Tour Justin Thomas (putter change) - 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open

[MFBach]

1 hour ago, PowderedToastMan said:

15 majors, 82 wins, greatest of all-time. You never have the right to trash talk on that.

He’s an amazing golfer, arguably the GOAT, and I promise I’ve loved watching him play as much as anyone, but c’mon…  He’s human. He might flash his trophy case and end the conversation, but he struggles just like the rest of us when he can’t get his glutes activated. 😂

 

[noodle3872]

https://www.golfwrx.com/691875/justin-thomas-explains-why-hes-making-a-late-season-putter-switch/

[Scotty1140]

9 hours ago, MattM97 said:

I'm ready to see who uses more putters this year JT or Morikawa out on tour.

 

Hideki has entered the chat...

[MattM97]

30 minutes ago, Scotty1140 said:

 

Hideki has entered the chat...

 

No, see Hideki gets a new one off Scotty. Puts it in his bag of putters that his caddy has to carry everywhere. Tries it on the practice green, Greg gets photos, Hideki uses the same Scotty he always uses in comp. Rinse, wash, repeat. 

 

 

[kwainio]

Hasn't he really only used three putter over the past however many years? The knuckle neck X5, the flow neck X5 and the blade that last two tournaments this season?

[jaffabell]

1 hour ago, kwainio said:

Hasn't he really only used three putter over the past however many years? The knuckle neck X5, the flow neck X5 and the blade that last two tournaments this season?

Yeah, the worrying thing though is the frequency of change and that no putter is really helping improve the putting stats... so he is searching. I suspect the old college blade was a last minute experiment to mix things up, as it was apparently working well in practice - but that didn't work out under pressure. I suspect he will rotate the 2 X models depending on what he is working on with his stroke and feels... 

[MFBach]

2 hours ago, jaffabell said:

Yeah, the worrying thing though is the frequency of change and that no putter is really helping improve the putting stats...

Definitely seems like it’s a JT thing more than an equipment thing right now. I think his best overall putting performances have come with the original 5.5, or at least that’s when I believe he looks the most confident on greens. I’d like to see him stick to one of them and just gut it out though. 
 

It’s not like he’s a horrible putter either… he hits a ton of greens and makes a lot of birdies, but usually misses one or two you would expect to drop. When you have that many looks though, it’s going to happen. 
 

2022 Stats

Putting Avg - 1.718 - 3rd

Putts/Round - 28.24 -6th

One Putt % - 42.84 - 5th

SGP - 0.091 - 85th

[third-times-a-charm]

15 hours ago, MattM97 said:

 

No, see Hideki gets a new one off Scotty. Puts it in his bag of putters that his caddy has to carry everywhere. Tries it on the practice green, Greg gets photos, Hideki uses the same Scotty he always uses in comp. Rinse, wash, repeat. 

 

 

I mean, in the alternate universe where I was on the PGA tour I too would ask the SC rep for a new handmade model every week until I got kicked off the tour - and just use my regular one in comp. Genius plan.

[MattM97]

13 minutes ago, third-times-a-charm said:

I mean, in the alternate universe where I was on the PGA tour I too would ask the SC rep for a new handmade model every week until I got kicked off the tour - and just use my regular one in comp. Genius plan.

 

"Are these free? Yeah" proceeds to pick up entire staff bag. 

 

I'd make SC make all the lefty CT putters people dream of. 

 

[callawayjay]

Funny seeing club ho’s asking “WhY SwItCh?”

 

ITS WHAT WE DO!

 

haha

[bladehunter]

On 2/8/2023 at 7:49 PM, MFBach said:

That’s just silly. I would imagine Tiger of all people, having played since driver shafts were steel and weighed 130g+, would acknowledge the benefit of modern equipment’s technological advantage. Even if he was slower to change than most, he still changed. If he hasn’t, it’s because his MB’s and NP2 offer some playing characteristic or feedback that he thinks benefits his play. 
 

KJ beat him at the PGA with 11 hybrids ITB and I’m guessing the loss wouldn’t have felt any better if he was playing MB’s. I doubt he ever gave KJ’s clubs a second thought either. 

 

Also, hasn’t he played the P770’s in his long irons at his most recent events? A hollow-bodied, foam-filled, PDI? 
 

Anyway, what that has to do with JT’s putter, I’m not sure. We’ve all been guilty of it though… not making as many putts as you like, throw an old friend in the bag for a few rounds, then realize why you benched it to begin with and send it back to the closet. It happens. JT has been rotating between the knucklehead and slant neck since we first saw it. It’s not much of a surprise. And it has nothing to do with Tiger. 

He just had a 770 3 iron.  But let’s be fair. He’s basically crippled.  They had to get him on 1 leg to give up the real 3 iron.  That’s pretty set in your ways.  
 

Mallet or np2.  Doesn’t matter. It’s not as if he doesn’t hit putts solid.  This whole idea that a mallet makes putts is reductive.  Green reading is his issue.  

[Santiago Golf]

On 2/9/2023 at 1:49 PM, MFBach said:

That’s just silly. I would imagine Tiger of all people, having played since driver shafts were steel and weighed 130g+, would acknowledge the benefit of modern equipment’s technological advantage. Even if he was slower to change than most, he still changed. If he hasn’t, it’s because his MB’s and NP2 offer some playing characteristic or feedback that he thinks benefits his play. 
 

KJ beat him at the PGA with 11 hybrids ITB and I’m guessing the loss wouldn’t have felt any better if he was playing MB’s. I doubt he ever gave KJ’s clubs a second thought either. 

 

Also, hasn’t he played the P770’s in his long irons at his most recent events? A hollow-bodied, foam-filled, PDI? 
 

Anyway, what that has to do with JT’s putter, I’m not sure. We’ve all been guilty of it though… not making as many putts as you like, throw an old friend in the bag for a few rounds, then realize why you benched it to begin with and send it back to the closet. It happens. JT has been rotating between the knucklehead and slant neck since we first saw it. It’s not much of a surprise. And it has nothing to do with Tiger. 

 

I don't think driver shafts ever weighed more than 130 grams 

 

and YE Yang beat him at the PGA

[gbang15]

baffles me to see elite pros WRXing over putters. it must be an adventure in that rabbit hole when you got access to anything. 

 

aside, from that, JT should stick to the plumber neck mallet. 

[kasting333]

On 2/9/2023 at 6:48 AM, MattM97 said:

 

No, see Hideki gets a new one off Scotty. Puts it in his bag of putters that his caddy has to carry everywhere. Tries it on the practice green, Greg gets photos, Hideki uses the same Scotty he always uses in comp. Rinse, wash, repeat. 

 

 

I always thought Hideki looked better when he had that mallet in the bag 

 

[biglefthander]

looks like he has a new putter today? (Missed this one 😆)

[WillyL]

“New” old putter😂😂

[TiScape]

1 hour ago, WillyL said:

“New” old putter😂😂

Haha yup! Looks like his OG X5 to me. Sent the giraffe 🦒 neck back to the zoo for the day! Give it a lil time out to think about what’s it’s done 🤣

[Avidswampthing66]

On 2/9/2023 at 5:48 AM, MattM97 said:

 

No, see Hideki gets a new one off Scotty. Puts it in his bag of putters that his caddy has to carry everywhere. Tries it on the practice green, Greg gets photos, Hideki uses the same Scotty he always uses in comp. Rinse, wash, repeat. 

 

 

good problem to have haha