Spieth’s Switchback
After surprisingly switching from his Titleist AP2 714 irons to the company’s latest offering, the AP2 716 (above), at the Barclays—and missing just his third cut of 2015—Jordan Spieth had his old irons back in the bag at the Deutsche Bank Championship, only to miss the cut again. Spieth spoke at TPC Boston about why he chose to change things up during the FedEx Cup Playoffs after winning two majors with the old set. “I’ve never had trouble transitioning between my AP2 irons,” Spieth said. “I normally change once a year, and even when they’ve updated, the irons I still had no problem.” But Spieth said he felt the clubs “sliding through the turf a little different” at Barclays, causing him to switch back to his old clubs through next month’s Presidents Cup. “I still think they’re going to be a better iron,” Spieth said of the new 716. “I think they are improved.”
Great Big Bertha returns
Callaway recently introduced its new Great Big Bertha driver, and several of the company’s tour staff have given the club a try. At the Deutsche Bank Championship, Gary Woodland became the latest convert, using an 8.5-degree model. The club features a sliding weight in the rear perimeter that produces an internal weight bias (towards the heel or toe). Shifting the weight changes ball-flight direction. The driver also uses internal ribs near the crown and sole to enhance face flexibility while saving weight in the face. A lightweight composite crown let designers repositioned the mass into a 10-gram sliding weight (last year’s Big Bertha had an eight-gram weight) that helps lower the club’s centre of gravity for a higher launch and lower spin.
Club changes suit de Jonge
A couple of equipment changes paid off for Brendon de Jonge at the Deutsche Bank Championship. A switch to Titleist’s AP2 716 irons and to the company’s Scotty Cameron Futura X7M mallet putter helped result in a T-22 finish for de Jonge. The putter is an offshoot of the Futura X5, which boasts “wings” in the rear. On the X7M the wings are still there but they are connected in the rear by a bar, boosting the moment of inertia for greater stability. —E. Michael Johnson (@EMichaelGW)
