What's In The Bag
There are two groups of golfers at each extreme end. One type do not change their clubs at all. They are so used to their old clubs, they even fear that a change may destroy their game or perhaps to get their money's worth. At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who will keep changing. Among this group, there is the trendy type who must have the latest as it is the latest fashion. Then there are those who use their small change to buy new clubs and punish them by consigning them to their store room when they do not perform.
I am none of the above. I do not keep nor play a set or certain clubs for 5-10 years. To do that it has to be the ultimate. I change my clubs periodically to keep updated to technology, to understand the engineering, latest materials, new ideas or philosophy and evolution of golf. I would make a great tester of golf equipment with the accumulated knowledge over the years. Some day, people would be knocking at my door to request for me to test their equipment and once I endorse them, they will fly off the shelves. Sponsors and editors need to come forward and I can help to promote the game and its equipment and I will bring and breathe more excitement in your life!
The only other reason, is the relentless pursuit of excellence. No, make that perfection. It is looks, sound, feel and performance for me - always. How it looks affect your confidence. For example, looking down on the thin top line of an iron - a better player will feel good while a lesser player will feel intimidated. Sound is usually linked to feel and the performance is all that matters. Ask yourself if you are a labourer or a sculptor, a butcher or a surgeon before you decide what equipment to use.
This is what's in my bag currently - and I shall let you in on future aspirations subject to economic realities:
Driver - Titleist 910D2
Please see a previous article I wrote on this club:
It has the looks - classic pear-shape, dark and non-reflective face. Great sound and feel. It has the technology to allow you to adjust loft and lie angle independently. It is the only driver out there that has a stock shaft (Fujikura Motore) at 45 inches only. All others average 45.75 inches. This Titleist 910D2 should be in the bag for awhile may be even for keeps.
Other drivers for 2012 that can try to prise it away or in partnership are (1) Callaway RAZR Fit - Callaway is late in introducing adjustability in a driver but this is a potential king in the making. Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o0iIGvkAMc
(2) Ping G20 - Ping is noted for their look/sound/feel and forgiveness but still no adjustability here.
(3) TaylorMade R11S - an update R11 with a bigger head at 460cc. It has 80 combinations to adjust so it is like a 1-stop shop for you to fix things up. Nobody else has this sophistication but with 80 options is it an overkill? You may give up even before you unlock your combination.
Watch these three. Of course Titleist 910 D2/D3 will be among them.
TaylorMade R9 Fairway Wood
I wrote about fairway woods too:
http://gforce-guru.blogspot.com/2012/02/fairway-wood-taylormade-r9.html
TaylorMade created the metalwood. The 5-wood 19 degrees is much easier to hit and I won't be in a rush to progress to a 3-wood at 15 degrees and I already have a 3-wood Titleist.
Yet the Titleist 910F is a great fairway wood in performance and look/sound/feel but the smaller head is not for everyone.
Ping G20 has a bigger head (165 cc) with a lower profile and it is close to Titleist in terms of performance and look/sound/feel factors but Ping is pricey.
TaylorMade R11S is updated and upgraded from the R11. It offers 24 options in adjustability and it looks like you can go to war with it. This will be fun for a fitter, a Tour player or a tinkerer but may be too much for a weekend hacker?
Well, you can use it without changing anything. At the right time, I could opt for a 4-wood at say 16-17 degrees instead?
Cleveland Mashie & TaylorMade Burner Superlaunch
The Cleveland Mashie is using super light technology in the Miyazaki shaft and you have to get used to it.
To get into the mix, one may have to consider the Titleist 910H hybrid which offers 16 settings of loft and lie which can be adjusted independently just like the driver and fairway wood. The head is also smaller than others.
TaylorMade RocketBallz looks very interesting and the name sounded funny. It looks powerful and has a unique design - it has a slot from the bottom that separates the face. Maybe when I get to hit it I will like the name using the power of deduction but is white the colour to go?
Titleist AP1
The AP1 is a sort of transition club, still in Game Improvement (GI)category but falling into the space between GI and Player's irons. The latest AP1 is found in the new series 712. Besides performance, Titleist is always noted for their look/sound/feel. If you have been acing your game then consider the AP2 (forged).
Go for the Ping G20 if you have not been the most profound ball striker or you have been suffering like Fernando Torres. It is chunky without being ugly so it gives you a bit of auto-pilot shots that you will need. Plus they have the best custom-fitting.
TaylorMade R11 looks interesting but may be a wee bit too shiny and probably meant for better players.
Callaway RAZR X may be a good choice for mid to high handicappers.
Mizuno JPX800 Pro will be the one for you because they are elegant, a thinner top line and unmatched feel for a forged club. You'll probably need some skills to handle these. Opt for the JPX800 (without the pro) for the friendlier version.
Mmm...where am I headed.
Titleist Vokey Spin-Milled & Ping Tour-W
Wedges are scoring clubs within a 100m and when handled with dexterity are magic wands. You can't talk wedges without mentioning Titleist/Vokey and Cleveland. Cleveland's latest is the 588 while Titleist Vokey has the SM4 . They are the defining wedges in golf. I used to play with but now turned to Titleist Vokey. No soup for me here as I am still courting them Vokeys.
I wrote about Scotty Cameron long ago here:
I haven't change anything since then. You will have to steal it from me. I don't think it is easy to find another putter with the look, sound, feel and performance that Scotty made.
I say "beam me up , Scotty" and here goes. You can see the milled grooves on the putter face.
But I could not understand people like shining stuffs like gold, silver and bling blings. The only problem I have is when golfing on a hot afternoon, the reflection of sunlight when looking down at the ball and putter makes me missed some putts. Sometimes, I do 30 putts which is better than Tiger's recent 34. I will probably want back this Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2 but in the new "Tour Black Mist" finish in the near future to take away the shine from the putter's reflection and put the shine on my putting.
Alright, just before you go away and buy another putter. Make sure you read this article before you do so and you will thank me for it.
Golf as in life, play as it lies.
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