Opinion & Analysis
What it’s really like when tour players hit new clubs for the first time
I call them “OMG” golf commercials. A tour player is on the range hitting a new golf club and he can’t believe how far and straight it’s going.
[quote_box_center]“Is this legal?” he might ask. “It’s amazing. It’s going in the bag today!”[/quote_box_center]
Watch enough of these commercials and you’ll probably be convinced, at least once, that your clubs have been your problem all along… Or that every golf equipment company is full of it… Or you’ll fall somewhere in the middle. But how do tour players really react the first time they test new golf clubs? That’s what I always wondered, and for that answer I attended TaylorMade’s 2015 ad shoot.
The shoot took place in September at Reynolds Planation in Lake Oconee, Ga., where Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Camilo Villegas, Ryan Palmer, Boo Weekly, Brendon Todd and Sebastian Cappelen tested the company’s new RSi, R15 and AeroBurner product lines for the first time. At the time of the ad shoot there were only a handful of hittable R15 and AeroBurner products in the world.
TaylorMade’s R15 430 driver
I use the word “hittable” loosely. TaylorMade engineers were still dialing in the look and feel of the metal woods. At any moment, one of the drivers, fairway woods or hybrids might break, the product team explained to me — it was the nature of any first prototype. The clubs stayed intact, but it was surprising to learn that a breakage was a possibility.
I spoke with Jason Day, who was taking a break from golf to rehab the thumb and back injuries he’d suffered during the 2014 season. He’d hit a few shots for the cameras, but that was it, so we talked about the process he goes through before he puts new clubs in the bag.
[quote_box_center]“I test everything on the range on a launch monitor, and the numbers have to be better for me to make the switch,” Day said. “If it’s going straighter and longer, I’ll change right away, but they have to be better.”[/quote_box_center]
One of the first sets of TaylorMade RSi TP irons produced. They were given to Sergio Garcia at the ad shoot.
Day told me that he expected to make the change to TaylorMade’s new RSi TP irons in 2015, but what was really excited about was switching iron shafts. For years he’s used Rifle 7.0 iron shafts, but he’d heard great things about Nippon’s N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 130X iron shafts from other tour players.
[quote_box_center]“Apparently, that shaft is off the charts,” Day said.[/quote_box_center]
Like us, professional golfers like to try what their friends are playing.
Brendon Todd testing an AeroBurner 3 wood with Brian Bazzel (left) and Keith Sbarbaro (center), TaylorMade’s PGA Tour rep.
I spoke to Brendon Todd, who won his first PGA Tour event in May, the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s senior director of product creation for metal woods, guessed before Todd’s fitting that he would likely be a fit for the company’s new R15 driver. He turned out to be a better fit for TaylorMade’s AeroBurner driver.
“He’s definitely an AeroBurner guy,” Bazzel said afterward. “That’s why you never go into a fitting with a closed mind.”
Todd was also a fit for the AeroBurner 3 wood, which he was hitting almost as far as the driver. He was so impressed with the AeroBurner line that he wanted to try an AeroBurner hybrid, which TaylorMade’s product team hadn’t expected. I then watched what I was sure never happened with a tour player. Todd proceeded to test an AeroBurner hybrid with a (gasp) stiff-flex stock shaft, which was entirely too bendy and light for him, but he didn’t seem to mind.
Brendon Todd talks to Brian Bazzel about the AeroBurner hybrid.
[quote_box_center]“Those were some really good clubs,” Todd told me after the fitting. “Once you find something you like, you stick with it. I think [the AeroBurner] 3 wood might be the one.”[/quote_box_center]
Ryan Palmer was the most interesting player to watch get fit for metal woods. He’d held onto TaylorMade’s Burner SuperFast 2.0 driver from 2011 and it hadn’t hurt his game — he had his best year on Tour in 2014, earning nearly $3 million and finished 14th in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
With the Burner SuperFast 2.0, Palmer was averaging a launch angle of 11.5 degrees with a spin rate of 2200 rpm. His ball speed was a brisk 172 mph. With the R15 460, his launch jumped to 13 degrees and his spin rate fell to 2000 rpms. His ball speed also went up, to about 173.5 miles per hour. That gave him 9 yards more carry distance and 6 yards more total distance, but you wouldn’t have known it from his reaction.
When PGA Tour players use a driver that’s several years old, it’s because they really like it. A few extra yards isn’t always enough to get them to change; it often takes better performance and an increased sense of confidence from the new club, and the two things aren’t always synonymous.
I learned from Keith Sbabaro, TaylorMade’s PGA Tour rep, that Palmer doesn’t like to switch clubs. Sbabaro went on to say that Palmer’s 5 wood – a TaylorMade R9 from 2009 – would be the hardest club in his bag to replace.
Sbabaro said those words just as Palmer was testing TaylorMade’s new R15 five wood, which he was carrying about 10 yards farther than his R9 five wood. I saw Palmer uncork a big smile, which got bigger as he found he could replicate all his shots with the new club. The high draw, the low fade, the high fade, the knockdown… he rotated through his repertoire of shots looking for something he didn’t like, but he didn’t find anything.
Palmer was ready to make the switch, but the problem was that the TaylorMade team wasn’t ready to give him the club. Bazzel explained to Palmer that the sole design still needed minor tweaks, and besides, he couldn’t even test the club in public. The R15 line wouldn’t be made public until much later.
[quote_box_center]“If we make him wait, Ryan won’t trust us,” Sbarbaro said. “Everything about this club: the lie angle, the loft … everything is perfect.”[/quote_box_center]
At one point, Sbarbaro suggested that Palmer sign an impromptu contract that would allow him to take the club home and keep it there until he was cleared to take it to the range.
[quote_box_center]“I, Ryan, will not take the club out of the house,” Sbarbaro rehearsed with him.[/quote_box_center]
Bazzel pointed out that the 5 wood had an open hot melt port that gave it a higher-pitched sound than wasn’t ideal, but none of that mattered to Palmer.
“This one is just better,” he said “I don’t care.”
I was watching an “OMG” golf commercial, but it was happening in real time in front of me.
I watched several other fittings — Justin Rose, Boo Weekley and Sergio Garcia — and looked for similarities in the way the players approached their clubs. The one common theme? They had very little in common.
Justin Rose tests TaylorMade’s RSi irons with Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s director of product creation for irons, putters and wedges.
Rose, like Jason Day, was mostly concerned with getting better launch monitor numbers with the new clubs, and he seemed to want to know everything about their design. Boo Weekley was the opposite. He didn’t even notice the slots on the faces of TaylorMade’s RSi irons until they were pointed out to him. He judged new clubs by their feel and ball flight, and showed an uncanny ability to predict what shots with the new clubs were flying slightly farther or spinning more – which the launch monitor always seemed to confirm.
My favorite part of the event came courtesy of Garcia when he was testing R15 drivers. Garcia said he would have played TaylorMade’s SLDR 430 driver last year, but there was something about the way it looked at address that he didn’t like. The SLDR 460, which is larger, looked better to him, so he played that driver in 2014.
Sergio Garcia compares the R15 460 and the R15 430 drivers.
During the fitting, Garcia quickly decided that the R15 430 would be his driver for 2015. I watched him use it to hit drive after drive with similar trajectories. The launch monitor confirmed that each shot was flying about 290 yards in the air and rolling out to 315 yards.
Garcia then took a break to chat with Bazzel, and Rory McIlroy’s name came up.
“Every time, he tees it as high as he can and swings as hard as he can,” Garcia said. “If I hit every drive like [Rory], I’d be scared I’d hit it out of bounds.”
Garcia proceeded to “hit one like Rory,” teeing the ball as high as the tee allowed and swinging a little harder. The result was a higher launch angle, less spin and about 20 yards more distance, which he replicated with several more drives.
That was my “OMG” moment. If Garcia could do that, what else could he do? What else hadn’t I seen?
Thank goodness the PGA Tour is the testing ground for new golf equipment, and thank goodness for the unreasonable standards these players demand from their clubs. It makes the final product that much more precise.
The only downside? Less conviction when I blame bad shots on my clubs.
- LIKE34
- LEGIT6
- WOW2
- LOL0
- IDHT1
- FLOP5
- OB0
- SHANK0
19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again
After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.
Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.
Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”
Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.
“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.
Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.
“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”
“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”
As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.
In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.
“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”
Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.
Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:
Fairways Hit
1.) Louis Oosthuizen
2.) Anirban Lahiri
3.) Jon Rahm
4.) Brendan Steele
5.) Cameron Tringale
Greens in Regulation
1.) Brooks Koepka
2.) Brendan Steele
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Cameron Tringale
5.) Anirban Lahiri
Birdies Made
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Dean Burmester
3.) Thomas Pieters
4.) Patrick Reed
5.) Carlos Ortiz
LIV Golf Individual Standings:
1.) Joaquin Niemann
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Louis Oosthuizen
5.) Abraham Ancer
LIV Golf Team Standings:
1.) Crushers
2.) Legion XIII
3.) Torque
4.) Stinger GC
5.) Ripper GC
LIV Golf Singapore Picks
Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)
Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.
This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.
Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)
Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.
This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.
It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.
Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)
Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.
Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.
Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.
Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)
Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.
Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.
If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.
- LIKE3
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP2
- OB0
- SHANK0
In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.
While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.
Here are some of my key takeaways.
Method Teacher
It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.
Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.
The Cult of Stack and Jilt
The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”
Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.
These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.
Fooled by Randomness
In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.
Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.
Practice
One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”
Sunk Cost
The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.
Cliches
Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.
The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.
This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…
- LIKE17
- LEGIT2
- WOW0
- LOL4
- IDHT1
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK19
The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
- LIKE8
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP3
- OB1
- SHANK2
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Richy Werenski WITB 2024 (May)
Richy Werenski what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Houston Open. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1...
Wesley Bryan WITB 2024 (May)
Wesley Bryan what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple...
Adam Scott WITB 2024 (May)
Adam Scott what’s in the bag accurate as of the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (10.5 degrees)...
Pierceson Coody WITB 2024 (April)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi 10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi 10 Tour (15 degrees)...
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
-
Equipment3 weeks agoWhat we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
-
19th Hole7 days agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
mobile strike hack reactor
Jan 10, 2016 at 1:18 pm
Adhere to the tutorial below and start working with the hack to unlock exclusive things and weapons for
Global Strike.
Will
Nov 25, 2014 at 12:14 pm
I’m currently toying with the idea of investing in the new TM gear in the new year. Currently a Titleist player off 3 so no bias there. Really informative article, especially the points regarding the new Nippon shaft that Day mentioned. I saw Stenson has also put this in his irons. Interesting how the players feel a steel shaft can make such a differerence considering the flex probably isn’t too dissimilar. Also the fact that Garcia preferred the 460cc SLDR last year, shows that pros don’t necessarily go with the longer hitting and more compact 430cc versions but choose more on personal preference.
I would be interested in more information regarding the TP specifications and set ups the pro’s tinker with. I imagine the pro’s are playing substantially more advanced shafts than us lowly amateurs.
Regardless, congrats on the article Zak, the first one that has impelled me to leave a comment.
Teaj
Dec 8, 2014 at 10:10 am
just don’t count out Titleist as their 915 Series of driver woods and hybrids are pretty dame good. I found that they were not as long as BBA and SLDR but their issue with spin on low hits with driver has seemed to lessen quite a bit which im sure due to the slot. I’m waiting for the Vapor Pro, R15 and the word on the street is that there is a Lower Spinning G30 coming down the pipeline. Exciting times at least for me in the new year when all the new gear is out.
Zak Kozuchowski
Dec 12, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Thanks for reading, Will.
mike
Nov 19, 2014 at 5:36 pm
I don’t usually finish long article, but this article is too interesting to read.
Regis
Nov 19, 2014 at 3:21 pm
I’ve been living, breathing and reading about all things golf for almost 50 years. I loved the article. I feel incomplete because I don’t speak Spanish but I do have the requisite intelligence to read a number of reviews before making my own decision then demoing a club and getting fit . And seriously how often does a major manufacturer introduce a driver that’s a real dud? Maybe not for me but…. Right now I’m gaming almost all SLDR products but its not because of what I read in an article.
Jim
Nov 19, 2014 at 1:35 pm
Really interesting article. Well done Zak!
Dan
Nov 19, 2014 at 11:29 am
Without a doubt one of the best articles I’ve read on GolfWRX. Do you haters even pause to consider we see more articles like this about TMAG because they actually grant more access to behind the scenes stuff than any other company?
Mike
Nov 19, 2014 at 12:11 pm
Also could be due to the fact that TMAG has about 3x as many product cycles as any other OEM.
Dan
Nov 19, 2014 at 1:08 pm
No, it isn’t. When did the SLDR come out again? 3 months ago right?
Regis
Nov 19, 2014 at 3:09 pm
July 2013 but don’t let the facts get in the way of your opinion.
the dude
Nov 19, 2014 at 7:38 pm
sarcasm…?
Dan
Nov 21, 2014 at 3:26 pm
So, 18 month product cycle? Way too shoey and killing the business? Sheesh
Desmond
Nov 18, 2014 at 8:33 pm
I’ve found the TMAG premium lineup is for the best players with speed … and that’s not me. But I found the article entertaining.
golfing
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:07 pm
http://youtu.be/rcrtlGqHIrQ
golfing
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:12 pm
he learned the club and won 11 times that year.
James
Nov 17, 2014 at 12:48 pm
So Sergio tees the club higher, which would indeed launch it higher, swings harder, which indeed would make the ball go farther, and it is all due to the club? Please. Maybe the setup he had helped him hit it straighter and not hook it as he feared but if you tee the ball higher, you have to make an adjustment in setup for it, and if you swing harder and hit it solid it should indeed go farther. I would say it had more to do with Sergio than the club.
Zak Kozuchowski
Nov 17, 2014 at 12:56 pm
Who said it was the club?
Dave S
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:38 pm
Some guys just like trying to poke holes in everything.
Great article. Love the insight.
Sebastien
Nov 17, 2014 at 8:47 am
I loved the insider look at a product and experience. I think more articles like this are needed on WRX.
Jose Jimenez
Nov 16, 2014 at 10:59 pm
Hay Dios Mio!!!!!!!!! Que porqueria!,,,,,,,,, sorry! This poorly add disguised as a genuine article shocked me so bad I reverted to my native language! This once informative website is turning into nothing more than a online version of Golf Digest. And they wonder why I stopped reading their magazine after more than 20 years,,,,
Alberto
Nov 17, 2014 at 3:45 am
Estas criticando solo por criticar. Your comments don’t provide any constructive feedback. As you have great experience in the game for more than 20 years, tell the editors how to write an article, tu experiencia es valiosa, compártela. Don’t say that this is a porquería, just tell them what you expect from them, what they should include in any review or article, in that way they will improve and you and many others will be please to read these articles.
Or go a step further. This website was hiring editors. You could be one of them.
By the way, I’m just a reader that plays golf since a couple of years ago.
Jose Jimenez
Nov 17, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Dime en que lenguage quivers que respnda a lomque to has dicho, que tal si lo escribo en Español ? Imwill respond to you in English so everyone can read it. Did you notice that this gentleman ONLT answered those that complimented this add? I mean article. I want HONESTY, don’t tell me that this is “actual” reactions when we can tell it is nothing but scripted remarks. Last I read, they were hiring writers for this website, and there is NO WAY some one who says the truth about products tested would be bird since the ones who pay the bills (Taylormade just one of them) would NOT want honest reviews about their products. Since you stated your have been a golfer for just a couple of years, here is something you will NEVER read in articles here, a $50-100 fitting will do MORE for your game than shinny new clubs.
Dave S
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:40 pm
Haters gonna hate. Personas con odio van a odiar.
Jose Jimenez
Nov 18, 2014 at 2:22 am
Perdón? Quisiste decir “Odiosos van a odiar” that is the proper translation of haters gonna hate,,,,, see? Can’t trust Google translator !!
ken
Nov 19, 2014 at 1:58 pm
Please provide an example of a “scripted remark” by one or more of the players interviewed.
ken
Nov 19, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Estoy de acuerdo
I cannot stand it when one finds it necessary to always be contrary.
Truth
Nov 16, 2014 at 9:31 pm
Golf WRX more like Golf TMAG
Dave S
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:43 pm
So by your logic, this article would only be worthy of your eyeballs if the author went around to every manufacturer and compared notes of players’ responses during club testings? TMaG obviously offered to let him stop by, should he turn down the offer? SMH.
Al385
Nov 16, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Although I’m not a TM fan, I have to admit that this is a great article, well written and it also made me feel that I was there witnessing something that would answer all my questions about the hype of new products, especially from TM that every other month offers something new that claims to be longer and better. Good for TM in inviting GolfWRX and good for Zak for such a good article.
Would I buy a TM club after this? probably not but for sure I will read with enthusiasm any other similar article from Zak about the launch of any other products. Hopefully he’ll get invitations from other manufacturers as this is the only way to read about this kind of experiences.
By the way, latest WRXers visit to The Oven (Nike) deserved a to be in the front page, not only inside the forums.
Zak Kozuchowski
Nov 17, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Thank you for reading, Al. We’ll continue to find ways to bring our readers closer to the action.
allen
Nov 16, 2014 at 10:40 am
Would all this negative feedback be here if this was with Ping or Mizuno clubs? I dislike TM with a passion and I think it has been years since I have even hit a TM product (although I will not take my V Steel 3 wood out of the bag). I liked the article, it was a good read, and yes a little infomercial sounding, but that is fine, I will not hit any of these clubs anyway.
ken
Nov 19, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Those players are signed to TM. Therefore they would not be testing other brands
eric
Nov 16, 2014 at 12:35 am
Great PR piece. Congrats to Zak and golf wrx for your new job as the marketing dept at Adidas GOLF. Was this a paid placement by TM? Cause if it was not it should be. Hey whatever keeps those TM drivers coming…is the R15 like the 20th TM driver of 2014 so far? Awesome. Nothing like reading PR fluff with my nightly beers.
John Smith
Nov 16, 2014 at 5:43 am
Completely agree. This is just marketing tripe trying to be passed off as an independent article.
rob23
Nov 16, 2014 at 8:55 am
eric… there are always someone like you that hate to hate. Yet you are still here reading. Zak did a great job writing a piece that was less of a promo and more of a behind the scenes and you have to call foul. BORING bro… be right.
Dave S
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:44 pm
THIS ^^
Matthew Carter
Nov 16, 2014 at 10:34 am
Great write up Zack!
Dig insider info especially on the players and their thoughts on new product.
Well done!
Tom
Nov 16, 2014 at 1:44 pm
I agree. This is info I can use when deciding to purchase new gear. I wouldn’t buy a car without doing research on it first. This type of information is helpful.
donnie
Nov 15, 2014 at 9:03 pm
Great article!
J
Nov 15, 2014 at 7:48 pm
Contrived. Sell more AD Space.
Tom
Nov 15, 2014 at 6:07 pm
Thank you to all the positive people here. Those who continue to be negative and bash OEMS are just part of the problem with golf. I for one am excited to see the new changes. Every time a second version has come out with TM it has looked and felt better. i.e. r11 to r11s. RBZ to RBZ 2.
Joker
Nov 16, 2014 at 3:03 am
Can’t take a joke? We’re just ‘aving a laugh
enrique
Nov 16, 2014 at 6:10 pm
I just did a tally. It’s 50/50 in the comments negative vs. positive. If half your readers are turned off by the subject, angle, approach, and have a gross feeling like they were just marketed to, then something is wrong.
enrique
Nov 15, 2014 at 3:41 pm
more and more nausea….
Bogeypro
Nov 15, 2014 at 3:08 pm
why do I feel like I just read a taylor made commercial?
toomuch
Nov 15, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Just more TMag propaganda! They would definitely have to pay me to even touch their clubs.
Rich
Nov 17, 2014 at 3:49 pm
They are a marketing machine but if you’re not playing their clubs purely based on that, you’re missing out. I don’t care what brand it is. If it works, I’ll use it. The new spider blade is an awesome putter. R11 woods were awesome and my spare set of R9 TP irons are nice as well.
Oscar
Nov 15, 2014 at 3:50 am
And the Best Actor Oscar goes to………..
Ben
Nov 15, 2014 at 12:47 am
This was a great article, I’d love to see other pieces in a similar vein. Always fun to see the pros in a different light.
KK
Nov 15, 2014 at 12:15 am
Of course the equipment matters. That’s why you see a handful of very popular unsponsored items on tour: TM drivers, Scotty putters, Vokey wedges and Pro V1s.
Fsubaseball21
Nov 14, 2014 at 8:25 pm
The RSI irons are no joke. 2 consecutive days on the monitor and the mis hits are as good as solid hits on on 3 other major oem sets. The toe hits were almost perfect. I know people are skeptical but these slots absolutely work. No question.
JHM
Nov 14, 2014 at 7:35 pm
very interesting – thanks for the insight
tina
Nov 14, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Bazzel … ohh behave!
Tom Duckworth
Nov 14, 2014 at 5:06 pm
Very good read. It is fun to see what they think of new clubs for the first time. Sounds like most players won’t switch unless the clubs are really better. I also didn’t have to read about their pants….great!
tiger woods
Nov 14, 2014 at 2:53 pm
awesome article! love hearing what the pros are actually thinking.. was really surprised by sergio’s “rory” drives.
Derek
Nov 14, 2014 at 2:19 pm
Ok,I have faith in the GolfWRX journalism again. Great read.
Rich B
Nov 14, 2014 at 2:10 pm
Great article. Something original and different to other recent ones.
Leon
Nov 14, 2014 at 12:34 pm
On the tour level, especially for big players, everything is well built and tweaked for them. There is really no performance difference among different equipment brands. If there were, guess what, the players would certainly like to give up some endorsements but to make more wins instead. Plus, the players hit the ball so good that they don’t need the amount of forgiveness as we do.
The problem is, the off the shelves products we got have noticeable variation of quality and performance. Most of the part came from the shaft quality. And for the average Joe, we need a hack amount of forgiveness to cover the miss. Now, the TM pushes the R15 GC more forward and even lower. Yes, it will give you more distance and less spin on a perfect shot, but guess what, it will make the club much harder to hit and you will lose more balls per round thanks to TM’s innovation.
You won’t blame TM for this because the tour players play them, and because you can occasionally bomb it 10 yards further. You just think it is just your swing that causes the problem. Well, it is. But if you forget this “innovation”, you can simply save a few OB per round. Nobody would trade his hard money for more frustration, will you?
TM
Nov 14, 2014 at 9:31 pm
LOFT UP!
It works. That’ll help you hit it easier too.
totebagger
Nov 14, 2014 at 10:25 am
best article on the site so far. well done gwrx. more of this please!
Zak Kozuchowski
Nov 17, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Thank you! More coming!
Anthony
Nov 19, 2014 at 1:01 pm
I happened to really enjoy the article.
Thanks
YB
Nov 14, 2014 at 3:40 am
And the Oscar goes to………………………
mv
Nov 14, 2014 at 3:30 am
I am not TM fan..but I liked this article a lot..well done. I want to try these clubs after thos read:)
You have to be paid by TM for such great stories. 😉
Dufferino
Nov 14, 2014 at 1:10 am
Great Read!
As Cory, i’d really like to see a follow up on how they get the chosen gear adjusted and tweaked before putting it in the bag.
Jeff
Nov 13, 2014 at 10:16 pm
Outstanding story, Zak. You seem to think and ask about a lot of the same things I would, I think it’s why you’re my favorite writer on WRX. What a fascinating experience. Cant wait to see Palmer hit a 5 wood or if Sergio’s driving distance goes up. Great, relevant story.
gunmetal
Nov 16, 2014 at 11:46 am
Sergio’s distance won’t change more than a couple yards in either direction. That’s what it has done over the past ten years. A lot of fellow wrxers get upset when I cite PGA tour driving distance statistics, but the simple truth of the matter is that they don’t lie. Distance has been around the same ever since the pro v1 surfaced and the decisions to limit the trampoline effect came down.
Zak Kozuchowski
Nov 17, 2014 at 12:57 pm
We’ll keep you updated on these players’ changes with our tour photos and WITB stories, Jeff. Thanks for reading!
Bubba
Nov 13, 2014 at 10:14 pm
Wow! Shocking positive commments/reactions from guys that are paid to play TM clubs! (sarcasm)
sgniwder99
Nov 13, 2014 at 9:52 pm
And here I assumed that they just went to the WRX classifieds like I do.
Tomar200
Nov 13, 2014 at 9:41 pm
This is the kind of stuff that drew me to Golf WRX to start with! Please keep this kind of content as priority!
Travis
Nov 13, 2014 at 9:38 pm
Best article yet!
Cory
Nov 13, 2014 at 8:07 pm
One of my favourite reads ever on this site. Great to see the first time reactions and how different guys are in getting their new gamers. Would be fascinating to see a follow up once they tried them on the course and if that changed anything for them when forgiveness starts to matter more.
Also amazing to see how much a guy like Sergio is swinging less than his absolute max in order to stay controlled, good advice for most of us. Also maybe why Rory is so freaking good in that he doesn’t and still keeps it under control haha
3golfer3
Nov 13, 2014 at 7:51 pm
I still feel like my Rocketballz 3 wood should be illegal.
Cwolf
Nov 13, 2014 at 7:37 pm
Great article!