Table of contents for August 2017 in Golf Monthly

FAULT: H O O K DRIVER Fitter analysis Gary carries a draw-biased driver and straight away I could see that with his in-to-out draw/hook swing type, this wasn't right. Immediately I thought about the adjustability of the M1. I started off with the club in a neutral set-up and 10.5° loft with a regular mid-launching shaft. But even with this set-up I could see the ball was moving right to left early in its flight. I also wanted to get the launch angle up. So I moved the weights towards the fade-biased position and I put more weight in the back of the head to raise the launch angle. The distance and accuracy improved. Gary’s feedback The change of shaft and adjustments to the head of the M1 driver gave…

FAULT: PUSH DRIVER Fitter analysis Charlie wasn't fitted for his current driver but he has a good swing and he is very consistent, so we didn't need a lot of adjustability. Plus, Charlie wanted more forgiveness so we went straight towards the M2. We matched the spec with his old driver, but Charlie was producing too much spin. Therefore, we dropped down to a 9.5° head. I wanted Charlie to get to a 15° launch angle with mid-2000rpm spin and that's what the 9.5° head delivered. Charlie’s feedback The TaylorMade M2 driver felt good off the face and I was getting a nice high launch angle. By the end, I was hitting more good ones than bad ones – the results were strong. The distance was up by about ten…

FAULT: LACK OF DISTANCE DRIVER Fitter analysis We added 40 yards with the driver for Steve, which was chiefly down to the extra forgiveness a club like the M2 can provide over old technology – in this case Steve's R11 driver, which is six years old. With the head selected, it was then a case of fine-tuning the other components to give him a more penetrating flight and more distance. We settled on a lower-spinning shaft and a lower loft to do this. Steve’s feedback I have good days with my driver and bad days, with a high ball flight that is not very penetrating and with a few pulls and pushes for good measure. The main thing I noticed with the M2 was that my bad shots were much…

The main reason golfers struggle with fairway woods – especially from the turf – is that the club bottoms out too early, meaning the low part of the swing occurs before the ball. This is down to poor intent as well as technique. Golfers often use a fairway wood like a driver, which may work off the tee, but from the ground, having the ball forward and hitting up on it is likely to cause thin or heavy contacts. With a fairway wood, you want to impart a slightly downward blow. To do this, you need to move the ball position back to a couple of inches inside the left heel and place slightly more weight on the front leg. From here, just make your normal golf swing – the…

HOW TO PLAY A LONG PAR 4 Aggressive option The first thing you need to do is think about the conditions – where is the wind, how strong is it and how firm is the ground? Today, the wind is straight down so I should be able to carry the bunkers on the left if I take the shot on with my driver. A good drive will transform this long par 4 (it's 446 yards) into a birdie chance, so it makes sense to take those bunkers on and hopefully find the fairway. This would leave me about 120 yards for my second. Safe option My advice for amateurs is to try and take a big number out of the equation. This is a tough hole and a bogey is…

“I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE PAIRED WITH RORY IN SOUTH AFRICA. HE’S A REALLY NICE GUY AND WE SPOKE ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING ON THE WAY ROUND” Jordan Smith won the EuroPro Order of Merit in 2015 before topping the Challenge Tour Order of Merit just a year later. Smith – who's currently inside the top 40 on the Race to Dubai – has recorded four top-15 finishes on the European Tour this season, including a 3rd at the BMW South African Open where he played with Rory McIlroy on the Sunday. Young Italian star Guido Migliozzi is playing his first season on the Challenge Tour. When he turned pro last year, he was Italy's number-one-ranked amateur. What do you make of the new Rolex Series? JS: Obviously it's…

Photography: Kevin Murray I've spent a lot of time travelling recently, which has given me plenty of opportunity to think. Once the pressing stuff is out of the way – why do I keep on chunking my pitching wedge and what's the best ale sampled at clubs I've visited (answers: I'm getting ahead of the ball and Deeside Blonde at Banchory GC) – I keep coming back to a topic: what would the ultimate golf club look like? Let's call it Utopia GC. Well, it would have an attractive, challenging 18-hole course featuring different teeing grounds to cater for all; the rough would be kept at a sensible height; and there would be no long grass under trees! Divots would always be replaced, bunkers raked and pitch marks repaired. There…

Photography: Getty Images The GM view: Some feel Spieth’s phenomenal 2015 season will never be surpassed, but he continues to win big titles. It’s easy to forget he’s still so young and has plenty of time to register more Major victories, especially if he gets back to his best with the flat-stick. Matt Peartree: I take it all back. I’d written Spieth off after he seemed to lose his way with the putter, but his win rate cannot be questioned. Jack only managed eight PGA Tour wins before his 24th birthday. GreggerKBR: I find Spieth a bit petulant at times, but I absolutely love watching him. He really gets into his shots – he lives and breathes them. But such passion can be a bit of a burden when it’s…

On par 5s or long par 4s, where maximum distance off the tee is required, many high handicappers – and others – make the mistake of setting up to the ball thinking: “The harder I hit it, the further it will go!” Sadly, that is generally not the case as they tend to take the club away as fast as they can and chop back down at the ball, which goes nowhere. The secret is the arc – the pendulum – that provides power via good posture. When you turn, turn your shoulders to the maximum, keeping the swing as wide as possible and, crucially, turning the big muscles in your upper body into the back leg. Then you can unleash the forward power that this stores up. At the…

Illustration: Darren Robinson Long, straight putts are scary enough, but double-breakers from far away will make even the best putter nervous. Your friends won't be able to avoid three-putts, but you'll be knocking them close – and sometimes in – with these three secrets to conquering double-breakers. 1 Break up the break There will be an initial slope, an in between slope and a final slope near the hole. First, get a feel for how the first slope will affect your putt, because if you misjudge this one, you've got no chance. This is critical if you‘re putting over a tier, as in this picture. At the very least, determine if it will throw the ball left or right and by how much, then read the rest of the putt…

“HIGH-END CLUBS LIKE THESE CAN OFFER A QUICKER, ALBEIT EXPENSIVE, WAY TO MAKE YOUR BAD SHOTS BETTER” Joel Tadman, technical editor KEY INFO Epic irons: RRP £1,749 with Rifle Project X LZ steel or UST Mamiya Recoil EX graphite shafts. Epic hybrid: RRP £279 in adjustable lofts of 18°, 20°, 23° and 26°. It’s fair to suggest that nearly every active golfer isn’t satisfied with his or her current level of play – getting better is what drives our passion and brings us back the next weekend. Lessons are the way many of us try to achieve this, but over time they can make for a significant investment. It’s a financial venture that, for many, is roughly similar to a new set of sticks. Comparing the effectiveness of lessons over…

Photography: Tom Miles “I once foolishly questioned Alan’s knowledge of Nick Faldo and he spent ten minutes trotting out his career stats to prove a point” I was in Portugal last month playing golf in Steven Gerrard's Foundation tournament. It's a great event packed with decent golfers. At the dinner, one of the guests asked me if I'd ever played with Alan Hansen – the legendary Liverpool defender and former Match Of The Day favourite. I have witnessed the well-oiled Scottish machine on numerous occasions. The first time we played together was at Royal Lytham. My game was in what I like to call an ‘agricultural phase'. I was in transition from a big, loopy, wristy take-away to a shorter, more cultured, economic swing. I had been invited to play…

A common goal The whole course needs to be playing ready golf to maximise the benefits. Despite two clear tee times before the first fourball teed off at Fota Island we caught the group in front, who weren't playing ready golf, within three holes. The same goes with a group. If all players don't adopt the format the benefits are reduced. It’s not a race At first it's easy to feel rushed in this format and it can take a few holes to find your rhythm. If you feel like everything is a whirlwind chances are you're trying to play ready golf while still adhering to the honour system! Safety first As amateur golfers we don't always know where our shots are going, so hitting with players in front of…

1 Set-up adjustments Sometimes on a 30-yard chip you will need your ball to check on landing; sometimes you might prefer it to roll out. I'll look at the checking chip here, but also explain how to play a rolling chip with a couple of changes. Let's start with the chip shot that requires a little more backspin. At set-up, place 55-65% of your weight on your front foot with your hands a little forward too, and hold down the grip two or three centimetres. That extra weight should stay on the front foot as this enhances the angle of descent, allowing you to break your wrists earlier and come back into the ball at an angle that guarantees ball then turf. Photography: Tom Miles 2 Firm up your hands…

There are few things more satisfactory during your round than the sound of a fizzing iron shot flying straight at your target. But, for many golfers up and down the country, the sound of heavy turf and the sight of your ball leaking sideways is, unfortunately, more common. It's something many will relate to and it can have a crippling effect on your score. Thankfully, in our Top 25 Coaches we have some of the UK's best golf instructors at our disposal to help you get back on track. One of those is Paul Foston, who has coached multiple European Tour winners over the years. We asked Paul to step in and help a number of our readers overcome the issues costing them shots. One such man was William Fogarty…

“TROLLEY USERS SHORT OF SPACE WILL ENJOY THE C2’S THOUGHTFUL DESIGN AND USEFUL FEATURES” Joel Tadman, technical editor ASSEMBLY It will take a few attempts to master the operation, but once you’re familiar with it, you should be able to assemble and fold the trolley away in seconds. Just be careful not to accidentally hit the main button. FEATURES We feel there’s an appropriate number of features on offer here to satisfy most golfers’ needs. The three adjustable handle heights, USB port, digital colour screen and ball holder will all come in handy. STYLING The soft-touch, double-ended handle enhances the control you have, complemented by the smart low-profile wheels and sleek frame. The familiar black and yellow colour scheme oozes class from every angle. Key technology After more than…

PERFORMANCE The launch monitor numbers across the board were excellent, but it would have been good to see a little more difference in performance between the two sole plates. LOOKS The unique look at address is not only eye-catching but also highly effective in aligning the clubface and creating a visual aid that helps you take the club away on a neutral path. The Triton driver offers multiple methods of adjustability and an unorthodox alignment aid to help golfers maximise distance and accuracy. Key technology The product of the Golf Channel’s ‘Driver Vs Driver’ competition, Triton boasts two changeable sole plates, said to alter performance in areas like launch and spin. One is 22g and made of titanium; the other 9g and made from carbon fibre. These sole plates are…

How often do you get to work with such a stunning plot as Old Head? This is a one-off. When you first drive in here, you just say, ‘Wow. What a wow factor this place has!' I got the assignment to do the strategy and the final design. I got a lot of input from Joe Carr. He said, “The wind is going to blow in here so you've got to keep the greens very gentle.” You'll see with all the greens here, there's very little contouring. How much did the design change from the first proposed layout? Probably the biggest adjustment was getting the correct routing on the 12th and 15th – they were going round the hill the wrong way. Any time we can get the course closer…

THE GOLF Lakeland: par 36, 3,306yds Parkland: par 36, 3,309yds Woodland: par 33, 2,601yds On the two main loops, the biggest lake comes most prominently into play on the Parkland rather than Lakeland nine, courtesy of the excellent 12th that doglegs sharply around it. Big greens and clever bunkering are a real feature on both nines, with the Parkland's beautiful-looking 11th particularly well bunkered left of the fairway. Find time for the shorter Woodland nine, too, where things close in on you more – it really is a picture when swathed in flowering rhododendrons. If you thought the par-3 22nd played over trees was unusual, wait until you get to the shorter 24th, where a towering specimen stands right on line! All-day golf costs just £6 more than 18 holes,…

FAULT: INCONSISTENCY DRIVER Fitter analysis David's current R11 driver wasn't custom fitted. The 50g regular stock shaft was too light and he was creating too much spin with it. Our new M2 still felt a bit light for him, so we ended up in the M1 460 with a stiffer and heavier shaft. This boosted his ball speed and reduced his spin by 1,300rpm to give him a much stronger, more penetrating flight. David’s feedback We initially tried the M2, but it felt a lot lighter than my current TaylorMade R11, which threw off my rhythm and feel. So Matt switched me to the M1 with a heavier 60g Aldila Rogue Black shaft that felt much more similar to my R11. Immediately, I was impressed that even my misses were…

FAULT: HOOK DRIVER Fitter analysis A familiar theme across Kevin's woods was high launch and high spin. As such, we worked to reduce both to try and give him a more penetrating flight that he could control. We managed to bring the spin down using the moveable weight track in the M1 driver, and then we switched him from 10.5° to 8.5°. Without much change in ball speed, these spin and launch improvements alone gave Kevin an extra ten yards. Kevin’s feedback I tend to hit the ball quite high, so the M1 gave me much less spin with the weight pushed forward than the M2. We gained significant yardage from the more penetrating flight that the head, lower loft and custom Speeder 661 shaft combination gave me. My bad…

One of the biggest reasons for golfers missing the fairway is excessive clubface rotation. It starts during the move away from the golf ball, where the clubface is turning too much and the shaft rolls away from the body. From here, it becomes much harder to square the clubface at impact, leading to compensations in the downswing – the arms and body are having to work too hard to get that clubface square. Often the clubface is left open and you'll miss the fairway right, or you'll overcompensate and miss left. We want to create a more stable clubface in the takeaway so these compensations aren't required and, as a result, your action becomes more repeatable. The drill below should help achieve this, and it will also improve your swing…

Hybrids may be billed as the easy-to-hit alternative to long-irons, but some people still really struggle with consistency of strike, trajectory and distance. Much like with fairway woods, a correct and more consistent bottom of the swing is the key to achieving better results with your hybrids. The arms play a pivotal role in this. A common mistake we often see is the arms bunching up, with the hands moving towards the body and the elbows splayed. This fault creates too much loft and won't enable the bottom of the swing to happen at or after the ball, like you want. To deliver a better strike and a stronger trajectory, you need the arms to fully extend through the ball. We've got a great drill to help you incorporate this…

Amateur golfers often want to be just like the pros by using a really stiff shaft and a low-lofted driver, but after a fitting they often discover a softer shaft with more loft will probably work better for them. The other thing they do is try and hit the ball too hard. The key to better golf is to swing within yourself – I often find when I try and really send one out there I don't hit the ball as far because my sequencing is off and I don't find the middle of the clubface. Amateur players also often neglect fundamentals, whereas I'm always checking my grip and alignment when I practise. One thing I'm working on, and I see a lot of club golfers with this problem too,…

FAULT: PULL DRIVER Fitter analysis Craig had an SLDR model that he was launching low, with very low spin, and he was also fighting a miss to the left. He needed more loft and spin to keep the ball in the air for longer and tighten his dispersion from off-centre hits at the same time. He wasn't bothered about distance, but we got his ball speed up from 162mph to 169mph with the new M1 driver in 10.5°. His dispersion came down thanks to the M1's sliding weight that we could move to the toe to add fade bias and counter his miss. Craig’s feedback I know I hit the ball a long way so being able to control that distance is key. With the higher launch and overall look…

FootJoy, the bestselling golf shoe brand in the UK, has expanded its D.N.A. family with the addition of the D.N.A. Helix. The shoe is said to offer stability and flexibility in a lightweight, athletic model. Coming about as a direct result of feedback from tour players who requested these attributes, especially in the heel area, D.N.A. Helix features a completely new outsole design. The re-engineered NitroThin 3.0 TPU outsole boasts a widened heel platform that increases the overall surface area, allowing a wider spread of the Softspikes Pulsar cleats for maximum traction throughout the swing. The new design means D.N.A. Helix is 38 per cent more structured than the D.N.A. 2.0, as tested on FootJoy's BodiTrack pressure mapping system. To ensure D.N.A. Helix still provides the comfort golfers are looking…

1 Is there a demand for irons at this price point? To be honest, this is an untested area for us. But when people see the performance of the Epic driver and these new Epic irons, they are willing to pay the extra price, knowing that the technology is cutting-edge and trusting that they are getting value for their money. Early pre-sales data from our best fitting accounts indicates a strong interest in the Epic irons. 2 With a ‘no limits’ approach, what were you able to do differently? We were able to develop an entirely new construction type for the iron, using multiple materials in combinations previously not available and using some production processes we had only experimented with in the past. Essentially, the Epic iron is a ‘concept…

Photography: Tom Miles “I’ve had my C game all year, which has been frustrating. But there are lots of big events ahead and chances to turn the season around” Now the year's first two Majors are out of the way, it seems like a good time for a mid-season report. Some people were waxing lyrical about Erin Hills, but I have to say those new-build courses aren't my cup of tea. I just don't understand what's wrong with the old, traditional layouts, I really don't. I can't see how 8,000-yard courses are good for golf. I think we played it at 7,700 yards, but there was still potential for it to go back another 700 yards! The US Open has gone there now and it will never go back. Now,…

1 Weigh it all up Club selection, the amount of wrist hinge, ball position and ultimately speed of body rotation are all critical factors when it comes to getting it safely out. Too many people try to just get it out with their hands and arms from the wrong ball position, and with the normal club for the distance in hand. But often you must take your medicine. Assess your lie and use a bit of common sense, and you'll save yourself the anguish of those really big numbers. 2 Club selection: you must be realistic In these photos, I'm facing a shot of 165 yards, but the lie means that it would be all but impossible to get it there! So I'm going to use a club that I…

Paul’s assessment Will's biggest struggle was the consistency of his strike, hitting both fats and thins. The chief cause of this was a ball position that was too far forward with his irons. He was also moving towards his left side too much in the backswing, which caused a loss of height. To try and recover this and return to his address posture, he then lifted up coming into impact. Will also had quite a quick tempo, undoubtedly due to the fact he wants to hit it further, but that lack of control can often make things harder. Paul’s remedy We made the quick fixes first, moving Will's ball position back towards the middle of his stance for his short-irons to help him hit down on it more. I also…

LOOKS The M2 Tour is shorter from front to back and has a deeper face than the standard M2 fairway wood. It retains the white and black crown sections that aid alignment. PERFORMANCE We found the M2 Tour to offer around 300rpm less spin and five more yards of carry distance than the standard M2, but it was less forgiving on off-centre hits. The M2 Tour Fairway offers a more compact look than the standard model. Its shape and profile promote the enhanced workability better players are seeking, while the Speed Pocket boosts forgiveness and distance on low-face strikes. Key technology Like the standard M2 fairway, the M2 Tour fairway comes with a recessed six-layer carbon composite crown, Inverted Cone Technology, and a new Geocoustic sole design. The longer, more…

FOOTJOY FREESTYLE High levels of comfort and market-leading mobility – available in plenty of bold colour options. ADIDAS TOUR 360 BOOST The 360Wrap enhances lateral support, while boost cushioning puts a spring in your step. FOOTJOY DNA 2.0 This lightweight and flexible shoe delivers waterproof protection and plenty of grip through the year. MIZUNO NEXLITE SL This 275g shoe is packed with technology, like the Wave platform for cushioning, stability and comfort. FOOTJOY VERSALUXE This smart leather spikeless shoe is ideal for wearing straight from work and on to the course. NIKE LUNAR COMMAND 2 Flywire technology aids a more secure fit, while lightweight cushioning delivers total comfort. ECCO BIOM HYBRID 2 GTX This versatile shoe combines Gore-Tex-protected leather with a durable spikeless sole. UA PERFORMANCE SPIKELESS Outsole nubs are…

FAULT: TOO MUCH SPIN DRIVER Fitter analysis Tom was playing our SLDR 430 model from a few years ago. He likes the smaller head and we noticed straight away that he launches the ball high but with a lot of spin. So, we chose the 10.5° head in the 2017 TaylorMade M1 440 driver and set it two notches lower. This meant he could see a more open face, as he struggles with the occasional miss to the left so wants to see the ball starting further right. His ball speed jumped up significantly – on average it was 11mph more. We moved the rear sliding weight back in the head for extra forgiveness, and moved the front weight slightly into fade to help counter his miss left by holding…

The two main reasons for a lack of distance with the driver are a poor strike and an incorrect angle of attack. We're going to tackle both of those here, starting with your angle of attack. We're in a unique position with the driver in that we can tee the ball up. Hitting up slightly on the ball is the key to maximising distance, as it will increase the launch angle and reduce backspin. It also helps you hit the ball in the middle of the face, which promotes high launch and low spin. Tee the ball high and set up with your spine tilted away from the target. Position a headcover about 18 inches in front of the ball on your ball-to-target line. You should be aiming to miss…

HOW TO PLAY A LONG PAR 3 Carry distance The hole is 216 yards, but the important number is 210 – this is what you'll need to carry the water short of the green. Any time you are playing over water, always take a moment to identify the exact carry distance as you will need to devise your strategy from there. This is the key, because the really bad scores on this hole will come from the players who find the water short of the green. Make sure that's not you! Hybrid option If you can, you need to hit a high approach shot that comes in on quite a steep angle to get the ball to stop quickly. That's why I think that, for the majority of golfers, a…

Jordan Smith Jordan Smith enjoyed a distinguished amateur career and played in the 2013 Walker Cup. He turned pro the following year and won the 2015 EuroPro Tour Order of Merit to earn a Challenge Tour card. He excelled in 2016, winning twice en route to a second consecutive Order of Merit title and the European Tour. He has since recorded three top-ten finishes and currently sits inside the top 40 on the Race to Dubai. Guido Migliozzi Guido Migliozzi is one of Europe’s most promising golfers. The 20-year-old, who is currently playing on the Challenge Tour, turned pro in November last year after a stellar amateur and junior career. He won the French Boys Championship, the Portuguese Amateur Championship and the European Championship, beating a field including Matthew Fitzpatrick.…

FAULT: SLICE DRIVER Fitter analysis Dan's distance is good, but he was looking for something with a bit more forgiveness and adjustability to aid his accuracy. The M1's sole weights are great for this. We moved one back to maximise forgiveness and the other towards the heel to help counter his occasional slice. We also made the shaft I recommended an inch shorter than standard, which gave him a better dispersion average with no distance drop off to speak of. Dan’s feedback I definitely noticed the extra forgiveness the M1 had over my Titleist 910 driver – which is more than seven years old – during the course of hitting dozens of balls on TrackMan. We tried both the M1 and the M2 and, for me, the feel and sound…

Photography: Getty Images, Tom Miles Whatever the weather We’ve been so fortunate this year with the weather, having one of the driest winters in memory and one of the hottest Junes on record. As a member of a parkland golf club in Kent, we have enjoyed conditioning better than ever before. However, one man’s heaven is another’s hell, and it was on a recent trip to a nearby links course that I discovered the lack of rain and heightened sun is providing greenkeepers with an altogether different problem: trying to grow in bare patches and keep the course from drying out and browning off too much. So I write this letter as a quick thank you to the men and women who get up every morning before the roosters to…

Photography: Getty Images “Tiger had a rule that after a poor shot he had ten yards in which to berate himself before moving on” YES  I had to be on this side of the argument to avoid hypocrisy. My temper has been lost and frantically scooped up on so many golf courses, there's very little of it left to misplace. I can tell you from experience, there are degrees of temper loss and there's a distinct boundary between where it's acceptable and where it isn't. That line comes at the point where it affects other people. It's not okay to throw your club into a tree and delay your group as you attempt to retrieve it; it's not okay to damage something that doesn't belong to you; it's not okay…

AND THE PUTTER WENT… PING This 530-page, 16-chapter book details the fascinating story of the family-run Ping business. PUMA EVOKNIT SEAMLESS POLO This knitted top utilises body mapped ventilation, rib panels and a seamless design for extra comfort. TITLEIST SPECIAL PLAY NUMBERS You can now pick your favourite number on Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls, from 1-99 or 00. MIZUNO PRO CART BAG A 14-way top and nine pockets feature, including a cooler pocket with drainage holes and a lined valuables pocket.…

Irons Nike VR Forged 4-iron, Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Limited-Edition 80TX shafts; Nike VR Pro 5-9 irons, Project X 6.5 shafts. Wedges Callaway Mack Daddy Forged, 48°, 52°, 56° and 60°, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour S400 shafts. Driver Nike Vapor Fly Pro, 8.5°, Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage XT70 TX-Flex shaft. Fairway Woods Nike Vapor Fly, 13° and 19°, UST Mamiya ProForce VTS 7X shafts. Putter Odyssey White Hot Pro #3, SuperStroke Legacy 2.0 grip. Ball Titleist Pro V1x. SPOTTED ON TOUR New gear from Ping? Images emerged online during the US Open of a Ping G400 driver. Staffer Lee Westwood was one of 12 players who put one in play, and he even used it for a Sky Sports driving clinic after his opening 69. Ernie’s revival Ernie Els topped…

Photography: Kevin Murray “I have a suspicion that Rory is getting so irritated by people questioning his form that he’s going to do something memorable soon” Overall, I thought the US Open was pretty good. I don't know why everyone was whinging about the golf course. The scoring was half decent – that was down to Mother Nature – and people complaining about it got quite tiresome. If they are shooting six-under they are whinging, if they are shooting 16-under they are whinging! Just get on with it – no one said anything when Rory was 16-under at Congressional in 2011. Everyone was calling him a genius. Koepka played some brilliant golf and won by four, hitting more than 90 per cent of greens in regulation on the Sunday. The…

When I first golfed as an adult, I would rise at 6am on a weekend, go downstairs and pick up the phone. I would call repeatedly until I eventually got through – this tended to be sometime around 7.20am – to book a tee time from the limited selection that was left by then. Playing a weekly game of golf at the weekend at my local 18-hole pay-and-play course required this rigmarole each time. This was the early 1990s. The course, at that stage, had no clubhouse and took no members. So when another pay-and-play course opened up, I joined that as a member. It was my first club and gave me my first handicap. The membership was oversubscribed from the start. The design was unexciting and the maintenance a…

1 What is an over-the-top golf swing? Over the top is a commonly used phrase, but what does it really mean? When people swing a golf club well, they take it back on a slightly inside path, it's square at the top and it should then work back down on an inside-to-square-to-inside path. When people come over the top, the club strays outside the line very early on in the downswing, coming over the ball-to-target line and attacking the ball on an out-to-in swing path. From here, you could hit a pull, a pull hook or, if you hold the club off, quite a big slice – a common outcome. 2 Watch that left hip There are many cliches in golf teaching, and one thing many golfers misunderstand is what…

Photography: Paul Severn Danny may be struggling with his game at the moment, but this swing sequence was taken in late summer last year when the 2016 Masters Champion was swinging at his best. At address, he has an athletic set-up that is typical of the modern tour player. He has nice lines through the body and legs and he simply looks primed and ready to make a powerful move. Danny does appear to have a slightly strong grip, especially with the left hand, which may be why he sets his wrist earlier than a lot of players and keeps the club well outside his hands when it reaches horizontal going back. This promotes a more out-to-in path into the ball and the fade that Danny likes to play. If…

COMFORT The backer material is not only silky-smooth, making the garments easy to slide on, but also very soft so it doesn’t feel harsh on your skin. There are also adjustable cords to help you tailor the fit to your preferences. PERFORMANCE The waterproof protection was second to none, but what also impressed was the stretch and breathability of the material. It doesn’t restrict your swing and can be worn in a range of temperatures. This suit is aimed at golfers willing to pay a premium for the best technical performance waterproofs on the market. Key technology To mark its 15-year association with Gore-Tex and the brand’s famous waterproof membrane, Galvin Green has introduced a revolutionary Japanese-made C-Knit backer to create three-layer stretch-fabric jackets and trousers that ‘slide & glide’…

"Expensive items make us feel good and give us something to aspire to in life" Let me start by acknowledging that, given my privileged position, I am by no means the ideal person to be penning a column on golf equipment being too expensive. Yet I felt compelled to write this piece following some recent launches that have really got me questioning whether manufacturers are demanding too much money for new gear. These thoughts were spurred on by, but not limited to, the unveiling of the Callaway Epic irons, which retail at £1,749 for a set. Many of you will turn your noses up in disgrace at the thought of parting with that kind of money for a set of irons, but this is not a new concept. What Callaway…

fter Nike moved away from producing golf equipment last year, a number of its resulting free agents on tour turned straight to Mizuno’s irons to fill the gap. Keen to see if our readers could enjoy the same benefits the likes of Brooks Koepka and Paul Casey have experienced, we contacted Mizuno. Step in Matthew McIsaac, a Mizuno expert tasked with fitting two Golf Monthly readers into one of its JPX900 iron models. He used Mizuno’s DNA fitting tool to capture their important swing data, such as swing speed, tempo and kick angle, with the system then suggesting three suitable shaft options. With this shortlist in hand, Matthew worked through the potential options with our readers hitting shots on TrackMan. He also noted their personal head and flight preferences before…

Rob Smith – contributing editor I've been lucky enough to visit Old Head twice and have been blown away, literally and metaphorically. Regarding our Top 100 criteria, some argue that in terms of design and test, the individual holes don't match the breathtaking location. I disagree, and believe there is great substance and real strength in depth. I was very impressed with the work done more recently, such as the addition of around 70 yards to the 6th, a new teeing complex at the thrilling 12th, the relocation of the par-3 13th to a wow-factor-plus setting, and new bunkering on 16. When the visual appeal is off the scale, subtlety in other areas is the perfect complement. Kevin Murray – GM staff photographer Set on a natural and spectacular promontory,…

1. DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE Northumberland This idyllically situated par-70 course runs along the coast bordering Embleton Bay, about 40 miles south of the border with Scotland. A friendly welcome awaits at this delightfully informal club where golf has been played since 1900. The course was substantially remodelled and extended by James Braid in 1920, and what remains is very much his handiwork with just three par 3s and one par 5. Not heavily bunkered, the vagaries of the weather will often be its greatest defence. W: dunstanburgh.com GF: Round: £27wd/£31we; Day: £33wd/£39we 2. SLALEY HALL – HUNTING Northumberland A former host of six European Tour events with winners of the calibre of Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie, the Hunting course is one of two very enjoyable designs at this lovely 1,000-acre…

Photography: Tom Miles “Woods discovered the thing that many ‘special’ people can’t handle. He discovered that away from golf he wasn’t that special at all” No one ever looks good in a mug-shot. Not you, not me, probably not even George Clooney, although my wife disputes this last thought. But few have ever looked more shockingly shambolic than Tiger Woods did when the West Palm Beach police arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence. And the reason Tiger looked so bad was that I suspect most of us could not look at this drowsy, confused, balding, vacant-eyed, middle-aged man without also seeing the sharp, bright, younger version and a golfer who used to ooze confidence, charisma and, when he chose to, quite a lot of charm. Cue a…