Today's Golfer Issue 301

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN’S FOUR KEYS TO CONSISTENCY

TODAY’S GOLFER NOVEMBER 2012 (OCTOBER 4 - 31)

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BRITAIN’S BIGGEST-SELLING GOLF MAGAZINE

HOW TO HIT THE

PERFECT FAIRWAY WOOD TIPS AND DRILLS TO END TOPS AND FATS

Poulter exclusive We travel to Italy with him as he

inspects his custom-made Ferrari

2014 RYDER CUP The countdown starts now

301

FIRST HITS

TITLEIST 913 DRIVERS

FIRST TEE

THIS MONTH’S SECTION

010 Back to black for Mizuno’s new woods 011 Yonex’s forgiving side 014 Muirfield prepares for The Open’s return 021 Johnny Vaughan

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Every club is handmade 1. The Spider S’s Surlyn insert gives a soft but predictable feel and is proving a hit with the pros.

2. The ‘basketball court’ alignment aid from previous models has been replaced.

3. The OS model’s looks may not appeal to all but will attract those struggling to hit irons sweetly.

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TaylorMade EXCLUSIVE

FAMILIARITY AND FORGIVENESS

First look at the new game-improver Burner irons – as well as a Tour-ready Spider putter ➔

When TaylorMade launched

the RocketBallz franchise earlier this year, TG thought that might mean the end for the Burner name. But 10 months down the line we’ve just got our hands on the new Burner OS irons – as well as the new Spider S putter.

The irons have been engineered with Inverted Cone Technology for faster ball speeds across the face to improve distances even on mis-hits, while an ultra-low centre of gravity makes getting the ball airborne easy even if you are an inconsistent ball striker.

We also like the lightweight shafts which allow even those with slower swing speeds to

achieve impressive distance enhancements.

Aesthetically, they aren’t going to appeal to many golfers playing off more than a 12 handicap, but the high-flying trajectory will help those who struggle with their irons.

The new Ghost Spider S putter has been designed to make it easier to square the face, while the high Moment of Inertia makes the head very hard to twist at impact.

Previous Spider putters have been (with the exception of the Itsy Bitsy) a little cumbersome, but this seems to sit better. The alignment system has been simplified to a white sight line on a black crown while the Surlyn insert gives a

soft but predictable feel. Peter Hanson won the KLM Open with it at the start of September.

PGA Tour star Jason Day is another fan: “TaylorMade has taken what we’ve learned from previous Ghost Spider models to create the Ghost Spider S, which is the most stable, forgiving, easy-to-square putter I’ve ever tried.”

Buying information

Burner OS (5-SW): £449 (steel), £549 (graphite).

Spider S: £149 (standard), £179 (belly) More info: 08000 728 624 or taylormadegolf.eu

GEAR

YOUR FIRST LOOK AT

NEW clubs

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FIRST TEE

2013'S OPEN VENUE

Muirfield prepares We get an exclusive peak at the changes to next year’s host of The Open is su e 3 01 ❘ Todaysg olfer .co.u k

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MOMENTS AFTER CLAIMING HIS

second Claret Jug at Royal Lytham, Ernie Els was declaring he was relishing the prospect of defending his title in 2013 – and with very good reason. Next year’s Open is being staged at Muirfield, one of Els’ favourite courses and the links on which he triumphed in 2002.

TG was granted a sneak preview of the changes which have been made to the East Lothian course for next year’s championship.

The course was immaculate – although, like everywhere else at the moment, it was lined by severe rough – and as secretary Alastair Brown correctly pointed out, the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers

Muirfield v Technology 32 yards have been added to the famous short 13th, which plays uphill and whose green is never more than 15 paces wide.

Classic climax The approach to this long, well-bunkered green which slopes from back to front is more difficult due to the wind off the right.

could host The Open the following day if necessary. Harry Colt’s masterpiece has been sympathetically ‘tweaked’ by leading architect Martin Hawtree, meaning its length has increased by nearly 200 yards to 7,209.

Only three holes – the 7th, 13th and 16th – are untouched with several new championship tees installed, including the 9th being pushed back 45 yards. Significant new tees have been built on the closing stretch while a key early change sees the addition of a new drive bunker 300 yards down the left of the opening hole.

Not so long ago, visitors weren’t welcome at Muirfield but now the club accepts green fees on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Brown told TG: “People

‘THERE are SEVERAL NEW CHAMPIONSHIP TEES. THE 9TH HAS PUSHED BACK 45 YARDS’ who come here for the first time have a more holistic experience – they not only experience the course which is truly world-class but also the clubhouse which is truly world-class.”

Indeed, most savour the legendary Muirfield lunch, Brown quipping “we’re as much of a luncheon club as a golf club. Visitors get the same lunch as the members and use the same locker rooms and rooms as the members. They

come in here and soak up the atmosphere. Those who come just to play don’t really understand Muirfield and miss the point about the club.

“We are different, we want to be different and Muirfield is a unique place,” concluded Brown, who retires after The Open. “I don’t think it’s always appreciated how much the members hand their course over for Majors.”

FACTFILE The course: Par 71, 6,728 yards.

Location: Gullane, East Lothian.

Green fees: £195 a round or £250 for the day; Nov 13-Mar 14 £110 a round.

Contact: 01620 842123, muirfield.org.uk Todaysg olfer .co.u k ❘ is su e 3 01

COVER FEATURE

D

o you look down at your 3-wood and dread what is about to happen? It’s perhaps not surprising when you consider the lack of loft and a sweetspot that appears no larger than a pea. This sense of anxiety leads all too often to an almost inevitable mis-hit. But it could be avoided if the correct technique is applied.

Firstly, it is worth noting that fairway woods are more forgiving than you think. They are designed with a low centre of gravity to help get the ball airborne. Yet people mistakenly try to help the ball in the air because of the minimal loft and strike the ball as the clubhead is rising. As a result, the most common poor shot when using a 3-wood is a ‘top’ .

Conversely, golfers who hit down on the ball too much strike the ball before the bottom of the swing and top the ball into the ground. The key with a fairway wood is making contact with the ball as close to the bottom of the swing’s arc as possible. TG Elite Pro Adrian Fryer has produced a collection of tips to help you do just that... and hit your fairway woods completely free of fear.

set up to sweep As with every shot in golf, the address position is crucial to attaining pure strikes.

Making the mistake of getting the ball too central with a 3-wood means the shoulders are too level, spine too vertical and the club is sat on its front edge with the shaft leaning forwards incorrectly.

‘As with every shot in golf, the address position is crucial for pure strikes’

Ideally, we want to push the left hip forward and up half-an-inch in order to tilt the spine away from the target. This encourages a more shallow angle of attack.

Have the shaft pointing to the belt buckle and, with the ball positioned an inch inside the left heel, you’re all set up to sweep.

Gentle tilt of the spine

You can see how with the ball positioned correctly underneath the left shoulder and the shaft vertical, it creates a gentle tilt of the spine away from the target. Don’t overdo this however, as it could lead to more tops.

Address for success Setting up in the right way to promote a sweeping angle of attack with your wood is vital to prevent embarrassing tops.

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WHY ARC ERRORS OCCUR ... AND HOW TO FIX THEM

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In the images above, the hoop represents the journey of the clubhead with the black section indicating the bottom of the swing arc, which is so crucial to success. Below, we explain why the errors in the images above occur – then on the right we offer fixes to these respective faults.

1. When the angle of attack is too shallow, the low point moves before the ball, meaning it is struck as the clubhead is rising and the path is more in-to-out. These players need a more neutral path that feels like it comes out wider.

2. If you come in too steep, the arc’s low point is in front of the ball and the path is more out-to-in.

Those players need to feel as if they’re sweeping off the turf rather than digging into it with the right shoulder working more underneath.

3. In this correct impact position, you can see the hoop is pointing neither left or right and the black section is occurring in line or fractionally ahead of the ball. When the angle of attack is so neutral, this creates the optimum launch conditions for your fairway wood.

hockey stick impact drill

let the club pass you by

Try this drill if you are a golfer

Generally when a player comes

that often catches the ground behind the ball when hitting fairway wood.

Place your hands on the club like you would a hockey stick with your left hand at the top of the handle and the right hand much lower, below the grip. Make some swings back and bring the club down to impact. It should help you present a neutral shaft to the ball at impact, not leaning back with the low point of the swing too far behind the ball. It should also help the club to exit left thanks to a more out-to-in path.

over the top of the ball in the downswing, the right shoulder works out rather than down which throws the club across the line.

A good drill to fix this fault is to hold the left arm out horizontally and swing the club underneath it with your right arm. This drill promotes a much shallower angle of attack and, more significantly, makes the right shoulder work down the plane. So not only will your angle of attack be shallower, your club path at impact will be much closer to neutral. ➔ Todaysg olfer .co.u k ❘ is su e 3 01

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RYDER CUP 2014

inside GLENEAGLES From the technology hidden underneath the greens on the redesigned course to the secrets of the iconic hotel, we go behind the scenes at the host of the next Ryder Cup...

W O R D S J O E L TA D M A N P i c t u r e s H O WA R D B O Y L A N

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POULTER EXCLUSIVE

LIVING his DREAM Ian Poulter was like a kid in a sweet shop as he toured the Ferrari factory at fabled Maranello to inspect his new custom-made FF. We were in Italy to share his experience WORDS Kit Alexander Pictures Ferrari and Cobra

TG EXCLUSIVE tips

Keep perfect balance Balance is vital to hitting consistent shots – here are my four keys to a smooth motion.

TIP ONE

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Spread your weight evenly

You can see where

I’ve placed the cane here that my balance point is through the centre of my foot. A lot of amateurs have too much weight in their heels at address and this can lead to problems in the takeaway.

Imagine you’re leaving a footprint where the toe end of your shoe makes a similar mark to the heel.

With a good even balance at the start, it’s easier to move away from the ball. Too much weight behind you and you might whip the club inside, while perching on your toes can lead to picking up the club too steeply. It stands to reason that neutral is the best place to be for good balance, and for a solid start to your swing. is su e 3 01 ❘ Todaysg olfer .co.u k

TIP TWO

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Not balls or heels: This inset photo shows my weight too much in the toes. You might be on the balls of your feet if you’re about to dive into a pool, but that’s not what you need here. Being 'sat back' on your heels is just as bad.

Stay on plane

Rotate around the

spine with your club on plane and balance becomes easy. See here how the hands and shaft have worked along the address plane in the takeaway. This is key because you need to stay nicely connected so your club works in conjunction with your body turn. Move the hands inside or away from the cane and you’re immediately setting up a fault that will throw you off balance. Symmetry is good in the swing because the weight of the clubhead needs to work along the line of the swing plane. The moment it deviates from that path, you are going to have problems and the smoothness of your action will be lost.

Tasty takeaway practice: Try this drill to rehearse a good takeaway.

Flip the club over so that the toe is resting on the ground and then take it away so that the toe still points down and the shaft is parallel to the target line.

Oosthuizen

‘there's a tendency to rush to the left side. Hold back to stay in balance’

TIP THREE

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Keep your head still

This could be the

single most important key to balance. It’s a very simple tip, but one I feel is imperative if you are going to produce a comfortable posed finish every time. For me balance is all about the head. I like to keep it still and central through the whole swing. You see a lot of players swaying about with their head moving back on the way to the top then sliding forwards as they move through impact. I find it disconcerting because I lose my centre point and end up spraying shots right or left. My head must be dead still, so I can turn around it and stay in control. My centre of gravity moves back and through, but is always inside my feet.

TIP FOUR

Think down not right

This is where most amateurs struggle – the transition. From the top, I like to feel that I’m pushing down with both feet equally. There is a tendency for players to rush onto the left side, but if you can hold back you have more chance of keeping the club on plane and in balance. Look at my leg position compared to the photo at the top (above left). There is flex in both knees as I let the club drop and my weight push into the ground through my feet. This is where a lot of power comes from and you’ll see the same thing in all great players. The club has now dropped into the slot and released down the line as you move onto the inside of the right foot.

➔

Load up, but keep your head : A lot of amateurs think that you have to load up the left side in the backswing, but you can do that without moving your head so far back. Too much adjustment is needed from here to get back to a good hitting position.

Don't rush to the left: I know the weight transfer needs to move onto the left-hand side, but this is too pronounced and much too early.

You need to be more subtle about it.

None of the movements in the swing should be exaggerated like this.

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My golfing life

Shaun Pollock

The South African is one of cricket’s greatest-ever players, a genuine all-rounder who was skilled with both bat and ball. Now retired, he’s proving very useful at golf too...

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WO R D S K E V I N B R OW N P I C T U R E S H OWA R D B OY L A N , G E T T Y I M AG ES

haun Pollock was destined to excel at sport.

Born into a South African sporting dynasty, his elevation to the country's Test cricket team had more than a hint of inevitability about it. The son of former South Africa pace bowler Peter and the nephew of the iconic Graeme, Shaun was cricketing royalty even before he began making his own mark. But he didn’t live off his famous name; by the time he retired, Shaun had long since surpassed his father’s achievements and arguably bettered his uncle’s. This is, undoubtedly, one of cricket’s true legends.

And for those of us who would have given our front teeth to be brilliant at one sport, the following is utterly sickening; Pollock is also an outstanding golfer. Yes, one of cricket’s greatest ever all-rounders – a talented batsman and a world-class fast bowler – plays off scratch. And his handicap status doesn’t flatter him.

It’s probably just as well he’s a decent golfer though; Pollock isn’t a good loser is su e 3 01 ❘ Todaysg olfer .co.u k

and you suspect he isn’t a huge fan of doing things badly generally. Game time with his daughters is probably more like an Olympic final or a tight one-dayer.

“The will to win doesn’t get thrown out of the window when you stop playing at the highest level,” he admits to TG. “It’s bred into you and I’m as competitive as anyone. I want to win all the time – even when I’m playing a friendly game with my daughters I’m trying to beat them... which is probably not a good thing!

“It’s nice to have that competitive outlet and since I’ve stopped playing cricket it’s been great to turn my attention to golf.

However, they don’t go hand in hand – one is an ‘elbows in’ game, the other is ‘elbows out’. But cricketers see golf as a natural progression, something sporting they can do. I used to play hockey and that fits into the mould as well – you’re standing there hitting a white ball.”

Pollock exudes charm and manners during our chat, but makes no attempt to hide how much he still plays to win.

“Every time I play golf I have to treat it like a tournament. I just enjoy the ➔

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

MEET THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN GOLF R&A chief Peter Dawson runs golf everywhere except America and Mexico. We quizzed him on a host of subjects – from slow play to club technology and an Asia Major to the fall in playing numbers WORDS KIT ALEXANDER PICTURES GETT Y IMAGES

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e doesn’t have a scratch handicap or benefit from multi-million pound sponsorship deals. He rarely hits headlines and you may not even recognise him if he was practising next to you on the putting green. But Peter Dawson is the most powerful man in golf.

As chief executive of The R&A, the 64 year old is the head of the organisation that presides over rule-making and equipment specifications, is responsible for developing the game around the world and runs the Open Championship, among many other tournaments.

In short, he’s responsible for shaping the present and future of the game we love, play and watch.

Dawson has held the position since 1999 and in the last 13 years, golf has changed markedly; from equipment

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technology to prize funds and participation numbers to entering the Olympics, it has been a seminal era.

We sat down with Dawson to discuss his path to chief executive, the role of The R&A and the future of golf.

How did your journey in golf begin?

I started playing when I was about 11, on the outskirts of Edinburgh. A lot of kids played golf in Edinburgh and the annual subscription was a pound a year, so golf was a pretty cheap thing to do. Three years later, we moved to Essex and I joined Thorpe Hall. I finished school at Westcliff High School then went to Cambridge where I read engineering. I played in a golf team each year where I was captain. I left there and then went to work in the manufacturing industry. I stayed there right up until I became chief executive of The R&A. ➔

Safe pair of hands Dawson has the demeanour and careful words of a man in control.

BUYING

Clockwise, from left: David Connor puts one of the fairway woods through its paces; the TG gear team monitor the testers and stats; the clubs are organised ahead of the test.

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THESE DAYS it’s not

just about smashing your driver off the tee. Fairway woods can offer control, versatility and workability, not to mention extreme distance, when trying to hit the fairway.

And they are also pretty handy when it comes to trying to reach par 5s in two. To find out which ones should be vying for a place in your bag we enlisted four testers of varying abilities to run the rule over the contenders.

METHODOLOGY The game’s leading manufacturers were invited to provide our team with fairway woods with 15˚ of loft (or as close to this as possible) to ensure consistency of loft throughout the test.

Stiff and regular shafts were also provided so our team were able to use the most appropriate club based on their swing characteristics.

After having ample time to warm up, our team were asked to hit a series of is su e 3 01 ❘ Todaysg olfer .co.u k

balls with each club while we recorded their performance using the industryleading Trackman ball flight monitor.

We asked our testers to rate each club out of five in five subjective categories to detail their impression of how the club performed. The categories were: looks (based on head size, shape and colour scheme); feel (based on weight of the club in the hands and feel at impact); forgiveness (based on performance on off-centre strikes); and fairway and tee performance (based on the shape of the head, sole, face and ball flight).

To give the Test a scientific, wholly objective element, we also recorded distance and dispersion statistics for each club with each tester – and then awarded a rating out of five based on the aggregate figures.

Once all of the figures had been collated we then awarded a final star rating out of five to indicate the overall performance of each club and to

identify the ones which had performed the best for our team.

Of course, our results are based on performance on the day for four testers.

The quartet’s preferences for looks and feel are, needless to say, totally subjective. But as with every test, we hope this gives you a helpful starting point when it comes to upgrading your fairway woods.

THE VENUE As with all our annual club tests The Belfry once again proved to be a magnificent venue. The Wishaw venue’s on-site PGA National Fitting Academy is one of the best places in the country to practise and with five state-of-the-art fitting suites taking in a range of nine different manufacturers there is no better place to get the right clubs for your game. Then you add the three top-quality courses into the equation – including four-time Ryder Cup host course The Brabazon – and you have a golfing location to match anywhere in the world. The Belfry regularly run great promotions so you can follow in the footsteps of golfing legends by playing the courses. For more information visit thebelfry.com or contact the resort directly on 01675 470301 or by e-mailing enquiries@ thebelfry.com

TESTERS JAMES RIDYARD Age 34 HCP Pro Our pro likes a versatile fairway wood with a penetrating flight David Connor Age 31 HCP 10 He is often using fairway woods off the tee instead of the driver MicK Blanche Age 58 HCP 12 Uses woods from the fairways a lot more than he used to Anthony Beesley Age 38 HCP 13 He is looking for something that is easy to get airborne

RATINGS The higher the mark, the better the performance. The final star rating will give an overall mark for the clubs across all categories.

★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Must Buy Very Good Good Average Avoid

BUYING A FAIRWAY WOOD

Before parting with your cash be sure you know exactly what you’ll use a fairway for Getting the right fairway wood is often something golfers put off, prioritising instead a reliable driver and set of irons. And while that’s perfectly understandable, owning a brilliant go-to club for use off the tee and from the fairway is essential to lower scores.

The key thing to consider is what will you actually use the club for. If you’re shorter off the tee, you’ll most likely play a driver the majority of the time, so maybe look at how the clubs have performed off the fairway rather than from the tee. On the flip side, if you’re a longer hitter from the tee who wants something that delivers accuracy, focus on these stats. And, as you will see, you don’t have to spend top money to get a top club.

WILSON STAFF FYBRID RS I £115

ADAMS SPEEDLINE FAST 12 I £199

The Fybrid RS is designed to get the ball in the air and it certainly did that. Pro James and David found the ball flight a little high but Mick was a fan of this. James said the face was on the small side compared to the size of the head.

■ wilsonstaff.com or 01276 404 970

Terrific performance statistics as we’ve come to expect from Adams woods but the silver finish and slot in the crown put off our team. Mick said the spring off the face was excellent and David rated it highly off the tee.

■ adamsgolf.com or 0845 1960 050

Distance: 3.5 Dispersion: 4.0 looks: 3.0 Feel: 4.0 Forgiveness: 3.8 Fairway: 3.8 tee: 3.8 RAtInG: ★★★★★

Distance: 4.5 Dispersion: 4.5 looks: 2.5 Feel: 3.8 Forgiveness: 3.6 Fairway: 3.3 tee: 4.0 RAtInG: ★★★★★

MD SUPERSTRONG ST2 I £79.99

YONEX EZONE SD I £149

CLEVELAND MASHIE I £139

Good all-round performer with impressive components at this price. Pro James wasn’t keen on the slight triangular shape but Mick liked this and said it inspired confidence. David said the shallow face was great from the fairway.

■ mdgolf.co.uk or 02894 460 333

Mostly positive comments for the Ezone SD with David rating the feel and forgiveness highly. Pro James said it looked a little “toed in” for him but liked the head size while Mick loved the performance from the fairway.

■ yonex.co.uk or 0208 742 9777

The Mashie’s deeper face made this a great option off the tee according to our team. David also rated this highly off the fairway and across the board but the raw finish really didn’t win much praise from our guys.

■ clevelandgolf.com or 01420 541 709

Distance: 3.5 Dispersion: 4.5 looks: 3.5 Feel: 3.5 Forgiveness: 3.8 Fairway: 3.5 tee: 3.9 RAtInG: ★★★★★

Distance: 4.0 Dispersion: 4.0 looks: 3.6 Feel: 3.4 Forgiveness: 3.9 Fairway: 3.8 tee: 3.8 RAtInG: ★★★★★

Distance: 4.0 Dispersion: 4.5 looks: 3.1 Feel: 3.8 Forgiveness: 3.8 Fairway: 3.1 tee: 4.1 RAtInG: ★★★★★

TOUR EDGE XCG5 I £249

BENROSS QUAD SPEED I £89.99

COBRA BAFFLER T-RAIL I £169

The XCG5 split opinion. David and Mick were big fans of the distance and feel, particularly off the tee, but pro James thought the head was on the large side and didn’t feel balanced. Anthony liked the looks but struggled with control.

■ touredge.com or 01753 218 913

Our amateur testers got on well with the Quad Speed with both David and Mick fans of the recessed crown and feel. Pro James felt the shaft was a bit soft for him and all testers disliked the shiny white finish.

■ benrossgolf.com or 01932 821 200

Another one to split opinion. Pro James said the wide head made it good off the tee but David insisted the shallow face made it better from the fairway. The feel and forgiveness was rated highly by all testers.

■ cobragolf.co.uk or 01372 364 933

Distance: 4.0 Dispersion: 4.0 looks: 3.6 Feel: 3.5 Forgiveness: 4.0 Fairway: 3.8 tee: 3.9 RAtInG: ★★★★★

Distance: 4.0 Dispersion: 4.5 looks: 3.4 Feel: 3.8 Forgiveness: 3.9 Fairway: 3.4 tee: 4.1 RAtInG: ★★★★★

Distance: 4.0 Dispersion: 4.0 looks: 3.4 Feel: 4.1 Forgiveness: 4.5 Fairway: 3.5 tee: 3.9 RAtInG: ★★★★★

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WHERE TO TRAVEL 2013/14

CHOOSE FROM 275 GREAT-VALUE GOLF BREAKS

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A FIVE NIGHT BREAK IN T H E UA E

INSIDE: BROWSE OVER 200 DEALS UNDER £300 UK golf holidays from as little as £69 and seven pages of packages to Spain – plus fantastic golf breaks from France to Mauritius and Portugal to Turkey