Sunday, December 09, 2007

Why You Shouldn't Buy A New Driver

If you want to be a better golfer, don't spend your money on a new driver! I'll make one exception to that. If you haven't bought a new big stick in the last 10 years, you'll benefit from the new larger heads and more perimeter weighting. Other than that, you can do much better by purchasing a new putter. Let me explain why.

First, answer this question honestly - Why do you want a new driver? Because you want to hit the ball further. That's the honest to god truth. A new driver isn't going to make you hit the ball straighter or correct your slice or duck hook. Only a new swing can do that. So what's wrong with wanting to hit it further? It's the ultimate curse any amateur can put on their game.

Trying to hit it further means swinging harder to us amateurs and that's the biggest problem we have. If we slowed down our swings and worked on a nice smooth tempo, we'd see our games improve beyond our wildest dreams. If you don't believe me, maybe you will believe Jack Nicklaus who says the full swing for every club should be the same. In fact he suggests alternating shots on the practice range between your pitching wedge and driver to condition yourself. If you buy that new driver, you're not going to be able to stop yourself from constantly trying to get another 10 yards out of it. It doesn't even matter how far you hit it, your always going to want it to go further and in the process completely destroy your swing.

A better ideas is to put your dough towards a new putter. If you're a terrific putter and love the club you have, then don't buy anything, but I'll bet that's less than 5% of the amateurs out there. There are some terrific new putters on the market, clubs where technology and new design can really help. One of the most interesting new putters I've seen is from MacGregor. Who would have thought that? They're using something they call Face-Off Technology. I don't know how it works, but I can tell you what it does. It feels like you've hit the ball in the center of the sweet spot no matter where on the face you make contact. You really have to feel it to believe it. I suggest going to the local golf shop and trying it out. As soon as my piggy bank gets full I'm going to run down and buy one in time for next season. I'm also going to take an oath for next year that says I'll practice my pitching,chipping and putting longer than I practice the full swing. If I can do that and forget about adding distance, I should be able to lower my handicap by at least 5 strokes.

Good golfing! PS, if anybody knows of a good practice putting surface that is cheap and can be rolled out on a hardwood floor for indoor practice, please drop me a line. Thanks!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I was just visiting Armchair Golf Blog and he's begun a search for a new flatstick. Hmmm - McGregor? I'll have to give it a try. Thanks for the tip - I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out.

John said...

Gary, I hope you're serious. I'd love to know what you think. I go to the local golf store at least once a week and putt for 20 minutes. I'm very close to making the purchase. I'm also looking for the best price. Check out the Bargains section on the home page. I'm pretty sure I've seen it for $179 online, I just have to remember where.

Rahul said...

In the two month time frame since I have be using the Gripstik hand strengthener , I've noticed a profound difference in my club
stablity and power through on my long balls.Right form the start excercise , my hand as without a doupt firmer and that told me that
I was on the right track.That increased 'core strength' in my hands and wrist stopped the wobble when not contacting the sweat spot.
Coming out of the rough is a much smoother and confident event now. I must admit that the suggested excerises for this wrist exerciser
are less than enjoyable , but it is well worth the effort.