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Ahead of her professional debut this week at the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National, I spoke with Rose Zhang about the events she looks forward to, how she hits certain shots, and most importantly, how she sets up her equipment for success.
These are the top 3 takeaways from our conversation regarding their clubs and their game.
1. Control your variables
When it comes to equipment, being able to control and understand variables is an important part of the testing process. Whether it’s your long game or a short game, having a reliable way of understanding changes when you’re making them can help speed up the process. When asked about her favorite club and why Rose mentioned her 9-iron for a very specific reason.
“My 9-iron serves as a calibration club for my stock shots, and I like to use it as a way to assess not only how I swing, but also how the other clubs in my bag are performing—especially on wedges,” she said. “It’s long enough for me to know I’m missing one but Short enough that I can make confident swings, and given that it’s my favorite training club, I can calibrate my carry distances.”
Just like in a science experiment, having a control variable can help you through the testing process. This can be a favorite iron or wedge, or for many players, it can be a high, high wood that is used several times a round. Whatever the club, be sure to bring it with you to your next venue to see how it compares and how new clubs can work around it.
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2. Wedge fitting gap
From the 9-iron to her wedges, I asked Rose how to build them around the lower end of her set. One of the most interesting things she said was an issue she once had with a hiatus that was resolved by switching clubs.
“At one point I had a little problem with the wedge gap,” she said, “and there was a 20-yard gap from my bevel wedge to my traditional 50-degree wedge.” “I did some testing and worked with the Callaway team to find a solution that would work without changing any other parameters and we settled on a matching wedge for my iron set.
“With design and face technology, I got extra ball speed and distance out of a club with just as much loft and didn’t have to change anything else in my kit to get through the gap. The best part is I can still shoot and play with it like my previous wedge.”
If you’re a player looking for a more consistent gap in your wedges, try the matching gap (a) wedge for your iron set (most companies offer these either off the rack or by custom order) to help with confidence in hitting the proper yardage.
3. Find the right ball for you
There are many golf balls on the market, and finding the right one is just as important as finding the right driver shaft, wedge bounce or handle size, because it has to match your game and strengths.
“The ball is very important to me, and I went through a couple of choices before I found the right ball,” Zhang said. At first, I played Callaway Chrome Soft XIt’s a great ball and offers a lot of distance, but because I wanted something I could stop faster on approach shots, I ended up with the Chrome Soft X-Star. It provides all the distance I want but the build helps me get more spin and feel softer on short shots.” (Note: Chrome Soft X-Star is not currently available in retail stores.)
“Scoring with our wedges is a key part of my success and having the ball I know I can stop faster when the greens get firm allows me to be more aggressive with my approach shots and in my short game,” Chang said.
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