Derek Watters

Hello golfers,

In this week’s email, we ask whether Bubba's return to form and change in equipment is a mere coincidence and we look at a key combination within your golf bag.

Enjoy the read.

Tour news

Resurgent Bubba?

It’s hard to know whether the quirky American is best known for his pink driver or for winning two Green Jackets, but seeing Bubba Watson struggle over the past 12 months – so much so that he was on the verge of retiring at the age of 39 – was a sad sight.

He plummeted from being a staple name inside the world’s top 10 to being well outside the top 100, so you would have been forgiven for not expecting much from him at last week’s Genesis Open. However, the 39-year-old returned to the top of the leaderboard and secured a two-shot victory in fantastic fashion.

So, what happened in those 12 months in between?

Well, Bubba switched golf ball to a brightly coloured ball from a different manufacturer. Only recently has he reversed his decision and went back to the old faithful that helped him win two majors, and almost immediately he wins his 10th PGA Tour title.

Coincidence? You decide.

One thing Bubba didn't change was his club equipment, maintaining his trust with PING who we're looking forward to hosting here at Gourock in the next few weeks for a fitting day.

So stay tuned for the deatils.

Pro's news

The views made up for the lack of birdies...

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments after my recent win at the Troon Ayrshire Alliance - it was a nice way to start to the 2018 season.

This week (Tuesday) I was back on the grass playing in a PGA 4 ball event at nearby West Kilbride. Although not as many birdies were made, it was a beautiful day to play golf and the views of nearby Arran were truly majestic. One point of note was just how wet this particular links course was with fairway mats in use as there was lots of water around the course and the greens, in general, were very bumpy and every ball that landed on the fairway picked up a lot of mud.

Product focus

Get fitted for Callaway Rogue irons

Callaway has released their new Rogue iron family with three models which all use elastic-urethane to reduce vibrations without compromising the fast ball speeds they produce, giving you a great combination of distance and feel.

We have a hole range of shafts and heads for you to try and would recommend a full custom fitting to ensure you get the perfect set for your needs in our studio.

Learn more here.

Shop news

Get a grip!

Over the coming weeks we will have a lot of deliveries, but before that all appears my offer of the week is to launch Golf Pride’s new Align grip.

A very special limited offer is available to get this super new grip on your 7 iron free of charge. Just drop in your 7 iron and we will get your club re-gripped and cleaned within 48 hours.

Learn more here.

New season, new grips!

I still have a limited stock of 2017 grips that I am keen to move on before the start of the season, so if your clubs need a refresh before you start playing then get in touch ASAP.

Looking ahead with Under Armour

Last week I met with Under Armour to view the autumn/winter collection and major championship apparel. Their new range of colours and combinations are very, very nice and will be available to buy this year at GGC.

Don't overlook its importance

For years one of the key questions when buying a new driver was: regular, stiff or x-stiff? It goes to show that people have always known that the shaft needs to be considered, but how much importance should we place on it?

Correct shaft, better statistics
Do you want to hit more fairways this season? The two ball flights you can see below perfectly display the risks of using a shaft flex or shaft weight that’s poorly matched to your swing speed.

A shaft that is too stiff or heavy will likely lead to a lower ball flight that can leak right (like the red arrow), whereas a shaft that is too light or flexible often kills distance and causes hooks (like the white arrow). Working together it won’t take long to narrow down the best shafts to optimise your distance and accuracy, helping you to hit more fairways.

Getting the right head to match the shaft will also play a big part, and one we could try is the Wilson Staff C300 driver. It not only has an adjustable hosel we can use to optimise your launch for a piercing ball flight, but it also has adjustable sole weights that we can alter to improve your accuracy.

learn more >

When and why?

When it comes to golf equipment, there are very few things we see neglected as much as grips, which is surprising when you consider they are your only point of contact with the club. If you keep on reading you’ll find out why it’s important to keep your grips in good condition and when you should look to replace them, as well as an offer that we're currently running in-store.

When should you consider a regrip?
Small amounts of wear occur with each use of your grips and it’s easy to miss early warning signs. As a rule-of-thumb, your grips should be replaced every 40 rounds, but this can be sooner if you practice regularly. For most of you, that would mean replacing your grips every year.

Why regrip?
Worn grips force you to hold the club tighter than usual, increasing pressure and tension in your hands, wrists and arms. This reduces the head speed you can create and therefore your distance. However, using a tacky grip that matches the size of your hands – no, it’s not one size fits all – will cater for a lighter pressure and give you more confidence on every swing.

learn more >

Rogue thinking from Callaway

It was never going to be easy for Callaway to surpass the Epic range for both technology and performance, but in the 2018 Rogue line-up they have produced something very special.

Whether you're a scratch player or a high handicapper, the Rogue driver - available in three models - will offer you a powerful weapon off the tee once we find the perfect hosel and shaft combination for your swing.

watch our video >

Video of the Week

Considering buying a new pair of golf shoes for the season ahead? Watch this video as Foremost TV puts FootJoy's ContourFIT shoes to the test to see how comfortable they really are…

I hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter. As always, if you have anything that you'd like to contribute please speak to one of the pro shop team. I'll see you at the club over the coming days.

Gourock Golf Club
Cowal View
Gourock
PA19 1HD

Phone: 01475 636834

Visit my website
Visit the club website
Contact me

This email was sent to you by Derek Watters and is provided as a service for the members and guests of Gourock Golf Club and the customers of the Gourock Golf Club Pro Shop and has been supported and sponsored by advertisers in this mail and by our partner suppliers: Foremost Golf, UK's largest golf retail group, delivering value through expertise for the Club Golfer

® The Crest is a registered trademark of The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited