Tiger woods testing new Nike equipment

[upndown09]

Wasn't there a story about Scotty Cameron making him a backup putter and tiger returned it because the site dot was too big. Scotty measure it and it was a mm too big?!? I'm sure he can tell how much a ball spins

[Jc0]

This isn't a Tiger thing, this is a pro golfer thing. Spieth went through the same thing at the Masters when he had to use his backup driver and you saw how he hit the ball. Pro's hit so many balls with their clubs they expect certain things to happen. If they don't happen with the new club, they don't want that club.

[AWE46M3]

I'm guessing Tiger has a limitless supply of clubs at his disposal - if he wants/needs - so if I were him, I'd pass on a driver if I didn't pipe the first one...

[DevilGolfer54]

So what happens to all of these clubs that pros throw away because they aren't good enough the first swing?

[360_CS]

Thanks for the link. Like others have said, only having a few swings trying the club makes sense. My swing isn't that consistent though.

 

So what happens to all of these clubs that pros throw away because they aren't good enough the first swing?

 

They put an extra $100 on them aan say they are tour issue.

[matchavez]

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?

 

BirdieBob....Parsons?

 

So what happens to all of these clubs that pros throw away because they aren't good enough the first swing?

 

Probably charity giveaways.

[solarbear88]

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...

 

Read an article where Tiger was testing balls for Nike and he could tell them the ballspin without a guage just by sound and flight.

[pmcuk]

 

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.

 

Long term issues with backs seems to be the penalty for staying at the top for a long while. Now Federer has back issues.

[rgk5]

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.

 

Right on the number with a short iron or wedge? Nonsense but it does help sell books. When the spin rate is in the 7-10,000 range there is no way to be exactly on the number.

[tsecor]

i like tiger a bit more after reading this article.....usually heis a d-bag, but as he ages, im starting to like him better......as a great golfer, i believe 100% he can tell what the ball is doing.

[TheInfidel]

It's always the Indian and rarely the arrow, said every WRXer ever.*

 

Except when it's TW, then the arrow needs to get it together.

[michaelskivinis]

he can't tell....just have a look at his performance....

[2zlinks]

Exactly on the number, no, but as many balls as they've hit using Trackman I'd bet they can get scary close. The feel the top players have is out of this world. Hand them a club with one extra wrap and they know immediatley. Weight the same way. I remember reading an article about Tiger testing drivers back in the day and he said he didn't like one because it was heavier, it was less than 10 grams but it was heavier. Told Scotty Cameron one time he didn't like a putter because the site dot was larger than normal. The difference was the width of a piece of paper. As said previously these guys are on another level.

[Anser]

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.

 

We're talking about Tiger not one of the greatest players in the world.

 

Tiger would get his arse handed to him on the web.com on a weekly basis now.

 

That other guy who dominated? he died back on that fateful Thanksgiving night. Killed by not deleting text messages.

[harleydavis]

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.

 

Tiger is a better golfer than you, and me...........and everyone.

[Anser]

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.

 

Right on the number with a short iron or wedge? Nonsense but it does help sell books. When the spin rate is in the 7-10,000 range there is no way to be exactly on the number.

 

exactly - this is like the time Moe Norman hit 3 drives and they were all touching when the group rounded a corner and saw them in the fairway

 

People love this stuff - even tho it's completely bs

 

Tiger can't even hit a drive in the fairway on the 1st tee of any tour event let alone do something like that

[Kylekoz17]

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.

 

Right on the number with a short iron or wedge? Nonsense but it does help sell books. When the spin rate is in the 7-10,000 range there is no way to be exactly on the number.

 

exactly - this is like the time Moe Norman hit 3 drives and they were all touching when the group rounded a corner and saw them in the fairway

 

People love this stuff - even tho it's completely bs

 

Tiger can't even hit a drive in the fairway on the 1st tee of any tour event let alone do something like that

 

100% he can tell the spin of a wedge. It's about the consistency of a strike. He knows what the spin will be if he pures it and if he misses a little. It's really not that hard for them. It's their job to know how much the ball will spin, especially off a wedge.

[stangs2655]

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

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

 

 

They would test 20-25 persimmon driver's until they found they one that they liked.

[setter02]

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.

 

Right on the number with a short iron or wedge? Nonsense but it does help sell books. When the spin rate is in the 7-10,000 range there is no way to be exactly on the number.

 

exactly - this is like the time Moe Norman hit 3 drives and they were all touching when the group rounded a corner and saw them in the fairway

 

People love this stuff - even tho it's completely bs

 

Tiger can't even hit a drive in the fairway on the 1st tee of any tour event let alone do something like that

 

100% he can tell the spin of a wedge. It's about the consistency of a strike. He knows what the spin will be if he pures it and if he misses a little. It's really not that hard for them. It's their job to know how much the ball will spin, especially off a wedge.

 

Then why do pro's have such trouble in softer conditions and juice the ball back stupid amounts... Sorry, but they have only so much control and Tiger would only be throwing a guesstimate at what the numbers will be.

[Alex1975]

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.

 

 

This is exactly how my fitter fitted me. I was not clear on why that was at the time but it makes sense now.

 

Interesting article.

[Anser]

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.

 

Right on the number with a short iron or wedge? Nonsense but it does help sell books. When the spin rate is in the 7-10,000 range there is no way to be exactly on the number.

 

exactly - this is like the time Moe Norman hit 3 drives and they were all touching when the group rounded a corner and saw them in the fairway

 

People love this stuff - even tho it's completely bs

 

Tiger can't even hit a drive in the fairway on the 1st tee of any tour event let alone do something like that

 

100% he can tell the spin of a wedge. It's about the consistency of a strike. He knows what the spin will be if he pures it and if he misses a little. It's really not that hard for them. It's their job to know how much the ball will spin, especially off a wedge.

 

So you're telling me Tiger Woods can hit a 40 yard shot and give you the rpm numbers based on feel?

 

no

 

I think you are romanticizing those guys a bit. All they've done that you haven't is hit a lot more golf balls. They aren't some alien species with 40" vertical jumps or 99 mph fastballs.

[300_Straight]

I'm no Pro, but I could tell after only a few swings I didn't like the G30 LS or the Callaway 816 DBD. If I don't hit a Driver well after 5 swings, it isn't the right club.

[pierso2]

Another Tiger story about equipment...Stop reading if you've heard it before. When Nike was making Prototype Method putters, they had 5 lined up with similar specs for weight and length. They just changed the depth of the grooves to see which one he rolled and liked best. Tiger looked at them all and said "well this one is out. There's too much loft to it." The guys from Nike were shocked because they were all measured up to the same specs. They re-checked the one he pulled versus the others and sure enough, it was half a degree higher in loft.

 

Tour players are very finicky with their equipment. I had the pleasure to hang out on a tour van a few seasons ago during Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday rounds. In between the club techs building new setups for guys, I heard a few really interesting stories. One of them involved KJ Choi and his irons. KJ asked for 3 sets of irons to be built for him. He asked for the same specs regarding loft, lie, and length. Swing weight was all around 1 point of each other. Same grips same everything. KJ brought all the irons in and said "ok ready?" the club builder said "sure?" KJ went through each iron in the three sets and said "too heavy, too light, too heavy, just right, just right, just right, heavy, heavy heavy, etc etc"

 

The club builder was dumb struck. He asked KJ how he knew. KJ said he spent a full day at the range with just the irons and didn't know exactly what the swing weight was but he knew what felt best for him. So the club maker weighed the irons out that felt too heavy and too light versus the ones that were correct. Sure enough, KJ was able to tell the difference between irons that were less than 0.5 points away in swing weight.

 

Another guy on tour knows exactly when there's too much tape used under the grip and overlaps too much or if there's a slight fold in the tape.

 

I mean if I spent the kind of time they do, I'm pretty sure I would know what felt right with my eyes closed. Also, I know I'd be hesitant to switch unless I felt like it was precisely what I wanted.

 

But this does make me question some pros who switch drivers or irons but keep the same shafts. I'm sure it's possible that the shaft matches up perfectly for a player with two different club heads and different feels, but I would think that in order to copy the same feel and could use the exact swing, I would probably need to change up the shaft slightly. For example, Rory with Titleist irons and the Project X shaft and then Nike irons and the Vapor irons. With the change to the center of mass being moved out to the toe, wouldn't it be beneficial to try some different shaft makeups to compensate for engineering differences?

 

Also, a lot of pros stick with a particular type of ball because they trust the way it performs. For instance, Tiger was playing the One Tour D for quite a long amount of time. When he switched balls because Nike stopped making them, did he have to reconfigure his clubs so that the new ball and club would have the same results as his previous setup?

 

I had it where one ball (Bridgestone B330) performed much better with one driver than it did with another (Nike Vapor Flex and BB 815 DBD same shaft in both) But then I tried both drivers with a different ball (Srixon Z Star XV) and had more success with the 815 DBD than with the Vapor Flex.

 

To sum up one of the longest posts I've ever had on here, (thanks morning coffee) the most important thing for golfers to do is not change our swings as long as we are happy with the feel and they are not causing harm to our bodies. I have grown in appreciation to the guys who have faithful clubs in their bags because they know what they'll get out of them instead of trying whatever just hit the market in hopes of finding a few more yards or another green or two in regulation. If the new stuff beats the old, then switch! But if you have to go through a swing overhaul to get the new stuff to beat the old, think about it long and hard before you switch. Tiger has all the time in the world to adjust to a new driver but decided to pass on it because he didn't want to change his swing.

[cane700]

TW is one of the most precise golfers ever. I'm not surprised he can sense the most minute detail. When people say the average golfer can't tell the difference between this and that, its true in most cases. TW is a fine tuned machine. Even with a bad back.

[BirdieBob]

I'm no Pro, but I could tell after only a few swings I didn't like the G30 LS or the Callaway 816 DBD. If I don't hit a Driver well after 5 swings, it isn't the right club.

 

 

Watched David Frost at THE PLAYERS one year. He was on the range with a staff bag full of drivers.

Pull one out and hit about 3 balls - set aside; pull another and hit 3 balls - on the ground; pull another and hit 3 balls - back in the bag;

did this with about 6 drivers and then went back to a couple for the final selection...done.

[pitchinwedge]

So what happens to all of these clubs that pros throw away because they aren't good enough the first swing?

 

What's the question? You already know they end up on BST.

[setter02]

I'm no Pro, but I could tell after only a few swings I didn't like the G30 LS or the Callaway 816 DBD. If I don't hit a Driver well after 5 swings, it isn't the right club.

 

Funny given I toiled for months last year not buying a G30 LS as I didn't like the feel/sound and ended up buying it. It worked, but wasn't a fan over others by a long shot. I don't think you can give a driver a fair shake in that few swings. Especially if you aren't in possession of a robot like swing that is repetitive...

[Flagrant]

The Nike

Tour d one was a great ball

[PapaJohick]

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.

 

even a player as "lowly" as mark crossfield commonly can tell his spin numbers just by feel of strike and sight of the flight. If you're in tune with your swing and you see as much ball flight and numbers associated with those flights, then you can start to do it.

[tim_harris]

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.

 

even a player as "lowly" as mark crossfield commonly can tell his spin numbers just by feel of strike and sight of the flight. If you're in tune with your swing and you see as much ball flight and numbers associated with those flights, then you can start to do it.

 

That is the exact example I was going to give.