Fred Couples has 6 woods (!) and a combination in his bag. Is it necessary?

In honor of Fred Couples' 65th birthday, PGA Tour Champions has been posting photos and videos of the legendary golfer, both now and then. But one video caught my eye, a clip of a couple shaking yards of his stock in a bag.

The video stood out for several reasons. The first is that Lovers carries six woods/particles: driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, and three hybrids that replace his 4-, 5- and 6-iron. I don't know many newbies with that much lumber in their wallets let alone good. Lovers said his chronic back problems have made it difficult for him to hit long irons, but he also clearly appreciates the high, soft flight and stopping power of hybrids.

To better understand why Couples choose hybrids over long irons, I reached out to David Armitage, Golf's Top 100 Teacher to Watch.

“I think what he is [Couples] what he's doing is trying to do well and keep his game going in the right direction so he can shoot low scores,” Armitage said.

Armitage said Tour players judge how well their equipment performs in several key areas, two of which are distance and trajectory. In the case of Couples, Armitage said, he may be looking at the courses he plays in the tournament, considering the distances he will carry and the flight of the ball that best suits his game to put together a fund that will help him. work effectively.

The couple pulls off the trick in another video the Champions Tour posted of him dialing in his jungle, where he explains how the clubs help him stop shooting for “little money.”

So, what can we novices learn from married couples? First, we shouldn't avoid using more forgiving clubs like the 7-wood or 6-hybrid. Ego can play a role when choosing equipment, but if you can put that nagging voice aside, Armitage says a few irons in your arsenal can benefit your game in more ways than one.

How many woods and hybrids can help your game

Fairway woods and hybrids not only help golfers get the ball up faster, but they can also help you make better technical moves in your swing, Armitage says.

This is because average golfers have a habit of trying to help the ball into the air by leaning. Having a more forgiving club in your hand will help you launch the ball without hanging back in your swing, thereby improving your impact area and chances of making solid, centered contact.

Another reason the video above stands out to me is that even with Couples' smooth tempo, he still bombs. To give you some perspective, his stock driver yardage is 285, just 14 yards shy of the PGA Tour average. Another reason why he has been able to hit it so far is because he gets the center of the face every time.

“Contact with the center face is one of the most important things in golf for two reasons,” Armitage said.

“If you hit the center, like the toe and the heel, it's going to change the face a little bit,” Armitage said.

Ultimately, the ability to make solid, mid-face strikes is the biggest difference between an expert and a novice.

But what if the right club choice could bring you a little closer to professional skill level? Alloy and wood can help.

Fairway woods and hybrids are more forgiving because they have larger clubheads, which means more stability and a “sweet spot,” Armitage says. That means more shots that start and stay on line, better trajectory and even improved performance from the negative.

As the golf season comes to a close, now is a good time to try replacing your long hybrid irons or fairway woods. Try it. Hey, if it's okay with Freddie…

Ping G430 Max Custom Fairway Wood

$349.99

To measure your approach into a long par 4, to a par-5 double, you want 100% confidence that your fairway wood will give you solid contact, speed and high ball flight to get you home. On the G430 fairways, we developed the Carbonfly Wrap to deliver more distance by placing the CG closer to the line of power to increase ball speed, resulting in higher, longer carry. The PING G430 MAX Fairway Wood fits a wide range of golfers with four options (3W/15°, 5W/18°, 7W/21°, 9W/24°). CARBONFLY WRAP A lightweight composite crown wraps around the heel and toe sections of the skirt, creating a weight saving of 10 grams that is repositioned to achieve a lower CG and increase ball speed. The combination also plays a role in the pleasing sound. FACE WRAP TECHNOLOGY FaceWrap Technology, variable stiffness, high strength steel face wraps in one place and stainless steel head crown, producing more flex for faster ball speed and higher launch distance. SPINSISTENCY The Spinsistency valve roll radius improves performance across the face (especially on short shots) by reducing spin to increase ball speed from the face of the maraging iron. TUNGSTEN BACK WEIGHT The tungsten backweight extends the perimeter weight to ensure maximum forgiveness. TRAJECTORY TUNING 2.0 Trajectory Tuning 2.0 offers eight hosel positions, adjusting the top position (+/- .5°) and lying (up to 3° flatter than std).

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