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TODAY’S GOLFER OCTOBER 2015 (SEPTEMBER 3-SEPTEMBER 30) 339
WWW.TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK
OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE 339 SEPT 3-SEPT 30 £4.5

DRILLS
Six super slice fixes
Cut out that power-sapping slice with one of these quick fixes
Fault: You regularly slice the ball.
Fix: It is the most common miss among
amateur golfers – the high slice. It costs you
distance and control but, most frustratingly of
all, you don’t know why you do it. I see it in
around 75 per cent of people I teach and use
one or two of these six drills with each of them
to help eliminate this miss. These quick and
simple tips are designed to give you the feelings
in your set-up or swing that allow you to hit a
straighter and more powerful flight when out on
the course and under pressure.
1. Face angle: Close it
Set up with your feet aligned
to the target and your
clubface slightly closed to this
line. From this address
position make a real effort to
swing out to the right and
away from your body. This
encourages an angle of attack
more from the inside.
2. PATH: FROM THE INSIDE
TG TOP 50
KEVIN FLYNN
TOURNERBURY GC, HANTS
Fellow of the
PGA and a
European
Golf
Development
Consultant.
This is a classic and really effective drill.
Place an object directly behind or just
outside your ball and make your swing.
This forces an in-to-out attack as the
opposite will see you hit the object.
34 ISSUE 339 TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK

Fault
Fixer
3. WEIGHT: ON YOUR HEELS 4. TAKEAWAY: ARMS CLOSE
Most slicers have their weight too much towards their toes,
creating a swing that is too steep. A great way to flatten out
that swing plane is to place a ball under your back foot. This
encourages you to move the club further behind you in the
backswing, making it easier to swing from the inside.
A big gap between your arms and your body on the first
move back will likely result in a steep angle of attack
coming from the outside back in to the ball causing you to
cut across it. Focus on keeping your arms close to your
body during the takeaway to avoid it.
5. BACKSWING: RIGHT FOOT OUT 6. ROTATION: FULL TURN
A reverse pivot is another slice cause. This is where you favour
your lead side during the backswing and your back side in the
through swing. It should be the other way around. Turning
your back foot out will make it easier for you to load your right
side (right-handers) on the way back.
A full rotation on the way back allows you to properly load
your right side for power. Anything short makes you more
likely to throw your hands at the ball and come ‘over the top’.
Imagine your clubhead has to break through a pane of glass
at the top of your swing.
100s MORE TIPS
www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/tips
TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 339 35

RYDER CUP RELIVED
‘That shot is the
first thing I talk
about... especially
in America’
A year on from that wedge, Jamie Donaldson is in
no hurry for anyone to forget his magic moment
WORDS ROB JERRAM PICTURES ANGUS MURRAY, GETTY IMAGES
ime flies when you’re having fun,
T
so it’s little wonder a year has past in
the blink of an eye for Ryder Cup
hero Jamie Donaldson.
Incredibly, it’s already 12 months since the
Welshman’s sublime wedge shot saw off
Keegan Bradley to seal a third-straight Ryder
Cup for Europe and spark jubilant scenes all
around Gleneagles’ PGA Centenary Course.
It’s perhaps unsurprising that the season
that has followed hasn’t reached the same
heights for the likeable 39-year-old, but with
qualifying now underway for the team that
Darren Clarke will lead to Hazeltine next
September, the world No.42 is desperate to
ensure his performance wasn’t a one off.
We returned to the 15th hole – and the
exact spot where Donaldson secured glory –
to reminisce about that week, reflect on his
season and look ahead to
Europe’s defence.
A year on, are you
ready to talk about
something else?
No, thanks! It’s the
highlight of my career
so far. It’s still the first
thing I talk about! I’ll
never get bored of talking
about it, especially in
America! I spent four months
there this year and they didn’t
want me to talk about it – I
still did (laughs).
How have the American players and fans
reacted to you this season?
I’m still getting bits and bobs of abuse from
the crowds, but I’ve enjoyed the stick from the
fans and enjoyed winding them up in return –
for the most part it’s done in good jest. What
is clear is how frustrated the Americans are
that they’re not winning the Ryder Cup, which
is great for us, but awful for them. The players
are obviously the same – Keegan and all of
the US team said well done when I saw them
in the weeks afterwards. But those guys are
winners and they want to turn things around.
Mentioning Keegan, how aware were you
that it was coming down to your match?
It had been building from the 11th. Crowds
were gathering every hole and suddenly on
the 15th tee it looked as though everyone that
had been watching was there, trying to get a
view. Being out at number 10 I’d always felt
that was a possibility. Captain McGinley had
said as much when he told me where I was
playing. I remember walking from the tee and
there were 40,000 people on this hole. We
don’t get that kind of arena anywhere else in
world golf. It’s something I’ll never forget.
I imagine you’ve watched it back a lot, but
what can you remember of that moment?
(Laughing) Yeah, one or two hundred times.
Sky replayed the whole Ryder Cup at
Christmas and I kept putting it on!
I’d missed a putt to win on 14, but put that
out of my head and hit a perfect drive – ➔

Point man
Donaldson
returns to the
spot where he
sealed victory.

SRIXON
Action for the masses
All-new Z-355 range is designed specifically for the game improver
rixon isn’t a name you instantly
S
associate with game-improvement
clubs. We see Graeme McDowell,
Keegan Bradley and other Tour players
using Srixon gear – but now they want to
seriously improve your game too with the
all-new Z-355 range.
Designed specifically for club golfers,
Srixon has cleverly adopted ‘Action Mass’
technology throughout the range. It means
the clubhead is heavier than normal but
the shaft is lighter, giving the capability to
generate more kinetic energy at impact.
So, swing the club at the same speed as
you usually do and the club is travelling
faster when you hit the ball – and more
speed equates to more yards. This is the
full story of Srixon’s new range...
Z-355 driver
Action Mass Technology
The headweight is heavier so there is
more ‘meat’ behind the ball at impact
but incredibly the overall weight (head,
shaft and grip combined) is lighter. This
is achieved by using a shaft specifically
designed for the purpose of raising the
‘Balance Point’ to counteract the
heavier head, which is all done with
some clever engineering tricks inside
the shaft.
Ti Cup Face
There’s no point in making a golf club as
quick as possible if you then lose ball
speed when shots are hit off-centre. A ‘Cup
Face’ enlarges the hot zone area in the
centre of the face as there’s no limiting
joints which add weight and lower MOI
where the face meets the driver body.
Miyazaki Jinsoku Shaft
The Japanese are super clever when it
comes to producing graphite shafts and
the 355’s premium Miyazaki Jinsoku is no
exception. By tinkering with the wall
thickness and profile of the shaft, Srixon
claim this is a speed-obsessed, ultra-high
balance point shaft that maintains its
stability for maximum speed transfer
and control.
Adjustability
It seems no self respecting driver is
complete nowadays unless it’s able to be
tuned to your own game. Well the 355 may
be aimed at game-improvers, but it holds
its own when it comes to adjustability.
Tinker and tune to your heart’s content
with 12 different positions which give you
options over loft, lie and face angle.
Z-355 irons
Tour VT sole
Srixon have a history of sculpting the soles
of their irons to improve turf interaction
A proper steel
Nippon NS Pro
950 DST shaft is
a premium steel
offering and does
a similar job to the
Miyazaki Jinsoku.
Twin win
A larger head but less
weight being wasted
supporting the ‘MAX
COR Faces’ leads to an
increase in MOI.
94 ISSUE 339 TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK

New
Gear
depending on the player the iron is
aimed at. The 355’s Tour VT Sole has
less trailing-edge bounce, meaning 43
per cent less time interacting with the
turf at impact; this limits the loss of club
speed and can improve dispersion
accuracy. Srixon’s engineers haven’t
stopped there though – they’ve also
increased the leading-edge bounce,
making the iron less likely to ‘dig’ at
impact. This, amazingly, can reduce club
speed loss by up to 24 per cent.
Max COR faces
When you are looking to design a set of
irons to maximise a game-improvement
golfer’s performance, you have to dig
deep into the engineering tool box.
Srixon have done just that with the
4-iron to the 7-iron, where they’ve used a
super high spring steel face similar to
that in a ‘Speed Channel’ fairway wood
or hybrid. This improves ball speed on
the mid-to-long irons, which is the area
most likely to hurt the scores of club
golfers. In the short irons – where the
premium is much more on accuracy –
the 355s revert to traditional one-piece
cast heads.
Weighting game
Previous ‘super
lightweight’ clubs
were criticised
for a loss in feel
but the Z-355s
address this.
Action Mass Technology
The idea of heavier clubheads but lighter
overall weights is as relevant in your
irons as it is your driver. The higher
balance-point shaft runs through the set,
allowing engineers to play their
balancing tricks and create more
clubhead momentum at impact.
Premium shafts
You don’t have to play graphite shafts to
get the benefit of all the technology that
Srixon has worked so hard to create. If
you’re a steel shaft advocate then the
Nippon NS Pro 950 DST shaft is a
premium steel offering.
Larger head, higher MOI
The 355s have a larger head than
Srixon’s forged offerings, which is a real
benefit to the club golfer. That said, the
offset is not massive as with some
game-improvement irons, so they have a
really attractive look to them.
● Details: The Z-355s will be in stores
from mid-September, priced at £279 for
the driver and £499 (s)/£549 (g) for the
irons. www.srixon.co.uk
Z-355 fairway
and hybrid
Low-profile head shape
and draw-to-neutral bias
rixon’s ‘Action Mass’ technology
plays just as important a role in
S
the fairways and hybrids as it does
in the driver and irons. Also expect a lowprofile
shaped head which helps flight the
ball from the fairway or rough as well as a
draw-to-neutral bias, which is perfect for
its target club golfer audience.
● Details: RRP £179 fairway, £159 hybrid.
Super gameimprover
iron
More offset and bigger
head boosts forgiveness
f you’ve read all of this thinking
“sounds good, but my game
I
needs more help”, then Srixon
have thought of you, too. The Z-155s
benefit from the same technology as the
355s, but are just a bit bigger and have
more offset to help you flight the ball well.
These are ultra-forgiving clubs.
● Details: RRP 5-PW £499 (s), £549 (g).
TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 339 95

GOING THE
DISTANCE
Three formats of distance measuring devices,
tested for ease of use, accuracy and value
WORDS SIMON DADDOW PICTURES TOM CRITCHELL, HOWARD BOYLAN
T H E
T E C H
I S S U E
98

THE TEST
Made to
measure
Devices for eye,
wrist and palm
were compared.
t’s not long since yardage
I
books and marker posts were
the only help golfers got
plotting their way around a course.
Things have changed massively over
the last five years and now distance
measuring devices feature in most
golfers’ bags. But with the increasing
choice, how do you decide which best
suits you and your game? Handheld
GPS, laser rangefinder or a GPS watch,
all have their benefits – but they also
have their drawbacks, and our test gets
to the bottom of this.
It also addresses another major
issue; ease of use. We live in an age
when we buy an iPhone and use it
straight out the box – so is it too much
to expect similar intuitiveness from a
GPS system?
In answering these questions, our
test will help you whittle down your
best options – and pick your perfect
distance measuring device.
How we did the test
We asked manufacturers to send us
their most recent GPS watches,
handhelds and rangefinders. We
divided them among the TG team and
asked everyone to use them over at
least five rounds. Equipment Editor
Simon Daddow also spent a day
walking a course comparing
measurements to gauge accuracy and
ensure each device passed through the
same pair of hands for direct
comparison. Finally we asked you, the
TG reader, for your recommendations.
By putting all of our thoughts together
we came up with the devices we felt
you should be considering in 2015.
➔
TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 339
99

The future for... Equipment
Alan Hocknell, Head of R&D at Callaway, reveals how digital
tech, new materials and 3D printing might change our clubs
DIGITAL EXTRAS
“Society as a whole is
using more wearable
technology to quantify
numbers, so I anticipate
golf will go this way,”
says Hocknell.
CLEVER FITTING
“Smarter clubs giving
digital info means we
could put together a set
for any individual with
specific lofts, lengths etc
that might be completely
different for each of the
four guys in a fourball.”
TWO RULES? UNLIKELY
Dean Knuth, the man who devised
the USGA’s course and slope rating
systems, a USGA administrator for 16
years, and now the owner of a clubmaking
firm, warns people not to hold
their breath waiting for two sets of
rules, or ‘bifurcation’. “The USGA will
never create different rules for pros
and amateurs,” he says. “They just
aren’t at all interested.”
NEW MATERIALS
Callaway’s new Great Big
Bertha features multiple
materials in its design, but
Hocknell and his team are
constantly looking for new
ones that are light, strong
and flexible.
3D PRINTED
Flight of fancy? Not
according to Hocknell,
but only “when the
capability of consumers
to print at home is
ubiquitous.”

THE FUTURE OF GOLF
ith ultra-strict limits on size, face
springiness and adjustability, golf
W
designers are looking at aerodynamics,
materials and digital innovations to create the
clubs of the future. We spoke exclusively to Alan
Hocknell – Callaway’s Head of R&D and the
man responsible for the return of the Great Big
Bertha – to find out what might be in store...
In 10 years’ time I don’t think drivers will have
lasers, tiny rocket engines or any weird moving
parts. Due to the limitations of the current
rules, we have to design inside a governed
space – so I imagine a driver head will look a
lot like it does today.
New materials and aerodynamics could
change the way we design and build new
drivers. New technology might mean the driver
head could look a bit different in terms of
cosmetics, like the square-headed FT-i we
created in 2006. That driver was incredibly
straight, but aerodynamically very slow.
‘Connectedness’ is a huge area for growth in
the future. At Callaway we are proud to have
been involved with the development of Arccos,
a digital system that connects to your clubs
and communicates with your iPhone. It enables
you to build a sophisticated picture of your
game automatically. That allows for analysis
like never before.
Ultimately I’d love to fit golfers for new clubs
based on data garnered from how they play on
the golf course, rather than players basing their
buying decisions on a few mighty blows in a
fitting bay of their local driving range on a
Saturday afternoon – when they may or may
not be swinging the club at their best.
We are working on some interesting new
materials and manufacturing processes which
could give significant gains like we saw when
Callaway pioneered carbon-fibre technology.
I hope we are the first to harness them for golf,
but as of yet we haven’t been able to use them
in a form that is suitable for a club.
Our primary goal with these new materials is
improving clubhead speed and contact
efficiency between club and ball. We are
looking for definite properties in each of these
materials... light, strong and flexible are all
great qualities for golf club
design.
Technically, there is
nothing stopping
us building a
560cc nonconforming
driver
– we certainly know
how to. Callaway in the
past made the ERC, which was non-conforming
in the US, but the No.1 selling driver in Europe
and Japan. Maybe opinions have changed – or
will change – in the future.
There would be an interested audience if it
could be shown that average golfers have more
fun using non-conforming equipment. There
would need to be plenty of support from the
influential groups (rules bodies, PGA pros etc)
and any advance would need to not threaten
the basic skill requirements of the game. There
are also practical hurdles to get over. For
example, here in the USA golfers get a
handicap based on every round they play, not
just competition rounds. So if they used a nonconforming
club, would they need two
handicaps? Conforming and non-conforming?
Non-conforming equipment carries a stigma –
that you showed up intending to break the
rules. Sellers and owners of non-conforming
equipment would need to get past this. In Asia
there is already a market for non-conforming
equipment among golfers, who choose to play
by their own rules.
We 3D print metal parts of golf clubs today and
it’s amazing technology! But the parts that
come off the machine still need quite a lot of
work before they are functional and it’s also very
expensive. So the concept of golfers printing
their own driver on a 3D printer is incredible.
Digital technology will help. Clubs that are
much smarter than anything around today
could help measure each golfer’s game DNA.
We as a manufacturer could use this
information to design clubs which would be
customised in many more ways than today.
It’s my job to think what golf clubs might look
like in 2020. We have a pretty solid plan
through 2018, but we’re always looking for
something disruptive, so our strategy is to be
very agile and adaptable to new things. New
technologies take time to develop – for example
our forged composite material was in
development for around four years before it
was used in production.
If you want to see tour players
of the future, look at some
juniors right now.
Some of them will
frighten you with how
far they hit the ball.
They have no fear, they
have access to great
fitted equipment, great
coaching and are fit. Not all
will reach 6ft 8in, but they’ll
drive the ball very efficiently –
and putt like wizards.
Don’t forget
the flatstick
Austie Rollinson, lead
designer at Odyssey,
shares some insight
● Lots to learn
We are constantly learning about
the physics of putting. The better
we understand the dynamics of
impact, face rebound speeds,
acoustics, centre of gravity
locations, moment-of-inertia values
and of visual alignment aspects, the
better we can build putters of the
future. All of these aspects are just
as important in a putter as they are
in a driver or set of irons.
● It’s got to look good
New putter designs can’t look like
science experiments. But we like
to innovate around how a putter
looks at address. The golfer wants
a comforting look behind the ball, a
look which breeds confidence every
time they pull out the flatstick.
● Multiple materials
Divorcing the shape of the putter
from the mass properties gives
design freedom to optimise both
independently. Utilising multiple
materials such as steel, tungsten,
urethanes and plastics allows
us to constantly evolve putter
designs that perform better for the
golfer. Different materials mean
we become less constrained, so
our search for new materials is a
continual process.
● Don’t get boxed in
We get excited about coming into
work everyday to design putters
that push the limits of convention.
We never want to lose sight of
the traditions of the game, but
challenging what a putter should
look like and how it should perform
is part of our philosophy. ➔
TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 339 55

T H E
T E C H
I S S U E
Board
games
Could you see yourself using
one of these in future? It’s
tipped to be the new
way round a course –
so we put it to the test
WORDS ROB Mc GARR PICTURES ANGUS MURRAY
Surf’s up
Golf Board
has been
designed by a
former surfer.

Your personal
Lessons
with Lee
Westwood has launched a new app that lets you
compare your swing to his... and improve your technique
WORDS LEE WESTWOOD, WITH PETER MASTERS PICTURES BOB ATKINS
T H E
T E C H
I S S U E
utting together software that lets
P
you compare swings, checking
positions and tempo, was
appealing to me because I’m a very visual
person. I could see the benefits of placing
two swings together so that you can see
where you might be going wrong. When it’s
there in front of you, there’s less need for
complicated technical advice. It’s true to say
in golf that on many occasions what you
think you’re doing, may not be what you’re
actually doing. This is why this works. A
club player can select a club and shot
direction and record their swing with me at
their side, as if I’m standing right there with
you on the tee hitting balls! Over the
next six pages, I’ll show you the
swing positions you want to be
in to hit the ball long and
straight. My app goes into
more detail on each... and
even lets you compare
my swing moves to
your own as you
develop them. ➔