Posted: December 29, 2011
So here we are – what seems likes thousands of blog posts, videos, webcasts and slideshows later – nearing the end of another amazing year on Team Titleist.Around this time each year, we like to look back through the Team Titleist Blog and pick out some of our favorite posts from the previous 12 months, which you can find below. Narrowing down the list is always as difficult as it is rewarding.
We'd also love to hear from you: Which is your favorite post of 2011? What would you like to see more of next year?Share your thoughts in the comments section below so we can make 2012 even better!
It doesn't get much bigger than an eight-shot, runaway victory to win the U.S. Open, not to mention your first major championship (at 22 years, 46 days old).
Rory's conquering of Congressional, trusting a Pro V1x golf ball and a bag full of Titleist equipment, was golf's summer blockbuster, generating nearly as much media coverage as the Royal Wedding.
Not long after his big win, Rory sent along special message to Team Titleist, which you can watch by clicking here. Rory also answered several questions from Team Titleist members, which you can check out at this link.
In May, Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President of Golf Ball R&D, and Mary Lou Bohn, Vice President of Golf Ball Marketing and Titleist Communications, sat down for a live webcast with Team Titleist to discuss the facts about golf ball performance and fitting and answer questions asked by Team Titleist members.
Topics included: Titleist golf ball construction and technology; golf ball design and performance attributes; player testing and fitting (tour players and amateurs); and common misconceptions of golf ball performance and fitting.
Early in 2011 at the PGA Merchandise show, our good friend Michael Breed spent five minutes picking the brain of Scotty Cameron, whose putters have been the choice of more players and more champions on the PGA Tour for 12 years.Topics of discussion included: Sound vs. feel; tour-player testing; coming up with new ideas; and Scotty's putters of choice.
If there is someone on the planet that can hit a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball farther than Titleist Brand Ambassador Gary Woodland, we haven't met him.Here's what we do know: Watching Gary hit his Titleist 910D3 driver on the range typically leaves more than a couple spectators shaking their heads. Team Titleist caught up with Gary earlier this year to talk about his driver swing sequence and harnessing all that power.
The Titleist AP1, AP2, CB and MB (712 series) irons made their debut this summer at the PGA Tour's AT&T National event at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia, with Titleist Brand Ambassador Nick Watney winning the event with his new AP2 irons in the bag for the first time. It may have been Team Titleist's busiest week of the year, bringing you inside-the-ropes as our Titleist Tour Reps and Titleist Golf Club R&D team worked with players to show, explain, fit and test the new irons.Other popular posts that week included:• Video: Nick Watney's First Look at the New Prototype Titleist AP2 Irons• Slideshow: Seeding and Testing of New Prototype Titleist Irons Begins • Part 2 • Part 3• Video: Titleist Brand Ambassador Scott Stallings on New Prototype AP2 irons• Video: First Look: Under the Hood of the New Titleist AP Irons
It'd be impossible to release any sort of year-end highlights package without the name Luke Donald popping up. As you may have heard, Luke ended 2011 at the first player in history to top both the PGA Tour and European Tour money lists. How did he do it? Luke credits a lot of his success to "short game, short game, short game," for which he has probably become golf's mascot.
Luke spoke with Team Titleist earlier this year about the importance of short game, tracking your statistics and making sure you have been fit for the best golf ball for your game.
Just last month, Team Titleist member Scott Melton received an e-mail from Team Titleist notifying him of an opportunity to fly to Las Vegas to caddie for Titleist Brand Ambassador Nick Watney during the Wednesday Pro-Am at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open. Not surprisingly, he was happy to take over looping duties for the day.
This summer, Team Titleist got the unique opportunity to see what happens inside the Nationwide Tour Van every week. Titleist's Bill Hughes (Senior Manager, Golf Club Promotions) and J.J. Van Wezenbeeck (Nationwide Tour Rep) were happy to take some time out of their busy schedules to answer questions from Team Titleist members, offering loads of great information and insight.
Was there a more memorable shot in 2011 than Titleist Brand Ambassador Bill Haas' Vokey-out-of-the-water swing?Bill's wedge of choice to pull of this heroic shot, which eventually led to victories in both the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup: His Vokey Design Spin Milled 60º•E. Team Titleist took a closer look at Bill's shot and spoke with Master Craftsman Bob Vokey about the club that made a huge splash.
In April, we raised the curtains on Team Titleist's new My Game experience. Accessible via the left hand navigation bar, My Game features tools that allow you to track your scores and key golf stats along with a library of video tips, drills and fixes from some of the best players and teaching professionals in the game of golf. Click here to check it out.
Here's something to think about the next time you dig into your bag for another golf ball: Changing the golf ball changes every shot. And if you're looking to lower your scores (who isn't, right?), one of the first steps is knowing what to expect out of your golf ball on each and every swing. Get the full scoop from Titleist's Golf Ball Fitting experts.Also see: 'I'm Not Good Enough to Play a Pro V1' • The Facts About Swing Speed
This fall at The Barclays, long before any players had arrived for the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the only sounds heard in the locker room at at Plainfield (N.J.) Country Club were from the opening and closing of lockers. It was delivery time for the new Titleist Vokey Design SM4 wedges, and Team Titleist was there to get all the behind-the-scenes pictures.
Titleist fitters from around the country gathered at the Titleist Performance Institute and Oceanside (Calif.) Test Facility last month for a comprehensive introduction to the new Titleist equipment offerings that will soon be hitting the market.Following the two-day session, Titleist Director of Golf Club Fitting Brett Porath and TPI Level 3 Golf Instructor Ryan Crysler, Senior Instructor at the Butch Harmon Floridian, checked in with Team Titleist to talk about the experience and the new equipment.
Posted: December 27, 2011
How best to describe Webb Simpson's 2011 PGA Tour season?Let's just call it an all-around great year. Literally.While most people will remember Webb's season for his pair of victories (Wyndham Championship, Deutsche Bank Championship) and his first Presidents Cup appearance, Team Titleist was even more impressed by his consistency.Trusting a Pro V1x golf ball and a bag of Titleist equipment, Webb finished the season No. 1 in the PGA Tour's All-Around Ranking statistic, which totals a player's rank in eight statistical categories (Greens in Regulation, Sand Saves, Driving Distance, Driving Accuracy, Scoring Leaders, Putting Leaders, Eagle Leaders and Birdie Leaders).All of that also added up to 21 top-25 finishes in 26 starts, including a pair of wins and three runner-up finishes, as well as a monumental jump to No. 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking.Recently, Webb spoke with Team Titleist about his practice routines and how amateur golfers should best use their practice time, which you can watch in the above video.And remember, you can keep track of your scores and key golf stats in Team Titleist's 'My Game' section, accessible via the left hand navigation bar on this page.
Posted: December 20, 2011
Here's a New Year's resolution you can count on from Master Craftsman Bob Vokey: In 2012, Vokey Design TVD SM4 Wedges, featuring Titleist's new SM4 groove technology, are coming to WedgeWorks.The Vokey Team will begin taking orders on Vokey.com beginning Jan. 11, 2012 – to be exact.Vokey SM4 grooves feature entirely re-engineered scorelines up to the limit of the new USGA groove rule. With 17 scorelines and tighter spacing, the new TVD SM4 wedges will produce a lower launch with more backspin. TVD SM4 wedges also feature a localized heat treatment in the impact area for longer lasting spin retention. And every groove is 100-percent inspected.Like all offerings through WedgeWorks, Vokey TVD SM4 wedges will be completely customizable to match your personality and game – from toe engraving, personalized stamping, paintfill, grips, shafts, ferrules and shaftbands. Strong or weak, upright or flat, short or long – the choice is yours.
The TVD SM4 wedges will be immediately available in five lofts (52•08º, 54•10º, 56•12, 58•08º and 60•08º) and two finishes (Bright Brushed Chrome and Black Oxide).
In Spring 2012, a 50•08º model will be added to mix. This versatile gap wedge features the crescent shaped TVD sole and can be used to hit a variety of full, pitch, and chip shots.
Additional custom options available in 2012 include the BV Clover Toe Engraving (pictured below) and several new grips in a variety of colors, including the Vokey VDR grip from Golf Pride.
Laser Etching and Weight Porting will also be available as options on all new WedgeWorks wedges, including the Vokey Design 200 Series wedges in C-C groove configuration.
What will your one-of-kind TVD SM4 wedge look like?Click the image below for a closer look at the new TVD SM4 wedges and WedgeWorks custom options, or click here to download the 2012 WedgeWorks Brochure (.pdf).
Pricing: WedgeWorks Exclusives start at $150 for the 200 Series and $160 for TVD SM4 wedges.