Is it the wand or the wizard?

In our case with golf, does the equipment we play make any difference?  I have heard this many times over the years that it doesn’t make any difference especially with people that are running with very old equipment or hand me down equipment and may even be really good players.  Well, I am here to tell you that it does make a difference, in some cases a huge difference! 

Club weight and swing weight which is mostly associated with the shaft is the most important variable when we are coaching our players.  Too heavy and the club gets stuck behind you and causes manipulation by the player at impact to make good contact (early extension).  Too light and it feels like there is nothing at the end of your club and this can cause a slice and an out to in path (“over the top”). Clubs and golf instruction are complimentary!

How many of you have a full set of clubs and rarely use some of them or do your 3, 4, and 5 irons all go the same distance?  My first response is why carry them if they don’t come out of the bag?  Most players would be better off to look at hybrids or fairway woods as long iron replacements. There could be delivery issues, but another scenario is that club(s) just aren’t fit properly for you. 

What has changed in purchasing golf clubs?

Fitting:  the mystery of what works well and what doesn’t work is debunked with launch monitor technology.  We understand what launch numbers are optimal for clubs so if you are hitting low shots with a large run out for example, we know that is not optimal and what is.   When you go through the fitting process and you don’t see an improvement, then you don’t have to buy so no risk!  You’re not good enough to get fit? Well, I would argue you are not good enough to not get fit!

Technology: 

Drivers - the most important club in the bag!  Why do I say that?  If you can’t get off the tee, it’s difficult to score well and really hits hard at your confidence.  The driver advertisements will all say the newest one goes further than the last one, but the reality is, it’s not distance but the forgiveness across the face that has made the biggest improvement over the past few years as well as many stock shaft choices to optimize your delivery.  Expect distance and dispersion improvement if your driver is older than 5 model years old.

Fairway woods- hotter more forgiving faces, more choices in loft to gain you carry distance and more shaft options.

Iron: Players irons, players distance irons and game improvement irons. So many options, so there will be something for you along with stock shaft options that won’t cost you any more as part of your purchase.

Wedges:  wedge grooves do wear out and will affect spin when you are trying to hold the green as well as better trajectory and distance control. Delivery is important but fresh clean wedges will certainly help you have consistent spin.

Putters:  getting the right length and different head shapes to help you deliver the putter more consistently.  So many more options for grips and even shafts now.

Grips: not to be forgotten, have an impact on reducing tension and can have a positive impact on tempo and rhythm.  When was the last time you changed yours?

Balls: this is the only piece of equipment you use on every shot and yet there can be little consideration on this purchase other than price.  We provide a ball fitting service as part of lesson packages. A poor ball fit will affect a good club fit as well as help with greenside control.  If price is your main focus for purchasing balls because you lose so many, then perhaps it’s time to see us to help you out.

What does this all mean?

Part of our first session with you is to go through your clubs and what ball you normally use.  What club do you like hitting, which one don’t you like?  We check the weight and the swing weight of your clubs.  Have you had an injuries or restrictions that may affect your swing?  We then have you warm up and hit your 7 iron until we see some trends. We then go through the launch monitor data and video review and give you the full picture on your ball flight data, your swing, potential equipment issues and how we can help to improve your game.   Our focus at Golf 4 Life Grandview is to make you a better golfer.  We do not sell clubs or balls!

Golf is 4 Life: let’s enjoy it along the way!