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I do not mean to imply that short par-3’s do not exist anymore, though its type is not frequently attempted by many architects today. But quite selfishly, I would enjoy seeing more of them, for it's one of the many ways to check unbridled power, and occasionally, make those long hitters' knees tremble.
BEN CRENSHAW
The Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga takes pro golfers to task for taking Saudi Arabia’s money at the PIFSIFSIA/Bonesaw/Saudi Golf League group get together next month. Full disclosure: Svrluga’s former colleague at the Post, Jamal Khashoggi, was lured to his death and reportedly sliced into pieces and disposed of by a squad working for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. At least in the CIA’s assessment.
Thanks to all who shared this and who wondered if the players will see it—or care—but this about LIV Golf Investments’ Greg Norman and the Public Investment Fund will put Svrluga on the Shark’s bad list:
Here’s Norman, in a November interview with Golf Digest within days of his announcement, immediately trying to distance the PIF from the brutalities inflicted by bin Salman.
“[The PIF is] obviously a commercial operation,” Norman said. “They’re very autonomous. They make investment decisions all around the world. They’ve invested in major U.S. corporations because of commercial reasons. They invested in LIV Golf Investments for a commercial opportunity. They’re passionate about the game of golf.”
He’s a self-serving snake-oil salesman but worse. Don’t trust him.
Patrick Cantlay and Jon Rahm returned from long absences and shot a 66 and 67, respectively, Thursday at Kapalua.
A serious illness after the Ryder Cup left U.S. captain Steve Stricker hospitalized with inflammation around his heart, a high white blood cell count and liver woes, he told Wisconsin Golf in a story published Thursday.
Just as their strategic partners have done, the Tour Formerly Known As European will be granting releases to the Asian Tour’s PIFSIPSIA next month, reports The Guardian’s Ewan Murray.
Filling the field of the Saudi-backed event, formerly a European Tour event that was the brainchild of Chief Keith Pelley and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, appears to be quite easy. Especially when tours are rolling over so easily. There was a Telegraph report of possible repercussions after players tee it up.
Murray writes:
By the Monday deadline, between 30 and 40 members of the tour had requested releases to play in the Asian Tour-run event near Jeddah, from 3 February. It is sponsored by the Saudi public investment fund and carries huge appearance fees.
Despite speculation of potential bans for European players who compete in the Saudi International, dismissed by some as little more than a cash grab, it is understood they should be informed this week that releases will be granted with conditions relating to future commitments to DP World Tour tournaments. Should those conditions not be met there is scope for disciplinary action, but player power has seemingly won the day.
Is $50 a lot of money?
For a hot dog and an adult beverage at the turn? Yes.
For a new BMW M5? Nope.
What about a dozen golf balls? Now, that should elicit some visceral replies.
All that said, the point is that as with any product or service, the relationship between price and value is inherently subjective. A round of golf is no different.
It’s the RUSH in your swing, to hit it longer, that kills your consistency. Just stop and think about this. Your major mishits happen when you try to get more distance out of your swing. When you rush your swing to add POWER you are actually messing up your chance to keep your body in sync for your perfect swing. The pros that we watch on TV seem to get away with a very fast back and down swing. You are NOT a pro.
Your golf swing only finds consistency when your arms have time to reach the top before you hips start your downswing. Rushing your arms by a fraction of a second will throw each physical component of your swing out of sync. I have seen this a thousand times and I know that I have done the same thing every time I hit the ball narrow, thin or heavy. Just watch your playing partners and analyze why they hit the perfect shot and at other times they miss-hit their ball. It’s almost impossible to see them speed up their arms by a fraction of a second but that’s all it takes.
Watch for the Signs
Rushed players may pause a little longer before they start their takeaway as they build up power in their brain to get an extra 30 yards. That extra time just builds up tension in their arms and back. Then BANG, there goes a booming slice or topped ball. Loosen your grip and enjoy the moment.
Take Control of your Mind and your Swing
1/ You can’t afford to put a lot more energy into your drive and then expect to hit your next shot with a different lofted club with less energy. Your body will just be out of sync.
2/ It’s too easy to rush your arms for a faster backswing and downswing. When you do this, your hips and shoulders will have a delayed reaction.
3/ The only club that you want to hit longer is your Driver and possibly your 3 or 5 wood when you are trying to get further down the fairway or to reach the green. The longer shaft on these clubs are designed to do the work for you. The whipping action of your wrist release generates a faster club head speed with a longer shaft. The coiling and uncoiling of your body for a longer shafted club and a shorter shafted club should be completed at the same speed.
4/ You don’t need more swing speed to gain distance with your irons. Just select a lower lofted club (for more distance) and make your controlled swing.
Your backswing should take twice as long as your downswing. When you are setting up at the first tee or for an important shot, mentally count “1 and 2” where 2 is the start of your downswing. Take more time to coil your body and create wrist lag as you bend your leading knee to start loading weight forward at the top of your swing.
Viktor Hovland's been in Hawaii a week as he readies for the Sentry Tournament of Champions. His clubs? Due to a series of travel snafus, they made it six days later.
Everything you need to know about how to watch the PGA Tour, Masters, PGA Championship, FedEx Cup playoffs and more on ESPN and ESPN+.
XXIO will be launching two new putters in 2022. This raises a couple of questions.
How do putters fit into the overall XXIO brand? Is there a XXIO-esque technology that will be incorporated into the putters?
And, of course, one more question.
Did you know that XXIO makes putters?
To fully appreciate the new XXIO 12 metalwoods lineup, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with two new concepts. One is called ActivWing. The second is known as Centripetal Force.
ActivWing is new because it’s a name XXIO came up with for its new metalwood technology. Centripetal Force isn’t really new as it’s part of Newton’s Second Law but I’ll confess it was new to me.
Admittedly, I didn’t pay much attention in high-school science classes.
XXIO says these two concepts, along with a slew of additional technology, give the new XXIO 12 metalwoods some new punch. As with any XXIO release, there’s a lot to dive into.
XXIO is part of the Srixon-Cleveland-XXIO golf empire under the auspices of Dunlop Sports and Sumitomo Rubber Industries (the SRI in Srixon). Launched in 2000, XXIO considers itself the pioneer in ultra-premium lightweight purpose-built clubs for moderate swing-speed golfers. It’s been a popular brand in Asia from the get-go and has found a solid—and growing—market in North America.
The good folks at XXIO are introducing the new XXIO 12 irons and metalwoods today, just in case yesterday’s tsunami of product launches wasn’t quite enough for you.
Lightweight equipment designed specifically for what OEMs call “moderate swing speed golfers” used to be a niche. Then it became a thing. Now it’s a full-fledged market segment. And, with apologies to Billy Joel, XXIO did, in fact, start that particular fire. The first XXIO debuted in 2000 and, since then, XXIO has been taking a holistic, grip-to-tip design approach. The company, with some justification, feels it knows this particular market segment better than anyone.
If you’re in the target demographic, the new XXIO 12 irons feature some interesting tech.
Or it could annoy you.
That’s just the way it is with XXIO.
The PGA Tour heads to Maui for the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Here are our best bets for the event.
PGA Tour actions comes to ESPN+ this week with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. Here's how to watch.
With three wins on tour, Homa is working on building his game and his self-confidence as he tries to reach his ultimate golf goals.
As we inch closer to a decision based on the Distance Insights Study, just about any decision will lead to from Carlsbad even as they stare at record profits, give little back to the charitable side of the game and account for maybe 10% over the overall golf “business”.
So with that inevitable sobbing to come, perhaps as soon as May, the January 4th launches by Taylormade and Callaway—with their partners at the independent media operations hoping they’ll buy ads—will be good to file away for safe keeping.
Traditionally when any form of rulemaking is discussed to keep certain skills and courses relevant, the manufacturers claim they’ve maxed out the technology. When they want your $600, the technology is breakthrough, stealth, AI infused and almost guaranteed to add distance and lower spin.
The various golf publications peddled it all as usual. There was this from a Taylormade engineer to keep in mind as they phase out Titanium for the next great innovation, speaking to Golf Digest’s Mike Stachura.
THE DEEP DIVE: The titanium face driver, the golf industry’s staple since the mid-1990s, has run its course. So says TaylorMade’s team of engineers who in fits and starts over the past 20 years have been pursuing something they say is not merely entirely different from titanium, but of course, fundamentally better. As Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s senior director of product creation, puts it, referencing the famous “S Curve” for innovation, “We knew the S curve for Ti was ending and the S Curve for carbon-composite faces was beginning.”
It’s a short list of people who have both designed courses and suggested it’s ok to ask courses to adjust to modern distances. Golf architects Rees Jones, Tom Fazio and Steve Smyers have all been ok with that notion, but I never expected Tom Watson to join that list. Especially since just three years ago he was saying the ball goes too far.
From his Q&A with Golfweek’s Adam Schupak:
When I designed golf courses, I first started at 250 was my turning point. Then it became 267. Now it’s like 280 is the turning point, back tees on championship golf courses.
Again, golf courses I think have to adjust to the distance that guys hit it. I would think the wrong thing to do would be to make the golf ball go shorter. If they did, they ought to make it go shorter for everyone, you, me, Aunt Alice, everybody.
GW: You’re not a bifurcation guy?
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