Innehållsförteckning för September 2021 - Issue #388 från Golf Australia

The first week of the Olympic golf competition saw plenty of discussion and criticism around the format of the event – 72 holes of strokeplay, just like 99.9 percent of every other golf tournament played around the globe every week of the year. For someone who watches golf every week, another 72-hole strokeplay tournament doesn’t really get the juices flowing. In fact, it was only when there was a bronze medal on the line and seven players trying to win it that the men’s Olympic competition became totally enthralling. So, shouldn’t the Olympic golf competition, played every four years, offer an alternative way of determining the best players that week? The International Golf Federation (IGF) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) have a great opportunity to provide a more captivating competition…

International Presidents Cup Captain Trevor Immelmen has introduced a new qualification system for his team to compete in the 2022 matches at Quail Hollow in South Carolina. “Something that I thought was very important and I wanted to take a close look at in my captaincy was the qualification criteria for our 2022 International Team,” Immelman wrote in his blog for presidentscup.com. “We have to make sure that we have a system which could identify the players that are in the best form leading up to the Presidents Cup. “With that as a backdrop, we have revamped the qualification system for the International Team to ensure we have the best 12 players onsite at Quail Hollow.” The qualification period began with the 2021 Open Championship and will continue through to…

Everybody loves an underdog, especially when they prevail in an unlikely victory …just like Francis Ouimet. Here is our list of the top-10 biggest upsets. 10. UNITED STATES 1999 RYDER CUP The 33rd Ryder Cup matches looked certain to go to Europe at Brookline, despite the America’s early favouritism. The Europeans dominated the first two days, establishing a 10-6 lead heading into the singles, meaning they needed to win only four of a possible 12 points on Sunday to retain the Ryder Cup. The U.S won the first six matches in the singles to swing the momentum in favour of the Americans, who won the Cup back. 9. AARON BADDELEY 1999 AUSTRALIAN OPEN Aged 18 years, eight months and 11 days and just three weeks after sitting his high school…

Yes, we’re getting there. Definite and demonstrable progress is being made. But much work remains to be done. Old, in-grained attitudes still require change. So do misguided club cultures, the “traditions” that make too many clubs unwelcoming and forbidding environments for anyone not middle-aged, grey-haired and male. And the sneering misogyny that has pervaded too much of golf for too long? Going forward, such cases must be treated with zero tolerance, the culprits banished forever from the greatest game. Tees, by way of example, must never be identified through the use of gender labels. The phrase “women’s tees” must be banished forever to the dustbin of history. In passing, that hopefully soon-to-be extinct description does have an inadvertent but potentially significant role to play in golf’s on-going battle with slow…

8th in driver distance (312.8 yards), PGA Tour 2021 His driver TaylorMade SIM2 + MOVE THROUGH THE GEARS For someone who carries the ball well over 300 yards, DJ has almost no ‘hit’ in his swing. There is no aggressive change of tempo at any point, so much as a smooth acceleration. Sure, DJ has long levers and a natural advantage, but here is a great lesson for anyone looking to hit the ball further. Think of it like a car moving off from standstill. Don’t be the yob who spins the wheels; instead, move through the gears smoothly, ramping up the speed gradually and steadily. + TRAIL PALM FACES SKY Swing back with just one thought – to feel the palm of your trail hand (right for the right-hander)…

1st in Strokes Gained Approach The Green, PGA Tour 2021 His irons TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-9), P730 (PW) + BELT BUCKLE AND HANDLE WORK TOGETHER To be a consistently solid ballstriker, you need the contribution of your body and arms to match up and work together. One effective way to achieve this is to picture your belt buckle and the grip of your club are connected and that they move through impact as a unit, the body rotating as the hands drive forward. Try this slowly at first, then build the speed as your confidence increases. + TRY THE HOCKEY-STICK DRILL You cannot get this kind of dynamism and compression through the hands and arms alone; Collin is effectively thrusting his body to move the club through impact. To…

29th in putts per GIR (1.787), LPGA Tour 2021 Her ball + putter TaylorMade TP5; Scotty Cameron + FOCUS ON THE FINISH One admirable trait of Charley’s putting is the way she accelerates confidently through the ball – in stark contrast to the often-hesitant amateur strike. For a great way to make your strike more assertive, remind yourself that the stroke doesn’t end at the ball; it ends at the finish of the throughstroke. Hit a series of putts focusing on that end point, and holding the finish. It will help give you the feeling of the ball ‘getting in the way’ of the putter, and train a smoother, more purposeful strike. + MAKE AN UP-TEMPO PRACTICE STROKE For many club players the practice stroke can actually make things worse.…

Do you find it difficult to control your chip shots so they finish close to the hole? Chances are you are too focused on the hole and not where you should be landing the ball with your chip shot. To get better control on your greenside shots, pick a target between you and the hole based on the slope, as well as the speed and firmness of the putting surface. Once you have chosen your landing spot, select the best club for the amount of loft and roll you want. Once you have the correct club in your hand be sure to keep focusing and staring down your landing spot. It’s easy to lose focus here and start thinking too much about the pin. If you can keep focused on…

There is no question higher lofted fairway woods have seen an increase in popularity, but there remains a great number of hybrids and even more utilities in the bags of the world’s best. And just because your favourite pro doesn’t carry a hybrid doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Hybrids have typically been more popular with the recreational golfer because of the benefits created by the design concepts in the category. Lie angles that are typically more upright are one of the reasons golfers find hybrids easier to hit than an equivalent long iron, as the face will close more easily. The sole designs are also beneficial when playing from the rough. Wider than an iron yet thinner than a fairway wood, hybrids neither dig nor slide when the ball is sitting…

SUITABILITY: Srixon states that the Z-Star range are designed for better players. Z-Star offers softer feel and more greenside spin, while the Z-Star XV is longer off the tee and produces a higher flight. SRIXON SAYS: The seventh-generation Z-STAR features a 0.6mm cover that is thicker than previous generations for enhanced spin and control around the greens. When paired with the revolutionary ‘FastLayer Core’ that dramatically increases ball speed to deliver maximum distance, the new generation offers unparalleled feel. For 2021, the new Z-STAR XV features a reformulated inner core for heightened resilience, leading to improved ball speed and distance without sacrificing feel. This allows players to push their distance to the limit and take advantage of high levels of greenside control. Both of the new Z-STAR Series golf balls…

WIN TEAM APPAREL FOR YOUR CLUB worth $12,000 Looking the part can be a big boost to achieving success on the golf course. Wearing stylish, perfectly fitting and practical golf apparel can be the difference between feeling good and feeling great. With this in mind, Golf Australia magazine has teamed with Australia’s No.1 golf apparel brand, Sporte Leisure, to provide one lucky club with $12,000 worth of apparel to dress their representative teams for success in 2022. Since commencing operations in 1991, Sporte Leisure has remained committed to being the No.1 supplier of quality and value for money golf apparel, whilst aiming to maintain its influence as a creator of lifestyle inspired product for both men and women. Nominations close on September 16 with the winning club drawn and notified on…

VOTE & WIN CALLAWAY GEAR WORTH $5,400 Vote for your favourite Australian courses and you will be in the running to be kitted out like a Callaway Golf staff professional with all new 2021 custom-fitted Apex 21 irons, Epic Speed driver and fairway wood, Apex 21 hybrid, JAWS MD5 wedges and an Odyssey Triple Track putter. THE CALLAWAY PRIZE PACK INCLUDES • Callaway Epic Speed driver• Callaway Epic Speed fairway wood• Apex 21 irons (8)• Apex 21 hybrid (1)• JAWS Mack Daddy 5 wedges (2)• Odyssey Triple Track putter• Forrester Cart bag Cast you vote NOW on our website www.golfaustralia.com.au/win…

ARROWTOWN GC Arrowtown, South Island, NZ Arrowtown blends beautifully with its setting, the surrounding rugged peaks and sheer cliff faces of Crown Range and The Remarkables, There are no bunkers on this course … it doesn’t need them because its equivalent hazard are rocks. Big rocks, small rocks and schist outcrops that have been wonderfully incorporated into the design of many holes are what make this layout extraordinary. Apart from the quirky and cool holes on the course, we suggest you visit in autumn when the maple, oak and cherry tree-covered landscape turns various shades of orange, yellow, red and brown. BARNBOUGLE DUNES Bridport, Tasmania Barnbougle Dunes put Tasmania on the international golfing map when it opened for play in 2004. Designed by Tom Doak in collaboration with Mike Clayton,…

T6 in driver distance (313.3 yards), PGA Tour 2021 His driver TaylorMade SIM2 + FIND THE SLOT Just as Matt shows there is room for interpretation at the top of the backswing, he also demonstrates that when it comes to the delivery position – halfway into the downswing – there is not. At this point (lead arm horizontal), every elite golfer has the club in a similar position and angle, where a tee peg sticking out of the butt would point down at a rear extension of the ball-target line. If you don’t have a coach, work on this by using your phone to video your swing. Look for the club bisecting your trail bicep; it’s a good indication you have the club on plane… and on the angle it…

11th in Strokes Gained: Tee to green (1.293), PGA Tour 2021 His driver + irons TaylorMade SIM2; P·7MB + SWING AT THE SPEED YOU CAN MANAGE Rory’s trademark is probably the perfectly held followthrough we can all picture. It is scarcely believable that his finish is so poised and elegant after the fury that has gone on before: averaging well over 300 yards, Rory is definitely in the power hitter category. This is in itself a lesson. Rory gives it a ride, but his power and aggression never come at the expense of balance, or the integrity of his swing shape. Only swing at a speed you can control… and hold your finish for six seconds – until the ball lands – to prove to yourself you have done that.…

Peter Thomson had a golf swing that seemed almost tailor-made to the links courses of Great Britain. Hence, he was able to win five Open Championships in his incredible career. Thomson possessed a swing with a stock shot that had a lower-than-normal trajectory and was shaped with a right-to-left draw. The lower trajectory obviously helped in windy conditions and the draw shape added distance to his hitting on the firm fairways of links courses. This is also probably a reason why he never achieved greater success in America where the game was dominated by high ball hitters who didn’t rely on the ball running for driving distance. Thomson’s lower trajectory was a by-product of his shallow decent into the ball, especially with the longer clubs, and his ability to ‘trap’…

Ieally, most golfers would play in warm conditions, bathed in sunshine each and every time. But that simply isn’t true, so preparing for less than perfect weather is imperative. Sporte Leisure, the Australian owned clothing manufacturer golfers have trusted for decades, has produced its latest line of rain gear to keep you dry, while not negatively affecting performance. The Extreme-Tec jacket is offered in men’s and women’s options, a short sleeve jacket for men, as well as rain pants for both men and women. All five of the styles are made from the company’s Extreme-Tec fabric to not only keep golfers dry, but also maintain freedom of movement to swing with confidence and unhindered. The line is 100 percent waterproof and windproof for those nasty weather days, with the design…

Titleist recently announced its newest products in the utility iron space, in the form of the U•505 and T200 long irons. The U•505 combines the best of the U•500 and U•510 models in a wide sole utility iron offering high launch and greater, more consistent distance, with a shorter blade length and shallower face. A thinner forged L-Face and ‘Max Impact 2.0’ technology achieve the highest COR measurements in a Titleist utility, while the hollow body design contains a polymer core for distance and feel, as well as denser tungsten weights which are optimally placed using a brazing process from the aerospace industry. Part of the new T-Series iron line, the T200 is offered as a specific long iron replacement that blends perfectly with the iron sets of better players.…

If I delve back into my memory banks, between the ages of 18 and 24 is when I improved the most as a golfer. That was the time when I moved into playing elite amateur events all over the world, then progressed even further when I entered the professional ranks. There is no teacher in golf who could have beaten the experience I got from competing in bigger and bigger tournaments against better and better players. That’s where the fastest learning comes from, trying to beat guys who are better than you are. The opportunities to gauge myself against others increased during that period too. As an amateur, it was probably about ten times a year. Then, as a professional I was teeing-up against the strongest competition maybe 30 times…

24th in GIR (71.39%), European Tour 2021 His irons TaylorMade P·7TF + BUTT IN STOMACH Push the butt of your iron into your stomach, just above the belt buckle. From here, make quarter-swings back and through, no more than eight o’clock to four o’clock. This helps you match up your arm and body motion and trains the feeling of the body as the engine of the swing. It also helps you experience constant face rotation; the face opens and closes with the motion of the body, square to the swing’s arc. + MAKE SAWN-OFF SWINGS Swing back so your hands are opposite your trail shoulder at the top of the backswing, and opposite your lead shoulder at the completion of the follow-through. This curtailed swing engages the body and reins…

3rd in approaches 50-75 yards, (9ft 1in), PGA Tour 2018 His wedges TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 (56, 60) + SHAFT LEAN You can play short game shots with the handle forward of the head, behind the head, or slightly forward as the club is designed. Spend time experimenting with this and you will gain a feel for how the forward position delays impact and delofts the face, while the backward position encourages early release and plenty of loft. As you practise, consider the types of shots and lies these different handle and shaft positions might suit. + WEIGHT/BALL POSITION Here again you have so many options. Ball back/weight forward promotes a descending attack and a more driven flight, ball forward/weight back a softer, more floating shot. But what about ball…

There has never been a greater depth of talent in world golf as there is today, and many of the game’s rising stars share similarities in swing characteristics based on the players they watched growing up. And then, there are golfers like Shane Lowry who, for the most part, possesses a self-taught natural swing that he has worked hard at shaving the rough edges off to make it work best for him. The 2019 Open Champion’s swing is free-flowing … some might even say it’s a bit loose. But it works and in recent years he has refined it enough to add distance to his drives and consistency to his iron play. Combined with one of the best short games in the world, and you have a player ready to…

A well-spaced equipment setup has arguably never been more important in the game as equipment companies continue to innovate and distance gains are made with almost every club. Balancing the right number of wedges with the correct top end of the bag is crucial. And hybrids and utility irons play a key role, but are also highly important role players in the cast of 14 clubs allowed under the rules of golf. Versatile from the tee, fairway and rough, with options designed for power, forgiveness, or accuracy, varying looks and styles, they’re far more than just a bridge from longest iron to most lofted fairway wood. Here, we showcase the best hybrid and utility options now on the market. CALLAWAY APEX & APEX PRO Callaway’s premium Apex line is well…

Cost: $59.95 (dozen). Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Deputy Editor. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I have played every Srixon premium model since the days before the Z-Star range and always enjoyed the golf balls, although the two offerings have at times been too far apart in some areas of performance. After learning about the improvements to the Z-Star range I was excited to try the new models, and the performance was exactly as described. Something that is always a major plus in the golf ball space. HOW THEY PERFORMED: Starting with the putter to get an early gauge of feel and given the Z-Star XV, a notoriously firmer feeling ball in the ‘X’ market, had apparently been softened I was pleasantly surprised to find this was true when rolling a few…

Alyssa Healy has led a life surrounded by sport, so it’s no surprise she has caught the golf bug. Here, Healy talks about playing golf with husband and fellow Test cricketer Mitchell Starc and her friendship with Karrie Webb ahead of the Australian team’s series with India this month. What is the thing about golf for Alyssa Healy? I’m not quite sure. I don’t think I have ever quite put my finger on what makes me turn up every day and hit it out-ofbounds off the 1st. But I’m just naturally a really competitive person and to give myself some downtime away from cricket, I got right into golf. And it is still a bit competitive, probably more so with myself than anyone else. How did you get started? Funnily…