tg magazine digital sampler | issue 255

WARM-UP

12 TodaysGolfer.Co.UK Issue 255

A club across your

shoulders keeps them

level to the ground.

A lesson with… Darren ClarkeThe multiple Tour winner improves TG’s consistency on pitch shots...

how to

pitch like

a ryder

cup star!

The PRobleMs: Carly (3 handicap) is fairly confident at pitching but occasionally her ball-striking lets her down. She rarely totally duffs a shot but often catches the ground slightly before the ball, thereby losing spin and distance. Darren Clarke had the answer.

“You have far too much shoulder tilt in your swing,” the Ryder Cup star said. “The right shoulder rises high and the left

drops low as you take the club away. The reverse then happens coming back down into impact and the right shoulder drops low.

“This delivers the club into the ground on a steep angle of attack, often slightly behind the ball, hence those poor strikes.” The cURes: “The solution is to simply rehearse a swing with a club held across your chest with the goal of

keeping your shoulders as level as possible to the ground. This will get the upper body to rotate, rather than tilt, and the club will be delivered into the ball on a shallower angle of attack, giving you that ball-then-divot contact and a solid-feeling strike.” Darren’s top tips for pitching: 1. Swing smoothly - always maintain the same rhythmical tempo. To hit the ball further or shorter simply change the length

of your swing or your club. 2. Firm wrist - keep the back of the left wrist firm so the club strikes into the back of the ball. 3. Ball position - for a standard pitch I have the ball just back of centre. To hit it a little higher I move it an inch or two forwards, or backwards to hit lower. 4. Turn the chest - the power should come from the turn of the chest. Turn the chest to the target and the club follows.

Find more pitch shot tips at www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/pitching

012-013 Warm up LM.CDP.indd 150 10/3/09 12:39:15

012-013 Warm up LM.CDP.indd 151 10/3/09 18:07:23

Average price of adult membership (blue and pink line on same graph)Male:2002 – £596.042004 - £558.562006 - £627.102008 - £682.10

014-015 Warm UpDLCDP..indd 150 10/3/09 16:21:23

Do you charge a joining fee?Yes 38.2%No 61.8%

Are you doing any special o�ers? (please convet to percentages)Yes 50No 17

Do you charge a joining fee?Yes 38.2%No 61.8%

Are you doing any special o�ers? (please convet to percentages)Yes 50No 17

014-015 Warm UpDLCDP..indd 151 10/3/09 16:21:38

043-51 Best Kit LM.CDP.indd 28 9/3/09 17:45:30

58 TodaySGolfer.Co.UK Issue 255

Former England skipper David Platt was once one of the world’s most expensive footballers. But could he bag the TG20?

Not many footballers, if any, have the balls to walk away from Manchester United and the so-

called Theatre of Dreams. But David Platt did and it proved the best decision of his illustrious career.

Platt grew up as a United supporter and it was a dream come true when he signed for them as an apprentice on leaving school in 1982. And although he turned pro at the start of the 1984-85 season the level-headed realist knew that if he was going to make the grade it might have to be away from the superstars of Old Trafford.

“There was no way on earth I was good enough to make the first team,” he admitted. “Throughout my career I’ve always looked at things realistically – I knew I wasn’t good or quick enough and it was my decision to leave a 12-month contract six months into it.

“I had an opportunity to go to Crewe where the level of football was higher than I was playing at United – the Football

League as opposed to the Lancashire League with United’s third team.

“It seemed like a massive step down from a career point of view, but in reality it was a step up. Having to move on didn’t really hurt me that much although obviously I was a big United fan... I still am! The idea behind it was to use it as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Platt, now 38, went on to become a footballing superstar at home (with Aston Villa and Arsenal) and abroad (Bari, Juventus and Sampdoria in Italy). He became a World Cup hero, England captain and celebrated a Premier League and FA Cup double with the Gunners. On an individual level, just four years after leaving Old Trafford, he was voted PFA Player Of The Year.

Platt is the first to admit he didn’t possess sublime skills and searing pace. But what he did have was a ‘great engine’ which enabled him to clear the danger from his own penalty box one minute and be

DAVID PLATT

BY KeVIN BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY GLYN sATTeRLeY

➤

fAcIng cAPTAIn mArVeL

058-62 TG20 Platt LM.CDP.indd 2 3/3/09 16:28:29

058-62 TG20 Platt LM.CDP.indd 3 3/3/09 16:28:46

It’s the shot we all fear – but it can be banished! Just follow these easy steps...

The shank is that horrible shot that squirts straight right off the club. It’s a complete card-wrecker, yet most people don’t understand what causes it.

That’s possibly because when you break it down it can actually be the consequence of two bad swing paths –

extreme out-to-in or in-to-out. Both result in the ball being struck out of the neck of the club near the hosel that joins the clubhead and the shaft.

Identifying which swing path is causing your shank is easy – just look at your divots. If they are deep and point left of the

target you are an out-to-in swinger, if they are shallow and point right of the target (and often behind the ball) you are an in-to-out swinger.

Players who shank also tend to shift their weight during the downswing onto their toes. Again, this spells

disaster for the connection with the ball and direction of your shots as the body weight is thrust in forwards towards the ball.

Follow these three tips and you should start striking the ball out of the centre of the club again...

72 TodaySGolfer.Co.UK Issue 255

BUNKER PLAY PUTTING TOUCH SHOTS IRON PLAY DRIVING FAIRWAY SHOTS MIND & BODY

No more shaNks!

T he wrong swingpath

and a

lack of balance

causes the hosel

to hit the ball.

072-73 FF No shank LM.CDP.indd 2 9/3/09 14:38:30

072-73 FF No shank LM.CDP.indd 3 9/3/09 14:39:14

078-81 FF Golf doctor LM CDP..CC.indd 4 9/3/09 19:08:27

078-81 FF Golf doctor LM CDP..CC.indd 5 9/3/09 19:09:13

084-5 SOS NEXT MONTH.indd 2 10/3/09 16:30:10

084-5 SOS NEXT MONTH.indd 3 10/3/09 17:20:03

Phil, Ernie and Co had their chance to beat Tiger. They failed. Now a new generation are ready to step up. Meet two of them...

“At 19, McIlroy is better than Tiger Woods was at that age.” That was the verdict of Mark O’Meara, a close friend of the World No 1, after playing the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic with the teenager.

And the Northern Irishman showed he was well worth such high praise from the double Major champion by going on to claim his first professional victory in the desert.

“I had a couple of nights out with friends and family to celebrate,” McIlroy told TG. “I haven’t splashed out on anything, but if anything takes my fancy I might think about it. I’ve bought a couple of nice cars though. I’m driving an Audi S5, which is quite nice.”

He wasn’t short of well-wishers after his triumph, with Sir Bobby Charlton and boyband Westlife among those to congratulate him.

McIlroy’s desert delight was the climax of a terrific run in late 2008 and early 2009 – 10

top 10s in 14 starts up to the WGC Match Play, where he was edged out by eventual winner Geoff Ogilvy in the last eight – that saw him soar into the world top 20.

It was his rankings rise – becoming the youngest golfer ever to break into the top 50 – which earned him a Masters debut.

“It’s an event that has occupied my dreams since I watched Nick Faldo beat Greg Norman on television in 1996, I can’t wait,” admitted the boy with the quirky barnet.

“I did promise I’d cut my hair when I won, but I’ll wait until it gets really out of control before I take a trip down to the hairdressers!”

His preparation for the Masters might not include a meeting with some scissors – but it will include a practice round with you know who. McIlroy, understandably, can’t wait to walk the fairways with the fit-again Woods.

“I’ve never played with Tiger before. I’ve met him a few times, but I’ve never had the chance to play with him,” he revealed.

“He’ll have a great knowledge of the course and hopefully he can show me around a little bit. I hope to pick his brains and ask him

what it’s like being Tiger Woods. I’ll think about it a lot before it actually happens. I’m really looking forward to it.”

With O’Meara’s comments and McIlroy making serious waves at such a young age, comparisons to Woods are inevitable. The teenager has mixed feelings about this.

“It’s comforting and daunting, at the same time” he admitted to TG. “It’s a lot of expectation to live up to.

“I’ll never be able to do what Tiger has done. He’s brought a lot of people to golf and been a great role model for the game. If I am able to do half the things he’s done, I’d be very happy.”

He hasn’t, for example, even given a passing thought to matching Tiger’s Major tally. He just hopes to pick up one some day soon...

“To be honest, I’d just like to win one and see how it goes from there. I haven’t set a time limit. Some of the best players who ever lived haven’t won one. Colin Montgomerie hasn’t got one and he’s won eight Order of Merits and has been a great player for so many years.

“If I pick one up early that would be great, but I’m not expecting to win at Augusta.”

by kit alexander, kevin brownphotography by getty images

blockNew kids oN the

RoRy McIlRoyRElISHING HIS MEETING WITH TIGER...

090-93 New Kids LM.CDP.indd 27 9/3/09 15:04:33

090-93 New Kids LM.CDP.indd 28 9/3/09 15:04:48

116 TodaysGolfer.co.uk Issue 255

PRODUCT

Out of our test team, only Jon really took to the Bobby Jones. The others, especially the pro, thought the club suffered a little because of the thick grip, which didn’t help in the feel stakes. But Dave did note some impressive results out of the sand.

Dave loved the Nike VR wedge, and noted how easy it was to use. It inspired confidence, he reckoned.However, Chris wasn’t convinced by the look of it. Our pro Dan felt the club was a little light in his hands and that made him feel he was ‘forcing’ shots.

Ball speed: 76.0 Launch: 35.7 Spin: 6,808 Carry: 93 Looks: 3.0 Feel: 2.8 Control: 3.3 Sand: 3.0Rating: HHHHH

Ball speed: 81.9 Launch: 45.3° Spin: 6,143 Carry: 99 Looks: 3.8 Feel: 4.3 Control: 4.3 Sand: 3.6Rating: HHHHH

BoBBy Jones Pelz £99

nike VictoRy Red FoRged £95

Lofts (bounce): 52° (4), 56° (10), 56° (14), 60° (4), 60° (8), 64° (4) Contact 0845 456 5120 www.bobbyjoneseurope.com

Lofts (bounce): 52° (10), 54° (12), 56° (10), 56° (14), 58° (6), 58° (10), 60° (6), 60° (10) Contact 0800 056 1640 www.nikegolfeurope.com

This club split our testers’ opinions – Chris struggled with it out of the sand whereas Jon noted this aspect as its best quality. Our pro thought it looked a little chunky, but was pleasantly surprised with the decent levels of control and feel it offered.

All the team noted the size of the head i.e. it was pretty big! But Dave, Chris and Jon all found it terrific on all shot types. Dan felt it was great for game-improvers, but better players would dislike the beefy head. NB: this club generated the most spin for our pro.

Ball speed: 78.3 Launch: 37.8 Spin: 7,521 Carry: 97 Looks: 2.9 Feel: 3.1 Control: 3.4 Sand: 3.5Rating: HHHHH


snake eyes £109

Mizuno MX seRies £79

Lofts (bounce): 52° (8), 54° (10), 56° (14), 58° (10), 60° (8) Contact 01480 308800www.golfsmitheurope.co.uk

Lofts (bounce): 50° (7), 55° (12), 60° (8) Contact 0800 328 0180 www.mizunogolfeurope.com

All the details on who did the rating, how we scored it and where we did it

TesT lOwDOwn

Putting great wedges in your bag can shave shots off your game, there’s no doubt about it. The latest technologies help you impart more spin on the ball and have it dancing around the hole more than ever before. There are plenty to choose from... we just had to find out which were best.

HOw?We invited manufacturers to send in wedges in a variety of finishes, predominantly in 52°, 56° and 60° lofts (with various bounce options) for our team of testers to hit. The quartet hit the clubs from a variety of lies, and also out of sand – our pro also had his

stats measured using the ball-tracking system Flightscope. For these readings he used a 56˚ wedge and we took readings for ball speed, launch angle, spin and carry. The wedges were then rated out of five stars: for Looks, Feel, Control and Sand by the three amateur testers and our test pro.

wHeRe?We headed up to the PGA National Golf Academy at The Belfry to make use of its first-class facilities. For more information about club-fitting, or what The Belfry has to offer on and off the course, visit www.thebelfry.com or call 01675 477062.

MEET

THE TG

TESTERS

Dave Pratt

Amateur tester19 handicap

Chris Newnham

Amateur tester11 handicap

Dan Parkin

The Belfry professional

Jonathan Greathead

TG Equipment Editor

Eight handicap

115-122 Wedges test LM.CDP.indd 132 10/3/09 13:04:05

WEDGE TEST

Issue 255 TodaysGolfer.co.uk 117

There were two Mizuno wedges in our test, and this one didn’t feel as good as the R-Series to our testers. Despite liking the looks, the team wasn’t sure about the ‘responsiveness’ of the club. They felt it lacked a bit of finesse about it on those all-important touch shots.

A little like 1970s Manchester City favourite Franny Lee – not a great shape, but very effective! The CB features a big ugly sole, but getting the ball out of sand was a doddle for our quartet. A cracking club for those who struggle round the greens and in bunkers.



Mizuno MP-t £89

MD golf Seve CB £69.99

Lofts (bounce): 47° (5), 51° (6), 53° (8), 56° (10), 56° (14), 58° (10), 60° (5), 60° (8) Contact 0800 328 0180 www.mizunogolfeurope.com

Lofts (bounce): 52° (12), 56° (12), 60° (12) Contact 02894 460333www.mdgolf.co.uk

Wilson’s new wedge was one of the first we tested and it turned out to be a decent option. The guys liked the design on the back of the clubhead, but our Belfry pro reported a slight lack of feel. It comes with a nice black, anti-glare finish for an extra tenner.

Performed well out of the sand, and Chris reckoned this was the easiest wedge to use out of bunkers. But although our pro was suitably impressed with the looks, he wasn’t quite sure about it on ‘off-centre’ hits. Perhaps one for the better player.



WilSon Staff tW9 Satin £74.99

MD SuPeRStRong £49.99

Lofts (bounce): 48° (6), 50° (6), 52° (8), 54° (10), 56° (12), 58° (12), 60° (6) Contact 01294 316720 www.wilsonstaff.com

Lofts (bounce): 48° (3), 50° (4), 52° (6), 54° (6), 56° (10), 58° (9), 60° (8) Contact 02894 460333 www.mdgolf.co.uk

Dan, who achieved awesome spin with this wedge, liked everything about it. Both he and Dave thought it felt much softer and easier to control than the MP-T wedge. But Chris found distance control more unpredictable than others on test.

This wedge has been around for a while, but our testers thought it delivered the goods. Chris rated this as one of his three favourites in the test, while Dan loved the feel and the weighting. A real solid club from a top brand which continues to raise the bar.



Mizuno MP-R SeRieS £89

SRixon Wg-706 £89

Lofts (bounce): 52° (7), 54° (10), 56° (10), 56° (13), 58° (10), 60° (5), 60° (9) Contact 0800 328 0180 www.mizunogolfeurope.com

Lofts (bounce): 50° (8), 52° (8), 54° (12), 56° (8), 56° (12), 58° (8), 60° (8) Contact 01420 541709 www.srixon.co.uk

When it was sitting in the bag, this was universally admired, with the black finish being welcomed with big smiles. But when you address the ball, the face is gold, which made it off-putting. Still, performance-wise it was very respectable.

Cleveland usually make great wedges. This is another to add to their hall of fame. Jon loved the clean look of the CG12 while Chris commented that the way it sat behind the ball really added confidence. That said, Dan was a little concerned by a lack of feel.

Ball speed: 79.9 Launch: 36.8° Spin 5,329 Carry: 95 Looks: 3.3 Feel: 3.9 Control: 4.1 Sand: 3.5Rating: HHHHH

Ball speed: 79.7 Launch: 32.9° Spin: 6,319 Carry: 98 Looks: 4 Feel: 4.3 Control: 4.6 Sand: 3.5Rating: HHHHH

YeS! foRgeD MilleD £89

ClevelanD Cg12 £89

Lofts (bounce): 52° (8), 56° (12), 60° (12) (6), 60° (10) Contact 0845 601 5778www.yesgolf.co.uk

Lofts (bounce): 46° (8), 48° (8), 50° (10), 52° (10), 54° (8, 12 & 14), 54° (12 & 14), 56° (10, 14 & 16), 58° (8, 12 & 14), 60° (4, 10 & 14), 64° (10) Contact 01420 541709

Probably the least favourite in the hands of our pro – he found it unforgiving. But Chris, Jon and Dave both felt it was a solid option, especially with the adjustable weights. Tour Edge are known for their hybrids but this was quite a silky wedge offering.

This was the favourite Cleveland wedge, with Dave and Jon noting impressive levels of feel and control with the CG14. On the downside the bright yellow colour of the insert was disliked, with Chris noting that it ‘cheapened’ a quality product in his opinion.

Ball Speed 76.0 Launch 32.9° Spin 6,528 Carry 88 Looks: 3.6 Feel: 3.4 Control: 3.5 Sand: 4.0Rating: HHHHH


touR eDge exotiCS £99

ClevelanD Cg14 £89

Lofts (bounce): 48° (3), 50° (4), 52° (6), 56° (12), 58° (10), 60° (8) Contact 00353 419 839 955 www.touredge.com

Lofts (bounce): 46° (6), 48° (6), 52° (10), 54° (9 & 12), 56° (11 & 14), 58° (10 & 12), 60° (8 & 12) Contact 01420 541709, www.clevelandgolf.com

See more wedge reviews @ www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/wedges

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136-137 Courses South LM.CDP.indd 150 3/3/09 16:32:29

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tg magazine digital sampler | issue 255

Documents

best kit

club strikes

ball position

best decision

ballthendivot contact

pitch shots

right shoulder

standard pitch