subject: Club change puts Choi in swing of things at Augusta [print this page] Club change puts Choi in swing of things at Augusta
Choi, a seven-times winner on the U.S. PGA Tour, went against conventional wisdom by swapping his lowest irons for hybrid clubs in the hope that it would give him more elevation on his Ping K15 Irons to the greens at Augusta National.
The ploy has already paid off for the 40-year-old after he followed up his opening round 67 with a 70 on Friday to reach the halfway stage at seven-under-par, three strokes behind the leader, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.
By utilizing a lightweight titanium face,
PING engineers made the iron club face larger and added 27 grams to the perimeter for a higher MOI. The iron's extra-wide sole features a low and deep center of gravity to promote high trajectories and low spin. High launch angles allowed iron lofts to be strengthened without compromising control. A large internal weight pad in the hybrids produces a high MOI for added forgiveness. The hybrid's offset hosel and face relationship increases launch and lowers spin.
PING TFC 149i
PING TFC 149 H
Material
Flex
Torque
Weight
Material
Flex
Torque
Weight
Graphite
Regular
2.6
74g
Graphite
Regular
3.1
74g
Graphite
Stiff
2.6
86g
Graphite
Stiff
3.1
76g
"I think it's working out," Choi said. "For the most part, whatever that I think that I feel is going to work, it tends to work out. I'm glad that it hasn't backfired on me yet."
Choi, who finished third at the Masters in 2004 and tied for fourth 12 months ago, has shown a willingness before to experiment on Ping K15 Irons's biggest stages.
At last year's British Open, he adopted a revolutionary "side-saddle" putting stance.
He missed the cut and returned to a more traditional stance but said the experience encouraged him to try more new things to improve his game.
"My personality is that I want to try whatever is in my mind," he said. "The worst thing you can do to yourself is wanting to do something, but not having the Ping K15 Irons to do it.
"I don't want to be the type of person that regrets not testing something out when I feel that it's right."
Choi said he decided he would use the Ping K15 Irons at the Masters just last month and although he was still getting used to them he was already convinced he was on the right track.
"In order to contend at major tournaments, I felt the need to get the ball up in the air better, higher, and to be able to stop the ball on the greens better, and that's why I put the Ping K15 Irons in the bag," he explained.
