Quick. Name one new entry into the golf equipment market in the last decade that has made as big a difference for the games of tour professionals as it has for the beginning golfer.
While equipment technology has advanced quickly over the last 10 years, there's a new type of club -- the hybrid -- that's been adopted in equal measures by pros and duffers alike.
"We really saw most development on tour and in most game improvement segments of the retail market," said Adams Golf CEO and president Chip Brewer.
Adams rode the wave of hybrid popularity to strong 2006 sales. For the year, Adams' net sales were $76 million, compared to $56.4 million in 2005.
"Our growth for the year was driven primarily by our Idea hybrid iron sets which, according to Golf Datatech LLC, have been the top-selling brand of irons in off-course golf specialty retail sales since December of 2005," Brewer said. "We benefited in the fourth quarter of 2006 from our launches of the Idea Tech OS 8-piece hybrid iron sets and the Idea Pro 8-piece hybrid iron sets and individual hybrids."
Adams' Idea Tech OS hybrids, which launched in December, are eight-piece sets tailored to those needing easy-to-hit clubs.
The sets are made up of 3 and 4 hybrid iWoods, which have a composite crown and titanium crown with an adjustable weight port in the sole.
The 5 and 6 hybrids have a composite back and hollow design and also include the weight port near the heel. TriTech short irons round out the sets -- they include tungsten weights positioned in the sole of the club. With these materials and weighting, all three types of clubs in the set have a 20 percent lower center of gravity that helps amateurs get the ball in the air.
"(Hybrid sales) really blossomed in the 2003-4 time period," Brewer said. "Individual hybrids took off. Now we've moved to an era where hybrid iron sets are the wave of the future. Interest in the Idea hybrid iron sets has been very successful.
"Since December 2005, it's been the No. 1 selling brand. For a little fairway wood company out of Texas that's special stuff."
And while the hybrid sets are primarily aimed at higher handicappers, the pros are using some of the same technology in individual clubs. Adams hybrids, for example, were the No. 1 hybrid club played on the combined men's tours last year, according to the Darrell Survey.
"More and more pros carry them and they're starting to put them deeper in the bag -- two, three, sometimes even four hybrids. They're essentially making their own hybrid sets," Brewer said. "That's happening on the Champions Tour, but also on the PGA and Nationwide tours. The number of players using hybrids (on the Champions Tour) is now more than 75 percent of the field. On the PGA Tour it's more than half the field.
"We're seeing the world's elite players moving deeper into the set than in the past."
Where to go next? Brewer notes that hybrids have taken off for pros and beginners, but that mid-level handicappers have not adopted the clubs as quickly.
"Now it's time to fill in, in the middle (handicappers)," he said. "Those with a little bit of ego haven't chosen to replace their 4- and 5-irons with hybrids. The tour players are doing it a little faster."
For information on Adams Golf and the Idea hybrid sets, see www.adamsgolf.com.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tour Van Notebook: Titleist Offers Tour Info in New Blog
Golf is one of those rare sports where the average duffer can use the same equipment that the stars of the game play. Want the exact same driver that Tiger Woods uses? No problem (though you likely won't be able to hit it as well as a driver that's fit to your own game).
Now, it seems, interest in exactly what the pros play is picking up. In addition to this newsletter, equipment companies are starting to talk more about what clubs they're fitting players with and sharing the details of how those clubs are set up.
Titleist has just launched a new site at www.titleistblog.com that includes notes from tour representatives Bob Vokey and Steve Mata (see this issue of Tour Van for more from Steve). During the first week from the WGC CA Championship at Doral, topics included work with Thai phenom Prom Meesawat and making adjustments to Adam Scott's clubs as well as less serious posts about hanging out on the range Tuesday and March Madness headcovers in the players' bags.
Titleist is promoting the blog from the front page of titleist.com and in just one week, it's already produced reader interest and lots of comments. Plus, those comments are even answered by the Titleist tour van guys, so you can ask specific questions and your chances of getting an answer are high.
TaylorMade put up a similar blog at the beginning of the year at www.taylormadeblogs.com. It was great while it lasted, but the most recent post was February 13. Hey, TaylorMade, could we nudge you to get that going again?
TIGER'S FLAT STICK LOYALTY: Tiger Woods is not a guy who makes equipment changes lightly. While some pros struggle on the greens and try a different putter, Woods has stuck with his Scotty Cameron by Titleist Studio Stainless Newport 2 for years.
"I've never switched putters very often. Since I've been on tour, I think I've only used three putters," Woods said at the WGC CA Championship last week. "In my amateur days, I basically had Anser II and I think one Scottie and one Odyssey. That was for like 10 years. I was never one who switched putters very often."
Sometimes a switch to a different putter can give a golfer a new perspective, but Woods looks at it differently.
"Each putter has its own little swing weight. It feels different. The shafts feel a little bit different. Your impact point, in certain clubs, different manufacturers, more off-set, less off-set. All this changes, and changes the roll of the putt," he said.
"So I'm trying to eliminate a variation, and by having the same putter all the time, I think I eliminate that."
PETTERSEN PICKS UP NEW PUTTER: Norwegian Suzann Pettersen came close to a win last week at the Safeway International, finishing runner-up to a determined Lorena Ochoa.
Pettersen credited her new Scotty Cameron putter and some time with the putting guru for her improvement.
"I went to see Scotty Cameron last week," Pettersen said. "I felt like my putting has let me down so far this year. So, it felt good to go there and get the confirmation and get adjusted. So, that was nice to do before this week, especially coming into these greens.
"You don't really shoot four, five under when you have 34, 35 putts. So, that's pretty much the key to my game right now. It was really helpful to get up to Scotty, and I got a new putter and got my confidence back."
TOMS' SECURITY BLANKET: David Toms has a treasured 5-wood. It's the club he used to make an ace when he won the 2001 PGA Championship, and one with which he can hit just about any shot.
So it's surprising to think that Toms might be seeking a hybrid club as a replacement. No worries for the present, though - Toms is keeping the 5-wood in the bag.
"It's like my little blankie, I guess, I don't know what it is," Toms said of his 5 wood.
"We'll see," he said. "But if I find a new club that I hit better and hit good shots with, maybe I'll get it out of there, but for now it's still in the bag.
Toms did feel comfortable switching putters at Doral, though. He put a new Rossa Imola 6 in his bag.
ODDS AND ENDS: Retief Goosen used new TaylorMade r7 TP irons last week. ... Nathan Green played with a new Rossa Daytona putter. ... Paul Azinger put a new set of Nike's CCI irons in his bag at Bay Hill. ... Golf Pride debuted a new putter grip at Doral, called the V-RAD. It comes in three styles.
Now, it seems, interest in exactly what the pros play is picking up. In addition to this newsletter, equipment companies are starting to talk more about what clubs they're fitting players with and sharing the details of how those clubs are set up.
Titleist has just launched a new site at www.titleistblog.com that includes notes from tour representatives Bob Vokey and Steve Mata (see this issue of Tour Van for more from Steve). During the first week from the WGC CA Championship at Doral, topics included work with Thai phenom Prom Meesawat and making adjustments to Adam Scott's clubs as well as less serious posts about hanging out on the range Tuesday and March Madness headcovers in the players' bags.
Titleist is promoting the blog from the front page of titleist.com and in just one week, it's already produced reader interest and lots of comments. Plus, those comments are even answered by the Titleist tour van guys, so you can ask specific questions and your chances of getting an answer are high.
TaylorMade put up a similar blog at the beginning of the year at www.taylormadeblogs.com. It was great while it lasted, but the most recent post was February 13. Hey, TaylorMade, could we nudge you to get that going again?
TIGER'S FLAT STICK LOYALTY: Tiger Woods is not a guy who makes equipment changes lightly. While some pros struggle on the greens and try a different putter, Woods has stuck with his Scotty Cameron by Titleist Studio Stainless Newport 2 for years.
"I've never switched putters very often. Since I've been on tour, I think I've only used three putters," Woods said at the WGC CA Championship last week. "In my amateur days, I basically had Anser II and I think one Scottie and one Odyssey. That was for like 10 years. I was never one who switched putters very often."
Sometimes a switch to a different putter can give a golfer a new perspective, but Woods looks at it differently.
"Each putter has its own little swing weight. It feels different. The shafts feel a little bit different. Your impact point, in certain clubs, different manufacturers, more off-set, less off-set. All this changes, and changes the roll of the putt," he said.
"So I'm trying to eliminate a variation, and by having the same putter all the time, I think I eliminate that."
PETTERSEN PICKS UP NEW PUTTER: Norwegian Suzann Pettersen came close to a win last week at the Safeway International, finishing runner-up to a determined Lorena Ochoa.
Pettersen credited her new Scotty Cameron putter and some time with the putting guru for her improvement.
"I went to see Scotty Cameron last week," Pettersen said. "I felt like my putting has let me down so far this year. So, it felt good to go there and get the confirmation and get adjusted. So, that was nice to do before this week, especially coming into these greens.
"You don't really shoot four, five under when you have 34, 35 putts. So, that's pretty much the key to my game right now. It was really helpful to get up to Scotty, and I got a new putter and got my confidence back."
TOMS' SECURITY BLANKET: David Toms has a treasured 5-wood. It's the club he used to make an ace when he won the 2001 PGA Championship, and one with which he can hit just about any shot.
So it's surprising to think that Toms might be seeking a hybrid club as a replacement. No worries for the present, though - Toms is keeping the 5-wood in the bag.
"It's like my little blankie, I guess, I don't know what it is," Toms said of his 5 wood.
"We'll see," he said. "But if I find a new club that I hit better and hit good shots with, maybe I'll get it out of there, but for now it's still in the bag.
Toms did feel comfortable switching putters at Doral, though. He put a new Rossa Imola 6 in his bag.
ODDS AND ENDS: Retief Goosen used new TaylorMade r7 TP irons last week. ... Nathan Green played with a new Rossa Daytona putter. ... Paul Azinger put a new set of Nike's CCI irons in his bag at Bay Hill. ... Golf Pride debuted a new putter grip at Doral, called the V-RAD. It comes in three styles.
Tour Van: One Golfer's Swoosh Story - Nike Comes Through
Last week, Tour Van wrote about the Nike Golf recall of Sumo2 drivers due to a manufacturing variance that could have put some clubs out of conformance with USGA rules. While we clarified that K.J. Choi and Chad Campbell, the PGA Tour pros using the driver, had their clubs tripled checked at Nike's Fort Worth facility, we noted that amateur golfers weren't as lucky. They still had to be concerned about noncompliance and exchange their drivers for ones that were certified as conforming.
But after we wrote about the plight of Bill Torres, a 6-handicapper from Huntington Beach, Calif., who was left without a conforming driver for his club's championship last weekend, Nike officials took action.
Nike Public Relations Manager Beth Gast asked clubmaker Travis Thompson at the Fort Worth facility to assemble a conforming Sumo2 driver, complete with the custom shaft and grip that Torres had installed on his original club.
"I got a call from Travis wanting to know about my shaft and grip," Torres said. "This was Tuesday, and I told him I appreciated it but my tournament was that weekend. He said, 'I'm at the tour facility. I make Tiger's clubs.'
"A messenger - not FedEx - arrived Friday afternoon."
The new driver had the USGA conforming mark on the head, between the "SQ" and the Nike swoosh, so Torres had no trouble proving that his club conformed.
"I had a lot of guys asking me on the course (about whether the driver was legal)," Torres said. "I just smiled and said, 'This one is.' I showed them the stamp and said that this is what Nike will be putting on all the conforming drivers."
Torres said he also received an email from Nike President Bob Woods last Friday, checking to make sure he'd received the club.
"I told him, 'I hope you guys treat Tiger this well!'" Torres said.
For other amateurs with nonconforming Nike drivers, the Sumo2 Conformance Program began yesterday and runs until April 30. Golfers will be able to trade their clubs for proven conforming models, which will bear the USGA conforming mark.
For more information, see www.nikegolf.com.
But after we wrote about the plight of Bill Torres, a 6-handicapper from Huntington Beach, Calif., who was left without a conforming driver for his club's championship last weekend, Nike officials took action.
Nike Public Relations Manager Beth Gast asked clubmaker Travis Thompson at the Fort Worth facility to assemble a conforming Sumo2 driver, complete with the custom shaft and grip that Torres had installed on his original club.
"I got a call from Travis wanting to know about my shaft and grip," Torres said. "This was Tuesday, and I told him I appreciated it but my tournament was that weekend. He said, 'I'm at the tour facility. I make Tiger's clubs.'
"A messenger - not FedEx - arrived Friday afternoon."
The new driver had the USGA conforming mark on the head, between the "SQ" and the Nike swoosh, so Torres had no trouble proving that his club conformed.
"I had a lot of guys asking me on the course (about whether the driver was legal)," Torres said. "I just smiled and said, 'This one is.' I showed them the stamp and said that this is what Nike will be putting on all the conforming drivers."
Torres said he also received an email from Nike President Bob Woods last Friday, checking to make sure he'd received the club.
"I told him, 'I hope you guys treat Tiger this well!'" Torres said.
For other amateurs with nonconforming Nike drivers, the Sumo2 Conformance Program began yesterday and runs until April 30. Golfers will be able to trade their clubs for proven conforming models, which will bear the USGA conforming mark.
For more information, see www.nikegolf.com.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Sonic Golf Brings Sound to Game
Some say golf is a game of feel. If Dr. Robert Grober has his way, golf will be more a game of sound.
Grober developed the technology behind Sonic Golf, a system that translates each golfer's swing into a series of audible tones that reflect speed and tempo. By listening to the sounds generated during the swing, a golfer can more easily make changes, resulting in dramatic improvements for beginning golfers and easy tweaking for advanced players.
"It works across the whole spectrum," Grober said. "Good golf swings are rhythmic, whereas a beginner's swing is not rhythmic. Generally a rhythmic golf swing gets closer to the swing plane and is more consistent."
Grober, a physics professor at Yale, has spent more than a decade researching the golf swing. The Sonic Golf system that he uses with everyone from new golfers to PGA Tour pros utilizes a sensor that can be installed in the grip of a club. With the information about the swing that the sensor generates, sound is transferred to wireless headphones that the golfer wears. The feedback helps the golfer adjust the swing; results can be seen in as little as 20 minutes.
"One thing that's really integral to our whole mission is that we reduce this complex concept to something that's really accessible," said Tony Allen, CEO for Sonic Golf. "Golfers can get penalized by having 400 swing thoughts. With Sonic Golf, they can put on the headphones and that melts away. The biomechanics are simple and accessible."
Unlike most amateurs, pros already have a good idea of tempo.
"One of many things that separates Tiger Woods from the rest of us is his tempo," Allen said. "He takes 1.08 seconds to hit a driver, and he takes 1.08 seconds to hit a wedge. A swing that's repetitive and consistent is the hallmark of a tour player."
So, professionals tend to get different benefits from using Sonic Golf, primarily in how well their transition is timed.
"There's a quiet spot in the transition at the top of the swing,"
Allen said. "They can hear if they're rushing it, hear if they've made a nice turn. I expect to start seeing more pros out on the range with headphones on."
The company plans to release a version of the Sonic Golf system that users can purchase for their own use. Interested golfers will be able to purchase a club already outfitted with the sensor, or can buy the sensor for their own clubs. Plus, Allen says the company is working with a major grip manufacturer to have grips that will open for easy insertion and removal of the device.
"If you regrip with those grips, you can use it very easily," Allen said. "There are a number of different manufacturers talking about back-weighting grips; a lot of people are thinking about what goes on in the back of the grip. That works out well for us. (The shaft maker) had this as an ongoing project of their own."
But you won't find Sonic Golf in your nearby off-course retailer -- at least, not yet.
"You can't just take an idea to Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy and have them sell it," Allen said. "They need to see customer pull, have the customers request it. We need to build that level of demand on our own."
To do so, Sonic Golf will take full advantage of internet marketing.
Its web site, at www.sonicgolf.com, will take orders for the $299 system when it is available in early summer. Internet-based advertising and plenty of online Flash video so potential buyers can see just how the product works are a big part of the mix.
The company is also getting attention from media, including science and golf publications. An upcoming "Science of Golf" series that will air on the Golf Channel in five parts features Dr. Grober and the device.
"They interviewed Dr. Grober for the special to get one quick sound bite, but they ended up coming up and spending six hours going out to the range," Allen said. "Two-and-a-half solid minutes (of the special) are devoted to Dr. Grober and our device. They give a very vivid, clear explanation of how this works."
Sonic Golf is likely to appeal to teaching professionals, too, as another way to get across their messages about swing changes.
"Sonic Golf is what has been missing in golf instruction - the ability to teach timing and tempo - which is the glue that holds the whole swing together," says Randy Burkhardt, Buick Golf's PGA teaching professional, in a testimonial on the company's web site.
That's one of the main reasons why Grober is so excited to promote his invention.
"Most people teach golf position to position, then you go out on the range and try to generate that position. This completely changes the focus," he says.
For information on Sonic Golf, see www.sonicgolf.com.
Grober developed the technology behind Sonic Golf, a system that translates each golfer's swing into a series of audible tones that reflect speed and tempo. By listening to the sounds generated during the swing, a golfer can more easily make changes, resulting in dramatic improvements for beginning golfers and easy tweaking for advanced players.
"It works across the whole spectrum," Grober said. "Good golf swings are rhythmic, whereas a beginner's swing is not rhythmic. Generally a rhythmic golf swing gets closer to the swing plane and is more consistent."
Grober, a physics professor at Yale, has spent more than a decade researching the golf swing. The Sonic Golf system that he uses with everyone from new golfers to PGA Tour pros utilizes a sensor that can be installed in the grip of a club. With the information about the swing that the sensor generates, sound is transferred to wireless headphones that the golfer wears. The feedback helps the golfer adjust the swing; results can be seen in as little as 20 minutes.
"One thing that's really integral to our whole mission is that we reduce this complex concept to something that's really accessible," said Tony Allen, CEO for Sonic Golf. "Golfers can get penalized by having 400 swing thoughts. With Sonic Golf, they can put on the headphones and that melts away. The biomechanics are simple and accessible."
Unlike most amateurs, pros already have a good idea of tempo.
"One of many things that separates Tiger Woods from the rest of us is his tempo," Allen said. "He takes 1.08 seconds to hit a driver, and he takes 1.08 seconds to hit a wedge. A swing that's repetitive and consistent is the hallmark of a tour player."
So, professionals tend to get different benefits from using Sonic Golf, primarily in how well their transition is timed.
"There's a quiet spot in the transition at the top of the swing,"
Allen said. "They can hear if they're rushing it, hear if they've made a nice turn. I expect to start seeing more pros out on the range with headphones on."
The company plans to release a version of the Sonic Golf system that users can purchase for their own use. Interested golfers will be able to purchase a club already outfitted with the sensor, or can buy the sensor for their own clubs. Plus, Allen says the company is working with a major grip manufacturer to have grips that will open for easy insertion and removal of the device.
"If you regrip with those grips, you can use it very easily," Allen said. "There are a number of different manufacturers talking about back-weighting grips; a lot of people are thinking about what goes on in the back of the grip. That works out well for us. (The shaft maker) had this as an ongoing project of their own."
But you won't find Sonic Golf in your nearby off-course retailer -- at least, not yet.
"You can't just take an idea to Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy and have them sell it," Allen said. "They need to see customer pull, have the customers request it. We need to build that level of demand on our own."
To do so, Sonic Golf will take full advantage of internet marketing.
Its web site, at www.sonicgolf.com, will take orders for the $299 system when it is available in early summer. Internet-based advertising and plenty of online Flash video so potential buyers can see just how the product works are a big part of the mix.
The company is also getting attention from media, including science and golf publications. An upcoming "Science of Golf" series that will air on the Golf Channel in five parts features Dr. Grober and the device.
"They interviewed Dr. Grober for the special to get one quick sound bite, but they ended up coming up and spending six hours going out to the range," Allen said. "Two-and-a-half solid minutes (of the special) are devoted to Dr. Grober and our device. They give a very vivid, clear explanation of how this works."
Sonic Golf is likely to appeal to teaching professionals, too, as another way to get across their messages about swing changes.
"Sonic Golf is what has been missing in golf instruction - the ability to teach timing and tempo - which is the glue that holds the whole swing together," says Randy Burkhardt, Buick Golf's PGA teaching professional, in a testimonial on the company's web site.
That's one of the main reasons why Grober is so excited to promote his invention.
"Most people teach golf position to position, then you go out on the range and try to generate that position. This completely changes the focus," he says.
For information on Sonic Golf, see www.sonicgolf.com.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Tour Van: Nonconforming Drivers Problem for Amateurs, not Pros
As a pro, if you're found to be playing nonconforming equipment, it's a major issue. When Nike announced Friday that some of its Sumo2 drivers were found to be nonconforming because of a manufacturing error, PGA Tour player K.J. Choi was quick to report his driver was fine.
"No, we get ours from Fort Worth (Nike testing facility) and they're triple tested," he said at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. "It's not a problem."
Late last month, Nike was notified by the United States Golf Association that there could be a problem with the CT measurement of some Sumo2 drivers, known for their square shape and distinctive sound on impact. The CT measures the potential for spring-like or trampoline effect on the driver's face. For some golfers, that could mean an extra distance benefit of 1 to 2 yards.
It appears that a competitor brought the issue to the attention of the USGA, which investigated and discovered the problem. Nike officials believe a manufacturing variance that fell outside their initial specs is to blame, but don't know - or won't say - how many drivers were affected. The company has launched a replacement program for consumers, so their possibly nonconforming clubs can be exchanged for drivers without the issue. Those new drivers will feature a sticker that proclaims their adherence to the regulations.
"Nike Golf is a company that cares about fair golf competition, and that our customers have complete confidence that the club in their bag conforms to the Rules of the game," said Nike Golf President Bob Wood. "As such, we are working with the USGA to implement a process to replace any Sumo2 driver. It is Nike Golf's commitment to do the right thing for golfers in an open and straightforward manner."
Just as Choi, who won the Chrysler Championship last fall with the Sumo2 driver, was not concerned about his club conforming, Chad Campbell thought the Nike club would be a good addition to his bag.
Campbell put the Sumo2 driver in his bag last week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and reported that it resulted in straighter drives on the tight fairways at Bay Hill.
"It seems to go straighter and right now that's what I need, just something that keeps the ball in the fairway, especially out here. If you're in the rough, it's U.S. Open rough out here," Campbell said. "I had heard something this week (about the possible nonconformance). Obviously they are checked and everything is fine on those."
But consumers who purchased the drivers may not be as pleased as their professional counterparts. While Nike has unveiled the Sumo2 Conformance Program that allows golfers to trade in their existing driver for a new, guaranteed-to-conform version, some golfers are worried about what to do in the meantime.
"I was told this weekend that I will not be allowed to use my Sumo2 in our upcoming Club Championship, March 24 and 25," said 6-handicapper Bill Torres from Huntington Beach, Calif. "The membership decided that in the best interest of the game of golf.
"While I will always walk the line when it comes to game improvement and technology, I love the history of the game too much to ever cross the line. Consequently I am preparing to enter our annual Club Championship without a driver. I'm not a happy camper."
Torres said he had also replaced the standard shaft and grip with ones more to his liking, and wasn't sure if Nike would compensate him for that.
"If they will not replace it with the shaft that I had installed in it at my expense I will ask for a full refund and buy another make," he said.
Nike did not return calls Monday seeking a clarification of how the Sumo2 Conformance Program would work for players like Torres who had changed components in the club.
The Conformance Program is Nike's attempt at righting a problem with its equipment, but because this issue is a relatively new one for the industry, there aren't a lot of already established protocols in place.
"In the absence of a published protocol, Nike Golf is taking the lead for the industry by voluntarily conducting this testing and replacement program that could serve as a model for other manufacturers," the company's press release read. "Nike Golf also expects other manufacturers' products to be tested by the USGA in the future."
"No, we get ours from Fort Worth (Nike testing facility) and they're triple tested," he said at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. "It's not a problem."
Late last month, Nike was notified by the United States Golf Association that there could be a problem with the CT measurement of some Sumo2 drivers, known for their square shape and distinctive sound on impact. The CT measures the potential for spring-like or trampoline effect on the driver's face. For some golfers, that could mean an extra distance benefit of 1 to 2 yards.
It appears that a competitor brought the issue to the attention of the USGA, which investigated and discovered the problem. Nike officials believe a manufacturing variance that fell outside their initial specs is to blame, but don't know - or won't say - how many drivers were affected. The company has launched a replacement program for consumers, so their possibly nonconforming clubs can be exchanged for drivers without the issue. Those new drivers will feature a sticker that proclaims their adherence to the regulations.
"Nike Golf is a company that cares about fair golf competition, and that our customers have complete confidence that the club in their bag conforms to the Rules of the game," said Nike Golf President Bob Wood. "As such, we are working with the USGA to implement a process to replace any Sumo2 driver. It is Nike Golf's commitment to do the right thing for golfers in an open and straightforward manner."
Just as Choi, who won the Chrysler Championship last fall with the Sumo2 driver, was not concerned about his club conforming, Chad Campbell thought the Nike club would be a good addition to his bag.
Campbell put the Sumo2 driver in his bag last week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and reported that it resulted in straighter drives on the tight fairways at Bay Hill.
"It seems to go straighter and right now that's what I need, just something that keeps the ball in the fairway, especially out here. If you're in the rough, it's U.S. Open rough out here," Campbell said. "I had heard something this week (about the possible nonconformance). Obviously they are checked and everything is fine on those."
But consumers who purchased the drivers may not be as pleased as their professional counterparts. While Nike has unveiled the Sumo2 Conformance Program that allows golfers to trade in their existing driver for a new, guaranteed-to-conform version, some golfers are worried about what to do in the meantime.
"I was told this weekend that I will not be allowed to use my Sumo2 in our upcoming Club Championship, March 24 and 25," said 6-handicapper Bill Torres from Huntington Beach, Calif. "The membership decided that in the best interest of the game of golf.
"While I will always walk the line when it comes to game improvement and technology, I love the history of the game too much to ever cross the line. Consequently I am preparing to enter our annual Club Championship without a driver. I'm not a happy camper."
Torres said he had also replaced the standard shaft and grip with ones more to his liking, and wasn't sure if Nike would compensate him for that.
"If they will not replace it with the shaft that I had installed in it at my expense I will ask for a full refund and buy another make," he said.
Nike did not return calls Monday seeking a clarification of how the Sumo2 Conformance Program would work for players like Torres who had changed components in the club.
The Conformance Program is Nike's attempt at righting a problem with its equipment, but because this issue is a relatively new one for the industry, there aren't a lot of already established protocols in place.
"In the absence of a published protocol, Nike Golf is taking the lead for the industry by voluntarily conducting this testing and replacement program that could serve as a model for other manufacturers," the company's press release read. "Nike Golf also expects other manufacturers' products to be tested by the USGA in the future."
Tour Van Notebook: Els' Club Change Equals Excitement
You know that great feeling when you have a new piece of equipment that's working for you? That honeymoon period is sweet.
It's the same for Ernie Els, a recent convert to Callaway equipment.
"I'm so excited now," he said at Bay Hill. "Especially with my new equipment and Callaway and the new golf ball and the driver and stuff. So I feel, you know, I feel like a rookie almost again. I've got new energy and working with new people and it's exciting. The whole company is excited that I've joined and it's vice versa."
In fact, while Els switched his driver right away, he had planned to wait a while before putting Callaway irons in the bag. That plan changed as he found the right clubs more quickly than anticipated.
"I didn't have to change until the end of the year," he said. "But I was obviously excited and I liked what I saw and I liked what I felt. (Callaway club designer) Roger (Cleveland) has made this new mold iron, new forged mold iron which really feels so soft when you strike the ball. I love what I felt and what I saw."
Els said he loved the irons so much he put them into play Sunday at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand at the beginning of the month.
"I hit 16 greens that day," Els said. "If I putted better I could have given Anton Haig, behind there, a bit more of a go."
Els also banished his 2-iron in favor of a 5-wood, which he said he hits 245 with a higher and softer ball flight.
SINGH WINS WITH SAME PUTTER: Vijay Singh used to be known as a man who would change putters regularly. Now, it seems, he has something he's sticking with.
"The way I putted today, I think (it will stay) for a while," he said after his win Sunday. "I started off just before the Father and Son last year. I was fiddling around with it at home, and I just felt good with it. I found a putter that I never used before, but it was the perfect length and looked really good when I set it down.
"But it was a belly putter, so I went out on the golf course and started putting with it and started making putts with it. Played in the Father and Son with it. Went to Hawaii early to practice and I didn't take any other putter but the belly, so I had no choice but to go out and play with that.
So I practiced and played with that putter and just stuck to it."
The putter, a Never Compromise GM2 Exchange model, has racked up two wins so far for Singh.
KING WEIGHS IN ON EQUIPMENT ROLL BACK: Arnold Palmer, host of the Invitational that bears his name, made his feelings clear on equipment issues before the tournament began.
"There is certainly a movement in the direction that I'm going, and the one is the most recent adoption of the back to V-grooves versus square grooves," he said. "I think it took me a long time to convince Dick Rugge that they needed to look at the square groove situation simply because of the way these guys hit the golf ball, and hit it in the rough - unless the rough is like this rough, there's no big deal because the square grooves are almost like hitting it out of the fairway. So that's one of my wishes; that the V-grooves would come back to a reality in golf.
"I suppose that the second one that I would like to see is the golf ball. I'd like to see the golf ball slowed down. Just to help keep from having to do the exaggerated things that we are doing now to golf courses. You know, I just opened two golf courses on the west and they are both 7,600 yards. Well, somewhere along the way, we've got to kind of curtail that, pull it back a little bit."
PHIL SAYS SQUARE IS COMING: Phil Mickelson is on track for putting Callaway Golf's FT-i square driver in his bag at Augusta National. The real question is, why hasn't the previous Masters champion put it in play in other tournaments?
"The reason is the fairways are tight," Mickelson said. "The wind is usually a crosswind, and the FT-5, which I've been using all year, it's much easier to hit low and shape shots. And the driver I'm going to use at Augusta, I just want to hit it high and straight and far. And although that sounds great, it doesn't always fit with Tour courses."
That said, Mickelson admitted he may try the driver next week at Doral, for at least "a couple of rounds."
FROM TAYLORMADE'S TOUR VAN: After launch monitor testing showed that he should bring his spin rate down a little, Darren Clarke tried an r7 SuperQuad 9.5 bent to 8.5 degrees with a slightly open face. He's using 10 grams of weight in the front and 3 grams in the back port of the club. ... Joey Sindelar has been using a 510 driver for a while, but he's now moved to an r7 SuperQuad as well. His best configuration was an 8.5 bent to 7 degrees with a neutral fade, achieved by 12 grams of weight in the front toe, 1 gram in the back toe, 12 grams in the back heel and 1 gram in the front heel. ... Bay Hill local Robert Damron got a new r7 SuperQuad 8.5 with a fade set up. ... Retief Goosen put a Burner 8.5 driver into his bag for the first time in competition. The Goose is also playing a Burner TP fairway wood 15 bent to 14 degrees and tried a TP Black golf ball for first time. ... Sergio Garcia gave the new Burner TP 3-wood a try at Bay Hill. ... Tim Herron grabbed a Burner 10.5 driver for the first time.
COUNTDOWN: Cleveland Golf won the sand, lob and approach wedge count at the AT&T Champions Classic last week with 46 wedges. They also took the all wedge count category with 50 wedges.
It's the same for Ernie Els, a recent convert to Callaway equipment.
"I'm so excited now," he said at Bay Hill. "Especially with my new equipment and Callaway and the new golf ball and the driver and stuff. So I feel, you know, I feel like a rookie almost again. I've got new energy and working with new people and it's exciting. The whole company is excited that I've joined and it's vice versa."
In fact, while Els switched his driver right away, he had planned to wait a while before putting Callaway irons in the bag. That plan changed as he found the right clubs more quickly than anticipated.
"I didn't have to change until the end of the year," he said. "But I was obviously excited and I liked what I saw and I liked what I felt. (Callaway club designer) Roger (Cleveland) has made this new mold iron, new forged mold iron which really feels so soft when you strike the ball. I love what I felt and what I saw."
Els said he loved the irons so much he put them into play Sunday at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand at the beginning of the month.
"I hit 16 greens that day," Els said. "If I putted better I could have given Anton Haig, behind there, a bit more of a go."
Els also banished his 2-iron in favor of a 5-wood, which he said he hits 245 with a higher and softer ball flight.
SINGH WINS WITH SAME PUTTER: Vijay Singh used to be known as a man who would change putters regularly. Now, it seems, he has something he's sticking with.
"The way I putted today, I think (it will stay) for a while," he said after his win Sunday. "I started off just before the Father and Son last year. I was fiddling around with it at home, and I just felt good with it. I found a putter that I never used before, but it was the perfect length and looked really good when I set it down.
"But it was a belly putter, so I went out on the golf course and started putting with it and started making putts with it. Played in the Father and Son with it. Went to Hawaii early to practice and I didn't take any other putter but the belly, so I had no choice but to go out and play with that.
So I practiced and played with that putter and just stuck to it."
The putter, a Never Compromise GM2 Exchange model, has racked up two wins so far for Singh.
KING WEIGHS IN ON EQUIPMENT ROLL BACK: Arnold Palmer, host of the Invitational that bears his name, made his feelings clear on equipment issues before the tournament began.
"There is certainly a movement in the direction that I'm going, and the one is the most recent adoption of the back to V-grooves versus square grooves," he said. "I think it took me a long time to convince Dick Rugge that they needed to look at the square groove situation simply because of the way these guys hit the golf ball, and hit it in the rough - unless the rough is like this rough, there's no big deal because the square grooves are almost like hitting it out of the fairway. So that's one of my wishes; that the V-grooves would come back to a reality in golf.
"I suppose that the second one that I would like to see is the golf ball. I'd like to see the golf ball slowed down. Just to help keep from having to do the exaggerated things that we are doing now to golf courses. You know, I just opened two golf courses on the west and they are both 7,600 yards. Well, somewhere along the way, we've got to kind of curtail that, pull it back a little bit."
PHIL SAYS SQUARE IS COMING: Phil Mickelson is on track for putting Callaway Golf's FT-i square driver in his bag at Augusta National. The real question is, why hasn't the previous Masters champion put it in play in other tournaments?
"The reason is the fairways are tight," Mickelson said. "The wind is usually a crosswind, and the FT-5, which I've been using all year, it's much easier to hit low and shape shots. And the driver I'm going to use at Augusta, I just want to hit it high and straight and far. And although that sounds great, it doesn't always fit with Tour courses."
That said, Mickelson admitted he may try the driver next week at Doral, for at least "a couple of rounds."
FROM TAYLORMADE'S TOUR VAN: After launch monitor testing showed that he should bring his spin rate down a little, Darren Clarke tried an r7 SuperQuad 9.5 bent to 8.5 degrees with a slightly open face. He's using 10 grams of weight in the front and 3 grams in the back port of the club. ... Joey Sindelar has been using a 510 driver for a while, but he's now moved to an r7 SuperQuad as well. His best configuration was an 8.5 bent to 7 degrees with a neutral fade, achieved by 12 grams of weight in the front toe, 1 gram in the back toe, 12 grams in the back heel and 1 gram in the front heel. ... Bay Hill local Robert Damron got a new r7 SuperQuad 8.5 with a fade set up. ... Retief Goosen put a Burner 8.5 driver into his bag for the first time in competition. The Goose is also playing a Burner TP fairway wood 15 bent to 14 degrees and tried a TP Black golf ball for first time. ... Sergio Garcia gave the new Burner TP 3-wood a try at Bay Hill. ... Tim Herron grabbed a Burner 10.5 driver for the first time.
COUNTDOWN: Cleveland Golf won the sand, lob and approach wedge count at the AT&T Champions Classic last week with 46 wedges. They also took the all wedge count category with 50 wedges.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Square Revisited: Nickent Offers Square Driver With Lower Trajectory
Add another entry to the square driver category.
Nickent Golf, the company that has received a lot of attention this year with the success of staff player Jeff Quinney, sent a few of its new 3DX Square drivers out to key retailers last month and are pleased with the response.
"We picked a few select retailers to do a test market on the 3DX Square and it turns out we have never had a hotter product," said Ian Zubkoff, executive vice president of sales for Nickent Golf. "They say it looks better, sounds better and performs better than the other square- or high-MOI [moment of inertia] design drivers on the market."
Like other square drivers on the market, the 3DX Square performs well at helping players hit the ball straighter. The square shape lets engineers move more mass to the back corners of the clubhead, which works to slow down the twisting of the club at impact.
In technical lingo, it has a higher MOI than a more traditional shaped clubhead. Plus, the entire clubface is larger and more forgiving on off-center hits.
"We wanted a club that had limited twisting at impact," said John Hoeflich, Nickent senior vice president, who drew his initial ideas for a square driver design on a napkin. "This keeps the ball straight, even when you make a bad swing."
But there are some issues with square drivers. Tiger Woods has talked about how he would like to play a Nike Sumo2 -- Nike's square driver - but the launch angle is a little too high.
Nickent's engineers have been working on that problem in its square driver and have focused on making a club with a more penetrating ball flight.
"(One) thing we wanted to accomplish was an optimum trajectory," Hoeflich said. "Others have not taken into account that this design makes the ball go very high and produces a lot of spin, even for high handicap players. We wanted straight rocket launchers and that's what we are seeing from the 3DX Square."
With a lower launch angle, golfers won't give up any distance to gain accuracy. Nickent's tests with an Iron Byron-style robot indicate that the 3DX Square's yardage equals that of Nickent's more traditional drivers.
"Sometimes you just get lucky," said Michael Lee, Nickent's CEO. "We wanted to try the square design out after John Hoeflich did a design idea on a napkin. We rushed the project, but we weren't sure how the others were doing in the marketplace.
"We did a test with our retailers and we found there really is a serious demand for these straight hitting drivers."
The club's head is made of forged titanium and it ships with a UST V2 graphite shaft and Lamkin NNG grip in 9-, 10.5- and 12-degree versions. The 10.5-degree model is available for left-handers.
The club, which may already be available at some retailers, will be available in June. Suggested retail is about half of what Nike and Callaway square drivers sell for -- $199.
For information, go to www.nickentgolf.com.
Nickent Golf, the company that has received a lot of attention this year with the success of staff player Jeff Quinney, sent a few of its new 3DX Square drivers out to key retailers last month and are pleased with the response.
"We picked a few select retailers to do a test market on the 3DX Square and it turns out we have never had a hotter product," said Ian Zubkoff, executive vice president of sales for Nickent Golf. "They say it looks better, sounds better and performs better than the other square- or high-MOI [moment of inertia] design drivers on the market."
Like other square drivers on the market, the 3DX Square performs well at helping players hit the ball straighter. The square shape lets engineers move more mass to the back corners of the clubhead, which works to slow down the twisting of the club at impact.
In technical lingo, it has a higher MOI than a more traditional shaped clubhead. Plus, the entire clubface is larger and more forgiving on off-center hits.
"We wanted a club that had limited twisting at impact," said John Hoeflich, Nickent senior vice president, who drew his initial ideas for a square driver design on a napkin. "This keeps the ball straight, even when you make a bad swing."
But there are some issues with square drivers. Tiger Woods has talked about how he would like to play a Nike Sumo2 -- Nike's square driver - but the launch angle is a little too high.
Nickent's engineers have been working on that problem in its square driver and have focused on making a club with a more penetrating ball flight.
"(One) thing we wanted to accomplish was an optimum trajectory," Hoeflich said. "Others have not taken into account that this design makes the ball go very high and produces a lot of spin, even for high handicap players. We wanted straight rocket launchers and that's what we are seeing from the 3DX Square."
With a lower launch angle, golfers won't give up any distance to gain accuracy. Nickent's tests with an Iron Byron-style robot indicate that the 3DX Square's yardage equals that of Nickent's more traditional drivers.
"Sometimes you just get lucky," said Michael Lee, Nickent's CEO. "We wanted to try the square design out after John Hoeflich did a design idea on a napkin. We rushed the project, but we weren't sure how the others were doing in the marketplace.
"We did a test with our retailers and we found there really is a serious demand for these straight hitting drivers."
The club's head is made of forged titanium and it ships with a UST V2 graphite shaft and Lamkin NNG grip in 9-, 10.5- and 12-degree versions. The 10.5-degree model is available for left-handers.
The club, which may already be available at some retailers, will be available in June. Suggested retail is about half of what Nike and Callaway square drivers sell for -- $199.
For information, go to www.nickentgolf.com.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Heavy Putter Reps Have Putters, Will Travel in 2007
At many large golf retail stores and pro shops, the putters for sale are displayed around an indoor putting green. If you're looking for a putter, you try a few different models that catch your eye and take a few half-hearted putts on a flat Astroturf surface.
Often, you leave with a putter that looks just like the one the guy in your foursome uses or that the pro on television sported in his most recent win. You may not end up, though, with a putter that is best suited for your game.
Heavy Putter CEO Stephen Boccieri wants to help golfers get a better handle on what they need from a putter. If it happens to be a Heavy Putter, then all the better.
That is the reasoning behind the company's new PuttLab Tour '07, where five company representatives will travel to more than 500 golf stores in 40 states to introduce retailers and consumers to the Heavy Putter. Reps will use an ultrasound machine called the Science in Motion (SAM) machine to show golfers where the inconsistencies in their putting strokes lie.
"It shows you everything you ever wanted to know -- and what you didn't want to know -- about your putting stroke," Boccieri said.
The Heavy Putter works on the principle that increased mass in the head keeps a golfer from using their smaller wrist muscles, which break down easily, and encourages the use of larger shoulder muscles in the upper body. A stroke using these larger muscles moves more like a pendulum and is more consistent. Feel is actually increased as well because the added mass dampens vibration at impact.
But simply having a heavy putter head isn't enough to keep the wrists from breaking down. Heavy Putters balance the 450- to 550-gram head weight with a 250-gram insert in the upper shaft, which puts the club's balance point 75 percent higher for better control.
"The pros develop skills to keep a conventional putter on path but higher handicappers don't have the time to work on that," Boccieri said. "The increased mass gives consistency in the stroke."
Even though the company has run a successful informercial campaign on the Golf Channel, advertised in golf publications and gained an endorsement from 2006 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Troy Matteson, Boccieri believes that golfers need to feel the technology for themselves and see the difference between Heavy Putter and their own flat sticks.
"We always knew the ultrasound machine was our best ally in selling the product, and that this was something we had to put in a higher scale," he said. "As much as I could tell you that the putter is different, you say, 'Yeah, everybody says their putter is different, that it lowers scores.' This is a way to convince you, so you can say, 'Wow, this really is different.'
"Consumers love to be sold. My wife is a vice president at Estee Lauder and that's how they built up that company. 'Do you want to feel beautiful? This face cream will work for you.'
In the golf industry, no one is selling putters like that. People like to be told that this is what's right for you."
As opposed to a demo day environment, where golfers can make a few putts with several models of a company's putters, PuttLab will help golfers learn more about their putting strokes.
"We say, bring in your putter and compare it. You make the decision about whether your stroke improves or not. You see the outcome of what's done with the SAM ultrasound machine," Boccieri said.
While Heavy Putter reps will work with consumers, they also want to make sure that retailers understand the technology and can help golfers once the ultrasound machine has gone on to the next stop.
"If you're looking for a new driver, you might go in and work with a salesman, use a launch monitor," Boccieri said. "But you can go onto any store's putting green, look and never see a salesman on the putting green. It's the one place you can go and not be hounded by a salesman. Now (after learning about Heavy Putter) he can go out there and say to the customer, 'Hey, there are a few things out there you may not have tried.'"
So far, the concept has met with success. At GolfFest in San Diego last week, the Heavy Putter ranked third in total dollars sold -- behind TaylorMade and Titleist, which also sell drivers, irons and golf balls. Heavy Putter only sells putters.
In Scottsdale recently, Heavy Putter reps sold more than 22 putters in one day to interested golfers.
"A retailer in one month doesn't sell 22 putters of any one brand," Boccieri said. "That answers the question as to whether the PuttLab actually works."
Often, you leave with a putter that looks just like the one the guy in your foursome uses or that the pro on television sported in his most recent win. You may not end up, though, with a putter that is best suited for your game.
Heavy Putter CEO Stephen Boccieri wants to help golfers get a better handle on what they need from a putter. If it happens to be a Heavy Putter, then all the better.
That is the reasoning behind the company's new PuttLab Tour '07, where five company representatives will travel to more than 500 golf stores in 40 states to introduce retailers and consumers to the Heavy Putter. Reps will use an ultrasound machine called the Science in Motion (SAM) machine to show golfers where the inconsistencies in their putting strokes lie.
"It shows you everything you ever wanted to know -- and what you didn't want to know -- about your putting stroke," Boccieri said.
The Heavy Putter works on the principle that increased mass in the head keeps a golfer from using their smaller wrist muscles, which break down easily, and encourages the use of larger shoulder muscles in the upper body. A stroke using these larger muscles moves more like a pendulum and is more consistent. Feel is actually increased as well because the added mass dampens vibration at impact.
But simply having a heavy putter head isn't enough to keep the wrists from breaking down. Heavy Putters balance the 450- to 550-gram head weight with a 250-gram insert in the upper shaft, which puts the club's balance point 75 percent higher for better control.
"The pros develop skills to keep a conventional putter on path but higher handicappers don't have the time to work on that," Boccieri said. "The increased mass gives consistency in the stroke."
Even though the company has run a successful informercial campaign on the Golf Channel, advertised in golf publications and gained an endorsement from 2006 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Troy Matteson, Boccieri believes that golfers need to feel the technology for themselves and see the difference between Heavy Putter and their own flat sticks.
"We always knew the ultrasound machine was our best ally in selling the product, and that this was something we had to put in a higher scale," he said. "As much as I could tell you that the putter is different, you say, 'Yeah, everybody says their putter is different, that it lowers scores.' This is a way to convince you, so you can say, 'Wow, this really is different.'
"Consumers love to be sold. My wife is a vice president at Estee Lauder and that's how they built up that company. 'Do you want to feel beautiful? This face cream will work for you.'
In the golf industry, no one is selling putters like that. People like to be told that this is what's right for you."
As opposed to a demo day environment, where golfers can make a few putts with several models of a company's putters, PuttLab will help golfers learn more about their putting strokes.
"We say, bring in your putter and compare it. You make the decision about whether your stroke improves or not. You see the outcome of what's done with the SAM ultrasound machine," Boccieri said.
While Heavy Putter reps will work with consumers, they also want to make sure that retailers understand the technology and can help golfers once the ultrasound machine has gone on to the next stop.
"If you're looking for a new driver, you might go in and work with a salesman, use a launch monitor," Boccieri said. "But you can go onto any store's putting green, look and never see a salesman on the putting green. It's the one place you can go and not be hounded by a salesman. Now (after learning about Heavy Putter) he can go out there and say to the customer, 'Hey, there are a few things out there you may not have tried.'"
So far, the concept has met with success. At GolfFest in San Diego last week, the Heavy Putter ranked third in total dollars sold -- behind TaylorMade and Titleist, which also sell drivers, irons and golf balls. Heavy Putter only sells putters.
In Scottsdale recently, Heavy Putter reps sold more than 22 putters in one day to interested golfers.
"A retailer in one month doesn't sell 22 putters of any one brand," Boccieri said. "That answers the question as to whether the PuttLab actually works."
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Tour Van Notebook: Calc Blames Ball for Increased Distance
In the late 80s, PODS Championship winner Mark Calcavecchia was at the top of his game. He was so good, in fact, that some competitors started to complain about his equipment. That may have been one reason why the USGA looked at square grooves for the first time.
"Pretty ridiculous, actually," Calcavecchia said when the issue came up at his PODS Championship press conference last week. "That actually was a shot I hit at the Honda Classic that Jack and Tom Watson and a few other guys went berserk over when I gashed it out of the right hay and sucked it back on the 16th green."
The USGA has recently released guidelines for phasing out square or U grooves in irons and wedges. Critics have complained that the grooves help players get the ball out of rough more easily, thus losing the half-stroke penalty that an inaccurate hit into the thick stuff is supposed to cause.
"It's a non-issue to me now," he said. "Everybody's grooves are pretty much the same, Blades, or Pings or Callaways, whatever.
"It's not the grooves. It's the ball. You hit a slice out there and it starts dropping to the
left, not like the old days with the woods and balls went everywhere. Duck hooks, guys used to hit it all over the place. Now it's bombs away and straight and far."
STRAIGHT AT ALL COSTS: Some changes are for the better with new club technology. At 50 and 47 years, respectively, shorter hitters Fred Funk and Corey Pavin are still making their way on tour. Funk won the Mayakoba Golf Classic two weeks ago; Pavin won the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee last year and tied for sixth in the AT&T Pebble Beach last month.
"I definitely hit it further than I used to, no doubt, with the equipment," Pavin said. "My swing is better, I'm stronger.
"You know, I'm going with the equipment, I'm changing my swing, I'm working on that. I'm trying to get every inch I can out of hitting it. It's harder to curve the ball now than it used to be. So I have to play differently than I used to. I just have to keep evolving.
Pavin said that with the new equipment advances in recent years he's seen less emphasis on working the ball. In fact, he says, there aren't many players on tour who still do.
"A few guys out here that -- some of the younger guys, that do shape shots and hit shots. Granted, they are probably bigger and stronger than me. There are some guys that do that. But it's quietly becoming fewer and fewer for sure."
LEARN TO LOVE THEM: When Cameron Beckman first laid eyes on the TaylorMade r7 TP irons, he thought the head was too large. He almost decided to give them a pass, until TaylorMade reps convinced him to give them a try.
"I'm hitting perfect shots," he said, after trying them on the driving range for a few minutes. "It feels like I'm cheating."
Beckman asked TaylorMade to make him a complete set and put them in his bag for the first round of the PODS Championship.
After missing the cut at the Honda Classic, Beckman finished in a tie for 43rd at Tampa.
TaylorMade reps also reported that Kenny Perry used a new Burner 10.5-degree driver after testing several shafts and lofts in both the SuperQuad and Burner. Jason Gore moved back to TaylorMade with r7 425 irons, an r7 3-wood and a Rescue TP 19-degree for the first time. He's also testing Burners, r7 SuperQuads and r7 Quads.
"Pretty ridiculous, actually," Calcavecchia said when the issue came up at his PODS Championship press conference last week. "That actually was a shot I hit at the Honda Classic that Jack and Tom Watson and a few other guys went berserk over when I gashed it out of the right hay and sucked it back on the 16th green."
The USGA has recently released guidelines for phasing out square or U grooves in irons and wedges. Critics have complained that the grooves help players get the ball out of rough more easily, thus losing the half-stroke penalty that an inaccurate hit into the thick stuff is supposed to cause.
"It's a non-issue to me now," he said. "Everybody's grooves are pretty much the same, Blades, or Pings or Callaways, whatever.
"It's not the grooves. It's the ball. You hit a slice out there and it starts dropping to the
left, not like the old days with the woods and balls went everywhere. Duck hooks, guys used to hit it all over the place. Now it's bombs away and straight and far."
STRAIGHT AT ALL COSTS: Some changes are for the better with new club technology. At 50 and 47 years, respectively, shorter hitters Fred Funk and Corey Pavin are still making their way on tour. Funk won the Mayakoba Golf Classic two weeks ago; Pavin won the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee last year and tied for sixth in the AT&T Pebble Beach last month.
"I definitely hit it further than I used to, no doubt, with the equipment," Pavin said. "My swing is better, I'm stronger.
"You know, I'm going with the equipment, I'm changing my swing, I'm working on that. I'm trying to get every inch I can out of hitting it. It's harder to curve the ball now than it used to be. So I have to play differently than I used to. I just have to keep evolving.
Pavin said that with the new equipment advances in recent years he's seen less emphasis on working the ball. In fact, he says, there aren't many players on tour who still do.
"A few guys out here that -- some of the younger guys, that do shape shots and hit shots. Granted, they are probably bigger and stronger than me. There are some guys that do that. But it's quietly becoming fewer and fewer for sure."
LEARN TO LOVE THEM: When Cameron Beckman first laid eyes on the TaylorMade r7 TP irons, he thought the head was too large. He almost decided to give them a pass, until TaylorMade reps convinced him to give them a try.
"I'm hitting perfect shots," he said, after trying them on the driving range for a few minutes. "It feels like I'm cheating."
Beckman asked TaylorMade to make him a complete set and put them in his bag for the first round of the PODS Championship.
After missing the cut at the Honda Classic, Beckman finished in a tie for 43rd at Tampa.
TaylorMade reps also reported that Kenny Perry used a new Burner 10.5-degree driver after testing several shafts and lofts in both the SuperQuad and Burner. Jason Gore moved back to TaylorMade with r7 425 irons, an r7 3-wood and a Rescue TP 19-degree for the first time. He's also testing Burners, r7 SuperQuads and r7 Quads.
Tour Van: Mighty Redwood Key to Win for Calcavecchia
If you've been playing golf for any length of time, you've probably done the same thing. You walk into your nearest golf shop and pick up a putter that looks good to your eye and helps you make a putt or two on the indoor astroturf practice green. A few minutes later, you leave with your wallet a couple hundred bucks lighter but with the hopes of finally being able to sink a few putts.
You probably didn't think a PGA Tour pro would do the same thing.
But that's exactly what Mark Calcavecchia did last week. He walked into an Edwin Watts store in West Palm Beach, Fla., and paid $256.18 for a Redwood Anser putter from Ping - one that he could have had for free from the company.
After a disappointing Honda Classic experience, where he paced off his longest putt made at 4 feet, 2 inches, he decided to start the PODS Championship with a new prototype putter that Ping had made for him. That prototype and the purchased Redwood were the two putters that came with him to Tampa.
"Thursday, I decided to whip out this new prototype Ping made me... that I made everything with Sunday when I played Old Marsh and practiced out there Tuesday. And then Thursday, when the bell rang it wasn't there," Calcavecchia said.
So, following a first-round 75, Calcavecchia didn't have much to lose. He put the Redwood in the bag for his second-round 67, third-round 62 and subsequent win on Sunday.
"I was on major putting slump," he said. "And we all know the story about the putter, the store bought putter, and it looked good to me.
"It's called a Ping Redwood, which is their milled version of their Anser, which Scotty Cameron and
everybody else in the world copies. But it looked good to me, and I figured something out. I guess it was Friday morning, when I was hitting some putts on the putting green, for some reason it dawned on me to pull more with my left hand. So then I kind of loosened up my right-hand grip and tried to putt basically left handed with my right hand just on the putter for guidance, and here I am."
The Redwood series, which came on the market in late 2006, are milled from 303 stainless steel. Three models are available - the Piper S, the Zing and the Anser, which Calcavecchia used. The putters got their name from Ping founder Karsten Solheim's home in Redwood City, Calif., where he made the first Ping putters.
"These putters are designed to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye and engineered to produce lower scores," said John Solheim, Ping's Chairman and CEO, when the company debuted the line in December. "All of the models have clean lines on them, which will help golfers line up their putts. The 100 percent machined heads enable us to ensure that the shape and the lines of each putter we produce are exactly as we designed them."
Apparently the looks of the putter helped Calcavecchia with his decision to play it. "I just kind of look at it and see which one looks less ugly to me," he said about choosing which putter he will use for a round. "It's basically what I putted with all of my career, just that it's an Anser."
The new putter helped Calcavecchia to finish first in putts per green in regulation (1.620) and third in putts per round (27.3) - in spite of taking 36 putts in the first round.
Calcavecchia said he plans to keep the Redwood in play.
"It earned its way for quite a while I think," he said. "Hopefully I can just keep with the same thoughts and feel that I had the last three days.
"It's earned bag time for a while even if it goes south. I know I like the putter, and I know I can putt with it, so that's about three quarters of the battle."
What about that Ping prototype putter, the one Calc used on Thursday?
"I will be sending it back," he said.
You probably didn't think a PGA Tour pro would do the same thing.
But that's exactly what Mark Calcavecchia did last week. He walked into an Edwin Watts store in West Palm Beach, Fla., and paid $256.18 for a Redwood Anser putter from Ping - one that he could have had for free from the company.
After a disappointing Honda Classic experience, where he paced off his longest putt made at 4 feet, 2 inches, he decided to start the PODS Championship with a new prototype putter that Ping had made for him. That prototype and the purchased Redwood were the two putters that came with him to Tampa.
"Thursday, I decided to whip out this new prototype Ping made me... that I made everything with Sunday when I played Old Marsh and practiced out there Tuesday. And then Thursday, when the bell rang it wasn't there," Calcavecchia said.
So, following a first-round 75, Calcavecchia didn't have much to lose. He put the Redwood in the bag for his second-round 67, third-round 62 and subsequent win on Sunday.
"I was on major putting slump," he said. "And we all know the story about the putter, the store bought putter, and it looked good to me.
"It's called a Ping Redwood, which is their milled version of their Anser, which Scotty Cameron and
everybody else in the world copies. But it looked good to me, and I figured something out. I guess it was Friday morning, when I was hitting some putts on the putting green, for some reason it dawned on me to pull more with my left hand. So then I kind of loosened up my right-hand grip and tried to putt basically left handed with my right hand just on the putter for guidance, and here I am."
The Redwood series, which came on the market in late 2006, are milled from 303 stainless steel. Three models are available - the Piper S, the Zing and the Anser, which Calcavecchia used. The putters got their name from Ping founder Karsten Solheim's home in Redwood City, Calif., where he made the first Ping putters.
"These putters are designed to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye and engineered to produce lower scores," said John Solheim, Ping's Chairman and CEO, when the company debuted the line in December. "All of the models have clean lines on them, which will help golfers line up their putts. The 100 percent machined heads enable us to ensure that the shape and the lines of each putter we produce are exactly as we designed them."
Apparently the looks of the putter helped Calcavecchia with his decision to play it. "I just kind of look at it and see which one looks less ugly to me," he said about choosing which putter he will use for a round. "It's basically what I putted with all of my career, just that it's an Anser."
The new putter helped Calcavecchia to finish first in putts per green in regulation (1.620) and third in putts per round (27.3) - in spite of taking 36 putts in the first round.
Calcavecchia said he plans to keep the Redwood in play.
"It earned its way for quite a while I think," he said. "Hopefully I can just keep with the same thoughts and feel that I had the last three days.
"It's earned bag time for a while even if it goes south. I know I like the putter, and I know I can putt with it, so that's about three quarters of the battle."
What about that Ping prototype putter, the one Calc used on Thursday?
"I will be sending it back," he said.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Getting a Grip
How often should a player regrip clubs? Professional should every few rounds. And we've all seen the guy with the grab bag of clubs, all sporting grips so smooth they must have been in use for years. But for most players, every season is sufficient for regripping.
Even those amateurs who remember to regrip their clubs annually may not pay a lot of attention to what kinds of grips are available, though.
Most players just get what was on the club previously, while others may go with what the local pro shop or clubmaker recommends. There's no problem with doing either as some of the best grips and those used by the pros have been around for years.
But make sure not to miss out on some of the newer offerings in grips.
Lamkin's Dual Density Tour Series Helps Better Players
Earlier this year, Lamkin released a new grip called the Dual Density Torsion Control Tour Series. The original Dual Density grip is designed for most players, while this one is marketed at the better players. Each grip has Laser-Tac, a proprietary material, on the surface for a better grip and a pattern that helps wick away moisture when conditions are wet.
The Tour Series grips have a different outer layer that absorbs shock -- it's injected around the contours of the grip so it's located where golfers need it most. With the design, materials and technology, the grip promotes more even grip pressure.
"By allowing a golfer to apply consistent hand pressure throughout the swing, the Dual Density Torsion Control grips can provide longer, straighter shots," said Bob Lamkin, president and CEO for Lamkin.
The Dual Density Torsion Control Tour Series has a 0.580-inch round core and comes in both standard (52 grams) and 1/16-inch oversize (64 grams) versions. Suggested retail is $7.99.
For information, go to www.lamkingrips.com.
Winn Produces Grips For "Gripping and Ripping"
You've probably seen the commercials featuring the unlikely trio of Natalie Gulbis, Butch Harmon and John Daly. All three espouse the technology behind Winn Grips' high-performance options. They also apparently weighed in during the development of Winn's Extreme Integration 2007 Xi7 grip, designed for use with higher swing speeds.
Winn's Advanced Integration Technology positions its proprietary compound in the crucial parts of the grip zone for better shock absorption. The polymer grip is designed to feel more like a cord grip, and integrates different textures throughout the grip for better control.
For information, go to www.winngrips.com.
Don't Forget Your Putter With Golf Pride's New V-Rad Option
It's easy to forget about your putter, but it needs a solid grip that won't slide around in your hands as much as other clubs. Golf Pride debuted a new line of putter grips last month with three different design options. The Optik is red, black and white; the Silk is blue and silver; and the Shock is red, white and blue.
The V-RAD series is made from a proprietary advanced composite rubber material for durability and the surface texture helps you maintain a light grip with the proper control on the greens.
"V-RAD is the answer to golfers who value style and refuse to compromise performance and durability," said Jeff Fiorini, general manager for Eaton's Golf Grip Division. "It's easy to clean and we feel it will revolutionize the putter grip category."
With one-piece construction, it's just as easy to install as grips for your other clubs.
For information, go to www.golfpride.com and click on "V-RAD Putter Grips" on the left side.
Even those amateurs who remember to regrip their clubs annually may not pay a lot of attention to what kinds of grips are available, though.
Most players just get what was on the club previously, while others may go with what the local pro shop or clubmaker recommends. There's no problem with doing either as some of the best grips and those used by the pros have been around for years.
But make sure not to miss out on some of the newer offerings in grips.
Lamkin's Dual Density Tour Series Helps Better Players
Earlier this year, Lamkin released a new grip called the Dual Density Torsion Control Tour Series. The original Dual Density grip is designed for most players, while this one is marketed at the better players. Each grip has Laser-Tac, a proprietary material, on the surface for a better grip and a pattern that helps wick away moisture when conditions are wet.
The Tour Series grips have a different outer layer that absorbs shock -- it's injected around the contours of the grip so it's located where golfers need it most. With the design, materials and technology, the grip promotes more even grip pressure.
"By allowing a golfer to apply consistent hand pressure throughout the swing, the Dual Density Torsion Control grips can provide longer, straighter shots," said Bob Lamkin, president and CEO for Lamkin.
The Dual Density Torsion Control Tour Series has a 0.580-inch round core and comes in both standard (52 grams) and 1/16-inch oversize (64 grams) versions. Suggested retail is $7.99.
For information, go to www.lamkingrips.com.
Winn Produces Grips For "Gripping and Ripping"
You've probably seen the commercials featuring the unlikely trio of Natalie Gulbis, Butch Harmon and John Daly. All three espouse the technology behind Winn Grips' high-performance options. They also apparently weighed in during the development of Winn's Extreme Integration 2007 Xi7 grip, designed for use with higher swing speeds.
Winn's Advanced Integration Technology positions its proprietary compound in the crucial parts of the grip zone for better shock absorption. The polymer grip is designed to feel more like a cord grip, and integrates different textures throughout the grip for better control.
For information, go to www.winngrips.com.
Don't Forget Your Putter With Golf Pride's New V-Rad Option
It's easy to forget about your putter, but it needs a solid grip that won't slide around in your hands as much as other clubs. Golf Pride debuted a new line of putter grips last month with three different design options. The Optik is red, black and white; the Silk is blue and silver; and the Shock is red, white and blue.
The V-RAD series is made from a proprietary advanced composite rubber material for durability and the surface texture helps you maintain a light grip with the proper control on the greens.
"V-RAD is the answer to golfers who value style and refuse to compromise performance and durability," said Jeff Fiorini, general manager for Eaton's Golf Grip Division. "It's easy to clean and we feel it will revolutionize the putter grip category."
With one-piece construction, it's just as easy to install as grips for your other clubs.
For information, go to www.golfpride.com and click on "V-RAD Putter Grips" on the left side.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Ping's Rapture Continues to Gain Popularity
For the first six months of 2006, Ping's G5 driver was a top-selling model and enjoyed success on tour.
So how does Ping top that? With the company's first composite driver, Rapture, that debuted in September.
The Rapture was in Honda Classic winner Mark Wilson's bag as he earned his first PGA Tour victory, and many of Ping's 80 contracted tour players around the world play the driver. Long driver Bubba Watson, currently first in driving distance on the PGA Tour, uses one and has since the club was first available to Ping staffers last summer.
"At the Honda, I believe we had 14 Ping drivers in the field and 12 Rapture drivers in play," said Pete Samuels, director of communications for Ping. "That gives you an idea."
Through Demo Days and a growing number of PGA, LPGA, Champions and European tour players choosing the driver, Rapture has continued to pick up steam. Ping recently announced it has more than 25 PGA Tour players on contract, the largest number in the company's history. A majority play the Rapture.
"Seeing our products on tour is the ultimate stamp of approval; that's when you know you have designed a club that truly performs," said John Solheim, chairman and CEO for Ping. "Having such a large and talented roster of players around the world is a testament to our engineers, who have designed products that so many of the world's best want to play."
Rapture's popularity on tour doesn't translate directly into sales, Samuels explained, but does helps raise consumer awareness.
"The key to our tour program is credibility and brand awareness," Samuels said. "More important than Mark winning with the Rapture was that he was on network TV. They showed him shot-for-shot for two days. The role of the tour players is to give us more awareness and credibility. In the case of the Rapture, because it's been so well received, it just helps our story at retail."
Rapture is also available in women's models, and has increasing success on the LPGA, as well. Fields Open winner Stacy Prammanasudh carries a 9-degree model.
"The LPGA plays a similar role (in increasing awareness)," Samuels said. "I'm not sure that women are as influenced by what's going on tour as men. But when they think they need a new driver, we want to be part of their consideration set. That's the goal."
The Rapture driver features a titanium crown that's infused with carbon composite to reduce weight. That weight is redistributed to the perimeter of the club to lower the center of gravity, increasing launch angle and reducing spin for more distance. Nothing earth shattering so far; other manufacturers have introduced lightweight composite drivers.
The problem with most is that they produce a muted sound on impact, more like an old persimmon driver than the metallic twang that golfers expect from metal woods today.
So Ping set about making a composite driver that had a pleasing sound. This is a little detail, to be sure, but one that golfers have identified as important to their overall pleasure when hitting a club. And something that is important to Ping, a company named after the distinctive noise that designer Karsten Solheim's early putters made at impact.
"Our research indicated a general dissatisfaction with the sound of existing composite drivers, so we made it a high priority in our design criteria," said John Solheim when the club was introduced. "Using finite element analysis (FEA), we've tuned the club's frequencies to produce a powerful sound that we believe will turn heads on the tee box."
In addition to weight redistribution and a good sound at impact, the driver has a machined variable face thickness face for the maximum amount of energy transfer from club to ball.
Ping's Rapture driver is available in 9, 10.5 and 12 degree lofts, with a 13.5-degree version set to start shipping on April 1. The Ping TFC 909D and Aldila VS Proto 65 shafts are both available exclusively in the Rapture; the Ping TFC 100D, Aldila NV 65 and Grafalloy ProLaunch 65 are also offered. Retail is $475.
For information, go to www.pinggolf.com.
So how does Ping top that? With the company's first composite driver, Rapture, that debuted in September.
The Rapture was in Honda Classic winner Mark Wilson's bag as he earned his first PGA Tour victory, and many of Ping's 80 contracted tour players around the world play the driver. Long driver Bubba Watson, currently first in driving distance on the PGA Tour, uses one and has since the club was first available to Ping staffers last summer.
"At the Honda, I believe we had 14 Ping drivers in the field and 12 Rapture drivers in play," said Pete Samuels, director of communications for Ping. "That gives you an idea."
Through Demo Days and a growing number of PGA, LPGA, Champions and European tour players choosing the driver, Rapture has continued to pick up steam. Ping recently announced it has more than 25 PGA Tour players on contract, the largest number in the company's history. A majority play the Rapture.
"Seeing our products on tour is the ultimate stamp of approval; that's when you know you have designed a club that truly performs," said John Solheim, chairman and CEO for Ping. "Having such a large and talented roster of players around the world is a testament to our engineers, who have designed products that so many of the world's best want to play."
Rapture's popularity on tour doesn't translate directly into sales, Samuels explained, but does helps raise consumer awareness.
"The key to our tour program is credibility and brand awareness," Samuels said. "More important than Mark winning with the Rapture was that he was on network TV. They showed him shot-for-shot for two days. The role of the tour players is to give us more awareness and credibility. In the case of the Rapture, because it's been so well received, it just helps our story at retail."
Rapture is also available in women's models, and has increasing success on the LPGA, as well. Fields Open winner Stacy Prammanasudh carries a 9-degree model.
"The LPGA plays a similar role (in increasing awareness)," Samuels said. "I'm not sure that women are as influenced by what's going on tour as men. But when they think they need a new driver, we want to be part of their consideration set. That's the goal."
The Rapture driver features a titanium crown that's infused with carbon composite to reduce weight. That weight is redistributed to the perimeter of the club to lower the center of gravity, increasing launch angle and reducing spin for more distance. Nothing earth shattering so far; other manufacturers have introduced lightweight composite drivers.
The problem with most is that they produce a muted sound on impact, more like an old persimmon driver than the metallic twang that golfers expect from metal woods today.
So Ping set about making a composite driver that had a pleasing sound. This is a little detail, to be sure, but one that golfers have identified as important to their overall pleasure when hitting a club. And something that is important to Ping, a company named after the distinctive noise that designer Karsten Solheim's early putters made at impact.
"Our research indicated a general dissatisfaction with the sound of existing composite drivers, so we made it a high priority in our design criteria," said John Solheim when the club was introduced. "Using finite element analysis (FEA), we've tuned the club's frequencies to produce a powerful sound that we believe will turn heads on the tee box."
In addition to weight redistribution and a good sound at impact, the driver has a machined variable face thickness face for the maximum amount of energy transfer from club to ball.
Ping's Rapture driver is available in 9, 10.5 and 12 degree lofts, with a 13.5-degree version set to start shipping on April 1. The Ping TFC 909D and Aldila VS Proto 65 shafts are both available exclusively in the Rapture; the Ping TFC 100D, Aldila NV 65 and Grafalloy ProLaunch 65 are also offered. Retail is $475.
For information, go to www.pinggolf.com.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Tour Van Notebook: Els Looks to FT-5
Most top-tier players are reluctant to make a large-scale equipment change; at the least, they don't take it lightly. That's why it's always interesting when a player like Ernie Els switches to Callaway clubs. Was it because he liked the looks of the new clubs? Tried one that someone in his foursome had? Thought it might just be a good time for a change, to shake things up a little? Or possibly for the money that comes with a new contract?
"Not at all," Els said at the Johnnie Walker Classic last week when asked if the change was for the money. "We all switch time and again. It was time for me to switch and that's what we did."
Els tied for sixth place in Thailand using a new FT-5 driver from Callaway and the HX Tour 56 golf ball.
"I love it, great stuff," he said after the second round. "The golf ball is really turning out nicely and the driver is going beautiful. I'm really hitting the ball nicely."
Sometime by the end of the season, Els said, he will change to Callaway irons.
"I might switch before the end of the year for the irons," he said. "We're working hard at that."
Els had one year left on his contract with Acushnet, in which he was to play Titleist clubs and balls and use a Footjoy glove. Acushnet said in a statement the previous week that it had released Els from his contract.
THANKING THE FLAT STICK: Honda Classic winner Mark Wilson should be treating his putter like royalty about now. It was the flat stick that kept him in the running to narrowly get into a playoff and finish with his first PGA Tour trophy Monday morning.
"After the putts went in on 16 and 18 and then in the playoff yesterday on 18, I just had a feeling like someone wanted me to win," Wilson said.
Wilson's putter, a Ping G2 Anser B, is a mid-length putter with a classic look.
"I've used a Ping Anser since I was 12 years old," Wilson said. "That particular model I've probably been using probably two years now."
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FREE STUFF: Leave it to Honda Classic runner-up Boo Weekley, a good ol' boy type who usually has tobacco in his mouth, to say what all of us amateurs probably feel about one of the biggest perks a Tour player could have.
"If you didn't sign with a manufacturing company out here like, say, Cleveland, Titleist, you just played an assortment of whatever, you could literally pick up everything and anything that you want from any company out here,' Weekley said. "It's unreal what you can get from these guys, and they are good guys. They want you to play them so that's why they are pushing them to you. So it's amazing the clubs that you can get."
GOLF BALL GLORY: Titleist staffers weren't concerned about who would win the Honda Classic playoff. Wilson, Weekley, Camillo Villegas and Jose Coceres were all playing Titleist Pro V1 balls. In the top 12 finishers, 11 played a Titleist golf ball. In all, 78 percent or 112 players used Titleist, more than 11 times the nearest competitor.
It was the same story on the European Tour. At the Johnnie Walker Classic, 113 players (72 percent of the field) used Titleist balls, more than eight times the nearest competitor. Winner Anton Haig was the eighth player this season to win with a Titleist ball on the European Tour.
GETTING THE SHAFT: United Sports Technologies noted that its UST shafts were used in woods and utility clubs of four top-five finishers at the Honda Classic. The new Proforce V2 shaft, which is optimized for use with larger 400 to 460 cc clubheads, was in three drivers in the top five, and the IROD hybrid shaft in another.
Winner Wilson used a Graphite Design YS Hybrid 85 shaft, as did five top-10 finishers at the Honda Classic.
"Not at all," Els said at the Johnnie Walker Classic last week when asked if the change was for the money. "We all switch time and again. It was time for me to switch and that's what we did."
Els tied for sixth place in Thailand using a new FT-5 driver from Callaway and the HX Tour 56 golf ball.
"I love it, great stuff," he said after the second round. "The golf ball is really turning out nicely and the driver is going beautiful. I'm really hitting the ball nicely."
Sometime by the end of the season, Els said, he will change to Callaway irons.
"I might switch before the end of the year for the irons," he said. "We're working hard at that."
Els had one year left on his contract with Acushnet, in which he was to play Titleist clubs and balls and use a Footjoy glove. Acushnet said in a statement the previous week that it had released Els from his contract.
THANKING THE FLAT STICK: Honda Classic winner Mark Wilson should be treating his putter like royalty about now. It was the flat stick that kept him in the running to narrowly get into a playoff and finish with his first PGA Tour trophy Monday morning.
"After the putts went in on 16 and 18 and then in the playoff yesterday on 18, I just had a feeling like someone wanted me to win," Wilson said.
Wilson's putter, a Ping G2 Anser B, is a mid-length putter with a classic look.
"I've used a Ping Anser since I was 12 years old," Wilson said. "That particular model I've probably been using probably two years now."
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FREE STUFF: Leave it to Honda Classic runner-up Boo Weekley, a good ol' boy type who usually has tobacco in his mouth, to say what all of us amateurs probably feel about one of the biggest perks a Tour player could have.
"If you didn't sign with a manufacturing company out here like, say, Cleveland, Titleist, you just played an assortment of whatever, you could literally pick up everything and anything that you want from any company out here,' Weekley said. "It's unreal what you can get from these guys, and they are good guys. They want you to play them so that's why they are pushing them to you. So it's amazing the clubs that you can get."
GOLF BALL GLORY: Titleist staffers weren't concerned about who would win the Honda Classic playoff. Wilson, Weekley, Camillo Villegas and Jose Coceres were all playing Titleist Pro V1 balls. In the top 12 finishers, 11 played a Titleist golf ball. In all, 78 percent or 112 players used Titleist, more than 11 times the nearest competitor.
It was the same story on the European Tour. At the Johnnie Walker Classic, 113 players (72 percent of the field) used Titleist balls, more than eight times the nearest competitor. Winner Anton Haig was the eighth player this season to win with a Titleist ball on the European Tour.
GETTING THE SHAFT: United Sports Technologies noted that its UST shafts were used in woods and utility clubs of four top-five finishers at the Honda Classic. The new Proforce V2 shaft, which is optimized for use with larger 400 to 460 cc clubheads, was in three drivers in the top five, and the IROD hybrid shaft in another.
Winner Wilson used a Graphite Design YS Hybrid 85 shaft, as did five top-10 finishers at the Honda Classic.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Tour Van: USGA Unveils Groove Proposal
"What! You mean I'll lose spin with my wedges?" might be an average player's initial reaction to news that the United States Golf Association wants to make U-grooves in clubs illegal. But will the outcome of the proposal really make such an impact?
No, says the USGA's Senior Technical Director, Dick Rugge.
"The average weekend player - first of all, they don't for the most part, use urethane-covered balls," Rugge said, noting that the research shows only urethane matters with the U-grooved clubs. "Over two-thirds of the balls sold are Surlyn-covered balls; if you use an Surlyn-covered ball it doesn't make any difference to speak of. The grooves don't really matter.
"Number two, based on our all our research that the typical player doesn't hit the green out of the rough very often - around 13 percent of the time in the studies we have made. So it's a fairly low percentage when that would be coming into play. Then 67 percent of the time they're not using the balls that would make a difference anyway. So we think it has a really small effect on typical players."
Essentially, the U-grooves act like the tread of a tire to wick water away. As the tire tread prevents water from interfering with the tire's contact on the road, the grooves prevent water from coming between club and ball in wet, grassy lies. A square or U-shaped groove has more surface area for taking on that water than a triangle-shaped or V-groove. Without less water affecting how the club comes off the ball, players can spin the ball more and make it come into the green from a higher angle. Technically, the proposal doesn't limit the shape of the grooves, but rather the volume they can hold. The grooves would also have a minimum radius edge of 0.010 inches.
As Rugge explains, this doesn't make a big difference for a weekend player, who uses less expensive balls and struggles to make it from rough to green anyway. But it could have an impact on a very good player, especially those on professional tours.
Interestingly, the pros seem to be in favor of reigning back technology when possible - as long as all the other pros they're competing against have the same restrictions. That may be in part because courses are having to add length, playing to the long hitters, in order to stay challenging. If players are limited in length or there are more repercussions for hitting hazards and rough, the courses may not have to get so long - and they'll be easier for average-length hitters and true shotmakers to win on. At a minimum, players who hit the rough will have a greater penalty than they currently see.
"I'm all for going back to V-grooves, as opposed to boxed grooves or square grooves if you like to aid people having to hit the fairways and hit -- if they are laying up or whatever the case may be; the second shot on par 5s because people get it up-and-down too easily now," said Colin Montgomerie at the Johnnie Walker Classic. "I feel that's a benefit and it will aid better play and that's what we're all after."
At the Honda Classic, Jim Furyk said that such changes were likely in response to the power hitting focus the game has taken in recent years.
"Back in I think it was in '02 and '03, the Top-5 guys on the Money List each year, only one of them were in the Top-100 in driving accuracy," Furyk said. "We haven't started hitting longer overnight. Didn't happen yesterday in '06. But probably trying to figure out a good way to combat the distance has probably been more the issue.
"Being a player, I would just follow the rules and figure out a way to play the best I can within them and won't worry about it. The good players are still going to play the best no matter what they do with the rules. Our game has become a power-oriented game. If my kids want to learn to play or if they want to play competitively, I'm going to teach them to hit it hard... because that's the way the game is going and we'll teach them to hit it straight later."
Under the USGA's proposal, PGA Tour players would say good-bye to square grooves by the beginning of 2009. Amateur golfers would have another year - until January 1, 2010 - before the nonconforming clubs are no longer available.
Only golfers who play under USGA rules, such as for a handicap, will need to be concerned about having conforming clubs. Recreational and occasional golfers often don't carry handicaps, while those players with handicaps may not be so concerned about needing new clubs in three years. Plus, under the proposal, the USGA may not immediately make it illegal to play with nonconforming clubs, or may grandfather in the grooves for amateur players.
"The USGA is proposing to allow their use for a lengthy (at least 10-year) period of time," the official proposal reads.
Manufacturers are keeping pretty quiet about their plans, at least for the present. That could be because the USGA release is just a proposal, and feedback is still being accepted.
"The decision about what the final rule becomes and our implementation is probably going to occur next October," Rugge said. "At that point there is two years for manufacturers to retool their product and finish off their old product."
No, says the USGA's Senior Technical Director, Dick Rugge.
"The average weekend player - first of all, they don't for the most part, use urethane-covered balls," Rugge said, noting that the research shows only urethane matters with the U-grooved clubs. "Over two-thirds of the balls sold are Surlyn-covered balls; if you use an Surlyn-covered ball it doesn't make any difference to speak of. The grooves don't really matter.
"Number two, based on our all our research that the typical player doesn't hit the green out of the rough very often - around 13 percent of the time in the studies we have made. So it's a fairly low percentage when that would be coming into play. Then 67 percent of the time they're not using the balls that would make a difference anyway. So we think it has a really small effect on typical players."
Essentially, the U-grooves act like the tread of a tire to wick water away. As the tire tread prevents water from interfering with the tire's contact on the road, the grooves prevent water from coming between club and ball in wet, grassy lies. A square or U-shaped groove has more surface area for taking on that water than a triangle-shaped or V-groove. Without less water affecting how the club comes off the ball, players can spin the ball more and make it come into the green from a higher angle. Technically, the proposal doesn't limit the shape of the grooves, but rather the volume they can hold. The grooves would also have a minimum radius edge of 0.010 inches.
As Rugge explains, this doesn't make a big difference for a weekend player, who uses less expensive balls and struggles to make it from rough to green anyway. But it could have an impact on a very good player, especially those on professional tours.
Interestingly, the pros seem to be in favor of reigning back technology when possible - as long as all the other pros they're competing against have the same restrictions. That may be in part because courses are having to add length, playing to the long hitters, in order to stay challenging. If players are limited in length or there are more repercussions for hitting hazards and rough, the courses may not have to get so long - and they'll be easier for average-length hitters and true shotmakers to win on. At a minimum, players who hit the rough will have a greater penalty than they currently see.
"I'm all for going back to V-grooves, as opposed to boxed grooves or square grooves if you like to aid people having to hit the fairways and hit -- if they are laying up or whatever the case may be; the second shot on par 5s because people get it up-and-down too easily now," said Colin Montgomerie at the Johnnie Walker Classic. "I feel that's a benefit and it will aid better play and that's what we're all after."
At the Honda Classic, Jim Furyk said that such changes were likely in response to the power hitting focus the game has taken in recent years.
"Back in I think it was in '02 and '03, the Top-5 guys on the Money List each year, only one of them were in the Top-100 in driving accuracy," Furyk said. "We haven't started hitting longer overnight. Didn't happen yesterday in '06. But probably trying to figure out a good way to combat the distance has probably been more the issue.
"Being a player, I would just follow the rules and figure out a way to play the best I can within them and won't worry about it. The good players are still going to play the best no matter what they do with the rules. Our game has become a power-oriented game. If my kids want to learn to play or if they want to play competitively, I'm going to teach them to hit it hard... because that's the way the game is going and we'll teach them to hit it straight later."
Under the USGA's proposal, PGA Tour players would say good-bye to square grooves by the beginning of 2009. Amateur golfers would have another year - until January 1, 2010 - before the nonconforming clubs are no longer available.
Only golfers who play under USGA rules, such as for a handicap, will need to be concerned about having conforming clubs. Recreational and occasional golfers often don't carry handicaps, while those players with handicaps may not be so concerned about needing new clubs in three years. Plus, under the proposal, the USGA may not immediately make it illegal to play with nonconforming clubs, or may grandfather in the grooves for amateur players.
"The USGA is proposing to allow their use for a lengthy (at least 10-year) period of time," the official proposal reads.
Manufacturers are keeping pretty quiet about their plans, at least for the present. That could be because the USGA release is just a proposal, and feedback is still being accepted.
"The decision about what the final rule becomes and our implementation is probably going to occur next October," Rugge said. "At that point there is two years for manufacturers to retool their product and finish off their old product."
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Square Grooves are Goin' -- For Real, This Time
Thought you had heard the last controversy involving square grooves a couple decades ago? Well, the spotlight is back on grooves, and this time the square kinds really are on their way out.
The U.S. Golf Association released a proposal Tuesday with new regulations for grooves. According to its findings, square- or u- shaped grooves in clubs produce higher spin rates and steeper ball landing angles than v-shaped grooves, when used with urethane-covered golf balls. That makes it easier for golfers to hit shots from the rough and stop them on the green.
"We're proposing new restrictions on groove configurations to maintain the element of skill at the game's highest level," said Dick Rugge, USGA senior technical director.
Fewer amateur golfers than pros use urethane-covered balls. Most casual golfers -- about two-thirds of those in the U.S. -- use less-expensive Surlyn covered balls. As well, few weekend players have the skill to take advantage of the benefits the USGA says square grooves provide. That's because amateurs aren't especially skilled at hitting greens from 100 yards away -- something that tour players must do to keep their jobs.
The new restrictions won't actually limit the shape of grooves, but will require groove edge sharpness to be no more than 0.010 inches. The size of grooves will also be regulated (the total cross-sectional area of a groove divided by the groove pitch must be 0.0025 square inches per inch).
Don't worry -- you'll have time to adjust. The proposed changes won't take effect until the beginning of 2009 for competition, and 2010 for the average golfer.
The last time square grooves were in the news, the controversy centered around Ping Eye 2 irons. The USGA made a rules change in 1981 that allowed square grooves, which would make manufacturing a little easier right at the time that cast stainless heads were starting to be used. Over at Ping, company founder Karsten Solheim began to make legal square groove clubs.
But he kept getting feedback that the grooves would damage the soft balata ball covers used by better golfers at the time, so he rounded the corners of the grooves just a bit. He felt this didn't make a difference under the Rules of Golf as to whether they conformed. But when the USGA tested the Ping clubs in the late 80s, they decided differently.
During this battle, in the early 1990s, PGA Tour players voted to ban the clubs from use in Tour events. The ban was later dropped, because eventually, Ping sued the USGA and a settlement was reached. Ping had also made subtle changes to the spacing of the grooves that allowed them to conform, and golfers who already had the clubs were allowed to continue using them.
Why is the issue being revisited 20 years later?
The previous debate over square grooves that pitted Ping against the USGA never decided whether square grooves were an advantage - they just determined what the spacing of the grooves had to be. So with today's technology that permits more thorough testing, the USGA was able to settle the question of whether square grooves are an advantage. For some highly skilled players, from some situations, using urethane-covered golf balls, the grooves do improve spin.
"The skill of driving the ball accurately has become much less important in achieving success on Tour than it used to be," Rugge said. "Our analysis of statistical data measured by the PGA Tour since 1980 shows that historically driving accuracy was as comparably correlated to winning as putting. Beginning in the early 1990s, however, driving accuracy became much less important. Today, the correlation between driving-accuracy rank and money winning rank on the PGA Tour is very low."
In other words, PGA Tour players need some restrictions on equipment to slow down the "grip it and rip it" mentality. A mis-hit shot should carry more penalty than it does to keep Tour scoring from getting even more ridiculously low than it currently is.
The U.S. Golf Association released a proposal Tuesday with new regulations for grooves. According to its findings, square- or u- shaped grooves in clubs produce higher spin rates and steeper ball landing angles than v-shaped grooves, when used with urethane-covered golf balls. That makes it easier for golfers to hit shots from the rough and stop them on the green.
"We're proposing new restrictions on groove configurations to maintain the element of skill at the game's highest level," said Dick Rugge, USGA senior technical director.
Fewer amateur golfers than pros use urethane-covered balls. Most casual golfers -- about two-thirds of those in the U.S. -- use less-expensive Surlyn covered balls. As well, few weekend players have the skill to take advantage of the benefits the USGA says square grooves provide. That's because amateurs aren't especially skilled at hitting greens from 100 yards away -- something that tour players must do to keep their jobs.
The new restrictions won't actually limit the shape of grooves, but will require groove edge sharpness to be no more than 0.010 inches. The size of grooves will also be regulated (the total cross-sectional area of a groove divided by the groove pitch must be 0.0025 square inches per inch).
Don't worry -- you'll have time to adjust. The proposed changes won't take effect until the beginning of 2009 for competition, and 2010 for the average golfer.
The last time square grooves were in the news, the controversy centered around Ping Eye 2 irons. The USGA made a rules change in 1981 that allowed square grooves, which would make manufacturing a little easier right at the time that cast stainless heads were starting to be used. Over at Ping, company founder Karsten Solheim began to make legal square groove clubs.
But he kept getting feedback that the grooves would damage the soft balata ball covers used by better golfers at the time, so he rounded the corners of the grooves just a bit. He felt this didn't make a difference under the Rules of Golf as to whether they conformed. But when the USGA tested the Ping clubs in the late 80s, they decided differently.
During this battle, in the early 1990s, PGA Tour players voted to ban the clubs from use in Tour events. The ban was later dropped, because eventually, Ping sued the USGA and a settlement was reached. Ping had also made subtle changes to the spacing of the grooves that allowed them to conform, and golfers who already had the clubs were allowed to continue using them.
Why is the issue being revisited 20 years later?
The previous debate over square grooves that pitted Ping against the USGA never decided whether square grooves were an advantage - they just determined what the spacing of the grooves had to be. So with today's technology that permits more thorough testing, the USGA was able to settle the question of whether square grooves are an advantage. For some highly skilled players, from some situations, using urethane-covered golf balls, the grooves do improve spin.
"The skill of driving the ball accurately has become much less important in achieving success on Tour than it used to be," Rugge said. "Our analysis of statistical data measured by the PGA Tour since 1980 shows that historically driving accuracy was as comparably correlated to winning as putting. Beginning in the early 1990s, however, driving accuracy became much less important. Today, the correlation between driving-accuracy rank and money winning rank on the PGA Tour is very low."
In other words, PGA Tour players need some restrictions on equipment to slow down the "grip it and rip it" mentality. A mis-hit shot should carry more penalty than it does to keep Tour scoring from getting even more ridiculously low than it currently is.
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