==================================================== Newsletter - Issue 57 Date 06/16/08 ==================================================== ==================================================== Equipment - Books - DVD's ==================================================== I was going to do give a recommendation in this edition for buying either a SkyCaddie or a Rangefinder, but I ran into a dilemma. I have friends that own each, and the SkyCaddie owner couldn't be happier, but the rangefinder owner told me he was putting a SkyCaddie on his Christmas list. I had asked him why he had not been using the rangefinder lately, and he ticked off a few reasons: the need for an extremely steady hold on the device, a certain amount of guesswork to hitting the exact spot for the yardage, and needing a straight line of sight to your target. My friend with the rangefinder is usually quite inebriated when he golfs, so I can see where the steady hand might be a problem, and his name is......JUST KIDDING. Anyway, I was ready to endorse the SkyCaddie over the rangefinder, but then I found out that the rangefinder my friend had was not one designed specifically for golf. So...I searched the internet for opinions on satisfaction with the Bushnell 1500 Pinseeker rangefinder, and all I read about were happy campers. One valid argument against the golf specific rangefinders is that you do need an unobstructed line of sight for a reading, whereas with the SkyCaddie objects are programmed in, and I think it uses satellite based triangulation to come up with the distance, which is very accurate. The rangefinders can be used for other uses besides golf, and the SkyCaddie can't, the SkyCaddie holds info for ten courses for free, after that there is a very modest annual fee. The SkyCaddie is smaller, but Bushnell just came up with a new compact model, the Bushnell Tour V2 With Pinseeker Technology.. I hate to be wishy washy, but I really can't recommend one over the other at this point unless you have specific needs based on how and where you play, and if you practice much. They are both pricey but I think the value is there, so maybe the determining factor is where you usually play your shots from. If your shots are usually unobstructed, and if the courses you play do not have a lot of blind shots to the green, it seems to me that the Bushnell Pinseeker rangefinder would be fine. If you play from trouble a lot, or if you play a lot of courses that have blind shots, the SkyCaddie would be better, as long as the course has been calibrated or mapped for the SkyCaddie. As a golf instructor, it seems that a good rangefinder might be best if I am trying to help a student determine the carry distance for his or her irons. The same holds true if you like to practice - you could set up cones and scope the distance very accurately with a rangefinder, then home in on the carry distances in for your irons. I can see real benefits from either item, so the choice depends on your usage. As much as I like the look, feel, and graphics of the SkyCaddie, I am leaning towards the new compact Bushnell Tour V2 With Pinseeker Technology, but I really have to convince myself that I need it before I spring for the bucks ($349). I tend to buy training aids for teaching before the other gimmicks, and in the next newsletter I'll talk about my latest training aid: the Orange Whip Trainer: http://www.orangewhiptrainer.com/ I'll compare it to a similar training device that I've had and liked for quite a while, the Whippy Tempomaster: http://www.tempomaster.com/ ==================================================== TCT Quick Tips - When In Trouble ==================================================== When in trouble, accept that the worse the lie, the greater the sacrifice you will have to make. Your score will be better off for it. ==================================================== Golf Tip : Choosing Between Graphite or Steel Shafts For Irons ==================================================== The following technical information came from Frank Thomas of Thomas Golf, with my personal experience comments added...Tom This is a subject that is of great interest to many golfers, myself included. I had been playing graphite shafted irons for most of this year and just switched to a stiff steel shaft with the same head (Callaway x-18 pro's) I've been using, and I'm "luvin every minute of it", as the song goes. Keep in mind that for most of my serious golfing life I had been playing irons with steel shafts, but decided to try graphite because I found a deal that I just could not resist. Unfortunately for me I seem to find a lot of them, but that's another story........ Here's a quick comparison to help you decide what's best for your game and swing. Keep in mind that Static Weight means weight of the club when resting on a scale, and Swing Weight means weight perceived by the golfer while making a swing. GRAPHITE SHAFTS: The main advantage graphite shafts have over steel, is their lower "static weight". A lower static weight helps increase swing speed and produces more distance without additional swing effort. If you are able to swing within yourself and maintain good balance, a graphite shaft can provide the benefit of extra distance. Graphite is also very good compared to steel if you wish to reduce impact vibration. If your elbows, wrists, or hands are tender from a lot of practice, graphite is worth a try. High quality frequency and flex matched graphite shafts will have the same amount of flex strength as a steel shaft. So for golfers who can maintain an even tempo, these types of graphite shafts will offer the same excellent distance control found in steel shafts. STEEL SHAFTS: Steel is a good choice for golfers who don't need the extra distance graphite shafts can provide. These golfers prefer steel shafts because their heavier static weight assists with tempo control and also gives a feeling of more control over the club head during the swing. If a player is able to analyze and benefit from the added feedback (more vibrations traveling up the shaft), steel offers a benefit in this regard as well. Another notable benefit, a steel club (built to have the same "swing weight" as a graphite club) will be shorter. A shorter club can make it much easier for a golfer to consistently hit the sweet spot of the clubface. In this sense, many golfers who tend to be less consistent may find the shorter steel shafts give them greater swing control. In my case, the graphite was too light for me, and I could never quite feel where the clubhead was during my swing, and my switch back to steel has provided that feedback. I also found the correct steel shaft. I had been trying out an exotic lightweight steel shaft before I switched to graphite, then back to steel. I now find that the old reliable Dynamic Gold S300 Steel Stiff Shafts are working for me. I hope this helps you decide what's best for your game, Tom