Being Fitted for Golf Clubs

March 12, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Golf Season is Almost Here!

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post about buying new golf clubs. The advice and recommendations were fantastic. The one take away that has stuck with me: it is time to invest in being properly fitted for a golf club. Thanks everyone for setting me straight!

So, being my normal self, I started researching how to be fitted for a golf club. After a fair bit time, this is what I came up with: the only consistent aspect about club fitting is that it is inconsistent! Depending on who you ask, which video you watch or which company’s website you visit, there are many aspects of club fitting that amateurs should focus upon….or should they?

Not to be deterred, here is what I think I should focus on when I go for my club fitting:

Length of the club. I am about 5′ 11″ (182 cm) with golf shoes on. Depending on how low my arms hang will help find my club length.
Next is where my arms drop during my swing. This will help find my lie of my golf club. This is the angle of the shaft into the head of a golf club.
Launch angle. Given my swing speed (around 95 mph) my optimum launch angle is 11 degrees. This angle will provide the best carry and roll of the ball during my swing.
Ball speed. Apparently swing speed is not really that important, but ball speed is; I guess this makes sense considering the other factors of a golf swing that could cut your ball speed such as poor contact, swing plane and swing angle.
Spin rate. I actually have never considered spin rate, but given my current numbers, a spin rate between 2-3 thousand rpm is ideal.

As I sift through the mountain of data, I will not be deterred. I will continue doing research in the hopes that my understanding about being custom fitted will grow and fog will clear.

However, I am not fully comfortable about the entire process. If anyone can recommend a good website or video the will help explain golf club fitting, I would be very grateful!

The only thing I am confident about is that it is time to be custom fitted for a driver. This should happen in the near future.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Buying New Golf Clubs

March 10, 2015March 10, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 21 Comments

Time for some new clubs!

It is the season for new equipment. Each year at this time, I look at my equipment to determine if something needs to be replaced. This year, I am looking at a driver and possible putter. I have not made any definite decisions, but this is the process I use:

Step 1: Figure out what you want/need.
Step 2: Research, research, and research. I read the hype of manufactures to see what they say, however, I actually pay attention to the consumer reviews. This is the most important piece of information you will find. People are more than willing to tell you what they think.
Step 3: Wait for it to come on sale. Check Ebay. Check Kijiji. Check Golftown (or other large franchise stores), check the local pro shop (you would be surprised).
Step 4: If possible haggle over the price. The local pro shop will lower their price if you make them a reasonable deal.
Step 5: Purchase the piece of equipment.
Step 6: Probably the most important step – be happy with your purchase. This is very important!

Using the process, I usually find the best deals available. I am not ready to anything yet, but it will happen soon. As I move forward, maybe you can give me some suggestions. Tell me what driver and putter you use and why you like it? I am all ears!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Hole-In-One! Golf’s Biggest Prize

March 8, 2015March 8, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

The biggest prize for any amateur is a hole-in-one! It is that one perfect swing where all your thoughts, actions, and intentions converge to produce something great. Every golfer dreams of hitting an hole-in-one; for some it is a matter of time; for others a stroke of genius!

Over the years, the PGA has produced a rash of these super strokes and I thought I would share them on this wonderful day! So hang and enjoy the action!

Dustin Johnson at the World Golf Championships – Cadillac Championship

J.B. Holmes matching Johnson’s amazing shot!

Francesco Molinari’s hole-in-one on No. 16 at Waste Management

Rory McIlroy’s hole-in-one in Abu Dhabi.

Richard Green Hole in One Albatross at Oates Vic Open Pro-Am

The top 10 aces on the PGA Tour up to 2011

These were all amazing shots. They are elusive and would be considered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I have had 3 perfect swings over the years and try to hit number 4 every time I loop the course! The article by Golfsmith on the chances of a hole-in-one is quite interesting. They state: “Golf Digest and the National Hole In One Association estimate that a tee shot hit by an amateur golfer on a par-3 goes into the hole one out of every 12,750 times.” Although the changes of making that perfect stroke appears high, it can happen to anyone and anytime!

The exciting aspect of any hole-in-one is that no matter who makes it, everyone is excited! Are you still chasing your first hole-in-one?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Golf Season is on its Way!

March 6, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 18 Comments

I figure there is 30 days left before I hit the golf course. We still have 3 feet of snow on the ground, but the warm weather is on its way. Normally, I expect golf season to start on 15 April, but this year I am predicting I will be swing my clubs a week earlier.

In the meantime, I have some things to do. I have mentioned before about my yearly traditions and I plan to do those over the next 30 days. The most important tradition is to read the rule book. I think this is critical for my goal to compete more this year. Additionally, I will see if there are any new rule interpretations that are coming in play this year.

I will get my equipment out and give it a very good cleaning. I think it is important to focus on my grips. A good cleaning early in the season will help them last the season.

Lastly, I will check to see what needs to be replaced. I know many of you have done this already, but with 30 days left, it is time to prepare.

I am excited that golf season is around the corner, all I have to do is continue to be patient, train, and focus on the positive aspects of my 2015 golf season!

What are you doing to get ready for 2015?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The Sweet Spot on Your Putter

March 5, 2015March 4, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Every club has a sweet spot! It is that one place on the club face where the ball reacts as intended by travelling straight and long. Most golfers understand this simple concept when they talk about their driver, irons or wedges. But most amateurs do not think the same way when they use their putter.

When making a putt, the intent is to make solid, square contact between the putter head and the ball. To find the sweet spot on your putter, look at the back and you will see a dot or a line indicating the centre or sweet spot of your putter. Sometimes there is a line on top of the putter head that can be used as a guide during your putting stroke.

Centre

Hitting the all in the centre of your club face is very important. By doing so, the ball will bounce off the putter consistently every time. Also, it helps with judging the speed of the ball because the same stroke will produce the same distance every time. By hitting the ball off-centre of the putter face, the ball will not travel as far as it normally would. This contact inconsistency sometimes leads players to think the green is slow, but in fact it is the fault of the putting stroke.

Toe

Unintentionally hitting the ball off the toe of the club causes the club face to open. The result is the ball will travel right of line (for right-handed players). Additionally, the ball will not travel as far as discussed above. Now, sometimes players, including myself, will intentionally hit the ball off the toe of their putter. This is usually done when the greens are very fast, you have a slick down hill putt or a hard breaking putt from right to left. For me, when I intentionally hit the ball off the toe, I ever so slightly grip tighter with my left hand to make sure the putter face remains square during contact.

Heel

Unintentionally hitting the ball off the heel causes the club face to close. As a result the ball will start left of its intended line (for right-handed players). The ball will not travel as far either. I never intentionally hit the ball off the heel, but logic would suggest the results would be opposite than hitting it off the toe. Maybe one of the readers can help us out with their explanation of intentionally hitting the ball of the heel of their putter.

I try to intentionally hit the ball in the centre of my putter most of the time. To practice hitting the sweet spot, I use two tees on either side of the putter head. The tees are just wide enough so the putter can travel through when making my stroke. It is important to pay attention to the placement of the ball in between the two tees. You want to make sure you are placing the ball in line with the putter sweet spot.

Lastly, the three putter drills provided in the video below are new. I have not seen them before and think they would great for us house bound players waiting for the snow to melt. My favorite drill is the first one. Which is yours?