GolfDash Blog | Golf Instruction, Online Golf News, Best Golf Deals» Equipment

Grab Bag and Random Thoughts

John — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:06:37 +0000

I’m almost back as a full-time GolfDashBlog writer as the kitchen project is nearing completion. My wife said I could get an iPad if I re-did the kitchen, so you see my motivation (blogging while I’m watching tournaments for one). I’ve had a lot of things running around in my head that I haven’t been able to write about so I thought I’d do a quick overview with more detail to follow later.

First, I’ve discovered a great training aid; the SwingRite. This thing has been around since the 60′s and consistently gets chosen as the best. It’s simple to use, makes sense and is the best at teaching ‘lag’ and timing of the release. You’ve got to learn this if you want to generate the most power possible. Go to www.swingrite.com. You still have to figure out how to swing a golf club correctly, but this thing well let you know when you don’t. You’ll also learn to generate more power the way the pros do.

My wife is being fitted by one of the best clubfitters in the country, Tom Spargo of Rhode Island. We’ve done the woods and will pick them up today with iron fitting to follow. I thought I knew a lot about clubfitting and what it can and can’t do, but I’ve doubled my knowledge just listening to Tom for two hours. This is really interesting stuff and will save you $$$ buying clubs that won’t really help your game. Here’s a tidbit; a good clubfitter won’t improve your best shots, but he’ll make the rest less bad.

Is this the year of the changing of the guard on the Pro Tour? The Mickelsons, Westwoods, Furyks and maybe Woods of the Tour are still big factors, but it seems every week that a new twenty-something comes charging to the fore. Is this the real deal or just a tease until Eldridge Woods figures out his tee shot. More to follow.

And how about ole Tiger? He’s not the Tiger of old, yet. Is his current journey a natural progression to a return to form or is it time for a Tiger swing change. Or maybe a mind-meld with Sam Snead. Tiger’s swing is a thing of beauty in slow-mo, but it’s almost painful to watch a full-speed. At some point his body is going to shout ‘No Mas’ and the maestro is going to have to change or get out of the game. I know that’s drastic, but Tiger will not play if he doesn’t win.

I can’t wait for The Open. First, Pebble is one of the classic and most storied courses of all time. Second, there’s the convergence of a lot of expectations about the world’s best players; will Tiger get it together, or maybe Phil will finally get his Open trophy, or Lee Westwood his first and well-deserved Major, or will a youngster like Rory McIlroy take it and prove that the geezers’ best days are behind them. It should be quite a ride!

Last, a swing thought. You need to keep a separation between the upper and lower body at impact. This with a wrist lag generates maximum speed. Try this; as you start the downswing with a hip bump, drop your arms down into the slot at the same time and keep your wrists cocked. The key is to feel like your almost looking down at your back foot. This will keep the maximum twist between your hips and shoulders. Now all you have to do is release the wrists and the upper torso together. If you do it correctly you’ll have no problem getting your back shoulder to point at the hole as you hold your finish. Make sure you’re doing it right and generating maximum power by doing this with the SwingRite.

Custom Golf Club Fitting (Part 2)

doug — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:03:15 +0000

Bob Swets of NoSwetGolf

So it was sure fun heading out to Avon, CT to meet Bob Swets of NoSweatGolf on Saturday (see pic above) to get custom fit for a driver.

It was brutally hot and humid that day so it made things a bit more difficult with all the sweat (not Swet!) dripping and losing grip on some of the clubs, etc. but, all in all, is was a great experience.

First off, Bob is one of the nicest and most generous people you would want to meet. I think we went way over our allotted time and he even snuck me out on the adjacent Blue Fox Run course to hit a few balls off a real golf hole (rather than at the range) to get an even better feel for the driver we selected. Very cool.

He is also a Tom Wishon Certified professional custom clubmaker – and they just don’t give these out. He is held to the most rigorous standards.

The day started off pretty informally with a chat about my game and what I was expecting to get from the session. I said my main goal was distance (I feel like I’m decently accurate) so that is what we revolved the session around.

So first order of business was to test various length shafts – from the supposedly average 45 1/2″ standard driver down to a 43″ driver. Man, that 43″ driver felt like a kids club in my hand. Felt very, very different. And, believe it or not, I hit it pretty well.

Bob then put me on the swing radar so we could get an idea of my swing speed. I really had no idea what it was but that maybe somewhere in the mid to high 90′s. Truth be told, I was way off. It was consistently clocked in the upper 80′s. So that was a surprise. It kinda shoved reality back in my face – hey, I’m not a pro after all (just think I am)

After that, we went on to test different shafts. Based on my swing speed we just tested regular shafts as Bob thought my swing speed and rhythm dictating this shaft. We tested about 4-5 of them.

Some I hit decent others I literally could not get the ball in the air. It was pretty amazing (you can see some of my shot patterns on the impact stickers above)

Next we tested launch angle (see green apparatus) and my angle was a little high based on the 11 degree driver so he thought my best bet was a 10.5 degree (to get optimum distance)

Finally we tested some different weighted clubheads to see if that made a difference but they felt really awkward and heavy to me.

So it was a pretty full afternoon. Bob is also so knowledgeable about clubmaking and components that at a few points he frankly, just lost me, but maybe the heat was getting to me as well.

I will do another post with my final recommendations and what specific specs club I will choose after I assimilate and digest the great information Bob shared. By the way, I also hit a custom iron and was super impressed so I am scheduled to discuss this with Bob as well.

In the meantime, I encourage anyone close enough to get to Bob to make an appointment with him. It just may bring your game to new levels.

Contact him via his website at NoSwetGolf or via his cell at 860-214-7043. Please mention you heard of him via Doug and the GolfDash Blog.

Custom Club Fitting Starts Today!

doug — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:03:08 +0000

Well, today is the beginning of my custom golf club fitting process. I am heading out today to meet with Bob Swets of NoSwetGolf in Farmington, CT. (cool name, huh!)

I have been doing a tremendous amount of reading and research on how custom golf club fitting can really make a measurable difference to your game that I am excited to go through the process. I will be just getting fit for a driver at this time.

I was just reading in the latest GolfDigest (July 2010) and there was an article on new equipment (pages 50-51) and came upon this quote by Nate Radcliffe, metal-woods development manager at Cleveland golf:

“If you’re in the wrong loft, flex, head design or weight of a driver, you could easily leave 20-plus yards on the table”

A few pages forward Bubba Watson shares a story of his wife who went from a 9 degree driver to a 13 degree driver and gained 45 yards! A common misperception is to get a lower lofted driver (like John Daly’s 7 degree) to get more distance – not necessarily true!

Bubba also says:

“Trying a longer shaft is a popular suggestion these days, but most players should, if anything, try a shaft half an inch shorter than what’s in their driver. (The average, off-the-rack drivershaft today is 45 1/2″ inches) Tiger Woods at his longest used a relatively short 43 1/2″ inch driver, with a steel shaft to boot. You’ll find it easier to hit he sweet spot with a shorter shaft, and you can go after tee shots without losing much control”

So there is so much information and misinformation that it will be interesting to work with a professional by testing the myriads of component variations and adjustments.

Heck, be glad to – as long as I’m guaranteed another 20 yards! – well maybe not 20 but will be very interested in the outcome.

As I mentioned I will be documenting this process as thoroughly as possible and , of course, sharing everything I discover. Stay tuned, this should be fun!

Custom Fit Golf Clubs

doug — Sat, 22 May 2010 11:15:23 +0000

So after my recent frustrations with trying to buy a driver explained in The Quest for a New Driver and The Quest for a New Driver (Continued). I am now pursuing an alternative which I should have probably done from the start.

I am off in another week or so to get custom fit for a driver. This will involve numerous shaft testing, length testing, launch angle, different weighted heads, swing speed, grip size, etc.

Once all the data is comprised a custom designed driver will be built for me. I can’t say I’m just a little nervous about it as it will not be a “Callaway F9″ driver or a “Taylor Made R-9″ but will be built from golf club components (that are, of course, optimized for my specific swing).

I have never had this done and am quite excited about getting fitted (for a driver only) and even more excited of learning the process of getting fitted, the technology used, how it has measurably improved many players shots and how it could help my (your) game.

I will be sharing the entire experience, including the company I am working with, the prices – everything. I think this could be quite valuable and hopefully a new way of thinking about the control we actually have in choosing (and customizing) our golf equipment.

How Custom Golf Club Fitting Can Measurably Improve Your Game

doug — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:55:26 +0000

Check out this video to see the advantages of how custom golf club fitting can definitely improve your golf game.

I love this guy Tom Wishon. He is the voice of reason and practicality in an often, very confusing and mis-leading golf equipment market.

This piece above is all about what custom fit golf equipment can do for you.

Tom shares:

What are the tangible benefits from getting custom fit
What custom fitting actually does for your game
Why 12-26 handicaps will tends to see the most shot (and score) improvement through custom fitting
Why getting your current equipment customized may not be such a good idea
7 custom equipment and 4 swing variables that can affect your game

Check out the Clubmaker Locator to help with custom fitting through Tom Wishon Golf Technology.

Quest for a New Driver (Continued)

doug — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:49:20 +0000

Ok, here’s an update on my recent post The Quest for a New Driver.

I’ll cut right to the chase. The Ping G15 driver I initially purchased was sent back the day after I took it to the range. I just could not hit the club. Everything was a slice or peeled off to the left (I’m left-handed) with a severe loss in distance.

This is probably due to the wrong loft. I purchased an 8.5 degree when I usually hit a 10.5. 2 degrees is not a lot but when it comes to a flatter face club like the driver it makes all the difference. I believe the shaft flex is still OK with a R shaft.

I think emotion really got the better of me. I was looking for more distance but I should have known that loft was not suited to a recreational player like me – oh well!

Needless to say I was very disappointed because I loved the look and feel of the G15. Very classic and very confident feeling at address. Before I hit it I felt like it was going to go 300 yards on the first swing – not quite.

First, I was glad I ordered from TGW with the 30-day playability guarantee. This means (on selected clubs) you can play it for up to 30 days and then return it for another club it the one you purchased does not suit you.

Well, the caveat to this guarantee is that you can only do it once – which I did not know. The customer service rep said “people will play for 30 days and just keep returning it for a new one” I can understand what she meant but I am curious if this is really being done and is supported by facts.

I am sure you will have the occasional customer who has nothing better to do then package and repackage clubs in order to keep getting a new one but, for me, (and I suspect many others) I just want to find the right driver for ME. I am not interested in playing games with ordering a new club every month. Once I find it I want to keep it – for a long time.

So I don’t really understand this guarantee of returning a club only once. If it takes me a few clubs, so what, they still get my business because there is no cash return (only credit)

This is definitely an issue for me. I know there are some companies who do have demo programs where you can try clubs for X amount of time the return them. You can do this as many times as you like.

Otherwise you have to be aware of and attend demo days in your area. Really the only way to test a club is at the range. There is no way you can get any feedback from hitting in one of these little indoor hitting areas.

So, to sum up. First mistake was not not getting tested (see article I mentioned above) Second was getting caught up in thinking I am a different player than I am (the loft issue)

Third, I should have investigated an alternate demo program with unlimited return because now I’m stuck with a $300 credit at TGW and really don’t want to purchase another driver in fear that’s it’s the wrong one.

I already used my one-time “30-day playability guarantee” so I’m screwed if a get a driver that I cannot use again. It would probably end up on Ebay for a fraction of it’s new price.

I’ll keep you posted on next steps.

The Quest for a New Driver

doug — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:44:30 +0000

So I have been on a quest a for a new golf driver for about a month now. Finding the right driver can be both maddening and fun at the same time but I’ve made my choice.

I kept hemming and hawing about it because I did not play as much as anticipated in the last few years but I have re-dedicated myself to playing substantially more in 2010.

I have had the same Cobra driver now for 3+ years and it was just time to upgrade. It was a 360cc head and I felt like it was just losing it’s pop. Maybe that was psychological, not sure, but anyway, it was time.

Now, just to let you know, I did a lot of things right and a number of things wrong (in my opinion) in making my final selection.

Being a golf blog writer for a number of years I know there is a process you should go through which I did not. That is really to go get tested at some sort of golf facility, like SwingLabs or GolfTec and get your swing speed, launch angle and all of that tested so you have a solid baseline of what you’re looking for.

I even put up an article/video not long ago by Tom Wishon called Tom Wishon and the Truth about Golf Equipment, where he emphatically discusses the last “remarkable technology” which is really custom fitting. Check it out – it’s well worth listening too.

But for a lot of reasons (they’re all excuses – so it doesn’t really matter) I did not do this. I ordered directly from a catalog.

The other biggie is I have never hit the club – one of the “grand poobahs” of no no’s when purchasing a new club. But I have have been reading Reworkby the founders of 37 Signals (one of the smallest but most successful software companies operating today) who produce business software solutions like Highrise, Basecamp, Campfire, Backpack, etc – you may have heard of them.

They have contrary views to almost every working methodology out there today. But at the same time they sell millions of dollars of software every year. Highly recommend it. So I was feeling extremely contrarian and at the same time – inspired to just “follow my gut”

But I did do a fair amount of research. From reviewing newer to older golf magazine reviews and quite a bit of online golf driver reviews (Rankmark, etc.) – again looking at reviews, specs, pictures, options and more.

I also have the somewhat unique challenge of being left-handed so the options are not really limited, per say, you just have to do do a bit more hunting. Plus lefty’s get a bit hosed at the golf shows and range days where they always have like 3 lefty drivers.

Long story short, I finally paired it down to 2 choices. The TaylorMade R9 460 and the Ping G15. A number of my friends play not necessarily the R9 but other TaylorMade drivers and absolutely love them. But I heard so many good things as well about the Ping G15.

Finally I just had to make a decision cause bottom line is I want to play so I pulled the trigger and bought the Ping G15 from TGW. The specs are 9 degree loft, regular shaft. Cost was $299. Could not find any coupons or discounts.

Another reason I went with The Golfers Warehouse is that they have the “30 Day Playability Product” guarantee where you can return the club within 30 days if it is not to your liking. You can only get credit (no cash) but that was a nice incentive in case it does have to go back. As of this writing the club has not yet been delivered.

Next up I will be discussing my 1st experiences with the G15 and how it is actually performing on the range and more importantly on the course. Stay tuned!

Phil Did The Right Thing

John — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:55:24 +0000

I’m all for Phil sticking the Ping Eye 2 wedge in his bag at Torrey Pines. Please, save me from the ranters who decry him as a cheat. Golf is, always has been and hopefully will continue to be about following the rules!

In what other sports do players call there own fouls and infractions? That’s one of the greatest things about this game. Players have disqualified themselves even after looking like they’d won a tournament. That’s a great game ladies and gentlemen.

If Phil were cheating, he’d be disqualified, plain and simple. That’s the way golf works. It’s not like he’s hiding the Ping wedges in his bag or has masked out the logo. He’s merely playing ‘by the rules’. Remember, any other player can play the Ping Eye 2 wedges too.

Listening to Phil’s interview this past Friday made it pretty clear why he has the wedges in his bag. He doesn’t like the loophole. It’s one of those irritating things that golf’s ‘rules’ foment sometimes.

If you want unfair, how about being penalized on a steeply sloping green, rolling 12 on the stimpmeter on a very windy day after you have grounded your putter and your ball moves before you’ve contacted it.

That may seem unfair, but it’s the rules of golf. The players on Tour can’t all get together and decide to ignore that rule. Back to Phil. He’s playing the Ping Eye 2 to make a point and, I believe, an important one. He’s drawing everyone’s attention to the problem so it can be corrected before the Ping wedge fiasco impacts a Major.

Look, Phil didn’t create this problem, it was the USGA, but he’s smart enough to realize that it’s going to affect the game, at least in the minds of the media. Phil actually said he didn’t think there was much difference between the old Pings and modern wedges available to the pros. Maybe you have better eyes than I do, but I didn’t notice anything especially different about Phil’s wedge play versus the rest of the field.

Bottom line, do the Ping Eye 2 wedges make a real difference? Not in play, but they do in the media. The USGA has created a monster and now they, like Tiger, must ‘do the right thing’ and clean this mess up. Right On Phil!

Learning Aids for Amateur Golfers

John — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:38:23 +0000

I know what you’re thinking, if there was really ‘A Way’ to get better in golf, some guy or gal out there would be richer than Tiger. You couldn’t build a practice facility big enough to hold all the people who’d be throwing money your way.

In spite of that reasoning, I do believe that major improvements for golfers are just around the corner. We, or at least the golfing scientists among us, are really starting to understand what goes on in the golf swing thanks to high tech analysis tools.

But it’s going to take time for it all this knowledge to trickle down. New younger pros are going to have to come along who have grown up with this knowledge. The average golfer is going to have to see the high man in his weekly foresome take 15 strokes off his handicap in a season while still using the ‘same old driver’.

And look at the video swing analysis they use during pro tournament broadcasts. That technology isn’t out of reach of your local pro. Once he sees his club golfers flocking to take lessons from the guy down the street who has the new gizmos, he won’t be able to buy it fast enough.

And speaking of gizmos, why hasn’t someone invented a biofeedback device for golfers? OK, there are a few things that vaguely look like biofeedback. But I’m talking the real thing here, something that would make a psychologist proud.

Take the club back too far to the inside and you get zapped. Use enough juice and you could stop Godzilla from coming over the top.

Anybody who’s interested in where this new technology might be heading ought to check out the Carl Rabito training videos on the Golf Channel Web Site. Now here’s a guy who knows golf, human anatomy and has access to state of the art scientific tools.

You might just understand for the first time in your life why your slice is sticking to you better than one of those things you get from your nose. And you might just be able to get rid of it – finally and for good.

Tom Wishon and the Truth About Golf Equipment

doug — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00:07 +0000

I’m a big fan of Tom Wishon. I think he is one of the smartest guys out there. I have a number of his books (he has written 9) including, The Search for the Perfect Golf Club and The Right Sticks: Equipment Myths That Could Wreck Your Golf Game. And I really love his simple, no B.S. delivery.

Here are just a few of his fans:

“A few years ago, Tom Wishon, with his experience as a designer, helped me understand more about a particular aspect of golf-club performance. With this book, Tom will help you understand the entire field, make good buying decisions, and get the most from your game.”

–Arnold Palmer, Golf Hall of Fame Member

“Tom Wishon’s knowledge of golf equipment isn’t theoretical. It’s practical. He understands not just the theory of why and how golf equipment works, but how all golfers can make technology work for them. Even more important, he makes that knowledge easily understood whether you’re a mechanical engineer or a CPA trying to break 90.”

–Mike Stachura, Equipment Editor, Golf Digest

In this video he touches upon how golf clubs are marketed, the amazing advances in technology, why manufacturers must sell “one size fits all” technology and what is the last “remarkable technology” left to be discovered by golfers. Good stuff.

Be interested to hear your thoughts and comments on this.