The PGA Tour has suspended the 17 current and former members -- including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia -- who are taking part in the first LIV Golf tournament.
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#ASKMYGOLFSPY – Building Your Best Golf Bag
Welcome back to #ASKMYGOLFSPY where readers like you submit questions to our team of experts here at MyGolfSpy! Today, we’re diving into building your best golf bag for your game year after year. Have any more questions for us? Drop them in the comment section of this article! Let’s get into it.
What’s the most important piece of equipment in my bag?
The bag itself. Without that, how are you going to carry your clubs?
Given my experience with Ball Lab, you might expect me to say it’s the golf ball and that’s definitely the right answer in some cases but ultimately the most important piece of gear for building your best golf bag is the one that provides cover.
For some, that’s a hybrid that flies straight for 200 yards (give or take). If you’ve never been able to keep a driver in play and you just got fitted into something that all but eliminates penalty strokes, that’s easily the most important club in the bag. If swapping your blade putter for a mallet significantly increased your make rate from inside 10 feet or cut your three-putt percentage in half—that’s the one.
Bottom line: Whatever has the most beneficial impact on your scores is the most important.
How much does my age and handicap affect the expense or need for “brand name” clubs?
Let’s start with “forgiveness.” Forgiveness has the most obvious correlation with handicap and, while many of us need a forgiveness boost, the nature of golf club design means maximum forgiveness is often paired with moderate swing speed designs so sometimes chasing every ounce of forgiveness can be a liability.
It’s important to find the right balance of forgiveness and other performance characteristics.
To the second part of your question: With age comes wisdom and perhaps an understanding that we don’t really need to spend money on any of this crap.
But if you’re asking about performance implications, it’s not so much age as it is speed but I think it’s reasonable to suggest there is typically a correlation between the two. Golf is a percentage game and speed is a multiplier.
The faster you swing, the more likely deficiencies in your equipment are going to cause problems. A good example is a low-compression golf balls. Faster swings will often over-compress a soft golf ball and lose speed and distance. For moderate swing speed players, the percentage losses are similar but the real-world distance implications are negligible. A good low-compression ball can work just fine.
As we age into the moderate swing speed category, we don’t get nearly the same benefit out of the various technologies golf manufacturers ask us to spend on.
There’s a valid argument that lighter (and longer) clubs that give you back some speed will offer the most benefit as your swing slows and, while there is a fair amount of premium-priced products that fit the description, there are also plenty that offer similar benefits for a lot less money.
Should I keep playing the same golf ball I did when I was younger?
The easy answer is “no” if for no other reason than the fact that most golf balls are on two-year cycles so you don’t have a choice.
Newer isn’t necessarily better but it’s almost always different.
Basically, unless you’re sitting on a stockpile of a certain vintage, you’re changing golf balls whether you want to or not.
Take the Pro V1, for example, Titleist has evolved its flagship balls several times as the company adapts to changing demands both on Tour and within the retail marketplace. Flight characteristics, spin rates, feel … everything has changed with time. The same is pretty much true for any other ball manufacturer.
To the heart of your question, however—Yeah, as your game changes, your choice of ball should change with the realities of the game you have now, not the one you had yesterday (or yesteryear).
Shafts can be expensive but is it easier to just replace the shafts than get a whole new set?
I’m not sure about easier but a shaft change will almost certainly be less expensive, especially if you can do the work yourself. To be sure, there are differing opinions on the subject but here’s my analogy: The clubhead is the big knob that allows for big changes with not a lot of effort. The shaft is a fine-tuning that allows you to make small changes with greater precision.
What does that mean?
If you’re looking for a big performance change while building your best golf bag you’re almost certainly going to need to start with the clubhead(s). If, however, you feel like you’re relatively close with what you have and a little fine-tuning will get you dialed-in the rest of the way, changing shafts can be a better option than replacing a full set of irons.
There are exceptions of course. If your shafts are a particularly poor fit, then finding a particularly good fit can often make a significant difference. That’s more the exception than the rule.
Regardless, as with most anything else, we’d still recommend working with a fitter to find a combination of head and shaft that can produce the desired results.
Quadrilateral: Major(s) News & Notes, June 9, 2022
Nature must always be the architect’s model. The lines of bunkers and greens must not be sharp or harsh, but easy and rolling. The development of the natural features and planning of artificial work to conform to them requires a great deal of care and forethought . . .it is good to have an eye for the beautiful. Often it is possible, by clearing away undesirable and unnecessary trees in the margin of fairways, to open up a view of some attractive picture. Strive to retain as much of the natural ground formation as possible. The most beautiful courses are the ones that hew most closely to nature. STANLEY THOMPSON
Tour Sources Begin Spilling On Defectors Bryson DeChambeau And Patrick Reed
While they sound happy to see both go, the amount of First World dirt spilled on Bryson DeChambeau to Golf Digest’s Dan Rapaport suggests his impending LIV departure for a $100 million advance really stings.
And it should. DeChambeau is a draw. Reed is not and never will be.
DeChambeau’s defiant and often erratic behavior began shortly after he played his way onto the PGA Tour in 2016. At an AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am early in his career, DeChambeau unleashed a profanity-laced tirade on a volunteer who failed to spot his errant ball. The incident was reported up the chain of command and, per sources familiar with the tour’s operations, almost certainly resulted in discipline. The tour didn’t speak to the incident, as is their long-standing policy, but according to one tour player, a similar situation played out years later at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
In the summer of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, tour officials and volunteers were instructed to be particularly conscious of where people could and could not go. After pounding range balls long after sundown, DeChambeau attempted to enter a building without his credential. When he was denied access, he grew agitated. Shortly thereafter, a tour official addressed the incident with an adamant DeChambeau, who was dumbfounded that the volunteer did not recognize him. This was the same week he objected to a cameraman following him for too long, after which he took a thinly veiled shot at the PGA Tour.
Adjust Your Swing for YOUR Body
Every golfer wants to break 100, then 90 and then 80. That’s why we watch rounds of golf on TV and continue to receive golf blogs to improve our games. Every pro has unique features in their swing, and you can too. You need to start with the basics that every professional depends on, but you should consider making modifications to suit your swing for your physical limitations.
Every golfer ages with different injuries and different physical activities which create limitations or unique strengths for our bodies. I know that I have had back and head injuries caused by snow skiing and a car accident. I’m also left-handed in every activity but I learned to play golf with the only clubs that I could find in our attic, and they were right-handed clubs. My swing is far from perfect but I make adjustments to keep improving.
I golf with several different people from all walks of life. Over time I see their games change: some for the better and some for the worse. In most cases the golfers who are NOT improving are trying to swing faster and are ruining the natural cadence of their swing. I’m hoping that the following summary of successful swing changes may help with your game.
Discoveries for Success
Massive Hook or Slice: Narrow your stance to reduce the power of your swing. [This golfer still uses a “strong” grip with his trailing hand, but his narrower stance reduced his power and creates amazing straight drives and fairway shots.
Miss-hit Drives: Slow down your backswing to allow more time for your weight transfer from your trailing foot to your front foot during your transition. [This golfer was hitting the ground 3 inches before his club topped the ball and added top spin which forced the ball to dive to the ground.]
Toe or Hosel Shots: Setup with your ball to the inside or outside of your club face to compensate for the clubs for each club where this is happening. [These golfers are swinging with bent arms where they miss-hit the face of their clubs.]
Miss-hit Fairway Shots: Avoid hitting off your trailing foot by setting up with your weight forward on your leading foot. [Irons are lighter and shorter clubs so it’s easy to swing them faster before your weight shift to your leading foot.]
Limited Power: Swing with a flat leading wrist (instead of cupping your wrist in the backswing) and make sure that you cock your wrist for lag so that you release creates a whooshing sound at the bottom of your swing. [A cupped wrist is adding slice to your swing.
Direction Control: Adjust your stance during setup. Some golfers start with a major open stance and some with a closed stance. Only you can sort out what will works best for your swing.
Practice with GOLFSTR+ to learn the correct swing for 6 swing fixes and then adjust your stance and swing for your physical limitations. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com
Casey withdraws from U.S. Open with back injury
Golfer Paul Casey, who last competed at the WGC-Match Play in March, has withdrawn from the U.S. Open due to a lingering back injury.
The next, uncertain phase of being Phil Mickelson has officially begun
Phil Mickelson finally returned to public life -- and golf. He was both different and still very much the same.
Bushnell Wingman Review
VERDICT
I know some golfers love music on the golf course while others hate it. However you lean, here is the Bushnell Wingman Review for you to dive into.
Would I buy this bluetooth speaker. YES…and it’s not because it plays music. Confused huh?
Yes, the Bushnell Wingman speaker does what it says on the package regarding playing music, at a good quality I might add. But, it’s the features where you see its true worth. Within the Bushnell Wingman app (which comes with the Wingman) you can customize any phrase you want and and the speaker will play it out loud. That’s right, whether you want to give some praise to your mate or for the speaker to say “you suck at golf”, the Wingman can do it all. I know what phrase I will be recording
Pros:
Feature-rich speakerMagnetic cart mountVoice GPSGreat sound qualityPersonalized voice commandsCons:
Battery life could be better
Reports: DeChambeau, Reed joining LIV series
Two more major champions, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, are joining the LIV Golf Invitational Series, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.
Phil 'sorry' for comments, won't talk tour status
Phil Mickelson would neither confirm nor deny that he has been suspended or banned by the PGA Tour for joining the rival LIV Golf tour and offered his apology for recent controversial comments that led to his decision to take time away from golf.
LPGA Tour's Kang to take break, focus on health
Danielle Kang said Tuesday that she will skip several upcoming LPGA Tour events as she seeks a return to full health.
LIVlier Than Most! Recapping A Wacky Day In Golf
Naturalness should apply on all construction of golf courses, greens, tees, mounds and bunkers alike. It is much more expensive to construct a natural looking golf course on account of the tremendous amount of material that must be moved, but the money saved in the subsequent maintenance greatly offsets the original cost. WILLIAM FLYNN
LPGA moves first major of year to Carlton Woods
The LPGA's first major of the year - the Chevron Championship - is moving to The Club at Carlton Woods in Houston, Texas after 51 years at Mission Hills in the California desert.
Fowler gets alternate spot in U.S. Open qualifying
Rickie Fowler came up one shot away from getting into a playoff for the last spot in U.S. Open qualifying, but did win a playoff to become the first alternate out of Florida.
Elevate Your Shortgame
Move the upper body up through impact when chipping. Wow! This idea is relatively new to golf instruction and very new to most golfers. Far too many everyday golfers are doing their utmost to stay down through the strike as the clubhead approaches the ball. Staying down only stalls rotation and forces the arms to collapse. Please don’t do that!
Please watch the above video a few times and really pay attention to what the chest and upper body are doing as the club gets close to impact. Ideally I’d like to move up more as I know all of the following great golfers do this: Stricker, Woods, Ballesteros, Spieth, Day, Na and Zalatoris. Quite a handy line-up there if you were building a team of world-class chippers!
Know that as you experiment and try to implement this into your chipping motion it will feel strange and you’ll never be moving up as much as it feels like you are. Have a friend take a video and keep chipping away - you too can be like the Jeffersons and move on up.
Have fun with this idea and please give it a try. I’d love to hear from you how it worked out for you.
To learn more about how to wield your wedges around the greens check out my Wedge Project HERE
Vokey Wedge Works T Grind Wedge
The Vokey T Grind wedge is available through Wedge Works now.The versatile T Grind is the lowest-bounce wedge in the Vokey lineup.Retail price is $225.
The Vokey T Grind lob wedge is used by Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas (and Cam Smith and Will Zalatoris and Cameron Young and Webb Simpson). Suffice it to say, it has an audience.
If you’re not swayed by those guys, I’ll concede it’s probably not going to move the needle much when I tell you the T Grind has made a significant impact on my game since went in my bag couple of seasons ago.
I should probably clarify. I mean a significantly positive impact on my game which hasn’t always been the case with all of my equipment selections.
While what’s in my bag isn’t particularly notable, the timing of the Wedge Works T Grind release is. Yes, we’re coming up on a major and that’s typically when a lot of this one-off stuff hits the market but, in the past, Vokey has saved the T Grind for Year 2 of its SM-series product cycle.
U.S. Open to accept Mickelson, all eligible golfers
Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson are welcome to play the U.S. Open next week under a USGA decision announced Tuesday.
Tiger to skip U.S. Open, aims to play in Scotland
In skipping next week's U.S. Open, Tiger Woods said he hopes to give his body more time to heal in order to play The Open in July.
Soul Machine! Watch Jack's Final "Content" For Nicklaus Companies
When Jack Nicklaus resigned last month from the Nicklaus Companies we assumed it was over an oldmanspat with Howard Milstein. A lawsuit since means the two will be going at it for a while in legal proceedings. But they bonded over the metaverse one last time!
We now get to see the final contribution of Nicklaus to the Nicklaus Companies and 8 a.m. family of brands before saying sayonara.
SOUL MACHINES ANNOUNCES NEW ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION
June 7, 2022
McDowell defends joining Saudi-funded golf tour
Graeme McDowell and fellow golfers acknowledge their 'polarizing' decision to move to the rebel Saudi-backed golf tour, but say their focus is on golf and the 'force of good' it could have in the world.
