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Optimize Your Equipment to Maximize On-Course Performance

I recently appeared on CLTV's Sports Page Live TV show with my resident PGA Teaching Pro John Mueller for a half hour live interview with Mike Bloomberg. We discussed a wide variety of topics, including how golf-specific conditioning can help your game, how strength training has helped me create a powerful, sound golf swing and how my Pure Power Program can help golfers of all levels play better golf.

During the interview there was an individual that called in asking me how much the new equipment can help someone's game. This was an individual that still played with wood woods and a stock steel driver shaft. In a nutshell, my response was for him to get some new equipment.

I have nothing against the clubs of yesterday. I played wood woods until about 4 years ago and believe that this was a tremendous benefit for the development of my swing. As anyone who has played wood woods and blade irons knows, you need to make pretty good contact in order for the ball to go anywhere. By playing with this type of equipment I learned how to make quality contact before I learned how to swing 145+ MPH.

There have been incredible advances within the last 2 years in all areas of equipment. The unbelievable part of this is that most golfers could easily realize an additional 15-20 yards off the tee without doing anything different than they are currently doing. How? Get a custom fitted driver.

Up until a few years ago only PGA Pros had access to the resources that allowed for truly custom fittings. The most common and most accurate tool for custom fitting any club, particularly the driver, is a launch monitor. These are advanced computer programs that use high speed pictures of your ball at impact to extrapolate data related to your launch conditions. Statistics measured at impact include Ball Speed, Club Head Speed, Launch Angle, and Spin Rate.

Based off this information the computer calculates how far your ball would go if you hit the ball outside under the same conditions. The difference is that the computer gives you exact data (Ball Speed, Club Head Speed, Launch Angle, and Spin Rate) that would be impossible to get on the range.

This information is important because for every ball speed there are optimal launch conditions that will help you achieve maximum distance. By having this information at hand during a fitting you can pick a club and shaft that will maximize your distance off the tee

Put your ego on the shelf when you go in for testing. Don't be resistant to what the fitting professionals tell you because in the end you will end up hitting farther. I participated in a launch monitor session a few months ago and found out that the XXX shaft I was hitting was actually causing me to lose distance and consistency.

I went down to an XX shaft and gained 15 yards, a nice draw and a lot more consistency. I also bumped my regular driver down from an X to a Stiff with the same results. You can find the launch monitor and club fitting professional nearest you at http://www.golfgalaxy.com/galaxy/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept%5Fid=250

While the point of this article is to make sure you are always playing with the right equipment for you, it is also important that you always have your most important piece of equipment, your body, working for you too. In much the same way as poorly fitted equipment can significantly impact your game in a negative way, so can a poorly conditioned body place limits on your swing and game.

If you would like more information on dramatically increasing the distance of your drives and realizing your true golfing potential, join the Pure Power Program.