WHATGEAR2011

TOP BUYING ADVICE & 2011 KIT REVEALED

THE ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE

A WAR OF WOODS...DRIVERS v FAIRWAYS: WHICH SHOULD YOU USE?

READER TEST

GET A BETTER SHORT GAMEUNDERSTAND THE TECH & HOW TO USE IT

WEDGE SPECIAL

RED-HOT DRIVERSTHE CLASS OF 2011

PURE PUTTERSQUALITY & CLASS

ACCURATE IRONSTHE BEST ONES

SHOE SHOWCASEFIND A SOLE MATE

HELPFUL HYBRIDSSAVE YOUR GAME

WIN!C U S T O M - F I T T E D

C A L L A W A Y I R O N S W O R T H O V E R

£2,000

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

FAIRWAY FRIEND { FAIRWAY WOODS SHOWCASE}

Getting the right fairway wood can make a huge difference – here are the best of 2011...

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WHAT GEAR 2011

C A LL AWAY R A Z R H AWK £199This is Callaway’s newest fairway wood and it features the new forged composite the company has developed with supercar giants Lamborghini. The composite material has been designed to be stronger and lighter than titanium. It has exactly the same effect as it does on the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, making it lighter overall so that the designers can move the weight lower. Callaway have used this technology to lower the centre of gravity in the clubhead to give a higher initial launch for longer, straighter drives. The Razr Hawk fairway woods also feature the Variable Face Thickness seen in the driver to deliver more forgiveness for game-improvers but it is still small and versatile enough for better players to use.◗ www.callawaygolf.com or 0800 096 4591

CROWN JEWELS Callaway's new forged composite is used in the crown of the club while the Razr Hawk's lower centre of gravity gives a higher initial launch for extra yards.

NOT SO THICKCallaway use Variable Face Thickness, also found in the driver, to deliver forgiveness for game improvers. Better players will like the club's versa tility.

FROM SUPERCAR TO SUPER CLUBCallaway worked with supercar giants Lamborghini to develop a new forged composite, used in the Razr Hawk range and designed to be stronger and lighter than titanium.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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FAIRWAY WOODSCALLAWAY DIABLO OCTANE £189This has been designed by Callaway with one thing in mind – power. The face features Callaway’s renowned Variable Face Thickness (VFT) technology to increase the sweet area and give fast ball speeds off more of the face – ideal for game improvers. The large head is also aimed at the higher handicapper – it inspires confidence and offers increased forgiveness on off-centre strikes but a smaller-profile Tour version is also available for the players who want more versatility to attack the course.◗ www.callawaygolf.com or 0800 096 4591

NIKE VR PRO £200This might weigh in at the top end in terms of financial outlay but it is packed with technology. The VR Pro features Nike’s STR8-Fit Tour system so the head can be set in any one of 32 positions as well as the Variable Full Compression Channel, which is said to deliver consistent ball speed across the face. A flatter sole and lower profile than the previous version is designed to help get the ball in the air more easily meaning better players will be able to fly the ball to the green and still get impressive stop due to the height the ball falls from.◗ www.nikegolf.eu or 0800 056 1640

WILSON DXI £149Three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington has had a hand in designing Wilson's latest fairway offering and he is so confident in the performance that he has put both the 3 and 5-woods in his bag – praise indeed. The design sees a large radius sole that allows the head to sit well on all lies to give confidence at address, while the centre of gravity has been placed low for a high ball flight. Wilson have also incorporated a three-zone variable thickness face which expands the sweetspot right across the face so is very forgiving.◗ www.wilson.com or 01294 316270

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER FL £149The Launcher FL is more than 30g lighter than most other fairway woods on the market according to Cleveland and they say that equates to around 3mph clubhead speed and about 7-10 yards in distance which could make all the difference to your game. It comes complete with Tour-level Miyazaki C.Kua shaft as standard, which weighs in at just 43g and a 36g grip. The centre of gravity is low and deep as you would expect. Graeme McDowell has just put this in his bag, which tells you all you need to know.◗ www.clevelandgolf.com or 01420 541 709

PING G15 £170The G15 has been hugely popular over the past 18 months with game-improving amateurs and Tour pros alike. It is designed to be 23 per cent more forgiving than its predecessor, the G10, and also features a more elongated and low-profile head. A higher launch angle has also been achieved by the insertion of an external weight pad at the back of the sole which has moved the CG significantly further back and slightly lower. Ping woods also have a reputation for their classic good looks and the G15, which scored highly on TG's test, is no exception. ◗ www.ping.com or 01427 619 224

PING K15 £175If you are a slicer then this could be the ideal club. The K15 his has been set up to combat bad shots to the right by using what Ping call Straight Flight Technology - a clever blend of geometry and weighting. This sees more weight positioned in the heel to bring the club's CG towards the shaft, promoting a closing of the face. The face is also elongated allowing engineers to move more weight away and add more loft to the face, promoting a high launch without distance limiting backspin. The head's larger profile also increases forgiveness. ◗ www.ping.com or 01427 619 224

MIZUNO JPX-800 £139The JPX-800 is Mizuno’s update on the superb MX-700, which was a massive hit in both our 2009 and 2010 equipment tests. It is a two-piece stainless steel design with internal weighting designed to keep the centre of gravity low and the launch angle high, along with a draw bias. It also has Mizuno's Ultimate Dynamic Stability, which offers forgiveness on shots struck above and below the sweetspot. The thin, hot face also means faster ball speeds and distance compared with the MX-700 – and that’s impressive.◗ www.mizuno.eu or 0800 328 0180

COBRA S3 £159Cobra's S3 range is new for 2011 and includes two new drivers, two new sets of irons and two fairway woods – the standard S3 and the S3 Max. Both feature Cobra’s E9 face technology which is designed to extend the sweet spot elliptically to cover hits high on the toe and low on the heel – where many amateurs make contact. The face is also 25 per cent larger than previous versions for more forgiveness. Despite that the head still looks extremely compact and inviting at address. The Max version also features offset to combat a slice.◗ www.cobragolf.com or 01372 364 933

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

FAIRWAY WOODS V DRIVERS

{ SPE CIAL TE ST}

Should you risk the big dog or play it safe with a 3-wood?

WORDS D A V I D C O N N O R

WHAT GEAR 2011

FAIRWAY WOODSIN ASSOCIATION WITH

We’ve all heard the old adage “fairway wood off the tee for safety” on a particularly tight hole, but given the extreme forgiveness of modern drivers does this saying still ring true?

These days drivers are designed to launch it high and straight while fairway woods are featuring ever shallower faces to make them more playable from tight fairway lies, meaning many are less suited to being used as driver replacements off the tee.

To see how modern drivers and fairway woods fared against each other off the tee Today’s Golfer visited the popular PGA National Academy at the Belfry where we asked 20 golfers of varying abilities to hit shots with both their fairway wood and their driver and then measured the results.

To ensure the results were as accurate as possible we enlisted the help of the state-of-the-art Trackman ball flight monitor preferred by the majority of manufacturers on Tour.

Using Trackman we were able to ascertain the carry distance and dispersion of each shot hit. Once everyone had hit we collated the results and then averaged out the distance and dispersion rates for all drivers and all fairway woods.

The results are plotted on the illustration opposite.

Before conducting the test the general consensus in the TG office was that drivers would deliver a significant yardage increase compared to fairway woods but that they would be more prone to flying offline.

However, the results show the additional carry distance difference was less than expected with just 20 yards separating the average carry with a driver (215 yards) and a fairway wood (195 yards).

The disparity in dispersion was also closer than we all expected with the average consistency (difference in yards from the target line) coming in at 14.2 yards for a driver and 12.7 yards for a fairway wood.

Therefore, according to the results of this mini test, modern drivers are just as accurate as modern fairway woods but deliver slightly more in terms of distance off the tee.

James Ridyard, a European Tour coach based at The Bedford GC, said: “Around 20 years ago we were playing with sub-200cc drivers and balls that curved far more easily than they do now. At that point a more lofted club like a 3-wood, which required a similar height of tee to an older driver, was the safe option.

“But fast forward 20 years and we have 460cc drivers that launch the ball higher with less spin and balls that curve far less. Add in the benefit of custom-fitting to enhance your shot pattern and the old wisdom doesn't hold water anymore.”

'ADD IN CUSTOM-FITTING AND THEOLD WISDOM DOESNOT HOLD WATER'

THE RESULTS DRIVERS PROVE LONGER AND JUST AS ACCURATE

FAIR

WAY

WOO

DDR

IVER

DISTANCE: 215 YDSTOTAL DISPERSION: 28.4 YDS

TOTAL DISPERSION: 25.4 YDS DISTANCE: 195 YARDS

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If so then there are two brand new fairway woods aimed specifically at you. The Titleist 910Fd and the MD Superstrong Brassie have been specifically designed for use as a driver replacement off the tee.

Titleist say they conducted extensive research among their customers and found there was a large percentage of

golfers, particularly better players, who regularly use a fairway wood instead of a driver off the tee when placement rather than power is key.

The 910Fd has been designed with a larger head and deeper face than most modern fairway woods for more confidence when hitting off a tee while an interchangeable weight screw has been positioned closer to the face to produce a lower, more penetrating trajectory. The club also features Titleist’s interchangeable SureFit Tour hosel with 16 different head positions, allowing the golfer to adjust ball flight.

The MD Brassie is a 13 degree head which also features a deeper face while a 15 degree Spoon is also available.

◗ Titleist 910Fd £215 www.titleist.co.uk◗ MD Superstrong Brassie £69.99 www.mdgolf.co.uk

DO YOU USE A FAIRWAY WOOD OFF THE TEE?

STATISTICS TELL A STORY◗ The closest stats in terms of distance between a driver and a fairway wood were returned by a five-handicap golfer who averaged 203.4 yards with his driver and 198.5 yards with his three-wood. He was much more accurate with his driver with a consistency of just 1.8 yards compared to 9.1 yards with the fairway wood.

◗ The biggest distance disparity was returned by a three-handicap golfer who averaged 223.9 yards with the big dog but just 175.6 yards with the fairway wood – although he was more accurate with the shorter club.

◗ Incredibly 47 per cent of golfers tested were more accurate off the tee with their driver than fairway wood.

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{ WILSON STAFF IRONS}

WHAT GEAR 2011

FOR THE PURISTWilson's FG Tour irons are

used by Padraig Harrington but they are suited to more than just

Major winners. It's a beautiful forged club with

a small cavity back.

WHICH PLAYERARE YOU?Wilson reckon they have the clubs to suit and sort your game...

In most bags there are more irons than any other club and therefore they are a vital component of your set make-up.

Now, more than ever, there is a dazzling array of choices when it comes to irons and even if you’ve been playing the game for a while it can be difficult to know which route to go down. Ultimately, you’ve got to decide what you want from an iron and what kind of player you are - and want to be.

While one player prefers a more subtle club that will allow them to indulge in creative shot-making, another may prefer raw power, new technology and a straight ball flight every time.

When it comes to irons, no manufacturer can boast a pedigree to rival that of Wilson Staff. With 61 Major Championship victories, Wilson Staff has won more than any other manufacturer in the game.

Wilson's engineers have used all this experience and concluded that there are three types of player, which are shown above.

T H E F - PL AY E R: FE E LWilson believe 15 per cent of regular golfers are skilled enough to value creativity and feel over anything else. They generate their power through solid technique and an understanding of proper swing mechanics. They are likely to be lower- handicap golfers with a high degree of ball-striking ability and a tendency to shape shots round the course. The irons for a feel player will provide feedback on quality of ball-striking, be less forgiving on mis-hits, feature more traditional designs and allow maximum shot-shaping.

For these players Wilson have developed the FG Tour iron, which grabbed top spot in our Tour-quality iron category in our 2010 tests.

It is the first forged club Wilson have designed with a small cavity in the rear of the head, which is intended to give even the very best players a hint of forgiveness when they need it. Padraig Harrington and Ricky Barnes are among two of Wilson Staff’s Tour players using the FG Tour.◗ Wilson FG Tour irons: £549

IRONSIN ASSOCIATION WITH

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NICE COMPROMISE The Ci9 irons from Wilson offer a good

balance between style and substance. They help you get the ball

airborne and straight – but look good too.

EASY TO HITWilson's Di11 irons have weight dispersed to the edges of the face so that if you don't middle it, you

still get plenty of distance. Plus, it

doesn't look ugly.

T H E C - PL AY E R: C O N T RO LThe next level up from a feel player is what Wilson like to call a 'crossover' player.

According to Wilson these players make up around 30 per cent of all golfers. They may be an F-player looking for a little bit more forgiveness or control on their off days or a D-player (see right) who has improved to the extent that they are now looking for a little bit more control over their ball.

These players are likely to look like a scratch golfer one week and then struggle for form the next week – hence why they need a little extra forgiveness in their clubheads.

Typically, these irons will feature subtle game-improvement aids but deliver them in an aesthetically-pleasing, compact design.

For these players Wilson have designed the Ci9 iron, which features a mid-size head containing a shallow cavity with in-built 'exoskeleton' to pull weight lower and deeper in the head compared to the less forgiving FG Tour irons. ◗ Wilson Ci9 irons: £379 (steel), £449 (graphite)

THE D -PL AYER: DISTANCEAt the other end of the spectrum from the F-Player, the D-Player values distance and forgiveness above all else. Wilson say the D-Player represents more than half of all golfers. They crave more distance and look to technology to correct ball flight issues.

The D-Player will usually be a slightly higher handicapper and probably doesn’t get as much time to practise as they'd like, so lack the consistency to improve their scores with better technique. The irons for this player are larger in size and aggressively styled. They offer long, straight ball flights and a lot of forgiveness.

For these players Wilson have launched the new range of Di11 irons which feature a large sweetspot for higher ball speeds even on off-centre strikes. Their wide sole and the deep cavity allows much more weight to be positioned around the edges for a high launch. Wilson have worked hard to make the head look clean and classy.◗ Wilson Di11 irons: £349 (steel), £449 (graphite)

{ MID -MALLET S SHOWCASE}

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WHAT GEAR 2011BOB BETTINARDI STUDIO STOCK 7 £245This is a simply stunning piece of kit and one of the best-looking mid-mallets out there. Bob Bettinardi used to be synonymous with Mizuno but the Studio Stock range is very much his own series. This is one of the more forgiving mid-mallets in the showcase but the model does retain a touch of authenticity too. It is face-balanced with a double-bend shaft and has the patented Tour F.I.T face to finish the stunning design. The look at address certainly inspires confidence. ◗ www.golfsmith-europe.co.uk or 01480 308 800

NIKE METHOD CORE 4I £120Nike engineers really have catered for all styles with their new Method Core range which builds on the success of the Method putters that have been around for a while now. Like the blade and the mallet styles, the mid-mallet style features a new insert that makes vibrations less noticeable which leaves you to get an improved feeling and feedback. We think the centre-shaft is a great idea and will certainly tick the box with those of you after something a bit different from the usual heel-shafted option.◗ www.nikegolf.eu or 0800 056 1640

PING SCOTTSDALE B60 £109The Scottsdale range from PING made its debut last year but the company will still sell a bucket-load in the next 12 months and beyond. PING engineers gathered the thoughts of their own Tour staff to come up with a thermoplastic elastomer insert that delivers a solid feel and crisp sound on contact. In terms of size, it’s certainly not massive so if you prefer a blade over a mallet style then this will suit you. The charcoal finish is easy on the eye and the high contrast sight line makes alignment relatively simple.◗ www.ping.com or 01427 619 224

TAYLORMADE FONTANA GHOST £129This is a new addition to the Ghost range for 2011 but it still features some of the amazing technology that last year’s product offered. It still has a white head which, against the contrast of the green, helps you to line up better, but the sole is predominantly black which we presume is so your club can be kept in mint condition and doesn’t get dirty, which seems like a good idea. It also features three black lines on the crown which helps to get the putt started on the right line.◗ www.taylormadegolf.eu or 08000 728 624

MIZUNO LINE 90 KRAK ATOA £89Mizuno have really gone for it with putters in 2011, and the Krakatoa is one of two mid-mallets they are offering. It could conceivably be placed in the mallet category, but seeing as there is one that is even bigger we thought it sat better here. Suitable for a wide range of golfers, it features the Line 90 alignment system which encourages acceleration through impact to keep the putter square. It feels slightly heavy, but that does add confidence. We also noticed the smooth roll generated by the milled face.◗ www.mizuno.eu or 0800 328 0180

SCOTT Y CAMERON STUDIO SELECT FASTBACK 1.5 £250It's hard not to write good things about all of the Cameron putters and the Fastback 1.5 in the Studio Select range is certainly no different. It features circular heel and toe weights in the head which helps to reduce twisting at impact, meaning more holed putts through an increase in stability. The Fastback 1.5 is decorated with the traditional three red dots, and the overall styling and feel of the putter is second to none. You certainly won't be disappointed.

◗ www.titleist.co.uk or 01480 301 114

SCOTT Y CAMERON CALIFORNIA DEL MAR £250All of Scotty Cameron's putters look sensational, but it is perhaps the California range that has the edge with the honey-dipped finish. This comes from the manufacturing process, rather than from actual plating and this not only helps the aesthetic appeal but also helps to reduce the glare too. The putters have been milled from soft 303 stainless steel and fitted with weights in the heel and the toe. There are another four models in the range, including a Sonoma mallet.◗ www.titleist.co.uk or 01480 301 114

WILSON STAFF 8883 £69Wilson Staff is one of the most respected names in golf. With 61 Major wins to their name, including three from Irishman Padraig Harrington, they know how to produce winning clubs. The 888 series of putters are still in the line for 2011 and are sensational for the price. This mid-mallet model sits beautifully behind the ball and the Visual Plane Differential uses multi-surface markings to help players get their eyes into the correct position above the line. The soft grip from Golf Pride helps to enhance feel too.◗ www.wilsonstaff.com or 0800 328 0180

THE GAME- CHANGER

{ A DE CADE OF 2-BALL}

The Odyssey 2-ball putter is about to celebrate its 10th birthday and we asked Principal Designer Austie Rollinson just why it has been so successful during the last decade...

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FIND YOUR PERFECT

PUTTER AT TG ONLINE

WORDS J O N G R E A T H E A D