Phil Mickelson is an enigma in many ways, but a major problem is his equipment.
On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, Callaway Tour Content manager Johnny Thompson, who was Mickelson’s Tour representative when the six-time major winner was sponsored by Callaway, sat down to tell some of his stories while working with him.
Thompson said his first interactions with Mickelson occurred in 2011. Thompson was in his first year as Callaway’s Odyssey putters representative at the Masters when Mickelson asked him to adjust the loft and lie of one of his 8802-style PM putters.
Getting those putters into a loft and lie machine was notoriously difficult without many places to anchor the putter, and Thompson accidentally slipped it and scratched it.
“I tried to get this thing into the fixture and then apply enough pressure, but it slipped out of the fixture I had and scratched it,” Thompson said. “And I mean, I was mortified.”
Fortunately, when he showed him the putter, Mickelson was not bothered by the blunder.
Odyssey Tri-Hot Square 2 Square #7 custom putter
We moved Zero Torque Forward. Odyssey’s new line of S2S TRI-HOT putters is a revolution in the “Zero Torque” category. By using multi-material construction, we have been able to move the center of gravity of these putters far enough forward to get the shaft into the clubhead on the topline, eliminating the need for shaft lean and thus eliminating one of the biggest entry barriers to this style of putter. Forward Center of Gravity and Hosel Position By moving the center of gravity forward, we were able to position the Hosel spud on the topline, much closer to the face than typical “Zero Torque” putters, for a more natural, intuitive and comfortable setup position. Multi-Material Construction By strategically using aluminum, steel and over 140 grams of tungsten, we were able to design a “Zero Torque” putter with over 80% of its weight below the topline and taking into account our forward center of gravity and hosel position. New FRD Groove This new Forward Roll Design Groove is deeper and more aggressive. With a 19° slope, it works with the dual-ply design to improve forward roll up and down the face.
View Product
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM: Odyssey
“He looks at it and goes, ‘I don’t even see it, whatever,’” Thompson recalls. “And he was fine with it. So I’m like, thank God.”
But Thompson’s favorite Mickelson story happened later in Boston, during the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Thompson had what he described as a fun but long night out the day before the tournament – and the next morning he received a call from Mickelson’s caddy, Jim “Bones” Mackay, a personal friend of his after being a babysitter in his youth.
“He says, ‘Hey, can you meet Phil on the putting green?’ And I’m like, yeah, no problem,” Thompson said. “Walk over. And he’s got a custom, left-handed Sabertooth belly putter in the bag. And he’s trying to figure out how to use this belly putter.”
“And he’s asking me all these questions about using a belly putter. And I mean, I’m mentally in the deepest fog from my night out. And I had to suck it up and just try to answer all these questions.”
“And then we finally finished and I was like, ‘Oh my God, how did it happen, what just happened? I can’t believe I just had to go through that and it went 100 percent.’
“But yeah, I saw him try, and I think he used it that way, he putted terribly.”
Fortunately, Mickelson didn’t blame Thompson for his performance on the greens, but Thompson said it was one of the deepest conversations he had with him to date.
“It was the first time he ever asked me my opinion on things like that. And it’s the one night that year that I probably had the longest night,” he said.
For more from Thompson and Fully Exhausted co-hosts Johnny Wunder and Jake Morrow, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped hereor watch it below.
Want to find the best putter for your game? Find a club fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
“>
#working #Phil #Mickelsons #golf #clubs #Fully #equipped