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What club works best for your long game?  Are you a “go for the gusto” type with fairway woods? Or, perhaps, you seek the control of a driving iron. Maybe the forgiveness provided by hybrids?  Luckily, the Ben Hogan Golf Company has options in all three categories.

We’re going to give 15 forum members a chance to test one of these clubs in the category of their choice. That’s not a misprint. Fifteen members will get to test a GS3 fairway wood, UiHi driving iron or a VKTR+ hybrid.

Head to the Ben Hogan Long Game testing thread on the forum and Apply Here to view and select which clubs you’d like to test.

This testing opportunity is open to right-handed golfers who live in the USA.

Adrian Otaegui started his round with three straight birdies and then just kept going, shooting a 10-under 62.

Distance deniers have long found excuses for why golf’s governing bodies should not do their job by taking some dimples off the ball or reducing driver head sizes for elites. So they’ve blamed everything from agronomic influences to silly assertions about the crossover athletic abilities of modern golfers. But the message is always the same: tweaking the existing equipment rules to ensure courses and skill remain relevant would be unfathomable.

Typically, the contrarians are motivated by pure dollars and (ad) cents. Lately even more casual golfers are invested in the notion of athleticism as a life style that makes them, as average golfers, athletes too. Yikes.

Long ago we were told the equipment rules had drawn a line in the sand and anything more would prompt action. That was May, 2002. Now carry distances are absurd, Bryson DeChambeau has proven that speed and good putting can be everything, and even Rory McIlroy admits to making moves in an effort to maintain relevance.

From his pre-CJ Cup press conference at Shadow Creek, as reported by Rex Hoggard:

McIlroy also addressed the issue of whether the distance craze has reached a tipping point.

“It's the way the game's going,” he said. “I got sent a really good article last weekend, it was in the Wall Street Journal just about every single sport becoming faster, longer, stronger and I don't think golf's any different. I'm just trying to keep up with the way it's going.”

Coming off an emotional win at Wentworth and a long trip from London across eight time zones, Tyrrell Hatton tied the course record of 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead Thursday at the CJ Cup.

Unless Jack Nicklaus comes out of retirement and shocks everyone by forcing a playoff with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy, I’m pretty sure no one wants 2020-labeled gear. Even from The Masters.

But as reported previously, the club confirmed that those with ticket privileges lost due to the pandemic will still be able buy Masters merchandise online. From Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com story:

“Patrons will have the ability to shop,” a club spokesperson said via email, noting that means specifically ticket holders of record.

So those who were fortunate enough to have purchased tickets for the 2020 tournament through Augusta National will still be able to get their hands on this year’s merchandise. More details will be sent to ticket holders via email. There is also a limit of two orders per person, though it’s unclear if there is a limit to the number of items per order.

This will be fascinating as both an e-commerce story and on an eBay sales watch front.

With Phil Mickelson the lone professional and Peyton Manning expected to return, it sounds like the pro will take on the amateurs this day-after-Thanksgiving. Charles Barkley and Steph Curry step in to The Match 3, report Anthony Crupi and Scott Soshnick for Sportico.

The event is again expected to be played the day after Thanksgiving. The Match 2, one of the first post-pandemic live sports events, was the most watched golf telecast in cable history.

I don’t believe that will happen this time around. Just saying. Only the boldest predictions can be found here.

Paulsen looks at the declines in 2020 sports ratings and golf enjoys a split decision, with a big win for CBS Sports.

CBS’s “return” events are among the few sports up in the ratings, as was the PGA Championship (though I’d argue a surprising mere 3% given the fantastic finish and west coast prime time slot).

The U.S. Open’s move back to NBC/Golf Channel/Peacock and from Father’s Day to September proved deadly in the ratings department. Although comparable to other declines in the NBA and NHL.

Paulsen does not include NBC’s other playoff events, but they were flat to down.

The updated chart: pic.twitter.com/fJXFanuKOQ

— Sports Media Watch (@paulsen_smw) October 16, 2020

Grayhawk lost the 2020 NCAA men’s and women’s golf championships due to the pandemic. But the coaches committees ratified a new deal that awarded the 2023 NCAA’s to the Scottsdale course and then moves the event to Carlsbad’s La Costa resort.

Adam Woodward at Golfweek with the news and noble effort to get the championships in prime time and where thunderstorms are not a part of daily life, both very good things.

Golf Australia has aborted plans to reschedule the summer's premier three events, reluctantly cancelling the Australian PGA Championship, Australian Open and Women's Australian Open.

 

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Titleist TSi Drivers – Key Takeaways

Titleist has launched the new TSi series of drivers.The TSi2 offers higher launch and more forgiveness.The TSi3 offers a compact shape and adjustable weighting.Retail price is $549.

The new TSi driver lineup is the follow-up to Titleist’s surprising TS series. TS offered proof the company was capable of making something other than a high-spin driver and in doing so, reestablished Titleist as a serious player in the metalwoods market. It may even have helped shake the perception of Titleist as a golf ball company that also makes clubs.

That said, when designs shift as significantly as they did between 917 and TS, it’s reasonable to expect only modest changes from the next design.

You can’t fault me for thinking the i in TSi might be for iteration.

I was wrong.

Titleist TSi Fairway Woods – Key Takeaways

Titleist TSi fairway woods will be available in two models.The TSi2 features higher launch and greater forgiveness.The TSi3 offers a penetrating flight and movable weight technology.The retail price is $299.

As is typically the case, the Titleist TSi fairway woods won’t receive the same amount of attention as the TSi drivers but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a story worth telling.

Titleist’s TSi fairway lineup will again include two models. Unfortunately for those looking for even more ATI 425, I’ve got nothing for you. TSi fairway woods feature 465 stainless steel faces. It’s not particularly exotic but it gets the job done.

Both the TSi2 and TSi3 are 175cc, so the visual distinction is again one of shape, not size. As was the case with TS, it’s important to understand that golfers who fit into the TSi3 driver may not fit into the TSi3 fairway. There’s little if any correlation between the two, which is why I’m going to fall back on one of my go-tos…

If at all possible, work with a fitter to determine whether TSi2, TSi3 or a pairing of the two is the right solution for your bag.

I’ve called this article “The Art of Putting”, because if you want to get better at it, it’s important that you become more of an artist and less of a technician on the greens.

In this week’s lesson, I’d like to show you how you can become a great putter by engaging more of the intuitive, “athletic mind” and less of the analytical, critical, ego-driven mind.

This is a key skill for putting well under pressure and lowering scores.

SWITCHING ON THE “ATHLETIC MIND”

The ball being stationary in golf can be both a positive and a negative. It’s a positive in the sense that you get time to consider the situation in front of you and figure out the best shot, but it can be a negative in the sense that it can open up a window of time for you to think before and during your stroke. Athletic motion is optimal when the mind is quiet – you’re not thinking – you’re using your senses to connect directly with your environment and using your “mind’s eye” to see (and feel) what you intend to happen. You are deeply focused and at one with your target and your intention.

Making the right length and speed of stroke and squaring the face to your intended start line (once you’ve set up and aligned correctly) requires you to have your “athletic mind” switched on and your “thinking brain” switched off. This is something that takes practice.