Innehållsförteckning för March 2016 från Golf Digest

I’ve become addicted to music on the golf course. I want to invite Bob Marley to play in my member-guest. What’s that? OK, I’ll take Jimmy Buffett, because I know he’s alive—I just bought his album “Live at Fenway Park.” The trouble with live concerts is too much talking and not enough music; Jimmy keeps interrupting the swing. My daughters tell me that buying music on iTunes is so Old School of me. I immediately sign up for Spotify. No Taylor Swift? So I search “golf and reggae,” and right at the top of the first page is a playlist put together by somebody named Pete Finch: “Reggae Songs That Sound Like They Might Be About Golf.” It’s got all the classics like “Swing & Dine,” “Scratch Walking,” “Rougher than…

Being an effective long putter is about having good feel. The mistake many amateurs make is thinking they have to hit these putts harder. Any time you increase effort, you sacrifice feel, which is your ability to judge distance. What you want is a stroke that looks rhythmical and almost effortless. Follow these steps for better long putting. David Leadbetter is a Golf Digest Teaching Professional. 1. GET TALLER AT ADDRESS Forget those old photographs of Nicklaus and Palmer hunched over the ball on the greens. To accommodate a longer putting stroke, it’s easier if you stand taller with very little bend at the hips. 2. CHECK YOUR PRESSURE Lighten your grip until you feel virtually no tension in your arms and shoulders. Your goal should be to make a…

What do you do if your ball is against the rough collar? ▶ Putt it ▶ Belly a wedge ▶ Use a hybrid ▶ Toe in my putter SOURCE: GOLF DIGEST R EADERS When I see golfers in this situation, with the ball against the rough collar, they’re usually trying to create some crazy shot. They’ll play the ball back and chop it, or try to bump it with a 3–wood. Those things can work, but you never practice them. Instead, do something you do every hole: Putt it. Well, not exactly. You’re going to make a putting stroke using your sand wedge. With its heavy sole, the sand wedge will slide through the rough without getting stuck. Take your normal putting grip and stance—remember, everything about this is a…

INTERVIEWED IN HIS RANGE ROVER WHILE DRIVING TO A MEETING “SOMEWHERE” IN LOS ANGELES YOU DESIGN AND SELL CLOTHES WITH THE WORD “GOLF” EMBLAZONED ON THEM, BUT YOU TOLD BILLBOARD MAGAZINE IN 2014 THAT IT’S YOUR LEAST-FAVORITE SPORT. ARE WE STILL AT THE BOTTOM? Overall, I don’t really like sports. I was never like the really masculine sports boy growing up. But because of my clothes, people always ask me, “Do you like golf?” It made me realize, if I would play any sport, golf would be the one. WHAT’S YOUR FASCINATION WITH THE WORD “GOLF”? Me and my friends call each other the Wolf Gang. One day I just switched the first letters. When the word “Golf” is simmered on something at a perfect size, it just looks really…

▶Consider this: Golfers with great long games tend to be weaker around the greens, and those with terrific short games often struggle with ball-striking. Why? Because a full swing and a chip or pitch are fundamentally opposite motions, yet many of us approach them the same way. The fix begins with understanding “kinematic sequence.” Simply put, the sequence of motion for a short-game shot should be the reverse of a full swing. On big swings, the lower body leads the downswing; in the short game, the clubhead initiates the first move to the ball. Here’s what you need to know to get good at both. FULL SWING ▶ In most athletic motions, energy courses through the body like a whip. Say you’re throwing a punch. You plant your lead foot…

IN CASE the upcoming 45 equipment pages don’t work you into a frenzy, we might point out there are golfers who don’t have to pay for the clubs featured on our Hot List. Who are these lucky folk? Well, they’re not all tour players. And to rankle you more, it’s their freebies that drive up the cost for the rest of us, if just a skosh. As with any product, companies must recoup the costs of manufacturing and research and development, but also marketing. That’s the way the world works, bub, so save your crying. As the wisdom goes at the 19th hole, get better. ▶ How good you gotta be for free? Where talent meets favoritism is an ever-changing hole location, but let’s just say there’s complimentary gear out…

IF YOU START TALKING swing positions to me, I’m probably going to zone out, because that’s not how I play golf. I respect the technical approach to driving the ball a long way, but my swing is about flexibility and rhythm—and letting good things happen from there. This simpler mind-set is working for me. At my win in Malaysia last fall, I reached every par 5 in two (if you count landing in a few greenside bunkers as “reaching”), and I hit a ton of wedges into the par 4s. Over the weekend, I deliberately avoided getting mechanical, because I knew that would get me uptight and make my swing worse. I relied on a handful of non-technical swing keys. It’s like placing a plane on auto-pilot: You still have…

Troy Merritt might be the winningest player in pro golf, but he has only one PGA Tour victory. As an amateur Merritt won more than 100 tournaments, including 21 in college—and five straight his senior year at Boise State. He even won the PGA Tour Qualifying School in 2009, and before that the 2009 Mexico Open in only his 12th start on the Web.com Tour. So what happened after he made it to the PGA Tour in 2010? He went 95 tournaments without hoisting a trophy. “I lost my way for a while,” Merritt says. “I needed to eliminate the big miss to the right. That happens when I get too fast starting down.” Last summer he’d missed five consecutive cuts coming into the Quicken Loans National, where he made…

▶ BRACKENRIDGE PARK GOLF COURSE SAN ANTONIO YOU CAN ENJOY a round here without giving a hoot about history, but an appreciation of “Old Brack” heightens the experience. One of architect A.W. Tillinghast’s earliest designs (1915), it hosted the Texas Open from 1922-’59, a cream puff to be sure (Jug McSpaden once shot a 12-under-par 59), but with seven water holes, it can be a challenge. Highway expansion in 1968 chopped off 10 acres and one hole, so the back nine was reversed and rebuilt by Verne Schmidt, who also ripped out the rubber-tee mats used by Hagen, Hogan, Nelson and Snead and installed grass. By the 1980s the course had devolved into a scruffy muny, but architect John Colligan revived it in 2008. He returned the back nine to…

1 GREYSON SHIRT, $95, PANTS, $130 ▶ The bold graphics and patterns in Greyson’s line are the product of Charlie Schaefer, formerly with Ralph Lauren. Schaefer is known for blending technical fabrics into unique designs. Available this spring, the line will be worn by Morgan Hoffmann of the PGA Tour. 2&3 G/FORE SHIRT, $125 DEVEREUX SHORTS, $88 ▶ Known for colorful gloves and shoes, G/FORE has extended that approach to its new men’s and women’s collections. Notice how this shirt can be worn over his shorts? That’s the ultimate in versatility. Devereux’s shorts, part of a new collection worn by the PGA Tour’s Danny Lee, also bring a contemporary attitude. 4 PING JACKET, $260 ▶ Emphasizing a commitment to quality, Ping is designing its own clothes for 2016. Among its…

on Jan. 5, 2016, at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach. ● IT’S THE AGE OF THE POSSE. Close-knit circles of trust that are almost like support groups. Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson are the ultimate posse on the PGA Tour, though there are a couple of others. On the Champions Tour, there’s the posse of Brad Faxon, Jeff Sluman and Jay Haas. I’m not a long-term posse guy. I’ll hang around with a group of guys for a while, then start fresh with a whole new crew. People do get tired of each other. After I’ve been home for a few weeks [wife] Brittany will say, “Don’t you have somewhere to go?” ● I CAN’T SAY I’M A FAN of the task…

Jim Hollister was almost ready to toss it all and go fishing. After two years of losing golf balls in more directions than there are on a scavenger hunt, he reasoned anything would make more sense than playing another round of golf. But Hollister is no quitter. So he made the 450-mile drive from his home in Idaho to Oregon’s RedTail Golf Center, a Golf Digest 100 Best Clubfitter. Why make the journey? Because when you’re 6-foot-4 and left-handed and live in Idaho, sometimes the search for a better game doesn’t start at home. What Hollister found within minutes of a two-hour fitting session is that the golf clubs he had been using for the past two years were fighting him. It wasn’t the game that was difficult, it was…

Like any demo day you’ve attended, the Hot List Summit always buzzes when the drivers come out. But to get the most from your testing experience, you need to exhibit a little self-control, say our panelists, who’ve hit dozens of new drivers in search of the perfect one. “It feels a little like speed dating,” said one of our longtime testers. “Some might be easy on the eyes but lack personality.” Universally, our panelists cautioned against overindulging. “You can’t be swinging out of your shoes every time,” said one tester. “It’s so tempting to bash a bunch of balls as far as you can, but it will wear you out.” Our panelists also agree that getting help from a clubfitter is critical. During this year’s Hot List Summit, Shanon Hoyt,…

Which club in your bag do you change the most? Putter is probably up there. That’s understandable. It’s a fickle club. Our Hot List panelists have learned how to compartmentalize when they tackle this tough category. Their advice: The ideal putter should be a reflection of your personality. Don’t be seduced by the flat stick that makes the most putts. Instead, go with the one you believe in. Our panelists tend to think more emotionally about putters than they do other club categories. Concepts like distance and accuracy matter in drivers and irons. In putters, it almost always comes down to feel. “I like when a putter seems to put you in the head of the designer, and you see and feel what he wants to convey,” says one veteran…

“Do the stats suggest you’ll reach this green in two?” Ever look down an unfamiliar hole and have no idea what to do? Here’s a hint: Go to the scorecard. The handicap number assigned to a hole represents its difficulty relative to the other holes on the course from 1 (hardest) to 18 (easiest). If your own handicap doesn’t cover it—suppose your handicap is 12 and you’re on the fourth handicap hole—that’s a clue to play the hole more conservatively. According to the statistics, you’re not supposed to reach that green in regulation. Time to guard against making a big number. Conversely, if your handicap is lower than that of the hole, look at its features with more confidence. Chances are you can execute the shots required for a solid…

Get a look at the shot before you hit it. Thanks to a wild drive, you’re surrounded by trees, but for once you listen to that voice inside your head: Just punch it back in play. Problem is, you hit the ball too hard, sending it across the fairway into the junk on the other side. Not your finest moment. Next time you face a shot like this, do what most golfers don’t do: Walk out toward the fairway, and take a look. Pick a target that allows for some roll. Remember, a low punch shot is going to run, especially with a middle iron. When hitting out sideways, many high-handicappers make too big a swing. Take the club back slow, and keep the motion compact. Also, be careful not…

Off the tee, what do you care about most? ▶ Hitting fairways: 69% ▶ Consistent shot shape: 14% ▶ Not losing balls: 9% ▶ Maximum distance: 8% SOURCE: GOLF DIGEST R EADERS The movement of the knees, though seldom discussed, is vital to hitting good shots. The knees provide stability, back and through, and help ensure you hit the ball with the center of the clubface. Let’s start with the front knee. On the backswing, it should remain flexed and pointing at or behind the ball. This allows you to make a good hip turn and complete the backswing by fully shifting to your right side. On the downswing, the front knee should rotate a little toward the target, but more important, it has to straighten to brace the body…

Does your beer smell like microwaved popcorn? That’s a problem. DON’T BE A DUD when it comes to your suds. If you care about what you drink, you need to put some effort into ordering a draft beer at any 19th hole. This isn’t a local TV news flash, “Draft beer leads to sudden death; more at 11,” but there are a few things you can control to make sure you get the best-tasting beer possible. “If stored, poured and handled properly, a draft is the freshest quality beer experience you can have,” says Mark Lang, a draft-beer expert with Heineken USA. With that in mind, here are five pieces of advice to consider. BEER HERE WATCH HOW IT’S POURED Bartenders routinely stick the inside of a glass right on…

Working on your putting isn’t the most exciting way to spend an afternoon, but on tour we know it’s worth the effort. You can be playing amazing from tee to green, but if you aren’t converting makable putts, you’ll struggle with your confidence. Last year my ball-striking ranked 13th on tour, but I didn’t putt well. The year before, I was exactly tour average in strokes gained with the putter but hit the ball worse. How’d I do? I won $2.1 million—$600,000 more than last year. ▶ Each part of the game feeds off the others, but putting carries a lot of weight. No matter what you’re working on with your stroke, you can roll it better if you build some consistency into your approach. After you pick a line,…

▶ How much do you expect to pay for a new driver? One of the best features of today’s drivers isn’t necessarily the aerodynamic crown or trampoline face. It’s that T-shape tool you tend to forget about after taking your new driver out of the box. The science of adjustability is about minimizing your swing flaws, and it’s designed to benefit average golfers most of all. Adjustable hosels and movable weights aren’t affectations. They can consistently alter your ball flight, and if you haven’t explored their settings, you might as well be using a driver from 1997. The research firm Golf Datatech conducted a survey of “serious” golfers and found that more than 75 percent are interested in purchasing an adjustable driver. But of those who own one, roughly two…

Those of us who work on the Golf Digest Hot List know the differences among players, game-improvement and super game-improvement irons. But golfers might be a little confused. It’s best to think of the categories like this: Players irons have thin soles and toplines and compact clubheads for a look preferred by elite players. Game-improvement irons are slightly larger and combine perimeterweighted forgiveness with a pleasing shape at address. Super game-improvement irons often feature loads of technology—most of it designed to help you get the ball in the air and avoid a slice. Perhaps the simplest way to think about it is to turn the clubs upside down and look at the soles. The wider the sole, the more forgiving the club is likely to be. That’s because a wide…

Our player panelists are asked to score each club on various attributes using a 1-5 scale, but they can be somewhat miserly in doling out a perfect 5. That’s as it should be. Our guidelines to them on what a “5” should mean read this way: “You would traverse the Lhotse Face during a rogue storm wearing nothing other than a wrestling singlet just to be able to hit this club for a few more precious moments.” Over the top? Perhaps, but it gets the point across. Of course, our testers also have their own definitions. “That rare ‘5’ is a club that feels like an extension of your arm,” says one. “All you’re doing is just swinging, and the club is doing its job.” Another offers: “A ‘5’ means…

Timeout will end, provisionally, as soon as we’ve both cooled off. The 14-club limit doesn’t apply to attics, basements, car trunks or garages-and thank goodness for that. Like all avid golfers, I own more clubs than I can legally carry. The extras aren’t necessarily castoffs, though. Mine can be divided into several categories, among them: WORK RELEASE. There are four hybrids in my bag. They all hit the ball basically the same distance, but I carry all four because my elbows still ache from the last time I tried to hit a 3-iron, in 1996. That doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned my long irons, however. My trusty 4-iron is still the perfect choice for repositioning burning logs in a fire pit, removing the remains of a raccoon nest from the chimney,…