Akshay Bhatia of the US performs his shot from the third tee in the course of the first spherical of the Hero World Problem 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 05, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures)
Akshay Bhatia made an enormous gear swap this week. He put a brand new prototype driver within the bag.
Bhatia didn’t specify what his new driver was, however earlier this yr he was utilizing a Callaway Rogue ST MAX with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft when he gained the Valero Texas Open. The brand new driver has decrease spin charges, which has been an enormous enhance to Bhatia’s sport off the tee.
“The misses especially for me when I hit it off the heel, it’s starting right and cutting versus, sometimes I would hit it off the heel and it goes straight right,” Bhatia stated. “Yeah, it’s been — it was really, really encouraging.”
Bhatia hit eight-of-13 fairways Thursday in his opening 5-under 67, good for T-3. He was center of the pack in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, however he additionally led the sector in placing.
Even when the numbers on his driver weren’t a number of the greatest within the discipline, his confidence with the motive force has modified his perspective on the tee field.
“When I’m aiming down the right side and it’s not cutting, it’s a scary feeling for me because I’ve always cut the ball with driver,” Bhatia stated. “Now I have that opportunity to start it, aim it right, feel comfortable it’s going to go left and having the one-way miss is important.”
