New Srixon and Mizuno irons, plus college football-themed golf apparel

Learn everything you need to know about the Srixon ZXi5 and ZXi5+ irons, and the Mizuno Pro S-4. Plus, golf apparel that shows school spirit. With the Solheim Cup set to start this week and the Presidents Cup slated for the end of September, golf lovers are about to feast on early-autumn match play events, which annually bring about a golf equipment-related question. How do pros in foursomes matches decide which golf ball the team plays? Foursomes, which is commonly referred to as 'Alternate Shot,' is a match play format that has teammates take turns hitting the ball until it goes in the hole. So, one player tees off, the other golfer hits the second shot and so on. But in a world where everyone's equipment is personalized and specialized, including a player's choice in golf balls, that can create a problem, right? Not really. In week-to-week LPGA and PGA Tour events, Model Local Rule G-4 is in place, and it is a tournament regulation that requires players to use the exact same brand and model of ball throughout an 18-hole round. In other words, if a player tees off on the first hole with a Callaway Chrome Tour, he or she must play every hole with a Callaway Chrome Tour. They can change the actual ball itself after any hole, but in this example, they'd need to keep playing a Chrome Tour. If they want to switch to a Titleist Pro V1 the next day, fine, but you have to keep playing what you started on the first tee. In the Solheim Cup, the Presidents Cup, and the Ryder Cup, Model Local Rule G-4 (which is commonly referred to as 'The One Ball Rule') is not in place. That allows teams in foursomes to switch balls after every hole, and when golfers who use different golf balls are paired together, they usually do. What many people are surprised to learn is that teams typically tee off on par 4s and par 5s using the ball that is the preferred model of the golfer who will hit the shot into the green instead of the ball preferred by the golfer who will tee off. Why? Premium golf balls are more alike off the tee than they are on approach shots and shots hit around the green, so teams want the player who will be hitting into the green using the ball they are comfortable with. The differences in performance may be subtle, but in pressure-packed events like the Solheim Cup, Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup, subtle, seemingly small advantages can make a big difference.