October 2007

Using the Ask Terry button, in the right hand sidebar, Warren asks:

I’ve been experimenting with blades in my mixed bag, which currently has cavity back long irons and blades from 7 through the wedges. 

I’m tempted to move to all blades for a variety of reasons - mainly the crisp, effortless shot when I do hit it right.

Looking at the ‘used‘ market, I’m wondering about blade design and its evolution. It seems that older Arnold Palmer blades have mass concentrated near the center of the clubhead, while older Titleists have more toe weighting. 

Current blades on the market seem to vary linearly from heel to toe. Can you talk to these variations ? 

Is the industry moving towards the ‘perfect blade‘ or is the selection ultimately just a union of club and swing - a ‘whatever works best for you’ sort of thing. 

Thanks for the insight, if you have the time to respond.

Warren,

There has been a considerable evolution of the designs of blades since the old Arnold Palmer’s, and the result of that is that modern blades by Mizuno, Titleist and others are easier to hit than ever before.

I’d like to think I started that trend with the RL Blades I designed while President of Reid Lockhart.

That design was the first true blade that moved some of the mass toward the toe for superior performance on toe mis-hits, which are most common for amateur players.

In the current crop of blades on the market, some rather loosely use the definition, as they have moved a considerable amount of mass from behind the sweet spot, which completely defeats the purpose of playing a blade.

This line of posts, about blades, has continued to attract the most commentary of anything I’ve written this year, and shows that golfers are weary of the “you can’t play” diatribe fed to them by the manufacturers.

You CAN play, and better than even you might believe.

As for selecting one of the modern blades, I’d offer this guidance, but implore you to play a round or two with anything that you might consider buying. A few shots on the range will help you narrow it down, but on-the-course performance is what you are after.

So, here’s some guidance:

If you tend to leave the ball to the right, opt for a design with a little offset. If you tend to hook or draw the ball, stay away from offset for sure !

If you are a mid- to high-handicap, choose one of the blades with a little more perimeter mass distribution. That will help you as you improve your game.

If you are older (like me) and would like a few more yards (ditto), do not be afraid to play blades with graphite shafts, but I would not recommend “off the rack” models.

Graphite can be wonderful in blades, but such irons should be built by a qualified custom clubmaker/clubfitter so that you can get exact matching. This just won’t come from a major manufacturer, trust me.

Good luck in your search, and let us know what you end up choosing.

I watch lots of golfers play this crazy game, and one of the most common mistakes I see is the almost trance-like approach to the game most take, especially when they play the same course often.

I can assure you that if you will engage your mind at a higher level . . . analyze holes and specific shots and explore the alternatives . . . you will cut strokes from your score.

Here are some examples.

1. I recently joined a very nice club, with an opening par five of only 495 yards. Well, a great drive can put the average good player in position to go for the green from 210-225, but there’s water on the left, bunkers on the right, the green slopes to the water and is very firm and fast.

Like the other guys I play with, I began playing this hole with a driver off the tee, then a 5 to 7-iron to lay up just short of the green.

Then I realized this puts the bunker in play off the tee, and the water in play on the second.

Then it leaves you with a 30-50 yard pitch into a firm green.

So, as an experiment, I started hitting 4-wood off the tee, which cannot reach the bunker (and the fairway is wider there), then a 4- to 6-iron to the 100-yard mark, again where the fairway is wider.

That leaves me a full gap or sand wedge to the hole, which I can spin better.

I’m making more birdies than before and almost never an opening bogey. I drew some strange looks when I started doing this, but now several others guys are doing the same thing.

THINK ! There are several ways to approach each hole – which one gives you the best odds for par or bogey, and the least chance of a big number ?

2. We have very firm greens, and when the pin is cut close to the front, especially downwind, you often cannot stop the ball anywhere close.

So everyone just complains and keeps trying.

I woke up to the fact that taking one less iron and intentionally trying to land short of the green would often result in the ball jumping up onto the green, but at the very least would leave me an easy uphill chip to the flag, usually from inside of 30’.

On this course that beats the heck out of a long putt from the back of the green.

THINK ! Your best approach shot is not always at the flag or even the green.

3. Our 10th hole is a bear. It’s a dogleg right, with a prevailing left to right wind.

It’s the #1 handicap hole and anything right off the tee is dead but there’s a bunker straight away on the left that is also big trouble.

It took a while, but I finally realized that a 4-wood or “bunted” driver off the tee would not get to the bunker, and while it leaves me 175-185 from the green, at least I’m almost always in the fairway.

This elevated green is hard to hit anyway and behind it is dead, so I find that this approach lets me hit a draw 4- or 5-iron into the green, with my goal always to hit it short or skip it up onto the surface.

I average about 4.5 on this hole now, and rarely make a double, which on the number 1 handicap hole, is totally acceptable to me.

THINK !  Even for a low-handicap golfer, they are not all “par” holes. And you guys that play to double digits, there are plenty of “good bogey holes” out there.

Let me know your own stories of engaging your brain to lower your scores.

I read recently that less than 12% off all golfers have EVER taken a lesson from a golf professional. I was floored. Off all the things you can do to improve, lessons from a good professional are the most immediate and reliable – or I should say “they can be.”

I was fortunate growing up to have a father who was a good player and a golf professional who took a great interest in kids. So I was given a great foundation. And throughout my adult life, I have never hesitated to go to a pro when I am having trouble. As much as I know about the game, my swing and playing golf, another set of eyes is invaluable. I like this game too much to struggle with a problem for very long.

But a golf pro is not a “one shot wonder”. They can’t work miracles overnight.

“A lesson” is not what most golfers need or want. What you want is to develop a relationship with a teaching professional so that he or she can be your full time coach.

Whether your goal is to completely re-vamp your game to change your level of play, or just to have someone there who can keep you on the straight and narrow, a good golf professional is your answer.

One lesson is not the answer !!!

A series of sessions with a teaching professional is required to make change that works and lasts. Regular visits are one of the best investments in your game that you can make.

That all said, just like clubs, there are good teachers and better ones. For any good relationship, you have to clearly communicate your goals and needs, and find someone who can understand and work with you.

Your first meeting should be one that is inside over a glass of tea or coffee. Ask him or her if they are interested in working with golfers of your skill level. Share your golf history.  See what questions they ask you. Tell them what you want to achieve. Get to know each other and determine if there is “chemistry.”

With the off season encroaching, this is a good time of year to begin this journey. You can do a lot to improve your swing indoors over the winter, and a good teaching professional can be your guide.

Just an idea.

Ask me anything about this subject or any other golf related subject by using the Ask Terry button in the right sidebar. I need some subjects to talk about and talking about what you want to hear seems to be a better idea than just talking !

I talk about my clubfitter often, and I consider him part of my team. Anytime I want to do something with my equipment, I go see Jim. He’s built all of my clubs, and I know they’re perfectly matched and built to tolerances the major manufacturers can’t even dream of.

If you’ve never treated yourself to a visit to a true clubfitter/clubmaker, I strongly suggest it. For a start, you’ll be amazed at what you have in your bag. That sizeable investment in mis-matched woods, irons, hybrids, etc., is probably making this game harder than it needs to be.

A good clubfitter has the equipment necessary to see how your clubs stack up against one another and against your swing and posture. I can assure you that you’ll come away surprised and impressed.

You see, one of the problems in this industry is that there are no standards for any measure of a golf club. Companies even measure length differently, so that a 46” driver from one might be ½” different from a 46” driver from another.

But the most glaring problem of this lack of standards is in shafts. The designations “R” and “S” mean nothing. I know for a fact that you can see as much as a 2-3 flex difference from one brand of “R” shaft and another.

So how can you possibly know what you’re swinging without a qualified clubfitter to put it on the frequency machine and see what it “REALLY” is ?

This is a short post, but maybe one of the most important I’ve ever written. To find a qualified clubfitter in your area, visit the PCS or GCA websites. Most component companies – Wishon, SMT, etc, will also have a referral feature.

For the sake of your game, make this visit a priority.

I’m a big fan of the Dilbert cartoon strip, as they bash the humorous (if it weren’t so true) deficiencies of big business. This one a few weeks ago really caught my attention, as it seemed they were singling out the golf equipment industry in particular.

These guys (Callaway, Nike, TaylorMade, et al) must think all goflers are just nuts, and incapable of thought. They parade out “the next great thing” on an annual or more frequent cycle, and think they can drive you to the cash register salivating.

This “next great thing” hits the market in the spring at full retail price, and within 6 months, the reps are calling on all the stores and pros offering more inventory at 30-50% off the prior published wholesale price.

It’s a crazy cycle that you would think should be starting to get stale. A friend in the retail business has told me that the square drivers are already “old news” and so the companies are offering him more of them at less than half of what he paid for his starting inventory in March.

His question to the rep was, “So, no one wants these anymore, but you want me to buy more of them ?”

What kind of logic is this ?

So, when you get the fever for a new driver, set of irons or whatever, I strongly suggest you don’t do anything without taking it on the course for a few rounds. Hit it side by side with what you are planning to replace, and see if it really performs better. If your pro or shop won’t let you do that, find another place to get your golf equipment. These things all cost too much to buy them on a whim or a wish.

And I’ll offer this - if you really want to improve your game, here are three sure fire ways to do it:

1. Build a relationship with a qualified clubfitter - he can make sure your clubs are matched and fit your game.

2. Consider lessons - less than 12% of all golfers have EVER taken a professional lesson. Try different pros until you find one that communicates with you.

3. THINK - Not just on the course but off as well. Think about what shots you have the most trouble with, and ask yourself why ? Think about the risk/reward on every shot. Play holes differently than you might normally.

I’m going to write a new post about each of these subjects, so watch for them in the weeks ahead.