Johnny: New Sticks Will Cost Rory In 2013 Majors

Johnny Miller cooked up some nice bulletin board material for Rory McIlroy heading into the Masters.

From the April Golf Magazine via golf.com:

Rory's switch to Nike clubs might cost him in the majors this year. They could be great clubs, but it takes time to adjust to a whole new set -- especially when he had so much momentum late in 2012 with his old ones. Trust me: I switched to new clubs in 1976 and was never the same golfer. I wish Rory the best, but it might take three months to a year before he's fully comfortable with his new gear. It takes time to trust them under major pressure. You might have a 5-wood that you hit great on the range or in the first round, and then on Sunday... pull-hook! You have to have confidence to win the Masters, so he'll need some good finishes leading up to Augusta.

Comments

[No Longer Used to be Former Stack & Tilt Convert]

Johnny uses the term "might" which is accurate and not controversial.

[Ryan]

I'd say lack of commitment to his training will cost Rory the 2013 Masters. Everything else is still wide open

[Hilltop]

Johnny was never the same after that bad clothing line from Sears.

[gov. lepetomane]

I agree with Johnny. Even if Nike had ability to reproduce clubs identical to the ones McIlroy previously used, it cannot necessarily reproduce the previous mental element, the confidence, associated with the old clubs.

[metro18]

I don't think it's the clubs so much as the ball.

[DTF]

I agree with Ryan, it's lack of preparation. Ror's should be able to shoot par on any course anywhere with MY clubs in hand!

[DTF]

I agree with Ryan, it's lack of preparation. Ror's should be able to shoot par on any course anywhere with MY clubs in hand!

[KLG]

IIRC Big Jack used his MacGregors in the USA and his Slazengers in the Open Championship (3), and maybe in the Australian Open (6). It's not necessarily the clubs. Futzing around? Could be.

[Dan]

Top 5 it Valero. Wins Masters by 3.

[Will o'the Glen]

Johnny's been talking about this since late last year -- and the further the season gets along, the more correct he looks. Here is what he had to say about it at the Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational last November: http://willotheglenongolf.blogspot.com/2012/11/youve-got-to-love-johnny-miller.html

[Robert Foster]

IMO it is a mental issue. Period.

[Jamie Jungers]

Talk about "Winning Taking Care of Everything" - could you imagine if McIlroy won the Masters?!?

[johnnnycz]

Hindsight being 20/20...I bet Rory wishes he had put a clause in the Nike deal saynig he's got 12 months to swap 12of14 clubs....giving him a safety net to go back and forth.

Changing 14 clubs overnight is pretty stupid IMO...especially how dialed in he was with the Acushnet sticks past few years. He should look at Sneds bag to see how a real pro sets up his back.

Moral of the story: Don't change something if it works fine to begin with...the real money will come later rather than sooner. I wonder if the Nike cheques come scented with asian sweatshop motifs.

[digsouth]

''IMO it is a mental issue. Period.''

Robert, I agree completely, but I believe that the gear change is at the heart of the mental issue.

Hilltop

a big +2: I've never given more than that so, you da man.

Wish I could go to SA. Just a short drive, but I'm not up for the on course walking right now.

Top 25 for RMc at SA and ANGC, and ,hey, first place is in the top 25. :)

[Claude]

Would Johnny have been hammering this issue if Rory had switched to Callaways?

[RickABQ]

@Claude -

Excellent point. I've wondered this myself!

[OWGR Fan]

So Rory was dialed in when he missed 4 cuts in 5 events last year on the PGA Tour with his perfectly tuned in Titleist clubs/ball with a T40 and a T60 book ending those missed cuts?

@Claude...He wouldn't. Look how much he gushes over Phil and his clubs.

[tshirty]

@Claude - I think you make a good point. Nike put the biggest Batman spotlight they could find on McIlroy when they introduced him with their sticks. I don't think another company would have made such a big deal about it - but I still think that his club switch would have been pointed out if Rory had the exact same start he is having now. In fact, I bet you if he had went to another company, people would be talking more about which company he SHOULD have gone too.

@Johnnnycz - At least they let him go back to the Scotty Cameron...once.

[Garth]

I definitely agree with metro18... it's the Nike ball that is the big difference right now in Rory's game, and I would suggest he gets
his lawyers working to let him go back to the Titleist ball in his contract.

[Steve Wozeniak PGA]

sure.....blame the clubs.....it's just so hard to get fit correctly these days,

[morphy]

it's NOT the arrows, it IS the archer.

Rory has had plenty of time to make any adjustment necessary to new clubs.
the first issue was his putter which he changed after ONE round in his first tournament, which he blamed on slow greens and them missed the cut

IT IS THE PRESSURE.

[jtb]

Claude,you should be taking a night class in use of the english language.

[DTF]

johnny that's a great observation on having time to switch the clubs. Steiney sure had that written into TIger's contract. And I betcha Chubby would have covered Rory on it....new agent, not so much.

Garth, how would the lawyers go about that? Have Rory give the money back?

[Rudy]

Answer me this; how long did it take Tiger to win after his first equipment change? Even though it was not as radical as McIlroy's equipment change because he also changed all scoring clubs and the golf ball.