Dear Mr. Goydos - The Indian or the Arrow...??

I read my March 2009 Golf Magazine today, and this month there is a 1 pager on the clubs that Paul Goydos, well known PGA tour professional, plays. The article says he plays a 44-3/4 inch driver - consistent (though a little longer) with lengths of some other players highlighted in recent Golf Magazine articles.

However, what really caught my attention in the article was a quote at the end. The quote was:

"A 30-handicapper shouldn't buy $1,000 clubs. He should buy $200 clubs and take $800 worth of lessons. It's the Indian, not the arrow."

I agree with some of what he said in this quote, but I also think it is a bit of an oversimplification. What I agree with is that someone who is not a good player SHOULD DEFINITELY be taking golf lessons if they want to improve.

Where I think his statement is a bit off the mark is that $200 clubs will actually keep the golfer from improving from the lessons the way that the golfer deserves to improve. I had a very positive fitting experience this summer with someone who had not played golf in a long time. He showed some interest at the start in getting me to fit him for more than just a few clubs - but I suggested that I should build him two starter irons to start with. I suggested that he take lessons with Des Mahoney, the Teaching Professional at the Centenial Golf Teaching and Fitting Center where I do my club fitting work. Des is great at working with all levels of players, and has a passion for helping players at all levels to improve and enjoy their golf games.

Once he had taken some lessons from Des to learn some of the correct principles of the golf swing, he was ready to have a few more clubs built for him. I believe he really benefited by going slowly, getting some lessons, then having other clubs made for him.

However, he did NOT have very good clubs to start with. It was important to get him in the right length of irons and at least the right approximate flex of irons at the start. The first two irons I made for him were about an inch shorter than he would have bought at a golf store. He COULD have bought some cheap clubs that were an inch too long.......but would the lessons have worked as well with clubs that really did not fit him? I do not believe so.

I am about to start working with another beginning golfer soon. In his case, he has a very long Wrist To Floor measurement - around 42 inches (probably 4 inches or so longer than average WTF I have seen in the past!). I will work with him to find the right longer club length, but ALSO will need to use very lightweight shafts to make some initial irons for him that do not have excessively high swingweights. He would never find clubs the right length and right swingweight at a golf store. I also think I have convinced him that he needs to start with some lessons from Des to develop a good foundation for his golf swing.

So Mr. Goydos - I believe that all of us golfers deserve to have Arrows That Fit Us, and Also Good Swing Technique.


Tony