLE WIE The university degree she’ll receive in June may not be a ticket to LPGA success, but the experience has given her a perspective Tour riches can’t buy.

WORDS BY RON KROICHICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS BROENING

O

n a crisp late February afternoon, Michelle Wie walks into one of her favourite hangouts on Stanford’s sprawling campus.

It’s the unpretentious CoHo Coffee House, bustling with students studying, chatting, snacking. She wears blue jeans and a thick scarf and carries a lime-green backpack that nearly matches the coloured streaks in her ponytail. She seamlessly blends into the scene, even at six feet tall.

Wie spends more than 45 minutes at a table and only one person – holding a small sign and awkwardly soliciting a charitable donation, not an autograph – approaches.

(The woman had no earthly idea Wie is rich and famous).

This is one of many reasons Wie has savoured her life over the past four years.

She did not wander in public as Michelle

Wie, the one-time “Phenom” who dared to play in PGA Tour events. She was simply another Stanford student, making friends and hanging out with people her own age who are saddled with the same academic angst and are trying to navigate the same path to graduation.

“It’s nice having people not judge you by the face,” Wie says of blending into the crowd on campus. “My friends here don’t know anything about golf, so it’s nice to get to know people by actually getting to know them – not them knowing your bio straight off the bat and kind of judging you.”

She didn’t really take the same path as her classmates, in many ways, because she’s still Michelle Wie. Nothing about the first 22 years of her life smacks of normality, from her early golf feats and majestic swing to her decisions to compete against men and eventually enroll at Stanford. ➨

MICH E LLE WIE

EQUIPMENT NEW CLU B S / T ECHNOLOGY / TOU R INSIGH T / T E STS

THE

TAKE (BETTER) AIM A switch to a Ping mallet with a different hosel shape worked wonders for Hunter Mahan, but for others the solution may be in the alignment aid.

Dissatisfied with his putting during the Northern Trust Open, Hunter Mahan placed a call to Matt Rollins, Ping’s PGA Tour rep, and asked him to bring a laser device used to check alignment to Tucson prior to the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. The following day Mahan and Rollins worked with it (the device shoots a laser in the area the player believes he is aimed at) and discovered Mahan was aiming a couple inches left of his intended target.

Normally when players struggle this way, they will seek a putter with a distinct alignment aid to alleviate the problem. Mahan, however, focused on hosels, experimenting with different configurations before settling on Ping’s prototype Nome mallet – a putter with a face-balanced head. After Mahan used it for nine holes of practice, the club went in the bag.

“I was using a putter with more offset [Ping Anser2 Milled],” said Mahan, who made 25 birdies over his last 61 holes. “This one has a little less, and it’s helping me aim better.” That better aim stayed with Mahan throughout the week as he won the title, dispatching Rory McIlroy in the final.

Trying to putt with poor alignment is like driving at night without headlights – it makes the task more difficult, if not impossible. Mahan’s success underscores there’s more than one way to achieve proper alignment. Every player is different. “Some players can [get back on track] with just a real conventional type shape,” said Austie Rollinson, principal designer for Odyssey. “Others need a little help and that’s where you might need a bold alignment feature on the top.”

Though alignment aids have been part of putting for years, most early attempts were rudimentary, consisting of a single dot or line, or in some cases drawn by hand. In the 1970s when the Bulls Eye and Ping Anser were among the more popular models on tour, players would tap the face with a coin to find the sweetspot and then use a file to carve a small single line on the topline.

JUNE 2012 // www.golf-world.co.uk

Today, sightlines are more sophisticated, but the idea remains the same — to help golfers focus on them without distraction.

“Fifty years ago a single white line was a good alignment aid,” said Dr Paul Wood, research and engineering manager for Ping. “It still is, but everything else is to avoid distracting away from the alignment aid. So all the little lines, all the little radii, are to avoid taking your gaze away from the alignment aid.”

Others opt for contrast, such as TaylorMade’s black lines on its white-headed putters, a concept equivalent to black lettering on the white background of a speed limit sign. “A strong contrast between the head and the face is important,” said Sean Toulon, executive VP of product creation for TaylorMade. “It’s easy for your eye to see exactly where they’re aimed.”

Titleist’s Scotty Cameron knows regardless of what type of alignment feature is used, it only works if it fits a player’s eye. “There are some things that we know, such as the bigger the head, the longer the lines need to be,” said Cameron. “But some players don’t like lines, so we have putters with no lines, some with lines and some with dots. It’s personal. We have guys that say, ‘That line looks crooked when it’s aimed proper.’ It’s not unusual for a player to be lined up properly and not like the way the putter looks at address.”

To combat that, Cameron often works on the toe of the putter, perhaps rounding it or, instead, designing a topline with a bit of a flare to make it look pleasing. “I’m cheating the eye, so the putter looks good to the eye, but has the proper lie angle and thus the proper alignment,” said Cameron.

Which is essentially what Ping did with Mahan and his putter. They discovered a hosel configuration that Mahan could line up properly. “I feel confident when I get on the green I’m going to make it,” said Mahan.

“It’s a good feeling.”

NEW GPS

AIM & SHOOT The Nome is precision milled from high-grade aluminium. WGC Matchplay winner Mahan credited the improvement in his aim to the putter’s black alignment bar and contrasting white sightline.

Three of the latest gadgets to guide you to the green.

GARMIN APPROACH G6

A slim GPS (it weighs just over 85g) which now has a rechargeable battery, rather than the AA batteries of the old model. It comes pre-loaded with over 25,000 courses. It also keeps track of your statistics by recording fairways hit, greens in regulation and putts. £329.99, garmin.co.uk

HIGH MOI Forgiveness comes from a lightweight, high-grade aluminum frame featuring tungsten sole weighting that optimises the CG position and improves MOI.

SKYCADDIE SGXW

The next generation SkyCaddie is wi-fi enabled, so you can download courses on the move. It also features Dynamic RangeVue, which adds yardage arcs that adjust automatically over fairway landing areas and greens, and PinPoint Technology, which gives yardages to the front carry, back, centre and hole location, from any line of approach. £239.99, skycaddie.co.uk

PING NOME

ADJUSTABLE In the belly model, shaft length can be increased from 37.5 to 46.5 inches. It changes using a Ping adjustment tool that threads into a locking ring on the shaft. Turning the tool loosens the ring, allowing the shaft to slide telescopically.

The player then adjusts the shaft to the desired length. Turning the adjustment tool in the opposite direction and removing it locks the ring and secures the shaft so it’s ready for play.

GOLF BUDDY VOICE

© GOLF DIGEST

PRICE: £209 (£249 adjustable belly putter) Weight: 355 grams, standard length; 405 grams, belly length Though Hunter Mahan used the standard-length mallet to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, the Nome’s big news is that in belly form it’s the first putter in the world to have an adjustable-length shaft. The putter features a head milled from a high-grade aluminium and finished with a durable nanonickel coating. Tungsten sole weights are employed to raise the moment of inertia for more stability on putts struck off centre.

Three shaft-bend options fit three stroke types. Lie angle can be custom ordered in a 4-degree range from 2 degrees upright to 2 degrees flat. ping.com

The world’s first 'talking GPS' is an iPodsized device which tells you the distances from your ball to three points on the green.

It has more than 33,000 pre-loaded courses, and you can clip it on to your shirt, belt or cap. Yardages are spoken and shown on-screen. £159, gpsgolfbuddy.eu

www.golf-world.co.uk // JUNE 2012