It stands to reason that if PGA Tour pros are gaining
distance with advanced technology in their clubs and balls, that women
pros are also benefiting
from changes to equipment.
Three of the favorites going into last week's LPGA Tour season debut
- Karrie Webb, Se Ri Pak and Dottie Pepper - all made some equipment
changes in the off-season.
At the Welch's/Fry's Championship in Tucson, Webb had the best performance
of the three with a tie for ninth place. While she's made swing changes
and increased her workouts to keep up with world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam,
Webb said she's also hitting a different golf ball.
"I am playing a new ball, the Srixon hybrid tour," Webb said. "It
is a great wind ball, and with the changes in my swing I am confident
this ball will go further. It is probably the best ball I have ever
seen as far as reacting in the wind. It is very consistent in distance
control as well. I have been happily surprised to see how good it has
reacted and how much I like it."
Webb averaged 275.5 yards off the tee, with her best day coming Friday
when she averaged 288 yards. (Compare that to the PGA Tour winner for
the Honda Classic, Justin Leonard, who averaged 273.3 yards for the
week. While Leonard played a short course and hit irons off some tees,
his season average is 281.3 yards, 133rd best on the men's tour.)
On the mend from shoulder surgery, Pepper returned to the LPGA Tour
after playing a limited schedule in 2002. She, too, made equipment
changes that added extra distance.
"I switched to different irons - to Ping irons, and I'm at least
a club longer," Pepper said.
Not close to Webb in length, Pepper nonetheless improved on her previous
year's stats, averaging 246 yards in Tucson. Her best the previous
season was 238 yards.
Despite missing the cut, Se Ri Pak, too, made equipment changes that
improved her driving distance over the past season.
"I have new irons - the TaylorMade RAC," Pak said. "I
have the TaylorMade 540 driver and the ball is new, it's the TaylorMade
(Maxfli) M3."
Pak averaged 268.8 yards, including 271 yards in round two, compared
to a season average of 261 last year. She was the 14th longest driver
on the LPGA Tour in 2002.
Other LPGA professionals have also found changes in equipment to
be beneficial.
"I switched to the new Ping driver," said Pat Hurst, who tied for
16th with a 278.3-yard driving average. "I'm hitting that pretty good.
I'm hitting drives that I have never hit before, distance-wise. I have
changed balls to the Pro V1x. That adds up with the yardage, I think
10 to 12 yards I'm hitting my driver further. I don't know if it's
the combination of the driver and the ball or what have you but I know
it's going that far."
Hurst averaged 254 yards in the 2002 season.
"I guess the biggest change for me is the golf ball," said Lorie
Kane, who finished in a tie for second with a 266.1-yard driving average. "I'm
now back with the Titleist family and I'm playing the new Pro VX, which
has been quite popular by the guys, and seeing as this is our first
week, I have been watching them play with it. So the ball has been
wonderful."
Kane, who switched from using a Callaway golf ball, said she saw
most of her distance come off the driver.
"It is very hot. But it stops," she said. "So
it's been great."
However, Kane said she thinks most of the advantage comes from experimenting
to find equipment that works well with one's own swing.
"You still have to swing the golf club. You still have to strike
the ball," she said. "And, you know, I spent the offseason trying everything
that was out to try because I wanted to make sure that I had the right
equipment that fit me. And I think that that's the big thing. I think
equipment -- the way it's working, even the average amateur can play
better golf if they are fitted properly for their equipment."
