Techy Questions
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I just wrote about signing up for my initial swing evaluation at GolfTec. And I decided why not jot down the questions I want to ask my instructor. You’ll have to excuse my ignorance if some of these are obvious to you gurus out there.
1. Should I just buy a new set of golf clubs? I’m sure they are the problem – not me…right?
2. Should I just swing harder? The ball might go farther.
3. I’m not too proud to play a “ladies” ball…would that help?
4. If I hit one more fat shot can I quite and take up fishing? Wait…I can’t cast very well either.
5. How much is this going to cost if I want to shoot in the 80’s?
I think this is a good starting point and I’m sure that I’ll think of some more before Friday.
4 Comments so far
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Yes, custom fitted clubs do make a difference…you cannot develop the proper golf swing with clubs that are too long or too short, too heavy or too light, have grips that are too big or too small or with shafts that are too stiff or too weak.
Comment by businessgolf April 6, 2007 @ 9:17 pmIf anything, you need to swing slower…what you are wanting to accomplish is to hit the back side of the ball with a square clubface….this will provide at least 20 yards more distance….90% of the time golfers who are trying to break 80 hit the ball with a glancing blow, not a square hit to the back of the ball….if the truth be known, most all balls are the same…it is the marketing that is different…they put ladies on the balls to entice the women market to buy them, but the difference in the construction is so microscopic the difference is only noticed psychologically… and I will answer your last questions with a questions….how much is it going to cost you if you did not do all of the above and take lesson to break 80? I have the answer and it is…you will spend a lot more even if you took up fishing…have you seen the cost of a new boat lately? Yaw, Golf is a lot cheaper to learn it is taught by people who are trained to teach it…I am not a GolfTec or Golfsmith fan, but as long as they use PGA trained professionals, I will go along with their program…just make sure to make golf fun…it is very worth the time and money…
Thanks for your support of my site… I hope you will put me on your blogroll. http://innovativebusinessgolf.com
1. If your current clubs are OK, no need to buy a new set.
2. I agree with the previous comment. Swing slower, and hit the ball in the centre of a square club face. The difference will blow your mind.
3. I don’t really agree with the previous poster on this one. There is a reason Tiger, Ernie, Vijay don’t play a Top Flite. Having said that I believe that you need to have enough ball speed to take advantage of most balls. I’d suggest using a ball that is marketed as low spin as it might help with your hook/slice. The Titleist DT Solo is a good ball for the price. Use the Solo and you are getting a great ball and the Pro V1 users have financed the R&D.
4. If you have just started playing and haven’t caught the bug yet I say… get the F out of golf while you sill have the chance. I’m hooked and can’t get out. Mark Twain had it right when he said Golf is a good walk spoiled. Still too cold in Toronto to play…. I need to play!
5. Impossible to answer. I’ve never broken 80 but can shoot in the 80’s on a good day. For the past 5 years I’ve done a group lesson at the start of each season and that has helped a lot. I can’t stress enough to see a CPGA Pro (in canada) or a PGA pro and have a series of lessons. I say without lessons your golf game is doomed! Another good idea might be to get the 3 and 4 irons out of your bag and get some hybrids.
Mercy… now I’m all fired up to play.
Comment by Jason April 7, 2007 @ 6:39 amTyler,
Get your stats from golftec and then make the decision on two avenues.
first, you can “buy” a better game if you have a slow swing speed. you can fill yardage gaps with hybrids and a good wedge make up…i often set people with slow swing speeds up with very few irons and more wedges and hybrids…you should be able to find a set/shaft make up that will help some of your weaknesses
second, if you decide to take lessons — don’t get new clubs yet…improve the efficiency of your technique first…and yes, that will be tough to do if you have poorly fit clubs – but the facts are, 85% of people out there fit within 1 degree either way of standard…so if you have a standard set of clubs now – you should be okay…if you are super tall or super short – then this may be an issue…but if not, don’t buy clubs if you are going to take lessons…mainly, because, if you have a good instructor, your swing will get better…and your stats will change…and the clubs you bought with your old swing will not be accurate any more…so wait on those…
two ways to get fit for clubs…1 – static fitting…2 – dynamic fitting…golftec will be more about dynamic fitting…this means if you are hitting a ball a certain way (20 yd slice for example) – they will keep putting clubs in your hand that stop that slice…they are fixing your problem with equipment…this is fine if you’re not planning on getting better…but if your motion is going to improve — that club that fixed your 20 yd slice is now wrong for you…i much prefer static fitting for high handicappers who want to improve and are committed to practice…this means you are fit from perfect posture…that way — your clubs are always fit to your body and your swing can find you…to me, this is a better option if you plan on a practice/lesson regime
68% of all shots are inside 100 yards…so to answer your question of – “how much will it cost for me to break 80-?” the answer is nothing…just time…go practice around the green at least 68% of your time and you will shoot in the 80’s
a better question to ask yourself is — “do i want to play better or hit it better?” they are not the same thing…if all you want to do is score better — practice your short game and find a club you can get in play off the tee…that’s it! if you want to hit it better — then do the golftec thing..it is a good first step…but remember, all that may not bring your scores down…because you will still have the majority of your shots inside 100 yards
Comment by georgebeardsley April 7, 2007 @ 5:58 pmThank you all for your comments and taking the time to read my blog.
I guess I need to be a better writer, because I was trying to be funny and I appreciate your insight to my questions.
George: Your insight and train of thought is very informative and coming from someone who teaches LPGA players – I’ll take any advice you’ve got.
I don’t want to “buy” a game and get fitted for clubs that fix my slice…I do want some forgiveness because I won’t spend as much time on the rage as I’d like.
I have tried practicing my short game but I think my mechanics are so bad that I can’t even practice …I feel like I’m just trying learn how to do it.
Jason: Too late – I’ve been bit many times by the golf bug! Plus I stink at fishing. My comment about what it would cost to shot in the 80’s was a stab @ myself because I can’t seem to break 90 and I’ve been playing > 2 years.
I do play a couple of hybrids (2&4 iron) and I’ve never been able to hit them well. Not sure if I don’t practice them enough, but never got a hang of them.
Scot: Thanks for your comment – and yes…I’ve been meaning to add you to my blog roll for a while. I’ll do that tonight.
My instructor is a PGA pro and I’m not 100% sure if I like the GolfTec idea either. I just can’t seem to get a good recommendation for an instructor in town that I can afford. Plus I’m a very visual person so if I can see myself I think I’ll learn faster.
Regards,
Comment by Tyler April 9, 2007 @ 8:41 pmTW