Innehållsförteckning för Apr-2018 från Golf Monthly

Photography: Getty Images I'm writing this on a cold, wet February day. My plans to play golf for the last two weekends have been scuppered by the weather, but there's hope on the horizon: it's exactly 50 days before the start of The Masters! I was lucky enough to visit Augusta in 2007 when Zach Johnson held off Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini and a certain Tiger Woods. Truth be told, it wasn't a classic. Unseasonably cold weather and high winds that April ensured scoring was modest. The back-nine roars were muted as no one really mounted a charge. We had the slightly unusual situation where fans had to wait to see if the favourites could usurp Johnson, who was in the clubhouse holding the lead. They couldn't. Despite it not…

GF: €50-€100 W: gardagolf.it Stats: Red/White: par 72, 7,114 yards Photography: Kevin Murray The biggest golf event to ever visit Italy may be four years away, when the Ryder Cup rolls into town at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in 2022, but 2018 is also significant for the Italian Open. This year sees the 75th staging of an event that was elevated to Rolex Series status in 2017. It will enjoy a prime date on the European Tour schedule when it moves forward to early June, the week after the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. It is also returning to the beautiful Gardagolf Country Club in Brescia for the third time, and for the first time since Swede Mathias Gronberg claimed his fourth and final European Tour title…

“UNDER ARMOUR’S SHOE RANGE IMPROVES EVERY YEAR, AND THE SPIETH 2 LOOKS TO BE THE BEST IT HAS EVER CREATED”Joel Tadman, technical editor Under Armour’s poster boy, Jordan Spieth, has unleashed his creativity away from the golf course once again, helping shape the follow-up to his signature Spieth 1 golf shoe, predictably called the Spieth 2. As expected, the three-time Major Champion launched the shoe he helped design in some style, meeting up with 23-time Olympic swimming Gold Medalist and good friend, Michael Phelps, along with baseball player Bryce Harper, to show it off over a few holes and a game at TopGolf in Las Vegas. Nice... But aside from the glitzy unveiling, there’s plenty of technology and performance to talk about with Spieth 2, most notably the addition of…

A perfect ten Japanese player Hideto Tanihara was seen with a Honma Tour World 10-iron in the bag at the World Super 6 Perth. It comes as standard in the set and has a loft of 43°. What anchoring ban? Patrick Reed caused uproar on social media by practising with a belly putter at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but thankfully he reverted to a conventional-length putter for the start of the event, won by Ted Potter Jr. Three-pronged attack Kiradech Aphibarnrat won the World Super 6 Perth using a Callaway Epic Pro 2-iron with a graphite shaft, as well as 2013 X-Forged and the new Apex MB irons.…

Willett starts 2016's Masters Sunday three shots off Jordan Spieth’s lead He reaches the turn in two-under-par 34, but is five adrift of Spieth by the time he comes to the 12th hole, with the American making four consecutive birdies to end the front nine Willett birdies the 13th and 14th at roughly the same time as Spieth bogeys 10 and 11. When Spieth reaches the tee of the par-3 12th, the Englishman is just one behind Spieth puts two balls into Rae’s Creek en route to a quadruple-bogey seven as Willett pars the 15th to find himself three shots clear of Spieth and one ahead of Lee Westwood, who chips in for eagle on 15 Westwood three-putts for bogey on 16 and Willett makes a timely two, opening up…

The only trophy to be won at the first Masters was a gold medal. But the number of individual trophies awarded at each Masters has increased throughout the years. Here’s what’s up for grabs now: Winner: Gold Medal (since 1934); Green Jacket (1949); The Masters Trophy (1961), which remains at the club. Since 1993, the winner also gets a replica to keep. Runner-up: Name engraved on permanent trophy; Silver Medal (1951); Silver Salver (1978). Low Amateur: Silver Cup (1952). Day’s low score: Crystal vase (1954). Hole-in-one: Crystal bowl (1954). An eagle: Pair of crystal goblets (1954). An albatross: Crystal bowl (1957). The man to have won the most trophies at a single Masters is Ken Venturi (below). In 1956, he was runner-up and low amateur and made the low score…

Photography Getty Images I’ve spent a lot of time with Dave Phillips and Dr Greg Rose – the brains behind the Titleist Performance Institute. They are experts at diagnosing power. Mine comes from a series of body separations, which occur in sequence; when I perform them correctly, I can knock it a long way, even with a backswing that’s ‘short’. I never reach parallel, but by restricting my hips as I turn my back and shoulders, I create more backswing coil than most tour pros do. The next separation occurs as I start down. I unwind my hips while holding my shoulders firm. I’m now even more coiled than I was at the top. The final separation is key. My left arm moves into impact, but my wrists remain hinged.…

1 Strong-arc stroke Do you want a strong-arc stroke or one that's a touch straighter (a perfectly straight stroke doesn't exist as the shaft of the putter is angled and you're standing to the side of the ball)? Once you decide, it's vital to understand how the set-up and stroke are different. For a stronger arc, there should be a little more shoulder rotation. The putter will move away on the inside, return to square through impact and then move inside again on the way through. Photography: Angus Murray 2 Slight-arc stroke If you want to create a straighter stroke, make two slight changes. Stand closer to the ball and a little taller at address – your wrists will be higher and the heel of the putter may even sit…

Andrew’s assessment I noticed that Roger had two main issues: a lack of power and a fading ball flight. I could see his closed stance was preventing him from finding a better impact position with more speed, as it meant his left side was getting in his way. It's a classic fault I see with golfers who hit a slice, as they think closing their stance will encourage a draw. Unfortunately, for many this ultimately causes a steep over-the-top swing and a cutting action that leads to either a pull shot or a high slice. Andrew’s remedy I started by moving Roger's left leg out of the way to put him in a more neutral stance. Giving him this extra space to swing into helped him find a straighter path.…

LOOKS The standard Rogue driver is considerably more stretched back compared to Epic and Rogue Sub Zero, suiting the average golfer's eye a little more. The Speed Step crown has been made less visually imposing, while other cosmetics remain similar. PERFORMANCE We got the most distance from the Sub Zero version on centred hits in the low-spin setting, although distance drops off more on mishits. The standard model hits the ball higher, is more user-friendly and will suit more players. This driver is aimed at golfers who require maximum distance without sacrificing forgiveness levels. Key technology Updated Jailbreak bars are thinner, hourglass-shaped and more efficient. Improved clubhead weighting enhances feel, forgiveness and launch. Comes in standard, Sub Zero – with adjustable 2g and 14g sole weights – and Draw versions,…

Photography: Daniel Gould Off the back of some very positive reviews, the Titleist AP3 has captured the minds of club golfers, and it’s no wonder. Combining the playability of AP2 with the distance and forgiveness of AP1 was always going to be a winner, and it has become the iron every golfer looking for a new set wants to try first. But that’s not to say the other irons in Titleist’s comprehensive 718 family should be overlooked. In fact, there is a model that caters for every type of ball-striking and it covers all preferences in looks and feel. Whether you fancy the distance of AP1, the explosive feel of the T-MB or the precision of the CB, Titleist’s latest range has an ideal option for you. To confirm this,…

A couple of decades ago a big guy with a big cigar sat in his big chair and had an idea. “Why is golf so sedate? Why don't we set up a hole so that it's like a football arena? Why can't the fans shout and scream and turn this goddam game into a party?” And so the people who were paid to listen to the big man came up with the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open. They built stands all the way around this otherwise innocuous 160-yard par 3, threw in food and beverage places and began to open up for business hours before play was set to begin. They would have opened earlier but no one managed to figure out how to light the place safely. It…

A stark contrast Let's compare two recent tournaments. At Torrey Pines, it took J.B. Holmes four minutes to play a shot. Roger Bannister ran a mile in less than that. A week later we had the Phoenix Open, which welcomed a record-breaking 719,179 people through its gates. The crowds there hit the bars early and raucous behaviour is actually encouraged. Obviously the first example shows the pathetic attempts by the ruling bodies to really address slow play. While the second may not be the ideal atmosphere to play golf in, you can't disagree that it puts a lot of bums on seats. As a paying customer, which would you prefer – stifling boredom or loud entertainment? James Geddie, via email Don’t live in the past With regards the debate in…

TITLEIST VOKEY SM7 WEDGES They have been out on tour since October last year and now we can finally reveal master craftsman Bob Vokey's new SM7 wedges. For 2018, a new D grind, essentially a high-bounce M grind, joins the F, S, M, K and L grinds. The different grinds allow golfers of all skill levels to be precisely fitted for their swing type, shot-making style and course conditions. There are now 23 loft, bounce and grind combinations to choose from. The previous-generation SM6 model benefited from a progressive centre of gravity (CG) design and the SM7 builds on this concept to provide even more consistent spin, distance control and versatility. Visible on the back of the wedges, it aligns the CG with the impact position of each loft. These…

1 What changes did Spieth want to make? He asked us to make it lighter and more flexible without changing the traction elements. To do that, we developed our own innovation called Smart Weave, which is a textile that has a TPU thread for support, while helping make the shoe two ounces lighter. We increased the flexibility by tweaking the material of the insole board. 2 The laces look to be different too? That's right. Instead of traditional eyestay, we've run a webbing right down to the insole board in all three places. The entire upper now wraps up around your foot when you tighten the laces to stop the foot moving around inside the shoe. 3 How do the Rotational Resistance spikes work? The cleat features a wall and…

Big hitter Tony Finau has signed a multi-year deal to play Ping clubs Alfie Plant has penned a deal to play Cleveland and Srixon Spanish Ryder Cup player Rafa Cabrera-Bello has re-signed with FootJoy Jason Day won at Torrey Pines using a new TPT shaft in his M3 driver Gary Woodland won in Phoenix with an M3 440 driver and SM7 raw wedges Ted Potter Jr triumphed at Pebble Beach with two Ping G400 hybrids…

 There are no certainties in this life, that we all know, but some things are tacitly more likely than others – England losing on penalties, train delays when you absolutely have to get somewhere on time and Augusta National's azaleas blooming in April, to name but a few. At this point, Justin Rose winning The Masters has to be considered more likely than not. “He’s never missed the cut and, impressively, he hasn’t finished outside the top 25 since 2008” That seems like a brash proclamation given the strength of the field each year, but Rose's fabulous Masters form has coincided with a period in which the talent pool has deepened considerably. The 37-year-old made his Masters debut in 2003 and has competed 11 times subsequently. He's never missed the…

‘Who's going to win the Masters, then?' It's a question that pops up before Christmas, gathers pace in the new year and has been asked millions of times by the time April comes around. it's a difficult one to answer, much like trying to pick the Grand National. Everywhere you look there are prolific tour winners, past champions and experienced, battled-hardened competitors. Whoever tees it up is here on merit. However, such is the test posed by Augusta National a great number will leave early, battered and bruised. You can't win The Masters on day one but you can lose it; it's like overcoming that critical first fence in at Aintree – there will be fallers. This is not one for the faint-hearted. So who's going to win? Excuse the…

1 Two crucial elements There are two fundamental keys at the heart of good fairway wood play – ball position and posture. At address, set the ball just inside your left heel. This will allow you to create a shallow angle of attack that helps you sweep the ball off the top of the turf (many amateurs are too steep into the ball). Then, if your spine angle is set correctly at address and you maintain it through to impact, your chances of a good strike are greatly improved. So when practising your fairway woods, think ‘ball position' and ‘posture' – concentrate on these elements and you'll hit much better shots. 2 Go low As we have already mentioned, the key to a good strike with your fairway woods is…

Photography: Paul Severn I knew a bit about Connor Syme before seeing his swing, but I hadn't realised what an excellent amateur pedigree he had, winning the Australian Amateur and hitting the top ten in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. It's easy to see why, though, for this is the epitome of the modern swing, exuding powerful simplicity. He has good posture and a textbook grip, but what I want to really focus on is the spine angle. Club golfers often struggle to really ‘get' this element, but look at his address, with the left side higher than the right. This is a key component that's often underestimated given how much it helps the path of the club. The parallel I draw when teaching is that in any sport where…

“There were clever inventions and others that shouldn't have left the drawing board” Every year, us golf-journalist folk get to escape the clutches of the British winter for the warmer climes of Orlando, Florida, where the annual PGA Merchandise Show takes place. It's basically a humongous showing-off arena where brands display their products for the year and battle to be the talk of the town. I appreciate your interest in this golf trade event may be fairly limited, but as a golf gear geek it doesn't get much bigger, and the fact you're still reading means I'm hopeful I can change your mind. There were surprises aplenty, with manufacturers thinking up numerous novel ways to make playing better golf seem easier and more fun. Many inventions were clever and intriguing,…

FORGIVENESS PING G400 A toprail undercut cavity allows the clubface to flex 18 per cent more than the G iron. SOFT FEEL MIZUNO MP-18 SC A new Grain Flow Forged HD process should soften the feel and improve consistency in this split-cavity model. GREAT LOOKS TAYLORMADE P790 A hollow cavity and thin face provide distance; Speed Foam behind the face dampens vibration for a softer feel. DISTANCE CALLAWAY ROGUE Urethane Microspheres behind the clubface improve sound and feel without reducing ball speed for maximum distance.…

1. LANHYDROCK Cornwall While Cornish golf is primarily of a wild, romantic, Poldarkian coastal nature, there are also plenty of inland havens that offer a scenic and entertaining game. Lanhydrock is a good example; an attractive parkland course just to the west of Bodmin Moor. Kept in fine condition and on easy-walking turf, it is no great length with a par of 70, but there is still plenty to interest golfers of all standards. The family-run hotel has a new fitness centre and is a short drive from the world's largest indoor rainforest at the Eden Project. W: lanhydrockhotel.com GF: Round: £40; Day: £60 2. TREVOSE Cornwall Beneficiary of a substantial upgrade over recent years, primarily to the bunkering, Trevose is one of our most remote Top 100 Courses, and…

in association with Night-time delight I played night golf for the first time recently and it was exhilarating. I wonder if one of the tours, or The R&A, might sanction an official night-golf event for TV – match play would be preferable as it would add to the excitement. Not only would it be a great spectacle, it would represent an opportunity for brands to showcase colourful outfits and so on. Events could be run around the country, as well, giving numerous golf fans the chance to experience the action first hand. It would be an amazing way for golf to move firmly into the 21st century. Simon Thorpe, Southampton Editor’s reply: Simon, the European Tour has paved the way for this with its Hero Challenge, so a sanctioned event…

Copyright: 2018 TI Golf Holdings, Inc, reprinted with permission Some holes require little strategy: take driver, swing hard and then go for the green. Simple. Not easy (it's golf, after all), but simple. Other holes demand more thought, however. Consider the 301-yard par-4 16th at Bandon Dunes (below). This double-decker hole gives you three paths to the pin: back-to-back irons (with a blind approach); a safe hybrid to the upper fairway, leaving a wedge to the receptive green; or a big drive that may just reach the green. Decisions, decisions. Here's how to make the right choice... 1 The safe play You can reach the lower fairway with as little as an 8-iron from the regular tees. There's no shame in this if you walk away with par or better.…

PUMA IGNITE PWRADAPT SHOE A new cutting-edge traction system combines pods and cleats to adapt to any lie. Also comes in Disc lacing and leather options. TAYLORMADE HI-TOE WEDGE Full-face grooves ensure consistent contact from rough. High-bounce sole and channel-cut midsole aid turf interaction. GALVIN GREEN LANCE INTERFACE-1 This lightweight, breathable and water-repellent jacket is said to be suitable for 95 out of 100 rounds. FORESIGHT GCQUAD PUTTING ANALYSIS This launch monitor can now provide accurate real-time measurement of the putter head delivery and ball performance.…

Irons Callaway Apex Pro 16, 4-9 iron, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue shafts. Wedges Callaway Mack Daddy 4, 46°, 50°, 56° and 60°, True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue shafts. Fairway wood Callaway Rogue, 15°, Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80x shaft. Driver Callaway Rogue Sub Zero, 9°, Mitsubishi Tensei Orange 60TX shaft. Hybrid Callaway Apex, 18°, Mitsubishi Diamana Thump T90 shaft. Putter Odyssey O-Works #1 Wide. Ball Callaway Chrome Soft X.…

Photography: Tom Miles It's not been a great start to the year for me. I've pretty much picked up where I left off in 2017, which has been disappointing. I feel a little bit lost at sea with what I'm doing on the course and on the range. I've lost quite a bit of distance and some of my shots feel quite weak. When you're playing with guys who are bombing it week in, week out, it knocks your confidence, on top of bad form as well. The confidence is probably the biggest issue. When you start the season the way you finished the last one, it can be pretty tough. I've actually changed coaches since my last column – I've finished with Mike Walker and gone back to my…

Copyright: 2018 TI Golf Holdings, Inc, reprinted with permission When I teed it up in the 2016 US Open at Oakmont, I was still an amateur and ranked 571st in the world. Over the past 18 months or so, I've turned professional, won four pro events – two on the European Tour and two on the PGA Tour – and reached World No.2. One of the reasons for my success is my driving. Last year, I ranked third on the European Tour in driving distance and averaged more than 311 yards off the tee. For me, power is easy. My secret? Put the big muscles to work. Let me show you how... 1 WEIGHT ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE Adjust your stance to turn an everyday backswing into a power turn…

1 Not like an iron shot The drive I'm hitting here is from the spectacular 18th tee at Trump International, where the prevailing wind is into your face. If you had an iron in hand from tee or fairway here, you might think about leaning more on your left side at address to help deloft the club. But that approach won't work very well with a driver, as you still need to launch the ball up into the air and make good contact. 2 Reduce speed and spin The simplest ways to control your driver flight into the wind are: 1) play for your normal shape, and 2) reduce your swing speed by around five to ten per cent. The former is important as it's often when you try to…

We've all come across golfers we think should be off lower handicaps. One man viewed that way by his playing partners is 21-handicapper Roger Hyslop. He displays a steady game that makes him a dangerous competitor, but only once he's on the fairway. Unfortunately for Roger, that doesn't happen often. From fades that miss right to straight pulls into the left rough, his long game has been giving him headaches since he took up golf ten years ago. Looking for answers, he applied to take part in one of our reader lessons. Charged with getting a result was GM Top 25 Coach Andrew Jones, a Kent-based golf professional who has also represented GB&I as a player. So when the pair met on the range at The London Club, could Andrew…

LOOKS Very similar to M2, barring a tweak in colour scheme. The Speed Pocket and Face Slots carry over and at address there's generous offset, a thick topline and a wide sole to boost confidence. FLIGHT The lofts are some of the strongest you'll find (7-iron is 28.5°), but the M4 actually hits the ball higher than the M2 for excellent stopping power, and was longer by around seven yards with a 7-iron. TaylorMade’s M4 irons are built for forgiveness and speed and have a larger profile suited to the mid-to high-handicapper. Key technology New RibCor technology comprises two supporting beams behind the face in the heel and toe, which strengthen these outer regions and reduce energy loss. This allows more energy to be transferred back into the ball for…

“THIS YEAR THERE LOOKS TO HAVE BEEN A REAL FOCUS ON FINDING FAIRWAYS THROUGH EVEN MORE MOVABLE WEIGHTS AND MORE STABLE CLUBHEAD DESIGNS”Jake O’Reilly, GM technical writer Have you still got some Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket? If so, you’ll be delighted to learn that a raft of new drivers have hit the market recently. If you’re inclined to spend rather than save, one, or more, or these 12 models should take your fancy. From the futuristic TaylorMade M3 to the more budget-friendly Cleveland Launcher HB, each offers distance and forgiveness, so it’s crucial you ask yourself what you’re really looking for. If you are likely to improve during your driver’s life cycle, for example, you’ll probably want one with adjustability so you can tweak it…