All about clubs

Many years ago, the Indian professional tour, in its enthusiasm to get to the nooks and crannies of the country, decided to stop over in Dehradun. Mingling with the golfers were a few scarlet-bottomed monkeys who would come into the bar and make themselves comfortable on the bar stools. I didn’t witness any of them demanding a beer but considering the girth on some of them, it would have taken a brave barman to decline. Anyway, a local journalist, whose exposure to golf was non-existent, didn’t think very highly of the game till he was handed a golf club and asked to hit the ball placed in front of him. Half a dozen swipes later the golf ball hadn’t moved an inch and in that short span of time the game acquired a new admirer.

The fact remains that you still have to swing the golf club and make contact with the ball but the degree of difficulty attributed to this pastime of millions around the world has dropped several notches thanks to the large sums of money spent on R&D by club manufacturers and the resultant massive advancement in club technology.

World number two Phil Mickelson says he carries 18 or 19 clubs with him each week and, depending on the layout of the golf course where he is playing, he picks his best 14. For example, if he is looking for more roll he will choose a driver with a longer shaft and less loft. Of course, with the level of competition and the money at stake here these professionals need that extra edge but now there’s something new for club golfers too.

Here’s how you can psyche out your opponents on the very first tee this weekend— interchangeable clubheads and shafts within a matter of minutes with an easy to use wrench. Feel like hitting a high fade today? No problem. Tinkle with the weights at the back of the driver, put in a shaft with a higher launch angle and off you go. At least five manufacturers— among them Callaway, TaylorMade and Ping—have introduced fitting systems that feature special heads and shafts that can be interchanged using wrenches. The argument against this is that if you aren’t fit enough to drive a Maruti, don’t mess with a Maserati. In other words, leave club fitting to the guys who are qualified in that department.

Tip i tried: On equipment, there’s something new from Titleist who make “serious clubs for serious golfers”. These latest releases are seriously good looking. The AP1 and AP2 models mark a significant move into the game-improvement market for a company known for making equipment for the better players. “The new AP family is the most technologically advanced irons that Titleist has ever produced,” says a company handout. AP, of course, stands for Advanced Performance. While the AP2s are for skilled golfers (Adam Scott uses them), the AP1 irons are for good club golfers who aspire to get better. The dual cavity irons give a higher ball flight with a greater degree of forgiveness.

And forgiveness is something all golfers can do with. What’s more, these clubs are available in India. The AP2 retails at Rs 51,000 and the AP1 at Rs 36,000. If looks are as important to you as performance, look no further.

Prabhdev Singh is Editor, Golf Digest India