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WARM-UP
A lesson with... Ross Fisher
c A ur mi doding Ap d- g pr iro y oA n ch
The new European Open champion shows TG how to find greens THE PROBLEMS:
Courses Editor Kevin Brown has been scoring poorly on the course for some time. The main cause of his dismal form and high scores is consistently struggling to find the greens with his mid irons. Even when he hits a solid drive and finds the short stuff, the frustrated left-hander has been unable to continue the good work by failing to find the
green to give himself a chance of achieving par or better. Instead, he has been forced to rely on an inconsistent short game. This scenario has proved rather costly, with damaging double bogeys cropping up on his scorecard with alarming and miserable regularity. So who better to put him back on the green in regulation than Wentworth-based Ross Fisher, a silky iron player who
romped to victory in the European Open at the London Club earlier this season? THE CURES:
According to Ross: “First, we need to get you standing properly at address. You’re way open, aiming miles to the right of the target, so my guess is that you’re finding a lot of sand, or worse, missing completely on the right-hand side?
Once you’ve got your set-up right, you need to make a nice, steady, flowing backswing and downswing, which should allow you to hit a nice, crisp downward strike. You also need to try to straighten your right elbow at the top of your swing, which should lead to more consistent ball striking. Just don’t try to get too rushed and quick, otherwise you’ll soon find yourself in trouble again.”
Set up so you are aiming at the target, then make a nice, steady, flowing backswing and downswing.
Visit: www.todaysgolfer.co.uk for FREE video tips on how to hit your irons. 12 Today’s Golfer Issue 248
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SHOT #3 FAIRWAY BUNKER Which club can get you out of the sand and get you close? The 5-wood of course!
EASIER THAN YOU THINK Let’s face it, most of us wouldn’t dream of using a wood from a bunker. It’s hard enough making a clean connection with an iron, right? Well, you’d be really surprised how easy and effective a lofted metal wood can be from a fairway trap. As long as you have at least a couple of yards between the ball and the lip of the trap and you aren’t firing over a very steep bunker face, there really is no reason not to take on this long-distance shot. The wide sole of the 5-wood means you’ll be able to skim across the top of the sand, striking the ball away cleanly and more powerfully than you would with an iron. That adds up to a greater amount of carry and a better chance of making the green. A decent lie is a must, though.
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lEE DIXON
TOP GUNNER The former Arsenal and England star won a host of honours during his football career – but could he shoot down TG? bY GRAHAM OTWAY PHOTOGRAPHY ANGus MuRRAY
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hate golf… that’s my last round!” Lee Dixon was not a happy man after playing in the TG Twenty challenge. As a member of the star-studded Arsenal teams which completed the epic League and FA Cup double in both 1998 and 2002 losing has never come easily, nor that often, to Lee. And, having reached the pinnacle in one sport – he earned 22 England caps as well as playing 621 games for the Gunners – frustration in golf hurts him. Sporting perfection is a theme that runs through Lee’s life. So Tiger Woods’ name cropped up a lot during the round at The Grove, not least because in winning the WGC over the same Hertfordshire course in 2006 the world number one had opened up with rounds of 63 and 64. Lee has never had delusions of such golfing grandeur, but he has worked hard to get down to a genuine four handicap and has always wanted to play off scratch.
“I
He will soon have one thing in common with Woods though. While the American recovers from surgery on anterior cruciate ligament damage and a stress fracture of his left tibia, Lee is also waiting to go under the surgeon’s knife. “I am in a queue for a tin knee,” he says, having insisted on using a buggy at The Grove. “It’s maybe a year or two down the line yet, but I can’t carry a bag for 18 holes any more.” As he considered the question “What would Tiger do with himself without golf?”, I also wonder what Lee would do without the game. As a teenager growing up in Manchester, Lee’s dad Roy, who played off three, encouraged him to play golf. As a result he spent days on end practising at Northenden until the lure of signing a professional football contract with Burnley offered him a better chance of employment in the sporting world. ➤
Today’s Golfer Issue 248
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IN THE CLUB
WE WILL ROCK YOU! There are more than just BBQs and race nights going on at Britain’s golf clubs these days. You can even catch a Queen track or two...
by kIt ALexANdeR photogRAphy JAMeS CheAdLe ANd ANgUS MURRAy
olf clubs are not simply a place to play golf. They are also places where you can eat, drink and be merry! It’s the social side of the game that keeps many golfers coming back for more. And a lot of golf clubs have a busy social calendar to help bolster their profits. Further investigation into the events at clubhouses up and down the land revealed a lot more than just quiz nights, dinner dances and BBQs. by CARLy CUMMINS When I arrived at Glen Gorse Golf Club on the outskirts of Leicester, photogRAphy by ANgUS MURRAyI was promised something extra special. Two hours before kick-off a lorrycum-stage was in place on one of the fiarways. Gazebos were erected and sound technicians were hard at work getting the sound system working to full effect. Club captain Paul Smith told me they were expecting 500-600 people, but I was still in the dark about what, or who, the star turn was. But Smith was right about the crowds – 620 faithfuls turned up. I’ve seen some strange sights on a golf course, but never a bloke wearing a bright yellow jacket, tight white trousers and a putter as a prop! The Queen Bs had arrived and were ready to deliver their take on Queen’s famous hit list. I couldn’t wait! Lead singer Paul Jackson, aka Freddie Mercury, is an old hand when it comes to performing. “We started 15 years ago and we’ve done 2,000 gigs including three at Wembley Stadium and the University of Jerusalem, Israel,” he said. “We’re in Asia four to five months a year doing clubs, generally to a lot of ex-pats.” ➤
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PRODUCT TG EXCLUSIVE
Rapturous applause We bring you Ping’s new Rapture V2 range – first! wo years after Ping released their Rapture range, the brand-new Rapture V2 models have followed. And we’ve got an EXCLUSIVE first look at the impressive range, with the driver and fairway wood showcased here and the hybrid and irons following over the page. Alongside Ping’s G10, we feel the new Rapture V2 driver will be a big hit – while the fairway wood will impress those seeking to get the ball in the air from even tight lies.
T
Shaft-sbury having you... The colour of the shafts are bright but not garish or off-putting. The lime green fuses brilliantly into the black to give an eye-catching look.
Why the long face? The elongated head profile helps to make offcentre hits fly straight. We found that to be the case - watch our test at www.todaysgolfer.co.uk
Ready for action Like many Ping drivers the Rapture V2 looks great at address. It really inspires confidence – not least the sheer size (460cc) of the head.
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NEWS TOUR TEST SHOWCASE STYLE COMPETITION
The making of the V2... Ping’s head of r&d John Solheim reveals the Rapture’s secrets Lofty ambitions With as much as 16 degrees of loft the ball gets airborne quickly off the turf while off the tee it produced a soaring ball flight with no loss of distance.
Big and beautiful? Perhaps a little large for a 3-wood but it made a great sound and the size did increase our confidence. It looks like a driver from a few years ago!
UNVEILED: THE NEW PING RANGE
What are the main changes in the V2 range? In the woods, the elongated head shape allowed us to achieve the optimum centre of gravity. This makes the V2 even easier to launch and is hugely forgiving. Also, unlike the original, there is no composite material. It uses three types of metal which provides a louder, more satisfying sound and creates a solid structure which is built to last. How long did it take to develop? Although up to four years of research and thought went into it, our engineers took a year to design and develop the finished models. The Rapture V2 is our premium range and no expense is spared so we can have lots of fun and get really creative! Who will benefit most from using Rapture V2? All players will gain significant performance benefits but particularly the golfer that lacks clubhead speed and wants to gain added carry and distance with their irons. However, the driver will appeal to all golfers – in fact a number of our Tour pros are already using it. What is your proudest achievement at Ping? We’ve made huge improvements in our engineering and since the massive breakthrough of the G2 driver, we’ve designed some fantastic clubs that have really captured the imagination. We’ve now had seven consecutive years of growth, which is terrific reward for a lot of hard work. What is next for Ping? We’ll continue to build on our No.1 status in terms of worldwide club sales. We will also bring further innovation and push the boundaries of custom fitting as this is the key to performance for all designs or technologies.
See first-hit videos of these clubs @ www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/pingrapturev2 Issue 248 Today’s Golfer 95
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PRODUCT
STANDS THAT DELIVER
TG W O H TED TES GS BA
1 man, 18 bags and 36 holes – how we tested the best carry bags around WHY We know lots of you prefer to walk and carry your bag rather than use a trolley. After all, there’s no dismantling or folding so it’s quicker to simply throw the bag in your car afterwards – and there’s no battery to charge! Plus it’s better exercise. You cover several miles during a round of golf and with a bag on your back it’s a decent workout. But if you carry the wrong bag for your frame, your golf WILL suffer. So finding the right one for you is important. We’ve done our bit with this exhaustive test...
HOW We asked all the leading manufacturers to send us one standbag from their range for us to test. That was the easy bit. Equipment Editor Jon Greathead then played two rounds, carrying each bag for two holes. This enabled him to get a feel for each bag and therefore make an informed decision on comfort and practicality. Each bag was rated in the following categories: Looks, comfort, stability, practicality and wow factor/additional features.
‘Looks’ is a key aspect when buying a bag so we got a further 16 golfers to give each bag a rating out of five. These were added to Jon’s rating and factored into the ‘looks’ score. WHERE The test took place at Greetham Valley in Rutland. The two undulating courses there provided the perfect setting for 36 holes of hardcore testing! For details on golf at Greetham Valley, or the hotel, visit www.greethamvalley.co.uk or call 01780 460444.
Jon Greathead Equipment Editor 8 handicap
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the test standbags
iZZO taRga £89.99
JOhn letteRs CameROn £79.99
BenROss
innOVatOR £69.99
CleVeland e9 £79.99
lynx ROssini £59.99
We loved the look of the Izzo bag – but that’s where the love stopped. It’s a very light beast and, while this is usually a great quality, we felt it was actually a bit too light. It didn’t really stand up to the wind and it wasn’t the most comfortable during the time we carried it for.
Our 16-strong reader panel were not impressed with the look of this bag. But when we put it on, it was up there with the best! It was gentle on the shoulders and felt light. It did not have a great amount of storage space and so scored poorly on practicality.
We’re big fans of Benross gear, but this just didn’t quite trouble the top performers. The bag felt sturdy enough, but it wasn’t that comfortable. The straps are very heavy-duty and while this added to the solidity of the bag, it compromised the comfort.
Once we actually realised how to put this bag on, with the complicated straps sorted out properly, the E9 was reasonable. It was middle-of-the-road for comfort and fairly stable too. We also loved the scorecard/pen sleeve – but it wasn’t the most inspiring.
It didn’t scoop an award yet it was one of the most sturdy bags on test. The extra-wide legs really helped the stability and it felt like it was a bigger bag than most of the others on test. For less than £60, it’s a decent option. The colours are a bit lary though!
Weight: 5.5lb Looks: 2.6 Comfort: 1 Stability: 3 Practicality: 2 Wow factor: 2 Rating: HHHHH
Weight: 5.5lb Looks: 2 Comfort: 4 Stability: 3 Practicality: 2 Wow factor: 1 Rating: HHHHH
Weight: 4lb Looks: 2.4 Comfort: 2 Stability: 3 Practicality: 2 Wow factor: 3 Rating: HHHHH
Weight: 5.5lb Looks: 2.7 Comfort: 3 Stability: 2 Practicality: 3 Wow factor: 3 Rating: HHHHH
Weight: 6.6lb Looks: 1.7 Comfort: 3 Stability: 4 Practicality: 2 Wow factor: 4 Rating: HHHHH
Contact 0161 654 4505 www.izzo.com
Contact 08000 139139 www.direct-golf.co.uk
Contact 01932 821200 www.benrossgolf.com
Contact 01252 761300 www.clevelandgolf.com
Contact 0870 4281778 www.lynx-golf.com
WilsOn staff tOuR £89.99
OgiO nexOs £169.99
COBRa dB-08 CamO £110
titleist x88 stand Bag £134
This was actually the first bag we tested because we were drawn to its clean and crisp look. It was one of the more simple bags we examined – very much no frills. But having said that, simple can be good. And this was a comfortable, stable and solid bag.
The best-looking bag on test – and the most comfortable. It had loads of features too. So why hasn’t it won an award? Simple – it wouldn’t stand up! The new ‘Arc Lite Stand System’, which sounds impressive, was hopeless. In fact, it actually broke!
CallaWay WaRBiRd hOt £89.00 Strangely for a Callaway product, this lost marks for looks. However it stood up really well to the wind and it has lots of storage space and some great features. It was not that comfortable either – we could not get it to sit nicely on our backs.
Wow! What a different take on design and looks. While we didn’t massively warm to the camouflage look, we realise some people will think it’s pretty funky and cool. As for the bag itself, it was easy to use, stable and did a perfectly good job. A very decent choice.
Opinion was very much split on the look of the X88. Jon absolutely loved it but a few others slated it. We did however all love the Roller Handle top-cuff which makes it easy to lift in and out of your boot. We think it’s too expensive though – £134 is a lot for a bag.
Weight: 5.5lb Looks: 3.6 Comfort: 3 Stability: 4 Practicality: 3 Wow factor: 2 Rating: HHHHH
Weight: 6.5lb Looks: 4.8 Comfort: 5 Stability: 0 Practicality: 2 Wow factor: 5 Rating: HHHHH
Weight: 5lb Looks: 3.2 Comfort: 2 Stability: 4 Practicality: 4 Wow factor: 4 Rating: HHHHH
Weight: 5.5lb Looks: 3 Comfort: 4 Stability: 4 Practicality: 4 Wow factor: 3 Rating: HHHHH
Weight: 5.5lb Looks: 3.5 Comfort: 4 Stability: 4 Practicality: 3 Wow factor: 4 Rating: HHHHH
Contact 01276 404800 www.wilsonstaff.co.uk
Contact 01582 570094 www.ogio.com
Contact 0208 391 0100 www.callawaygolf.com
Contact 01480 301114 www.cobragolf.co.uk
Contact 01480 301114 www.titleist.co.uk
See thousands of products rated and slated @ www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/equipment Issue 248 Today’s Golfer 111
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COURSES CHART HILLS
A SAND BLAST!
Nick Faldo planned nearly 130 bunkers into his first European course design at Chart Hills. We travelled to Kent to take up the Ryder Cup captain’s challenge by KeVIN bROWN phOtOgRaphy JaMes CheaDLe
verything at Chart Hills is on a grand scale. You round a corner in the road approaching the course and the striking clubhouse springs into view. Then there’s the massive – and full – car park. And then there are the bunkers; there is sand everywhere. The only thing, on first impression, that isn’t particularly grand is the tiny sign leading to the course that Nick Faldo helped to build back in the early 1990s. Britain’s greatest modern-day golfer and most recent Ryder Cup captain played a major part in the planning of Chart Hills. It was his first European course design and he took a very hands-on approach for the impressive project. The course is only a short drive away from the M20, yet you feel like you’re in another world, one which includes gently undulating fields, mature and intriguing trees and narrow country lanes. The course, which opened in 1993, sits near the wonderfully-named village of Sutton Vallance. It’s the kind of quaint place that has won Britain’s Best Kept Village contest for the past 14 years and is home to Fred Kibley, grower of the largest aubergine in the world. As you drive past pubs adorned with wonderful hanging baskets, village halls, cricket grounds and oast houses, it really feels like you’re in paradise, not just the garden of England. ➤
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NNORTH SOUTH EAST WEST
Bunker blues? Avoiding sand off the 9th is not easy. You can plot a route up the left, though.
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