Not so long ago, in the years leading up to the most recent revolution in
golf equipment, Lee Trevino was asked about a new club that had just been
introduced to the market.
Trevino dismissed the manufacturer's claims saying, in effect, that it's
the carpenter, not the tools, that matter. But not long afterward, Trevino
surveyed the changes in clubhead design, shaft construction and the myriad
new golf balls and admitted he'd been wrong.
More than ever before, finding the proper equipment is crucial not only
to improving, but also, for the best players in the game, to remaining
competitive.
It only stands to reason that there is no "one-size-fits-all" rule when
it comes to equipment. Everyone is different, both physically and in the way
he or she swings a golf club. And yet, all too often people will base their
club-buying decisions on any number of ill-conceived factors such as what
the hottest players in the game are endorsing, what's on sale, which
advertising claim is the most seductive, and so on.
In truth, properly fitting equipment to a golfer is incredibly
complicated and requires experience and knowledge of both a golfer's needs
and the available equipment options. Unless you have that experience and
knowledge, trying to make this decision by yourself puts you very much in
the same boat with the lawyer who has himself for a client.
My first suggestion, therefore, is to work closely with a PGA
Professional when making decisions concerning equipment. PGA Professionals
are schooled in this area as part of their training and education, and must
be able to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise before being qualified
as a PGA member. Just as important, however, is the probability that your
PGA Professional is familiar with your game, and therefore your equipment
needs.
Today, people marvel at how far the top players drive the ball and how
precisely they hit their approach shots. Certainly, part of this can be
explained by excellent instruction and superb conditioning -- of both the
players and the courses they play. But a great deal of the credit must be
given to improved equipment and the technology that allows players to find
the equipment that is perfectly suited to their needs.
Perhaps the biggest advance has been in the development of clubfitting
stations, where advanced equipment measures such factors as the exact launch
angle of a shot, swing speed, swingpath angle, spin rate, the energy
transfer to the ball and the distance the ball will carry. By incorporating
all this information into a swing model, a PGA Professional can determine
the optimum equipment specifications for you.
Rick Martino is Director of Instruction for The PGA of America. He
teaches at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and is ranked
among the Top 50 instructors by Golf Digest Magazine. The author of
the PGA Manual of Golf (Warner Books/$34.95), Martino can be
reached at (800) 800-GOLF or by email at
pgalearningcenter@pgahq.com
Information provided by:
www.pga.com
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