The Golf Lab

The New Golf Lab is ready for 2012. As one of our customers and friends, this is your introduction – and invitation. The New Golf Lab is unlike any golf shop in the world.

The New Golf Lab was designed to help serious players get better at golf.

This is our first attempt to tell the whole story with a complex document. In the near future, the links will be to video.

We combine cutting edge technology with expert analysis and instruction. Our specialties include clubfitting, motion analysis, balance, putting technique, putter fitting, mental game, green reading and course strategy. We are familiar with all current teaching and training theories.

The New Golf Lab is a resource for PGA Teaching professionals requiring support for specific coaching objectives. The New Golf Lab provides a high level of expertise across a range of disciplines. Teaching professionals coaching clients to their “next level” will find the Golf Lab a great partner in collaboration.

Golf Lab technology uncovers flaws in technique that are invisible to the eye. Complex electronic systems require investment, study and maintenance that is difficult for independent teaching professionals to manage. Access to the latest technology and support when required promotes student loyalty.

Our signature service is “Technology Day for Golfers”. Technology Day combines three hours of diagnosis in private sessions – motion analysis, putting and club fitting – with another hour of immediate diagnosis and recommendations for a complete improvement program. There is no better way to receive a complete analysis of your talent, technique and technology – and get it done in half a day.

(Click here for more information on Technology Day.)

Golf Lab Professional Staff

Golf Lab professional staff is deeply experienced and highly qualified.

Leith Anderson was selected by Golf Digest Magazine as “Top 100 Clubfitter” in America. He is the only “Top 100 Clubfitter” in Northern California. Leith founded the Golf Lab ten years ago. He has fitted 5000 golfers – and built 10,000 custom clubs. Clients include amateur state champions and Tour players.

John Ruark (JR) is a pioneer short game teacher and coach. He uses the Focus Band to understand and perfect the pre-shot routine. The Focus Band detects when a player is “in the zone” by reading brain waves. (That sounds exotic, but EKG has been around for years.) One PGA Tour player turned his career around and credits the Focus Band. John covers a range of disciplines: putter fitting, Science and Motion Putt Lab analysis and alternative putting styles including a specialty with long putters.

John Taylor (JT) is a retired Physiology professor. His passion is understanding the golf swing utilizing the K-Vest 3D Motion Capture System. The K-Vest reveals details of the swing undetectable by other methods. John is certified in four disciplines by the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) including Golf Biomechanics and Junior Coach. He uses TPI functional movement tests to show how restrictions in range of motion determine a player’s ability to swing a club. No practitioner in Northern California holds more certifications. John’s passion is helping junior golfers get the most benefit from their practice time.

Golf Lab services are easy to schedule. Bob Pegram is our “Concierge”. He can be reached at the office during business hours. Bob is your first contact for any questions. He schedules follow-up phone calls that require direct contact with Golf Lab staff. Golf Lab office: (650) 654-1770. Email:  bobpgolf@dslextreme.com

The Golf Lab is building a state of the art customer communication system. We are committed to making sure that our clients get only the information that they want, the way they want it, when they want it. We need your help for that. If you have not registered your interests, please follow this link and we’ll get your interests programmed into Salesforce.com. (link available soon)

For customers who want to stay in touch – but don’t want frequent email – we’re adding a “monthly digest”. If just one email is enough golf for a month, send Bob Pegram a personal email and he’ll sign you up.

The Golf Lab is a Unique Learning Environment

The Golf Lab designed and built the only professionally engineered 2,000 square foot putting surface in the world. The Golf Lab indoor “green” is the perfect environment to hone putting technique and green reading skills. Indoor training on a consistent surface eliminates the frustration induced by natural greens and distracting environmental conditions.

This is what the putting surface looks like.

Our teaching stations are “over the top”. Nine video screens, a force plate and Flightscope radar launch monitor combine for a view of the swing motion that is unique.

Clubfitting is a specialty. The “next generation” of clubfitting technology employs radar to look at the player and the club just prior to impact. Radar is revolutionary for clubfitting. If you have not been fitted with radar, you should schedule an update.

Here is Leith at his clubfitting station.

On-Site Functional Workshop

Golf clubs require tweaking and maintenance. We built a complete clubmaking shop at the New Golf Lab. A Golf Lab fitting starts with optimizing a player’s own clubs. The on-site workshop permits immediate modifications to adjust length, weight, grip size, lie angle, face angle and balance. Improved performance is just as likely to come from modifying a player’s own clubs as from buying new clubs.

Club maintenance – regripping and loft and lie checks can be scheduled with any Golf Lab fitting service or “while you wait”.

Golf Equipment

Every year, one or two golf club models – out of hundreds – gain recognition for appearance or performance.

We like those.

We specialize in custom built irons – Miura, Vega, Mizuno, Playable Classics, Adams and venerable castings – in that order.

We go deep with long range fairway clubs. That covers traditional “woods” and many models of hybrids. The easiest upgrade in a player’s bag is between his three wood and five iron.

Putters are easy at the Golf Lab. Improvements in your putting are just as likely to come from modifying your own putter to fit you as from buying a new putter. If you need a new putter, there is nothing better than having a putter built for you. Edel is our choice for custom built putters.

We tolerate drivers. Our preference is the Taylor Made line – vintage 2009. The advantage of that year is they are easily adjustable for loft, face angle and weight. Those are the variables that matter in driver fitting.

Above all, we believe that golf clubs should always be tested outdoors, preferably on your own golf course.

Iron Head Choices

We specialize in Japanese boutique foundries. Our deepest relationships are with Miura and Kyoei. If you are buying new, you can’t do better.

That’s expensive. The key to performance in irons is the fit, the quality of the shaft and the build. When Mr. Miura visited the Golf Lab he recommended classic Hogan, MacGregor and Wilson forgings from the 50’s and 60’s as comparable to his own. “Playable Classics” from the past are a great alternative – when rebuilt to modern standards.

Our showroom is a forged iron museum. Our collection includes over 300 sets of forged irons – all carefully chosen “Playable Classics”- the best styles from the top manufacturers at their peak. The Golf Lab offers the best forged irons from the last 60 years.

Here’s a picture of our showroom.

 

Product Strategy: Range in Price, Not Quality

We don’t believe in mass-produced golf clubs that go out of style in six months. We don’t believe in “quality levels”. Every Golf Lab club is built to the highest quality standards.

Our price points cover the spectrum for custom built irons.

Top quality Japanese forged irons – Miura and Vega – hand built to specification with premium shafts are $250 per club.

Top quality forged irons from Mizuno, Adams and our collection of “Playable Classics”, hand built to specification with premium shafts are $150 per club.

Top quality cast irons hand built to specification with premium shafts are $95. The only difference in our irons is the value of the heads. We have a great collection of well-designed cast models that cover the spectrum of playing ability. The Golf Lab builds the very best $95 irons in the world.

New Irons?

Ten years’ experience gives us the confidence to leave the confines of the “conventional wisdom” of clubmaking. Leith and David tested the boundaries of accepted practice – and then stepped over the line. We discovered a new way to build irons – combining lightweight graphite shafts with an ultra-forgiving forged head from a famous Japanese foundry. The finishing touch is balancing each club with internal counterweights.

We have each played dozens of iron sets. We agree that our current set is the best we’ve ever played. Think about that.

This may seem like a low-key way to announce a surprising discovery. Why not combine formerly unobtainable lightweight graphite shafts for irons with an extreme “game improvement” forged head and then tweak the consistency, ball flight and feel with counterweights? We wanted different results so it made sense to try a different combination of parts.

No point making a big deal of this. No one will believe it. If four or five curious customers a week make their way to a Golf Lab Iron Fitting we’ll be fully occupied for the next several months.

Here’s a link to a story about that discovery.

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2011/12/06/the-best-irons-ever/

High Performance Demo Program

One thing became clear during our courtship with lightweight shafts and game improvement forged iron heads – no one would ever believe the story enough to actually buy a set.

So we decided to build six sets – each with slightly different specifications.

If you’re going to buy an expensive set of irons – it inspires a lot of confidence to take a test set to your course for a week – or every combination – in a month.

That method works.

Complete set testing works for strong players trying to choose between X-100 and all the competitors.

Or, juniors trying to decide among several credible lightweight options. It’s easy to find the most compatible on the course with a full set in the bag.

Why settle for a “six iron fitting?”

For more information on our High Performance Demo Program, follow this link:

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2011/12/06/golf-club-testing-and-demo-programs/

On-Course Clubfitting

The ultimate clubfitting starts with a round of golf with your clubfitter.

Leith Anderson spends “Mornings at the Muni” to connect with customers. Nine holes and breakfast. A perfect way to see how a player uses his tools.

Sunday mornings are open for 18 holes.

In deference to the weather, we’re deferring Mornings at the Muni until the second week in January. The new season is just 30 days away.

If you would like to play with Leith – Bob Pegram will handle the reservation (650-654-1770).

For more information about on-course clubfitting, follow this link:

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2011/12/06/golf-lab-clubfitting-philosophy-and-services/

Thanks for reading this far. Here’s the payoff:

Every once in a while, an extraordinary product comes along. I’ve been hinting about the Vega VC-03.

Last year, Vega produced a special run of the VC-03 irons. They were labeled “1st Prototype”. They only made 50 sets.

The finish is the “Rough Grind” only available from Vega. It is the grind that “shows the wheel”. It is infinitely more difficult to accomplish than a standard smooth grind.

The cavities on this run of 03’s were left with the raw milling marks. The finish is black. This is what they look like:

  

Alas, the run was sold out quickly. Five Golf Lab customers received “Black 03’s”. To make things plain, I think that this is the very best iron set in the world – for a combination of looks and performance.

Vega was notified that the 25 sets that were reserved for the Asian market did not sell out. I bought the nine sets that were left over. They are now available to Golf Lab customers.

If you want to buy yourself the world’s best Christmas present for golfers, I’m offering the last few sets of First Prototypes in the world, raw grind, for the same price as standard, satin finish heads. $250 per club.

Out of every iron head model in the world, this is the one that I think is not only the best for functionality, but also the most unique for finish.  50 sets made worldwide.

Next Steps

Our goal with the New Golf Lab was to create a community resource for the Bay Area that covers the spectrum of interest in golf. We want “customers for life”.

We’ve done our best to build the Golf Lab.

Book a time and get acquainted with the New Golf Lab.

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang: David, JR, JT, Clint, Dian, Joel and Bob.