Be open to new equipment
I have to admit that I have been making playing good golf harder
on myself, mainly because of stubbornness. So what was it that I
was doing? I thought that because I am a PGA golf professional and
a guy, that my steel, stiff-shafted irons would always work for me.
The fact that I hadn’t hit an iron shot that felt solid in quite
awhile, I just wrote off as lack of practice. It got to the point
where I didn’t feel like playing.
Be open to new equipment
I have to admit that I have been making playing good golf harder on myself, mainly because of stubbornness. So what was it that I was doing? I thought that because I am a PGA golf professional and a guy, that my steel, stiff-shafted irons would always work for me. The fact that I hadn’t hit an iron shot that felt solid in quite awhile, I just wrote off as lack of practice. It got to the point where I didn’t feel like playing.
Then one day I woke up with a pain in my shoulder, and for a week I couldn’t lift my elbow halfway up to my shoulder. I began to think I might never be able to play golf again. That scared me. I got into the golf business because I loved to play, and now I thought I couldn’t. The very next day I woke up and the pain was gone and my desire to play was back.
So I decided to put myself through a club fitting. The first thing I did was check my swing speed with a steel-shafted six iron. The speed used to be 90 mph, which put me into a stiff flex. Now when I checked the speed, it was 80 mph. That put me into a regular flex. Next I took a half inch over length graphite-shafted six iron and my swing speed went up to 84 mph. This is still a regular shaft flex, but speed means distance and this was fine.
I now play half inch over length graphite-shafted clubs and I have that solid crisp feeling when I hit the ball that I did before. I also went to the same shaft in the rest of my clubs and I am driving the ball farther with what feels like less effort.
So my advice is, as you get older don’t let stubbornness keep you from playing the kind of golf that all the new technology available to us affords in golf equipment. I don’t care that where I used to hit a 7 iron I now hit a 6, I just like that my ball is in the middle of the green instead of in the bunker on the right. Play well.
May is the PGA’s free lesson month. If anyone would like a free 10 minute lesson call or e-mail me for an appointment. Have any golf related questions? From rules to club fitting you can call me at 408-846-4531 or e-mail me at sk*****@ea**********.com. If you would like to read some of my past tips, you can do so at www.pinnaclenews.com. And don’t forget, if you’re not having fun playing golf call your local PGA or instructor, we will help. Golf is more fun when you’re improving. Don’t be afraid to be good.
