Nick Faldo's Equipment

[mat562]

Pyman looks as if he's come straight to the first tee from his bed in that photo, having slept in those clothes that he's wearing.

By way of a contrast, I still say the dark blue/light blue/white solid sectioned Mizuno bags are the classiest looking staff bag ever made.

[The Gachet]

[quote name='mat562' date='16 January 2010 - 08:29 PM' timestamp='1263673777' post='2185372']
Pyman looks as if he's come straight to the first tee from his bed in that photo, having slept in those clothes that he's wearing.

By way of a contrast, I still say the dark blue/light blue/white solid sectioned Mizuno bags are the classiest looking staff bag ever made.
[/quote]
Totally agree Mat, that Mizuno Tour Staff Bag was absolute class. Did you notice that the one above appears to be in a nylon fabric style finish instead of the usual leather !?

[mat562]

I did notice that. It certainly appears to have a different texture to the vinyl 1989-model one I've got that's currently loafing in my father's loft stuffed full of old clubs.

I also used to have a very fetching Mizuno practice ball bag in that same colour scheme until I mistakenly left in it in the back of the car for half an hour with the new year-old dog that I'd picked up, for the first time, from our work's kennels a year or two back. No one mentioned that the hound had a slight chewing habit when he was nervous. You can guess the rest...

[The Gachet]

2009 British Open at the Turnberry Ailsa Course using an R9.

 

[chip75]

Hi Gatchet do you have a larger version of the Mizuno line-up pic? Nobody makes irons like Mizuno. I was amazed to read that Chris Wood had never hit a Mizuno iron before been sent the two sets he demo'd before signing.

[The Gachet]

[quote name='chip75' date='16 January 2010 - 10:37 PM' timestamp='1263681441' post='2185605']
Hi Gatchet do you have a larger version of the Mizuno line-up pic? Nobody makes irons like Mizuno. I was amazed to read that Chris Wood had never hit a Mizuno iron before been sent the two sets he demo'd before signing.
[/quote]
Chip, PM me your e-mail address and I will send it to you as for some strange reason I can't seem to display it any larger on here that what is already shown !?

[The Gachet]

Faldo also had a little spell with a Ping TiSi Tec Driver as shown here at the 2002 US Open at Bethpage in New York.

 

 

[The Gachet]

Going back to Sandy Lyle's 1 iron (a favorite subject of mine) he actually played several in his time - mostly Ping. He had an old Karsten III that he played in the mid/late 80s that he alternated with an old Ping Eye. He won the US Masters with a steel-headed Ping Eye 2 that he apparently donated to Augusta's bar afterwards, and thus played the rest of the '88 season (including his World Matchplay win) with a beryllium one. A fine 1 iron if I may say so.

 

Faldo's control with the irons was incredible to watch. I remember watching him at Wentworth one year hitting 3 irons on the range. He hit about 30 balls with little cuts and draws that landed one after the other in a circle about 10 yards in diameter. Incredible.

 

Lyle was the greatest exponent of the 1 iron I've ever seen. I never saw Hogan or Snead, but if they were better with it than Sandy, then I wish I could have seen them.

This one is especially for you Mat for all your much appreciated input contributed to this thread !

 

How appropriate that it should be a photo of one of Faldo's biggest longtime rivals ! FYI it is from September 1988.

 

[mat562]

Good lad Paul.

Sandy in full flight with that 1 iron was a thing of absolute beauty. I still remember my first ever golf tournament - or [i]Championship[/i] I should say - that my father took me to as a wide-eyed lad of nearly 11 down at Royal St Georges in 1985. Of all the things I saw that week, the thing I remember most vividly was Sandy hitting some laserlike 1 and 2 irons with those old Pings of his. It was absolutely mesmerising to me as a nipper.

As you know, Sandy is and was a big favourite of mine. A lovely bloke who made shooting 63 look about as difficult as putting one foot in front of the other and a man who would win tournaments with the air of a bloke out taking the dog for a walk down the fields. All whilst hitting shots that were so good they'd have you shaking your head and others that were so bad they'd have you, well, shaking your head. Often he'd end up mixing the two on the same hole.

Some of best golf I've ever seen in my life was down at the old Suntory during the Faldo/Lyle final of '88 and the Faldo/Woosnam final the following year. Lyle's golf in that third successive final of his had more ups and downs than the Alps, and Faldo's back nine against Woosnam was sublime and contained the best shot I've ever seen in person in the form of a towering 2 iron to the 36th for a winning eagle.

Sorry for waffling on. I came over all sentimental there. It's the sight of a 1 iron you know.

[The Gachet]

I must admit, even though I saw Lyle as the enemy and possibily even satan but it was very hard not to admire the man's ballstriking ability. His long irons were incredible, effortless high towering shots that just hung in the air forever, even seeing him again at the last couple of BMW PGA events at Wentworth he was still striping those long irons off the deck with apparent ease and a much superior ball flight to his fellow playing partners who I can't exactly remember who they were right now but they were alot younger than him.

Fair play Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, your long name paired with your long iron play are something that certainly raises an eyebrow or two !!!

[chip75]

Here's Nick with his Ping i3+ if I remember he started out with the i3blades then had a mixed set with the oversize then a full set of oversize. Pictures by Mark Kokke 2002.
[attachment=523965:Nick Faldo 02.jpg]
[attachment=523966:Nick Faldo 01.jpg]
On the Bethpage Black pictures that place was a beast Nick had trouble reaching some of the fairways of that monster playing with big John can't of helped. Actually looking at these pictures they look like Ping Eye2's, a warm-up for the i3's?

[The Gachet]

1990 British Open at St. Andrews using a Taylor Made TPA XVIII putter.

 

[forgedforever]

Gachet: Great stuff here! Do you know anything about Faldo having previously gamed the Mizuno MS-8's? Seems I read somewhere that he may have.

I own a set, but it seems they were more popular over on your side of the pond than they were over here in the States.

Thanks for any information!

[The Gachet]

I can't say that I was ever aware that he actually used the MS-8's as based on the historical photo's and knowledge that I have experienced throughout the years, it appears that he used the Mizuno Pro Original's or possibly the MS-2's as discussed above in the mid 80's and then the MS-1's for his British Open victory at Muirfield in July 1987.

 

He then had a brief spell with some Wilson Staff Fluid Feels in August possibly just to keep the sponsors happy and then moved to the blank Mizuno TP-9's which are a similar shape to the MS-7's around September as he was using them in the Ryder Cup at Muirfield Village as shown below.

 

 

He continued to use the blank TP-9's in 1988 as shown below in the Suntory World Matchplay and then used them to successfully win his first US Masters in 1989.

 

 

After these he progressed to the blank TN-87's at the beginning of 1990 ready for the successful defence of his US Masters title and his second British Open held that year at St. Andrews.

[The Gachet]

I believe that it was pretty well documented that he used Mizuno MS-1's for his 1987 British Open victory which have a straight muscle but I can't help but question this a little bit due to the picture taken below from the final round showing what looks like a wingback TP-9 muscle design shape !?

 

Open for debate as I have seen other photo's where the muscle does look straighter (could be bagging a mix of irons) but would love if it if anyone has a clear iron shot from that tournament or the miraculous 'In The Bag' shot !?!

 

 

[chip75]

Here's a pick from the '87 Open it doesn't look like a wingback they have a distinct reflection (but the light can play tricks).
[attachment=524178:74124121.jpg]
Any chance he changed irons on the weekend? Here's a later picture with an mp-14 or mp-29.
[attachment=524180:1119178.jpg]

[D'KRUSHER]

A feel a lit'l bit like a Sir Nick stalker, after reading the gobs of info on this thread. But I love the Info !

It's Sacrilige that Sir Nick is playing the massproduced TaylorMAde cavity back irons these days. YUK !

Does anybody know if the 3 and 2 iron pro players, did they play a shaft that was more or less flex... or just the same as the rest of the set ?

Great photo's guys... Thanks !

[The Gachet]

Here's a later picture with an mp-14 or mp-29.

 

I'm pretty sure that's just a TP-19 with lead tape strategically placed over the 'M Tour Proven' stamping directly on the back of the muscle. He did this around the time that he was with Adam's so that they were not so obviously just his old Mizuno's !

 

Here you go.

 

[The Gachet]

This was where he used to place the lead tape before leaving Mizuno.

 

[mat562]

He did have a bit of a toe thing going on at one point too, with a cheeky little patch of lead tape out atop the toe of his irons. Give him credit; it's nice and tidy. Unlike Langer's old Wilsons that looked as though he'd put the tape on after a few pilseners and whilst wearing boxing gloves.

[The Gachet]

He did have a bit of a toe thing going on at one point too, with a cheeky little patch of lead tape out atop the toe of his irons. Give him credit; it's nice and tidy. Unlike Langer's old Wilsons that looked as though he'd put the tape on after a few pilseners and whilst wearing boxing gloves.

Very true as evident in his 1996 US Masters winning bag and as I know you have witnessed at the various tournaments you have visited in person. He also had it out on the toe in one of his Faldo Instructional videos but then at Wentworth in 1993 there was not a piece of lead tape in sight.

 

However, he is definitely a tinkerer and a perfectionist so you would usually expect to see lead tape accompanying his irons more often than not always located somewhere along that top back ledge.............................until he left Mizuno that is !

 

I also imagine that Mizuno didn't want him covering up their logo when he was playing for them !?

 

From this:

 

To this:

[chip75]

Here's a later picture with an mp-14 or mp-29.

I'm pretty sure that's just a TP-19 with lead tape strategically placed over the 'M Tour Proven' stamping directly on the back of the muscle. He did this around the time that he was with Adam's so that they were not so obviously just his old Mizuno's !

 

Here you go.

 

 

I just thought there was a little dip in the muscle like the 14's and 19's have but your're probably right Paul. I wish Getty would at least let you look at the full size images it would help us Faldo fans a lot. I think you've mentioned it before what was the chronological order of Nick and his Mizuno's? After he left it sort of went PING Eye2's, i3blades, i3+, Nike Pro Combo, Slingshots, Callaway X-Tours, Mizuno MP60's, TM R7's, Tour Preferred, Burners with a big mixture of wedges and probably half a dozens sets of irons I didn't know about - I never knew about the Callaway's until this weekend.

[The Gachet]

 

 

[The Gachet]

Click on the link below for a Nick Faldo Golf Tips Special.

 

http://issuu.com/tod...802&layout=grey

 

[jebb]

Classic stuff.

Out of interest did Faldo have a preferred combo in the wedges in terms of lofts?

[chip75]

[quote name='jebb' date='18 January 2010 - 02:48 PM' timestamp='1263826130' post='2188664']
Classic stuff.

Out of interest did Faldo have a preferred combo in the wedges in terms of lofts?
[/quote]


During Nick's prime he had a 49deg a 53deg and a 60deg. His yardages were 125, 110 and 75 and he preferred to knock about five yards off for maximum control.

[chip75]

Nick and Hogan.
[attachment=524548:faldo-1.gif] [attachment=524549:Ben-Hogan-gifb.gif]

[The Gachet]

Good relaxed interview by Gabby Logan with Nick Faldo from November 2008 showing some interesting archive footage and a bit of humour.

 

BBC Inside Sport - Nick Faldo

 

http://news.bbc.co.u...ort/8098404.stm

[The Gachet]

Nice archive footage of his career.

 

BBC Video - Nick Faldo's Career In Golf

 

http://news.bbc.co.u...olf/8098695.stm

 

[The Gachet]

1985 Ryder Cup at The Belfry using what appears to be a Ping Pal putter.