Ryan Barath
Spring time. Augusta National. Patrons. Fred Couples. Roars. Old Man Golf?
If we’re playing the game “One of these things doesn’t belong,” then in most cases, the above assortment of associations has a glaring standout - but in the case of the first round at the Masters, they all went together like sugar cookies and peach ice cream on a warm spring day.
Let's set the scene: it’s the 14th hole, Fred Couples, who had already provided a highlight early in the day by holing out with his putter from off the first green for a birdie, hits his driver 268 yards down the right side of the hole. Faced with 191 yards from the pin on the back left of the green, Couples pulls a hybrid and…you know what, I’ll let the video tell the story from here.
The "Old Man Golf" ClubHere's the thing. I don’t like to categorize any club based on age or gender because it's all about swing dynamics, but if THE Fred Couples is willing to be self-deprecating enough to call something an "old-man golf club" (a term he has used in multiple interviews talking about his setup), I’ll follow his lead.
The club in question was a Ping G430 hybrid—one of the four he carries from his set. He usually carries a 3 hybrid to 6 hybrid. According to Couples, the reason for using them is that even with less speed, he can produce the height and land angle required to land and stop longer shots on the green.
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Hybrids with adjustable hosels he become incredibly popular because they can be adjusted for lie and loft independently—just like a set of irons. Other options beyond Ping G-Series that fit this bill include Cobra DS Adapt, Callaway Elyte X, and Titleist GT-Series. Golfers who play their irons with varying lie angles take note, these can be built to your spec a lot easier.
So if you’re a golfer who experiences difficulty holding greens with mid to longer irons, remember that Masters champ Fred Couples (who still eraged 275 yards off the tee during the first round of the Masters, mind you) is using all the way down to 6 hybrid—so maybe its time you consider one too.
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