The post Tommy Fleetwood is wielding a one-off Odyssey prototype putter appeared first on Golf.

The post Tommy Fleetwood is wielding a one-off Odyssey prototype putter appeared first on Golf.

Tommy Fleetwood has been the picture of consistency since the Italian Open in September. Outside of a more-than-respectable T12 at the BMW PGA Championship, Fleetwood hasn’t finished worse than T7 in his last four starts. And with big money still up for grabs on the European Tour, there’s still time to cash a big check before the holidays.

It just so happens Fleetwood’s run of good form coincides with two notable gear changes, starting with a switch to TaylorMade’s TP5x Pix golf ball during the CJ Cup. Earlier this week in Dubai, Fleetwood added another piece of new gear to the bag in the form of an intriguing Odyssey prototype putter.

Fleetwood was photographed during a practice round rolling putts with an Anser-style Odyssey blade, but when he stepped on the first tee for the opening round on Thursday, the putter had been replaced by a White Hot OG 2-Ball Blade.

The name on the sole of the putter is a bit misleading because the putter is anything but your standard 2-Ball.

Instead of two white discs on the crown of the putter, Fleetwood’s only features a single disc with a black line running down the middle to assist with alignment. Fleetwood has yet to comment on the putter, but it’s safe to assume the 30-year-old wanted to try a scaled-down version of Odyssey’s popular mallet with a more subdued alignment aid.

Removing the second white disc from the head likely means Odyssey had to work some magic to get the overall head weight up, but it’s a problem worth solving for an elite tour pro.

It should be noted that Odyssey has dabbled with 1-Ball designs in past. The Stroke Lab R-Ball and Daniel Berger’s custom red 2-Ball mallet both sported a single white disc on the crown, but significant material was never removed to create the 1-Ball look — making Fleetwood’s wand a total one-off.

Fleetwood sits T5 after three rounds in Dubai. If the putter continues to perform, expect to see more of the custom 1-Ball in the future.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.

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The post How TaylorMade TP5 Pix helped Tommy Fleetwood solve a ‘feel versus real’ dilemma appeared first on Golf.

Feel versus real is something golfers have likely dealt with at some point in their career. You feel as if you’re swinging a certain way or aimed in a particular direction, when in actuality, what you’re seeing or feeling isn’t matching up with a reality.

This isn’t something that’s an amateur-only issue. It’s a problem at every level, including the professional ranks.

“The disconnect of feel versus real is very real,” said Kris McCormack on the latest episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast. “It never ceases to amaze me how far apart those are at times. You’ll get a player that feels as if they are in-to-out, when they’re actually 7 degrees out-to-in.”

Tommy Fleetwood recently went through his own “feel versus real” situation on the putting green with instructor Phil Kenyon. For years, Fleetwood relied on a single, thin Sharpie line placed over the side stamp on the ball to assist with alignment, but as Fleetwood and Kenyon would soon learn, the aid was no longer helpful.

“Where [Tommy] thought he was aiming versus where he thought he was lined up was fractionally off,” TaylorMade Tour rep Adrian Rietveld.

In other words, what Fleetwood was seeing and feeling didn’t align with reality. A slight variance at the professional level is the difference between winning and coming up short, so Fleetwood went to work figuring out a solution.

Along with adding a thicker line to the cover, Fleetwood also discussed the idea of trying out TaylorMade’s TP5x Pix ball to see if a combination of the pixelated markings and line could improve his aim. Before Fleetwood took the ball for a spin, he received a crashcourse from Rietveld on the overall design and the benefits Pix could provide compared to the standard TP5x.

“He actually didn’t know exactly how Pix worked,” Rietveld said. “He thought it was just triangles that went end-over-end when you hit the ball. Once he learned those triangles can actually help you when lining up, it was a bit of a eureka moment.”

The “triangles” on the cover are part of Pix’s ClearPath Alignment. When aimed and impacted correctly, the pixelated parallel markings are designed roll end-over-end on the green, creating a pathway on the ball as it rolls.

After making the trek from the UK to Las Vegas for the CJ Cup, Fleetwood went to work testing the ball on his own to see how it performed not only on the practice putting green but the course as well.

TaylorMade TP5/TP5x Pix

Both the TP5 and TP5x are available with the Rickie Fowler–designed Pix pattern, updated in 2020 to create a ClearPath Alignment.

Buy Now from www.taylormadegolf.com

“He had a bunch of questions for me about the ball, and it wasn’t just about the Pix design,” Rietveld said. “He wanted to know if it was the exact same ball as the TP5x he was using, as well as where it was manufactured. He’s very exacting when it comes to his testing and wants to make sure certain variables are the same to get an accurate test.”

What Fleetwood noticed almost immediately was how the combination of Pix and the line helped shore up his aim issues with the putter. But Fleetwood still wasn’t sold. After testing the ball on his own, Fleetwood summoned Rietveld to the 13th hole at the Summit Club to see how TP5x Pix and TP5x stacked up with a launch monitor spitting out the numbers.

For the next 6 holes, Fleetwood hit two balls with the standard TP5x and the Pix version on every shot to ensure performance was the same in every situation. What Fleetwood learned in the brief on-course testing situation was the ball not only performed like his current TP5x, it helped solve his aim issue on the course.

“It’s one thing to find comfort with, in his case, a different looking ball on the practice range,” said Rietveld, “but it’s another to have that comfort transfer almost immediately to the course in every facet. He’s not the easiest on equipment and always puts something new through the paces, but he saw real results in his first few events with the ball. For him, that’s all the validation he needed to know it was a better option. Being able to align what he was feeling with what was really happening, particularly on the greens, is invaluable.”

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast.

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The post Charles Barkley 1 a.m. calls and mullets: Pat Perez’s hilarious TV analysis appeared first on Golf.

The post Charles Barkley 1 a.m. calls and mullets: Pat Perez’s hilarious TV analysis appeared first on Golf.

Pat Perez opened this week’s Zozo Championship with rounds of 70 and 69 and was tied for 20th, but this person calling him at 1 a.m. apparently hadn’t gotten past the top 19.  

Charles Barkley would text Perez, too. 

“Yeah, he texted me this morning,” Perez said Saturday. “He called me at 1 o’clock saying, did you retire, because I hadn’t seen the name on the leaderboard, and if you did retire, let me know so I can buy you a gift. 

“I might just take the gift anyway.”

And Perez’s stint as an analyst was under way. 

Golf Channel’s booth is a little bare this week with the Zozo in Japan — George Savaricas is the announcer and Dom Boulet and Alison Whitaker are the analysts — and Savaricas teased on Twitter that players would be pitching in over the four rounds. On Thursday, Rickie Fowler dished on his wife, Butch Harmon and Hideki Matsuyama. On Friday, Charley Hoffman talked Tiger Woods. 

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And on Saturday, minutes after his third-round 73, the always-opinionated Perez shared thoughts on golf in Asia, Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood’s hair and how the 45-year-old “can’t wait” to play on the Champions Tour. And yes, on Barkley, NBA hall of famer, somewhat-less-than-hall-worthy golfer — and Perez’s “friend.”

Let’s have a listen:

On playing golf in Asia compared to doing so in the U.S.

“A lot quieter. The fans are very quiet. When you hit your shot and it takes off, they just, ‘Ooooh.’ They’re very excited to see it. I played behind Hideki yesterday, and the crowds are just — it’s like seeing Elvis. It really is. You know, it’s a wonderful crowd; they’re very nice people; the hospitality has been fantastic this week. I think the guys have had a great time.”

On the pressure Matsuyama faces while playing in his home country this week

“I’ve actually talked to him about it all the time. Because he has so many cameras on him all the time, and I try to talk to him and say hello and this and that, and I say, I don’t know how you deal with the cameras all the time. They watch you do everything. And he goes, I know. He goes, sometimes I pull out my hair. I go, yeah, I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t do it. But he is such a phenomenal player. He’s had it for many years now it’s second nature to him, but the pressure, I can’t imagine being the guy that he is in this country right now, and everybody wants him to win, and here he is leading and the pressure doesn’t even look like it fazes him, though.”

On the difference between his long hair and the long hair of Fleetwood

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“Tommy Fleetwood, mine’s a little more organized than Tommy’s, so I would say mine is better. He’s a lot nicer guy than I am so I might give it to him. I trim about every six months, but now I think I might let it go for a while.” 

“What’s the hair maintenance?” Savaricas asked. 

“It’s a brutal process. It really is. Mine’s longer than his so — mine comes out, and it looks like ‘Animal.’ So combing it through 40 times to try to get it straight, then fit in a hat is quite an issue.”

On playing the Champions Tour

“I actually can’t wait to get to the Champ Tour because I’m not going to have to play a hole where I have to hit a 3-wood into a par-4. That I’m really looking forward to. Three days, cart, I mean, I’m really looking forward to that. I got four and a half years. I’m hoping to have some more good years out here, try to compete and play well, but it’s nice to know I have the Champ Tour kind of in my back pocket if I want to. You know, the game’s tough. The courses are getting longer; the guys are getting better; kids are getting younger. I mean, there’s so much great talent out here now, it’s amazing. So you know, hey, I’m just doing what I do and try to get by and try to make some more cuts, try to make — keep my car card, get to the playoffs again and see where we go.”   

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As Team Europe conducted their final press conference at the Ryder Cup a week ago, most of them were thinking about the longterm future, but a few of them must have been thinking about the short term,. It was already Monday in Scotland. 

Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton all competed at the Ryder Cup in Wisconsin, but were also all in the field at the Dunhill Links Championship, which is played annually on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns. So, too, were assistant captains Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer, as well as captain Padraig Harrington. And while their Ryder Cup desires didn’t pan out at Whistling Straits, the majority of those who made the trip found plenty of success back across the pond.

Hatton was the high man on the leaderboard, finishing second, just two shots behind a resurgent Danny Willett. “Obviously I was quite tired after the Ryder Cup. So if you told me at the start of the week I’d end up finishing tied second, obviously I’d been quite happy with that,” Hatton said afterward. When you shoot 29 on the back nine at Carnoustie, like he did Thursday, he was naturally ‘quite happy with that.’

Lowry made waves with some early-week comments on the American team, but eventually backed it all up with some stellar play as well, firing a pair of 67s at the Old Course and Kingsbarns. After tying for 4th, he was asked about for some thoughts on his future plans. “I’ll be on the couch the next few days,” Lowry said. You’ll catch no blame from us there.  

Fleetwood was not far behind his Ryder Cup teammates, shooting a 64 of his own at Carnoustie and finishing with a 67 at St. Andrews to finish T7 in the event. Just 30 years old, Tommy Lad was less affected by the tiring commute back to Europe. He actually saw it all as a boost of energy he could take forward. “I think last week was a very motivating week, and I enjoyed the energy that I got from my teammates and The Ryder Cup in general and everything that it brought.”

It’s clear to see the Ryder Cup isn’t just a one-week affair. Between the hangovers, the tiring travel schedules and social media posts from all sides preaching “family,” the Ryder Cup seems truly different. Just like Brooks Koepka said.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the man in charge of the European roster, Padraig Harrington, had the toughest time at the Dunhill, missing the cut. He blamed a lack of practice, and no one will disagree. His assistant captains, Donald and Kaymer, both made the cut on their own. 

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A former world No. 1 and a Masters champ. Another former world No. 1 and a U.S. Open winner. Two of this year’s three Olympic medalists. And fan favorite Rickie Fowler. 

Gone? 

The PGA Tour’s first-ever “super season,” with six major championships and 50 events total, is playing the last week of its regular season, and with it, a few of golf’s bigger names may be playing the last week of their season, period. The Tour’s three-week playoff system begins next week, when the top 125 golfers in the season-long FedEx Cup standings tee it up at the Northern Trust, and it ends with 30 players competing at the Tour Championship over Labor Day weekend. 

The top 125 also are guaranteed their Tour cards for next season, though many of the aforementioned stars are exempt through other means. To note, players ranked 125 to 200 can attempt to win back full-time Tour status through the three-week Korn Ferry Tour finals, which begin next week. 

A look, then, at the stars who are playing this week’s Wyndham Championship — and then possibly might not play again on Tour until the next season begins with the Fortinet Championship next month: 

Adam Scott 

The former Masters champ and world No. 1 is No. 121 in the standings, and according to projections from the Tour, he likely needs to finish 51st or better this week to advance. Scott is exempt through the 2023-24 season thanks to his victory at the Genesis Invitational in February of last year. 

Scott, who has never missed the playoffs in its 14 years of existence, has missed just one cut this season, but has played in only 17 events, with his highest finish a tie for 10th at the Farmers Insurance Open at the start of the year. During Thursday’s first round at the Wyndham, he shot a four-under 66 and is four shots out of the lead. 

“Obviously the season hasn’t gone how I wanted, and I feel like I’m kind of playing with house money,” Scott said. “I mean, I’m not really thinking about it. I’m more interested in getting my game into the shape I feel it should be, and it’s getting closer. I would like to play well this week and get a chance to play next week and keep getting my game into place. It’s hard to improve your game when you don’t have a chance to play, so at the moment, my goal is to just keep playing week after week.”

Matt Kuchar

Kuchar, a four-time member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, is No. 124 in the standings, and according to projections from the Tour, he likely needs to finish 42nd or better this week to advance. Kuchar is exempt through the 2022-23 season.

Kuchar, who also has never missed the playoffs, has made 11 cuts this season and been cut 11 times. On Thursday, he also shot a 66. 

Rickie Fowler  

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Fowler, one of the biggest names in golf, is No. 130 in the standings, and according to projections from the Tour, he likely needs to finish 21st or better this week to advance. Fowler is exempt through the 2022-23 season thanks to his victory at the Players Championship in 2015.

Fowler, who has never missed the playoffs in his career, tied for eighth at the PGA Championship, but he has no other top 10s and has missed eight cuts this season. On Thursday, he shot a 71 and is nine strokes out of the lead. 

“It’s kind of right out there laid out in front of me; I know exactly what needs to be done,” Fowler said. “So in a way, it’s just go play solid golf and that’s all I can control or do to control what’s — if I’m moving forward or not. Yeah, it’s pretty simple. Back up against the wall, go make some more birdies than I do bogeys and get a tee time next week, and if not, you don’t. Yeah, it’s kind of just all on me, that’s about it.”

Tommy Fleetwood 

Instruction

Fleetwood, a 2018 Ryder Cup star, is No. 136 in the standings, and according to projections from the Tour, he likely needs to finish 11th or better this week to advance. Fleetwood is no longer exempt after this season, but he’s 35th in the world golf rankings and could work his way into events through that route. 

On Thursday, Fleetwood also shot a 66. 

“It’s not going to make or break my year,” Fleetwood said of the playoffs. “Like I think I’ve had a long enough season, I’ve had enough events to be doing a lot better and I haven’t, so I’m not going to like, I’m not going to come into this week and overload myself with pressure thinking I need to get into the playoffs.

“Fact is, I’m not there. I really want to be there, and I also, I mean I just said it, I could still win the FedExCup. Like I could still have a great run and go to Atlanta and win the FedExCup and I’m not going to lose sight of that.”

Justin Rose 

Gear

Rose, a U.S. Open champion and a former world No. 1, is No. 138 in the standings, and according to projections from the Tour, he likely needs to finish 10th or better this week to advance. Rose is exempt through the 2023-24 season thanks to his victory at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in 2018.

Rose, the 2018 FedEx Cup champion, finished in the top 10 at the Masters and the PGA Championship — but those are his only top 10s this season. On Thursday, Rose shot, you guessed it, a 66. 

“The playoffs isn’t something you want to miss and it’s something I haven’t ever missed and it’s something that you don’t want to make a habit of,” he said. “Obviously I do have exemptions and this and that — that’s nice to be able to rely on — but from a pride point of view, I think it’s really, really important to make a run into the playoffs. The playoffs are designed to give someone an opportunity to make up for what hasn’t been a good season. 

Francesco Molinari 

Molinari, an Open Championship winner, is No. 140 in the standings, and according to projections from the Tour, he likely needs to finish sixth or better this week to advance. Molinari is exempt through the 2024-25 season thanks to his Open win.

On Thursday, he shot a 67. 

Rory Sabbatini and C.T. Pan 

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Sabbatini, the Olympic silver medalist, and Pan, the bronze medalist, could both miss the playoffs, and if Sabbatini does, he could be playing in the Korn Ferry Finals. 

Pan is 120th in the standings, and according to projections from the Tour, he likely needs to finish 60th or better this week to advance. Pan is also exempt for next season after winning the 2019 RBC Heritage. 

Sabbatini, however, is not exempt, though he could use a one-time exemption for being in the top on the Tour career money list. And he is 141st in the standings, likely needing a fifth-place finish or better to advance. On Thursday, he, too, shot a 66, while Pan fired a 68. 

“Obviously this is a huge week. I’ve got a big job to do,” Sabbatini said. “… I know I’ve got a tough job, it’s a good field, a lot of good players, so I’ve just got to keep my head down and keep trying to move forward and hopefully make it to next week.”

Will Zalatoris 

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Then there’s Zalatoris. His name is nowhere to be found in the standings. And the only way he can play next week is if he wins this week. But he’s ranked No. 29 in the world and finished second at the Masters and eighth at the PGA. 

What gives?

As described by GOLF’s Jessica Marksbury here, Zalatoris is playing this season as a special temporary member, and he’d have to gain his Tour card through a Wyndham victory to move on to the playoffs. He has, however, accumulated enough points to play next season.

On Thursday, he shot a 68. 

“Even if he’s ahead of me in the FedExCup playoffs, I think he deserves to be in the playoffs,” Webb Simpson said on Wednesday. “Nothing that the Tour has done wrong, I just think it’s a tool that really needs to be looked at and revised. He’s played long enough now and in enough events and played well enough, he deserves to be there. The only reason he’s not there is because of the way the rule is written, but I feel like I speak for pretty much all the players that I’ve talked to at least that Will should be in New York next week and it stinks that he won’t be unless he wins.”

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We’ve all been there: You’re playing well, and all the sudden it’s as though you’ve never hit a golf ball before. No matter what you do, you can’t seem to get back to that comfortable effortlessness you were experiencing just minutes before. It’s a maddening state of being, and one that isn’t limited to the recreational-player ranks. Pros have been there too, and European Ryder Cup hero Tommy Fleetwood can relate.

“Even at our level, those days happen,” Fleetwood told me during a recent Zoom interview on behalf of his new sponsor, Tag Heuer. “And what separates I think the really great players from the less great or the good is those guys make those days better.”

Sounds simple enough. But how is it possible to make those days better when you can’t even diagnose what’s wrong? Turns out, Fleetwood has a strategy for that.

Driving

“I think it’s knowing yourself and understanding yourself,” he said. “It’s a really tough game and there are days where you feel lost. And the problem, is that you’re not on a range. When you’re on a range, hit a bad shot, you can just pull a ball straight away, hit another one and kind of try and figure it out.

“[During an actual round], you might hit a bad drive, but you don’t hit a driver again for another 20 minutes, 25 minutes. And then you have to figure it out on the next hole,” Fleetwood continued. “And it’s important to have an understanding of being able to not necessarily fix it, but actually do something that is productive throughout the round.”

The key, according to Fleetwood, is to focus on the potential positive as opposed to the negative.

“I think describing to yourself what you want to do — I think too often — and I definitely still do it — you hit a bad shot and you try and figure out what you’ve done wrong rather than saying, ‘Well, I want to do this. This is the move I’m looking for. This is the shot I want to play,'” Fleetwood said. “And changing that, I think that’s really important. And actually something I’m going to try and do more.”

So there you have it. Focusing on what you want to do, as opposed to spending all your energy on trying to fix what’s wrong — could very well be the cure for your mid-round woes.

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Tommy Fleetwood’s mid-round advice for amateurs who have lost their swings.

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The post Here’s the most important feature of your golf smartwatch, according to Tommy Fleetwood appeared first on Golf.

At the game’s top level, Tour pros have access to just about every conceivable stat: driving distance, fairways hit, greens in regulation, scrambling — you name it. Conducting a thorough analysis of those stats has enabled many players to get better by pinpointing specific areas in need of improvement.

Now, thanks to major advances in smartwatch technology over the last several years, recreational players can reap some of those benefits too. But given the multitude of data that is now available at our fingertips — er, wrists — it can be difficult to know which numbers to prioritize.

Tommy Fleetwood recently made his debut as a Tag Heuer ambassador, and will be wearing the brand’s Connected Golf edition watch. I had the chance to speak with Fleetwood via Zoom on behalf of Tag Heuer this week, and asked him which data he feels is most beneficial to the average player.

Driving

“With this new watch, you’re going to have your rounds — every single round you play, whether it’s on the same golf course or on different golf courses,” Fleetwood said. “You’re going to see your driving, your iron play, your putting. And you’re going to have access to stats there without having to do that much.”

What Fleetwood is referring to is the Connected Golf Edition watch’s ability to record your shot distances and scores, as well as show you the best zone to target off the tee, utilizing 3D mapping technology and data recorded from your past rounds. These recommendations are possible via Tag Heuer’s Golf App, which is available for free, even without the purchase of an accompanying Tag Heuer watch.

TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition Watch

Track your performance on more than 40,000 course worldwide with this special-edition 45 mm smartwatch. Provides at-a-glance info to hazards, greens and more as well as extensive post-round statistics.

$2,550.00 from www.tagheuer.com

According to Fleetwood, easy access to your performance metrics after each round is an incredibly valuable tool, not only if you’re looking to improve, but also as an effort to focus on the positive by giving yourself credit for what you did well.

“I think you can improve so much easier as a golfer and lower your scores easier just by [the data] being right there in front of your eyes,” Fleetwood said. “And again, for us that play the game all the time, we just take that for granted because that’s what we do. All the stats are on the internet that everybody wants to see. But I think for average golfers, I just think it is a great step forward in being able to improve in kind of an obvious way, but that’s just not been there. It’s kind of new for the average golfer. And I just think it’s going to help so many people.”

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from our sister company Golf Logix.

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Pound for pound, Tommy Fleetwood is one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, averaging over 300 yards off the tee, though he weighs in at only 168 lbs. But even the best drivers of the golf ball tend to yearn for even more distance. Does Fleetwood count himself among that group?

During a recent Zoom call on behalf of his new partnership with Tag Heuer, I asked Fleetwood about his impressive distance, and whether or not he has considered going “full Bryson” in an attempt to maximize his yards off the tee.

“It would be a big life choice to go full Bryson,” Fleetwood said. “I think for me personally,  for a long time, pretty much since I turned pro, I’ve been between that 175-180 ball speed mark, which I’m happy with and it’s good. That’s good for me.

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“I think it’s important to have a good mindset about it because right now with really, really long hitters out there, it’s important to be accepting that that’s not you,” Fleetwood continued. “There’s other areas of the game. There’s other very, very important areas of the game that you can still use to your advantage. You can still win with those areas. And you have to be an all-around golfer.”

Fleetwood also noted that the best players in the world do a whole lot more than just hit the ball a long way.

“I think one thing that gets missed is, these long hitters, there’s a Rory, a Bryson, Tony Finau, Dustin, you’re talking about the best players,” he said. “They’re also the best overall golfers in the world. So, they have a lot of other assets as well as hitting it a long way, it’s just that that very, very much helps.

“I think it’s important to keep very focused on yourself and what you’re doing because that’s what the game’s about at the end of the day,” Fleetwood concluded. “There are a lot of other assets to the game. I know I’ll be fine with it. I’ll be very self-focused. But I know that’s a challenge now moving forward to a lot of people.”

Fleetwood, a former Nike staffer, has been a free agent in terms of equipment since Nike’s departure from the hard-goods golf business in 2016. He made his official debut as a TaylorMade player this week, and will use the brand’s SIM2 driver.

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Here are the most useful smartwatch features for golfers on the course.

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