Hero World Challenge - December 2–4 #golf
— Yardstick Golf (@YardstickGolf) November 28, 2016
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Monday, November 28, 2016
Hero World Challenge - December 2–4 #golf
Hero World Challenge - December 2–4
Hero World Challenge - Albany Championship Golf Course - New Providence, Bahamas
7,267 yards - Par 72
Course Guide (Currently, this page isn't working, but I assume the PGA will fix it.)
Past 5 Winners:
2015: Bubba Watson
2014: Jordan Spieth
2013: Zach Johnson
2012: Graeme McDowell
2011: Tiger Woods
Player List Click here
Submitted November 28, 2016 at 12:30PM by barkhorse http://ift.tt/2gAfcQX
Hero World Challenge - December 2–4 via /r/ProGolf https://t.co/cOjJxs8GbA
Hero World Challenge - December 2–4 via /r/ProGolf https://t.co/cOjJxs8GbA
— Yardstick Golf (@YardstickGolf) November 28, 2016
Golf: In this week's Four-Ball, our experts are split on if Tiger Woods breaks par in 1st round of Hero World Challenge (ESPN) …
Golf: In this week's Four-Ball, our experts are split on if Tiger Woods breaks par in 1st round of Hero World Challenge (ESPN) …
— Yardstick Golf (@YardstickGolf) November 28, 2016
Callaway’s “Show-Stopping” Epic Driver is Conforming
By: Tony Covey
Callaway's hotly anticipated Great Big Bertha Epic Driver has made its way to the USGA's Conforming Club's List, and surprise, there's not one, or even two, there are three versions. Would you expect anything less from Callaway?
In fairness, 1) there's nothing wrong with having three versions of a single driver if those versions provide a breadth of fitting options, or create opportunities at multiple price points, and 2) we can't be certain all three models will make it to retail.
Is it Really Epic?
If you're just hearing about Epic for the first time, where have you been? Also, what you need to know is that the key technology is what Callaway calls "Jailbreak." Presumably, the name is Callaway's clever way of suggesting it has broken free from the USGA's CT/COR limit (or at least worked around it).
While Callaway isn't talking (yet), what we've been told is that the company observed higher average ball speeds from Alpha Series (gravity core) drivers. Apparently, the speed differences were traced to the core structure itself, the important bit being that it directly attached the sole and the crown. Jailbreak appears to do the same thing with the noteworthy difference being that the connection is made closer to the face using a pair of metal (presumably titanium) rods.
If all of this sounds like nonsense, we get it, but a cursory look at our data from the previous three driver tests does validate the suggestion on higher ball speeds on gravity core drivers. It's true that speed didn't always lead to greater distance (launch and spin also contribute), but the raw numbers do lend some credence to the idea. Whether or not creating a driver that focuses on the crown/sole connection produces significantly better performance remains to be seen.
Still, it's a hell of a story.
New on the USGA Conforming Clubs List
Here are the three new Callaway heads deemed conforming by the
GBB Epic (Standard)
We expect the standard GBB Epic (as if anything named Epic could be standard) mainstream, fat part of the bell curve model. We expect middle of the road CG coupled with track weighting and an Optifit hosel.
GBB Epic Star
The surprise on the list. Our best guess; a glued hosel and a potentially lower price point. Possibly a low/back CG (forgiveness) story.
GBB Epic Sub Zero
Last season Sub Zero was a sub-460cc forward CG driver designed for faster swingers with a descending angle of attack. It was most definitely a forward CG design. My gut tells me Callaway won't be quite as aggressive this time, but this will undoubtedly be the low/forward CG offering that some better (or at least more aggressive) swingers crave.
A Show Stopper?
Earlier this month, Golf Digest published Six Takeaways from the 2017 Hot List Summit. We have every reason to believe the final point serves as a teaser for the Great Big Bertha Epic. Here's what the Digest team had to say:
We're certainly a bit dubious of any quote attributed to a scientist, but the buzz on Epic from the fitters and other that have had the opportunity to hit it are real. We've heard stories of 3-5 MPH comparative ball speed, which, if you want to throw a ballpark average at it, would translate to that mythical 10 More Yards that we haven't heard much about lately.
Arguably the greatest testament to a certified show-stopper's true dominance in the market would be a lone Gold Medal in the Hot List's driver category. Would Digest be so bold? Would it publish supporting data, or will it, in the interest of happy advertisers (and logo licensing) hedge as it always does? We're betting that when the rubber meets that particular road, Epic will be but one of many gold medalists, but if the hype is real, you can bet we'll sort it out during our Most Wanted Testing.
For now, Epic is positioned is the most intriguing new driver of 2017. The chatter suggests it's potentially game-changing. That remains to be seen, as does much of the competition in the marketplace. We expect the official story of TaylorMade's 2017 M1 to be released in the coming days, and we don't yet know what, if anything, PING will offer up, but *IF* somehow Epic is what the early chatter suggests, 2017 could be the year that Callaway takes over as the #1 selling metalwoods brand.
Who said the 5 Year War was over?
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Golf: Tiger Woods ready to return to competition after a 15-month absence, playfully quips "I'm not dead" (ESPN) https://t.co/6AQ26P3J1m #…
Golf: Tiger Woods ready to return to competition after a 15-month absence, playfully quips "I'm not dead" (ESPN) https://t.co/6AQ26P3J1m #…
— Yardstick Golf (@YardstickGolf) November 27, 2016
New Golf GIF
New Golf GIF sports, golf, got, cheezburger, wiggle, bit, shea, hammerbabe via http://ift.tt/2fnESV0
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Golf: Longtime top amateur Peggy Kirk Bell dies at age 95; 1st woman inducted into PGA Golf Instructors Hall of Fame (ESPN) …
Golf: Longtime top amateur Peggy Kirk Bell dies at age 95; 1st woman inducted into PGA Golf Instructors Hall of Fame (ESPN) …
— Yardstick Golf (@YardstickGolf) November 25, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
TESTED: Callaway Big Bertha Fusion Driver (44.5″ vs. 45.5″ Shafts)
By: Sam Robinson
Give Callaway Golf some credit. While it's easy to get lost in the count of drivers on the shelf at any given time, the company has done an excellent job differentiating its various models. If you don't have a pretty good idea which Callaway driver is right for you, you probably haven't been paying close enough attention.
For the Forgiveness Crowd: Big Bertha Fusion
Callaway's most recent release is the Big Bertha Fusion. Noteworthy for its Exo-Cage construction, Triaxial carbon crown, and its resemblance to the FT-iZ, the Fusion is arguably Callaway's most aggressive foray into the easy to hit, high MOI category.
All of that, which stems from Fusion's low back center of gravity, would usually make the Big Bertha Fusion driver a solid option for those looking for more forgiveness and a bit of help getting the ball in the air. And while that's certainly true, Callaway has added an extra (and intriguing) variable to the fitting equation.
In addition to the standard 45.5" shaft offering, Callaway is giving golfers the option to choose a shorter, and presumably more playable 44.5" offering. The theory - and it's supported by nearly every reputable fitter I know - is that the shorter shaft will provide better control. You'll hit more fairways and shoot lower scores because whatever distance you lose from shaft length, you'll get back from more consistently centered contact.
Is that true? What are the trade-offs? To find out, we put Big Bertha Fusion to the test with both 44.5" and 45.5" shafts.
HOW WE TESTED:
- Testing was done using a stock Callaway Big Bertha Fusion Driver with UST Recoil 450|F4 stiff flex shaft.
- Head weights were changed with shafts to make testing, more or less, swing weight neutral.
- Testing was done with drivers in the neutral (9°) loft position. The same head was used at both lengths.
- Eight golfers with handicaps ranging from 0-15 and driver swing speeds between 80 and 110 mph participated in this test.
- Head data was not collected for one tester. As a result he could not be included in the impact charts.
- Each tester hit 12-14 shots with each club (frequently rotating between clubs).
- We used a less aggressive outlier detection methodology to provide better insight into shaft length related differences.
- All testers hit Bridgestone B300-RX Golf Balls.
- Ball Data was recorded using a Foresight GC2 Launch Monitor.
THE DATA
We've segmented the data into three main categories.
Distance - Our standard launch monitor chart provides insight into the performance parameters (ball speed, launch angle, spin, total yards, etc.) you're accustomed to seeing.
Accuracy - Dispersion graphs illustrate differences in accuracy and dispersion (shot area) between the two shaft lengths tested.
Consistency - Face impact plots and deviations in ball speed and carry distances provide quantifiable metrics for forgiveness.
DISTANCE
OBSERVATIONS:
- Club speed for the 44.5" shaft is appreciably slower than the longer option Shaft. This is to be expected as there is a direct correlation between length and head speed. It's why we swing our wedges slower than our driver.
- While still below the 45.5" Ball speed and Total Yards deficits are again only marginally smaller with the 44.5" shaft; with the 44.5" shaft producing 2.5 yards more carry and 3 yards more total distance on average.
- Launch angle and spin differences are insignificant.
- The shorter shaft produced shots that were, on average, roughly 2.57 yards closer to the center line than the 45.5" model.
- Using an average of the Top 3 drivers as a metric, testers were 3.67 yards longer on average with their best drives, with 6 of 8 testers producing longer drivers with the longer shaft.
DOWN-RANGE DISPERSION
To provide a better visual of shot area and downrange dispersion, we created this chart showing the comparative performance from 7 of our testers, along with a composite average of all testers.
OBSERVATIONS:
- For 5 of the 7 testers shown, dispersion was tighter with the 44.5" shaft.
- The composite average shows dispersion for the short shaft was tighter than the stock shaft.
- While left/right dispersion (offline) was tighter across almost all testers, vertical dispersion (distance) appears marginally more consistent with the longer length shaft.
- Using our shot area calculation as the metric, the 45.5" length shaft produced landing areas (meters squared) nearly double that of shots hit with the 44.5" shaft.
CONSISTENCY
OBSERVATIONS:
- The above chart shows the relative impact areas for each tester, along with a composite average.
- Face impact dispersion on the composite average suggests the 1" shorter shaft led to more consistent ball striking.
- 5 of the 7 testers shown produced appreciably more consistent striking with the shorter shaft, 1 tester (JB) showed nearly identical results, while 1 tester (SR) was significantly more consistent with the longer shaft.
- Using the Standard Deviation of Ball Speed as a metric for consistency, the results were nearly identical, with the data suggesting a very slight advantage for the 45.5" shaft.
- Using the Standard deviation of Carry as a complimentary metric, the longer shaft also produced more consistent ball speed, with 5 of 8 testers being more consistent with the 45.5" shaft than with the 44.5".
- Noteworthy, the two double-digit handicaps who participated in this test, produced more consistent ball speed with the 44.5" option. We believe this advantage be more pronounced with higher handicap golfers.
THE VERDICT:
So, does the shorter shaft produce better results? As with many things in the golf equipment world, it depends.
- Performance data suggests negligible differences between the stock length (45.5") and the shorter (44.5") shaft.
- While the longer shaft can offer ball speed and distance advantages, the shorter shaft provides a significant reduction in short area, and by extension, accuracy.
- For a majority of testers, and on average, the face impact area was shown to be significantly smaller and more consistent with the 44.5" shaft.
- The data we collected suggests that for those looking for improved accuracy and consistency, the 44.5" shaft is the better option.
- Golfers willing to sacrifice accuracy and impact consistency for a few extra yards should consider the 45.5" shaft.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Paid Program: Transforming the Course
http://ift.tt/2fmySqy
Submitted November 22, 2016 at 03:40PM by yardstickgolf http://ift.tt/2gj7yLV
Submitted November 22, 2016 at 03:40PM by yardstickgolf http://ift.tt/2gj7yLV
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