Graeme McDowell Looking To Make Changes

Graeme McDowell believes that changing his tried and tested ways will help him push on from world number five.

McDowell is looking to improve an outstanding 2010 and believes that a change in equipment will bring a new dynamic to his game - he is switching from Callaway to Srixon.

The Ulsterman kicks off the 2011 PGA season this week in Hawaii with the tournament of Champions.

Speaking to Sky Sports he said: "I'm sure people are scratching their heads. But sometimes things come to end and I feel really good about the start of a new era with some fresh energy coming at me from some new guys.

"The golf ball is probably one of the things that attracted me the most, the Srixon ball is pretty impressive.

"I was messing around with it at the end of last season and I realised it was a golf ball I could get to the next level with."

2010 saw McDowell win his first major at the U.S. Open before going on to sink the winning put for Europe in a thrilling Ryder Cup contest with America.

It was announced in the new year that he would be honoured with an MBE and he has now risen to number five in the world.

And while he has already been very successful McDowell admits that there are things that he still wants to achieve.

"I'm fifth in the world, which is personally very satisfying.

"I'm not a guy who pays a lot of attention to the rankings, but I realise that my world ranking right now is very much based on my last seven months' performance.

"I have a lot of things I want to achieve in this game. I'm in a period now where I want to maintain this world ranking and prove that I'm a world-class player."

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw