The biggest golf-equipment mistake amateurs make, says major winner

Before Gary Woodland made his return to aggressive golf on the Sony Open, after mind surgical procedure in September, Cobra Tour rep Ben Schomin obtained a name from a stir-crazy Woodland who was itching to get his fingers on new Cobra product to check. The inexperienced gentle to observe had been lit.

Schomin prefers to do testing in particular person with Cobra staffers to get a greater deal with on the scenario, however Woodland couldn’t wait. He wanted a membership in his fingers as quickly as doable. By the time Woodland and Schomin related at The Floridian for a correct testing session, the previous U.S. Open champion already had a deal with on the brand new Darkspeed driver.

When it involves his gear, Woodland is aware of what he likes.

During a current dialog in Phoenix, the 2018 WM Phoenix Open winner mentioned how newfound velocity modified the driving force construct, Rickie Fowler’s affect on the lob wedge, gear errors amateurs make and the whereabouts of his U.S. Open-winning tools.

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I heard you picked up some critical clubhead velocity since your return. Did that require any shaft or spec adjustments to your Cobra Darkspeed driver?

Gary Woodland: The neatest thing for me with the Darkspeed is the adjustability. We’ve been in a position to regulate the weighting within the backside with the three weights down there you may transfer round now. So we’re in a position to get the ball flight we wish. It appears to be like phenomenal. It’s clear on prime, which is sweet. But I’ve gone up in loft. My entire profession, I’ve lived proper round 7 to 7.5 levels of loft. I’m at 8.5 levels, essentially the most I’ve ever been in my profession.

And my velocity’s up, which is loopy to assume I can go up in loft and my velocity’s nonetheless up. My spin’s down. It’s been wonderful to hit. With my velocity going up we gotta discover the proper shaft. Because as my velocity has gone down, we’ve modified shafts and altered tippings.

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Now I’m going again to a shaft that I performed once I was taking part in very well in 2017, ’18, ’19. It’s a shaft I’ve had success with. And we’re going again to it this week, which I’m enthusiastic about.

When my velocity will get up, the adrenaline will get going — and I get slightly bit extra lag. So we’re looking for one thing that’s slightly stiffer all through the shaft.

I do know you and Rickie Fowler are utilizing 3D-printed Cobra King wedges in the mean time. How’s it been performing?

Woodland: My course of was very easy. I noticed Rickie chipping with it, and I went and mentioned, “Let me hit a couple chips.” [chuckles] I’m, like, “I need this.” That was my course of, actually. I believe from a membership standpoint, anyone I’ve met or anyone out right here on Tour, I believe Rickie is aware of greater than anyone. I actually do. And so he had lots of enter into this wedge. And now you discuss 3D printing. I alter lob wedges so much. I prefer to get contemporary grooves. About as soon as a month I’m placing a brand new lob wedge in.

So now that they’re 3D printed, they’re the identical each time. I don’t have to fret about going and grinding the heel. It’s already achieved. So that’s been an enormous half for me, not having to do something to them. They simply come how I like them. So that half’s been actually cool.

I see you’re nonetheless utilizing a standard muscleback Cobra King MB 4-iron. Is {that a} bag staple or one thing you modify out relying on the course setup?

I do put a 7-wood in relying on the week. But for me it’s the texture. I really like the texture of a 4-iron and I’ve the velocity to get it up within the air. You know, there are some instances when having slightly one thing extra cavity again or one thing greater down there has helped with some mishits when it will get chilly out and my physique’s not transferring as nicely. But I identical to the normal look of wanting down and seeing that blade. I’ve performed it my entire life and luckily, I’ve the velocity to get it again up within the air.

How do you weight the numbers on a launch monitor versus what you’re seeing and feeling when figuring out if a membership is value placing within the bag?

For me, I prefer to get on the golf course. With the loopy launch displays now you may deliver them on the market with you. But for me, standing on a variety that’s so large, I can sit there, you give me 5 balls, I’m gonna determine it out.

Get me on a golf course while you solely have one shot, now, okay, is my velocity nonetheless up when I’ve to hit this shot? And if it’s not, what’s it doing? And then we will make some changes. [Schomin, the Cobra tour rep] has been wonderful with that. I’ve labored with Ben for a very long time, even earlier than I used to be with Cobra.

He is aware of what I prefer to see. So he’s strolling with me this week and we have now a launch monitor on the market. And trying to what we’re seeing is including as much as what the numbers are. And that’s been — that’s been an enormous adjustment.

What’s the biggest gear mistake amateurs make?

Club up. Quit attempting to membership down. Quit attempting to hit it to this point. But that’s the large and, you realize, for essentially the most half, they aren’t getting fitted. So the tools doesn’t match what they’re doing. It doesn’t match their golf swing. So that may be the large deal I’d say, is to get match and go discover one thing that matches the way you’re swinging.

Do you continue to have any of the gear out of your U.S. Open win?

I’ve the golf equipment. And the lob wedge I hit on 17 off the inexperienced nonetheless has an enormous pink mark from the ball. It nonetheless has the mark on the membership, and I haven’t hit it since. So I’ve that in a bag at dwelling.

I’ve the irons at dwelling. I’ve the 3-wood. I nonetheless performed the 3-wood and I smashed the face on the British Open that 12 months. Ball went by way of the face and cracked. But I nonetheless have the top. And I’ve the bag all of the stuff that was within the bag at the moment, it’s nonetheless within the bag, which is cool.  

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Jonathan Wall

Golf.com Editor

Jonathan Wall is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s Managing Editor for Equipment. Prior to becoming a member of the employees on the finish of 2018, he spent 6 years protecting tools for the PGA Tour. He might be reached at jonathan.wall@golf.com.