Opinion & Analysis
Why Your Clubs Are (Most Likely) Completely Wrong for You
Full disclosure, I’ve never written about golf equipment, instruction, or any technical aspect of this glorious (read: torturous) game. My wheelhouse is a little more, should we say, old school. I write about fashion. I write about style. I write about how two buttons is all you need in a suit jacket, and how even one button more is a travesty. I write about the art of being a gentleman, about cocktails, and about being a gentleman while drinking cocktails. He Who Shall Not Be Named (but was caught driving a golf cart on a green recently because he was too lazy to get his POTUS-ness out of his cart and walk 10 feet), would hate what I write about. Let’s just say that if I worked in a certain Casa De Blanca, I’d have been fired and been the focus of numerous Federal Inquiries by now for ripping on his wardrobe choices.
That being said, I do know a thing or three about golf, the golf swing, equipment, and club fitting. I’m a full-time golf coach and club-fitter that could write all day about how much I miss the click-clack of metal spikes on concrete, but I’m not here to talk to you about that. I’m here to tell you that the clubs in your bag, those gorgeous little forged things that you dreamt of and saved up for and skipped taking your wife out for your anniversary for… are most likely completely, totally, and unequivocally wrong for you.
I’m not judging. I used to be like you. I’d read every magazine that got stuffed in the mailbox. I’d drool over so-and-so’s sexy new shiny blades and the hot new x-stiff, tour-issue shafts that “Hot Young Golfer on Tour” was playing. And I thought to myself, “I’m a good stick. I swing fast. I need those clubs!” I was a decent stick. Good enough to take money out of the pockets of the older guys at Men’s League when I was 15. I’m even more decent now. Buttercuts, high draws, stingers, sandbag flops, and low skippers, I have them all. And I’m getting even better now because recently I made a very important life discovery. When you get older, you realize how very wrong you were about many, many things (silk button-downs in high school anyone?). I discovered the pure joy of hitting a 205-yard 6-iron with a 3-yard baby fade with my eyes closed (literally). I don’t play a fade, mind you. I make my whiskey money on a power draw that would make Kenny Perry blush, and I have since high school. But two weeks ago, I roped this fade with my eyes closed. Then did it again, and again and again. With my scratch handicap, 95 mile per hour clubhead speed, decent lag and pretty strong load in the transition, I did this, and I’m still doing it with… wait for it… a Ping Rapture “Super Game Improvement Iron” with an 80-gram regular-flex shaft. And I can work it both ways, on demand, depending on what the shot dictates. That’s right, a pretty decent player is loving his new (old) set of irons that everyone swears is only for 18 handicaps. It took me 30 years of playing golf to set aside my biases, get over myself, and actually take the time to find what clubs will allow me to play my best, regardless of what I see when I look down at the ball. And that’s exactly what you should do.
My golf coach and club-fitter (even coaches need coaches) is a bit of a mad scientist. He spent some time on the Nike Tour, and now coaches and builds clubs for not only a number of Tour guys, but also for guys with Q-School goals like me. He’s one of those guys who prefers to stay behind the curtain, so he asked me not to use his name, but his time for the spotlight will come. He uses physics and biomechanics along with a holistic approach to playing the game instead of relying on Trackman data. I have nothing but love for Trackman by the way, just to be clear, but we don’t use it much for my training. When we started working together, I was playing forged head irons with heavy, stiff-flex shafts. They were beautiful clubs and looked impressive in my bag, but I was hitting massive draws with them that would get loose sometimes and cause major damage to my rounds. He watched me on the range and just shook his head. After watching 10 straight pull hooks, he stopped me, mainly because he couldn’t stand to watch it anymore. He told me that my swing was great; we didn’t need to work on mechanics. What we needed, he said, was to start with a club fitting and find clubs that would allow me to “Swing My Swing” (Thanks Arnie!) so I didn’t have to change what I was as a golfer. The next morning he met me on the range along with a bag filled with 30 different 6 irons in different head styles, shaft weights and flex profiles, and we started hitting.
Each club had tape on it with different numbers. These numbers represented the weight and MOI of both the clubhead and the total club, along with the ratio between the two. There was also another strip of tape on the shaft with numbers like 1.56, 1.19, etc. These numbers represented the distance from the centerline of the hosel out to the “sweet spot,” or the center of gravity on the clubface. Don’t ask me the formula used to determine this point, because he learned it from his dad who was a physicist and that kind of math is punching way above my weight class. He handed me a club and I took a swing. Same old huge draw that I’m used to. Then I was told to close my eyes and hit it again. That alone might be one of the scariest things I’ve ever done as a golfer. I hit it pretty well, actually (You’d be surprised by your own ability to do this. Give it a shot.), but it was still left, just a bit less draw. I looked at the number on that club, and it was 1.22. The problem wasn’t with my swing. The problem was that the sweet spot was too close to the heel of the club for me, and the only way for me to catch it solid was to pull across my body and shut the clubface. Thus, a pull-draw. We started hitting the higher numbered clubs where the sweet spot was more out toward the middle of the face where I need it to be. That draw got smaller and smaller, and the pull became less and less, until I found that club labeled 1.62 on it. I started hitting laser-shot baby fades that went forever and exactly where I wanted them to go… with my eyes closed.
It turns out that I had been playing clubs since I was 10 that forced me to swing in a way that isn’t natural for the way my body moves through the universe. I’m not Nick Price. Never have been, never will be. Think more like Pat Perez or Payne Stewart, where the swing looks like pouring syrup over pancakes… in the winter. It’s not that I’m not “good enough” to play forged blades. I’ve got game. It’s simply a fact of me needing the sweet spot to be closer to the middle of the clubface. More and more players on the tours are switching to “game-improvement” irons, especially for the long irons. Do you want to try to tell them that they aren’t “good enough” to play a 4-iron that’s a blade? I didn’t think so. I’m not saying that this is true for everyone. Far from it. My brother (a damn good player in his own right) has a swing that happens to fit perfectly with those sexy Miura Tournament Blades. He has a very strong, purposeful and speedy swing. He needs the center of gravity as close to the hosel as possible. When a player like him swings my clubs, the ball goes right of right and he can’t control it. It’s about finding what works for you. Should we be saying that he “isn’t good enough” to play my “game-improvement” irons? Of course not. That’d be ridiculous, right? So why do we accept the opposite statement as pure truth?
Basically, unless someone designs a blade or muscleback iron with the CG closer to the middle of the face, I’ll be showing up at Q-School next year with some big, chunky, clunky, cavity backs. And I’m okay with that. I’m proud, but I’m not shallow. I’m more concerned now with how good my clubs allow me to play, not how good they make me look. “Not good enough to play blades”? You hear it all the time. GI, SGI, Players Irons… those terms are misleading and just plain incorrect. The terminology needs to change. I don’t care if my irons look like a Barcolounger that was found on the side of the highway with a sign on it that reads “free.” They fit my swing perfectly.
Guys will judge me silently when they look in my bag and assume I don’t belong there. Be my guest, fellas. I’ll be the one on the patio chilling with a Woodford on the rocks after signing for a 65 while the guys with the flashy blades crowd around the scoreboard and stress out, hoping that their 73s get them into a playoff for the last spot. Now onto much more important things, like those pleated trousers…
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Opinion & Analysis
Myrtle Beach, Explored: February in South Carolina
As I gain in experience and age, and familiarity breeds neither contempt nor disdain, I understand why people return to a place. A destination like Myrtle Beach offers a sizable supply and diversity of restaurants, entertainment venues, and shops that are predicated on the tenets of the service industry. Greet your customers with a smile and a kind word, and they will find comfort and assurance. Provide them with a memorable experience and they will suggest your place of business to others.
My first tour of Myrtle Beach took place in the mid-1980s, and consisted of one course: Gator Hole. I don’t remember much from that day, and since Gator Hole closed a decade later, I cannot revisit it to recollect what I’d lost. Since then, I’ve come to the Grand Strand a few times, and been fortunate to never place a course more than once. I’ve seen the Strantz courses to the south and dipped my toe in the North Carolina courses of Calabash. I’ve been to many in the middle, including Dunes, Pine Lakes, Grande Dunes among them.
2024 brought a quartet of new courses, including two at the Barefoot Resort. I’d heard about the North Myrtle Beach four-pack of courses that highlight the Barefoot property, including layouts from Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III, and Greg Norman. I had the opportunity to play and shoot the Dye and Fazio tracks, which means that I’ll have to return to see the other two. Sandwiched between them were the TPC-Myrtle Beach course, also from Tom Fazio, and the Pawley’s Plantation trace, by the hand of Jack Nicklaus. I anticipated a bit of the heroic, and bit of the strategic, and plenty of eye candy. None of those architects would ever be considered a minimalist, so there would be plenty of in-play and out-of-play bunkers and mounds to tantalize the senses.
My nephew arrived a few days early, to screen a few more courses. As a result, you the reader will have an extra quarter of mini-reviews, bringing the total of courses in this piece to eight. It was inconceivable that CJR would play four courses that I had never played nor photographed, but that was the case. His words appear at the end of this piece. We hope that you enjoy the tour.
Main Feature: Two Barefoots, a TPC, and Pawley’s Plantation
What Paul “Pete” Dye brought back from his trips to the United Kingdom, hearkened back to what C.B. MacDonal did, some 65 years prior. There is a way of finding bunkers and fairways, and even green sites, that does not require major industrial work. The Dye course at Barefoot Resorts takes you on a journey over the rumpled terrain of distant places. If there’s one element missing, it’s the creased and turbulent fairways, so often found in England and Ireland. The one tenet of playing a Dye course, is to always aim away from temptation, from where your eyes draw you. Find the safe side of the target, and you’ll probably find your ball. It then stands that you will have a shot for your next attempt. Cut the corner, and you might have need to reload. The Barefoot course begins gently, in terms of distance, but challenges with visual deception. After two brief 4s and a 3, the real work begins. The course is exposed enough, to allow the coastal winds to dance along the fairways. Be ready to keep the ball low and take an extra club or two.
If memory serves, TPCMB is my first trek around a TPC-branded course. It had all the trappings of a tour course, from the welcome, through the clubhouse, to the practice facilities and, of course, the course. TPC-Myrtle Beach is a Tom Fazio design, and if you never visit Augusta National, you’ll now have an idea of what it is like. You play Augusta’s 16th hole twice at TPCMB, and you enjoy it both times. Fazio really likes the pond-left, green-angle-around par three hole, and his two iterations of it are memorable.
You’ll also see those Augusta bunkers, the ones with the manicured edges that drop into a modestly-circular form. What distinguishes these sand pits is the manner in which they rise from the surrounding ground. They are unique in that they don’t resemble the geometric bunkering of a Seth Raynor, nor the organic pits found in origin courses. They are built, make no mistake, and recovery from them is manageable for all levels of bunker wizardry.
If you have the opportunity to play the two Tom Fazio courses back to back, you’ll notice a marked difference in styling. Let me digress for a moment, then circle back with an explanation. It was written that the NLE World Woods course designed by Fazio, Pine Barrens, was an homage to Pine Valley, the legendary, New Jersey club where Fazio is both a member and the architect on retainer. The Pine Barrens course was plowed under in 2022, so the homage no longer exists. At least, I didn’t think that it existed, until I played his Barefoot Resort course in North Myrtle Beach.
Pine Valley might be described as an aesthetic of scrub and sand. There are mighty, forced carries to travers, along with sempiternal, sandy lairs to avoid. Barefoot Fazio is quite similar. If you’re not faced with a forced carry, you’ll certainly contend with a fairway border or greenside necklace of sand. When you reach the 13th tee, you’ll face a drive into a fairway, and you might see a distant green, with a notable absence: flagstick. The 13th is the icing on the homage cake, a callout of the 8th hole at Pine Valley. Numero Ocho at the OG has two greens, side by side, and they change the manner in which the hole plays (so they say.) At Barefoot Fazio, the right-side green is a traditional approach, with an unimpeded run of fairway to putting surface. The left-side green (the one that I was fortunate to play) demands a pitch shot over a wasteland. It’s a fitting tribute for the rest of us to play.
Be certain to parrot the starter, Leon’s, advice, and play up a deck of tees. Barefoot Fazio offers five par-three holes, so the fours and fives play that much longer. Remember, too, that you are on vacation. Why not treat yourself to some birdie looks?
The Jack Nicklaus course at Pawley’s Plantation emerged from a period of hibernation in 2024. The greens were torn up and their original contours were restored. Work was overseen by Troy Vincent, a member of the Nicklaus Architecture team. In addition, the putting corridors were reseeded with a hardier, dwarf bermuda that has experienced great success, all along the Grand Strand that is Myrtle Beach.
My visit allowed me to see the inward half first, and I understand why the resort wishes to conclude your day on those holes. The front nine of Pawley’s Plantation works its way through familiar, low country trees and wetlands. The back nine begins in similar fashion, then makes its way east, toward the marsh that separates mainland from Pawley’s Island. Recalling the powerful sun of that Wednesday morning, any round beginning on the second nine would face collateral damage from the warming star. Much better to hit holes 11 to close when the sun is higher in the sky.
The marshland holes (12 through 17) are spectacular in their raw, unprotected nature. The winds off the Atlantic are unrelenting and unforgiving, and the twin, par-three holes will remain in your memory banks for time’s march. In typical Golden Bear fashion, a majority of his putting targets are smallish in nature, reflecting his appreciation for accurate approach shots. Be sure to find the forgiving side of each green, and err to that portion. You’ll be grateful.
Bonus Coverage: Myrtlewood, Beechwood, Arrowhead, and King’s North
Arrowhead (Raymond Floyd and Tom Jackson)
A course built in the middle of a community, water threatens on most every hole. The Cypress 9 provides a few holes forcing a carried drive then challenge you with water surrounding the green. On Waterway, a drivable 2nd hole will tempt most, so make sure the group ahead has cleared the green.
Myrtlewood (Edmund Alt and Arthur Hills) and Beechwood (Gene Hamm)
A middle of the winter New Englander’s paradise. Wide open fairways, zero blind shots and light rough allow for shaking off the rust and plenty of forgiveness. A plethora of dog legs cause one to be cautious with every tee shot. Won’t break the bank nor the scorecard.
King’s North @ Myrtle Beach National (Arnold Palmer)
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 Players Championship betting preview: Pete Dye specialists ready to pass tough TPC Sawgrass test
The PGA Tour heads to TPC Sawgrass to play in one of the most prestigious and important events of the season: THE PLAYERS Championship. Often referred to as the fifth major, the importance of a PLAYERS victory to the legacy of a golfer can’t be overlooked.
TPC Sawgrass is a par-72 measuring 7,245 yards and featuring Bermudagrass greens. Golfers must be patient in attacking this Pete Dye course.
With trouble lurking at every turn, the strokes can add up quickly. With a par-5 16th that is a true risk-reward hole and the famous par-3 17th island green, the only safe bet at TPC Sawgrass is a bet on an exciting finish.
THE PLAYERS Championship field is often referred to as the strongest field of the year — and with good reason. There are 144 in the field, including 43 of the world’s top 50 players in the OWGR. Tiger Woods will not be playing in the event.
THE PLAYERS is an exceptionally volatile event that has never seen a back-to-back winner.
Past Winners at TPC Sawgrass
- 2023: Scottie Scheffler (-17)
- 2022: Cameron Smith (-13)
- 2021: Justin Thomas (-14)
- 2019: Rory McIlroy (-16)
- 2018: Webb Simpson (-18)
- 2017: Si-Woo Kim (-10)
- 2016: Jason Day (-15)
- 2015: Rickie Fowler (-12)In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
5 Key Stats for TPC Sawgrass
Let’s take a look at five metrics key for TPC Sawgrass to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.
1. Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach has historically been far and away the most important and predictive stat at THE PLAYERS Championship. With water everywhere, golfers can’t afford to be wild with their iron shots. Not only is it essential to avoid the water, but it will also be as important to go after pins and make birdies because scores can get relatively low.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Tom Hoge (+1.37)
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.20)
- Tony Finau (+0.99)
- Jake Knapp (+0.83)
- Shane Lowry (+0.80)
2. Total Driving
This statistic is perfect for TPC Sawgrass. Historically, driving distance hasn’t been a major factor, but since the date switch to March, it’s a bit more significant. During this time of year, the ball won’t carry quite as far, and the runout is also shorter.
Driving accuracy is also crucial due to all of the trouble golfers can get into off of the tee. Therefore, players who are gaining on the field with Total Driving will put themselves in an ideal spot this week.
Total Driving Over Past 24 Rounds
- Rory McIlroy (22)
- Akshay Bhatia (25)
- Keith Mitchell (25)
- Adam Hadwin (34)
- Sam Burns (+39)
3. Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
TPC Sawgrass may be Pete Dye’s most famous design, and for good reason. The course features Dye’s typical shaved runoff areas and tricky green complexes. Pete Dye specialists love TPC Sawgrass and should have a major advantage this week.
SG: Total (Pete Dye) per round over past 36 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.02)
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.90)
- Min Woo Lee (+1.77)
- Sungjae Im (+1.72)
- Brian Harman (+1.62)
4. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Prototypical ball-strikers have dominated TPC Sawgrass. With past winners like Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, it’s evident that golfers must be striking it pure to contend at THE PLAYERS.
SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.02)
- Tony Finau (+1.51)
- Tom Hoge (+1.48)
- Keith Mitchell (+1.38)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.18)
5. Par 5 Average
Par-5 average is extremely important at TPC Sawgrass. With all four of the Par-5s under 575 yards, and three of them under 540 yards, a good amount of the scoring needs to come from these holes collectively.
Par 5 Average Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Schefler (+4.31)
- Erik Van Rooyen (+4.35)
- Doug Ghim (+4.34)
- Wyndham Clark (+4.34)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+4.31)
6. Strokes Gained: Florida
We’ve used this statistic over the past few weeks, and I’d like to incorporate some players who do well in Florida into this week’s model as well.
Strokes Gained: Florida over past 30 rounds:
- Scottie Schefler (+2.43)
- Erik Van Rooyen (+1.78)
- Doug Ghim (+1.78)
- Wyndham Clark (+1.73)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+1.69)
7. Strokes Gained: Total on Courses with High Water Danger
With water everywhere at TPC Sawgrass, the blow-up potential is high. It can’t hurt to factor in some players who’ve avoided the “eject” button most often in the past.
Strokes Gained: Total on Courses with High Water Danger over past 30 rounds:
- Scottie Schefler (+2.08)
- Rory McIlroy (+1.82)
- Tony Finau (+1.62)
- Patrick Cantlay (+1.51)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.49)
THE PLAYERS Championship Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), Total Driving (20%), SG: Total Pete Dye (14%), SG: Ball-striking (15%) SG: Par 5 (8%), SG: Florida (10%) and SG: High Water (8%).
- Scottie Scheffler
- Shane Lowry
- Tony Finau
- Corey Conners
- Keith Mitchell
- Justin Thomas
- Will Zalatoris
- Xander Schauffele
- Cameron Young
- Doug Ghim
- Sam Burns
- Chris Kirk
- Collin Morikawa
- Si Woo Kim
- Wyndham Clark
2024 THE PLAYERS Championship Picks
(All odds at the time of writing)
Patrick Cantlay +2500 (DraftKings):
Patrick Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship but is undoubtedly one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour. Since the win at Wilmington Country Club, the 31-year-old has twelve top-10 finishes on Tour and is starting to round into form for the 2024 season.
Cantlay has done well in the most recent “signature” events this season, finishing 4th at Riviera for the Genesis Invitational and 12th at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The former Tour Championship winner resides in Jupiter, Florida and has played some good golf in the state, including finishing in a tie for 4th at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. His history at TPC Sawgrass has been up and down, but his best career start at The PLAYERS came last year when he finished in a tie for 19th.
Cantlay absolutely loves Pete Dye designed courses and ranks 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Dye tracks in his past 36 rounds. In recent years, he’s been excellent at both the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship. TPC Sawgrass is a place where players will have to be dialed in with their irons and distance off the tee won’t be quite as important. In his past 24, rounds, Cantlay ranks in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.
Despite being winless in recent years, I still believe Cantlay is capable of winning big tournaments. As one of the only United States players to bring their best game to Marco Simone for the Ryder Cup, I have conviction that the former top amateur in the world can deliver when stakes are high.
Will Zalatoris +3000 (FanDuel):
In order to win at TPC Sawgrass, players will need to be in total control of their golf ball. At the moment, Will Zalatoris is hitting it as well as almost anyone and finally has the putter cooperating with his new switch to the broomstick style.
Zalatoris is coming off back-to-back starts where he absolutely striped the ball. He finished 2nd at the Genesis Invitational and 4th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational where his statistics were eye opening. For the week at Bay Hill, Zal gained 5.0 strokes on approach and 5.44 strokes off the tee.
Throughout the early part of his career, Zalatoris has established himself by playing his best golf in the strongest fields with the most difficult conditions. A tough test will allow him to separate himself this week and breakthrough for a PLAYERS Championship victory.
Shane Lowry +4000 (DraftKings):
History has shown us that players need to be in good form to win the PLAYERS Championship and it’s hard to find anyone not named Scottie Scheffler who’s in better form that Shane Lowry at the moment. He finished T4 at the Cognizant Classic followed by a solo third place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The fact that the Irishman contended at Bay Hill is a great sign considering he’s really struggled there throughout his career. He will now head to a different style of course in Florida where he’s had a good deal of success. He finished 8th at TPC Sawgrass in 2021 and 13th in 2022.
Lowry ranks 6th in the field in approach in his past 24 rounds, 7th in Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye designed courses in his last 30 rounds, 8th in par 5 scoring this season, and 4th in Strokes Gained: Total in Florida over his past 36 rounds.
Lowry is a player who’s capable of winning big events. He’s a major champion and won another premier event at Wentworth as well as a WGC at Firestone. He’s also a form player, when he wins it’s typically when he’s contended in recent starts. He’s been terrific thus far in Florida and he should get into contention once again this week.
Brian Harman +8000 (DraftKings):
(Note: Since writing this Harman’s odds have plummeted to 50-1. I would not advise betting the 50).
Brian Harman showed us last season that if the course isn’t extremely long, he has the accuracy both off the tee and with his irons to compete with anyone in the world. Last week at Bay Hill and was third in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.54 strokes on the field in the category.
In addition to the strong iron play, Harman also gained strokes off the tee in three of four rounds. He’s also had success at Pete Dye tracks recently. He finished 2nd at last year’s Travelers Championship and 7th at the RBC Heritage.
It would be a magnificent feat for Harman to win both the Open Championship and PLAYERS in a short time frame, but the reality is the PGA Tour isn’t quite as strong as it once was. Harman is a player who shows up for the biggest events and his odds seem way too long for his recent track record.
Tony Finau +6500 (FanDuel):
A few weeks ago, at the Genesis Invitational, I bet Hideki Matsuyama because I believed it to be a “bet the number” play at 80-1. I feel similarly about Finau this week. While he’s not having the season many people expected of him, he is playing better than these odds would indicate.
This season, Tony has a tied for 6th place finish at Torrey Pines, a tied for 19th at Riviera and tied for 13th at the Mexico Open. He’s also hitting the ball extremely well. In the field in his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Par 5 average and 15th in Total Driving.
Finau’s problem has been with the putter, which has been undeniably horrific. However, this week he will see a putting surface similar to the POA at TPC Scottsdale and PGA West, which he’s had a great deal of success on. It’s worth taking a stab at this price to see if he can have a mediocre week with the flat stick.
Sungjae Im +9000 (FanDuel):
It’s been a lackluster eighteen months for Sungjae, who once appeared to be a certain star. While his ceiling is absolutely still there, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Im play the type of golf expected of a player with his talent.
Despite the obvious concerns, the South Korean showed glimpses of a return to form last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He tied for 18th place and gained strokes off the tee, on approach, around the green and with the putter. When at his best, Im is a perfect course fit for TPC Sawgrass. He has remarkable precision off the tee, can get dialed in with his irons on shorter courses and can get up and down with the best players on Tour.
This number has gotten to the point where I feel comfortable taking a shot on it.
Billy Horschel +20000 (FanDuel):
Billy Horschel is a great fit on paper for TPC Sawgrass. He can get dialed in with his irons and his lack of distance off the tee won’t be a major detriment at the course. “Bermuda Billy” does his best work putting on Bermudagrass greens and he appears to be rounding into form just in time to compete at The PLAYERS.
In his most recent start, Billy finished in a tie for 9th at the Cognizant Classic and hit the ball extremely well. The former Florida Gator gained 3.32 strokes on approach and 2.04 strokes off the tee. If Horschel brings that type of ball striking to TPC Sawgrass, he has the type of putter who can win a golf tournament.
Horschel has been great on Pete Dye designed courses, with four of his seven career PGA Tour wins coming on Dye tracks.
In a season that has seen multiple long shots win big events, the 37-year-old is worth a stab considering his knack for playing in Florida and winning big events.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Hong Kong betting preview: Trio of major champs primed for big week
LIV Golf is set to begin its fourth event of the season at Hong Kong Golf Club in Hong Kong, China. This marks the first time that LIV Golf will travel to China for an event.
Hong Kong Golf Club is a par 70 measuring 6,710 yards. LIV will be using the “Fanling Course” for the event.
While speaking with Asian Tour player Travis Smyth, he gave me a rundown on what it takes to be successful at Hong Kong Golf Club.
“Hong Kong golf club, it’s pretty old school, like super short and tight. And I, I don’t think it falls into like a bomber’s hand. I think you’ll see a lot of guys hitting it to roughly the same spots on the majority of the holes. There’s a few holes where Bryson will be able to unleash a few but not many. When I played here, I hit Hybrid on Par 4’s off the tee maybe like seven times.”
Travis also said that the tight fairways and penal potential misses will keep the bombers at bay.
“It’s just that sort of course you’re hitting it like anywhere from 220 to 240 off the tee. And then from there you have a range of holes where it’s like kind of some sort of wedge or nine. It’s not very long.”
Around the green game will also be tremendously important at Hong Kong Golf Club.
“The greens are small as well and it’s usually quite hard to get up and down if you miss the greens. Someone like Cameron Smith I could see doing really well there. He played well in the international series. but just someone that’s, you know, pretty dolled in with their, their scoring clubs, he’s probably going to do well there.”
Players dialed in with their game from tee to green with control over the golf ball should fare extremely well.
“You can’t really scramble from the trees either. So, you really just have to. I’d, yeah, just whoever’s the best ball striker that week, you can’t really strap it around and fake it around there. You got to hit it straight. The tree lines are dead, there’s some hazards and stuff. It’s a short, tight quirky course, not what any of these guys are probably used to.”
Despite it being short, don’t be surprised if it gives players some real trouble.
“It should be fun viewing because there’ll be a lot of opportunities. They’ll feel like they can go low around there because it’s short but, you know, you make a few bogeys, and you get quite frustrated, and you start pushing off the tee and find some trouble and stuff. It can eat you up as well.”
Smyth finished 2nd at Hong Kong Golf Club to qualify for the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
Past Winners at Hong Kong Golf Club
- 2023: Ben Campbell (-19)
- 2022: Wade Ormsby (-17)
- 2018: Aaron Rai (-17)
- 2017: Wade Ormsby (-11)
- 2016: Sam Brazel (-13)
- 2015: Justin Rose (-19)
- 2014: Scott Hend (-13)
- 2013: Miguel Angel Jiminez (-12)
The top of the board once again will be a major threat this week. Jon Rahm is still in search of his first win on LIV and has been knocking at the door in each of his first three starts. Brooks Koepka hasn’t yet contended but is playing steady golf and has yet to shoot a round outside of the 60’s this season. Joaquin Niemann is the hottest player on the planet and has shown no signs of slowing down.
However, on a golf course that can neutralize the big hitters, this is an event that seems a bit more up for grabs than we’ve seen in the first three LIV events.
LIV Golf Stats YTD
2024 LIV Hong Kong Picks
Cameron Smith +2000 (Bet365, BetRivers)
It’s been a slow start for Cam Smith this season. In his three starts on LIV, he’s finished T8, T15, T41 and has yet to look like the Cam that is one of the best players in the world. Hong Kong Golf Club should be the perfect course fit to get the former Open Champion out of his slump.
Hong Kong Golf Club is tight off the tee, and many players won’t be able to hit driver. That will neutralize some of the best drivers of the golf ball in the field and propel players like Cam, who are almost unbeatable from fairway to green. Cam’s driver has been a weakness throughout his career, and it’s been especially pronounced this season. He’s tied for 51st in fairways hit thus far on the season. Taking driver out of his hand this week could be exactly what he needs to get on track.
Despite the poor tee balls, Smith still ranks 1st in putting and 5th in birdies made. He’s also a great scrambler, and with small greens at the course, having to get up and down is inevitable. If he can play from the fairway this week, he should have a major advantage in the other facets of the game.
Louis Oosthuizen +2000 (DraftKings)
Louis Oosthuizen should be an absolutely perfect fit for Hong Kong Golf Club. The South African has been remarkably consistent over the past few months dating back to the fall, where he won two consecutive DP World Tour events and also finished 2nd at the International Series Oman. In his three LIV starts this year, Louis has finished T8 at LIV Mayakoba, 50th at LIV Las Vegas and T2 at LIV Jeddah.
Louis is relatively short off the tee and that won’t hurt him this week. He is one of the best putters and scrambler on LIV, and his silky-smooth swing looks as dialed in as ever at the moment. He’s yet to win a LIV event, but a victory for Louis seems imminent.
Patrick Reed +5000 (FanDuel)
Patrick Reed is another play who’s yet to win a LIV event but has been a winner throughout his entire career. The former Masters champion should love Hong Kong Golf Club as it will play to his strengths on and around the greens.
Reed played on the Asian Tour this fall and finished T15 at the Hong Kong Open and T7 at the Indonesian Masters. The experience in Asia this season should be a benefit for Reed acclimating to the travel and conditions this week.
The 34-year-old should benefit from taking driver out of his hand and similar to Smith, can beat anyone in the world if the tournament become a short game competition.
*Featured Image and Stats Image courtesy of LIV Golf*
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James
Nov 6, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Who knew a pull hook could be fixed by equipment and not the club face pointing left with an out-to-in swing path?
li0scc0
Jul 28, 2017 at 11:49 am
Great article. I shot my best round – and first round at even par (Par 72) last night with…. Cleveland VAS 792 2-PW irons in my bag. Laugh if you want, but an Eagle on a 500 yard Par 5 with a 2 Iron, then 5 iron, then 12 foot putt certainly silenced my playing partners. Ugly irons? You bet. But…do they perform? You better believe it!
Branson Reynolds
Jul 25, 2017 at 10:54 am
My only complaint is that while he says you need to get fitted, he’s a fitter and didn’t have himself fit correctly. How do i know if anyone at GG or golftec can fit like his coach does and isn’t just some by-the-book drone?
@@!!!
Jul 25, 2017 at 12:51 am
Can’t lie I thought this was a new hilarious article by Ron Swanson, until I scrolled up to the top and realized it was not. I was honestly shocked this was a real person especially after reading the bio.
“Anything that can be gambled on and judging people by the clothes they wear”. Obviously there’s no depth to your shallowness…SMH. Honestly speechless that this is part of your amusement, no offense but your totally “that guy”. It seems like you about to hit 60, but with a 7th grader mentality.
Best of luck to you, and your outragous, superficial view on the world. I hope it’s satisfying, because it seems by reading this a lonely place.
Thomas Murphy
Jul 24, 2017 at 6:39 pm
Interesting thing happened…I went to fitting at Club Champion, worked with a great fitter, we started with shaft, that zeroed in fast, pulled a hole bunch of heads initially thinking split bag like 6-pw Srixon 765 4,5 Srixon 565, etc. you get the idea, player mid/short irons, game improvement long irons. The Srixon stayed in the hunt a long time but what we learned is I can’t hit a game improvement club for my life. I can but I hit player clubs WAY better, better smash factor, more consistent, etc. In the end it came down to 716CB vs. Apex — Apex better smash factor but Titleist tighter circle left/right — lasers. It wasn’t what I expected at all and it is far from stock pricing — kind of a pxg/epic etc. type experience but I picked up 20 yards over my current Mizunos. I was fully ready in the beginning to head straight into GI clubs Ping G, etc. but nay nay.
Nomad Golfer
Jul 24, 2017 at 2:10 am
Instead of going back to the future, my club selection has gone forward to the past ie 8-10+ yr old clubs. With some experimentation I have found what works best for me and that’s all that matters. The clubs don’t shine but they’ve done the time.
DrRob1963
Jul 23, 2017 at 8:14 am
Blades win – its easy – just look at all the career grand slam winners:
Sarazen = blades
Hogan = blades
Player = blades
Nicklaus = blades – 1st, 2nd & 3rd Slams
Tiger = blades – 1st, 2nd & 3rd Slams
Every GI & SGI club player in history = ZERO career slams
ibo
Jul 24, 2017 at 12:00 pm
Spieth has 3 Majors with AP2’s, which are not even CB’s?
2putttom
Jul 24, 2017 at 2:37 pm
it’s not the arrow, … it’s the ____________
joro
Jul 26, 2017 at 11:02 am
Wake up “DR” Bob, they also are real Golfers with hips in the plus side that if you don’t know what that is, is it says they give strokes to par, not take strokes. They are very good, but so are the blades of today, not like the ones we played in the old days. And for you, I was once a +2. but today as an old geezer I have CB, spring face, strong lofts, Graphite, and everything else I can find. It is not the tools, it is the guy handling the tool, and these players handle them very well.
Woody
Jul 23, 2017 at 7:55 am
Not sure why you had to rip on the president..crap gets old after a while. Please keep that crap out of your next article.
ACTUAL FACTS
Jul 23, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Agreed! Politics should be left off of WRX; however, the video of our golfing POTUS driving a cart on the greens was hard to watch!
Harry
Jul 22, 2017 at 11:55 pm
Funny how some guys admit to not reading the article but then presume to know what it says, and they seem to read all the comments too.
For my part, what prevents someone from paying for a fitting, getting a good set, and then just sticking with that set until the grooves are worn enough that the set needs to be replaced? I don’t think getting fit implies any need for getting a mother fitting/set every year or two. My starter set lasted me 15 yrs (too long I know), but I’d rather play the right stuff too long than keep on switching to things that don’t fit right.
Jose Pinatas
Jul 22, 2017 at 7:50 pm
Great read. I’m drinking the kool aid.. Dude can play in my group anytime… We’ll play a 5some in 3 hours 45 mins hold nobody up(follow all cart rules and or restrictions), all the old traditionalist moofs will be shaking there heads saying they can’t play 5 at my course…. We be yelling back move aside bro new breed coming thru as were poppin GI 6irons 220, knocking wedgies inside 5ft, and billy mayfairing putts right in the jar, on our way to 67’s…… BOOM!!!! Hey what works for the goose doesn’t always work for the gander….
ACTUAL FACTS
Jul 22, 2017 at 11:25 am
This was a pleasant read and an interesting take on club fitting that should be added as a how to section in the book How to Archer!
Jim
Jul 22, 2017 at 10:40 am
I gave your article a shank. Reason, you made it way too much about you, and not us, the average golfer. You should have titled it “why I was playing the wrong clubs”. It did nothing to help me with my club choice.
Rwj
Jul 22, 2017 at 9:23 am
Grown man using the word “fashion,”. Pass.
Double Mocha Man
Jul 22, 2017 at 1:07 pm
We’re not all beer guzzling, tough guy, anti-art guys out here in the “golf world”. That comment said a lot about you and your neanderthal ways…
J Witness
Jul 23, 2017 at 3:49 pm
And yours says a lot about you male feminist
Double Mocha Man
Jul 24, 2017 at 4:36 pm
Hey Witness… I’ll play you even up for 18 holes. Loser has to tour the nearest art museum, take in a classical concert and sip a flute of prosecco.
Dave
Jul 22, 2017 at 7:43 am
Great article. Any golfer can improve their game by seeing a ‘Good’ clubfitter. But I do have to say to Mr. Metzler, you can’t judge a book by the cover.
Additionally, what’s a perfectly prepared steak? and it all went to h*** with the Tenacious D.
jgpl001
Jul 22, 2017 at 5:45 am
Boo, down with sort of thing
How dare he get near the truth
This site is for serious playaha’s, who play blades, PX 7.0 tipped 1 inch and 105g driver shafts in x flex
Note to editor: please stop stupid articles like this, they are unpleasant and disturbing
Chris
Jul 22, 2017 at 4:36 am
Odd article, there are many players clubs, including blades, that have the sweet spot in the middle of the face these days.
james
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:45 pm
So woody, am i to understand that you do not like political comments, but you feel that those that do not like this article are haters, even though it contains political comments. Not trying to argue, just trying to understand your stance here.
gwillis7
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:40 pm
Great article, I actually enjoyed it
Woody
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:07 pm
One, I’d prefer you leave political comments out of it. And two, I think that most of the haters do not understand that most of this article is satire.
james
Jul 21, 2017 at 9:52 pm
Seems strange that GolfWRX gives members warning about political comments and then publishes articles with asinine political comments on their front page.
Jon
Jul 21, 2017 at 9:19 pm
I really liked the article until I saw “GolfTec Swing Instructor”.
Bryan Metzler
Jul 21, 2017 at 8:49 pm
Thank you to everyone for the feedback. I appreciate everyone who took time to read it and comment (even the negative ones!). One of the reasons that I didn’t give out my fitters info is because I didn’t want him to be bombarded by negative trolling by people who missed the point of my article. For those of you that are interested in an incredible Tour-level fitting experience (That isn’t as expensive as you’d think), contact me and I’ll get you in touch with him. You might just learn some really awesome stuff about your game at the same time. And who knows, maybe the new Titleist MB 716’s are perfect for you! That’s the great thing about this game, is that there are so many ways to approach it, and you get to find your own way in reaching your potential. Just like practicing Zen, Yoga, or cooking, there are people out there that have been studying everything about it for years and know things that can accelerate your learning curve. Find them, ask them questions, ask them for teaching or help. There’s nothing wrong with learning everything you can and deciding what works for you. Enjoy The Open and raise a pint or eight this weekend!
hot babe
Jul 21, 2017 at 11:53 pm
I found your profile http://www.pof.com/member89809665.htm. your hot, call me I was to see your huge GI irons
RG
Jul 22, 2017 at 1:18 am
Ping i3 blades R flex 85mph iron swing and ill shot your eyes out with them.
Mick
Nov 5, 2017 at 7:50 pm
Never,,,NEVER play a guy still rocking PING I3 Blades,,,their is no hope against a guy who knows how to hit those !
Kevin
Jul 22, 2017 at 2:30 pm
For those of us that are stuck with our current irons until we can afford new ones, can you manually effect where the sweet spot is located via lead tape? If so, would tape on the toe side effectively move the sweet spot closer to the toe and visa versa? Thanks for an interesting article.
Scott
Nov 5, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Love to know your fitter and location… BTW, great read… swing your swing
Ude
Jul 21, 2017 at 8:45 pm
I’m with ya Bubba, and it’s only the neurotic gearheads who will suffer immensely as the OEMs begin to fail and fall by the wayside, choking on their unsold inventories.
Ude
Jul 21, 2017 at 8:43 pm
The OEMs who advertise copiously on GolfWRX are on their last legs. Why? Because golfers are not buying the newest and most expensive golf clubs and discarding their old clubs.
They are desperate to jack up the marketplace otherwise they will collapse in their own mendacity. Within 5 years many of the traditional OEMs will vanish leaving a few and some boutique club companies. It’s happening with the collapse of big box store retailers and the OEMs are on their last gasps.
Club fitting will force the retailers to more heavily invest in qualified fitters and the OEMs will become component companies selling club heads and shafts to the stores that fit. This is a problematic marketing model.
Mike Hollingsworth
Jul 21, 2017 at 7:41 pm
Holy smokes. I don’t think I’ve ever read prose that screams “I’m grinning at my own genius while writing” quite like this. Sometimes less is more.
Someone
Jul 21, 2017 at 6:57 pm
Center shot on a blade is the same as center GI club or SGi because. Those “clunky and chunky,” clubs are only better in the sense that off center hits are still just as far. That is literally the only real difference. All you are saying is that you’re not willing to practice enough to groove your swing to hit closer to the center sweet spot and would rather play equipment that makes up for your inconsistency. There is nothing wrong with that at all, but don’t try and fool people into thinking that they need SGI or GI clubs over blades. The game was originally played with blades and that shows true ability and consistency and willingness to grind until your swing is grooved to hit the center or nearest the center as possible. Consistency is the key when it comes to irons…stop trying to dissuade players from playing the clubs they like. Not everyone can drive a corvette to its potential, but that doesn’t mean everyone should buy a corolla…you’re deluded because you have finally settled and found what works for you…which isn’t the same as what works for everyone. For some people, having good looking equipment gives them the confidence needed to help them perform well. For some it’s more mental than technical. For you it was a technical issue, not a mental. For others it will be a mental issue over technical. Don’t try and steer people away from playing what they want. Instead steer them to help them get better using the equipment they have. You’re only perpetuating the useless spending of money to try and buy new equipment every year instead of telling the truth that they should get their swing checked out or take lessons and then get a fitting to help adjust their equipment and then MAYBE they might consider gear if it potentially increases their gains by whatever percentage they determine. For me, a 10% gain is worth it, but for a pro, something as small as a 1% gain could mean the different between hitting a 4i or a 6i into the green. Who let you write it self fluff piece anyway, they must not have read this before it was published. Get off your high horse and maybe try helping people by teaching them or showing them instead of talking yourself up and thinking you’re so wonderful because you found your winning combination that worked for you, clubs that make up for your inability to groove a swing consistent enough to play a more precise club. Anyone can kill with a bazooka but it takes a pro to snipe.
ooffa
Jul 22, 2017 at 9:03 am
you are filled with negativity and discouragement for the average golfer.
izzlist of izzles
Jul 21, 2017 at 6:41 pm
allmyshank.jpg
QR
Jul 21, 2017 at 6:40 pm
This is a safe space website for boys and men who homogeneously love their clubs and the game of golf. How dare anybody insult golf and those who are besotted with golf. Delete this horrid article.
Jim
Jul 21, 2017 at 6:39 pm
Remember – it’s all about getting you to go spend money on “new & improved” gear that you don’t need. THE best way to improve your game is with lessons and range balls.
Styles
Jul 21, 2017 at 5:55 pm
I can see how someone could be so self-absorbed they could write this article and not realize how inappropriate and awful it is. I cannot see how any gWRX editor could sign off on releasing it to the homepage.
CCGolfTx
Jul 21, 2017 at 5:53 pm
Worst article ever written on this website. The author is totally out of touch. People will not be judging him due to the clubs in his bag but rather his total lack of character and originality. He is 40 years old but seems to have the credibility of a sophomore frat boy who loves torturing pledges more than life itself. I do hope he realizes that the players on the champions tour can actually play excellent golf. Also, leave The President of the USA out of it.
Lloyd
Jul 21, 2017 at 4:15 pm
Circle jerking forum gearheads squealing like stuck pigs cause they didn’t get their sexy clubs fitted for their weenie swing.
Can’t love unfitted clubs cause that makes them imperfect and inferior.
Grizz01
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:46 pm
30 years of Club Componet Companies like Golfworks, Golfsmith (gone now) and the old Dynacraft company. Along with every OME company… if golfers don’t know they need to be fitted… they’ve had their head in the sand. Let them be…
Pured
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:45 pm
Brilliant!! FINALLY a refreshing read in the forum of golf that I would happily tip my cocktail glass to any damn day. Cheers!
2putttom
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:28 pm
Guys will judge me silently when they look in my bag and assume I don’t belong there. Be my guest, fellas. I’ll be the one on the patio chilling with a Woodford on the rocks after signing for a 65 while the guys with the flashy blades crowd around the scoreboard and stress out, hoping that their 73s get them into a playoff for the last spot. Now onto much more important things, like those pleated trousers…
And I’ll add skinny jeans to the pleated trouser list
Jay Bengston
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:06 pm
I have trouble believing the equipment change would make as big of a difference as described for someone with a good game. But all the whining about the author describing how well he plays is funny. He obviously had to emphasize that point or else be dismissed a hack by blade playing 80 shooters.
cg
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:05 pm
how does he measure where the CG is?
Timbleking
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:02 pm
I personnally think that, after 16 years playing and si many iron sets played (not far from 100 now), club fitting simply sucks. No figure will tell you how good you feel behind the ball and how confident you are, which is actually key to good golf playin’.
I dropped a set of Titleist 714 CB from the Tour Van to play my best rounds in years with…my girlfriend’s Wilson DC half-set. And each time I do that, I poay in the low 70. Conclusion is simple…
cody
Jul 21, 2017 at 2:42 pm
works at golftec is all you need to know about this guy… moving on
Jim
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:48 pm
Hahahahaha!!!
HooYah that!!!!
The absolute worst
sam
Jul 21, 2017 at 2:30 pm
shank of the week……
theD0n
Jul 21, 2017 at 2:15 pm
Having read the last few issues of Golf Magazine (the subscription I got for free by buying stuff from Global Golf), I noticed a huge push to players to get fitted for their clubs. Yes, it’s another revenue stream for the golf equipment business. Yes, I realize that if I wanted to play my best, getting fitted is one of the best things I could do for my game. However, this article confirms my suspicion, that custom fitting reeks of affluence. How much did all this cost? I’ve read articles that a fitting at Club Champion, combined with the purchase of whatever they recommend, can set you back $6k-$8k or even more.
If this is the way golf is headed, then I’ll let the rich have their country clubs, their crappy Woodford Reserve, and their custom fittings. I’ll continue to buy my clubs off eBay, fill up my flask with Four Roses Single Barrel, and head out to the mini down the street. Ha!
Someone
Jul 21, 2017 at 6:41 pm
So being someone that has gone to club champion, I will tell you that the price reflects what you tell your fitter. If you ask for exotic tour equipment with ultra rare shafts, etc, that is exactly what you will get. If you ask for moderately priced, it reflects, and so forth. You only get what you ask for. When you tell the fitter “I have no limited find me the best gear for my game,” you open yourself up to premium prices. That’s not to say that you can’t play your best with less expensive gear now! I didn’t ask for the most expensive, but at the same time I didn’t ask for the cheapest. I asked my fitter to show me options, and when something was too expensive for me I asked for its less expensive yet comparable brethren and they complied. Hit the setup in Trackman and either proved to be slightly under or pretty much the same as the more expensive option.
My advice to you, don’t go by what others say 100%. People will be turned off when they find out that there’s better gear out there for them, but they’ve wasted years buying used or off the rack only to find out they’ve spent just as much as they could have on a fit set from club champ. To make things even better, you can purchase part by part. You don’t need the entire bag immediately. My entirely new set would’ve cost me 3k. I ended up changing my iron shafts and my putter and my game improved from that alone. The gains from my iron heads to the new ones was good but I decided to play my head longer since they were still in great shape. They happily oblige. They had no problem tweaking the setup to meet the specs that we measured, tested them out to confirm and then the deal was done. I did what I could afford at the time. Getting fit by them was the best decision I’ve made in golf so far. If you’re hesitant about the price, wait until the holidays when they do their entire bag fitting for 50% off. In addition single portion fittings (woods, irons, wedges, etc.) are only 33% off. Those deals happen pretty frequently. And to make things better, they honor their lifetime warranty. It’s not for the lifetime of the clubs, it’s for the lifetime that you are working with them using the equipment they make for you. In addition the tolerances hey have are more restrictive than oems, so clubs are setup with +\- 1gram whereas OEM’s accept +\- 5grams or sometimes more. They will work with you, your fitter will stay in contact with you and help you with your transition and follow your game with you. Unhappy with the equipment they built for you, they’ll do what’s necessary to make it right, even if it means sending it back and changing it out. Again this is only for the equipment they provide. So for my case, it’s only the putter and he iron shafts. But the guarantee still applies. I am not really feeling my putter lately and it’s been off. I’ve been wanting a slightly heavier head and putter so I may take it back and let them know to see what other options I have for putters. They’ll put what I’ve paid already towards the cost of the new equipment. If it’s less, then they swap it out, obviously if the new stuff is more I gotta pay thee difference. The key idea is that you get fit by them, but you also keep a lasting relationship with them to help keep your game on par. Yes it is a business model but at the same time the long term relationship with the customer satisfaction and support is far greater than any temporary sale on a club that you’re gonna sell in 6months looking for the next greatest thing. How frequently does a pro change teachers? How frequently do they change gear? Not that frequent at all…so it only makes sense that your gear supplier be consistent as well.
SeanSpicer'sResignationLetter
Jul 21, 2017 at 2:13 pm
Great article and something to think about. I play blades myself, but often feel that my tendency to hit the ball closer to the toe would lend itself better to a different club. Or I could use lead tape.
Keep it up!
Someone
Jul 21, 2017 at 6:44 pm
Hitting the toe is not the sign of equipment change, it’s a sign of setup adjustment. I.e. Move a little closer or don’t pull your hands in so much in the swing etc. the clubs will always do what the user requests of them. The club wasn’t doing edginess to hit the toe more frequently than others.
Spend more money on club adjustments or just get your swing looked at to determine if it’s as Si mole as stepping a half inch closer or swinging a little more outside
SeanSpicer'sResignationLetter
Jul 21, 2017 at 8:07 pm
conversely, if, for a given loft lie and length, i’m hitting the ball more towards the toe than the heel, one might infer that with all things the same, having a CoG more toward the toe would help me. Put another way – holding my swing as constant (which I’m the first to admit is a mistake itself), I would be better served with a club that fit my swing, having a toe-bias to the CoG.
Sean
Jul 21, 2017 at 1:41 pm
The game of golf is about scoring, not what clubs are in your bag, and the scorecard couldn’t care less what clubs those are. There is a lot of ego involved in golf, from the kind of equipment one has, to what tees are played. If some people are concerned about “appearances” then they have bigger problems then their x-stiff shafts.
Totally unnecessary comment on POTUS. By the way, he chased down a Marine’s cover, twice. Another sign of laziness?
carl spackler
Jul 21, 2017 at 1:25 pm
what a tool. i hope some guy with pleated pants, a visor and a set of mp-4s schools you.
Travis
Jul 21, 2017 at 1:18 pm
Is your profile name BrianL99???
Matt
Jul 21, 2017 at 1:01 pm
“I’ll be the one on the patio chilling with a Woodford on the rocks after signing for a 65”
https://media.giphy.com/media/Fml0fgAxVx1eM/giphy.gif
chinchbugs
Jul 22, 2017 at 6:54 pm
+1
Tom
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:55 pm
A couple of things:
1) Leave politics out of it. I don’t care if you like or dislike the President, your commentary had nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the article. I think we are berated enough on a daily basis not to have it randomly shoehorned into a golf article.
2) I actually have had the complete opposite experience when it comes to clubs. I am a lower handicap (5) who plays a slight pull draw with a slower tempo and, attempted, smoother swing. I had played the same muscleback irons for years and had worked down to a 2 handicap. Four years ago I started listening to the wisdom of magazines, commentators and the Internet that I needed more “game improvement” or whatever you want to call them, irons with lighter shafts, bigger sweet spots, and, different centers of gravity, because the pros are moving in that direction and so should you! I did my research, got fitted, and chose my clubs. Long story short, I went from shooting in and around par to not being able to break 80. It took 4 years of trying to fix my technique to ditch the GI irons and go back to irons with less offset, heavier shafts, and thin topline. My scores came down so fast it was almost miraculous. Get fitted, seek the opinion of experts, but ultimately, use what you’re comfortable with and enjoy yourself.
Grizz01
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Good reply! I’m still playing with my 1994 Lynx Parallax irons. I’ve had to move on with some wedges because they wear down quicker. I know these Lynx are anywhere from 1.5 -2 club lengths shorter than what is marketed today. (because all they are doing is changing an old 5 iron to a 7 iron length and loft). It doesn’t bruise my ego one bit when someone takes out less club than I do. (Actually makes me look pretty good that I can still hit a 2 iron when the lowest iron in their bag in a 4 or 5.)
Hmmm
Jul 21, 2017 at 4:57 pm
“We”? As in the people who berated the previous president constantly based on smears and lies about his religion (irrelevant in a country founded upon Separation of Church and State) and birthplace (just plain fake news)? Tom you should open your mind and free yourself from the mindlessness of partisan politics (this goes both ways!).
Grizz01
Jul 22, 2017 at 3:28 am
Just shut up…. enough with the politicing… Hmmm, you talk politics and get it wrong. The United States was not founded upon Separation of Church and State. Quit listening to garbage. Start reading and studying for yourself.
BIG STU
Jul 22, 2017 at 7:58 pm
Tom dead on it on all fronts even about the POTUS. Yep I played with muscleback blades all my life but recently switched to some forged CB Callys. Now I still maintain a 5 handicap playing only a couple days a week if that. Now if I go to practicing and playing everyday like I did when playing comp then I will more than likely go back to the blades. Since I do not practice or play as much as I used to I needed a little forgiveness in my irons. I am one who could give 2 hoots about what one chooses to play. I have caught a little heck on a couple of the WRX forums because I do not play the musclebacks much anymore. But then again I have been told the Callys I hit might as well be blades. Hey I play what I want to. Your last sentence on your comment says it all for me very well stated
Buford T Justice
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:42 pm
I don’t care about what other people thing, so, I’m going to write an entire piece illustrating how little I care about what they think.
I’m going to give specific examples about how I’m perceived.
I’m going to write a few fictional paragraphs about how the folks who are supposedly eye’ing my bag shot X, and I shot < X.
Then, I'm going to remind you again about how little I care about what people think.
Trying to convince us, or, trying to convince yourself?
AV
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Er…Rickie Fowler’s clubs are exactly what you need. Blades with tungsten plugs in the toe to move the “sweet spot” out towards the toe.
Ron
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Spend your money on lessons, not equipment changes. The biggest improvement you will see in your game will be from a series of lessons from a good pro. Not from switching from blades to GI’s.
Sam
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:11 pm
I disagree, for a tour player this is important, but for the rest of us you get on a trackman and play trackman to get clubs and shafts that are marginally better on trackman. Then you go out on the course and they don’t make a real difference at all. It’s a waste of time and money.
I just buy off the rack now, Dynamic Gold S300 is good enough for me and a Diamana blue board in stiff is fine. Where the money is in the wedges and putter, that is where rounds are made.
Mbu
Jul 21, 2017 at 1:20 pm
I agree with you.. , except for the putter bit. Good putters can putt with anything.
Chuck
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:05 pm
I was hoping that the payoff here would be one or all of these things:
1. A detailed description of what the author has in his bag. Heads, shafts, lies, lofts, swingweights, tipping, etc.
2. A sensible, readable, practical description of how to fit oneself for cubs, OR…
3. The name and address of one or more clubfitters who will make a big difference in our golf games.
Most of this article was about the shape and weighting of iron heads. And actually, the OEM’s are ahead of us in this game, making more and more traditional looking clubs with more tungsten weighting out to the toe. (A good idea, I always thought.) But still, if the point of all of this is to do a lecture on the shape and weighting of iron heads, that’s fine. But it isn’t a lot of “clubfitting.”
Travis
Jul 21, 2017 at 11:57 am
The only thing I came away with from this article is that the writer doesn’t like Trump and really likes himself.
Darrin
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:32 pm
My thoughts exactly. We really need to use an article about golf equipment as a venue to make opinionated and unsubstantiated political commentary. Shows a total lack of class (wow how ironic) and character.
Brian
Jul 21, 2017 at 11:12 am
Ever hear of Maltby?
Maltby the Physicist
Jul 21, 2017 at 1:19 pm
Yeah, exactly. This measurement created by some “unknown physicist” is the C-dimension in MPF and has been published for most irons for years and years. There’s no secret special sauce in this data.
S-maleBootieSlam
Jul 21, 2017 at 11:09 am
What a tool.
Jason
Jul 21, 2017 at 11:05 am
I think my IQ is lower after reading this.
Pixlputterman
Jul 21, 2017 at 11:03 am
Leave the politics out, PLEASE. I didnt read past the first paragraph.
Donald Trump
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:58 am
Your clubs would fit if they were single length. But you keep telling yourself they are a fad as you hit your snap hook OB.
Ray Koobatian
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:54 am
All golfers should always get fitted for their clubs, shafts, equipment. That being said whether you would like to play blades muscle backs or cavity backs should be a personal choice for each golfer. Playing something because you think it looks good should never be a determining factor in your selection of clubs. Also for those who have never played the professional tours, even a scratch index at your club level or public course level is not a determining factor for Q school or entry into the professional tours. Just ask Jerry Rice how that goes. He got his hat handed to him when he thought he could play the Nationwide tour a few years back.
Jacob
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:02 pm
What’s wrong with playing a club because you think it looks good? Everyone has their own priorities.
Greg V
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:54 am
Fun article. I forgot how much fun it is to practice with the eyes closes. As Percy Boomer used to say, when your eyes are closed, your senses are wide open. As a matter of fact, one summer I had a terrible time with my driver, and started hitting my tee shots with my eyes closes. Driver yips solved. Great game, right?
Desmond
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:51 am
Tough to find a fitter who will do what yours did for you.
But over the years, I’ve gone to ligher graphite shafts in irons, and my irons are more precise; I’ve gone to lighter shafts in driver and fwy metals, and while there is a balance, I find shafts that allow me to swing in balance. Still working on the eyes closed thing…
Patdugolf
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:30 am
What is this pile of words? Please cut this guy loose
Gordy
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:28 am
I play blades, but great article. I have recently thought about switching to a more game improvement iron just to see if the same thing as this article pointed out would happen to me. Only problem for me. I hit the ball really high and I think that more game improvement irons may make it go higher unless I flight the shafts down. But fun article.
Bob Pegram
Jul 23, 2017 at 2:09 am
If you put high flex point, tip stiff shafts in the game improvement irons they may even hit the ball lower than your current clubs. Shafts – especially graphite – can be made to affect launch angle and spin rate a great deal as well as affecting other shot characteristics.
Philip
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:25 am
A club is a club – play whatever you want – you don’t need to justify it to the world to be okay with what you want to play. I don’t play a blade (hard to get them anymore, anyways) so I play MBs. I do not play any worse with them over my SGi clubs, but I can get the ball closer to the hole with more precision – thus more birdies. Birdies are fun – I like fun, so I play the clubs that allow me to have more fun.
PXG PRO
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:25 am
WTF is this drivel?
Double Mocha Man
Jul 21, 2017 at 10:10 am
Bryan… thanks for the article with the color commentary. I have your old affliction… the pull hook. So the next time we sit down on that deck by the water for cocktails I will be hitting you up for funding for my new set of irons, with the sweet spot closer to the toe. But not to worry, I’ll pick up the drink tab.