Golf Today NW July Issue by Golf Today Magazine: Northwest Edition

Celebrating 22 Years in the west, Now iN i N the N orthwest! • www.golfTodayNw www.golfTodayN w. com • Number 5 • July 2009

Golf is Physical Invest In your Body Talks Physical Golf Performance Pages 2 & 19

InsIde ThIs Issue

TAI Golf Performance

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XXX UIFSBQFVUJDBTTPDJBUFT DPN HPMGQFSGPSNBODF 2 GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE ๏ ป NORTHWEST EDITION

JULY 2009

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JULY 2009

GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

“Golf is physical, invest in your body.” Truer words were never spoken. Therapeutic Associates, experts in injury prevention and rehabilitation, offer Golf Today Magazine readers the tools to help maximize physical abilities on and off the course. Imagine having a licensed Physical Therapist and an avid golfer providing insights into the biomechanics of your golf swing. With Therapeutic Associates offering the TAI Golf Performance Program, you can learn from a Certified TPI Instructor dedicated to your very own strength and conditioning program. See pages 2, 19 to learn how injury prevention and rehabilitation are essential to a healthy and fun time on the links. –Cameron Healey, Publisher/Editor

Cover photo courtesy of Brian Beaky – Varsity Communications

Notes From The Golfing “Newbie” I was feeling good going into my third lesson at GolfTEC. During the previous lesson, I made a huge leap with my swing and I was excited to carry on with that success. I knew that I might not see the gains that I had in the last lesson but was positive I still had a little more to improve upon. As usual, I reviewed my videos and drills online to prepare for the day. I am really happy with my instruction so far and the benefit of being able to look at video and analysis of my swing both during and after the lesson. As with the previous lessons, I was directed into a stall at GolfTEC to warm up. What warm-up would be complete without me ricocheting a shot off the glass computer barrier? Brett soon hooked me up to the computer and recorded a few shots to determine what we would work on. The three focus points for the lesson were preventing right leg lockout, shortening my swing and reducing my vertical bounce. These two later goals were very interesting as the first was very counterintuitive and the second was just hard to get the hang of. My legs have been problematic from the beginning. From a dead lower body in my first lesson to lifting heals during the backswing in the second, I have been through the full gamut of problems. Brett quickly noticed that I was locking my right leg. Once I understood the problem, we were quick to fix it. After adding some knee flex to my address and being more mindful of this habit, I stopped locking my knee. It was time to move on to shortening my swing. Having so little experience with golf, I think that I pictured a good swing as a hard swing including taking the club back as far as possible. Brett explained that with improvements in player conditioning, equipment and balls, the pros found that a swing can be shorter and result in a shot that goes just as far and straighter. Looking back at videos of my prior lessons I can see that the top of my swing was not what it should be. The club seemed to be in a different position every time and I looked more like a baseball player winding up rather than a golfer. JULY 2009

Presented by GolfTEC

To remedy this, Brett had me shorten the top of my swing to 9 or 10 o’clock and the results have been great. The ﬁrst few shots left me feeling as if I was hitting the ball more solidly than before and I had improved distance. Of course the new motion felt diﬀerent, but what I really

Tiger making a similar shot and compared our head movement. Up to the top of the swing my movement was much the same as Tiger’s, moving 1-2 inches to the right. However, at the very top of the swing my head lifted and moved further right while Tiger’s head remained essentially motion-

struggled with was the nagging urge to give the ball a giant whack. After a few more shots I realized that shortening my swing gives me better reference points at the top of the swing for where my arms and club should be, making the top of my swing less erratic.

less. Brett had me focus on keeping my head down though this has proved to be the most complicated task for me to do so far in my lessons. It could have been the combination of the three major tweaks I was trying to mentally juggle but it seemed as though I could not keep my head down.

Fresh oﬀ shortening my swing, Brett had me address the vertical bounce that I have had since the beginning of my lessons. Thanks to the truthful video, I found that I always move my head up and to the right more than a foot. Brett pulled up video of

Brett tried a variety of techniques for making me more aware of my vertical bounce even resorting to putting a pool noodle just above my head while swinging. For the remainder of the lesson I continued to reduce but not eliminate my vertical

bounce. I resolved that it is something that will take a little longer to get right. The good news is that the computer now shows that my shots are improved through my shorter, less bouncy swing. My ball carry has improved to the high 160s and I am hitting the ball far more cleanly than ever before. The jarring sensation that accompanied many of my shots in early lessons is mostly gone. I think I may be turning into a golfer! I hit the ball a ton in this lesson and developed a nasty blister on my left index finger. However, this injury has led me to realize that I have a tendency to grip the club too tightly, which I will work on. In the meantime I will make my first ever golf purchase: a glove. It is amazing to me how much this project has affected my daily conversations. There is a phenomenon that no matter how loud a room is you always hear someone call your name. I feel like that has happened to me with golf. When I meet new people or get together with friends, I find that I’m picking up on mentions of golf more and more. I knew a lot of people played the game, but I am still surprised to see the number of people that have some type of relationship with this game. One of the common things that has come up lately when I tell folks what I’m doing is “The Haney Project”, or “Isn’t that what Charles Barkley is doing?” I am now giving more thought as to what my relationship with golf will be beyond the GolfTEC training center and driving range. When I started this project my goal was to learn to play golf. So far the swing has taken center stage, and for good reason. I’m curious to see what playing an actual game is like and cannot wait to give it a try. If it goes well maybe I can publicly challenge Charles Barkley to a game, though it’s too bad he has had such a big head start. If you feel that you need a little help with your swing, please turn to page 20 to see this month’s specials from our friends at GolfTEC.

GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

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Fitting Women, Seniors and Juniors Create Your Own Magic Driver by LEITH ANDERSON Golf Equipment Manufacturers build their clubs to “fit” the average American male. If you’re 5’10” tall, weigh between 165 and 185 pounds, you’re not too strong, not too weak, you can probably buy a set of clubs off the rack that will work OK for you. Not so if you’re a woman, a man over 50 or a junior under 18. In the last few years we’ve learned a lot by working with golfers who are not part of the “target demographic.” After conducting club fittings for all types of golfers for ten years, I have some recommendations that will help all golfers who are not “average”. This article discusses unique club fitting factors for women, seniors and juniors. Common mistakes in choosing golf clubs can be avoided. In addition to the “universal truths”—I have specific tips for each group. Maybe you’ll be inspired to create your own “Magic Driver.” Club Length By far, the most important “variable” in clubfitting is club length. Most golfers think that they should play the longest golf club that they can swing. That is a very common misunderstanding. Golfers think that the longest club that they can swing will produce the most distance. Not true. Most amateur golfers make the mistake of buying golf clubs “off the rack” that are too long for their stature and strength. Almost all drivers these days are between 45” and 46” long. Why would an amateur golfer expect to do well with a driver that is longer than most PGA Tour professionals play? Good golfers generate power from a late release after a strong wrist cock. Think of that as a forceful “right forearm over left forearm” release move. If a golf club is too long it creates enough centrifugal force to pull away from a player’s body—leading to an early release. That’s a very common “power leak.” It’s not the longest club that you can swing; it’s the longest club you can control. “Control” implies finesse, not brute force. Control can be measured. Launch monitors reveal consistency by recording swing path, face angle at impact and launch angle. Impact labels can be employed to show “center contact.” Golf club performance can be compared. The best performing club can be identified. One of the key fitting factors in golf is the “smash factor” or “Power transfer ratio JULY 2009

(PTI).” That is the ball speed divided by the club head speed at impact. It is the ultimate measure of eﬃciency in a golf swing. If a player’s ball speed is 140 MPH and his club head speed is 100 MPH, his PTI is 1.4. There is a PTI that is “theoretically perfect”—1.5. With the advent of launch monitors reporting statistics at PGA Tour tournaments on television, we have all become familiar with professional driving distances that seem to be unusually long.

Tom Wishon. In addition to filling a catalog with his club designs, he has written a series of books on club making and club fitting. Here is the chart that appears in his “Search for the Perfect Golf Club”—highly recommended. The notion of wrist to floor is not an absolute rule. Some players stand up to the ball in a more erect position and require longer shafts. Just the opposite for players who “get down to the ball.” A good idea is

There is a simple reason. Professional golfers hit the ball squarely on the center of the club much more frequently than amateurs. The longer the golf club, the less likely that a player will make a solid, center strike. The three key words are control, consistency and center contact. Make sure that your clubs are the right length for you and your swing. If you hit the ball better, you will hit the ball longer. Juniors are especially susceptible to suﬀering from “long club disease.” Parents tend to like the idea that kids can “grow into their clubs.” That’s a bad idea. Raise your hand if you want to win next year— not right now.

to get some help from a club ﬁtter who can use his “eye” to supplement the measurement. Beware. Some manufacturers make their graphite shafted iron sets longer than steel shafted sets by an inch. Do not fall for that. It is just a lazy way to use the same head weight in both sets and keep swing weight the same. Only one length ﬁts.

Quick Check on Club Length The key measurement to determine the correct club length is “wrist to floor.” The measurement is from the crease in your wrist just above your palm to the floor when you’re standing straight, chin up. You can use a yardstick with a little help. The so-called “standard” for irons is a 35” wrist to floor measurement. Plus or minus one inch and a “standard” five iron club length of 38” might be appropriate. If your measurement is less than 33” or more than 36” you should be very wary of standard length golf clubs. The most prolific club designer today is

Exceptions to the Anti-Long Club Length Rule We have learned a lot from the Long Drive Contestants. For a player who can control the club, a driver with a SIGNIFICANTLY longer shaft will produce more distance. We will always favor 44.5” over 45”—we never detect a significant ball speed increase from half an inch. Women, seniors and junior girls frequently get up to 20 yards in increased distance from longer drivers with ultra lightweight shafts. Keep in mind, club length is proportional. If you stand 5’ tall, a 45” driver shaft is the equivalent of 47” for a player who stands 6’ tall. There is no reason to guess at the best length. You can test various lengths, in half inch increments and record the center face contact and ball speed. You need a partner who can help by supplying test clubs and electronics. It’s way better to spend a little time and money to find out precisely the driver setup that works best for you. The alternative is inefficient, expensive random trial and error. You may never get the best fit. Although longer and lighter shafts in drivers is a good thing, we have never seen a situation where the same holds true for fairway metals, utility clubs or irons. For clubs where accuracy is paramount, make sure you find the length that you control the best. Shaft Weight Most golf club heads weigh the same— within a few grams. Head weight differcontinued on page 10 ❱

Enter-to-Win Golf Today Magazine is giving away four tickets to the 2009 Boeing Classic. Watch 78 of the PGA Champions Tour’s elite duke it out at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Aug.24-30. Email your name and phone number to info@ golftodaynw.com by July 18,2009. Our random drawing will be held on July 20,2009. Winner will be notified by return email.

GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

Missing The Pines, Hitting The Vines: Northwest Wine Country Golf by TONY DEAR “Its beauty and compelling nature as a whole draws me to it in an almost narcotic way.”

hris Camarda could easily be talking about the newly opened Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla. Instead, the owner of the Andrew Will Winery, named after his son Will and nephew Andrew, on Vashon Island is referring to the 2005 Champoux Cabernet Sauvignon that was Washington’s highest ranked wine, 25th out of 19,500 in ‘Wine Spectator’ last year with 94 points. A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, the ‘05 Champoux features grapes grown on 26 year-old vines on the renowned Champoux vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills 75 miles southwest of Richland. The wine spent 21 months in New French Oak barrels developing its distinctive flavors. “As much as I fall in love with the wines from Champoux,” Camarda continues, “I have to pull myself back and wait for a few years until the true voicing and pitch of these wines comes forward.” Wine Valley GC is so new it hasn’t been ranked by the national golf magazines yet, but when it is you can be sure it will score the score as high as Andrew Will Champoux’s 94, if not higher. And though it can only improve with age, just like the Champoux, it is absolutely ‘drinkable’ right now: A complex, full bodied, Palouse track with sandy notes, overtones of inland links, and more than a hint of Nebraska’s Sand Hills. There’s an important connection here, of course. The Andrew Will Winery is just 20 years old and produces some of the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Valley is barely 20 days old and likewise, will soon be considered among the best in the world of its type. And here’s something else of great interest, at least to normal people who like good golf and good wine that they can afford: Look hard enough and you can find a bottle of the ’05 Champoux for under $50 while 18 summer weekday holes at Wine Valley cost a mere $60. Can I hear you say ‘unbelievable value!’ The growth of the Washington wine industry parallels, actually outstrips, that of its golf industry. Both are providing world class product at pleasingly affordable prices and the reputation of each is, frankly, soaring. Following the Lake Chelan area’s sucJULY 2009

cessful bid for American Viticultural Area (AVA or Appellation) status, there are now 11 AVAs in Washington and just over 600 wineries—a 400% increase over the last decade. Thirty three thousand acres of the state are planted with grapevines by over 350 wine grape growers, 145,000 tons of grapes were harvested last year (a record), and well over 20 million gallons of wine were produced. Fourteen thousand people are employed in the Washington wine business which impacts the state’s economy to the tune of $3 billion a year

and the nation’s by $4.7 billion. Perhaps most revealing is the fact that in 1998, Washington surpassed New York as the second largest wine producing state in the nation, behind California…a long way behind California. Oregon meanwhile possesses nearly 400 wineries in 16 AVAs the largest of which, the Willamette Valley, stretches from Portland to Eugene and was established in 1984. Its wine industry is estimated to contribute $1.4 billion to state coﬀers. It’s not altogether surprising then the Northwest’s vineyards and wineries attract well over two million visitors a year. Those with the good sense to pack golf clubs for the trip can therefore indulge their two great passions during a very aﬀordable long weekend just a few hours east of Seattle or

Portland. Seattleites looking to save time and gas money, however, can stay a little closer to home by visiting wineries on Bainbridge Island, which produce very good quality reds and, it seems, even better whites such as Perennial Vintner’s Muller Thurgau and Madeleine Angevine 2007, Bainbridge Island Vineyard and Winery’s 2006 Pinot Gris and 2004 Muller Thurgau, and the Eleven Winery’s 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, produced in Matt and Sarah Albee’s twocar garage. “Our winery may not be the most impressive, but we like to think of it as the start of something great,” says Matt. Golf on the island is limited to the private Wing Point CC and nine-hole Meadowmeer G&CC, but Chambers Bay isn’t far and the excellent White Horse GC continued on page 29 ❱

GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

Hips Terribly Missunderstood by JOE THIEL

Creating proper understanding of how to instinctively move our body eﬃciently and eventually totally” without thought”” in the golf swing can be diﬃcult if students take the Band-Aid approach. That is time after time repairing a leak somewhere at each practice session never really on a sound track of “swing map building.” Regardless or your age, current level of play, and even athletic ability you can and certainly should develop a roadmap for your practice instead of just chasing your tail year after year. It

needs to include in each practice session a percentage of time in what many call, “real time” practice. That is creating a physical and mental personalized pre-shot formula with one ball only as it lies, for the long game, short game, and putting, creating the same feelings that you will have with the “”ONE BALL ONLY” that you get when you play the game. Now that being said lets discuss likely the most misunderstood area of swing building that causes nothing but havoc in your entire long game. How to properly move your hips!!! Foundationally and fundamentally quite possibly the most important area of the entire golf swing. Without this understanding you will never reach your potential in ball striking. Let me start by sharing with you my feelings of correct hip posture. When you create a well balanced sound hip ﬂex/sit, correct spine bend, and light athletic knee bend in your set up, it creates a strong sense of strength/connection that permeates throughout the swing.This HAS to be the ﬁrst order of business in your development practice program. Since many golfers bend from the stomach instead of the hips at address and also mid bend their spines as well, no amount of instruction on the long game will create for them an intelligent map of growth for their long game. So that set up is “darn important” and does not

12 GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

take much to learn it and properly stretch some to make it all safe and efficient. Now let’s take a look at correct movement for the first time… At set up our hips have a prescribed distance away from the ball and the hands. This distance needs to be maintained and to do that we need to teach our legs, thighs, hamstrings, and hip flexors how to move. As you initiate the back swing the right hip will tend to accept the early athletic weight shift with the right hip sitting some. The important aspect here is that the right knee is held in flex and actually the right hip will move back just a little maintaining its original flex. The left leg plays a “huge role” here and has been misunderstood for many years. The left thigh must stay what I term inside with the hip flex maintained. Most tend to allow their left leg/hip to move out toward the golf ball and it pulls the right hip forward losing your entire set up starting position. This golf swing killer has now started the dreaded compensatory package of finding some way to hit the ball. Nearly everyone who has not been taught this concept moves out of hip posture immediately in the initial stages of the backswing, moving their stomach forward toward the ball which has dire consequences in the chain reaction system. The correct feeling is the right and left

hip flex is never lost even though there is some hip rotation in the backswing. The feeling is that we shift and turn without ever forward bending either hip toward the ball. The left thigh and foot stay inside and flex inward slightly toward the right knee and hip. The feeling also is that your lower body center(tail bone), never moves forward toward the ball but maintains the original start position save a little move to the right. This hold will also assist people with tons more leverage as they will finally understand what turning the upper against a stable and held lower body actually feels like. It is very interesting with proper movement here you can absolutely stabilize your right thigh and calf without ever changing their address angle and yet still move your hips/glutes to the right in your backswing. This is due to the correct hip sit established at address and then maintained into the backswing. Returning that lower body on the forward swing is exactly the reverse of the backswing however nearly every golfer has never felt this powerful delivery position. Most everyone forward flexes the right hip toward the ball losing that original hip flex. The right tends to pull the left forward again toward the ball as well creating an entirely new address position that demands continued on page 17 ❱

JULY 2009

Why Do You Play Golf? by ERIN SZEKELY

Have you ever asked yourself that? When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the course, do you ever think, â&#x20AC;&#x153;What am I doing out here?â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good question no matter what caliber of player you are. Most people say they just want to have fun, be with their friends, and enjoy their surroundings, but it sure doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem like that is whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening out there. When I ask players what constitutes fun for them they say shooting a good scoreâ&#x20AC;Ś whoaâ&#x20AC;ŚThatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the criteria for their enjoyment level? If thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the case, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to struggle with the fun factor. I was playing the other day with some friends and from across a couple of fairways the air turned blue with colorful expletives from another foursome. You know what I

mean, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all heard it, maybe youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been that tortured soul. Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sound like much fun for him or his playing partners. We all put so much pressure on ourselves to succeed in whatever we do that we forget that the game of golf is just that, a game. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not life and death, even for those who make a living at it. Your score is not who you are. Does this sound familiar? Get a birdie, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a good person, I have worth. Double bogey, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something lacking in my characterâ&#x20AC;Ś well, that may be the case, but making a double bogey or an eagle does not reďŹ&#x201A;ect the type of person you are. How you react to those events does. You know, no one cares how you play. Truly, they just care how you react to how you play. Throwing your clubs, slamming them into your bag, or cussing and swearing, says more about you than your score or your level of play. When you watch the pros on television you get a distorted view of their games. First of all, you only see the players who are playing well. Watching the Memorial last week you would have thought Tiger was playing by himself. Who was he playing with? The pros donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play great every week and they spend hours upon hours perfecting their craft. They truly are the only ones who deserve to get angry and frustrated when they under perform, because they have put so much time and eďŹ&#x20AC;ort in to their games.

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Generally speaking, however, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waste a lot of energy being angry or upset with themselves because they have learned that it detracts from their games. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t carry a poor shot over from one hole to the next or one shot to the next. They have to get ready to hit the next shot the best way they can. We can learn from that. So, the next time you are on the course, monitor your thoughts. You might be surprised at how easily we can slip into negativity. The good news is that we have control over our attitudes and you might have more fun if you put this game in perspective.

Relax, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take yourself so seriously, and remember, no one cares how you play, they just want to enjoy your company. Revel in being outside with nature and your friends, and be grateful you are on this side of the grass. Keep swinging and enjoy the game. Erin Szekely is an LPGA teaching professional. She can be reached at 425-398-0443 or visit www.golfingwitherin.com for more information.

Camas Meadows â?° continued from page 8

good news is that it will reveal just enough chinks in its armor to entice and demand that you return for more and that includes players of all abilities. Yes, Camas is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;goodieâ&#x20AC;? including their ďŹ rst-class practice and teaching facility oďŹ&#x20AC;ering 20 golfers a covered, lit, and heated area and grass tees during the golf season. The grass tees have up to 50 stalls. Director of Golf Jenny Duce and her staďŹ&#x20AC; are eďŹ&#x192;cient, personable, and professional and the full service pro shop is one of the better ones Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen. Of course, it just wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be complete without a visit

to the top-notch club house and Oaks bar and Grill offering golfers good food at reasonable prices, Yes, the Oaks Clubhouse Sandwich coupled with a pint of the Camas Meadows private label beer, did sit nicely after our round. Camas might be a short ride from the hustle and bustle of downtown Portland, but if you truly want a quality golf experience, get out to SW Washington and visit Camas Meadows.

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Developing And Maintaining Endurance For Golf by PRITAM ANDREASSEN, NSCA-CAPT crease his or her endurance for a round of golf, whether competition, tournament or just friendly play. The bottom line is that your score will thank you!

Endurance is a critical component of playing the best golf game you can. Any lack of endurance in your body usually becomes apparent somewhere on the back nine when you start to feel tired, less focused, and unable to maintain proper posture during your swing. You will often ﬁnd that your putting goes awry as well and you may also become quite hungry (a distraction, to say the least). Golf-speciﬁc endurance must be consciously developed to meet the numerous physical and mental demands of golf. Fortunately, by focusing on just a few key areas any golfer can in-

NUTRITION Properly fueling your body is the easiest way to increase your stamina. Please do not rely on the snack bar at the turn; fatty, excessive protein or carbohydrate-laden foods will not help your golf game. Pack snacks for yourself that support keeping your body and brain focused, sharp and strong for 4-5 hours. You can never pack enough food—better to have too much than too little, but remember you don’t have to eat it all. Try these ideas for munchies: nutrition bars (there should be no high-fructose corn syrup listed anywhere on the label), nuts (no more than a handful—nuts are quite high in calories, but are great in small quantities), fruit, low-fat string cheese, peanut butter sandwich on whole-grain bread, cut up veggies with hummus and, of course, water. Remember, small frequent snacks are better than one big meal. Avoid alcohol, caﬀeine, soda and anything loaded with sugar (this includes a lot of sports drinks—read the labels carefully).

STRENGTH The stronger your muscles are the better they can support your golf swing technique throughout the round and the less you will feel fatigue from walking. It doesn’t matter whether you lift weights, practice yoga or do Pilates, but whatever it is that works for you, please incorporate 30 minutes, 2-3 times per week of some sort of fullbody strengthening work into your routine if you have not already. Not motivated? Consider this—as you age, your body will wear out and an injured golfer is an unhappy golfer. Greater muscle strength helps to prevent injuries and keep you golfing longer. Now, you may be wondering if walking the course helps build and maintain endurance. Yes, if you do it at least three times per week. If you can’t do that regularly, make sure to fit workouts in instead. Certain types of cardiovascular activity will also benefit your golf game, such as walking hills or doing incline intervals on the treadmill, but not as a substitute for developing and maintaining muscle strength. However, the bottom line is that any sort of exercise off of the golf course is better than none.

FOCUS Your mind has to be in this just as much as your body. Stepping onto the course carrying any sort of stress or negative emotion will detract from your ability to focus on your game (of course, golf can be a source of plenty of negative emotion as well), so before you tee off take a minute or two to take slow, even breaths and let go of any stress you might be carrying with you. While playing, keep your thoughts on your game, your surroundings and the present moment as much as possible. Take a second before each shot or putt to consciously relax and take a deep breath. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine will help you maintain your mental clarity. Also, make every attempt to put golf-induced frustration behind you as soon as possible or your game may really suffer. Above all, relax, enjoy and have a good time! It’s just golf! Pritam Kirstine Andreassen is the owner of The Strength Connection, LLC, specializing in functional strength applications for golf and life. She can be reached at 206-579-8927 or visit www.strengthconnection.com.

Create Your Own Magic Driver ❰ continued from page 27

that they buy with their interchangeable shaft drivers. Fitting for Flex The traditional way to measure flex is to use the “frequency” method developed by Dr. Joe Braley in 1974 at Royal Precision. The concept is to clamp the butt end of the club, oscillate the shaft with a clubhead temporarily attached to the shaft and count the “Cycles Per Minute” or CPM. The faster the shaft oscillates, the stiffer the flex. Once you have a club length and CPM reading you locate a point on a “slope chart” and that tells you the flex value of that shaft. That’s where the “4.5” for regular, “5.5” for stiff and “6.5” for extra stiff comes from. The “rule” says that 80 MPH with a driver is “senior”, 90 MPH is “regular” and 100 MPH is “stiff ”. At 110 and over, you’re pretty much on your own trying to find a shaft that will hold up. There are two problems with fitting for flex with frequency analysis and swing

speed. First, there are two completely different “systems”—the original Royal Precision method and a later revision developed by the (now defunct) Professional Clubmakers’ Society. Each uses diﬀerent clamp lengths and interprets CPM differently. Consequently, you can’t know for

28 GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

sure what your flex value means unless you know the underlying system that was employed to complete the testing. There is also no good way to tell if the shaft you are testing actually plays “true to flex.” There is no standard way to compare flex designations from manufacturer to

manufacturer. Even if there were, it is not a sure thing that two shafts from different manufacturers with the same frequency will play the same. It would be great if you could say that, after testing, your best frequency with a driver shaft was 250 CPM. Alas, it’s not so simple. You might find that you hit an OBAN Devotion just fine at 250 Cycles Per Minute but you need a Fujikura Speeder at 240. Shaft Load If you’re a senior with an 80 MPH swing speed you might faint if your club fitter recommends extra stiff shafts. At the Golf Lab, that happens pretty frequently. The most reliable way to fit for flex is by shaft load. The Max Out Golf Labs Shaft Max measures shaft deflection and plots that against a timeline. The result is a graph of a player’s acceleration and a “power rating.” It is very common for senior players with short swings and quick transitions from backswing to downswing to “load” the shaft very heavily. That is particularly continued on page 32 ❱

JULY 2009

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Create Your Own Magic Driver ❰ continued from page 28

true for players who have been very good in their younger years. It is also common for women to register surprising load values. If you really want to be sure you have the right flex, find a club fitter who can give you an opinion about shaft load. Driver and Irons Head Weight Most drivers that come “off the rack” have heads that weigh between 198 and 202 grams. That is the manufacturing tolerance that gives a D-1 swing weight (or pretty close) at a driver length over 45”. We have learned a lot from competitive long drive contestants about how to get maximum distance from your driver. Even the strongest of the long drivers know that their best results come from the lightest weight shafts and lightest heads that are available. Keep in mind, the ability to “move” the club is much more important than the weight of the head. If a player could swing a driver with a heavy head as fast as a driver with a lighter head, the energy delivered would result in longer drives. The problem is that no golfers can swing a heavy driver head as fast as a lighter head. Most of the long drive contestants that we have worked with are searching for driver heads in the low 190 gram range.

Some component manufacturers will supply their driver heads in low weights. You will have to order them. The easiest way to get a lightweight driver head is to buy a head that permits you to change the weights such as an Adams or a Taylor Made R7 or R9. Get a weight kit and replace the heavier weights with lighter. It will be a simple matter to bring the weight down to the low 190 gram range. The situation is just the opposite if you want to play irons with lightweight graphite shafts. In that case, you have to ﬁnd a way to add weight to the heads—or get heavier heads—to maintain a good balance. Some manufacturers, like Miura supply heads in heavier weights thinking about proper balance for graphite shafts. Others, like Tom Wishon, supply their components with “weight ports” that permit easy adjustment. Competent club makers can create correct club balance by adding weight at the tip of the shaft. Driver Head Size For the last few years, drivers have been manufactured in a 460 cc head size. There have been very few exceptions. One exception is Miura—after studying the problem—the company concluded that the “proper” head size was 390 cc. For players who are small in stature, a 460 cc driver looks like a balloon on the end of a shaft. That is especially true for

32 GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

juniors. Lately, there are concerns about the “wind resistance” generated by large size drivers. In 2008 a trend (back) to “aerodynamic design” was lead by Adams Golf with their Speedline Driver. Recently, one very good junior girl player

chose the Miura driver after testing virtually every driver in the universe. Many component manufacturers— including KZG—have “old inventory” of

smaller driver heads that are very good quality. Juniors are likely to find that they work better than their larger cousins. Driver Loft One of the “universal truths” is that golf clubs “train” the golfer, not vice versa. An inappropriate club choice can cause a player to develop swing faults that are harmful. The most serious example is senior men who buy drivers with loft that is too low. The result is a swing move that “blocks” or “scoops” the ball into the air. That is the way to kill power. Practically all of the seniors that I see at the Golf Lab who are losing distance have a very weak release move or no release at all. That swing flaw is frequently caused by a low loft driver that has trained its owner to change his swing to gain trajectory. When a player who is hitting the ball too high with a low loft driver (a sure sign of a serious, power-leaking swing flaw) I suggest a higher loft driver. The higher loft driver is a great training aid, forcing the player to figure out how to hit his drives lower—or bring rain. The “fix” for high ball flight is not always lower loft. Sometimes you have to fix your swing. The opposite is frequently true for women. Most women are “fitted” into high loft drivers with very flexible shafts. The continued on page 33 ❱

JULY 2009

Create Your Own Magic Driver distance—usually around ten yards with a driver and half a club with irons. The major benefit of balancing clubs is not increased distance. Rather, it is better control over the club that results a more consistent swing path, face angle at impact, trajectory and center face contact. If this sounds preposterous, you can find out for yourself with any club fitter who utilizes launch monitor technology to compare the performance of golf clubs—with and without counterweights. Very few players do not see a benefit from counterweights in their drivers. The change in iron performance is more subtle. The major benefit is more solid feel and better consistency. Junior girl tournament players seem to get the most improvement from counterweights in their irons. Counterweights make weaker players stronger. Your New “Magic Driver” You will expect a couple of recommendations for a driver that might have a chance to change your golf game for the better. I’m in love with the new generation of lightweight shafts. There are plenty of good choices. Aerotech makes the Powercoil—the lightest weight is 50 grams and it comes in .335 and .350 tip sizes which makes it a good replacement candidate for most consumer drivers. In heavier weights,

the Powercoil is a credible long drive shaft. ACCRA was our winner in 2008—the 40 gram ACCRA Tour—now replaced by the 45 gram S-1. It has the best paint job, hands down—full of “pixie dust” that catches the sun. Not good for conservatives. OBAN has hit the charts with a bullet—picking up a lot of Tour “buzz” with their Devotion model—due to Jim Furek putting the shaft in his bag. The key to making a lightweight shaft work is to play it in a stiffer flex than you think. There is no need to gamble. With today’s interchangeable shaft systems, it is a simple matter to test indoors for ball speed and spin rate with a launch monitor (and good golf balls)— and then seal the deal at the range or on your own course. If you’re going for distance, you should find the longest ultra lightweight shaft that you can control. But there is no free lunch.

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36 GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

For even the best players, long drivers are a little like playing Russian roulette. It will be a rare round that you don’t suﬀer at least one catastrophic miss. That’s the reason that we’re reluctant to encourage

tournament players to adopt the long driver strategy. The biggest breakthrough POTENTIAL will come from pairing an ultra lightweight shaft and a driver head that is SIGNIFICANTLY lighter than off the rack. Your best option to find a lightweight head is to pick up a driver with adjustable weights. Adams and Taylor Made are good candidates. In the super-cheap range, find an old Adams 460D—still a good performer after five years. I also like the R7 line—the original Quad if you want a smaller head size—better for juniors—a Super Quad—or even an R9. Both Adams and Taylor made have stuck with their standard weight kits so you can get a few weights and a wrench and you’re good to go. How heavy? The quick answer is something around 193 grams. If you wanted to do your own testing, a few grams at a time, you could have your club maker weigh the head with no weights before installing the shaft. Take notes. It’s a simple matter to keep track of the head weight as you add and subtract weight to give you the best control over the club.

Biggest Winner this Month For the last month we’ve been working with PowerBilt to see if we could find a formula for fitting the PowerBilt Air Force One (AF1) driver. If you’ve missed the story, the AF1 is a different approach to driver head construction. It is filled with Nitrogen gas under pressure. The original idea was to manufacture a driver head that would not break. The current story is a “thinner face” with a “larger sweet spot” because there is less reinforcement behind the face. We’ve conducted almost a hundred free fittings and supplied dozens of custom built AF1 drivers for players to test on their own course. Overall, the results have been good, but not miraculous. Roughly 30% of the testers liked their new driver enough to buy one. There is one story that borders on miraculous. For the last five years I’ve been working with a senior player that I feature from time—“the pilot.” He’s just that. Flew a bomber for the Air Force and then jets around the world for years. He’s retired in his seventies. We’ve tried every trick with him. Longer lighter, every head we have. He’s a fairly common case. His swing speed is 85 MPH and that gives him 185 yards of carry on a solid strike. Pretty average for a senior. We set the pilot up with a 45 gram ACCRA S-1 in the M-3 flex with a 12* AF1 head. It’s in his bag and he’s confident that it added 15 yards to his drives. That’s a very unusual result for a player who has made a serious hobby out of finding the “Magic Driver” for five years. The experience also goes to show that there is no guaranteed result, no matter how good the idea seems to be. Some players will find that a certain combination will work, for another the same setup is a waste of time. The only way to figure out what will work for you is to keep trying to find the Magic Driver until you do find it. You have the advantage of launch monitors and fitting tools that help you discern the difference—even small differences—in performance. Look for a little improvement from your shaft, a little from your head, a little from proper balance, a little more from improving your technique and you’ll have your own Magic Driver. Good luck in the hunt.

Leith Anderson is a partner at the Golf Lab in Palo Alto, CA. He will answer any and all questions regarding club fitting and club making. Contact: Leith@calgolftech.com.

JULY 2009

38 GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE  NORTHWEST EDITION

JULY 2009