(First in a Two-Part Series)
By George Moore
Winter is officially over, thank goodness, and it’s time for another wonderful summer of golf.
It’d be nice if we could just toss the clubs in the car and pick up play where we left off months ago, but it doesn’t work that way for most of us.
Nope. Instead, we need to fine-tune our equipment, our bodies and even our brains if we want to have an enjoyable and injury-free summer of play.
Golf Clubs
A good place to start is with our equipment – especially our golf clubs.
Chances are the old clubs are a little dusty after spending the winter in the garage, and chances are we’re also being bombarded daily with ads for shiny new clubs that will turn us into clones of Tiger Woods.
New drivers, woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters. All promise better golf … ahem, for a price.
What golfer can resist a club that “quickly” eliminates bad drives? Or how about a driver created by artificial intelligence for greater speed and distance off the tee?
I’ll take two. My game needs artificial intelligence.
But before selling the farm to buy new clubs, we need to think about our dusty old clubs out in the garage. They deserve some tender loving care, after all, and heck, for all we know, they may be good for another year, or two, or three.
Golf Club Grips
So let’s pull our clubs and inspect the grips first.
If the grips have been shredded by garage mice over the winter, or if they’ve been worn smooth by use over the years, they need to be replaced.
I shop for new grips ahead of time and buy when they go on sale. Replacing the old grips is a DIY job, but I’m lazy, so I pay a professional club fitter to do the work.
Hint: You can extend the life of your grips by brushing them with hot soapy water after every few rounds. The detergent removes the oil buildup from your hands and helps restore the tackiness. Rinse with hot water, towel dry, then air dry.
Golf Club Shafts
Next, we need to check the flex of the shafts on the old clubs. We may need to dial down the flex.
A tell-tale sign that new shafts are needed is accuracy. If it’s suffering, swing speed may have dropped over the years, leading to a mismatch of swing speed and flex. Consult a trusted club fitter.
Hint: If you regularly slice off the tee, you may need to reshaft the driver, going from maybe a stiff flex to a regular flex, or regular to senior flex. You may sacrifice some distance, but keeping the ball in the short grass is a good trade-off.
Golf Balls
Next, let’s check the balls we’re hitting. Not all balls are equal, and expensive balls don’t necessarily produce good shots. In fact, some of the higher-priced balls can result in bad shots for some of us.
Hint: Find the best balls for your game by searching Google for “Golf Ball Fitting.”
Golf Shoes
Next, we need to check our golf shoes. The soles are important, because they’re the contact points with the ground and the source of power for the golf swing.
Has grass built up on the soles? If so, we need to clean them. And if the shoes have cleats, are they clean and in good shape? If they’re clogged with dirt and grass, clean them. And if any cleats are missing or worn, replace them. TODAY.
Hints: Try to avoid walking on hard surfaces while wearing your golf shoes. Pavement is hard on the cleats. And don’t store golf shoes in the trunk of your car. The heat buildup in the trunk on hot summer days can damage golf shoes.
Golf Tees
Finally, we need to check our supply of golf tees and make sure we have a variety of sizes and, if you like, styles.
Ensuring that we have a tee for every variation of tee box conditions can buy us a few extra yards. Tall grass in the tee box? Longer tee. Short grass in the tee box? Shorter tee. Hard ground? Extra-sharp tee with a slim shaft. And so forth.
SafeTees Pocket Tee Pouch
Suggestion: Instead of carrying a bunch of sharp tees loose in your pocket, try using a SafeTees pocket tee pouch. It holds five tees of various lengths and styles, making tee selection a snap. Simply pull the pouch out of your pocket, pick the correct tee and swing away. No danger of poking yourself with the sharp point of a tee, and best of all, no more annoying trips back to your cart for the “right” tee. The pouch is available at safeteespouch.com.
Hint: The basic idea when teeing up the ball is to insert as little of the tee as possible (no more than 1/2″) into the ground while keeping the ball above the grass. The tee should pop out of the ground when you strike the ball. Stinger Tees work best for me.
(Golf, to a large extent, is a “head game,” and some golfers prefer a certain color tee that improves their drives. Or so they think. It gives them a psychological edge and helps build confidence, which improves performance and leads to more fun. You might want to give it a try.)
Your Thoughts
Our purposes here are to advance the game and to help you have more fun on the golf course. But nobody has all the answers. If you have a question or comment regarding equipment – or anything else golf-related, for that matter – drop us a line at info@safeteespouch.com, subject line “Comment.”
Keep it in the short grass … and have fun. It’s a game!
Next week: Physical and mental fine-tuning of your game.
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