Thoughts on Custom Fitted Equipment

     I was introduced to custom fitting in 1987 while serving as Education Chairman of my PGA Section. Twenty five years later I continue to emphasize the importance of properly fitted equipment to my students and customers.

     We have all heard the saying, "It's not the arrow, but the Indian", but I can assure you if you're playing with antiquated or ill-fitted equipment you're at a distinct disadvantage. No two players possess the same physical stature or swing characteristics so why would we assume they should be using the same equipment? It simply makes no sense. You wouldn't buy a suit off the rack without trying it on, nor should you invest in new equipment without being custom fit.

    At Golf Rx I only offer custom fitted golf equipment to my students and customers, and in my opinion this is the only way professional golf equipment should be sold.

Beware of buying clubs on the internet

Recently I have had customers bring clubs in for repair from Ping, Callaway and Taylor Made. After inspecting them and calling the manufacturers to check serial numbers I had to inform my customers they were counterfeit. They were now owners of useless junk with no recourse for getting their money back. Please beware of buying golf clubs on the internet. If it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.

Ready to invest in new clubs?

If you are considering investing in a new set of clubs make sure to get fitted by a PGA Professional. At Golf Rx we specialize in custom fitted golf equipment. In fact we don't sell off the rack sets. There are a number of reasons why we do this:

1. Custom fitted clubs are the same price as off the rack sets.
2. Custom fitted clubs will help you play better golf.
3. Your set make up can be customized so that you're only purchasing the clubs you really need.
4. You will receive your new custom fitted clubs in one week.
5. All factors including length, shaft type and flex, lie angle, grip size, driver loft and set make up will be customized.
6. All your information is on file so additional or replacement clubs will exactly match your existing set.
7. All major club brands offer custom fitted equipment to the golfing public.

You wouldn't buy a suit off the rack without trying it on. It doesn't make sense to invest in new clubs without being custom fit. Steve Kirkpatrick, owner and PGA Professional has over 25 years experience in custom fitting players. Call Golf Rx today to schedule your fitting. 

How to become a better putter

    Improving your putting is the fastest way to lower your scores.  To become a great putter you need to combine two skills - Distance and Direction. Most weekend players only focus on direction while disregarding the importance of distance.
    All great putters are excellent lag putters so practicing your distance control is imperative. Place tees at 30,40 & 50 feet away on the practice green and lag putt to each. Your goal should be to get within 4 feet of each tee.
    For short putts place 6 balls in a circle three feet from the hole. Later move back to 4 feet. On shorter putts place your weight on the balls of your feet and keep your head steady during the stroke. Resist coming out of your posture early by peeking at the hole.
     Putting is forty percent of your score so allocate your practice time to include more putting. Maintain a good attitude and realize that sometimes good putts don't go in. I will promise you by investing in proper practice your skills will increase, your confidence will build and your putting will improve.

How long should your backswing be?

       One of the most common problems I see with many weekend players is a too long backswing. I say problem because it contributes to so many mis-hits and errant shots. Most of my students don't realize how far they are taking the club back until they see it on video.
       So how long should your backswing be? It depends on a number of factors. Your build and body type have considerable influence. Are you stocky and thick chested or tall and slim? The slimmer person naturally will have a longer swing because he has less body mass for his arms to swing around. Are you young and supple or older with less flexibility? These things are determined based on your body type and flexibility. Besides stretching there isn't a whole lot else you can do about it.

What you can do is determine the correct backswing length for you. Here is the drill I use with my students  and it isn't difficult to do. Simply take your adddress position with a middle iron. Then while maintaining your posture hinge your wrists where your thumbs and forearms join moving the shaft and clubhead upward toward your head. Then turn your shoulders to the right while maintaining your spine angle.
     Your arms and the clubhead will now be at their correct backswing length. Do this facing a full length mirror and you'll be surprised that in almost all cases the shaft will be well short of parallel. 
Practice this until the new position begins to feel more comfortable, then hit some balls starting with short irons. You'll soon be hitting more solid and straighter shots with no loss of distance.

New Adams Tight Lies have arrived

The new Adams Tight Lies Fairway Woods are now available at Golf Rx. Adams Golf has brought back one of the most popular fairway wood designs of all time. These clubs feature a very shallow face and radius sole for extreme forgiveness off tight lies making it very easy to get the ball in the air with a fairway wood.
Adams has implemented their slotline technology in their new design for even faster ball speed and increased distance. Come try one out today at Golf Rx. 

Save on lessons the month of August

    Now is a great time to save money on golf instruction. During the month of August choose to save $20.00 on a four lesson package, or save $40.00 on a six lesson package at Golf Rx. Steve offers both indoor and outdoor instruction with the use of V1 Digital Video for each student.  
     Steve was named the 192 Teacher of the Year in the Georgia PGA Central Chapter, and has over 25 years of experience in working with students of all levels. He has also written three instructional books and has been featured in PGA Magazine, Tee Times Magazine and The Wall Street Journal.
     Steve's teaching methodology is to treat each student as an individual. His teaching sessions are fun and easy to understand and are done in a relaxing atmosphere. Steve is a big supporter of video in his lessons because pictures do not lie. It is much easier for students to see their mistakes on film than to hear about them Steve also uses teaching aids whenever possible to help the student feel the correct movement.
    His number one rule is not to confuse a student with too much information at once. He identifies the biggest fault and corrects that first.
      Call or come by today to schedule your lesson with Steve at Golf Rx.