World Am

Thousands of amateurs flock to the Grand Strand each August to test their padded handicaps against other golfers from around the globe.  These golfers are a different breed.  They come into town sometimes a week before the event so they can scope out the 4 courses they have been assigned to.  They come in and get yardage books, scorecards, and an ice water.  Some of these golfers are seasoned veterans of the event and some are not.  A lot of these golfers show up 2.5 hours early for their scheduled tee time because they are so nervous they can't sleep.  They get to the course early to chug coffee, do their business, fix their swing on the range, and talk it up with the others.  This is like playing in the US Open for these golfers, and they treat it that way.  I don't know who will win this year, but I do know that that guy will be wearing his best outfit, have all his handicap holes mapped out and beat all of the other sandbaggers in the world with his pencil.

TaylorMade introduces the SLDR Driver

Coming in August is the newest technology from TaylorMade.  It's called the SLDR(Slider).  They have moved the center of gravity more forward in the club head to achieve higher launch and lower spin.  This is the recipe for distance!  The moveable weight technology comes in the form of a sliding weight that goes from the toe to the heel depending on what ball flight you want.  The loft is also adjustable.  It will produce a high, penetrating ball flight.  When it hits the ground it will run because of the low spin imparted on the ball.  The head doesn't look as flashy as the R1 or the RBZ Stage 2, which I like.  Numerous tour professionals have already put them into their bag.  Demos will be available in early August.  Come out and try before you buy!  More information on the club can be found at www.taylormadegolf.com

John Deere wrap up

The young 19 year old Jordan Spieth outlasted some great players to win the John Deere Classic yesterday.  I was very impressed by his composure throughout the event and especially in the 5 hole playoff.  It was almost as if he had been there before.  Zach Johnson was almost distracted by his play.  I think Johnson just assumed that the other 2 guys would just fold because they had not won before and also the fact that he "owns" the John Deere classic, having won it before.  Spieth did not fold.  The only thing that he will be folding is some more clothes for his trip to the British Open this week.  He received a spot in the event by winning this week.  He was one of the youngest winners ever on the PGA Tour.  He has a great swing and a great attitude.  Look for him atop the leader boards more often.  Check out the entire story at: www.pgatour.com

 

Anchor Ban

The anchoring stops in 2016.  The USGA and the R & A have decided to ban anchoring a golf club against your body to swing it.  4 of the last 6 majors in mens golf have been won by someone who anchors the putter.  I thought the Masters this year was great to watch.  It was one of the most exciting tournaments that I have watched in a long time.  Was it more exciting because Adam Scott won?  He anchors his putter by the way..I don't know.  The only thing I can tell you is that golf needs all the spark it can get by both the players and the fans.  I think this rule will take a little sizzle out of it.  I guess the rule needs to be implemented.  I think you should "swing" the club.  There will probably be lots to talk about as we get closer to the rule being put into effect.

TaylorMade Kingdom Experience

 
I got the opportunity this week to visit the TaylorMade Kingdom at Reynolds Plantation in Georgia.  This is an exclusive club fitting/club making facility that is invitation only.  For the most part, the only people invited are PGA Tour players and PGA members like myself who are on TaylorMade staff. 
The building, range, amenities, and staff were second to none.  I went there to get fitted for the 2013 season.  I was there for a total of 4 hours!  We could have easily worked another 2 hours.  The gentleman that I worked with had been there for 7 years and seen just about everything.  He was as knowledgeable as anyone I had ever talked to about equipment.
The process started with a short talk about what my game was like and what I would like to see happen with the ball flight.  We started by measuring and hitting my current equipment.  After that, we started to hit the new Rocketbladez Tour irons with a variety of shafts.  It was amazing how a different shaft effected the feel and trajectory.  FYI the shafts that we were hitting are not available in the store!  After about an hour we arrived at the perfect fit for the irons.
The big stick was the next to fit.  My current driver was an E1 swing weight which was super heavy.  My drives tend to spin too much(3500 rpm) and float with no roll.  The driver we eventually arrived upon was the R1 with a Diamana Ahini 60 stiff shaft.  The ball came out like a bullet and the rpm dropped to around 2300!
The fit for the 3 wood was a 16.5* head turned open 1.5*, so it played about 15* and gave me the open look at address that I like.  Diamana Kai Li 70 stiff was the shaft.
The fit for the Hybrid was an Adams Super LS 19* with an Oban Revenge 85 gram shaft.
The coolest thing was the putting lab that they had.  They set me up on a perfectly flat 12 foot putt indoors.  A variety of putters with sensors on them were used until the proper fit was reached.  They fit for how well can you aim the putter and if you can hit the putt with a square face.  I hit about 25 putts in 30 minutes and missed one!  The guy said I was in the top 10% of all the staff players he had ever seen in the putting lab.  I asked him who the best and worst putters were and he said Loren Roberts and Davis Love respectively.
It was an amazing experience.  The thing that you take away from it is the doubt that your equipment is wrong for you.  After leaving, you know that your stuff is 100% correct for you.  Confidence in king.

Golf Lessons vs. Golf Schools

There are many different ways to take instruction, no matter the subject.  Is it better to take it a little at a time and let it soak in?  Is it better to take a crash course and tackle everything at once?  If someone takes a golf lesson for one hour, chances are if the instructor is good they will only be focusing on one or two things to implement.  Golf is a game where the more you think, the more you stink!  So, if you were to take a 5 day golf school from 9am to 4pm everyday imagine how many different things you would be thinking about.  I have heard many students complain about different adventures they have had taking golf schools elsewhere.  Their main complaint was that the school tried to change everything in a short period........disaster.  Golf schools are ok if the instruction is not overwhelming.  In my experience, a student who takes 1 hour of instruction each week for an extended period of time is much better off than someone who takes a crash course.  Food for thought.

TaylorMade Success Story

Yesterday I had a student that was struggling somewhat with his iron game.  His shots were weak and to the right.  On average, at the beginning of the lesson, he was hitting his 7 iron 125 yards.  After we worked on his technique for about 20 minutes his average rose to 135.  At the end of the lesson I had him try the new TaylorMade Rocketbladez 7 iron.  It was amazing the extra distance he gained.  He was hitting it on average 145.  Some of his shots went over 150.  If the student has the right technique coupled with the right equipment, good things will happen.