Dueling Drivers

Phil Mickelson has devised an interesting strategy for playing the Masters: Two Drivers.

Whereas most players will shape their shots by adjusting their setup and swing, Phil has decided to give himself an extra advantage by employing drivers where the weights are distributed to encourage a fade or a draw. He will drop his sand wedge to stay at the limit.

‘‘I can hit a little controlled cut on the holes where distance isn’t as big of a factor, like No. 7 [450 yards] and No. 10 [495],” said Mickelson, ‘‘and I can use that draw driver and get a little extra pop on some holes, maybe No. 8 [570]. I might be able to go for it now in two.”

To help his caddy keep them straight, he wrote fade and draw on the appropriate clubs.

Before you laugh, consider this: He employed same tactic at the Bell South, where he won by a bazillion strokes.

And it’s not the first time someone has thought of carrying two of the same club. Ralph Maltby of the GolfWorks thinks that carrying two putters makes sense for many players—one for long range and the other for short.