Golfing News & Blog Articles

John Shippen: A Golfing Pioneer

February 19, 2021

The following story was written by Robert Sommers and appeared in the August 1968 edition of Golf Journal.

In the history of the United States Open, a single hole has changed the course of the championship with dramatic consequence many times. For instance, there was Sam Snead’s 8 on the 72nd hole at the Philadelphia Country Club in 1939; Dick Mayer’s 7 on the 72nd hole at Baltusrol in 1954; Ben Hogan’s 5 on the 71st hole at Oak Hill in 1956, and John Shippen’s 11 on the 31st hole at Shinnecock Hills in 1896.

Those disastrous scores of Snead, Mayer and Hogan have been well documented, but not that of Shippen.

John Shippen died recently in Newark, N.J., at the age of 90. Before his death he told an interviewer   that he believed himself to be the first American-born professional. He was the son of a black father and a full-blooded Shinnecock Indian mother.

Tee Height – A Solution to the”Distance Problem”?

Could tee height solve the USGA’s “distance problem”?

The question came from one of our Twitter followers (yes, we do read your messages). It’s an intriguing propositon.

MyGolfSpy Labs tests are born from questions and curiosity. And given the context of the larger distance debate, it only made sense to grab a couple of tees (of different heights, of course), bring in some testers, and see where the data leads us.

Not only does our data reveal some significant differences that suggest that limiting tee height could help throttle distance on TOUR, we also found some insights that could help you hit the ball farther and more consistently.

Tee Height Test – Parameters

For this tee height test, we tested two heights: 1.5 and .5 inches (measured from ground level).

Key Takeaways

Bridgestone adds weekend shifts to its Covington, Ga., factory.The factory is now running 24/7.Overall production capacity is up by 30 percent over pre-COVID levels.

Good news if you’re a fan of Bridgestone golf balls.

Bridgestone is kicking its golf ball production into overdrive this month. The company says it has boosted production capacity at its Covington, Ga., ball plant by 30 percent as of Feb. 1.

That tally, by the way, is a 30-percent increase over 2019 levels, not 2020 COVID-related adjusted capacity levels.

“Through January, we had been running three shifts five days a week,” says Bridgestone Golf CEO Dan Murphy. “Starting in February, we added two 12-hour shifts on Saturdays and Sundays so we’re running 24/7 now.”

Bridgestone Golf Balls: Full Tilt, Full Time

Murphy, who returned to Bridgestone Golf as CEO nearly three years ago, says the additional weekend shifts are intended to be permanent, as the company has hired new workers to handle the extra load.

Padraig Harrington shot a 75 with six bogeys and two birdies at the Genesis Invitational on Thursday. Harrington spent the previous 10 days in quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Sam Burns opened with an 18-foot eagle putt and closed with three straight birdies in the opening round of the Genesis Invitational.

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2021 SUNDAY BAG BUYER’S GUIDE

Are you in the market for a slimmer, lighter golf bag? If so, we’ve broken down what makes 2021’s Best Sunday Bag.

We tested Sunday bags with full stand, mini stands and no stand at all. Some are fully waterproof to handle those rainy days while others are lighter than air. Or so it seems.

While Sunday bags are still little brothers to traditional stand bags, some are taking cues from their heftier siblings. A number of participants in this year’s test even incorporated stands into their design.

So why wouldn’t those bags qualify for the stand-bag category?

It’s simple: limited divider space, a more lightweight design and less storage. What we are seeing, however, is an evolution into a hybrid Sunday/stand bag that incorporates the essentials for a casual round.

Howard golf coach Sam Puryear wants opportunity for HBCUs, but also wants to win. He's done it before -- at Stanford, at Michigan State. He has a plan for golf at Howard and beyond.

Anyone who hopes to master the game of golf needs to approach the game with reasonable expectations. There is no such thing as a natural golfer. Understanding swing path and the resulting shape and distance that you can achieve with each club is a great starting point. Learning from a mentor who can recognize your weaknesses and fine tune your swing to improve distance and direction control is definitely an advantage. Anyone can become a “good” golfer but you need to follow some basic principles.

Consider what some outstanding professional golfers have done:
Tiger Woods: He learned the basics from his father but he also had the internal drive to be successful. Unfortunately that drive and attitude got derailed during his marriage break up. That confirms that our metal state of mind has a lot to do with our success.
Dustin Johnson: His strength and skill went sideways with drugs but he is now back on track.
Matt Kuchar: Age must be a factor. Matt was very successful in his earlier years, lost the winning formula and then won the Sony Open in 2019 even with his aging body at 41. [We all remember Tom Watson almost winning the 2009 Open at the age of 59.] Limit your expectations as you age. Work on accuracy as you lose distance.
Bubba Watson: He has never taken a lesson and is totally self-taught. He is one of the longest drivers but direction control and focus for all of his clubs seem to have ended his winning ways. Control your draw or fade to control your success.

Others like Phil Michelson, Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy and Jordon Spieth have had their ups and downs with their long and short golf careers. So how can we apply their successes to our games? As weekend warriors or want-to-be golfers, what should we do to get the best out of our games?

Mental Attitude: Every mishit ball is a frustration for every golfer. Recognizing the cause is a critical starting point. You need to turn your attitude around by attacking your weaknesses. Start by taking lessons, practicing on the range and calming your mind and body. Learn that a wonderful drive or iron shot will NOT improve by swinging harder and faster.

Physical Conditioning: This is typically a problem as we age and lose our flexibility. Spend time daily to improve your basic strength and range of motion. Strained muscles can help your game by forcing you to slow down or limit your motion. Use your recovery period as a learning experience because your game will often improve when you slow down to improve your lag and get more control & distance for each shot.

 

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In an effort to speed up pace of play, the PGA is allowing the use of rangefinders during its major championships. Will they really help?

1:12 – Rangefinders are now allowed during major championships7:51 – Will rangefinders really speed things up?15:12 – Real world solutions to improving pace of play21:10 – Results: Best Cart Bags and Stand Bags of 202124:19 – Titleist releases a flood of equipment, including their first fairway wood33:20 – Dark horse predictions for this year’s Most Wanted Driver

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Mike Whan, who was LPGA commissioner for 11 years, will replace Mike Davis as CEO of the United States Golf Association. Davis announced late last year that he was stepping down.

USGA Names Mike Whan New CEO

February 17, 2021

The USGA announced today that Mike Whan will join the organization this summer as CEO, and will become the eighth top executive in USGA history.

Last month, Whan announced his intention to step down as LPGA Commissioner in 2021, after his organization completes a search for the next Commissioner. His transition follows an impressive 11 years at the helm of the LPGA, during which the organization experienced historic growth in virtually every aspect of the business.

As USGA CEO, Whan will be responsible for leading all aspects of the association’s operations, including its core functions, essential programs, and human and financial resources. He will also represent the USGA on a variety of national and international boards.

“Mike Whan is a proven, successful and transformative leader, not only in the golf industry but throughout his entire career,” said USGA President Stu Francis, who oversaw the CEO search process. “He has shown a unique ability to understand how the environment is changing in global golf and how to quickly and thoughtfully adapt an organization to meet those changes. Importantly, Mike is already a trusted peer for so many key stakeholders in the industry, and his existing relationships will not only help the USGA, but will also help advance the game.”

The Titleist TSi1 is an ultralight offering that promotes distance through increased head speed.A complementary TSi1 fairway wood is designed for moderate swing speed players.The TSi4 driver is a compact, 430-cc head designed to be ultra-low spin.Priced at $549 (drivers) and $299 (fairways), available Feb. 26

As part of its spring launches, Titleist is releasing the TSi1 driver and TSi1 fairway wood along with the TSi4 driver. All of the new models feature much of the same tech as last summer’s TSi2 and TSi3 (including the ATI face), but the new releases – the drivers in particular – should rightfully be considered niche alternatives to the more mainstream TSi2 and TSi3.

Titleist TSi1 Driver

Here’s today’s fun fact: Nearly a third of golfers swing their driver below 90 mph.

If you fall into that group, the Titleist TSi1 driver might be for you. If you don’t, don’t sweat it. Titleist still has three other options that could work.

The Titleist TSi hybrid lineup includes three models retailing for $279 each.The TSi1 is a lightweight design for moderate swing speed players.The TSi2 will fit the majority of golfers.The TSi3 is for golfers craving a compact, iron-like offering.

Titleist bills its new TSi hybrid lineup, which includes three models, as the most complete and most advanced in golf.

Advanced, in any club category, is typically a good thing. Complete, however, is one of those “damned-by-faint-praise” type of descriptive phrases.

Consider the metalwood lineups for the biggest manufacturers: three drivers (with low-, mid- and high-launch shaft options) plus a selection of three fairway woods. Hybrids? While there have been exceptions (TaylorMade’s GAPR comes to mind), if a lineup contains two hybrids, that’s a lot.

That doesn’t make sense. With drivers and fairway woods, the industry is resolute in its belief that golfers are best served when they have multiple trajectory and forgiveness options. Shouldn’t the same be true for hybrids?

The PGA Tour heads to Riviera Country Club this week for the Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods. Our analysts offer their best bets for the event.

On the 25th anniversary of "Happy Gilmore," Adam Sandler showed off that famous swing.

As chairman of the Player Advisory Council, Rory McIlroy will move up to the policy board next year and begin a three-year term, replacing Jordan Spieth.

Introducing the all new 2021 Yamaha Inpres UD+2 Irons!! The UD+2 series is now on its 3rd generation building upon the strong reputation since 2017 as one of the leading distance performance irons on the market.  The Inpres UD+2 irons are aimed at a wide range of players but specifically designed to deliver maximum distance. Typically with Super Game Improvement irons,  the lofts are very strong which sometimes introduces challenges with getting the ball to launch high enough.   No need to worry with the Inpres UD+2.   The extreme low CG design allows players of any skill level to easily launch the ball high in the sky.  

Perhaps the biggest technology enhancement with the 2021 UD+2 iron compared to the 2017 1st gen and  2019 2nd gen UD+2 irons is that the head is a one piece precision cast construction as opposed to the multi-piece construction. The one-piece construction is said to provide significantly improved feel off the face.   The 2021 Inpres UD+2 irons also feature an impressive ultra thin 1.9mm face that extends down to the ultra thin 1.5mm sole creating a cup face like construction to maximize the flex of the face area.  

The Speed Rib Face features 5 vertical ribs that are 0.3mm in thickness behind the face.   The effects of these speed ribs is that the face flexes in a uniform fashion to create a more directionally consistent flex that propels the ball straighter and higher at impact.   The results of these unique design is a ball that flies higher, longer and straighter.   The maximum COR area of the face is now 107% larger than the previous generation UD+2 irons. With the newly redesigned 2021 Inpres UD+2 irons,  you can now enjoy “Best shot of the day” on every shot of the round!! 

The 2021 Inpres UD+2 irons are available in a base set of 7-PW with #5, #6, AW, AS, SW available as options and can be had with Fujikura Air Speeder graphite shaft or Nippon Zelos 7 light weight steel shaft.  

Yamaha Inpres UD+2 Iron Specification