The Art of Putting. Rolling the rock....Are you playing the right putter for your stroke?

The Art of Putting. Rolling the rock....Are you playing the right putter for your stroke?

Most of you out there probably do not put a ton of consideration into what you are putting with. Well let me tell you it might be the most important club in the bag to have fit just for you. Sure most of you think that it is always the indian and not the arrow. With ole Mr. ThreeWiggle it can make a huge different if you are playing the "right" putter. So how do you go about find "the one."
Lets keep it simple:
Important things to consider when trying to find a flat stick that will work best for your game. 

1. Loft
2. Lie 
3. Length
4. Type of Stroke
5. Look and Feel
6. Speed of Greens

Now lets break each category down so you have a baseline of where to start with your current equipment and so that you are informed when you seek a professional to fit you.
1. LOFT: consider your setup to the ball when determining what loft putter you want to go with.  Optimal loft is about what is standard (3-4*) yet most of us do not set up with the putter shaft perfectly vertical.  Therefore consider if you forward press or lean the putter back at address.  If you lean the putter back, have the loft on your putter bent a degree or two stronger (2-3*) to make it play like a 3-4* when you set up to the ball.  If you forward press your hands have loft added to your putter i.e. a degree or two to make sure that it plays 3-4* when you set up. **Consider the types of greens you do most of your putting on. If they are faster you want a little stronger loft (i.e. closer to 3 degrees), if they are slower you want a little weaker loft (i.e. closer to 4 degrees). Both of these measurements are at impact not address. A certified fitter can help you with these numbers. 

2. LIE:  very important to your putter and successful putting.  You cannot afford to make assumptions here as the putter may require a different lie than the rest of your set.  This will allow the putter to be soled correctly so that the heel and toe are evenly off the ground on a putter which such a shape as to cause this.  A putter that is too flat or too upright can adversely effect your putting stroke as well as the spin imparted upon the ball.**Be careful when adjusting the lie on a putter without consulting your fitter or teaching professional. A lot of times the lie angle does not seem right due to an improper setup. It can be a bandaid on a real problem at address. 

3. LENGTH:  You want your arms to hang naturally so that the stance and posture feel like second nature. Find a length that allows your arms to hang and feel comfortable for you. Length is for the most part a personal preference, so try out some lengths and chose your best feel.**Most important part about length is that it allows you to get into the proper posture to make a good stroke with the upper body as the only moving part. Too tall or too hunched over can make a huge difference is the consistency of your stroke. This goes hand and hand with allowing your eyes to be over top of the ball and not too far over or behind the ball at address. Your eyes must be looking down the target line. Length plays a major part in this. 

4. TYPE OF STROKE: 

Below you will see a breakdown of each of the paths you see above starting from the top and working toward the bottom of the picture. 

• Gated Stroke:  to find a putter best suited to you,  find something that is NOT face-balanced.  You will want to try putters that have toe hang so that when balanced on your fingers, the toe hangs lower than the heel.  These types of putters are things like the anser/newport and other blades of the like as well as the truly blade putters 8802/napa and the jat/del mar 3.5.  These type of putters allow the face to open and close with the gated putting stroke, and therefore are not fighting your stroke style.  Attempting to putt with a face balanced putter can certainly work, I will not say that it can't happen, but it certainly can at times fight your stroke.  However, I will caution you on this, sometimes face balancing is due to shaft position (i.e. the futura by cameron) and not the actual weighting, these putters can still work quite well with a gated putting stroke.

• Square to Square: Face-balanced putters are great for square to square putting strokes.  These putters facilitate the ability to keep the putter face square to the target line and prevent it from wanting to open and close.  Consider things such as the odyssey 2 and 3 ball, monza corza, and a few of the face balanced blades. Most not all putters that are face balanced tend to be mallet style or modified blades.  These putters can greatly help the consistancy of your stroke.  Again I will not claim that is impossible to putt well with a heel/toe weighted putter; however, it will want to open and close thus fighting your natural stroke path.

• Inside and Down the Line: Heel-toe weighted putters suit this stroke type the best. It is very similar to the gated stroke with the exception of the face going left after impact. The putter still releases completely and the toe passes over the heel but the putter does not track left as much as the gated stroke. This is modeled after Tiger's stroke.  

5. LOOK AND FEEL: This does not need too much of an explanation but it is very important. You need to like what you are looking at. After all it is the only club in your bag that you are going to bring out (for the most part) every hole of every round you play. Its a big commitment so you better like what you are looking at. The other piece to the puzzle is feel. You must like the response you get when you stroke a putt. Granted the type of ball plays into this but feel and sound are very important to the feedback the golfer gets. Sound determines feel and the better feel you have with the putter the better you are going to putt. 

6. SPEED OF GREENS: This can play a factor when selecting the weight and the insert of your putter. If you play on fast greens a little heavier is better with a firmer insert, if you play on slow greens a little lighter with a softer insert is better. This is just my opinion and not a fact. So do what works for you and the greens that you consistently play. I hope this helps you in the quest for your new putter and saving those 1 or 2 shots in your upcoming rounds. Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or feedback if I can be of any assistance. 

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Getting custom Fit for new Golf Equipment? Is it hype or really worth the investment?

Getting custom Fit for new Golf Equipment? Is it hype or are custom golf clubs really worth the investment?

There are a lot of people that walk into the golf stores and buy off the rack equipment thinking that they are not good enough to get custom fit or just do not need to play with anything fancy. No offense but that is just crazy. When you are spending your hard earned money you better believe that its worth the extra to get something that is just right for you and your game. Just as every golf has a different swing every golfer needs to have equipment to fit "their" individual game. Everyone is different, that is what is so great about the new technology in golf today. Now clubs can grow along with you and your game. With all of the new adjustable technology and removable shaft technology, you can keep the head and switch the shaft. It makes buying a used driver way easier as well. The head is still good, just change the shaft. 

So now that I have said its a must to get custom fit if you are buying new equipment I am going to back it up with my own experience this past week. I recently went to the TaylorMade Fit Lab and did a full motion analysis for all 14 clubs. WOW! What an experience it was. Not only was it invaluable and tons and tons, and tons of great information but it was simple and easy to understand. The PGA member that fit me did a phenomenal job and really made a huge difference in my consistency numbers.

Getting fit properly can make a huge difference on how far offline your misses go and how online your great shots go. As you all know golf is a game of who misses it the best. Getting fit helps you to miss it better and closer to your target. I highly recommend heading over to your local retailer or PGA professional to get your equipment fit to you. As you can see in the first picture I made a significant improvement in not only distance but a much tighter shot pattern when the shot was not hit perfect. Nothing wrong with hitting it further and straighter at the same time. Getting custom fit can do that for you. Its all about finding the right combination of head and shaft. These days there are so many options out there it can be a whirlwind trying to decipher everything on your own.
Shafts have many parameters. 

• Torque: occurs in a shaft due to the fact that the clubhead is affixed to the shaft off-centre. The mass of the head thus causes a twisting of the shaft when the club is swung.Torque doesn't necessarily 'do' anything - it's just something that's pretty much unavoidable due to the design of a club.A certain amount of torque is a plus as it helps the golfer deliver the clubhead squarely at impact. Too much torque can result in an inconsistent face angle at impact and cause errant shots; so low torque is generally desired. Too little torque can have similarly negative results though - and torque is very closely related to the 'feel' of a shaft. A shaft with too little torque will often feel 'boardy' and lifeless to the player. Often, a shaft with too little torque will also be too stiff, exacerbating the problem. 

The term “torque”, really means- a measurement of a shaft’s ability to resist twisting. Most companies in the industry do not use a standardized testing methodology, so you need to to be careful of drawing any meaningful conclusions when comparing across brands, but the general idea is to anchor the shaft, apply a weight in a twisting manner, and measure the amount of twist or torque. This amount is expressed in a factor of degrees, as in 2 degrees or 3 degrees of torque. Most steel shaft models have similar torque measurements, with heavier, stiffer, thicker walled shafts having a lower degree of torque, and lighter, flexible, thinner walled shafts having a higher degree of torque. Most steel models fall in a similar range of 1.5 to 2.0 degrees of torque, which means these models will play similar with regards to torque, thus torque is really not a performance factor to consider. Graphite models, however, because of the different manufacturing methods, can range from 1 to 10 degrees of torque, which certainly changes a shaft’s performance properties, but with most premium graphite models, in the 2-4 degree range, torque in graphite models also is not a major issue to consider. A certain amount of torque, or twisting of the shaft, is needed to match up with the typical golf swing and golf club, to aid in delivering the face into the ball at a square position, for the best possible contact.
 

• Kick Point: is a term that describes the “where” a shaft bends. In simplest terms, a high or butt kick shaft, flexes closer to the grip, a mid kick shaft, flexes more toward the middle portion of the club, and a low or tip kick shaft, flexes closer to the head. A higher kick shaft is often preferred by stronger players, with high swing speeds, who have an easy time getting the ball in the air, because a high or butt kick shaft typically promotes a lower flight trajectory. A mid kick shaft promotes a mid trajectory, and a low kick shaft promotes a higher trajectory

• Flex: If you want to avoid giving your game the shaft, you need to understand the effect that shaft flex has on your game. Flex refers to the ability of a golf shaft to bend as forces are applied to it during the golf swing.Those forces are generated by the type of swing that you have - fast or slow, smooth or jerky.There are five generally used ratings for shaft flex: Extra Stiff, Stiff, Regular, Senior and Ladies, usually denoted by the letters X, S, R, A and L ("A" is used for Senior because this flex was originally called "amateur").Having a flex that doesn't match the needs of your swing will result in the club face  being misaligned at impact, causing your shots to go off-target.

• Weight: The weight of the shaft is the major factor in determining the total weight of all golf clubs.While club head weight and grip weight can and do vary depending on the golfer's need for a higher swing weight (head weight) or a larger grip size (grip weight), neither the head nor the grip exist in nearly as wide a range of weights as does the shaft.

At the time of this writing, shafts can be bought that weigh as much as 130 grams (4.6 ounces) or as light as 40 grams (1.4 ounces). Thus, when a golfer switches from an average steel shaft to an average graphite shaft today, the drop in total weight will be in the area of at least 50 grams or more (1.75 ounces).

Swing speed is the most direct factor affecting shot distance. The lighter the total weight of the golf club, the higher the swing speed the golfer should be able to generate with the club. However, the swingweight of the club must be fit properly to the strength and tempo of the golfer or else any significant decrease in the total weight of the clubs will simply result in a higher percentage of off-center hits, which in turn will reduce

The weight of the shaft is the major factor in determining the total weight of all golf clubs.While club head weight and grip weight can and do vary depending on the golfer's need for a higher swing weight (headweight) or a larger grip size (grip weight), neither the head nor the grip exist in nearly as wide a range of weights as does the shaft.At the time of this writing, shafts can be bought that weigh as much as 130 grams (4.6 ounces) or as light as 40 grams (1.4 ounces). Thus, when a golfer switches from an average steel shaft to an average graphite shaft today, the drop in total weight will be in the area of at least 50 grams or more (1.75 ounces).Swing speed is the most direct factor affecting shot distance. The lighter the total weight of the golf club, the higher the swing speed the golfer should be able to generate with the club. However, the swingweight of the club must be fit properly to the strength and tempo of the golfer or else any significant decrease in the total weight of the clubs will simply result in a higher percentage of off-center hits, which in turn will reduce.

Now that you understand a little bit about shaft determination get out there and GET FIT!! Play better golf through playing better equipment. Hope you play well during your next round. Keep thinking outside of the cube. 

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Road to the PGA tour, Golf takes Hard Work, Dedication, Determination, Perseverance, and Consistency

Road to the PGA tour, Golf takes Hard Work, Dedication, Determination, Perseverance, and Consistency

It is official. I have decided to take the plunge and test my skills, education, and mental capabilities by trying to play professional golf for a living. It is going to be a long road, one that will have many trials and tribulations, but achieving greatness does not come without great sacrifice.

I am going to be publishing my story as I go along, from tip and tidbits I come across, sports psychology, practice habits, drills, tournament trivia and data, how to's, mini tour education, and many other topics in hopes to help those that want to chase their dream as well. I am very excited about this opportunity and can't wait to give continuous feedback and blog entries here for the viewers that I have.

So far the steps that I have taken to get this dream in high gear.

1. Erase all preconceived ideals of what is going to happen and take it one day at a time
2. Create a 3 year game plan and timeline that is realistic
3. Update the old equipment and go through a complete fitting for all 14 clubs in the bag. 
4. Create a 6 month tournament schedule that included some very minor mini tour tournaments and gradually getting back into the competitive mind set.
5. Creating a graduation scale of tournaments
6. Finding a mentor/swing coach that I trust and has tour proven experience
7. Creating a solid regimented practice/workout schedule. 
8. Developing a strength in my game (something I can always count on)
9. Going in 100% and not looking back. 

This decision to take the plunge has been many years in the making and not just an impulsive decision. This is something that has always been in the plans it was just a matter of time before I was going to be able to put 100% of efforts into it. I finally have the time and knowledge to get myself to the next level and see what I am made of. Just me against myself on this journey and I would have it no other way. 

If you are looking to take the plunge I suggest you do it, and do it 100%. Golf is a game that will test every fiber of your being and no matter how strong you think you are, it can break you down at any time. Those that become great golfers are those that fight back and dig as deep as they can to get back on top. It is not going to be an easy task, but I am mentally prepared for the challenges ahead and will face challenges with veracity and tenacity.