Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Golf Magazine

HOW IT WORKS Invisible watermarks on select photos act as gateways to bonus videos. With the Digimarc app, your smartphone or tablet recognizes the watermarks and automatically delivers the content to your device. 1 Download and open the Digimarc Discover app on your smartphone or cameracapable tablet. The app is free and is available at the iTunes store for Apple devices and at the Google Play market for Android devices. 2 Position the phone four to seven inches above any photo bearing the yellow SCAN THIS PHOTO label (example, right), as if you were taking a picture (flash optional). If you have access to a Wi-Fi connection, downloads will be faster. 3 Hold the camera steady. The app will click and buzz when it recognizes the image and then begin…

DRIVER 1) Callaway Rogue, 9°, Kuro Kage Silver series 80TX shaft, 300 yards; $499 FAIRWAY WOODS 2) Callaway Rogue 3+-wood, 13.5°, Kuro Kage Silver series 80TX shaft, 275 yards; $299. Callaway Rogue 5-wood, 18°, Kuro Kage Silver series 80TX shaft, 250 yards; $299 IRONS 3) Callaway Apex Pro (3-4), Nippon Modus 3 Tour 130x shaft; $1,199 full set 3-iron: 230 yards 4-iron: 215 yards Callaway Apex Muscleback (5-9), Nippon Modus 3 Tour 130x shaft; $1,299 full set 5-iron: 205 yards 6-iron: 190 yards 7-iron: 175 yards 8-iron: 165 yards 9-iron: 155 yards WEDGES 4) Callaway Mack Daddy 4, 48°, 140 yards; 52°, 125 yards; 58°, 108 yards. All with Nippon Modus 3 Tour 130x shaft; $149 each PUTTER 5) Odyssey Toulon Atlanta Putter; $399 BALL Callaway Chrome Soft X; $49.99/dozen…

1 DROP A WEDGE The best putting strokes feature a slight arc on the backswing and a matching arc coming through. It’s what allows your putter to glide smoothly and start the ball online. To get it, lay your wedge on the ground next to the ball as shown. 2 RIDE THE TAPER Point the clubhead at the right side of the cup (straight putts are best for this drill), and check that the ball is resting about two inches ahead of the base of the grip. Sole the putterhead behind the ball and begin your stroke. 3 MAKE MORE PUTTS As you swing the putter back, try to keep the toe of the club as close to the wedge’s grip as possible. Because the handle on your wedge tapers,…

Golfers have traditionally been taught to secure the club in the last three fingers (the pinkie, ring and middle fingers) of the left hand. This concept was designed to help you drag the handle through impact, but that idea has been outdated for some time. Today, the goal is to release your hands fully through impact, and this won’t happen if you’re holding on to the handle for dear life. Here’s the skinny: Keep your left hand—including the aforementioned fingers—loose on the club. Keep your right-hand pressure light as well, but make sure to pinch the handle securely between your thumb and forefinger. These are the magic digits—they provide control while allowing a full release. Everything else is just along for the ride.…

Every year about this time, the equipment industry unleashes a new crop of instruments designed to hit the ball farther, higher and straighter than ever before. A lofty claim, no doubt, but this year—the 27th consecutive season that GOLF has put fresh-to-market drivers, woods and irons through the ringer—it’s true. Many of the technologies you’ll read about over the next 36 pages have been in development for years or even decades. As we worked with our team of clubfitting experts to examine how these advancements perform with robots and in the hands of golfers just like you, we soon realized that we were witnessing a new Golden Age of club design. Truth be told, the stuff is so good you might heave a sigh the next time you pull your…

CALLAWAY ROGUE $899 steel, $999 graphite SPECS 3-iron through LW with Aldila Synergy 60 graphite or True Temper XP 95 steel shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES 360 Face Cup and VFT for a larger high-COR area, ball speed and distance; tungsten weighting for exact CG positions that promote optimal launch; internal urethane microspheres for improved sound and feel. OUR TAKE The Rogue is packed with technologies that take Callaway’s Face Cup tech to a new level. In addition to the distance and forgiveness attributes— in part due to the Standing Wave design that produces an exceptionally low CG— the Rogue also produces a massively improved sound and feel thanks to urethane microspheres that offset the normally harsh “hit” associated with thin clubfaces. Overall, a lot of “wow” factor here for those who…

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER HB $700 steel, $800 graphite SPECS 4-iron through DW with Dynamic Gold DST 98 steel or Miyazaki C. Kua graphite shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES A hollow, fully enclosed clubhead helps provide more stability than a cavity-back; the HiBore scooped crown shifts the CG lower and deeper than in a traditional iron; a high-strength HT1770 faceplate adds more flex at impact. OUR TAKE These big ol’ hybridirons make no excuses for what they are, and they don’t need your forgiveness—they’ve got plenty of their own built in. The hollow-body build gave Cleveland engineers a ton of room to maneuver, and they did everything they could to make the Launcher HB easy to hit high and far. The arcing HiBore crown helps out, moving the CG lower and deeper into the…

COBRA KING F8 $799 steel, $899 graphite SPECS 5-iron through GW with True Temper XP 90 steel or Aldila Rogue Pro 65 graphite shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES The forged faceplate is thinner and lighter than the F7’s for more power; a multimaterial carbon-fiber medallion in the rear of the club tunes sound and feel; Cobra Connect: Each set comes with Arccos sensors in the grips, recording data from every swing to your smartphone. OUR TAKE Three distinct constructions—full-hollow long irons, cavity-back short clubs and traditional wedges—progressively position the CG to aid control while adding a bit of refinement to Cobra’s distance iron. The groove patterns, too, are designed to optimize performance at different lofts. Meanwhile, the forged PWERSHELL faceplate (borrowed from the F series woods) uses variable thicknesses to spread the…

PING G400 $125/club (steel), $137.50/club (graphite) SPECS 4-iron through LW with PING AWT 2.0 steel, PING Alta CG graphite, Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 105 steel, True Temper XP95 steel, KBS Tour steel, Rifle Project X steel or True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES COR-Eye Technology for increased face flex, ball speed and distance; Hydropearl chrome finish for 40 percent less friction at impact and greatly improved turf interaction; a multimaterial cavity badge for vibration dampening and improved sound and feel. OUR TAKE Since the Eye2 took the game of golf by storm back in the day, PING has more or less been known for game-improvement iron designs that offer excellent forgiveness—but not the greatest look or feel. The G400 changes all of those perceptions—the look and feel are…

TAYLORMADE M3 $999 steel, $1,199 graphite SPECS 3-iron through SW with True Temper XP100 steel or Mitsubishi Tensei graphite shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES RIBCOR (think of the framing on a house) for a stiffer build and more efficient transfer of energy at impact (and a serious spike in ball speed); tungsten sole weighting for a lower CG and improved launch and stability; a Speed Pocket for better results on low strikes; face slots to offset distance and accuracy loss on heel and toe hits; off-center Inverted Cone for improved performance on shots slightly closer to the toe. OUR TAKE The new M3 is packed with technologies that make for a relatively classic-looking player’s iron with very modern performance. The thinner topline, improved shape and better aesthetic over the prior M1 will…

TITLEIST 718 AP1 $140/club (steel), $165/club (graphite) SPECS 4-iron through W2 (53°) with True Temper AMT Red steel shafts or MCA Tensei Pro Red AMC graphite shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Hollow-body long irons and cavity backs from the 6-iron down; tungsten weighting to lower CG, boost MOI and amplify launch; a thin, unsupported faceplate that delivers more power and faster ball speeds than before. OUR TAKE Boasting the strongest lofts and deepest offsets of any AP, Titleist’s distance iron offers a ton of pop with a surprising dose of refinement for a game-improvement club. The new AP1s combine fully hollow 4- and 5-irons with undercut cavity backs from the 6-iron through the wedge. Both builds help create a broad, unsupported face capable of more spring than a traditional iron. That means…

DRIVERS Bridgestone TourB XD-3 Bridgestone TourB XD-5 Bridgestone TourB XD-7 Honma TW737 445 Honma TW737 450 Honma TW737 460 Mizuno ST 180 Srixon Z 565 Srixon Z 765 Tour Edge Hot Launch HL3 Wilson Staff C300 Wilson Staff D300 FAIRWAY WOODS Bridgestone TourB Mizuno ST 180 Titleist 917 F2 Titleist 917 F3 Tour Edge Exotics CBX Tour Edge Hot Launch HL3 Wilson Staff C300 Wilson Staff D300 HYBRIDS Bridgestone TourB Mizuno CLK Mizuno MMC FLI HI Tour Edge Exotics CBX Tour Edge Hot Launch HL3 Wilson Staff C300 Wilson Staff D300 IRONS Bridgestone TourB X-CB Honma TW737 P Honma TW737 V Miura MC-501 Miura IC-601 Mizuno JPX 900 Forged Mizuno JPX Hot Metal Mizuno MP-18 MMC Srixon Z 565 Srixon Z 765 Tour Edge Exotics CBX Forged Tour Edge Hot…

ilong thought that the manner in which you swung the club to the top mattered far less than the top itself. I mean, if you check off all the right boxes at the end of your backswing, who cares how you get there? Then a few things happened. First, I began to tweak my own backswing—with good intentions— and suddenly began to play the worst golf of my professional life. Second, in my ongoing study of the world’s best golfers, I noticed a similar correlation: a mid-backswing change = poor shotmaking. Turns out there’s a shape element to the backswing that I (and most other instructors and professionals) failed to consider. Producing the correct shape is critical. Without it, smoothly transitioning from backswing to downswing without whipping the club off…

DRAG AND FLOP You’re told to keep the club outside your hands during the takeaway. For many, this advice leads to underrolling and under-lifting the left arm at the start—and over-rolling it later. This combo produces a reverse down track, with the club moving away from your body instead of toward you. AROUND THE WORLD Over-rolling the left arm at the start is equally dangerous. Here, the club gets inside too soon. You’re now forced to aggressively lift to reduce all of the unnecessary roll and add the necessary height, with even a touch of reverseroll. The resulting looping track of the clubhead gets the club across the line—and in plenty of trouble.…

You’ve made high-lofted fairway woods and hybrids your primary tools for approach shots, and why not: They’re easier to hit longer and higher—from all kinds of lies—than low and midirons are. But this advantage is for naught if you end up buried in the long grass to the side of the green. For lower scores, you also need to hit your fairway woods and hybrids straight— and with longer shafts and more flexible faces, control is not a lofted wood’s No. 1 quality. A few adjustments in your thought process will keep you on the straight and narrow. SENIOR PLAYER You’ve lost some flexibility and power but still know how to score. BE SMOOTH Distance on approach shots only matters to the extent that you need to be able to…

What’s the best club you’ve ever owned? Cobra Fly-Z+ driver. I’ve had it in the bag since 2015— every club has been replaced since, but not this one. I’ve been telling myself for a year now that I’m going to get fitted for an upgrade, but it’s staying in until the wheels fall off. GreenWaveGolfer TaylorMade 5-wood, circa 2001. I could make it go both ways with a range of about 50 yards, 185-235. Can’t play anymore, but that stick felt like cheating at times. @Teeboneshuffle My Ping Anser 2 putter. It was a hand-me-down from my grandfather. It’s the only club that’s remained in my bag since I started playing, and the only putter I’ve ever used on the course. The consistency and sentimental value of this club can’t…

For much more from Alan, go to GOLF.com/shipnuck REGULAR READERS of this space know that in recent Julys I have taken a buddies trip to Bandon Dunes to play in a fun, freewheeling event known as the Uncle Tony Invitational. Hanging with these two dozen treasured friends and immersing myself in the cutthroat competition is always a highlight of my year. The other day I got a call from trip organizer Matt Ginella with the thrilling news that in 2018 we would be heading to Pinehurst. As Matt laid out the dreamy itinerary, my cheeks began to tire from smiling so broadly: rounds at Pine Needles, Mid Pines, Pinehurst No. 8, two spins around No. 2 and various merriment at the new Cradle short course. Then Matt said that the…

EAGLE EYE Former Eagles lead guitarist Don Felder considers Danzante Bay to be one of his three favorite courses. I asked Felder, who has competed in the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, for his other two favorites. “The Old Course at St. Andrews and Los Angeles Country Club’s North course,” he says. “But the Old Course stands alone.” MARIA RELIEF Puerto Rico’s TPC Dorado Beach has played host to a slew of memorable moments and famous figures in its 60 years, among them resident Chi-Chi Rodriguez and frequent visitor Dwight Eisenhower. This March, however, it hosts its most meaningful event of all. Replacing this year’s Puerto Rico Open, an unofficial PGA Tour event will pair Tour players, athletes and celebrities in a fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Maria. SPRING…

1 BUILT TO BLAST Over time, Tiger has gone from a wiry dynamo to a mature, physically imposing veteran. And it’s not just for looks—his new swing demands that his upper body produce most of the speed. His legs help support more than they “work” (see No. 4), which is perfectly fine if you’re strong up top. 2 GOOD IN A PINCH Notice how Tiger maintains the connection between his upper left arm and the left side of his chest through impact, as though he’s pinching the material of his shirt under his armpit. Meanwhile, his left shoulder is moving away from the target. These are pillars for producing speed that work for any swing at any age. 3 NEVER A DRAG The ball is on its way and Tiger’s…

Getting your lead arm in the correct position on the downswing is critical to bringing your shot shaping skills to life. In fact, the path that your lead arm travels into impact determines how the ball will fly. Learning to command that path is your main objective. And just as you would for any great performance, you need to rehearse. No biggie. A single range session can get you on track. Here’s what to do. HIT A DRAW To practice drawing the ball, lay one club on the ground pointing down your target line. Place another club inside that line and angle it about 30 degrees right of the target (as shown). Stand with your toes along the target line, then take the club back and start down. When you…

CALLAWAY ROGUE $499 SPECS 9°, 10.5° and 13.5° with 40g–80g shaft options, including Aldila Synergy, Aldila Quaranta, Project X HZRDUS and others. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Jailbreak with X-Face and VFT for a higher COR across the entire face and increased ball speed; Triaxial Carbon Crown for weight savings and a higher MOI and forgiveness; Boeing Speed Step for improved aerodynamics and swing speed. OUR TAKE The Rogue means business, with major technological and performance enhancements that trickle over from the massively successful Epic. While the Rogue reproduces the distance of the Epic, the design significantly increases forgiveness, making it a great choice for a variety of players. Those looking for CG adjustment through sole weights/tracks need to look elsewhere, however. The Rogue driver is also available in a Draw version, with…

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER HB $300 SPECS 9°, 10.5° and 12° with Miyazaki C. Kua 50 graphite shaft. KEY TECHNOLOGIES A portion of the sole works like a spring at impact, boosting ball speed on shots struck low toward the heel and toe; a scooped crown shifts the CG downward while allowing the face to flex more freely at impact; the wraparound faceplate increases COR across the edges of the hitting area for added forgiveness. OUR TAKE Cleveland is reentering the driver market with the Launcher HB, a featherweight piece of lumber designed to help casual players hit higher, straighter drives. It starts with the construction, which makes it among the lightest drivers on the market. Everything, including the shaft and hosel, has been scrutinized to save weight, which helps soft swingers…

COBRA KING F8 $399 SPECS Eight loft settings in half-degree increments, from 9° to 12°, including three draw settings. Available with Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 60, Aldila NV 2KXV Green 65, or MRC Tensei CK Blue 50 shafts. Comes in gray or black. KEY TECHNOLOGIES CNC milled face produces tighter tolerances and more consistent thicknesses than a standard hand-finished face; Dual Roll face design optimizes launch when contact is made above and below the club’s center; carbon-fiber crown with polymer “trips” to reduce drag; Cobra Connect: Every club offered by Cobra comes with Arccos sensors in the grip, recording data from every swing to your smartphone. OUR TAKE The F8 features all of the high-end touches of its Tour-tested brother, the F8+ (next page), including a milled face pattern for…

PING G400 $400 SPECS 9.0° and 10.5° with PING Alta CB55, PING Tour 65 and 75, Aldila X-Torsion Copper, Mitsubishi Kuro Kage Silver Dual-Core TiNi or Project X HZRDUS Yellow shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Forged T9S+ face for more flex and speed; a high-density back weight for a deep CG, high MOI and impressive forgiveness on off-center hits; Dragonfly Technology for a thinner crown and additional weight savings; turbulators and Vortec Technology for improved aerodynamics and less drag. OUR TAKE In case anyone hasn’t noticed, PING—without a lot of pomp and circumstance— has become one of the elite driver makers in the industry in recent years, offering a variety of innovative models that specialize in providing enhanced forgiveness, customizability and distance. The standard G400 has all the bells and whistles, as…

TAYLORMADE M3 $499 SPECS 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 12° with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Red, Blue or White shafts. Available in 440cc and 460cc models. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Twist Face for straighter shots on low-heel and high-toe hits; Hammerhead Slot in the sole for maximum ball speed across a larger area of the face; Y-Track with two 11g weights for CG adjustment. OUR TAKE TaylorMade engineers seem to have finally outdone themselves with the new M3, completely reimagining the clubface to add forgiveness on low-heel and high-toe hits with its breakthrough Twist Face technology. Impressive stuff, as is the new Hammerhead Slot in the sole that produces a larger high-COR around the sweet spot. What really has us pumped, however, is the new Y-Track. According to our clubfitting experts, it’s a game-changer.…

TITLEIST 917 D2 $499 SPECS 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 12° with Fujikura Speeder PRO TS, Aldila Rogue Max and Mitsubishi Diamana Ltd. White, Ltd. Blue and Ltd. Red graphite shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Interchangeable weights that can position the CG anywhere from the back heel to the forward toe to fine-tune spin and launch; a more refined channel in the sole that reduces spin and improves ball speed; a thinner face perimeter to ensure speed on off-center strikes. OUR TAKE One of the top game-improvement drivers from last year’s ClubTest comes back unchanged for 2018 and remains arguably the company’s most accessible offering to date. Larger, more forgiving and a tad higher-spinning than the D3, it packs a ton of tech, including a hosel with 16 settings and interchangeable weights in…

XXIO X DRIVER $650 SPECS 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 11.5° with proprietary MP1000 graphite shaft. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Hi-energy impact clubhead design with optimized COR area on the face for faster ball speed; Lightweight, low-swing MOI design to enhance clubhead speed; Smart Impact shaft designed to reduce stress on the golfer’s body and improve impact; high-density rear weight to deepen the CG location and boost launch. OUR TAKE The combination of low-swing MOI, lightweight design and proprietary shaft design combine to make the X Driver exceptionally easy to swing for a wide variety of players. It also increases the likelihood of center contact. The X is a concept as much as it is a driver: It gives speed-challenged players the chance to get the ball farther down the fairway without adding…

In professional golf, success is promised to no one. But for Philip Francis, it once seemed guaranteed. Born in Las Vegas and raised in Scottsdale, Francis started swinging golf clubs as soon as he could toddle, and he captured his first tournament when he was four, trouncing opponents twice his age. Jim Flick, who taught Jack Nicklaus, was so impressed with Francis that he offered himself up as his instructor. Others who watched him play in his precocious prime still speak of Francis in awestruck terms. “He was unreal, totally insane,” says two-time Tour winner Jamie Lovemark, who came up through the junior ranks with Francis. “A golf savant,” adds Mike Malaska, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher based in Scottsdale. “You can toss out other names like Mickelson or Seve.…

1 LEFT-WRIST FLEX Flexing the left wrist early is critical to moving the club upward and in. Once the club nears its high point, however, too much flexion can lay off the club and make your down track much too steep. 2 LEFT-WRIST HINGE This powerful move, like the action you use when swinging a hammer, helps keep the clubhead outside your hands early and plays a big role in getting the club up in the mid-backswing. 3 LEFT-ARM ROLL Weekend players tend to use too much left-arm roll too soon (see next page), but blending it with the correct amount of arm lift and wrist hinge helps keep the club on track from start to finish. 4 LEFT-ARM SWING Swinging your left arm across your chest seems like a…

B IS FOR THE BREAKERS The Breakers in Palm Beach not only rolls out Florida’s grandest hotel and one of its most historic golf courses, it offers up its swankiest room: the 1,700-squarefoot Imperial Suite. An eight-seat dining area and wet bar are highlights, but the showstopper is the Atlantic Ocean view, best accessed by five private balconies. Expect to pay the princely price of $8,000 per night in high season. thebreakers.com A IS FOR ARNIE Nearly 18 months after Arnold Palmer left us, his Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando beautifully maintains Arnie’s aura with mountains of memorabilia, a Top 100 resort course and nearly 40 years of PGA Tour history. For buddies and couples, the cozy lodge and golf facility remain the definitive homage to The King…

HIGH HANDICAPPER You have potential but must fix some fundamental swing flaws. The key to those extra yards you’re seeking is often not more clubhead speed, but more effective clubhead speed. Consciously trying to “hit the ball hard” can lead to a quick move from the top, causing your clubhead speed to peak too early. To ensure that the clubhead moves fastest at the ball instead of before it, focus on the finish instead of impact. Keep your momentum going well into the follow-through—you want to finish with your arms wrapped around your neck and your right shoulder closer to the target than your left. A full finish eliminates the “hit impulse,” enabling you to build clubhead speed more naturally and gradually and to make the most of your power…

THE LODGE brothers can sound like a pitch-perfect choir this time of year, singing the praises of the new clubs they’re paid to play. But when it comes to endorsement deals for touring pros, this is their truth-to-power question: If your new deal was worth less than your old one, would you have still switched brands? Enter Hudson Swafford, 30, winner of the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge, his first Tour victory. Last year his winning bag was filled with a hodgepodge of curated hard goods: a TaylorMade driver, Ping fairway woods and irons, Titleist wedges, an Odyssey putter, plus sleeves of Bridgestones in the ball pocket. But this year Swafford is a Callawayman through the bag, just about. Those last two words—just about—are not throwaways. “Unless you’re a top-40 player in…

THE CLUBS YOU BOUGHT LAST YEAR ARE FINE. THIS YEAR’S ARE EVEN BETTER. FOR PURE RESEARCH (or is it out of sheer boredom?), I often check the comments section of equipment-related websites and the posts from the more outspoken gearheads in the Twitterverse, more so when the majors begin unveiling new product (as they are at the time of this writing; you can check out the results of our 27th annual ClubTest starting on page 50). There’s a pattern to this digital soapboxing, and it’s mostly negative. From what I can gather, the prevailing sentiment—at least among those who spend time posting about it—is that the equipment industry is off its sole rails, disposed to ripping off golfers with useless tech that looks good to the eye but does nothing…

You had quite a year in 2017: a green jacket and a wedding. So far, what’s been the best thing about being married? Getting to spend pretty much every day of my life with [my wife, Angela]. She’s a great woman. Obviously, she loves me very much, and I love her very much, too. But more than anything, she’s just very smart and driven— and very good-looking— which makes me try a little bit harder as well. You two are expecting your first child very soon. What has the anticipation been like? Baby girl Garcia is coming in March, so it’s a very exciting time for us— we’re really looking forward to being parents. It’s something we’ve both wanted for a long time, and now it’s suddenly right around the…

You can watch video rulings featuring Rules Guy himself! Visit GOLF.com In match play, I putted to within inches of the cup, and my opponent conceded the tap-in. As I went to pick up my ball, I saw his putt rolling toward me, but I only had time to get out of the way. His ball then banked off mine and into the hole for a half. Since my putt had been given, is my ball still technically in play? —ROY BURCHILL, SAN DIEGO, CALIF. If a putt has been conceded, is the ball still present? The existential question at play is fascinating, and so are the relevant Rules. Had you let it be known you wanted to pick up the ball before your opponent played, but weren’t given the…

The youngest players to finish the season in the top 10 in total strokes gained*: Tiger Woods (age 20; 1996) Hideki Matsuyama (age 21; 2013) Sergio Garcia (age 21; 2001) Jordan Spieth (age 22; 2015) The oldest players to finish the season in the top 10 in total strokes gained*: Jack Nicklaus (age 51; 1991) Jay Haas (age 50; 2004) Ray Floyd (age 49; 1992) Hale Irwin (age 49; 1994) Most years in the top 10 in total strokes gained*: Tiger Woods (16) Ernie Els (15) Jim Furyk (13) Greg Norman (13) *From 1983 through 2017…

1 LOAD IT The secret to adding yards to your shots is to add width to the early part of your downswing. To learn how, hold a Frisbee at your right side with your right hand on top of the disc and your fingers wrapped underneath (inset left). Now swing your right arm to the top as though you were making a backswing. 2 SPIN IT Begin your downswing. As your right arm moves down, spin the disc counterclockwise and out, away from the target and your right shoulder. You’ve done it correctly if your right palm and the top of the Frisbee now face the sky. It also means that you’re in position to release the club with max speed 3 LOWER IT Continue to lower your right arm…

1 Your drives go pfft because you waste speed early in your downswing instead of storing it for impact. To fix the problem, lay your driver against the outside of your right arm, just below your shoulder. It’s okay for your right hand to drop slightly off the handle. 2 Settle into your regular stance, keeping the driver on your right arm. Once you’re set, rotate your shoulders away from the target and to the top of your backswing. Keep the shaft glued to your sleeve. Now unwind. Your first move? Rotate your hips, keeping everything else in place. 3 Now begin to unwind your abdomen, sternum and shoulders. (To get the right feel, do it in slow motion and in this sequence.) Keep the shaft on your right arm!…

CALLAWAY ROGUE FAIRWAY $299 SPECS 13.5°, 15°, 17°, 19°, 20° (Heavenwood), 21°, 23° and 25° with 40g-80g shaft options, including Aldila Synergy, Project X EvenFlow, Project X HZRDUS and others. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Jailbreak and 360 Face Cup for maximum ball speed and distance in a fairway wood; Triaxial Carbon Crown for weight savings and a higher MOI and forgiveness; Boeing Speed Step for improved aerodynamics and swing speed. OUR TAKE The Rogue fairway wood is an all-new Callaway design, and is notable in that it’s built with both Jailbreak technology and a 360 Face Cup. Although these technologies were combined previously in the Epic and now the Rogue drivers, they haven’t been combined in a fairway wood before, which should provide next-level distance for the category. FITTER COMMENTS “Exceptional product…

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER HB FAIRWAY $230 SPECS 15° and 18° with Miyazaki C. Kua graphite shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES A spring like Flex-Fin sole boosts ball speed on low heel and toe strikes; a scooped crown shifts the CG downward while allowing the face to flex more freely at impact; a lightweight hosel allows a redistribution of weight to lower and deepen the CG. OUR TAKE Not to belabor the point, but “launch” is really what the Launcher line is all about. Everything about the new HB fairway wood is designed to help players get the ball higher quickly and more easily. The redesigned lightweight hosel saves mass that gets repositioned in the rear of the clubhead to make it more forgiving and— you guessed it—higher flying. Same for the HiBore crown,…

COBRA KING F8 FAIRWAY $249 SPECS 3-4 FWY (14.5°, +/-1.5°, with three draw settings), 5-6 FWY (18.5°, +/- 1.5°, with three draw settings) and 7-8 FWY (22.5°, +/- 1.5°, with three draw settings). Available with MRC Tensei CK Blue 50 or Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 70 graphite shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Rails on the sole get steeper as loft increases to improve turf interaction and match different attack angles and intended uses; Polymer embossments on the crown and sole reduce drag over the light, carbon-fiber crown; variable face thicknesses help create a broad, elliptical “sweet zone”; Cobra Connect. OUR TAKE Cobra’s venerable Baffler technology gives the F8 a face-lift, so to speak: the rails add bounce along the leading edge, preventing the club from digging into the turf. This iteration tweaks…

PING G400 FAIRWAY $269 SPECS 14.5°, 17.5°, 20.5° and 23.5° with PING Alta CB 65, PING Tour 65 and 75, and a variety of premium aftermarket shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES A thin, strong maraging steel face for faster ball speeds and higher launch; a thin stainless steel crown for weight savings and a lower CG location; crown turbulators for improved aerodynamics and less drag; a machined back weight for a deeper CG location and a higher MOI. OUR TAKE The G400 fairway wood line offers exceptional forgiveness and an easy launch. The addition of a shallow face design (versus the deeper face of some competitive models) makes the G400s more versatile and useful from the fairway. A terrific choice for players of all skill levels. FITTER COMMENTS “A real standout, with…

TAYLORMADE M3 FAIRWAY $299 SPECS 15°, 17° and 19° with Mitsubishi Tensei Blue shaft. KEY TECHNOLOGIES Improved moveable weight track allows 29g to be positioned 8 percent closer to the face than in the previous M1; thinner, five-layer composite crown for more weight savings; longer sole slot for a larger high-COR area and improved performance on hits low on the face; improved sole design for better turf interaction. OUR TAKE TaylorMade engineers continue to improve on previous club offerings, regardless of how great the previous models might have been. In the case of the M3, it clearly surpasses the excellent M1 in a variety of ways, not the least of which is the significantly improved weight track that allows CG adjustability for spin rate and launch angle customization. In addition,…

TITLEIST 818 H1 HYBRID $280 SPECS 17°, 19°, 21°, 23°, 25° and 27° with Fujikura Atmos HB Tour Spec Blue 8, Project X Even Flow Blue 85 HYB and MCA Tensei Pro White, Blue or Red graphite shafts. KEY TECHNOLOGIES A 16-mode adjustable hosel and a new, interchangeable weight rod ensure that each hybrid produces the launch and shot shape you need; a redesigned channel in the sole and a flexible polymer insert aid ball speed and improve launch. OUR TAKE As it is with drivers, the ability to adjust loft, lie and shot shape is huge in a hybrid. In fact, it’s probably even more useful, since shots hit with a utility club require greater precision. That’s why Titleist imported the SureFit system from its D driver series to…

POWER HITTER You hit the ball a long way, but your game needs control and consistency. The fundamentals that help you hit the long ball can give you fits around the green. Consider your grip: A strong left-hand position encourages a deep and full wrist cock and a powerful delayed release. But chips and pitches require fewer moving parts, and that mobility in your wrists can make it tough to control the clubface. So try using a “weaker” left-hand position. For all your short-game shots—from partial wedges to chips—shorten your left thumb and rotate your hand counterclockwise (to the left as you look down at your hands) so that no more than two knuckles are visible at address. A weaker grip adds stability to your left wrist so that the…