This ball changes - Callaway Golf
This ball changes - Callaway Golf
This ball changes - Callaway Golf
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ISSUE 17 • SUMMER 2008 • WWW.CALLAWAYGOLF.COM<br />
CALLAWAY GOLF<br />
M A G A Z I N E<br />
><br />
><br />
><br />
Fredrik<br />
Jacobson<br />
3 steps to better<br />
<strong>ball</strong>-striking<br />
ernie<br />
els<br />
speaking out<br />
for autism<br />
johnny<br />
miller<br />
why it’s phil’s time<br />
at torrey pines<br />
<strong>This</strong> <strong>ball</strong> <strong>changes</strong><br />
Everything<br />
the new tour i series golf <strong>ball</strong>s seem<br />
to know the difference between a driver and a wedge. find<br />
out how dual-core technology will transform your game
editor’s letter<br />
welcome<br />
Pioneering technology and game-changing innovations<br />
have for a long time attracted many of<br />
the world’s leading players to <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>. The<br />
Company has always been recognized as a market<br />
leader in drivers, fairway woods and irons but,<br />
in recent years, its golf <strong>ball</strong> technology has been forcing the world’s<br />
elite golfers to take notice also. It was the performance of the HX Tour<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Ball line, for example, that was an important clincher in convincing<br />
both Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson to become Staff Professionals.<br />
Over the past few seasons, a growing number of pros have started to use<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Balls – attracted primarily by the consistency of <strong>ball</strong> flight. “I had<br />
heard a lot of good things from other players,” says Fredrik Jacobson. “The golf<br />
<strong>ball</strong> was a key factor in my decision to join <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> as a Staff Professional.”<br />
Several players even went as far as saying that it would be difficult to improve<br />
on the HX Tour and HX Tour 56 <strong>Golf</strong> Balls, but the new Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls<br />
look set to change all that. The new 4-piece <strong>ball</strong>s have two cores that respond<br />
differently to the clubhead speed generated at impact. In simple terms, this means<br />
that a Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Ball will create less spin with a driver than it will on a<br />
wedge, leading to more distance off the tee and more control around the green.<br />
You can read more about this ground-breaking technology and how it will affect<br />
your game in our cover story starting on page 22.<br />
Elsewhere in this issue, you can get an amateur golfer’s perspective of<br />
the I-MIX System, learn how to improve your swing and <strong>ball</strong>-striking, and find<br />
out why Phil Mickelson is so anxious to win a tournament for his father.<br />
Enjoy the issue.<br />
Nick Wright<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Welcome to the team!<br />
VISIT US ONLINE<br />
Enhance your <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> experience. Visit us<br />
online, any time, at one of these great websites:<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><strong>Golf</strong>.com<br />
In-depth information on the science and specifications<br />
of <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> equipment and accessories.<br />
Shop.<strong>Callaway</strong><strong>Golf</strong>.com<br />
Buy the latest <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> technology on your<br />
schedule – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><strong>Golf</strong>Preowned.com<br />
Certified Pre-Owned golf clubs include a Certificate<br />
of Authenticity, plus a like-new warranty and<br />
a money back guarantee.<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><strong>Golf</strong>TV.com<br />
Watch streaming video of Team <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>,<br />
featuring pros like Annika Sorenstam, Arnold<br />
Palmer, Phil Mickelson, and more! View instructional<br />
videos or take a behind-the-scenes look<br />
at life as a <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Staff Pro.<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><strong>Golf</strong>.com/magazine<br />
Read extended versions of features and view<br />
additional photos, video lessons and interviews.<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><strong>Golf</strong>.com/netfits<br />
<strong>This</strong> online driver fitting program takes you<br />
through a complete assessment of your game.<br />
What a welcome surprise <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> received from Patrick Buhrmann of Abilene, Texas. And vice versa. The new<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Master Staffer switched to <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> club and <strong>ball</strong> technology this spring and made his first hole-in-one,<br />
in the very first round using his new X-Forged 6-iron and Tour ix <strong>Golf</strong> Ball. Buhrmann was part of a large gangsome called<br />
the Doctors’ Group that plays the Fairway Course every Friday. On February 29, at the par-3 16th hole, Buhrmann pulled<br />
out his new 6-iron for the first time since putting it in his bag. With 24 other players within earshot or sight of his accomplishment,<br />
Buhrmann aced the 171-yard hole. “It was my first round using the Tour ix <strong>Golf</strong> Ball, my first time using the<br />
X-Forged 6-iron and my first hole-in-one,” Buhrmann says. “A nice way to kick things off and a very nice surprise.”<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 3
your Letters<br />
Write to <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Magazine, 2180 Rutherford Road, Carlsbad, Calif., 92008-7328, or to magazine@callawaygolf.com. Submissions should include your full name, address and daytime phone<br />
number. All submissions become the property of <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> and will not be returned. Please do not send creative ideas, original materials, or suggestions relating to products or marketing plans.<br />
Brotherly Love<br />
My brother Tom and I began<br />
playing golf in 1995, five years<br />
after our dad, who thoroughly<br />
enjoyed the game, passed on.<br />
Tom and I live several states<br />
away from each other, and our<br />
favorite vacation involves taking<br />
time to get in a few rounds of<br />
golf together. Even when we’re<br />
not able to play, our telephone<br />
conversations always include<br />
commentary on recent rounds.<br />
Without a doubt, golf has helped<br />
further cement an already strong<br />
brotherly bond.<br />
In December, Tom was<br />
seriously injured in a motorcycle<br />
accident. It was a miracle<br />
he survived, but Tom now faces<br />
a long road to recovery. <strong>Golf</strong>ing<br />
together is not likely this year,<br />
but we know that anticipated<br />
first round is coming. In the<br />
past, Tom has played with a<br />
prize letter<br />
building toward a cure<br />
set of hand-me-down clubs,<br />
but I’ve promised him that he<br />
will have his choice of new<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> clubs when our<br />
long-awaited next meeting on<br />
the links takes place. <strong>Callaway</strong><br />
<strong>Golf</strong> will definitely be part of<br />
our reunion on the course.<br />
Ed Krehl<br />
Waxhaw, N.C.<br />
I am writing in regard to the “Hollywood stars<br />
embrace a good cause” article in the Winter<br />
issue. Each June, The New England Council<br />
of Carpenters sponsors a golf classic in<br />
support of ovarian cancer research. Last year’s<br />
event raised over $200,000, and in the past<br />
10 years, $1.8 million has been raised.<br />
Over 320 construction workers and financial<br />
professionals get together to have fun playing<br />
golf and provide support for a devastating<br />
disease. At the end of the day, a clambake is<br />
held with a guest speaker who, very often, is<br />
a woman with ovarian cancer. You can look<br />
in the crowd of rugged construction workers<br />
and see many with watery eyes.<br />
charles ryan<br />
southborough, ma<br />
Patience is a Virtue<br />
In 1991, a friend of mine<br />
was given a brand new set of<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> S2H2 Irons as<br />
a wedding gift from his wife.<br />
We hit the course and he<br />
immediately let me know how<br />
great those irons were and that<br />
my hand-me-down clubs were,<br />
well, just hand-me-downs!<br />
Very seldom a day went by<br />
without him reminding me<br />
how great those irons were.<br />
I have been told many times<br />
over the years that it is not<br />
the equipment that makes<br />
the errors, but the player.<br />
Now that I have finally caught<br />
up with technology, I have<br />
to disagree. <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s<br />
technology is so great, I often<br />
feel like I am cheating!<br />
I recently purchased the<br />
X-18 Irons, and I now fully<br />
intend to look up my good<br />
friend from the past, just to let<br />
him know how right he was<br />
about <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> clubs and<br />
their excellent performance!<br />
Donavin Fuller<br />
Ferndale, WA<br />
write in to win!<br />
Fond Memories of<br />
Annika and<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
When my daughter was married<br />
last August, it was the happiest<br />
I’ve ever seen her. When she<br />
was a teenager, she became an<br />
if your letter is selected by the editors, you<br />
could win a <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> x collection golf<br />
shirt or other callaway golf merchandise.<br />
avid golfer. Annika Sorenstam<br />
(above) is her hero, and she<br />
actually got to meet her at the<br />
1998 U.S. Women’s Open.<br />
One of the other times I’ve<br />
seen her at her happiest was<br />
the day my wife and I gave her<br />
a set of <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> X-12<br />
Irons to use when she played<br />
on her high school golf team.<br />
She still uses her <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
clubs and occasionally reminds<br />
me of that day.<br />
John Suess<br />
Milwaukee, WI<br />
my travel partner<br />
I always look forward to receiving<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Magazine<br />
and read every article. When I<br />
travel on business, I always take<br />
my clubs with me in case I can<br />
sneak in a round of golf. An<br />
associate asked me why I go to<br />
the trouble of dragging my clubs<br />
around when most golf courses<br />
rent clubs. I told him I couldn’t<br />
chance not being able to play<br />
with <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> clubs. Your<br />
technology definitely has helped<br />
cut strokes from my game!<br />
Dale Atwell<br />
Bishop, TX<br />
4 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
letters<br />
Pleasure in<br />
Tough Times<br />
I’m a loyal <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> fan<br />
in Detroit. With the severe<br />
economic times we are suffering<br />
here, many people are losing<br />
their jobs and homes. While<br />
many people are selling their<br />
“pleasure items” to make ends<br />
meet, I refuse to get rid of my<br />
Big Bertha Irons and Woods!<br />
These clubs give me something<br />
much more important than<br />
just a better game. They give<br />
me an excuse to get away from<br />
all the bad news for a few<br />
hours. They give me pleasure<br />
in tough times.<br />
Tony Bissonette<br />
Redford, MI<br />
What A Difference<br />
I have played hockey for the<br />
past 25 years, but golf never<br />
seemed exciting enough to<br />
collect my interest. My new<br />
boss recently decided that he<br />
should take me to his course,<br />
so that I could give the game a<br />
try. One thing led to another,<br />
and I bought a set of 25-yearold<br />
clubs at a garage sale for<br />
$10. After struggling with these<br />
clubs and having very few<br />
lessons, I decided it was time<br />
to update. I was afforded the<br />
opportunity to play with a used<br />
set of <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> X-18 Irons,<br />
a Steelhead Driver and 3- and<br />
5-woods. I was blown away by<br />
the difference the <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
clubs made when I was able to<br />
cut 10 strokes off my handicap!<br />
I have since purchased a new<br />
set of X-20 Irons (right) and an<br />
X460 Driver. I am now a true<br />
believer that <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s<br />
technology makes a huge<br />
dif ference and can immediately<br />
improve your game. Thanks<br />
for making a superior product!<br />
Alan Lane, via e-mail<br />
“I went to the pro shop and rented<br />
a set of X-20 Irons. I play to an<br />
eight and my first time out using<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> clubs, I shot a 73!”<br />
I Switched!<br />
I have never gone on vacation<br />
without my Pings, but recently<br />
I decided to leave my clubs at<br />
home and spend more time on<br />
the beach with my wife. It was<br />
just a matter of time, however,<br />
before I succumbed to the<br />
lure of the lawn. I went to the<br />
pro shop at Sandals <strong>Golf</strong> and<br />
Country Club in Jamaica and<br />
rented a set of X-20 Irons. I play<br />
to an eight, and my first time<br />
out using <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> clubs,<br />
I shot a 73!<br />
I immediately made an<br />
appointment to get fitted for<br />
a set back home. I am now<br />
the proud owner of a new set<br />
of <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> irons!<br />
Vin Nello<br />
Northport, NY<br />
ISSUE 17 summer 2008<br />
EDITOR-in-chief<br />
Nick Wright<br />
nwright@macduffgroup.com<br />
MANAGING EDITOR<br />
Leda Buster<br />
ledab@callawaygolf.com<br />
ASSISTANT EDITOR<br />
Paula Story<br />
paula@paulastory.com<br />
ART DIRECTOR<br />
Peter Yates<br />
info@peteryatesdesign.com<br />
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE<br />
Gail Early<br />
gearly@macduffgroup.com<br />
(404) 835 5735<br />
CONTRIBUTING PROFESSIONALS<br />
Rich Beem, Olin Browne<br />
Michael Campbell, Bruce Fleisher<br />
Rocco Mediate, Morgan Pressel<br />
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS<br />
Margaret Schmitz,<br />
Tim Sweeney, Abby Vetter<br />
PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
Getty Images, Chris Stanford,<br />
Jeff Harris, Tim Tadder<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS<br />
www.callawaygolf.com/mycallaway<br />
reader panel<br />
www.callawaygolf.com/readerpanel<br />
callaway golf magazine<br />
is pUBLISHed by<br />
the macduFF group<br />
6100 Lake Forrest Drive<br />
atlanta, georgia 30328<br />
T: (404) 835 5700<br />
F: (404) 835 5750<br />
W: www.macduffgroup.com<br />
All content owned by <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> unless stated. Reprinting in whole or in part is forbidden<br />
except with written permission from the publisher. Due care is taken to ensure that the content of<br />
the magazine is fully accurate, but the publisher cannot accept liability for errors and omissions.<br />
©2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Company. The following are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Company: A Better Game By Design, Big Bertha, <strong>Callaway</strong>, <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>, Chevron<br />
device, FT-5, FT-i, FT i-Brid, Fusion, Gems, Heavenwood, HX, Hyper X, I-Mix, Odyssey, OptiFit,<br />
S2H2, Tour Authentic, Tour i, Tour iX, X-12, X18, X20, X460, X-Forged, X-Hot and 2- Ball design.<br />
The following trademarks and logos are the intellectual property of their respective<br />
company or organization: Mercedes, Lexus, Ping, YouTube, Autism Speaks, ANNIKA, Chrysler,<br />
Cutter & Buck, LPGA, PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, Neox, Nikon, Rolex.<br />
Page 7 Note: Gas Card Giveaway is valid in the U.S. only. Void where prohibited. While stocks<br />
last. Card valid for 6 months. Usage restrictions and guidelines apply. Go to: www.callawaygolf.<br />
com/gascard for official rules, eligibility requirements and redemption details. Go to:<br />
www.rewardearner.com/fillitup for further card details. Please allow 10 to 12 weeks for delivery.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 5
online<br />
Sizzling Summer Offers<br />
Keep up with all the latest sweepstakes, offers and promotions from<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> and its partners at: www.callawaygolf.com/specialoffers.<br />
Free Gas<br />
Card Giveaway<br />
Purchase an FT-i, FT-5 or Hyper X Driver,<br />
and you can receive a gas card worth as<br />
much as $100. But hurry – gas prices are<br />
rising and this offer ends July 15, 2008.<br />
www.callawaygolf.com/gascard.<br />
See page 5 for additional details.<br />
TAKE THE HEX Challenge<br />
If you enter and win your participating golf club’s 2008 Chrysler Club Championship<br />
using a <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> <strong>ball</strong>, you could win up to $750 in <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> equipment,<br />
including clubs, golf <strong>ball</strong>s and accessories. Go to: www.callawaygolf.com/hexchallenge<br />
MASTER PHIL’S DRILL<br />
If you make at least 8 out of 10 putts<br />
from three feet, you could be entered<br />
to win a replica of Phil Mickelson’s<br />
putter, plus a trip to the Deutsche<br />
Bank Championship, where Phil will<br />
personally sign the putter’s certificate<br />
of authenticity! Another 100 entrants<br />
will receive a White Hot Tour Putter.<br />
For official rules and details, go to:<br />
www.odysseygolf.com/phil, and<br />
check out an Odyssey <strong>Golf</strong> Demo Day<br />
between June 1 and July 15 for your<br />
chance to win! No purchase necessary.<br />
Void where prohibited.<br />
Free dozen Tour ix <strong>Golf</strong> Balls<br />
Receive a dozen Tour ix <strong>Golf</strong> Balls when<br />
you purchase any qualifying <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Travel <strong>Golf</strong> Bag Carrier! Find out more at:<br />
www.callawaygolftravelgear.com/specialoffers<br />
DREAM ON!<br />
Enter the <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Dream<br />
Bag Sweepstakes and you could<br />
turn your dream into a reality!<br />
The grand prize includes<br />
everything from <strong>Callaway</strong><br />
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woods and a driver<br />
to a cart bag and<br />
Odyssey <strong>Golf</strong> putter.<br />
Monthly prizes<br />
will also be awarded.<br />
Go to: www.golfdigest<br />
promotions.com/<br />
callaway/live<br />
before July 31 for<br />
your chance to<br />
win. No purchase<br />
necessary. Void<br />
where prohibited.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 7
Planet<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><br />
worldwide news<br />
CONTENTS<br />
ISSUE 17 • SUMMER 2008<br />
Ernie Els and his family<br />
speak out to raise<br />
awareness for autism.<br />
A voice<br />
regulars<br />
3. editor’s letter 4. Letters your say 8. Planet callaway<br />
world news 34. straight talking johnny miller<br />
77<br />
sUMMER PROMOTIONS<br />
Check out the latest <strong>Callaway</strong><br />
<strong>Golf</strong> special offers, promotions<br />
and sweepstakes.<br />
28<br />
the next one’s for dad<br />
Phil Mickelson shares some<br />
of his favorite childhood golf<br />
memories and anecdotes,<br />
17<br />
22<br />
3 Keys to better<br />
<strong>ball</strong> striking<br />
PGA Tour Professional Fredrik<br />
Jacobson shows you how to<br />
strike it like a Tour Pro and talks<br />
you through his swing and his<br />
life on the road.<br />
Tour i series golf <strong>ball</strong>s<br />
We take a look at the 4-piece<br />
golf <strong>ball</strong> technology that is<br />
changing the games of Tour<br />
Pros, and delve into how it will<br />
30<br />
and explains why his father<br />
remains the man he respects<br />
and admires most.<br />
the perfect driver<br />
every time<br />
We invited <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Magazine Reader Panel<br />
member and 9-handicap<br />
golfer Steve Brooks to the<br />
Ely <strong>Callaway</strong> Performance<br />
Center in Carlsbad, Calif. for<br />
an I-MIX System fitting and<br />
Ernie Els and his son Ben at home in<br />
Lake Nona, Orlando, Fla.<br />
change your game, too.<br />
recorded it all on camera.<br />
8 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
Planet<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><br />
for others<br />
For several years, <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Staff Professional Ernie Els and his<br />
wife Liezl have dealt with their son<br />
Ben’s autism as a personal family<br />
issue, talking with specialists around<br />
the globe about the complex brain<br />
disorder that affects their son, who<br />
is now five years old. “As any family<br />
in our position would tell you, it’s not<br />
easy,” Els says. “It’s a change of life,<br />
a change of priorities.”<br />
Early this year, Els and his wife<br />
decided to speak out for Ben and<br />
the many others who are often<br />
misunderstood and sometimes misdiagnosed.<br />
“<strong>This</strong> is about the millions<br />
of families who have a loved one<br />
affected by this condition,” Els said.<br />
Els picked up the phone and called<br />
“Autism Speaks” – an organization<br />
dedicated to raising awareness and<br />
funding research on autism causes,<br />
prevention and treatments.<br />
In March, Els showed up on Tour<br />
with the organization’s logo on his<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> bag – and a mission<br />
on his mind. “I want to raise awareness<br />
and money for the disorder,”<br />
Els says. “I’ve obviously got a bit of<br />
a high profile and that will help grab<br />
some attention. To be honest, that’s<br />
what this problem needs.”<br />
AUTISM SPEAKS was founded in<br />
2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright,<br />
the grandparents of a child with<br />
autism. Bob Wright is Vice Chairman,<br />
General Electric. You can keep up<br />
with Els and his family at:<br />
www.ernieels.com and learn more<br />
at: www.autismspeaks.org.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 9
Planet<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><br />
news TOUR STYLE technology<br />
Travel in Style<br />
New travel golf bag<br />
carriers take the<br />
stress and strain out<br />
of your next golf trip<br />
Jet-setting golfers, relax. With <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Travel golf bag carriers, your prized possessions are<br />
uncompromisingly protected and easier to handle,<br />
whether on the road or in the air. New <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
golf bag carriers utilize ground-breaking features<br />
like the Steelhead Club Protection System, which<br />
wraps around the clubs to safeguard equipment, plus<br />
rugged Cordura nylon, which resists tears and abrasions<br />
with a superior strength-to-weight ratio, and smooth -<br />
rolling inline skate wheels with reinforced spokes for<br />
increased durability.<br />
Also new from <strong>Callaway</strong><br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Travel Gear, look for<br />
women’s duffels, totes, shoe<br />
carriers and accessories featuring<br />
rhinestone logos and colors<br />
schemes complementary to the<br />
2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> women’s<br />
golf bags and footwear.<br />
For more information, go to:<br />
www.callawaygolftravelgear.com<br />
1<br />
NEW PRODUCTS<br />
A Driver Just For Women<br />
The <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Women’s Big Bertha<br />
Driver represents months of detailed<br />
research, extensive testing and input<br />
from female players and instructors.<br />
440cc all-titanium head: smaller size<br />
allows for increased swing speeds and<br />
greater distance potential for women<br />
with low to moderate swing speeds.<br />
Draw-biased weighting: helps golfers<br />
close the face at impact, which promotes a<br />
draw <strong>ball</strong> flight and reduces slices or fades.<br />
Longer shaft: helps increase clubhead speed for<br />
higher <strong>ball</strong> speed. S2H2 Design shortens traditional<br />
hosel length to redistribute weight and improve control.
Planet<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><br />
join our advisory staff<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> wants to Listen<br />
to <strong>Golf</strong>ers Like You<br />
The <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Advisory Staff is an online community<br />
of some 9,000 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> enthusiasts that provides<br />
feedback on a variety of topics – from equipment, shopping,<br />
playing preferences, trends, lifestyle and more.<br />
Members represent a diverse range of golfing ability,<br />
location and background, but all are part of a unique<br />
online community that interacts and shares opinions<br />
with <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> and other golfers. We asked three<br />
regular participants to talk about their experiences:<br />
Trump Card!<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> introduced its GEMS golf club set in New York with the<br />
help of <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Staff Pro Morgan Pressel and Ivanka Trump, resort<br />
developer and daughter of real estate mogul Donald Trump. “We’re trying<br />
to encourage women to play the game,” Pressel says. “Many women<br />
are intimidated by the game and are hesitant to go out and try it. Once<br />
they do play golf, they keep going back for more.” Ivanka Trump said<br />
she learned at a young age from her father and mentor, Donald Trump,<br />
that the golf course is where a lot of business is done.<br />
Brian Pitts<br />
Handicap: 14 Age: 37<br />
Home: Hickory, NC<br />
“The first thing I participated in<br />
involved prototypes of the HX Tour<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Ball. It’s one of the best things<br />
going, to have responses from<br />
average, everyday players. We hear<br />
responses from other members as<br />
well as the Company … it lets me<br />
know my opinions are being heard.”<br />
Amy Patenaude<br />
Handicap: 8.9 Age: 40<br />
Home: Duluth, MN<br />
“I love <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>, they’ve done<br />
great stuff for my game. I’ve participated<br />
in two or three surveys now,<br />
and being a big golf enthusiast, it’s<br />
really a lot of fun for me. Sometimes,<br />
it’s a good diversion or break<br />
from work!”<br />
2<br />
FT i-brid Irons Set<br />
The ultimate in forgiveness<br />
and playability<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s most technologically advanced<br />
super game-improvement set features three<br />
hybrid-like clubs, plus game-improvement<br />
short irons. Seamless performance<br />
progression provides consistent distance<br />
separation with optimal trajectory.<br />
Offering the control and accuracy of<br />
irons with the forgiveness, distance<br />
and versatility of hybrids, a low, deep<br />
center of gravity helps get the <strong>ball</strong> in<br />
the air quickly and easily, while a wider<br />
sole provides exceptional turf interaction.<br />
Lefty<br />
alert!<br />
Left-handed<br />
models of the<br />
FT i-brid Irons<br />
are now<br />
available<br />
Gabe Tellez<br />
Handicap: 2 Age: 64<br />
Home: Mesa, AZ<br />
“Many years ago, I got to meet<br />
Mr. <strong>Callaway</strong>. I sent a letter to<br />
Carlsbad, and he wrote back and<br />
asked me to visit. That was shortly<br />
before the launch of the original<br />
Big Bertha Driver. I’m really<br />
impressed with the <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
research and development.”<br />
Are you looking for a more in-depth relationship with <strong>Callaway</strong><br />
<strong>Golf</strong> and an “inside-the-ropes” experience The Advisory<br />
Staff invites you to join this special community to share your<br />
thoughts and opinions on all things related to golf. Go to:<br />
www.callawaygolf.com/advisory to learn more, and become<br />
part of the <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Advisory Staff today.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 11
Planet<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><br />
news style tour technology<br />
FAST<br />
FACTS<br />
Best finish on the<br />
PGA Tour:<br />
T9 at the 2008<br />
Mayakoba <strong>Golf</strong> Classic.<br />
In the bag:<br />
FT-5 Driver, X Fairway<br />
Woods, X-Prototype<br />
Irons, Tour ix <strong>Golf</strong> Ball,<br />
Odyssey Black Series<br />
i-1 Putter.<br />
{Get to know}<br />
Nick<br />
Flanagan<br />
Meet the young Australian with a<br />
penchant for punk rock music,<br />
mountain biking and beachside life.<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Staff Pro Nick Flanagan<br />
has quickly settled into life on the PGA Tour. In<br />
his 16th start, the 22-year-old from New South<br />
Wales, Australia, earned his first top-10, a T9 at<br />
the Mayakoba <strong>Golf</strong> Classic, with a career low,<br />
final-round 64.<br />
In 2003, Flanagan became the first foreign-born<br />
player to win the U.S. Amateur Championship<br />
in 22 years. He turned pro the next year and<br />
played the Australasian Tour in 2004 and 2005<br />
before joining the Nationwide Tour. In 2007,<br />
he logged consecutive wins at the Henrico<br />
County Open and the BMW Charity Pro-Am<br />
at The Cliffs.<br />
Flanagan was named Nationwide Tour<br />
Player of the Year and earned a “battlefield<br />
promotion” from the Nationwide Tour after<br />
a third win at the Xerox Classic.<br />
inspiration:<br />
He became serious about<br />
golf at age 14, after<br />
watching Tiger Woods<br />
win the 1997 U.S. Masters<br />
on television.<br />
First broke par:<br />
At age 15, with a 3-underpar<br />
69 at Belmont <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Club, New South Wales,<br />
Australia.<br />
Off course:<br />
In his rare down time,<br />
the Aussie enjoys<br />
alternative and punk<br />
rock music, mountain<br />
biking and the beach.<br />
In his own words:<br />
“My goal right now is<br />
to continue to improve.<br />
That’s what <strong>Callaway</strong><br />
<strong>Golf</strong> is all about, too.<br />
<strong>This</strong> is my first full season<br />
on the PGA Tour, and<br />
I’m working hard to<br />
make my mark and log<br />
my first win. With the<br />
best technology and my<br />
goals and desire, I know<br />
I can make that happen.”<br />
12 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
Planet<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><br />
Sorenstam Winning and going out on top<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam<br />
(left) is back to her usual winning ways after recovering<br />
from last season’s neck and back injuries, but the<br />
Swede announced in May that she plans to retire at<br />
the end of the season to focus on her business and<br />
family life. After kicking off her first tournament of the<br />
year with a victory at the SBC Open, Sorenstam won<br />
the Stanford International Pro-Am and then cruised to<br />
a comfortable seven-stroke win at the Michelob ULTRA<br />
Open in May.<br />
Sorenstam says she wants to concentrate on her<br />
ANNIKA Academy in coming years. She plans to marry<br />
next year and has said she would like to have children<br />
and pursue her passion for cooking.<br />
lpga on youtube<br />
The LPGA’s new YouTube website tracks the personalities and performances of the<br />
Tour’s stars. There are weekly wraps, behind-the-scenes views of Tour life, and charming<br />
moments like shutterbug Morgan Pressel discussing why she takes tons of digital photos to<br />
record special moments and share with friends. Go to: www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.<br />
honor roll<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Staff Professional<br />
and Ball Staff Professional<br />
2008 victories to date<br />
LEFTY RAISES<br />
his game<br />
Phil Mickelson asked technicians to<br />
add an inch-and-a-half to the length<br />
of his Odyssey White Hot Putter<br />
after he discovered he had grown<br />
taller. “In the last three or four years,<br />
through some of the stretching exercises,<br />
I’ve probably grown a half-inch<br />
to an inch,” Mickelson says. “I hadn’t<br />
really made an adjustment to that.”<br />
In mid-April, Mickelson began working<br />
with Dave Pelz to adjust to his<br />
new 35-inch putter and fine-tune his<br />
putterface angle at impact.<br />
Ernie Els The Honda Classic<br />
Phil Mickelson Northern Trust Open<br />
Annika Sorenstam<br />
Michelob ULTRA Open<br />
SBS Open at Turtle Bay<br />
Stanford International Pro-Am<br />
Lorena Ochoa<br />
HSBC Women’s Champions<br />
Safeway International<br />
Kraft Nabisco Championship<br />
Corona Championship<br />
Ginn Open<br />
PRESSEl’s Eagles<br />
for st. jude<br />
Morgan Pressel (left) has teamed with Stanford Financial<br />
Group to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,<br />
a premier pediatric cancer research center. Stanford will<br />
donate $1,000 to St. Jude for each eagle made on the LPGA<br />
and PGA Tours. Pressel will donate $1,000 for every eagle<br />
she makes on the LPGA Tour. During filming of a commercial,<br />
Pressel was joined by cancer survivor Macy Morgan, a former<br />
patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis,<br />
Tenn. To learn more, go to: www.eaglesforstjude.com.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 13
Planet<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><br />
news tour style technology<br />
1<br />
2<br />
Items featured are from<br />
the new <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Lifestyle Collection and<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>.<br />
FT Performance Kinross Stripe Polo<br />
Shirt (1) from the <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Collection contains a unique blend<br />
of Tencel with microfiber polyester<br />
and moisture wicking.<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Timepieces are known<br />
for their innovation, quality and<br />
attention to every detail. <strong>This</strong> model –<br />
CY2116 (2) – is from the new<br />
Collection Series.<br />
14 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> summer 2008
Planet<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong><br />
Work, Rest and Play<br />
<strong>This</strong> Father’s Day, there are no wrong choices. <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> has all the answers.<br />
He works hard. He plays even harder. From early morning<br />
meetings to evening cocktails, and weekday networking<br />
to weekend father-and-son time, only one brand keeps<br />
pace with an active, plugged-in lifestyle. From Monday<br />
to Sunday, <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s line of golf and lifestyle products<br />
includes premium quality apparel, accessories, footwear,<br />
travel gear, executive desk sets, timepieces, rangefinders<br />
and beyond – all designed to deliver style, comfort and<br />
functionality on and off the course.<br />
For more information, go to: www.callawaygolf.com<br />
Buy now online at: Shop.<strong>Callaway</strong><strong>Golf</strong>.com<br />
7<br />
3<br />
5<br />
6<br />
4<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Executive Collection<br />
items in full-grain Nappa leather<br />
include a <strong>Golf</strong> Pouch (3), Money Clip<br />
Wallet (4)and Putter Cup (5), plus<br />
a selection of other accessories.<br />
The LR 1200 Rangefinder Flagship<br />
Tournament Model (6) features<br />
lens technology by Nikon and provides<br />
quick and accurate distance measurements<br />
up to 1,200 yards.<br />
The <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Tour Authentic<br />
Staff Bag (7) features a 6-way divider<br />
system, Ballistic Nylon fabrics with<br />
leather accents and double strap<br />
connections.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 15
PROFESSIONAL<br />
INSTRUCTION<br />
3 keys to better<br />
BALL<br />
STRIKING<br />
My simple steps will improve<br />
your swing and your scores<br />
GROWING UP IN SWEDEN, I PLAYED A<br />
lot of different sports, including hockey,<br />
ping pong and tennis, so there’s a bit<br />
of everything in my swing. Because of this,<br />
I’ve always been a fairly ‘handsy’ player<br />
and I’m still at my happiest trying to<br />
conjure up something a little out of the<br />
ordinary – a low, running draw, say, or a<br />
high fade into a tight pin. I like to use my<br />
imagination when I play.<br />
However, you can’t play those types of<br />
shots without having a solid foundation to<br />
your swing. Over the next few pages, I’ll<br />
show you the swing keys that I rely on to<br />
keep my game in check and explain how<br />
you can upgrade your own game, too. >><br />
BY fredrik jacobson with nick wright<br />
Photography: chris stanford<br />
Location: the medalist gc, hobe sound, FL<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 17
PROFESSIONAL<br />
INSTRUCTION<br />
1<br />
Building a<br />
great posture<br />
Keep it neat<br />
and simple<br />
Your set-up should be as relaxed<br />
and natural as possible to allow<br />
freedom of movement. There’s<br />
no need to overflex your knees<br />
or create too much spine angle.<br />
Take a look at my set-up here<br />
(right) and you’ll see I stand fairly<br />
tall at address with my arms<br />
hanging almost vertically from<br />
my shoulders. My lower back is<br />
nice and straight and my knees<br />
are lightly flexed. See how my<br />
feet, knees, hips and shoulders<br />
align squarely to each other<br />
That’s a major key for solid <strong>ball</strong><br />
striking and accuracy.<br />
FREDDIE’s<br />
practice<br />
pointers<br />
It’s very easy to slip<br />
into bad habits when<br />
you play a lot of golf.<br />
Faults can creep into<br />
your set-up over<br />
time, so I always like<br />
to practice with a<br />
club on the ground<br />
to ensure that my<br />
alignment remains<br />
consistent on every<br />
shot I hit.<br />
Don’t forget: Make time<br />
during each practice<br />
session to review your<br />
swing basics and rehearse<br />
your pre-shot routine.<br />
MY SWING<br />
What you can learn<br />
from my technique<br />
I never paid much attention to my technique growing<br />
up. My coach always said it was more important<br />
for me to play than to spend hours fine-tuning my<br />
swing. I quickly learned how to shape the <strong>ball</strong> and<br />
I still believe the shot produces the swing, not the<br />
other way around. In fact, after we finished photographing<br />
this article, I had a few <strong>ball</strong>s left over. With<br />
a 6-iron, I hit a few shots into a green about 120 yards<br />
away. I loved the challenge of having to visualize the<br />
shot and then finesse the <strong>ball</strong> into the flag. Let me talk<br />
you through some of the key points of my golf swing.<br />
>> 1. I stand quite tall at address. I don’t tilt forward from my hips or flex my<br />
knees as much as some players. >> 2. In the past, my left arm would have<br />
been farther away from my body and outside the line, but this is good.<br />
18 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
PROFESSIONAL<br />
INSTRUCTION<br />
2<br />
Get off to a<br />
good start<br />
Your first<br />
move sets up<br />
your swing<br />
In recent months, I have made<br />
a major change to my swing.<br />
I used to have a tendency to<br />
drag the clubhead inside at<br />
the start of the backswing,<br />
causing me to overswing and<br />
get ‘handsy’ through impact.<br />
Now I focus on keeping my<br />
arms, shoulders and clubshaft<br />
working away in one piece.<br />
As a result, my swing is more<br />
on plane, I have a more compact<br />
and controlled swing,<br />
and I simply rotate my body<br />
through impact to square the<br />
face. It feels like cheating!<br />
NO!<br />
Dragging the club too far inside at the<br />
start of the backswing caused problems<br />
with my swing plane and forced me to<br />
rely too heavily on good timing.<br />
yes!<br />
When the hands, arms and shaft work<br />
away together, I don’t have to make<br />
compensations in my swing. My technique<br />
is simpler and more efficient.<br />
>> 3. Thanks to my improved takeaway, my backswing is more compact than in previous years. The clubshaft is parallel to the ground and square to<br />
the target. >> 4. Approaching impact, the clubshaft is still square to the target . >> 5. I rotate my body to square the clubface at impact and extend the club<br />
down the target line as long as possible. >>6. Not the most photogenic follow-through you’ll ever see in <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Magazine, but it works!<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 19
PROFESSIONAL<br />
INSTRUCTION<br />
3<br />
Develop<br />
great timing<br />
Strive for an<br />
even tempo<br />
When I first joined the PGA<br />
Tour, I had a slow, deliberate<br />
backswing and then really went<br />
after the <strong>ball</strong> in the downswing.<br />
Thanks to good hand-eye<br />
coordination, I got away with<br />
the abrupt change in swing<br />
speed most of the time, but I<br />
would hit the occasional disaster<br />
shot if my timing was off.<br />
I’ve taken about a half second<br />
off my swing speed during the<br />
past couple of seasons and I’ve<br />
hit the <strong>ball</strong> better than ever.<br />
The power in my swing now<br />
comes from the club, not my<br />
body. My slightly quicker<br />
backswing enables the club to<br />
stay more easily on plane, prevents<br />
me from overswinging<br />
(photos right and below) and<br />
has improved my <strong>ball</strong>-striking.<br />
A more even-paced swing has enabled me to reach a better position at the<br />
top of my backswing, and achieve a more balanced follow-through., b<br />
Freddie<br />
Talks<br />
<strong>Golf</strong><br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s newest<br />
Staff Professional talks<br />
putting, shanks, pasta,<br />
stats and hair styles.<br />
“The stats say that putting is<br />
the strength of my game, but I believe it’s<br />
my ability to shape my shots and scramble<br />
around the greens. I’m a big believer in<br />
keeping track of what you do well so that<br />
you can repeat it again. In fact, I will often<br />
review on video the tournaments where I<br />
played well to look at the way I walked, the<br />
routines I used and how I conducted myself.”<br />
“it can be difficult to eat<br />
well on Tour. I’m a huge fan of Italian food<br />
and eat lots of pasta. I try to start each day<br />
with some fruit – like all Swedes, I love<br />
bananas – but that isn’t enough if I’m teeing<br />
off early. If that’s the case, I’ll also have<br />
some scrambled eggs and bacon to help keep<br />
my energy level high throughout the round.”<br />
20 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
PROFESSIONAL<br />
INSTRUCTION<br />
I never intended to<br />
grow my hair this<br />
long; I just didn’t<br />
get it cut often<br />
enough. I’m beyond<br />
hating it, and quite<br />
like it again now<br />
“I hit a beauty of a shank<br />
at the TPC of Scottsdale in my rookie PGA<br />
Tour season – a wedge shot that flew at right<br />
angles into the crowd. I thought the fans<br />
were going to get on my back, but they took<br />
it easy on me. Thankfully, I got up and down<br />
in two from the mounding for par. I got it<br />
out of my system with a nice smooth wedge<br />
into the green on the next hole.”<br />
“people often comment on my<br />
hair. I never intended it to get this long; I just<br />
didn’t get it cut it enough. I liked it when<br />
I could spike it up, then it got too long and<br />
would just hang down. I’m beyond hating<br />
it now and quite like it again. Some women<br />
in the crowd at a recent tournament said I<br />
looked cool, so it can’t be too bad!”<br />
“i’ve always been a good<br />
putter. It’s rare for me not to make several<br />
long putts a round and I can’t remember a<br />
time when I was out of the top-three in the<br />
putting stats. My secret Enjoy putting and<br />
don’t become too results-oriented. You’ve<br />
got to feel like you putt with a smile on your<br />
face and with a relaxed, carefree attitude.”<br />
“there is a big contingent of<br />
Swedish Tour Pros in southern Florida.<br />
Per-Ulrik Johansson, Jesper Parnevik and<br />
Richard Johnson all live just down the road.<br />
Last year, my wife and Per-Ulrik’s wife were<br />
in hospital giving birth at the same time.<br />
You’re probably thinking I’ve got plenty of<br />
practice partners. I’m thinking that we’ve got<br />
an instant baby-sitting network!”<br />
MY equipment<br />
ft-5 DRiver: “Driving<br />
used to be my biggest<br />
weakness. I’m now hitting<br />
65 percent of fairways.”<br />
x hot fairway wood:<br />
“Strong from the tee, the<br />
fairway and light rough.”<br />
big bertha 5-wood:<br />
“I use it on long par-4s and<br />
par-5s when I need to stop<br />
the <strong>ball</strong> quickly.”<br />
x-forged irons: “I get<br />
a stronger <strong>ball</strong> flight and a<br />
few extra yards than my<br />
previous irons.”<br />
tour ix GOLF BALL: “I<br />
love the consistency of the<br />
trajectory, especially on<br />
the driver where it maximizes<br />
my carry distance.”<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 21
EQUIPMENT &<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
STORY BY:<br />
PAULA STORY<br />
Photography:<br />
CHRIS STANFORD<br />
22 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
GOLF BALL<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
What if<br />
your golf <strong>ball</strong> could<br />
tell the difference<br />
between a driver and<br />
a wedge and react<br />
appropriately to each<br />
<strong>This</strong> uber-<strong>ball</strong> would deliver low<br />
spin and improved distance off the<br />
tee, high spin and control around<br />
the green, and great performance<br />
everywhere in between. Stop wishing.<br />
the future of golf <strong>ball</strong> technology has been<br />
rocked to the core. With the new Tour i Series<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Balls, you really can have it all.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 23
EQUIPMENT &<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
Welcome to the<br />
new Tour i Series<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Balls.<br />
The first thing you need to know about <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s new 4-piece<br />
<strong>ball</strong> technology is this: no other manufacturer offers a golf <strong>ball</strong><br />
this advanced, innovative and complete. In just a few months, this<br />
patented game-changing design has proven itself with 11 victories<br />
on the world’s professional tours. From the lightweight, lower compression<br />
inner core and the high-density, high-compression outer<br />
core to the high inertia mantle and the HEX Aerodynamics cover, this<br />
science could only come from <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>.<br />
The next thing you need to know about Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls is that<br />
4-piece technology <strong>changes</strong> everything. The “i” stands for inertia and<br />
this new science will alter the way you look at golf <strong>ball</strong>s in much the<br />
same way the original Big Bertha Driver transformed the most-feared<br />
club in the bag into the most-loved.<br />
To find out how this technology made its way from concept to reality,<br />
we need to go back a few years. In 2000, <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> launched<br />
the first solid-core, 3-piece cast thermoset covered golf <strong>ball</strong> – the Rule 35<br />
It seems like the Tour<br />
i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls know<br />
instinctively what kind<br />
of shot you want to hit<br />
– using state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. The <strong>ball</strong> was so<br />
revolutionary that Arnold Palmer (who once used a circular metal ring<br />
to measure the spherical accuracy of his golf <strong>ball</strong>s) started using the<br />
Rule 35 and decided to become a <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Staff Professional. Next<br />
Technology<br />
from the<br />
Inside Out<br />
Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls<br />
are constructed to react<br />
differently to power shots<br />
off the tee and controlled<br />
wedge or finesse shots.<br />
1. Spin Separation and<br />
dual core technology<br />
Two cores mean complete performance on a<br />
variety of shots. The challenge in designing<br />
golf <strong>ball</strong>s is matching the correct amount of<br />
spin to the club – lower spin with driver, higher<br />
spin with wedges. Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls<br />
give you both. The inner core is less dense<br />
and soft, while the outer core is very dense<br />
and firm. Driver shots with more force react<br />
with the softer inner core to give you less<br />
spin, while finesse shots impact the firmer,<br />
heavier outer core for more spin and control.<br />
2. Inertia Technology<br />
Dual Core Technology offers the ability to<br />
differentiate the specific gravity of the inner<br />
core from that of the outer core and take<br />
advantage of perimeter weighting in the<br />
outer layers of the Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls.<br />
High-density fillers, such as Tungsten, are<br />
used in the <strong>ball</strong>’s outer core and mantle layer<br />
to move weight away from the inner core.<br />
<strong>This</strong> increases the moment of inertia (MOI)<br />
and makes the <strong>ball</strong> as heavy as it can be while<br />
still conforming. A high MOI means less spin<br />
and more distance on driver shots.<br />
24 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
GOLF BALL<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
came the HEX Aerodynamics cover pattern, which replaced traditional<br />
dimples in the HX Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls with a more aerodynamically<br />
efficient pattern of hexagons and pentagons unique to <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>.<br />
Featuring that technology, the HX Tour and HX Tour 56 <strong>Golf</strong> Balls<br />
combined to win 13 major championships.<br />
With the HX Tour <strong>Golf</strong> Ball enjoying such a successful Tour pedigree,<br />
developing a superior new <strong>ball</strong> technology was no small order. The<br />
real challenge for the Company was to make the next-generation Tour<br />
<strong>ball</strong> significantly better, not simply tweak the previous line.<br />
To develop such a <strong>ball</strong>, <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s designers felt they needed<br />
to look beyond HEX Aerodynamics and revisit the <strong>ball</strong>’s construction<br />
from the inside out. At the forefront of their thoughts was the idea to<br />
add a second core to help deliver relatively low spin levels off the<br />
driver while providing enhanced control around the greens.<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> engineers had known of the potential performance<br />
benefits of a dual core for some time, and the answer to the next revolution<br />
in golf <strong>ball</strong>s turned out to be tied to the growing <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
family of brands. <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s acquisition of Top-Flite included that<br />
brand’s patent portfolio. Top-Flite’s technology included the Strata Tour<br />
Ultimate <strong>Golf</strong> Ball, which Jim Furyk used to win the U.S. Open in 2003.<br />
“It was a dual core golf <strong>ball</strong>, but it didn’t have HEX Aerodynamics,<br />
or a RIM (Reaction Injection-Molded) cover, and it didn’t fully leverage<br />
dual-core technology,” says Steve Ogg, <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Vice President,<br />
Research and Development. We took the dual-core idea and optimized it.”<br />
Ernie Els<br />
Rory Sabbatini<br />
selective spin:<br />
The Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls know the difference<br />
between a powerful driver shot and a controlled<br />
wedge and react appropriately, producing less spin<br />
off the driver and more with a wedge or lofted iron.<br />
3.THINNER, DENSER MAntle<br />
The mantle layer is significantly thinner on<br />
the Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls, compared to<br />
their predecessors, which allows the core to<br />
be bigger. The new material is also very dense,<br />
which again helps to move weight outward<br />
and away from the center to increase the<br />
golf <strong>ball</strong>’s moment of inertia. <strong>This</strong> important<br />
penultimate mantle layer primarily impacts<br />
and improves <strong>ball</strong> feel, but it also keeps the<br />
core from oxidizing, which retains the power<br />
or resiliency of the rubber cores – the engine<br />
of your golf <strong>ball</strong>.<br />
4. HEX Aerodynamics<br />
Traditional dimple patterns cover up to<br />
86 percent of the surface of the golf <strong>ball</strong>.<br />
With <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s patented HEX Aerodynamics,<br />
you get a seamless cover and<br />
100 percent surface coverage, which means<br />
a more symmetrical golf <strong>ball</strong> that flies farther.<br />
The newest version of HEX Aerodynamics<br />
features 38 separate facets per hexagon,<br />
allowing <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> engineers to further<br />
fine-tune the aerodynamic characteristics of<br />
the <strong>ball</strong> so your shots penetrate the wind for<br />
even longer, straighter <strong>ball</strong> flight.<br />
5. RIM Technology<br />
Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) precisely<br />
centers the mantle layer-covered core of the<br />
Tour i and Tour ix <strong>Golf</strong> Balls during manufacturing,<br />
resulting in a more consistent<br />
cover thickness that delivers a very steady<br />
launch and flight, tighter dispersion and,<br />
ultimately, a better flying golf <strong>ball</strong>. Two<br />
liquid components are injected under pressure<br />
into a cavity that centers the mantle<br />
layer-covered cores. When the two liquids<br />
mix, they create a chemical reaction that<br />
forms a solid cover material in just seconds.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 25
EQUIPMENT &<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
Enter the Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls. <strong>This</strong> next-generation <strong>ball</strong> technology<br />
takes the evolution of the Company’s impressive 3-piece heritage<br />
and existing core technologies – HEX Aerodynamics with the sub-HEX<br />
Design and RIM Technology – and supercharges it with dual-core<br />
construction and inertia technology to create a new, 4-piece revolution.<br />
If it seems like the new Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls instinctively know<br />
what type of shot you’re trying to hit … well, technically speaking, they<br />
do. These new golf <strong>ball</strong>s understand the important difference between<br />
driver and wedge shots – and they react appropriately to each.<br />
The new “secret ingredient” is a feature called spin separation – a<br />
result of the core differential compression created by dual core technology.<br />
In layman’s terms, this means that the two separate cores inside the <strong>ball</strong><br />
react differently to shots of different clubhead speeds. For example, if you<br />
hit a Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Ball with a driver, the high clubhead speed compresses<br />
the <strong>ball</strong>, transferring the force, stress and energy all the way<br />
“<br />
into<br />
Maximum<br />
Distance<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Ball<br />
Increase loft Reduce loft<br />
Dual Core is a new technology platform, but it’s not a trendy thing or a<br />
gimmick. It’s the real deal, and there is more coming in the future.<br />
<strong>This</strong> is the next wave of revolutionary golf <strong>ball</strong> technology.<br />
– Steve Ogg,<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Vice President,<br />
Research and Development<br />
“<br />
the soft inner core. <strong>This</strong> deformation is a good thing with the driver<br />
because it reduces the moment arm from the <strong>ball</strong>’s center of gravity. For<br />
golf <strong>ball</strong> tech junkies, “moment arm” is the new rock star. In simple<br />
terms, it is a measure of torque upon the <strong>ball</strong> from the spin-generating<br />
force (club impact) to the <strong>ball</strong>’s center of gravity. A reduced, or shorter,<br />
moment arm causes the <strong>ball</strong> to spin less. Less spin equals more distance.<br />
But what about when you need more spin The firmer outer core of a<br />
Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Ball prevents the force created by a slower clubhead<br />
speed from reaching the softer, inner core. The <strong>ball</strong> maintains its shape,<br />
resulting in a large moment arm for a high level of backspin.<br />
“It’s very easy to misinterpret information regarding spin,” says Ogg.<br />
“You read magazine articles that say, ‘<strong>This</strong> <strong>ball</strong> has good spin,’ but<br />
they probably tested it by hitting full wedge or 9-iron shots. But a lot<br />
of <strong>ball</strong>s spin well under those conditions. A more rigorous challenge is<br />
to maintain control and consistency on a chip. The dual core and RIM<br />
Technology really pay off when you’re trying to get close to the pin.”<br />
In addition to optimizing spin rates for different clubs, an additional<br />
benefit of dual core technology is the opportunity to differentiate the<br />
specific center of gravity of the inner core from the specific center of<br />
gravity of the outer core. “We move the high-density fillers that we typically<br />
use in a single core construction to the outer core, thus increasing<br />
the moment of inertia (resistance to twisting or, in this case, spinning) of<br />
the golf <strong>ball</strong>,” Ogg says. “The increased moment of inertia (MOI) reduces<br />
the driver spin at launch for reduced drag and also helps maintain spin<br />
later in the flight for increased low speed lift and longer carries.”<br />
The mantle layer – the boundary between the cores and the cover<br />
26 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
GOLF BALL<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
– of the Tour i Series is significantly thinner than previous <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
<strong>ball</strong>s, which makes the <strong>ball</strong>s feel softer. However, the new mantle<br />
material is denser, which additionally helps increase the MOI and move<br />
weight out and away from the inner core to help improve driver distance.<br />
In a golf <strong>ball</strong> cover, you want enough thickness that the material can<br />
get into the grooves and grip on wedge shots. <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s Reaction<br />
Injection Molding (RIM) process creates an ideal and consistent cover<br />
thickness all the way around the Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls at 20 thousandths<br />
of an inch. That compares to 35 thousandths of an inch in the original<br />
Rule 35 <strong>Golf</strong> Ball, and 30 thousandths of an inch in the HX Tour Series.<br />
The combination of dual core technology, inertia technology, RIM, and<br />
HEX Aerodynamics is something you can only get in a Tour i and Tour ix<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Ball. When you want a drive to spin less and fly farther, it does.<br />
When you want an approach shot to spin and stick, it does that, too.<br />
And when you want soft feel, durability, precision and consistency from<br />
tee to green, it has all that, too. That makes Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls<br />
the weapon of choice these days for pros like Phil Mickelson, Annika<br />
Sorenstam, Ernie Els and others who thought they had the “holy grail”<br />
of golf <strong>ball</strong>s in the HX Tour Series. In fact, it was <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s <strong>ball</strong><br />
technology that convinced Ernie Els to join the Company as a Staff<br />
Professional. “I didn’t think it was possible to create a better <strong>ball</strong>,” Els<br />
said. “Once again, <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> has raised the bar.”<br />
There is a misconception, stemming from the old balata <strong>ball</strong> days,<br />
that you have to be an accomplished golfer to play a Tour-level <strong>ball</strong>. The<br />
balata <strong>ball</strong> did spin a lot with the driver, and the pros were among the<br />
few who could get good distance out of it. But those days are long gone.<br />
“You don’t have to be a pro to play a Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Ball,” Ogg<br />
says. “Anybody who wants great feel and greenside control will benefit<br />
from this <strong>ball</strong>. Anybody who wants less driver spin and more distance<br />
will benefit from this <strong>ball</strong>, too. It really is the best of all worlds.”<br />
“I tried every<br />
brand and the<br />
Tour i <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Ball stood out<br />
because<br />
around the<br />
green it has a<br />
softer feel”<br />
– Lorena Ochoa<br />
Professionally<br />
Speaking<br />
Tour i Series <strong>Golf</strong> Balls<br />
tearing it up on Tour!<br />
By Tim Sweeney<br />
with 11 tour victories through April, this<br />
new <strong>ball</strong> technology has made believers out of<br />
some of the world’s best players. <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Ball Staff Professional and women’s World No. 1<br />
Lorena Ochoa grabbed the year’s first major when<br />
she used the Tour i <strong>Golf</strong> Ball to win the Kraft<br />
Nabisco Championship. As we went to press,<br />
Ochoa had five wins on the LPGA Tour with the<br />
Tour i <strong>Golf</strong> Ball. Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and<br />
Annika Sorenstam have all won in 2008 using the<br />
Tour ix <strong>Golf</strong> Ball. Through the first three months<br />
of the season, every tournament on the PGA and<br />
LPGA Tours has seen more <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> <strong>ball</strong>s in<br />
play than in 2007. In some cases, twice as many<br />
were in play. (Source: Darrell Survey.)<br />
“I tried every brand and the Tour i <strong>Golf</strong> Ball stood<br />
out because around the green it has a softer feel.<br />
I look for distance, but the most important thing<br />
is consistency. I want to know that I’ll have really<br />
good distance control. I want to work the <strong>ball</strong><br />
easily, so I need a <strong>ball</strong> that I feel comfortable<br />
doing that with.” – Lorena Ochoa<br />
“I’ve gained so much more consistency with the<br />
Tour i <strong>Golf</strong> Ball. I was literally shocked at how<br />
well the golf <strong>ball</strong> plays in the wind, how it stays<br />
down and goes through it.” – Ryan Moore<br />
“The Tour ix <strong>Golf</strong> Ball goes through the wind<br />
so well. I’ve been really pleased with how it performs<br />
in windy conditions. It doesn’t float up in<br />
the air at all.” – Rory Sabbatini<br />
“I heard a lot of good things from other players<br />
about the <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> <strong>ball</strong>s in regard to consistency<br />
of <strong>ball</strong> flight, so I was excited to test the<br />
Tour i and Tour ix. I love the performance. The<br />
<strong>ball</strong> flight is just how I like it. They are both very<br />
good Tour-level <strong>ball</strong>s. The Tour i gives me more<br />
spin and a softer feel.” – Fredrik Jacobson<br />
For more information on <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Ball Staff<br />
Professionals, go to: www.callawaygolf.com/tour.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 27
28 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008<br />
Phil Mickelson says his father is the man he admires<br />
and respects most. Here, the pair walk together<br />
during a practice round at the British Open.
father’s day<br />
interview<br />
The next<br />
one’s<br />
for dad<br />
Winning the<br />
U.S. Open<br />
for my father<br />
would mean<br />
the world<br />
to me.<br />
By Phil mickelson<br />
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MICKELSON FAMILY<br />
Winning The PLAYERS<br />
Championship last year was<br />
a big thrill for several reasons,<br />
one of which was being able<br />
to give my mother a gift I knew<br />
she would really appreciate<br />
on Mother’s Day.<br />
Looking back, it’s hard to believe it was nine years ago<br />
when Payne Stewart, who had just won the U.S. Open,<br />
gripped my face and said, “You’re going to be a father<br />
and there’s nothing greater in the world.” Amy was<br />
expecting our first child and I was very excited about that<br />
but, for a second or two there at Pinehurst, I had my<br />
doubts about Payne’s words. Our daughter Amanda was<br />
born the next day and I immediately understood what<br />
Payne meant. When I think back to that moment, it always<br />
makes me realize how much my father means to me.<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> has rewarded me with many great experiences,<br />
but one of my very favorite memories is walking in through<br />
the brush from the far side of Balboa Municipal after the<br />
sun went down with my dad. My father’s optimism, wisdom<br />
and patience have been invaluable. He is far and away the<br />
man I admire most because I couldn’t be the father I am<br />
now without his guidance. I now have a chance to raise my<br />
children the same way he and my mom raised me.<br />
Another memory that stands out clearly in my mind<br />
is when I was about eight years old. Dad would often take<br />
me out to play nine holes after school, and one day I<br />
started slamming my clubs down after I missed a shot or<br />
putt. Finally, my dad said to me, “Phil, you don’t look like<br />
you’re having fun. Put your clubs up until you’re ready to<br />
have fun out here.” I walked for one hole and then told<br />
him I was ready to have fun again. He said, “OK, let’s play<br />
the last hole together.”<br />
A few years later, he drove me to a two-day event in<br />
Tucson. I was one or two shots back after the first day, but<br />
I shot about a million in the last round. On the way home,<br />
he said, “Let’s look at the bright side. What did you learn<br />
today that you can work on and be better at next time”<br />
We spent the long ride home talking through every shot.<br />
I’ve come close to giving my dad a perfect Father’s Day<br />
gift. I’ve been in a great position to win the U.S. Open<br />
three times now, but haven’t quite done it yet. I’ve taken<br />
care of Mom with a win. Dad’s is coming.<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 29
I-MIX READER<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
The Perfect<br />
written BY:<br />
paula story<br />
Photography:<br />
chris stanford<br />
Location:<br />
ely callaway performance center,<br />
carlsbad, calif.
EQUIPMENT &<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
Driver<br />
{Every time}<br />
We put the new I-MIX System to<br />
the test with a golfer just like you.<br />
Last issue, we introduced you to the technology behind the new I-MIX System that allows<br />
you to match <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> FT-i and FT-5 Driver clubheads with more than 70 top-of-the-line<br />
shafts to create the perfect driver for the changing needs of your game. Over the next few<br />
pages, we’re going to put that technology to the test.<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> is not a static sport. Your game is impacted by such variables as course conditions,<br />
wind, weather, altitude and even your attitude. Why should your driver stay the same We<br />
invited Steve Brooks, a member of the <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Magazine Reader Panel, to test the<br />
I-MIX System at the Ely <strong>Callaway</strong> Performance Center in Carlsbad, Calif. We asked Brooks<br />
to go through the same, simple process that you can try at any authorized <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> fitting<br />
or retail location. Read on to learn how, in just a few clicks, Brooks achieved straighter,<br />
longer, more accurate drives with I-MIX – and how you can, too!<br />
Steve Brooks (left)<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Magazine reader<br />
Handicap: 9<br />
“I’m the perfect golfer to test this new<br />
system because I haven’t owned a driver<br />
in 12 years. I teed off with an original<br />
Big Bertha 2-iron and then a Big Bertha<br />
Heavenwood Hybrid. I recently started<br />
hitting an X460 Driver, but I’m not sure<br />
the specs are right for me. I’m looking<br />
forward to getting a taste of what it feels<br />
like to be a <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Staff Pro.”<br />
Greg Sabella<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Woods Product Director<br />
“What we are looking to demonstrate<br />
here is how I-MIX puts pro-level<br />
customization in the hands of every<br />
golfer, fitting your shaft and clubhead to<br />
your swing, strategy and style of play.<br />
Up until recently, only Tour Pros had the<br />
opportunity to customize their equipment.<br />
We’re really excited about being<br />
able to give amateur golfers the same<br />
opportunities.”<br />
{the fitting}<br />
t<br />
For the fitting, Sabella has 15 shafts, including<br />
those from Aldila, Fujikura, Grafalloy and<br />
Mitsubishi Rayon, and nine FT-i and FT-5<br />
Driver clubheads. <strong>This</strong> creates some 400<br />
possible head/shaft combinations. Brooks has<br />
been playing a 10-degree driver, so in a few<br />
seconds, Sabella uses the I-MIX wrench to<br />
assemble a 10-degree FT-5 Driver head with<br />
first a 65- and then a 75-gram shaft. They also<br />
try a 9-degree FT-5 Neutral clubhead with a<br />
Matrix 75-gram shaft.<br />
1<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 31
I-MIX READER<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
t<br />
After Brooks spends a few minutes warming<br />
up on the driving range, Sabella starts the<br />
session by handing Brooks the 9-degree<br />
FT-5 Neutral clubhead fitted with a Matrix<br />
75-gram shaft. Brooks is pushing a lot of his<br />
drives to the right off the tee, so they move<br />
on to a 9-degree FT-5 Draw clubhead with an<br />
Aldila 75-gram shaft. Brooks’ shots fly longer<br />
and straighter with this configuration, but he<br />
says the shaft feels stiffer in the tip and thinks<br />
he might prefer a slightly lighter feel.<br />
2<br />
t<br />
With the goal of increasing Brooks’ clubhead<br />
speed, Sabella fits the FT-5 clubhead with a<br />
Grafalloy Pro Launch Platinum 65 Stiff Shaft.<br />
Both Sabella and Brooks are enamored with<br />
the shape and distance of the shots. Brooks<br />
tries the FT-i Neutral clubhead with the same<br />
shaft. Although the high moment of inertia<br />
helps his off-center hits, Brooks still prefers<br />
the more traditional look of the FT-5 Driver.<br />
Sabella explains that the square-shaped<br />
FT-i Driver requires an adjustment period<br />
and that the I-MIX system is a great way to<br />
experiment with technology combinations.<br />
3<br />
t<br />
After about 30 minutes, Sabella and Brooks<br />
find the perfect combination – a 9-degree<br />
FT-5 Driver with a Grafalloy Pro Launch<br />
Platinum 65 Stiff shaft. Brooks’ drives are<br />
now flying as straight as an arrow, and his<br />
shot dispersion has narrowed into a nice,<br />
neat patch some 40 yards left of where his<br />
earlier pushed shots were landing on the<br />
Ely <strong>Callaway</strong> Performance Center test range.<br />
Brooks’ <strong>ball</strong> flight is slightly lower, but he<br />
is carrying the <strong>ball</strong> farther.<br />
4<br />
An introduction<br />
to i-mix<br />
By greg sabella<br />
“The USGA used to have a rule on how the clubhead was attached to the<br />
shaft of the golf club. It basically stated that there needed to be permanency<br />
in the bond. That’s why golf equipment manufacturers used a strong glue<br />
to fix the two components together and also why it required significant heat<br />
and/or force to break that seal.<br />
A couple of years ago, to improve the speed, efficiency and accuracy of<br />
our fitting for Staff Professionals, we developed a system called OptiFit,<br />
which is very similar to what I-MIX has become. That system enabled us to<br />
quickly and easily interchange clubheads and shafts for the players to test<br />
on Tour or when they visited us at the Ely <strong>Callaway</strong> Performance Center.<br />
When the USGA announced that it was going to change the rule, we were<br />
ready to introduce I-MIX to both our Staff Pros and amateur golfers.<br />
The I-MIX System allows you to change your driver loft for differing course<br />
32 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008
EQUIPMENT &<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
t<br />
Brooks assembles his own club<br />
in less than 25 seconds on the<br />
first attempt. The I-MIX system<br />
is intuitive, with graphics on<br />
the tool, shaft and clubhead<br />
that cue Brooks on the proper<br />
orientation for each piece. The<br />
pieces only fit together one way.<br />
How I’m going<br />
to use my new<br />
I-MIX System<br />
by steve Brooks<br />
5<br />
PICK. CLICK. PLAY<br />
Your three quick steps to<br />
mastering the I-MIX connection<br />
a } When you insert the<br />
shaft, make sure it is aligned<br />
properly. The chevron on the<br />
tip should be visible. Wiggle<br />
the shaft slightly when<br />
inserting to ensure a good<br />
fit. Finger tighten the shaft<br />
nut to the clubhead.<br />
b } Holding the clubhead<br />
with one hand, place the<br />
wrench around the shaft<br />
and slide it up toward the<br />
nut. Ensure that the wrench<br />
remains at a 90-degree angle<br />
to the shaft and that the<br />
wrench completely covers<br />
the shaft nut. Avoid gaps.<br />
c } Turn the wrench in the<br />
direction indicated by<br />
the arrow on the wrench.<br />
Tighten until the red indicator<br />
appears in the window,<br />
you hear a click and feel<br />
the wrench advance a few<br />
degrees. It’s locked and<br />
you’re ready to go play!<br />
conditions or altitude <strong>changes</strong>, and also to experiment with a variety of<br />
different shafts. You’re probably not going to tear the shaft out of a brand<br />
new driver just to see how a new one performs, but with I-MIX, you don’t<br />
have to go to that trouble or expense.<br />
I-MIX also helps golfers adjust their driver set-up as their game <strong>changes</strong>.<br />
For example, you might begin the season with one particular loft and shaft<br />
combination, then switch to another as your game improves later in the<br />
summer. <strong>Golf</strong>ers who frequently travel to different courses will find it easy<br />
and convenient to leave their favorite shaft at one or more locations, and<br />
simply take the clubhead in their carry-on luggage. You won’t have to worry<br />
about the airline breaking or losing your driver, and you’ll always have the<br />
right loft and flex for where you’re playing.”<br />
For more information, go to: www.callawaygolf.com/imix.<br />
“Immediately after the fitting, I<br />
couldn’t wait to play. I was very<br />
impressed by the speed at which<br />
Greg was able to fit me with the<br />
optimum shaft and clubhead. I<br />
started the day pushing my drives<br />
and ended the session hitting<br />
them as straight as an arrow.<br />
I was a little nervous when Greg<br />
first handed me the wrench and<br />
invited me to switch the shafts<br />
myself. But it was very simple.<br />
I’m already looking at different<br />
shaft options for my 9-degree<br />
clubhead and, as I get more and<br />
more comfortable hitting a driver,<br />
adding a 10-degree head to the<br />
mix. I typically play closer to the<br />
coast, where it’s often wet in the<br />
mornings, so I’ll use the10-degree<br />
then. For drier conditions, such as<br />
trips to the desert, I’ll also take<br />
the 9-degree clubhead.”<br />
“I started the<br />
day pushing<br />
my drives and<br />
ended the<br />
session hitting<br />
them as straight<br />
as an arrow”<br />
SUMMER 2008 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> 33
Straight Talking<br />
Johnny Miller<br />
Time for a Torrey<br />
fairytale story<br />
After a succession of agonizing near misses, the stage is perfectly set at Torrey Pines for<br />
Phil Mickelson to win the one major championship he craves more than any other – the U.S. Open.<br />
I always look ahead to the U.S. Open with a great deal of<br />
anticipation. For me, it’s golf’s ultimate gut check. The players<br />
expose their nerves and games to the toughest golf course<br />
with the toughest set-up and with the most punishing rough<br />
imaginable. Tony Lema once said that playing at Augusta<br />
National was fun at the top, but there are no such frills at the<br />
U.S. Open; it’s survival of the fittest and all about proving how<br />
tough you are. The Masters followed by the U.S. Open is a<br />
great one-two punch combination.<br />
I’m pleased to see the rotation of U.S. Open golf courses<br />
now includes a selection of public facilities. The championship<br />
returns to Bethpage State Park<br />
in 2009 and a year later visits<br />
Pebble Beach before heading<br />
in 2015 to another renowned<br />
public course – Chambers Bay,<br />
which overlooks the gorgeous<br />
Puget Sound in Washington<br />
State. I think it’s great that our<br />
national championship isn’t just<br />
played at exclusive, private<br />
country clubs and I applaud the<br />
USGA’s strategy.<br />
Bethpage in 2001 was a great<br />
success. We had a great finish<br />
with Phil Mickelson and Tiger<br />
Woods dueling it out on the<br />
final day and I’m expecting a<br />
similar head-to-head battle this<br />
year at Torrey Pines in Southern<br />
California. Torrey Pines is a very<br />
successful stomping ground for<br />
both Phil and Tiger, who each have a great track record there<br />
with several victories apiece.<br />
Here’s my prediction: If Phil can finish above Tiger – who is<br />
the guy to beat – he will win the U.S. Open. He’s the one guy<br />
on the planet who can match Tiger when he’s really playing<br />
well. As the hometown favorite and a San Diego native, the<br />
expectation will be huge for Phil and he’ll undoubtedly feel<br />
the nerves kick in more than usual. The key for him is to manage<br />
that adrenaline rush and post a solid first-round score.<br />
If he can avoid a high number and shoot somewhere around<br />
even par or better, he is going to be really tough to beat.<br />
Adding to the pressure is the fact that the U.S. Open is<br />
probably the one major Phil wants to win more than any other.<br />
For a guy who has won 33 tour events, he has gone an awfully<br />
long time without winning the U.S. Open. In that regard, he’s<br />
similar to Tom Kite. After dominating the Money List in the<br />
1980s without claiming a major, Kite produced a clutch performance<br />
at Pebble Beach in 1992, shooting an amazing score<br />
in 30 mph winds to win the U.S. Open. To this day, I consider<br />
Kite’s final round performance one of the all-time great<br />
displays of golf.<br />
Although he has three majors<br />
to his name, Phil is in a similar<br />
If Phil can beat<br />
Tiger at Torrey<br />
Pines in front of<br />
his hometown<br />
fans, it will<br />
undoubtedly<br />
be the greatest<br />
achievement of<br />
his career.<br />
position to Kite in regard to<br />
winning the U.S. Open. He will<br />
be 38 in June but, as far as I’m<br />
concerned, he’s still in his prime<br />
for this tournament. Experience,<br />
patience, will power and the<br />
ability to just hang in there,<br />
overcome your frustrations and<br />
grind it out are the key attributes<br />
you need to climb to the<br />
top of the leaderboard at the<br />
U.S. Open.<br />
It’s time for Phil to win and<br />
this undoubtedly is his best<br />
chance. With his great short<br />
game and phenomenal shotmaking<br />
skills, Torrey Pines<br />
suits his game perfectly. The fairways are going to be wide<br />
by U.S. Open standards and the USGA is going to let the<br />
seaside wind become a major factor in keeping the golf<br />
course difficult. It’ll be firm and fast because you’re not going<br />
to get any rain in Southern California that time of year.<br />
I think Phil feels totally comfortable at Torrey Pines, and I’m<br />
one of the many thousands of fans who will be pulling for him.<br />
If he can beat Tiger and everybody else in front of his hometown<br />
fans to finally win the championship he wants more than<br />
any other, it would be the greatest achievement of his career.<br />
34<br />
<strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> summer 2008