Table of contents for September 2017 in Golf Monthly

Photography: Getty Images Jordan Spieth's victory at the Open Championship was impressive for many reasons, but for me, two things really stood out. Firstly, the composed way in which he dealt with his unplayable lie at the 13th hole, using his knowledge of the Rules of Golf to give him a chance of keeping his round on the rails. And secondly, bar a few holes at the start of his fourth round, his putting, which was flawless from both long range and, crucially, inside ten feet. Spieth's putting action is far from classic, but as Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Ged Walters explains on pages 76-77, he consistently nails the fundamentals. And there's much that we can all learn from looking at the exclusive putting sequence we shot of Jordan…

Photography: Getty Images The GM View: The PGA of America clearly valued exposure over money – a stance that’s understandable given the USPGA is the least popular of the Majors. But what’s preferable: better coverage for a smaller audience or inferior coverage for a larger audience? Junior: I don’t think it’s either good or bad for golf. In fact, I don’t think it will have any impact on the growth of the game. It’s good that it’s free to the licence payer, but let’s face it, the only people who will watch the USPGA are those who are into golf already. I think what Sky has done with its coverage, and to grow the game, is to be applauded. @w81k3r: BBC coverage opens up more viewers, in turn growing the…

Copyright: 2017 TI Golf Holdings, Inc, reprinted with permission Royal Troon features one of the shortest holes in Major golf: the 123-yard par-3 8th (shown here). The Postage Stamp is small but wicked – its green measures just ten yards at its widest point. You know a hole is tough when one of the greenside bunkers is called the ‘Coffin'. Any score is possible, from a hole-in-one (Ernie Els in 2004) to a six (Bubba Watson last year). Wherever you're playing, here's how to master a short par 3… 1 Hit a knockdown shot Hitting a full pitching wedge or 9-iron is tempting, but full swings with lofted irons launch the ball too high, leaving your fate in the wind's hands. Take an extra club and make a three-quarter swing.…

IOFIT SMART SHOES Part of a Samsung spin off, these shoes use sensors embedded in the soles to track and analyse a golfer’s weight transfer and balance during the swing. GLENMUIR BOSWORTH WIND SHIRT Made from a stretchy and lightweight StormBloc three-layer fabric that has a waterproof membrane. CARLY BOOTH TO PLAY PINK VOLVIK BALLS Two-time LET winner Carly Booth will play the pink Volvik S4 ball, joining two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson. NIKE COURSE CLASSICS These tennis-inspired golf shoes feature golf-specific, pressure-mapped outsoles for traction that shouldn’t collect dirt.…

Irons TaylorMade RSi TP UDI 4-iron, True Temper Project X 6.5 shaft; TaylorMade P750 Proto, 5-PW, True Temper Project X 6.5 shafts. Wedges TaylorMade Milled Grind, 52°, 56° and 60°, True Temper Project X 6.5 shafts. Driver TaylorMade M2, 10.5°, Aldila Tour Green 75TX shaft. Rahm averages 305 yards off the tee. Fairway woods TaylorMade M1, 15°, Aldila Tour Green 75TX shaft; TaylorMade M1, 19° Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 8X shaft. Putter TaylorMade Spider Tour Red. Ball TaylorMade TP5x. SPOTTED ON TOUR Rose Proto irons Unlike Rory McIlroy's TaylorMade Rors Proto irons that have a raw finish, Justin Rose's versions have a chrome finish but appear to be similar in design and profile. Titleist 718 irons Titleist has began seeding some new prototype 718 irons. Pictures appear to show the…

Photography: Kevin Murray “Spieth is one of a very rare breed of people who are completely normal but who have genuine star quality. He’s made up of different stuff” I don't think anyone in the professional game has a bigger heart than Jordan Spieth. I was following him during the final round and, honestly, you can't believe where that dune on 13 is. I was on the left side of the fairway when he let his drive rip, and I literally couldn't get over to where his ball settled. I've never seen a wide like that and I've played with some real choppers over the years. It was off the charts. But fair play to Jordan for having a knowledge of the rules, as well as the mind to keep…

“I shot 78 off 14 and I holed putts from all over the place” David is the type of player you'd prefer to avoid in your club's match play knockout. He's that golfer who might “somewhat struggle tee to green” before his putting stroke takes over. It's not how but how many, so the saying goes, and a reliable putting stroke is such an enviable asset to have in the locker. “My short game is very strong,” says David, a 12-handicapper at Brampton Park in Cambridgeshire. “If I'm around the green I always like my chances of holing a decent-length putt. A couple of the lads I play with normally fancy me to hole anything inside ten feet. If we play Texas Scramble they are always asking my view on…

Bernhard Langer 18th hole, 1991 Ryder Cup singles, Kiawah Island The German was 2dn with four to play, but got it back to all square with one to go. He faced a 6ft putt on the final green for Europe to retain the Cup, but it drifted agonisingly past the right edge. Tom Watson 18th hole, 2009 Open Championship final round, Turnberry The 59-year-old stood on the 18th fairway on the verge of history. His approach flew long and his putt back wasn't brilliant, but he still had a putt to win. It didn't touch the hole and he lost the play-off. Scott Hoch 10th hole, 1989 US Masters play-off, Augusta National On the first play-off hole – the 10th at Augusta – Hoch's birdie effort went just past, but…

1 Let it flow The work you do on your technique needs to stay on the practice putting green. There is nothing that will kill the natural fluidity of your stroke more than if you start to worry about technique while you're on the course. A great drill to use before you play is to switch your focus from the ball to the hole. Hit some putts, looking at the hole throughout. This forces you to have one simple aim: to hit the target. There's a good reason Jordan Spieth uses this concept when competing for real! 2 Rhythm As with all areas of the game, rhythm is key when you putt. A smooth acceleration through impact is ideal. There are some great metronome apps you can use for this.…

1 Find the pace without the hole Putts make up 41 per cent of your shots in a typical round, so a pre-round warm-up is key if you're to get the right pace from the off. Start by checking out all the fundamentals: is your balance good; are you holding the club well; are you lining up properly; do you feel comfortable over the ball? Then it's about getting the all-important pace, and I would recommend starting your practice by forgetting the hole and playing to a more general target 10-15ft away. A good drill is to play three balls, looking to leave all three more or less touching each other. So hit the first putt, then try to copy that stroke and strike with the other two balls. Do…

Photography: Paul Severn If you are looking for a textbook illustration of how to stand to a golf ball with a putter in your hand, Jordan Spieth is your man. This is the cornerstone of his success. He is perfectly square with his feet alignment matching his clubface. The ball is a fraction ahead of centre in his stance and this helps him strike the ball slightly on the upswing, to get the ball rolling sooner. His eyes are a fraction inside the ball-to-target line and that allows him to create a very gentle inside arc to his stroke in the backswing. He's not trying to manipulate the head and create a straight back and through stroke – instead, it is a very natural movement. Spieth uses a left-below-right grip…

LOOKS The Epic irons have a premium, cutting-edge look, including a carbon-fibre effect on the back and a stunning brushed satin finish. There’s mid-offset on the Epic, which reduces significantly on the Pro model. PERFORMANCE The feel is soft yet hot and powerful. We achieved carry distances with the Epic 6-iron in excess of 195 yards, albeit with levels of spin under 4000rpm. The Epic Pro carried five yards shorter. These irons are aimed at those willing to pay a premium for modern technology. Key technology A lightweight and strong Exo-Cage construction stiffens the body, allowing the face to take on more impact load to create faster ball speeds, more distance and enhanced overall performance. A next-generation 360 Face Cup – just 1mm thick at its thinnest point – unlocks…

Photography: James Mason Between the rise of the selfie, the popularity of apps like Instagram and the increasing reach of social media, it’s not hard to argue that a generation of golfers has never had as much pressure on what they wear. It is no coincidence this trend has coincided with an increase in competition on the shop floors. The likes of Nike, FootJoy and Adidas have been joined by relative newcomers like Under Armour and Puma. The latter has been riding a steady upward trajectory since the charismatic Rickie Fowler broke through wearing its distinctive golf gear. Its growing roster now includes the more classically styled Bryson DeChambeau and the colourfully dressed Lexi Thompson. To see if Puma has what British golfers are looking for, we contacted the brand…

1.MINCHINHAMPTON - OLD Gloucestershire Minchinhampton Golf Club is perhaps unique in that it boasts three charming 18-hole courses but in two quite separate locations. The newer and more sophisticated pair were developed about 40 and 20 years ago to the east of the village, but the Old is up on the common to the west and is packed with old-fashioned, natural charm. With a par of 71, it dates back to the formation of the club in 1889 and resembles an inland links with hollows, humps, no sand or water hazards and far-reaching views. W: minchinhamptongolfclub.co.uk GF: Round: £20wd, £24we 2. PLAYERS CLUB – CODRINGTON Gloucestershire There are three courses on this very pretty site a few miles to the east of Bristol, and it is the Codrington that offers…

Photography: Mark Newcombe THE GOLF Hellidon and Lakes: par 72, 6,080 yards Valley: par 35, 2,791 yards There are 27 holes at this resort, which boasts a lovely setting. The Hellidon and Lakes nines make up the main course, with an additional Valley nine also available. The Hellidon nine opens up with several good early holes, including the attractive down-and-up opener, the testing 3rd across a side slope and the eminently tempting short par-4 4th across a lake. The 7th is another fine par 4 across a side slope, while the steeply downhill par-5 11th stands out early on the Lakes nine – reachable in two if you can find a flat enough lie off the tee. Another very different par 5 follows, kinking round a lake then steeply up…

Lift the limit With the upcoming review of the Rules of Golf, I would like to see a change to Rule 4-4 – Maximum of 14 Clubs. With the market flooded by all sorts of wedges and rescue/ utility clubs, which actually do what the manufacturers say, I now find 60, 56, 52 and 46° wedges in my bag, as well as 21 and 25° rescues, a driver, 3- and 5-woods and a putter. That is ten clubs. So out of my Wilson Staff irons, 5 to SW, I can only use four! I am sure there are loads of golfers out there who have a similar dilemma and would love at least a couple of extra clubs. Time for a change? Gerry Campbell, Giffnock Editor’s reply: I think you…

“PING HAS REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE GOLFER, ADDING LAUNCH AND SPEED TO THEIR SHOTS”Joel Tadman, technical editor KEY INFO G400 RRPs – driver: (standard, LST and SFT) £389; fairways: £240; hybrids: £200; Crossover: £200; irons: £110 steel, £120 graphite (per club) As Ping’s G line steps out of the limelight, in comes the faster, higher-launching and more forgiving G400 range. As always with Ping, increasing playability and user friendliness were the main focus, with extra distance an added bonus. Perhaps the biggest talking point is how the G400 driver, which comes in the same three clubhead types as the previous range, has been made smaller (445cc). This makes it quicker through the air, assisted by a Vortec on the back and newly shaped turbulators on top. It…

Photography: Getty Images “If you’re already out of it, you’re entitled to NR to maintain pace of play in a competition” YES Many incorrectly see the NR as the pinnacle of golfing cowardice, but there are scenarios when it's not only okay but actually the right thing to do. Here are three examples: In medal play, you should always hit a provisional ball if you're in any doubt over a shot. Occasionally, though, there will be no doubt, yet inexplicably the ball can't be found. If you're still contending, or in with a chance of playing to handicap, you'll have to walk back. If you're already out of it, you're entitled to NR to maintain pace of play in the competition and minimise disruption for your playing partners. Most of us…

Firstly, let’s run through exactly what happened. Spieth blazed his tee shot right off the 13th into an area of heavy rough. The ball was found by the crowd and Spieth had the option of dropping back on a line between the location of his ball and the flag. He asked whether the range was in bounds and the answer was yes. Having dropped under a penalty of one shot, the tour trucks were now blocking his path. Spieth was then given a ‘line of sight’ free penalty drop and that’s where he played from. Was the drop within the rules? Yes. It was Spieth’s knowledge of the rules that played to his advantage. He followed the letter of the law and did so with a rules official by his…

Kirsty Beckwith Age: 20 Handicap: 0 Home club: Alwoodley Most admired player? Annika Sorenstam David Wool Age: 36 Handicap: 12 Home club: Brampton Park Most admired player? Ian Poulter Neal Gladwin Age: 38 Handicap: 13 Home club: Non-member Most admired player? Henrik Stenson…

“If you’re having fun and you’re relaxed, you will putt well” “Putting is a game within a game and you've got to enjoy it.” Anyone not at ease on the greens would do well to take this on board; it's certainly served Neal well. Most of us will be able to recall a time when putting the ball in the hole from a matter of feet has become painful, but losing your temper rarely helps. What's worse is when you lose your love of putting, or come to fear holing out. “I'm a big believer that if you're having fun and you're relaxed, you will putt well,” Neal says. It's not just a positive attitude that has helped Neal to improve his game; he's an intelligent putter. “As I go…

For four days, IK Kim laid on an imperious ball-striking display at the 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship. As she arrived on the 18th green, all she needed to win her first Major Championship was to tap in from little over a foot. The tournament was over. Of course, the golfing gods had other ideas. The lip out that followed was barely believable. Kim, visibly shocked, went on to lose the play-off. There wasn't a single golfer on the planet who couldn't sympathise with the South Korean. It was brutal. Putting is a game within a game. It doesn't matter what the quality of your ball striking is like, if you can't finish the job you will always flatter to deceive. As we reach the main part of the competitive season,…

1 Why change? There are now many different putting grips, with recent alternatives coming to the rescue if the dominant hand has become too active and is affecting your ability to control the clubface – hence left below right, and more recently the ‘claw' and ‘pencil' grips. But although these resolve the issues for many, it does come at the cost of natural feel in the stroke, which stems from your dominant side. In the conventional grip, the left side controls and the right side releases the putter. But when you switch things around, you gain in some areas and lose in others. So you need to weigh everything up, and perhaps even consider a hybrid grip such as the claw or the pencil. Let's look at various grips in…

We all know that nothing can shape your round more significantly than a red-hot or stone-cold putter. Unfortunately for many of us, it is the latter that regularly turns up for the monthly medal. One man fed up of the crippling affect this is having on his scores is Golf Monthly reader Keith Mullin. The 12-handicapper particularly struggles on his longer putts and once a few three-jabs have crept in, he loses faith and his score crumbles. Thankfully, in our Top 25 Coaches we have some of the country's best golf instructors at our disposal to lend a helping hand. One of those is Paul Foston, who has coached a string of European Tour stars. We asked Paul to see if he could guide Keith back onto the path to…

Photography: Tom Miles “I actually spot putt, where I visualise the ball running into the hole on a certain path and then pick a point in front of the ball on that line” Even in this age of power hitting, the old adage ‘drive for show, putt for dough' still applies, and hopefully some of these pieces of advice will help transform you into a better putter. Make sure you're looking at the green before you even get onto it. You should always be thinking about your next shot after you've hit the previous one, and that's especially true when it comes to putting. I'm always trying to get a feel for the putt in my hands as soon as I get to the green. You're already starting to get…

Photography: Getty Imag An Open to remember I’ve just returned from Birkdale where I enjoyed a fantastic weekend. This beautiful, undulating links course is a haven for the spectator with its many natural amphitheatres. The atmosphere on Sunday was electric as Jordan Spieth first blew his lead, only to show tremendous mental fortitude. What a great ambassador he is for our sport: calm and well-mannered when his back is against the wall then humble and modest in victory. I hope he completes his Major full house. A few words about the organisation – all of the officials, from the stewards to the car park attendants, carried out their duties with a smile and good humour and helped to make the event a very happy place to be. Well done to…

Photography: Getty Images Is that one of the more dramatic final rounds you’ve had in a Major Championship? It was eventful! I told Michael [Greller, his caddie] after the round, 17 pars and a birdie would have been fine, too. But there are a lot of roads to get there. I showed some resilience and I give a lot of credit to Michael for that. As you can imagine, thoughts came in from the last time I was leading a Major on Sunday. All of a sudden it creeps into your head. I was so confident and suddenly the wheels had come off. It took a bogey to salvage the round. After the 13th, how would you describe your emotions? Were you comfortable? No, I was still uncomfortable. But after…

1 Which product are you most proud of in the G400 range, and why? The driver, because it's the most important club in the bag for scoring. It does everything players want and need – it's long, straight, looks amazing and feels even better. It produces ball speeds we haven't seen before and the head also has the most stability the market has ever seen. 2 Which new technology has made the most difference to the driver’s performance? The forged T9S+ face is a big key to both the deep, powerful sound and the higher ball speeds. It flexes 16% more, leading to five yards of extra distance over the G driver. 3 Why have you decided to make the G400 driver smaller in volume? Our goal was to increase…

If you had been a pro you’d have won £20,000 this week. What would you have spent it on? If you ask my girlfriend, she’d definitely say a ring! I don’t know. I’m really not sure – some new clothes would be nice, or a nice holiday. The list is endless. I’m really unsure. What did you learn from the guys who you played with? A little bit of reassurance that I felt like I competed well. I stood next to them and felt comfortable, which means all the hard work and practice that I’ve put in is really paying off. Your brother was your caddie at The Open. Tell us about your relationship. I’m boss, obviously! He’s out there to make me laugh, make me smile, keep my mind…

In today's fast-paced society, time has never been more precious, which means we're unlikely to have the time to embark on a three-month strength and conditioning programme, no-carbs diet or a series of long-game lessons to try and improve our golf. What you really want is that quick tip; a lightbulb moment that unlocks ten extra yards without a drop of sweat beading from your brow. Well, we feel your pain, and so we've compiled this list of ten realistic ways you can hit the ball further this weekend. They won't all work for you, but hopefully two or three will make a difference. 1 TEE IT HIGHER You won't catch World Long Drive Champion Joe Miller pushing his tee deep into the ground any time soon, because he relies…

“My parents told me the short game is where you win or lose it” If you've actually won a competition called ‘Britain's Best Putter' then you can rightly claim to be very handy with a flat-stick. When GM partnered Odyssey in 2012 for a nationwide competition to establish Britain's best putter, Kirsty, 15 at the time, came through regional qualifying and a final field of 24 to take the crown. Shortly before her putting victory, Kirsty had been selected for the England Girls Squad. Five years later, it's no surprise to learn her golf career continues to improve in America, where she recently signed with the University of Tennessee. Nor does it come as a shock that much of her success to date results from some stellar performances on the…

1 Grip basics Your grip needs to establish the link between the hands and the shoulders, but it also needs to inspire flow in the stroke. There are a few different ways to grip the putter and I can't tell you which is best for you. However, whatever approach you choose, you need to adhere to the following principles. 2 Quiet hands Problems occur when players flick the putter at the ball. Trying to control distance when you do that is almost impossible. To guard against a flicking action, focus on retaining the angle in the right wrist. If your right wrist bends as you strike the ball, you will always struggle. 3 Palms facing Your hands need to work with your arms which, in turn, need to work with…

1 The Blu Tack drill As golfers, we perhaps don't think too much about the contact between ball and putter face – is it more towards the toe or heel, potentially making the putter head twist a little bit at impact? This drill can really highlight where you're making contact and help you focus on finding a more central strike. Just pop a little bit of Blu Tack on the toe and heel of the putter face to make the effective area of the face much smaller. If you make contact on the Blu Tack it will be completely dead and the ball won't go anywhere, providing instant feedback as to whether or not you've found the centre. This simple drill can really help to concentrate the mind on the…

Paul’s assessment The first thing I noticed with Keith was his poor mechanics. He was standing too far away from the ball at address, which meant his eyes were a good foot inside the ball. If your eyes are skewed by poor set-up, you'll find you often aren't aiming where you think you are, as was the case with Keith. It also became apparent from a throwing drill that Keith needs to work on his feel, as he was regularly misjudging the pace of the green. Paul’s remedy  The first fix was to improve Keith's set-up, standing him nearer the ball to move his eyes directly over his ball-to-target line. We practised these new mechanics, along with a simple pre-shot routine, during a round-the-clock drill to grow his confidence. We…

It's the club you hit the most shots with during a round, so common sense would suggest that choosing the right putter for your game is of vital importance to low scoring. But it's not as easy as that, is it? The putter market is arguably the one that provides the most choice, and it can be difficult to know where to start. There are so many things to factor in when choosing a putter – head shape, alignment aids, length, loft, grip – so it's important to consult with your PGA pro to find out what will work for you. But as a starting point, we hope our comprehensive putter test will provide you with enough insight to significantly reduce the list of contenders for your bag. We took…

"THE SOUND IS MORE SUBTLE BUT NO LESS POWERFUL AND IT JUST FELT QUICKER DURING THE SWING" Joel Tadman, technical editor FEEL/SOUND The G400 driver feels lighter and quicker through the air and has a quieter, duller ‘thud’ sound at impact. We much preferred it to that of the outgoing G driver, which was a touch tinny. LOOKS It appears more compact from front to back, with the infinity crown contributing to this. The wider turbulators and subtle detailing on the rear make it look cutting-edge and modern without being distracting. PERFORMANCE Although our club speed didn’t increase with the G400 when up against the G, the more efficient weighting and a slight reduction in spin led to a two-yard increase in carry distance and a tighter dispersion. Key technology…

“Kaymer’s Open jumper looked like something his nan had stitched together in the dark” The Open Championship comes at the ideal point in the year for new products to be seen for the first time. The golf season is in full flow and this year record crowds flocked to the northwest hoping to get a glimpse of their favourite pro in action. Most pertinently, 156 of the world's best players are battling for the greatest prize in the sport, which explains why brands want their new gear to get a run out. After all, it would be the ultimate validation should a new shoe or club power someone to victory. On the record, manufacturers don't usually like images or information leaked before the official grand unveiling. But these pros are…

Age: 71 Handicap: 13 Favourite three Top 100 courses: Royal County Down, Sunningdale (Old), Druids Glen Why take on the challenge? It's in my psyche. To be able to tread the champions' paths is a wonderful experience. For example, I have had the fortune to play all 14 courses that have hosted The Open. How does it feel to realise the goal? I feel a strong sense of achievement. No doubt there will be further additions in the future as prestige courses are still being designed and upgraded. What next? I want to play 1,000 courses and will probably be about 80 by then. When it happens, I'll make sure it's a special venue. What appeals about the Top 100? We all appreciate that subjectivity is part of the ranking…

Photography: Tom Miles “When I lost my leg a thousand doors shut but through golf a lot of doors I didn’t even know existed opened. I wouldn’t change anything” The Open Championship always has more than one story. Sure, there's the winner, the crestfallen, maybe unlucky, runner-up and all the rest of the world's best, the world's average and the guys who just scraped into what will always remain the biggest week of their golfing lives. Some of these stories have occurred before the old rumble actually takes place. This was the case for Mike Browne, whose dream of playing in The Open was shattered when he failed to yomp towards a place at Southport during his first ever Qualifying event at Remedy Oak in Dorset. Mike shot a three-over-par…