By E. Michael Johnson

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Masters week hardly seems to be the time for players to change equipment. Augusta National, however, can be so unique that it has some players re-thinking what goes into their bag, especially when it comes to wedges.

Related: The most important clubs in Masters history

Although pros are somewhat reluctant at times to change their wedges, preferring to stick with what they're comfortable with, some weeks present conditions that are simply too different to ignore. The Masters is one of those weeks where players will alter or change their wedges. As Titleist's Bob Vokey has said in the past, "The conditions are firm and tight and courses such as that require less bounce and the players know it."

Amateur Steven Fox already has the less bounce drill down. "I've got a special wedge in play that has almost zero-degree bounce where no matter how far from the ground, you can still throw the club under and get it in the air," he said. "I've worked with that a lot this week."

U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson is another, taking out his Titleist Vokey Design TVD 58-degree and putting a Vokey Design SM4 58-degree with 6 degrees of bounce, feeling the thinner sole provides heel and toe relief, while the lower bounce provides a more vertical drop onto the green. John Peterson also opted for less bounce on his Titleist Vokey, dropping from 7 degrees bounce to 4 degrees on his 60-degree TVD-K wedge, which also features a wider sole than his previous gamer. Ian Poulter also has gone the lower bounce route on his 62-degree wedge.

Most everyday golfers struggle with the concept of bounce with most believing it has to do with the width of the sole. That's incorrect. A wide-soled club can have very little bounce (in fact, the old Hogan Sure-Out wedge had almost zero bounce). Or it can have a lot.

Titleist's website describes bounce as "the angle created between the sole line of the golf club (the line from the leading edge to the trailing edge) and the ground line at address. Bounce serves to help reduce digging as the wedge interacts with the turf or sand at impact by elevating the leading edge slightly off the ground."

Vokey offers some suggestions. Players who take big divots or play on lush or wet courses will require more bounce in their wedges. If your swing is more of a sweeping motion or you play on courses with firm terrain, less bounce is desirable. That said, most tour reps say they are actually seeing fewer players asking for wedges with less bounce than in the past, citing the desire of players not to change their wedges for one week as well as more tour courses having firmer conditions week to week, meaning many already have wedges in place that will work well at Augusta.

Related: A closer look at Phil's new "Phrankenwood"

In other words, as much as Augusta National is considered a bomber's paradise, fact is players are paying as much attention to their wedges as any clubs in their bag. Given that Mike Weir won the Masters 10 years ago with a dazzling display with his wedges, that sounds like solid thinking.

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By Guy Yocom

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- While Phil Mickelson played in the Par 3 Tournament Wednesday afternoon, caddie Jim (Bones) Mackay prepped for some final pre-tournament preparation. Bones donned the heavy white coveralls, the signature of the Masters caddie, and performed a perfunctory inventory of Phil's tour bag.

Related: The most important clubs in Masters history

The shorter clubs were with Phil and the Mickelson children (Amanda, Sophia and Evan) over at the Par 3 Course. But the heavy lumber, which has often determined Phil's fate at Augusta, remained with Bones. The star of the lineup, resting under a large white clubhead cover, was the Callaway X Hot "Phrankenwood" he's putting into play this week.

Bones couldn't tell my eyes were riveted on nothing else but the Phrankenwood. "They've got to find a way to make this outfit lighter," he said of the caddie uniform. "They make a warm day even warmer."

"Your man ready?" I said.

"Oh yeah," Bones said. "We got this." Bones palmed the Phrankenwood, which Phil began dropping hints about at the Shell Houston Open.

"The Phrankenwood!" I said. "How's it working out?"

Bones winked. "He's killing it. The ball is coming off with almost no spin. The center of gravity is high, the ball is tumbling, and isn't picking up as much mud on the fairways. Want a closer look?"

"Um, yes."

Bones removed the clubhead cover like he was presenting jewelry. He handed me the club, which I waggled, hefted, grounded and inspected. "Tell me more," I said.

Related: How will Phil and others fare this week?

"It's about the size of a driver from about 1999," Bones said. "About 250 cc's, but much better technology. Again, it's the ball flight. It has less than 9 degrees of loft, but more than 8.5. Phil's hitting it straighter than his conventional driver, and long. He doesn't bend the ball as much as he does his driver, but that's OK. He can shape it enough."

The Phrankenwood sets up nicely. The head is glossy black, sets up nice and square, and to the eye has even less loft than the 8.5-9 degrees Bones alluded to. That may be because we just aren't use to seeing small-headed metal woods with so little loft. Phil's grips are slightly oversized. The shaft, of course, feels murderously firm -- there is so little play when you waggle the club.

Mickelson has made effective adjustments with his set composition before. At the 2006 Masters, he used two drivers -- one that produced a hook, the other a fade, and drove the ball monstrously long and straight en route to winning his second Masters. He's adopted sand wedges with a tad more bounce to deal with Augusta's incredibly tight lies.

Related: What Phil and Bones really talk about

The switchups have given Phil a tactical edge and a psychological boost as well. He enjoys the stimulation of trying new stuff, and having the feeling he has something the other players don't.

"He has a look in his eye when he pulls out the Phrankenwood," said Bones. "He's excited. It might be the thing that makes the difference for him this week."

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By Alex Myers

Tiger Woods won his 17th World Golf Championship and 76th PGA Tour title this past weekend at Doral. He's still racking up commercials as well.

In Woods' latest on-camera performance, he plays a Dick's Sporting Goods employee trying to sell a Nike Covert driver to a customer. Check it out:

Already in 2013, Woods has appeared in two other prominent TV ads for Nike. One in which he has a playful competition with Rory McIlroy on a driving range and another in which he doesn't take too kindly to being hit into by a group behind him.

Related: See all of the clubs in Woods' bag

Is Tiger "back"? It's a debate that will continue to rage on, perhaps until he ends his drought in major championships. After a few quiet years as a pitch man, though, it appears he's answered that question when it comes to his marketability.

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By Alex Myers

It's far too early in the season to declare a winner among golf equipment companies based on sales or performance by sponsored tour pros. In the area of advertising, though, Nike has jumped out in front.

Related: A look at the funniest golf commercials

First, there was the commercial featuring Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy engaged in friendly competition on a practice range released last month. And now this gem for the company's Covert driver, which once again features Tiger. Sorry, make that "Mr. Tiger." Check it out:

Related: Check out Golf Digest's 2013 Hot List Equipment Guide

Of course, we'd suggest not hitting into the group in front of you, especially if it contains a 14-time major champion known for hitting the gym. But if it happens by accident, like in the ad, it's probably best to be polite.

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By Alex Myers

The Rory McIlroy-to-Nike-equipment rumors persisted for months before becoming true. His return to one of his old clubs took far less time.

Before his second competitive round representing Nike at the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship, McIlroy ditched the company's putter for his trusted Scotty Cameron. In a post-round interview, McIlroy told the Golf Channel, "I just felt like I wasn't getting the ball to the hole. The greens here are a little slow and the Nike putter I used yesterday is quite light, so for practicing on fast greens it's great, but when you get on greens that aren't quite as quick like here, I felt like I was having to hit it a bit more. So, it's just a weight issue. The one I used today is a bit heavier, so I thought I could stroke it a bit more, so that was it."

Related: Golf's all-time costly equipment switches

Whatever the reason, it didn't seem to help much. The world No. 1 shot a second-straight 75 to miss the cut in his first tournament of 2013 and his first-ever event as a pro not playing Titleist clubs.

Photo by Getty Images

Nike probably won't be too pleased with the putter swap and all the publicity it will bring. Many analysts, including six-time major champion Nick Faldo, were already questioning McIlroy's switch to the Swoosh.

McIlroy isn't the first big name to take the Method putter out of his bag. Tiger Woods first put the club in play during the 2010 British Open only to switch back to his Scotty Cameron before the final round that week. He would eventually go back to the Method and is currently putting with it. Like McIlroy, his missed cut this week -- thanks in part to a two-shot penalty -- wasn't exactly what Nike had planned when they commemorated the duo's 2013 debut by airing a commercial of them playfully competing on a driving range.

Related: A side-by-side comparison of Tiger and Rory's careers

At his press conference announcing his switch to Nike on Jan. 14, McIlroy was specifically asked if his new contract would allow him to switch back to his old putter. He dodged the question by praising his new equipment and saying he didn't want to get into contract specifics.

Despite being the world's best player, putting has been the worst part of McIlroy's game. He ranked 82nd on the PGA Tour in strokes gained/putting, and struggled particularly from four to eight feet, where he ranked a dismal 158th.

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By Alex Myers

Earlier this week, Keegan Bradley said he would fight a potential ban on anchoring putters, and he encouraged fellow tour pros to join his cause. But would he and other golfers who use long putters have a case?

Apparently, they might, says attorney Jeff Rosenblum of the Memphis-based law firm of Rosenblum and Reisman.

"It's a potential legal issue. . . . There are ways to challenge," Rosenblum said. "Would it be a frivolous lawsuit? No. Would it be a good investment? That all depends."

Photo by Getty Images

Rosenblum has experience dealing with the governing bodies of golf. Three years ago, he represented Doug Barron, the first golfer to be penalized under the PGA Tour's drug policy. Despite the fact that this case would involve the USGA and R&A first implementing such a rule that would then be imposed by the pro tours, Rosenblum said, "There's not a whole lot different than the anti-doping issue, really."

Related: See what clubs are in Keegan Bradley's bag

What could be different, though, is the number of players such a ruling would affect, and just how effective Bradley is at rounding up fellow golfers to take their cause to court.

"It makes more sense if 10 millionaires get together and say 'we want to contest it,'" Rosenblum said. "Legally, the last guy on the Web.com Tour has just as much standing to sue as Keegan Bradley or Tiger Woods. The practical reality is, though, it's extremely expensive."

Related: Webb Simpson shares his belly putter tips

In other words, the push back has to come from players who are very confident their cause is worth it and probably not from guys like Barron, who fought his drug fight alone and who happened to go back and forth between belly and conventional putters this past season on the Web.com Tour.

As Rosenblum pointed out, cases against sports organizations -- like the recent one involving the NFL and "Bounty Gate" -- are becoming more common. Leagues and commissioner's can't just arbitrarily change/make rulings, but instead, must prove that there "is a nexus between the rule and the game and a need for the rule."

Rosenblum said that if a case like this ever went to court, it would probably be heard by a federal judge, "who doesn't care about the politics involved." Even if a trial were to be held in Jacksonville, Fla., the headquarters of the PGA Tour.

What could make that more complicated, however, is if golf's governing bodies decide not to make the ban across the board. For instance, what if established players like Bradley and recent U.S. and British Open winners Webb Simpson and Ernie Els could continue to anchor, while tour newcomers are forced to putt with a more conventional method? That seems unlikely, but as Rosenblum said, "It's amazing how decisions and compromises are made to keep things out of court."

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By E. Michael Johnson

Somehow equipment always finds a way to sneak into the conversation at the Ryder Cup. Remember Phil Mickelson's equipment switch from Titleist to Callaway just before the 2004 matches at Oakland Hills GC? And of course, the raingear debacle with the U.S. squad dominated the first-day discussion in Wales in 2010. Over the years, however, normally the most talk-about equipment situation at the Ryder Cup had to do with what golf ball pairs would use in foursomes as the alternate-shot format required some golfers to play balls different in brand and construction than those they normally play.

In 2010, however, there was nary a word said about the impact of using differing models of balls or strategizing to pair up players who use identical spheres. In fact, a look at the transcripts from this year's Ryder Cup reveals that the topic was not brought up a single time.

A rules change in 2006 partly explains the reduced angst. Instead of having to play one make and model of ball the entire round,teammates now can switch golf balls on each hole, providing a different kind of strategy.

Our 2012 Hot List for Golf Balls

At the 2008 matches at Valhalla, Phil Mickelson summed up the players' approach given the opportunity to play a different ball on each hole. "I tee off with their ball and they tee off with my ball," said Mickelson. "Off the tee it's not going to make too much of a difference. It's the distance control and how it comes off the irons and the trajectory and so forth [that is important]. And we will be hitting our own balls with our iron approach shots."

According to Dean Snell, VP of R&D for TaylorMade golf balls, the strategy of setting up the ball used off the tee so the player with the approach shot plays their own ball is solid thinking.

"Players get out of their comfort zone when the trajectory of their approach shots is off, so hitting their own ball into the greens is a good call," said Snell. "It's easier for them to make an adjustment off the tee than on the scoring shots where the ball may climb up the face a little if it's a firmer ball than they're used to. That can make a huge difference on a short pitch, while it will make little difference off the tee."

Related: How the teams stack up in the areas that really matter

The opportunity to switch balls got a workout in Wales as only six of the 16 foursomes pairs played the same model ball (three on each side with each of those teams using Titleist's Pro V1x). It also puts forth the importance of finding the right ball for one's game, not just the one that allows you to bust it as far as humanly possible off the tee.

How important is finding the right ball? Well, consider that at the 2010 Ryder Cup those foursomes pairs using the same ball won four times (including all three such pairings for the Europeans) while losing just twice. A small sample, to be sure, but there's no discounting the comfort that comes with playing a ball that you're familiar with.

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(Photo by Getty Images)

After more than six years, the protracted patent infringement lawsuit between Callaway Golf and Acushnet (parent company of Titleist), seems to have finally come to a conclusion.

According to the PRNewswire, Callaway and Acushnet jointly announced a settlement of all pending litigation and disputes, including those beyond the patents involved in the development of the Pro V1 family of golf balls. While details of the settlement are confidential, no money will be exchanged under the terms of the agreement, and each company will have specified rights to make ball and club products under patents owned by the other.

-- Derek Evers
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On the heels of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, we thought it would be fun to revisit a clip from another star-studded golf tournament.

Every year, the Mayacama Golf Club plays host to the Schulz Celebrity Golf Classic--a one-day celebrity golf tournament, dinner and auction to benefit the five select children's charities in Sonoma County that make up Sonoma County Children's Charities.

Named after Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz and hosted by John O'Hurley--who you might remember as Seinfield's J. Peterman--the Classic has raised nearly $2 Million for the local charities, celebrating it's 10th anniversary in 2011. And like any well run organization, merchandising is key to spreading their mission statement. So Mr. Hurley, along with some of his familiar friends put together this pitch video to help sell their signature line of golf balls; Range'.

While Titleist may be the number one ball on tour, Range' is clearly the most used ball by players of all abilities. And now you can purchase a sleeve for the very reasonable price of $3.99 (all proceeds go to the Sonoma Children's Charities). But don't take our word for it, hear it from the host himself.

The 2012 Schulz Celebrity Golf Classic will take place June 5. Visit their website for more information.

-- Derek Evers