Innehållsförteckning för December 2020 från Golf Australia

Unless you live in the social media world of golf equipment nerds like I do you might not be unaware of the revolution happening in the game. It’s retro golf. People from all across the globe are dusting off their old clubs or scouring the likes of ebay and gumtree looking for vintage clubs and balls to buy. It’s all in the name of stepping back in time to play the game of our youth or generations past – to experience the sound of a solid drive with a persimmon wood, to roll a putt with a skinny-headed Bullseye putter or feel the softness of a well-struck balata. It’s all very romantic. I confess I too have been seduced into this retro golf world. There are some out there who…

Picture the scene. In weather that was a wee bit windy and damp (okay, it was blowing a gale and the rain was coming down sideways) Tommy Fleetwood is on the par-3 14th tee at the Renaissance Club during the third round of the recent Scottish Open. One day later, the 30-year old Englishman would lose to Aaron Rai at the first hole of their sudden-death play-off.To do so, Fleetwood missed from not much more than three-feet, badly pulling his putt to the point where his feeble effort did not even touch the edge of the cup. Still, such miserable failure was in complete contrast to the shot this consummate ball-striker conjured up off that 14th tee. But let’s allow Fleetwood to start the story properly. “(Caddie) Ian (Finnis) gave…

Set up like a goalie Even now, I spend a lot of time checking my posture and alignment because my swing won’t function properly without a solid base. Amateurs tend to neglect the basics and they often end up compensating for a set-up fault with a swing fault. I see a lot of people stand too far back on their heels. This not only affects swing path and balance, but also consistency of strike. Very rarely do I see an amateur on the balls of their feet, ready to go. I liken it to a goalkeeper ready to save a penalty because you have to move quickly both ways. Try this drill. Stand tall and with your legs straight, place a club across your hips. As you push your hips…

YOU’VE GOT TO ENJOY THE LIFE Where has the time gone? They say that time flies when you’re having fun… and that’s very true.I’ve been living the dream. When I first set out, I didn’t really imagine I’d be playing golf for a living, playing the best courses in the world and getting to travel the world, it’s brilliant. How do I keep going? I love playing and competing. You do see people who don’t enjoy it anymore and it’s a grind for them. Golf is hard enough when you enjoy it! COMMITMENT IS KEY When I was first on tour, I played with the likes of Greg Norman and Nick Price. They both told me you have to try 100 percent, but not give a sh*t about the outcome.…

SUITABILITY: With lofts ranging from 46° to 62°, three sole grind options as well as three finishes to choose from there is an RTX ZipCore for every golfer. SHAFTS: RTX ZipCore wedges come with Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner Tour Issue shafts as standard. CLEVELAND SAYS: RTX ZipCore is both radically new and ultra-familiar. On the inside, its new core has unlocked design freedoms pushing the performance beyond any wedge in Cleveland Golf’s history. Yet on the outside, the sleek yet traditional design is familiar and inspires confidence at address. The foundation of RTX ZipCore is a unique, low-density core that sits at the heart of the wedge. This ‘ZipCore’ makes you better by shifting the centre of gravity, while also boosting High-Low moment of inertia (MOI) for more stability high…

Cost: $32.95.Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Deputy Editor (GA Handicap 9.4) FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Starting my testing on and around the greens with the latest Srixon Soft Feel, my first takeaway was, perhaps unsurprisingly, soft. The feel off the clubface with the wedges and putter was exactly as the name suggests. As I worked my way into the longer clubs, a slightly more solid yet soft feel was noticeable, while the high, low spin and straight flight was exactly what the golfer this ball is aimed at would like to see. The thick, black alignment line on the side of the ball was also a nice touch. HOW IT PERFORMED: The feel of the 12th generation Soft Feel continued to impress throughout various testing sessions, which came as no surprise…

LOCATION: Clifford Close, Mollymook, NSW. CONTACT: (02) 4454 1912; (02) 4455 2055 (pro shop). WEBSITE: www.mollymookgolf.com.au DESIGNER: Bill Andriske & Ken McKay Snr (1977). PLAYING SURFACES: Kikuyu (fairways), bentgrass (greens). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Mark Pullinger. PGA PROFESSIONALS: Barry West (Golf manager), Mario van Zyl (head professional), Brad Wall (teaching professional), Nick Heath (trainee professional). GREEN FEES: Visitors $59 (weekdays, 18 holes), $69 (weekends); Member’s guests $30 (weekdays) and $40 (weekends). Bookings essential. MEMBERSHIP: Mollymook has moved to become a club promoting gender equality, and its membership categories now reflect this. Full golf membership – covering seven-day access to both the Hilltop and Beachside Courses as well as entry into all competitions – is $1,090. There is also a Weekday Membership category, for $845, which provides the same course and competition access…

I love the way Tyrrell Hatton plays golf. He’s fun to watch. He has a lot of talent. But what makes him most enjoyable is his temper. Like so many Tour players I know, Tyrrell has a short fuse. But the great thing about him is that he doesn’t try to hide that aspect of his character. It’s a fact that maybe 90 percent of the players you watch on television every week have a tipping point when it comes to temper. There are a few who seem to be immune to frustration – Dustin Johnson is a classic example – but they are the outliers. Most people reach a stage where they have to let it all out. And Tyrrell’s is pretty early on that spectrum. That hardly makes…

Let the bounce be your friend Duffed chips usually stem from panicking and letting the hands lead too much. The club should arrive at impact in the same position as at set-up. If you start driving the hands forward as you come into the ball, you will lose all the bounce at the bottom of the club. The bounce is your friend and stops the clubhead from digging into the turf. Stand a bit closer and address the ball with the heel up. That helps to take the club straight back and straight through. You don’t want any clubhead rotation. Treat the shot like a putt and limit the amount of wrist movement during the swing so you can retain the angles you’ve preset at the start. If you’ve got…

Don’t be afraid to change your putting technique I didn’t putt very well last year so I’m giving the claw grip a try. I’m not sure if I’ll stick with it, but it does help me to release the putter down the line a bit more. Place the grip in the lifeline of the left hand, with the left index finger pointing down the shaft. I like my shoulders pulled back from my scaps (scapulae) to try to lock my arms into my side more. Using a pincer motion with the thumb and index finger, place the right hand on the side of the handle so the thumb sits underneath. I rest my right index, middle and fourth fingers on the handle, but it doesn’t really matter how many fingers…

The bizarre year of 2020 is drawing to a close. In a year of uncertainty, two things remain sure. Christmas is around the corner and golfers like nothing more than a gift related to the game they love. So, whether you’re filling out your own list, shopping for the equipment lover or fashion devotee in your life, or even looking to browse all the latest and greatest products and gadgets to see what catches your eye, we have you covered over the next 20-plus pages, including the biggest names in the game. ALL NEW TSI2 DRIVER – PURE DISTANCE For players seeking incredible speed and accuracy across the entire surface of the face. Features a deeper, lower centre of gravity (CG) to maximise distance through ‘Speed Optimised’ MOI design. Head…

Cost: $829.99. Tested by: Stephen Hughes, Golf Australia reader (GA Handicap 20) MODEL PLAYED: Big Bertha B21 with 10.5° loft, fitted with Callaway RCH 55 Regular shaft. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Having read about the B21 range I was excited to get a chance to test the full set of clubs over the course of a few rounds and driving range sessions, with the driver the first club to report back on and the club that made the biggest impression on me. Taking the clubs straight to the range at my club and hitting off my less preferred grass than mats, the driver was really easy to hit straight away, whereas I took some time getting used to the rest of the clubs. It looks really good. Whereas some super game improvement…

SUITABILITY: Designed for golfers seeking distance combined with soft feel. SRIXON SAYS: Building upon Srixon’s continued success in the golf ball market – with more than 30 percent growth in market share year-to-date versus last year – the new Soft Feel offerings are available now around Australia. Srixon has been innovating the Soft Feel for over 20 years now with a ball that truly defines soft feel. “This is our 12th generation Soft Feel golf ball, putting us at the forefront of the low compression distance ball category,” Marketing Director at Srixon Brian Schielke said. “With this new model, we’re excited to give golfers our longest Soft Feel to date, in a ball that maintains the signature feel golfers expect from a Soft Feel.” The all-new Soft Feel features Srixon’s…

1 Extend your left leg into a lunge position and place your right palm on the floor. This stretches the glute on one side and hip flexor on the other. Using your opposite arm, push your elbow into the side of your knee to stretch the adductor. 2 Maintaining the same position, stretch the thoracic region by turning your left shoulder and reach up with the left hand pointing towards the ceiling. Hold the position and then repeat for five reps. 3 Finally, rock back onto the heel of your front foot and into a hamstring stretch, with your fingertips just touching the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat each stage using the opposite leg.…

LOCATION: Dent Island, Whitsunday Passage. CONTACT: (07) 4948 9760. WEBSITE: www.hamiltonislandgolfclub.com.au DESIGNERS: Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett (2009). PLAYING SURFACES: Bermuda TifEagle (greens), Greenlees Park couch (fairways, tees and rough). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Brad Hole. GREEN FEES: $160 (18 holes, including ferry transfers from Hamilton Island and GPS-fitted electric golf cart). Club hire: $45 per person. FACILITIES: The stunning clubhouse offers views of Passage Peak, the Coral Sea and surrounding islands. As well as a bar and outstanding restaurant, there’s also a well-stocked Pro Shop and locker rooms. ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES: Hamilton Island has a large range of accommodation options available from premium luxury through to affordable island bungalows. The club is offering a Golf Getaway Package including three nights’ accommodation, daily breakfast as well as a round of golf starting from…

If you are a regular reader of Golf Australia magazine the name Vern Morcom will be a familiar one to you. Vern was the son of Mick, the Royal Melbourne Golf Club greenkeeper who famously brought to life Dr Alister MacKenzie’s design and vision of the West Course. After his visit to Australia in 1926, MacKenzie wrote: “The RMGC have the good fortune to have the nest greenkeeper I have come across in Britain, America or Australia – a man named Morcom.” During his brief visit, MacKenzie would walk the site accompanied by design partner Alex Russell, Mick and a young Vern Morcom, who was keen to learn MacKenzie’s methods. It was Vern, armed with pencil and paper, who would illustrate the doctor’s course plans. Vern started working with his…

Lee Westwood claimed his first European title, the Volvo Scandinavian Masters, in 1996, earning the best part of £150,000 in the process. Earlier this year, Westwood lifted the Abu Dhabi HSBC trophy and pocketed $1.2 million for his efforts. Needless to say, much has changed in the game during the 25 years the popular Englishman has been pounding the fairways of the world’s professional Tours. In an exclusive interview with John Huggan, he reflects on the highs and lows of a career that just keeps on delivering. Let’s start bang up-to-date. How did you cope with the long lay-off and what did you do with yourself? I coped fine, to be honest. None of my family caught the virus. So we achieved that goal. I was working out and training…

My best drill for rhythm Amateurs don’t experiment enough on the range. They just stand there and hit balls. They think that’s how you can get better, but it’s not productive practice. Every time I go to the range, I work on something. When I’m struggling, for example, the one drill I always go back to is hitting balls with my feet together. I use it to help me stay centred and turn more from the core. If you fail to keep the lower body stable, you’ll lose balance, rhythm and power. This will force you to slow the movement down so you can get a better feel for how the arms and body need to work in unison. It’s easy to just concentrate on the top half and forget…

Swing within yourself and don’t take on the pin I hit my 7-iron 178 yards. If the pin is 181 yards and three from the back edge, I would hit a hard 7-iron knowing that, max, I’m going to hit it 181 or 182. It’s not going to reach the back edge, unlike if I went with a 6-iron which goes 191. I could hit it smooth, but it could still go through the back. That’s course management: Looking where the trouble is, playing away from it, and clubbing accordingly. A lot of amateurs are 15-handicappers instead of 8-handicappers because they miss in the wrong spots. I rarely aim at the flag during a tournament. Most of the time, I play towards a safe part of the green. If I’ve…

You’ve been based in Spain since 2012. What took you there in the first place? The weather. I’d been living in London, then Switzerland, so I was sick of the cold weather. I had two options: Spain or Portugal. And I went for Spain. I’m in the Marbella area. To be honest, back then I was on the verge of retiring from playing. I found a great place for my golf academy, which gave me a nice platform to pass on my experiences to young players. I just wanted to give back a bit to the game that has given me so much. And it’s been going well since then. Jack Nicklaus planted that seed in me. Not long after I won the US Open, he gave me some advice.…

Cost: $209. Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Deputy Editor (GA Handicap 9.4) MODELS PLAYED: Cleveland RTX ZipCore, fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Spinner shafts. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Straight out of the box I liked the look of the new RTX ZipCore that, for mine, hark back to the days of Cleveland’s classic 588 range of wedges in terms of appearance. In the best possible way. The shape is compact and classic, and as a frequent user of Cleveland wedges in the past, I really enjoyed the look both at address and on the back of the new model. Off the face with my first few shots, the work of the new grooves was noticeable, with plenty of spin on every variety of shot, while the feel is…

SUITABILITY: Designed for players who struggle with a slice, the Big Bertha B21 will suit golfers looking for distance and to reduce the big miss off the tee. LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: The 9° and 10.5° models are offered in left-handed, while the 12.5° is available in right-hand only, with all heads featuring adjustable loft sleeves. CALLAWAY SAYS: The Big Bertha B21 driver is built for golfers who want to hit their drives further, and straighter so that their ball finds the fairway. It’s especially suited for players who hit a slice or struggle to find a consistent ball flight, with advanced technologies that make this driver really long, forgiving, and easy to hit. What’s truly extraordinary ... it’s Callaway’s first driver with the unique combination of high launch, low spin and…

THE Full suing ADAM SCOTT The Genesis Invitational (PGA Tour) WHY GOOD POSTURE IS VITAL Really it is no secret. If you can maintain good posture from your original address position, into the takeaway and then through the transition into the downswing and into impact, you will have a powerful golf swing. It’s as simple as that. Adam Scott boasts the posture alignment every golfer should try and copy and it is the foundation of his long and accurate ball-striking. Your ideal postural alignment at address can be seen if you imagine there is a vertical line that starts at the back of your shoulders, continues down across the front of your knees and through the middle of your shoes. Anything that varies away from this posture does not create…

Fact YOU NEED EIGHT HOURS SLEEP A DAY One of the best things you can do for health and wellbeing, in general, is to sleep like a champion. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to win the BMW PGA or if you’re looking to succeed in business or be at your best all of the time. You’re going to be more successful and function better if you have slept for eight hours compared to five. You are actually four and a half times more likely to get ill if you’ve slept five hours on average compared to eight; you’re 1.7 times more likely to get injured if you’ve slept five hours compared to eight. Fiction A TIPPLE THE NIGHT BEFORE CAN CALM YOUR NERVES ON THE FIRST TEE AM: There’s…