Phil Mickelson hits it...

[Mark Brown]

Yesterday Phil Mickleson shot a 62 at the long and demandng Spyglass Hill using a new Calloway prototype ball. He said that he's never hit it this far and he's hitting more wedges into greens.

And several weeks ago the Alabama Trail proudly announced that two more courses were ready to open and both stretched to more than 8000 yards. And many experts in the game have been saying there isn't much more that can be done to make the ball go further... and we still have many mad scientests working on the technology of shafts which is very likely to produce much more length.

For 15 years we believed the USGA denying the distance technology was producing. Now what do we and the powers that be do. I'm afraid it's already out of control. How about  you?

[Ted Kramer]

I've posted in a few of these threads and I've read a lot of wishy washy responses. Here is my concise reply:

It is out of control.
The ball should be dialed back to the Balata technology.

-Ted

[Kyle Harris]

I would absolutely LOVE to play the old Titleist Tour Professional again... hell, even the Tour Balata

If only I could find them.

[Brian_Gracely]

Kyle,

I found a Tour 100 Balata the other day in my shag bag.  Considering that it's from about the same era as Doak's Confidential Guide, I'd be willing to sell it to you for $300.  Just let me know where I should send it  

[Kyle Harris]

Hmm... maybe a package deal for $500?

[Michael Moore]

Come on people, this is 2005.

//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18941&item=7134123731&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

[Kyle Harris]

I can't believe I just bid on that...

[Ken Fry]

Phil also said he made his equipment switch because he was giving up 15 yards to all the top players.

From this year to last year, he's gained 5 yards on drives and is missing about 15% more of his fairways.

The loudest touting goes to the highest company bidding.  Just ask Greg Norman about MacGregor right now or Justin Leonard about Nike.

So how credible is anything Phil Mickelson says about equipment?  In news conference after news conference, he talks about Titleist's "inferior equipment" and how Callaway has brought him to this next level.

Phil needs to let his clubs and ball do the talking (whatever he's playing) and leave the soundbites out of interviews.  He sounds like a whining little kid.

(By the way, I am eating a little crow for my comment, "Phil will not win anything this season.  No majors, no tournaments."  He obviously proved me wrong, but I can't get by how mcuh he's flapping his gums about his equipment.)

[Kyle Harris]

From a professional's standpoint... Callaway's drivers are horrible in construction...

Their shafts have gotten better, which makes them bad.

Titleist, for all their pandering and hypocracy re: distance, does make a QUALITY product, at least.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Come on people, this is 2005.

//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18941&item=7134123731&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Updated link that works:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18941&item=7134123731&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

In that bid the seller says: "This is the ball preferred by most of the touring pro's".  He seems to be stuck in 1998.  Ever heard of the Pro V1?

[Kyle Harris]

Okay, I have them for $27.00...

I wonder if Titleist has these warehoused somewhere and they can be bought in bulk?

[Ted Kramer]

From a professional's standpoint... Callaway's drivers are horrible in construction...

Their shafts have gotten better, which makes them bad.

Titleist, for all their pandering and hypocracy re: distance, does make a QUALITY product, at least.

Phil isn't playing an off the rack head or shaft.
I'd be surprised if there is one pro on Cally's roster who plays a stock Cally shaft.
-Ted

[Brent Hutto]

I created an E-bay account a few weeks ago just to scout out some left-handed hickories. So far, I've found two clubs--a Semi-Rocket Driver and a Niblick--so I guess I'll also have to order me up a couple dozen of those Tour Balatas at some point.

[Kyle Harris]

Most that I know of use the Grafalloy Pro-Lite...

I have the Pro-Lite in my Callaway Steelhead 2 wood and I love it.

WHich just makes Phil's comments even more asinine... he plays with equipment so inferior he has to outsource the major component.

[JSlonis]

I can't believe someone actually bid on those golf balls.

What really gets me is the seller's description..."ball preferred by most of the touring pro's."  Yeah...in 1999!!

[Kyle Harris]

Well, I bid on them for a very very specific reason.

I started playing the Pro V1 around the same time I started to get some decent instruction for the first time and started to change my swing for the better.

I want to know just how much distance was from my own improvement and how much was from the Pro V1.

I am a much different golfer today than I was when I played the Tour Professional back in the day, and I'd like to know what I can attribute my improvements too.

What surprised me was that the opening bid on them was $25.00

[A.G._Crockett]

Demonstrably, Mickelson HAS hit it this far before, in fact, farther!

For further detail

Mickelson's driving distances for the past 6 yrs.:

2005 (to date)  301.8
2004               295.4
2003               306.0
2002               288.8
2001               293.9
2000               288.7

average for the 5 years previous to now was 294.6, net gain of
6.4 yds. for '05 to date, with a LOT of golf yet to play.  By the way, his driving distance average yesterday at Spyglass for the 62 was 284.0, which is comparable to his driving average in 1997  or so.

Conclusion: Either Mickelson needs to go back to his 2003 driver and ball, or we need to stop paying attention to pros who shill for an equipment company that is paying them a bajillion dollars.
The sky may be falling, but not because of anything Phil Mickelson says about equipment.

[JESII]

Most that I know of use the Grafalloy Pro-Lite...

I have the Pro-Lite in my Callaway Steelhead 2 wood and I love it.

WHich just makes Phil's comments even more asinine... he plays with equipment so inferior he has to outsource the major component.

I think most everything he says is asinine, but I would bet not 5% of the touring pros with a corporate endorsement contract play shafts made by their club company. There are head companies and shaft companies and the player (with help) finds the best shaft/head combination fir their own game.

Interestingly, Mickelson had the best year of his career due to the fundamental change to hitting a fade for more control and it only took one off season (or the career satisfaction of one major) to forget that and regain his focus on being the longest, flashiest, least efficient player on tour.

Maybe not the right time to knock Mickelson's decisions considering his recent results, but his current approach will not win him any more majors. Perhaps he has the ability to revert to that more conservative mindset and game as the majors begin to roll around but I doubt it. That attitude requires persistence and consistency.

[Kyle Harris]

In my experience it's actually a bit higher...

There are a lot of really good players who play stock equipment out there....

They may not win a lot, but they do win and they do succeed, they also tend to lurk in Top 25's.

Loren Roberts comes to mind.

[A_Clay_Man]

Ahh hhmm. He had to putt those in, too.

Spy is at it's most vulnerable in the At&t. The pin positions are not what one would call Championship set-up.

One could blame it as much on the company he had as much as the ball he used.

Tiger's a fool for missing the best Poa greens and CPC. It actually helps the stroke, to strike it firmer.

[JESII]

I think even a "stock" shaft is bought from a shaft manufacturer with the Titleist or Ping or whatever labeled on the shaft.

What does Loren Roberts have in his driver?

[JESII]

Tiger's a fool for missing the best Poa greens and CPC. It actually helps the stroke, to strike it firmer.

It may help the stroke, but it would hurt the confidence.

Not my excuse, just a more realistic explanation than the stroke excuse.

[CHrisB]

Well, I bid on them for a very very specific reason.

I started playing the Pro V1 around the same time I started to get some decent instruction for the first time and started to change my swing for the better.

I want to know just how much distance was from my own improvement and how much was from the Pro V1.

I am a much different golfer today than I was when I played the Tour Professional back in the day, and I'd like to know what I can attribute my improvements too.

What surprised me was that the opening bid on them was $25.00

What's the shelf life of a golf ball, anyway? How old are those Professional 100's on Ebay, and would they still perform as they would when they were first made?

[Kyle Harris]

I just remember a big to do a few years ago about him actually playing the BB-UL shaft.

[Bob_Huntley]

Demonstrably, Mickelson HAS hit it this far before, in fact, farther!

For further detail

Mickelson's driving distances for the past 6 yrs.:

2005 (to date)  301.8
2004               295.4
2003               306.0
2002               288.8
2001               293.9
2000               288.7

average for the 5 years previous to now was 294.6, net gain of
6.4 yds. for '05 to date, with a LOT of golf yet to play.  By the way, his driving distance average yesterday at Spyglass for the 62 was 284.0, which is comparable to his driving average in 1997  or so.

Conclusion: Either Mickelson needs to go back to his 2003 driver and ball, or we need to stop paying attention to pros who shill for an equipment company that is paying them a bajillion dollars.
The sky may be falling, but not because of anything Phil Mickelson says about equipment.

Please note that Phil was hitting his three wood most of the day.

At No. 17, three wood within spitting distance of the pin.

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