The ForeGolf Blog

Announcing the Brand New ForeGolf Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:51:00 +0000

We've made a few changes and you can now read the blog direct from our website www.foregolf.ie/blog

Dont forget to update your RSS reader to http://www.golfcustomfitting.com/blog/feed/ so you don't miss out on our new articles

We've been quite busy, so make sure you catch up with our April articles

This groove thing is driving me nuts

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:23:00 +0000

With Mickleson chopping and changing wedges Padraig Harrington recently put an old Ping Eye 2 wedge into play, I think I had better throw a little light on this whole thing.

The rule on groove size and edge sharpness will only affect professional golfers until 2024.

This means as an amateur, you do not not have to worry about it until then.

Do not start stock piling wedges as manufacturers will force you to buy more by suddenly “stopping” production. This is another blatant attempt to scare you into buying more. Stay calm and just keep playing and replacing your wedges as and when you need to. Trust me they will find another way to help you spin the ball.

Most amateur golfers do not strike the ball pure enough to notice ANY difference even if the grooves were changed. I have a wedge with no grooves (it has a milled flat face) and I can still spin the ball with it as it is all about quality of strike and angle of attack, not necessarily about grooves.

This rule is another ridiculous attempt by the golfing bodies to somehow create a “level” playing field for professional golf and somehow suck the amateur game into this limitation. When normal club golfers should be allowed to have limitless assistance with their game. We play for fun and therefore, all this does is make the game harder and less enjoyable.

This is also another attempt to get you, the consumer to change clubs in order to play and enjoy golf. There is now an expiry date on your wedges and clubs and you will have to change your set by 2024. As a consumer, you should decide when you want to change not some golfing body. I would say these limitations in equipment will become a regular thing and all it does it put a sell by date on your clubs and makes more money for the manufacturers.

What I think should happen is the Tour should introduce a “match” or tournament ball with limited distance and spin characteristics that every tournament professional has to play. By limiting the ball, the equipment has less involvement and the real skill level can come out.

This is what I would like to see, golfers at their very best, where all the technology and assistance is reserved for the amateur game (where it is needed most) to allow more people to play golf and enjoy themselves.

Rest In Peace Aldila

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:55:00 +0000

Aldila sent us some of their brand new shafts. The RIP is the recent offering and it is the latest development from their S-Core technology that saw Voodoo stake its claim as one on the most stable shaft offerings on the market. RIP uses a similar process in design but has added strength in the tip section and improved “ovalling” control.

Put very simply this is a shaft for the bigger club heads and the faster swingers out there. If you hit it hard and want a very stable low flighted shaft then look no further. Get an Aldila RIP and give it a rip.

Taylor Made R9 ... Round 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:51:00 +0000

TaylorMade Golf have had more drivers than Miss Daisy and this year there is another advance on R9 with the SuperTri R9 which is a 460cc driver masked in Zorro black and with a three weight system replacing the old SuperQuad driver (but looks similar).

From initial testing it seems very similar to the original R9 460 but has quite a high spin rate so if you need to hit it high, this driver is great.

There is also a new Burner Superfast family of driver, fairway wood and rescue.

The Superfast driver is 47” long which I find is great for more distance but control is an issue. The biggest problem with this driver is that it will not be custom from Taylor Made as the head is very light and will not lend itself to a normal shaft at a normal 45” length.

A new SuperDeep driver which is due to launch in April is by all accounts the new “bomb” but until we get our hands on it we will have to wait and see.

It seems TaylorMade may be running out of road, it will be interesting to see where they are going to go once this “line” is over.

ForeGolf named GCA World Clubmaker of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:50:00 +0000

Proud Irishman announced as World Clubmaker of the Year

Derek Murray of ForeGolf, Naas, Co Kildare has been named 2010 World Clubmaker of the Year by the Golf Clubmakers Association, the first time the award has left the USA since it began 20 years ago.

The G.C.A. (Golf Clubmakers Association) is based in Austin, Texas, USA, founded by Golfsmith in 1980 is the oldest association devoted exclusively to the craft of custom fitting and clubmaking. From over 6,000 members, a panel consisting of several GCA officials and other golf clubmaking experts select winners from each state (U.S.), province (Canada) and around the world. They then choose the applicant who merits the prestigious title of World Clubmaker of the Year.

“The GCA Clubmaker of the Year award acknowledges the best clubmaker in the business and is one of the clubmaking industry’s highest honors,” said Golfsmith USA Proprietary Vice President David Lowe, who served on the panel of judges. “This award recognizes Mr. Murray’s ability, integrity and professionalism.” Proprietary Vice President David Lowe, who served on the panel of judges. “This award recognizes Mr. Murray’s ability, integrity and professionalism.”

“Although I have seen many good clubmakers graduate”, said Neil Cooke, Technical Director of Golfsmith Europe “it is rare that you see someone with the drive, ambition, skill, determination and foresight to really stamp their presence on the world of custom golf clubs".

This award is a big deal, we work hard to provide a no nonsense service, to give great advice and build clubs that make better golfers. To have our small but perfectly formed family business recognised as best in the world makes it all worthwhile. Although the award has our name all over it, this is for our customers and anyone who has had a hand in shaping what ForeGolf is today.

We want all of our customers to help us celebrate, so watch this space ...

Further Reading
Irish Independent - 20th January 2010
Sunday Independent - 24th January 2010

The one about Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (ForeGolf) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:01:00 +0000

Well I hope you all got want you wanted under the tree. Christmas is great, there's lots of things we like about it, mostly couching with the telly, scoffing ham sandwiches wondering if the double bill of Back to the Future I and II is enough cause to open the box of Celebrations ?

We got quite a few requests for gift vouchers in the run up to the big day, we were even featured in the very catchy The Spindoctor's Golf Blog. This is a great read by the way, make sure to bookmark this link and be entertained by Donal's take on whats happening in golf

Our custom fit analysis session was a popular gift this year, the Tour Truck is back in action January 4th 2010 so we'll see you all then.

Cobra has a new Big Dog and we love it, the new ZL and S2 Driver

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:14:00 +0000

I thought Cobra had lost their way over the past two designs following the pursuit of high MOI possibilities. They had focused on making the club so resistant to twisting that the shape of the club-head along with the sound off the face at impact resulted in a club almost too strange for golfers to hear and use.

Well they have done a complete U-turn and the result is the new ZL driver. It has a simple, pleasing shape, a really low thud impact noise and a hosel which allows us to open, close and square the head depending on the swing path of the golfer. It has a number of different shaft options and an unbelievable price tag for a composite head of €350 - the Cobra range takes my tip for the hottest driver for 2010.

We also had a hit of the new Cobra S2 driver which is the ZL’s little brother, little by nature, maybe, but huge on performance. This new neat shaped head delivers a huge punch and has a really solid thud sound at impact. In gents, ladies and offset this head is going to be one of the biggest sellers in 2010 as it will hit the ground at an unbelievable price point of around €275 and will be the first real high performance driver Cobra have brought out in 4 years.

So if your current driver is over 4 years old, you could upgrade to this product and get it custom fitted and build by ForeGolf to suit you and I can pretty much guarantee you more distance and more fairways in regulation.

New Mizuno clubs on the horizon ....MP-630 Driver & MP-CLK Hybrid

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:14:00 +0000

We have just heard that there will be a new Mizuno driver and fairway wood launched early next year. The MP-630 driver with moveable weights will be the next generation of the current MP-600. There will also be a new titanium fairway wood and a new MP-CLK hybrid . As soon as we hear more we will update you.

Shushhh …. Sneak Peek at Cleveland DST and CG15

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Here is the first look at the soon to be released Cleveland DST in driver and 3 wood. We also have the new CG15 in for the Foregolf once-over. This driver is another great performing head and thankfully it looks a lot better than the previous Hi-Bore models.

The classic shape does not let down the performance with great high launching low spinning shots once they’re hit high in the face. This driver will suit golfers who hit it high and want to get more distance and better control from a lower penetrating ball flight. This product should do very well on Tour and the likes of Jerry Kelly and Boo Weekley will love this head design and ball flight. The 3 wood is one of the longest we have ever hit and once we do some shaft testing we will come back with what works best in both heads.

The CG15 looks very similar to the CG12 of old and with new laser milled deep cut grooves for 2010 this product will deliver where others may fail thanks to the new S-Grind on the sole where the heel is wider and the toe is narrow to allow for more versatility and shots from all conditions.

We heard on the grapevine about a new wedge shaft from Nippon to help generate more spin in light of the pending new groove rules. As we speak, it is on the way to ForeGolf for testing and we will report back as soon as we have some results from our spin readings.

The Taylor Made R9 Fairway Wood gets the ForeGolf once-over and is now picture perfect.

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:12:00 +0000

The R9 product is by far the best design for (almost) all golfers who need to adapt the face angle of the club to allow for swing path issues. This head is high up on our list of must-have fairway woods thanks to its low centre of gravity which makes it easier to get in the air off the deck.

However, recently we did some ball flight testing and found the perfect shaft for the head, this match made in heaven is the Fujikura Speeder 757 in stiff flex. This shaft gets the ball up initially and then makes it go flat at the middle of the flight, with the nice spin from the head, it then lands softly but with a strong ball flight. This is an excellent combination for both off the deck and then off the tee on tight fairway holes as it is really long. The further adjustability of the head angle allows us to work with a whole host of golfers who normally cut-fade the 3 wood to make it fly. This makes this super fairway club one of our best of all time and if you are in the market for a high performance 3 wood … then this is the one.

ForeGolf dishes the dirt on how to get the right shaft flex and driver length

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:11:00 +0000

It is very hard to tell golfers the difference custom fitting can bring to their game until we can see them in action and hit some balls to allow us to measure their shot dispersion (i.e. how often the ball hits the middle of the face with the club-head square).

To help us demonstrate the process we use a visual image to help illustrate what happens and how the shaft is helping the strike rate or the consistency of the ball in the face. We used some of the stickers from a recent fitting session, the first one shows a client who is quite tall with a long arm reach and good hand eye co-ordination. The club he was using during his visit was a 45.75” driver and was a regular flex. During his fitting we noticed how dispersed the ball flight was and it didn’t look like it was his fault.

The second sticker shows the attempts to create more stability in the shaft tip and flex and the third sticker is after a number of different shaft changes before we tested him with a 44.5” driver in a stiffer flex. We ended up using a Graphite Design YS-7 70 gram stiff flex and this shaft coupled with a new Taylor Made R9 head was producing a much more consistent hit. We also used a heavier head weight so he could feel the head more on his downswing from the top and this stopped him being steep into the ball.

His yardage shot up an average of 28 yards and the flight was much more consistent as it was now out of the centre of the face. We closed the face by 1 degree and now he is hitting the ball longer and with more consistency. He had wrongly assumed he was a poor driver and was amazed at the results following the ForeGolf treatment.

The stickers are just a way of visually demonstrating the improvements so our customer can see the difference on the face as well as in their ball flight... believe me when it comes to shafts we know our stuff.

The one about the new Taylor Made XFT

noreply@blogger.com (ForeGolf) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Introducing the first Interchangeable Face Wedge, the XFT from Taylor Made (Exchangeable Face Technology) So far this confidential product has remained a secret, but images and spec sheets are leaking out.The intension of the club is to allow the wedge faces to be changed, as and when the grooves wear out, or the club starts loosing it’s spin. As they have correctly quoted in the marketing, “as the groove wears, performance suffers"

The faces will be held in place by Torque Pins, that will be tightened by a 40lb Torque Wrench, to ensure that the face fits securely, and will be supported at the back with a urethane layer, to promote soft feel.Taylor Made are suggesting that most golfers will only go through one face a year, top amateurs two and tour pro will go through four a year. However knowing the tour pro’s as we do, I would think the Taylor Made Tour Van will be a very popular place if this wedge is launched.

We will keep you updated ...

The one about Callaway's 2010 Product Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Derek and Dave headed off to Callaway’s 2010 product launch with the kind of eagerness that is usually reserved for kids on Christmas morning. Callaway Golf took over the practice range at The K Club presenting everything that will hit the shelves next year. It wont be long until these bright new Callaway clubs will be making an appearance as Christmas is only a few shopping weeks away. As ever the ForeGolf six degrees of separation was in effect and we met our friend DJ Carey who was there sneaking a peek at next years Callaway products. DJ is a great golfer and just as his hurley was handmade we’re delighted that he trusts us to build his golf clubs.

New for 2010, is the low spinning tour driver, the FT Tour which is due for launch in the New Year. This driver is a move back to a more traditional pear shaped design, with a smaller 430cc head size. The Diablo range of clubs also revamped with the introduction of the Diablo Edge range, including tour and standard drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons. Again, especially in the drivers the head shape has become more traditional. On the quirky size of things, the new FT-IZ Product range of woods forms the FT-IQ (square) driver’s replacement. Square is no more in the Callaway range, but with the 75% of the weight at each extremity, its tagline of high MOI basically encourages more stability.

From what we saw on the day it looks like a good choice of club, in particular for the high handicapper. Also on show was a new putter from Odyssey with interchangeable weights which makes it feel easy to stroke and the ball seemed to roll much better with the heavier weights.

To combat the new groove ruling from the R&A for tour professionals, Callaway have gone after the Ball, in pursuit of re-gaining the lost spin. The new Tour i/z and Tour i/s premium balls, go a long way to regaining the spin lost, especially the Tour i/s ball for spin. Most spin balls aren’t great for distance, but this one certainly is. After testing we reckon they will prove themselves to be a great product for every level of player.

We will report back as soon as the 2010 product arrives and is available for testing on the ForeGolf Tour Truck

Tips from the Workshop - When to Grip ?

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Why Re-Grip ?

Grips are made of materials that age and wear over time, you will find that dirt, heat and even oils from your hands play a part in their breakdown. A new grip lets you hold the club lightly without fear of letting go during the swing which helps increase proper swing mechanics and wrist release. Whilst a worn grip causes you to hold the club tighter, causing arm and wrist tension.

How Often ?

There is no set rule but generally you should re-grip once a year, regardless of whether you play golf every day or only twice a year as conditions are constantly breaking down the grip materials. We’ll let you into a trade secret - if your grips have become hard and shiny, then they definitely need changing. Don't forget if you look after your grips you get the most from them, you can read our article about caring for your grips here.

Which Grip ?

There are many grip choices available allowing for individual needs and preferences but there are a number of factors to consider.

Conditions – Are the conditions you play in hot and dry, or wet and cold ?
Feel – Do you need the grip to absorb energy – Soft grips will help with this ?
Texture – So you need smooth tacky grips or firm corded grips for control ?
How large should the grip be ?

Don’t lose touch with your clubs, afterall its easily fixed. Call by our workshop and we can help you decide what would be the best option.

The one about your kid, our workshop and golf

noreply@blogger.com (ForeGolf) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:45:00 +0000

We were chatting in the workshop the other day about what happens with young golfers and junior equipment ...

When a youngster is playing with clubs that are too long, too stiff or too heavy it means the chances of a consistent swing are greatly reduced and marks the game with frustration. If the child is talented and the clubs are not the right size or weight, the swing is then built around the clubs. This begins a poor technique of incorrect swing movements which could take a lifetime to fix.

But if the clubs are sized according to height and ability the chances of fast-tracking a good strike is guaranteed. We use specifically light weight heads that can be adjusted as the child grows. If the clubs are built with the view that the young player develops good posture and control of the club, it allows for the development of a natural golf swing. This will lead to successful swing patterns and a better enjoyment of the game right from the start.

We have many successful junior stories; one example is Art Griffen and his two boys Tadgh and Cormac. Art saw their enthusiasm and wanted to make sure they got the right start in the game. We built them custom clubs under our junior programme and oversaw the adjustments of the clubs as the boys grew and their game developed. They are now playing better and with a more a consistent game, Tadgh is 9 years old and plays off 26 handicap (off the gents tees) and Cormac is 14 years old and plays off 9.

In fact two of today’s most promising Irish amateurs have been with us since they were 11 years old. Seamus Power from Waterford who is now in college in the States and Andrew “Drewsie” Pitcher also in USA. We have watched them grow into fine golfers who have been capped for Ireland. Our own Niall Kearney played in the recent Walker Cup, Niall was the only Irish selection to play in this years Walker Cup and it illustrates the success ForeGolf custom fitted clubs can bring to your game.

Tiger Woods was quoted on a recent article Golf Press Association "Golf Wire"

" I'm very lucky that my dad was such a stickler for having clubs that fit me and I didn't have to make concessions in my golf swing because the clubs fit; they were never too big, too heavy, too long," Woods said. "I think that's one thing before you even get started that all amateurs can do is to get something that fits, and then from there keep expanding your knowledge and understanding how to play "

You can book a 30 minute junior fitting session onboard the Tour Truck for your son or daughter in our Junior Club Programme which costs €50. We can then give you options based on their ability and help with their development. There are a number of price options available, the junior fitting programme is very structured, often saving money by only building the clubs that are necessary and adding others as the swing develops. The clubs can be tailored to last over the years and the adjustments are made by changing the shafts as the golfer grows. It is important to remember success does not have to cost the earth but getting it wrong could cost the game and wasted talent. We want to help people to enjoy golf and what’s better than being able to bring your youngster out for a few rounds.

Derek has his own kids in custom clubs - Joe (aged 5) has a Cleveland custom built set with his own bag and he loves to hit the driver. Sam (aged 2) has a great time with a trimmed down version of a full size putter. Don (Grandad) and Derek look forward to the day the boys are old enough for the golf course but until then they go to the indoor Mini Golf nearby and have fun with the boys. It’s all about instilling confidence at this point.

If you’re an avid golfer and you want to see if your kids are the same, we would recommend letting them try the game before you invest in a full set. Our workshop can trim your old clubs and put on a small junior grip so you can get them practising. We will need to see your child or you will need to bring the following measurements – child’s height from head to ground and from the wrist to floor with the arms down by the side (inches) so we can adapt your old club accordingly.

ForeGolf, now available at a golf club near you

noreply@blogger.com (ForeGolf) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:45:00 +0000

The Tour Truck has been busy of late driving up and down the country. We launched The ForeGolf Experience with the Tour Truck travelling to different locations bringing custom fitting by ForeGolf further afield.

We have already visited a number of golf clubs that we know the tour truck can access, as you can imagine to park a sixty foot articulated Tour Truck is by no means as easy task. We also need to make sure the practice range is accessible to demonstrate both irons and drivers for testing. So far, the team has made a couple of trips to The Island Golf Club in Malahide and another driving range in Co. Wicklow saving golfers running the gauntlet of the M50 to get themselves suited and booted ForeGolf style. One of our customers was so impressed with the results of his custom fitted clubs, he arranged for the tour truck to attend his company golf day. The tour truck and staff were onsite to give an introduction and demonstrate custom fitting to his colleagues and clients. If you wish the hire of the Tour Truck and technical staff can be tailored to suit your golf day.

Over the summer we were in touch with our most southern customers ahead of our visit to West Cork, so our visit to The Old Head of Kinsale was a great success. We got a chance to catch up with some clients who appreciated the quick drive over to see us and even squeezed in a round of golf at the popular coastal course. With visits to Clara Co. Offaly and Mount Juliet Co Kilkenny under our belt and as we speak we have a plan (numbers permitting) to go west and make a trip to Co. Mayo.

The truck was primarily based on Tour Trucks that attend major European golf events but with an open pod feature to allow for club testing onto a practice range. With all our hard work designing and constructing it seems a shame not to bring the Tour Truck on the road, besides our Smokey and the Bandit cd needs playing.

To see if the ForeGolf Tour Truck will be visiting your local area or if you have a group of golfers that would like to book the ForeGolf Experience to visit your local golf club - please phone 045 430660 or email hello@foregolf.ie

Properly Shafted

noreply@blogger.com (ForeGolf) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:23:00 +0000

We’ve noticed a change, there has been an increase in golfers getting their own heads re-shafted and rebuilt to suit their swing and poor shots. Once you are happy with your current heads and they are adjustable for loft and lie, we can rebuild them for a fraction of the cost of a new set. This also means you have an option of using the latest shafts from KBS and Nippon and completely overhauling your clubs to play much better.

We've also had a large number of enquiries about the new R9 driver and fairway woods from Taylor Made. In particular, golfers who bought the woods elsewhere and are struggling to use them. We have also heard from those who are want us to fit a different high performance shaft to their equipment.

ForeGolf are the only outlet in Ireland (and England) who are permitted to build the Taylor Made product. You’ll remember we announced our exclusive Taylor Made deal in April 2009. We can offer any shaft built and fitted to the new adjustable heads. The feedback results have been very positive and even more distance has been achieved from these fantastic heads just by fitting the proper shaft suited to the player.

If its not working for you, before you trade it in or stick it under the stairs, book a custom fitting session with us and see if we can sort out your troubles.

Snake Eyes Putter

noreply@blogger.com (ForeGolf) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:01:00 +0000

The Snake Eyes Tour Platinum Putter first arrived at ForeGolf for testing in March 2009 for Derek’s review in Golf Digest Ireland and has proven itself to be a popular choice for our customers. It looks quite similar to a lot of the putter heads but as far as feel is concerned it is in a completely different league.

The secret to this putter is the milled raised face and the UST filtered putter shaft which reduces weight in the grip end. Allowing for a bullet weight in the middle of the shaft resulting in an unbelievable balance and helps with the pace of the putt and control of the putter head.

This is really one to get if you struggle with the distance control of your putts. You can be tested and fitted for your perfect putter at ForeGolf in a 30 minute putter fitting session.

The Old Head Golf Links, Kinsale, Cork

noreply@blogger.com (ForeGolf) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Stone of Accord Tournament, August 2009

The Tour Truck has been making appearances all over the country and this month we made our annual pilgrimage to The Old Head of Kinsale for the Stone of Accord Tournament. For the past four years, the tour truck attends the week long event and provides services for the members and their equipment. We are on site for everything from new grips to full new builds just like we would on Tour. With the windy conditions we built a number of new drivers and full sets for the guys to put into play for the tournament.

We had a lot of people visiting onboard while we were there, from both Kinsale and further afield like Bob McMymn from Canada put an extra 20 yards using his ForeGolf custom driver. We also met up with the Irish members who we hadn’t seen since last year and raised a toast to the first Irish Captain of the club, Mr Ed Martin.

Normally we would be straight back on the road to HQ but this time we decided to stay for a day or two and organised to see some ForeGolf customers and their friends from the Cork area We managed to help quite a few more golfers on our travels and will look forward to seeing how they got on with their new custom made clubs.

The 3 Irish Open - New Product

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:22:00 +0000

There were a few things that caught me eye on Tour and most notably the X range of prototype shafts from Grafalloy have been expanded to 80 gram and 60 gram, all with very low torque (we reported this Grafalloy shaft last October). I suspect they are trying out the heavier and lighted weights to see if this product is worth widening for the market place.

We also came across the new YS-QST shaft from Graphite Design which has a stiffer tip to keep the ball flight down and reduce back spin, this shaft is very new and this is its first week on Tour. Mitsubishi Rayon have also launched some additions to its Diamana range with a new White Board Hybrid “Thump” shaft and also a new Diamana Black, they are in very short supply so a full review will follow in a later issue.

Mike Perry from Golf Pride showed us a new compound grip which is a softer version of their full cord tour velvet. Golf Pride have stopped using velvet when making the corded grips and have moved to cotton which makes the grips much softer without losing the benefit of the tacky cord, especially in the wet. The new Ireland Grip was doing the rounds and was out into play by a few of the Irish players. ForeGolf was the first to have this popular grip in April and it is already proving itself as a favourite.

The 3 Irish Open - Tour Players

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:51:00 +0000

I ran into my good South African friend, Thomas Aitken and had a quick chat to him. His putts per green in regulation is number 2 on Tour and he is in the top 10 stroke average statistics on The European Tour, after watching him putt, I would put him up for a win very soon, so watch this space. Padraig Harrington was testing a few wedge grinds from the Wilson truck. He always takes the time to say hello and chat for a few minutes. Rory McIlroy caught my eye while 100 young golf fans buzzed around him for autographs. He has created almost a “Tiger Syndrome” with an awful lot of fan attention. I wonder will he struggle to deal with this amount of support and the resulting impact on his tournament preparation time. We also hooked up with our new friend John Daly who was visiting Adams Golf trailer and sat with us in the Irish sunshine on Monday afternoon to shoot the breeze. This guy is the real deal and was a joy to be around, a real character who lives for the craic. Cleveland Golf's latest signing Gonzalo Fernandez-Costano was also on the trailer to pick up a new 3 wood to help harness the wind at Baltray. This guy is one of the nicest Tour players we have ever had the pleasure meeting, the technician's work hard during the tournament and he shows genuine appreciation for our efforts.

The 3 Irish Open - Practise Days & Pro Am

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:34:00 +0000

11th - 14th May 2009

Our trip to Baltray for The Irish Open is our first Tour event this year and Derek and David took the short run to County Louth to join up with Iain “Clarkie” Clarke and Ian “Stainless” Steele aboard the Srixon/Cleveland Golf Tour support trailer.

Thankfully the weather was with us this year and the sun shone while we worked getting clubs ready for the professionals. Monday and Tuesday were quite busy at the Tour Trucks with players having grips replaced, clubs re-calibrated and new clubs built to suit course and playing conditions. The trucks were parked in the main car-park for the tournament but the practice area was quite a distance away and it was very difficult to service both areas. As a tour rep the driving range is our testing ground and having it so far from the truck proved very difficult. The wind was very strong and some of the players didn’t test any irons or drivers but instead concentrated on their putting and short game. I think a good ball shaper with low average putts per green will fair well around the links of Baltray.

New Taylor Made R9 Product Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:35:00 +0000

It is always good to get another golfer’s perspective on clubs, we recently had one of our friends of ForeGolf test drive the new range of products from Taylor Made. Warren Kelly a scratch handicapper from Killeen Golf Club was our guinea pig for the day.

The new R9 Driver with a Grafalloy Pro-Launch Platinum
The new R9 Rescue which had a Standard Stiff Graphite Shaft
The R9 3 Wood which had a Stiff Standard Graphite Shaft
The new Burner Iron set with Regular Steel Flex.

Driver:

He really liked the shape and the adjustable face angle meant he could manipulate the face to be more open which, in the past, he would struggle to find a driver that was open faced. He loved the solid feel of this club and the hit sounded solid. This is a very important factor to Warren as the past models always sounded quite tinny. He found the shaft very responsive and could hit little 10 yard draw shots all day with this driver. He had no dislikes except the head felt a little heavy for him. He was a little hesitant of the adjustable screw in weights as it could encourage a good player to modify their position if their swing gets a little out of sync. To safe guard this we suggested to glue them in place for him.

R9 Fairway 3 wood:

This club was not on his favourite list, he said the head felt too heavy and the club lacked balance. The heavy head made the shaft feel washed out and too stiff. All in all a very poor performance from the fairway wood but perhaps a shaft change could sort this out.

R9 Rescue 19*:

Taylor Made invented the rescue club and this one was just as good as anything from before. The head was a little shut but the feel of the standard shaft was great and produced a lovely little draw shot. This club is great for the normal golfer who wants a good performing hybrid club. Warren is looking forward to the TP model which we will have for testing next month.

New Burner Iron:

Taylor Made's marketing campaign says “the set is DEAD” and reckon that the set of clubs “never really worked for golfers”. The word from Taylor Made is that this “set” of clubs will revolutionise golf. This iron played just like a normal cavity irons and felt just like the last Burner iron. A good mid handicapper iron but certainly not enough to bin your current “DEAD” set. It's worth a visit to the TaylorMade US Website alot of work has gone into showcasing their new product.

A big thank you to Warren Kelly for his insight into the new range. To arrange you own individual fitting session where you can try these new club please contact us on 045 430660 or hello@foregolf.ie and book yourself in for an hour…

ForeGolf Exclusive deal with TaylorMade R9

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:24:00 +0000

Another first Fore Golf, we have some exciting news to tell you about the new R9 from Taylor Made. Fore Golf have just secured the exclusive rights to Ireland’s most comprehensive shaft selection for the new R9 range. We will be able to fit any shaft required for every level of player into the new R9 product. We will be the only outlet in Ireland and one of only three in Europe to be able to customize this fantastic product for our very special customers.

So what does this mean, well Taylor Made will only supply the driver with three different shafts from there own Motore and Voodoo range. Fore Golf will be able to build the driver, fairway wood and rescue with any shaft from any shaft supplier and not only that but we will also customise the unique tip and spine align every shaft to make this R9 driver, fairway wood and rescue the most successful and consistent product to pass through our workshop.

Tips from The Workshop - Grips

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:11:00 +0000

Here are a few tips to getting the best from your grips, after all it’s the only part of the club you have contact with. In order to keep a good state of tackiness we would advise the purchase of a nailbrush in order to give the grips a scrubbing every once in a while. We recommend every 2 months take the clubs out of your bag.

Using a slightly luke warm water filled basin or in the sink scrub the grips with a mild soapy mixture.
Scrub the grip up and down while turning it with the club head part under your armpit.
Once you have done the set run clean water over the grip to remove all the soap and rub them dry with a dry cloth or towel.
Leave them to dry naturally lined up against the wall out of the bag. (Never put wet grips back into your golf bag).
If you have corded grips a light rub of some mild sandpaper will bring out the cord again and lengthen the life of the grip. Then wash them the same as the grips above.
If the grip looks shiny or feels hard if you push your nail into it or shows any signs of cracking it is time to re-grip.

Just drop the set into ForeGolf, for as little as €5 per grip you can turn your club into a new one again. If necessary we can re-grip you set in a day for you, we know what it’s like when the sun makes an appearance and the golf course beckons.

You should really wash your grips every month and change them once a year. You could even get the new Irish grips by Golf Pride, available from ForeGolf. When we work on Tour, David and I would change grips for some players every 3 weeks !