|
|
Wednesday "Twilight League"
Mornings At the Muni
"Blueprint" your Clubs
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
The Masters is over. In the Midwest and East you can now walk out on most golf courses without the mud coming over the top of your shoes.
And the long wet winter in Northern California has to end sometime.
Twilight League at the Muni
Our home course, the Palo Alto Muni is introducing a "fun" twilight league this year. The format is four man teams for team match play.
The program is to tee off by "shotgun" at 5 PM on Wednesday evenings, play nine holes and then gather for dinner at Don's Place - at the Club House. It should be good fun - a "boys' night out" - women are definitely welcome to join up.
This is a package deal. The total cost including all golf, carts and dinner is just $200. To make the deal interesting, I'll have some prizes for Golf Lab team members.
I have reserved one four man team. If we get more than enough players for one team, we'll sponsor a second. Give the shop a call. First match is next week so call in today if you want to play.
"Mornings at the Muni"
Those of us who live in California get pretty spoiled playing in good weather - most of the time. That all changed this year with the long, cold, wet winter.
As we continue to invent new uses for bleeding edge technology to analyze golf swings and golf clubs - it is more apparent than ever that the only way to know absolutely, positively for sure that a certain golf club is "magic" is to play it on the course.
You can do all of the testing that you want. In the end, you'll only know for sure that your club is "magic" is to hit it with the ball you use from real grass to a target you understand. That's why we've increased our focus on player testing as the ultimate proof of a fitting recommendation. You should do your final testing on the course you play - if you can.
That's another reason to join me for a morning at the Muni. You get a free analysis of how you play the game. What do your shots look like? What is your most common miss? Where are you losing strokes? If you have a goal to improve, it makes sense that you would put together a "program" that includes analysis, practice and play.
A morning at the Muni will provide a close look at your game, combined with my suggestions for how and where to save dropped shots. I'll also be very honest about your current swing. Does your swing give you the chance to hit the shots you want to hit?
There is no charge. Your morning at the Muni is "Dutch treat". The special deal from the golf course includes greens fee, cart and breakfast. $29 covers it all. We start a little after 7 AM to be sure to finish around 9, have breakfast and then make it to work by 10. It's a nice way to start the day.
Call in for times. A reservation is required. We're playing this Thursday.
Blueprinting and "Tuning"
We're continuing to develop analysis and training services that allow you to focus on the areas of your game that you need to work on.
If you are wondering about your golf equipment and how it fits your swing, we are introducing a new "bite sized" fitting service.
We'll take a close look at your present set. We'll measure all of your clubs for loft, lie, length, weight and shaft flex. Once we know exactly what you're playing today, we will do some testing.
We'll have a close look at shaft length. The biggest mistake most golfers make is thinking that they gain yardage with longer clubs. The best test for correct club length is accomplished with a launch monitor that measures "center face contact". Higher swing speed does no good if your contact is not solid.
We check lie angles. This is another area where "standard" does not fit most players. Working with thousands of golfers, we have developed a precise style to set lie angles - patterned after PGA Tour experience. With the longer irons, we're going to set them up a little more upright to help turn the ball over. For the shorter irons, especially wedges, we're going to set the lie angles a little flatter. (The worst miss with your wedges is long and left - possibly caused by a lie angle that's too upright.
Then, we'll check your swing with our Achiever launch monitor. We'll match up your club head speed, swing path, face angle at impact and indicators of consistency to see how your clubs perform with your swing.
We'll have a good look at your driver. Are you getting optimized "launch ballistics?"
Then, we'll give you our opinion about whether new golf clubs might take strokes off of your score. If we think we can improve your distance, we'll say by how much. If we think we can improve your GIR, we'll say how many. We'll show you new ways to measure and chart your improvement.
If your current clubs are "good enough" to take you to the next level of play, we'll tell you that too. No point wasting money of golf clubs when the clubs are not the cause of the problem
You might find that more testing is necessary. Although we focus on ball speed as an indicator of extra distance, our primary focus is on playing better golf. "Playing better" is frequently the result of correcting swing flaws and making sure that your clubs give the correct ball flight.
If you're "wondering" if your current clubs are hurting your game - you can find out. It only takes an hour to test your clubs and your swing. The cost is just $95.
What if there is only one "Perfect Putter?"
This spring, I decided to "branch out" and really focus on putting. If there has been an area of club fitting that has been under served, it is certainly putting. Collectively, we have done a good job of understanding "full swing" and how to fit drivers, irons and wedges. Putting has continued to be a "black art".
I thought that if there was one area where I could really help Golf Lab customers it would be to shave two or three strokes off of every round. That's where the connection with Edel Putters and Aim Point Technology came from.
There's no surprise about how most of us "fit" putters. You find a nice big Putting Corral - all Big Box stores have them. You "test" putters by randomly hitting putts. Once in a while you make ten in a row. You buy that putter. I know - I have a dozen putters in my garage that earned a soft life in four minutes at a Putting Corral.
Fitting an Edel putter is fitting for "aim". The theory is that certain putter shapes, hosel configurations, alignment marks, length and balance influence a player's ability to aim his putter and then make the stroke his brain is planning. If you don't aim your putter at the hole, you can't possibly make the stroke you're thinking. That's what "compensation" is all about.
We know that there is no such thing as a "perfect" golf club. Conditions change too much - as do our golf swings. "Perfect" one day might not be perfect on another day. It makes sense that a "perfect putter" should be adjustable for weight and loft. Otherwise, you'd need a dozen "perfect putters" - just like Phil Mickelson - each one set up a little differently to accomodate differences in green speeds - perhaps even between morning and afternoon rounds.
The results are starting to come in. The first few Edel putters have been received by Golf Lab clients who took advantage of the "Get Acquainted Special" swing analysis and putter fitting.
So far, so good. It's a little too early to know if there will be lasting results reflected in GHIN index reports. My own Edel putter should show up any time now.
Meantime, we're continuing the "Ultimate Putter Fittings" at the Balbi Studio. Call the Golf Lab for Details. (650) 493-1770.
Don't Forget the "Tried and True"
Meantime, just because I don't thump on the drums every week about techniques that work, that doesn't mean you should forget them.
If you haven't visited the Golf Lab for your "counterweight fitting" you owe yourself a quick test to see if your golf clubs will be longer and more consistent if we change the balance.
I'm willing to make you a bet. If balancing your golf clubs does not improve your ball striking by launch monitor measurement, there is no charge.
The quickest, easiest step you can take to improve your results - perfect for the laziest golfers - is to balance your golf clubs. Test and balance your clubs: $95.
Getting in Touch Dian Terova is in the office M-W from 9:30 until 12:30. She is your best contact for scheduling lessons, fittings and clinics. She is connected real time to the scheduling system - provided courtesy of Google. If you need to talk to David or Leith she can schedule a call-back time. Days are getting very busy. Sometimes it is impossible to return direct phone calls the same day. If you need an "emergency" contact, we will provide cell phone numbers - although we ask that they be used sparingly for business. |
| For More Information . . . |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
L
Leith Anderson, Clint Smith, Dian Terova
The Golf Lab
2103 St Francis, Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 493-1770
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
