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