I have to admit that while I subscribe to a few golf magazines, I do my best to not take the instruction in them too seriously.
However, I believe that the October issue of Golf Digest is a must buy because of the feature - "Why You Can't Putt." Now clearly this is a grabbing title their marketing guys got this right. But there are about 20 pages in this issue that are well worth reading.
There is great information on the mental side of putting, some good tips from Dave Stockton (right now the hottest putting instructor out there), an article on how to read putts better, and a lot of information on how to have a putter correctly fit for you.
Page 68 presents a lot of good information on the basics of good putter fitting. Certainly getting the right putter length, lie anglei, and putter face loft (for most at least 4 degrees of loft) are musts. And then - at least for me - the putter needs to look good in your hands - you must believe that the head design is made for you. There are two other items that I think are sometimes overlooked but that are important to consider......
1. Putter length is a key fitting parameter. However, if say your present putter is 36 inches and you really should be playing a 34 inch putter, simply cutting the shaft to get to 34 inches is not enough. Like any golf club, when you cut the putter 2 inches you reduce the putter swingweight by about 12 swingweight points - the equivalent of adding about 24 grams of weight to the head. Good putter swingweights are typically in the range of about C6 up to about D4 - some like lighter some heavier. Consider if you are going to have your shaft cut to a shorter length getting some weight added back to the head - either with lead tape or by adding weight down the shaft.
2. Is the putter built correctly - when you sit the head on the ground does the putter face "square up" - is it square to your chosen target line? If not, then you have to adjust your stroke to compensate for this misalignment - and compensation in putting is a clear way to more strokes on the green.
Enjoy the October Golf Digest issue!!!
Tony
Showing posts with label club length. Show all posts
Showing posts with label club length. Show all posts
Monday, September 6, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Personal Golf Club Evaluation...
One of the kinds of emails that I truly enjoy receiving is when someone fills out the "Personal Golf Club Evaluation" form on the home page of my web site. Every week or so I get one of these evaluations from folks I do not know, and it I think is a good starter in terms of learning what people want out of improved golf clubs.
Because I want to help players play the best golf they can, obtaining this information is a key starter to helping folks find clubs that can improve their games. The answers people provide in terms of how they hit different clubs are not always the same - some for example say they would like to hit hybrid clubs like they hit their irons, while some say exactly the opposite.
Usually I can see something in the responses that suggest areas where clubfitting can improve the player's game. If a player says that they do not putt well, it could suggest they need a different putter but also could suggest that some mods could be made to their present putter that can help them putt better.
The evaluation also asks what is the player's favorite club and least favorite club, and favorite shot and least favorite shot. I know for me the favorite club and shot would be the driver, and least favorite shot would be the 20 to 40 yard pitch shot. Improving short pitch shots is something I have concentrated on a lot for the past few months, and I have put a Scratch sand wedge in my bag - digger/driver grind - that suits the way I hit short shots well.
I really encourage anyone who might be interested in being fit for clubs to first fill out this form and send it to me. After completing it, I always ask the player if they want to visit me at Centennial Golf Course - where I do fittings - and let me make a few simple measurements to get an idea on the length and weight of their clubs. Getting a good evaluation up front of player's likes, dislikes, and desired areas for improvement is an important initial key to the fitting process.
Tony
Because I want to help players play the best golf they can, obtaining this information is a key starter to helping folks find clubs that can improve their games. The answers people provide in terms of how they hit different clubs are not always the same - some for example say they would like to hit hybrid clubs like they hit their irons, while some say exactly the opposite.
Usually I can see something in the responses that suggest areas where clubfitting can improve the player's game. If a player says that they do not putt well, it could suggest they need a different putter but also could suggest that some mods could be made to their present putter that can help them putt better.
The evaluation also asks what is the player's favorite club and least favorite club, and favorite shot and least favorite shot. I know for me the favorite club and shot would be the driver, and least favorite shot would be the 20 to 40 yard pitch shot. Improving short pitch shots is something I have concentrated on a lot for the past few months, and I have put a Scratch sand wedge in my bag - digger/driver grind - that suits the way I hit short shots well.
I really encourage anyone who might be interested in being fit for clubs to first fill out this form and send it to me. After completing it, I always ask the player if they want to visit me at Centennial Golf Course - where I do fittings - and let me make a few simple measurements to get an idea on the length and weight of their clubs. Getting a good evaluation up front of player's likes, dislikes, and desired areas for improvement is an important initial key to the fitting process.
Tony
Monday, September 14, 2009
Family Fixings....
My youngest brother visited this past weekend and we got to play golf together for 2 days. Beautiful fall weather here in Tennessee!
He plays something less than 10 times a year, but really enjoys playing when he does. Last year when we played together I built him a driver - shorter length, lighter flex shaft, lighter swingweight - to attempt to help him slice the ball less. I could see this year that he was hitting this club better than last year......but truthfully the biggest improvement he would get with a driver would come from taking some lessons.
This year I got him to try some graphite shafted fairway woods. A lot lighter than his previous woods, which had steel shafts....boy, these babies were HEAVY. He liked the feel of the lighter woods, and hit a few good shots with them on Sunday.
In thinking back to the weekend, I realize that there are lots of people playing golf - say 10 times or less a year - who have no idea that their clubs are a very poor fit for their games. The realist in me knows that for a lot of these folks, it is not likely that they care a lot if their clubs do not really fit them. BUT.....on the other hand......I think they DO care about their golf when they are actually playing (I know for sure that my brother does, he loves when he hits good shots). So I think some level of good clubfitting can also help folks who do not play a lot - particularly those who have clubs that are difficult to swing. Does it mean I am saying that these folks should be going for a really detailed fitting for their clubs - probably not. But they deserve to at least play clubs that are the right length, and that have flexes and weights that are a reasonable fit for the way they play.
I have a feeling that "someone" may be getting some even newer fairway woods for Christmas?
PS....One Month to the AGCP Roundtable 4 - can't wait!!
Tony
He plays something less than 10 times a year, but really enjoys playing when he does. Last year when we played together I built him a driver - shorter length, lighter flex shaft, lighter swingweight - to attempt to help him slice the ball less. I could see this year that he was hitting this club better than last year......but truthfully the biggest improvement he would get with a driver would come from taking some lessons.
This year I got him to try some graphite shafted fairway woods. A lot lighter than his previous woods, which had steel shafts....boy, these babies were HEAVY. He liked the feel of the lighter woods, and hit a few good shots with them on Sunday.
In thinking back to the weekend, I realize that there are lots of people playing golf - say 10 times or less a year - who have no idea that their clubs are a very poor fit for their games. The realist in me knows that for a lot of these folks, it is not likely that they care a lot if their clubs do not really fit them. BUT.....on the other hand......I think they DO care about their golf when they are actually playing (I know for sure that my brother does, he loves when he hits good shots). So I think some level of good clubfitting can also help folks who do not play a lot - particularly those who have clubs that are difficult to swing. Does it mean I am saying that these folks should be going for a really detailed fitting for their clubs - probably not. But they deserve to at least play clubs that are the right length, and that have flexes and weights that are a reasonable fit for the way they play.
I have a feeling that "someone" may be getting some even newer fairway woods for Christmas?
PS....One Month to the AGCP Roundtable 4 - can't wait!!
Tony
Monday, March 9, 2009
What You Do Not Know?....Can You Find Out??
I had another of those "is this really true?" golf club experiences last week.
In the first year or so of clubbuilding, more times than not I bought some shafts, thought they were a certain flex, and found out they were not close to that flex. Over time, and by being exposed to the folks from the Association of Golf Clubfitting Professionals (AGCP) who will answer any clubfitting and clubmaking question, experiences with being surprised by a shaft have lessened.
BUT..........I truly never thought it would happen with a name brand grip. Last week (a little later than I had expected because of the arrival of my second grandchild, lovely little Julia!) I came home from my day job all pumped up to finish a set of clubs for a client. He chose some name brand grips, and all of my past experiences with these grips is that they are made to specifications to give a certain grip size (measured 2 inches and 5 inches from the end of the shaft) when you use a standard amount of grip tape on the shaft.
I tend to be anal about measuring grip sizes, but have to admit I was thinking of not measuring these grips because surely they would be at spec. But I thought I had better measure at least ONE grip to be sure it sized right. I measured the butt end size of the shaft to ensure it was 0.600 inches diameter (pretty typical), put grip tape on, installed the grip, measured it - and it was more than 1/16 inch diameter under standard. I thought no way, pulled the grip off, put another one on.....same results. Now, the client REALLY wanted to have the clubs the next day....so I put a substitute grip on the clubs (a good one) and wondered all night if I did something wrong, or what had happened.
The next day I contacted the grip company and they ASSURED me that these were standard grips. I came home that night, put another one on an 0.600 diameter shaft, and same result again. These grips would be good for standard women's grips, but way undersized for standard men's grips.
In the end of this, I felt frustrated about the fact that the grips did not really work as expected and as the customer needed (he really needs grips that are a bit oversized, easy to do by adding some additional build up tape....). But I also felt good that I provided a service to someone who really wanted great clubs. He might have never realized that the grips were undersized, and most likely would do some adjusting of his swing to compensate for having smaller grips.
I think golfers deserve better. We deserve clubs that at a MINIMUM are the right length for us, and grips that are the right size for our hands. To me, this should be expected. But I suspect lots of folks who REALLY play a lot of golf play with clubs that are too long or too short, or play with grips that do not fit them. And this is not even mentioning the value of proper club flex and weight fitting.
So the next time you have your clubs regripped, see if you can find someone who will take your Wrist to Floor measurement, and who can give you at least a preliminary estimate about the proper length for your clubs. And who will also evaluate your present grip size and provide advice on the right size for you.
PS............Another driver length data point... In Golf Digest this month, it is noted that Geoff Ogilvy (another pretty good player, no?) plays with a 44-1/2 inch long driver and a 15 degree 3 wood. Still no 46 inch drivers by these pro guys!!
Tony
In the first year or so of clubbuilding, more times than not I bought some shafts, thought they were a certain flex, and found out they were not close to that flex. Over time, and by being exposed to the folks from the Association of Golf Clubfitting Professionals (AGCP) who will answer any clubfitting and clubmaking question, experiences with being surprised by a shaft have lessened.
BUT..........I truly never thought it would happen with a name brand grip. Last week (a little later than I had expected because of the arrival of my second grandchild, lovely little Julia!) I came home from my day job all pumped up to finish a set of clubs for a client. He chose some name brand grips, and all of my past experiences with these grips is that they are made to specifications to give a certain grip size (measured 2 inches and 5 inches from the end of the shaft) when you use a standard amount of grip tape on the shaft.
I tend to be anal about measuring grip sizes, but have to admit I was thinking of not measuring these grips because surely they would be at spec. But I thought I had better measure at least ONE grip to be sure it sized right. I measured the butt end size of the shaft to ensure it was 0.600 inches diameter (pretty typical), put grip tape on, installed the grip, measured it - and it was more than 1/16 inch diameter under standard. I thought no way, pulled the grip off, put another one on.....same results. Now, the client REALLY wanted to have the clubs the next day....so I put a substitute grip on the clubs (a good one) and wondered all night if I did something wrong, or what had happened.
The next day I contacted the grip company and they ASSURED me that these were standard grips. I came home that night, put another one on an 0.600 diameter shaft, and same result again. These grips would be good for standard women's grips, but way undersized for standard men's grips.
In the end of this, I felt frustrated about the fact that the grips did not really work as expected and as the customer needed (he really needs grips that are a bit oversized, easy to do by adding some additional build up tape....). But I also felt good that I provided a service to someone who really wanted great clubs. He might have never realized that the grips were undersized, and most likely would do some adjusting of his swing to compensate for having smaller grips.
I think golfers deserve better. We deserve clubs that at a MINIMUM are the right length for us, and grips that are the right size for our hands. To me, this should be expected. But I suspect lots of folks who REALLY play a lot of golf play with clubs that are too long or too short, or play with grips that do not fit them. And this is not even mentioning the value of proper club flex and weight fitting.
So the next time you have your clubs regripped, see if you can find someone who will take your Wrist to Floor measurement, and who can give you at least a preliminary estimate about the proper length for your clubs. And who will also evaluate your present grip size and provide advice on the right size for you.
PS............Another driver length data point... In Golf Digest this month, it is noted that Geoff Ogilvy (another pretty good player, no?) plays with a 44-1/2 inch long driver and a 15 degree 3 wood. Still no 46 inch drivers by these pro guys!!
Tony
Monday, February 16, 2009
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
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
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thank you Stuart Appleby!!
I received my January 2009 issue of Golf Magazine a week or so ago, and on page 105 there was a "Here's What I Play" article on the clubs that Stuart Appleby plays. Pretty good player, no?
Well, the article says the following things....
1. Stuart plays a driver that is 44-1/4 inches long.
2. Stuart uses a 15 degree 3 wood....hits it 260 yards the article says.
The article confirms something you will see on other parts of my site....that driver lengths played by the pros are a lot shorter than the 45-1/2 to 46 inch drivers you will by at your local golf store. I am certain that he plays this length driver because it is the length that he gets the best most consistent impact with.
The other interesting fact was that he plays a 15 degree 3 wood. And he bombs it, 260 yards. We mere mortals would do well to imitate his choice of 3 wood loft. At the very least, when you purchase your next 3 wood you should ask what the loft on the club is, and think seriously of playing with a 3 wood of at least 15 degrees of loft.
I have also recently seen some pictures of Anthony Kim hitting his driver....he chokes down 2 inches from the butt of his driver, and says that he gets more consistent driver contact that way.
So I suggest that you do the following sometime this winter season....
1. Make a "wrist to floor" measurement for yourself....make this measurement by standing upright with your feet together, and measure distance - for a right handed player - from the floor to the lifeline where your wrist bends. If you do this and send a reply to this blog with the measurement, I will provide you with a first estimate of what your best driver length should be.
2. Look at the bottom of your present 3 wood and see what the loft is. And then ask yourself if believe you get the ball in the air well with this 3 wood. If the loft is 13 degrees or less, and you do not get the ball in the air, maybe you should consider treating yourself to a 3 wood that will help you achieve better results.
So thanks Stuart!
Tony Wright
Well, the article says the following things....
1. Stuart plays a driver that is 44-1/4 inches long.
2. Stuart uses a 15 degree 3 wood....hits it 260 yards the article says.
The article confirms something you will see on other parts of my site....that driver lengths played by the pros are a lot shorter than the 45-1/2 to 46 inch drivers you will by at your local golf store. I am certain that he plays this length driver because it is the length that he gets the best most consistent impact with.
The other interesting fact was that he plays a 15 degree 3 wood. And he bombs it, 260 yards. We mere mortals would do well to imitate his choice of 3 wood loft. At the very least, when you purchase your next 3 wood you should ask what the loft on the club is, and think seriously of playing with a 3 wood of at least 15 degrees of loft.
I have also recently seen some pictures of Anthony Kim hitting his driver....he chokes down 2 inches from the butt of his driver, and says that he gets more consistent driver contact that way.
So I suggest that you do the following sometime this winter season....
1. Make a "wrist to floor" measurement for yourself....make this measurement by standing upright with your feet together, and measure distance - for a right handed player - from the floor to the lifeline where your wrist bends. If you do this and send a reply to this blog with the measurement, I will provide you with a first estimate of what your best driver length should be.
2. Look at the bottom of your present 3 wood and see what the loft is. And then ask yourself if believe you get the ball in the air well with this 3 wood. If the loft is 13 degrees or less, and you do not get the ball in the air, maybe you should consider treating yourself to a 3 wood that will help you achieve better results.
So thanks Stuart!
Tony Wright
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