We passed the mathematical halfway point of the season last week and we’re less than two weeks away from the All-Star break. The trade deadline is only a month away. Are the various postseason races any clearer now than they were a month ago? No, not really. That could make swinging deals at the deadline even more challenging because there are fewer willing sellers.

Until the trade market really heats up, here are three trends around the league to keep an eye on as we head into the dog days of summer.

Paul Skenes’ recent rough patch

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By any measure, Pirates ace and reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes is having a fantastic season. Going into Tuesday, he ranked fifth among qualified starters with 2.8 WAR and was second with a 30.6% strikeout rate. His expected ERA, which factors in contact quality allowed (exit velocity, etc.), was second only to Jacob Misiorowski. Skenes has been terrific.

It is also true that Skenes this year has not been quite as dominant as in the last two years. His 3.10 ERA is more than a full run higher than 2024-25, his 2.75 FIP is up almost half a run from 2025, and his overall pitching value per Statcast has slipped from the 100th percentile last season to the 95th percentile this season. Still excellent, obviously, but a step down from 2024-25.

In his last eight starts, Skenes has a 4.40 ERA and 3.45 xERA, and he’s allowed four runs three times. Already three times this year, he’s allowed five runs, and five times he’s allowed at least four runs. Last year, Skenes allowed five runs once and at least four runs only four times. That has prompted a round of “what’s wrong with Skenes?” questions, understandably.

There are two big and pretty obvious reasons 2026 Skenes has been a (slight) step down from 2024-25 Skenes. Let’s examine.

1. Pittsburgh’s defense is awful. The eye test says it and the numbers confirm it. The Pirates, with an outfield full of DHs, have -12 outs above average as a team. Their Defensive Efficiency, which is simply the percentage of batted balls converted into outs, is sixth-worst in baseball at 0.691 (69.1%). The MLB average is 0.700.

The defense has hurt Skenes more than most. Among the 168 pitchers who’ve had at least 100 defensive opportunities behind them, only three have been hurt more by their defense than Skenes.

The Pirates are at -12 OAA as a team, remember, which means they’re at -6 behind Skenes alone and -6 behind every other pitcher on the staff. They’ve channeled half their poor defense behind a guy who’s thrown 12% of their innings. xERA and barrel rate tell us Skenes doesn’t give up much hard contact, yet the Pirates aren’t making plays behind him.

2. There’s some sample size noise with men on base. With the bases empty, Skenes is holding hitters to a .178/.244/.342 batting line. With men on, those numbers jump to .254/.286/.328. This is a new issue. Skenes held hitters to a .187/.257/.251 line with men on base from 2024-25 and that looks a lot like his 2026 numbers with the bases empty.

Because he doesn’t allow many baserunners in general, only about one-third of the batters Skenes has faced this year have come with men on base. Those batters have a .319 batting average on baseballs in play, up from .262 with men on the last two years and his .276 career average overall. In a relatively small sample with men on, more balls have found grass this year.

This ties back to Pittsburgh’s shaky defense. We saw it right in the first inning on Opening Day. Surely you remember this:

It is notable that Skenes has lost velocity. His average fastball has dipped from 98.8 mph in 2024 to 98.2 mph in 2025 to 97.0 mph in 2026. Velocity loss is normal. Most pitchers never throw harder than they do in their first year in the big leagues. The velocity loss only shows up in Skenes’ fastball. It’s not an across-the-board decline, suggesting he may be taking something off to locate better.

Even with the velocity loss, Skenes is getting great results with his fastball. The swing-and-miss and hard contact numbers are not just in line with 2024 and 2025; they’re better. This is the most effective Skenes’ fastball has ever been, really. I understand pointing to the velocity loss and worrying about it, but it’s not the root cause of his recent problems. His fastball’s plenty good.

More than anything, the Pirates have to do a better job catching the ball behind their ace. Playing just below-average defense would be an improvement. The numbers with runners on base scream small sample size weirdness. Skenes showed us the last two years he can dominate in those situations. As long as he’s healthy, and by all accounts he is, I wouldn’t worry about him at all. 

“I’m happy with it overall,” Skenes said about his season to date last week (via MLB.com). “I think it’s been a little bit odd. But in terms of the controllables, I’ve been happy with how I’ve been throwing, and just gonna continue to get better.”  

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Cleveland’s uncharacteristically shaky bullpen

For several years now, the Guardians boasted one of baseball’s best and deepest bullpens. By OPS+, Cleveland has not had even a league-average offense since 2022. The formula has been good starting pitching, scratch out a few runs, then smother the other team with the bullpen. It’s worked well for them. The Guardians have won the last two and three of the last four AL Central titles.

This year, things are not quite going according to plan. José Ramírez’s hamate injury has, predictably, been a significant blow. Going into Tuesday, the Guardians were averaging 3.46 runs per game since Ramírez’s injury. It was 4.01 runs per game before that, and even that is well below the 4.49 league average. Cleveland has very little margin of error with this offense now.

To make matters worse, the bullpen is no longer the dominant, best-in-the-league force. It isn’t a bad bullpen by any means, but it’s closer to middle of the pack now rather than elite. Here are the bullpen’s numbers going into Tuesday:

By win probability added, the 2024 Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball history. That was a dominant, suffocating unit that carried a not-quite-league-average offense to 92 wins and an ALCS berth. Last year’s bullpen was not 2024 good, but it was very good, and one of the best in baseball. Manager Stephen Vogt has almost no bad options out there.

This year’s bullpen piles up strikeouts but is middle of the pack everywhere else. xERA, or expected ERA, incorporates exit velocity, and tells us Cleveland’s bullpen is giving up more hard contact this year than in the past. That shows up in the home run rate too. Closer Cade Smith has given up three homers already this year. He gave up five over the previous two years combined.

Last week, Smith gave up home runs on back-to-back pitches to blow a save against the White Sox. The Guardians came back to win that game, but it was the sort of ninth-inning meltdown that a) Cleveland can’t afford with their current offense, and b) is uncharacteristic for Smith, who has otherwise been terrific this season.

The elephant in the room here is Emmanuel Clase, who will almost certainly never pitch in MLB again given the gambling scandal. Clase’s last game was last July 26 and he was a top closer right up until he was put on administrative leave. He’s gone now and that’s one fewer high-end reliever the Guardians have to work with. Clase’s on-field production has been missed.

Without a top-tier bullpen, the plan becomes much harder to execute. Only the Padres average fewer runs scored per game than the Guardians. Whatever leads they can build, the bullpen must make stand up, and the bullpen hasn’t always made things easy this year. Again, it’s a good bullpen. It’s just not a great bullpen, and the Guardians were built around great bullpens for years.

The sudden drop in ‘drag’

Three months into the season, offense has been up and down league-wide. Up and down and then up again, more accurately. It’s easiest if I just show you the numbers:

The league’s home run rate and thus overall offense always tick up in the summer. The weather warms up and the ball flies farther, plus hitters get into midseason form. There’s also attrition on the pitching side. Whenever a pitcher gets hurt, he is replaced by someone who was in Triple-A. A diluted pitching pool contributes to the league’s offensive environment as well.

Offense ticks up as we get into the summer, though it rarely dips in May like it did this year. It dipped significantly. The difference between April (4.51 runs per game) and May (4.30 runs per game) is one run per team every five games, give or take. It’s six additional runs each night across the league for an entire month. It adds up. For whatever reason, offense dipped in May.

It’s also notable that the offensive uptick in June came with a decline in “drag” on the baseball. In English, drag measures how the baseball interacts with the air. When there’s more drag, the ball doesn’t fly as much. When drag is low, the ball carries. The seams on the baseball, how tightly wound the core of the ball is, things like that affect the drag on the baseball.

Right now, drag is at its lowest point since 2019, when all sorts of home run records were set. It wasn’t like this all season. Drag was in line with last season until about mid-May, then it fell off a cliff. The fine folks at Statcast keep tabs on drag. Here’s the data:

MLB has not always been the most forthcoming when it comes to the state of the baseball. The league denied intentionally juicing the ball in 2019, then they said any changes to the baseball that season were unintentional, then we learned two different baseballs were used in 2021. Every year, it’s a mystery how the ball, the single most important piece of equipment in the game, will play.

On Wednesday, MLB issued a statement to The Athletic saying there was a recent aesthetic issue related to “excess oil from the yarn inside the baseball,” and added they don’t see any evidence showing this issue is causing the decline in drag. Here is the league’s statement:

In early February, Rawlings notified MLB of an aesthetic issue with the baseballs that shipped for 2026 Spring Training and the Regular Season. In approximately 50% of the baseballs, some excess oil from the yarn inside the baseball filtered through the leather cover of the ball, creating some yellow discoloration. Both Rawlings and MLB’s independent laboratory at UMass-Lowell completed testing on these baseballs, and the baseballs were within specifications and performed consistent with prior years. We notified the Clubs and the MLBPA of the issue in February, and consistent with baseball chain of custody procedures, MLB’s gameday compliance monitors remove any baseballs that show cosmetic imperfections after the pregame mudding process. Rawlings has resolved the issue with the yarn supplier, but due to the necessary lead times associated with baseball production, the balls without the staining will not be shipped to Clubs until late in the 2026 season or early 2027.

MLB makes drag data available to the public on Baseball Savant and we are aware of the recent reduction in drag. To be clear, there has been no change in the materials or manufacturing process of the baseball. Because the baseball is hand-sewn and is made with natural materials, we expect variation in performance both throughout the season and between seasons. Rawlings and our scientists do not see any evidence to date that the yellow staining is related to this change in drag. We will continue to monitor the performance of the baseball as the season progresses.

Every baseball is handmade at the Rawlings factory in Costa Rica (MLB owns Rawlings) and every handmade process will come with variations. Some baseballs have higher seams than others, a tighter core, etc. The league has specification ranges for the baseball and even little variations within those ranges (seam height, etc.) can have a big impact on the way the baseball plays.

Whatever the reason, drag on the baseball has declined these last few weeks, and when drag is down, the ball carries more. We’re seeing that show up in the league’s home run rate. Drag is one of several factors explaining why offense was up last month. Drag, the weather, pitching talent, games in Las Vegas, all that contributes to the state of offense.

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When the group stage match between England and Ghana was put on hold for at “hydration break” after 22 minutes, loud boos rang out from the stands of Boston Stadium. The players trudged to the sidelines, and the coaches gathered their teams around them for brief tactical instructions. Just a few days into the World Cup, it had already become clear; no change is polarizing the fans quite like these mandatory interruptions in play.

“As a coach, I would have loved it,” Jürgen Klopp told DW. A few extra minutes for tactical instructions give a team a clear advantage.

However, the former Liverpool and Dortmund manager also voiced criticism.

“There is a problem with the length of the water breaks and what TV broadcasters or FIFA do during them.”

From heat protection to a bone of contention

The rule was introduced officially to help players cope with the summer heat. Matches at this World Cup are stopped twice in addition to the halftime break, at around the 22nd and 67th minutes. Unlike in previous major tournaments or league games, the decision to call a water break isn’t based on how hot it is, although the idea of introducing them came up during last summer’s Club World Cup, when extremely high temperatures were a problem.

At this World Cup, though, the hydration break has become a major bone of contention.

“I don’t like this water break,” an Iraq fan told DW in Philadelphia.

“If the players really need a drink, they should just do it before taking a corner kick.”

On the sidelines of the match between Argentina and Austria, another fan pointed to the fact that it was being played in a covered stadium in Dallas: “The air conditioning is running here, so where is the heat?”

Not just a water break

It is primarily the impact on the game that is sparking debate. In many cases, what was meant to be a brief opportunity to hydrate has turned into a tactical timeout. Coaches adjust formations, give instructions to players, and disrupt the opponent’s rhythm.

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“On one hand, the breaks have changed the game by giving coaches more influence; on the other, they break the flow of play for the fans,” an Argentina supporter told DW.

Research conducted by the English newspaper “The Times” suggests this impression is not merely subjective. Using Opta data, the paper evaluated every group-stage match. A significant shift in momentum occurred in 32% of matches after the first water break, and in 26% after the second. On average, match momentum dropped by 17% following an interruption. Particularly striking was the finding that the team with higher momentum prior to the break experienced a much sharper decline in momentum afterward.

Players and coaches also view this trend critically. Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk noted that the interruptions are far from ideal for neutral viewers watching on TV. While water breaks make sense in extreme heat, he argued that decisions regarding their use should be made on a match-by-match basis.

England manager Thomas Tuchel criticized the fact that the breaks unnecessarily prolong the matches. Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro went so far as to say that soccer is increasingly evolving into a game played in four quarters—a comparison that comes naturally in North America, given that popular American sports, like basketball and American football, are structured that way.

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A financial windfall for FIFA?

That is precisely where another point of criticism arises. In many countries, broadcasters are using these guaranteed stoppages for commercial breaks, something previously almost unheard of in soccer.

“They have to fit in their advertising; from a corporate perspective, that probably makes sense,” an American fan told DW.

The hydration breaks themselves even have their own sponsor, whose name appears on the stadium’s big screen at the beginning of the breaks.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has denied that football’s global governing body was profiting from the introduction of the hydration breaks.

“We don’t earn a single extra dollar from the hydration breaks because all the contracts were already signed before they were introduced,” he told SNTV.

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At the same time, he announced plans to carefully evaluate the experience gained during this World Cup. Only after that would a decision on the future of the water breaks be taken.

Medical benefit

Sports medicine experts consider additional opportunities for players to hydrate during extreme heat to be sensible.

“There is data showing that so-called ‘cooling breaks’ have a beneficial effect on body temperature,” sports doctor Tim Meyer told Germany’s “11 Freunde” football magazine.

“In extreme conditions, players run less – and, above all, less intensely – and play more safe passes. From a health perspective, that is probably sensible, but it certainly isn’t in the spirit of the sport.”

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The debate has long since shifted away from the question of whether players need  protection from the heat to the question of what that protection should look like – and whether the breaks should apply to every match, no matter the temperature.

This article was originally published in German. 

Everton have officially confirmed CMC Markets as the club’s new front-of-shirt sponsor ahead of the 2026-27 season, formally corroborating the news we brought you back in the spring.

As ToffeeWeb reported back in April, the multi-year agreement sees the UK-based financial services and online trading firm replace Stake.com as the Blues’ principal sponsorship partner.

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CMC’s branding will now feature on the front of the men’s, women’s, and Under-21s’ kits. The deal also includes heavy visual presence across the new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Goodison Park (now home to Everton Women), and Finch Farm.

The commercial shake-up arrives ahead of the Premier League’s self-imposed ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors, which comes into full effect for the 2026-27 campaign. However, those hoping for a clean break from the betting industry will be left disappointed.

Stake.com is not disappearing from the royal blue jersey. Instead, the controversial cryptocurrency casino has simply sidestepped to become the club’s official sleeve sponsor on a renewed multi-year deal. The move ensures Stake retains highly visible branding both on the kit and around the club’s stadiums, a decision sure to rankle campaign groups like the Coalition to End Gambling Ads and a vocal section of the fanbase who campaigned against the initial partnership.

The deep irony of Everton’s new commercial setup will not be lost on supporters. While the club is adhering to the letter of the impending Premier League regulations by removing a traditional casino and sports betting brand from the primary shirt real estate, they have effectively replaced it with a spread betting and financial derivatives platform that operates under the eminently more respectable umbrella of investment speculation.

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Whether the inherent ‘gamble’ of retail trading, CFDs, and financial speculation represents a tangible moral improvement over sports betting is highly debatable but, for Everton’s commercial department, the bottom line is clearly what matters most. Combined with the Stake sleeve renewal, the club is projecting a significant uplift in commercial revenue as they prepare to usher in a new era at the waterfront.

Lord Peter Cruddas, Founder and CEO of CMC Markets, leaned heavily on the shared “passion” of football and finance in today’s official announcement, stating: “Football is one of the few passions in life that inspires lifelong commitment because, like financial markets, you invest in your club long-term.

“We see that same mindset among many of our clients. They are loyal and strive to achieve success through patience, resilience and confidence.”

Andrew Middleton, Everton’s President of Business Operations, hailed the partnership, noting that agreements of this scale “help us strengthen revenues, build a more sustainable platform for success and support our ambitions on and off the pitch.”

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The new CMC-branded home kit is expected to be officially unveiled later this week.

Reader Comments (7)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()

Dave Abrahams

2 Posted 01/07/2026 at 12:08:01

Is there any difference between how much the new sponsors are paying for the privilege of sponsoring us to the old one?

Iain Johnston

3 Posted 01/07/2026 at 12:14:15

The new deal is worth around £25m a year.

Stake paid us £10m a year.

Les Callan

4 Posted 01/07/2026 at 12:26:33

Baron Cruddas. A fine upstanding member of society.

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Paul Hewitt

5 Posted 01/07/2026 at 12:26:34

The combined value of shirt and sleeve sponsor is 25 million

Christy Ring

6 Posted 01/07/2026 at 13:43:14

Considering the amount of sponsorship we’re getting and the revenue from all the different sports and activities at the Hill Dickinson, should we not have alot more money for transfers?

John Collins

7 Posted 01/07/2026 at 14:15:35

The owner of the company is bent Paul H?

Broncos Wire‘s 91-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at eighth-year offensive lineman Ben Powers, No. 74.

Before the Broncos: Powers (6-4, 310 pounds) was a fourth-round pick (123rd overall) of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL draft. In Powers’ rookie year, he only played in one game before becoming a starter in 2020. In his second season, Powers dressed for 16 games, including seven starts.

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In 2021, Powers started 12 of 13 games he played in, transitioning from right guard to left guard for the first time in his career. In 2022, Powers started all 17 games, including Baltimore’s playoff loss. Powers may have won a starting role, but he was not safe from the reality of the business of the NFL. He was not re-signed by the Ravens ahead of the 2023 season.

Broncos tenure: Powers immediately signed a four-year, $52 million contract at the outset of the 2023 offseason with the Denver Broncos. In his first season with the Broncos, Powers immediately became an everyday starter, starting and playing in 17 games for the second straight year. Powers followed his performance in 2023 by starting 18 games (17 regular season contests and one playoff game) for Denver in 2024. In 2025, Powers started just 10 games (eight regular season, two playoff) because of a biceps injury he suffered in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chances to make the 53-man roster: Likely starter in 2026. Powers was the subject of heavy trade rumors through the beginning of the 2026 offseason, but the team informed him that he would not be traded. Powers is coming into the final year of his Broncos contract, so it will be important for him to put out great film for the other 31 NFL teams to review in 2027. With several talented backup linemen behind him, this may be Powers’ last season in orange and blue.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos roster: OL Ben Powers (No. 74) entering final year of contract

The Minnesota Vikings have no shortage of playmakers in the fifth year of Kevin O’Connell’s reign — and ESPN recognizes it. Bill Barnwell ranked the league’s best weapon groups last week, and O’Connell’s team checked in at No. 8.

Over the last three seasons, Minnesota has been best known for defense, but don’t forget its offensive firepower, says Barnwell.

Vikings Weapons Earn Top 10 Respect from Bill Barnwell

Barnwell: Vikings Weapons Are 8th-Best

In a lengthy article, Barnwell ranked all NFL teams by RB-WR-TE groupings, with Minnesota at No. 8.

He explained, “Even coming off his worst season as a pro, Justin Jefferson still has a deserved reputation as one of the most feared receivers in the game. He also has been healthy for five of his first six seasons in the league, which makes it easier to project a full season. And adding Jauan Jennings gave coach Kevin O’Connell an overqualified No. 3 to play behind Jefferson and Jordan Addison.”

“Both Jefferson and Addison saw their catch rates drop to career lows last season, which I feel comfortable chalking up to subpar quarterback play. T.J. Hockenson, though, recorded the best catch rate of his career, in part because he was catching bunches of short checkdowns. The tight end hasn’t been the same player since his 2023 ACL tear, and the Vikings could really use his ability to create after the catch and up the seam to help new QB Kyler Murray this season.”

Many believed Hockenson and running back Aaron Jones would depart this offseason, but both accepted paycuts for perhaps one final run in Minnesota.

“This is a make-or-break year for Hockenson, who will be a free agent after the campaign. Running back just isn’t a strength for this team. Jordan Mason is a one-dimensional ball carrier without much of an impact in the passing game, and fumbles remain a real problem for him (six across 337 touches over the past two seasons),” Barnwell continued.

“Aaron Jones Sr. has seven fumbles of his own over that same time span, and while he can do more as a receiver, Jones is 31 and has missed significant time with injuries in two of the past three seasons. The names on the Vikings’ roster at running back and tight end might be more prominent than their actual expected level of play in 2026.”

No Lies Told

This is just. Minnesota — objectively — has a fantastic weapons corps. These are the names:

• Justin Jefferson
• Jordan Addison
• Jauan Jennings
• T.J. Hockenson
• Aaron Jones
• Jordan Mason
• Demond Claiborne

The Vikings running backs aren’t the greatest or sexiest, but the WR trio more than makes up for it. And if you’re confused why Barnwell or this website believes the Vikings’ weapons are better than most, have a look at the Miami Dolphins’ weapons, for example:

• De’Von Achane (RB)
• Malik Washington (WR)
• Greg Dulcich (TE)
• Jalen Tolbert (WR)
• Tutu Atwell (WR)
• Ollie Gordon II (RB)
• Jalen Wright (RB)

That’s an extreme example — one of the worst stables in the league — but you get it. The Vikings are sitting pretty. Weapons will not be a problem for the 2026 squad.

Bouncebacks from Jefferson, Addison, Hockenson?

Jefferson had to sweat the entire season before hitting 1,000 yards last year; it was the Vikings’ main drama in Week 18 — Would Jefferson hit 1,000 yards? When that question is front and center, something is obviously wrong. The Vikings need better quarterback performance in 2026.

There’s a simple rule of thumb on Addison: when the quarterback is competent, he thrives. When the quarterback is unproductive, Addison does very little compared to his typical production.

And on Hockenson, Minnesota used him mostly as a sixth offensive lineman in 2025 because injuries rattled the trenches. He has something to prove, showing the world that he hasn’t morphed into a blocking tight end.

All three men should have chips on their shoulder this season, spiking the intrigue.

Finally the Season to Cure the Rushing Offense

O’Connell has yet to master one element of head coaching: rushing offense. Every summer, he and his lieutenants claim “this is the year” when the playcalling will emphasize balance and rushing efficiency, but when the rubber hits the road, the team has improved only marginally, if at all.

This go-around, the Vikings have Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and rookie Demond Claiborne to potentially solve the rushing conundrum. Minnesota cannot fall back into his familiar habits, throwing the ball when the scoreboard reads 7-0. The Vikings absolutely must run the ball.

If O’Connell eventually gets fired, it will be because he couldn’t master the ground game.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Golfers are naturally curious creatures. Whether you’re teeing it up with the usual suspects or getting paired with complete strangers, we all do a little scan of our playing partners on the first tee to see what clothes, shoes, bags and, of course, equipment they’re gaming.

And lately, one driver has been showing up more and more: the Titleist GTS2.

Back in March, Titleist introduced its new GTS driver lineup—GTS1, GTS2, GTS3, and GTS4—and it didn’t take long for it to make its way into the bags of Tour pros. Within days of launch, 24 PGA Tour players had already put a GTS model in play for that week’s event. And it wasn’t long before amateurs followed suit.

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Titleist GTS2 Custom Driver

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Since hitting the market, the GTS2 has quickly become a favorite for both Tour players and everyday golfers—even becoming Fairway Jockey’s best-selling driver in June. And once you look under the hood, it’s not hard to understand the appeal.

Distance and forgiveness working together

No matter how skilled you are, every golfer misses the center of the face from time to time. On a typical mishit, you usually pay for it in either distance or direction—sometimes both. 

But with Titleist’s Split Mass Frame, off-center strikes don’t hurt nearly as much.

Built with a full thermoform body, the Split Mass Frame moves weight both back and forward in the head. The rear weight increases stability and helps the face resist twisting at impact, while the forward weight helps players maintain ball speed—even when you don’t catch it perfectly.

The result is a driver that’s easier to launch, feels more stable at impact and flies a little farther while staying on your intended line.

Boost speed without trying

According to Titleist, the GTS2 continues their focus on smarter shaping and aerodynamic design. The pronounced raised tail helps the clubhead move through the air with less resistance, generating more speed during your swing and delivering maximum speed at impact. Put simply, it’s engineered to help the head move faster without you having to swing any harder.

Dual weighting for maximum customization

Like most modern drivers, the GTS2 features adjustable weighting that allows you—or a fitter—to dial in the center of gravity to match your swing. However, there’s one key difference compared to Titleist’s previous GT lineup: a dual-weighting system.

In addition to the rear weight, the GTS2 also allows adjustment in the front, giving you more control over your driving performance. When properly dialed in, this setup can help optimize speed and distance for your swing.

It’s easy to see why the GTS2 has quickly earned its spot in so many bags. With Titleist’s top-of-the-line technology, this driver delivers a rare mix of distance, forgiveness and adjustability that shows up when it matters most.

LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams tweaked her right knee at Wimbledon during her first singles match in nearly four years but still hopes to play doubles with sister Venus, her agent said Wednesday.

The 44-year-old Williams did not ask for medical treatment during a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 loss to 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia in the first round on Tuesday.

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Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion who won seven of her titles at Wimbledon, did not meet with media after the match.

“Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams,” said Jill Smoller, Williams’ agent. “She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week.”

Serena received wild card invitations from Wimbledon organizers to play both singles and doubles with Venus.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis