Opinion & Analysis
The Wedge Guy: Some things that make me go “hmm…”
As you might imagine, playing golf as long as I can remember–and then tacking onto that passion 40 years in the golf equipment industry–has given me a broad perspective on the evolution of golf clubs and the game we play. And those six decades of observation and experience have not yielded a shortage of things that make me scratch my head and just wonder…wonder why that is?
Of course, beginning golf in the 1950s and developing into a pretty good teenage golfer in the 1960s meant that I learned with persimmon woods and forged blade irons—that’s all there were back then. As I entered the golf industry in the late 1970s, I was blessed to do marketing work for Joe Powell, who was a total maestro when it came to crafting the finest persimmon woods. That was before the introduction of the TaylorMade metal woods, so everyone played persimmon. I learned a lot about golf club performance from Joe; for example, you wouldn’t know that he was frequency-sorting shafts before anyone was commercially offering “frequency matching.” Joe just saw it as a way to eliminate a variable in the golf club.
Over those 40 years in the golf equipment industry, I have observed the evolution of all our clubs from those earlier “states of the art.” No one then would have imagined the technology we now see in drivers, irons, putters, shafts…but all that technology leaves me scratching my head all too often; I would like to share just a few of those puzzling observations and get your take on them, OK?
What really makes today’s drivers so much longer?
It is impossible to isolate any single technology and how much it affects driving distance. Since those days of persimmon, we have had quantum leaps in shaft technology, heads have gotten nearly three times the size in volume, we have pushed perimeter weighting to the max, and we have faces of exotic metals that act like trampolines. While all of those things have contributed to the distance gains, as far as the driver is concerned, my take is that it mostly boils down to two primary things.
- Drivers are at least two–and up to three-plus ounces–lighter than they were back then; that’s a weight reduction of 15-25 percent, so of course, we can swing them faster…and clubhead speed makes the ball go further.
- We all swing harder than ever before because the penalty for an off-center hit has been reduced dramatically. In my opinion, all the other technologies only tweak the effect of these two advancements. What do you all think?
What is the deal with “matched sets” of irons?
From the advent of “matched sets” in the 1920s (a development pushed by Bobby Jones), irons have been designed so that the lowest-lofted 2-iron (now 3 or 4) through the highest loft club marked ‘P’ or ‘W’ all look alike. That’s always puzzled me because the impact dynamics of a 25-degree iron are radically different from those of a 45-degree iron.
Only recently have manufacturers begun to mildly modify the mass distribution through the set to give higher launch angles to the long irons and lower trajectories to the short irons, but when will they take this to the optimum and break the chains that bind–the restriction that all the irons in a set must look alike? [NOTE: I know that mixed sets have been offered and failed, so maybe it’s us golfers that won’t let them do that.]
About those adjustable drivers/fairways…
The advent of the adjustability device has completely taken over the driver category. There are very few sold today that are not adjustable, and there are a myriad of devices and principles espoused by the various manufacturers. But I’ve always been puzzled by one very important aspect of this. It would seem to me that to be truly “tweakable,” the driver shaft would have to perform in an identical fashion regardless of the position to which it has been rotated.
But we know that even the finest graphite shafts are not completely straight, completely round or completely symmetrical in flex performance. The fact is that, at 100-plus mph, the driver shaft is exhibiting a lot of split-second dynamics, and those can change depending on the orientation of the shaft into the clubhead. That’s why we have the concepts of “spine-ing” shafts and even more sophisticated “Pure-ing.” The problem is that we don’t know what we don’t know about any specific shaft. I’ll leave the rest of this conundrum to your own head-scratching.
Forged blade irons vs. mainstream wedges
Being a wedge junkie, this one puzzles me the most. Statistics indicate less than two percent of all golfers game a true single-piece forged blade iron (but a large percentage of tour players still favor them).
I’ve heard all the reasons…
“The thin top line is intimidating.”
“I can’t get the ball flight I need from the lower lofts.”
“I’m not good enough to play these.”
“They are not forgiving enough.”
“Blah. Blah. Blah.”
But yet 95 percent or more of all wedges sold are of the same design favored by the tour players. Single piece cast or forged designs…just like tour blade irons. Heavy and stiff steel shafts…just like tour blade irons. I can’t make sense of that, but with very few exceptions, that’s all the industry gives us, isn’t it?
Let me share a little secret that no one will tell you. On an “Iron Byron” swing robot, a tour blade 9-iron is much more forgiving of mishits than any of the current mainstream wedges.
Does that make any sense at all?
I think I might have just opened a can of worms, and we can spend lots of time talking about this, I’m sure. And we probably should. Please sound off with your comments on this first handful of topics, and let’s tackle some more.
What makes you go “hmm…”?
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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.
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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…
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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.
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Greg
Aug 21, 2019 at 9:13 pm
Terry
The Iron Byron info related to single piece blades is telling.
But i play the Ft Worth 15 and TH/SCOR wedges.
So I agree with you
GMFlash
Aug 17, 2019 at 8:01 am
Terry –
In addition Rob’s comment above regarding momentum is true, and the fact that Cleveland Srixon makes their clubs heavier to increase swing MOI in many of their designs also helps create greater distance. In a regular cast cavity back the Z-355 irons are my longest to date and the 355 Driver the straightest. In other drivers I have I have added weight until my swing speed goes down – this gives me maximum momentum for my ability.
GMFlash
Aug 17, 2019 at 7:51 am
Terry –
Appreciate the article. Started to take golf seriously about 20 years ago at age 45. From the beginning I read and was told that I could not play forged irons, even though they looked and felt the best to me when demo-ing them at my local Golfsmith. I immediately began to try them all. The problem I found was not the head but finding such “better player” clubs with softer than usual flex shafts that worked for me was really difficult. So I got into club making and mixed and matched shafts that worked with various forged sets, and found I played just as well with those sets, and enjoyed the game more with forged clubs (cavity muscle backs mostly). Presently however I use forged clubs from the 6 or seven iron down – distance comes from hybrids now.
But one of the biggest developments in club design for me was the implementation of the V-sole (TK invention) which I have on my collection of Cleveland /Srixon clubs (Cleveland CBX, Z-565, Z-765, and Z-355). I shoot my lowest scores with these and am convinced that it is because the way the v-sole interacts with the turf that keeps my clubbed speed up and along the target line. My success with these led me to purchase a set of used SCOR 4161 wedges (42, 47, 51, 55, 61) that have the first V-sole. Despite the small head I am amazed how these clubs always seem to be right on the pin, and go the distance I intend. And they weren’t even fitted to me. So I use the V-sole through my entire set and this design really works. Finally, at least with the scoring irons (6-wedge) my distance with cast cavity backs and forged clubs is virtually the same given the same loft. I am, most of the time on the center of the face.
My most recent experiment is with hollow hybrid like irons with which I have not had success and never liked the feel, sound or turf interaction until I discovered the Tour Edge CB Proh irons. Forged face hollow with a V-like sole in the 3-7 iron, these perform for me especially with the stock fujikura fuel reg. flex shaft. I never like the fat soles of hybrid irons, but these get through the turf very smoothly and as with the other v-sole clubs are more along the my target line than other clubs I’ve tried – and the distances are consistent too.
So – the v-sole is really works in CBX, RTX-3, RTX-4, SCOR 4161. And in my experience mid handicap plays like myself can indeed play with forged clubs provided other parts of the club equation are in place for their swing dynamics.
Ed james
Aug 16, 2019 at 1:03 pm
If one sets his adjustable club for a certain bias, wouldn’t it be a) more difficult to work the shot in the direction opposite the bias, and b) exacerbate a miss in the same direction as the bias?
Skip
Aug 14, 2019 at 5:31 pm
He actually thinks Puring matters. LOL.
Rob
Aug 14, 2019 at 8:59 pm
Makes great sense to me, and agree 100% with the wedge comment vs. the forged 9-iron. I play blades with confidence but struggle with my wedge play. What I get is I need more wedge/short game practice time. Very, very good news to know. Many thanks. Have not heard this comment from a professional instructor or club fitter to date.
whatevs
Aug 14, 2019 at 7:42 am
I’m still wondering why this dude has a sopabox to preach from. He’s killed every company he started, often soon after it starts, and knows so little about equipment he thinks spine and flow still matter when they haven’t been anything other than snake oil for 10 years.
Nomad Golfer
Aug 14, 2019 at 7:20 am
It was good to see Ben Hogan clubs come back into the industry, I only have one BH club and that is a forged 47* Apex Plus ‘E’ along with a Lovett LW which covers all the pitching and sand ploughing I need. Golf in the seventies with the smaller rubber wound balls and wooden clubs was a lot different from today.. When you bought a medium priced set of clubs (like Spalding) the highest loft was the 9 iron and you bought the PW and SW separately, how things have changed.
Bob Jones
Aug 14, 2019 at 3:20 pm
Ben Hogan clubs have never left. Go to eBay, buy a set of Red Line irons, and have them retro-fitted.
Charles Knox
Aug 13, 2019 at 10:54 pm
Terry, that was a phenomenal piece. The secret re: Iron Byron and a tour 9 iron versus wedge absolutely blew me away. At my very best, I played to a plus 3.4. Played two years of mini tour golf and put 198,000 miles on a Honda Prelude, playing across North America. Today, I don’t even keep score. But all of the posts I read today, the clubs sold by players here, many soft and hard stepped, spined or pured, blah, blah, blah, blah… Leads me to wonder: How is the NGF SO WRONG about quality of play in 2019. Considering the equipment, EVERYONE must be a scratch player or better ????
John B
Aug 13, 2019 at 8:04 pm
I grew up with a P and an S club and was a very good wedge player not knowing loft, bounce, grind or lie angle. We just bought those clubs stamped P and S and learned how to use them. I’m not sure I am a better wedge player today.
Rob
Aug 13, 2019 at 5:51 pm
Is it really so simple as to say more speed equals more distance? The physics of the club/ball interaction is elastic collision, which means momentum is what matters. Momentum is mass x velocity. More mass or more velocity equals more momentum, but if you change both variables in opposite ways, you can’t say for sure what happens to momentum.
Brent Anderson
Aug 14, 2019 at 3:18 pm
This right here.
CJB
Aug 16, 2019 at 5:34 am
I would like to see more discussion about this. I tried discussing it once with our club pro but he sort of dismissed it.
I believe the benefits of a heavier club have been overlooked by manufacturers. Heavier heads give more feedback and feeling during the swing and I feel that they are easier to swing on a natural plane. Plus the extra mass must be good at impact – getting hit by a bus at 30mph will know you a lot further than being hit a 30mph by a go cart – I think! or am I wrong?
geohogan
Dec 29, 2019 at 7:25 am
@CJB, totally agree
Most club heads (drivers) decelerate at impact by 20-25%.
Heavier heads will decelerate less, IF the shaft used is stiff enough and short enough.
All top shafts have the same tip diameter. At a certain length of shaft, that tip diameter cannot stabilize the clubhead at impact, regardless how stiff.
That limit of length is 45 inches.
Only one shaft designer I know has done the calculations.
His shaft, the Nunchuk is designed with the bend point near the center of the shaft, not near the tip. All twisting and bending occurs during the DS and not at impact, as long as total length is less than 45 inches.
Shafts less than 45 inches in length(club length), can maintain SW with more weight in the clubhead, another plus, as you point out, CJB.
This shaft design also eliminates gear effect as well as , deceleration at impact is less than 8%.
ALAN L STEIN
Aug 13, 2019 at 4:23 pm
That’s my old Palmer Peerless persimmon driver!
Curtis
Aug 13, 2019 at 3:42 pm
I’ll never respect pros till clubs and golf balls get rolled back. Personally I think the equipment does to much work for them. Swing accuracy should matter more. They are very spoiled these days.
NRJyzr
Aug 13, 2019 at 4:05 pm
The golf ball has been regulated for decades, since the original ODS was implemented. And, the ball was actually rolled back a bit when the new test protocols were introduced.
The golf balls aren’t the problem.
Doug Dobney
Aug 13, 2019 at 4:16 pm
Oh noes the best golfers in the world don’t have Curtis’ respect. How will they go on?
Nomad Golfer
Aug 14, 2019 at 7:25 am
But even with all the modern tech they spray their tee shots every which way in pursuit of distance. I prefer to stay on the fairway.
whatevs
Aug 14, 2019 at 7:40 am
Of course you prefer it because you can’t hit it as far as them
Nils Nelson
Aug 14, 2019 at 4:20 pm
Switch to decaf, perhaps?
John L Wullkotte
Aug 18, 2019 at 8:11 am
You tell em Nils. There is nothing prettier than a custom made persimmon driver made by you know who.
Mike
Aug 16, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Have you been to a tour event before and saw them “spray it”? I’d love to have their “spray” shots. When you swing it 125MPH a degree or two off is a lot larger miss than when you’re swinging it 95MPH.
If you’re playing a 7200 yard course first things first. You have to be long enough to play the course regardless of hitting a fairway. “I can stop my 9 iron out of the rough faster than you can stop your 6 iron from the fairway” -B Koepka
Fitz
Aug 13, 2019 at 1:06 pm
What makes me go Hmmm?
That one of the finest wedge and iron designers in the world isn’t producing wedges and irons for the marketplace.
Chad Ostby
Aug 13, 2019 at 3:32 pm
Terry built my wedges please
Juststeve
Aug 13, 2019 at 12:53 pm
What makes the ball go so much further is the ball. Modern drivers contribute but the biggest factor is the modern ball. It was when Nike then Titleist introduced the solid multi-layer ball that driving distances shot up.
NRJyzr
Aug 13, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Strata was the first solid core multilayer ball. Bridgestone was in there ahead of Nike, also.
Driving distance change from the solid core ball was all of 5.5 yards. There was a bigger spike due to the mass move to 400cc+ drivers, and launch monitor introduction, a couple years later.
Reid Thompson
Aug 13, 2019 at 12:11 pm
Here’s one. Why do they say hit it on the screws when the screws were never in the middle?
Ben Hargraves
Aug 14, 2019 at 7:44 am
It’s actually the sweet spot, all part of the gear effect. That’s why persimmon woods are so workable
Robert Coggins
Aug 14, 2019 at 3:08 pm
Golf today is a farce, golf should have been baseball, make the pros play with wood.