Golf Clubs n Tips

Cure Your Slice and Add 20 Yards

The first fix is to try to keep your leading shoulder down through impact.If you are right handed that means to keep you left shoulder down. Often, we see a “fade” caused by the leading shoulder moving upwards prior to impact causing an outside-in swing plane.

In “Golf My Way” by Jack Nicklaus, the physics of the golf swing are explained in a very understandable manner and it still one of the best golf primers available.”Golf My Way” is available from Amazon.com for $12.21.

On the range try to keep your chest and left shoulder down and facing the ball through impact. You will begin to hit straighter, longer shots.

Many golfers have the problem of letting their body get way ahead of their hands, a slice-producing move. It’s a more difficult fix, because you’re thinking about crushing the ball at the top of your back swing. At the range, place a small block of wood or even your golf towel under your trailing foot. This will help you get the feel of starting down by pushing off the instep of your trailing foot and letting you arms and upper body follow. This move promotes an inside-out swing path.

Tags: Golf Instruction and Tips by Golf Clubs N Tips Staff
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Tour Proven Pear Shaped Hi-Tech Driver

The new Titleist 909 Driver Series, available at retail outlets in November 2008, is a tour proven traditional pear shaped titanium and composite family of drivers. The 909 Series includes the 909DCOMP, 909D2, and 909D3.

The Titleist 909DComp is a high performance driver with a  full pear profile 460cc clubhead delivering high launch with low to mid spin. It features a 6-4 titanium body, 6-4 titanium face insert, 1K composite crown. The composite crown creates a low and deep CG for reduced spin, higher launch and MOI, and longer, straighter drives. The 909DCOMP has a tuned sole and an internal rib to reduce vibration a deliver a very solid sound and feel.

The composite crown and tuned sole of the 909DComp, which includes optimized pockets and an internal rib for reduced vibration, deliver a tour validated sound and feel. Stock shafts include Titleist Matrix Ozik XCON-5 and Titleist Matrix Ozik XCON-6 with a MSRP $550.

The Titleist 909D2 has a 460cc clubhead with a full pear profile with 6-4 titanium body and 6-4 titanium face insert. It is a high performance driver delivering mid launch with low to mid spin. The tuned sole of the 909D2 includes optimized pockets and an internal rib for reduced vibration, providing solid feel and better sound.

The design utilizes an integrated titanium blind bore hosel to save weight, provide solid feel, and allow for more shaft options. The factory installed SureFit Swingweight Screw helps to position the CG deep while also providing a precise head to shaft match. Stock shafts are the Titleist Diamana Blue 65 and the Aldila VooDoo.  The standard length is 45″ with +2″/ -2″  available. MSRP $450
The Titleist 909D3 has a classic pear profile, deep face, and 440cc titanium clubhead construction. The 909D3 features modern profile that creates a low and deep CG for reduced spin, higher MOI, and longer, straighter drives. The classic pear shape with a smaller, deeper face enhances workability for shot and trajectory control.

The 909D3 shares the design features of optimized pockets and an internal rib for reduced vibration, providing solid feel and better sound. The same standard stock shafts  and lengths as the D2. MSRP $450

Our staff has wide ranging opinions on the 909’s. Our pros and and long hitting low handicappers really like the playability of the 909DCOMP. Our 12 handicapper struggled with it and hit the 909D2 better. The D3 appears to be more workable for those who consistently shape their shots.

Tags: Golf Clubs - Drivers by Golf Clubs N Tips Staff
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The New Game Improvement Irons From Callaway

Despite a hokey looking back, these really are game improvement irons that perform. Callaway calls the notched back, precision notched weighting that precisely positions more weight to the perimeter of the iron to create a higher moment of inertia (MOI) for greater forgiveness and stability while maintaining the center of gravity position that produces ideal trajectories and feel.

It is a very solid club with enough sole weighting to get the ball airborne from just about any lie.

The X-22 sets up well and has a slightly thinner top line than its predecessors. Our guys say that it is forgiving with a large sweet spot that boosts confidence. The engineers say that the X-22 has advanced version of the original Tru-Bore design, the polycarbonate tip plug at the end of the shaft dampens vibration for enhanced feel and performance. The design maximizes ball speed and perimeter weighting for more distance and forgiveness. They claim that removing weight from the hosel and repositioning it in the perimeter of the clubhead maximizes ball speed and perimeter weighting for forgiveness. The 360-Degree Undercut Channel maximizes perimeter weighting by moving the center of gravity lower and farther back in the club head, enlarging the hitting area and stabilizing the club head.

Our pros and low handicap golfers found the irons very solid, but everything felt pretty much the same. Not enough feedback on off-center hits. Our mid-range handicapper loved it. He hit everything high and relatively straight.

The standard set 3-PW comes with relatively strong lofts. For example, the PW has only 45 degrees of loft with a 7 degree bounce angle. The wedges do have a lot of bounce which can be beneficial for week end golfers, but also can be a detriment for lower handicappers.

Our recommendation is that for a mid to high handicapper, these irons will prove long and forgiving.

Tags: Golf Clubs - Irons by Golf Clubs N Tips Staff
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3-Putts Kill Your Score And Your Mental Attitude

Whether your a golf pro, low handicap amateur, or struggling to improve your golf game, here’s an instructional manual with tips that can really help. Scott Myers has developed this new approach to teach you what many of the touring pros learned in their formulative years. How many times have you heard that it’s just alignment and distance control? Oh, but how about reading the green and which way is the grain…then there’s the actual stroke. A short putt counts as much as a long drive and that’s the rub. We think we should make most of the short putts.

Gaining distance control can minimize those nasty six footers coming back. Scott Myers can help. We like his approach and explanation. It is a step by step approach that can improve your putting with just a little practice. We didn’t get the 7-10 stroke improvement that he claims in the sales pitch, but then we only averaged two 3-putt holes per round. We like the approach and recommend it. If you act now, there is a limited time offer for a complimentary copy of 3 Days to Stop 3-Putting. Click Here!

Tags: Golf Instruction and Tips by Golf Clubs N Tips Staff
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New Callaway Driver FT-IQ

Space age technology from the laboratory at Callaway. Made of 4 different materials this ultra new square driver looks different, feels different, and really is easier to hit. The Callaway carbon composite technology moves weight to areas of the club head to increase forgiveness. The IQ as it’s known will be available at retail in November 2008. It has a very low center of gravity and that allows almost any hit anywhere on the club face to get airborne.  The research engineers have made the titanium face thicker in the middle to reduce backspin. A lower spin for most swings will produce a longer drive. Now, the bad news. We understand that MSRP will be $499. Of course, we expect that will be discounted pretty quickly, but it will be pricey.

Several hours of range time with a borrowed IQ confirms it forgiveness. Hit it anywhere on the face the ball gets up. It has a large sweet spot. The Callaway engineers have created increased club head stability at impact on off-center hits. The appearance at set up is radically different than conventional club heads. If you have been playing an FT-I or a similar square driver, then it will not be a major transition. We do believe that set up image is an important factor, especially for lower handicap golfers.

Sound is another factor that is quite important in golf.  Callaway drivers do have a different sound. Some of our guys did not like the sound, set up, and flight path. Our 12 handicap tester loved it. He played a casual match with the IQ and shot a career best that he attributed to driving accuracy. He did hit 12 fairways.

Clearly, the game of golf gets easier when we find the fairway off the tee. While the ball seemed to travel a long way in the air, we experienced a high trajectory that didn’t roll all that much. Comparing the IQ to the Ping G10, we think overall distance was a bit more with the G10, but accuracy is more controlled in the air. If you want increased driving accuracy with a very forgiving driver, then check out the new Callaway FT-IQ. Our marketing affiliate, Austad’s will have it available in November 2008.

Tags: Golf Clubs - Drivers by Golf Clubs N Tips Staff
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