Golf Monthly Summer 2021

1 Getting your grip right gives you a far better chance of returning the clubface to the ball correctly at impact. Many golfers have their left-hand grip too much in the palm, whereas in an ideal neutral grip, you hold it more in the fingers so that two knuckles are showing. To keep your grip consistent, place your left hand on the club first and check it is in a neutral position. This will really help you to keep the clubface square throughout the swing. 2 Those who hold the club too much in the palm of the left hand have a weak grip and will tend to slice the ball. The first issue is that it gets you leaning a little too much towards the target at set-up causing…

Amid all the concerns of 2020, I think it’s fair to say most golf fans in this country felt a small pang of loss last July when denied our annual fix of top-level links golf. It seems an age since Shane Lowry’s stirring win in the 148th Open at Royal Portrush, revisited by Fergus Bisset on page 46. It will feel like a giant step in the right direction when the first ball is struck at Royal St George’s on July 15. We’ve been fortunate to enjoy a selection of fabulous men’s Major Championships since Portrush in 2019, none more momentous than Phil Mickelson’s win for the ages at Kiawah Island. But, for me, nothing quite matches The Open. Others might argue for The Masters, but, as far as I’m concerned,…

G425 Max driver The G425 Max has the highest MOI of any Ping driver to date, thanks to a 26g movable tungsten weight at the back of the clubhead. This shifts the CG lower and further back and can be moved between neutral, draw and fade settings depending on preference. Ping’s Trajectory Tuning 2.0 features a hosel sleeve with eight positions for more adjustability to cater for all swing types. A high-strength forged face maximises flex for fast ball speeds across a wider area to deliver more distance on off-centre strikes. G425 SFT driver SFT stands for Straight Flight Technology, which uses a draw bias that is engineered to bring shots back on line and help left-to-right golfers find more fairways. This draw bias is achieved via a fixed 23g…

1 Ball position is very important. Many golfers have the ball too far back in the stance so there’s not enough loft at impact. With fairway woods, make sure you have the ball just inside your left heel, which is far enough forward to help shallow out the angle of attack a little. 2 The second thing you need is a nice wide base, so your stance should be shoulderwidth or a fraction more. Too narrow and you’re going to get too much weight towards the left foot. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your feet at address – think 50/50. 3 Finally, if you get ball position and weight distribution right, your shirt buttons or zip should sit a little behind your belt buckle. This angle or tilt…

Wow, what an advert Phil Mickelson is for the older golfer. However, what he’s achieved is not an accident. I’d guess he has worked harder on his fitness in recent years than when he was a young man. The reward has been to extend his career and obtain another Major, putting the Senior Tour on hold for now. We over-50s may not be able to reach his fitness level, but we should all really try. Even if we fall short, it is not wasted effort. Not only is it good for our general health, but increased flexibility can only be good for our swings and keep us competitive for a few more years on the course. I am sure many readers will know golfers still playing into their 80s and beyond,…

1 Hybrids and hybrid irons have become very popular at the long end of the bag as their design makes them easier to hit than long irons. With a hybrid, the ball won’t be as far forward as with a fairway wood – more like a mid- to long-iron, so about one-and-a-half balls inside your left heel depending on loft. Despite their mini-wood looks, I would definitely recommend treating them much more like an iron than a wood when it comes to set-up and execution. 2 Because the shaft is a little longer than in an iron, I would advise gripping down half-an-inch to an inch to make you more comfortable and get it feeling more like an iron at set-up. This will also give you more control. The design…