Every once in a while there comes a time to do something really different.

“Reconnect” with old customers and bring new customers to the Golf Lab.

The New Golf Lab is a “build it and they will come” dream.  We combined the latest technology with deep experience to completely change the way golf clubs are fitted – tested – built – and optimized.

Our on-site workshop enables multiple “tweaks” to golf clubs during a fitting session.  We compress several fitting and testing sessions into one.

Every week 2000 people read the Golf Equipment Chronicles and various Golf Lab emails.  We want to expand that audience though member referrals.

The New Golf Lab – Open and Running Smoothly

We created a unique environment and recruited a team of teachers to help players get better at golf – faster.  Shake-down is over.

Our method is unmatched for personal, professional attention.  Our goal is to get immediate results.

We kept the full team together while we built the New Golf Lab.  Bob Pegram on the sales desk, Clint Smith in the workshop, Joel Whittom for eBay sales, Leith Anderson on the tee line, John Ruark on the green, John Taylor for motion analysis.  We’re ready to handle any challenge.

Free Driver Fitting or Putter Optimization for you and two friends

This is an offer you should not refuse:  

1. Free Driver Optimization Fitting (1 hour), or a 

2. Free Edel Putter Fitting and Overall Putting Checkup (1 hour), 

for any Golf Lab customer who will work with us to make two referrals.

Two referrals for your playing partners – they’re for free fittings too.

John Ruark and I are going to make sure that you are amazed by your Golf Lab fitting experience.  Then, we’re going to do the same thing for two of your playing buddies – friends – or even a serious junior who needs a leg up.

Creating the Golf Lab “Family”

This method might sound a little crazy but we’re taking the next step in building the dream.  We’re looking for players who want to join up.  It’s easy.  Just book a free fitting with Leith or John.

We are intent on bringing meaningful experiences to Golf Lab customers.  We hosted Mr. Miura when he visited San Francisco and 40 Golf Lab customers – mostly Miura fans – met him.  On the technical side we’ve had John Johnson from Tour Lock and John Cranston from Balance-Certified.  Glen Coombs – the Putting Doctor – presented his methods.

Just a week ago, Jamie Pipes from UST spent two days fitting Golf Lab customers from his Tour Bag.  Then three players had a chance to play a round with him and share dinner.  Pretty cool.

In the next couple of weeks we’ve got Jason Goldsmith from True-Aim and Bobby Dean from Edel coming to town.  Bobby Dean is the key fitter at Edel Golf – individually responsible for fitting 350 putters a year – every year – since 2005.

Bobby is going to be here for three days. 

We’re planning to make that a unique visit.

The Next Big Dream – “Membership”

Now that we’ve found equilibrium with our new business model – based on nothing more than weekly emails to our current customer list – we’re ready to expand for the future.

The first step is to see how many “True Believers” are hidden in our customer list.

You can assume that “first choice” would be a benefit of membership.

You are invited to step up.

Book a fitting.  Prepare your referrals.

And Don’t Forget – “Morning at the Muni”

I’ve got one spot this Wednesday for “Morning at the Muni”.  Wheels up at 8 AM.  Finished by 10.  Then breakfast.  Back to work by 11.

Sunday at 1 PM.  Afternoon winds at Palo Alto are a challenge.  We’ll follow the round with dinner at Hans’ Korean in Palo Alto.  Nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon and evening.  You can even go to church.

Dutch treat all the way around.

Call Bob for reservations or information: 650-654-1770.

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and John Ruark

Just when I needed a good case study – Matt Kuchar wins the Player’s Championship playing 95 gram graphite shafts in his irons.

Winning PGA Tournaments with graphite shafts is a rare occurrence.  Very few Tour players have tried lightweight graphite shafts.  Why should they?  They’re playing well with True Temper heavy steel shafts that they grew up with.

There have been a couple of notable exceptions.  Johnny Miller won the Open at Oakmont in 1973 with Aldila prototype graphite shafts in his irons.  That round is recognized as one of the best ball-striking rounds of all time.  John Daly played UST graphite shafts in his irons when he won the British Open in 1995.  Big John is not the kind of player you’d expect to get serious about graphite.

Matt never would have tried Lightweight graphite on his own.  His father bought a new set of custom irons that came with Aerotech Steel Fiber shafts.  He thought they felt unusually good and handed them to Matt.  Matt tried them and was surprised.  He ordered a set.  He played Aerotech Steel Fibers the next weekend, finished second and went on to win the Money Title.  That’s the short version.

What caused Matt to try his father’s irons?  Who would think they would have anything in common?

Unlike most golfers who “know what they like” and don’t see much reason to change equipment, Matt was looking for that special edge.  Did that one day he tried his father’s irons make the difference?  Was that a coincidence?

Matt’s quick results demonstrate what my old friend Mitch Voges used to say about golf clubs.  “New golf clubs should be like new glasses.  When I buy new glasses, I see better right now.”

Brandt Snedeker was a winner with Steel Fibers earlier this year.  Dozens of Tour players at all levels are evaluating Aerotech Steel Fibers.  All of the major OEM Custom departments have either approved or are testing Aerotech Steel Fiber shafts.

Link to the Aerotech website: http://www.aerotechgolfshafts.com/

Link to Aerotech iron shafts: http://www.aerotechgolfshafts.com/irons.php

It won’t be long before Aerotech is represented in all the fitting carts.  After fifteen years, Aerotech is poised to become an “overnight success”.

Aerotech “under the covers” – what the Pros are Really Playing

Aerotech has been the dominant graphite shaft line for custom clubmakers for over ten years.  The reason is the extensive choice of weights and flexes that Aerotech offers.

With Aerotech, the unique designs that are the most interesting.  Aerotech is the only graphite shaft company that offers a broad range of “weight designed” shafts.

Tournament players favor traditional steel shaft designs that call for each shaft to be slightly heavier as they get shorter.  Each shaft then weighs the same when trimmed to playing length.  That’s “constant weight” for shafts.  The belief is that constant weight shafts make better sets.

The problem with constant weight shafts is complexity and cost.  Each set requires eight different shafts.  Sets have to be kept straight.  That’s a severe test for most golf club factories which is why “parallel tip” shafts were invented.

Manufacturing efficiency demanded parallel tip “blanks”.  All blanks are the same.  You cut half an inch off the tip for the three iron and keep going up the set.  Most graphite iron shafts are supplied as blanks – one size – and weight – fits all.

So it came to pass over the years that high quality sets for good players would continue to be made by the old method – strictly taper tip shafts for classic forged irons.

Parallel tip shafts came to be the “mass market option”.  Tapered was expensive and parallel was cheap.

That led to confusion about premium graphite iron shafts.  Since practically all graphite is manufactured on the parallel tip model there’s a tendency to distrust graphite quality.  Until now, mounting parallel tip shafts in forged heads required drilling the head to accommodate the shaft – an option that requires above average experience.

The golf world thought it needed a quality taper tip graphite shaft.

95 gram Constant Weight, Taper Tip Graphite

The Big Boys are playing taper tips.  Aerotech I95 Steel Fiber taper tip iron shafts were engineered and manufactured individually to a constant playing weight of 95 grams.

Link to more details on iron shafts: 

http://www.aerotechgolfshafts.com/steelfiber_iron.php

That solves the problem of the short irons feeling too light.  That is the most common complaint from most players testing lightweight graphite shafts.  It’s not that the shafts feel loose.  It’s that they feel too light.  They should, because a 95 gram parallel tip graphite shaft in an 8 iron might end up only be 85 grams trimmed to playing weight.  That’s good reason to wonder . . .

If you think you need heavy steel shafts – for whatever reason – ask yourself “why?”  If 95 grams is just right for Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker, why would that be too light for you?

And, if Tour Pros are playing 95 gram graphite shafts – doesn’t it also stand to reason that a normal amateur might do well with something lighter than that?  Maybe 80 or 70 grams?

So that’s the Big Bet.  Will changing your shafts help you win the Money Title?  No guarantee on that.  Will you play better with irons that are built differently from anything you’ve ever tried?  There’s only one way to find out.

Golf Lab High Performance Demo Program

We created a new way to test our theories.

It seemed doubtful that customers would be convinced by argument – or even a launch monitor – to buy a new set of irons that were totally different.

We built twenty sets of irons.  Each set is a “fantasy set”.  We combined the best of the Japanese boutique foundry forged iron heads with the latest graphite shafts – in weights from 70 grams to 125 grams.

Players wondering about shaft weights can check out demo sets of custom irons built with Aerotech Steel Fiber shafts in 70, 80, 95, 110 and 125 weights.  You can make a sure choice on shaft weight only one way:  hands-on testing on your own course hitting your own ball to familiar targets.

Of course we have the newly famous Aerotech 95 gram, constant weight, taper tip Steel Fiber shafts if you want to know exactly what Kuchar’s irons are like.

Heads include the best of the Japanese boutique foundries – Miura 501′s and the newest Passing Point.  From Vega we have the competition blades and the fabulous VC-03′s – chosen by most players as the best feeling, most forgiving forged head on the planet.

For players who like familiar names we have Mizuno and Adams.

It is no longer necessary to wonder about how your own fantasy set might play.  We probably have a set that’s close to your own Dream Set in our showroom.

Special Offer for Golf Lab “Members Only”

Assembling our extensive demo sets was a significant investment – but a necessary investment.  For the first time, players can test a full set of high performance irons under home course conditions.

I’m going with Mitch Voges – “play better right now”.

Many of our demo sets are valued up to $2000.  Our rental program is $300 for a month.  You can swap your set four times.  The rental fee does not apply to purchases – except for Golf Lab members who take schedule an “Iron shaft fitting” in the next week.

Golf Lab customers who book any fitting or fitting update this week receive one week of on-course experience free. That’s a $125 value.

Do your iron game a favor this week.  Book an update fitting and see what Matt Kuchar found out about Aerotech Steel Fiber shafts.

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang:  JR, JT, BP, CS, DT and Joel.

We’re easy to find.  If you’re coming down 101 from the north get off at Holly.  Pass the Holly exits to exit at Brittan.  Turn left at the light.  Turn right into the parking lot.  We’re first on the right.  One minute off 101.  Right across from Office Depot and the big Golfsmith Store.

First Step:  Find out what you’ve already got.

This was the week of the “coming back to golf” player.

The first thing you need to know before you buy new golf clubs is “How do our current clubs fit you – right now”.

Players coming back to golf should never buy new clubs before they start the journey.  The first step is to check what you’ve already got and see if your current club will take you to “your next level”.

Most of the time, a simple adjustment to length, lie angle, grip size or player’s attitude will make the clubs that you already have playable.

Players who are coming back to golf should never buy golf clubs for the player they are today.  Assume rapid progress.  The clubs you buy should be for the player that you will be.

It takes an hour to check your bag.  We hit your driver and six iron to benchmark performance.  We measure every club in your bag to make sure that they won’t hold you back.

We make any required adjustments – length, lie, new grips – while you wait.  Very efficient.

The very best advice for players coming back to golf is usually “Save your money for lessons.”

Clubfitting – the Most Important Factor is Length

“Standard” golf clubs are built for a “standard human being”.  What’s that?

For golf clubs, that means you’re 5’10″ tall.  If you put a yardstick on the ground and measure the distance to your wrist – 35″ is standard.

What if you’re 5’7″ tall and the distance from your wrist to floor is 33″?

What if you’re 5’1″ and your wrist to floor is 31″?

Does it make any sense that all players should be playing the same length clubs?

Clubs that are too long will force you to make unnatural compensations – and you end up with a poor swing.

If you’re wondering about your bag, drop in on Saturday.  We can measure your driver and irons in 15 minutes.  Drop in for your free check.

Distance comes from Head Speed, not Club Length

I had two appointments this week with players with brand new Taylor Made “RocketBalz” drivers.  They are coming in at over 46″.  Way too long for all but the strongest players.

The length makes it more difficult to store power for a late release.  Long clubs promote “hitting from the top” and slicing.  They don’t go farther either.

If you’re wondering about the correct length for your driver, the easiest way to find the right length is to test drivers with different length shafts.  Choose the one that yields the highest ball speed.  Way more important than shaft flex.

And if you want to know if the RocketBallz driver is for you – you don’t have to buy one to find out.  We added a RocketBallz driver head to our fitting system.  You can know for sure – before you buy.

Test the RocketBallz against your current driver.  Make sure it’s better before you buy one.

Fitting System Upgrade

For several years, we’ve focused on Nickent drivers for our driver fitting system.  Nickent was the first company to release the fittings that connect the shaft to the head.  That allowed us to create a driver shaft fitting system with over 100 shafts.

We’re moving our fitting system to Taylor Made.  There are several advantages:

First, any Golf Lab customer with a Taylor Made driver can use our complete library of shafts – most late Taylor Made models accept the same fitting.

Any Golf Lab customer playing a TM head can check out the best performing test shafts for real-life play – on your own course, with your own driver.  The ultimate test is to see your distances and control on your own course.

The new shaft fittings allow maximum changes to loft, lie and face angle.  It is now possible to fit a driver to a player’s swing in an entirely new dimension.

Measured face angle and true loft are now important fitting parameters.  Our Callaway Tour Gauge lets us make precise adjustments to loft and face angle.  Here’s the most important tool in our shop:

It does you no good to make random changes to your driver lie, face angle and loft.

Tolerances on driver heads are 2* each way.  A 9* driver can be 7* or 11*.

If you want to fit your driver to your swing, lie, face angle and true loft are just as important as shaft length, weigh and flex.

Bring your driver in this Saturday.  We’ll measure it so you at least know your starting point.

Putter Swap Meet this Saturday 3-5

We tried this a year ago and it was fun.

Even though we believe that Edel putters are the most advanced “putting instruments” – totally custom – adjustable for weight and loft – we still love every other kind of putter.

This Saturday from 3 to 5 we’ll open the floor for a Putter Swap Meet.  Leith will bring out his entire collection of over 50 putters – lots of classics.

Bring your own putters – to swap or sell to other Golf Lab customers.

If you have don’t want to take your collection home, we can liquidate it on eBay.

As a special offer for all players coming to the swap meet – we’ll run a free test on our Science and Motion (SAM) Putt Lab.

See you this Saturday.

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang.  JT, JR, BP, DT, JW, and Clint.

Over thirty Golf Lab customers took advantage of multiple opportunities to meet up with Jamie.  We worked with wedge shafts, performed driver shaft fittings, played golf and performed more driver shaft fittings.

Four players broke the code.  Jeff Segol, Dirk Godsey and Rick Kehr completed the foursome and returned to the Golf Lab for the launch monitor fitting after golf.  I have said this before – absolutely, positively the most accurate and efficient way to start a clubfitting is on the golf course.

The best information I can give any player is which clubs are performing so well that it doesn’t make any sense to challenge them.  If your current driver is performing within 2% of your potential, why waste time and money testing and buying drivers?  Focus on what’s most important – and exactly the clubs that have the most upside for your game.

Free On-Course Clubfitting – Mornings at the Muni

I made it a tradition to meet up with new customers at the Palo Alto Muni to play nine holes.  No charge.  “You just buy your own “Breakfast Special” for $32.  The Bay Café is the only place I know that serves a passable corned beef hash with poached eggs and San Francisco sourdough toast.  The perfect breakfast after breathing fresh air for two hours.

We then return to the Golf Lab to complete the fitting – knowing exactly what a player’s ball flight and consistency are on the golf course.  That allows me to zero in on exactly the clubs that will make the biggest difference.

Starting out with a morning at the Muni is the best way to complete a comprehensive clubfitting in a single day.

Some Golf Lab customers work for a living and can’t get away for the 8 AM Wednesday morning round.  I’m scheduling a Sunday round – in the afternoon for the first couple of weeks.  This is a good way for old customers to update their fitting.  Go to the course.  Come back to the Golf Lab.  If you have not been fitted with radar – you’re not playing with a full deck.

It doesn’t matter that it’s a Muni and it might be a slow round.  Who cares?  We’re out there to dawdle around, enjoy some conversation, hit a few extra practice shots.  Sunday afternoon at the Muni is a perfect pace of play for what we want to do.  Call Bob to reserve a spot this week or next.  (650) 654-1770.

Fitting for Torque – Jamie Pipes’ Tour Bag

Watching and listening to a Tour Fitter for two days was a great learning experience for the entire Golf Lab staff.  Here’s how fitting for torque works:

A player starts with his own driver to establish a benchmark.  We are interested in “ballistics” – ball speed, launch angle and spin rate – usually shortened to “speed, spin and launch”.

When we go “under the covers” with radar we find more useful information.  The radar records and remembers where each shot went.  That becomes the “shot grouping” display where each driver is compared for accuracy.  Radar also reveals the movement of the clubhead milliseconds before impact.  That reveals shaft performance by direct measurement.

We are early in the testing cycle.  Kaz Hoffman is still playing the UST VTS shaft in the “Black” (low torque) version.  If you plan to follow up launch monitor testing with range or on-course experience, we can supply the correct shafts and an interchangeable head.  Alternatively, we have the entire UST shaft line mounted on Taylor Made fittings so you can check out any UST shaft to hit with your own driver if you have a Taylor Made adjustable driver – all the way back to R9.

In the “Big Picture of Clubfitting”, my view is that fitting for torque is an interesting starting point.

Even for accomplished players who play other brands – it is good to know the torque value that produces the best results.  That would be valuable information to have before making a shaft choice.

I wanted more – and so did Jamie.  That’s where things got interesting.

The Concept of “Shaft Bend Profile”

For the last twenty years – graphite shafts have been pretty much the same.  They were designed to be “stiff in the butt” and then get gradually softer toward the tip – kind of like a fishing rod.

The Mitsubishi “Blue Board” driver shaft was a watershed product when it came out.  At one point, seven out of ten of the top players in the world were playing the same Blue Board.  That’s the closest thing to a Perfect Storm that’s ever happened in the golf business.  The Blue Board called attention to the “stiff tip” concept – key for Tour Players looking for control.

Mitsubishi took the concept of “bend profile” to the Bank.  The introduced the “Redboard” – designed with a stiff butt section and soft tip – ideal for players who need more spin and help getting the ball in the air.  They followed with the “Whiteboard” – a soft butt section and super stiff tip designed for the “dragger, dropper” (Sergio Garcia) style of swing that loads the shaft early.

The concept of “shaft fitting” started with Mitsubishi and their “Red, White and Blue” series.  For the first time accomplished amateurs could influence their ballistics with a driver shaft.  Since then, most of the refinements have been very subtle – too subtle to see or feel and measure in many cases.

“Too subtle to see or feel” presents a problem.  You have to trust the launch monitor to convince you that it’s worth it to go through a lengthy testing process.  What’s more boring than testing driver shafts?

How do you measure success?  Would it be that Kaz Hoffman has improved his “fairways hit” from 9 to 11 per round?  Do we believe that the reason is a low torque driver shaft?  How could anyone know?  We only know that looking at performance statistics – at whatever level of detail you can stand – is the only way to tell the difference between driver shafts – and any other golf club for that matter.

UST on the Rise

We should have expected that the best outcome would be unexpected.  I explained bend profiles to help explain the exciting part of UST’s shaft line.

UST is almost two companies.  There’s the Japanese headquarters and management.  That is the Mamiya side – one of the best of the Japanese shaft companies.  UST is also one of the major suppliers to the Mass Market – so they’re still going for those million piece orders.  The American interface is pure Texas.

The key ingredient in any company is innovation.  That’s where UST shines.

The first UST product that produced a spotlight success in the last couple of years is the Nunchuk – a Jerry Hogan invention marketed by Inventix.  We learned from Jamie that this version of the Nunchuk is actually the third time UST manufactured a shaft built to Hogan’s specifications.  We love the Nunchuk.  That’s another story.

The Nunchuk lead UST to hire Ralph Mann – the top independent engineer focused on the golf industry – to understand the science of energy flow down the shaft.  That led to some important breakthroughs in shaft design.

The one that stood out in testing with nearly every player last week was the Element.  It comes in three models.  Since you’re now up to date on what EI Curves look like, here is the “picture” of the three models of the new Element shaft.  Notice how the smooth slide now looks like a snake that swallowed a rabbit.

Every player who tested shafts for torque this weekend also tested the Element.  The Element was a shaft that every player could “feel”.  The Element came out the winner.

It is now in our driver shaft fitting system.

Upgraded Challenge for Driver Optimization and Shaft Fitting

Last week I made an unprecedented challenge in the clubfitting world. Guaranteed results or you don’t pay.  That challenge pertained to irons.  I’m expanding the challenge to the much more difficult world of improving driver performance.

Here’s the offer:  I will test your driver to establish a benchmark and make sure that the “ballistics” are within acceptable ranges.  Assuming that your driver is producing “correct” numbers – I might modify the length – longer or shorter – the balance – heavier or lighter and add the magic “Accurizer” in the handle.  We’ll hit another series of shots.

Your driver will go farther, straighter or both.  Your “smash factor” will go up.  Your spin rate will come down.  You will see and feel improved performance.  You will smile.

From there, we “test the extremes”.  From experience, I know that no current driver beats the trusty old Taylor Made R9 for technology.  We test lighter and heavier shafts with different flex profiles.  We watch the radar graphs.  We find the shaft that works the best from direct measurement of the shaft – not by looking at the ball and guessing “why?”

The performance of your current driver will be optimized and we will test it against the best competition.  If you are leaving yards on the tee, you will know how many.

You will also know the best that current technology can deliver.

1.5 hours.  $150.  Better measured performance improvement – guaranteed.

“Rhythm of the Week”

The “New Golf Lab” is really a startup.  Much more complicated than the old place.  Organizing collaboration.  Creating a weekly schedule.  Getting the word out.

Our communication is beginning to make sense.  This is the “Tuesday Update” (an experiment) to bring local customers up to date on what’s happening in the next few days.  All emails are archived on the Golf Lab Blog.  Go here to follow the history of our emails most recent first.  Please send this link to your friends.  http://calgolflab.com/blog/dashboard/ .

Call in.  Refer your friends.  We need the business.

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang.

The Golf Lab is known for “testing the extremes”. Over the years, our major success in building high performance golf clubs has been for women. Golf Lab clubs have helped win State, Junior and City Championships for some very good players.

It’s a simple fact. Weight matters more for women than for men.

Big improvements are not reserved for tournament players. Normal golfers make golf more difficult than necessary by playing with clubs that are too long and too heavy.

That goes double for wedges and putters.

We have some special offers for women this week only. (Please bring your playing partner and It’s OK if he’s your husband.)

Iron Shaft Weight Breakthrough – Matrix 49 gram shafts

We finished testing the brand new Matrix Radix 40 gram shafts. That might not mean much to players who are not well-versed on the relative weight of the parts of her golf clubs – grip, shaft and head. But 40 gram iron shafts have never been available before. They are the first ultra-light iron shafts that are strong enough to be serious. Until now, all ultra-lightweight shafts have been soft as spaghetti.

Our first fitting was Melanie last Friday. She is a long-time Golf Lab customer who bought her irons five years ago. They are still in her bag. Her irons are state of the art from back then. Shafts are the venerable Nippon 850 – still the best 90 gram steel shaft. Her iron heads are Mizuno 23′s – still a good game improvement model.

We tested the extreme. We shaved another half inch off of the length and mounted a 40 gram Matrix Radix shaft.

BANG!! Ten yards of carry distance. New shafts for the Mizunos.

What happened? We changed the relationship between Melanie and her irons. The lighter weight and shorter length allowed her to change her swing to a more powerful, precise, descending blow – something she couldn’t make happen with her old clubs. The new shafts gave here the strength to make the swing she always wanted to make – but couldn’t because the clubs were too long and too heavy.

Second Most Important Breakthrough – Wedge Shafts

There’s another club in most womens’ bags that will benefit from a quick out-patient procedure. Your wedges. If they have steel shafts – they are surely too heavy. If you bought them “off the rack” – it is a sure thing that they are too long.

Combine all that with a grip that fits your and lets you choke up comfortably and you’ll see your wedge game improve immediately.

We always look at your wedges when we do a shaft fitting.

Don’t Forget Your Putter

John Ruark has distinguished himself over the last many years as a serious student of putting and the short game. He became a fabulous putting teacher. You will probably find that the most significant thing you can do to lower your scores is to improve your putting.

In an hour and a half, John will give you a thorough introduction to “The Science of Putting” – in very simple terms. You’ll work on your setup to make sure you’re in the best position to make a repeatable stroke. He’ll work on tempo – making sure to take the “hit” out of your putt.

He’ll check your aim with our Edel Fitting system. He’ll check your stroke with the Science and Motion Putt Lab. Finally, he’ll introduce the concept of thought control to enhance your pre-shot routine.

A good way to book a John Ruark session is to come with one of your favorite playing partners. A coach with a good eye is important. Working together with a strong technical foundation is the best way to improve your putting. Better putting is a long-term project.

Book a Shaft Fitting and “Introduction to Putting” this week. “Two for One” pricing. Two sessions, for two people – just $150.

If you have any questions and would like to talk by telephone first, please schedule a time with Bob Pegram (650) 654-1770.

Best Regards, Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang: JT, JR, Clint, Dian and Joel.

This is an exciting moment for me.

I’m a storyteller. I love golf equipment and playing the game. The “Golf Equipment Chronicles” covered the evolution of custom clubs and clubfitting from 2002-2009. That contemporary history is preserved on the original Golf Lab website: www.calgolftech.com.

Video is the communication medium of the future – so we are told.

Tim Tucker has an interesting story. He applied experience from years of competitive golf and clubfitting to bring a new idea to market. As an Edel putter fitter, he knew that alignment marks on top of a putter can help a player aim. Why not drivers?

He created a series of decals that go on top of a player’s driver. In testing, one or more of the shapes appears to go straighter than the others. You put that shape on your driver. You hit straighter drives. The company is called True Aim Alignment Decals.

Tim was on the tee line at the Nationwide event last week in Hayward. He came to the Golf Lab one rainy afternoon to tell the True Aim story on video. If you want to know “why” – you can hear from the inventor himself. Please have a look and send me your evaluation. That will contribute to the evolution of our video skills. leithander@gmail.com.

Tim Tucker TrueAim Video

Chapter Two – On Tour with True Aim – Sean Foley Endorsement

I wanted to know more about what it was like to be out on Tour. Tim and his partner Jason Goldsmith were on the tee line at every PGA Tour event on the West Coast Swing. What was that like?

Here’s another five minutes that covers early adopters, reception on Tour and Sean Foley. Is that a good hook?

Tim Tucker TrueAim on Tour Video

Golf Lab Communication Strategy

I need some advice.

If I had to write the True Aim story it would never happen. Writing the story in depth would take twenty-four hours. It wouldn’t be as good as the video. You can see Tim’s passion. It’s impossible to write passion. Video brings a story to life that would never be told.

The same goes for golf equipment reviews. What can you say in three paragraphs with two pictures? Boring.

I think I’m going to have a lot of fun doing video reviews of golf equipment. Not boring.

Please spend a few minutes reviewing and critiquing the videos.

Why am I begging? I’m worried.

Over the last few months we have sent quite a few emails with video links. Our email management program, Constant Contact, informs us if a reader “opens” the message. It also keeps track of “click throughs”. The percentage of readers who click through to linked videos is very small – well under 10%. That is a disconcerting reality for a guy who has spent a year “perfecting” video – thinking that it was surely the medium of the future.

Did we all get that wrong?

Is the YouTube video mania destined to subside like every other fad?

Inquiring minds . . .

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang, JT, JR, Bob P, Dian T, Joel W, Clint S.

Tim spent a day at the Golf Lab while the Nationwide Tour was in in Hayward. He has been following the PGA Tour since the beginning of the year. One eye witness on the driving range reported players walking by saying “that was unbelievable”.

Look for our video blog interview with Tim Tucker on Monday.  We’re telling our stories at the “next level”.  We’ve been working on creating the video blog for over a year so this is an exciting time.  When the email arrives on Monday, please have a look.

Accurizing Your Driver – Stage Four

I don’t need to repeat what I said about the Accurizer over the last month. It works.

After we get the best True Aim decal pattern, we add the Accurizer. There’s only one more thing to do – hit the driver – compare performance. We let Flightscope be the judge.

If you missed the detailed Accurizer story, here are two links to the background story.

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2012/03/26/golf-lab-saturday-special-measure-and-adjust-your-driver-accurizer-update/

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2012/03/26/balance-certified-accurizer-or-tour-lock-optivibe/

The Guarantee

Book Your Driver Optimization Fitting. We modify your driver and measure the improvement. Play your driver for a month. If you want it put back the way it was, we’ll do that and give your money back. I’ll even buy you lunch and let you tell me how awful it was for an hour. Ultimate Driver Fitting $150. Accurizers $60.

Accurizer Update

Lawrence Fu is a high school senior headed for Santa Barbara on golf scholarship. We’ve known Lawrence for eight years – working with him on several sets of clubs and lots of experiments. Lawrence is a very good player and a very good judge of equipment.

Lawrence plays a Nakashima driver. He was the first player who returned an Accurizer because “the ball won’t stay in the air”. Since then, two more players with Nakashima drivers have found that the Accurizer reduced backspin too much. That’s pretty good verification that Nakishima drivers are “low spin”.  Most drivers don’t have that problem.

Launch monitor testing shows that the Accurizer reduces backspin by 500 RPM for most players. Launch angle usually comes down by half a degree.

We installed Accurizers for irons in Lawrence’s short irons three weeks ago. He came back last week. “Let’s test the four iron”. We ran the “before and after” test with the Accurizer. Just like the six iron three weeks ago, the dispersion improved by 30%. Accurizers went into the rest of his irons.

When Lawrence likes it, it’s OK. Accurizers work in drivers. They also work in irons.

Graphite Shaft Revolution Update

Lawrence has been thinking about lightweight graphite shafts for his irons. He’s currently playing Shimada 115 gram steel shafts that he chose after extensive testing. They’ve been good.

He said “It seems like the Accurizer is made to order for a lightweight graphite shaft. If I can feel an improvement with steel, why would that improvement not be more with graphite?”

That’s exactly the question I want to answer for very good, very strong players so we signed up a new tester – welcome Lawrence.

For the last year I have been testing lightweight graphite shafts, matched with weighted up heads and counterweighting with our “core customers” – serious golfers from 45 to 65 years old. That setup is chosen every time based on head-to-head performance testing.

Until now, we have not uncovered any serious interest in lightweight graphite shafts among very good young amateur players. I thank Lawrence for volunteering to test as many options as we can imagine. Just because it’s a preposterous idea doesn’t mean it won’t work.

My goal is to verify claims about golf club performance. It is a rare to find a very good player for extensive club testing. We know that the “Golf Lab Build” is great for players who are older and weaker. What about younger and stronger?

BTW: If you see yourself as a good product tester, get in touch with Bob Pegram (650-654-1770).

The “Testing Menu”

Lawrence is playing Adams CB-1′s with Shimada Tour shafts. The Shimada shaft is 115 grams. Flex is extra stiff.

Golf Lab test iron heads are Miura, Vega, Bridgestone and Mizuno.

Golf Lab lightweight graphite shaft choices include AeroTech and Matrix. Aerotech models are the Steel Fiber in 70, 80, 95 and 110 gram weights. Matrix iron shafts include the Studio, Radix and Kujoh.

My preferred method is to “test the extremes”. The extreme for Lawrence is a set of Vega VM-02′s shafted with Aerotech Steel Fiber 70 gram shafts. We will set the flex a little stiffer than standard, given Lawrence’s 90 MPH 6 iron swing speed and 180 yard six iron carry distance. We will “Accurize” the set. When Lawrence picks them up, we will set correct lie angles.  It’s a sure thing that no clubfitter in the world would ever recommend 70 gram graphite shafts for Lawrence.

That set is on Clint’s bench this week.

Next week: We’ll choose from Matrix Kujoh or Radix. (Studio is discontinued.) There will be good reason to taste the 80 gram “X” flex Steel Fiber from Aerotech which will be a good test against the Matrix Program at 80 grams. Then, there’s the 95 gram UST Prototype that matches up with the Matrix Program – also at 95 grams.

Playing Opportunities: My favorite way to start a fitting is with nine holes. That’s the best way to get acquainted.

The weather is finally looking good. Every Wednesday morning I’m playing with Scott Mosher in Palo Alto for a “Morning at the Muni”. Scott is working on his game with my long-term help. Two Golf Lab customers are invited to play along each week. There is no charge. You’re only on the hook for the “Breakfast Special” – nine holes with cart and any breakfast on the menu for $32. Starting time is a little after eight. Breakfast will be over about ten thirty. Call Bob for a reservation (650-654-1770).

Edel Wedge Fitting at Mariner’s Point. Outdoor wedge fitting on natural turf is a unique experience. Our Edel Wedge Fitting system is expanding. A second set of demo heads arrived this week. The Edel fitting system is based on “Tour Weights”. Lighter weights feel and perform better for most amateurs.

An hour and a half is just about right to complete ”fitting for bounce”. We start with short shots around the green and then progress to distances up to 50 yards. A final stop is the bunker.

You will probably want to adjust your wedge swing a little to get best results. Nothing scary.

Edel is the only wedge line that allows a choice of seventeen different shafts. Even so, that just scratches the surface. We take shaft selection “over the top”. We added a dozen models of wedge shafts including all of the high performance graphite models.

You have probably not thought about ”fitting for shaft feel” before because it’s never been done before. The extended Edel shaft fitting system works with wedges all the way down to 52*. There is room at Mariner’s Point to hit wedge shots up to ninety yards. That’s enough room to hit the kind of wedge shot where feel and ball flight are revealed.

Our sessions at Mariner’s Point are Fridays at 8:30 and 10:00. Each session is $75. We have a limit of two players per session.

Edel Wedge Fitting and Demo Special

We’ve been bragging that we broke the code on wedge fitting. It’s just like every other fitting for every other golf club. You never know for sure until you take the clubs to your own course and compare performance under normal conditions.

Wedges can be fitted indoors. We use a combination of lie boards and impact tape. Your natural swing can be discovered indoors just as well as outdoors.

You still have to test. We want to get off to a fast start with Edel. For the month of April, any Edel wedge fitting customer – indoors or outdoors – can “borrow” a set of Edel wedges for a week. That’s a pretty good bargain for $75.

Thanks for reading all the way down to here.

There is always a reward. If you book your Edel wedge fitting – indoors or outdoors – in the next 48 hours – we offer a $25 per club credit on any purchase. If you buy a set of Edel wedges – you could say the fitting is free. Edel wedges come both cast and forged. Cast are $199. Forged are $350.

Best Regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang JR, JT, Bob Pegram, Joel Whittom, Dian Terova.

The Best Week of the Golf Year for most of us is Masters Week.  This is the week that starts golf season in the East and Midwest.  Will Masters Excitement help you improve your game this spring?

If you missed our special offers from weeks past – do not despair.  “Measure, Test and Adjust your Adjustable Driver” is a continuing offer.  We added the Accurizer Test, the Driver Optimizer Test and an hour of entertainment for $75.  Why not know the loft and face angle you’re playing?  If you’re leaving distance on the table, why not know how much?

We’ve now delivered over 30 Accurizer test fittings.  Results are becoming predictable.  For most players, backspin comes down about 500 RPM.  Smash factor goes up.  Most of the time we combine a little length trim – usually a half inch to help improve control.  All that is accomplished real time with our on-site workshop.

Each step gets measured.  Players who are sensitive about the length of their driver can test with a surrogate.  Contrary to the conventional wisdom, many players increase distance with a shorter driver.

Most of the Accurizer fittings result from “word of mouth”.  Players install the Accurizer.  Their playing partners notice that they are hitting straighter drives.  The playing partners come get their Accurizer the next week.  If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard about the Accurizer, it is because it is a new product, not in distribution.  It will not be for sale until next month through Golfsmith.

Here’s a link to the original description The Accurizer

Accurizer for Woods

Link to the Accurizer Website

If you don’t want to go through all the rigmarole, just come by and we’ll install an Accurizer while you wait – $60.  No appointment required for simple Accurizer installation.

One other interesting result is that three Accurizers that came back were all from Nakashima drivers.  If you had any doubt that the Nakashima was low spin – for three out of three players who installed the Accurizer to bring them back because the ball wouldn’t stay in the air is a precise indication of low spin.

Get your Next Accurizer Free

We’re working with Balance-Certified to find out just how good the Accurizer might be.  That includes a video to help get the word out.

If you buy an Accurizer and love it – if you’ll tell your story on camera we’ll install your second Accurizer free.  (You’re going to need two more for your fairway metals.)

John Ruark and the “Next Level of Putting”

Our special offer for Putting Club last week was “bring a friend for free”.  The emphasis was on the basics:  aim, stance, stroke, putter adjustment and an introduction to thought management.

We’re offering another option.  The Next Level of Putting introduces a completely original method to create your own pre-performance routine based on research from Dr. Lanny Johnson author of “There’s More to Putting than Meets the Eye” and Dr. Joan Vickers “Quiet Eye” findings.

Dr. Johnson contributes an innovative alignment technique incorporating positioning the right index finger down the shaft with the face aligned with the target.  The scientific term is “proprioception”.

Dr. Vickers contributes studies of “how athletes see”.  Much of her work has now been translated to golf.  There is a specific way to trace the line to the target with your eyes to produce best results.

If you’re looking to take your putting to the “next level” – call for an appointment.  John is at the Golf Lab Fridays and Saturdays.  He will accommodate our “bring a friend for free” offer – $75.

Friday Mornings at Mariner’s Point

We finally broke the code on the wedge fitting process.  Our testing was not severe enough.  The breakthrough was to develop a testing scenario that allows the high bounce Edel wedge designs to work their magic.

If you’re going to practice wedges, don’t find the lushest, thickest, greenest grass you can.  Any wedge is fine from a perfect lie.

We started working shorter pitches out of divots.  That’s a good test.  You can’t pick a 60* wedge out of a divot.  Then we found a little bare dirt.  Finally, we went to the bunker.  That’s a good rotation.

The key to understanding the Edel wedge line is that the ENTIRE LINE is high bounce.  Even the lowest bounce Edel wedges are higher than most of the highest bounce wedges from other makers.

For the last several years, all of the artistry in wedge design has gone into sole grind and groove technology.  A few years ago, all sand and lob wedges looked the same.  The sole was the venerable “Sarazen Grind” – extremely good in loose sand but not much good out of divots and bare dirt.  There is a good description of the limitations of the Sarazen Sole on the website of a wedge designer that shares some design philosophy with Edel.   Here is link to Reneker Wedges where they discuss that: Problems with the Sarazen Grind

Scratch was the first boutique wedge company to begin to match a players “angle of attack” with sole grind.  The adopted nuances that included shaving the heel, toe, leading and trailing edges.  By narrowing and re-shaping soles, wedges became playable at high “initial” bounce angles.

Edel’s innovation was teaming up with Mike Adams to create a “wedge fitting process”.  As administered successfully by Adams, the method is to first make sure that a player’s swing “activates the bounce”.  Adams is adamant to “never fit a flaw”.  That will require a change of technique by players who are used to positioning the ball back in their stance and picking pitches and chips.

Once swinging correctly, the player hits through a fitting sequence of eight progressive bounce angles to determine which produces the best “interaction” with the turf.  The perfect wedge swing makes a sharp, descending blow without “digging”.  A little “squeak” from the fringe or “thunk” from a bunker indicates a good match.

The beauty of the line is that it “makes sense”.  Edel coding matches a sole grind and bounce with a catchy name:  Sweeper, Picker, Nipper N, Nipper W, Pincher, Trapper, Driver, Digger.

We have two Friday morning wedge fitting sessions a week.  Mariner’s Point at 8:30 and 10:30.  If you come to the 8:30 session you can stay until noon for extra practice.  That’s a good way to get your short game off to a good start.

Edel Wedge Fitting:  $75 for 1.5 hours combined fitting and practice.  Reservation required.  Call Bob Pegram (650)654-1770.  This is the best deal in golf and there are only four slots per week.  Private wedge fitting sessions can be scheduled for any time at Mariner’s Point.  $150 – one or two players.

“Over the Top” Attitude

Very few readers know much about David Edel.  I’d like to change that.  In my opinion, David is the most important independent American golf club designer.  My opinion is based on what he has accomplished over a fifteen year period.

In the late 90′s David convinced Henry Griffits – at the time the dominant custom club line that supplied PGA Professional fitters – to offer a custom putter line.  The concept was to fit by aim.  Testing shapes from blade to mallet and details like hosel shape, offset and alignment markings resulted in a fitting system designed to help a player aim “inside the hole”.  The Edel fitting system permits over a billion individual variations to assemble a fitting model that is then reproduced faithfully in a state-of-the-art machine shop.

A personally fitted and built one-of-a-kind putter was novel at the time and gained a little momentum until the project ran into cost and selling price problems.  The high end got a little too high.

Griffits eventually backed out of the custom putter market.  David persevered.  His goal?  The most precise, most adjustable putter he could imagine.  Simply put:  the best it could possibly be.  Those guys always go over the top.

Edel putters are totally customized from head shape and hosel design to custom, interchangeable face plates to adjust loft and multiple weight options.  Custom made Edel putters with two extra face plates and a weight kit sell up to $1000.  Edel is the only custom putter maker that offers interchangeable face plates to adjust loft.  I don’t blush to describe an Edel putter as a “precision machined instrument”.

The Golf Lab is the exclusive Edel Putter and Wedge Fitting Center in San Francisco.  Edel Putter fittings are $75.  Any Edel putter owner from any vintage     who would like to check original specifications can make a no-charge appointment to measure and re-test for aim and stroke.  Just one of those “over the top” services that we are proud to offer with Edel.

Link to Edel website

“Morning at the Muni” – Mosher Makeover

We’re good to go Wednesday morning’s right after 8:00 AM – Leith Anderson and Scott Mosher – victim of the “Mosher Makeover”.  We’ve been in hiatus for bad weather and still won’t play in the rain but this Wednesday we’ll be at the Muni ready to go.  One spot still open.  Call Bob.

Link to “Mornings at the Muni” video

Two Free Junior Fitting Slots this Week

As part of our continuing support for juniors – we have two openings for “Junior Competition Fittings” this week.  If you know a competitive junior who hasn’t had any help, give Bob a call for details.

Thanks for Reading

We’re selling golf clubs.  We have the best performers of the season picked out.  If you book a fitting and decide that a new club is in order, here’s a little incentive for you to make your appointment before the end of the month.

$50 Coupon for any club purchase, reshaft or service over $100.

$100 Coupon for any club purchase, reshaft or service over $500.

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang

Is there anything different, yet?

It happened twice last week.  Old customers who bought “state of the art” Miura iron sets years ago brought them “back home” for a visit.  Both were Miura Player’s blades on Aerotech 95′s and 110′s that wouldn’t be different if we built them this week.

Well, a couple things would be different.  Miura made a slight change to the Player’s Blade a few years back.  They stamped the Miura logo on the muscle.  Other than that, it takes a close look.

The shafts would be lighter weight Aerotech Steel Fibers – 70 or 80 grams.  Heads would be a little heavier.  When you reduce shaft weight by 65 grams – there are more options to change the feel and performance of the club.

With all the money that goes into developing and marketing new shafts every year – Aerotech hasn’t changed anything in ten years.  Not even the paint job.  As Chris Hilleary likes to say:  “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

This year’s “New Big Thing” in iron shafts – in use on Tour by Kuchar and Snedeker with a dozen others in testing – is a ten year old model.  And Chris Hilleary didn’t need to change the paint job.  I think that’s very cool.

It should also make you wonder how important year to year changes in shaft design might be.

How old is Dynamic Gold? I just answered my own question.

Maybe the real value in iron shafts is “no change”.

“New State of the Art” wins again.

What are the odds that two players with Miura-Aerotech setups would come home in the same week?  One was playing six year old Miuras – the other ten year old Miuras.  Shafted with Aerotech Steel Fiber 95′s and 110′s.  That was “lightweight” back then.  Do you need any more information to understand why making very good golf clubs is a really bad business?

They asked the key question:  “Do you have anything better, yet?”

Good news.  I do.  I have the “Puppy Dog”.

I gave each of them a complete set of Vega VC-03′s shafted with stiff Aerotech Steel Fiber 70 gram shafts.  They took them out for a round of golf.  They came back.  One adopted his puppy dog on the spot.

The other player decided to test his options.  He’s taking advantage of the Golf Lab high performance demo program.  In the next month he’ll test four sets.  He wants to compare Aerotech 70 gram Steel Fiber in both 70 and 80 gram weights with the Matrix Kujoh and Program models.  He’s still not sold on the radical design of the Vega VC-03 iron head so he wants to test the Miura 501.  No problem.

That’s our high performance demo program.  A month of playing and testing $2000 irons for just $300.

Of the last 30 sets we’ve sold – all sales closed after a lengthy period of hands-on-testing.  All “new design” sets have been some combination of lightweight graphite shafts from Aerotech or Matrix, a Miura 501 or Vega VC-03 iron head – balanced with slightly heavier head weight and some kind of counterweight in the handle.  That’s an entirely new way to build a set of irons.

Why not?  If you’re looking for something better, why keep playing the same old thing?

The Ultimate Challenge – Better or Free

Does it always have to come down to this?

Do I have to say that I guarantee measurably better performance from the “new design” irons – or the fitting is free?  OK.

Here’s my offer.  I will put a new iron in your hands that you will hit straighter – measured by the “grouping radius” on the Flightscope.  Your shots will be more solid – measured by “smash factor”.  I don’t go by carry distance or club head speed.  Most of the time, highest club head speed indicates the “worst fit”.

After we get indoor numbers – you will take the test clubs to the range – to be sure.  If that looks good but you need more experience – or want to explore the options for feel and performance – you can join the demo program.

My goal is to eliminate any doubt about the clubs in your hands.

Iron fitting $150 – results guaranteed or you don’t pay.

Make your reservation now.

You can see that we’re trying to make this game a little more fun – on your side and on our side.  So, just to see who’s reading the fine print and is willing to make a quick decision – for the first six callers – I’ll offer the same Iron Fitting for $75 – half price.  Call Bob Pegram (650) 654-1770.

Best Regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang

PS:  This deal isn’t only for the “Big Money Guys”.  Even though we feature Miura and Vega – the two best of the Japanese boutique foundries – we have extremely economic alternatives.

One thing that doesn’t change is the shaft.  We will always focus on the best shafts for irons.  Iron heads offer a lot of choice.  The best Japanese forged iron heads cost over $100 each at wholesale delivered in the US.  Even at $250 per club – adding the shaft – the labor – it isn’t a high margin product.

We can fit any iron head with exactly the same shaft and build that we do with our top-of-the-line Miuras and Vegas.  We rebuild and reshaft your own irons for $85 per club.  If you have a nice set of forged iron heads, that could be a good option.

They will be set up exactly like our brand new, top of the line Miuras and Vegas.

The only difference is the head.  We have excellent cast heads that make great sets – built to our standard – for just $99 per club.  High performance doesn’thave to cost a lot of money.  If you’re spending money on your irons, put it into the shafts.

Accurizer is getting Hot

If you’ve been reading Golf Lab emails for the past month you might be a little bored hearing about the Accurizer every week. 

Hey, this is America.  Four weeks later the Accurizer should be out of the news.  Move on to the next gimmick.

If that’s what you think, you’re missing the point.  Let’s take this story from the top one more time.

First of all, Accurizer works.  This Saturday we installed ten Accurizers for no charge at $60 each.

P.P.S.:  Please forward this link to your golfing buddies. Thanks.

We’re offering our “Welcome to Scientific Putting” session for half price – and you can bring a friend for free.

You will be a hero this year making scramble putts.

For the next two weeks we are offering evening and weekend hours on Friday and Saturday.  Get your best partner and book a time with Bob Pegram.  650-654-1770.

If you’re looking forward to all the promises and guarantees, keep reading.

John Ruark leads the “Welcome” session.  It is 1.5 hours long.

John starts with a check of YOUR aim with YOUR putter.  If you aim outside the hole – like most golfers who have not trained themselves to aim – your stroke will “compensate”.  That means you don’t know what you’re doing.  That’s not what you want.

Most putters are too long.  Incorrect putter length can force you into an awkward stance.  That makes putting even harder.  You don’t want that either.

Stance and putter length are examined.  The goal is a balanced, athletic stance, eyes over the ball with arms hanging loosely from your shoulders.  Stand that way and have your partner lay a putter in your hands if you want a self-check for putter length.  It will be at least an inch too long – or too short.  You probably never measured your putter before.

Putters can be lengthened and shortened in our workshop and returned to action.

The essence of a natural, repeatable stroke is to let “gravity be your friend”.  Tempo and timing of a player’s stroke are tested.  Drills are demonstrated to players who “swat” the ball in order to smooth out their strokes.

With the basics covered, we step up to science.  Player’s strokes are tested with the Science and Motion Putt Lab.  The SAM is the state of the art gizmo for analysis and training.  Every aspect of your stroke is recorded.  We will describe how tournament players use the SAM for training.  “Knowing your stroke” is required for successful putting.

Here is a link to the Science And Motion (SAM Putt Lab) website.

These examples show some of the SAM feedback about your swing:

There is more on their website (see link above).

Another part of the presentation is an introduction to “thought management” using the Focus Band.  The Focus Band is a gizmo that detects the source and intensity of brain waves.  It is in latent discovery by a few PGA Tour players who have shown improvement and credit the Focus Band.  The Focus Band detects when a player is “in the zone”.  It also detects “interruptions”.  The Focus Band is useful in developing a “seamless” pre-shot routine.

That’s our approach to scientific putting – a lot of experience in an hour and a half.   It is a great way to spend some time with a friend.  We’ll never tell that you got a free ticket.

LOCAL RULES:  This is a very aggressive promotion.  We are doing it to bring new customers to the Golf Lab.  It’s a bargain for us if a happy customer brings a friend who has never been to the Golf Lab before.  If two Golf Lab Customers want to come together – great.  Please be generous and pay $75 each.

About John Ruark

John has been coming to the Golf Lab from Marin County for over ten years.  He’s one of those guys who have a deep interest in golf clubs and performance under pressure.  Over the years he chased every theory of clubmaking – experimenting with over length, single length and short clubs.

He proved his mettle a few years ago winning the Senior Championship at San Geronimo.  That’s a great accomplishment for a 77 year old pilot who weighs 150 pounds.

Then a physical challenge set in that prevents John from making a full swing.   But he can still putt so he resolved to learn everything that he could about putting.

John became our SAM Putt Lab (SAM) Specialist.  To learn the SAM, John read and indexed every page of the masterwork on the science of putting by Lanny Johnson and Howard Twitty – There is More to Putting than Meets the Eye.  The Johnson and Twitty book combines an MD author and trained scientist with a Tour Player known as one of the best putters of his day.  Five years’ work, 500 pages by the authors.  Hundreds of hours of study by John.

If you have a serious interest in putting you should get a copy.  This could be one of the most important books ever written on putting and no one even knows about it.  Now you do.

John is the Golf Lab contact with Focus Band.  He is in frequent contact with Henri and Graham Boulton – the Australian inventors – via SKYPE.  This is another technology that is very early in its life cycle.  Rod Pampling is the poster boy.

In the Bay Area, Alex Murray is the instructor who has done the most personal work with the Focus Band.  He brought one of his students – Gavin Coles – to the Golf Lab for an introduction a few months ago.  John and Alex have developed a relationship based on exploring the Focus Band technology.  They’re coming up on 100 hours of “practice” over several months.  This is cutting edge technology that is getting attention from Tour Pros.  As you can see, it is still in early experimental stages.

John is offering these “Welcome to Scientific Putting” sessions to give Golf Lab customers a good chance to get acquainted with the breadth of services to help players get to their “Next Level”.

From the “Welcome” session, several options are available for players who want to develop a training program for putting.

Best Regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang

P.S.:  Please forward a link to this article to your golfing buddies. Thanks.

That debate is over.  Who could have imagined drivers as advanced as they are today?  Modern drivers are a wonder of adjustability.

But there’s a problem.  You can’t know the true loft or face angle of your driver by reading the number stamped on the bottom.

Driver heads are manufactured by the millions.  The published tolerance is plus or minus one degree – both ways.  The actual variance is more than that.  We have measured 9* drivers at 11* – and at 7*.

When you change the loft, you change the face angle.

If you don’t know where you started, how will you know where you end up?

You need to match the loft and face angle with your swing to reach maximum distance.  Optimized ballistics and desired shot shape are not a matter of trial and error.  Random experimentation on the range hoping to hit the magic combination is a waste of time.  Clubfitting determines the correct specification.  Then, professional gauges measure your driver.

If you’re a right-handed player who wants to hit a draw your swing path must be inside-out between two and six degrees.  Four degrees is a good target.

Face angle at impact “open to target and closed to path” produces a draw.  Here’s a simple example.  Swing 4* inside-out, put the face angle at 2* open and you get a nice draw.

That means that the most amateurs – including very good amateurs – would do very well with a driver with correct loft and 2* CLOSED face angle.

The “conventional wisdom” in driver fitting today says that “open face angles are good”.  Nonsense.

Open face angles can be good for PGA Tour Players.  Their swings are different.  The more flamboyant players like Bubba Watson will vary their swing paths wildly from inside-out to outside-in.  They adjust face angles “on the go”.  That is not advisable for most amateur players who don’t play and practice for six hours every day.

PGA Tour players have more extreme inside-out swing paths.  The reason they like open face angles is that they add a little clubhead speed at impact by “rotating” the clubhead just prior to contact.  That requires complex timing.  The more extreme the swing path, the faster the rotation of the clubface, the more difficult the timing.

Step One:  Measure Your Driver

Find your current driver specifications.  We measure your driver on the only “PGA Tour Gauge” quality instrument in the Bay Area.  This is what the gauge looks like.  Ours came from the Callaway Tour Van.

 You will know the true loft and face angle of your driver.  You will also know the length, swingweight and flex.

Step Two:  Adjust Your Driver to Your Swing

You hit your driver with Flightscope radar launch monitor analysis.  The Flightscope records swing speed, ball speed, launch angle and spin rate.  It crunches the numbers and tells you how close you are to mathematically perfect.

We adjust the loft and face angle of your driver to improve “launch ballistics” – if we can.  This should not be a worry.  Half of the drivers that come into the Golf Lab for performance testing are just fine the way they are.  That’s nice to know.

Step Three:  Accurizer Test

If you haven’t been getting Golf Lab email recently – we think we’ve discovered a gizmo that is really, really good.  It is the Balance-Certified Accurizer for Drivers.  It reinforces the shaft just below a player’s lower hands – the point of maximum deflection.

Fred Sherburne is a very strong young player who came in for a “shaft fitting”.  He was hitting an extremely stout shaft – a 73 gram Mitsubishi Whiteboard in “X” flex.  Fred was a great Accurizer tester for us.  We got indoor results on the Flightscope that showed a “minor improvement” – keeping in mind that all launch monitor testing should be viewed with suspicion.  To begin, you’re only recording a few shots from each club with each player.

We were interested to know what “minor improvement” (six yards increased carry distance) would look like outdoors.

Here’s what Fred had to say:

“It was almost night and day between swinging my driver with and without the Accurizer.  I hit a few solid drives with the Accurizer installed and the trajectory seemed quite a bit straighter than before.  Not convinced that the Accurizer was the reason for this I took it out and tried a series of shots without it.  The high draw I saw with the Accurizer quickly went right back to hooking more than 35 yards to the left just like normal. 

So now being about 50-50 convinced I put the Accurizer back into my driver.  Sure enough my hook turned back into a high draw.  With this new piece of equipment I pictured my drives holding fairways and not trickling ten yards into the left rough.  I’m looking forward to playing with the Accurizer.”

—Fred Sherburne, March 21, 2012

Measure and Test Your Driver – Optimize Your Driver – Special Offer – $75 for an hour of analysis, testing and recommendations.

For this Saturday, and next week only – our complete “test and measure” package.  Everything I just described plus a loft and lie test.  Everything you need to make sure your golf clubs aren’t holding you back from making the “next level”.

If you’ve been lurking email – thinking about making your move to come into the Golf Lab and start getting better at golf faster – this is your invitation. 

If you just want an Accurizer with no testing, stop by any time and we’ll install one in your driver.  Straighter drives.  $60.  Guaranteed performance or your money back.

Best Regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang

The Accurizer Phenomenon Continues

P.S.:  Please forward this email to your golfing buddies. Thanks.

Even better – drop a chunk of kryptonite into your driver shaft and hit straighter drives immediately.  That’s a low-grade miracle.

Balance-Certified and Tour Lock are the two companies that supply golf club balancing systems – “gizmos” that go down the shafts.  Each is effective in different ways.  If you are planning to counterbalance your clubs, this article will be helpful in choosing your supplier and your method.

Balance-Certified “Accurizer” – the latest invention from Jeff Lindner. 

I heard a rumor that Sergio Garcia was considering an endorsement contract with Balance-Certified.  If you search the Internet you will see plenty of pictures of Sergio with inserts sticking out of his club handles.  Those are Balance-Certified Accurizers.  Sergio is giving Accurizers credit for improving his world ranking from over number 80 to under number 17.

 The Balance-Certified Accurizer adds a new dimension to balancing golf clubs – structural reinforcement of the golf shaft.  The Accurizer is designed with bushings that expand when tightened to create a rigid section precisely where the shaft deforms during the swing.

Limit shaft distortion?

Does that matter?

Needless to say, “limiting shaft distortion” is not a popular topic with shaft manufacturers.  What if Jeff Lindner “proves” that all shafts need reinforcement?  That possibility makes the Accurizer very interesting.  Imagine shaft companies admitting:  “We can’t make a shaft that stands up to high swing speeds.   We need help.”

Robot testing is conclusive.

 Link to Balance Certified here.

The Accurizer is coming out at a time when it seems intuitively obvious that the market will pay attention.  In early testing at the Golf Lab we have found measurable performance improvement with our ultra-lightweight iron shafts – Accurized.

The Golf Lab is equipped for “human testing”.  We installed Accurizers in our high performance demo sets.  If you want to end the wonder – once and for all – just take an Accurized set to play on your course hitting to familiar targets with your own balls.  That’s Testing – with a Capital “T”.

If you’re keeping tabs on the viral marketing buzz – we ordered an extra twenty Accurizers for drivers this week.  Five sold on Friday, six on Saturday.   We do not require fittings for Accurizers for drivers.  No one has brought one back yet.  By Golf Lab standards the Accurizer is becoming a hot product.

If you are at a distance – you can order an Accurizer Kit.  Installation is simple if you have the right tools.  Accurizers are $60 for drivers and $30 for irons.  They are easy to remove and re-use.

It’s been years since the golf industry had a truly “hot product”.  The last one the old timers remember is the Orlimar Tri-Metal from fifteen years ago.  Before that Adams had a nice run with the “upside down” fairways.  Callaway set the standard with the Big Bertha run in the early 90′s.

Nothing is perfect.  We began to find the limits of the Accurizer this week.

Is the Accurizer Too Heavy?

The Accurizer weighs twenty grams for irons.  That was a red flag for me from Day One.

Over the last ten years, I’ve conducted more launch monitor counterweight fittings and installed more counterweights than any clubfitter in golf.  Practically all Golf Lab customers over the last ten years who indulged in “tweaking” their clubs came away with some form of club balancing.

The problem with fitting counterweights in irons is that the process is tedious and doesn’t always yield definitive results.

Our procedure is to test a player’s own clubs – normally the six iron – with a series of counterweights – 8 gram, 12 gram and 16 grams.  It is highly unusual for a player to test the best with a 20 gram counterweight.

I almost never go heavier than 20 grams for irons.

We measure improvement.  The launch monitor keeps track of swing path and face angle at impact.  The deviation in swing path from shot to shot tightens up.  Face angle at impact also becomes more consistent.  There is usually a distance improvement.  But increased distance does not come from faster swing speeds.  It comes from solid contact.  The very best result with counterweights is that a player’s swing speed goes down but ball speed goes up.  That’s the “smash factor” at work.

Those are all good things.  The downside is it takes an hour of launch monitor testing to find the best weight.  After that, installing a set of counterweights costs $200 – in round numbers.  So, counterweighting is a $300 investment in “tweaking” your clubs.  (Weights are re-usable.)

Put $300 into set of clubs I already own?

That might be a very good investment if you’re thinking about “new irons” that will just be another set of what you already have.

It is very rare when balancing golf clubs does not yield a measurable improvement in consistency.  Over the years, the main reason that we have been so successful with junior girls is that counterweighted clubs are a clear advantage for juniors.  All of the very good junior players we have worked with – minus one – are using counterweights in their irons or driver.

Definitely Too Heavy for Some Players

The key for all of the gizmos is to “test the extremes”.  You can be sure of one thing when it comes to golf – nothing works for everyone.  The trick is finding where the gizmo works, and where it doesn’t.

We know from testing that the Accurizer is NOT too heavy for most players.  That includes Kaz Hoffman who put Accurizers in all of his irons and described irons without Accurizers as feeling “broken”.   He added 20 grams to 130 gram shafts without problems.

We have installed Accurizers in some of our high performance test sets – lightweight graphite shafts – and that’s where they shine.  If you were going to imagine a perfect scenario it is to bring back a little “heft” and provide reinforcement for lightweight iron shafts.

The Downside

A couple of weeks ago one of the top women on the San Jose State team came in looking for a hybrid she could hit 200 yards.  That was easy.

I took a close look at her irons.  Stock Callaways – soft, lightweight shafts – just exactly the perfect setup for Accurizers.  We installed them in every other club and she took the set to play for a week.

Perceived loss of distance.  Always bad.

We went back to the launch monitor and re-tested.  Sure enough, her irons with Accurizers were “shorter”.  That’s when we ran the counterweight fitting sequence.  The result?  8 gram counterweights added 10 yards of carry distance over the Accurizer – and over her irons without balancing.  Conclusion?  Total weight matters.

That was an important finding.  We always want to think that the “Next Big Thing” will obsolete everything that came before.  Never so.

It is important to note that for at least one very good player – the “plain old counterweight” produced the best performance.

What does that mean for slower swing speed players?  Be sure to test counterweights in 8 and 12 grams against the Accurizer.

Reward for Reading this Far Offer – Free Balance Your Clubs Fitting

It’s time for incentives.  You’ve probably been thinking about coming in for an updated fitting with the latest Flightscope radar.  I’ve talked about how effective the new tools are so I won’t go back over that ground here.

Book any custom fitting service – from “Driver Optimization” to “Shaft Fitting” – for $150 – and we’ll spend another hour working on tweaking your clubs for balance – no charge.  If you’re a bit skeptical, that should calm the fear.

Call Bob for an appointment.  650-654-1770.

Best Regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang

PS:  This was the first “warning” I wanted to get out.  There are times when Balance-Certified works better and times when Tour Lock works better.  I’ll do an in-depth article on the two companies in the very near future.  It is an interesting competition – Jeff Lindner “against” John Johnson.  Both are captivating personalities with great stories – and quite a bit of competitive spirit.  All markets are better when there are two great competitors.

P.P.S. - Please forward this link to your golfing buddies. Thanks.

We quarantined the Accurizer for the first few weeks.  We invited Golf Lab clients for hands-on testing.  We wanted to understand what the Accurizer actually does.

Here are links to earlier articles (newest to oldest):

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2012/03/07/follow-up-on-accurizer-shotmaker-edel-wedges-and-ust-torque-rated-shafts/ 

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2012/03/07/accurizer-update/

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2012/02/20/pga-show-report-new-ideas-in-shaft-fitting/

About a dozen Golf Lab clients went through the program and had Accurizers installed in their drivers.  The Flightscope picked up small increases in ball speed and smash factor.  The question remained – would small launch monitor measurements show up on the course?

Those “early adopters” are starting to return for Accurizers in their fairway metals, hybrids and irons.  There is no doubt, the Accurizer gets credit for straighter drives by every customer who has reported back.

In the last week, three “‘strangers” called – asking if they could just bring their drivers in to get the Accurizer installed – no testing required – no questions asked.  They hit their playing partner’s driver over the weekend and the feel and ball flight was so much better there was no doubt. 

Accurizer for Driver – Fitting no longer required.

This weekend, if you’re “out and about” stop by the Golf Lab and get a new Accurizer for your driver.  $60 – installed.  No fitting required.

Here is what it looks like:

If you would like to do a “before and after fitting” set aside half an hour.  We’ll test your driver with the Flightscope for ball speed, launch angle and spin rate.  We’ll note carry distance and spin rate.  Then we’ll install the Accurizer and compare results immediately.  $75.  “By chance or appointment”.   

The Workshop is Open

One convenience we’re proud to offer is our “open workshop”.   If you’d like to check your lofts and lies, make any required adjustments and get new grips installed – all in one visit – our goal is to get routine maintenance done in one trip.  Coming back is expensive. 

This weekend, call ahead to make sure we have the grips you prefer in stock.

Brand new Golf Prides or Lamkins installed – $9 each.

“Putting Club” this Saturday

We’re putting on Putting Club this Saturday afternoon. 

Two weeks ago we advertised a “putting checkup” – a session presented by John Ruark and Leith Anderson.

Four players came by and spent most of the afternoon checking aim, testing stroke, adjusting setup, modifying putters, trying new methods.

This weekend, we’re going to broaden the subject matter.  If you’d like an introduction to the Focus Band – a demonstration – and the demonstrator might very well be you. 

Starting at 2. (Come after lunch if you want to practice on the Golf Lab precision putting surface.)

$50 for 2 hours or until we run out of gas.

Call for a reservation (650-654-1770) or arrive “by chance”.

Best Regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang

P.S. - Please forward a link to this blog to your golfing buddies. Thanks.

Come and join Leith Anderson, your golf equipment expert, in 9 holes of golf. Helpful to your golf game and equipment choices. You pay for your greens fee and half a cart – no other cost. Call Bob to reserve a spot 650-654-1770.

The location was the Stanford Golf Course. The unnamed player (due to NCAA regulations) hit the seventh green from 259 yards on Saturday and again from 250 yards on Sunday. Two birdies. Never hit that green before. One more stroke takes second place.

When a very good player hits the green with a layup it is pleasant surprise. The Adams 3 metal traveled 30 yards farther than expected. Matching a hot head with an extra stiff shaft with a soft tip is an unusual fitting technique that works for some players. If you need a miracle from a fairway metal, the Adams Titanium Face is your best choice.

This is not a totally unique experience. We accepted a return from a player in Reno who said his Adams crush zone titanium-faced driver went “too long”. We replaced it with a standard stainless steel model.

Adams broke new ground in 2011 combining their “crush zone” design with a titanium face. If you haven’t taken a close look at 2012 fairway metals – notice that the new engineering design allows the face to “collapse”.

Here is what the fairway metal looks like:

The Adams Technical Advantage

What is the “crush zone” all about?

Most of the real breakthroughs in golf technology lately have been about the ball. Extra distance does not come from the face of the club “trampolining” the ball off the face. Just the opposite. When the face of a club collapses the ball compresses a little more. It is the ball compressing and then springing back off the face that produces extra distance.

Adams covered a “top and bottom” crush zone with design patents. Notice that Nike and Taylor Made incorporated a single crush zone in their new fairway metal models. That allows Adams to claim superior performance.

There is no doubt. If you have the skill to hit the relatively small Adams head size on the button, you will have the longest fairway metal on the planet.

Maruman Shuttle Fairway Metal – Forgiveness in Fairway Metals 

The other end of the spectrum is the Maruman Shuttle. The Shuttle is a completely different concept. It is large and flat. For players who are challenged to get the ball in the air from the fairway, the Shuttle is the easiest to hit of all fairways currently available.

The surprising thing about the Shuttle is that it is not for high handicap players only. Low single digit players have choosen the Shuttle over other alternatives. Easy to hit is a virtue.

Buyer beware: There is one problem with the Shuttle and with the Adams Titanium. Off the rack fairway metals are delivered with 43″ (or longer) shafts and very lightweight heads. Both the Adams and Maruman heads weigh less than 210 grams. That might be OK for the Japanese market – but North American standards call for shorter lengths and heavier heads.

We match the PGA Tour standard by bringing the head weight up to 217 grams or so with tungsten weights made for the purpose. We like shaft lengths at 42.5″ – experience suggesting that’s the most popular length on Tour. Why would an amateur play a club longer than a professional?

The Maruman Shuttle is the best choice for players who are challenged to get the ball in the air with traditional fairway metals. The Maruman Shuttle is the easiest to hit fairway metal on the planet.

Here is the Maruman Shuttle:

How about “just plain vanilla?”

There’s another choice if you just need a fairway metal that you like the look of – that’s easy to hit and fit to your swing. We have bins of the best head shapes from the past that can be paired up with a high performance shaft – or a plain old bargain shaft.

If you’re thinking $150 instead of $300 for a fairway metal. That’s the way to go. We can include a fairway metal fitting with any driver fitting.

Working with the Golf Lab you can take the fairway metals of your choice to the range to test from natural grass.   That’s the ultimate fit.

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang

P.S. - We are working hard to expand our customer list. Please forward a link to this blog to your golfing buddies. Thanks.

The Meadow Club Member argued that I was “hawking gizmos” by advocating adding weight back – spoiling our “ultra-light graphite shafts for irons” mantra. 

Let’s nail this one down once and for all. The Accurizer is a legitimate product from an established inventor. It improves the consistency of your swing measured by swing path and face angle at impact. It deserves your attention if you are interested in improving feel and ball flight with your current clubs.

Here is a picture of the insert for wood shafts:

We have tested and installed counterweights in golf clubs for ten years. We called that by various names – counterbalancing, back weighting, and “optimizing” – all depending on the communication style of the day.

Adjusting the balance of golf clubs is a good thing. Launch monitor testing proves that balanced clubs improve consistency. There is no doubt about that.

We have helped dozens of serious senior and junior players win tournaments and scholarships. Every junior player that we have worked with and most of the senior players have chosen to use balanced clubs after testing. We use both Balance-Certified and Tour Lock systems – depending on the application.

(I’m writing the Update on Sunday, March 4th – in front of the television – “killing two birds with one stone”. McElroy just made a 13 footer to save par on number 1 at the Honda. Is that the tournament?)

Offer for “non-believers”. It occurs to me that there are some golfers who don’t believe that their own clubs can be improved, no matter what they are.

Think about this: How many human body types are there? Infinite.

How many “standard” golf club sets are there? One.

Book a “Club Challenge Fitting”. Reserve three hours. The first hour and a half will be at the Golf Lab testing your clubs and alternatives. We’ll measure and test everything in your bag. We’ll record performance statistics with the Flightscope launch monitor. We will find your “hero clubs” and your “haunted clubs”. Then, we’ll figure out “why?”

Then, you’ll take a trip to the range to verify results.

This week only: “Club Challenge Fitting” – to test, measure and alter your own clubs to improve performance. Including length, weight, lie, grip or balance. This is why we built the Golf Lab the way we did – the workshop is at hand and can make modifications in minutes. No other custom golf shop in the Bay Area provides that convenient service.

(And why would you want to ship your clubs to Scottsdale, AZ for analysis? Better to choose a custom shop that does the work on site.)

We will test the Accurizer for both woods and irons. You will know for sure what the Accurizer means to you.

Here’s the kicker. If we don’t improve your own clubs in ways we can measure – the fitting is free. Call Bob Pegram (650) 654-1770 to book the “Club Challenge Fitting” – $150.

No risk.

The Accurizer is a “Structural Reinforcement”

Postulate that the Accurizer weighs 20 grams for irons and 30 grams for woods. You get the same benefits from that Accurizer weight that you would from any counterweights. You don’t get a choice. With the Accurizer, it’s 20 grams or nothing in your irons. Different weights could work better.

In testing over the last ten years, we have found that 20 grams in an iron shaft is the MAXIMUM WEIGHT that we have found to improve performance. There is a danger that 20 grams is too much.

Drivers are different. The earlier version of the Accurizer – the Balance-Certified Stabilizer- came in two weights – 30 grams and 50 grams. Very good players improved consistency and distance with both weights – meaning that the only way to tell the difference is to test with a launch monitor.

The Accurizer is about two things:  Balance and “structural reinforcement” of the shaft.

(McElroy chips at the flag on three. Announcers called for “play it safe”. Guts ball.)

The real “crazy aunt in the attic” – the question no one wants to answer: What if all shafts deform during a swing and the manufacturers can’t do anything about it? What if Jeff Lindner – rogue scientist from Alabama – proves that ALL golf shafts need reinforcement? That would make a pretty big difference in how custom golf clubs are designed and built.

What if the combined benefits of counterweighting and structural reinforcement help a player hit longer, more consistent shots?

That’s the theory behind the Accurizer. The Accurizer is a back weight AND it reinforces the shaft.

We have installed the Accurizer in a few players’ shafts. Some were ecstatic – Kaz Hoffman leading the way on that. Two customers from two weeks ago came back to have Accurizers installed in the rest of their clubs.

That would not happen if they did not “sense” improvement.

We are talking about the first few golfers on the face of the earth that had a chance to test the Accurizer. This is EARLY IN THE GAME.  A year from now, this could be “old news”.

The Accurizer is not even on the market yet. It will not be introduced until next month by Golfsmith. Golfsmith did their due diligence. They tested on their own. They know that Jeff Lindner is an established inventor with a history of improving the performance of golf clubs by adjusting balance. They have sold Balance-Certified products successfully for years.

If you’re still thinking that “balance is voodoo” – try to remember why.

Our “DEAL” with Jeff – because of our long history of working together – was that we would buy a few out of his first production run – and he would send us a few extras so we could “let them go” to players who might try one – like the result – but not feel it was $60 better. He knows that the Golf Lab can get reliable player testing feedback. The work we are doing is important to Balance-Certified. They need to understand player testing.

The Accurizer has been “miracle product” for enough players to make it worth a test for every player.

The Accurizer is a unique design that includes two expandable rubber bushings under the grip. For irons, the reinforcement is positioned under the upper hand. For woods, the Accurizer is positioned under the lower hand. When the bushings are tightened, the machined aluminum rod between the bushings becomes rigid – reinforcing the shaft at the point most at risk for distortion.

Accurizer fitting takes an hour. $75. Call Bob Pegram for an appointment. (650) 654-1770.   Accurizers cost $30 for irons and $60 for woods – installed.

(Tiger makes birdie on 11 – goes 4 under and “charging?” Rory even at 7.)

The Shotmaker – Now that was a “gizmo”.

Most ”discoveries” come from Golf Lab customers.  Some sound preposterous – that was our opinion when the Ice Man brought the “Shotmaker” into the Golf Lab.

If you are a new reader, the Shotmaker is a tiny graphite shaft reinforcement that slides down the shaft to “reinforce the tip”.  It is held in place with a small expansion nut.

We dropped the Shotmaker into Ice Man’s shafts and the launch monitor said that he was hitting straighter drives. He took that driver to the course and found the same thing. Longer and straighter. What’s the matter with that?  BTW:  Shotmaker is still in the Ice Man’s clubs.

I pitched the Shotmaker for a couple of weeks. We ran testing. Some players hit drivers a lot straighter with the Shotmaker installed. I even got a few love letters. It was a rush.

The Shotmaker comes with a few problems that are not apparent at first. The expansion nut can come loose – meaning that the Shotmaker can rattle. If that happened during a tournament, it would be a big problem.

The Shotmaker does not fit all shafts. The internal dimension of the host shaft needs to match the external dimension of the Shotmaker. That is another problem. Shotmaker matches one manufacturer’s products much better than all others – as you might expect.

I lost interest in Shotmaker.  After working closely with Russ Ryden to understand the sophisticated engineering behind the flex profile it became clear that the Shotmaker was a “random override” to whatever the shaft designers had in mind.  Even with better results, the “random override” issue got to me.

The Shotmaker makes you wonder if any sophisticated shaft engineering concepts even matter?

So that’s why my Shotmaker went south. We still have a few in a box for players who would like to try to improve their accuracy. (High handicap players see more benefit.)

So that’s the difference. The Accurizer is intellectually interesting and it comes from an established inventor.

(McElroy makes another 15 footer to save par on 7. Cool player. Tiger 5 under on 12).

Edel Wedge Fitting System

We learned some things our first week out with the Edel wedge fitting system.

First, the short game practice area at Mariner’s Point is fabulous. Several practice greens, great targets, plenty of grass. If you’re going to push yourself to practice at a public facility, Mariner’s Point is the best in San Francisco. We are so happy with that connection.

We suffered a rude awakening. A wedge shot requires just about the most skill of any club in the bag. Alas, most of us don’t have any idea of what a wedge swing is all about. I found that out this week. I’ve been playing golf for 60 years and never hit a “good” wedge shot until last Friday.

I have not lacked advice. I took a lesson from the wedge master himself – Mike Adams a year ago and a couple from the local short game wiz Kevin Lozares. I just didn’t get it.

The underlying question is “sole shape and bounce angle”. Most wedges today are designed with relatively sharp leading edges and low bounce angles. Most common wedges today have between 4* and 14* bounce angles. Edel wedges are designed with bounce angles from 10* to 24*.   What’s that all about?

What a few of the Edel wedges look like:

(Woods posts birdie, eagle = 62. Can he be a “reformed hero?”)

Wedge Swing Fundamentals

Alas, most amateur players hit very poor wedge shots. Technique tends to be “hands ahead” with a downward strike. That motion requires a lot of skill to execute. The player has to “nip” the ball perfectly to avoid “digging”.

Solid contact requires precise touch – missing in most amateurs who lack practice time.

The Guru of Edel Golf wedge design is Mike Adams. Mike teaches a wristy, trappy stroke from a “head ahead, hands back” setup position. It is awkward the first time around.

Kevin Lozares teaches a “Charlie Wi” approach. Flared stance, quick wrist break, very early release.

There are other wedge swing theorists – the one thing that they all have in common is a wedge swing that “engages the bounce” by getting the club flatter on the ground at impact. That’s what lets the sole shape and bounce angle do their job.

It took me about an hour of practice – coached by John Ruark – to fully understand what Mike Adams and Kevin Lozares were trying to explain to me in their lessons. After the lesson, you have to understand and practice the technique.  I lacked that.

After a couple of hours of work I began to “flight” the ball.  The point is that you might be a few hours of work away from your ideal wedge swing.  That could be the way your first “fitting” comes out.

We’re making wedge fittings a standard Thursday and Friday morning Golf Lab activity. Thursday is one session at 9 AM presented by Leith Anderson. Two players maximum for that 9-11 session. $75.

On Friday mornings, John Ruark will make the trip down from Marin County. We will present two “fitting sessions” – 9:00 – 10:30 and 11:00 -12:30.   All Edel wedge fittings are at Mariner’s Point. The “lunchtime” session might be more convenient for some players.

If you would like to add some practice time to your session – you can schedule extra time at the practice area or on the natural grass range at Mariner’s Point.

(Tiger is “hanging around” waiting to see what happens to Rory at the Bear Trap – remembering the double, double, double finish from year ago.)

Finally: The Torque Story

This will be one of the best stories of the year – if it works out.

A week ago we tested Kaz Hoffman indoors with the Flightscope. We were testing three of the new UST “VTS” series shafts – Velocity, Torque, Speed – is what the labels stand for – in three torque values red=high, white=medium and black=low.

In the Lab testing we got extraordinary results. Kaz loved the “red” or higher torque of the three shafts. That was a counter-intuitive result. Good players with high swing speeds (115 maxed out) are supposed to like low torque shafts.

Kaz took three shafts and two interchangeable Nickent heads to the course. The “red” started hooking a little too much. Alas, experience points out that one of the big problems with fitting golf clubs is that indoors analysis can be very different from outdoors “real life”. Players sometimes swing different outdoors.   That’s why any serious fitting session must include an outdoor option.

Kaz didn’t come to the Golf Lab for his scheduled weekly fitting session. He is swapping torque-rated drivers daily. You’re going to have to stay tuned on this one. Torque is going to be a complicated subject.  Feeling the difference in three shafts – each separated by one degree of torque and nothing else might be the equivalent of the Princess counting five peas under five mattresses.

(Rory cruises past the Bear Trap – beats Tiger – the new Champ is crowned. Anyone who loves golf, loved the finish – beyond “Tigeresque” to go birdie, eagle. )

If you’re planning to get better at golf, the Golf Lab is your best ally. Give call and book one of our specialized fitting sessions.

Best regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang.

P.S. – Final comments on the Honda.

I like picking up the early coverage on the Golf Channel. What’s more important than the first hole? How about saving par with 13 footer on the first? That’s a good sign that your day might be OK.

McElroy did the same thing on 7 – through seven holes just even par with a couple of fabulous “saves”.   Two missed putts and he’s not the same guy.

Tiger could have finished even better. He missed a couple of putts that might have gone in. But, 62 in the final round at the Honda lets the world know that Tiger is capable of a comeback. Let’s hope that the world loves reformed sinners.

The Honda was great drama – all day. I’m done.

P.P.S. -  We are working hard to expand our customer list. Please forward a link to this blog to your golfing buddies. Thanks.

That’s why the Golf Equipment Chronicles is an interesting read. You get important golf equipment news here first.

Here’s what you need to know about Accurizers: The Big Hit was the Accurizer for Drivers – also known as the “Power Transfer Insert” or PTI.

Three of four players who installed Accurizers the first week came back immediately for the rest of their fairway metals. One player thought so highly of the Accurizer for his driver that he installed Accurizers for irons without bothering to test.

One very good young amateur brought his Accurizer back because it “took too much spin off”. That should be very interesting to high spin players.

We sold out the first shipment of four. Seven more came in Friday morning. We just reordered another ten for Saturday delivery. The Accurizer is the closest thing to a hot product that we’ve seen in years.

If there is one simple thing that you can do for less than two hundred dollars – that will take less than an hour and has a chance to make a very big difference in your game – do that first. Then come to the Golf Lab and get an Accurizer installed in your driver.

New Fitting Service – “Before and After” Accurizer Fitting

We’re offering a new “Before and After” fitting for players who want “just the facts”. Hit a series of shots with your driver. Install the Accurizer. Hit another series. Compare results. Radar is like an X-Ray at the moment of impact.

Accurizers change the behavior of the shaft just prior to impact. Measuring that change is one of the great miracles in modern clubfitting technology.

Half an hour. $75. Your current driver shaft is checked for performance. All launch ballistics are analyzed.   Accurizer is installed. Comparison testing should show a measurable improvement in performance. Accurizers installed: $60.

The Accurizer Marketing Plan

National distribution and simple installation were Jeff’s goals with the Accurizer. Jeff has been inventing gizmos to change the balance and dynamics of golf shafts for fifteen years. Much of that time, the alterations had to be done by a high level technician. Shafts were cut. Extensions were glued. PITA.

The new Accurizers come in “one size fits all convenience” – bubble packed. Both versions are tightly designed and easy to install and re-use. The installation kit is a small circular saw, an allen wrench and a puller. Cut a hole, drop the Accurizer in, tighten down, you’re good to go.

Link to website chart: http://www.balance-certified.com/

Saturday is Open

If you want to check out the New Golf Lab stop by Saturday afternoon if you’re out and about. We’re happy to spend a few minutes to show you around and get acquainted.

Best Regards,

Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang.

Accurizer for woods:

Accurizer for irons:

Indoors, we have the most advanced short game training environment in the world. There is no better place to learn the science of putting than the Golf Lab.

Outdoors, the best public practice environment in the Bay Area is Mariner’s Point. There is no better short game practice area. It was designed and built by serious golfers.

Wedge fitting requires grass, dirt and sand. There’s no good way to fit wedges indoors. Nothing substitutes for the feel and ball flight from natural grass.

Now, we have grass.

Edel wedge fittings will take place at the short game area at Mariner’s Point. We are so happy.

Special Offer – “Donate Your Swing to Science”

We are taking wedge fitting to the next level with the Edel fitting system.

We’ve done our homework – we’re coached by Mike Adams and working with Kevin Lozares, a Titleist short game guru. The fundamental technique behind any current wedge fitting is “engaging the bounce”.

That is an alien concept for most golfers who do exactly the opposite. If you put your hands ahead of the ball on a short wedge shot and “pop” it toward the hole – your technique makes your short wedges infinitely more difficult to control.

A properly fitted wedge should allow you to hit a medium shot off of a putting green without leaving a scar. Taking big divots is out of style.

I’m looking for a few “volunteers” to help us debug the Edel fitting system. We’ll meet in the morning at Mariner’s – keeping light and warmth in mind.

Plan on spending at least two hours. We’ll go through the protocol as developed by Edel and then move to testing the theories.

If you are willing to give $75 for a two hour Edel wedge fitting session outdoors at Mariner’s Point on a beautiful morning in the next couple of weeks give Bob Pegram a call at the Golf Lab. (650) 654-1770. He’ll find a compatible time.

When we get everything dialed in – a two hour wedge fitting session will be $150.

Bring a friend. These sessions are designed for two players.

Edel Golf Company – Fit the Swing, Build the Fit

David Edel’s impeccable attention to detail is demonstrated in his custom putter fitting system. Edel putters are “fitted for aim”. That is a unique concept in putter fitting.

We introduced the new Edel wedge line a couple of weeks ago. As you would expect, Edel wedges come with a fitting system. The concept is to match a player’s angle of attack to the bounce angle of the wedge.

The fitting system is based on a bag full of precision fitting clubs. The Edel system comes in two parts.

The first part is eight 60* wedges – each with a different sole grind increasing from low to high bounce angles. The sole grinds have friendly names that describe swing characteristics. Sweeper, Picker, Nipper Wide, Nipper Narrow, Pincher, Trapper, Driver and Digger.

The names describe swing characteristics. Friendly.

The second part is a set of interchangeable heads and shafts. Once again, digging deeper, Edel offers 17 wedge shaft options. The underlying idea is to affect feel and ball flight with shaft choice. That’s a pretty well-established principal in custom fitting. It is a significant contrast with the Titleist-Vokey concept of a single wedge shaft (S-200) fits all.

Fresh Air, Sunshine, Green Grass

The “green grass” fitting option is appropriate for players who want to understand feel and ball flight from a natural surface.  We will add hybrid and fairway metal sessions in the near future.

If you’ve been waiting for the chance to take your clubfitting outdoors, give the Golf Lab a call and we’ll bring exactly what you want to test.

Please forward a link to your golfing friends.

Best Regards, Leith Anderson

P.S. – If you forgot all the details about the Edel wedge system, here’s the video link from our session at the PGA Show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s57R9dM6H_M

 The third-most-important club in most women’s bags is the long fairway metal.

 It is also the most difficult club to hit off the turf. Most women are challenged to get the ball high enough in the air from a fairway lie.

 The reason is the shape of the clubhead.

 Most fairway metals have very small heads that do not inspire confidence.

The Maruman Shuttle

Four years ago, Maruman introduced a radical new design for a fairway metal in Japan. It became an immediate hit in the Japanese market because of how easily it gets the ball airborne.

It turned into a cult classic in Japan but it was overlooked in the USA. Over the years, the Shuttle line has expanded all the way to five and six iron lofts. The Shuttle is marketed in Japan in “full bag sets”.

 This is what it looks like.

If you have ever missed an easy shot from the middle of the fairway, you should test the Shuttle.

Fitting Hints for Women

Grip Size: The most common mistake most women make with their clubs is playing with “ladies grips”.

Even though women’s hands may be small, most women have long fingers. It is quite common for women to play most comfortably with grips made for men with big hands.

Grip Material: Many women’s clubs come with soft, lightweight grips. Firm grips are better for feel and control. If your grips are soft and small, there’s a good chance they’re hurting your game.

Shaft Flex: Standard women’s clubs come with lightweight, very flexible shafts. Golf Lab fitting technique is based on comparative testing. Hit a floppy shaft, hit a stiffer shaft, and compare the results. Then, verify indoor fitting with outdoor testing.

Special “Two for One” Offer

Get ready for the season by making sure your clubs are ready – and your putting stroke is ready.

Leith and John Ruark are teaming up to check all the clubs in your bag – with a special emphasis on your putter.

John is recognized as one of the premier short game coaches in the Bay Area. He is a master of pre-shot routine. He’s a kind, 78 year-old guru.

For immediate booking: A two hour session – one hour with Leith Anderson for clubfitting – including the Shuttle.

A second hour with John Ruark – making sure your setup and your stroke match your putter.

$150.   Call Bob Pegram for an appointment. (650) 654-1770.

Regards, Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang.

P.S. The Shuttle is good for men too. Same deal available.

Contact: Bob Pegram, 650-654-1770. bobpgolf@dslextreme.com

Leithander@gmail.com.

In this Edition:

1) Behind the Scenes at the PGA Show
2) Choosing Quality Colors
3) Fitting for Torque
4) The Rise of “Shaft Appliances”

This article is for equipment geeks – and for normal golfers – who are wondering if they can still “buy a game” with a new shafts for their driver or irons.

Behind the Scenes at the PGA Show

I’ve been watching golf shaft technology from a front row seat for ten years. That’s recent history for two Old Timers in the room while we were filming an Aldila interview – Jeff Williams and Mike Rossi. They were on the front lines in the mid 90’s when the graphite shaft industry came of age. Thirty years of history.

The conversation focused on why graphite shafts never took off for irons. Jeff surprised everyone with the fact that Johnny Miller used Aldila graphite shafts in his irons the day he shot 63 to win the US Open at Oakmont in 1973. By some opinions that was the best ball-striking day in the history of golf. That was thirty years ago – before graphite got “good”. John Daly used UST graphite shafts when he won the PGA at Crooked Stick. Twenty years ago. Where did those memories go?

At the business level the Holy Grail is the Hit Product. It was interesting to hear events remembered by people who were there. It was March 1997 and Fred Couples had just won a tournament with a UST shaft – of nondescript color – and no one noticed.

In desperation, someone sitting the table in the UST lunch room picked up a French’s mustard jar and said “how about yellow?” Of events that changed the course of company history you wouldn’t think it was because they were eating hot dogs at UST.

UST was in dire straits – deep in debt to its parent company in Japan – in fear of shutdown. The ProForce was not a new model. Within a year, on the back of French’s yellow and purple, UST paid back its debt and had millions in the bank.

You could say that the most important technical innovation in golf shafts in the last 20 years was the paint job.

The Best Color Secret for Golf Shafts

If you need to paint a product to make it look high quality, where do find your colors? There’s a simple answer. BMW and Mercedes dealers spend the biggest money in the world on color choice. Where does color matter more than your luxury ride?

If you drive a late model Mercedes or a BMW, you might recognize a similarity between the colors in your new ACCRA shafts and your car. The colors the automobile companies pick is public information. Why not effective re-use?

Could that be the reason you think your ACCRA shafts appear to be exceptionally high quality?

Fitting for Torque

UST is launching a new shaft line built to fit to a single degree of torque. UST designed each weight and flex in their new SPX line with three torque values. Precise shaft fitting now matches weight, butt flex, EI flex profile and torque.

The level of complexity for fitting jumped up. Instead of two shafts – 65 and 75 gram SPX shafts in X flex – UST now has six shafts. Three torque values for each weight and flex.

The breakthrough is the ability to produce shafts that are identical in weight and flex to a single degree of torque. That degree of precision goes well beyond prior state-of-the-art.

The new UST model is “VTS” standing for Velocity, Torque, Speed. UST theory is that shafts should be fitted for torque just as they should be fitted for flex and weight. That is a completely unique idea. No other shaft manufacturers are making a big deal out of torque – at least this year. But it’s a safe bet that the “Industry is watching”.

The marketing game gets interesting when a major shaft company like UST bets the ranch on torque – an idea no company has promoted as an element of custom fitting – until now. They have even developed a completely new program aimed at supporting professional clubfitters. UST has stepped the high performance and precision fitting game up another notch.

OK, who goes first? The Golf Lab, of course

UST provided a set of VTS shafts for the Golf Lab to include torque in our driver shaft fittings. Last Saturday, Kaz Hoffman hit through three 65 gram X flex shafts and three 75 gram X flex shafts – each in three torque values.

I was surprised. There was no contest between weights. Kaz hit the 75 gram weight in all torque values better than any of the 65’s. I did not expect shaft weight to be so definitive. The hoped-for result was that one of the 75 gram shafts appeared to be much straighter than the other two. That happened. It was the “Red”.

Our testing is indoors with the Flightscope. We never rely on indoor testing alone, but indoor radar is very reliable to find the best test clubs for outdoor testing.

Kaz took the Red home for a week on the course. In the end, that’s all that matters. Will this be the “Hero Club” – the one that delivered the perfect shot at an important moment? Fingers crossed on that question.

The UST Story:

Here’s what UST says about the importance of torque. Quoted from the UST web site.

“UST spent two years working with tour players and amateurs isolating each parameter of the shaft in order to define what players associate with feel. We started by creating shafts that were identical in all aspects except for weight, or flex or torque. What we discovered was that players who thought shafts were stiff or soft were not necessarily feeling the flex of the shaft but the torque. Consequently, by raising or lowering the torque without changing the flex, players noticed a significant difference between the shafts. Words like boardy, or soft, weak or harsh were used to describe the differences they felt.”

“In addition, the stiff or soft feel created by raising or lowering torque was not isolated to a player’s swing speed or physical strength. To the contrary, we discovered that many high swing speed players actually preferred high torque and many slow swing speed players preferred low torque. In support of this discovery, we observed firsthand many long drive champions using high torque shafts, and senior players choosing low torque shafts.”

Golf Lab on Torque

Golf Equipment Chronicles readers know Russ Ryden – the leading independent shaft technologist in the world. Russ pioneered understanding shaft flex profiles with his EI machine and software. Russ thinks torque is extremely important. If Russ thinks torque is important, it must be important.

I’ve heard Russ refer to torque as “the next frontier” in shaft fitting. He’s the kind of guy who will set out to prove that.

The truth is that the whole world is overwhelmed by the complexity of current shaft technology. We have reached technical level where you have to be a true techno-nerd to care.

The world is ready for a simple concept. Get the weight right, get the flex right and then see if torque matters. How many fairways did you hit?

Better than 2 MPH of ball speed.

The Incredible Rise of the Shaft Appliance

The main reason you have to pay attention to the “Next Big Thing” from Balance Certified is that Jeff Lindner has thirteen years of inventions that fit inside golf shafts. Jeff is responsible for the acceptance of balancing golf clubs. He deserves that. He founded Balance-Certified in 1999.

The new category is “Shaft Appliances” – inventions designed to fit in the shaft to alter feel, performance or both. The concept of a “shaft appliance” should be a shocking wake-up call for shaft manufacturers.

The very first shaft appliance was the “wood dowel” – still a favorite of clubmakers looking for a softer feel from steel iron shafts. The concept of shaft appliance goes back fifty years.

Shotmaker caught our attention last year. Shotmaker is a gizmo that looks like a tiny golf shaft made for a Barbi Doll. It drops down in the shaft and lodges at the tip. I have described the Shotmaker as a random over-ride of whatever the shaft designer had in mind.

Nevertheless, the Shotmaker has been a miracle for some players. There is no doubt that the Shotmaker makes some drivers better – always defined as longer and straighter – right now.

The “Next Big Thing” – the Accurizer

Is it possible to design and produce a golf shaft that does not distort under stress from a golf swing?

Jeff Linder is an engineer. He spent a couple of years testing where stress occurs in a shaft. Most of his work was done with drivers. Jeff improved the design of his Stabilizer with a “dual bushing” extension that creates a combined effect of counterbalancing and shaft reinforcement.

He conducted robot testing. The robot liked the Accurizer. It goes straighter. The “longer” part comes from more solid contact. The fundamental goal of the Accurizer is “hit the ball on the sweet spot”.

Jeff generalized the concept to “Accurizer for Irons”.

Kaz Hoffman tested the Accurizers for irons and declared that any iron without the Accurizer felt “broken”. He installed a complete set immediately. A week later they are still in his irons and he says “no change”.

We put the Accurizer for Drivers in four drivers this week – that’s all we had. Every player kept the demo in place.

If you’re reading this far down you’re getting the idea that this could actually be the “Next Big Thing”.

If so, the conclusion will change the course of the shaft industry. That’s one to watch.

Driver and Iron Shaft Fitting Special

Anyone who reads this far deserves a reward.

Book a Shaft Fitting this week for $150. I’ll add a complete Accurizer fitting.

Plan on spending three hours. 1.5 with me and the radar. An hour at the range and another half hour for wrap-up when you get back.

You will know which shafts work with your swing – and why.

If your last fitting was not by radar, it is obsolete.

Best Regards,

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

Contact: Bob Pegram, 650-654-1770. bobpgolf@dslextreme.com
Leithander@gmail.com.

1) 2012 PGA Show Report – Golf Lab video blog

2) Edel wedge and putter fitting

3) Video Shoot at the PGA Merchandise Show

The PGA Show was better this year. The deep depression in the golf industry is over. The show had an upbeat feeling. Foreign buyers arrived with checkbooks open.

Our Golf Lab video project gained access to the highest level executives. We talked to presidents instead of sales reps. The camera sucks the stories out of people. It took me four 1500 word articles to cover the best products and ideas at the Show. It was an amazing experience.

My PGA Show articles will come out over the next three weeks. I’m going to mix in some videos to show what we have in mind for 2012. It’s a preview of the Golf Lab video blog.

That will be a lot of email – but just for three weeks. Our goal is to find devoted golfers who want a deeper level of golf knowledge. At the end of the three week test period we’ll send out an email so you can evaluate the work.
Then, we’ll make some decisions.

You can see from the personal tone that this is the natural voice of the Golf Lab video blog. I’ve been a story teller for a long time. There are a lot of stories to tell. I’m looking for the players who want to hear them. (You can opt out of Golf Lab email any time. Or you can request a monthly digest to keep your inbox uncluttered. Call Bob for that – 650-654-1770).

Demo: Writing Compared to Video

A year ago I was excited about the new Edel wedge line that included a unique fitting system. Edel “fits for bounce”. The test of a properly fitted Edel wedge is a wedge shot off the green without leaving a scar.

To accomplish that, the new Edel custom wedge line includes eight bounce angles for each loft. It is unique. Here’s a link to that article: http://calgolflab.com/blog/2011/03/16/2011-pga-show

This year we found David Edel with Mike Adams on the tee line on Demo Day at the Show. Here’s a link to that video:
http://www.youtube.com/devotedgolfer

See what I mean? For product descriptions, strategy and personalities, it’s hard to beat video. And now you’ve met our “new best friend” – David Edel.

I’ve admired David Edel and his company from a distance for years. Edel putters are in a class by themselves. Who would imagine interchangeable face plates so your putter can be optimized for local green conditions?

David brought that same attitude to wedges. Eight bounce angles per loft? Titleist just beefed up their Vokey line and went from two bounce angles to three.

I’m hoping that you’ll look at the Edel video and consider testing Edel wedges yourself. Our fitting system (24 wedges and 11 shafts) will be shipped this Friday. We’ll be ready to go with Edel wedge fittings next week. Check out the “early bird special” and give Bob a call to schedule – 650-654-1770.

A video on their fitting system is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53A1JtPfsCc

Special Offer for Edel Wedge and Putter Fittings

Edel wedge fittings can only be conducted outdoors. We have a fabulous location lined up.
For the first ten Golf Lab clients who call Bob Pegram, schedule both Edel putter and wedge fittings for $125. Two fitting sessions. That’s a very cool half price offer. Wedge fitting only? $75.

Special Offer on Shaft Fittings

If you haven’t been fitted with radar, your shaft fitting is obsolete.
We changed scheduling this year. An hour is not enough time for a detailed fitting. We now schedule an hour and half for each fitting – driver and fairways or irons and hybrids. All of our fittings now include outdoor range testing. It’s much fun to choose your own golf clubs. Still $150.

February special: the second fitting is free.

Driver and irons are best fitted in two sessions. Book an irons fitting for $150. Driver fitting is free. The free second fitting offer can be any Golf Lab fitting – including “Optimizations” with Tour Lock counterweights, Harrison Shotmaker and Balance-Certified Accurizer and Power Transfer Inserts.
Links: http://tourlockpro.com/
http://www.harrison.com/product/shotmaker-golf-shaft-insert
http://www.balance-certified.com/

2012 PGA Show Articles

Here’s what’s coming in my show coverage.

The first article should appeal to everyone. What did I buy for myself at the PGA Show? Hint: I spent $149, $2.99 and $350. Beyond the gizmos, the article describes three products that could make a significant impact on your improvement. None of the purchases were golf clubs. I also make the argument that practice should start at home.

The second article answers a big question. Should I buy any new golf clubs in 2012? Which models by which manufacturers? Taylor Made, Titleist and Adams stand out for hybrids wedges and fairways. I’ve studied the Hot List and felt the buzz at the show. No buzz, just the facts. Three specific recommendations.

Article number three covers shaft news in depth. The article is written for golf geeks and players who take a technical interest in shaft technology. Includes a description of the new Balance-Certified inventions.

Number four names my top product choices – some companies you’ve never heard about and little guys ready for a breakthrough.

If you would like to stay in touch but would rather not receive frequent newsletters please send Bob Pegram a message. (bobpgolf@dslextreme.com) He’ll put you on our “monthly digest only” list.

Golf Lab Video Shoot at the PGA Show

We were in Orlando to master “next generation” communication technology – expert, high definition, professionally edited video.

Results were way better than expected. Russ Ryden created a “60 Minutes” format to express his vision for DevotedGolfer.TV – his “Internet Video Magazine”. DevotedGolfer.TV provides “intelligent, in-depth coverage” of important subjects and events.

My goal was to shoot video that captures personalities and explains products.

Our band of reporters and videographers included Russ and Cynthia Ryden, Chris Como and Mark Maness from Dallas, Biv Wadden from Chicago and John Taylor from San Francisco. The cameras – and professionalism – opened a lot of doors. Everyone wants to tell their story.

TV stations think feature length is a minute. The Golf Channel allows two minutes. We conducted several interviews that lasted thirty minutes and some extended over an hour. We are editing them down to the essentials.

We recorded 240 gigabytes of video files. That’s a semi-load of tape. 64 gigabyte chips at $50 and Terabyte drives $200 help. The essence of breakthrough technology is that motivated amateurs can obtain professional results. The reality is professional video takes lots of practice.

The Best Videos from the Show

Preparation paid off with Bob Vokey. Mr. Vokey said his interview was “the best I ever gave” the next day in a speech. Vokey fans are going to love it. The uncut version is 16 minutes long. It’s more than a powerful sales pitch. It’s a record of history from the most important wedge designer in the world.

Here’s a link to an edited version: http://blog.fit2score.com/

John Taylor conducted a detailed interview with Daniel You – the Chief Designer, President and CEO of Matrix Technologies. Daniel provides a deep look at Matrix technology and strategy. He used his internal presentation to explain his technology and strategy to his customers. I have never heard a CEO laying everything on the table. After watching the interview in person, Matrix is a company I want to support.

Final edits are in process. DevotedGolfer.TV – the Internet Video Magazine will be out when it’s ready. Soon.
Meantime, we have the raw Orlando PGA Show video at the Golf Lab. We’d be happy to show it off by appointment. We would like to know any Golf Lab clients who might have video editing skills who would be interested in getting acquainted by barter. Call Bob Pegram to schedule. 650-654-1770.

Keep watch on your inbox.

Best regards, Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang
John Ruark, John Taylor, Bob Pegram, Clint Smith, Joel Whittom, Dian Terova, David Balbi.

Biv Wadden Interviews Dr. DuBois, Inventor of PowerPaw

Hand strength give you more control of the club and your swing. This device is an easy and safe way to develop that strength.

http://www.powerpaw.com

Practice your correct grip without altering your clubs. This snap-on device positions your hands for the grip that gives you the best results.

There is no to install a special training grip. Grip It Rite can be snapped on and off any club and can be adjusted to fit your standard swing. It lets you practice the grip that works best for you, not just a standard grip that works for some.

http://www.gripitrite.com/

Model Your Swing

This article is for golfers who are “working on their game”.

Getting better at golf requires a plan. Setting priorities, budgeting time and money, doing the work. None of that comes with a road map or a guarantee. Here are three gizmos that I chose to help my game at the PGA show.

Technology gets cheap.

For clubfitters and teachers working together to help players get better at golf, the tools and toys have improved beyond imagination in the last ten years. The golf industry is finally getting a taste of real technology.

SwingByte

My “Best Electronic Swing Coach” winner is SwingByte. The gizmo is a tiny one-ounce chip that attaches to the shaft of any club. It captures the motion of a player’s swing by tracking his club in space. The computer creates an image that captures critical information on swing plane, swing path, face angle at impact, tempo and acceleration.

Imagined indoor practice. Working on swing plane, swing path, tempo and timing in your living room. This is the easiest, cheapest and fastest way to see your swing with technical details added. You can own a SwingByte and practice with Almost Golf balls in your back yard.

The First Rule for getting better at golf: Make sure the swing you practice is “your best swing”.

SwingByte costs $149. It’s a startup created by two full-time University of Chicago MBA students. I don’t think they had any idea of the potential demand. Projected delivery is April. I ordered six.

Here is a link to the website: http://swingbyte.com/

My best “Electronic Caddy” winner is OptimalClub (OC). OC is a software program that weaves several web services together to recommend a club in real time based on distance, wind direction, wind velocity, elevation and your own launch monitor ballistics: ball speed, launch angle and spin rate.

You’re going to have to read the rest of this article to have a chance to understand that “elevator pitch” description.

OC runs on your iPhone. The application layers Google Earth, a GPS, wind and elevation data and your actual launch ballistics to recommend the right club for wind and any change in elevation.

How many times have you wondered, two or three clubs for the grade? And you still came up short.

The program even tells you where to aim. It is like your iPhone suddenly came to life as an experienced caddy.

Hard eight or smooth seven? Sure it’s not a soft six? You get a credible second opinion. Imagine the amusement of a silent conversation with your iPhone.

It is the only software I’ve seen that helps understand the effect of wind and elevation on the shot you’re facing. It’s a fabulous training device.

OptimalClub is a great way for players who don’t play enough to develop a good feel for wind effects. OC is a must have for beginners.

It is not legal during tournament play. However, it is within the rules to print the charts so you can make wind and elevation information part of your course notes.

To understand why this app should be great you need to know the pedigree. The developer is Todd Koss – a programmer who spent the better part of the last five years developing software to model the effect of spin on golf shots. His first program was OptimalFlight – used to check the accuracy of launch monitor data. He is well known as an Authority on golf ballistics.

OptimalClub recommends a club if you enter your average distances. To gain maximum benefit from the program, you can enter launch monitor data including launch angle and spin rate club by club. Basing recommendations on personal launch monitor data including spin rate and launch angle is where OptimalClub shines.

OptimalClub will adjust your projected yardage shot by shot based on your personal launch angle and spin rate. If you’re a high spin player, you’re going to lose extra distance going into a stiff wind. OC knows you, and what will happen to your shots given present atmospheric conditions. How weird is that?

No other system has come close to working at that level of detail.

For players thinking about collecting launch monitor test data, the process requires hitting every club in your bag an average of five times. That’s a pretty good day’s work for most players so we’ve added it as a separate fitting service. Plan on spending an hour. Optimal Flight temporarily costs $2.99 downloaded from iTunes. It’s the best golf bargain on the planet.

Here is a link to the Optimal Club website: http://optimalclub.com/

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.

David Balbi is a PGA teaching professional with twenty years’ experience. He was named “Teacher of the Year” by the Northern California Chapter in 1999. David’s specialty is motion analysis focused on balance. His electronic systems combine a force plate to record a player’s center of gravity in real time synchronized with high speed video and a Flightscope radar launch monitor. Efficient weight transfer is the key to power in a golf swing. A single session can bring enlightenment.

Golf Lab services are easy to schedule. Bob Pegram is our “Concierge”. He can be reached at the office during business hours and on his cell phone for emergencies. 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 or (424) 903-9959 (cell phone).

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.

Here’s a picture of David Balbi at his teaching station.

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 in January – Bob Pegram will handle the reservation.

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.

A month ago 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 seven 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.

The goal of Technology Day is to find your strengths, identify your weakness, and create a plan to meet your improvement goals.

First Station:  Technique

The key to developing your best swing is balance, tempo and timing.  Complete swing analysis includes setup, impact and finish.  The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) certified analysis measures a player’s swing in three dimensions.  Motion sensors in the K-Vest compare your swing to PGA Tour standards.  Any “power leaks” are identified.  Every golfer embarking on a serious game improvement program should take the “K-Vest Test”.  Never practice mistakes.

You Learn:  A conceptual understanding of your swing motion.  Your unique “kinematic sequence” is measured and analyzed for efficiency and power.  You receive an estimate of increased distance from improved technique.  Remedial drills are suggested if required.  The Golf Lab  K-Vest Expert is John Taylor, four level TPI Certified.

Second Station:   Putting

Putting is 41% of golf.
Fewer “putts per round” is the quickest way to cut strokes.  We combine the Edel fitting system, the Science and Motion Putt Lab and the Focus Band for the most complete analysis of your aim, your stance and your stroke. 

You Learn:  Your aim, your “compensation” and your stroke are analyzed.  You will “know your stroke”.  Knowing your stroke is the
first step to improved putting.  Your alignment, setup, aim, path and tempo are “tested and adjusted”.  Loft, lie, length and balance of your putter are matched to your natural stroke.  John Ruark leads the “Putting Practice” at the Golf Lab.

Third Station:  Equipment

Golf clubs determine a player’s stance and swing motion.  We blueprint – length, weight, flex and loft – every club in your bag.  Any problem clubs are flagged.

We test the performance of your own six iron and driver.   We employ Flightscope radar for our launch monitor technology.  Radar looks at the player and the club in motion in addition to the ball – a new dimension in launch monitor analysis.  The performance of your clubs is compared to selected test clubs.  Any improvement in distance or accuracy from new clubs is discovered.  Distance gaps are identified.

You Learn:   The complete specifications of your current set.  Launch monitor performance of current and test clubs.  Recommendations for club modifications, replacements or new models.  Random club testing is a waste of time.

Schedule:

Arrive:  8:00 – 8:30 AM.  Doors open at 8 for the Early Birds.

8:30 – 9:00 – Orientation.  We explain the program for the day.  Station sequence is established.  Questions answered.  Coffee
finished.  Fruit, no Danish.

9:00 – 9:50 – Station One

9:50 – 10:00 – Break

10:00 – 10:50 – Station Two

10:50 – 11:00 – Break

11:00 – 11:50 – Station Three

11:50 – 12:00 – Break

12:00 – 1:00 – Catered, working lunch in the Golf Lab meeting room.  Plan outlined, priorities ranked.

The three stations provide an intense introduction to three Golf Lab Specialists. Our goal is to create a plan to “get better at golf”.   The plan should be specific.  How many strokes improvement from what skill?  Technology Day customers receive recommendations for a complete improvement program.   Focused practice speeds improvement.

The Golf Lab “Technology Day” for Golfers is $495.  Call Bob for details about our “Three for Two” special through New Year’s.

A coach with a good eye helps a player realize his dreams. Talent, technique and technology – in that order – stand between a player and his goals.

Custom clubfitting matches a player’s talent and commitment with the appropriate tools.

True custom fitting can never be completed in an hour. Clubfitting is a continuous activity for PGA Tour professionals.

A comprehensive club fitting requires at least a half day. That sets the foundation for a player who needs to understand golf club performance from hands-on experience.

Follow-up sessions are normal. The Golf Lab was created for players who want to take extra time to perfect feel and ball flight.

I invite you to peruse our fitting service descriptions. I assume you’ve been fitted before.

Leith Anderson – Golf Digest “Top 100 Clubfitter”

I was the only honoree in Northern California named “Top 100 Clubfitter” by Golf Digest Magazine. Only 30 independent clubfitters made the National list.

Since 2001, I’ve worked through three generations of clubfitting technology. We’re now deep into the “radar age”. Radar revolutionized shaft fitting. No more incomprehensible numbers from the launch monitor. Today, it’s all about pictures. If you haven’t been fitted in the last year – a “technology update” is a good investment.

Finding “Magic Clubs” requires hands-on testing. Experts on wine drink a lot of different wine. Experts on golf clubs hit a lot of different clubs. The New Golf Lab is unique. We have 50 complete sets of high performance demo clubs to take to your own course for a week or a month. The program comes with “swaps” – in a month a player can test four sets of high performance clubs.

If you book a fitting at the Golf Lab you get the latest technology, extensive test clubs and the most experienced clubfitter in the Bay Area.

Golf Lab – Range of Services

The Golf Lab offers a broad range of specialized club fitting services for beginners to Tour Players. For players who are updating their equipment knowledge, returning to the game or just getting started, two hours of testing and analysis is a good beginning.

Golf Lab advanced club fitting services are designed for players who have been fitted before. We pick up where old style launch monitor fittings leave off.

Although we can complete a “quick and clean” fitting in an hour, two hours is our standard. Our preference is four hours to complete a comprehensive clubfitting. We always accommodate a player’s budget.

“Refresher” Fitting – for players who have been fitted before – 1 Hour

The “Refresher” is for the advanced player who wants a periodic update on golf equipment, golf technology and golf theology. We start with an in-depth conversation about current performance, equipment, ideas and questions.

We go through the bag, club by club, looking for distance gaps and clubs that could be improved. In the last year, several very good new models of fairway metals and long approach clubs have appeared. It’s easy to miss the one or two truly good models that come out every year.

We check the player’s current driver and six iron with the Flightscope radar launch monitor. Ballistics and efficiency are checked. Any exceptions are noted. That sets a benchmark.

I pick out the “latest and greatest” from our demos for continued performance testing. Every test club is compared to a player’s benchmark performance.

New driver, long game and iron models are tested. The best performers and clubs that fit a player’s eye are collected for follow-up range testing. The last step is a trip to the range to confirm testing results. “Magic Clubs” make themselves known in time.

We tailor or fittings to a Player’s schedule.

The Refresher can be completed in an hour for a player who doesn’t need or want to spend more time. I prefer spending a couple of hours and telling more stories.

One hour of analysis with follow-up range testing. $150.
$75 with $500 purchase.

Two hours of analysis with follow-up. $250.
$125 with $500 purchase.

On-Course Clubfitting

The ultimate clubfitting starts with a round of golf. Watching a player on the golf course provides the best perception of performance – for both player and equipment. On-course analysis is efficient. Understanding a player’s experience, skill and goals in golf normally requires a lengthy conversation. That enlightenment comes automatically with a round of golf.

I provide frequent opportunities for Golf Lab clients to join me on the golf course without charge. Wednesday is “Morning at the Muni” for nine holes and breakfast. Sunday is eighteen holes at Palo Alto or San Jose. I recommend that you start your Golf Lab relationship the most efficient way – on the golf course.

On-course clubfitting: Wednesday and Sunday, no charge.

Individual sessions are available.
Private on-course clubfitting, $250.
$125 with $1000 purchase.

Full Bag Fitting

A Full Bag Fitting is complicated and takes time.

A Full Bag Fitting covers five club categories: Driver, Long Game, Irons, Wedges and Putter.

If you spend just an hour with each category – that’s five hours. Add lunch and travel time and a full bag fitting can’t take less than a day. The minimum time to put a full bag together is at least two hours per club category – including outdoor testing.

Moving from driver to fairways to utilities to irons to wedges to putter over the course of five hours in a single day is overload for all but the strongest players. The “full bag, full day” is a serious physical and mental challenge that should only be undertaken by players who need to keep their time commitment to a minimum.

I don’t recommend trying to fit a Full Bag in a single day, but for players from out of town who only have one day, it can be done. The best method is to start with nine holes at the Palo Alto Muni in the morning.

Our recommended method for a Full Bag Fitting is the Ultimate Club Fitting.

Ultimate Club Fitting – One Day

The day starts half an hour after daylight with nine holes at the Palo Alto Muni. The quickest way to understand a player’s game, and his clubs, is to watch him on the golf course. Ball flight and consistency tell the story. We play from the members’ tees.

This is a learning experience so we don’t play it “down”. I want to see a swing uncomplicated by bad lies. For one day, you’ll feel like you’ve been living right. es.

We’re not counting strokes so we’ll hit a second shot if we need to. Our goal is to see the best, and the worst.

Breakfast at the Grill follows. We discuss goals. We make a game plan. It takes efficiency, endurance and focus to cover an entire bag in one day. It is now 10:30.
Back to the Golf Lab. We “blueprint” your current clubs – weigh, measure and test for flex. We benchmark performance with a six iron. Same for the driver. Our launch monitor technology is Flightscope radar. Current performance is mapped to your athletic potential.

Test clubs are chosen to compare ballistics and consistency. After a couple of hours, we’ll know what works and why. You’ll want to confirm indoor testing outdoors. It is now 1:00.

We break for lunch and a rest for you while I put together the “test bag” in the workshop.

We head for the range at 2:00 with the test bag. The test bag includes the exact clubs we’re recommending – built to specifications determined by your fitting. It is important to confirm indoor theories outdoors. Golf clubs feel and sound different outdoors on a natural surface. Ball flight is the ultimate test. You should always see ball flight and “feel the dirt” before you buy a golf club.

We go the range together so I can stage the testing and help evaluate results. We are looking at ball flight and trying to evaluate feel. We already know from the launch monitor that we are testing the best performing demo clubs. We go slowly for an hour or so. Endurance is a consideration.

By 3:30 we are ready to return to the Golf Lab and pencil together a complete set makeup. That process can take an hour or so.

The result is a full day of testing and evaluation, a bag full of the exact recommendations assembled to take to the range so you know the performance and feel because you tried it. Testing golf clubs is just as important as test driving a sports car.

Wrap-up at 5:30.

$1500 includes golf, fitting, all demos built to fit and breakfast. We’ll be working one on one for 10 hours.

$1000 with a $2000 purchase.
$750 with a $3000 purchase.
$500 with a $4000 purchase.
Complimentary with a $5000 purchase.

“Deluxe Get Acquainted Special” – Half Day Clubfitting

You want to know that the clubs in your bag will take you to YOUR next level.
We begin by measuring your swing with your clubs. Launch monitor performance data establishes a benchmark with your driver and six iron. We establish your personal specification from physical measurements and radar launch monitor test results.

Distance and accuracy are frequently improved with simple modifications to your current clubs. With our on-site workshop, we modify your clubs (length, weight, grip, balance) to improve performance immediately. With quick set epoxy and compressed air for grip installation, we can make several modifications to your set in a single session. You test the results immediately. That’s part of the fun of a real “custom” golf shop.

I aim for a simple revelation. One of the most common is that shorter drivers are both straighter and longer.

After we test and tweak your current clubs we know how they match up with your swing. We measure the efficiency of your swing and identify any impediments to improvement. There are times when a player’s swing “issues” should be dealt with before buying new clubs. If we believe that, we will defer the club purchase.

We go through your bag club by club and get to know which you hit well and which are “haunted”. We identify any distance gaps.

With background knowledge, we turn to “Performance Based Fitting”. It’s a simple method. We know the specifications of your clubs. We benchmark your performance with your clubs. We compare performance for length, weight, flex, bend profile and head style with test clubs from our library. We let the launch monitor tell us which clubs produce better measured results.

Assuming that we find clubs that test better indoors than your own, confirming the indoor results outdoors essential. Outdoor testing reveals feel and ball flight. I fill a bag with demos and we go together to the range. It’s a lot easier to make sense out of testing if you have two sets of eyes and ears.

I stage the fitting sequence and help to gauge ball flight. It is imperative to see ball flight outdoors and feel the club in the dirt before you know for sure if you’ve found your “magic clubs”. That takes an hour or so. When you return from the range you will be well-prepared to make your own decisions about golf equipment.

That’s what we call “Getting Acquainted”. It takes at least four hours. Set aside half a day.

$400. $250 with $1000 purchase. Complimentary with $3000 purchase.
PS: “Quick and Clean” fittings – done in an hour – are always available for players with time constraints. $125.

Winter hours: 8:00-12:00 or 1:00 -5:00.

Bite-Size Pieces

To get the best results each fitting session should be focused on one category. Teaching pros don’t like to work on different swings in the same session. That’s why they don’t give “full bag” lessons. Too many gear changes.

Our “club category” fittings start with two hours of discussion, launch monitor analysis and performance testing. We will find clubs that the launch monitor says work better than your own – at least in some ways.

Then we break for you to take our test clubs to the range to confirm indoor testing results.

Tightly scheduled, you can get a driver, long game or irons fitting done in three hours – including time for outdoor testing. If you have a lot of stamina, schedule an iron fitting for the morning and driver for the afternoon.

Two hour Club Category fitting with range time and follow-up is $250.

Complete Driver and Irons Performance Fitting

This session is designed for the player who wants to take care of the two most important categories – driver and irons – in a single session.

The goal is confidence that a player’s clubs will take him to the “next level”.

Driver and Irons Fitting is good for returning clients who want a broad look new products and a technology refresher.

Player’s swing with a driver and six iron are analyzed with launch monitor and video. Player’s clubs are measured and tested. Physical mismatches are identified.
Launch monitor testing records club head speed, ball speed, distance, swing path, face angle at impact and center contact. All data are preserved. With facts at hand, goals are discussed. Possible areas for improved technique are explored. Possible club modifications are discussed.

We frequently adjust length, weight, flex and balance of a player’s current clubs in our on-site workshop. Simple alterations that result in immediate performance improvement can be a dramatic first step in finding “personal specifications”. We always start with making a player’s own clubs “as good as they can be”.

“Performance Clubfitting” then compares a player’s own clubs with a series of test clubs. Shaft length, weight, flex, balance and flex profile are all tested. All tests are objective, focusing on measurable results that indicate performance improvement – ball speed, carry distance, spin rate, launch angle and factors that indicate consistency.

Launch monitor testing driver and irons is a good starting point. Once better performing clubs are identified, the player takes those same clubs to the range to verify test results where it counts – outdoors – hitting from grass – feeling the club and observing ball flight. Hands-on testing of the recommended clubs is the crucial last step.

The Golf Lab Performance Clubfitting fee includes range testing. For players who want extensive testing the Golf Lab offers extended high performance club rental programs to facilitate whatever level of hands-on experience is desired.

$250 – 2 hours plus range time and follow-up.
Total commitment 4-7 hours in one day.

Performance Driver Fitting

Some players prefer to focus on irons or the driver.

The Silver Scot, Tommy Armour never allowed a player to work on both driver and irons during the same teaching session. That’s a little extreme, but fitting irons and driver separately is a little less hectic.

We use the same interview and testing methodology of the full fitting – focused on the driver. The first stage of testing is completed in two hours. Player then visits the range to confirm electronic testing, returns for de-briefing and decisions.¬¬ Minimum time required: three hours.

The Performance Driver Fitting provides extensive testing of shafts with different flex profiles and heads with measured face angles and true lofts.

The testing process can easily be extended. If a player has the energy, he might need two or three range returns before he knows he has the best combination of driver head, shaft and balance.

Players are not required to go to the range. In most cases, indoor launch monitor testing for driver performance is highly reliable.

The Full Driver Fitting is appropriate for players of any skill level.
$250 2 Hours plus range time and follow-up.

Performance Irons Fitting
$150
1.5 Hours, two sessions – plus “range time”
Same deal as driver fitting.
An good starting point is to find out what you’re getting into.

Specialized Fittings

Driver Optimization

Starting with a player’s own driver, we collect “launch ballistics” data. Ball speed, launch angle and spin rate are analyzed.

Loss of distance from sub-optimal launch angle or spin rate is calculated. You will know the source and reason for your loss of distance.

If launch angle and spin rate are within an acceptable range we will pinpoint ways to improve ball speed.

If accuracy and consistency are important, we will frequently trim the length of a player’s driver and add an adjustable weight under the grip. The “new driver” is then tested. Ball speed normally increases 2-4 MPH and consistency improves.
We start by making a player’s own driver work better.

If we think a different driver shaft and head combination might produce higher ball speed, or better spin or trajectory, we assemble and test that driver.

We don’t believe that any modern driver head is the best. If that driver existed, the world would have found out and we’d all have one. If one driver works better than another, there should be a physical reason that can be measured and understand.

If a driver existed that absolutely, positively was the “best for all players” you could be sure that we would all own one.

Driver Optimization is not intended to be a “complete fitting”. Testing clubs at the range is not included.

This is a good starting point for a player of any skill level who has a driver he likes and wants to make absolutely, positively sure that it is just the right length, flex, swingweight and loft – based on the results as measured on a launch monitor.

$125 – One Hour

Counterweight Fitting

$125 – One Hour – Covers driver and irons.

Think about it. Most professional grade sporting implements are carefully balanced by their makers.

Gunstocks, baseball bats, hockey sticks, fly rods, fighting knives . . . Why not golf clubs?

Locating “counter-weights” at a variable positions under the grip changes the balance of a golf club. In testing, we have found that adding counterweights at the optimal position gives a player more control over the club.

The result is an increase in ball speed up to 4 MPH with improved consistency for most players. To judge consistency, we measure and compare swing speed, ball speed, trajectory, swing path and face angle at impact.

A balanced club is great because knowing that you are more consistent will make you more consistent.

“Fitting for Balance” involves testing a player’s own 6 iron with 8, 12, 16 and 20 gram Tour Lock weights

The Golf Lab pioneered using counterweights to increase ball speed and improve consistency. A “Stabilizer” installed under the grip of your driver will increase your ball speed by 2-4 MPH. Changing the balance of your clubs with counterweights normally improves the consistency of swing path and face angle at impact. Players who have not optimized the balance of their current clubs should do so. Results are measurable and guaranteed.

Wedge Fitting

We fit wedges for bounce. It is imperative to see a player’s wedge swing before fitting a wedge. I conduct wedge fittings with a bag of test wedges outdoors. Plan on at least an hour.

$125 per hour

Grip Fitting

Fitting grips is a non-trivial activity. The grip is your connection with the club. It is responsible for feel as much as any other component.

We use air pressure to install grips at the Golf Lab. That permits grips to go on and come off easily. We can adjust the grip size and profile with extra tape. Many players find a little extra tape under their right hand helps guard against the “lefts”.

Many women should be playing much larger grips. Womens’ hands typically have much longer fingers than men. “Ladies” grips can be way too small. Many normal women find mens’ mid-size grips to fit best.

$125 per hour.
Grips supplied at cost.

Driver Shaft Fitting

A very specific Golf Lab service. We utilize Russ Ryden’s Shaft Analysis system to understand the “EI Curve” (shaft flex profile). There is no better way to understand the raw shaft.

Radar launch monitor “radar tracings” allow us to see the performance of the shaft just prior to impact.

Combining shaft flex profile knowledge with radar tracings permits us to zero in on the best performing shaft “family” – based on bend profile.

When you find the profile that performs the best, you will also be introduced to an array of similar profiles. This service is only possible with advanced diagnostics. Only 15 clubfitters in the world own the Ryden machine.

$125 per hour.

Iron Shaft Fitting

A very specific Golf Lab service. We utilize Russ Ryden’s Shaft Analysis system to understand the “EI Curve” (shaft flex profile). There is no better way to understand the raw shaft.

Radar launch monitor “radar tracings” allow us to see the performance of the shaft just prior to impact.

Combining shaft flex profile knowledge with radar tracings permits us to zero in on the best performing shaft “family” – based on bend profile.

When you find the profile that performs the best, you will also be introduced to an array of similar profiles. This service is only possible with advanced diagnostics. Only 15 clubfitters in the world own the Ryden machine.

$125 per hour

Are there any believable claims about golf clubs?

If someone told me that he had discovered a new iron model that is easier to hit than any other iron in the world I would think he was at least stupid, and possibly crazy.

I’ve been writing about golf equipment for ten years – interweaving stories about the “Golf Lab Gang” – myself – a little science and a little sales. This is one of those stories. It reminds me that we all might be a little too smart for our own good.

As golfers, we’re trained to be cynical. Too many years of “longer and straighter”. Would you recognize a breakthrough product if it jumped up in your lap and licked your face?

The “Courage” to Try Something New

Over a year ago, it was time for David Balbi to trade his Nakashima blades for Miura 501’s. We were just getting acquainted at the time so I licked my chops looking at the 64 gram graphite shafts in his irons. Professional clubfitters scoff at lightweight iron shafts.

We performed a comprehensive analysis and fitting. I built an extensive set of demos – exploring every option. We compared them all with radar. Nothing beat the lightweight combination. The new heads went on David’s old shafts.

We started including the “new” makeup in our iron fittings. Long story short, in the last year, operating at low speed, twenty out of the last thirty sets of irons were built with lightweight graphite shafts and now, slightly heavier heads.

Players who bought that setup tested them extensively indoors with electronics and outdoors to confirm feel and ball flight. This is a serious breakthrough that should be extremely interesting to players who are looking for forgiveness and a different feel.

The Logic and Physics Behind the “New Irons”

The first hurdle is overcoming objections to lightweight graphite. Most serious players have suffered multiple disappointments from believing excessive claims about graphite.

There are three iron shaft models that we know combine light weight with stiff flex. They are the Matrix Studio 64, the Aerotech SteelFiber 70 and the Matrix Ozik Program 80 gram shafts.

Start by suspending disbelief. Then, remember the definition of insanity.

You swap a lightweight shaft for heavy steel. Graphite could decrease the overall weight of the club by more than two ounces. That’s enough for a 3-4 MPH increase in swing speed. Now, put a little more weight in the head. Faster swing speed with a heavier head transfers more energy to the ball.

I could make the argument that the combination produces longer distance. It will, but I don’t emphasize distance. My view is that most players swing too hard. The reason is that they are playing clubs that demand a powerful strike. “Longer and lighter” permits a player to swing easier to get the same distance. That promotes finesse.

Players who love to “take a little off” will love lighter irons.

Enlightenment Comes in Stages

Choosing golf clubs, for most players, is a physical and mental match. If you consider yourself a good player – even with modest ambitions – you would never choose “game improvement” irons.

Disdained as “shovels”, game improvement irons are exactly the opposite. Most models come with round soles that bounce off the turf and “drop kick” the ball. Game improvement irons are designed to eliminate “fat” shots.

Drop kicking gets you around the course but does not provide the precise contact required to control ball flight. That requires getting the club on the ball first. An iron with a narrow sole, limited bounce and little offset is the instrument of choice for great ball strikers.

Game improvement irons are designed to offset swing flaws. Increased offset does not help a healthy golf swing. Offset assumes multiple swing defects – starting with an outside-in swing path. I wouldn’t be caught dead with game improvement irons in my bag.

Now you know how warm and fuzzy I feel toward “game improvement” irons. Even though I loved the VC-03 iron it never occurred to me that I could play the entire VC-03 set. It was simply impossible to imagine.

Vega VC-03 – The Game Improvement Iron for Good Players

The VC-03 is not like the game improvement irons that I just described. The sole is shaped with a little radius that allows the head to “dig” the ball out of rough lies. There is not much bounce so a good ball striker can get the club on the ball first. And the usual bugaboo – offset – is solved with a progression as the clubs get shorter.

I mounted a Matrix Studio 64 shaft in the VC-03 3 iron at a half inch over length.

First Swing at the Range – Tingle in the Scalp

Those moments are rare testing golf clubs. In twenty years, I can only remember half a dozen instances of a “magical strike” on the first swing. The Vega VC-03 three iron with the Matrix lightweight shaft in a PCS 6.0 flex value made my scalp tingle.

The ball jumped off the face. Trajectory was high and then flattened out – showing little spin. It looked like a drive. The VC-03 was a huge surprise in the 3 iron. I found that it was easier to hit than any 21* hybrid in my test bag.

When I get a stroke of inspiration about golf clubs, I try to find customers who like the idea enough to buy it.

That didn’t take long. I caught a customer on his way to the range. I handed him my Vega 3 iron. When he returned, he said “it’s not leaving my bag”. That’s a very good sign. And then it happened again – six times.

It was beginning to dawn on me that the Vega VC-03 long irons might turn into a “hot product”.

VC-03 – Largest, Lowest, Thinnest, etc.

After four hundred years of forging iron heads, you wouldn’t think that a company could possibly come up with a new model that would be significantly different from the thousands of models that have come before. It doesn’t take an expert eye to see that the VC-03 design is an extreme forging – in size and in depth of the cavity.

Compared to a “normal” cavity, the cavity in the Vega is milled deep and low. The VC-03 shows the most extreme redistribution of weight in any forged iron ever made. Here are some pictures:

Tweaking the Basic Idea

Some players are disconcerted by the ultra-reduction in weight. Locating a 20 gram grip in the shaft, under the hands can overcome weight perception.

I also like a little extra length in irons with lightweight graphite shafts. For me, the new makeup is not about distance, it is about finesse. I find less weight in my hands much easier to control. Partial shots became more fun. You can move up and down the shaft a bit.

Grips are going through transition. There is a clear movement toward larger diameters to quiet a player’s hands. Also, many women who have long fingers are properly fitted with men’s midsize. The grip is an important element of balance. Our onsite workshop and air installation procedure permits testing with the actual grip installed.

Compared to a “normal” cavity design, the heel to toe dimension is longer in the VC-03.

The first two VC-03 irons that caught my eye were the 3 and 4. From the business end, they seem to be half hybrid, half iron. They are the shape of an iron, but the size of a hybrid. A startling comparison is to lay a VC-03 side by side with a normal forged iron. The difference is dramatic.

The profile shows a narrow neck with a high toe. The top line is square and a little wide for a purist, but once you have a close look at how much metal was moved around in the forging, the VC-03 is easy to accept. One finishing feature that improves eye appeal is the top line edges are squared off. That can only be done with a forging.

So, crazy as this sounds you can find out for yourself.  Pick up a set of demos at the Golf Lab and take them to your own course.

High Performance Club Test

The Golf Lab Club Testing Program helps serious golfers understand differences in feel and ball flight from different set specifications. Testing a variety of iron sets is the natural next step – after an electronic fitting – for a player who wants to make his own golf club choices.

Tour players know the best way to compare club performance is on the course where feel and ball flight rule. Subtle comparisons become meaningful with hands-on testing under playing conditions. What if the six iron is fine but the wedge is goofy?

Our test clubs are the “best of the best”.

We combine the best head designs with high performance shafts. Every combination is tested for feel, ball flight and performance by Golf Lab staff.

We include “Playable Classics” – sets that have historic significance updated to compete with current models.

An electronic fitting does not determine the “best fit”. The goal of a fitting is to narrow the choices. The last step is to confirm indoor testing on the range so the player can make his own choice – based on feel and ball flight – with total confidence.

One round is enough – two is better. New clubs should be instantly better than anything you’ve ever played before. Decide for yourself if $200 Matrix Program Graphite iron shafts – engineered for the Tour – are that much better than the Aerotech 95 – already on Tour – and only $90.

Demo clubs are not only for highly skilled players looking for exotic, high performance clubs. They are also for occasional players who need to gain experience with different specifications and to develop feel for different head designs and shaft flex.

Test sets are good for juniors. There are a few shaft and head combinations that have been very successful over the years. Why not try all four on your own course for a complete round? You will know what works.

Detail on the High Performance Club Rental Pool

At the high end are the “super exotics”. There is another price level about to emerge in the custom iron market. Until now, the “sweetspot” for Japanese boutique irons in the USA has been around $225 per club. That’s not everywhere. There are plenty of places in the USA where mention of $1600 for a set of irons could cause heart attack or divorce. But American golf equipment marketers can’t be blamed for jealousy over prices for “luxury irons” that reach tens of thousands of dollars in Asia.

There is a huge push coming from Matrix, Fujikura and Mitsubishi to convince golfers that it is worth upgrading the quality of their iron shafts. We have been feeling the drumbeat for a couple of months – first of anticipation and now availability.

Here’s the problem: Our “Tour Proven” Aerotech Steel Fiber iron shafts are $85 installed at the Golf Lab. Putting $700 into a set of shafts is a pretty penny as my grandmother used to say. If $700 is a “pretty penny” what is $1500 for a set of shafts.

The Tsunami is causing a ripple effect in prices from Japanese foundries. But that’s the small stuff.

We’ve been watching the high end of the graphite iron shaft business “mature”. Actually, it might be a little closer to “rotting”.

We have never sold these well because they require a price level that Americans don’t understand. It would cost a little south of $3000 to build a set of Miura 501’s mounted with the new Matrix “Program” shafts and SST PURE ™ shaft alignment. $300 per club, easy.

Wouldn’t it be worth $75 to take that set to the course for a week? You’ll answer the key question: “Does the high price reflect the value?”

As cynical as you may be, what if it does?

Many of the other iron sets in our rental pool were built as test sets for very good players. Some are “Playable Classics” from the Golf Lab Collection. They include complete iron sets from Miura, Vega, Mizuno, Bridgestone and one-of-a-kinds.

A club testing program is the logical way to prepare to make an informed choice if you are thinking about buying an exotic or high performance set of irons. Why rely on a salesperson who doesn’t know you or a computer (no hands, no eyes, no brain) to make your choice? Test the exact clubs you are wondering about buying on your own course for a week. Take them to the range. Wear them out.

If you wondering about iron shafts and want to compare X-100’s, S-300’s, Shimada Pros, Shimada Tours, KB Tours, KB C-Tours, Scandium, Nippon and all of the graphite models – you can – in a meaningful way on the golf course.

Players of all skill levels can benefit from playing a variety of clubs on the course. There may be no performance difference you can measure between steel and graphite, but there will be a difference in feel and ball flight. Why not choose the one that feels and looks best to you? Same for head designs. Why not make the choice yourself?

The first step is always a fitting. New technology lets us “see” the movement of the shaft at impact. Subtle differences in shaft performance are uncovered. No need to worry about tedious range time to figure out which shaft performs the best. We do that indoors with radar. Players who have been fitted by older launch monitor technology will benefit from a “new look” with radar.
Your outdoor testing is focused on feel and ball flight.

With a completed fitting, we can have a close look at the test clubs and pick the most likely suspects for fitting.

High Performance, Exotic and Collector Irons Test Program

$300 Per month
“Super High End”

Rental period is one month – “Saturday to Saturday” rental period. Exchange once per week on Saturday afternoon 3-6.

Player is entitled to keep one set for the entire 30 days or exchange for a new set once each week. Rental sets are supplied with the player’s choice of grips. Exchange period is Saturday afternoons between 3 and 6 at San Carlos. Emergencies are accommodated by appointment. Dian Terova can be reached at the office between 10 and 12 weekdays. Limited weekday exchanges can be accommodated.

The sets in the “super high end” selection include the latest model Miura and Vega heads paired up with the most exotic high-performance shafts from Matrix, Fujikura and Aerotech on the market. Other sets are collectors’ items. The retail values range from $1500 to $5000.

Rent applies to purchase if player buys a set from the rental pool. Rent does not apply to new custom sets.

“Built for Feel” Irons Test Program

$200 per month
“Get Acquainted with Feel, Forgiveness and Trajectory”

“Performance Level Testing” will be interesting to any golfer who wants to know how different clubs feel. This player will be interested in comparing the feel of lightweight steel and graphite. Within graphite, he will also want to know the best shaft weight. Graphite offers wide choices in shaft weight and feel.

Irons can be exchanged for another set on Saturday afternoons between 3 and 6 PM. No walk-in exchanges.

The New Miura Hybrids – Hot Product Alert

A new idea every 400 years

Introducing Bob Pegram

Hi from San Carlos,

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about “long range fairway clubs” focusing on distances to the green between 150 and 210 yards.

For some of us, that distance is getting longer. It doesn’t seem like that long ago I was hitting eight iron from 150. Now, I need a nice warm day to get to there with a seven iron. When I really want to be sure, I go with a six.

I’m coming back to golf myself. After a year of not playing a single round, I’ve been out every Wednesday morning since September for nine holes at the Palo Alto Muni – and then eighteen on Sunday morning. I’ve started posting scores again. I’ll probably go out for a tournament or two in January.

I slipped five strokes in the last five years and I want to reverse that trend.

My most important breakthrough – in addition to a completely new golf swing – is I’ve overcome the most common mistake most amateurs make in club selection – choosing the shortest possible club for any shot.

Think about what Ben Hogan said: “Don’t tell me how far it is. I don’t want to know.”

I want to know. If you are not checking your distances with a range finder or GPS device, you are probably overestimating your average distance. The key to consistency is a controlled swing at much less than 100%.

Mitch Voges (1991 Amateur Champion) asked a very good player about distance with a six iron. The player responded: “I hit my six iron 175 except when I’m really playing good. Then I hit it 165.” Think hard about that.

Golf clubs talk to you. Clubs that are built for maximum distance assume your fastest swing speed. That always translates to the stiffest possible flex.

That is a huge mistake. The stiffest possible flex means you have to make your fastest swing for the club to perform. Your fastest swing is dangerous. Why not choose a club that gives you the best feel and performance at 90%?

You can do that at the Golf Lab.

The New Miura Hybrid

Every once in a while a club comes out that is truly different. After 400 years of trying to figure out a different way to shape 243 grams of metal, practically every possible design has already been thought up.

Old-time clubmakers shaped the face of drivers and fairway metals with “bulge and roll”. Miura is the first to produce a metal hybrid shaped like the handmade woods of the past. What’s that all about?

It is the weirdest looking club from the business end. Looking down at irons, we’re used to a flat face. With the Miura hybrid, you see the face is “rounded”. The rounded face makes shots go straighter. You’ll get used to it.

The show-stopper for me with some other hybrids is the size of the face. Most hybrids – including the most popular Adams models have a shallow face. That is very scary in the rough or off a tee. Here’s a view of the Miura face.

The final design innovation is the sole shape. The Miura is built with a little contour to allow solid contact on tight fairway lies and a little more security from the rough.

This is an “alert” for good reason. Since the last article about Miura hybrids, six customers came in to have a look and take the Miura hybrid to the range. They all came back and placed their order. Six for six is extraordinary. That’s why I wanted you to know that there’s something good about the new design.

We are uniquely set up for testing this weekend, if you’re out and about. We’ll be in Palo Alto on Saturday morning. You can stop by and pick a couple of demos for a quick trip to the range. You’ll want to test a couple of the best shafts. The practice will do you good and you might discover a club that can help you get better at golf.

If you can’t come out Saturday, we can work the new Miura hybrids into any custom fitting service.

If you would like to see the “full story” from Miura, here is the link. The price is $300 decked out with a premium shaft.

Miura Hybrid Details

The New Golf Lab – Customer Service Upgrade

Let’s face facts; it’s great to deal with a small business for the quality of the product and personal attention. But communication can be difficult.

We’re solving that problem. Bob Pegram has joined the Golf Lab Gang as our customer service rep – we’re also calling him our “sales guy”.

We have spent the last three weeks showing Bob everything we do at the Golf Lab. He has taken all the “treatments” at the Spa. We have played six rounds of golf together – and he can play. Call him at our San Carlos number, (650) 654-1770, or at his cell phone number, (424) 903-9959. You can call him anytime during business hours. He will answer if he can. If he can’t he will call back right away.

We’re thinking that Bob’s roll will evolve into “Concierge”. Bob is working to contact every old customer. We want to know as much as we can about your interests. We’re preparing for the future. We have the world’s smallest implementation of Salesforce.com Enterprise Edition. Only the best for Golf Lab customers.

If you have time, please give Bob a call to get acquainted. You can make sure we have your information correct. He can answer any questions and send more detail about any Golf Lab service. He always has some “specials” to talk about. Bob is at the Golf Lab four days a week. Drop ins are welcome. Appointments are preferred.

Email is still a better method for basic communication. You can get to Bob directly at bobpgolf@dslextreme.com. My email is leithander@gmail.com.
My cell phone is (650) 743-2816.

San Carlos is now fully functional. If you haven’t been there, you’re missing something. Here’s a peek.

Call Bob to schedule a treatment or a fitting. Let’s meet up at the Golf Lab and get better at golf.

Best regards, Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang.

David, JT, JR, Bob, Clint, Joel and Dian.

For More Information . . .

Link to Edel Putters Website: See the best custom putter system in the world.

Link to Balbi Golf Website: Information about David Balbi.

Link to John  Taylor’s Website: Information about our Titleist K-Vest Fitting expert.

Link to John Ruark in the blog: Information about our putting expert.

Link to an introduction to the Focus Band: Improve your thinking on the course.

Or contact me by email: Any questions answered. Email always more reliable.

Putting is 41% of golf – give or take a point or two.

The easiest way to save a few strokes is by improved putting.  Putting has always been “a game within a game”.  New technology reveals all aspects of a player’s putting stroke in exquisite detail.

We nurtured three new concepts in putter fitting and instruction.

“Fit By Aim”

The core of Golf Lab putting theology is “Fit by Aim”.  A high percentage of golfers – including good golfers – don’t aim their putter “inside the hole”. 

That’s no disgrace.  Ben Hogan suffered the same problem.

If a player aims outside the hole, his brain compensates for faulty aim.  A player who aims left will miss the putt unless his brain changes his stroke path, face angle or putter head rotation to send the ball back right.  “Compensation” in putting is a subconscious change in your stroke.

Good putting starts with making the stroke you think you’re making.

First step:  Find your aim.

Know Your Stroke

The Science and Motion (SAM) Putt Lab is a revolutionary instrument.  The SAM records a player’s stroke in three dimensions.  It confirms any aim bias and resulting compensaton.

The Putt Lab detects subtle movements that are not available to the naked eye.

The essence of fitting a putter is to eliminate any aim bias.  The player can then execute his stroke without subconscious compensation.  The goal is to make sure that you make the stroke you think you’re making.

Science and Motion studied the putting strokes of hundreds of Tour Players.  Each stroke on the Putt Lab is compared against a professional’s stroke.  There is now an accepted model for a “correct” putting stroke.  If you choose to deviate from that model – it should be for good reason.  We can’t think of any good reasons.

Inconsistent putting strokes are frequently caused by improper setup or a putter that is too long.  Alignment, balance and stance are checked and polished if necessary.  Putter length and balance match a player’s stature and setup.

Second step:  find your stroke.

Concentration and Pre-Shot Routine

Getting “in the zone” is a key objective of every tournament player.  A Japanese word from martial arts describes the focused state of mind:  “Mushin”.  (Pronounced Moo-shin).  This is not a new idea.  Greg Norman pursued Mushin forty years ago.

It is now possible to measure and analyze electrical signals from a player’s brain in real time.  We can tell if a player is in the “Mushin Zone”. 

The device that makes the magic is the Focus Band.  Monitoring a players “brainwaves” in real time reveals the moment in time and reason for any interruption in a player’s pre-shot routine and shot execution.

Exploring the Science of Putting

The key design principal behind the Golf Lab is to provide “deep specialization”.  When it comes to putting, there are few true experts.  Expertise comes from “deep experience”.

John Ruark has led the Golf Lab Putting research for two years.  Prior to focusing on putting, John spent eight years tweaking his own clubs at the Golf Lab.  He is an avid golfer – winning the senior championship at San Geronimo and coming close to shooting his age.  John is 77.  A back injury was his reason to go deep into the short game. 

The Focus Band is the invention of Graham Boulton.  He invented the gizmo because a Tour Player he sponsored habitually blew up in competition.  Graham was looking for Mushin.  Today, the Focus Band Company is Graham Boulton and his son, Henri.  There are fewer than twenty Focus Bands in the world.  The Golf Lab owns two.

The Focus Band is gaining notice on the PGA Tour.  Rod Pampling, conveniently Australian, is coached by his wife, a professional psychologist.  She has used the Focus Band for a year.  Both Pampling and his wife credit the Focus Band for his improved performance in 2011.

Two weeks ago, John spent ten hours on a Sunday working with two Tour players at the Golf Lab.  One was preparing for a Nationwide event.  The professionals worked non-stop with John for ten hours straight.  That’s a good insight about what the pros think about the importance of achieving Mushin.

Two junior players working with John have achieved breakthrough performance.  A high school junior had trouble breaking through the 75 stroke plateau in AJGA events.  After a month with John and the Focus Band, he shot 69, 69, and 71 for a second place finish in an AJGA Regional.  Another high school junior, girl, having a hard time breaking 80 in competition shot 73, 77.  These are interesting results.  We’re not claiming that “it was the Focus Band”.  But, something changed.

The Focus Band might be an important invention.  Time will tell. 

The “Junior Golfer Special”

The Golf Lab mission has been to support junior golfers – that’s how we came to know Emily and Carly Childs along with dozens of other very good junior players from northern California.  Any junior golfer who shows dedication to fulfilling their dreams receives plenty of free help at the Golf Lab.

For juniors, the difference between success and failure could very well be access to professional help at the right time.  For many junior players, that is impossible because of the cost.

We’re taking down that barrier.

For the month of October, any junior tournament player receives a free putting analysis at the Golf Lab with John Ruark.  The normal cost for that service is $150.

There is one restriction:  We can only accommodate 10 players. 

Available Hours:

Thursdays and Saturdays are open.  Hours can be scheduled for convenience including Thursday evening.  A reservation is necessary.  We don’t like last minute cancellations.  No other days are available – for now.

Schedule by calling the main Golf Lab number:  (650) 654-1770.

Please forward this email to anyone you know with a serious junior player in the family.

Best regards,

Leith, David, John Ruark (Jr), John Taylor (JT), Clint, Dian and Joel.

PGA Tour players constantly evaluate the performance of their clubs, seeking subtle changes in feel and ball flight. Tour players searching for something new test dozens of clubs each week.

That takes forever and costs a lot.

Few junior tournament players have resources for extensive testing. Custom fitting is a luxury that families supporting a schedule of practice, instruction, tournament play and travel can’t afford.

Custom-fitted golf clubs can speed improvement.  Eliminating equipment-related errors early in a tournament career cuts the risk of dangerous disappointment.  Diligent equipment choice means trading bogey causing problem clubs for birdie-finding “Hero Clubs”.

Definition of Hero Club:  A trusty friend that produced one or more career shots under pressure.

First Step – Optimize the Set You Have

The first objective of the Club Performance Evaluation is to custom fit a junior’s own clubs. We measure and test their clubs and document the set with a written blueprint. Once we know the player’s club specifications and see their swing, we can accurately interpret launch monitor data.

Modifying a junior’s current clubs can lead to immediate performance improvement – especially in consistency. Possible adjustments include loft, lie, length, grip and balance.

With a workshop at hand, several rounds of tweaking can be accomplished dynamically in a single session.  Combining club fitting with immediate modifications is a unique service that can save days of frustrating random experimentation 

Electronic analysis with radar gives a clear picture of comparative shaft performance. We match a player’s current clubs against test clubs with heavier and lighter shafts. Steel against graphite. Counterweights for balance, lightweight grips for distance.

We’re looking for the unique combination of shaft, grip and balance that helps players repeat their swing most consistently. It is no longer necessary to beat balls for days to compare shaft performance. Radar reveals the best shaft after a few minutes.

The take away from Step One is clubs that work better – right now – because they fit better.  The blueprint documents the current set so comparative testing has a reference.  Every serious player should know his personal club specifications.  When the time comes to modify ball flight or feel, you’ll know what to do.

Possible iron and driver performance improvements are explained and illustrated with pictures from the Flightscope launch monitor radar reports.  Specific recommendations for driver and iron head and shaft choices are included.

Second Step – Complete, Club-by-club Bag Check

Our second objective is to match up the player’s swing and home course conditions with their current set makeup. We question every club for sole grind, bounce, offset and shaft type. We find any distance gaps.  Blending clubs for form and function through the bag is the most advanced level of clubfitting.

New models of low-loft long-range fairway clubs offer increased refinement in shape and function. Bulge and roll engineered into the face of the latest Miura hybrid design is an example of a new, original design engineered to straighten out your shots.  Every serious golfer who wants to reward innovation and dedication should test the new Miura hybrids.  That’s one example of little-known but outstanding performers that could earn a place in your bag.

Responsive, lightweight graphite shafts revolutionized shaft fitting for long range fairway clubs. Most players prefer a kick and don’t mind the ball going higher with 2, 3, and 4 iron lofts. Players who pay attention to their long distance approach clubs see their GIR go up. .

The take-away is a detailed recommendation for any possible club additions or replacements – ranked by priority – based on a detailed understanding of a player’s current game, goals and equipment.  We find the Best Bang for the Buck.

Third Step – Find Your Personal “Best of Breed”

Our third objective is seeking the Mythical Magic Clubs. That’s the Holy Grail for all the analysis, testing, tweaking and playing.  All that in a quest to discover the Perfect Fit.

We’re partners on the journey – constantly testing new head designs with modern shafts in experimental configurations.

Over the years, a few designs in every club category have distinguished themselves as Best of Breed. If you’re looking for Magic, that’s a good place to start. It’s important to keep in mind that today’s Magic Clubs are not likely to be tomorrow’s. Everything changes over time – including golf games.

Finally, we’ll test your previous best performing  test clubs against a Best of Breed six iron and driver chosen to improve measurable performance.  The Flightscope is the referee for the final test.

The take-away is a list of recommended test clubs from the Golf Lab Best of Breed list. Players who would like to extend the scope of their fitting can take any of the test clubs to the range or their own course for hands-on testing.

The Junior Golfer Special

The Golf Lab mission is to support junior golfers – that’s how we came to know Emily and Carly Childs along with dozens of other very good junior players from northern California. Any junior golfer who shows dedication to fulfilling their dreams receives plenty of free help at the Golf Lab.

For juniors, the difference between success and failure could very well be access to professional help at the right time. For many junior players, that is impossible because of the cost.

We’re taking down that barrier.

For the month of October, we’re offering a free Club Performance Evaluation and Bag Check with Leith Anderson. The normal cost for that service is $250.  Each evaluation session requires a minimum of three hours plus any range time.

There is one restriction: We can only accommodate 10 players.

Available Hours:

Thursdays and Saturdays are open. Hours can be scheduled for convenience including Thursday evening. A reservation is necessary. We don’t like last minute cancellations. No other days are available – for now.

Schedule by calling the main Golf Lab number: (650) 654-1770.  Dian Terova will answer any questions and schedule a convenient time.

Please forward this email to anyone you know with a serious junior player in the family.

Best Regards,

Leith, David, John Ruark (Jr), John Taylor (JT), Clint, Dian and Joel.

 Report from the road:  Titleist Performance Institute (TPI)

John Taylor and Russ Ryden are in San Diego at the Titleist Performance Institute this week.  John and Russ are key members of the Golf Lab brain trust.

When we started designing the new Golf Lab two years ago, our goal was to develop deep specialization in key areas.  No surprise that we placed high importance on the Titleist Performance Institute.

Russ is taking the Level 2 course.  John is completing Level 4 – the highest level of TPI Certification.

Why is TPI important?

The professional trainers at the Titleist Performance Institute have a unique view of the PGA Tour.  Because they are “agnostic” regarding equipment – TPI trained professionals are welcome on any player’s “Support Team”.  One relevant statistic:   78 % of PGA Tour players have a TPI–Certified professional on their “team”.

The TPI “knows” all of the top players – especially those coming through Tour School and first-year PGA Tour Pros.  This year’s graduating class at Tour School has ball speeds 7 MPH higher than the today’s average. 

How important is distance?  The top 5 guys on the driver accuracy list last year lost their cards.

TPI at the Golf Lab 

John Taylor (JT) has been working at the Golf Lab for the last three months.  All of the Golf Lab Gang has gone through his analysis.  The K-Vest collects sophisticated timing data from a player’s swing.  The source of power in the TPI theology is precise timing and coordination of a player’s hips, torso and hands.  The K-Vest uncovers details that can be missed by a player’s own coach. 

Last week, we invited Carly Childs over for a checkup.  Carly is one of the special players that we’ve grown to love.  Her goal from junior high was to become a great junior golfer and get a college scholarship.  She had a good model for that.  Here sister, Emily showed the way by winning both California Women’s amateurs last year and three college tournaments playing for the University of California.  Carly won the State Junior last month.  She’ll be at Cal next year on scholarship. 

Our goal was to see what the K-Vest had to say about Carly’s swing.  We found some things that we all thought were important.

There are two sides of “motion analysis”.  One is swing improvement – getting that extra 7 MPH of ball speed.  That will happen from an adjustment of angles.  The other is “injury prevention” – too bad that Tiger didn’t get TPI analysis.  T might have prevented his knee problems.

We have come to view motion analysis – based on TPI standards – as an important first step that any player should take before embarking on any serious practice regimen. 

The “Junior Golfer Special”

The Golf Lab mission has been to support junior golfers – that’s how we came to know Emily and Carly along with dozens of other very good junior players from northern California.  Any junior golfer who shows dedication to fulfilling their dreams receives plenty of free help at the Golf Lab.

For juniors, the difference between success and failure could very well be access to professional help at the right time.  For many junior players, that is impossible because of the cost.

We’re taking down that barrier.

For the month of October, any junior tournament player receives a free K-Vest swing analysis at the Golf Lab.  The normal cost for that service is $150.

There is one restriction:  We can only accommodate 10 players. 

Available Hours:

Thursdays and Saturdays are open.  Hours can be scheduled for convenience including Thursday evening.  A reservation is necessary.  We don’t like last minute cancellations.  No other days are available – for now.

Schedule by calling the main Golf Lab number:  (650) 654-1770.

Please forward this email to anyone you know with a serious junior player in the family.

Best Regards,

Leith, David, John Ruark (Jr), John Taylor (JT), Clint, Dian and Joel.

The workshop is completely outfitted.  We can handle all repairs and modifications at the Golf Lab – mostly “while you wait”.  We aim to help make the maintenance of your game as easy as the maintenance of your swing.

Starting Saturday, October 1 you can drop by the Golf Lab all day Saturday.  If you’re “out and about” – that might make a nice break.  We’re just 10 minutes north of our old shop in Palo Alto.  Coming from the south on 101, exit at Whipple, go west two lights to Industrial.  Go north on Industrial to Brittan.  Turn left at Brittan and then another left into the parking area for the industrial park with blue roofs.  Circle the building to Unit 10.

From the north, exit at Holly – continue to Brittan – exit west.  Make an immediate left at the light and an immediate right into our parking lot.  Unit 10 is straight ahead in the first bay.

If you are traveling from north to south on 101, we are literally one minute off the big road. 

Address for your GPS:  1100 Industrial, San Carlos, CA 94070.

Telephone numbers: 

(650) 654 – 1770 San Carlos Office

(650) 493 – 1757 Palo Alto Workshop

(650) 743 – 2816 Leith Anderson cell phone

It might sound suspiciously high tech, but I think that as soon as a player can make a smooth swing and solid contact with the ball – a session with the K-Vest is a good investment.  In Scott Mosher’s case, it saved weeks of frustration. 

To make that first step easy, John offers a “Get Acquainted Special”.  The initial session combines K-Vest analysis with video.  John sets two hours aside or the first meeting.  $150.

K-Vest analysis is not a substitute for golf lessons.  John prefers to work with a player and his teaching professional.  Joint sessions for three-way collaboration are very effective.

John is scheduling appointments at the Golf Lab on Thursdays and Saturdays.  When we fill those slots, we’ll pick another day.  For now, Thursdays and Saturdays will be “all hands on deck” at the Golf Lab.

If you want to see if the Focus Band will help develop your pre-shot routine, the best way is to schedule the “Get Acquainted Special”.  That’s a two hour introduction that includes John’s comprehensive analysis of a player’s aim and stroke in addition to work with the Focus Band.  $150.

“Donate your brainwaves to science?” – dedicated customers who read deep into the newsletters – here’s a “deal”.  If you would like to work with us to develop a protocol for the Focus Band (and help write the manual) – we’ll make a “half price” deal.  The commitment is for one month, a minimum of two sessions per week.  That’s at least eight sessions.  You will work directly with John Ruark.  You must be available during the day on Thursday and sometime on Saturday.  John can only handle two players.  Total cost for a month of Focus Band training with John Ruark.  $500.

John’s principal tool is the Focus Band.  The Focus Band is an electronic device that fits a player like a hat.  The Focus Band is a mini-lie detector.  There are sensors to pick up heart rate, facial tension and excessive blinking.  The genius in the Focus Band is “reading your brainwaves”.  Because the Focus Band encircles a player’s head, it can detect the source and location of brain activity. 

The essence of achieving “focus” is to suppress left brain activity – the “thinking side” – and let a player enter “The Zone” where the subconscious right brain guides physical performance.  That state of mind is called “Mushin” (moo-shin) in Focus Band theology.

We have seen results with two “early adopter” junior players who were highly talented by having trouble scoring.  (That “big mistake” problem?)  Within two months of working with John, both players experienced breakthrough rounds and tournaments. 

The Focus Band comes from Australia.  The inventor, Graham Boulton is a successful software and systems entrepreneur – retired rich – who sponsors aspiring Tour players.  He invented the Focus Band for one of his top prospects who made big mistakes at the wrong time.  With technology products the first question is “Who are the brains?” Then, experience, resources and commitment matter.  Focus Band passes all legitimacy tests.

The Focus Band is gaining recognition on the PGA Tour where Rod Pampling credits the Focus Band and mental coaching from his wife for his recent flurry of success. 

This is leading edge technology.  There are only 20 Focus Bands in the world.  The Golf Lab has two. 

For those parents who are coaching young players, John and Sandy Childs are examples of parents who created a support system to help both of their daughters become champion golfers – and win scholarships.  Emily is a senior at Cal where she set a Cal record by winning three tournaments last year.  That was while she held both California Womens’ Amateur titles.  Carly is following Emily to Cal where she will continue the Childs’ legacy.

John and Sandy have agreed to discuss their experience with other parents facing the same challenges.  If you would like to meet John and Sandy in a small group to discuss their experience coaching juniors – give me a call on my cell phone and I’ll work it out.  (650) 743-2816. 

For those who think that a golf swing should be introduced bit by bit, over time, this is the opposite.  Have a sip from the fire hose.

The first test was the K-Vest.  The vest positions sensors at a player’s hips, shoulders and hands.  The sensors record the rotation of each part of a player’s body.  Good players create power by “firing” their lower body before their hands reach transition at the top of the backswing.  That move increases increases tension in a player’s core muscles.  That is the ultimate source of power.  It is sometimes measured and described as the “X-Factor”.  The phrase that made sense to Scott was “drawing back the bow”.

Any novice golfer needs a clear idea of what he should be trying to do with his swing.  Despite Scott’s accomplishments in baseball and skiing, he had no idea of an “efficient swing” for golf.  He simply applied his baseball skills and ended up developing a home-made golf swing that killed his power.

Scott’s mental picture of his swing did not include any concept of using his core muscles to create power.  His mental picture was to keep his hands, shoulders and hips all moving together at the same speed.  The Golf Lab Gang was excited to be working with a player who could conceptualize what he was thinking and describe what he felt.  The key breakthrough came from a detailed discussion of the “sequence of motion” graph generated by the K-Vest. 

In two hours, Scott’s understanding of his swing changed completely.  I thought that was huge.  How many months should he have continued practicing on his own, with his primitive mental picture?

John Taylor performed the K-Vest testing.  John is the “Most Certified” Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) instructor in the Bay Area.

After two hours of “analysis” I was wondering how Scott would respond on the golf course.

Scott has one “training aid”.   He’s using the “Orange Whip”.  It’s very good if you’re trying to understand what tempo and “load” is supposed to feel like.

Take it to the Course?

We met on Wednesday, September 14 at 30 minutes after sunup for the back nine at the Palo Alto Muni.    

Scott had a bag full of new golf clubs.  From time to time, a player comes in to ask if he should get new clubs before, or after he “rebuilds his swing”.

We have a mantra in all clubmaking organizations that is “there are no dumb questions”.  Thank Jerry Hoefling, Sr. for that sentiment going all the way back to Professional Clubmaker Society days.

But that is a dumb question.

If you are planning to “rebuild your swing” how could you not want to use clubs that help the rebuilding?  Rebuilding a swing is hard.  Don’t make it harder.

If you’re going to rebuild your swing, do it with the right tools.

You are wasting your time practicing with clubs that don’t fit.  “Fit” means clubs that produce the ball flight you need, with the swing you have to reach your scoring goals.  Since Scott had no knowledge of golf clubs, he was comfortable for me to choose his clubs. 

(To make all of the “compensation deals” clear, Scott gets all of his golf advice and golf clubs for free in exchange for allowing his “case study” to be public.  We view that as a very good arms-length bargain given that Scott is likely to suffer a little embarrassment from time to time.)

Scott’s bag was full of ten year old Callaways with uniflex shafts in regular flex and standard length.  His driver was a 9.5* Taylor Made 580.  I already knew that he was wild with his driver and irons.  Scott was playing “hit it as far as you can”.  He was not playing golf.

Scott’s new driver is a 14*, 360 c.c. driver that you can’t buy.  A small group of custom clubfitters joined together for a custom order.  High loft, square face drivers are hard to find.  I shafted Scott’s with a plain vanilla Graphite Design because I didn’t want to think about the shaft – and I didn’t want him to think about the shaft. 

The good reason for that decision is deferred – but will be clear in the future.

Scott’s irons are another plain vanilla option.  I chose an oversize head style with offset.  The manufacturer is Merit.  They went out of business ten years ago.  I was always a fan of the company founded by Larry Nelson.  When a storage lot of “prototype” heads came on the market – the styles that Merit was “working on” before the fall – I bought them all.  You’re never going to mistake a Merit for a Miura, but the key dimension – heel to toe measurement – there isn’t that much difference.

There is not a great deal of difference among iron head designs that affect “forgiveness”.  Forgiveness is related to size and shape. A good rule of thumb is “the bigger the easier”.

The reason cast iron designs have been dominant in the “game improvement” category is that casting permits larger, more extreme shapes, with thinner cross-sections.  Another key to forgiveness is low weight distribution.

If two heads share the same dimensions, they will perform alike.  If you make one bigger, put the weight lower, and add a little offset in the long irons, you will have a design that is “easier to hit”.

The question of “feel” is interesting for players who have tested enough different models to develop a preference.

Although we specialize in “Japanese Boutique Foundry” forged iron heads – they are simply too expensive for some players to contemplate.  It’s just like the “$100 hamburger”.  Some prices are just too high.  There is no alternative for a product where the raw cost of the head itself has passed $100.  That’s something to think about with Japanese iron heads.   New, they cost $100 each at wholesale.

The shaft that I chose for the irons was a True Temper “XP” medium weight steel shaft.  I wanted Scott to swing a heavier and longer golf club. 

One of the main problems that I thought I saw and that the K-Vest confirmed is that Scott was a little too much “forward” at address.  That is frequently a symptom of a golf club that is too short, causing a player to get closer to the ball any way he can.  I thought an extra half inch of length would help.

Then, there’s the grip.  The Flightscope does a good job of bouncing signals off of the ball, the player, and the club at 100,000 cycles a second.  Your ever twitch gets examined under a microscope.  If a player is gripping the club too tight, it is likely to show up in the Flightscope graph.  Scott needed a larger grip.

That’s enough for one day.

Results

Disclaimer:  I do not recommend walking to the tenth tee at seven thirty in the morning, pulling a club from your bag, twisting around a few times and teeing off.  But that’s what we all do.

Scott’s first two drives were low hooks.  (That’s a good sign with a 14* driver.)  Our Wednesday morning method is “play the best when you hit two”.  Scott’s second drive was surprisingly close to the green and he hit a soft wedge to ten feet.  He was starting to look like a scratch player.

The dream of perfection ended when he dunked his first tee ball on the 11^th.  It’s a cute little par 3 over water that wants a 7 iron shot.  Scott’s second was a perfect draw to ten feet below the hole.  He two putted for double.  If you’re going to make a double, that’s an honorable way to do it.

I won’t bore you with the “rest of the story” – and we’re not recording scores because Scott is still “wild”.  I’m confident that he will shoot an honest 85 within a while.   I’m remembering a chapter in a book by Gene Sarazen that chronicled a match where Sarazen became the caddy and provided advice.  I’m polishing up m technique for that role with Scott.  If you would like a close look at our progress, join us for a Wednesday “Morning at the Muni”.

Scott will be attending a “Stag Weekend” where he will log a couple of practice rounds and inevitably pull out his trusty old Taylor Made and swing for the fences.  We’ll see him again next Wednesday.

Best Regards, Leith Anderson, Golf Lab, San Carlos, CA

We thought we’d put a few Harrison Shotmakers up for sale and see if there is anyone who hasn’t heard about them or doesn’t have a good source.

The Shotmaker has been all the rage lately on the Internet.  One of the most active forum discussions in recent memory is the Shotmaker thread on GolfWRKS.  It started about six weeks ago and it’s up to forty five pages today.  That’s almost 1000 comments and replies.  Here’s the condensed version:

The Shotmaker is a gizmo that looks like a golf shaft made for a Barbie Doll.  It slides down in the shaft of your driver and lodges as far down as it can go.  There’s a little compression screw at the top of the Shotmaker that holds it in place.  A gentle “tap, tap” is applied before tightening the screw.

There is agreement about what the Shotmaker actually does.  It clearly overrides any sophisticated engineering that might have been designed into the shaft.  It puts four or five grams on the other side of the swing weight scale.  Swingweight goes up a couple of points.  If you opt for increasing butt weight to offset increased swingweight, you make the club heavier.  A lot of things change about the driver and any one of them could contribute to make it better.  No one really knows the true cause or reason for the success of the Shotmaker. 

Results?  Most players report the ball goes “spooky straight”.  That’s a consensus opinion from my estimate of at least 80% of the player-reported results on the Internet. 

That creates an interesting psychological attitude in golfers who find no benefit.  They are enraged – angry because a gizmo that doesn’t help them helps someone else.  Maybe the emotion is jealousy.  Players expecting a miracle will always be disappointed.    

My point is I’ve never heard anyone say “it doesn’t work for me” and leave well enough alone.  It seems like a mistake to go back online and accuse all the players who got good results of being fools and dopes.  The fools and dopes inevitably defend themselves with a few insults of their own.  That makes interesting reading when an Internet thread starts to get long and boring.

If my perception of an 80% success rate is even close to true, the Shotmaker is a fabulous invention.  I don’t think there’s another product in golf that helps 80% of all players.  When you think about it, 80% is way too high.

If you decide to buy a Shotmaker, you’re going to also have to buy the installation tool and the nifty little saw that cuts a round hole in the grip to provide access to the shaft.  You can screw up installation if you assume that the process is intuitive.  The parts are very light and consequently fragile.  A brief reading of prior experience is required. 

The only real problem is trying to figure out which of five flexes is the “right one” for you.  We know there is a relationship between the flex of the shaft and the way the player stresses the driver shaft.  No one knows what that might be.  The only thing that makes sense to us is to hit the driver with every flex of Shotmaker installed and compare results with no insert at all.

It is usually easy to find the best Shotmaker to install.  All launch monitor software tells you which club you’re testing had the tightest “dispersion”.  That is usually summarized with a colored circle around the “grouping”.  We choose the smallest circle.  Sometimes, the player discovers a “favorite”.  When the smallest circle is also the one that “feels good” – the choice is made.

For ultra-confirmation, we can peel back the layers of radar and compare the graphs that measure shaft movement 100,000 times per second just before impact.  Consistency is always revealed by a “tight signature”.  We see that with the Flightscope launch monitor.

So this auction is for one Shotmaker.  The retail price is $99 which usually includes installation.  We don’t want to upset the apple cart by advertising a lower price – we mainly wanted to use this space to make a full description so any interested players in the Bay Area would find their way to us.  As you can see from the writeup, the Shotmaker is much more efficiently and accurately installed with the benefit of a club fitter who has a launch monitor and has developed a testing methodology.  Any serious buyer would be a lot better off finding a clubmaker who could find the best Shotmaker in 30 minutes of testing.  So our advice is to look closest to home for someone who can help.  If that guy is too far away and you’d like to show your appreciation for this succinct description of the Shotmaker and let us make the $25, we’d be grateful for the privilege.  To be competitive, we’ll include “Free Shipping” so it’s not that bad a deal after all.

Best Regards, Leith Anderson and Joel Whittom, Golf Lab, San Carlos, CA.

We had an interesting day on Saturday at the Golf Lab at San Carlos.  We responded to the Internet “buzz” about the Harrison Shotmaker by ordering a handful and calling on our customers to give it a try.

The Shotmaker is new golf gizmo.  In less than a month, it has gained more attention than anything I can remember that was not pushed by corporate marketing.

Three very good players tested the Shotmaker on Saturday.  (All $800 Nakashima drivers.)  Two are playing in the NCGA Match Play this week and one is heading for the mini tours.

After testing, they all left with Shotmakers in their drivers. 

I’m going to skip a detailed analysis of the data for now.  I have been focusing on the graphical displays from the Flightscope.  Every shot from each driver is recorded and a colored circle defines the group.  Compare the circles.  Smallest one wins.  If the claim is accuracy, I can’t think of a better test than that.

 There was always a small circle to choose.

 I was most interested in the testing protocol.  With five flex options, how do you pick the right one?  The conventional wisdom says “faster the swing, stiffer the Shotmaker”.   Is that correct?  We found it was not.

If you’re going to collect a lot of driver data, you’d better test a very good player.  We collected seven shots for each of six configurations:  “naked” then the sequence C, D, E, F and G.  The guys were going strong after fifty drives but they were very unusual players.  Allowing for a reasonable refresh time between swings, we spent two hours with each player.

I found no correlation between swing speed and Shotmaker flex.  A 17 year old junior in high school with a 108 MPH swing speed tested best with the “E”.  A 22 year old major college player with a 115 MPH swing speed tested best with the “D”.  That is contrary to expectations.

Guys who spray the ball all over the course should not be trusted as Prime Examples for shaft fitting.  I agree that the Shotmaker benefits good players more but there is also the fact that good players have much lower expectations.  They’re not expecting a miracle.  They’re happy for one saved stroke over 72 holes. 

 Alas, the Shotmaker will not overcome swing flaws.

So far, I have not seen a Shotmaker-fitted driver test less accurate than a naked driver.  That does not mean “any Shotmaker”.  There was a significant disparity in results from flex to flex with the Shotmaker.  It was not unusual for a Shotmaker of one flex to make driver performance worse than “naked” while another flex made it better.  Considering that the strong flexes are the ones that are sold out, this makes me wonder why the reviews are as positive as they are.  The Law of Averages would say otherwise.

And, contrary to expectations about “strong swings” – we have fitted ZERO “F” and “G” flexes so far.  That is not all that significant because we’ve only completed seven Shotmaker fittings since the Ice Man brought the first one in just a few days ago. 

It is quite possible that players who have fitted themselves with good results in “F” and “G” would do even better with softer Shotmakers.

An interesting question for me is what the Shotmaker means to shaft technology.  We have spent the last few years understanding intricate movements of flex up and down the shaft.  The work the Russ Ryden has done in Dallas to profile shafts revealed the intricacy of modern shaft design.  It seems that jamming a foreign object down a shaft would override all that intricate design and engineering.  Does this mean that we can forget $450 shafts?  It would seem so.

There has been some comment about the similarity between Shotmaker and Counterweights.  They are different technologies.  The ultimate best configuration could come out to be a very lightweight shaft – the Aerotech Claymore comes to mind – with the Shotmaker in the tip and counterweights in the butt.  That work is yet to be done.

My conclusion is that the Shotmaker works indoors with a launch monitor.

I’m looking forward to the end of the week.  We have two very committed testers playing an important tournament this week.  We’ll see if the Shotmaker helped them.

Regards, Leith Anderson, Golf Lab, San Carlos, CA

We’re getting close to announcing the “New Golf Lab” – a vision that goes beyond our 2001 concept of “scientific club fitting” and “precision clubmaking”.

For the last year, we have combined expert clubfitting and golf instruction to help players get better at golf. 

The first step was bringing together a “Golf Digest Top 100 Clubfitter” – Leith Anderson and a “PGA Teacher of the Year” – David Balbi to collaborate and create a state-of-the-art teaching and training environment. 

We chose to concentrate on putting with the same level of intensity that we devoted to mastering clubfitting and full swing instruction.  We built the world’s first engineered indoor putting surface.  It is unique.

The Golf Lab indoor putting surface is just one aspect of the “Complete Putting Laboratory” – now finished after a year in development.  Along the way, we’ve created professional relationships with some of the top putting theorists in the world.  There’s a worldwide fraternity working on solving the multiple mysteries of putting. 

A Complete Putting Analysis and Improvement Program

We got off to a fast start over a year ago by conducting a series of AimPoint green reading clinics.  We learned a lot.  The main thing we learned is that there are no easy answers to getting better at putting.

In the last year we have spent hundreds of hours gaining experience with golfers while we perfected our fitting and coaching methods with the latest electronic tools.  There was one big surprise.

The Focus Band

Competitive golfers know that their mental game is just as important as their ball striking and putting.  An important skill is developing a pre-shot routine that maintains focus from “visualization” through “finish”.  That is “getting in the zone”.  Good players talk about maintaining focus as one of their major goals.

The Focus Band is an electronic gizmo that measures a player’s brainwaves.  Wearing the Focus Band during play reveals the cause of random distractions that interrupt a player’s ability to “stay in the shot”. 

The Focus Band is truly a “bleeding edge” invention.  Graham Boulton, an Australian entrepreneur, invented the Focus Band to help coach aspiring Tour players.  There are fewer than twenty Focus Bands in the world.

John Ruark has spent thousands of hours working on his own game – winning the senior championship at San Geronimo in Marin – and flirting with shooting his age – at 77.  In hundreds of hours of work with dozens of good players, John has become one of a handful of Focus Band experts in the world.  He is our mental game expert and Focus Band specialist.  At the Golf Lab, John is the “Putting Professor”.

Credibility comes from PGA Tour professionals that adopt a new idea with success.  Rod Pampling has enjoyed resurgence in his career.  His wife is a professional psychologist.  She has been working as her husband’s mental game trainer using the Focus Band for the last six months.  She credits Pampling’s rise in the World Rankings to their work on his mental game – with help from the Focus Band. 

The importance of the mental game is not lost on Bay Area golf coaches.  John Ruark was recently named “Mental Game Coach” for a major collegiate golf program in the Bay Area.

John is available for Focus Band work and mental coaching at the Golf Lab on Saturdays and Wednesdays.  He offers several program options – from a two-hour “Get Acquainted Special” – to a comprehensive, seven hour, month-long program that guarantees results.

Just so you know, John is also a “True Believer” in “Face On” (used to be called “side-saddle”) putting.  There are plenty of good, scientific reasons why standing up and looking straight at the hole and making your stroke with a natural motion from a comfortable position could improve your putting.  John will be happy to explain the virtues of Face On putting during your session.

Call the Golf Lab for an appointment.  Dian Terova is available in person weekdays from 10-12.  (650) 654-1770.

Like we said, pretty nice week!

Choosing a head style requires matching skill with desire.  The very best shot makers choose the tiniest, most compact muscle back blades for the “purest shots”.  Nick Price is playing a set of Miura Baby Blades that he bought with his own money. 

The most important factor that makes irons easy to hit is size.  There is no disgrace going a little larger.  K.J. Choi trusted Miura 501 “midsize” forged irons to win the Players’ Championship.  He bought his 501’s with his own money too.

In 2011, for the first time, there are new and truly forgiving forged iron models – the Vega VC-03 and the Miura “Passing Point”.  The “easy to hit” forged iron – a breakthrough product.  Imagine an iron design that is easier to hit than a hybrid. 

But why limit yourself to a matched set of irons?  The most technically astute players are dividing their iron set into “long range”, “mid-range” and “scoring clubs”.  What logic is behind “matching” a 3 iron and pitching wedge?

“Long range clubs” are eighteen and twenty-one degree lofts.  The two iron (18*) and three iron (21*) – the five wood (18*) and the seven wood (21*) and 18* and 21* hybrids are all mixed up.  Low lofts are tricky to hit.  Consistent, solid contact is the goal from long distance.

At 18* and 21* you are choosing the shape that fits your eye from all wood, hybrid and iron shape.  My personal choice is the Adams “Tour” hybrid at 18* and the Vega VC-03 iron at 21*.   I like matching iron shafts at those lofts – Matrix Studio 64, stiff, standard tipping, PCS 6.0 flex value.

The “middle irons” are the 4, 5 and 6.  They cover modern lofts of 24*, 27* and 31*.  This is where oversize forged irons shine.  It is also hybrid country.  K.J. Choi played hybrids through his six iron at the Masters. 

My personal choices are the Vega VC-03 for the “forged feel”.  The Miura Passing Point irons are a close second.  The Adams Redline irons are a very good choice for players who want the same size in a low offset, high bounce “game improvement” model.  This is a “new category” of iron head.  The goal is “anywhere on the green”.

Turn to the “scoring clubs”.  For most good players, pulling the seven iron mean you’re looking at the pin.  From your seven iron at 35* eight iron (39*), nine (43*), PW (47*) and gap wedge (52*) this is where “size matters” and it’s just the opposite from what you might think.  “Smaller is better” when you’re digging the ball out of thick rough aiming for the pin.  For accuracy, a birdie putt will be fine.

My personal choices are the Miura 501’s and the Vega VM-01’s – toss-up – the Miuras with a knife-like topline and the Vegas a little rounder.  There is a feel difference due to different forging methods.  What combination of head and shaft will be the best “dart thrower”?  You answer that question by throwing darts yourself.

Fitting consideration:  many high-index players will think that they “can’t play blades”.  No matter your index, you should test a midsize forged blade for your scoring clubs.  You may find that it is much easier to hit than the “game improvement” iron you’re playing.  That is because “game improvement” irons are designed to produce the best results for a missed shot.  Plan on learning to hit your short irons solid.

Finally, wedges.  Choose your Guru.  The simplest choice is Stan Utley.  He says:  “Get a 58* wedge and do everything with it.”  There is a Stan Utley “Signature” 58* wedge from Scratch.  Get one of those and wear it out.

The “other guru” is Dave Pelz.  He recommends 48*, 52*, 56*, 60* and 64*.  Pelz is fine if you have lots of time to practice and you have the touch of a Tour Pro.  It’s also handy to hit your six iron two hundred yards.  Pros don’t need distance so extra wedges come in handy.  For most amateurs, it’s better to save space at the long end of the bag.

My recommendation is to go with Utley.  It’s just much simpler to start your “wedge odyssey” without too many choices.  Match the 58* up with a 53* or 54* high bounce wedge that does double duty from the fairway and bunker.  Lower loft and higher bounce for bunkers.  Think at least 12* of bounce at 53*.  Practice enough to wear out a pair of wedges in a year and your handicap will come down.

Compact wedges and scoring clubs are required for players looking for precision from the fairway and digging power in the rough.  This is where “game improvement” designs fail.  A short pitch from a lie deep in the rough with an oversize, “big bounce” iron head is an impossible shot to master. 

The true “custom fitted wedge” story is yet to be written.  It is going to be based on the David Edel and Mike Adams designed system that fits for bounce.  The concept was well described in my article “2011 PGA Show” (link**). 

Personally I like the concept of a bag full of wedge blanks, grinder and a complete set of bounce gauges.  “Fitting for bounce” will hit “beta” about August 2011 and will mature as a fitting concept in 2012.

We have three prices for custom iron sets:  $1750, $1050 and $680.  A set is seven clubs, hand-built with premium shafts to your precise specifications.

Price per club:  $250, $150, and $95.

The only difference is the club head.

$250 buys a hand-built to specification iron from the best artisan foundries in Japan – Miura or Vega.  Miura and Vega are tiny but they are the world leaders in forged iron heads.  Your choice of premium shaft is included. 

$150 buys a slightly used hand-built iron from one of the top companies.  The only difference is that the club has been lightly played.  We always have a nice selection of recent Mizunos, Miuras, Vegas and Playable Classic models.  Your choice of premium shafts and assembly to specification is included.

$680 buys a set of irons that will take the beginning or occasional golfer to the “next level”.  We chose head designs from the Merit Golf Company.  They are slightly oversize and slightly offset.  We focus is on correct length, weight, balance, flex and grip.  These clubs are built with the same high quality shafts and finished with the same meticulous methods that we use on more expensive sets.  The only difference is the club head. 

Graphite shaft choices are top of the line Aerotech, Matrix, Mitsubishi, Fujikura, Accra and UST.  Steel shafts are the KB Tour “C-Taper”, the Nippon Modus 3, the Shimada Pro and Tour, KB Tour and True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour.  All iron sets are hand-built to specification. 

We also provide new Mizuno and Adams irons.  After a fitting, we order a custom set as close as possible to your specifications from choices available from the company custom shop.  Price is “street price – matching big box advertised prices. 

We recommend taking advantage of the Golf Lab Performance Club Rental Program to test for shaft feel and ball flight.  The Nippon 950 is the most popular lightweight steel shaft in the world.  Why not see whether you like Nippon steel or high-performance graphite better?  If you choose graphite over steel, the next step is to choose for feel among Matrix, Aerotech, Mitsubishi and Fujikura.  Now that you’ve got feel, how about flex?  You’ll see the ball flight and feel the dirt.  Then you’ll know.

When it comes to frequency slope and balance – swing weight or moment of inertia (MOI) – we are non-denominational.  Our preference is for MOI over swing weight for balancing iron sets.  If you have a preference, we’ll build your clubs your way.  If not, we’ll build them our way.

If price is no object, we will always recommend new Miura or Vega irons – matched up with a premium shaft from Aerotech, Matrix, Mitsubishi, Nippon or KBS.  If $225 per iron is OK – you’re done.  Any Tour Player could find his heart’s desire in those choices.  Go to “Iron Set Makeup”.