Mizuno ST-Z and ST-X Drivers with Mizuno’s Product Lead Chris Voshall!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
It’s the time of the year for the 2021 Mizuno Driver launch – I cannot wait!
Every year around the PGA Show in Orlando, Mizuno launches their new Driver Line- This year, because of the Covid 19 pandemic, there will be no show, and we will have to slobber vicariously or virtually ( whichever one suits you!) No matter – I cannot wait to try these new “Big Sticks” as Mizuno drivers have gotten better and better over the last 3 years. Traditionally, they have lagged behind in technology and manufacturing in the iron line, but no longer. – Look at these beauties!
According to Chris Voshall, product lead at Mizuno, USA, Chris gives us the low-down on these latest models. You’re welcome!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Worn-out groves on your irons are a telltale sign to look for with your irons.
When is it time?
It would be quite expensive to buy new clubs every time new (and “better”) equipment hits the market. You’d also only see marginal gains from your equipment year-over-year, so it may not be the best use of your money. On the flip side, however, if you let years and decades pass without upgrading equipment, you’re undoubtedly missing out on improved technology that could help your scores.
So, when is the right time to switch to new equipment?
Even outdated equipment will affect your distance and accuracy!
The absolute best way to know for sure is to consult with a professional fitting expert to evaluate your current setup. I can’t recommend this enough. Still, I understand that many golfers won’t go through the complete process for varying reasons, which is why, for this article, I’ve enlisted the help of David McKee, the production manager at GOLF.com’s sister company True Spec Golf. He’s a longtime expert in the field of club building and fitting. Together, we’ve compiled 5 telltale signs that it’s time for an equipment upgrade.
Note: Some performance issues can be fixed by changing out shafts for something that fits better or using lead tape to shift CG (center of gravity). This article is for clubs that are beyond simple fixes.
1) Too much spin
Whether it’s with your driver or irons, having too much spin on your golf ball during flight can have negative effects. Launching the ball high can be helpful, but too much spin will make the ball balloon in the air, losing distance and control in the wind.
For those reasons, most new golf equipment technology is designed to increase height but lower spin. So, if you’re playing with a driver from the mid-2010s or earlier, or irons from last decade, it’s likely that you’re costing yourself distance and control.
If under relatively dry course conditions, your drives hit the fairway and stop quickly without rolling out, your ball is probably spinning too much. Also, if your irons seem to float too much in the air and you’re constantly coming up short of your expected distances, too much spin could be the culprit. In these cases, newer low-spin technologies could be beneficial.
2) Not enough height
Do your drives barely get off the ground, with more of a line-drive flight than a towering moon shot? Are your irons hitting the greens and bounding over the back?
If this is the case, you’re giving up distance and distance control. Penetrating ball flights can be helpful in super windy conditions, but hitting the ball too low can be detrimental in the long run. Every year, new technologies hit the market that help golfers hit the ball higher. If you’re a golfer who hits the ball too low and you’re playing with older golf equipment, new equipment can likely be a game-changer. By launching the ball higher into the air, you could gain distance off the tee and control with your irons.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Nothing is more exciting for a golfer than to walk to the first tee with a new set of clubs! It’s like starting all over again – the slate is wiped clean. The old clubs with their bad mojo are a thing of the past! Hope springs eternal! Well, here is your chance to get a look at all the new irons in 2019 before you buy. Brought to you by PGA.com. No drooling, please!
The best new irons for the 2019 golf season include new technologies, better materials, and advanced performance to help you feel more confident, dial in your needs, and lower your scores! In the Market for some new Irons? To save money, use the equipment Value Guide on PGA.com to get money back for your old irons to help purchase new ones!
Mizuno Hot Metal Irons are literally the “hottest” irons on the market right now. With their multi-metal technology, the ball literally screams off the clubface.
Mizuno Hot Metal irons are the longest irons I have ever played. Dennis Space. Pawleys Island, SC. A happy Mizuno Hot Metal user.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I have personally put the Callaway Supersoft golf ball in my bag, and I am currently testing to see whether this ball will make a difference to my game. I certainly like the feel, but I am unsure if this ball is right for me with a 100 mph clubhead speed. When I visit the PGA Merchandise Show later this month, and will personally talk to Callaway to get their thoughts on the subject of the “Soft Revolution.” Watch this site for my report back in early February! Thanks to Andrew Tursky of GolfWRX for this interesting article!
The Calloway Chromesoft is just one of many softballs on the market today.
Everything you need to know about Callaway’s new SuperSoft golf balls
In 2014, Callaway launched its SuperSoft golf balls. The two-piece design had an insanely low compression, yet our testing showed it was not just another soft-feeling ball. “It could be one of the best non-premium balls for golfers with slower clubhead speeds,” our reviewer Kane Cochran said.
When Callaway did market research on what golfers thought about the feel and the greenside spin of its SuperSoft golf balls, the results showed that 74 percent of golfers thought the feel was “just right.” Only 58 percent of golfers answered the same way about greenside control, however.
That’s why the new SuperSoft golf balls are made with a new “Tri-Ionomer” cover, which Callaway says gives the balls both a softer feel and more spin around the greens.
How much more spin are we talking about? On a 40-yard shot, Callaway testing showed the 2017 version of the SuperSoft launched with 5035 rpm of spin, while the 2015 version launched with 4950 rpm of spin. It’s change that Callaway’s Senior Director of Golf Ball R&D Dave Bartels says golfers should notice.
Is the Shaft in your Driver the Right One for You?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The Right Shaft to maximize your Distance.
Trying to get the right shaft flex to maximize your driving distance and accuracy is a complicated business. However, we have launch Monitors like Trackman, FlightScope and GC2 to make our job a whole lot easier. Factors to consider. Clubhead speed, shaft flex, shaft type, shaft weight, shaft length, launch angle, ball speed and total carry distance. So to say I swing at 100 mph will not help. Unless I take all these other factors into consideration. Randy of Fried Eggs Golf tries to help, but you need to see a club-fitter in the final analysis and be prepared to spend a couple of hours testing to come up with something close to what you need. As this is a tiring process, you may want to split it up into two days instead of trying to fit in all in one day! Good hunting!
It’s experiment time… I use a Ping G driver and three Alta 55 shafts in Stiff, Regular, and Senior to see how flex affects ball-flight.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Getting a Correct Clubfitting these days is like having a suit fitted.
There is nothing worse than a poorly fitting suit, and likewise, a poorly fitted set of golf clubs (usually clubs bought off the rack) will make your game feel very uncomfortable. Clubfitting has become popular in the past 10 years as the process becomes more and more user-friendly and much more accurate. A good clubfitter will use several computerized tools to help him determine the specs required to match the clubs best suited to your unique swing. Thanks to Mike Stachura of Golf Digest for providing this very educational list!
Being fitted by a professional club-fitter can make a huge difference to your game!
The 9 Important Steps to a Correct Clubfitting.
If you haven’t noticed, custom clubfitting has become more ubiquitous than craft breweries. As more equipment companies offer drivers with dozens of settings and bouquets of custom shafts, the golf consumer is at once tempted and swept away by a cornucopia of confusing choices. As Jason Fryia, owner of six Golf Exchange stores in Ohio and Kentucky, explains, “I don’t think golf equipment is a self-shoppable product.”
Fortunately, every golf shop, from the 50,000-square-foot megastores to the corner shops one-fiftieth the size, is increasingly equipped with expert fitters divining the right heads, lofts and lengths with a wisdom that encompasses club technology, instruction ideas and even good, old-fashioned people skills. In our fourth listing of America’s 100 Best Clubfitters, we highlight the top facilities in the country that expertly bridge this marriage of art and science, and we offer some of their wisdom to prepare you to embrace the benefits of clubfitting.
1. How to prepare for a club-fitting.
Randall Doucette, a master clubfitter for the Marriott Golf Academy in Orlando, says to approach a clubfitting with an open mind. If you have a swing coach, Doucette says to get a tune-up before going for a fitting. “Come to the fitting with notes on what you’re working on and where you want to get to,” he says. You also should come to the fitting with your current clubs. This gives you and your fitter a baseline for comparing other clubs. Also, Doucette says every good fitting requires patience. “There’s no need for anxiety and nervous tension. We’re here to make you better.”—Keely Levins
2. Why getting fit once is not enough.
One myth about clubfitting is that it’s like buying a tailored suit: Get fit once, and use those specs for life. But that thinking is off base, according to Dan Sueltz of D’Lance Golf Performance Center in Englewood, Colo. Sueltz says avid golfers should be fit every two years. “A lot of things can change in that time,” Sueltz says. “You might experience changes in strength, flexibility, reflexes or have an injury. Your swing might become steeper or shallower, etc.” People also need to realize different manufacturers might have a different specification for length or lie angle. So the fitting you get for one brand might not apply to another one. —E. Michael Johnson
3. Finding the right driver isn’t only about swing speed.
Swing speed can be a starting point. But the best fitters want to see how you’re hitting the ball. If impacts are across the face, for example, you can bet a large, highly stable driver is best for you. Even if you swing it faster than Bubba Watson in a bad mood. The right driver is also about how to distibute the weight within the head. Knowing how drivers differ or how that weight can be tweaked can improve how far you hit the ball and how well you square the clubface.
Says Woody Lashen of Pete’s Golf in Mineola, N.Y.: “Finding a driver with the correct center of gravity for the player, whether it’s forward, back or toward the heel, can change the person’s game. For example, a relatively straight hitter who is spinning the ball too much. Even if he doesn’t swing very fast, he can gain tremendous distance with a driver that will spin the ball less.” —Mike Stachura
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
This was definitely an “egg on your face” moment for Wilson Staff designers when they were notified by the USGA that their new Wilson Triton Driver, the winner of the “Driver vs. Driver” Competition on the Golf Channel, was non-conforming! There was definitely a rush to market after the show, and Wilson did not do their due diligence. However, Wilson has assured all customers who purchased the non-conforming drivers that a) they will be replaced with a conforming driver and b) they will be given a box of Wilson Staff Duo golf balls for their trouble. Lesson learned – make sure you have your letter from the USGA before you put your product in the retail stores! Thanks to David Dusek of Golfweek Mag for this very relevant article! Very Good Job, Guys!
The club that won the Golf Channel’s “Driver vs. Driver” contest was deemed non-conforming by the USGA, but Wilson is fixing the Staff Triton and promises to make it legal for golfers to use.
All the Rage – Single Length Golf Clubs – Are they for you?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
British PGA member Mark Crossfield has been reviewing clubs for quite a while now on youtube. I have always enjoyed his reviews because he exhibits such a sense of wonder that you believe each club review must be his first! That makes me want to watch just to see what happens. In this video, Mark tests out the single-length King Cobra clubs, and plus, he provides his review on-course, something different that I found intriguing. Thank you so much for sharing, Mark.
Cobra One Length Forged Irons reviewed and tested by Mark Crossfield PGA professional. Mark hits and tests the new Cobra King One Length irons and talks about how they might help your golf game. With a gap testing and on course real review this is the ultimate test for the new idea from Cobra golf and used by PGA tour Player Bryson DeChambeau.
There is a golf ball out there for you – Find out which one!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
With all the golf ball choices out there in the marketplace right now, how do you know which golf ball is right for you?
Today GOLF has taken all the guesswork out of the equation for you. After testing hundreds of golf balls with almost every brand on the market, they have come up with the longest ball in three different price ranges and three different swing speeds. If this data doesn’t help you choose a ball for your swing, I don’t know what will!
Thanks for watching – There is a golf ball out there for you – Find out which one! This should make your choice easy. I know which one I’ll be playing in the future.
Putter with floating face technology gives you 3 different feel choices!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Great news! The Mel Sole Golf School is now an official store for Sentio Golf!
We have putters in stock and ready to take your orders! The new Sentio putters have floating face technology, which means the putter face is separated from the main body of the putter by a thermoplastic elastomer core. This allows the golfer to choose the feel they want, soft, medium, or firm. We can do any length you want and can adjust the lie angle to suit your stroke. If you want a free fitting, just contact the golf school at 1-800-624-4653. We would be happy to set up a putting lesson as well if you wish. Visit the Mel Sole Golf School website for lesson fees.
Sentio Golf.
Sentio Golf, which made its debut at the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show, announced today that its Sierra 101 line of putters are available for purchase on the company’s website, as well as in select retail shops.
The Acton, Massachusetts-based company’s patented floating face technology offers golfers a stainless steel putter face, which is separate from the rest of the head with a vibration-dampening thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) core, constructed through a process called insert molding.
Jim Varney, President of Sentio Golf, says the insert-molding process demands extremely tight manufacturing tolerances. Thus, Sentio’s putters are constructed at some of the highest dimensional standards in the industry. Varney also says that the TPE formulation process bonds the metal components while keeping them separate (thanks to the insert), softening the feel at impact.
The Sierra line includes three models, each with a color-coded translucent core. The cores each have a different durometer—or relative hardness—to the elastomer, affecting energy transfer, and thus feel.
101-Soft (green core): For players who usually prefer inserts or who regularly play on fast greens.
101-Medium (red core): For all-around conditions.
101-Firm (blue core): For fans of all-milled putters or those who play on slower greens.
