I spend a lot of time on social media. I enjoy helping people, it's what I do. When i'm asked about a shaft or a swing or a thought, generally speaking i don't offer advice. I offer information. Information as to what should be happening to get the best out of the equipment or make the ball do what you want, NOT what they're doing or not doing in their swing. I offer ball flight laws and the effect shafts have on different swings. Why? Because 99.99999% of the time there is little to no information about what is going on with that golfer and I have little to no time to have an at length conversation with the subject to gain the information needed.
Watch this video:
What's wrong with this swing? It's very flat, the club is in a decent position, but not perfect at address, head dips a little low on the swing, and the hips clear pretty fast. Far from picture perfect. Probably most of what i wrote above would be exactly what you would see written or would write yourself if this was posted and said "any help, i would be grateful". Heres the thing.. what you don't know is that this person has no L5/S1 disk in their spine. Their shoulder locks on a spur if it goes higher or any different position farther forward than what you see here, and the grass is wet, and they aren't wearing spikes. They also average 10/14 fairways per round and hit the ball over 250 yards consistently. All those things considered - i think it's a pretty darn good swing. Mostly because it's mine - at an impromptu demo day for Ping where i wanted to try the new offerings they had. Still, that didn't stop the advice on ball position and where to get my hands and how to angle the club and how i was wrong wrong wrong wrong. Some of them were even Local Pros in different states! Here's my advice to you - the only real advice i give.... Be very very very VERY wary of what you read and post online. Especially coming from "Pros" or "Teachers". They're very often the real deal, but no coach worth the dirt in your divot will give you any advice based on your description or a single video. They would want at least 2 different angles, head on and Down the line of the same swing, and to have a lengthy conversation about what you do and don't do.
Still, every day I read comments from Pros and hacks alike - stuff they read in a golfing magazine once. Something that works for Adam Scott - former #1 player in the world - is a crapshoot for a middle aged bogey shooter who has trouble walking 18 holes. It's just the way it is. Looking for advice online from forums and social media is only going to hurt your game and maybe even your body - trying to do something that it's physically unable to do. While you may be able to glean some moves off it, remember to sort out the information from the advice. There will be different and opposing opinions and as we know on the internet - everyone has to be right.
In my area, you can get a great swing evaluation from a real teaching professional for less than the cost of a round of golf. That is absolutely invaluable. When you decide to change equipment or swing characteristics without factual information about what you're already doing, you're throwing money away or chancing that you're going to make your game even worse - and with no way of going back. Practice makes PERMANENT, only perfect practice makes perfect. If you practice something that is incorrect, it's going to stick with you and will be harder to get rid of. Good advice CAN be found in a magazine, but figuring out if it applies to you is not your job. Go to your local PGA or LPGA pro and start a conversation. One lesson can go a long long way.
Take things with a grain of salt - especially things written on social media. It's a forum where any keyboard warrior feels invincible and will waste no time in ruining others just because they can.
It's a question that really has no answer that is not specific to the person answering. So why ask it? Is it more important to be valued or to be appreciated? To answer that, I think we have to look at the definition of each word in depth:
Value - noun
1.
the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
2.
a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
verb
1.
estimate the monetary worth of (something).
2.
consider (someone or something) to be important or beneficial; have a high opinion of.
Appreciate -
verb
1.
recognize the full worth of.
2.
understand (a situation) fully; recognize the full implications of.
Let's note that a great many people use these terms interchangeably but take a closer look. When something is "valued" it is generally because it is of benefit to the person doing the valuing. It's about saying "what am I willing to part with or do in order to possess this object. Property is valued. Stores say that something is a great value. Valuables in your jewelry box. Even people at the office are valued - which drives me up the wall when I hear it. Something is valuable because it benefits the person doing the valuing in some way - not because it's necessarily a good thing but because they're "getting something" from it. See the pattern starting to appear? Now, appreciation has nothing to do with worth or property. It's more of an emotion than a verb. When you appreciate something it's because it's there. It is not something to judge or pay for and isn't something that you can even place a partial worth on - by definition. You appreciate something for what it is and don't try to change it because it's so important it's unable to be messed with. You're thankful it's there because it is exactly what is needed.
"So Chris", you may be saying to yourself, "what does this have to do with golf?".
Well... look in your golf bag. Any names stand out to you? Maybe you just bought the newest driver released, or a new putter. Do you VALUE your clubs or APPRECIATE them? Did you buy them because of what they say or how much you will be able to trade them in for? Did you buy them because it was "recommended" by a sales person? Did you buy them because they're from your favorite tour player? Did you honestly answer these questions and were any of them "YES"? Bad news.
What did you go through in order to get them? If you can honestly say that you went through a fitting that was more than 20 minutes and gave real thought to the process to arrive at the best decision for your game - I'm proud of you. For a lot of readers, this isn't the case. For those readers it was an ad in a golf publication or a commercial during last week's tournament on TV. It's advertising speak about CG and MOI and composites and "the longest ________ ever!". This is a full example of Valuation of your clubs. You value them so much as they worked for other people now. You will de-value them as new equipment comes out because that equipment will be seen as better than what you have. The sad part is that the same equipment will have little to no value to those who you purchased it from as that new club is released. You've valued your club at a price that the manufacturer thinks you'll pay and with options that are the best value to them and their bottom line. If you wait to buy it until it's "on sale" what are you spending your money on then - outdated technology i guess? I guess at least you have the NAME right? That's the TRUE value of equipment. That's why logos are plastered all over hats, belts, and shirts. Get the name in your head.
As for me, I appreciate my clubs. I appreciate that they work just as hard as clubs that are higher priced and sitting dusty on a rack in the back corner of a golf discount store somewhere. I appreciate that time and care was taken to assemble these clubs just for me using parts that were painstakingly tested by me, outside, in the sun and on the grass for over an hour. I appreciate that I was able to use any parts that I wanted, and not just what had the highest margin for the seller. Still, when old age comes and I can't swing this flex anymore nobody will value them or appreciate them like I do. I can maybe sell them on Ebay for some golf money, but I'm ok with that because you see: when I made the investment in these clubs, I was investing in a name too. My name. I was in it for the long haul. I invested in my game to make sure that every dollar I spent on equipment went directly into my game and not into the pockets of a professional golfer or a multimillion dollar marketing campaign. People value the big names - but why? Why would you want to shell out that kind of money for something you KNOW you're going to resell because there's something better in 6 months? That wonderful paint-filled brand mark that tells everyone that you can afford a big OEM from a big store.
The point is, people value places like Dick's and Golfsmith. There are real people behind them with real jobs and that's great. They value you as well because they stay in business by selling you big names. The small club makers like myself and the hand full of others around the country appreciate your business and when you come to us with a need, I'll bet you'll start to appreciate us too. The one thing we all care about is your game. Big companies saturate the market with new new new. Everything is NEW everything is BETTER than it was. They have to. I will craft you something that will help you play better and save money. Take that money and put it into lessons, or just play more golf! Enter a tournament or put it towards that golf bucket list.
The next time you are in the market for a new club, ask yourself something. Do I want to be one of millions or do I want to be one in a million?
Club fittings are meant to get your hands around the best technology for your game. In the modern golf-scape, everything from shaft material, length, weight, color, grip size and material, club head weight, and top line look can be selected from a wide range of manufacturers' offerings. It's enough to make a sane person's head explode! Good thing I'm not sane, right?
What you get out of your fitting is equivalent to what you are willing to put in and accept. If you go in and say "I don't want to spend any money and I'm happy with what I play with now" then there's no reason to even have one done. If you're just going to get some numbers because you're curious how fast you swing, I have a package for 30 minutes on the range with a launch monitor where you keep all your data. Hit me up. On the other hand, going in with the idea that what you play now is completely incorrect isn't a good idea either. After all, you didn't get where you are by playing the complete WRONG equipment, we're just trying to find out if there's something better or a tweak that will make them better. The best thing to do is keep an open mind about all avenues. Maybe the difference between 30% fairways and 70% fairways is the grip on your driver, or even making all your clubs 1/2 inch shorter, or bending them 1degree upright will have you hitting more greens. Fittings don't always have to mean buying new clubs. They should never be a sales pitch. They don't always mean an expensive fix either. That's what most places want you to believe though - which is why they comp the fitting if you buy new clubs. Awesome, I'll save $50 if I buy this brand new $699 set! Don't get me wrong, I do that too.... IF you NEED a new set or new club.
So, step one. Have an open mind.
Step 2: Leave your ego at the door. It's not going to help you to swing as hard as you can during a fitting. Remember, you're going to PLAY these clubs, you're not just going to HIT them. Always warm up and use your normal on-course swings. If at the end of the day you are in a S flex instead of X, or R - it's OK because you're hitting it better. We're comparing apples to apples here, it's not about letters or brands, it's about how they compare to each other. You know how your club performs on the course already - you've been using it for a while. Compare it by the numbers and look for the improvement. Above all, its OK if you don't hit the new stuff better than your old stuff. There are other things to look at for improvement.
Play the game, don't HIT to FIT.
Step 3: Talk about what you want vs. what you heard you should have. A good fitter will listen and provide feedback. If you want someone to just tell you what you want - that's ok too, but dialogue is key to getting something that ultimately fits you and your game. Sure, you're not a tour pro and you may not be able to feel the difference between one shaft and another but you know what you like. "ooh, that felt really good" or "This feels too light for me" are perfectly acceptable and will help the fitter dial in what you need. If your fitter doesn't want to hear it, then find another fitter.
Step 4: Don't try new techniques. A fitting is not a lesson and it should never be. There are quick fixes like teeing the ball higher or moving it back or forward in your stance but don't try new things that you don't normally do like: inside take-aways and different grip techniques. Don't try "picture perfect swings" either. If you have injuries that don't let you take the club more than half-way back, then it's something that needs to be taken into account and it's nothing to be ashamed of. JB Holmes, one of the longest guys on the tour, doesn't even make it NEAR parallel at the top.
In my fittings, if I see something early that CLEARLY needs to be fixed we don't normally continue, there's no charge, and I refer the player to one of my trusted pros to get the help they need - THEN they can come back for the fitting and get it right. Equipment can help a lot but it can't fix a bad habit, and fitting a bad habit will not help the golfer improve his or her game. Did I waste my time? No. Not if I've helped point you in the direction of a better game.
Always remember, getting fit for clubs is the same as getting fit for anything else. You don't go to buy new pants and suck your gut in to get them buttoned and say "wow these fit great" when you can't sit down. You don't wear the thickest socks you can find to buy summer shoes. Same thing with clubs. Come as you are. Show off that home-grown swing. Most importantly, if it ain't broke - don't fix it.
Contact meto learn more or to schedule a fitting session. Sessions are usually 45 mins to an hour and there's a little paperwork to fill out beforehand - just the normal stuff so I can get a good sense of where you are in your game and what you currently play and are looking to improve. Actually it's more conversation and I'm doing the writing.
The biggest complaint I hear about golf is that it's "too expensive". I would agree to a point, which is why I started my own club building and repair business to keep costs down for all golfers that I can reach. I don't understand that sentiment though when people follow in the same breath with "What kind of driver is that?" When I answer, they just reply "oh". It's more about name than anything else and people are willing to pay for a name. This is not a post about clone clubs. Clone clubs are meant to look like a particular variety, not perform like it. Most are also illegal, not to mention they perform like crap. This is about off-brand names that do their own research and their own design and create a quality performance product. They don't pay pros millions so there's no need to have drivers that are $500. They rely on competent club builders to grow the name.
Still, I've heard more often than not that getting fully custom clubs are still too expensive. One of the most common statements is "I can get a brand name set for that price". Answer: Yes, yes you can, but it's going to be off the rack and it's going to be what the COMPANY wants you to play, not what you want to play. Example: I went to a popular retailer and bought the cheapest set of clubs that I could. I didn't try to "match" sets, I used different OEMs just whatever was the most recent and cheapest - balanced. I sacrificed a little "new box" factor for some savings. I came up with Driver, 5W, 4-AW, SW, Putter for $854.83. These are all stock shafts, no options, no swingweight options, no new grip options, no length or fitting options. The different OEMs offer different brands of shaft, but I'll assume they're relatively close in flex. So you have a "good set" of big names for less than $900 before tax and buying a bag. Remember also, that these are the CHEAPEST I could find. The ones marked $200 off, and $300 off, on the rack. It does not take into account the up-charges to replace the OEM shaft with say a Dynamic Gold S300 from True Temper and does not allow for length adjustments.
I spec'd out a performance set of clubs using great components and came up with $868.44 after tax (if you're in PA). The head covers put me over, drat. Still, they all have matching grips, the driver and 3 wood have the same shaft profile. Oh wait, there's an extra wedge in there to round out your scoring clubs. Winner! Believe me when I say there's some great components that are even more on the value pricing line as well that I steered clear of just to prove a point. I didn't have to use Golfpride New Decade Plus 4 Grips *new for 2015*. Nor did Superstroke pay me to put their Mid-slim 2.0 on the putter rather than a stock paddle shaft. I certainly didn't have to use Fujikura EXS 6.0 graphite shafts *New for 2015* on the woods either but I did all that. Yes, I also find it somehow ironic that as you're reading this, there's Golfsmith ads on either side of the blog. Thanks, Google. Really.
See, here's the thing - there's money for the big names in "stock" clubs. By making a flashy club and touting some new technology, they are able to release a new club or set of clubs every 6 months. Sometimes even sooner!! It leaves you with the sense that what you have isn't good enough so you'll buy new - even if it's a new to you used club - and it's still stock garbage. Most clubs rely on something called rack appeal. That's when you look at a set of clubs and go "oh that's nice!!" without even hitting it. They look cool, different, shiny, black - you name it - and if it makes you buy the club then it's done it's job. I fell into this in my hay-day. I bought a big brand of clubs and got fit by the fitter. By the time I had them the way I was fit to them, I was well into $1000 JUST FOR IRONS!!!!!! That's no wedges, no woods, no putter! Flash forward, I built a set of irons for myself using less flashy and less expensive components but to the same specs that I was fit for and they outplay my old clubs - no contest. You can read the first tests here and here and I was completely sold after that. The USGA puts limits on clubs. It's what they do. MOI, COR, Size, and Weight are all closely monitored. Clubs have hit a wall. You're talking about differences of 1 or 2 points and flat out lies. You can't increase MOI by 15% every year. You can't, the limits don't allow it. If you DID then that means last year's model was crap or more than likely - you're being lied to.
Long story short, buying big names is stroking your ego. If you're the person who needs to have the name in the bag please go buy them. I have said it before, I want you to be happy and I want you to play what you want. Personally though, I take more satisfaction from absolutely destroying a golf ball down the middle of the fairway past my partners with my custom built "no name" than I do from someone saying "hey, I see you got that new (insert name) driver. Looks awesome". I start conversations with my clubs now because they have Clubcrowns and Shaft wraps on them and they are badass. These days when people ask "what kind of driver is that" they're following it up with "I want one".
I trust what I sell and I play what I sell. Let me help you trust your clubs.
I've been playing golf for over twenty years and something has increased every single year. Not the length of the tee shots, not the courses. Nope all that pales in comparison to the whining that is taking place all over the golfing world. The ball goes too far, the hole is too small, we're losing people, why can't I wear a t-shirt, why are there so many rules? It's enough to make a sane person's head explode.
The beauty of this great game is two-fold: First, it allows you to be your own referee. You are the person who assesses your own penalties for wrongdoing. There are a set of rules and you are expected to follow them as a gentleman (or lady) and in not doing so, you're doing a great disservice to yourself. Of course, should you be found to have broken the rules, the consequences imposed by a committee could be dire, depending on the infraction - but even that is dealt with as gentlemen (or ladies) should. With class. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the game demands an unattainable perfection. That in itself can bring about great joy or incredible anger depending on what has happened. There is nothing about golf that should be easy. It's a game that molds and brings out the best in a person, and sometimes the worst. That being said, all of your shortcomings come to the forefront and the game allows you to address them. Afterall, if someone takes liberties and breaks the rules in an inconsequential little game (in their eyes) what's to keep them from following the rules in your business dealings (or the rules of dating your teenage daughter?!).
The more recent knee-jerk reaction to "losing players and interest in the game" - which they're calling footgolf - is really nothing short of a pathetic attempt to be "in" and "cool" with the kids. Why in the name of all that's reasonable would anyone think there would be any increase in activity if it is fundamentally changed and merged with a completely different activity?
Why footgolf won't work in making more revenue and interest in golf:
1. requires another completely separate area of play from regular golf.
2. requires more to maintain the area and causes more irreparable damage to the area of play (ever try to put back a divot from cleats?)
3. no one will pay to play something that they can do at any public park in the USA. Get a wash basin, use sandals for tee markers. Lowest score wins.
4. the few young people that do take interest will then go towards Soccer (or football if you're not in the USA) because it's not boring as piss, uses the same equipment, and they can actually make something of themselves in the sport.
5. it just...fucking.....won't.
Interestingly enough, there's other talk of how to "grow the sport". Two of these are: changing the rules and making the hole bigger. Let's address the rules issue first, shall we?
Once again, part of the beauty of the game of golf is in the rules. It's in being your own person and referee. If you remove or change those rules "because they're too hard" then you're taking away part of the core of the game. Memorizing and understanding the rules of golf is an exercise in mental capacity as well as common sense. The vast majority of the "major" rules in golf end up being common sense once you read and understand a few of them. Differences include the color of stakes in the ground - woooooooo don't let your head explode -- and the number of strokes taken as a penalty --- *POP*!! You can do X and Y if the stakes are this color, and X, Y, and Z if they're this color. HOLY SHIT!!! I'm confused adding one more option!! Give me some common core to learn this stuff!! When you're playing for fun, anyone can tell you the rules are liberal as fuck. Go out on any golf course and you'll see people who have been playing for years kicking balls out of sand traps or away from trees, or rolling it over. They're not going to be on tour any time soon but I'll bet you they're having fun and know the rules. They just don't give a rats ass to follow them. If you made the rules easier, they wouldn't follow those either.... but they're still having fun and they're not bothering or making things confusing for those of us who take the game seriously.
Now onto making the hole bigger..... Do I really need to explain this? OK... so go ahead and make the hole bigger. I'm instantly a +3 handicap from my -3. Now I can apply for the US Open and try to make my way onto tour--- wait -- you mean they're not going to make the hole bigger for everyone? Just the recreational golfers? Really? Oh... so how do I keep a handicap? What if the course I want to play doesn't use regulation holes? Do you see where I'm going with this? No? Let me hit you with a frying pan and then ask again...
Growing the game should not entail changing the game. If you look at all the other sports and the popularity thereof you'll notice some things - sex, the peak of physical performance, and advertising. Advertising in everything... from beer commercials to toys, to playing cards, to trick shots and special games. Not saying that golf should have caddies in bikinis, but they're starting to get it. There's some good looking ladies on tour and man do they have the game to go with it!! But seriously, what did golf do? From the beginning it has put all it's eggs in one basket. On one set of shoulders except once - when there were the big 3. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player grew the game like no one before them or since. They were good people and they were normal people. Whatever they did, good or bad, it was out there and people at it up. Tiger Woods is not a role model. He's an athlete. When he does something bad, the tour covers it up. He's the golden boy. He's exempt from disqualification because he's Tiger Woods. He's exempt from penalty. Same now with Rory... Would the tour have forced Phil and Ricky to let anyone else hit up? Maybe Tiger, or Maybe Phil himself. Someone with star power. How does a guy who has saved his whole life to get one shot at greatness compete with that? Now they've changed Q school and made it even harder to get on tour. There's no dream, now it's about a career. Golf has dug it's own grave. It's given in to, and continued to show that they care about the upper crust, not the underdog. If you're nobody, then you'll never be somebody until you show you can be - we don't even want to hear it. You don't get a shot. Unless you're this good, you can't even attempt competition. Unless you've got this amount of money, you can't even get on a golf course. It's an expensive, and elitest game in the eyes of many. Tiger Woods changed that when he came on the scene. People saw him as blue-collar just as they saw Arnie. He got successful and pompous and aloof and people started to drop off the bandwagon and there was nothing to catch them. No redeeming quality. Sure the game has kept some people but he made fair weather fans, not life long nuts who will teach their children and friends and fathers and spouses the game.
Stop whining about how hard the game is. There's nothing wrong with this game, there's something wrong with the people who manage it. There's something wrong with the portrayal of the game and the type of people that should play. Put more emphasis on the type of person it MAKES YOU when you play the game, not the type of person you need to be before you start playing. Don't lower the bar to gain the masses, raise the masses to that level. Learn something, teach something, and maybe you'll get the numbers back and not just for a short time... for life. Just maybe you'll get more people that embody the kind of love of the game that was shown in, arguably, the best golf movie of our time:
