==================================================== BCC Golf Newsletter - Issue 177 Date 09/15/11 ==================================================== ==================================================== TCT Quick Tip - Putting Pace ==================================================== Remember to give your putts enough pace. Too often we leave putts short of the hole and don't give them a chance to fall in the hole. I used to teach a 17" pace, but current research convinced me to adjust to a 10" pace. A 10" pace means putting at a speed where the ball would roll 10" past the hole if you happen to miss the putt - and NO FURTHER THAN THAT. Enjoy, Tom ==================================================== Golf Tip: Know This Before You Buy Clubs ==================================================== Here are some things you should know about golf clubs before you buy them Every golf club or set of clubs ever made has 13 different specifications that make those clubs what they are. Those 13 different elements are the Lengths, Loft Angles, Lie Angles, Face Angle, Shaft Weight, Shaft Flex, Shaft Bend Profile, Shaft Torque, Swingweight, Total Weight, Grip Size/Style, Set Makeup and Clubhead Model Design. Most ads or commercials that attract you to any golf club or set of clubs typically talk about one and only one of those 13 key specifications that makes each club differ from another - the clubhead design. Here's a fact few golfers ever realize. All those golf clubs within each club model you see displayed on the display racks in your local golf store are built to differ in only 2 of those 13 key golf club specifications - you can choose between a few different shaft flexes and among only the drivers, you can choose between a handful of different loft angles. Within each club model the other 11 specifications are all made to be the same. Now think about this for a moment. The last time you were at a busy driving range, did all the golfers have the same size, same strength, same athletic ability and have the same swing characteristics? Not even close I'm sure you'll agree. In fact the golfers who play this great game are quite different from each other in their size, strength, athletic ability and swing characteristics. Isn't it then logical to question how all these different golfers can hope to play to the best of their golfing ability if they all buy golf clubs that are made to be the same for 11 of the 13 important playing specifications? If you're like most golfers, you might now be thinking you're not good enough in the game to have your clubs custom fit to your own individual size, strength, athletic ability and swing characteristics. Think about one more thing. Many of you played baseball or softball at one point in your life and probably 99.9% of you weren't good enough to play baseball or softball for a living. Yet you didn't just use any old standard bat to play the game - you bought your bat with a specific length, weight, and handle diameter that you discovered allowed you to hit the ball to the best of your ability. So why are golf clubs any different? Like baseball or softball, success in golf is measured by how well you can hit the ball with a "stick". And like baseball or softball, all golfers cannot play to the best of their ability using golf clubs that are made to a series of standard specifications for the simple reason that all the golfers do vary in their size, strength, athletic ability and swing characteristics. Statistics within the industry of custom Clubfitting show that over 70% of all golfers who shoot between 75 and 100 do experience measurable, visible shot improvement when they are custom fit for each of the 13 key Clubfitting specifications. Is there more distance, better accuracy, better shot consistency lying in your game ready to surface? With a better than a 7 in 10 chance aren't you curious to know? If you are considering buying new clubs, and if you are any kind of serious golfer, it would be wise to go somewhere and have your optimal swing specifications defined via a computer at a place like Golf Galaxy to see what your critical specs are. Then, if you buy off the rack, get an assurance from the salesperson that the specifications advertised for your clubs - flex, kickpoint, weight, length, are guaranteed. If you buy at Golf Galaxy, they could actually check sme of those specs before you leave the store. I wonder if anyone has ever asked for that ....... This holds especially true if you buy the "tour" designated models, which are supposedly held to a higher consistency standard, but my research shows that they are not. If you don't have them checked before you walk out the door for whatever reason, spend a few bucks and take your set to a clubmaker or club repair shop and have the specs measured and proceed accordingly. The general public has been paying a big buck for mass produced clubs with the understanding that they are getting what they've paid for, when the norm is sub standard consistency in production. Be a wise consumer when you buy clubs. Enjoy, Tom