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Golf Equipment Chronicles 2008 (Part 7)

Top Ten “Tweaks” for Your Bag – and your Brain

by Leith Anderson

One of the great things about owning a custom golf shop is the unlimited opportunity to experiment, test, and experiment again. I love talking to the “dreamers” with new ideas – some crazy, some not. Over the years, I’ve become acutely aware of one reality: If you want different results, you must change your methods. That includes golf clubs. If your current bag is just like all of the “backups” in your garage, you shouldn’t expect any miracles from your clubs.

This month, I have some suggestions that might help you cut a few strokes from your handicap – not necessarily by buying new clubs – but by “tweaking” your current set and rearranging your thinking.

Comfort is always continuing down the same path. That’s especially true if you’re a “golf snob” and think you know what you like. Sometimes a radical change is required.

What’s my goal? At 63, I’m not planning on winning many more tournaments – even at the Palo Alto Muni. I got lucky last year and added “one more low gross” to my resume. I’ll be out there, hoping that my “Golfer’s Prayer” will be answered again in 2008.

Winning a golf tournament, no matter how small, is a great accomplishment. I feel lucky to have had my chances. But there’s another worthy goal: to “play well”. I don’t mind losing if I turn in a scorecard that matches my handicap. It’s no fun if you finish like a “choking dog”. For most of us, the difference between satisfaction and despair is a two or three strokes per round. How will you save those strokes?

Eliminate Catastrophic Misses and Unforced Errors

The Golf Lab has been down at the corner of 101 and Embarcadero in Palo Alto for six years. During that time, we’ve worked with thousands of golfers of all skill levels. The range covers beginners to Champions. Our fitting process starts with a Player’s Interview which focuses on “your game and your goals”. One of my key questions is always “where do you lose your strokes?” Here’s my compilation of the answers to that question. Compare your answers to mine.

Number one – Catastrophic Miss with the Driver

Time and again, players report that their rounds are spoiled by “blowup holes”. When I drill down on the cause, a blowup hole almost always starts with a badly missed drive. The drive may have ended up out of bounds, in the trees, in the lake or just past the red markers. That’s a guaranteed double bogey and most likely a triple or quad.

If your blowup hole is usually caused by your driver, there is hope. If your driver has never been tested with your swing, there is a high probability that your catastrophic misses can be reduced, if not eliminated.

The first thing to look at is club length. Most “off-the-shelf” drivers today are 45” long. Many manufacturers are stretching their drivers to 45.75” and even 46”. Meantime, the average driver length on the PGA Tour is 44.5”. If the top professionals in the world are playing drivers shorter than average amateurs, you should ask “why?”

Time and again, when we conduct launch monitor tests to find the “best” driver length, we prove that 45” drivers do not deliver more average distance. Distance comes from a combination of swing speed and square center contact. If you hit the ball on the center of the clubface, you will get your best results. A longer driver always causes more erratic center contact. The longer driver also affects balance, tempo and timing – all for the worse.

The second most common problem with drivers is loft. In the old days it was a matter of manhood to play a low-loft driver. No good player would ever be caught dead with a driver with more than 9* of loft in his bag. Studs went with 7*. We never bothered to test a driver – you couldn’t do that if you wanted to. When drivers were persimmon, you had to buy one before you could hit it. Pro shops never had “demos”. All you could do was admire the shape, face angle and wood grain. If you wanted to actually hit the club, that was only after payment in full.

In the days of persimmon, drivers were strictly monogamous. Even your best friend would never ask to hit your driver. Kiss your girlfriend, maybe. Hit your driver, never.

How do you know if your driver is going high enough? After hundreds of rounds with players of all levels, I think that most players don’t know what a “perfect” drive looks like. Most amateurs hit their drives too low. If you want to know for sure how you compare with the “theoretically perfect” standard, you can verify your performance with launch monitor testing, or you can come out for a “Morning at the Muni” and I’ll be happy to have a look.

It’s important to understand that not all drivers produce the same results, even if they have the same loft number stamped on the bottom. The shape of the driver head and location of external or external weight determines the “center of gravity” (COG). The higher the center of gravity, the lower the ball flight. The very popular Taylor Made R7 drivers were notorious for their high COG. Even Vijay Singh used a 10.5* loft when he was playing the R7. The number on the bottom of your driver is not important. What is important is your ball speed, launch angle and spin rate. That’s determined by “talent, technique and technology”.

The third potential problem is shaft flex. A couple of years ago, almost all players were playing drivers with shafts that were too stiff. Then, things changed. Players became aware that more flexible shafts might produce better results. At the same time, manufacturers changed their specifications – possibly to “trick” their customers into playing softer flexes for their own good.

Over half of the reshafts that we recommend at the Golf Lab are stiffer, not softer. The symptom of a driver shaft that is too flexible is inconsistency in ball speed, launch angle, spin rate and accuracy. Inconsistency is revealed by launch monitor testing. You might be surprised.

The new “exchangeable shaft” systems are going to take some of the mystery out of matching a driver head with a shaft that works. For the first time, you can swap out alternatives until you find the exact combination that tests the best and produces the correct ball flight and feel on the course.

A final way to improve your consistency – and possibly gain a few yards - is by changing the balance of your driver. Just cutting down the length is a good start, but trimming alone can cause problems with “feel”. The “heft” or “head feel” of a golf club is measured by “swing weight”. When you cut an inch off of the length, the swingweight decreases by six points. To bring the balance of the driver back to the original specification requires twelve grams of weight to be added back. Then again, that might be too much. Figuring out the best balance might require a little more experimentation.

The last bit of “voodoo” is the Balance-Certified Shaft Stabilizer. For years, the “Balance Boys” down in Huntsville, Alabama have been proselytizing counterweights, first for the putter, later through the set. We’ve had success with “butt weights” finding a couple of extra MPH of ball speed for most players. But the new invention goes beyond that. The Shaft Stabilizer distributes the weight under your lower hand. The improvement is measurable. Most players see ball speed increase and center face contact improve.

At the Golf Lab, a driver fitting takes between one and two hours. We perform all of the tests, optimize your own driver and then test your driver against our array of high performance demo clubs. If you’re hoping to eliminate one catastrophic miss per round, taking a close look at your driver is a good place to start. Cost? $125. If your results do not improve measurably, you don’t pay. That’s how confident we are that tweaking your driver will produce better results. Most club fitters will provide a similar guarantee – if you ask.

The Long Driver Exception

There is an exception to the “shorter is better” mantra and that is “if you want to go long, go long”. For senior players, and some women who are desperate for a few more yards, you can do it with a longer driver. The caveat is that you will have to learn how to control a 46.5” to 48” driver. If you do, you will get an extra ten to twenty yards. Some Golf Lab clients have reported hitting “bombs” more than 50 yards past their normal distance, but that is rare.

It won’t work to just extend your current driver. For us, success only comes from using ultra light shafts, usually in stiffer flexes, and very lightweight heads. If you want to build your own long driver, a good place to start is with a head that has removable weights – the Taylor Made R7 series or the Adams 460D series. You can replace the standard weights with 2 gram weights and get your total head weight down under 190 grams. Balance-Certified Shaft Stabilizers are just as helpful in long drivers as they are in short drivers.

For shafts, you’ve got to stay under 50 grams. I noticed that Lorena Ochoa is using a 53 gram Mitsubishi Diamana. We favor the ACCRA line which offers multiple flexes in 40 and 50 gram weights. Unlike many tweaks that provide instant improvement, mastering the long driver can take days or even weeks. Eric Jones, the Senior World Long Drive Champion took two weeks of practice to change his swing.

Number Two – Horrible Approach Putts

Most amateurs are not great iron players. When we hit a green, our approach putt is likely to be from long distance. There’s no better feeling than snuggling that first putt up close for an easy tap-in. For most amateurs, that doesn’t happen frequently enough.

Leave yourself a six-footer for par and you’re no better than fifty-fifty to make it. That’s if you putt like a pro.

If you’re a Muni player, there’s a high probability that you’re used to slow greens without much break. When you take that occasional trip to a “real” golf course – where the greens are smooth and fast and the contours are extreme, it can be a very unpleasant experience. Time and again, Golf Lab customers report high scores caused by multiple three putts.

One of the first things to contemplate changing is your stance and setup. Most players pick up a putter off the rack which is 35” long. If you’re wondering why putters are 35” long it’s because that’s the length that fits in most golf bags. Standard putter length has nothing to do with the “right length”. Like many things in golf, putter length is determined by suiting the convenience of the manufacturers.

Once in a while, the Dave Pelz Short Game School comes to the San Francisco Bay Area. Every time that happens, we get a flurry of golfers referred to us for putter modifications – always cut shorter – most between 31” and 33”. What’s going on?

The current “best practice” in putting stance – as advocated by the Pelz Method - is to take your stance in “normal” position. That’s bent comfortably at the waist with your arms hanging loosely from your shoulders. Let your hands fold around your putter grip in that position. When you do that, you will find that for most players a 35” putter is way too long. Take that test yourself, with your putter, and note how far down the shaft your hands fall. That’s your “natural” stance according to the current Pelz theory.

Step one. Cut your putter down to match your normal stance. That will allow your arms and shoulders to swing freely in a natural plane.

Inconsistency is frequently caused by “flippy wrists”. The popularity of the Heavy Putter for many players is due to the weight, which takes the “flip” out of your wrists and forces you to putt with your ‘big muscles’. If you don’t want to go all the way to the two pound Heavy Putter, there are alternatives.

Balance-Certified and Tour Lock are companies that sell counterweights that slide down the putter shaft under your grip. They are unobtrusive and give much the same result as the Heavy Putter, but without the extreme weight and the radical styling of the Heavy Putter line. You can add the counter weights to any putter. If you’re plagued by tempo problems and you find yourself too far from the hole on your second putt, you owe it to yourself to give counter-weighting a try. Counter weights are inexpensive. They cost $20 to $40 installed.

The last “tweak” for your putter is changing the grip. Every golfer on the planet has seen the “K.J. Choi” grip – the big, fat, round thing that won’t fit in your golf bag. If you don’t like that one, the alternatives include the “Two Thumbs” grip and the “Wishbone” grip. Both of those grips are designed to place your hands side by side, once again taking the “flip” out of your wrists.

I have a personal testimonial. For more than two years, the “Pilot” has been trekking down from Marin County to play “Mornings at the Muni”. In that time, we have worked out a lot of crazy ideas together. Long drivers, rebuilt “Classic” irons, single-length irons and multiple experiments with balance.

The Pilot made me a putter. It’s a modified Heavy Putter, cut to 33 inches – pretty short for a guy who’s 6.4”. It’s got the Wishbone grip, the lead-weighted shaft and overall makes me feel just a little bit silly when I set up to a putt. But, it works. In three rounds last month with the short, heavy, strange putter in my bag I saw more putts slide by the hole than ever before. I find that distance control is good, but direction is great. Getting to “gimme” range requires both distance and direction control. I was astounded by the improvement in my direction control with the short, heavy, weird grip putter.

The Pilot is making converts around his home club at San Geronimo. Players are reporting twelve and thirteen putts for nine holes. I’m looking forward to seeing what will happen when I get a little hot one of these days.

If you’re not happy with your approach putting, “tweak” your putter.

Number Three – Missed Three Footers

Every time that you think that you’ve got something figured out in golf, there’s going to be another theory that’s on the opposite side of the debate.

Some of my best friends almost quit golf. It was never because they started losing distance. It was always because they couldn’t make a three-footer – even for a dollar Nassau. The problem of getting the ball into the hole from short distances is serious, and becomes much more serious as you get a little older.

Some players try the “long” putter. Some, like me, try the short putter.

But I think that the best option if you’re thinking about quitting golf because you can’t get the ball in the hole from three feet is to go “sidesaddle” or “pendulum”. In Northern California, one of the premier amateur players – the San Francisco City Championship in 2008 among his many other titles is Randy Haag. Randy putts “from the side”. I had a chance to play with Chuck Van Linge - a top amateur player for sixty years and still shooting his age - at a recent Stanford event. He’s been putting sidesaddle for twenty five years. And then there’s the “bulldog” at the Muni – my buddy Craig who’s got half a dozen “pendulum” putters in his closet – and is currently playing with a modified Heavy Putter. The motivation is always the same. It’s to take the fear out of short putts – or at least raise your odds.

Players who have adopted the sidesaddle technique are convinced that it’s the most “natural”. They emphasize the way your arm follows the line, like you’re throwing a ball underhand.

Finding a sidesaddle putter is nearly impossible. They are rare in golf shops. Sidesaddle putters require the ultimate in customization. You need a shape to suit your eye, a weight to suit your feel. The length and grip are dependent on the stance you finally adopt. In the end, choosing and then modifying a pendulum putter that you can actually use is going to take weeks of experimentation. It may be the most difficult fit in golf. And by the way, you’re going to have to practice if you want to make it work.

But when you replay your round, if the underlying reason for disappointment is missed three-footers, and you’re ready for extreme measures, think “sidesaddle”.

Number Four – “Traps”

A few months ago, we built a custom set of clubs for a player at the Palo Alto Muni. The next week, he was scheduled to play a tournament. When I looked for his name on the scoreboard – hoping that he would post a career low round – all I found was “WD”. A telephone call revealed that he got into one of the deeper bunkers on the seventeenth hole and after too many swings, the ball was still “trapped”. He picked up.

That may be an extreme example, but it’s not too unusual for a player to post a “blowup hole” after taking two or three shots to escape a bunker.

Ten years ago, there was a hot product for amateur golfers with sand phobia. It was the “Alien” wedge. The Alien looked like a lump of metal on the end of a shaft. It was good for one thing: getting out of sand. If you tried to hit it anywhere else, it was at your own risk. Almost fifty years ago, Ben Hogan brought out the “Sure Out” – the precursor to the Alien. That model is still in the Hogan and MacGregor lines.

The secret? The Sure Outs and Alien have huge “bounce” soles. Make contact with the sand anywhere behind the ball and it pops out. That’s the secret for most amateurs to improve their bunker play – big bounce on a sand club. In fairness, when a player gets to be a good sand player, he will prefer a sand wedge with somewhat less bounce.

The most popular wedges in the world, Cleveland and Vokey are usually found with fairly narrow soles and low bounce. That makes bunker shots much more difficult for average players.

My recommendation is to find a sand wedge with twelve to fourteen degrees of bounce. It won’t hurt for it to be a little lower loft. I like a sand wedge with 54* of loft. That makes it a little easier to get some distance on your bunker shots. Most amateur players leave their bunker shots well short of the hole.

Don’t worry about “matched” wedges. You should pick each of your wedges for the specific use you have in mind around the green. Most tour players come to town with several wedges in their bag and choose the ones that earn a place in the bag based on grass and sand conditions and the trajectory of shots required. Amateurs would do well to follow suit. Instead of buying another new driver, pick up a few wedges and practice with them. You will cut strokes from your score and avoid blowup holes.

Number Five – Fairway Frustration

When you’re playing a “cart paths only” round and you’re in the middle of the fairway on a par five, what do you do?

If you’re like me (in the old days) you grab a handful of clubs and head for your ball. Depending on the lie, you might hit anything from a five iron on up.

For most amateurs, fairway metals are lurking disasters. That is especially true for a three metal. It takes an accurate strike and plenty of swingspeed to get a 15* three metal into the air.

The problem is exacerbated by the way thee metals come “off the rack”. They are almost universally 43” long with light weight shafts and heads that weigh 209 grams, plus or minus a gram or three. That’s too long and too light.

Compare that specification with the average PGA Tour three metal. That club will be 42.5” long with a heavy shaft and a heavy head – usually around 217 grams. Shorter and heavier is the trend on Tour.

Our antidote to “fairway frustration” is to build a club with a little more loft – 16.5* instead of 15*. Then, we add weight to the head and make the shaft shorter. The result? You have a fairway metal that gets the ball into the air and that you can hit consistently.

There is almost nothing worse in golf than hitting your drive into the fairway on a par five, within striking distance of the green, licking your chops, and then making a catastrophic miss with your fairway metal. That turns a potential birdie into a bogey – or worse.

You’ll know that you’ve got a fairway metal that fits when you walk to your ball with one club in your hand – your maximum distance fairway metal – confident that you can hit it well from any lie in the fairway.

Number Six – the Failed “Rescue”

The biggest trend in the last couple of years is to trade in long irons for “utilities” – also known as “rescue clubs”. The first generation of rescue clubs – popularized by Taylor Made – was patterned after fairway metals – long and light.

If you bought your rescue clubs more than two years ago, there is a high probability that you can “tweak” them – shortening the length and increasing the head weight – and improve your results dramatically.

The newer models – like the Nike SUMO Square – have taken that route. The SUMO, along with other current models trend toward “shorter and heavier”.

Then, consider your swing. When you’re hitting a fairway metal, you position the ball forward and “sweep” the shot off the turf. Not so with irons. Irons require a descending blow with ball position slightly more toward center. If your rescue clubs are not working, consider your technique first, and then your technology. You will get better results from your utility clubs if you hit them like an iron.

If you are playing standard length irons your 4 iron is 38.5” long. If your 23* rescue is more than 39” long, you could be surprised by improved results from trimming the length and adding weight to the head.

If you’re wondering about how to measure the length of a club, it’s simple. Just place the club in playing position and slide a yardstick under the shaft. The playing length is from the floor to the top of the grip.

A final consideration with utilities is shaft choice. Utility club shafts are unique. The shafts normally test very soft for flex. At the Golf Lab, we have found that utility performance is defined by shaft choice, and it’s very difficult to find the right shaft in the head shape that suits your eye.

The new “exchangeable shaft” systems are going to revolutionize fitting utility clubs. Now, after you have figured out the head shape that suits your eye, you can try that same head with every available shaft.

Number Seven – “Yip the Chip”

When you pass sixty, you start wondering which body part will fail next. If you’ve been playing golf for fifty years or more, you can’t help but remember when your father, uncle or best friend “lost it” on the course. The conventional wisdom about ageing is that “chipping goes first”. If your blowup holes are caused by chunked or bladed chips, you might be facing the most serious challenge of all.

Chips are the ultimate tempo shots. To cure the yips on your chips, there may be no alternative but practice.

After suffering enough “yipped chips” to make even my opponents feel sorry for me, I can report some improvement. The equipment-related change was finding a 50* gap wedge with a rounded sole and enough bounce to prevent “digging”. (It’s a “retro” Ram model from the 70’s.) I practice with that club and use it for most chip shots around the green.

The “technique” change required seeking some help – first from Eric Jones – proprietor of the Seaver Golf Academy and long time teaching professional at the Golf Lab – then from Heather Hughes – the Golf Lab short game guru.

I went with a “modified putting stroke” with the ball positioned off my right foot and stance wide open. Then, I had to master tempo. To keep my “flippy hands” suppressed, I adopted a reverse overlap putting grip. It’s mind over matter. If I concentrate on tempo, just brushing the ball off the surface without much acceleration I can make a good shot. Trouble comes when I hit down on the ball. It’s imperative to keep your hands quiet.

I also stay away from temptation. If I’m on the fringe or the apron and the grass is short, I always putt. I have found that I need a little extra grass under the ball to control my emotions and avoid the “chop”. Don’t be ashamed to use the “Texas wedge”.

Number Eight – Losing the Gamble

This is a “course strategy” issue. We all hit it into the woods. The temptation is to spot the pin through a six foot opening and “go for the green”. The next thing you know is you’re playing pinball in the trees.

Or, you might find your ball just across the red line in a lateral hazard, nestled down into the leaves. If you’re human, your natural inclination is to grab a wedge and take a swipe at the ball. Then, maybe two or three more swipes?

You know what the pros would do. If they’re in the trees and the opening is narrow they turn sideways and chip it out to the fairway. They aim for the green with their next shot and hope for a lucky, par saving putt. Worst case, they come away with a bogey.

The same goes for unplayable lies. Rather than risk two or three whiffs and going home on Friday night, they pick the ball up and drop it two club lengths away into a lie that they can manage. The next shot is on the green. Worst case is a bogey.

Over the years I have seen very few amateurs take unplayable lies. More often than not, they flail away. My point? When you hit it into trouble, a bogey becomes a good score. Take your medicine.

Number Nine – Wrong Club Choice

This one is about knowing your golf course. A few months ago I reported that I got excited and bought a Sky Caddy. GPS systems have come of age. When you get into “gizmos” you’re going to start an argument. Everyone with a different gizmo is going to argue that the one that he researched and bought is the best.

When it comes to the gizmos that tell you how far it is to the front edge and the back edge you’ve got several choices among GPS systems. If you want to know exactly how far it is to the flagstick, you will have to use a laser-based range finder. For me, the distance to the front edge and back edge is all the information I need. I don’t mind guessing the distance to the pin. Many players want to know the exact distance to the pin. Make your own choice accordingly.

I think that my Sky Caddy saves me two shots a round. That has to do with my habits and personality. When I look at a flag, I’m thinking about carrying my shot into the hole on the fly. I never look at the green and plan to land short.

Alas, when you think that way, you find yourself over the green on your misses. Over the years, I’ve been kind of proud that I always “missed long”. After playing hundreds of rounds with Heather, the consummate position player, I’ve “rethunk” my strategy.

It all starts with knowing how far it is to the front edge of the green. You also have to know (almost) exactly how far you carry every iron in your bag. Then, you can be comfortable pulling a shorter club and hitting the green short of the hole. The Sky Caddy has a nifty feature that helps you learn how far you actually hit your shots. It’s simple. Press “mark” after you hit your shot. Go to your ball. Press “mark” again. The exact distance is displayed. I find that to be especially helpful to understand how far I hit the ball under different conditions. I have measured six iron shots from 125 yards to 195 yards. If you want to play well, you have to know your distances with every club under all conditions.

If you want to spoil a good score, just fly the green once or twice in a round. Most golf courses are designed to penalize a long shot much more than one that comes up short. My advice? Get a GPS or a range finder.

Number Ten – Too Lazy, or too Busy to Try Something New

I think that the best advice I can give is to set time aside for practice and casual play. Learn to have fun just “playing” golf. If your only golf is 18 hole rounds when you post your score, you’re making a mistake. That’s “working” golf.

Practice is important, and that means more than just hitting a bucket or two of balls a week. Hit that same bucket of balls three times in the short game practice area before you swat them away with your full swing. You get more balls for your buck.

One of the best things you can do is come to the course early or late – when you can walk nine holes and “play games” without bothering other players. If you’re trying to bring your scores down by positive reinforcement – there’s no better method than playing a “one man scramble”. Play two balls and always take the best shot. That’s a great game to play with your practice buddy. You get used to seeing low scores on your card so you won’t panic in a “working” round. It’s also efficient. You get 18 holes worth of shots in half the time.

You can do the opposite. If you’re looking to improve your concentration and trouble shots – play the same two balls but take the worst shot. If you’ve got a little money riding, your concentration will absolutely improve.

If you have the time, you can always play “Omaha Beach”. That’s the same two ball method but you have to hit two traps on each hole. Put a little money on that game and watch your sand game get better.

If you’re “playing games” testing golf clubs becomes much more effective. That’s because your surroundings are realistic, you’re hitting to targets that you understand and you’re using your game ball. If you really want to know how a certain club performs, you will never know until you take it to the course. Hitting range balls off of mats just won’t cut it.

That’s why I like my “mornings at the Muni”. As an inveterate club tester, I sometimes take out a different set every day of the week. All Golf Today readers are invited to join me for nine holes and breakfast at Don’s Place. Call the Golf Lab (650) 493-1770 to make sure the “game is on”.

If you’re wondering where you get high performance golf clubs to test, call the Golf Lab.

Leith Anderson is a Partner in the Golf Lab, Palo Alto, CA.
He will answer any and all questions about club fitting and club making. Contact: Leith@calgolftech.com. Or by phone (650) 493-1770