Phil Mickelson has a new bag strategy that can really help you if you pay attention.
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Like Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson approached his device in a brain way.
His choice to get into professional has been headlines for years: the 64-degree wedge he used on Winged Foot at the 2006 U.S. Open; the two-drive system he launched in Augusta the same year (he won); the super long rider and mini driver he used to win the 2021 PGA championship at Kiawah.
Mickelson thought about things in detail and he would do everything he could to gain an advantage.
From what I saw this year, heading to the open US where Oakmont, his idea was once again focused on the top of the bag. This is always the trickiest part of the bag due to those long club covers. If we do math numbers for Phil, the gap between 4-EROIR and the driver is close to 80 yards. In the context, the iron through 80 yards (assuming the standard 12 yard gap) would be six clubs. At the top of the bag, coverage comes from three to four clubs.
This week at Liv Virginia/DC, Mickelson rolled to the first T-shirt with an eclectic head cover. Below them, are the driver, 3 woods and 2 woods.
Mickelson announced this on his YouTube channel, and as he gets older, hitting a bomb is no longer a top priority. If he is going to compete with big hitters, he will need to surpass them. This is from the depths of his schoolbag.
Here is the idea behind his setup:
PING G440 LST 7.5 W/Graphite Design VF 6X: Ping’s G440 platform is as stable as anything in the industry. It allows Mickelson to play with a forgiving head in the lower loft, so he can get it there if he needs it. Ultimately, though, he relies on forgiveness and spin retention to ensure accuracy. 275 to 300 yards gap.
PING G440 LST custom driver
The G440 Driver Family (Max, LST, SFT) is optimized with multiple advancements to deliver higher ball speeds, including Ping’s deepest CG and shallower, thinner faces, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness that Ping drivers expect. The G440 LST (Low Scroll) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, offering lower rotation speeds in the 9° and 10.5° lofts, and has three positions rear weight. A highly tolerant, lighter head weight can make the back weight heavier. Faster faces are shallower and thinner, and the face increases the ball speed to increase distance, and a higher launch. The sound design is new shaping, the carbon crown and inner ribs will create a soft impact experience. Freestyle design saves weight to lower CG and increases forgiveness. Allow more heel flexion to stabilize the face.
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Ping G430 max 15@13.25 (43)W/ Graphite Design VF 7X: Here, Mickelson chooses to maximize launch, rotate and forgive. The 430 Max has a high MOI head that quickly stands up and enters its launch window and provides a lot of forgiveness through its back weighting. 255 to 270 yards clearance.
ping g430 max 18@16.25 (42.25) W/graphite design VF 8X: This is a 4-wood, complementing the low driver and strong 3-wood. The club is likely to cover a range of 240 to 255 yards.
Ping G430 Max 18 (41.5 EOG) W/ Graphite Design VF 8X: Phil looked at it as this was a 7-wood or 3/4 iron combination, and he could rotate with wide yard gaps. I see this club covering a range of 220 to 240 yards.
ping G430 maximum custom fairway wood
Adjust the method to 4-shot, split 5-shot into half, you want 100% confidence, your fairway wood will give you solid contact, speed and higher ball flights to get you home. In the G430 fairway, we developed the Carbonfly package to maximize ball speed by positioning the CG closer to the force line, thus providing higher balls for higher, longer carry. PING G430 Max Fairway wood is suitable for the widest range of golfers, with four options (3W/15°, 5W/18°, 7W/21°, 9W/24°). Carbonfly wraps a lightweight composite crown wrap in the toe and toe segments of the skirt, saving 10 grams of weight, which redistributes to achieve lower CG and increase ball speed. The composite also plays a role in pleasant sounds. Face Wrap Technology FaceWrap Technology, variable thickness, high-strength Maraving steel surrounds wrapped around the sole and crown of the stainless steel head, bringing greater bends for faster ball speeds and higher launches to increase distance. The variable rotation radius of rotation improves the performance of the entire face (especially on thin lenses) by reducing the rotation to increase the rotation speed. Tungsten Back Weight A Tungsten Back Weight enlarges the weight of the circumference to ensure maximum forgiveness. Track Adjustment 2.0 Track Adjustment 2.0 provides eight blowout positions, adjusting the loft (+/- .5°) and lying down (up to 3° than STD).
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From there, Mickelson’s setup moved to the lively st Pro 5 iron, bent to the attic at about 23 degrees. Phil can fly the club to about 215 yards, a distance blending well into his Callaway XF 6 iron, bent to around 27 degrees.
It seems strange to see Phil opt for 4 wood instead of a long set. But his transformation is part of a broader self-trend that allows elite golfers to look at the top of the bag in a more economical way. From a stroke standpoint, this makes sense. The top of the bag is where many strokes are sacrificed, as the power cost is usually precise. The Freds understand this. This is why there are 4 bastards in his schoolbag. Tommy Fleetwood got it too. His setup is similar to Philes: Driver, Mini Driver, 5 Wood, 9 Wood.
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