The Truth
Lets be honest you decided to click on this link for one of the following reasons:
You want to improve your golf game (score). You were intrigued by the prices we offer compared to Name Brand equipment. You want to finally have a set of irons or a driver that is custom fit to your swing. With that being said, I want to tell you that you have come to the right place, and our Buyer's Guide will help you in ALL of those areas. And lucky for you it will not be in the typical complicated jargon that most Fitting guides are arranged in. This will be in a straight forward step by step process, that will have you on your way to a better, more enjoyable game in no time.
The Problem(s) Golf is actually a simple game our brains and golf magazines just make it more complicated then it needs to be. The majority of golfers have the same problems that need to be fixed. But most of us come to the solution in the wrong manner. We tend to think that if something new comes out it must be better and that the higher the price on the equipment you buy means the better the equipment must be. Then we tend to blame ourselves when that $1200 set we purchased does not lower our score.
We want you to remember that the Pro shop salesmen that sold you your set has most likely never built a set of clubs and most likely does not know what the specifications of the Pro-line shafts are. The shaft is the motor, and who wants to buy a Lexus with a Yugo motor under the hood?
The Solution Whether the problem you are having with your game seems to be simple or complicated. It most likely can be fixed by looking at your present game and equipment from only a few different angles.
You could feel like you have the best swing in the world and the following variables could be killing your game. Club Head Style, Shaft Choice, Shaft Length, Grip Size and Flex are the major components to properly fitting a golfer and if ONLY ONE of these variables is not matched up to your swing you could be in for a nightmare of bad habits to come.
Take only a few minutes out of your day to look over the following Self-Help Guides and we promise that you will not only improve your game but you will be become the most informed golfer on your block.
Club Head Style
Did you ever say to yourself, "I don't feel like my swing is that bad, why can't I still break (80,90,100)." Well if you do then CLUB HEAD STYLE might be one of your problems.
Technology has come a long way, so if you are still playing irons that are 5 years old or more you most likely could benefit from the advances in new iron head construction. Here are some of the variables of a head that have an impact on making the game a little easier for the average golfer. Click on each title for how each one can help your game. Yes, we know this is a lot of information for just the first section but take it step by step and let it sink in a little.
Offset
Offest is the amount the face of the club sits back from the hosel, this aids in helping reduce a slice with your clubs. Generally the better golfer you are the less offset you want. However this is not always true. For some reason the better your score gets the less you start liking the look of the iron head sitting that far back from the hosel. It is a hand control issue more then anything else. When you feel like you are the one actually in control of the club you want there to be less and less offset on your new sticks. But for a Mid to High handicap player offset can be a MAJOR factor in making solid contact more often. And the best analogy I can give you is if you were a baseball player would you rather have the feeling of hitting a home run or a broken bat single. Solid contact plays a major role in ditance and accuracy control. So if you are constantly having that broken bat single feeling with your irons you might want to consider going to a head with more offset.
Perimeter Weighting
You might have noticed the trend in the cavity design of new irons lately. Irons in past years had more of the weight behind the impact area of the cavity. Today's irons have more of the weight towards the perimeter of the cavity. This is what is called PERIMETER WEIGHTING . If you always hit the ball dead center perfect, you would want a small sweet spot and no perimeter weighting so you could put as much physical mass directly behind the impact point of the ball. This would make a very long shot. However, if you are off - even just a millimeter - your shot will go astray. By having an iron that is perimeter weighting you are maximizing the forgiveness of your irons. So unless you play 4 to 5 times a week you most likely do not hit the center of the sweet spot 100% of the time. Therefore you might want to consider the amount of perimeter weighting you need on your irons.
Sole Width
Sole width is another factor when considering your next iron set purchase. Put simply the larger the mass on your irons the easier it is to be grabbed in a tighter lie out of the rough. A narrower sole is easier out of tight lies and wider soles are easier from plush lies. That is why we tend to recommend a mid to wide soled iron and more blade style wedges. The majority of your wedge shots are going to be from tighter lies or you might have to carry a bunker and still be able to stop it quickly on the green. So for your SW and LW you might want to consider looking in our wedge section and choose from a more traditional shaped wedge.
Heel to Toe Length
This iron attribute is more cosmetic then anything else. But it does affect forgiveness. Some players like the look of a more compact iron, although a longer heel to toe design has a larger effective hitting area. So if you are the kind of golfer that is looking for the maximum amount of forgiveness you might also want to consider a longer heel to toe design.
Face Height
Face Height is similar to Heel to Toe length. If you are looking for the most forgiving iron you should take face height in consideration.
SHAFT CHOICE Shaft Choice is the most important dynamic to improving your present game and equipment. We know that you are hearing this a lot lately, but this is one statement your buddy is right about.
Most recreational golfers think that flex is the ONLY thing they need to worry about in regards to being fit properly. You don't know how many times we get the guy saying, "Give me x-stiff in my driver, and he hits the ball 175 yds off the tee. Or the guy that says, "Well my buddy saw me swing and he said I need stiff." First things first, don't listen to the buddy who just read a "Golf Digest" and thinks he's the golf guru, but still shoots 20 strokes worse then you do. I personally think that custom club builders are the most knowledgable in the business in regards to being able to properly fit a golfer. That is our job, to properly fit and build irons and woods to a golfers swing. Pro Line shops are there to sell equipment and have most likely never built a club . So we would hope you would call someone in our field before having "Harry the Hacker" giving you a backyard fitting.
Ok, enough of the rambling by us lets get down to how we are going to help you become not only a more knowledgable golfer but a better golfer as well.
Kick Points
Ball flight is a problem for many golfers that are not even aware of it. Many golfers are losing 3-5 strokes a round just because they have too low of a ball flight pattern. No, we do not want you to have a high BALLONING ball flight. But, yes you do want a more penetrating higher ball flight that lands softly. Think about the shots that you have to play over a bunker with the pin tucked closely behind . With too low of a ball flight you might land on the green but not be able to stop the ball before you have run it 30 ft past the pin. You happily walk up to the green, pray for a two putt and go to the next tee box. But what if you could have played that same shot and been able to stop the ball 10-15 ft past the cup. You might have been able to sink a one putt and saved one to two strokes on that hole alone. The tables below show which shafts give you the ball flight you are looking for.
Shaft Torque
Just because a shaft says stiff flex does not mean that it is the right shaft for you, even if you fit that criteria. Torque comes into play as well when properly fitting a shaft to a golfers swing speed.
Think about a $4 graphite shaft that is a stiff flex and a $40 graphite shaft that is also a stiff flex. There has to be a reason why that shaft is more expensive . Generally it is for a couple reasons : Better materials, better tolerances, and more precise kick points and torque tolerances for the flex it should correspond with.
To get the maximum distance and control out of your shaft you need to have the right torque rating . If you hit the ball 275 on average without roll and are playing a 2.5 torque stiff shaft you are most likely not getting everything out of that shaft as you should be. Remember torque is the amount the head turns on the shaft from right to left. If you do not put enough load on the shaft to maximize the 2.5 torque rating you are not allowing the shaft to load and unload to its maximum capacity. Therefore you are not getting the maximum distance out of your new stick.
Most hitters need "a little pop" to help the clubhead release properly through impact. Players should not get carried away in thinking that lower torque means better control. The following chart will assist you in getting the right torque rating for your next driver shaft. Remember that this rating is more precise for higher quality shafts, due to the fact that they rate there shafts more accurately.
Shaft Weight
DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO SWINGWEIGHTING SO MUCH. To many golfers get caught up in trying to get that D2 weighting they hear about . But remember every golfer likes a different feel . Some like more feel in the head some like their weight more evenly distributed throughout the entire club. And remember also that irons and woods are different . I prefer a lighter feeling head on my driver, so by the 14 th hole I don't feel like I am lugging around a 2 X 4 . This way I feel like I am in more control of my game throughout my entire round. This is just one opinion, but the point is to have you start actually thinking about the clubs in your bag in a different light . Think about it, if you could afford a $5000 suit that was totally custom fit to your body and money was no issue then you would do that for yourself. Well why wouldn't you completely customize your driver or new irons if you could afford it. Oh yeah you can!! With the prices we sell our equipment for, you can customize your clubs in every aspect possible.
SHAFT LENGTH
Shaft length is very important but typically shaft length in drivers is where most golfers are making their mistakes . However for your irons we do not want you tailoring your swing to your clubs . There are enough variables to be worried about in golf, the last thing you want is to have a perfect swing and equipment that does not match up.
Do you find yourself choking up more often then not? Or do you wake up the morning after your round with a sore back? That is your body telling you that you need to get your clubs custom fit. In addition, that is also your body telling you it is having to change its motion to match up to your equipment. NOT GOOD. If you take your body out of its natural rhythm, BELIEVE me your game will never be allowed to flourish.
Below is a list of problems that could be occurring due to the wrong length shaft:
Clubs Too Long
Low Hook - Tends to make the toe of the club stick up. This causes the heel of your club to grab first which turns your toe in causing the right to left spin on the ball and the lower ball flight. Higher Ball Flight Then Normal ? Many times golfers with too long of a club will tend to try to over compensate, which causes them to stand too tall and lean back on their downswing. The leaning back can cause extra loft to be added to the head which can cause a high shot with a loss of distance. Super Fat Shots - Your body has to compensate for the extra length if your clubs are too long. But since this is not your bodies natural motion it will tend to forget about 40% of the time. So when your body forgets that extra length makes contact with the ground a hair to soon. This is what will cause those Super-Fat shots. Worm Burner - This is the opposite of the Super-Fat shot . In this instance your body actually over compensates for the length and stands too tall. You then make your contact in the center of the ball. This will cause that screaming worm burner or the shot that flies 60 yds. over the green. Clubs Too Short
Push Or Slice - Too short of an iron will have to toe pointing down into the ground. This causes the toe to grab to early and pushes your heel forward. This causes the left to right spin or the open face which causes the push or slice. Catching It Thin - If you are catching it a little thin more often then not. You might have a set of irons that are a little too short for you.
SHAFT FLEX
Imagine taking your 9 yr old sons clubs out to play in your next tournament. Or imagine playing with the long drive Champions driver. You think you would be able to perform as well with their equipment? Most likely not. And one of the reasons is because the flex of those clubs most likely does not fit your swing speed . Flex is the amount the club flexes from front to back. Torque is the amount the head twists from right to left (FOR RIGHTIES). So both components are important when it comes to picking the right shaft for your game.
Too flexible of a shaft and your going to have less control, and you will produce a draw or a hook.
Too stiff of a shaft and you are going to lose some distance, and you will produce a fade or a slice.
We would love to give you a table that shows exactly what swing speed corresponds with what shaft flex. But unfortunately every shaft company goes by different standards . So a UST Gold 75 stiff might play a whole flex stiffer then a Penley Graphite Light Stiff. The following tables are a good rule of thumb for the majority of shafts on the market.
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