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It has been quite a few weeks for Sergio Garcia.
First, he becomes the all-time leading points-scorer in the history of the Ryder Cup, with his heroics at Le Golf National.
Then, he wins the Andalucia Valderrama Masters – benefitting his own foundation – to secure his 15th career PGA Tour title.
That, ladies and gentleman, is a man who clearly knows how to get the most out of his golf clubs.
Speaking of which, we spoke earlier this year to the Senior Manager Tour Operations/Player Performance at Callaway Golf, Dean Teykl, to find out what it was like fitting the Spaniard following his switch from TaylorMade to Callaway at the tail-end of 2017.
Here’s what he had to say…
You fitted Sergio into Callaway gear for the first time. What was that like?
I had no idea what to expect on the first day having never worked with him before, but it was unbelievably easy. We started with the and, after hitting only three or four shots with it, we had his attention. He completely fell in love with it. He felt like he was able to hit shots that he couldn’t do with his previous ball. From there, we moved further and further back from the green, going up through the bag. About 85% of the products he tested on that first day went into his bag and they’ve stayed there ever since. I tell people I felt like I was overpaid that day because it was such an easy job fitting Sergio.
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Did he have a firm idea of what he wanted to put in his bag?
He is very aesthetics-based when it comes to club choice. If he sets a club on the ground and he think it looks good then it has a good chance of going in his bag. If he doesn’t like the look of a club then he won’t even hit it. We made him up a set of the X-Forged and Apex MB and in the end he opted for the Apex MB.
Does Sergio tweak the set-up in his bag week-to-week?
The only thing, almost since that first day, that we have looked into
is changing his wedges slightly. He switched from a raw finish in the
Mack Daddy 4 to the black, as he prefers the look. We’ve also altered
the grinds slightly but, other than that, he tends to stick with what he
has.
Which product has impressed him most?
Without question, it has been the golf ball. He currently games the
Chrome Soft X and he feels it allows him to hit more ‘golf shots.’
Sergio is an old school golfer in the sense that he very rarely hits
straight shots. He is always flighting it high or low, moving it from
left to right or right to left. He said to me that he pictures a shot
and that’s what he tries to hit. The Chrome Soft X was spinning more
than his old ball, so he is now able to hit more varied shots with it.
Not only that, we also got about five extra yards with the driver using
it so it was a win-win.
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What were his initial impressions of the Rogue driver?
It was an incredibly easy transition for him. When he’s testing out a new driver, he hits six shots. Two with a cut, two with a draw, one high and one low fairway finder. If he sees those four different types of shots, then it gets the green light. He also loved the new shape, so I just made him a Rogue Sub Zero in the same specs as his Epic and it went straight into his bag.
He’s also moved to a new Odyssey putter. What was he looking for with that?
The combination we have with his putter and golf ball has allowed him to be more aggressive than he was previously. As we all know, putting is probably the weakest part of his game and he has said as much to me. He said he tends to get tentative and can leave putts short or miss below the hole. The new combination he now has, and the improved feel it offers, is allowing him to be more aggressive and, in turn, is boosting his confidence on the greens.
How often are you in contact with him?
We talk at least weekly, if not daily. Playing competitively out on the golf course is totally different to a testing environment, so I like to make sure he is happy with everything that is in his bag.
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