The rules are changing… We’ve been having lots of discussions in the Match & Handicap committee and in the Staffordshire PGA committee about the new changes to the Rules of Golf which are due to be implemented in just over 5 weeks’ time. There’s a whole host of changes coming, like 3 minutes to search for a ball instead of 5, and some terminology is altering as well, for example “Water Hazards’ are now ‘Penalty Areas'. The R&A have published a list of the 20 most important changes and we’re creating a folder in the shop with a page for each rule explaining it with diagrams and examples. It’s taking a while to do but should be finished after the weekend. As part of this process we’re learning all about the new rules so if you need any advice, come and have a look at the folder. We can also offer help, but remember the best advice is to look for the actual rule in print - too many golfers will believe what a low handicapper, or long established player says is the correct rule, but that can be dangerous as the player may recall a rule incorrectly. It’s going to take a little while for everyone to adapt and we’d all be well advised to visit the R&A site and have a look at the videos and tools aimed at spreading the knowledge. Click here to find out more about the rule changes.
A driving success… There are two other main topics of conversation in the golf industry at the moment - one is the much-touted but little-anticipated pay-per-view match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The other is that we are witnessing an unprecedented era of driver performance. The new drivers from Srixon, Mizuno, PING, Callaway, Cobra and Titleist are phenomenal and many of the top players on tour are choosing to play whatever they want as they are out of contract which seems to have fuelled the manufacturers to pull out all the stops. Did you know? Every major on the men’s tour was won by a player without an equipment contract this year! Our driver fittings always involve a little coaching, or in some cases a lot of coaching and no fitting. I conducted a second fitting this week with a golfer who I had seen a couple of weeks ago and I’d suggested they came back after getting used to some changes we made to their set-up at the time. This week, they had implemented the slight change and this enabled us to dial in the perfect driver for them - a Srixon 785 with a heavier 44.45” Tour X shaft. The combination of club and set-up then enabled him to generate more clubhead speed with LESS physical effort. He went from a ball speed of 134mph with a slice and changed this into a solid, shapeless shot with a ball speed of 149mph!! Solid, repeatable, longer and more often in the fairway - that’s a win, win, win, win!
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