Monday 17 August 2015
For anyone who thinks golf is a science, consider the moment we pick up a new putter in a pro shop. The experience turns us into mystics and fortune-tellers. “Phew, I’d hole some putts with this” is the response you’re looking for – though it could just as easily be “Oh God no,” with the putter hastily re-racked before its venomous...
Monday 20 July 2015
Walk up to the counter of every golf shop in the land and you’ll be greeted by a wall of golf balls. They are all 1.68 inches across, they are all white – apart from the ones that are yellow – and they are all covered in dimples. Read the packaging and they all promise you the long game of...
Tuesday 9 June 2015
This year’s crop are the most versatile ever, blending escapology with tee-box power and towering fairway flight. But which does them all that little bit better? Rooted in its ability to trounce irons from cuppy lies, the hybrid has evolved to become a lot more than an escape artist. When clubmakers reached the driver’s legal limits, their focus shifted to fairway...
Friday 15 May 2015
The technology and design of 14 of the latest models put through their paces on the course and a launch monitor. So which models will come out on top? A good wedge is a blend of technology and the touchy-feely stuff; it has to inspire confidence through its design and feel, and it has to perform with consistency in crucial parameters...
Monday 13 April 2015
Another year has brought about a flurry of new golf equipment in time for the new season. Club and ball manufacturers continue to amaze me, thinking outside the box to get around the rules imposed on them by our game’s governing bodies and enhance performance in exciting, innovative ways. There’s no sign of product launches slowing down. In fact, you...
Wednesday 8 April 2015
Game improvement irons, it must be said, are tragically underused by the nation’s golfers. They tend to go further, offer more forgiveness and have a wider sole to help reduce the effect of heavy strikes. For the 2016 game improvment irons test click here Yet pride forces many of us to opt for a set of “better player” irons because they’re what...
Wednesday 11 March 2015
We kick off our exhaustive 2015 testing programme with the club we all love most – the driver. This year has seen a raft of new launches, all claiming to help you hit the ball longer and straighter. But with so many decent options out there, how do you decide which one to buy? This test has been done by...
Written by Luther Blacklock on Thursday 29 January 2015
I first swung a golf club at the age of 14; from that very first time, I knew I’d found what I wanted to do for a living. As a junior member of Cradoc Golf Club, in the Brecon Beacons National Park, I started to practise every day. My first Slazenger practice bag held about 80 balls. If 80 practice...
Written by Luther Blacklock on Monday 5 January 2015
One of my favourite teaching adages is that “90% of swing faults start at address – and the other 10% start at address as well!” Teaching golf at Woburn over the last 30 years, I have been amazed how many new pupils come to me with complex and varied swing thoughts, yet pay little or no attention to the fundamentals...
Monday 8 December 2014
Until the 1960s almost all golf coaching was via the spoken and written word. Good golf teachers would turn their spoken words into pictures by demonstrating the golf swing and various shots. Early photography, with limited shutter speeds, would often distort the shaft’s movement. The great Ben Hogan dabbled with early home cinema cameras and recorded his swing for posterity; his...
Tuesday 18 November 2014
As the golfing season draws to a close, we can reflect on our achievements. They say the definition of madness is repeatedly doing the same thing while expecting a different result. If 2014 did not produce the improvement in your game that you had hoped for, try to do something fresh and positive this winter. Here, I want to help...
Thursday 13 November 2014
With the latest golf shoes from adidas and FootJoy stealing all the headlines in 2014, choosing between them is tough, so we’ve got all the answers you’ll need to make the right decision. adidas Golf’s adizero One Key Questions FootJoy D.N.A Specially engineered from the ground up with an ultralight one-piece fused upper that bonds five layers for a glove-like fit; external TPU layer...
Thursday 13 November 2014
Technology is so advanced these days that the waterproofness of every suit on the market is a given. So how do different suits set themselves apart? There are a host of other qualities that might make one suit preferable over another, from the fit and features to the ease with which you can slip it on quickly. We’ve tested out...
Wednesday 5 November 2014
More than half of golfers now use a trolley. Long gone are the days when they were considered a luxury purchase, or something to assist those on the wrong side of 60. In fact, research has proved that using a trolley can improve your scores. So you know you need one, but which should you go for? That’s where TG...
Monday 20 October 2014
Rather than us tell you what to look for in a fairway wood, we’ll let four-time major champion and world No.1 Rory McIlroy take the floor. “They have to be pretty versatile, good off the tee and the deck,” he told TG at the recent opening of the world-first Nike Performance Fitting Centre at Archerfield Links. “They tend to slide through...
Wednesday 10 September 2014
Long gone are the days of searching for a marker post, pacing out the distance to your ball, and then trying to work out where the flag is on the green. There are many different types of distance device on the market, and it can be hard to decide which GPS you should buy. You might say: “Who needs...
Friday 5 September 2014
The phrase ‘centre of gravity’ is bandied about all the time in golf, and it has a fundamental effect on the backspin, sidespin, forgiveness and ball speed on your tee shots. So it’s worth knowing a little about centre of gravity location in drivers and how you can fine-tune yours to maximise distance. 2014 is the year of CG in drivers. TaylorMade...
Friday 5 September 2014
There has never been a greater choice when it comes to GPSs or laser rangefinders. Want something just to give you basic yardages? You got it. Need more detail, like the distance to hazards? No problem! Want to accurately place the flag for the day’s pin position? Done! But which distance device would suit you best? Laser rangefinder Tend to suit better...
Thursday 7 August 2014
In these days of hi-tech toys and video games, which are often solitary and introverted, so many golfing parents are keen to get their children to take up golf. What better way to spend a summer than outdoors, in a beautiful environment that is safe and playing a game that demands good conduct? Some of my happiest memories are the summer...
Wednesday 6 August 2014
Putters possess an almost infinite number of qualities that make us choose one over another. This is definitely something we discovered during our latest experiment, testing models with widely varying styles, weights, finishes, and alignment aids. It can be a real minefield. Whatever you look for in a putter, this guide offers enough to help you choose the best for your...