The post Can changing my golf ball lead to lower scores? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Can changing my golf ball lead to lower scores? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

For this edition of Firsthand with a Fitter, we dive into a much less discussed component of a proper fitting: golf ball. From two-piece distance options designed to help straighten out ball flight to complex multilayer balls made to fine-tune performance off the tee and around the green, there’s a perfect ball for every golfer. Let’s dive in.

Before we get started, let’s first discuss one of the biggest factors consumers face when it comes to golf balls — price.

Balls

Compared to less expensive Surlyn or Ionomer-covered balls — geared towards blending value and performance — urethane offerings are generally at the top end of the price spectrum because of the complexity of their construction and the precision tools required to manufacture them.

This doesn’t mean you can’t find value and performance from either category, but it’s important to understand that Surlyn golf balls can’t offer the same kind of control on short game shorts as their urethane counterparts.

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When distance and value are key

Let’s start with two-piece golf balls because even though they might seem similar from the outside there are still a lot of performance variables to consider, including color and cover graphics.

Srixon Q-Star Divide Golf Balls

$34.99

A NEW WAY TO SEE THE GAME 50/50 MATTE VISUAL PERFORMANCE Meet the all-new Q-STAR TOUR DIVIDE, a golf ball that stands out on the course with its unique 50/50 matte urethane cover. DIVIDE boasts all the drive-boosting, chip-stopping performance of a classic Q-STAR TOUR but comes in three exciting colorways.  SEE YOUR LINE The longer your alignment line, the easier it can be to line up your putts. And with DIVIDE’s one-of-a-kind seam line running around the entire golf ball, you get 360˚ of alignment so you can putt with perfect aim. SEE YOUR SPIN When it comes to pitches and chips around the green, DIVIDE’s unique two-tone cover produces a strobe effect while spinning, revealing the speed and direction of spin on each of your shots. It’s a powerful tool for tracking and improving your consistency, and you can only see it with the Q-STAR TOUR DIVIDE. MORE THAN GOOD LOOKS The new Q-STAR TOUR DIVIDE is a performer, through and through. Unlike painted golf balls, DIVIDE’s entire thermoplastic urethane cover is infused with bright pigments, so the color won’t scratch or tear. Plus, that premium urethane adds spin for plenty of control around the greens. A resilient midlayer increases speed off the tee. And the FastLayer core—which is soft at its center but gradually becomes firm around its edge—provides the distance and softer feel you’d expect from a fully-featured tour ball.

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If you’re a golfer who tends to lose more than a few golf balls a round, choosing one that fits your budget is a great place to start but there are still things to consider. If extra distance and dispersion reduction are what you’re after, then a ball that helps lower driver and long game spin will reduce the amount that a golf ball can go offline — and longer and straighter is always better.

“Although from a performance standpoint, urethane golf balls offer the best of both worlds as far as distance and short game spin, a two-piece distance-focused ball can quickly help reduce dispersion thanks to its low spin performance on all clubs including the driver.” Kris McCormack, VP of Tour and Education at True Spec Golf. 

As for visual performance, golf balls like the Srixon Q-Star, TaylorMade Distance +, and Callaway’s ERC Soft offer visual aids to help with putting and off-the-tee alignment.

Premium performance variables

Now it’s time to dive into the nitty-gritty.

From low-compression, low-spin options to firm-feeling balls that spin a ton around the green, the premium urethane golf ball category allows any golfer to find one that matches their look, feel, trajectory, and spin preference. This is why working with a fitter using a launch monitor to analyze data is such a crucial step when talking about finding the right one.

Thanks to the multilayer construction of a urethane golf ball, it’s possible to have a golf ball that feels firmer but still offers a lot of spin. This works because the mantle and core are the biggest factors in acoustics and when the soft urethane is compressed between the inner layers of the ball and the face of a wedge it will grab into the face texture and create spin.

Callaway 2024 Chrome Tour X Golf Balls

$54.99

Chrome Tour X is the new gold standard in Tour Balls. From core to cover, every detail in the new Chrome Tour X has been optimized for the best players seeking speed and the ultimate in control. HYPER FAST SOFT CORE New Hyper Fast Soft Core is designed to produce maximum ball speed for long distance. SEAMLESS TOUR AERO New Seamless Tour Aero delivers a consistent penetrating ball flight on every shot. HIGH-PERFORMANCE TOUR URETHANE SOFT COVER New High-Performance Tour Urethane Soft Cover consistently delivers maximum greenside control.  

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This spin can translate through the bag to help offer various trajectories based on the golf ball model, which can help produce more stopping power and reduce dispersion on approach shots.

Speed and aerodynamics

Off the driver, aerodynamics are a key factor in trajectory because of the speed a golf ball travels, and finding the correct trajectory to fit your game and also your environment can make a huge difference.

We certainly don’t recommend switching golf balls for a single round of golf but if you’re a golfer who usually plays at a certain altitude or in particular conditions using a ball that matches up to those can help with control and ball flight consistency. As an example, if you play mostly desert golf without much wind, a golf ball that flies higher can help to produce more carry.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you play where it is windier, a golf ball that creates a lower peak height and a more equally parabolic trajectory can bolster control and help reduce the need to make swing or equipment adjustments to control trajectory.

Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash Golf Balls

$54.99

Pro V1x Left Dash golf balls are designed for players seeking a high flight similar to Pro V1x with dramatically lower full swing spin and firmer feel. PLAYER BENEFITS Pro V1x Left Dash was originally developed for the PGA Tour as a Titleist Customized Performance Option in 2018. This model delivers a different combination of performance characteristics than Pro V1 and Pro V1x and allows players to finetune their Flight, Feel and Spin. Given positive player feedback, we are now making Pro V1x Left Dash available to golfers via special order.  Extraordinary distance with consistent flight Lower full swing spin than Pro V1x Slightly lower flight than Pro V1x Firmer feel than Pro V1x Drop-and-Stop short game control

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So next time you’re working with a club fitter to dial in your launch conditions, be sure to have the conversation about golf ball performance so you can get the most from your game!

Check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast for more on the latest gear news and information.

The post Can changing my golf ball lead to lower scores? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Can a shaft change help fix my golf swing? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Can a shaft change help fix my golf swing? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

For this edition of Firsthand with a Fitter, we dive into an equipment hot topic for golfers of all skill levels: How can certain shaft profiles and weights help correct potential swing issues and help golfers hit it longer and straighter?

Before we get started, let’s make one thing clear, golf shafts on their own don’t magically change ball flight or your golf swing, but they can help change a golfer’s dynamics into the impact. The end result is much more efficient contact and better results that include longer shots and improved dispersion.

The Premier Club Fitting Experience

With over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, True Spec Golf will custom fit and hand build you the most well-constructed, precise set of golf clubs you’ve ever played. Guaranteed.

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Understanding shaft profiles

A golf shaft’s bend profile helps explain how a shaft moves, flexes and torques when forces are applied to it during the golf swing. These characteristics can quantify why certain shafts work better for some players and even work better in particular golf club heads and styles.

The other aspect of this is when all of these profile elements are brought together, they result in how a shaft feels to players with different speeds and load patterns, with the goal of a fitter to match a shaft up with a golfer’s swing to create the best results.

A simple way to approach this fitting process is that golfers with faster swing speeds and transition might find the best results come from a shaft with a stiffer handle and tip section for better control, while a golfer with a more moderate swing speed may find the most benefit from a shaft with a softer handle and tip section to help generate more clubhead speed thanks to improved timing.

Again these are simplified scenarios — now it’s time for specifics.

Reducing dispersion

Poor dispersion is caused by a golfer’s inability to control the club face-to-path relationship, the greater the control and more consistent the relationship the better the dispersion gets. If the club face is open to the path, the result is a shot that fades from left to right (for a right-handed golfer), and if the face is closed to the path the result is a hook or a pull left.

For higher swing speed golfers with a faster transition, a shaft with a stiffer handle and tip selection can help the club feel more stable, which can lead to better awareness of where the club is during the swing. Think of it as improving how you might open or close a tennis racket to hit a certain shot.

Fujikura Ventus TR Black Wood Shaft

$350

NEW FOR 2022! Introducing a new profile to the lineup, VENTUS TR. Born from the continuous quest for improvement and backed by enso®–driven analytics and Tour feedback, VENTUS TR builds upon one of the most trusted and best-selling wood shafts in Fujikura history. Jockey Tip: The TR Black is the stiffest VENTUS profile to date. Ultra-stiff tip and handle sections work in unison to support players with Tour-like speeds that prefer the feeling of minimal to no flex during the swing. As a shaft designed for players with a fast transition, spread tow fabric reinforces the mid/handle section even further, holding up to even the most aggressive moves to the golf ball.

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This awareness of the club’s face orientation and the path the club is being swung on can result in a much higher dispersion, especially for those faster and stronger players.

It could also go the opposite way for players with a more moderate swing speed and tempo who struggle to swing a stiffer shaft that can feel difficult to load correctly. This is where going lighter and softer for these players can help them gain the same kind of control faster players do with a stiffer shaft.

Spin and launch too high

Launch and spin are directly controlled by dynamic loft at impact and club face impact point. When talking metal woods, specifically drivers, shots hit lower on the face jump up in spin, while shots hit higher on the face spin lower.

Now if you’re already in the right driver loft for your game but still struggling with excess spin, it could be that the shaft you’re using has a softer tip profile, and that softer tip is flexing more and creating a higher dynamic loft resulting in more spin.

A shaft with a stiffer tip section can help reduce this flexing into impact — called shaft deflection, and lower dynamic loft and spin to fit into an ideal launch window for more distance.

Fujikura 2024 Ventus Blue Wood Shaft

$350

Based on the game-changing VENTUS Blue profile originally launched on global tours in 2018, the all-new 2024 VENTUS captures the same incredible player-trusted feel as the original model, with improved material integrations and layouts. The first profile to incorporate Fujikura’s newest evolution of VeloCore Technology provides players even greater overall performance results. The next generation of Fujikura’s ground-breaking proprietary key technology. VeloCore+ is a multi-material bias core construction technique that not only increases and enhances the original combination of Pitch 70 and 40 Ton materials, but incorporates an all-new third premium material to give players even tighter dispersion and increased ball speeds. VeloCore+ takes all the benefits of the original VeloCore configuration and enhances performance even further by strengthening and tightening the overall structure.

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Spin and launch too low

Although most golfers try to reduce spin with their driver and fairway woods, too little spin can cause just as many issues with dispersion and loss of carry distance, especially on mishits.

This is exactly where lighter and more flexible shaft options (relative to swing speed) can help deliver more deflection into impact to help increase launch and spin. A great example of this is the R2 flex options from Fujikura in the Ventus Blue and Red profiles. These lighter shafts weigh close to 50 grams once installed into a golf club and can help golfers who struggle with too little spin gain it back.

Fujikura Ventus Red Wood Shaft

$350

The Fujikura Ventus Red utilizes a Tour-inspired profile and the first to include Fujikura’s all new VeloCore Technology in an accelerated taper, ultra stiff tip profile. Maximum energy transfer from the tip section boosts the clubhead’s performance and a straight taper design enhances loading and feel. You can purchase the Fujikura Ventus Red in the following models: 6, 7, and 8.  You can buy the Fujikura Ventus Red with the adaptor sleeve of choice built to your required specifications. JOCKEY TIP: The Fujikura Ventus Red is ideal for the player looking for a mid launch, mid spin shaft that was designed to significantly tighten shot dispersion and maximize ball speed especially on off-center shots. This is the hightest launching shaft in the Ventus shaft family. 

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Lighter weight shafts can also help golfers pick up extra club head speed in their swings and speed also helps to create spin and lift to help gain extra distance.

Check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast for more on the latest gear news and information.

The post Can a shaft change help fix my golf swing? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Do I need new clubs if my swing speed goes up? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Do I need new clubs if my swing speed goes up? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

For this edition of Firsthand with a Fitter, we dive into a hot equipment topic for a lot of developing players: Do you need new clubs if you see a big jump in club head speed?

With more professionals and amateur golfers using various programs and training tools to add mobility, strength and speed to their golf swings, one of the forgotten factors in maintaining and controlling that speed is a player’s equipment.

The Premier Club Fitting Experience

With over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, True Spec Golf will custom fit and hand build you the most well-constructed, precise set of golf clubs you’ve ever played. Guaranteed.

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“With a deeper understanding of strokes gained, and how every yard off the tee can be an added benefit on the next shot, we continue to see golfers at all levels year after year adding swing speed,” Kris McCormack, VP of Tour and Education at True Spec Golf. “We are seeing the biggest gains with younger players coming in faster and faster every year, and for many of them, we have to make tweaks to ensure they’re still creating the best and most consistent launch numbers.”

How are golfers getting faster?

With a distance limit only enforceable through equipment regulations, golfers look for any possible advantage to hit the ball farther and straighter. Adding swing speed is a top ingredient in the recipe for distance and because of this, we have seen several specialized training tools come into the market in recent years that have become quite popular. Alongside a training program, improved coaching, and better technology, the sky is the limit for players who want to add speed.

Once club head speed is added the next thing golfers have to consider is how that speed will change their launch conditions, with a focus on the driver because a natural byproduct of more club head speed is ball speed followed by launch and spin. Launch and spin are the biggest concerns in this equation because by controlling those parameters with the help of equipment a golfer can quickly add more distance.

TheStack Swing Speed Trainer (Hardware + App Bundle)

$314 (was $349)

  TheStack Hardware 5 milled Stack weights enable 30 weight combinations between 0g and 300g Dual-purpose weight case / phone stand Highly engineered training club – Adult (41.5″) or Junior (38.5″) version (see Fitting Juniors) Speed radar not included. View all compatible devices here.  We recommend the PRGR TheStack App Training 2-year License included, accessible on iOS only. Dynamic speed training formulated by Dr. Sasho MacKenzie Guided workout timer for reps, sets, and rest intervals Custom speed metrics to track your gains Hands-free data entry using voice entry technology Includes access to Stack Putting (Beta) – Learn more Includes Single User License – Enables training and tracking for up to five local (i.e. family) users under one login. Multi-user Coaches License license sold separately. Access TheStack App from the App Store when your order arrives. Requires iOS 15.0 or later.

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“Anytime we’re working with a golfer, it’s our goal (with a driver) to maximize ball speed output because it creates the potential for the most distance. From that point, we work on getting a player further dialed into the more detailed specs of the driver,” McCormack continued. “Everything from the hosel settings to adjustable weights, are something we are going to look at adjusting based on how the golfer reacts to the changes we make during the fitting process. This also includes the shaft flex and shaft weight because club head speed is only a small part of the equation. How the golfer loads and unloads the shart during the swing are just as important.”

What needs to change

Club head speed leads to more ball speed, and as ball speed increases so does the need to better control launch and spin.

Just as players on the lower end of the speed spectrum often need to add launch and spin with the help of lighter shafts and more driver loft, faster players more often than not depending on their impact dynamics need to reduce loft and find a stiffer shaft profile to handle the extra load placed on the shaft during the swing.

Gear

Speaking in the most general sense, a stiffer shaft gives faster players the ability to feel where the club head is during the swing which leads to greater control of the club face into impact.

“With the goal of reducing variance in launch and spin, in most cases we lower the club head loft either with the head on its own or with the adjustable settings to find the right window.” Kris McCormack, “Another key factor and benefit to modern golfers is just how stable modern equipment has become, especially on shot missed around the face. These stable heads yield much higher consistency compared to drivers from even a few years ago, and when everything comes together in the right specs we can see incredible results that translate to more distance and lower scores.”

Looking to work firsthand with your own club-fitting expert to dial in your equipment and play better golf? Book a fitting with the industry experts at True Spec Golf. With more than 40 locations, it’s easy to find a location near you.

For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast.

The post Do I need new clubs if my swing speed goes up? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post The driving force behind Fujikura Ventus’ wild success on Tour appeared first on Golf.

The post The driving force behind Fujikura Ventus’ wild success on Tour appeared first on Golf.

Even more impressive is that those 59 driver shafts represented 40.7 percent of the field — a usage rate that leads the way on Tour. No doubt it’s a staggering number, but Fujikura believes they’re just getting started with Ventus leading the way.

Ventus refresher

Premium driver shafts are all about maximizing stability to help golfers make better and more consistent contact. The result is longer and straighter drives. At the core of Fujikura’s Ventus line is Velocore, a multi-material bias core construction that delivers stability through transition and into impact to improve center-face contact.

Adding stability without sacrificing feel made Ventus an instant hit on Tour and with recreational golfers who found the unique combination beneficial when it was first introduced.

“The only time I have ever seen a shaft gain such instant popularity was when the very first Fujikura Speeder 757 was launched and it felt like you couldn’t look in a golf bag without seeing one,” said Marshall Thompson, Fujikura’s fitting and tour representative.

Since the launch of the original Ventus Blue, five more options have come to market with two additional profiles added to the original line (Red and Black). In 2022, Ventus TR was rolled out to the masses in the same three profiles: Blue, Red and Black — only this version featured a game-changing spread tow carbon fabric in the butt section of the shaft to create additional stability without sacrificing player feedback.

Fujikura Ventus TR Blue Wood Shaft

$350

NEW FOR 2022! Introducing a new profile to the lineup, VENTUS TR. Born from the continuous quest for improvement and backed by enso®–driven analytics and Tour feedback, VENTUS TR builds upon one of the most trusted and best-selling wood shafts in Fujikura history. TR is a new mid launch, low spin profile in the VENTUS line. Welcome to the next level of VENTUS performance.

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In a world driven by technology, Fujikura’s ability to utilize ENSO in the shaft design process — a proprietary motion capture technology system that delivers an extremely detailed analysis of how a golf shaft moves and reacts to forces in the golf swing — has given them a leg up on the competition. Constant improvements eventually led to the recent introduction of the 2024 Ventus Blue with Velocore Plus.

Inside Velocore Plus

Just as the original Ventus featured Velocore to increase stability and improve contact, the 2024 Ventus Blue with Velocore Plus now has the bias core construction running the full length of the shaft to enhance feel, tighten dispersion, and increase ball speeds — while keeping the overall profile intact.

“Our goal when we were developing the new Ventus with Velocore Plus was never to change the profile and tweak what made players love the performance in the first place,” Thompson said. “The goal was to figure out a way to take what we learned with the original and use materials to make it better performing across the board.”

This core is constructed with full-length, ultra-high-modulus pitch 70-ton carbon fiber, which is 150 percent stronger and designed to be more stable than T1100g carbon fiber.

“The new Ventus with Velocore Plus is hot,” said Thompson. “When we’ve been testing with players, we have seen improvements in center-face contact along with less shaft deflection, with the results being an uptick in ball speed, leading to more distance.

“I think one of the less technical, yet just as important elements of this is how player feedback and feel can result in better results because the golfer feels more in control of their club through the entire swing with the result being a more trustworthy ball flight.”

Building momentum — and more clubs

Since Ventus Blue with Velocore Plus launched at the Genesis Invitation, Tour reps at Fujikura have been busy building clubs, testing with players and ensuring equipment trailers are stocked for specific requests.

One such player who recently made the switch to the latest Ventus is Sepp Straka, who added the shaft at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has gone on to beat his season-long strokes gained: off-the-tee statistic (+0.275) in both of his last two starts with a plus-1.35 strokes gained at Bay Hill and plus-1.389 at the Players Championship.

Lucas Glover is another player who recently changed shafts in his driver and fairway woods to locate some extra spin control and launch stability according to reps at Fujikura.

“Was looking to raise his launch without feeling like he had to try and get the ball in the air by manipulating his swing,” Thompson said. “By moving into the 2024 Ventus in his fairway woods he saw better height and flight stability without losing control of his spin rates.”

Fujikura 2024 Ventus Blue Wood Shaft

$350

Based on the game-changing VENTUS Blue profile originally launched on global tours in 2018, the all-new 2024 VENTUS captures the same incredible player-trusted feel as the original model, with improved material integrations and layouts. The first profile to incorporate Fujikura’s newest evolution of VeloCore Technology provides players even greater overall performance results. The next generation of Fujikura’s ground-breaking proprietary key technology. VeloCore+ is a multi-material bias core construction technique that not only increases and enhances the original combination of Pitch 70 and 40 Ton materials, but incorporates an all-new third premium material to give players even tighter dispersion and increased ball speeds. VeloCore+ takes all the benefits of the original VeloCore configuration and enhances performance even further by strengthening and tightening the overall structure.

Buy Now

View Product

Along with Straka and Glove, there continue to be more players testing the newest Ventus, which could add more shafts to Fujikura’s current usage total which already includes 5 of the top 10 players in the world and 22 of the top 50 as of the Players Championship.

The new 2024 Fujikura Ventus Blue comes in flexes and weights ranging from R2 (soft regular) 50 grams to extra-stiff 90 grams to help any golfer looking for a combination of stability and added speed. Want to give it a try? Head over to a True Spec Golf for a comprehensive fitting or order now through Fairway Jockey.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post The driving force behind Fujikura Ventus’ wild success on Tour appeared first on Golf.

The post How important is golf club swing weight? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post How important is golf club swing weight? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

This week we are going to dive into one of the most commonly misunderstood topics when it comes to golf clubs, specs and fitting — Swing weight. What is it, what should yours be, and can it be a part of your fitting to help your clubs perform better?

What is swing weight?

Swing weight is a value used to describe to how mass is distributed along the entire length of a golf club using a swing weight scale, which measures the club using a fulcrum position 14″ from the grip end of the club.

The scale values range from A-G and also have a number assigned to the letter value — A0-9, B0-9, C0-9, and so on — with A0 being the lightest measured value and F9 being the heaviest. Although it’s possible for clubs to register higher than G0, it becomes a much less practical measurement in regard to golf club specs, so the scale ends there.

The average swing weight of a full-swing golf club off the rack ranges from C8-D5. With modern putter heads treading heavier than 350 grams, putter swing weights are in the E and F range depending on the grip and length.

Swing weight originates back to when golf clubs still used wooden shafts. It was intended to help golf club builders match clubs through so golfers could feel the same from club to club. It just goes to show that even before the days of steel shafts and investment cast heads, golfers and the people who built their clubs did everything they could to reduce inconsistencies.

The Premier Club Fitting Experience

With over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, True Spec Golf will custom fit and hand build you the most well-constructed, precise set of golf clubs you’ve ever played. Guaranteed.

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Determining the right swing weight

This is where things can get interesting because, unlike specs that can be quickly determined by ball flight like lie angle and loft, swing weight requires targeted feedback from the player getting fit. At that point, it is the job of the club fitter to help translate what the golfer feels into something that can be understood and adjusted to fit their need to create consistency.

“When working with golfers, it’s the job of the fitter to always be asking questions to best understand how the player perceives the mass of the golf club,” says Kris McCormack, VP of Tour and Education at True Spec Golf. “Depending on the components used in a particular build during the fitting process, not only will the total club mass change (static weight), but the swing weight will change too. These specs can have a big effect on a player’s release pattern and we want to find the values that best match up to every individual.”

Since every golfer has a different level of strength and speed this communication process with a fitter is important because every golfer feels and needs something different.

“Feel is entirely subjective, and it is the role of the fitter to find out how any individual club feels to that player and also ask about the amount of effort they are putting in to make that club work,” McCormack said. “A club that is either too heavy or too light might cause a player to compensate for the mass of the club, and we don’t want to have a player make compensations. Once a golfer finds the right swing weight range, we instantly see an improvement in dispersion and efficiency.”

How to fit for swing weight

Although a fitter has the added benefit of measured feedback from a launch monitor, the great thing about trying to find the best swing weight to match your golf swing is that if you’re curious about experimenting it can be something you can test without a fitter. With the help of adjustable weights in drivers and fairway woods, and also lead tape on irons, wedges and even putters (although you can only move in a heavier direction), you can experiment with finding what works and feels best for you.

Looking to work firsthand with your own club-fitting expert to dial in your equipment and play better golf? Book a fitting with the industry experts at True Spec Golf. With more than 40 locations, it’s easy to find a location near you.

For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast.

The post How important is golf club swing weight? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Should a club fitting also include a lesson? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Should a club fitting also include a lesson? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

This week we are going to dive into a common question golfers often ask: Should a lesson be part of the fitting process? Or should the time spent during the session be focused on finding the right clubs for the way you swing without trying to make any changes for performance gains?

There are always going to be two ways to look at this topic and there could be instances where a golfer might ask a fitter why something is happening in their swing. But just like a proper custom fitting for a bespoke piece of clothing — think a suit or dress — the end goal should be to find the right piece of gear without making swing changes on the fly.

Pardon the analogy but, in the same way, I don’t want to be fit for a suit that looks good after I lose 15 pounds, you shouldn’t be trying to change your swing to fit your new clubs for improved results in the fitting environment.

The Premier Club Fitting Experience

With over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, True Spec Golf will custom fit and hand build you the most well-constructed, precise set of golf clubs you’ve ever played. Guaranteed.

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The purpose of a club fitting

There is no doubt that when you combine a proper lesson plan with a club fitting, you should start to see improvements to your golf game. But unless you are working with a coach who is also a highly skilled fitter or vice-versa, you should only ever be focusing on one thing at a time to eliminate variables.

“When working with a golfer, I’m never going to make a comment on their swing to make a piece of equipment work,” said Kris McCormack, VP of Tour and Education at True Spec Golf. “The whole premise of a proper custom club fitting is to custom fit a golf club or a set of clubs to their natural swing movements and delivery into the ball and help create the most reliable and optimized ball flight for them.”

Eliminating variables is the entire purpose of a professional club fitting and at no point should a fitter be recommending even small changes to your swing or your setup unless there is a glaring issue that is being caused by the fitting environment – not your swing.

“If I ever say anything to a golfer about their swing, it is only ever a question about their tendencies, in regards to setup or alignment that look out of place or unnatural in the fitting environment,” McCormack said. “These types of adjustments are almost always caused by the golfer’s spatial awareness and visual perception in a fitting bay compared to being outside on the course, but I am by no means trying to change the way a golfer is naturally swinging the club.”

Create proper expectations

With so many new golfers getting fit for clubs for the first time, it’s important to create a proper distinction between the role of a fitter and the role of a teacher or coach. Regardless of your skillset, a fitter’s focus should be fitting you to the right clubs for your swing at that point in time, not for the swing you could have.

Too many golfers make the mistake of buying clubs that will work for them once they reach a certain skill level or handicap, but the biggest problem with this tactic is that it can lead to compensations in your swing in an attempt to make those clubs work which down the line actually makes improvements much tougher.

Gear

On the flip side, even as a beginner, there is a point where you should put a small focus on making sure you have the right clubs when starting out, even if that means getting checked for the basics of length, lie, loft, and grip size.

So whether you’re looking for a club fitting or a lesson, make sure you take the time to separate both of those steps on the way to improving your game, and you will be on the road to better golfer faster and with more confidence.

Looking to work firsthand with your own club-fitting expert to dial in your equipment and play better golf? Book a fitting with the industry experts at True Spec Golf. With more than 40 locations, it’s easy to find a location near you.

For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast.

The post Should a club fitting also include a lesson? | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Why a putter fitting can save you serious shots on greens | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Why a putter fitting can save you serious shots on greens | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

It’s time to talk putters, because whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, everyone has an equal opportunity on the putting green. Why? Because putting is the one part of the game that doesn’t require excess strength or speed — just the ability to read a green and send the ball rolling on its way. But that’s a task much easier said than done.

The simplicity of the putting stroke is also what makes it one of the most frustrating parts of the game, but with the right putter fit for your stroke type (along with how you aim), it doesn’t take much for saved shots to start adding up.

With the help of True Spec master fitter Kris McCormack, we dive into the benefits of a putter fitting and why they’re too important to ignore.

Why a putter fitting is important

For most amateur golfers, putting makes up roughly 40 percent of the strokes taken in a round of golf, and with that in mind, a 15-foot putt is worth the same as a 2-footer, and if you can avoid the mistakes that caused those missed short ones in the first place, you can see your scores start to drop pretty quick.

What makes a putting fitting so important, is that there are a number of factors that need to be considered during the process to make sure the ball not only starts on the right line but has a true end-over-end roll after impact. Getting the ball to that point of consistent roll as quickly as possible will help it stay on the target line better, and that’s achieved by optimizing launch and spin just like you would with a driver.

“Just like with a full swing, every golfer delivers the putter slightly differently into impact, and because of that we need to optimize that club’s lie angle and loft to create a better roll,” said Kris McCormick, True Spec Golf’s VP of Tour and Education. “The biggest difference for optimizing a putter compared to driver is the impact collision is at a much lower speed and the target is much smaller. So compared to a driver where a half degree of loft can have a minor effect on the end result, on a putter, that small variance can be the difference between a holed putt and a missed one.”

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It’s not just about the numbers

Okay, so we’ve touched on getting the right numbers at impact, but none of that matters if you’re not pointed in the right direction, so let’s dive into alignment.

Poor alignment isn’t caused by bad reads, but instead by golfers not understanding how they use the putter head to aim. Some golfers use the leading edge, others use the topline. Some golfers require a longer line on the back of the putter, and others might use the overall geometry of the head to get set up square behind the ball.

The best part is, in the case of putting, there is no right or wrong way to aim as long as you have repeatability.

“The human eyes are an amazing thing, and perception is just as important as reality when it comes to putting,” McCormack said. “I’ve worked with players that believe they are aimed right down the line, only to find out that they’re actually aimed 4 to 5 degrees outside of the hole on a 10-foot putt, and it only takes the putter being off by a single degree to miss from that range. When working with a player it’s our goal to help them understand their aim tendencies and alignment preferences through the fitting process and get them into a head that provides them with the visual cues to get them pointed in the right direction.”

The final puzzle piece — your putter grip

Once you have the right putter head to fit your stroke, the lie and loft to fit your setup, and the alignment style to make sure you’re pointed in the right direction, the final piece of the puzzle is the grip — and its extremely important you find the right one for you.

Although there are general rules about hand size and how larger grips can help reduce hand action in the stroke, it’s just as important to make sure you find one that feels comfortable and natural in your hands, so take the time to try a few options out. The best part about any grip is that if it doesn’t feel quite right, a grip is a relatively inexpensive component to replace.

You might even find that having a slightly longer putter and using a longer grip to create a counterbalance — like the ones used by Rickie Fowler, Wyndham Clark and Viktor Hovland — could be your secret weapon on the greens.

PING 2023 DS72 Putter

PING 2023 DS72 Putter

$279

Fit for straight and slight-arc stroke types, the DS72 has a shallow milled face to deliver a firmer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. A platinum topline contrasts against the black cavity where a white alignment line and ball-width cavity floor focus the eye. The more squared off will be aesthetically pleasing to the mid-mallet player.The new PING putters all have one thing in common – precision performance on putts of every distance. Everything else is different. From firmer milled faces to soft feeling inserts, simple alignment aids to eye-pleasing color blocking, high MOI blades to multi-material mallets, each model is individually designed to achieve the proper balance of feel and forgiveness in a confidence-inspiring look that leads to more consistency on the greens. With 10 models in all, they leverage the best of PING putters from the past and present with an eye on making more putts in the future. A MODEL TO FIT EVERY GOLFER Each model is individually designed to achieve the proper balance of feel and forgiveness in a confidence-inspiring look. Choose from high MOI blades and multi-material mallets. TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN FEEL From firm milled faces to soft feeling inserts, the line-up is engineered to match a variety of feel preferences and deliver the control and consistency on putts of every length. ALIGNED FOR ACCURACY Single alignment cues or multiple lines combine with eye-pleasing color blocking to match your eye for confidence where it matters most.

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Looking to work firsthand with your own club-fitting expert to dial in your equipment and play better golf? Book a fitting with the industry experts at True Spec Golf. With more than 30 locations, it’s easy to find a location near you.

The post Why a putter fitting can save you serious shots on greens | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post This is the biggest mistake golfers make with their driver | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post This is the biggest mistake golfers make with their driver | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

One of the things we hear so much about when watching professionals on TV is how they manage driver spin off the tee and how high launch and low spin contribute to the incredible length they are able to drive the ball.

But the real question for most recreational golfers is how can I maximize my distance, and how do I know I have the right amount of spin without getting on a launch monitor?

Gear

First off, the only sure way to know if you have the right amount of spin with your driver is to work with a professional fitter on a launch monitor to find out just how well you are optimized based on your clubhead delivery and swing speed. But, if you don’t have access to a club fitter and are just assessing based on what you see on the golf course, here are a few simple things to look for.

Too much spin

If you are driving the ball with too much spin, you will notice that the ball doesn’t fly on a parabolic trajectory and instead starts to lift like an airplane taking off after impact. This extra lift created by the excessive spin makes the ball rise too quickly, stall, and then fall back to the ground on too steep of a trajectory to get any additional roll.

The Premier Club Fitting Experience

With over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, True Spec Golf will custom fit and hand build you the most well-constructed, precise set of golf clubs you’ve ever played. Guaranteed.

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Beyond how the golfer delivers the club into the ball, too much spin is often a result of not having the proper amount of loft on a driver.

“We often see too many golfers come into our fitting studios with the wrong loft for their swing. In many cases, it has much less to do with actual clubhead speed and more about how they deliver the loft to achieve results.” Kris McCormack, True Spec Golf‘s VP of Tour and Education “Too many golfers assume that if they have a moderate swing speed they need to default to a higher lofted driver (10.5° – 12°) and that just isn’t the case.”

Not enough spin

Although it’s less of a common problem for most golfers, not having enough spin consistently with the driver can be just as bad for a number of reasons; the first being a lack of directional control, and the second being the inability to gain carry distance.

The lack of directional control comes from an unstable ball flight caused by too little spin. It’s basically the same ball flight physics as when a pitcher throws a knuckleball to a catcher, with the difference being a fairway isn’t going to change position to catch your golf ball. This lack of spin destabilizes the ball’s flight and leaves it much more susceptible to outside influences like wind.

Also, just like how a ball with excess spin takes off too high, a ball with too little spin doesn’t achieve the correct amount of lift based on the launch and ball speed, and that ball with fall out of the sky at a very suboptimal distance. When paired with a mishit higher on the face or towards the toe this can lead to a ball that could potentially lose up to 30% of its potential carry distance.

The chart below from Ping Golf demonstrates the ideal launch and spin characteristics based on ball speed and angle of attack

“In the search for more distance, some players end up going too far in the opposite direction and find themselves not spinning the ball enough with their driver.” Kris continued, “The launch conditions might be in a good place on perfectly struck shots in calm conditions, but as soon as a shot is mishit and spin drops below the ideal amount, it results in some extremely big misses. This is why it’s always our goal to find a golfer the correct spin window (spin range) so they can maximize their best shots while reducing variance on bad ones.”

So next time you’re on the course and feel like you’re not getting the most out of your driver, take the time chart your results and make notes about your ball flight, and if you’re noticing either too much or too little spin with your driver, it might be time to make some adjustments or book a club fitting with a professional fitter.

Looking to work firsthand with your club-fitting expert to dial in your equipment and play better golf? Book a fitting with the industry experts at True Spec Golf. With more than 30 locations, it’s easy to find a location near you.

The post This is the biggest mistake golfers make with their driver | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post How to optimize your clubs for links golf | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post How to optimize your clubs for links golf | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

For many golfers, a trip to Scotland to play links golf is high on the bucket list, but with so many golfers used to playing traditional parkland-style golf in North America, links golf can be a real challenge to quickly get used to.

Travel

That is why we decided to talk with Kris McCormack, True Spec Golf‘s VP of Tour and Education, to help you better understand your clubs, the conditions links golf could present, and the best way to use technology to your advantage when traveling across the pond to take in some of the world’s best golf courses.

Driver

We have to start with the driver because, after the putter, it’s the club that is going to get the most use during any round of golf, and considering most golfers already have an adjustable driver in their bag, there is no need to go out and buy anything to help find an advantage.

“Adjustable drivers offer a huge opportunity for any golfer to dial in their launch and spin conditions with just the click of a wrench, and in links golf where windy conditions and firm turf are the norms, a lower launch angle with less spin is going to be more ideal,” McCormack continued. “The one other thing golfers should consider when lofting down their driver or even their fairway woods is that it also opens the face. To help counteract this adjustment it might also be a good idea to put any adjustable weights in more of a draw setting to make sure you can close the face to make solid contact.”

Wedges

Beyond the rolling dunes, wind, and fescue, the other thing links golf is famous for is pot bunkers, and they could be the last place you’d want your ball to come to rest — beyond maybe launching one out into the ocean.

Now one way to make sure you can get out of pot bunkers and sand, in general, is to have the right sole grind and bounce on your wedges, and although there is no need for a complete wedge overhaul, giving yourself one go-to club could help save a lot of shots if you do happen to find yourself in the bottom of a deep bunker.

“Getting out of a sand trap can be difficult even under normal conditions, and when you throw in a tall sod wall that can become pretty intimidating, even for better players,” McCormack said. “One of the clubs we suggest to help with this is a larger faced higher toe style lob wedge because it offers a larger surface to help get the club under the ball, and a wider sole to help keep the club moving through the sand.”

The Premier Club Fitting Experience

With over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, True Spec Golf will custom fit and hand build you the most well-constructed, precise set of golf clubs you’ve ever played. Guaranteed.

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A wider soled lob wedge with a lower bounce is a popular choice because it helps get the leading edge of the club lower to the ground. A lower leading edge, especially in firm conditions allows for an aggressive approach and greatly reduces the chance of hitting the dreaded skulled wedge, which in a pot bunker could lead to some serious issues.

Change your golf ball

As we discovered in our recent golf ball testing, you can find big differences in performance when switching between golf ball models, and being able to further control spin and trajectory in various conditions without having to change your swing can offer a lot of confidence.

“When it comes to helping a golfer maximize performance, the final frontier of the fitting is the golf ball and too many golfers overlook this step.” said McCormack. “While the different covers help create speed and spin, the aerodynamics of a golf ball can change peak height by a large margin, and controlling peak height in windy conditions like on a wide open links course can be the difference between keeping a ball in the fairway, or finding its way into knee-high fescue, and as a fitter, it’s my goal to help keep you out of the long stuff”.

Balls

The best part about changing your golf ball is that it’s one of the easiest and low-cost solutions, and once you get back to your usual parkland-style courses you can go back to your usual golf ball without making any more adjustments.

Looking to work firsthand with your club-fitting expert to dial in your equipment and play better golf? Book a fitting with the industry experts at True Spec Golf. With more than 30 locations, it’s easy to find a location near you.

Also, for more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

The post How to optimize your clubs for links golf | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Indoor wedge fittings provide unique benefits | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

The post Indoor wedge fittings provide unique benefits | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.

Wedges — we all need them, but with so many options in the marketplace, most golfers have a hard time understanding what works best for them. That lack of confidence leads to even more players not getting fit for some of the most important clubs in the bag. Also, did you know that just like your driver and irons, you can get fit for wedges indoors with excellent results?

With the help of True Spec master fitter Blake Smith we dive into the benefits of a wedge fitting and why the unique setting of an indoor fitting bay makes it an ideal place to get dialed in.

Why wedge fitting is important

Once you realize just how many shots you hit in a round with your wedges, you quickly understand why it’s important to have the right tools to execute shots. A big mistake a lot of golfers make is defaulting to certain wedge lofts without a fitting, either based on their highest lofted wedge or because they have used particular lofts in the past.

It’s often a big mistake to buy the highest lofted wedge first, then work backward toward the highest lofted club in an iron set, whether that be a 9-iron, pitching wedge or a set gap wedge, because loft doesn’t always directly relate to carry distance.

A fitter will work in reverse and start with the right set of lofts that make sense for proper gapping, and being inside a fitting bay under controlled conditions creates an environment where a golfer can make confident swings and know exactly how far each shot goes with a particular swing.

Don’t forget bounce

We cover bounce a lot here at GOLF.com and can’t stress how important it is to make sure you have the correct bounce setup through your wedges for your shot types and playing style. Plus, with the grind being a huge component of the overall wedge and bounce performance, being inside keeps ground conditions the same for every shot so a fitter can take better help you find the find combination.

“The positives of an indoor wedge fitting are all about being in an enclosed laboratory-like environment,” Smith said. “Grooves don’t fill up with dirt so spin rates and launch angles moisture, dirt, or debris. 3. Use a premium ball during the fitting not a range ball. We can determine bounce and grind by watching numbers on GCQUAD such as attack angle and strike location. We will also watch the cadence of the swing to determine shaft flex. Shafts are also selected based on launch angle, spin rates and peak height.”

What shaft you choose in your wedges can greatly affect how it feels and performs. Some players prefer stiffer profiles, while others like “wedge flex” shafts that flex more and promote more spin. Lately, composite shafts have become common in wedges, too. Knowing the right shaft model, flex and even length can be easily sorted out with a proper fitting.

And, don’t forget the grip. You may prefer a skinnier or thicker wedge grip depending on whether you want to speed up or slow down your hands, or if you have a knack for pushing or pulling your pitch shots. A different grip diameter can make a huge difference, and so can opting for one that is heavier and/or counterweight.

The final puzzle piece — your golf ball

One final piece of advice we can’t stress enough: your golf ball is a piece of equipment designed to maximize potential through your bag. It’s the only piece of equipment used for every shot, and making sure it’s optimized for driving and approach play is critical for distance and shot-stopping control.

Looking to work firsthand with your own club-fitting expert to dial in your equipment and play better golf? Book a fitting with the industry experts at True Spec Golf. With more than 30 locations, it’s easy to find a location near you.

Also, for more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

The post Indoor wedge fittings provide unique benefits | Firsthand with a Fitter appeared first on Golf.