Drive for show putt for bogey

[Rounders]

Over the years club fitting technologies have improved more than we could have imagined. But why is it that whenever a 20 handicap player comes into an authorized club fitter the decision is often made before the fitting session is finished.

 

Club fitting is designed with the golfer in mind, from height to arm length to posture the list goes on. Yet it always seems to come back to the old adage "I swing really hard and my buddy says is should be in a stiff shaft." I am well aware that it is up to the club fitter to educate the customer and show them the benefits of proper fitting. But I am all to familiar with a customer making a decision that someone has cooked up in their head already.

 

One reason this could be is all the informercials/commercials that promote "MORE DISTANCE." The golf industry keeps filling the consumers minds with the thoughts of hitting it past everyone in your foursome. That is all well and good if you want to sell drivers, but I myself would like to see some effort put into promoting short game advances like putters. I would like to see a comparison of putter related commercials to driver commercials. Not only that but whenever John Doe 20 handicap comes into a store, the first thing on his mind at the begging of the season is wheres the latest Taylor Made or Callaway driver.

 

This obsession with hitting the ball 300 yards has to stop. I am not saying that I'm not guilty of this accusation I like 80% percent of the golfing population used to head to the range before and round and go straight to the driver, rather than have a slight warmup and hit the putting green for some short game practice before the round.

 

Obviously I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here but in the same breath I would like to see a customer come into my shop and say "could I get properly fit for a putter" and or show some interest in the latest putter technology. My opinion may be a little jaded because I work in retail and I do see some of the worst possible situations out there. Case in point I had a gentleman say to me one day that he really wanted to buy a driver because he never owned one before. When I asked why, his answer was "Well I can hit my 3 iron 300 yards so I don't really have a need for a driver, but I'm interested in purchasing one to see how far I can hit it." Is this what it has come to? do people out there honestly believe they can hit a 3 iron farther than the tour avg driving distance.

 

If you are involved with the retail side of the golf industry or if your a teaching pro, or just a better player giving someone a tip encourage them to take the time to practice putting or work on their short game, rather than go out and buy the latest and greatest driver.

[GolfSpy Dave]

While I have never done a driver fitting, my set fitting was all based upon 6i so I would suck with it more than say a 9i. I used the Mizuno shaft system to get to the present/correct for my actual ss.

Are you saying that people come in to be fit and then ignore the results of the fitting?

This is just sort of human. Think about guys with pants. Lots of guys squeeze into smaller waist pants than the need, because they have wore 36's since college. Their size 38 waist is screaming in the pants, but their ego won't let them get the bigger pants.

 

The other side of it is why do you care so much what they buy? Golf as an industry needs people to buy equipment, maybe even if they don't need it. Someone who buys a driver that is not right for them this year will buy another one next year. Ethically, I can see where you would get frustrated as you want to get them the correct club, but if you open the door for them and they go through the window, you have done all that you could.

[Addicted2Golf]

I agree there should be more emphasis on the short game, but course designers and the industry in general has fueled the distance obsession by building longer courses over the past two decades.

 

In theory, that was done in response to improvements in equipment, but its been well documented that amateurs haven't benefited from those technology improvements as much as pros have. IMO, they do it as a marketing ploy with a "bigger is better" mentality. That's fine, but then nobody in the industry can complain about consumer obsession with distance if that is the case.

[jamo]

Driver fitting is so much more readily available, and more people care about how they drive more than how they putt. Just look at driver prices vs putter prices.

[Addicted2Golf]

Driver fitting is so much more readily available, and more people care about how they drive more than how they putt. Just look at driver prices vs putter prices.

 

I think the driver prices have more to do with the R&D and marketing dollars that the OEM's invest in their development than how much people care about that phase of their game. That price point was set a long time ago and has just persisted over time.

[GolfSpy Dave]

Driver fitting is so much more readily available, and more people care about how they drive more than how they putt. Just look at driver prices vs putter prices.

Putter $300

Driver $100

Did I do something wrong?

[Matt Saternus]

Putter $300

Driver $100

Did I do something wrong?

 

Not in the slightest.

 

I agree with your sentiment - it would be good if people bought what they needed and not what they wanted, but who are we to tell them how to spend their money? I have dozens and dozens of stories from working in golf retail about people making bad equipment decisions, but it's like anything else (nutrition, exercise, you can think of others), you give people the best possible information and let them do what they want to.

[Rounders]

Not in the slightest.

 

I agree with your sentiment - it would be good if people bought what they needed and not what they wanted, but who are we to tell them how to spend their money? I have dozens and dozens of stories from working in golf retail about people making bad equipment decisions, but it's like anything else (nutrition, exercise, you can think of others), you give people the best possible information and let them do what they want to.

 

This is all too true, I may have had a bad day when I started this topic hahaha. Im sure my owner would be choked if I wasn't trying to sell as much as humanly possible, no matter what the situation.

[GolfSpy Dave]

This is all too true, I may have had a bad day when I started this topic hahaha. Im sure my owner would be choked if I wasn't trying to sell as much as humanly possible, no matter what the situation.

Bad day or not, it is a good topic to discuss. Sales are sales, but you obviously care enough to hope that it annoys you when they don't listen.

[Matt Saternus]

This is all too true, I may have had a bad day when I started this topic hahaha. Im sure my owner would be choked if I wasn't trying to sell as much as humanly possible, no matter what the situation.

 

I was just like you. I turned away a ton of sales trying to give good, helpful information. Thankfully my managers never knew.

[Rounders]

Bad day or not, it is a good topic to discuss. Sales are sales, but you obviously care enough to hope that it annoys you when they don't listen.

 

I do care and I wish that more people would take the time to practice rather than come try to buy a game. Oh well I guess, just another day at the ole salt mine.

[Matt Saternus]

I do care and I wish that more people would take the time to practice rather than come try to buy a game. Oh well I guess, just another day at the ole salt mine.

 

Why would anyone ever practice when they can buy 10 more yards, 2 fewer putts, and 10% more spin every year?

[GolfSpy Dave]

Why would anyone ever practice when they can buy 10 more yards, 2 fewer putts, and 10% more spin every year?

Because the game is hard and writing a check is easy. It has taken me a while to get to the zen place of play first, but later.

new shiny stuff is fun to have

[Matt Saternus]

Because the game is hard and writing a check is easy. It has taken me a while to get to the zen place of play first, but later.

new shiny stuff is fun to have

 

No doubt about it, if it weren't I wouldn't have 7+ putters. I'm just fully appreciating that "zen" perspective myself this year. I've been practicing a lot for the last 3 years, but I'm giving up messing with my equipment so much. I'm going back to a more forgiving set and I'm going to play at least twice a week and practice everyday if possible.

[GolfSpy Dave]

No doubt about it, if it weren't I wouldn't have 7+ putters. I'm just fully appreciating that "zen" perspective myself this year. I've been practicing a lot for the last 3 years, but I'm giving up messing with my equipment so much. I'm going back to a more forgiving set and I'm going to play at least twice a week and practice everyday if possible.

Alright so together we can vow more course, less pro shop?

[Matt Saternus]

Alright so together we can vow more course, less pro shop?

 

Yes. And then when all of you are on the practice green, I can get some sweet deals on the clubs that will make me shoot in the 70's.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

Bad day or not, it is a good topic to discuss. Sales are sales, but you obviously care enough to hope that it annoys you when they don't listen.

I hope that you work in a store that encourages you to fit players into whatever works for them, be it the newest Taylor Made, or the Driver they currently play...

 

I was just like you. I turned away a ton of sales trying to give good, helpful information. Thankfully my managers never knew.

 

If I heard one of my guys telling a customer that he would be better off working on his or her swing, then coming back and looking for a new stick, all he would get from me is a WTG!! I love this type of service from all of my guys. We are servicing a group of people that we hope to be repeat customers. If we can create some goodwill by not forcing the wrong club down a customers throat, we have done a good job.

Alright so together we can vow more course, less pro shop?

If I do my job right, I should only see you about once a month for balls, and to see whats new. And once a year for wedges, and perhaps a driver.... any more than that, and I have not done the right thing and put you in the wrong clubs....

[Matt Saternus]

 

If I heard one of my guys telling a customer that he would be better off working on his or her swing, then coming back and looking for a new stick, all he would get from me is a WTG!! I love this type of service from all of my guys. We are servicing a group of people that we hope to be repeat customers. If we can create some goodwill by not forcing the wrong club down a customers throat, we have done a good job.

 

After reading this, all I can say is that I hope I can give your shop some business. If everyone felt this way, people might actually play better golf.

 

I'm going to go try on some eccos at GG (need epoxy for a reshafting project), and I'll get back to you.

[jamo]

I hope that you work in a store that encourages you to fit players into whatever works for them, be it the newest Taylor Made, or the Driver they currently play...

 

You guys fit people for their own drivers? I wish I could find someone to do that for me.

[Matt Saternus]

I think it would be much easier for a store to fit me for my driver than for someone else's.

 

Don't most stores offer driver fittings by now?

[Phana24JG]

Over the years club fitting technologies have improved more than we could have imagined. But why is it that whenever a 20 handicap player comes into an authorized club fitter the decision is often made before the fitting session is finished.

 

Club fitting is designed with the golfer in mind, from height to arm length to posture the list goes on. Yet it always seems to come back to the old adage "I swing really hard and my buddy says is should be in a stiff shaft." I am well aware that it is up to the club fitter to educate the customer and show them the benefits of proper fitting. But I am all to familiar with a customer making a decision that someone has cooked up in their head already.

 

One reason this could be is all the informercials/commercials that promote "MORE DISTANCE." The golf industry keeps filling the consumers minds with the thoughts of hitting it past everyone in your foursome. That is all well and good if you want to sell drivers, but I myself would like to see some effort put into promoting short game advances like putters. I would like to see a comparison of putter related commercials to driver commercials. Not only that but whenever John Doe 20 handicap comes into a store, the first thing on his mind at the begging of the season is wheres the latest Taylor Made or Callaway driver.

 

This obsession with hitting the ball 300 yards has to stop. I am not saying that I'm not guilty of this accusation I like 80% percent of the golfing population used to head to the range before and round and go straight to the driver, rather than have a slight warmup and hit the putting green for some short game practice before the round.

 

Obviously I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here but in the same breath I would like to see a customer come into my shop and say "could I get properly fit for a putter" and or show some interest in the latest putter technology. My opinion may be a little jaded because I work in retail and I do see some of the worst possible situations out there. Case in point I had a gentleman say to me one day that he really wanted to buy a driver because he never owned one before. When I asked why, his answer was "Well I can hit my 3 iron 300 yards so I don't really have a need for a driver, but I'm interested in purchasing one to see how far I can hit it." Is this what it has come to? do people out there honestly believe they can hit a 3 iron farther than the tour avg driving distance.

 

If you are involved with the retail side of the golf industry or if your a teaching pro, or just a better player giving someone a tip encourage them to take the time to practice putting or work on their short game, rather than go out and buy the latest and greatest driver.

 

First of all, any guy with a 24 in his screen name can do no wrong. However, it is also appreciated that the advice is so incredibly sound. I can state this opinion with some degree of accuracy because not only have I observed this behavior, I was probably a candidate for poster child. I think part of the problem is the perception that the long game is difficult to master, and that the short game can be handled later. The golf media and OEMs contribute to the perception with their constant focus on distance. In my area it is not unusual to see ten golfers on the range for every golfer on the green. However, I submit that golf instructors are just as guilty as the aforementioned parties. I do not want to start a rant on poor golf instruction (future post), but far too many of the instructors I have encountered play along with this game.

 

It was not until I encountered a GOOD instructor that I was persuaded to alter my approach. First of all, unless you are under 35 and/or in great shape, standing there banging balls for two hours is probably doing more harm than good. Muscle fatigue is very subtle, and via the magic of a slo-mo cam, I was able to see the effects of such fatigue on my swing, and the results on my swing were amazing. Mixing up long game and 100-in game INCLUDING putting is not only more effective on the scorecard, it is actually more productive for the long game. I now make it a point when I am at a driving range and no green is available to include a few 10 minute breaks and water as part of my routine. When the benefit of additional practice on the short game is included, the effect really multiplies.

 

There is also a "multiplier" effect of having a better short game. I am less tentative on the tee because I know if I make a mistake and cannot make the green in regulation, I can still usually compete for a par. It also gives me some added confidence knowing that if I get off to a slow start, that all is not lost. The ability to know I can make birdies takes the pressure off me if I do start a round slowly. Are there days when that slow start means 86? Sure, but they are few and far between. More often, I will respond with some pars and a birdie and I am right back in the hunt.