Editor’s note: Our Andrew Von Lossow got his first taste of life inside the ropes with a media credential at a PGA Tour event. He has assembled a few of his impressions below.

Ready for Launch in Houston

Monday morning was relatively slow as players filtered in for the new week. However, there was a special launch in the space city. Titleist unveiled its new GTS line of drivers for tour testing. The GTS 2, GTS 3, and GTS 4 models were all ready for player testing on the range. The Titleist team was on the range with players as well, gathering feedback on launch, mishit spin rate, and overall ball speed. Early indications from the small sample size I saw were that players really liked the spin numbers with their traditional mishits. It will be interesting to see how many put the driver in play this week for tournament play.

Monitoring on the Green 

Seen on the forums in recent weeks, a new putting device has been installed on the practice green. It is from the company Grasp Technology; this machine measures speed, line, and impact location. This makes for fine-tuning the putting stroke to the degree with the multiple lasers and cameras on the machine. The machine reads players’ tendencies for their putting stroke.

Adjustments are made to the player’s stroke when there are major differences for each stroke or a predominant miss. For example, if a player lines up seven degrees open and always hits their mark, their “zero” point is seven degrees. Putting is an art form, but this level of technology helps determine what part of the player’s style is and what adjustments can be made to be more consistent. 

Putting Around

Seeing the array of putters is really another game within a game in the tour setting. The variety is astonishing in person to a newcomer, but nothing out of the ordinary for the experienced on tour. You predominantly see certain styles on television during the week, but there is another world that awaits inside the gates of the practice green. Countless finishes, styles, lengths, and grips. You see some putters that would be a perfect addition to your collection, and you see some other putters you think you could play in the Saturday game.

A fair number of blades are on display for players to try, but the choices are fairly dominated by mallets. What was once experimental designs with a blade foundation has moved to more prototype-looking mallets. What it comes down to is the hundreds of options for the tour player. When good golf is played with simplicity, all of the options are there to make it as simple or complex as you would like. 

Fairway Wood Talk

In addition to drivers, Titleist GTS fairway metals have made their way into a few bags for on-course testing. The player feedback on the driver performance was intriguing, prompting players to give fairway woods a try as well. These fairways have a low profile and a stainless steel face, unlike previous versions. The stainless steel look gives the player a bit more loft at address, while still maintaining a traditional and strong appearance. 

The Vibe

It was cool to see the rhythm of the week kick off on Monday. Not a completely packed house with the full field arriving on the property by tomorrow afternoon. Players are coming in from the Valspar, and some were already in town. Players went through their drills and routine on the practice green, and then warmed up and did light practice on the driving range.

I saw a few players being fitted for new drivers and some putters. One player on the range was trying a new driver. The player and manufacturer narrowed it down to 2 different head styles and 5 different shafts. From there, they fine-tuned the launch monitor using the best combinations. As the week goes on, with a couple more holes left to play in the practice round, the decision for the gamer can be made.

As with putters, once a player found a style he liked from the staff bags, he had one made to his specifications by the end of the day and went through his drills and routine. It was the feel of a tournament week in the air, but the professionals know it is about pacing yourself on another week on tour. It is a marathon, not a sprint, after all.