Special Golf Clubs: Taylormade R9 Supermax

Every golfer has experienced self-doubt. When my old college golf coach told me golf was 90% mental and 10% mental, I think what he really meant was that the battle that goes in onside one's head during a round is far more difficult to manage than the one you will face on the course. We see it on the PGA Tour every week.

Let's face it, at the highest level of the game everyone hits it good. I beleive what separates the good from the great is how they manage the mental game. By now most of us know about Tiger's father grooming him to be mentally strong by constantly distracting him and talking to him on the course.

One day, Tiger reacted to a verbal taunt by smiling and hitting a great shot, and Earl Woods knew at that point that Tiger would be a champion. He knew then that he was mentally strong enough to handle the pressure of tournament golf.

Taylormade Japan introduces their all new Taylormade R9 Supermax for the fall season 2010. Forgiveness and super performance for the average golfer wanting to take it to the next level. The all Titanium head features an inverted cone technology face and ultra thin wall crown at 0.6mm.

The SuperMax is made for MAX distance and MAX ease of use. The ultra forgiving 460cc conforming black SuperMax features high MOI and high launch and big carry thanks to a deep and low center of gravity. The shallower face and larger head provide a large sweet spot and confidence at address.

The SuperMax also features Flight Control Technology which allows for the head to be adjusted to 8 different positions altering trajectory and direction by changing the loft, lie and face angle. With the new FCT Sleeve the R9 Supermax comes in at an ultralight weight of 287g!

Most club golfers however, when facing a bunker shot, automatically reach for the sand iron. Granted it will lift the ball out on a cushion of sand but will tend to flop high and finish well short of the hole from, say 20 yards.

Next time you have a few spare moments to practice, try a few different cheap golf clubs from different lies in the practice bunker. On a shorter shot the sand-iron or even lob wedge tends to be the best option to get the ball up quickly and stop on pitching but when the pin is in the middle of the green or at the back, maybe think again.

Sometimes it's much easier to get the ball running across the green with a normal wedge or even a 9-iron. In a word, this makes for increased swing speed and more overall distance for the average golfer.