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 In many cases, it’s a response to longer drives and lower scores that have accompanied golf’s technological boom. If you haven’t caught on, you’ve got some catching up to do. Tour players typically change their wedges every eight weeks and irons every four months so their grooves remain clean and sharp. For avid players, I recommend changing wedges every six months and irons every year. The attempt by manufacturers to push the USGA’s barriers on driver specifications has led to more square- and triangular-shaped heads. Get used to the look because these types of clubs are here to stay and are being used by top pros such as Ernie Els, K.J. Choi, Stewart Cink and Phil Mickelson. But the look isn’t the only thing to get used to if you buy this type of driver, which requires some golfers (author included) to change their pre-swing setup and golf swing path to maximize effectiveness. More forgiving irons (such as TaylorMade’s R7, Nike’s Sumo or Titleist’s AP1) and hybrids are now the norm and not the exception. The clubheads are bigger, the sweet spots are larger and the launch angles are higher. Today’s 7-iron is like yesterday’s 5-iron. Putters, too, have taken on a metamorphosis. Nike’s Unitized Techno and TaylorMade’s Spider make it virtually impossible to miss-hit a putt because of the club’s girth, weight and style. Nike’s newest IC putter line utilizes phraseology such as “optical engineering” to illustrate the intention to blend the putter’s background color with the green turf to eliminate “visual noise” and promote better aiming. Only a select few golfers putt well and the rest of us need as much assistance or advantage as possible. Golf balls used to be cheap or expensive and hard or soft. Now there are subcategories in premier lines such as Nike’s One Black or Platinum and Titleist’s Pro V1 or Pro V1x. If I’m playing on a course with difficult green surroundings or harder-than-normal greens, I’ll choose the softer Nike One Platinum, giving up some distance but getting better feel and a higher spin rate. If I’m playing in difficult weather or softer conditions, I’ll use the Nike One Black because it penetrates the wind better by spinning less and reduces backspin on wedge shots. To find out what’s best for you, take advantage of a fitting system that utilizes launch monitors, proprietary software and interchangeable heads and shafts. Nike’s 360 IFS Custom Fitting System assists you in filling out your bag, choosing the proper ball and stopping just short of picking your day’s underwear. But the proper equipment will only take you so far. You still need to play the game with finesse, imagination, consideration, patience and admiration. Combine both schools of thought and success will come. SG Eric Lohman is the KemperSports PGA General Manager at Yorba Linda’s Black Gold Golf Club. He can be reached at (714) 961-0253, ext. 111 or elohman@blackgoldgolf.com. |
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