The post 2 important things junior golfers can learn from Collin Morikawa appeared first on Golf.

The post 2 important things junior golfers can learn from Collin Morikawa appeared first on Golf.

There’s not many people on the planet who know Collin Morikawa’s golf game quite like Ryan Ressa. As the manager of player development for TaylorMade, Ressa has been Morikawa’s club fitter for over a decade now. Ressa has seen Morikawa come up through the ranks of junior golf and into major championship history, so he knows what it takes to achieve the dreams of a junior golfer.

Recently, on our latest Fully Equipped podcast, we asked Ressa about his advice for junior golfers who want to follow in Morikawa’s footsteps. The world of junior golf can be an intimidating and confusing place, and it’s easy to compare yourself to your contemporaries. Hopefully, Ressa’s advice can help you center your focus and achieve your goals.

Here are two important tips for junior golfers, from the man who has fit Morikawa into his golf equipment for years.

1. Have weekly, monthly and yearly plans

While Morikawa doesn’t necessarily set “goals” for himself, Ressa says that Morikawa and his coach Rick Sessinghaus develop plans for Morikawa for a given week, month and year. Then, Morikawa sticks to those plans with independence and without deviation.

For junior golfers who struggle to focus during practice sessions, workouts, practice rounds or tournaments, it can be helpful to set forth plans ahead of time and not waver from them.

Ressa says: “His process when doing things and his independence in doing things, as a junior, as a college player … the guy owned his system. Whatever that was, however he does things, he owned it and he worked on it everyday. You always hear about the process, and getting better, but Collin is the epitome of that, and he won’t deviate from what his plan is. He and his coach Rick are really diligent at kind of laying out a plan for the week, for the month, for the year, and he sticks to it. He doesn’t let anything allow him to deviate from what they set forth. They have a game plan every week. And we at TaylorMade work with him and his coach analytically, helping him plan out the golf course. Then they take that to the practice rounds and plan together and they just go and do it.”

2. Go out and compete instead of constantly searching for new equipment

It can be easy to fall into the trap of changing and testing equipment often, chasing improvements to your game. Of course, club fitting and finding the right equipment are important, but don’t get so caught up in tweaking your clubs that you forget to compete. You don’t necessarily need the perfect equipment to win.

Ressa says: “You see a lot of juniors kind of searching for new things, trying a lot of clubs … but the guys I’ve seen who have been the most successful when it relates to equipment, they just take whatever they have and they go play. That’s what Collin did … he didn’t tweak a lot in college. He didn’t tweak a lot as a junior. He would come down to the Kingdom in January and get fit and then he’d just go play. Some of the other kids you see that struggle, they might ask for new stuff all the time, or cycle through a bunch … versus just going and playing golf and trying to compete … it’s kind of the old school [way of thinking]; whatever clubs I have, the shaft might not be perfect, but I’m going go hit the shot. That’s kind of refreshing to see.”

For more from Ressa and the rest of the latest Fully Equipped podcast episode, tune in below!

The post 2 important things junior golfers can learn from Collin Morikawa appeared first on Golf.

The post Haotong Li made a recent putter switch that’s paying off so far at the 2020 PGA Championship appeared first on Golf.

The post Haotong Li made a recent putter switch that’s paying off so far at the 2020 PGA Championship appeared first on Golf.

Through two rounds of the 2020 PGA Championship, Haotong Li – currently ranked 114th in the Official World Golf Ranking – holds a two-stroke lead over a group of household names tied for second. He’s found himself in the lead thanks to steady iron play (ranked 1st in Greens in Regulation through two rounds) and his performance on the greens (ranked 3rd in Strokes Gained: Putting).

You may not know much about Li just yet, or his equipment, but he made a notable putter change last week at the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

While Li is no stranger to changing putters in general, he has typically opted for an Anser-style blade putter. At the WGC last week, however, Li changed into a custom Odyssey Stroke Lab Black Seven head.

Although it’s a mallet-style head, it has a custom flow neck that’s designed to have more toe hang.

Mallets that have toe hang are for golfers who want the best of both worlds. Blade putters, which typically have more toe hang, are traditionally for golfers who have an arcing stroke, where the putter swings open on the backswing and closed on the through-swing. Mallets, on the other hand, are traditionally more face-balanced and are aimed at golfers who have a straight-back straight-through stroke.

A mallet with toe hang, though, pleases golfers who want to release the putter with an arcing stroke, but who also want the added stability of a mallet head. With a flow neck hosel and a mallet head, Li’s new custom putter fits his stroke needs and preferences.

Ahead of the WGC event last week, the specs for Li’s putter were 34.5 inches, 2.5 degrees of loft and 71 degrees of lie angle, and it’s equipped with a SuperStroke Traxion putter grip.

There’s no bigger test for a new putter than having the lead going into the weekend at a major. Let’s see how Li and his new putter hold up to the pressure.

For more on the latest equipment news, tune into our recent Fully Equipped podcast below!

The post Haotong Li made a recent putter switch that’s paying off so far at the 2020 PGA Championship appeared first on Golf.

The post Rory McIlroy praised for ‘classy’ response to rules incident involving reporter appeared first on Golf.

The post Rory McIlroy praised for ‘classy’ response to rules incident involving reporter appeared first on Golf.

Golf is a game of honor, one that prides itself on the players’ ability to self-police. Not every player upholds those values, but on Friday during the second round of the 2020 PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy proved he’s a cut above the rest.

Here’s what happened: After hitting his ball in the right rough on the par-3 3rd hole, the camera crew following Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and McIlroy’s feature group advanced up the hole. Along the way, an on-course ESPN reporter accidentally stepped on Rory’s ball.

Some players would consider this great news. The USGA’s most recent rule changes means the player has a free pass under rule 7.4 to replace their ball based on an “estimate” of where it was initially.

It’s an important rule for your own sake when you’re out on the course…

New Rule: Under Rule 7.4, if a player accidentally moves his or her ball while searching for it:

A rules official came over and pointed to an area where Rory could put his ball. So he did, except something wasn’t quite right. He thought the lie was too good, and not where he thought the ball would’ve ended up.

“I don’t think it was as visible as that,” he said.

It wouldn’t have been fair to play his ball from a lie that good, so he asked for a worse lie — which he got.

He played his shot — it was a tough one — and it resulted in a bogey. Golf fans praised Rory’s classy actions and he instantly rose even higher in their estimations.

The post Rory McIlroy praised for ‘classy’ response to rules incident involving reporter appeared first on Golf.

The post The case for Adam Scott’s monochrome PGA Championship look appeared first on Golf.

The post The case for Adam Scott’s monochrome PGA Championship look appeared first on Golf.

With the Nike and Puma guys decked out in tie-dye this week, we’re hearing a lot more outfit-driven commentary at the PGA Championship than we’re used to. But there’s one golfer catching more flak than even the craziest tie-dye combinations.

Adam Scott has been wearing tonal neutral looks every day so far, and I am here👏🏼for👏🏼it👏🏼.

Twitter, on the other hand, is not.

As we all know, fashion is cyclical, and Scott is by no means the first player to catch heat for wearing head-to-toe brown. Sergio Garcia a la 2006 takes the cake there. Although I’m not going to lie, dressing like a stick of butter is actually a thing, and Garcia was ahead of his time.

Truthfully, I’d argue that Scott’s look is right on trend too. Tonal dressing isn’t a breakthrough idea — in fact, it’s been dominating the menswear runways since 2016. Yeah, his maroon-ish sweater isn’t the same exact brown as his pants, but they’re in the same family of colors, and they’re different textures, so it works. That’s the key to pulling off a tonal look.

This is an extremely easy trend to master even if you’re not a fashion expert. Take a nod from Scott and find items in your closet that have the same tone — it’s easiest with neutrals, but any color works, really — and pair them together for a trendy, eye-catching look for golf and beyond.

Here’s a good example you can snag from our Pro Shop:

Adidas Performance Heather polo

The Adidas Performance Heather Golf Polo will keep you cool, dry and comfortable all round long. It features a subtle Adidas logo on the sleeve and has a modern fit.

Buy Now from proshop.golf.com

Under Armour UA Braided 2.0

Under Armour’s Braided 2.0 belt is constructed with flexibility and style in mind. The stretch-fit woven webbing features leather end pieces for elevated style and the belt is finished with a metal buckle with debossed “Under Armour” text.

Buy Now from proshop.golf.com

Puma Jackpot shorts

You’ll hit the jackpot with these shorts. They are durable, comfortable and designed to keep you cool. The Puma Jackpot shorts feature a dryCELL moisture wicking finish that draws sweat from the skin so it can evaporate through the fabric. This ensures cool, dry skin throughout the day. Comfort is provided with a stretch waistband and mechanical stretch fabric that allows natural movement without restriction. The double weaved polyester offers durability for machine washing and resistance against shrinking. So wash and wear as much as you’d like. The polyester fabrication also offers resistance against wrinkles so you can spend less time ironing and more time on the golf course.

Buy Now from proshop.golf.com

The post The case for Adam Scott’s monochrome PGA Championship look appeared first on Golf.

The post Golfers with bad backs, maybe it’s time to switch to a longer putter like Tiger Woods appeared first on Golf.

The post Golfers with bad backs, maybe it’s time to switch to a longer putter like Tiger Woods appeared first on Golf.

Tiger Woods the golfer isn’t all that relatable; most of us are just trying to win a $5 Nassau, and he has 15 majors. But, Tiger Woods the golfer with a bad back, is a different story.

“It’s difficult for me to bend over at times, and so practicing putting, I don’t really spend the hours I used to,” Woods said on Thursday at the 2020 PGA Championship. “It wasn’t unusual for me to spend four, five, six hours putting, per day. I certainly can’t log that with my back being fused.”

Of course, most of us have never even tried practicing putting for 4+ hours in a day, but if you have a bad back as a golfer, surely you can understand his sentiment. As someone with one myself, I know I do.

To try and battle the pain and boost his practice session time on the greens, Woods took notes from the older generation and switched to a longer putter before this year’s first major.

“Most of the guys on the Champions Tour have gone to longer putters as they have gotten older, because it’s easier to not bend over,” Woods said. “This putter is a little bit longer, and I’ve been able to spend a little bit more time putting.”

To learn more about how a longer putter can help a bad back, I reached out to Mike Carroll, a strength and conditioning coach at Fit for Golf; he also currently works with four PGA Tour players. Carroll says a longer putter allows Tiger to “remain more upright with his trunk, which may result in less stress on his lower back.”

To understand the feel for this, Carroll says to imagine practicing with a child’s putter.

“When we bend over for prolonged periods our back gets tired and stiff,” Carroll said. “A longer putter means we’re not quite as bent over, so that might allow Tiger to practice for longer without getting as sore and stiff.”

If you’re interested in making a switch yourself and want to get a feel for what a longer putter is like, follow Tiger’s lead. He says that he often putts with his sand wedge, which is a slightly longer club than his putter, during practice sessions.

While you’re at it, test what it’s like to putt with irons that are even longer than your wedges, too. Tiger made only a minimal length increase with his new putter, but maybe you’re more comfortable and pain-free with something a few inches longer. If it eases some stress on your back and it feels playable, then maybe it’s time to swallow any youthful pride and switch into a longer putter.

For more on the latest equipment news, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below (it has a bonus interview with Ray Allen, too!).

The post Golfers with bad backs, maybe it’s time to switch to a longer putter like Tiger Woods appeared first on Golf.