As Far Down The Center Of The Fairway As You Can

As Far Down The Center Of The Fairway As You Can
By Brad Simpson
Associate Golf Professional and GBC Golf Academy Instructor
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club

There has never been a better time to buy a new driver than now, going into the 2016 golf season. Golf equipment manufacturers commonly say this every year with their marketing of a new and improved driver that promises to deliver your best experience yet. I honestly believe this year is most definitely the time to take the wheel and make your way as far down the center of the fairway as you can.  Normally I personally don’t expect too many gains or whole lot of improvement from year to year with golf equipment in general. However, this year I think manufactures have gotten driver technology dialed in. Particularly, TaylorMade and Cobra the two major brands that we carry here at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. Both are major players in the golf arena for all types of golf equipment, more so, both are known for producing drivers that not only perform but are also market leaders for all level of players.

One thing about AGT (Advanced Golf Technology) is that it can sometimes be confusing. There are so many acronyms for AGT like MOI (Moment of Inertia), COR (Coefficient of Restitution), CG (Center of Gravity) that represent a whole bunch of technical jargon that most people can’t be bothered with. Engineers of the top golf manufactures are doing everything they can to be one step ahead of the others.  Bottom line is the features/benefits of the technologies incorporated into today’s drivers will benefit those who are seeking to gain yards and consistency.  However, it is good to have a degree of understanding about this technology, without having the engineering degree that was required to develop it. The following is a brief definition and information session specifically about how CG (Center of Gravity) is of such importance in today’s driver technology.

CG simply, is the where the majority of the weight is concentrated in the club head. The location of CG is very important as it dramatically affects both the feel and performance of the driver. For instance, CG can alter spin rates and launch angle by affecting Dynamic Loft (actual loft in degrees at impact) as well as Closure Rate (rate at which the clubhead closes on the downswing) and MOI (distance consistency on off-center hits).  Also, CG influences how a driver feels in regards to weight. A more forward CG position will feel heavier than a rear CG placement. Also a forward CG placement will make the shaft of the driver feel stiffer. That....was exhausting to write. Glad you made it through it! The wonderful people at www.mygolfspy.com nicely puts together the effects of CG, for those of you who like more details visit their website.

So now we know all about the importance of CG and what it effect it can have on how we set up our drivers let’s talk about altering face angle, finding an optimum loft, and setting a fade/draw bias. Oh, and let’s not forget about matching up shaft with its flex, kick point and torque. Just joking, but seriously, that’s how customizable today’s drivers are. This is of great benefit to you if you’re comfortable with your swing and would like to have equipment that can help make the game more exciting and enjoyable.

On personal note, I myself am excited about this year’s drivers as it is time that I get new equipment. I am going to enjoy going through the fitting process to find out what is optimum for me and will perform the best, allowing me to enjoy the game as much as possible and wanting to play as much as I can. We will again be having our popular Demo Days throughout the spring and summer. I encourage you to join me in the discovery. As we say around Arbutus Ridge Golf Club “suffering is optional”. I also invite you to stop by the Golf Shop to chat if you have any questions and would like to know more.

All the best!
Brad

View our GBC Golf Academy programs here: http://www.golfbc.com/courses/arbutus_ridge/golf_academy
Lessons Vancouver Island, near Victoria on Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada 

Your Golf Ball Questions Answered...

What is the difference between expensive balls and inexpensive balls and why should I play them? There are very technical answers to this question which can be found on the web. If anyone is interested in polybutadiene or Ionomeric casing layers then please feel free to take a look. However for my golf pro brain this really doesn’t mean too much to me, so in Lehman’s terms what’s the main difference? In my mind the major factor is SPIN RATE around the greens. Spin rate is the amount a ball spins backwards after being hit by a golf club. Different golf balls will have different levels of spin even if they have been hit at exactly the same speed with the same club. In this day and age we have robots that we can set to swing a club at the same speed and measure the spin rate of a golf ball.


In 2010 Golf Digest published the spin rates of golf balls hit with half wedges to see what effect the different balls produced. The dispersion of spin rate was significant.The cheaper golf balls spun considerably less, as low as 3000 RPM compared to the majority of more expensive balls that spun at close to 7000 RPM. When they measured the spin rate of golf balls with Drivers the spin rates were far closer together, within 400 RPM from one end of the spectrum to the other. It is a common misconception that players do not swing hard enough to utilize the benefits of the more expensive golf balls. Professionals on the PGA tour use a variety of swing speeds during a round of golf so the ball has to work for every speed or the pros simply wouldn’t play them. In the case of Titleist the difference in distance between their high end ball and low end ball at any swing speed is less than 4 yards! However their difference in spin for half wedge shots is over 3000 RPM. What this means is that the more expensive balls do not fly in the air much further despite your swing speed but they certainly spin more around the greens which will improve everyone’s scoring shots. If you are struggling with balls hitting the green and rolling past the pin then check which ball you are playing.


Another important difference in golf ball design is what the cover is made out of. Expensive balls such as the Titleist Prov1 are made of Urethane which provides a soft feel but tend to scuff up quicker than the less expensive alternative. Cheaper golf balls like a Titleist DT Solo have a Surlyn cover which is a harder compound but lasts longer. So if durability and price is more important than function then stick with the less expensive option.
Practice tip: When practicing your short game use the same brand and model of golf ball that you use on the course. Each ball model spins at different rates which means you will get different results even if you hit the shot exactly the same.


Cheers to good golfing!
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club


More information on the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club: http://www.golfbc.com/courses/arbutus_ridge
Golf Courses Vancouver Island, near Victoria, British Columbia Canada