PGA Training Experience - Mike Bygrave

Year One Assignment - Golf Coaching - 68% - Ball Flights and Impact Factors

2017-08-12T02:44:00.000-07:00

DO NOT COPY

This is a copy of my year one assignment that scored 68%, it was marked as 72% and then second marked to 68%. It is not to be copied but can be seen as an example of the work.
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Year One Assignment - Custom Fit - 60% - Iron Fitting

2017-08-12T02:15:00.000-07:00

DO NOT COPY

This is a copy of my year one assignment that scored 60%. It is not to be copied but can be seen as an example of the work.
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Year One Assignment - Sports Science - 51% - Fundamental Movement Skills

2017-08-12T00:50:00.003-07:00

DO NOT COPY

This is a copy of my year one assignment that scored 51%. It is not to be copied but can be seen as an example of the work.
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Year One Assignment - Golf Retailing - 60% - Mystery Shop - American Golf

2017-08-12T00:12:00.003-07:00

DO NOT COPY

This is a copy of my year one assignment that scored 60%. It is not to be copied but can be seen as an example of the work.
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PGA Professional Courtesy Top 100 UK

2016-02-11T10:39:00.001-08:00

Value for Money, PGA? Pfff.

I hear very often through various mediums that PGA professionals in the UK sometimes question what value they get for their subscription fees. Yes, there are online resources, monthly magazines, insurance and a free yearly diary but apart from that.

I believe, deep down in most professionals there is a player who either still does or did enjoy playing the game of golf and riding out some of the good times and many of the bad. Following that assumption I have contacted all of Golf Monthly's Top 100 Golf Courses of 2015/2016 to see how they assist the players in the professionals to experience some of the best the UK has to offer.

Not all responded or were available to confirm or deny what they could offer but here is a good sized list of what the PGA professionals of the UK can take advantage of but firstly the golden rules.

Courtesy Golf - The Rules

1. Take your own PGA ID card that is valid and in one piece. This is a must.

2. Book in advance, some courses requested 2 weeks notice, others 48 hours. Speak to the secretary or the office who may then direct you to the Head Pro, Director of Golf. These are not a right, they are a privilege. It's advisable to phone a day before also to check that it's still okay and nothing has changed.

3. Play only from the tee's that you are allowed to play from. No stealth whites where you start the first from the tee-of-the-day and then onto the championship tees on 2.

4. Be a professional. Respect the rules of the club. Don't change in the car park and wear pumps if it doesn't fit the location.

5. Again, be professional. If you are able to take a few paying guests and it's allowed under the rules of their club then they will likely be more than pleased.

6. Talk to the pro-shop staff, a little small talk goes a long way and nobody can predict where life may take them. You may meet again.

7. These replies are only accurate the day I received them, always check beforehand.

Okay - Now enjoy my time and research. Share this post rather than try and copy and paste it!

England

Sunningdale GC (10 New Course) – Yes*, Assistants and Qualified once per year. New Course only, Mondays only.

Royal Liverpool, Wirral (12) – Discounted, Assistants and Qualified - £30 pp.

Ganton GC, North Yorkshire (19) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified plus European and Challenge Tour players plus female equivalents.

St George's Hill GC, Weybridge (24) – Assistants and Qualified if three paying guests are provided.

Hillside GC, Southport (30) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified although one pro per four-ball and green fees are £65 midweek in February, £85 in March and £130 pp in summer.

Saunton GC, North Devon (35 East, 61 West) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified booking via the Pro Shop.

St Endoc GC, Cornwall (36) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified with advice to avoid Saturdays due to members competitions.

Wentworth GC (42 West, 86 East)– No following new management.

The Berkshire GC, Royal Ascot (43 Red and 57 Blue) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified weekdays only. Guests at £150 March – November and £70 - £90 outside of that.

Notts (Hollinwell) GC, Nottingham (48) – Discounted rate of £25 per PGA professional.

Silloth GC, Cumbria (51) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

Alwoodley GC, Leeds (52) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified. Guests full price.

Royal Cinque Ports, Kent (56) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified with a preference to provide paying guests.

Hunstanton GC, Norfolk (64) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

Royal North Devon GC (72) - Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

The West Lancashire GC, Liverpool (79) – No, however £25 only per Pro.

Bearwood Lakes GC, Berkshire (81) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified although NO guests allowed due to it being a private club.

West Hill GC, Woking (85) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified Monday to Thursday with 48 hours notice.

Parkstone GC, Dorset (91) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified with 48 hour notice. Guests £90 April – October and £65 November to March.

Close House GC, Newcastle (100) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified although there is a limit as to how many times this may be used.

Ireland

Ballybunion Club, County Kerry (16) – Discounted for Qualified Only. 50% off normal fees if alone. Courtousey if providing a fourball. €95 April and October, €185 in peak months.

Portmarnock GC, Nr Dublin (25) – Yes, Qualified ONLY. Weekends €45 unless providing a group of 8.

Lahinch GC, County Clare (26) - Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

Old Head GC, Kinsdale (39) – PGA rate is €75pp.

Rosapenna Hotel and GC (45) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified if guests pay a green fee.

Doonberg, Trump International, County Clare (32) - Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

Carne Golf Links, County Mayo (99) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified (Very friendly secretary/professional Eddie)

Northern Ireland

Royal County Down GC (2) - Discounts available dependent on factors of how many and the attached club and how many paying guests provided.

Royal Portrush, County Antrim (11) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

Tralee Golf Club, County Kerry (53) - Yes, Assistants and Qualified – One Pro per 4-Ball with others paying normal rate.

County Louth GC (59) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

Lough Erne Resort and GC, Fermanagh (78) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

Wales

Royal Porthcrawl GC, Between Swansea and Cardiff (22) – Yes, Assistant and Qualified.

Aberdovey GC, Gwynedd (65) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified, Visitors £49.50 in Summer Rate and £35 Winter Rate.

Scotland

Trump Turnberry GC, Ayrshire (4) – Discounted rate of £80 pp on the Alisa from June to October and £55 November to December. Courtesy on the Kintyre course.

Trump International, Aberdeenshire (14) – Discounted, Assistants and Qualified £75pp April, October and November. May to September £100 pp.

Carnoustie GC, Angus (6)– No unfortunately, £165pp.

Royal Aberdeen GC, Aberdeen (17) – Yes, Qualified and Assistants. Overseas PGA receive 50% discount.

Castle Stuart Golf Links, Moray Firth (23) – Discounted, Assistants and Qualified at £75pp. Guests would need to pay £190pp. Open March to October only.

North Berwick GC, Firth of Forth (28) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified.

Royal Troon GC, South Ayrshire (29) – Discounted rate, £165pp between April and September with a complimentary round on the Portland Course also. Mid-September to October is £125 on the main only. Course closed outside of those dates.

Nairn GC, Moray Firth (34)– Discounted rate, Assistants and Qualified at £60 between April and October.

Gleneagles GC, Perthshire (40 Kings, 63 Queens)– Yes, Assistants and Qualified once per year.

Prestwick GC, Prestwick (46) – Discount of 50% for PGA professionals both Qualified and Assistants.

Machrihanish GC, Mull of Gintyre (50) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified once per person per year.

Western Gailes GC, North Ayrshire (54) - Assistants and Qualified, Overseas PGA professionals receive 50% off (£100 in shoulder months March/April and October, £150pp May – September).

Gullane GC, East Lothian (68) – Yes, Qualified ONLY

Cruden Bay GC, Aberdeenshire (89)– Yes, Assistants and Qualified all year around. Oversea PGA pro’s pay £25 in the Summer season.

Ladybank GC, Fife (96) – Yes, Assistants and Qualified. Guests full price.

As above all, please share this and subscribe if you wish. If you have any comments or recommendations on where to play please comment below. I think you'll agree the subscription fees don't seem so bad now.

*The list may be updated following new responses so feel free to check back or update me if you believe policies have changed!

PGA Year One - UK Edition - Assignments

2015-10-29T04:25:00.000-07:00

Following the first year of the PGA I will give you a brief overview of the 2014/2015 assignments to give you an idea of what to expect.

1. Club Fitting

This assignment is a simple one really. The idea is to do a complete fit on a regular golfer. This includes creating a fitting form and then listing a systematic approach to the fitting process. Following the completion of the assignment you are to include the club specifications (Loft, Lie and Length) of the recommended clubs.

2. Sales Skills

Generally this assignment was met coldly by other assistants and as a pointless 'filler' assignment.

The assignment required the assistants to look at two sales attempts in the work environment, one that failed and one that was successful. Following reviewing what you did well and poorly you could make recommendations such as trying to up-sell.

3. Golf Retail

This assignment request Assistants to conduct a Mystery Shop on a larger golf store

and then to compare against your own pro shop. Following this, again we make two recommendations. This was felt like another 'filler' assignment by most with no real purpose.

4. Golf Coaching

This is an assignment that actually felt like it merited being a Professional Golf Assignment. This assignment presented three golf shots with data provided by Trackman, maybe the PGA is waking up to the 21st century...

The task was to identify the ball flights as fade, draw, pull hook etc, and then to detail the impact factors that caused the shots. This is essential whilst coaching so really there is no excuse for failing this if coaching is what you enjoy.

It also requested that we compare what a change of grip to the golfer may cause to happen. All in all a good meaty assignment.

5. Sports Science

This assignment appears to be a pain BUT out of all assignments this was the assignment I learnt the most from.

The assignment had Assistants research the rates that juniors grow and develop looking into things such as Peak Height Velocity and different Athlete development models. It was interesting to compare that people of the same age may have different biological ages therefore you may teach two 12 year old children differently.

6. Other Stuff

Aside from assignments there are things such as knowledge tests that you must complete before you attend the fun filled residential week at the Belfry. One of which was a 4 man sports science presentation on fundamental movement skills.

Taylor Made R15 430 Long Term Review - 5 Things

2015-10-29T03:34:00.000-07:00

So following a season with the R15 430 as my 'Gamer' here are my 5 thoughts.

1. It Launches Higher than the 430 SLDR

I always had the SLDR 430 set on 12 in a 10.5 head and it was high and flat flying.

On my first competition with the 430 R15 I matched the set-up and wow, it launches higher. Over the course of the season I know have the 430 set at 9.5 degrees and it plays perfectly. If you had the 430 SLDR, expect to loft down!

2. It's more User Friendly

I 100% agree that this is the friendliest TM driver I've used.

Gone are the toe hooks that plagued the R1 and the SLDR 430. This club offers the most forgivness I've seen from a 430cc head driver. You can also spread the weights for even more forgiveness... praise the lord!

3. The stock TP shaft is actually decent

I had mine delivered with an Speeder Evo Tour Spec and it performed well, very well. I did however swap it for my trusty Matrix Black Tie 7M3 but I then sold the Evo shaft for £70 to a friend.

Better the devil you know but when I tried it, the feel, performance and flex felt very good. Worth of the TP upcharge.

4. The Headcover Works

Initially there was several people complaining about the oven glove appearance of the R15 headcover BUT I feel it performs very well. I've experienced no scratches or marks on the club and not yet had it fall off like other brand 'socks'.

5. Distance

The distance, yes, Boom! I've found once set up correctly I really peaked my distances achieving some long drives but what was noticeably up was my driving average. The poorer strikes still harpooned straight and with speed so I found myself playing shorter shots more often. I'me very impressed.

Summary

This driver is the real deal! I know the M1 430 is avaialable now but I am so impressed by Taylor Mades R15 that I don't feel the need to stray just yet.

5 Things you learn as a Golf Professional.

2015-10-29T02:40:00.003-07:00

Here is a quick 5 point list of what you learn as soon as you leave your amateur status at home.

1. What Do You Mean, 1 Ball Rule?

That's right, as soon as you turn Pro then these 'Conditions of Competitions' apply, one of which is the make and model ball that you start a round with you must use for the full round.

That means no playing a Titleist on the 1st and a Srixon on the 5th. It also extends to no playing a Titleist 2013 Pro V1 on the first and a Titleist 2015 Pro V1 on the 3rd. It has to be the same make, same model, same design.

Wow, that means stock up on either what you like, or what you can afford a dozen of!

2. You want it to Rain!!

That is right, gone are the days you pray for sunshine in summer. Now you are hoping for that old downpour to give you time to sit by the heater, load up your laptop and to update you schedule for the year, start an assignment or just have a break for a cup of tea.

3. Your stroke Average has gone up 4 shots.

It happens to the best, the most dedicated. For some reason hitting balls and chipping at the place you've spent a gruesome 12 hours at in the shop doesn't appeal to you, yet the sofa and Netflix does.

It starts skipping a range session, followed by not putting on the shop floor and finally you realise 4 weeks have passes and you aren't sure if the clubs are in your car or at home.

The Struggle is Real!

4. You develop a love / hate relationship with Social Media

It starts off as it left off as an amatuer golfer, only you may expand social circles into groups to further your golfing knowledge... or so you expect.

Everyone has an opinion, haters appear, if you read good advice then two comments down someone will contradict it and belittle it. There are also people you will never meet that you wish would fall off the Earth.

5. Assignments - Get them done straight away.

The assignments are generally released in October, with some not due till March the following year yet many of your friends will have excuses for not completing the assignment.

If you fail an assignment it is a world of hurt, re-submitting modules whilst catching up on others, trying to study for exams, playing and practicing for tournaments.

Basically, we are gave assignments with plenty of time its just hard to motivate yourself but whilst its dark and wet in winter it is essential to pump them out.

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Mike B

Yesterday's Golf Balls that Performed

2015-03-26T06:32:00.001-07:00

This is a post that brings back fond memories of the days of finding a golf ball in the rough that excited me.

Here are my game changing balls that delivered that little bit of something special.

Strata - Tour Ultimate

Top Flite produced more than the Top Flite XL back in the day, they also knocked out the £9.99 for three Strata Tour Ultimate, easily identifiable by the orange spiral above the logo. This ball was claimed to be made from a soft cover and a tungsten core and I can confirm this ball provided more spin than a high spec Whirlpool washing machine. If you ever left one of these in your car on a warm day it was possible to pick it up and leave your fingerprints on it, it was that soft... the downside, any putt over 30 foot could leave the cover on your putter face. They were soft, high spin, fashionable and played by Furyk. What more could you want?

The downside? They struggled to keep up on the distance side with other comparable balls of the time, not very playable in the wind and have similar durability to that of stale bread.

Callaway - Rule 35 Blue

Again, another personal spin favourite. This ball had my heart when I saw one of the old boys play on a firm fast municipal, hit a 40 yard pitch onto a down-slope and get one hop and stop. From that moment my pocket money was spent on buying all of these up from every ball collector I could find who was selling balls he'd found when walking his dog. These balls spun so much you could almost see them fighting gravity refusing to hit the ground. From a fairway bunker it was possible to experience 40 foot of backspin quite easily with a well struck shot.

Easy to spin on a firm day with no ball to this day having spun as much as this in my opinion. This ball behaved very well when trying to intentionally shape the ball... or when unintentionally trying to shape the ball and there lies the problem. It would slice and hook for fun, especially into the wind on a slightly poor swing... mad worse by the fact it had more hang time that a Michael Jordan dunk on super slo-mo.

Callaway - HX Tour

Callaway toyed with the hexagonal dimple pattern in the HX Red and Blue variant before deciding they would make an extreme distance version, the HX Tour. This ball was like a conker in the oven and varnished, it was nails. Super firm with a strong hard cover that rocketed off the driver and nuked down the fairway. Callaway created a great ball here. The hexagonal dimples of HEX pattern created less drag in the wind we were told but whether it was a placebo effect or backed by science I will never know although it did give me the sense that this genuinely worked. Although this ball sounded harder than 'my mate Dave who works on the doors' it did check up really well... sometimes. I'm not sure of the science behind this but this ball occasionally checked really well when paired with the Callaway Forged wedges of the day but then occasionally they'd just ignore me or refuse to bite. I believe this was down to the temperature on the day. If it was warm they'd activate, when cold they played similar to a cheaper two piece ball.

Maxfli - Revolution

The original amateur 'players' ball. If I ever tee'd it alongside the old and bold low handicap players back in the day they would peg up a trusty Revolution. With a combination of elastic bands and an egg white cover this ball would never look new and barely appear round but for some reason the feel of them and all round performance attracted the elite club champions. This ball was an enigma, someone please enlighten me as to the attraction to this ball. The distance was average, the spin was average (for a premium ball) and the durability was poor... but this ball was everywhere and felt like a balata. It was a ball that you could trust would perform in all conditions until the slightly thin shot would change its performance characteristics to that of a rugby ball. That aside, it was a very trusty ball.

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Mike B

The Truth About Aimpoint Express Read - Review

2014-06-13T15:19:00.001-07:00

I've been fortunate to have an inside look at the teaching and use of aimpoint express read up close in the hands of various levels of skilled males and females and I provide my honest opinion here.

What is Aimpoint

Aimpoint in basic terms was created or first brought to light by Mark Sweeney. The idea of Aimpoint is to include science into the putting aspect of golf by assisting greatly in the reading of greens and then following a read being made using science and research to assist in picking the line to match the read.

There are several varieties of Aimpoint;

Introduction to Aimpoint which teaches the fundamentals matching Aimpoints belief and the use of a chart to match the read.

Mid-Point which again takes the fundamentals a step further dealing with longer putts.

Express Read; as used by Adam Scott and Stacey Lewis the world number one male and female is a quicker system that has no need for a chart system. It is designed to be a quick system for making a read and matching the line.

Express Read - Does it work, is it accurate?

In simple terms, Yes. I'm not associated to Aimpoint in anyway but I can say it works and I believe anyone can pick the system up quickly. I will not go into detail on the technique due to Aimpoint having to sell this product or service but the idea that greens are read using the feet over the eyes is incredibly accurate, especially on courses that are USGA greens where they have subtle breaks and optical illusions. Optical illusions don't trick the feet.

Once a read is made as a percentage slope usually between 0 and 4 then depending on the length the same amount of fingers are aligned with the hole to the high side. This varies by each person and a certain element of personal calibration is allowed in this system but people often say 'well I have smaller hands than XYZ so my read is less' but due to these people generally having shorter arms the read is similar and so the system works incredibly well.

Having watched this in use and seeing people experience this for the first time the level of reading is incredibly accurate with people generally in the first half hour predicting slope 70% accurately with this increasing at different levels. The hardest break I noticed for people to spot is 0 percent slope because we as golfers generally want to find some break.

Then picking a line using the finger technique which has minor adjustments due to various speed greens is a great way to putt. I wholeheartedly would say that people prior to Express would under read break by 30-60% or at least the perceived break by that much. It's often seen where people don't believe the line, are told to trust it and then proceed to hit a very accurate put on the trusted but I believed line.

I again agree that everyone I have seen use express read in practice and play have made more putts in the areas that matter between 0 - 12 foot or 0 to 4 meters. It's a great system and in all honesty a read and line up can take 4-10 seconds maximum. It's quick.

Are there negatives to Express Read?

It depends what you declare a negative. Here are some points that you may need to be aware of.

This system is different. Playing partners may be used to Geoff plumb bobbing, Terry doing a press-up to do a low to the ground read and Margret reading the putt from 3 sides but no body has seen someone stand facing the hole trying to feel slope in there feet, possibly with closed eyes. You will undoubtably have people question you as to what are you doing? Are you okay? Where did you learn this? But If I had anything at stake I would bet you will read greens more accurately.

It requires practice to improve. To recognise a 4 percent slope vs a 2 percent slope is quite easy but to recognise a 1 percent vs 2 percent requires training over time. The good news is that with the correct capture pace of roughly 30cm or 1 foot is that a 1 percent read will go in on a 2 percent slope as long as you are accurate to one with exception to the 0 percent slope read outside the hole.

The good thing is there is an app called Clinometer that can be downloaded for free to use your iphone or iPad as a digital spirit level for practice.

The importance of speed control.

Prior to any Aimpoint clinic I would recommend practicing putting to a level where the starting line is accurate to a respectable level but more importantly you have good pace control. Aimpoint depends heavily on the golfer controlling the pace of the putts to roll 30cms past the hole which meets the formulas to predict the break amount. Practice this element of putting and you will save time at a clinic trying to improve this.

Summary

This works, very very well. The results are instant and Adam Scott uses this system just to hit home. There are plenty of videos on YouTube to check so look there also but from me I love this system. You really must use an authorised instructor because I have heard from word of mouth several variations on this that they believe is correct but is a misunderstanding of the system. Buy cheap and buy twice or see the real deal for roughly £80-£100 for normally two hours of tuition.

From me,

Mike B

Titleist 915 F Patent - 915 D2 D3 to use Taylor Made technology?

2014-05-10T14:16:00.001-07:00

It is known that Taylor Made have a very active R&D department and it tends to appear that other major brands watch then follow. Not always but often. Well it may have happened again.

A leaked patent requested by Titleist shows a fairway wood display similar design qualities of that of a Adams or Taylor Made.

As you can see above there looks to be a 'speed slot' both on the crown and sole.

Also a patent is requested of which little can be guessed in the way the sole weight is fixed. This appears to be a Driver, possibly the D2 or D3.

Is this Titleist's version of the Big Bertha Alpha? Is the weight there to adjust the COG rather than the swing weight?

The patents are vague but one thing is for sure... The fairway wood seems a little different. Not as 'Titleist playing it classic and safe' but not as extreme as the 907 (thankfully).

Hope this is new to you,

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Mike B

Titleist 915 D2 D3 D4

2014-02-22T11:47:00.001-08:00

So, we are on the border line of the 8-9 months prior to the 915 being revealed following the timeline of previous years, so it's time I highlight my opinion on what I'd like to see from the Titleist line up.

The thing with Titleist is they stick very closely to a proven recipe outside of the rare Titleist 907 beast and that recipe works... Generally.

Titleist have a reputation in the wood department of creating very solid clubs that perform very well but I must admit from what I've tried and seen in many better players bags at an amateur level is that guys are switching to Taylor Made's very good SLDR, Callaway's Optiforce/Razor Extreme (and I speculate Big Bertha Alphas) and even Ping with the Anser.

Therefore I question will Titleist excite enough people outside of the loyalists to stir demand or will they lose further market share to the above?

Here is what I'd like to see:

Keep the surefit

Titleist will earn a lot of respect if they can manage to keep for 6 years a hosel that will work from the 910 to 915. Loyalists will feel this is a 1up over Taylor Made boys and therefore capitalise on shafts from previous years.

Keep the traditional looks and dark paint

It works well in all conditions and the Red White Black combination suits the eye, it doesn't scream or shout like some gimmicky TM club but it has that feel of class about it.

Keep the high quality headcovers

It's important that if the product is in the bag 2+ years the Headcover can last that length. Some of the old 975 and 983 headcovers lasted a season whereas the 913 had a feel of quality that felt deserving of the owners money. Thank you Titleist, thank you.

Keep the crown clean

You have done a great job over the years of avoiding loud go faster stripes. Keep it that way.

Keep the solid reassuring sound paired with consistency across the face and a great line up of shafts

By all accounts a Titleist has a reassuring solid thud and it's been that way for a long time since the 975D. They may make the face thinner but they never make it tin like Cobra-esque and we thank you for that. The clubs have also had the ability to hit them slightly off centre and not have a ridiculous gear effect that caused a big hook (TM R1). Also the standard and up charge shafts provided rarely disappoint and that is something that puts other rival brands to shame.

Wishlist Titleist

D4?

The recipe for the D2 and D3 works although arguably they do fall closer together with the 912 than the 910. Why not go a little crazy and create an 'Anser' style low spin, small headed machine? It's embarrassing knowing you have a solid driving game except into the wind when you fall 30 yards back of where a low spin shot would be.

The D4 could be the one that gets guys to give up the SLDR's and the Alphas and try a Titleist that penetrates like the 975D with a X100 and 8.5 loft hitting a Proffesional 100 (those were the days).

Think about it Titleist, it will get us guys talking again.

Mike B

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Thank you

Taylor Made R1 Vs SLDR

2013-11-17T05:09:00.001-08:00

Well let's start with me agreeing with the masses and saying the rate in which TM release new clubs and lines is far greater than most over brands. I know TM tend to release the Premium (R1) then a high quality budget (RBZ Stage 2) and then a slightly improved or customisable hight quality budget (RBZ Stage 2 Tour).., and we are seeing this again with the Jet Speed and SLDR.

Taylor Mades reasoning is such;

The average golfer changes there club every 4 - 5 years. By reducing new products throughout the year it gives them a greater chance that their products will be the fresh ones in the eye of the new consumer. Imagine if Titleist released the D2 and 2 months later released the D3 as a lower spinning smaller headed version. You can imagine the demand for he D3 would increase significantly.

Taylor Made claim th R&D team are working heavily on equipment that will be released 2 years in the future. If they released such technology today then other brands could follow and de-engineer it which in effect would put all manufacturers on an equal playing field. Therefore they keep advanced technology (as they claim) close to their chest until they have bigger and better equipment ready.

Okay enough; review.

During testing I compared both clubs with an equal premium shaft from the R1. While I use the shaft in the R1 I use the shaft setting as 10.5 standard. Therefore when I entered this in a 10.5 degree SLDR head with a R1 shaft set at 10.5 it's as equal as a like for like I could manage.

Ball Speed

Using the Ernest Sport Radar that I've reviewed previously, following a thorough warm up I hit several balls with each prioir to dedicating 10 balls to each.

Results;

R1 - 164.3mph ball speed

SLDR - 166.0 mph ball speed.

Possibly a placebo effect but the SLDR behaved a lot better from toe hits and I could see this due to the higher flight comparable to the R1. It also appeared the gear effect was not influencing the ball as much on the SLDR.

Forgiveness

Simple winner, SLDR here. As mentioned above the toe was playable whereas the R1 had a tendency to produce ridiculous snap hook shots. The SLDR is the real deal. You may have read several negative reviews about the R1's irrational behaviour but at problem has been solved here.

Distance

Roughly similar but the SLDR flew similar distance on the carry but clearly released more on landing and this was on soft soft fairways. In several 3-4 ball tests each time the longer drive was the SLDR.

Flight / Trajectory

For me the SLDR was clearly lower launching and flatter flying. Remember the shafts were like for like but the SLDR is a real winner for those golfers looking for the ultimate low launch low spin driver. Couple this with a low launch low spin shaft and all the golfers who claim to hit it to the moon may have a winner here. One thing I noticed there is no shame in using the 10.5 loft here. Don't go for ego loft of 9 degree set at 8... Really 10.5 is low launching enough for most.

Cosmetically

Well this is very similar to the old burners. I've heard the SLDR called cheap looking or a Mizuno rip off but in all honesty I liked the head... In my opinion the R1 and especially the R1 black look better but the SLDR is pleasant.

Shaft

I won't review the stock shafts be cause I believe the golfer should try several options before purchase. If you buy from the pro shop you will likely have demo clubs with demo shafts so go on the course with 4+ shafts and experiment. Equally go see a fitter with a great reputation. It makes a huge difference knowing which shaft or shafts work well for you!

Customisation

The R1 realistically for fade and draw is managed by two sole weights that make a difference. The SLDR bar works very well and the results are visable. The SLDR wins here also.

Summary

Okay, quite quickly the SLDR is the real deal and apart from the way it looks it is a significant improvement over the R1. It won't be instantly 15yards more and increase your fairways hit by 20% but it will add you some yards and reduce the shots that miss left.

Many thanks,

Check the adds,

Mike B

Titleist 913 D3 Review

2012-10-21T00:46:00.001-07:00

So, I managed to have a 30-40 minute Trackman assisted side by side comparison with my current Titleist 910D3 and the new 913D3 and my thoughts and opinions are here for your consumption. I don't have any pics but the Trackman data will be available at a later date when I get it emailed from my friend at Titleist and I will no doubt share.

Asthetics

Titleist have stepped this years model into 2013 very well. It makes the 910 look almost retro. The sharp red line on the sole and the newer shaped weighting system make the 913 look great but this does nothing for play-ability it's just refashioned to create people who have something good want to swap for something prettier. When you place the club behind the ball I would say the new 913D3 looks slightly larger but it's very hard to tell side by side. Personally it isn't a great difference between them and you will not be shocked like playing a 907.

Sound

Titleist have pulled off something here with a reassuringly solid sound. The 910 sounded solid but never really sounded great. The 913 just has that slightly more solid sound at impact more so that I could appreciate it when others hit the 913. The only thing I will say is that I was hitting from a bay and this may have enhanced the sound but when my friend hit the 910 side by side the sound wasn't something that stood out.

Performance and Distance

So this is the ultimate decider generally. Well I'm sorry to say guys that the 913 is longer when miss -hit. Now I couldn't measure this with impact tape because it lowers spin rate and for me adds significant yards but when I hit a shot of the slight toe the Titleist 913 was only 6-9 yards shorter than a good shot, and 10-12 yards shorter than a 'oh god that is huge' drive. The older 910 that I use regularly would lose 10-12 yards on the slight toe, and 13-17 yards if I compare the slight toe to the 'nailed it' drive. What about middle vs middle? Well through the testing the setup for me was the same shaft and grip just swapping the head.

9.5 Titleist 910D3, V2-66 S shaft, Set at C1 vs 9.5 Titleist 913D3, V2-66 S, Set at C1

Longest Drive:

910 D3, 297 yards, Clubhead speed: 119.8 mph

913 D3, 303 yards, Clubhead speed: 120.1mph

Average Drive:

910 D3, 274 yards

913 D3, 278 yards

I hit 10 Balls with each after warming up treating each shot as a 'game shot' so to keep the testing realistic.

Bad-Bad Strike:

910 D3, 258 yards

913 D3, 265 yards

Summary

Would I change to a 913D3?

Well I may have positive numbers here but I don't think in realistic terms I would see the difference and in reality I strike the driver reasonably well. The thing I find is that advertising has us buying things we don't need and I certainly believe that the Titleist 913 is a solid performer but it's not ground breaking. I don't need it in my life and it will not give me an advantage in realistic terms so I will save the money for now but when I feel my club is tiring I will purchase a 913 happily. All I'm saying is it's not so spectacular that playing a 910 will put you at a disadvantage.

If you are playing an older golf club Pre-2006 then this is a space age step, but for anyone playing the 910 do not expect jaw-dropping results.

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Mike B

Titleist Fitting Centre Review - St Ives Golf Club, Cambridgeshire

2012-09-10T07:11:00.002-07:00

Recently I decided to put a little money aside to save for some custom fitted Titleist Irons, Wedges, and Woods. This is my review of the events leading up to the day up until the moment I held my new clubs. I'm not sponsored or linked to any company I will mention. I'm a 100% independent golfer.

The Booking

Firstly if you are here you possibly did what I did prior to the Titleist day, you want to look for reviews and how to book it. I firstly sent an email to my home club who are a Titleist approved fitter (using Surefit) to see if they could offer me a good deal on the irons and wedges. I recieved no reply to this which spurred me not to chase as I was the customer but to look elsewhere. I then stummbled upon UK Golf Academy ( http://www.ukgolfacademy.com/ ) and emailed Mark Stevens. His reply was promt and we spoke about prices for the irons and wedges I had in mind. I suggested several dates and he confirmed the availability. At one point I needed to re-arrange this and it was not a problem.

I opted for a 2 hour fitting so not to rush into a long term set of clubs. The 2 hour fitting cost £90, which includes a free dozen of balls after the fitting on collecting clubs of your Titleist choice (ProV1x), and £20 off the cost of your order.

The Fitting Centre and Arrival.

My first advice is to write down the post code of the Fitting Centre. I say this as I did the opposite and used the integrated GPS in my car to locate the St Ives Golf Centre which has been relocated and a caretaker at a recent school directed me to the fitting centre before I even asked so it must be a common mistake.

On correct arrival I was introduced to Paul who would be my fitter for the day. I felt completely at ease and on the meet and greet I was offered coffee, tea and the usual small talk to say relax... your at Willy Wonka's Workshop.

The building itself is not vast, more an extended driving range with a comfy office to the side but it's by no means lacking. I then proceeded to the bays to hit balls and loosen up. Golf shoes on a few gentle wedges. I take my clubs along as its really the base you start from.

The Fitting - Irons

After a warm up he asked me a few questions, typical bad shot, what spec are my clubs, how they feel, what heads I like. We started by Paul passing me an AP2 712 6-Iron 2 Deg up, Project X 6.0 same as my current spec apart from my clubs being the original AP2's. and Then he applied the lie board, tape to the face, and tape to the heel. Watched me hit shots and I was happy they were consistent shots I hit. Then we played around with the legnth and I agreed that 1inch extended felt and sounded so much better than the 1/2 inch extended. He stated this would increase the height I hit the ball and add maybe 1-2 yards a club. We then tried the S300 Dynamic Gold Shafts as my 6iron clubhead speed at 92-94 mph was not enough for X-flex.

I would like to say BE HONEST TO YOURSELF! Don't try and impress by ripping at everything to make him smile. If you are after a true fitting then swing like you would on the course.

When I tried the S300's the difference was night and day... in a negative way. So with the help of the incredible Trackmman we could clearly see that the Dynamic Gold wasn't right and the Project X was. The feel was better, the spin was similar for me but I hit the ball higher with the Pro X but I am a mid launch, high spin, high flight golfer. The average tour pro hits the ball around 29-30 yards high, Rory is at 39 yards high and so were my figures at 37-39 yards. One bad shot dropped to 32 yards peak height.

Wedges

This is where the 'fitter' uses the swings you have made throughout the day and recommends wedges for your game and bounce options also. I used to carry 5 wedges, yes 5! PW, 50, 54, 58, 62. I've changed to the PW rather than a 46 Vokey as I use my PW generally for full shots and not so much for pitching so I don't need to carry the slightly less forgiving wedge. I also use a 52 and 58. That is it! The 58 is made for everything! Bunkers are an ease, imagine the shot and play it and the 52 works for 100 yards to 30 yards delightfully! I really do rate the SM4 wedges. Credit to Bob Vokey!

The Woods / Hybrid

Well I stepped up and hit a few steady drives at 249 carry with 265ish finish and they we're the gentle shots I do when I need to find the fairway. Loading or stepping on them a little increased the carry to 270ish but I continued to have a 3000rpm high spin rate. My clubhead speed was 108 - 112 mph generally with me forcing a few nearer 116. The consistency and length with my V2 66S shafted 910 D3 (9.5) was only improved slightly by a Motora F1 66 shafted 910 D3 (7.5) and with the 913 around the corner I will wait.

For the Hybrid 910 H (17) the stock Diamanna was too lively for me and ultimately deemed this club out the bag. I upgraded to a Rombax and all of a sudden I have a players club in the bag. I'd always been a long iron player but the Hybrid and iron stats were almost identical so the Hybrid with added forgiveness wins.

Overall I praise the St Ives fitting center and its a must! You are not forced to purchase anything following the visit but it's hard to resist. I booked via UK Golf Academy and when I had the fitting they compaired prices and I paid a price I couldn't beat at any other site and the guy I spoke to on the phone was very reasonable and fair even stating the mark ups he was doing. 3 hours later I picked up the clubs!!! Thoroughly recommended.

And in case you are wondering... the clubs are an extension of my arms now ;) And the scores are coming down. Last few rounds I've hit 14 GIR. That's woods and iron play there!

Ping Anser 2012 Driver - 5 years too late?

2012-07-26T07:09:00.001-07:00

Okay so firstly I see that Ping have brought out or are in the process of releasing the new Ping Anser Driver which will replace the G20. This worries me slightly.

As I look at the driver I must admit the styling of the club is a vast improvement on anything they have released before. The dynamic looks and matt black paint finish make this a very aesthetically pleasing club... From beneath. The view from above though is the typical half moon ping shape we have seen since the G5 and its a Ping preference. This doesn't please my eye but it may be to your liking.

Ping are saying this is there tuneable driver but what does it really offer? It's very similar to the Sure fit system Titleist offer but much simpler as it offers variations in loft by 0.5 degrees. Increasing loft slightly sets the face open and decreasing the loft closes the face slightly. Now I ask can this simply be done by tweaking the ball position. Simple terms yes but this is so that ball position need not change. Can you adjust the shape? Nah... No weight heel / toe options like the Taylor Made offerings.

Basically they sell the ability to change loft and change shafts with four stock offerings; Fuji Blur, Diamana 'Ahina, Aldila Phenom, and a Ping offering. They state changing the loft will adjust the spin rate and launch angle but it's something Titleist and Taylor Made are doing well and they offer more options of customisation. Why would you choose the Ping?

I can't answer this as I cannot see the retail price being better than what you can pick an R11 or 910 D up for.

Also Ping are still offering Webfit which amazes me. Yes in the 90's many followed the measuring of finger tips to ground, and hand size charts to engineer a perfectly custom fit set of clubs but now we know that this is all well and good but what we really need is optimised launch angles, spin rates, spin angles, and these 3 options of degree changes and a Webfit to earn a Jumbo grip are leaving the once Custom Fit Kings as a shadow thought.

Also a comparison on the chart Ping provide show the club to be Less forgiving, Lower trajectory, and Lower Spin compared to the G20 and all but the club head shape an i20 with a face lift and novelty hosel.

If I see this in a golfers bag I'm sorry but I will shake my head and once again think 'Who ever sold the golfer that club was on a commission drive by Ping.' because believe me they happen. (Sell 5 XXX driver's receive £XX or X dozen balls).

Mike B

Equipment Review: Callaway X-Forged MD Wedges.

2012-07-13T10:18:00.002-07:00

Right where to start. Firstly I think these are exceptional wedges and I'll explain in a moment. One word though is SPIN... or more BACKSPIN!!!

Throughout review I will not 'score or rate' things that are down to personal preference unless I believe that it is a benefit or drawback of the club.

For quite some time I have played Callaway wedges from the original wedges that appeared around 2001 designed by Roger Cleveland. They were weighty, small heads, forged and great feel. Since then I became loyal although the product I believe became progressivley worse with newer versions appearing. At the time I carried the 48, 52, 56, and 60 and my short game was very very solid. The vintage effect was very nice too.

Weight

The weight of these wedges in the hand felt heavier than the main competitor 'Vokey Spin Milled' (Non Competition version). They have a nice swing weight and are equipped generally with a midsize grip which helps the weight feel more balanced believe this or not. A grip can make huge differences to the weighting through the swing.

All in all, weight wise the head was heavy enough for it to dominate medium rough and not to heavy that it dominated the swing or pitch. I really took to the weighting and when friends would have a few shots they would generally note with out prompting that they were well balanced. I can give a */5 rating for all categories but this here gets a 5/5 from me but its down to personal preference.

Profile / Head Shape

I was happy with the head-shape, it is not ugly but equally it is not something that would be something you would compliment. I had no problems with it offending me unlike some wedges where the toe on some clubs appears to be a distance away from the grooves but all in all a 'nice' head-shape.

Here is the thing though... the original Callaway Wedges were very very teardrop nice, small compact, efficient well weighted heads... and the power that be Mr R Cleveland has moved away from this, possibly for improved play-ability but the larger head just snags that little more. It is by no means large but also by no means small.

Components

Stock is a Callaway Shaft and a Golf Pride Grip. The Callaway Wedge shaft has a low torque tip to prevent the head opening and closing due to twist through impact. These by no means degrade the club because they are Callaway branded (unlike the Uni-flex Callaway shaft) but I can't comment as I can't directly compare to an S400 shaft or a spinner shaft. Note: You Will NOT need a SPINNER shaft. These SPIN!!!

Performance

Feel

The feel is great here with the golfer being able to tell if he is playing a premium ball or a cheaper counterpart. The better balls without doubt complement the Callaway but also the Callaway sinks it's teeth into the balls.

I do enjoy the feel, Callaway have done a great job with these. There everything a wedge should be. If it's from the toe, high, low, neck, you know. If it's from the middle you will be smiling. Once you play these you will look at the 'Spin milled wedges' and think why are these Callaway not in more peoples bag. They wipe the floor with Vokey SM's making the SM feel almost dead.

Flight / Trajectory

Again this may be personal taste for a wedge but for me I really liked the trajectory. On a pitch shot 15 yards to 45 the ball flight is low, maybe 20-40 feet high compared to a standard high ball pitch... but don't worry this doesn't mean it will run through the green.

It's defined as penetrating and you can hear it fizz as it does. This hasn't affected me in the wind either as the ball flight is low and confident not a 'ballooning' flight. Of course this is dependent on the ball and I find that as I use the Pro V1 Std or X, Callaway Black/Chrome, Penta etc that they all apply to what I've said. If however you play a cheaper ball then the ball flight is that of a normal wedge and it negates using a quality wedge. IF YOU OWN THIS WEDGE PLAY A PREMIUM BALL (and have 3+).

Would you buy a nice suit and wear trainers? If so feel free to play a 2nd rate ball... I cannot help you.

Spin

Okay this can be a positive or negative and I'll also mention technique. This wedges stops a ball. QUICK. I have competed with many many top golfers who play alternate wedges and on the firmest days they flop and I play the normal shot... more consistently, better results. I can't believe how revolutionary the MACK DADDY grooves are. They work!! I can play a standard shot on firm greens and it may take two big bounces then either stop, or return to sender. They work I repeat myself.

I have seen a video on the internet showing these screw balls back more than you imagine possible. With this comes cost... firstly you need to judge and allow for this. A high percentage of golfers come up short... a higher spinning wedge will not help this... Just a fact. Also there is a cost to this... It leaves golf balls looking like a dog has chewed them, from as little as green-side chips of 10yards. I have had backspin on average greens from less than 10 yards on a green-side chip... but this is one more variable you must plan for.

On full shots that are played with the intention of spinning, either to a front pin or to show of to your neighbor the spin can be excessive if the greens are receptive and quick and this makes things complicated. I carried more loft variations of this so I could club up and play half or quarter shots to compensate but if your not buying more than one then you have to make some decisions on what to hit if its going to stop but not spin too much.

So in summary it spins but this may be a Black Art.

Lifespan

I have had these wedges for a while and the grooves don't wear down but I'm selective over keeping my 60 degree as a none-bunker club to preserve the wedge. I also owned the Jaws variant and they have the same grooves but the life span is miserable. It will spin one week and not the next... So these are an investment. They last, care for them and you will make friends jealous but beware of the power of the spin.

Hope this helps, any questions let me know.

Mike B