By Larry Canning
I had this rather unusual conversation with my mate, Gary Barter, during the taping of one our recent “Backspin” podcasts.
I was reviewing my new set of Callaway Rogue Pro irons. Just so everyone knows, I’m currently sponsored by Callaway. This means two things… well let’s start with term “currently”. If Matt Meredith from Callaway sees how short my backswing has become, and we’re not talking Jon Rham short with the signature acceleration through the ball, it could be the end of a beautiful friendship. The only time I made a full turn during last Friday’s 9 hole Keno ticket match was when I had to reverse the golf cart out of the shed. So can we keep that to ourselves? The other point it raises is whilst I love the product and the company, I have to remain objective when reviewing golf gear.
So this brings me to my product review. I began talking about the apparent simplicity of this particular head shape and how I loved its classic look. However, inside the mid-size blade head, as with some other top notch brands, there lies a laboratory of scientific engineering giving us punters every opportunity to still propel the ball towards our target at speeds faster than we deserve.
I began the conversation with this – these irons a a seriously long. That doesn’t mean the length of the shaft is particularly longer than most, it means the pill comes off the face as if there was a medium sized piece of plastic explosive attached to the face. Now, please keep in mind that Gary was my coach for more years then he wants anyone to know. I remember Gazz telling me once after finishing his day off by coaching me for an hour on the range, that he just sat in his car and stared through the windscreen. “I couldn’t drive home… it would have been too dangerous”.
Anywho, I began trying to explain my fear of the ball going too far. “Yeah you’ve always been scared of that haven’t you?” he responded with that all too familiar frown on his face.
I went on – I was hitting into a bit of a breeze so I thought it was a good time to test how much I could draw or fade some shots with my new 7 iron. Sure enough it was a lot tougher to curve the pill than my old blades. “I really had to work twice as hard to bend the ball with the Rogues.”
“Okay Larry, so you’re saying these new irons go longer and straighter??… Is that right??” Gary said.
“Aaaam… well…. Yeah”
My mate and now “former coach” was polite while we were recording but when we took a break before an interview he was much more blunt! “How many years have you been covering tournaments for radio?” Before I could reply he went on, “Have you noticed the game has changed a bit since you played the tour when a golf ball was made out of rubber from a tree found in the jungles of Puerto Rico and the assembly line for clubs included a blacksmith and cabinet maker?”
“aaaaah…”
Harsh but fair so I wiped away the tears and we carried on with that episode of the “Backspin” Podcast.
We went for a beer afterwards and that relaxed atmosphere just before the third schooner, discussed everything from Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution, the first dude to invent the wheel, the change from wood to titanium and carbon and this substance known as urethane. Apparently you can get golf balls in things called sleeves, too!
It was one of the most inciteful experiences of my long career and one that has changed my view on 21st century golf for ever.
I totally get the professional game has become brut force and distance mainly based on the seemingly unscrutinised advances in the elite players golf equipment where beautiful longstanding Golf Clubs are buying houses around their courses and whacking a new tee in the loungeroom to prevent their magnificent layouts from becoming redundant.
But for those of us still waiting for an invitation to the 2023 Masters, the new gear is brilliant and something to be embraced and utilised.
Imagine being involved in the golf either professionally or just loving the game and wanting to share its many delights with friends or family, then whacking a 1988 Gary Player Laminated Maple Driver in someone’s hands and pointing to a flag 420 yards away?
The manufacturers have all done a wonderful job making our task of sustaining and promoting our game in times when money and time management is nudging many people away from our clubs.
I still love having a hit and I love the fact modern equipment has allowed my tired old swing to still move the pellet far enough to enjoy it. And yes, I can live without the need to try and bend every shot and instead of a 7 iron Ill just reach for my 8.
