Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i Golf Magazine

PHIL MICKELSON'S drive on the 72nd hole of the 2006 U.S. Open went right over my head, clanging off a hospitality tent and expiring in Winged Foot's tangled rough about 50 feet from where I was standing. What I remember about Phil's arrival on the scene, along with his caddie Jim (Bones) Mackay, was how fast both were moving. Too fast. I had been interviewing Rick Smith, Phil's then-swing coach, and we stood to the side of all the commotion as his protégé—needing a par to win or a bogey to force a playoff—tried to carve a 3-iron around a tree toward the green. Phil pushed it, and the ball hit squarely on the trunk. The report was as loud as gunfire. Smith went ashen and could form no more…

Ollie Schniederjans, 23, is an athlete, pure and simple. At 6'1" and 190 pounds, the former three-time All-American at Georgia Tech is built like the prototypical young gun: lean enough to stretch his body like a rubber band yet strong enough to create some serious pop at impact. Ollie's swing is super-fast. How fast? When you watch him on TV, don't blink—his 124.3-mph clubhead speed is the fourth quickest on Tour, and he's one of only 15 Tour players who breaks the 118-mph ball-speed barrier. Ollie's speed is powered by his downswing. He shifts to his left side first (frame 8), then turns (10) before exploding "up" through impact (12). This "shift-turn-lift" sequence has been proven many times over as the most efficient means to boost speed. Yes, Ollie goes…

Club Champion fitters (clubchampiongolf.com) used the SAM PuttLab to ensure our putting testers were properly fit. USING A FITTED PUTTER can save you serious strokes—and we have proof. To complement this month's ClubTest, which features 39 new flatsticks, the experts at Club Champion (one of the nation's top clubfitting companies) studied how well everyday players roll the ball using fitted versus unfitted putters. Turns out, a fitted flatstick is almost a magic wand. HOW WE TESTED Ten golfers, with handicaps ranging from 1 to 18, each hit a dozen eight-footers—six strokes with their current, unfitted gamer and six strokes with a new, fitted putter. Club Champion took measurements of the testers' model (loft, lie angle, shaft length and more) and used the Science&Motion (SAM) Sports PuttLab device to get readings…

You may not know you do it, but most weekend players track the putter with their eyes as they swing back and through. "Monitoring" your stroke like this, even with your peripheral vision, makes it difficult to keep your head steady and your stroke on-target. Why? As your gaze shifts right and left, so does your putter. Instead, keep your eyes locked on the ball. A trick that helps: Focus on a single dimple, and stare at it as you make your stroke. Even after the ball is gone, keep looking straight down for a few counts. Steady eyes, steady head, steady stroke—and a lot more one-putts. TRY THIS! For on-target putts, keep your eyes on the ball. At home, make practice strokes with your forehead resting against a wall.…

YES! The grip reaches the ball first, not your hands. Letting your left wrist break down at impact (right, top) causes fats, thins and chunks. This happens because you're in too much a hurry to get the clubhead to the ball. In good chip swings, the hands reach impact first, not the clubhead. The simple fix? Less hand action. Try this: Take your normal grip, then remove your right hand from the handle. Wrap it around your left hand as shown (right, bottom), using your right thumb to press the back of your left hand onto the handle for extra stability. Now chip. Use the pressure from your right hand to keep your left wrist flat through impact, letting your hands reach the ball first without excessively "dragging" the handle.…

1 Smooth Lob It's a bona fide stroke-saver A lot of players carded double bogeys (or higher) at this year's Masters. I was lucky—bogey was my worst score all week, and the one I made on No. 10 on Sunday felt more like a par. After hitting my approach into the pine straw right of the green, I had one option: a soft lob. It's a shot I learned as a little kid. There's no better way to get the ball up and stop it quickly from short range. The lob I hit on the 10th rolled out a bit, because the green was running away from me, but it was close enough for a manageable up-and-in. In terms of technique, it's easy. First, open the clubface as much as…

BETTINARDI STUDIO STOCK #3 $400; GOLF.com/equipment WE TESTED: 34", 35" lengths PROS \\ DISTANCE CONTROL: Consistent on putts 15 feet and in, but there's a learning curve on longer putts; extra mass in the toe improves forgiveness. \\ FEEL: Heavier than most—the weighting helps simplify the stroke and squares the head at impact; the milled face delivers a pleasing, crisp click. \\ LOOK: One of the best—from the gunmetal finish, to the intricate milling on the clubface, this putter has a clean, sharp look that sets up neatly; single, central sightline provides plenty of alignment support. CONS Best for mid- and low-handicappers, since it requires a fairly precise stroke; higher-handicappers may struggle with consistency on longer putts; the tiers on the back of the head aren't for everyone. BOTTOM LINE…

There's only one way to approach the par-5 18th at Leatherstocking and Cooperstown's National Baseball Hall of Fame (inset): in full swing. When the film Tommy's Honour opened in April, it shined a light on golf's most iconic father-son team, Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris. Since that duo's 19th-century heyday, countless fathers have nudged their sons and daughters to golf greatness. So forget about a greeting card this year. Nothing says "Happy Father's Day" like the pleasures of a buddy trip. And these three golf destinations are ultimate memory-makers. Go East! Cooperstown, N.Y. Stay: The stately Otesaga Resort Hotel is Cooperstown's second-most famous landmark. Mere steps from town and a ball toss away from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the Otesaga is like a journey…

Thompson's four-stroke penalty at Mission Hills paved the way for winner So Yeon Ryu. JUST LIKE HURRICANES, these let's go-to-the-videotape rules debacles get names. Hurricane Tiger, at Augusta, in 2013. Hurricane DJ, last year at Oakmont. Hurricane Lexi, in April at Mission Hills. After each of these storms, the social-media chorus got loud, and the mood of the choir was obvious: mad as hell/not gonna take it anymore. Each complaint generally falls into one of five categories. No. 1. Video should be used in rules disputes almost never. No. 2. Magnified video should never be used at all. No. 3. The rules officials at the PGA Tour/USGA/LPGA should be ashamed of themselves for hijacking these events. No. 4. Penalties should not be assigned after players sign their scorecards. No. 5.…

"THE MASTERS doesn't really begin until the back nine on Sunday." That old saw felt very true this year. Just when it looked like Sergio Garcia would (again!) come up short in a major, he played sparkling golf Sunday afternoon at Augusta to claim the green jacket. I've been lucky enough to attend more than 20 Masters, and that was among the most exciting Sundays that I've ever witnessed. We're thrilled to have the new Masters champ on our cover. As he displayed in his sudden-death playoff win over Justin Rose—lacing a low power-fade off the tee, then a towering approach iron to the 18th green—Sergio is a true shotmaker. You can be one, too. On p. 75, he shows you how to hit four go-to shots, all of which…

DRIVER 1) TaylorMade M2 (2017), 9.5°, Aldila Rogue Black 70 shaft, TX-flex, 301 yards; $400 FAIRWAY WOOD 2) TaylorMade M2 (2016), 15°, Aldila NV 2KXV Green 85TX shaft, 275 yards; $200 UTILITY IRONS 3) Wilson Staff FG Tour V4 Utility, 3 (21°), 245 yards; 4 (24°), 230 yards. Both with Aerotech SteelFiber i110 graphite shafts, X-flex; $180 IRONS 4) Wilson Staff FG Tour 100, 5-PW, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 steel shafts; $1,000 for set of eight 5-iron: 210 yards 6-iron: 200 yards 7-iron: 187 yards 8-iron: 172 yards 9-iron: 158 yards PW: 145 yards WEDGES 5) Wilson Staff FG Tour TC*, 50° bent to 52°, 128 yards; price n/a 6) Titleist Vokey SM5, 58°, 110 yards, 60° bent to 62°, 90 yards; $110. All with True Temper Dynamic Gold…

DUSTIN JOHNSON has notched six victories in 29 starts in the past 10 months. What's the difference in his game when he wins? He's a prodigious bomber, we know, but does he hit it even farther when he's in trophy mode? And do all PGA Tour players win with about the same mix of in-game improvements? To plot peak DJ, I first looked at every Tour winner since 2015 and compared their tournament-win rounds with their typical rounds. In their triumphant weeks, winners, on average, raised their game by three strokes per round. Just over one of those strokes came from improved putting, another came from improved approach play, and the remaining stroke was split nearly evenly between improved driving and improved short game. Why such comparatively modest gains from…

We're drinking vodka and soda with lemon. It's a boring drink, maybe, but I love it because it gets to the point. Boring? I think it's classy—not to mention low-calorie. Exactly. It's low in sugar. The lemon gives it that little twist of flavor. And vodka is my go-to liquor. I love it. As a touring pro, it must be difficult to find the time to let loose and have a drink, right? During the LPGA season it's tough because we're on the road so much. But if I have an off-week, I'll go out with my girls, do some dancing. I think it's important to be able to have time away from the game. You're famous for being Tiger's niece, but you've started to make your own name for…

1 Do you think about aim? Most range rats don't—you're likely more interested in mechanics and results. And hardly anyone runs through their full preshot routine in practice. HOW TO CHECK Line up a shot. Have a friend place two clubs on the ground, one from the ball to the target and another across your toes. Do they point in two directions? YES FIX NO. 1 Your aim is hurting you. Use clubs as above when you practice, and vary targets often. If you hit from the left side of the range one day, find a slot on the right side the next. The lesson? Mix it up. NO 2 What about stance width? If you tend to catch the ball both thin and fat, or don't feel like you're…

Match these release positions for pure power with any club. The technology built into modern drivers requires you to release them quite differently than you do your irons. Think of releasing a given club as exiting from a highway onto a curving off-ramp. With your driver, you're behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer—you exit slowly and start "turning onto the ramp" sooner, smoothly rotating the clubshaft the whole way. An iron is a Maserati—you hit the ramp at speed and make a quick turn (that is, a quick shaft rotation) near the apex of the curve. The result? Two very different release positions (right) and two very different feels. The takeaway: With your driver, begin to smoothly release the club as soon as you transition into your downswing. With an…

BLADE PUTTERS p. 84 MIDSIZE MALLET PUTTERS p. 88 LARGE MALLET PUTTERS p. 92 WEDGES p. 98 Now that we're in the heart of the golf season, here's a quick tip for shaving strokes off your scores: Dedicate extra practice time to your short game. Of course, it all starts with having the best tools for you. Check out what 40 ClubTesters had to say after evaluating 39 putters and nine wedges at World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine, Fla. (Our research partner, Hot Stix Golf, custom-fit each tester.) We've divided the putters into Blades, Midsize Mallets and Large (high MOI) Mallets. You can also watch exclusive videos and 360° club views on GOLF.com. (Next month, we'll highlight each tester's top picks, from drivers to putters.) So turn the…

BOCCIERI EL SERIES D3-M $170; GOLF.com/equipment WE TESTED: 36", 38", 40" lengths PROS \\ DISTANCE CONTROL: Once you get the length of the stroke figured out, it's pretty predictable; better on uphill putts that require more of a hit to reach the hole; strong on cash-ins. \\ FEEL: Very stable through the stroke and at impact; plenty of weight makes it easy to swing; consistent feedback with good pop on center hits. \\ LOOK: Simple, clean and easy to aim at address; lots of deluxe touches add class to the high-end vibe; even the grip looks cool. CONS Heavy head with extra-length shaft can be difficult to get accustomed to—it makes distance control a challenge on longer putts; overly muted sensation at impact isn't for everyone. BOTTOM LINE Extreme stability…

You went to Augusta as World No. 1, having won three straight Tour starts. But after slipping on stairs during tournament week, you had to withdraw. How's your back? It's still a little bit bruised. But today I hit balls, and everything was pretty good. It's a little tight, but I can swing just fine. I would say it's about 90 percent [as of mid-April]. I hit balls all the way through driver and I was fine, so that was reassuring. Was it difficult watching the Masters when you were the big favorite to win? That must have been painful. Well, I was lying on the couch or in bed, so I really couldn't do anything else. I watched, but I didn't like watching. That's one thing I don't want…

Hey, Rules Guy: After I took a practice swing during a recent round, my divot landed on top of my ball. My playing partners said I couldn't remove the hunk of sod, so I didn't, but was that the correct call? I thought I could remove it, since it was a loose impediment, as long as I was careful not to move the ball and incur a penalty. — MIKE MCEVOY, VIA E-MAIL Whether it's on your head or on your ball, a toupée rarely looks good. (See: William Shatner.) Here, the potential problem goes beyond appearances. Per Decision 23/13, the displaced divot is indeed a loose impediment. And as you correctly guessed, you're allowed to remove it, but if you move the ball in the process, you're on the…

My son, Eddie, and I like to play Drawback (match-play style) before a round. LET'S SAY you have 10 minutes to warm up before teeing off. How do you spend your time? Most players would sprint to the range to hit a few rushed drives. But I've found that the best way to quickly sharpen your focus for 18 holes is to head to the putting green for one of my favorite games: Drawback. You can play by yourself against par, or (preferably) take on an opponent in a friendly game. The rules are simple: Choose a putt of 20 or more feet. If you miss, go to your ball and "draw" it back 34 inches (the length of a standard putter) farther from the hole. Then try to sink…

On the range, you're dialed in: piercing irons and high, booming drives. On the course, you're a different player—twice the handicap of that smooth swinger from the practice tee. What gives? It's simple: Your practice method doesn't translate to the course. And beating more balls won't help. You need a training overhaul. The solution is to divide your practice time into three parts: "block" drills (i.e., working on new moves and feels); random shotmaking that simulates on-course scenarios; and some positive thinking to boost your mental game. So start the clock—you're minutes away from hitting great shots on the range and on the course. IT'S CRUNCH TIME Use this proven practice routine to learn how to crush every shot—from the range to the 18th hole Most everyday players spend their…

1 BUCKLE UP As strong as DJ is, I like to point out that the bulk of his power comes from his turn. Check out his belt buckle—it faces the target, indicating max rotation. If you want to hit the ball farther, simply turn more and turn faster. 2 LEND A HAND The club is moving through impact at breakneck speed, but DJ's hands are steady and stable. Your mitts needn't work that hard. Keep your grip pressure constant and return your hands to their address position as you strike the ball. 3 THE LOWER BODY LEADS A common thread among great swings? From the top, the lower body moves first—well before the upper body does. Dustin and I work on this sequence non-stop. Once you have it, you can't…

Crunch these numbers: Data scientist Ryan Burk, 32, from Berwyn, Pa., dropped from a 6-handicap to a 1 simply by improving his footwork. "Whatever I was doing," Burk says, "was forcing me to finish with my weight out over my toes, resulting in a lot of pushes." Enter Top 100 Teacher John Dunigan (White Manor C.C., Malvern, Pa.). With the help of BodiTrak's ground-pressure system (a TrackMan for your feet), Dunigan quickly diagnosed and cured Burk's primary fault. "Bad shifts lead to bad swings," Dunigan says. The key? "Like Ryan did, learn to move into your right arch on the backswing and then into your left heel early in the downswing." The reward: Straight shots that never miss. NO! Shifting weight to your left toe leads to pushes. YES! Shift…

Thin to win? Fat chance! Drawing a thicker line on your ball will make it easier to aim, and drain, putts. What a bargain! Retailing for 99 cents, those plastic stencils that help you draw a straight line around your ball (photo, left) are dollar-for-dollar one of the most effective training aids on the market. Aligning the mark to your starting line and the putter to the mark is a foolproof way to square the face in relation to where you're aimed. But why stop there? I have my students draw a line, then shift the tool ever so slightly to draw another line right next to it, and then keep shifting and marking until the line is a quarter-inch thick. Why? The fatter line makes it even easier to…

CALLAWAY MD3 MILLED $130; GOLF.com/callaway WE TESTED: "W" grind: 52° loft/11° bounce, 58°/8°, 58°/11°; "C" grind: 58°/8°; "S" grind: 52°/10°, 58°/9°. All with True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts PROS \\ LOOK: Both the satin chrome and flat black finishes are among the best; green accents and contrasting ports add bling. \\ FEEL: Balanced and even tempered, with resonant feedback; large face has a light touch—delicate shots are easy; with the right grind, it's a hot knife through butter through the turf. \\ DISTANCE CONTROL: Drop-and-stop control—grooves grab the ball and keep fliers in check; lots of room for mistakes— iffy pitches still make the green. \\ PLAYABILITY: Excellent in all conditions; the "C" grind is perfect for guys who want to be creative; with MD3 Milled, expectations for sand…