Equipment
GolfWorld.com February 1, 2008
By: E. Michael Johnson
Field trips pay off
Proximity to manufacturers gives players a chance to dial in equipment on West Coast
Last Tuesday night Dean Wilson was at Symbolic Motor Cars in La Jolla, Calif., on behalf of his equipment sponsor, TaylorMade. The evening was designed to promote the launch of the company’s Rossa Monza Spider putter—a large-headed mallet design. The job of Wilson (and a dozen other TaylorMade staff professionals in attendance) was to schmooze. But Wilson’s day job eventually got in the way of his moonlighting.
Intrigued by the new putter and the putter launch monitor on hand, Wilson went to work, stroking several putts and reviewing the results. A short time later, he walked out with a new putter—one he put in play last week at the Buick Invitational.
Although such stories are not uncommon on the PGA Tour, their frequency increases when the tour visits Southern California—home to more than 20 equipment manufacturers, including five of the game’s largest.
“The early part of the season is incredibly busy for us,” says Nick Raffaele, director of tour operations for Callaway. “We had six players in on Monday alone, including Rocco (Mediate) and Fredrik (Jacobson). But we were active during the weeks of Sony and the Bob Hope, too.”
According to Raffaele, part of the reason for the increased activity is not just proximity, but schedule, too. “If we played Torrey later in the year, we wouldn’t have as much going on,” he said. “But the guys tend to want to tidy up some things. They work on their equipment in the off-season, and this is an opportunity to further dial it in.”
For players, working at a manufacturer’s facility brings several appealing advantages. For starters, they have easy access to technology such as the Trackman launch monitor as well as putting labs that can help them fine-tune their stroke. The ability to view hard data, said Keith Sbarbaro, director of tour operations for TaylorMade, increases the interest level. For example, a dozen players used TaylorMade’s Spider putter last week with several converts a result of time spent on TaylorMade’s MAT-T System.
At Acushnet’s Oceanside, Calif., facility, J.B. Holmes adjusted the lofts on his Cobra Pro CB short irons to achieve specific launch and spin numbers. Help was available at Torrey Pines, too. Chris Tuten, Cobra’s tour director worked with Camilo Villegas as he practiced with Cobra’s Speed Pro S and L4V drivers before settling on an 8-degree version—a half-degree more loft than his previous driver—of the L4V.
Holmes’ work on his short irons under-scores an additional benefit of toiling away from the course—that of being in a controlled environment, away from the hustle and bustle of Torrey Pines. Such a setting allows players to focus better and use the time to work on their game or fitness as much as their equipment. Holmes, for example, worked on improving his flexibility. And while many players do indeed leave with a tweak to their clubs, they are just as likely to have made a change in their ball position.
Or grab a putter from a cocktail party at a car dealership.
Tricks
Tiger Woods travels with a pair of 2-irons with different lofts. The lower-lofted version is used on hard, dry courses, while the higher loft is for softer layouts. In most events, however, Woods eschewes the 2-iron in favor of a 5-wood. Although the concept of a pair of 2 irons may not work for most players, the idea of matching clubs to course setup is one everyone should consider.
Tools
It just seemed natural to check in and see what the master of set makeup, Phil Mickelson, had in the bag at Torrey Pines. In fact, Lefty changed putters after 36 holes, going from an Odyssey prototype blade to the Odyssey PM half-mallet he used to win the 2006 masters. Ball: Callaway Tour 1 Driver: Callaway FT-5, 8.5 degrees. 3-wood: Callaway FT Tour, 13 degrees. Hybrid club: Callaway FT, 18 degrees. Irons (4): Callaway X-Forged (pictured); (5-PW): Callaway forged muscleback prototype. Wedges: Callaway X-Tour Forged (52,56, 60 degrees). Putter: Odyssey PM#9
BagRoom
John Daly is known for his long drives, but his latest equipment change came on the greens. Daly used a Bobby Grace by MacGregor Sunset putter at the Buick Invitational, a traditional heel-toe-weighted model with a wide flange and offset hosel . . .
Not nearly as traditional was Fred Couples choice of a 3-wood. Couples—who for years used a women’s 3-wood—had a 15-degree square-shaped Callaway FT-1 at the Buick. . . With all the equipment contracts on tour, small companies have a tough time getting clubs in play. So it is notable Scratch Golf had seven wedges (one more than Mizuno) being used at Torrey Pines, including three by Tag Ridings.
