Play to YOUR Strengths - and Create New Ones!

As I am working with more and more players, and particularly players with higher handicaps, I see good opportunities for them to shoot lower scores, reduce their handicaps, and get greater enjoyment by playing with the right type of clubs to match their games and their swings.


This is based on the fact that...

1. Not all players can hit the ball the furthest, for them, with a 10 degree driver.

2. Not all players can hit low loft fairway woods to maximize distance.

3. Not all players can hit 3, 4, 5, and even 6 irons well.

4. Not all players can hit lob wedges well.

5. Not all players have great sand shot technique (for sure I am in this category!!)


Careful and thoughtful review of the clubs you play and what can work best for you can help you eek out a few strokes each round....


1. By getting enough loft on your driver and the right length for it so that you maximize center hits.

2. By playing fairway woods with enough loft so that you maximize distance with these clubs also.

3. By only carrying a 3 iron in your bag if you want to have a club that you can hit to escape from under trees. By either carrying high-loft fairway woods even up to 11 and 13 wood lofts - or playing the right hybrids to get long irons out of your bag.

4. By keeping a lob wedge in your bag if it helps your short game....but if not by taking it out and developing good technique with your sand wedge for short shots.

5. By carrying a club that you can dedicate to getting you out of the sand easily - the Wishon Wide Sole wedge and some of the Golfworks wedges are great examples of clubs that can really help you in the sand.


This strategy will help you to keep the ball in play, to maximize the number of good shots you hit because you are playing with clubs that fit your game and swing style, and by making it easy for you to get out of bunkers when you get in them. Then "ALL" you need to do is keep working on your putting (and using a putter that fits you well) and your short game.


Being strategic about the clubs you have in your bag is a good way to hit more great shots and shoot lower scores.


Tony

3 Great Years And Counting - THANKS DES!!

I am drawn each Thanksgiving to spend at least a little time remembering that I have been fortunate to partner with one of the best Teaching Pros in Tennessee - Des Mahoney.


About 3 years ago we started our collaboration, and I think it has been valuable from both ends. I have learned a lot about the golf swing from watching his teaching, and I think he has learned a lot about the value of precision clubfitting from my work with my clients.


We have a number of folks that we work with together. A great way to truly improve your golf game.


I have also watched Des show folks how to improve their physical abilities with appropriate stretching. This is a hidden strength of many if not all of the folks on the PGA Tour.....I believe most see how much good stretching can help them to optimize their golf swings. Des has taught me a number of stretches that at a minimum improve some of the back issues I have, and that I think will ultimately help me to hit the ball further.


Another strength that Des has is his love of teaching young players. And his understanding that to if you want to become a good player, a great way to achieve that is to have an indoor net and hit balls into the net. There are no shortcuts to developing a good repeatable golf swing.


We have a great teaching/fitting partnership - maybe one of the best in Tennessee! Thanks again Des.


Tony

4 of My Favorites!

Four of my favorite suppliers of great golf components are Tom Wishon Golf, Kent Sports (Alpha golf heads), SK Fiber shafts, and Infiniti golf heads. Today they were all part of my efforts to build some new clubs.....


1. This weekend I brought Des Mahoney, the teaching pro I partner with, two new 6 irons to test. These used Wishon Superlight steel shafts - I had rebuilt his irons about a year ago and he wanted to compare his older clubs with two newer clubheads. So I built two new clubs to exactly the same specs as the 6 iron I built for him a year ago. Today I ordered 11 more of these shafts to use to assemble new clubs with the head he chose from the testing.

I also ordered a demo wedge head from Wishon today - the wide sole lob wedge. A great option for a player who wants some help getting out of sand traps.


2. Today I also ordered some Alpha Response Offset fairway woods - 18 and 21 degrees - and an Alpha Response offset hybrid - 25 degrees - to build for a client who needs some help closing the clubface easily.


3. I nearly completed building a new Infiniti Assure gap wedge for a client who needed a distance option between his pitching wedge and sand wedge. This is one of my favorite heads, particularly for someone who loves who likes to play a club with a wide sole.


4. Finally, for the Alpha fairway woods and the Assure gap wedge I am using SK Fiber VIP and TT 80 graphite shafts. The great thing about these is the consistency of them in terms of buildin frequency matched club sets.


All of these companies make the highest quality golf heads and shafts - easy to build with and designed to produce great golf results.


Tony

Your First Set Of Clubs - The Fit Is STILL It!!

You want to get your first set of golf clubs, and you have read that getting clubs that truly fit you are the best way to go.


But most likely you think - how can that matter for me when I am just starting?


Well, maybe just as much as for players who have well developed golf skills, the right starter set will be well worth the investment. Here are some aspects of a good starter set that can help you...

1. A driver that is the right length for you with enough loft to easily get the ball to carry well in the air.

2. A fairway also with lots of loft that will again be easy to hit and get good carry.

3. Perhaps one hybrid club as a substitute for a 4 iron.

4. A 5, 7, 9 iron and pitching wedge with "game improvement" characteristics that are forgiving to mishits.

5. A sand wedge with sufficient bounce to help you hit sand shots well.

6. A putter that is PERFECTLY fit for the right length and lie to make it easy for you to get the golf ball in the hole!


9 clubs to start - but built for you to help you to see good results at the start. And also to help you be able to get good instuction to develop a quality golf swing!


Tony

WATCHING AND ASKING - Very Important Fitting Tools!

It is important to have things like launch monitors and precise fitting clubs to use in club fitting. But it is JUST as important to pay attention to the way a player hits the ball, and particularly if there are any physical issues that he/she has.

A great case of this happened in a driver fitting that I did this weekend. At the start of the fitting, when I was about to take some video of his swing to measure tempo and club release point, I noticed that he had a tendency to keep the clubface open at impact. At the time did not know if this was related to swing mechanics or something else, but I "filed it away" for later evaluation.

I asked what his normal "misses" have been with his driver, and he said he missed to the right (push fade). Launch monitor and Golftek data confirmed that this was also true during the fitting session.

One of the driver head options that can help reduce the severity of push-slice misses is the Alpha HMO Response driver. This head includes both offset and a closed club face, and for players who are not afraid to let the club "play" as it is designed - looking at the clubface closed at address - this can be a great option.

During the process of testing different driver heads, the player noted that he has arthritis in his wrist and this keeps him from easily releasing the club. After hearing that, it became clear that the Alpha head would be a great option for him. Golftek results showed that the face at impact was close to square and final outside testing showed that he hit this club very straight. 44 inches, 15 degrees true loft, and the Alpha head. A winner!

Knowing about physical issues is just as important as any other fitting measurement. This weekend was a great reminder!!

Tony