Challenge Tour Englishman Robert Coles notched up an authoritative victory at the Moroccan Classic in El Jadida, carding a final round 68 to finish four strokes clear of Australian Matthew Zions.

One of the new system’s earliest models gave Darren Clarke a rock steady nerve to help him to victory in the KLM Dutch Open last August. Since then, the system beat brand giants Acushnet into second place at the Golf Europe Product Innovation Awards in Munich in October.

Yes! Golf / Stealex have been greatly encouraged at the levels of interest in the SWS by Tour players ever since the Dutch Open, and anticipate that the Moroccan Classic win will now presage more frequent appearances on Tour and a growing number of victories.

SWS is a patented weighting re-distribution mechanism deployed within a specially developed aluminium alloy shaft. The design objective is to connect the golfer to the putter in a more visceral way than has ever been possible.

By inserting a fixed weight at a specific point in the shaft the system helps smoothen the golfer’s acceleration profile in the down swing, producing greater distance control, touch and feel. At the same time, with a superior connection to the putter head the golfer can better control the consistency and the speed of the ball roll and hence the distance, as well as ensure the ball takes the correct break on the greens.

Rob Coles had tied 8^th ten days prior to the Moroccan win at the Tusker Open in Kenya, but knew he was set to improve since January when he first had the SWS treatment given to his Yes! Callie Putter by Phil Kenyon* in Southport. Admitting to a long-standing inconsistency in his putting, Coles says he would often go from good putting to bad week to week.

With his top 10 performance in Kenya clearly focusing his attention, Morocco saw some of the best putting on Tour this season. (Round 2: 10-foot putt on the 10^th; 10-foot birdie putt on the 15^th; 25-foot putt on the 1^st; 20-foot putt on the 4^th. Round 3: a 12-foot putt on the 1^st; 12-foot on the 18^th)

“Every pro has to putt well to be successful and I am no different,” says Coles. “For me it is the most important part of the game. I’d say a good 50% of my victory at The Moroccan was down to my putting. And because I putted well all week that gave me more confidence with my long game.”

The feel of the putter with the vSWS is very different, but Coles reports that he has had to make no major adjustments in his greens play as a result.

“With my putter being short it used to feel a little ‘floaty’ in my stroke,” he explains. “Now it feels a lot more solid. I’m rolling the ball better with it and that brings consistency of pace. Meanwhile my work with putting coach Phil Kenyon has helped me be less technical on the course, and concentrate more on my set up.”

The victory puts Coles at #2 in the Challenge Tour Rankings, but the man from Hornchurch is realistic about where it actually leaves him… very buoyed up but still having to play very well for the rest of the season

* Phil Kenyon is Director of Instruction for the Harold Swash Putting Schools and Tour rep for Yes! Golf on the European Tour.