Any new TM drivers in the works?

[mmack067]

TOC is the first event after a long break for most. I'd hold off judging the new gear based on the first round of the year

[rich_s2]

Did you see Dustin drive the ball yesterday? Has he ever driven it that horrible? Tell me he did not want to snap that driver in half yesterday

[getitdaily]

Except for how DJ drove it 2 years ago there with M4...

DJ may still be having some swing problems. He was missing both ways yesterday. He ended last year on not such a great note. Didn't he change instructors last year?

[KC4441]

DJ wasn’t driving it well at the Presidents Cup either.

[TheMoneyShot]

Did you see his poor iron and wedge game yesterday too? He even topped a hybrid/fwy on #18 yesterday as well. DJs swing is a hot mess, not his clubs.

[rich_s2]

when the big stick lets you down, it throws off your game. It is 100% the driver :P

[getitdaily]

No offense, but that's not accurate at all. It can be frustrating to hit it a bit sideways but the driver doesn't really affect iron play. If his swing is just not good right now then driver will show it more. I've had many days where driver left me but I was able to maintain a score because my iron play and course mgmt saved me.

The only club that impacts the rest of your game the way you've implied is the putter. When you're not making putts then it's easy to pressure yourself into hitting it closer...that's when things go awry.

[rich_s2]

When you hit it that far and are not hitting fairways it will effect your game much more than a bad day with the putter.

[getitdaily]

We'll agree to disagree. When the driver gets wonky you have to tighten up and find a way to put the ball in play. That means pulling 3wood a bit more, teeing it down to control the ball. That means hitting it a little shorter and having longer clubs in to the green and leaning on iron play. Forcing driver when it's bad will affect score...not game.

Again, I can hit driver all over the map and still hit solid irons to make a score. Those guys can too. Driver swing is different than iron swings.

[rich_s2]

I'm just going by Dustin's round yesterday. His driving killed him but his whole game was a mess. The 100% driver was just a joke, hence the smiley face. His swing is obviously not where he wants it. I will say though that if I could have a hot driver with a cold putter or a cold driver with a hot putter, I am taking the hot driver. You put me in every fairway, I am still going to score even if my putter is a little off. I hit less than 50% fairways, it is going to be harder to score. I will need the hot putter to save par.

[lakecowboy]

I like your style

[GoGoErky]

So you would rather have a hot club in your hand about 14 times vice one that would be in your hand about double the amount?

[rich_s2]

how many greens you hitting from the trees/deep rough. Your hot putter is saving pars.

[getitdaily]

As you get better you'll change that perspective. A hot putter frees up every part of your game. Get a hot driver and a cold putter and watch how your round suffers because you're not making putts...

[lakecowboy]

You can still make par with a cold putter, DJ was taking penalties yesterday, hard to make par with a driver going lost ball, hazard, OB a few times.

[rich_s2]

I play a lot of golf. I might be biased because I mostly play tight tree lined courses. I'm not breaking par with a cold driver. My proximity to the hole from the fairway will still lead me to some birdies with a cold putter.

[Laznasty]

There's this old saying, maybe you've heard of it. "drive for show, putt for dough"

And why do you keep making this assumption that a cold driver will leave you in the trees/OB vs. a cold putter that can somehow still make all these birdie putts? That's not really a fair comparison.

[rich_s2]

Did you watch Dustin's round? I guess it depends on the course but let's think it through. I am 300 off the tee in the garden spot in the fairway. You are 300 out in the rough. I am a ok putter and you are making every 10'er. I am in the garden spot every fairway, best case scenario you are in rough. If this was real life, I take that bet every day. How many times you sticking it within 20' from the rough? How many times you having to get up and down to save par. I can be a bad putter but my proximity to the hole will be so much better than yours that my cold putter still out scores you. Proximity to the hole is everything.

[dcmidnight]

Having a good driver isnt everything. It was what...not even three weeks ago when DJ drove that tricky short par 4 at the Presidents Cup - and completely missed the hole from 4 feet away?

Doesnt do a rip of good if you can drive the ball 350 yards if it takes you two strokes to move the ball the last 4 feet.

[rich_s2]

I don't have the stats on 4' make percentages but I bet making every 4' putt on tour is easier than hitting every fairway. I could be wrong though. To me it is all about proximity to the hole. Cold putter from 10' will beat a hot putter from 25' imo.

[getitdaily]

% make by scratch at 10' is 34%, for 90 shooter it's 20%.

%make by scratch at 20' is 14%, for 90 shooter it's 6%.

A cold putter is going to miss nearly every 10 footer for a 90 shooter. A cold putter for a scratch at 10 feet likely means a make % of around 17% if cold simply means making half the putts he normally would.

A hot putter means a scratch ups the % make to about 30% at 20' and a 90 shooter ups a 20' make to about 10%.

Cold putter from 10' doesn't look like it would beat a hot putter from 20'.

[GoGoErky]

You can do a lot of things with a hot putter. Long putts drop, others lower percentage makes become higher percentage. A cold driver doesn’t mean lost balls or strokes, it could be the rough vice the fringe, it’s still possible to score from there.

dj had a bad day all around from tee to green.

[rich_s2]

After looking up some PGA stats I think I have to agree with you. I think it really depends on how penalizing the rough is. US open rough vs standard event I think the hot driver might win out. Otherwise I agree with you. Good talk

[JerryTBall]

I found this shot so humbling, next time I miss a green half this size from 150, this was a 200 yard shot, but being a professional, you should at least be on the fringe! I’m sure flag hunting, but 30 yards right and short, I was really surprised.

[getitdaily]

Yeah, course setup,lay out, etc will dictate how critical driver is. A hot driver is nice to have. A hot putter is ever golfer's dream. Now, that doesn't mean you can take penalty shots. My perspective is from a scratch level. I cannot afford to take OB or put it in the water if I want to break par.

I played Tuesday and missed a 3footer for birdie. Missed a 25 footer for birdie, missed a 10 footer for birdie, missed a 20 footer for birdie, missed a 5 footer for par. I shot even. I hit 10 or 11 fairways.

Had I hit driver the exact same and had even a warm.putter then I probably shoot 69. Course is fairly open though.

[thigos]

Wolff looked to be bombing it. As they say, It's the Indian not the Arrow. Definitely wasn't the best coming out party for the driver watching DJ miss it all over the place - very relatable though

 

Anyone know how many fairways Ricky hit with the SZ xtreme?

[jll62]

What I've heard is that Koepka has tested it and is expected to put it in play. Same goes for Fleetwood. Both non-contract, as before.

[rich_s2]

I'm currently a 1.9. I do travel a lot but my home course is just so punishing off the tee. You can be in the middle of the fairway and a stock shot is completely blocked by a tree. If you are not in the fairway or first cut, you got major problems. It is not that long though, tips play 7k. 20-30 yrd wide fairways. Some of these bombers paradise courses I play though I can see where accuracy off the tee is really not that important. I found it interesting that make % of 20-25' putts are close to 50% with the hot tour players. That's just mind boggling.

[getitdaily]

He was hitting it well. Don't know stats, but he wasn't under duress much, if at all.

Know who hit it really well tho...Shauffele and his mavrik...

[thigos]

He sure did. Must have been the golf club