New Year, New You!
The New Year has come and we are officially working on the 2013 golf season. Now is the time that many of us think of changing some, or all, of our golf equipment. Thinking that getting the latest and greatest from the equipment manufacturers will be the cure all that we need to get ourselves over the hurdle.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love getting to unwrap a new set of clubs just as much as the next guy, but it doesn’t usually work out that my game really improves as much as I hoped. Now, by putting a new set of irons, or a new driver into play will certainly improve your confidence. Those shiny new sticks have to work! The next time you pull one out of your bag you put your best swing on it, and watch as the ball heads towards your intended target. But did the club produce that great result, or was it the person swinging the club.
When we look at club technology over the past number of years there have definitely been improvements in terms of how forgiving they are to hit. There is now doubt that irons of the modern era are much easier to hit the ball with than those old Haig Ultra’s that you’ve had sitting in the attic the last couple of decades. And drivers have gotten much larger. Again producing easier clubs to hit, allowing for a larger margin of error to result in what could still be considered a good golf shot. Then there is the ball. The covers on balls have definitely changed the way that we all play golf. Hitting it longer with every club, putting spin on a 3-iron from the rough, and a soft feel around the green. It’s like hitting a marshmallow with a $5 a piece price tag.
If you are going to change anything this year, here is my recommendation of where you will see the most bang for your buck. The changes that will have the largest impact on you game for the dollar. First, start by going through a ball fitting. Yes, get a golf ball that is fit to you and your swing. There is a reason that all of these equipment companies make several different models of golf ball. Sorry, we shouldn’t all be playing a Pro V1. Finding a ball that maximizes carry distance, spin, and feel based off of your clubhead speed, and style of play will make the largest impact on your game, bar none!
Second, get fit for a putter. Yes, I said putter. You know that’s the one club in your bag that is often overlooked but used on roughly half of all the shots you will take on the golf course. You use this club more than any other, it’s a very important part of your golf game. By getting properly fit for a putter will help to ensure that you are hitting you putts more online, ultimately resulting in more made putts. Do you need a club with offset or more straight faced? Depends on if you tend to aim to the left or the right. How much loft does your putter need? How long should it be? What size of grip should I be using? These are factors, along with others, that will get addressed on a proper putter fitting. Do yourself a favor and go through one.
Now, let’s go to the wedges. Unless you hit every green in regulation you are going to need some of these in your golf bag. The average golfer is well less than 40% of their greens in regulation. That creates a lot of opportunity to get creative with your short game. Having a good set of wedges will enhance the shots you are able to hit. Visit a PGA Professional to help you decide how many wedges to carry, what lofts, they should be, and the bounce angle on each one. Having a good set of wedges, and then knowing how to use them will help you drop strokes off your scoring average faster than any other club.
Next, look at replacing a driver, then fairway woods. If you are playing with a driver whose technology is older than 5-8 years old, you are probably making this harder for yourself than you should. You need to go through a proper driver fitting, finding the club that will maximize your clubhead speed, launch angles, and spin rates. Sound like a foreign language? It’s actually all the science that will have a dramatic impact on your golf game. Matching the driver to your swing can easily produce shots that are 10-15 yards longer off the tee, and straighter too. Sound too good to be true? Go get fit and find out for yourself.
Finally, if you are tired of this yet, let’s look at those irons. Make sure that first and foremost they are properly fit to your golf swing. This will include factors such as overall length, lie angles, and shaft flex. Then make sure that they are a club that you physically like the appearance of. If you look down at an iron and don’t like how it looks to your eye, you will likely hit a poor shot…you’ll lack the confidence of hitting it well.
Now finally, remember this. After replacing your equipment there is still one factor that will be needed to achieve the desired results with them…YOU! Now matter how good your equipment is, you are still the one swinging the club, and ultimately influencing the golf ball on its journey down the fairway. If you don’t improve your golf swing, no golf piece of golf equipment will help you. So if you are working on limited budgets, rather than getting fancy new clubs, go get some golf lessons. Now you have every piece of the puzzle. Enjoy your 2013 golf season!