Instant Golf Special Report
Holiday Club Buying Mistakes to Avoid
It’s the time of year when many golfers buy gifts for the golfers in their lives and even for themselves!
And there are a lot of great year end deals out there on excellent equipment including drivers, woods, hybrids, and iron sets.
So I wanted to relay 4 tips today that will help you avoid some common mistakes when selecting and purchasing a new club(s).
1) First off, don’t buy any driver without hitting it first! Now that may sound obvious, but many golfers are still buying clubs (often through the mail) “because they read about them in a magazine” or they saw a TV commercial.
And even if you test a new driver in a store and are ordering a club for delivery, be sure it is identical to the one you liked during testing.
Even slight changes from the club you may have tested vs. the one that will be delivered (like shaft brand, flex, or grip type) can make a huge difference in playability.
After delivery you may find yourself holding a club that doesn’t feel or perform like the one you tested. Worse yet, you also now have a big hole in your wallet!
2) Let’s Talk Driver Loft.
If you have been reading my reports for some time you know I am a big advocate of more loft for recreational golfers with <100 mph swing speeds.
I have detailed that many of the Pro’s are using 10-11 degrees
loft these days even though they have swing speeds that average 112 mph and up. And they are hitting the ball farther than ever.
In fact, Aussie John Senden won the PGA’s 2014 Valspar Championship with a 12 degree Taylormade SLDR driver that he hits over 300 yards!
Now the average recreational swing speed is about 88-90 mph and most golfers should be looking at (testing) 10.5-13 degrees loft.
One of the big reasons for this is due to the lower initial spin rate of today’s golf balls.
Back spin helps keep the ball in the air. Since today’s balls spin less off the tee, additional loft or an upsweep through impact helps create the desired High Launch with Low Spin condition which is the formula for distance.
3) When you test a new club, whether it is a driver, wood, hybrid, or irons, be sure to view the club in your set-up position in natural daylight. You may find that in sunlight there is an annoying reflection off the face, the head color looks bridiculous, or the shape of the head looks bizarre at set-up!
This will not inspire confidence during real world play, no matter how good the technology is in the design.
On the flip side, I bet you have a ratty old favorite club in your bag that you can “hit in your sleep” even though the paint is chipped and the head is dinged.
If a club doesn’t look right to you at set-up, you’ll have a hard time playing your best with it. A golf club that
looks right from the beginning will give you years of great shots and enjoyment long after it has lost its luster. When a club is right for you, you’ll know it!
4) Finally, if you have a favorite golf ball model, by all means bring a few when you go to test a new club or set of irons. Don’t limit yourself to what they have for testing in the store.
You can even have the shop tech or pro fit your new driver to that golf ball’s performance characteristics. Then you will really be ready to “rock and roll” when you break out the new weapon during your next foursome round or league play.
In summary, club buying is an exciting time, kind of like buying an automobile. Both are long term investments that need to look and feel right. Whether its long drives in a new car, or long drives with a new club, the above tips will steer you in the right direction.
Happy Holidays,
About the Author: Robert Cotter is a US patent award winning golf ball design engineer and fine player. His interaction with the top players in the game led to his discovery of The Key to a pro caliber golf swing. He is the author of “The Key To A Repeating Golf Swing” which has taught over 10,000 golfers in 60+ countries.