Golf Tips from the Pro, Stephen Hind, at the Remuera Golf Club

MID IRONS AND HYBRIDS ALLOWING YOU MORE OPTIONS

Last week I advised that you play Par 4’s with a very clear eye on whether you have a stroke on the hole or not. In the Par 4 example I used, shown below, the design (as many do) has a hazard that is looking for the mid (or long) Iron that goes short and right.

Think back and evaluate the performance of your last 10 #3 and #4 Irons, if you still carry them. Think about your last 10 mid Irons (#5 and #6 Iron). If your handicap is > 13 I am willing to bet that you are inconsistent and probably lose the ball to a fade or even slice (where trouble waits).

If that is the case, then replace them (at least down to the #5 Iron) with Hybrids. One of the major benefits a Hybrid offers is much more consistency of distance and much less loss of accuracy and distance to a fade or slice.

Make the decision and simplify your golf game. If you improve the consistency with which you are hitting your mid and longer Irons by replacing them with Hybrids, you will find the game a little easier. Let us find the Hybrid that works for your game, fit it and then make sure you are going to get the improved results.

You’ll still want to sharpen your short-game, but being able to play Hybrids consistently takes some really bad parts of the course out of play, and introduces a lot more opportunity to the average club golfer. And for the best strikers, they offer a higher launch and softer landing, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of added consistency while attacking more pins.

LOWER SPIN RATES USUALLY MEAN EXTRA DISTANCE

In the last two weeks I have talked about the impact of Urethane as a cover on the golf ball to help you control the ball on the shorter pitches and chips. I also then talked about the impact of spin on approach shots. It helps the ball stop quickly, but a high-spinning ball is also prone to exaggerating sideways movement if you have a fade or draw.

This week I close this series by examining what you require from your golf ball off the tee. So now I am interested in “launch conditions”. We need to match the amount of spin and the launch angle of the ball leaving the Driver face to the ball speed you create.

Provided you are launching the golf ball with a high enough launch angle, even slower swing speed golfers benefit from a lower spinning golf ball.

If you don’t want to pay a premium price but want a lower spinning, distance golf ball, then today, advances in manufacture and materials mean that you can still have a relatively softer feel off the club face.

Remember, though, that a 2-piece golf ball that has a low spin rate off the Driver is also likely to have a lower spin rate off the Wedge, reducing your control.

There are many aspects of your technique that can significantly impact the spin rate of the golf ball off the Driver, though.

It is possible to create significant distance gains for many golfers with very small technique changes, so please come and see us.