Golf World UK - August 2017

strong winds. It nearly always

gets the nod over the 5-wood in

places like Qatar or when we play

links golf. On the whole though,

I try to keep things simple. Too

many options can get too

confusing. And too often I’ve

ended up on the course wishing

I was carrying the club I left in the

locker. My 3-iron and 4-iron are

actually different from the rest

of my clubs for a similar reason.

They have more off-set and give

me a bit of help getting the ball

airborne. The leading edges have

also been dulled a bit. Being less

sharp encourages a better

interaction with the ground, the

club sliding through impact

rather than digging.

And the wedges?

As I said, I take a lot of care with

these clubs. I want a lot of

versatility around the greens. The

54° wedge is mostly for full shots

but it comes into play for long

bunker shots too. It’s my go-to

club around the greens when

I have a bit of room to work with,

too. The 58° gets a fair bit of use

too, especially when I’ve short-

sided myself and don’t have

much land between me and

the pin.

What do you have inside your

bag other than the clubs?

Like most players, I carry a few

practice aids. I’m not really

superstitious, although I do have

a couple of markers I alternate

back and forth depending on

how many putts I’m making.

I also have new balls in there this

year. I was using Nike’s softer ball

last year. This year I’ve switched

to Titleist. I’m still getting the

same spin rates and my ball

speed has gone up a few miles

per hour. More distance with the

same control is a scenario I like.

IN MY BAG

Driver:Callaway Epic (9°)

Fairways:Titleist 917F (14°, 18°)

3-4 irons:Titleist TMB

5-iron to PW:Titleist CB

Forged

Wedges:Vokey SM6 (54°, 58°)

Putter:Odyssey Works H 

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

ME & MY

GEAR

SPOTTEDONTOURWhere gear and trends break first.

RoryMcIlroy

signed an equ

deal with

TaylorMade.

He will be

using the M2

driver and

fairway wood

P750 3 and

4-irons, Rors

s,Milled

4 8°, 54°,

ball.

ed 315.8

ards of

arryand a

3 8.5-yard

al

tance

hile testing

the driver and ball

combination.

Jonas Blixt had Mizuno

irons in his bag when he

won the Zurich Classic in

partnership with Cameron

Smith. The cavity back

MP25 in 3 to 8-iron and

the blade MP5 in 9-iron

andPW. Mizunoh

seen growth sinc

Nike’s exit from c

and they now hav

12-14 setsofirons

play each week o

the PGA Tour.

HidekiMatsuyam

has switched Sco

meron putters from the

SNewport 2 Timeless

de to a new centre-

ftedmalletmodelwith

milar shape to the

oncept M1. Thechange

n shape should give

himmoreforgiveness

nd less twisting on off-

centre hits.

What are the key clubs

in your set?

Like most people I focus on my

‘scoring’ clubs at either end of the

set – the driver and my wedges

and putter. I spend a lot of time

each winter testing new drivers.

Ideally, I look for a ball speed that

is over 170mph. But that has to

be matched up with an

appropriate spin rate to make

sure there’s control as well as

yardage. I look for a spin rate

around 2,500rpm. It’s all about

finding the right compromise

between pure distance and

hitting enough fairways to give

yourself a chance with the

approach shots. And with the

club I have now I think I’ve found

the ideal balance for the first

time, which is quite exciting. 

Sounds like you know

what you like? 

I do. My fairway woods both have

pretty deep faces because that’s

always been my preference. I feel

like I can launch my shots high in

the air without much spin. I think

the look of a club is so important.

We’re all different in what we like

Scott

Jamieson

The Scottish tour winner

knows exactly what he’s

looking for in his equipment.

anddon’tlikeandI’veneverbeen

great with clubs I just don’t like

visually.

Does the more lofted fairway

wood ever make way for a

long iron?

It does sometimes. I have a

2-iron, which I often have in the

bag when the forecast is for

EQUIPMENT

102 Golf World August 2017