Speaking of the weapons – er, golf clubs – that live in your golf bag, here are 10 decisions you might make for 2008:
1. Buy a Mizuno Omega III golf bag. I love Mizuno bags, and this one is a wonderful medium-sized cart bag. It features individual sleeves for 14 clubs plus a permanent composite putter tube on the outside of the bag.
It also has a terrific compartment, called the Chiller Pouch, for keeping drinks cold. I have used this bag in the desert in the summer, and the Chiller Pouch works better than advertised.
2. Substitute a 4-wood or even a 5-wood for that useless 3-wood. Many golfers can carry the ball as far or farther with a 4- or 5-wood.
If you ask me, the 3-wood is the most difficult club in the bag to fit, as well as hit.
3. Pay more attention to the face angle of your driver.Many manufacturers offer different face angles in their drivers, and matching your swing with the correct face angle is imperative for driving the ball well.
Remember that a driver with a closed face has more effective loft than a driver with an open face.
4. Be aware that longer drivers (say 46 inches in overall length) do not necessarily produce more distance than shorter drivers (say 44 inches).The key, of course, is hitting the ball solidly. Many players simply are out of control with longer drivers.
“Manufacturers seem to think they have to sell 45- and 46-inch drivers so golfers can get more distance,” said Tom Wishon, founder of component seller Tom Wishon Golf Technology. “That’s garbage.”
5. Remember that gapping is the key to buying a new set of clubs, particularly irons and hybrids.No golfer should be caught with a glaring gap anywhere in the bag. These gaps often occur in the transition between a 5-iron and 4-hybrid or between a 6-iron and 5-hybrid.
Measure your gaps before you buy new clubs.
6. On a related matter, consider this: Don’t buy any iron longer than a 6-iron. Complete the set with hybrid clubs, utility clubs or fairway woods.
I saw Allen Doyle win back-to-back U.S. Senior Opens with nothing longer than a 6-iron in his bag.
Most golfers are very inconsistent with a 5-iron, let alone a 4-iron. Meanwhile, the 3-iron has all but disappeared.
7. When buying hybrids, hit demo clubs and pay very close attention to the trajectory. Some hybrids produce shots that fly much higher than others. Hybrids that replace 5-irons and 4-irons need to hit high, soft shots. On the other hand, the top consideration for hybrids that replace 3-irons and 2-irons is straight, accurate shots.
8. Give strong consideration to buying an 11-wood or 9-wood.
Some of us believe that these woods will stage a resurgence. Not only are they easy to hit, but they produce sky-high shots that land softly.
9. Pay more attention to bounce in wedges. This is a personal decision with crucial implications. Any golfer with a steep swing (tending to take deep divots) needs more bounce.
How much bounce? For a primary sand club, a steep swinger often needs 14 to 16 degrees of bounce.
Afraid of too much bounce on a pitch shot from tight grass? Try standing closer to the ball with the wedge on its toe.
10. Traveling golfers should remember this fundamental putter rule: Putters that perform well on bentgrass greens often don’t work very well on Bermudagrass greens. A golfer may need additional loft for Bermuda.
Touring pros don’t putt on the same greens that we do, and they can get away with using the same putter on all greens. Their greens are smoother and faster than most of the greens we play.
Without enough loft on the putter, a putt may be sidetracked or slowed by stickier Bermudagrass. So traveling with two putters, one with more loft, is a great idea.
Posted: 1/13/2008
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