Tiger woods testing new Nike equipment

[tsecor]

http://golfweek.com/2016/05/03/equipment-tiger-woods-pga-tour-fitting-tips-testing/

 

 

He doesn't like the new set up for the Nike drivers he was sent.....its amazing how after 1 hit, he can tell....

[robrey85]

He's a monster, but I like what he said about it has to be the first few swings otherwise we start adapting. I've never thought about that when testing clubs and now I think I will.

[pierso2]

He knows his swing inside and out (or so we're lead to believe) and he doesn't want to change his swing for the club which I appreciate. Far too many of us change our tempo, position, grip, etc just to hit a club better than what we already have with a swing we adjusted to fit that club. We need to get back to swinging the club in the way we want to swing them and find clubs that match our swing and not the other way around.

[BirdieBob]

Yeah, just like me an my new PXG irons....I could tell after just the first ball they were special and in the bag.

Love the PXG irons and hope to try a PXG driver someday....hopefully the new 0811X.

 

Go Tiger

[tsecor]

did u just compare yourself to tiger?

[setter02]

He's a monster, but I like what he said about it has to be the first few swings otherwise we start adapting. I've never thought about that when testing clubs and now I think I will.

 

He's had to adapt to every driver in his bag since he switched from the first one, not to mention swing changes... Sorry, but that's making excuses, but he likely will never look in the mirror for the problem/answer.

 

How can you say the club is too spinny, yet the GC is too far forward? Heaven forbid the dummy has a driver that can only go straight vs. moving it all over and missing the fairway.

[BirdieBob]

I'm no Tiger, but I know a great iron when I hit one and PXG is just that! Only took me one ball and I knew.

I wonder if Tiger has tried the PXG irons?

[Puppetmaster]

He's a monster, but I like what he said about it has to be the first few swings otherwise we start adapting. I've never thought about that when testing clubs and now I think I will.

 

Yes, very good point I think we can learn from.

 

Here's the quote again:

 

"Those three swings have taken me out of my natural swing, and that’s the hard part about testing. If you don’t get it right in the first couple of swings, the club has to be gone because as players, we’ll start adapting."

 

IIRC, when Mickelson was discussing testing new clubs, he made a similar point. He talked about using blinders, goggles, etc and not hitting the new club twice in a row so he wouldn't start changing his swing to make the club work.

[nova6868]

Hey, he's right... The CG testing I've seen shows that the Nike drivers have a CG higher and farther forward than any other brand.

[setter02]

Hey, he's right... The CG testing I've seen shows that the Nike drivers have a CG higher and farther forward than any other brand.

 

So that makes them spin more, or the wet noodles they put in as stock shafts? Maybe I'm lost on this, but high and forward cg's don't equal spin.

[cgasucks]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

[QuickFeet]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

 

LOL...........you are kidding....right??

 

I would venture to say that Tiger could hit a hundred shots (any club) and state the ball speed, launch angle and spin numbers for each shot that would be within the standard deviation of what Trackman captures.

[cgasucks]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

 

LOL...........you are kidding....right??

 

I would venture to say that Tiger could hit a hundred shots (any club) and state the ball speed, launch angle and spin numbers for each shot that would be within the standard deviation of what Trackman captures.

 

No...I'm not kidding...

[ZBigStick]

The three swing test has been mentioned a few times. It's quite interesting, and probably very valid for those in command of their swings.

 

Ironically, Tiger and Phil are not always in as much control as we'd think.

 

Did someone just insert a PXG review in a Tiger thread?!!

[pitchinwedge]

He's a monster, but I like what he said about it has to be the first few swings otherwise we start adapting. I've never thought about that when testing clubs and now I think I will.

 

Yeah, this makes me feel like all the club fitting I've ever had were all wrong. Could this also be the reason why I usually play a better back 9 than front 9?

 

Edit: Can't wait to see the look on club-fitters' faces when folks start giving them back a club after one swing.

[nova6868]

high and forward cg's don't equal spin.

 

High CG typically does equal spin.

 

Forward CG is a trade-off with Back CG. Forward usually means less-forgiving, harder to turn over, but less spin. Back CG is more forgiving, easier to turn over, but more spin.

[vwgolfer]

I could tell by one look on the internet that those PXG irons were overpriced. yes they are that special.

[irwinfletcher77]

Some of you guys are just comical. A bunch of hacks who couldn't play dead on a PGA track trying to explain why one of the greatest players in the world is wrong about how he test drivers. Awesome!! Feel free to continue.

[tinman]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

 

LOL...........you are kidding....right??

 

I would venture to say that Tiger could hit a hundred shots (any club) and state the ball speed, launch angle and spin numbers for each shot that would be within the standard deviation of what Trackman captures.

 

No...I'm not kidding...

Are you kidding???Seriously. ..

[cgasucks]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

 

LOL...........you are kidding....right??

 

I would venture to say that Tiger could hit a hundred shots (any club) and state the ball speed, launch angle and spin numbers for each shot that would be within the standard deviation of what Trackman captures.

 

No...I'm not kidding...

Are you kidding???Seriously. ..

 

No! Geez....Can you tell if a ball spins a lot more off the driver without Trackman?? If you can tell the difference, then you're a better golfer than I am.

[Golfrnut]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

 

LOL...........you are kidding....right??

 

I would venture to say that Tiger could hit a hundred shots (any club) and state the ball speed, launch angle and spin numbers for each shot that would be within the standard deviation of what Trackman captures.

 

No...I'm not kidding...

Are you kidding???Seriously. ..

 

No! Geez....Can you tell if a ball spins a lot more off the driver without Trackman?? If you can tell the difference, then you're a better golfer than I am.

 

With someone that hits it in a such a consistent launch window and apex as he does....I have no doubt that he probably can. Never seen monitor numbers from him in terms of grouping/consistency, but I bet he rides near the top of those that are measured. He has been regarded as one of the best/most consistent ball strikers out there.

 

Him diagnosing the "why" in terms of head engineering, that I would debate possibly.

[cane700]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

 

LOL...........you are kidding....right??

 

I would venture to say that Tiger could hit a hundred shots (any club) and state the ball speed, launch angle and spin numbers for each shot that would be within the standard deviation of what Trackman captures.

 

No...I'm not kidding...

Are you kidding???Seriously. ..

 

No! Geez....Can you tell if a ball spins a lot more off the driver without Trackman?? If you can tell the difference, then you're a better golfer than I am.

 

You're kidding... right?

[Fade to Black]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

 

LOL...........you are kidding....right??

 

I would venture to say that Tiger could hit a hundred shots (any club) and state the ball speed, launch angle and spin numbers for each shot that would be within the standard deviation of what Trackman captures.

 

No...I'm not kidding...

Are you kidding???Seriously. ..

 

No! Geez....Can you tell if a ball spins a lot more off the driver without Trackman?? If you can tell the difference, then you're a better golfer than I am.

I have my suspicions Tiger just might be.

 

All based on hearsay and rumor though.

 

Whatever did they do before Trackman?

[irwinfletcher77]

I know the guy who used to be the Titleist tour rep back in the day when el Tigre was still with them. They wouldn't let him hit more than 4 balls with any club he was testing because he would just adjust his swing to whatever the ball was doing. These guys are the best in the world. We aren't even in the same category as these guys. Not even playing the same game!!

[QuickFeet]

LOL.........I don't understand how Hogan, Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Nelson, Watson, etc. were even able to play.

Just lucky I guess................ :drinks:

[warfelg21]

How the heck does Tiger know if a driver is too spinny without Trackman????! For me, I choose a driver based on looks, feel, and ball flight...

 

Easy. The same way I've fit so many people without Trackman. Ball flight.

 

If the ball balloons there's too much spin causing you to lose distance.

If the ball flutters near the peak there's too little spin causing you to lose distance.

If it's a flat trajectory the shaft is too stiff.

If it launches then levels the shaft is too soft.

 

If it's got nice rise, hits a good peak (based on ideal launch angle), comes down soft enough to roll but steep enough to not die out then it's right.

 

You don't need Trackman to do fittings. It helps, but you can learn so much about fitting by watching a ball on a calm day.

 

EDIT:

Personally I know I can tell if it works for me or not in a few swings.

 

For example, I like a light weight X-Stiff shaft, low kick, set 9.5, a tad open, low back COG, D4 weight. I tried the Ping G, 9 degree set to 9.6, with the Tour 65X shaft. Knew within 2 swings it was in my bag for this year. And I'm not even in tune with my swing to the way Tiger is. All I know is I hit a high cut and low draw and both went right on line 20 yards further than any other driver I tried.

[premazipp]

Watch the ball flight. It doesn't lie.

[bam3352]

A few months ago I read the Tim Rosaforte book about TW. Interesting read as it's written well before what Tiger has now become. Anyway, in the book they talk about how he could call spin rates and and club speed before hitting shots and then hit the numbers perfectly. If he could do that, he could tell if a driver spins too much and where the CG is after a couple swings.

[MarkCPA]

Quit messing around with this Nike nonsense and bring back out the steel shafted Cobra from 1997 I'd say.

[Golfrnut]

Quit messing around with this Nike nonsense and bring back out the steel shafted Cobra from 1997 I'd say.

 

As bad, and temperamental as his back has been in the past, I'm not sure that would even be an option today. That's a lot of weight to be swinging for him now. Range Tiger would probably be fine, on-course Tiger would probably be back on the ground again.