GO GET A PROFESSIONAL FITTING ... 9 January 2015

You should get a professional fitting from a Club Champion location because you will learn more than you can imagine about your golf swing, existing equipment and new equipment available. Drive up to 4 hours to a location or make a weekend trip out of it or during a golf vaction.  The fitter advised the best time to go is at the END of a season where you have grooved a swing (not like me half way through winter while making swing changes).  I'm taking advantage of the 1/2 off the normal $350 FULL BAG fitting cost.

What I learned about my current set alone makes a huge difference... example, you can't just go into ANY golf store and pick ANY grip as it could affect the accuracy and feel of your clubs.  New grips could affect the swing weight as it did to my clubs when I regripped them myself with some leftovers from the basement.

Why I went? I tend to buy and hold clubs for like 5 to 8 years or longer.  

• This time I want the clubs to be personalized because I can afford it (sold my Motorcycle) 
• I've had standard fittings from the 'fitting cart' and wanted to have ALL of the shaft and ALL of the head options available to pick the best club/shaft combination for me.
• I've learned about "acceptable tolerances" manufactures use to release clubs
• Read This from True Temper... if "Tour Issue are + or - .5 grams what are the "non-tour issue shafts" and THIS for the weight sorted Tour Issue Wedge Shaft... 
• Club companies know that they are selling shafts with up to 3 gram difference between each
• I want my shafts PURED because I've learned about irregularities in golf shaft manufacturing.
• Learned that the heads also have + or - differences from the manufacture specs. Club Champion orders multiple sets and weighs to match to original specs and sends back the clubs that do not match those numbers.
• The right shaft, head, weight, consistent stiffness and pured to remove as many variables as possible

FITTING

Ended up there for 3 hours just doing irons. My coach arrived after we had started and the fitter went back over the fitting to that point.  I ended up hitting like 110 balls. Between 1st swing at 91MPH and last swing at 84MPH fatigue plays a big part so we stopped and I’ll reschedule the woods, wedges and putter fitting.

Semi-scientifically… (meaning me being the human is the variable - machine is calibrated nightly)

** Buddha measured my 6 iron (club choice of fitting) and checked swing weight, length, lie angle

NOTE CURRENT SET PROBLEMS I LEARNED:

• The GENIUS “PGA Professional" at Golf Galaxy did not accurately adjust my lie angles on ANY of the clubs.  There is a standard angle for all manufactures clubs. He said he would set it back to that numbe (and looked it up).  Execution was the problem... mine were a mix of higher and lower than that standard (upright or flat). Lie angle of shaft/hosel angle into clubhead: 0 degrees is flat, 90 degrees is straight upright)
• My re-gripping myself (with heavier extra grips  I had in the basement) changed the swing weight on my irons to an undesirable number (D0) “D Zero”.  While my shaft is very heavy (same one that Tiger uses) the club head “feels" light and doesn't provide a solid feel at impact.  It affected consistency of my clubs (explains allot actually)
• My swing revealed I do not hit down on the ball enough and I’m approaching too far from the inside… sweeping the ball it reduces necessary spin for height and carry distance for the swing speed I have. 

PICK SHAFT 1st

• $35,000 “Trackman” launch monitor retains all launch conditions (club head speed, ball speed, launch angle, club head path, side spin, height, flight distance, total distance)

• One ball matching my brand (Prov1x)
• Warm up
• Software marks dispersion of where shots finished in different colored circles

• Hit 6 shots with my club
• He noted my ball spin was low (~4300rpm’s) and would consider this in clubhead choice
• He picked a clubhead Similiar to mine as the “control” club head for different shafts
• He hands me different shafts with same club head and the machine charts all shots
• Review dispersion to identify most consistent 2 shafts

“Pick which shaft you like/feel better with between the two based on the shot dispersion on screen for those 2 shafts” For me these two selections were similar groupings so I went with 'feel'. I chose the NIPPON 1150 in xflex over the NIPON Modus. I'm going from my x100 at 130 grams down to a 125 gram xflex.

PICK CLUBHEAD USING THAT SHAFT

• My shaft choice is then hit in a variety of different club heads
• Shot dispersion with each head is recorded in different colored circles
• He gave me heads that seeked to increase the spin to an optimal number
• Then we throw out the worst dispersion down to the two most consistent
• Last 2 were Mizuno MP-64 ($125 a head) and Miura CB57 (1957 Anniversary Limited Edition at $275 a head from online research)
• I looked at the dispersion and the MP-64 was tighter but 5/6 were left of the center line w/ similar distance.  Miura had 3 on each side of the center line and were all consistent in distance. 
• Also I liked the way the miura set on the ground and the almost non-existent offset was easy to align which I think made the difference in accuracy for my swing.
• Final decision (mine) was the Miura based on the sole grind. It is slightly wider, less bounce but has a pre-worn leading edge I prefer.  The MP-64, if hit a little fat, would dig more and doesn't provide any turf relief like

ADJUSTMENTS: Lie angle and length to get center of face impact

• Hit balls w/ Impact tape
• Hit balls on launch monitor for ball flight

BUDGET?
The fitting is pricey, but so is golf - save up and do it.  The purchase? That's where the budget comes in...  I want irons, wedges and a driver.  I'll get fit to the 3 wood but not sure I'm going to have cash to buy now.  Depends.  The Miura's are throwing a curve into the situation with their cost.  I'm considering switching to the MP-64 for cost reasons but I don't want to.  I may be asking my wife for a driver for my birthday...  hope I can still fit in the golf trip or will she ask me to pick... DRIVER OR TRIP?... "Both?"

Mush Round at Renditions 1-4-2015

Wow, who can shoot a 78 after not playing or hitting any balls for 3 months?  I can.  It coulda/shoulda/woulda been a 72 but you count every stroke for the conditions you play.

It was a soggy round at Renditions on Sunday because it had rained tons. Greens were slow and I didn't adjust quickly enough (1st hole 3 putt) However, if the weather gives you 60 degrees on January 9th for $35 YOU TAKE IT AND RUN! 

The "swing check" my coach provided and subsequent quick routine fix to get closer was amazingly insightful.  I feel pretty funny doing the move to get the right distance from the ball but MAN does it work.  I’m super excited at the prospect of how well I can play if I can get comfortable with that setup in my routine

Haven’t played in months and right out the box I shoot a 78 and that includes:

1. Three putting 3 times (slow mushy greens) 
2. 3 low light induced bogey’s on the last 3 holes.    
3. I was +2 through 13 holes and missed two birdie attempts inside 10 feet.  
4. Wind picked up and I made a double on hole 14, the mock Sawgrass #17

Also, I got to hit the Callaway blades and LOVED them.  Looking forward to Friday Fitting!

COMING SOON: Professional Fitting at Club Champion Golf of Rockville .... 9 January 2015

I've booked a FULL BAG FITTING at Club Champion Golf (#clubchampiongolf) on 9 January 2015.  I am buying (at a minimum) a set of irons and a driver and shafts for a couple wedge heads I bought from a friend.  At most I will receive a recommendation on what new wedges, irons, hybrids, a 3 wood and driver to buy with which shafts.  I haven't bought new clubs in 8 years since my Mizuno MP-57's I've been gaming for the last season w/ x100 shafts.

On top of the new set I'm planning on getting ALL of the shafts SST Pured.  Club Champion also, I've heard, orders 3 sets of the iron heads to weigh club and select the 8 heads that most closely match each other in weight. So I could end up with:

• New Similiarly Weighted Iron heads by a major manufacturers
• Frequency matched Tour Issue SST Pured shafts
• New Driver ... Titleiest 915D3? Callaway Double Black Diamond? Other?
• Dynamic Gold TI Onyx S400 wedge shafts in my "Fourteen Golf" RM-11 wedges
• Fitted golf ball for my swing
• Putter Analysis and modification

Hoping it's all that everyone has said it is.  Buddah, location manager, has great reviews.

They offer the following manufacturers.  They said come with an open mind... The green I'm open to but I'm kinda closed to the red companies below (noting I don't know much about Score or Scratch golf but I'd consider them depending on the cost while I'm concerned about playability on the course.

• Titleist
• TaylorMade
• Ping
• Callaway
• Nike
• Mizuno
• Miura
• Fourteen Golf
• Epon
• Cleveland
• Adams Golf
• Tour Edge
• Score Golf
• Scratch Golf

Swing Check Today - 1 January 2015

Long break but that's real life right? Work and family with holidays and health.  December was all about being sick, shopping, end of year projects and setting up for Christmas.  November was similar for Thanksgiving. BUT I never stopped thinking about golf and doing my drills.  

My October post was all I worked on every time I passed a golf club and todays checkup proved it was worth it. The backswing position checked out according to the coach.  However, my historic problem with distance from the ball cropped up again... turns out it's the reason I was there...

I went to the range 27 December 2014. I was at Golfsmith in Tyson's the week before that and was there again today before my mini checkup... I have been KING of the hook.  Balls starting on line and hooking left of the target by a little or alot! 

Cause?  At golfsmith, SMALL GRIPS + too far from the ball. At the range, too far from the ball. Result?  That extra inch away has my reaching a little. Brendan says it leads to me basically over releasing - toe closes and ZIP... hook/draw.  Also my body stops rotating so armsy swing...

FIX: Better routine getting into the setup position with posture closer to the ball and taller chest w/ arms hanging.  It allows me to get back to the ball without reaching.  

The 2nd problem of not continuing my rotation led to stepping out of the swing ... off balance led to little pushes. If I keep my core turning I striped it. Later I will write up the steps I need to follow to get into that good setup position.  

I think this is going to be the KEY to my 2015 season.  If I can get closer and comfortable and get that rotation I'll swing in better balance and improve balls striking.

200 balls...

Working on the "new move" from Brendan today.  Trying to do a couple things and actually one went well. After the Wednesday 15 October 2014 lesson I was still laying the club open on the backswing. As you can see in the video below at Fort Belvoir during lunch.  If I made a casual enough swing of about 80% I could feel a delayed release.  However, my backswing was my nemisis ...wagging the club open leading to a stuck right elbow:

However, today?  I figured out how to hinge the club withot laying it off.  It's the left hands job to cock the wrist/club up into a set position with a flat left wrist.  I am using the heal pad of my left hand to push down on the end of the grip as I get outside my right thigh.  That motion will get the club up at a 90 degree angle to my forearm but still allow good arm extension and my right elbow folding properly up instead of the club being pulled inside and into a laid off position.

I found a video that matches what I felt today.  I discovered the below method of "Hinge with the left hand" by "pressing down on the butt of the club" today at the range but he explains it well.

15 October 2014 - Had another lesson with Brendan Horton today. Was supposed to be a fitting for some kick ass MP-4's but decided to wait.  I'm gonna hit more irons through the spring and see what I really want. Current leader is the Cobra Amp Cell Pro's.  Unfortunately the new 2015 Cobra blades will be renamed to FLY-Z... yeah, great name (not)!

Anyway... the lesson.  Posture over the ball looked awesome.  Problems:

1. My grips are probably too small. He wants the pad of my left thumb a SMIDGE longer to get more fo the pad on the club.  Also just right of center so the center line comes up to the left edge of my thumb. Right hand the thumb was a bit more in contact with the grip (felt bad)
2. Stepping into the ball I need to flex knee and not lean so far in
3. Shoulders get open to the line. Stay tall with shoulders and keep them square, that's where you tend to get open shoulders
4. Club face was open.  It's perspective but it's open. He got it square. I can see it better when I lean it WAY forward to 1 iron loft to see that bottom line is straight away from me, not open
5. At the start of the swing I have a slight right hip bump and hands push away move that gets me away from the ball and then I push off right side and hit the ball.  
6. Backswing drills with more shoulder tilt is REALLY GOOD
7. REAL backswing the right elbow folds quick and the face fans open. I think slower backswings allow you to feel the deeper left shoulder 
8. Downswing I need to get the right shoulder pushing the elbow in front of the right hip but keep my arm stretched across my shoulder line - MY HABIT is to drop the hands as I turn getting stuck behind the hip
9. This leads to me being WAY off the right foot.  I need to get more rotation out of that first move down and keep that right foot flat.

Brendan gave me Ben Hogan as a model for right shoulder move   

Hunter Mayhan, he said, is a decent example of modern day golfer but not his release through the ball
I'm asking him if Martin Kaymer is doing it also.

It's been a great month... My project from hell has nearly ended, I've played another tournament and shot my all time "in competition" low score  (+1) to win $315 in prizes (I'm an amatuer remember) and I'm being patient on what irons and driver to buy.

The lower body move by itself wasn't the answer. Jonas Blixt... THAT'S THE ANSWER:  He and I have the same problem so I fixed my swing with his advice... My shoulders turn too flat and I get my right elbow behind me and stuck.  The ensuing downswing I'd fold my right side before turning.  I needed to combine the below tip with my earlier blog on my knee movement to create a VERY consistent shot shape of either straight or a slight draw. My miss is now a hook if my body stops turning on the downswing

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2014-09/jonas-blixt-longer-tee-shots#slide=1

":I used to make a flatter shoulder turn and get the club laid off at the top (pointing well left of the target). Then I'd have to re-route the club coming down to hit a solid shot. Now I turn my shoulders on a steeper plane, which makes my downswing easier to repeat. 
Tip: The feeling is that my left shoulder moves down and back and my left wrist is flat at the top. Your body turn should be consistent and efficient—don't rely on hand action to square the clubface."

Remember that feel... steeper with left shoulder going back

The KEY: TEMPO! With the better turn there's a pause to get set into the right hip and then the left knee moves and sets up unwinding hips and shoulders at the same time.

LASTLY: Love that free release feeling with NO FEAR of hook or slice.  Keep the body moving and hands finishing high to hit it square with smoot power and consistent distance