Table of contents for Jul-2018 in Golf Monthly

1 Off-centre contact Before we look at a couple of drills to help you optimise your driver spin, it's worth noting that where you make contact on the face will have a huge bearing on how much spin you impart, with spin increasing or decreasing markedly depending on the point of impact. If you are seeing lots of spin on your tee shots – whether right, left, high or low – there may be issues you need to address in your swing to help you find the centre more consistently. Check where you are mostly making contact, then seek the advice of a PGA pro if it's consistently away from the middle. 2 Ideal launch factors If you want to launch the ball high with a minimum amount of spin,…

1 Reverse pivot A reverse pivot is when your weight moves in the wrong direction during the swing. This will cause the club to bottom out too early and you'll catch the top of the ball. To rectify this, place a ball behind the clubhead at address. As you take the club back, try to push the ball away from you. This will mean a smooth, low takeaway, helping you set your weight over your right side. Carry on to the top and hold this position. Your left shoulder should be above your right side and you should be able to turn your head and see directly behind you. 2 Chicken wing This happens to players who've been told to keep their heads down. It can cause you to get…

1 Aim check It's a fairly obvious place to start, but if you have been pulling your irons, you must examine your alignment. Take a look at the two positions here. The differences are minimal, but one set-up position will result in a good shot, while the other is likely to cause pulls or even slices. It's easy to make mistakes at set-up without noticing, so lay down some alignment sticks when practising. Make sure your clubface is pointing at your target and that your feet, hips and shoulders are parallel to the ball-to-target line (photo far right). 2 Ball position check The most common reason for pulled iron shots is poor ball position. Here, I've laid seven balls on the ground. This natural arc exists because you are swinging…

1 Understand the cause If you struggle with pitching distance control, there are a number of likely reasons. The first is that you're addressing the ball with lots of forward shaft lean and the ball back in your stance. This results in fats and thins, as well as very little stop. Your wedges will be more forgiving if you move the ball further forward and use the bounce. If you want to hit the ball on a lower trajectory, stand narrower and grip down the shaft. The opposite applies if you want to hit it high. 2 Don’t rush Another point to consider when looking to improve your distance control is your swing tempo, bearing in mind that the length and speed of your swing will determine how far you…

1 Angle of attack You might think leaning back through impact would be the main cause of skied drives, but in my experience this is unlikely, and the opposite is often true. If your angle of attack is too steep, the club's crown will strike the ball, sending it upwards. In the two main pre-impact delivery photos here, the left-hand one causes the skied shot while the right-hand one shows the ideal upward angle of attack. To resolve things, tilt your upper body away from the target a fraction at address (below) to ‘pre-set' the ideal body position as you deliver the club through impact. 2 Tee height For anyone struggling with skied shots, the first thing to check is your teeing height. Modern tee pegs are long and some…

Fifty miles south east of Florida begins a chain of tropical islands that are world renowned as a vacation paradise of turquoise seas, breathtaking beaches and year-round sunshine. Welcome to The Islands Of The Bahamas. The Bahamas is an island nation that is home to a population of upwards of 380,000. A member of the Commonwealth of Nations, The Bahamas boasts a parliamentary democracy of 250 years plus, a stable government and a tradition of the rule of law, with an economy anchored in tourism. Visitors to The Islands Of The Bahamas have choices galore: sixteen main islands, from world-famous Nassau, Paradise Island and Grand Bahama Island to island gems that go by names such as The Abacos, Eleuthera, Andros, The Exumas, Bimini… Each has a unique personality and each…

Although it's a number of years since we looked in depth at club membership, it's a topic that regularly gets an airing in our letters pages, in the magazine debates between Jezz Ellwood and Fergus Bisset and on the Golf Monthly forum, where there are often multiple discussion threads running about membership and green fees. The biggest trend we've seen since we last produced a significant feature on the subject is a continued reduction in the cost of visitor green fees at all but the top courses. Driven by the availability of cheap golf on websites like Teeofftimes.co.uk, which originally did a good job of filling off-peak tee times, there now seems to be a ‘hot deal' to be had at any time, on any day, weekends included. Of course,…

The GM view: Elements of GolfSixes did feel contrived. However, it was encouraging to see lots of children in attendance. The European Tour should be applauded for trying something new and the ladies’ teams really added to the event. Duncan Dunlop: It was a fabulous event and it rekindled my daughter’s interest in playing. Enough said. PhilTheFragger: It’s obviously aimed at non-golfers in an attempt to get younger people into golf – or to attract people back who have left. You have to applaud them for doing something. Crowds did look sparse, though. I’d like it to work, but it’s not quite doing it at the moment. Phil Coumb: Car-crash golf which is attempting to create something that won’t work or isn’t needed. It’s trying to make a golf version…

“Most of us are playing for fun, and surely it’s more fun when we’re not losing balls left, right and centre” YES  The game itself is a sufficient test for most without punitive rough and claustrophobic fairways. Our disobedient swings, coupled with alarming levels of inconsistency, keep us on our toes without the added pressure of simply having to hit it straight to avoid time-consuming ball searches and copious hacks from the rough. Last time you played a relatively open track with no real rough, did you rip it up as expected? Probably not, for our inconsistencies and miscues often keep the scorecard ticking over faster than we would like. Did you play somewhere close to your handicap? Far more likely, as each misdirected shot received punishment to fit the…

G/FORE THE COLLECTION GLOVES Available in a range of colours refreshed each season and crafted from premium AA Cabretta leather with a patch detail. BIG MAX DRI-LITE ACTIVE STAND BAG This waterproof bag boasts nine pockets, including one for valuables. It weighs 2.2kg and comes in four colours. GARMIN APPROACH S10 This entry-level GPS watch has a 1.3-inch screen that displays front, middle and back distances, as well as hazard, dogleg and lay-up info and a scorecard. GRIP MASTER CLASSIC The Classic is one of four Grip Master grips. It is made from cowhide leather in the traditional wrap style for grip in all weathers.…

Driver Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic, 9°, Grafalloy Prolite 3.5s shaft. Hybrid Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic, 17°, Graphite Design Tour AD DI-85x shaft. Fairway wood 2016 TaylorMade M2, 15°, Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana BF 70 stiff shaft. Wedges Cleveland RTX-3, 50°, 56° and 60°, Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue shafts. Irons Titleist 714 CB, 4-PW, Nippon NS Pro 950 shafts. Putter Scotty Cameron Red X. Ball Titleist Pro V1x.…

There's great diversity within the upper echelons of men's professional golf today – 21 countries are represented in the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking. But this geographical spread is not the most striking variance between the top players. At the time of writing, the youngest player in the top 20 on the OWGR is 23-year-old Jon Rahm. The oldest is Phil Mickelson, aged nearly 48. There are very few sports where such age gaps are visible at the elite level. Although representing the furthest points of the age spectrum at the pinnacle of the game, Rahm and Mickelson are by no means an exception. So far on the PGA Tour in 2018, we've seen wins from the likes of Rahm, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed…

I recently re-watched large chunks of the final day of The Masters at Augusta. The first time around I watched it in Spain and I woke my wife up by shouting at the television as Rory McIlroy missed his chance to complete the Grand Slam. Pressure is a weird thing. Rory remains convinced that he will have a Green Jacket hanging in his cupboard one day, and I'm sure he'll have plenty more opportunities, but he must be disappointed that he couldn't push Patrick Reed harder in the final round. I remember when Sir Alex Ferguson signed US goalkeeper Tim Howard to be the new stopper at Manchester United. He'd always struggled to replace Peter Schmeichel and the likes of Mark Bosnich, Ricardo, Roy Carroll and – most famously –…

1987 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Going into the final round at Muirfield, Faldo was one stroke behind Paul Azinger. The American had a three-stroke lead by the turn, but bogeyed the last two to hand Faldo his first Major. 1989 MASTERS Shot a final-round 65 to get into a playoff with Scott Hoch. Hoch then had a two-footer on the 10th to win, but missed. Faldo birdied the 11th to take the title. 1990 MASTERS A final-round 69 secured a play-off with Ray Floyd. This came after a double-bogey at the 1st. He again sealed victory on 11, this time with a par, after Floyd found the water. 1990 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP He became the first golfer since Tom Watson in 1982 to win two Majors in the same year with his victory…

1 Use your imagination One thing that separates golf's great short-game exponents from the rest is their imagination – their ability to play different shots and control the spin and roll. Practising chip after chip from the same spot may hone technique, but while that obviously does matter, being able to vary flight and spin and use your imagination is more important once you're out on the course. 2 Mix it up – part one Take your preferred chipping club and set three balls up, each one closer to the flag (as above). With the furthest ball, try to hit a higher-lofted shot that lands just on the green and rolls out. Keep the landing spot the same, then with the two closer balls try to hit progressively lower shots…

Going from breaking your handicap to wanting to break your clubs is something we can all relate to. As high as the elation of winning a club competition takes you, the fall when you go months without a good score can be soul destroying. For GM reader Anthony Downs, last year's exploits seem like a distant memory. Since updating his ten-year-old irons, he's been left fighting to break 100 on an all-too-regular basis. Looking to curtail this bad run, he applied to take part in one of our reader lessons with GM Top 25 Coach Paul Foston, an experienced pro who has trained tour winners and even a Ryder Cup star. A few weeks later the pair met on the range at London Golf Club, where Paul set to work…

LONG GAME The long-game performance was excellent, even with our above-average swing speed. Distance was up, the flight was stable and the spin was low off the tee. SHORT GAME The Chrome Soft doesn't just feel soft on chips and pitches – it grips noticeably on the second bounce with a nice low flight when you catch it cleanly. The Chrome Soft is aimed at golfers who want a ball that offers both driver and iron performance, as well as a soft feel and short-game control. Key technology A new graphene Dual SoftFast core has allowed for a thinner outer core and a larger inner core, enhancing the ball’s speed and reducing long-game spin for more distance. A new urethane cover means the feel has been made softer. The Chrome…

I've had the role of equipment editor for a golf magazine for more than six years now, and it has changed immeasurably in that period. It was initially all about written reviews in the magazine and online. It still is to a degree, but video content has been thrown in the mix and now we have entered the vlogging revolution. “What is a vlog?” I can hear most of you asking. Well, it's a video blog, like a diary entry but on video, usually showcasing what someone is doing on a particular day. But they can sometimes be more practical, offering advice around a certain topic. Nearly everyone's doing it, some much better than others. I'm not bitter – some of the content out there is very engaging and it…

STABLE UNDER ARMOUR SPIETH 2 A big improvement on the Spieth 1, this stylish model boasts a breathable Gore-Tex waterproof upper. SUPPORTIVE ADIDAS TOUR360 BOOST 2.0 Enjoy modern comfort and stability thanks to Adidas' popular Boost cushioning and a 360Wrap that supports your foot. COMFORTABLE PUMA IGNITE PWRADAPT This flexible shoe utilises Ignite Foam cushioning that runs the entire length of the midsole for comfort that lasts 18 holes. VERSATILE ECCO COOL PRO This leather shoe combines a Gore-Tex membrane and a grid-shaped sole structure for protection with breathability.…

THE GOLF Red/Yellow: par 71, 6,435 yards; Blue/Orange: par 71, 6,377 yards; Par 3: par 27, 1,411 yards Cumberwell Park is 25 years old next year, and things have come a long way since the first 18 holes opened in 1994 – today's Red and Yellow nines. These offer a mix of woodland and parkland holes, with water making its presence felt on the Red's well-bunkered par-3 3rd, and unnervingly so on the Yellow's par-3 16th. The Blue nine, which arrived in 1999, is the longest of the four main nines and has two more par 3s over water. The Orange nine (2007) plays over higher terrain and features a pretty rockery behind its final green. Two years ago, an excellent par-3 course was added, with the Sawgrass-style island-green 8th…

1 Lateral shift The first common fault relates to weight shift as you transition from the top. Ideally, your hips should ‘bump' towards the target before rotating through, but for many, the hip bump is excessive, with the upper body moving too far ahead of the ball. From here, an open face at impact is likely. In practice, place an alignment stick by your left hip at address (below). As you swing back, a gap will emerge between hip and stick. That's good, but as you start down you should just nudge the stick with your hip – not push it over – before rotating your upper body through. 2 Early rotation The next issue stems from trying to hit it too hard. In the quest for power, golfers often…

1 Address faults The number-one fault to look out for is setting the ball too far forward. This causes your hands to be too far back, encouraging a ground-first strike. The other main issue is poor posture. Unathletic, lazy set-up positions make good strikes almost impossible. Ensure your back is straight at address – set your body over the ball by hinging at the hips. Make sure you have an athletic posture. 2 Casting and falling back Another common fault is casting. This stems from trying to hit the ball too hard from the top of the backswing. You lose the angle in your wrists, widening the arc of the swing on the way down so the club reaches the bottom of its path too soon. A fat strike is…

1 Position from the ball The first thing to check is how far from the ball you are standing. Too close and you'll lose your spine angle in the downswing, lift out of the shot and hit an open-faced shank. Too far away and the momentum of the swing will cause you to lean into the ball throughg impact – again, the shank is the most likely result. To help, picture a weightlifter just before they lift. Their shoulders are over the middle of their feet, with their weight sitting over the balls of their feet. As you address the ball, get your weight in the right position and let your arms hang naturally down – there should be a gap of about an open hand's width between your thigh…

1 A solid foundation Power off the tee requires a strong set-up, and a strong set-up means solid posture. Achieving solid posture is simple in theory, but not so easy in practice. One way is to start with your legs and back straight, tilt forward from the hips and then just add some flex in the knees. Alternatively, you could start from a squatting position, then raise yourself up until your knees are nicely flexed. 2 Hit up to reduce spin The next step is to add in a hint of tilt at address. Dropping the right shoulder slightly below the left will encourage an upward strike through the ball, which is key to reducing spin and increasing clubhead speed. 3 Width and extension Width in the backswing is crucial…

Missing a trick In recent years we've seen numerous attempts to make golf more popular. Recently, in New Orleans, they played music on the first tee. Then we had GolfSixes at Centurion Club. Both reflect the perception that golf needs to be made ‘cool' and ‘quick'. Is it possible that both leading tours may be missing a trick? There is no doubt that the Ryder Cup is not only the most popular event in the golf calendar, but also one of the most popular events in the entire sporting calendar. For three days every two years it attracts a huge following of golfers and non-golfers alike. The event also achieves naturally the sort of atmosphere and tension that these other events are struggling to manufacture artificially. I think the answer…

“THE TP BLACK COPPER PUTTERS ARE BOTH TRADITIONAL AND EYE-CATCHING. THE FINISH JUST OOZES CLASS”Joel Tadman, GM technical editor Rory McIlroy is known for being a streaky putter, but he was anything but at the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in March. He closed with a final round of 64, claimed a three-shot victory and led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. In fact, his total of 100 putts for the four rounds was his lowest ever on the PGA Tour. Perhaps even more remarkable was the fact he had just switched to a new TaylorMade TP Black Copper Collection Soto putter. The bright red insert was instantly noticeable on TV, but there were other visual elements that created some intrigue. We now know there are four models within the range,…

Tiger’s tweaks Tiger Woods put some new TaylorMade Phase 1 irons in play at the Wells Fargo. They are classic blades that are similar in looks to his old Nike VR Pro irons. Breakthrough tech? Justin Rose's unusual-looking Breakthrough Golf Technology Stability putter shaft is said to help square the face and reduce the ‘wobble' during the stroke. Incy wincy Spiders The TaylorMade Spider Tour Mini putters are 15 per cent shorter than the original from front to back. They have a thicker face insert for a softer feel and an interchangeable weight port on the sole.…

Professional golf is in a fascinating place at the moment. Would I say it's as strong as it's ever been? Well, there's certainly a great spread across the board. You have lots of guys from my era playing well – the likes of Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson – Tiger is obviously back in the mix and there are lots of quality youngsters on the scene. It's very competitive and picking obvious winners is much harder nowadays. Take The Masters, for example. In the past, you could probably look at the field list and select 25 players who you thought had a chance to win. Now that number is probably more like 50. Even though Tiger winning was unlikely, he was in that group of 50. It's been really interesting…

1 Take the test Getting up and down when you need to will be the difference between a good score and a mediocre one, so try taking the following test. Create two rings around the hole using tee pegs – one 3ft away from the hole, the other 6ft. Now hit the following shots: a 40-yard bunker shot, a 30-yard pitch, a greenside flop shot and a chip-and-run. You get one point for each ball that finishes inside the 6ft ring, two points inside 3ft and four points for holing out. Take this test regularly and try to beat your personal best to add some pressure to your practice. 2 Box test This will help your distance control. You should be aiming to get your chips past the hole to…

Paul’s assessment The first thing I noticed about Anthony's set-up is that he gripped it right at the butt end of the club and had a very weak grip. As he then hit a few balls for me, it was clear to see that he fanned the club inside and had a very flat action. From here, he was either returning to impact with an open face and hitting a shank, or he'd hit it low left. This very shallow swing plane isn't as destructive with the driver and Anthony gets by off the tee, but we needed to do some work on his iron play. Paul’s remedy I started with Anthony's set-up and got him to grip further down the shaft with a more neutral grip position. We then…

“IT’S AMAZING HOW HIGH THE G700 IRONS HIT THE BALL AND HOW STABLE THE FLIGHT IS”Joel Tadman, technical editor LOOKS Very different for Ping – clean and simple, with the hallmarks of a muscleback iron from the rear. It is generous in size, including a wide sole visible at address on the long-irons to inspire confidence. PERFORMANCE These irons provide plenty of height and speed – ideal if you're seeking more distance. We didn't hit them as far as the 29.5°-lofted 7-iron might have suggested, but they went far enough and the accuracy was impressive. FEEL/ SOUND The sound will surprise you at first. The G700 iron feels fast like a hybrid and sounds like a hybrid, too. Put simply, it's like hitting a mini metalwood, which could well…

“YOUR CHOSEN PUTTER NEEDS TO LOOK AND FEEL RIGHT IN YOUR HANDS. IF YOU DON’T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN IT, THE PUTTS PROBABLY WON’T DROP”Jake O’Reilly, GM technical writer In years gone by, each putter launch saw the introduction of a number of bold new head shapes that brands hoped would be the next Ping Anser or Odyssey 2-Ball. More recently, however, the trend has been for equipment manufacturers to stick with what they know is popular and make tweaks to the material, finish and forgiveness in the search for more marginal gains. Of course, there is still the choice between blades, mid-mallets and mallets. Blade-style putters tend to suit ‘feel’ players with more of an arc to their stroke, while larger-headed mid-mallets and mallets offer extra alignment assistance and…

Having lived for almost 1,000 years (right now I've got a bad back to partner my bad leg and it feels like that long) I've been here and there, seen a few things and played golf in some breathtaking places. This is the thing about this great game. The fact that it is played in such varied, often beautiful locations is what sets it apart from other sports. It is, in fact, the very opposite of Mark Twain's acute if misguided observation that “golf is a good walk spoiled”. I like to think the wonderful author – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer remains number three on my list of favourite books – was being whimsically amusing when he said this about golf, even if his comment resonates seriously with some…

1 Swing path A hook can be destructive, but it just needs to be tamed as you are close to perfection. A hook occurs when either the swing becomes too shallow or the face is closed on impact, or a combination of both. Many who suffer with a hook take the club away too much on the inside. To prevent that, put an alignment stick in the ground parallel to the shaft at address, behind you and halfway between your feet and the ball. This will give you both a visual aid and feeling to prevent you from taking the club too far inside. The ideal swing path sees the club attack the ball slightly on the inside. It then meets the ball square, and goes slightly on the inside…

1 Set-up is key A pushed iron shot starts right of target, stays there and ends up missing right. Most of the causes lie in the set-up. The ball-to-target line – the white stick closest to the clubhead – is the line straight to the target, but people often set up with their body and feet pointing right of that. This generates the in-to-out swing path that starts the ball on a straight line right of target. 2 Parallel or perpendicular What we're looking for at set-up is for everything to run either parallel to our ball-to-target line, or at right angles to it. Toes, knees, hips and shoulders should all be parallel to the ball-to-target line, and the clubface should be perpendicular to it. If you get it right…

1 Over the top Fat strikes, in which you either take a divot before the ball or come in too steeply and take a very deep divot, are something every golfers has suffered from. Before we look at ways to resolve the problem, let's address three common causes. The first is the classic ‘over the top' move, where the shoulder works in the wrong direction and moves forward in relation to your target line as you swing down, sending the club outside the line. From here, you will not only come in too steep but also cut across the ball, leading to a poor strike. Perhaps this is you? 2 Body too active For other golfers, the problem is that the club bottoms out early as a result of the…

1 Lining up In the 50-yard pitch I'm playing here, I've got a dip to go over and the pin is set back a bit, so I'm looking to land it about ten yards on to the green. I'm using my 60° lob wedge, but you may find lower lofts give you the consistency and flight you want. As well as a landing zone, you need to pick your target line, allowing for any break on the green. Here, there's very little, so my target line is the flag. That can, of course, vary, so look from behind the ball and pick out a point on your line where you want to land it. Square your clubface up to that point so no errors creep in. 2 Set-up Narrow the…

1 What is swing path? Before we can talk about the rights and wrongs, it's worth underlining what we are referring to. For the majority of coaches, swing path is the area just before, through and just after impact. Ideally, the club will move from just inside the ball-to-target line, to square, to just inside that line, but there are numerous examples of top players who do not swing it on the textbook path. However, I think it helps to know where the orthodox path is. If your club starts to move from either too far inside or outside the ball-to-target line, knowing where the neutral path is will usually help you get back on track. 2 What is swing plane? Swing plane refers to the angle the club circles…

Work to do Nicole Shepherd’s letter in the June issue has made me write in as my girlfriend has been bitten by the golf bug over the last few months. While it’s expensive to transition to full club membership, it’s a step I’m hoping she will take. However, we’d like to see gender-neutral tees based on handicap ability. Of course, she would begin on the furthest-forward tees, but she’s very competitive and loves the idea of eventually playing off the tees further back. The current reality, though, is that however good she gets, she will always have to play from the ladies’ tees. I agree with Nicole that the game may well be much more accessible than it’s given credit for, but in terms of women, there is still some…

Unless you're really confident using loft, the safer greenside chip is the lower one. Crucially, the angle of attack mustn't be too steep. It's got to be nice and shallow, and a lot of that is down to set-up. The stance should be narrow, but many golfers then stand too far from the ball. I want you to get in closer, not far from where you might stand for a putt. From square on, the shaft should be upright with minimal lean. If the heel of the club is up a bit, that's fine. The triangle formed between your hands, arms and shoulders is key – you want to keep that moving as one unit throughout. The stroke should have a slow takeaway before accelerating naturally via a rotation of…

1 What was it that Rory liked the most about his new putter? It reminded him of an older model he used to use. He felt very comfortable with the design and especially loved how the unique finish reminded him of what a classic putter should look like. 2 What was the thought process behind the new Copper Black finish? The collection has a unique triple-plating process which reveals a dark, rustic finish. Each model is hand polished to reveal copper accents along the edges. The finish is non-glare and provides a beautiful ‘classic' aesthetic many players like. 3 Are you seeing an increase in demand for more traditional-looking putters? Not as such. In fact, oversized putter heads have been the growing trend for the last three years, which is…

Billy Horschel won the Zurich Classic with the new PXG 0311 Gen2 irons Jason Dufner came second in New Orleans with a Ping G400 Max driver New Ping signing Joaquin Niemann finished sixth in his first pro start Jason Day won the Wells Fargo with a TaylorMade M3 driver and P730 irons Justin Thomas borrowed Rickie Fowler’s spare putter at the Wells Fargo Aaron Wise used an Odyssey O-Works Red V-Line at the Wells Fargo…

Are we all stark raving mad? We spend fortunes of coin on clubs, clothes and other items just to hit a little white ball around a field in as few shots as possible. We stand in front of the mirror checking out our swing position and we putt on the carpet while we're watching Midsomer Murders – by the way, I wouldn't fancy living there, it seems a particularly dangerous place! We all think we are good at it and know a lot about it, when perhaps we don't. What is there to know, anyway? That Jordan Spieth putts so well he's like an alien; that Rory McIlroy hits it so far it makes you nauseous with envy. By the way, I've got the shanks if you're interested, and that's…

1999 Under-16 Amateur Champion 2001 Winner of Golf Illustrated Gold Vase, represented GB&I at Jacques Leglise Trophy and St Andrews Trophy 2002 Faldo Junior Series winner 2004 English Amateur Champion, Lytham Trophy winner, turned professional 2006 Winner of the Ecco Tour Championship, qualified for the European Tour 2007 Lost his European Tour card 2009 Lost his Challenge Tour card 2011 Regained his Challenge Tour card 2013 Regained his European Tour card 2014 Lost his European Tour card 2016 SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge winner 2018 Regained his European Tour card…

BEN CRENSHAW & HARVEY PENICK Penick acted as a mentor and friend to longtime student Crenshaw. He regularly helped Crenshaw when he had swing problems and when he died just before the 1995 Masters, Crenshaw was so upset he wasn't sure if he could play. A day before the first round, Crenshaw went to the funeral in Texas and then proceeded to win The Masters by a stroke. NICK FALDO & DAVID LEADBETTER Leadbetter guided Faldo for 13 years and helped him win six Majors. They started working together in 1985 and totally revamped his swing. The partnership wasn't always close, with Faldo supposedly writing a note to Leadbetter about splitting up in 1998. TIGER WOODS & BUTCH HARMON Harmon was Woods' coach from 1993 up to his most dominant…

1 Weight transfer The most common things I see with poor iron contact are fats and thins. Poor weight transfer is often the main factor, with the dynamic balance of the body too far back coming into impact and the weight not transferring properly back over to the lead side. The low point of the swing then comes too early before the ball. Ideally, we want it to be three or four inches after the ball to provide a descending blow. 2 Stamp drill Put a club across your chest, turn away as you would on your backswing and then stamp your left foot down as you turn back through. Do this on the range before you start hitting shots as it will give you the feeling in your left…

Photography: Mark Newcombe The Masters Champion's swing has more than a hint of throwback about it. It has quite an old-fashioned look, starting with the set-up. The chin is angled behind the ball a la Nicklaus, with the head turned a little to the right. There's then excellent width in the takeaway as he starts his rhythmical swing, which is the foundation in terms of path and pace. I like the way his spine tilt remains in the backswing and you can see how supple his coil is. In the third photo square-on, you can even see the logo on the neck of his shirt when he's turned fully. At set-up, his feet appear closed relative to his shoulders, which makes sense given his trademark draw. He also looks to…

FEATURES The adjustable handle height is a rare but welcome inclusion. There's ample storage for various items like tees, balls and a pencil, so everything you need is in one convenient place. ASSEMBLY Aside from the front wheel being a touch fiddly to unlock, assembly has been made simpler. The frame now clicks into place in a few simple movements, with the rear wheels unfolding automatically. The Blade IP is aimed at those who are short on space but still want a feature-packed push trolley. Key technology In its folded-down state, the Blade IP has a depth of just 12.5cm, which makes it easy to store in the tightest of spaces – like under your clubs in the car boot or even on top of the parcel shelf. The frame…

ROCKLIFFE HALL County Durham Not far from Darlington on the banks of the River Tees, this challenging course is a monster from the back, but happily has plenty of far more appealing tee options for regular golfers. On some holes water whispers at you; on others it shouts, and there is plenty of drama all the way. With five-star accommodation, a spa, superb cuisine and other sporting activities on offer, Rockliffe Hall is a complete resort. On top of this, the course is kept in great condition and the green fees deliver good value for a genuine championship test. W: rockliffehall.com GF: Round: £55-£60 Mon-Thurs, £65-£70 Fri-Sun CARNE County Mayo The early holes are fine at this Top 100 links, but from the very distinctive 7th, played up to an…