Friday 1 August 2014
My mentor, the late, great Alex Hay, had two golden rules for putting: Keep the ball low; Don’t take a divot! It is a well-used cliché to describe putting as a “game within a game”, but it’s true. On the course, a weekend golfer might score 95 – 30% of those shots are likely to be putts. You can bet that...
Thursday 24 July 2014
One of the best things about golf is its living connection with history. A keen tennis player at club level might never get a chance to play at Wimbledon; likewise, a local level soccer player might never play at Wembley. Amazingly, amateur and professional golfers have access to historic venues such as Turnberry, Birkdale, Troon and St Andrews. Golfers from around...
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Your hands are the only part of the body connected with the club when you swing, so it’s vital your hold on it is as secure as possible. A glove enhances your grip as well as your feel but what actually goes into making them? If you speak to FootJoy, the market leader in gloves since 1983, it’s a hell...
Thursday 3 July 2014
When you find yourself in a tricky spot, your wedges are the clubs that can wipe the egg off your face and get you walking off the green content with a par on the card. They’re also in your bag to make the most of a decent drive on those birdie holes. Spin levels are key, in a predictable...
Thursday 3 July 2014
Welcome to the Today’s Golfer Shoes Test 2014. We’re forever told how golf clubs are built with the most cutting-edge materials… and golf shoe technology is no different. Whether it’s the spikes, leather, sole design or fastening system, no little R&D has gone into the design to ensure you get the best performance on the course, while looking good in...
Wednesday 28 May 2014
Putting is golf’s greatest contradiction. Easy to do, impossible to master. Simple, but complex. Satisfying, but maddening. An open book and a complete mystery. It is the same story for the high handicapper and the world-class pro. A maze, a conundrum, a place where a clever man like Austie Rollinson can spend 20 years looking for a definitive answer, know...
Wednesday 28 May 2014
When an idea is bubbling, what happens is the designer will make a three-dimensional CAD (Computer Aided Design) file, which can then be printed out in 3-D and painted. From there a prototype can be made. The idea might immediately reveal itself to be genius or, more often than not, it might show some promise, but also some flaws at...
Written by Luther Blacklock on Saturday 10 May 2014
In the earliest days of ‘talkies’, the great Bobby Jones made a series of instructional clips for cinema audiences. To appeal to the masses, the instruction was in the form of a very brief comic story. Jones made a number of these little films, some using slow motion. He wore black and white sweaters and trousers. The clothes had one...
Thursday 8 May 2014
It only takes a few bad shots or a couple of poor rounds and your confidence can take a real hit – whether it’s a particular type of shot like a chip off a tight lie, or your entire game. You start doubting your ability to successfully hit shots you used to take for granted and it can become a...
Wednesday 7 May 2014
The problem: you need to get up-and-down for par from off the green. It’s a situation that club golfers face every game. The pressure we put on ourselves to make par often adds extra importance to these shots, which can lead to tension, clouded thinking and ultimately poor execution that leaves us a long way from the hole and needing...
Monday 5 May 2014
There’s nothing more frustrating than missing short putts from inside four feet that you expect to make. It can destroy your scores and enjoyment of the game – and the doubt often spreads from poor holing out and manifests itself in greater pressure and poorer performance in other areas of your game. On the flip side, if you can happily...
Saturday 3 May 2014
The first question to ask is what makes you angry? Is it just hitting a bad shot or is it what the bad shot makes you feel about yourself? We all hit bad shots and we all react differently to those bad shots, but it is how we deal with that reaction that determines how we continue to play afterwards.
Wednesday 30 April 2014
We meet many golfers walking off the 18th green who are bewildered by their performance on the course and the big scores on their card. They explain that they spend hour after hour hitting balls on the range, but don’t see their scores fall. After a few brief questions, we usually uncover a logical explanation for the common complaint. First, the...
Monday 28 April 2014
The first shot of the golf round is usually the most stressful, and this often results in a poor effort that immediately puts you in a tricky position and undermines your confidence. It’s natural to feel nervous on the 1st tee because the outcome of the shot is important to you, you are unsure about the outcome and there is...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON Back to the start >> Irons Test 2014: Callaway Apex Pro – GOLD AWARD Cost: £799 steel Tech: 1020 carbon steel forging gives the Apex Pro the soft, responsive feel that the best players in the world demand. The tungsten inserts in the soles of the long irons make these incredibly easy to hit and deliver...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Nike VR Pro Combo Forged Cost: £849 steel Tech: A polymer-filled pocket cavity in the 3-6-irons produces a high, strong trajectory, and a split cavity in the 7-PW offers stability and precision with uncompromising feel. What we said… JR: “Mid-size head but with a thin top line. Very nice shape:...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Mizuno MP-54 – SILVER AWARD Cost: £100 steel Tech: he MP-54 is a solid, powerful Grain Flow Forged iron crafted to awaken the shotmaker in players needing just a little forgiveness. A deep milled pocket cavity delivers stability from off-centre hits, while a heavily bevelled sole ensures cleaner turf...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Ping i25 – BRONZE AWARD Cost: £90 steel £110 graphite, per club Tech: Engineered for a variety of skill levels with technology that provides versatility and forgiveness. The progressive set design generates highly forgiving long irons and controlled short irons, which will bring confidence to your shot-making. What we said… JR: “I...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC Cost: £849 steel Tech: Combines a player’s shape with a shallow “muscle cavity” to boost MOI. The 3-7-irons boast a Speed Pocket to make ball speeds consistent across the entire face. What we said… JR: “Medium head size. The straight leading edge and mid topline makes...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Yonex Ezone Forged MB Cost: £1,295 steel Tech: Hand forged in Japan, these blades are designed for the advanced player looking for consistent spin performance and distance control. What we said… JR: “Slim head, little offset and square leading edge are all great but shape of the toe is odd, particularly...