Custom Golf Club
Every golfer’s physical capability and swing is distinctive. Many of today’s best golf clubs can be custom fit for lie angle, shaft type and length, grip type and size. Custom fitting golf clubs involves several easy measurements and a quick self-assessment of your game. This custom golf club has become more than a fad that even not so professional golfers test its waters.
Custom fitting is the process for tailoring a golf club to suit your personal swing.
Whatever your level, with a custom golf club the aim is to ensure that if you do make a good swing, the club will be square at impact and should produce a straight shot.
Custom Golf Club How To’s:
To custom fit your golf clubs, you need to know: your gender (male or female); your height in your stockings or socks; the distance from your wrist (where it bends) to the floor with your shoes off; your age; your handicap or skill level; how fast you swing a golf club; what club you use at the 150 yard marker.
Gender is used to put you into the correct fitting scale for custom golf clubs. The golf industry uses different definitions of “standard length” for men and women.
Your height and the distance in inches from your wrist to the floor are used together to determine the length of a custom golf club that is appropriate for you. The starting point for club length can vary up to 3 ½-inch ranging from ladies to men plus 1 ½-inch. A tall person with long arms can very easily require shorter clubs than an average height person with short arms. About 80 percent of golfers are standard length.
Your age, handicap (if you happen to have one), self-assessed skill level, estimated golf swing speed and club you use at the 150 yard marker are all combined to determined the custom golf club’s shaft flex that is appropriate for you.
Custom fitting can fix your slice. If you slice the ball it means that the toe of the club is leading into the ball which opens the face of the club. That may be down to a swing fault, but it could be because the club is too flat. So as part of the custom fitting process you can make the custom golf club more upright to help with this. This will mean that the toe of the club will be slightly off the ground at address to compensate.
There are different methods of fitting according to custom golf club manufacturers but ultimately they are all trying to improve your game. To begin with simple measurements such as wrist-to-floor, height and hand size are taken and will point you to the right size club and at what angle it should be to the ground. Then you will take a club and hit some balls. One method is to place impact tape on the bottom of the custom golf club and an impact board on the floor.
As you hit the ball the board will leave a mark on the tape showing whether the heel or the toe of the custom golf club is striking the floor first. The resulting mark will show whether the club face needs to be flatter or more upright. Then things get a bit more advanced. Analysis equipment can measure everything from your club speed to the side spin of the ball so that you can get maximum distance from your shot. You can also measure the launch angle of the ball, how much backspin you generate and impact efficiency – all which affect distance. The angle in which the custom golf club approaches the ball and the sidespin of it can help fix your game too.
Rather than bringing down your old clubs, it might be better to start from scratch. It’s a big misconception that custom fitting is only for good golfers. Anyone can benefit. That said, if you plan to upgrade a new set of clubs with the same manufacturer they may be able to adjust your old set to become custom golf clubs.
Custom fitting won’t cure all your bad shots. Coaching will sort that out. But if you do make a good swing, then the custom golf club will arrive correctly at impact and should produce a straight shot at your target. That alone will save shots during a round.
Lastly, custom fitting is often free of charge. But it is usually on the condition that you buy some clubs once you’ve been fitted. So it really depends on what your budget is. If you’re prepared to buy a new set of clubs it’s definitely worth getting fitted. And that’s the most important advise.
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Reasons To Enter A Golf Tournament
If you are a beginning golfer and want to someday compete in golf tournaments, practicing everyday will help you realize this dream. Even though it is very easy to sign-up to play in tournaments, once you arrive, you will see who your competition is and just how tough it is to stay in the game until the end. By having limited experience in playing golf, you may be eliminated quickly.
There are a few ways to prepare for a golf tournament. The first is to go to a few tournaments to get an idea of what they are like, the types of golfers they attract, and the course you will be playing on. If you have a few months to a year to prepare, play the course a few times to get used to it. Even though the course is always changing due to weather and degree of wetness on the ground, you can still get a good idea of what it will be like during the tournament. If possible, find out who you will be competing against so you can learn more about their style. This will help relieve some of the stress of playing against others who may have been playing longer than you.
Another way to prepare for a golf tournament is to find out your strengths and weaknesses so you can make adjustments before the golf competition. You can do this by playing with others and asking for their opinions, hiring a coach, using golf analysis software, or reading golf magazines, watching DVD’s, or reading books by professional golfers. The more prepared you are, the better you will perform during the tournament.
After a few months of practice, you should be ready to play in the tournament. Once you arrive, you will need to register in order to let those organizing it that you are present. After everyone signs in, a schedule will be created. Each time you win a match, you will be going up against another player. Usually players become better the higher you climb.
Even if you don’t win at the tournament, you will walk away with valuable experience that will last a lifetime. You can enter other tournaments or you can stick to perfecting your game by playing on various courses. Since there are many levels in golf, you should choose a level you are comfortable with in order to become the best golfer you can.
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Odyssey Golf Putters- Black Series
March 14, 2010 by Editor
Filed under Golf Club, Golf Equipment, Golf Tips
The Odyssey company offers extensive lines of putters, and this article will describe one of their product lines, the Odyssey Black Series of putters.
The Odyssey Black Series consists of 3 putter head designs all of which take advantage of the design and technology features developed for this product line.
One feature used on all three models is a tungsten flange at the back of the putter head. This flange adds weight to the rear of the putter head and creates a low CG (center of gravity) which is deep in the club face. This feature helps to lift the ball slightly upon impact and get it rolling quicker. Since the golf ball actually is slightly nestled down into the grass of the putting green, hitting the putt initially with an upward angle helps get the ball rolling. In fact there is a short video on the Odyssey Black Series web site that shows a comparison between these clubs and another allegedly typical putter. The Black Series putter got the ball rolling about 1 ½ inches before the other putter did. Working in conjunction with the placement of the CG is the loft of the putter face. Each of the putter heads in the line, which are simply called Black Series no. 1, no. 2, and no. 3, have a different loft angle of the putter face which is optimized to get the quickest roll possible for the given CG location of each particular putter head. The theory is that the sooner the ball stops skidding after impact and begins a true roll, the more accurate the putt will be, and this certainly makes sense. It should also be noted that the weighted flange helps to create a higher MOI as well, and this provides some forgiveness for putts not hit exactly on the “sweet spot” of the putter face.
These putters are certainly top of the line and carry a retail price tag of $249 each. Black Series no. 1 putter has a rounded heel-toe weighted putter blade with a so called “crank-neck” hosel and a one shaft offset. The crank neck simply means that the offset is achieved by moving the shaft forward at 90 degree angles instead of a gradual bending of the hosel or shaft. The Black Series no. 2 putter has the same features but is more squared-off in appearance. Black Series model no. 3 is a mallet style putter with a double bend shaft that gives the same full-shaft offset.
The putter head is made of 1025 carbon steel and features a mix-milled face design which indicates the proper impact area. In other words the face has two different mill patterns on it. There is also a urethane damping layer between the flange and the milled carbon steel head that dampens vibrations.
The three traditional shaped heads of the Odyssey Back Series golf putters offer an interesting alternative for the serious golfer who prefers a traditional type of look and who can afford to spend $249 on his putter. They are certainly worth a look.
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Nike Golf Clubs
March 14, 2010 by Editor
Filed under Golf Club, Golf Equipment, Golf Tips
Nike Hybrid Golf Clubs are available in two versions of two different models, for a total of 4 product lines. These include the Slingshot Hybrid and Slingshot Tour Hybrid, the CPR3 Wood and CPR3 Iron-Wood. This article will review the attributes of each of these hybrid golf clubs.
Slingshot Hybrid and Slingshot Tour Hybrid
Both of these clubs have an MSRP of $199 US for either steel or graphite shafts. The Slingshot Tour is targeted for low handicap golfers, and the Slingshot is for less skilled players. Both clubs aim to deliver a center of gravity (CG) that is low and as far back behind the face as possible. This type of club head design is geared to making the ball get up into the air easier and to be forgiving of off-center hits. Both clubs look like a hybrid or small fairway wood with the upper back section removed. This is readily evident on the company’s web site. The weight thus removed is then redistributed in a thick sole and a thick bar around the back of the clubs called a Slingback bar. The result of this design is to have 70% of the mass of the club head below the equator of the ball. The face plate on both clubs is made of 455 stainless steel which is normal for high-end hybrid clubs like these.
There are 5 clubs available in the Slingshot line. These are 2-6 hybrids. Perhaps it bears repeating that hybrid clubs are designed to replace long irons that are difficult for most golfers to hit solidly on a consistent basis. A 3 hybrid will replace your 3 iron, for example. All the clubs in the Slingshot product line are available for both left and right handed golfers. There is no women’s version of this model available, or for any of the Nike hybrid golf clubs models for that matter. Of course both steel and graphite shafts are available. Custom fitting options exist for club length (-1/2” to +2” from standard) and for lie angles (-2 to +4 degrees from standard). One would need to have a custom club fitting to know if he needs to order any of these changes. This is a good idea in any case for a person thinking of investing in a set of new golf clubs.
As stated, the Slingshot Tour Hybrid is for low handicap players. In fact Nike notes that their Tour staff requested such a model be developed. Four clubs are available in 1-4 hybrids. The shafts on the Slingshot Tour Hybrid are slightly heavier than on the Slingshot. The same options to customize club length and lie angle can be chosen.
CPR3 Wood and CPR3 Iron-Wood
These two hybrids have an MSRP of $139 with steel shafts and $159 with graphite. The CPR3 Wood clubs have a deeper sole and have more of a wood bottom footprint, thus the name. The upper back section is cut out, and thus again weight can be redistributed around the periphery of the sole to lower the CG and move it back. 2-5 hybrids are available, and all lofts come in left handed models. No women’s versions of this product line are available, nor are there any options for customization as there are with the Slingshots.
The CPR3 Iron-Wood has a smaller footprint which is more like a typical hybrid club. This version is targeted to lower handicap golfers and is available in 1-4 hybrids in either steel or graphite shafts. Left handed clubs are available, and as with the CPR3 Wood, there are no custom options for club length or lie angle.
Nike Hybrid Golf Clubs do not come with versions to provide a hook bias to help golfers with a consistent slice, or adjustable club head weight versions as is offered by Taylor Made, for example. It will be interesting to see if the popularity of those design features or the demand for women’s hybrids will be high enough to motivate Nike to add these types of clubs to their product offerings. Nike is certainly a top rank golf company, however, so if one of their models fits you properly, you will be playing with excellent clubs.
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Professional Golf Swings
To watch a professional’s golf swing is to watch a thing of beauty. The difference between most weekend warriors and a professional is the pro knows every aspect of their swing.
A professional golf swing takes years upon years to hone. A professional will practice the motion of their swing daily. They need to practice so much because, unlike most of us, they need to know their clubs, the distance of each club and what each type of swing will do for them. The professional can take a 5 iron, turn the face of the club 1/16 of an inch, then take a three 1/4 swing and know that the ball is going 220 yards with a slight fade.
A pro has a consistence swing. They have a pre-shot routine that they will do every time. Most get their club from their caddy. Put their grip on the club, most pros use an overlapping grip. They will then stand behind the ball, this gives them time to focus and get a mental picture of the shot they want to use.
Once they have committed to the shot, they will come to the side of the ball and take a practice swing or two. At this point, they are not trying to think about or change anything in their swing. They are just trying to “feel” the shot.
They are now ready to pull the trigger. They get their proper stance, which is critical. If your stance is off, so is your balance, which, in turn, will give you less club head speed, diminishing your distance. They take the club back on line. They will have a large arc from the beginning of the swing to the top of the back swing by keeping their hands as far away from their body as possible. At the top of the swing they will have “loaded” the swing. The left foot remains flat on the ground, the weight has now gathered to the right heel. The right knee is still flexed. The left shoulder is turned under the chin. The wrists are cocked. All the while keeping the head still. The clubface is square at the top. (Description is for the right handed, reverse for lefties.)
The down swing begins with a weight shift, back to the left. The club comes down, then through the line. When starting down, the wrists are still cocked. They will then unload everything, perfectly timed, at the bottom of their swing. The ball has no choice but to go and go far.
Any pro will tell you that practice is the most important thing you can do to acquire a repeatable swing. There are no short cuts to getting a professional golf swing. They practice; they analyze every aspect, and every inch of their swing. They also get a lot of help from their instructors and caddies. If you are going to try to emulate a professional’s golf swing, make sure you pick one who is similar to your body type.
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Magnetic Therapy For Golfers When Golfing
You hear about designer jewelry that not only is beautiful, but it is also giving the wearer magnetic therapy. Magnetic therapy has become quite popular with golfers. The magnetic therapy helps ease aches and pains that might affect a golfer. Some of the great PGA players use magnetic therapy and they feel better and seem to play without having any aches and pains that can affect golfers. Magnetic therapy cannot cure what ails you but it can help the healing process. Many greats in different sports also use magnetic therapy as a way to heal the body in a natural way.
Although magnetic therapy cannot be explained and two studies that were done using this type of therapy were in conclusive, golfers today as well as everyone else who wears these custom made pieces will swear that they help them tremendously. Golfing does cause the body some stress if you do not practice proper posture and swing with grace, but how can having magnets on your body really affect how you feel. Many golfers who wear the magnets when golfing have expressed that the magnetic therapy not only relieves aches and pains from a day of golf, but also helps relieve the pain of arthritis to play a good game.
Two golfing pros who have endorsed magnetic therapy are John Huston and Jim Colbert. These two golfing pros say it helps them, then maybe it has some healing affects. Nobody will ever know for sure how magnetic therapy works or how it helps to heal the body, but as long as golfers find relief, you will see more and more golfers suited up in magnets. The magnetic therapy gadgets came in belts, bracelets, back braces, insoles for shoes, necklaces, earrings and anklets. Out on the golf course, you might not want to wear so much jewelry, but a belt or insoles might work well.
Although golfing greats have endorsed the magnetic therapy, it is not a new concept. It has been around the ancient Egypt times as well as ancient Chinese healers who practiced this way of healing in 200 B.C. It has been said, but never scientifically proven, that magnetic therapy provides relief from swelling and relieves stress as well. Some say you have a peaceful night’s sleep. Golfing does have some stress associated with it, so maybe the magnetic therapy can work. One thing is for sure, the magnetic industry has skyrocketed to a billion dollar industry.
Golfing is a challenging sport and magnetic therapy, however it works does seem to have it place on the course. If there is one thing that can make golfing more enjoyable, golfers are going to buy it and try it. You can use magnetic therapy when you golf and see if it actually has any affect on how your feel or how you play. In some cases, you might be better off with an instructor to teach you some stances and swings to correct any aches and pains you feel when golfing.
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