Swing changes mean driver changes for Ernie Els

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — After working for three days last week with swing coach Butch Harmon in Las Vegas, Ernie Els is in contention at the Players Championship after shooting a two-under 70 Friday.

Els started using Callaway equipment in 2007 after having previously played with TaylorMade clubs. He has been experimenting with several drivers this season, including the square-headed FT-i and the new  FT-i Tour Low CG, which features interchangeable shafts.

However, after talking with his caddie and taking a peek into Els's bag, I learned that he's using an original version of Callaway's FT-5 (8.5˚) this week, not the new i-Mix version.

When asked why he'd chosen this particular driver, Els said, "The FT-5 launches the ball a little higher. I started playing the softer ball Callaway makes — the Tour i ball* — and that ball launches lower. I needed something to get the ball up in the air, and it didn't quite work for me with the FT-i driver, the square driver, so I went to the FT-5."

In extremely windy conditions, Els used his work-in-progress swing and the FT-5 to officially hit eight of 14 fairways for the second day in a row at TPC Sawgrass. However, today's number is deceiving because Els hit just two poor drives Friday — his opening shot of the day went well right on the 10th hole, and his drive on the fifth hole went straight right and into the pond. Els missed the fairway by less than two paces on three holes.

But if the winds continue to blow, will Els switch drivers? "No, I'm hitting good with this one," he said.

(Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

*According to Callaway's Web site, a new Tour i ball will be available in July.

Garcia using an old Scotty Cameron to regain putting touch

PONTE VEDRA BREACH, Fla.-- Thanks to an old putter, Sergio Garcia seems to have found a little new magic on the greens. El Nino made 17 of the 18 putts he faced from inside 10 feet Thursday, as well as a 48-footer for birdie on the 14th hole.

"It's a putter that I used back in 2000," he said in his post-round press conference. "I'm just trying to get those good sensations from the past when I was comfortable with my putting. I really like the way I'm striking it."

Garcia averaged 1.733 putts per green in regulation during the 2000 PGA Tour season, ranking him 4th in putting average. He is currently ranked 131st, with a 1.816 average.

The putter is a Scotty Cameron by Titleist, but when he was asked which model, Garcia was vague. "The putter looks a lot like a Ping Anser 2," Garcia said. "It's very similar to the kind that Tiger uses." Woods uses a Scotty Cameron by Titleist Newport 2.

It's not surprising that Garcia wasn't very forthcoming with his answer because he is currently paid to endorse and use TaylorMade equipment. However, in 2000 Garcia was endorsed by Titleist, so it makes sense that he might have several Cameron putters at his home in Borriol, Spain.

Earlier this season, Garcia had tried several different TaylorMade putters, including a belly-putter version of the new Monza Spider.

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Different strokes for two great putters

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Ben Curtis and Stewart Cink have both been putting lights out this season. Curtis, from Columbus, Ohio, has made a gaudy 91% of his putts from inside 10 feet, ranking him third on the PGA Tour in the category. And Cink, from Huntsville, Ala., is no slouch. He has made 89% from the same range. Where they differ is in their preferred tool of the trade.

Curtis uses a classic, heel-toe weighted putter. "Every few years Scotty Cameron comes out with a new head," says Curtis, who has won twice on the PGA Tour since his 2003 British Open victory at Royal St. George's. "This is just a new version of the same putter I've been using for five or six years." To be exact, it's a Scotty Cameron by Titleist Studio Select Newport.

"The look of the putter to me is more important than the specs," he said Wednesday. Looking down in the address position, Curtis's old Newport and his new putter look identical.

But Curtis's putter is not the same one you'd find in your local pro shop. He's modified it. All Studio Select putters have adjustable weights, but Curtis has lead tape covering the entire bottom of the putterhead (click on the image above for a better look). "I like heavier putters in general," he says. And because Curtis added a thicker, heavier grip to his 34-inch putter, the lead tape helps to maintain the ideal balance.

According to Titleist's Web site, the suggested retail price for a non-customized version of the putter is $325. The center-shafted belly-putter Cink uses is a Never Compromise Sub 30 M3 (below).

On the range at TPC Sawgrass, Cink said, "I have three putters that are almost exactly the same, and I change back and forth sometimes because they are a little different length."

Cink, who is 6-foot-4 and switched to a belly putter in 2002, most often uses a 47-inch putter. 

"I'm not finicky about which particular one it is, but I like how heavy that particular model is. I like the feel of the ball as it comes off the face. It's just been hard to duplicate that with other putters." And that's a problem for Cink, because Never Compromise doesn't make the Sub 30 M3 anymore. The good news? When you find one, it will be affordable. The putter has an estimated trade-in value on the PGA.com Value Guide of $11.81.

Unlike Curtis's putter, which is made completely from stainless steel, the face of Cink's has a gel-like insert that softens impact. Similar to Curtis, weight was added to the head of Cink's putter when the Never Compromise reps made it for him. "I just like the way that it came out, and now I've been sort of stuck with that one."

That's a problem Ben Curtis can't relate to.

Golf's biggest banger is a 'feel' guy

PONTA VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- There is no point in talking physics with a guy named Bubba. So it should come as no surprise that Bubba Watson, the PGA Tour's leader in average driving distance, doesn't have a clue about what makes his driver tick.

"I don't know what my launch angle is or my spin rate," he said Tuesday while on the range at TPC Sawgrass. "You know, the Ping guys out there at the factory know. They say my numbers are good."

Indeed, Watson's numbers are good. And Donald Trump knows a few things about self promotion.

The 29-year-old Watson regularly swings his Ping G10 at more than 120 miles per hour. His ball speed often tops 190 miles per hour, and he routinely produces drives longer than his 310-yard average. In the second round of the Buick Invitational this season he nearly put his tee shot on the fourth hole into orbit, whacking the ball 391 yards.

But stunningly, Watson considers himself a touch player. Keeping his orb under control is the main concern. "When it comes to my driver, the priority is if I can maneuver the shots, if I can hit them in certain ways that I want to hit them. Right now, I want to hit everything with a cut."

For the left-handed Watson, that means he needs a driver that allows him to easily hit shots that fade from right to left. Tour pros who are naturally long tend to hit a fade because it stops quickly, unlike a draw, which tends to roll after it lands. That makes it easier to hit fairways.

Chance Cozby, Ping's director of tour operations, says Watson's sense of touch makes him a low maintenance ambassador for the company. "I'd almost say that Bubba is one of the easier guys out there to fit. Because he has such good feel, he knows what he likes and knows what he doesn't like."

However, there are still three things that makes Bubba's bat unique:
1. His shaft is old. Watson has used the same shaft — a pink Grafolloy BiMatrx — since 2002 and has no intention of changing. When Ping releases a new driver, their fitters optimize a new head to work in conjunction with Watson's preferred shaft. It's like a driver insisting that an automobile manufacturer put the sleekest new chassis around his favorite engine.
2. It's a tree. Under the left hand of Watson's chord grip are 12 wraps of tape; under the right hand are 10 wraps. Holding the club is like gripping an oak.
3. It doesn't see a lot of use. Watson is wary of breaking his game driver, so he avoids hitting a lot of balls with it on the range. "I carry one back-up driver with me at all tournaments because, you know, it could break at any time."

Watson's Weapon of Choice:
Ping G10 (7˚)
44 1/2 inches, Grafolly BiMatrx X-Stiff shaft, 77 grams, tipped 1/2 inch

(Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

Bushnell Tour V2 Laser Range Finder

$349.99

bushnellgolf.com

Plenty of courses are not well marked, and if you hit your drive into the rough, guessing how far your ball is from the green is pure guesswork. But the new Tour V2 range finder from Bushnell can make short work of determining yardages from anywhere, on any course.

Compact and light enough to carry while walking, the Tour V2 uses Bushnell's "Pinseeker" technology, which reduces distortion and background images to more accurately determine distances. But this device isn’t just for measuring distance to the pin. It can also read distances to bunkers, mounds, the front edge of greens and more.

According to Bushnell, the Tour V2 is accurate to within a yard from up to 300 yards, and it’s legal for use in tournament play as well as in rounds you post toward your handicap if your local section allows rangefinders. -- David Dusek

New Scotty Cameron Studio Select Putters

Scotty Cameron putters are used by many of the game's best players, and they are also hoarded by collectors. An eBay search will bring up lots of models that go for thousands of dollars.

But if you're in the market for a new Scotty Cameron putter that won't dent your kids' college fund, you may be in luck. Titleist has just released the new Studio Select line. These Newport-style putters are milled from stainless steel for a soft feel and have circular weights in the heel and toe to make them more forgiving on off-center hits. The new Newport, Newport 1.5, Newport 2 and Newport 2 Mid Slant are all available in 33-, 34- and 35-inch lengths.

The head shapes of all four putters are similar, but three neck configurations are available -- plumbing, short flair and mid slant. Each putter's lie angle can be adjusted two degrees above or below the standard 71 degrees, and further customization is available through Scotty's Custom Shop.

In a press release, Scotty Cameron says, "Different golfers require putters of different lengths, weights, body and neck configurations. However, most putter heads are only weighted for 35-inch shafts and therefore, are much too light for shorter lengths, or too heavy for longer lengths. Too often the same heads are placed in shafts of all lengths. The result is the golfer having to hit at the ball instead of being able to stroke the ball, and that creates distance control problems. The Studio Select putter line delivers a wide range of specifications and options, designed to accommodate a wider range of golfer requirements."

Left-handed Newport 2s are available in all three lengths.

D. J. Trahan used a Newport 2 Studio Select to win the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and led the field in putting for the week.

Cameron Crazies will have to wait until March 15 to get one of the new Studio Select putters, which will have a suggested retail price of $325.

Sundog H DriveIII Sunglasses

Sunglasses tend to fall into one of two categories: 1) stylish frames designed for everyday wear and 2) technically advanced frames with lenses that can help your vision.

If you're in the market for a pair of sunglasses that fits both categories, and may even help you on the golf course, Sundog's new H Drive III glasses are worth a look.

Designed with the assistance of Hunter Mahan (right) —a rising star on the PGA Tour and a member of the 2007 Presidents Cup team — the H Drive III's lenses are designed to sharpen your vision without distorting colors in low light  or bright sunshine. So, there's no reason to take them off to read putts. The lenses also protect your eyes from the sun's harmful rays.

One last golf-friendly feature: The light-and-flexible frames do not extend below the lenses, so they won't distract you when you're trying to keep your eye on the ball. --David Dusek (Images: Sundog Eyewear; Mahan, Michael J. LeBrecht II/1Deuce3 Photography)

TaylorMade's New Rossa Monza Spider putter

J.B. Holmes gets a lot of attention for his powerful drives, but his putting was crucial at the FBR Open. He hit only 1.608 putts per green in regulation at TPC Scottsdale, second lowest for the week. During the 2007 season, Holmes averaged 1.796 per green, 121st on Tour.

One reason for the improvement could have been his new putter, the TaylorMade Rossa Monza Spider.

The Spider's head uses a steel frame to move the weight back, away from the hitting area. This design increases the moment of inertia, which is supposed to make the putter more forgiving on off-center hits. The Spider has ports behind the heel and toe to hold a variety of removable weights, a popular feature in TaylorMade drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. Concentrating weight in small areas away from the face helps the putter resist twists on mis-hits, and the removable weights allow players to tinker with the feel of the putterhead.

An insert on the putter's face has 14 polymer-filled, anti-skid grooves that are supposed to grip the ball at impact and encourage a smooth roll.

The Rossa Monza Spider will cost $240 and be in stores in March, but several other Tour pros have already switched to it, including Sergio Garcia and Sean O'Hair. According to TaylorMade, 12 pros used the Spider during the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. -- David Dusek

PGA Show: Wrap-up

The big story this week has been the interchangeable shafts, but in Gary Van Sickle's final report he takes a look at what was the second-biggest innovation at the show -- and his choice may surprise you. He also reveals the best bags, putters, drivers and more that he came across during the 2008 PGA Merchandise show.

Read his column here.

PGA Show: First Look at Interchangeable-Shaft Drivers

Gary Van Sickle has an up-close look at the new adjustable and interchangeable shafts. The good news is you don't have to be Bob the Builder, a member of Jeff Gordon's pit crew or a golf professional to swap shafts in your new adjustable driver.

Check out Nickent's Evolver 4DX and Callaway's i-Mix in this gallery.