YOUR QUESTIONS
GENDER GAP Fitters know women-specific clubs suit only some women.
Q: ZERO-TORQUE PUTTERS ARE CREATING A LOT OF BUZZ. HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM REGULAR MALLETS? SHOULD I SWITCH? Given the success on tour with zero- torque putters – converts include Adam Scott, Brian Harman and Lucas Glover – it’s natural to wonder if you could benefit from one of these new mallets. Of course, it’s all about trying putters to see what works for you, but zero-torque is definitely worth a look. Simply put, zero torque is a design that helps the putterface stay square to the target line – as opposed to open- ing or closing – by placing the centre of gravity directly under the shaft axis (above). It’s meant to assist golfers who struggle to get the face back to square or tend to make inconsistent impact. Why is this important? Striking the ball on the toe or heel forces the face open or closed, leading to a putt that doesn’t travel down its intended line. You likely lose some ball speed, too, meaning the putt could end up wide and short. We’ve all seen that movie. By keeping the face square during the stroke, zero-torque designs reduce the number of variables so you can focus on the real determinants of success – line and pace. This should lead to more holed putts and shorter comebackers. These putters are great options for golfers who simply want to point, click and shoot when standing over a putt. Answers by Golf Digest equipment editors Mike Stachura, E Michael Johnson and Jonathan Wall
Beware the Potential Pitfalls of ‘Category’ Clubs Q: in New York. The challenge was that Ruddy had plenty of speed but needed a higher launch and a longer shaft. I’M A 45-YEAR- OLD, PHYSICALLY FIT WOMAN GOLFER. SHOULD I BE LOOKING AT
She also had some gapping issues between clubs. The result was a new 7-wood and 9-wood and an iron set where the longest iron was a 6-iron, with lighter but stiffer shafts. “There’s nothing off the rack that Tricia could have got that would have worked for her swing,” Lashen says, “nothing that would have let her live up to her potential.” Lashen says only 20 percent of the women who get fit in his shop end up with clubs designed for women. How- ever, there are women’s offerings with plenty of tech and R&D behind them (Callaway Reva Rise, Ping G Le3 and TaylorMade’s Kalea among them) that will work for slower-swinging players. Whether the recommendation is a women’s set or something else, the point is, go through the process. “With the technology now, I’ll never again buy clubs without getting fit,” Ruddy says.
WOMEN’S CLUBS OR MEN’S?
Without seeing your swing, it’s a tough question to answer, but you’ve left enough breadcrumbs for us to try. To help, we offer the case of Tricia Ruddy, a golfer with a similar profile. Ruddy, a good athlete in her early 50s, had a handicap in the high teens. She was playing a set of women-specific clubs and decided to go for a clubfitting. “I’d never been fit before,” Ruddy says. “I went in just wanting to leave feeling comfortable with a new set, but I was blown away by the process. I re- alised there are no two golfers alike, no two physiques, no two swing paths, so I let the pros do their work.” The professional in this instance was Woody Lashen, co-owner of Pete’s Golf, a Golf Digest 100 Best Clubfitter
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PHOTOGRAPH BY J D CUBAN
110 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025
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