Dale Hill Pro Newsletter - 4th February 2010
This week we’ll be looking into the bag of one of the game’s finest; Phil Mickleson, and seeing what we can learn from his setup.
First the Driver; a 7.5 degree FT-9 with and an X-stiff shaft. As we know, Phil doesn’t hold back with his Driver! Because of this he generates great clubhead speed – so he has no trouble getting the ball into the air (hence the low loft); all he’s looking for is a penetrating trajectory (the XS shaft) and the ability to shape the ball as needed – hence his choice of the FT-9, the most ‘workable’ of Callaway’s Drivers.
This contrasts with his 3-Wood. The high launching, very forgiving Diablo gives Phil two options; play it safe off the tee or hit it long from the fairway so he can get up to long par 5’s in two.
Next up is Phil’s Hybrid – a prototype design of his own. The 22 degrees of loft launches the ball quicker and higher than a long Iron and the sole design adds versatility and workability, especially from the rough.
After the Iron set come the Wedges. Phil is in a league of his own when it comes to the short game and so he chooses to carry three Wedges; with 56, 60 and 64 degrees of loft. These three also have different bounce configurations, giving Phil the option of playing low spinning shots, floating shots that drop and stop or even the flashy flop shot.
Last but not least we come down the golf ball; a piece of equipment that far too many amateurs overlook. Phil’s Tour ix is Callaway’s harder, lower spinning Tour variant, maximising distance with Phil’s swing speed by reducing backspin and negating the ‘ballooning’ effect that many of the long hitters suffer from.
So, do you have a club setup in your bag that maximises your ability from each and every position and lie? Are there distance gaps in your game or clubs that you simply never hit? Perhaps you’re bombing the drives but losing shots around the green, but the point I’m trying to make is that every single club in your bag should be your favourite. If you aren’t sure then come into the shop and we’ll have a look through your setup and see if we can identify what’s missing or what’s not helping.
Regards,
John
