WITB Ernie Els

[The Gachet]

[quote name='sevenfourate' post='2152773' date='Dec 31 2009, 05:30 PM'][quote name='The Gachet' post='2152749' date='Dec 31 2009, 05:17 PM'][quote name='sevenfourate' post='2152704' date='Dec 31 2009, 04:52 PM'][quote name='The Gachet' post='2152596' date='Dec 31 2009, 04:00 PM'][/quote]
Knocking .3 of a degree off a 3 wood and .5 of a degree off a hybrid...

Mmmmm,wonder if he or anyone else in the World can really truly tell the difference in such small changes in loft on such a long club ?
[/quote]
"I'm really happy with the fairway metals that Callaway have put in my hands. These two models give me the perfect spread of yardages; a 13.7-degree 3-wood and an 18.5-degree 5-wood." [b]- Ernie Els[/b]
[/quote]
Sorry Ernie,and as good as you clearly are i dont completely buy it. I cannot believe that with varying Countries,tournaments,shots, lies,winds,temperatures,elevations etc etc that you are completely able to differentiate between such small differences day in and day out.

Strikes me as 'Placebo' to some degree..........
[/quote]
Doesn't matter if it actually really makes a visible difference but as long as it makes a difference in his mind that's all that counts. Same as with most of these nickety-pickety tour pro golfers !

[mat562]

Undoubtedly an element of mind games.

Albeit, the differences in loft could be a result of having the face angles altered to suit his preferences too. Even minor changes in face angle can be felt or noticed, visually, by fussy players. Cranking that 5 wood a degree open would just about account for the 0.5 degree reduction in effective loft and to a player like Els may be producing a tangible, positive change in the look of the club at address. Whether half a degree makes a jot of difference to ballflight or carry distance is debatable, even at his level, but the benefits of having a club that looks just right as opposed to having a niggling shut look at address that you're never going to be comfortable with can't be overstated.

Whether the above is applicable to Els' clubs I've no idea; but I know that I've received clubs in the past from pro friends that have had minute tweaks made to them that, in nearly every case, have been to achieve a visual look at address via a particular face angle rather than anything genuinely connected to loft issues.

[rlynham]

He has a 9* gap between his SW and PW.

[dlygrisse]

[quote name='rlynham' post='2154727' date='Jan 1 2010, 05:15 PM']He has a 9* gap between his SW and PW.[/quote]
But only a 16 yard gap, which is probably about perfect, too many people get hung up on degrees of loft and not true yardage.

[rlynham]

[quote name='dlygrisse' post='2154775' date='Jan 1 2010, 06:45 PM'][quote name='rlynham' post='2154727' date='Jan 1 2010, 05:15 PM']He has a 9* gap between his SW and PW.[/quote]
But only a 16 yard gap, which is probably about perfect, too many people get hung up on degrees of loft and not true yardage.
[/quote]


He has a 34 yard gap between his 59* and his 54*. Something strange is going on there.

[The Gachet]

[The Gachet]

Els using what appears to be Ping Zing's back in 1992.

 

 

Using the Lynx Boom Boom Parallax driver in 1994.

 

[joecollege]

Thanks for the pics!

[scottland]

[quote]
Knocking .3 of a degree off a 3 wood and .5 of a degree off a hybrid...

Mmmmm,wonder if he or anyone else in the World can really truly tell the difference in such small changes in loft on such a long club ?
[/quote]

I'd be willing to bet that the 3 wood was opened up .5*, and the 5 wood was opened up 1*.

Opening the club face 1* usually lowers the loft about .5-.6*. which would explain the odd numbers of loft.

[The Gachet]

DRIVER: Callaway FT-9 Tour Authentic (8.5˚) with a Project X 10A2 shaft and Daphne's Lion Headcover - 45.5"

FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway X Tour (14˚ knocked down to 13.7˚) with a Project X 10A2 shaft, Callaway X Tour (19˚ knocked down to 18.5˚) with a Royal Precision Rifle Lite 7.2 shaft - Both half an inch longer than standard

IRONS: Callaway Tour Authentic X Prototype (3-PW) with KBS Tour X shafts - 1˚ Upright, 1˚ Stronger, half an inch longer than standard and D3 Swingweight (stamped EE)

WEDGES: Callaway X Forged (54˚), Callaway X Forged (60˚ bent to 59˚) with Royal Precision Rifle 7.0 shafts - 1˚ Upright, half an inch longer than standard and D4 Swingweight (stamped E.E.)

PUTTER: Odyssey White Ice #5 with Black Ping PP58 Classic 'Pingman' Putter Grip - 35.5"

BALL: Callaway Tour i(s)

GLOVE: Callaway Tour Series

GRIPS: Golf Pride Tour Velvet (three layers of tape with no taper)

FOOTWEAR: FootJoy ICON with Champ Spikes

BAG: Callaway Tour Authentic Staff 10.5"

APPAREL: Woodworm (SAP on chest)

HEADWEAR: Callaway Cap (SAP on front, Callaway on temples)

 

 

[Lefty Cat]

So he still has the old Rifle's in both his fairways? I thought I saw his 3 wood have the dark blue Px coloration to it, but apparently not. Love Ernie's game, and love his bag as well. I'd game every single last piece of it, if it were LH obviously.

[The Gachet]

[quote name='Lefty Cat' date='15 March 2010 - 02:03 PM' timestamp='1268661821' post='2316805']
So he still has the old Rifle's in both his fairways? I thought I saw his 3 wood have the dark blue Px coloration to it, but apparently not. Love Ernie's game, and love his bag as well. I'd game every single last piece of it, if it were LH obviously.
[/quote]
You could be right as I cannot find any photo's of them from that event, I'm sure The Tour Van will confirm this once they update their site !

[rodfern]

Nice update on his gear. Would like to get my hands one of those "tour authentic" FT-9s...

When watching Sat's coverage, I thought I saw that his putter actually had a Ping grip with the letters backed out...(a la tiger)?? But I may have been mistaken

[Scooter McGavin]

I saw the same thing, he definitely had a Ping PP58 grip on his putter. Weird that he wouldn't use the blacked-out version...

[The Gachet]

Nice update on his gear. Would like to get my hands one of those "tour authentic" FT-9s...

 

When watching Sat's coverage, I thought I saw that his putter actually had a Ping grip with the letters backed out...(a la tiger)?? But I may have been mistaken

He has in the past used a classic 'Pingman' putter grip with his Odyssey putter so he must be back to that one ! Thanks !

[DTown3011]

 

 

 

 

 

Nice flamed finish on his White Hot XG putter.

[The Gachet]

Nice update on his gear. Would like to get my hands one of those "tour authentic" FT-9s...

 

When watching Sat's coverage, I thought I saw that his putter actually had a Ping grip with the letters backed out...(a la tiger)?? But I may have been mistaken

He has in the past used a classic 'Pingman' putter grip with his Odyssey putter so he must be back to that one ! Thanks !

This was a little while ago with a Ping Blackout grip.

 

[dcrsx]

He is using the PX 10A2 in his 3 wood, still Rifle steel in the 5 wood.

[Braddles]

He used a White Ice #5 with Ping grip on Sunday. He was using a White Hot #5 with Ping grip on Saturday - he must have blamed the putter for missing the short ones.

[The Gachet]

He is using the PX 10A2 in his 3 wood, still Rifle steel in the 5 wood.

Thank you for the clarification !

[The Gachet]

[The Gachet]

Ernie Els, listed as a favorite for this week's Masters after winning the WGC-CA Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational, has new wedges made specially for this week.

 

Els has been using Callaway's X-Forged wedges for most of this season, but new versions have a special grind with a tighter radius and bounce, according to a Callaway spokesman.

 

"Ernie likes them razor sharp," wrote Tim Sweeney, a Callaway spokesperson, wrote in an e-mail. "They say 'Ernie' stamped around the loft number and also have 'Masters' in green."

 

Els said he likes the combination of the clubs with Callaway's softer ball, the Tour i(s).

 

"Last year I was hitting the ball well, but I wasn't putting everything together, so with Callaway we've got a softer golf ball, and that's really brought my short game back," Els said. "My short game has been a lot sharper than it has been the last couple of years. That came back."

 

Els will also play a Callaway FT Tour driver, which he has used in his two previous wins. The driver has won in four of the last five PGA Tour events.

 

[tembolo1284]

Guess the specially made wedges for Augusta didn't help him eh? Heart breaker this guy. Hope he plays well in the other majors!

[HabitualPINseeKER21]

Just saw the pics from Memorial, is it just me or is ernie playing KBS shafts now?? One of the pics of him at the range, it has the red label that KBS shafts have.

[DTown3011]

[quote name='HabitualPINseeKER21' date='04 June 2010 - 09:14 AM' timestamp='1275664496' post='2486010']
Just saw the pics from Memorial, is it just me or is ernie playing KBS shafts now?? One of the pics of him at the range, it has the red label that KBS shafts have.
[/quote]


Ernie has been playing KBS shafts for quite some time now.

[HabitualPINseeKER21]

[quote name='DTown3011' date='04 June 2010 - 10:33 AM' timestamp='1275665614' post='2486048']
[quote name='HabitualPINseeKER21' date='04 June 2010 - 09:14 AM' timestamp='1275664496' post='2486010']
Just saw the pics from Memorial, is it just me or is ernie playing KBS shafts now?? One of the pics of him at the range, it has the red label that KBS shafts have.
[/quote]


Ernie has been playing KBS shafts for quite some time now.
[/quote]
My mistake I figured he was a Project X guy through the bag

[The Gachet]

U.S. Open third-place finisher Ernie Els used two new Callaway Vintage X-Forged wedges at Pebble Beach.

"I've really worked hard on the aspects of my game that hasn't been on, and it's been my short game," Els said at the start of the week. "Obviously you need a bit of short game around here."

Els' new wedges were a 54-degree with 14 degrees of bounce and a 56-degree bent to 59 and also with 14 degrees of bounce. The South African normally uses wedges with a constant radius sole grind, but his new wedges have more bounce at the rear of the sole, which helped with the challenging U.S. Open rough.

For the week, Els hit more than 61 percent of greens in regulation, so had many opportunities to put the new wedges to the test.

Els, a Callaway staff player, also played an FT Tour driver, Tour X 3-wood and X 5-wood, X Prototype irons, an Odyssey putter and a Tour i(s) golf ball.

[tembolo1284]

He missed the cut this past week right? Does anyone know if he is changing his setup for the Open
Championship next week?

[mnieman]

still amuses me how much callaway delofts their irons to make it appear they are hitting their irons way further than other brands.

[studatnu]

[quote name='mnieman' date='11 July 2010 - 01:09 AM' timestamp='1278824977' post='2568097']
still amuses me how much callaway delofts their irons to make it appear they are hitting their irons way further than other brands.
[/quote]

I'm sure they all do it, anyway, its a players choice as to what they want their irons lofted to. I'm sure phil & ernie tell callaway what they want, not the other way around.