Golfing with the Callaway 3 Wood
Posted on Tue, Jan 10, 2012 @ 01:15 PM
You may be puzzled as to why I am writing about a Callaway 3 wood?
I got to thinking about Phil Mickelson. Here is a golfer who has charmed American golf fans for nearly twenty years. Has he really fulfilled his potential?
Photo Courtesy of http://www.blogs.bettor.com
Yes, he has won The Master's and has contended in many Majors over these years. He has failed; however, to land The US Open, his Holy Grail.
What if he had approached some vital holes with his Callaway 3 Wood, instead of blasting away with his one and sometimes two drivers?
Photo courtesy of http://www.golf.com
Who can forget his tee shot on 18 at Oakland Hills when playing with Tiger? It was so far right it was nearly in the next State. A Callaway 3 Wood here may have changed the course of history in that Ryder Cup.
He has always had a fairly wayward action with his longer clubs and surely could have benefitted from dialling down a little, gained from the increased loft and hit his Callaway 3 Wood at crucial moments. That is a tactic we might all consider at those pressure moments.
At The Masters, for example, he hit driver at 7 and 14, where his Callaway 3 Wood chosen, would have given him placement rather than length that is not essential on either hole.
This was repeated often at Torrey Pines at The US Open. This was a tournament he was desperate to win. His home area, with all the emotion that goes with playing in your own backyard. He blasted his way out of contention where his Callaway 3 Wood could have placed him in the mix and maybe even beat a crippled Tiger.
At St Andrews and other Open venues he would place himself too near many greens off the tee, leaving him with shots that even his great short game could not execute. A Callaway 3 Wood from the tee would have left full shots that are easier to control.
So, as we review the career, to date, of this talented player we sense a reward a bit less than his talent indicated.
Photo courtesy of http://www.philmickelson.com
What would have been the result had he picked his Callaway 3 Wood, rather than blasting away with his driver at critical moments.
We will never know.
-Nigel
