Recent interviews with Phil Mickelson have yielded valuable insights about club selection and use, the importance of a good golf ball and how the new groove rules and technology caps will affect your game. Phil Mickelson, a veteran PGA Pro with several Majors and countless tournaments under is belt, is a Callaway Professional who isn't afraid to experiment and push the envelope. I have selected the most useful tips and listed them below. Keep reading to improve your game instantly!
Phil Mickelson Profile
College: Arizona State University
Turned Pro: 1992
Tour: PGA
Birthday: June 16, 1970
Equipment Played: Callaway
Majors won: 3 (The Masters: 2004, 2006; PGA Championship: 2005)
Professional wins: 45 and counting
Notable attribute: left-handed golfer
Phil Mickelson is a true golf icon, having spent over a decade as a Pro and never stopping with "good enough." Mickelson pushes himself and the game of golf by trying new things, like having two drivers to choose from one tournament and no drivers in another, or his famous backward loop sand bunker shot. Put simply, Phil Mickelson knows a lot about golf and has spent a lot of time perfecting golf clubs with Callaway. Here are some of his insights:
Hybrids
Use a hybrid to get similar control and distance from the rough as one would get from the fairway using irons.
Hybrid clubs with modified soles allow greater penetration into taller or thicker grass, and the high MOI and exotic materials afford greater forgiveness for better shots.
Phil's hybrid: Callaway prototype
My recommendation:
Big Bertha Diablo Hybrid
Drivers
Use drivers with hosels, specifically adjustable models. The extra weight close to the head produces greater stability, and
The ability to customize the clubhead to real-time course conditions means you can compensate for small changes in course layout and problems associated with player flexibility and inaccuracy.
Phil's driver:
Callaway FT-9
Putters
People usually choose a putter without thinking about the head geometry -- but loft matters! A 4° (four degree) loft at impact is ideal, but is relative to the setup position.
If the setup is back back/hands forward then more loft is needed to preserve the 4° impact loft; if the setup is ball forward/hands back then less loft is needed.
Phil's putter:
Odyssey White Hot XG 9
Wedges
Be aware of diminishing returns with high-loft wedges: the potential for greater spin must be balanced against the likelihood of the ball sliding up the club's face (the new grooves will make this balance more difficult to achieve).
The new grooves rules will mostly affect shots of 40 yards and closer since the softer shots produce less compression on the ball, thereby producing less spin.
Phil's wedge:
Callaway X-Forged Chrome Wedge
Golf Balls
According to Phil Mickelson, "The ball is the most important piece of equipment."
Find a golf ball with the desired feel and spin characteristics and match your clubs to the ball. Pair the ball and clubs to maximize performance through all-around control -- not just distance and not just spin.
Phil's golf ball:
Callaway Tour ix
Common Equipment Mistakes
Most players are not consistent with their misses and accept the apparent randomness of their shots. If your misses are the same they become less of an issue, and correcting for the cause becomes much easier and long-lasting.
Focus on one side of the course instead, planning shots and the targets according to your actual performance. Improve your game even more by matching clubs: if you use draw irons use a draw driver.
Choosing Clubs
Phil Mickelson travels with more clubs than the tournament limit of 14 (he gives himself 18 clubs to choose from!) and decides which clubs to use based on the par 3's.
Swap out hybrids and long irons since the driver and putter -- the start and finish clubs -- must remain constant for consistent play. After all, full courses can't be played without a driver and putter, but the mid-distance shots will usually determine your score.
Tech Improvements & New Equipment
Technological advancements benefit non-pros more than seasoned veterans. This may seem backwards, but Pros are much more consistent, practice and play much more often, and use custom clubs -- meaning the vast majority of players can improve their performance more with the incremental changes from new clubs, new golf balls and new accessories.
Golf technology and new equipment compensates for the average golfer and advanced amateur's weaknesses and amplify their strengths. Therefore, investing in new gear makes sense since the commercially available golf equipment is designed for non-professionals. The improvement for pros comes from equipment, too, but relies much more on the golfer.
I have listed some new-for-2010 Callaway golf equipment at the top-right of this page. Check 'em out!
