T McKinnon

PLAY!!!!!

I have been a club builder for 40+ years. I have been a competitive player for 50+ years and have played collegiate golf, won state, national and international golf tournaments. Many refer to me as a "golfaholic". I know golf and know how to evaluate all things related to golf!

Interesting discussion, I have experienced good and bad fittings. For one fitting I was looking for a low spin/low launch driver and was fitted with a driver and shaft that were designed for just such requirements. When I received the new driver and shaft and put it into play - it had the exact opposite effect, high launch and high spin. It was a total waste of time and money! A few years ago, I went to Club Champion for an iron fitting and I am incredibly happy with the results. I have found that the shaft makes the biggest difference in the success of the club fitting. Most of the shaft manufacturers have fitting charts that help one find the shaft that will match their game and desired matching game/shaft improvement. The fitting process can help eliminate the errors of trial and error with finding the proper shaft! I went to one fitting wanting a lighter shaft to help increase swing speed. I found that lightweight shafts for me was a bad choice as I hit the ball very inconsistently - left, right, long, and short - heavier was much better for my game resulting in much improved consistency and feel. Thus, club fitting to me is not the perfect answer in finding the perfect golf club(s). For me finding the club(s) that look good and feel good and then researching the shafts that are a good match with my game and then testing my thoughts at a fitting or with a simulator, help reduce golf club purchasing errors!

I love Mizuno everything! For the past/current time I play Mizuno woods, rescues, putter and irons.

I love playing golf and love the walking aspect of playing/walking the green fairways amongst the trees. My experience playing golf and scoring is better while walking vs riding. However, some courses and situations require a cart. Thus, sometimes I will ride a cart but 90% of the time I will walk.

For me, I have three putters in the rotation. Sometimes when a putter acts up, I will bench it and put another putter in play! The feel and looks of a change, seems to help my putting a lot and gives me renewed confidence when putting. The memory of a missed or bad putt goes away because it was caused by the other putter. Someone commented that the real problem is between the ears - truth be told! Anyway, golf is a fun game and for me, rotating putters is a lot of fun. And secondarily, I want to help the golf equipment manufacturers keep making great new putters!

You may be correct in your assessment of the shaft manufacturer. During the 20+ years I have played golf with my buddy, he has never broken another shaft.

Please disregard my post as the manufacturer was probably Stroke-Lab not LA shafts

I have gone through a lot of putters in my golf life (currently have 4 putters in the rotation) and I'm "tempted" to get another one. My problem with putting has nothing to do with the putter, it is the six inches between the ears that is my major problem. When I begin to have a confidence problem, I rotate to another putter in the quiver and the problem with putting is solved for a few months. To me it has very little to do with the actual putter club and more to do with one's mind. Don't waste your money on such an expensive putter, get some mental help! Or, have a few less expensive putters in your putter rotation when you need to look at something different while putting, helping to put your mind at ease. Heck, I purchased a customized putter last year with custom colors, weights and shaft and it's in rotation with the other putters in my quiver.

Most of the golf courses in our area have a senior tee. When we play, we have a rule that when you turn 70 years of age you have earned the right to play from the gold or silver tees depending on the colors used by the course we are playing. We have one player that when he turned 80, earned the right to play from the red tee box. As the members of our golf group grow older, we are excited to take advantage of the advantages of becoming older provides.

Tornado Tees are the best by "par"! Many of the long drive players use them in competitions. They are flexible and last a long, long time!

I am a self-taught golfer and have studied the game of golf a lot over the past 50 years! In the beginning I was very frustrated with golf but I was determined to master the game (not possible). I became an excellent golfer with study and practice! At age 70 I am able to shoot my age with regularity. My first real lesson was a couple of years ago at Golf Tec. A golfing buddy encouraged me to go to Golf Tec for a lesson and he gave me a referral card with an incentive to give it a try. My instructor is an accomplished player and a good friend. The tools Golf Tec uses to help with their instruction are excellent. To be able to see one's golf swing and note the areas to improve was a revelation to me. I was able to see and understand some adjustments I needed to make to improve my game. My game has improved and I am very happy with the help I received at Golf Tec! I have been back several times - money well spent!

A few years back, I went to Club Champion for a driver fitting. I hit a variety of clubs with different shafts and shaft weights. It was very apparent the heavier weighted shafts performed a lot better for me than the lightweight shafts! The lighter shafts were much more difficult to hit with consistency. Regarding club swing weights, I think it was Jack N. who observed that a telephone pole can be swing weighted to a D-3. There are so many variables, grip weight, clubhead weight and shaft weighting. It is worth the money to get properly fitted to your golf clubs with a club fitting professional!!!

For me, being fitted with the proper shaft is the most important factor in regard to distance and accuracy! Why don't we hear more discussions regarding shafts?

Excellent advice!