Why Everybody Should Get a Golf Fitting?
I have been playing golf for more than 20 years and currently play with a 13 handicap, but I have never had a golf fitting. One reason why is when I went to a Callaway Demo Day about 10 years ago, to try out their new golf iron set. After hitting a bucket of golf balls, I was told to take some golf classes instead of investing into new golf clubs. I was embarassed at first then deflated. With his advice I signed up for some golf instruction and have been working on my swing for the last 10 years. Sad.
Today when you talk to a golf fitter, they will tell you to get in touch with a golf club fitter as soon as you start playing golf. Some of them will tell you about John Daly who started golf with his dad's heavy clubs. John was just a kid when he started golf and he tried his best to play with heavy clubs. He developed a really long backswing which has worked out for him, because as a young boy, he was not strong enough to lift up the clubs. Club fitters believe that your performance is solely based on your golf clubs. If you are playing with clubs that are too short for you or too long for you, you will compensate and compromise your swing just to hit the ball. I believe that is true and why in 10 years, I have been trying to perfect my swing. If you are still not convinced, I advise you to use a golf club length calculator to see if the set of irons you are playing with, are of the correct length for you. Unless you are the ideal height, I doubt your clubs are of the right length for you. How do you explain how a 6 foot 5 inch golfer can use the same length clubs as a 5 foot 2 inch golfer? Golf manufacturers produce and ship the same length clubs to golf retailers all over the country. I have heard off-the-shelf golf clubs are made for golfers that are an ideal height of 5 feet 11 inches. That means if you are playing with off-the-shelf clubs and you are not that height then you are compensating and compromising your swing. Other than the club length, club fitters will look at the smash factor which is ball speed divided by club speed. The higher the smash factor, the better the energy transfer. A golfer can hope to achieve a smash factor of 1.5 with his driver. This would mean with a ball speed of 150 mph, the club speed is 100 mph. With just a drop in the ball speed by 10 mph, the smash factor would be 1.4 resulting in a loss of 20 yards. Increasing ball speed or club speed is a science on its own. Club fitters may choose to recommend lighter shafts, different flex or narrower grips to you. Shafts and flex on your clubs may help with your swing tempo but narrower grips may increase your swing speed. What's involved in a golf fitting? Golf club fitting sessions may take up to 4 hours. Bring your golf iron set that you are currently playing with, glove and your golf shoes. Warm up your body before the session because you will be hitting a bucket of golf balls. During the session, your swing will be analyzed and a list of recommendations will be handed over. Some fitters would recommend adjusting your clubs. Unless your current set cannot be adjusted, they will most likely recommend a new set of clubs. Depending on where you go, you may have PXG clubs to choose from or a set of custom made no-name clubs. Not all clubs can be adjusted. Check on the adjustment cost before investing it on your current set. You may want to switch to a new set of golf irons instead. The best place to get fitted for golf clubs may be at your local store rather than at a boutique. But if you want more exclusive clubs like PXG, you may have to go to a boutique where you can get fitted for a PXG driver, PXG irons and a PXG putter. What is the cost for a golf fitting? It depends on where you live. Free, $50, $100 or more is what I have seen. I hope after reading this article, you will reconsider getting your clubs fitted. I'm probably overdue on improving my swing. Are you? |
Course Managing Par 5's
On a par 5, you want to play three shots on the fairway so that you give yourself at least two shots to sink the putt. Getting on the green in three on a par 5 is known as 'hitting the green in regulation'. Tour players are different because on a par 5, they want to get on the green in one or two and give themselves a chance to shoot an eagle or birdie. If you hit a driver like Jason Day or Dustin Johnson then all the power to you. But for most of us, getting to the green in three is quite the achievement already.
To give yourself the chance of getting on the green in regulation, it will be vital for you to hit three reasonable shots. It's not how well you hit the ball but also, it depends on the position of the ball.
On a dogleg left, it is important to land your tee shot on the right side of the fairway so that you can navigate your second shot around the corner. If you happen to hit your shot left then your second shot might be hampered by trees. It would be very difficult for you to approach your third shot and to get to the green.
Getting on the green in regulation is the reason for our blog. We enjoy playing different courses and writing about our adventures in getting on the green.
To give yourself the chance of getting on the green in regulation, it will be vital for you to hit three reasonable shots. It's not how well you hit the ball but also, it depends on the position of the ball.
On a dogleg left, it is important to land your tee shot on the right side of the fairway so that you can navigate your second shot around the corner. If you happen to hit your shot left then your second shot might be hampered by trees. It would be very difficult for you to approach your third shot and to get to the green.
Getting on the green in regulation is the reason for our blog. We enjoy playing different courses and writing about our adventures in getting on the green.
How to play Split Fairways
I'm sure you have played golf courses where there are multiple fairways to land your tee shot. One of the most memorable holes is hole # 12 on McCall Lake, a 18-hole city course in Calgary, AB, Canada. Off the tee, there are 2 fairways separated by a creek. The fairway to the left is on the same side as the green and is the choice for most golfers but the tee shot has to carry the creek. It is a risk and reward hole for sure. Depending on how long the tee shot is, the second shot is a short iron to the green. But if you go too long and or too left, your ball will be out of bounds. Do you take the risk off the tee and give yourself a straightforward shot to the green? Or do you play it safe and keep it to the right of the creek then hit over the creek and lake to the green? The safest route unless you are hitting your tee shot straight and long is to stay right and land it safely on the fairway. From there, you can plan a short iron to the green.
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Want to read more about courses with split fairways and how to play them?
Go Safe or Go Home
The key to lower scores is to play safe. Golf course architects wants you to play their golf course the way they have designed it. They will reward those who keeps their balls on the fairway and penalize those who choose otherwise. Playing safe means to play smart. Don't try to take chances and cut corners. Doing so will only cost you strokes.
Golfers going for the green in regulation know the importance of course management when playing #18 at Inglewood Golf & Curling Club in Calgary, AB because there is a tree that dissects the fairway about 200 yards from the green. The second shot needs to be in front of this tree to have a mid-iron to the green. Be careful that you don't go too long on the right because there is a pond protecting the green. A fade would be perfect if you are approaching the green from the left. I was lucky to play Inglewood last summer. My tee shot was perfect. I decided to lay up but on my second shot, my ball ended up behind this tree (picture). The green was 150 yards away over water but I would have to start my shot left to avoid the tree and curve it back to the green on the right. I came up short of the green, chipped on and two-putted for a bogey. |
Trust but Verify Distances
On hole # 13 at McCall Lake GC in Calgary, AB, the proper distance is critical to keeping your ball dry. Don't trust the yardage on the sign if it doesn't feel right to you. Use a GPS or rangefinder for the exact distance.
On this particular day, the distance to the green was 186 yards according to Voice Caddie. I used a 4-hybrid and landed my tee shot 5 feet from the pin. My playing partners all dropped their balls in the water because they came up short. |
Make Notes
When you watch golf on TV, do you notice the pros carry a flip book in their back pocket? This is their playbook and it contains distances, elevation and breaks. Pros will take note of course details when they play the courses and every time they play it, they learn a little more about it and they take note of it.
If you play a given course over and over again, take note of the playing field. Note down distances to trees, bunkers, water and landscape features. Consult your playbook every time you play the course.
If you play a given course over and over again, take note of the playing field. Note down distances to trees, bunkers, water and landscape features. Consult your playbook every time you play the course.