Golf Clubs n Tips

United Sports Technology (UST) has quietly been generating a buzz on several pro tours and recorded a couple of wins with their new AXIV series of ProForce golf shafts that have recently been released.

Rod Pampling recently won the Australian Masters using a ProForce AXIV shaft at Huntingdale Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia.

UST, a leading innovator in graphite golf shaft technology, has unveiled for the public the next evolution in its high performance ProForce Series – the new ProForce AXIVCore Series, comprised of the Blue AXIV, Tour Black, and Tour Red shafts. UST markets golf shafts under the brand names of IROD, Easy Flex, Competition Series, Frequency Filter, ACCRA, and the popular ProForce series.

According to Gene Simpson, senior vice president for UST the innovative new Proforce AXIVCore Shaft Series integrates a true weave, four-axis material, within the inner walls of the butt section that provides stability and consistent shaft recovery. This unique counter-balanced shaft also reduces club heft that helps players generate more clubhead speed which translates to more ball velocity and greater distance.

The Proforce AXIVCore Blue shaft features a tip section that optimizes torque and generates more spin. The woven AXIV material provides enhanced stability and consistent shaft recovery without sacrificing feel. The AXIVCore Blue has a listed MSRP of $115 and is available in 59-, 69-, 79-grams and flexes to fit a various swing profiles.

The Tour Black produces a high initial launch angle, low spin and increased ball speed. The Tour Black incorporates high-modulus carbon fiber in the mid and tip section of the shaft, and a low torque tip section to create a higher launch trajectory with less ball spin. It is available in 59-, 69-, 79-, 89-grams and flexes with an MSRP of $165.

The new Tour Red is for players who generate above average ball speed and who desire a penetrating launch angle and low ball spin. Similar to the Tour Black model, the Tour Red is a tour-proven design that combines the AXIV weave and a superior high-modulus carbon fiber in the mid and tip sections of the shaft and a stiffer tip profile that delivers firmer feel. It is available in 69-, 79-, 89-grams and in stiff and extra stiff flexes for an MSRP of $165.

The high swing speed staff members gave high marks to the Tour Black and Tour Red. We suggest the Blue AXIV if your swing speed is a more mortal 100 mph or less.

Tags: Golf Shafts by Golf Clubs N Tips Staff
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While you definitely need to stay out of trouble with your driver, the real key to lowering your scores and your handicap is from 150 yards in with what we call your scoring clubs. Most golfers hit an 8 or 7 iron from 150 yards. Your 7 iron down through your wedges to your putter are your scoring clubs. If you check the statistics for the leading money winners on every professional tour, you will find that hitting 70% of greens in regulation is the common denominator.

We will discuss chipping, pitching, and putting in future articles. Let’s focus first on getting to the green. It’s the approach shot that gives you the opportunity to chip it in or one putt for a birdie. Even when your drive has strayed off the fairway, a solid approach shot can save the hole. When you fix a lot of your own pitch marks on the green during your round, you’re probably scoring well.

Let’s start with the obvious:

• Don’t aim for the flag. Line up for the middle of the green. Happiness is having a birdie putt from any length.
  
• Focus on alignment rather than distance on your approach. I would rather be a club long or short and right in line leaving a 25-30 foot putt.

Alignment is very important on approach shots. When you are practicing on the range, go through your pre-shot routine on every shot and focus on alignment. Align your shoulders, hips, and feet parallel to your target line. Many pro golfers will pick a spot a few feet in front of the ball on their target line to assist in mentally constructing  a parallel stance.

Most of us have a good idea of which club to hit from 150 yards and most courses have some kind of 150 yard marker. If you practice using your 150 yard club, then your course strategy on par 4’s and 5’s should be to hit close to the 150 yard marker. I usually will practice from 150 yards and 100 yards. Being comfortable and reasonably sure of hitting 70% of the greens from those two yardages, give me an easy course strategy for par 4’s and 5’s.

Remember focus on alignment and select the club to get to the middle of green.  A little mishit should still be on or close to the green.

Tags: Golf Instruction and Tips by John
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Selecting Holiday Gifts For the Golfer

If you have a golfer on your gift list, selecting the right gift can be daunting. Golfers have very real opinions about what’s right for them. The scratch golfer that plays a soft cover high spinning golf ball may be gracious about the 15 ball pack of Top-Flites, but will probably give them away to friend struggling with distance.

Matching the gift to the golfer’s preferences and skill level can be an art and a science, but we can help.

First, be very careful about purchasing clubs unless you obtain personal data on what the golfer really wants. A set of irons can now be configured with hybrids in place of long irons. Shaft options are have increased and may be the most important single element in the club make up. For example, the speed a golfer swings the club and the tempo of the swing should be matched. Many golf retail outlets and country club pro shops are equipped to custom fit the individual golfer. Unless you have specific data, you can purchase a gift card that your special golfer can use to be fitted by a golf professional.

Some specialty golf clubs, like putters and wedges, are a much easier choice. Most serious golfers have several and are usually ready to try something new. I have been known to have 8 to 10 back up putters waiting in the garage. A round with multiple 3 putts will usually initiate a move to a new putter while the offending putter receives penance in a dark corner. I also have an affinity for wedges and own different models with lofts of 48, 52 54, 56, 57, and 60 degrees. Depending on the golf course and turf conditions different wedges may provide an advantage on those little finesse shots.

Drivers and fairway woods or iron-woods offer many choices, but really require specific knowledge. The golf club reviews on internet sites like www.golfclubsntips can assist you in making an appropriate choice. Generally, we advise staying with name brand golf clubs from the major club manufactures like Titleist, Callaway, Taylormade, Ping, Cleveland, and Mizuno.

Golf balls, the right golf balls, are always welcome. The dedicated golfer always needs golf balls. Yes, even good golfers lose, scuff, and otherwise destroy golf balls. Current golf ball technology has significantly specialized golf balls. We can now buy golf balls that fly higher or lower, spin more or less, and roll more or less. Golf balls have become personalized to the golfer’s game. Finding out the individual’s preference is important. Again, reviews of golf ball characteristics are on the web. You can not be too wrong if your choose a dozen tour level golf balls like Titleist Pro V1’s or the Callaway Tour i/ix.

Golf accessories can offer many good choices from head covers to desk items. The off-course retail shops like Austad’s Golf
offer a wide array especially around the holidays. Austad’s is family owned and has been in business since 1913. They have an excellent customer service record and most items are available on their web site.

When all else fails, all golfers wear golf shirts. Happy shopping!

Tags: Golf Instruction and Tips by John
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It seems that every manufacturer has new putters. Titleist (Scotty Cameron) has 17 models. Odyssey has 42 models in their lineup. Ping has 29 putter models. Different shapes, hosel designs, and improved optics all have a niche. Yes, putters are a very personal club and the level of design sophistication and marketing is reaching new heights. SAM PuttLab, Tomi and Adams Golf are are using diagnostic tools and mulitple angle cameras to analyze new designs.

We still believe that the single most important factor to consider is whether the putter is face balanced or toe hang. If your putting stroke is inside out, like Ben Crenshaw, then you really want a toe hang putter where the toe is heavier than the heel. If your putting stroke is more straight back and forward, then you most likely will putt more consistently with a face balanced putter. You can easily check. A face balanced putter will balance with its face squared and pointing up.

Toe Hang Putters

Odyssey Black Series (MSRP $270) has a carbon steel blade and half-shaft offset with a tungsten flange. The YES! Tracy III Plus (MSRP $280) is a heel and toe weighted 303 stainless steel forged head with semi-circular grooves. The RIFE Abaco (MSRP $180) is milled from 304 stainless steel with a mid-mallet head.

Face Balanced Putters

Ping IWI 1/2 CRAZ-E (MSRP $190) has adjustable heel and toe weights and an elastomer face insert. The TaylorMade Itsy Bitsy Spider (MSRP $200) is 20% smaller than its predecessor. The Seemore SB1 (MSRP $225) is a center shafted design milled from aircraft aluminum with a unique alignment system.

There are many, many more putters coming to the market in the new year. We expect to be somewhat overwhelmed by the new putter models at the upcoming PGA Show. Like many golfers, our garage is full of putters that felt and performed great….for awhile.

In these uncertain economic times, if laying down $200-$300 for a new putter has guilt associations, by mid-season, expect that some golfers will have tried the new models and will be recycling slightly used, almost new putters on eBay or other auction sites for a 50% or less than MSRP.

Tags: Putters by Golf Clubs N Tips Staff
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