Crosshair Golf Blog
August 19, 2010
Custom Golf Club Sets – Why Settle for Generic when you can Customize?
Ever go to the big box stores, or even a medium box golf outlet store, perhaps a golf discount store? What do all of these stores have in common? They do not allow you to customize your clubs.
Most stores have pre-made sets and are usually standard length, regular flex, 3 woods, 8-irons, a putter, and a bag. Happy days are here again. I only use 2 woods, a Golf Driver and a 3 iron. What should I do, throw the #5 wood away?
We are all not standard and regular, we are different and our golf club sets should be different too. Think about the clubs you have and what you would like. I customized my set to suit my needs, not the needs of some big box store.
My Custom Golf set contains a Golf Driver, #3 Wood, #1 Hybrid Iron, 3 thru 9 Iron set, Pitching Wedge, a 45 degree wedge and a putter. My irons and wedges have steel shafts, my woods have graphite shafts and my hybrid iron has a graphite shaft. My driver has a stiff flex shaft while the rest of my clubs have regular flex. I added 1″ to my putter length and got a large soft grip for it.
If all this sounds like the nightmare customer at the late-night Burger King drive thru, you are wrong.
At www.crosshairgolf.com all clubs are custom tailored to, you. And all it takes is a few clicks with your mouse and everything is as you want it. And, if it is not, then just send an email, we can do most any customization you need.
Crosshair Golf, it’ll git in your bag.
June 28, 2010
How Many Drivers Do You Have In Your Closet
This post is for all you multiple golf driver owners. How many of you purchase a new driver, or know someone who purchases a new driver, every year? Does it make your game any better?
I am personally acquainted with someone who, every year, needs to have a new driver. Just to make his game better. His game never gets better, he refuses to take a lesson, and he blames it all on his clubs with the driver being the ringleader.
If you are one of these people…STOP. You are not helping your game and your friends do not look forward to playing with you. You need to stop buying Drivers. What you need to do is improve your game in 3 easy steps.
1. Get properly fit. 2. Take a lesson or 2 with your new clubs. 3. Relax and gain your confidence on the course.
If you have confidence in your golf clubs you will probably only get new clubs when you need them not when you “think” you need them. As a purveyor of custom fit golf clubs I would love for everyone reading this to buy a new driver every year, need it or not. But, as a person who loves the game of golf, and loves to talk about the game of golf, I would rather have you buying a new driver or set of golf clubs every three years because you have worn your old set out.
If you are going to purchase your new clubs online, most golf club companies have some sort of “Get Fit” guide to follow. We have a module in which you input a few measurements and you will be able to get the clubs that fit you. I would suggest you get professionally fit for your clubs if you are a scratch golfer. You can do this at any pro shop, usually for no charge. You can then use these measurements to order from us or any online golf shop. If you have not established your swing yet, I would not suggest newer golfers get a full professional fitting. If you get fit for clubs and then take lessons and your swing changes your clubs might not fit you anymore.
Our custom club fitting module is a great way to get fit for a custom set of golf clubs
One set of properly sized, quality golf clubs should give you quite a few years of top notch performance and fun on the golf course. Clean your closet and sell all the clubs you do not use, Find a set of golf clubs that you feel comfortable with, have them custom fit to your specifications. Then, go take a few lessons, practice and enjoy years of fun on the golf course.
June 25, 2010
How far do you hit your 5 iron
How far do you hit your 5 Iron?
You will here this question or “what club do you use to hit 150 yards?” Either way, you should have a answer. Why, because if you are wanting to score better, then this is good information to have.
If you walk up to any Pro Golfer and ask “How far do you hit your 6 iron?” Their answer will be something like “163 Yards” not 160 yards or 165 yards, it will be 163 yards, they will know exactly how far they hit each club. The better Pro’s will know how far they hit all their clubs in different weather conditions, different altitudes, etc. You give them a situation or climate and they will know how far they hit the clubs in their bag.
For us weekend warriors we do not need to know exactly how far we hit each club, but we should have a good idea. We need to be close, 5 yard increments is probably fine for us. This information is good for scoring and for safety. For instance, A new golfer is out on the course. He is 150 yards to center of green. He does not know what club he uses for 150 yards so he grabs his 3 wood. He sends his ball through the windshield of a brand new Caddy in the parking lot, Loses $5.00 skin, and worst of all he got a quadruple bogey. But worse than that, he could have actually hurt someone.
OK, what do you do? After you have had a few lessons, get out to a driving range, preferably a driving range that allows you to hit off the grass. You might want to take several trips to the driving range. Each time you go try to hit 10 to 15 balls with each club and make notes as to distance. Once you know these numbers, you will see your scores drop and your enthusiasm for the game rise.
If you do not have the time to measure each and every club, then just take your 5 Iron. Lets say that after a few trips to the range, you have determined that you hit your 5 iron 160 yards. You can now estimate 10 yards per club in either direction. Your 6 iron 150 yards and your 4 iron 170 yards, etc.
Now you are ready to see a yardage marker, pace off your ball and put it in the center of the green.
So I will ask you again. How far do you hit your 5 iron?
June 23, 2010
June 4, 2010
Try the Putting Green for a change
How many times do we show up early for a round of golf, grab a bucket of balls, and head out to the driving range and hit all the balls with our golf driver? Too many times if you ask me.
I think it is time we start hitting the putting green and improving our scores instead of always taking out the driver and trying to improve our sexiness. Let me ask you this. What is so sexy about a 300+ yard drive followed up by a 4-putt?
A par 72 golf course has probably four par 5’s and some of those are probably dog legs that require a lay up. You might have some long par 4’s that you can get away with the driver, even though you should probably lay up.
All golf courses, regardless of length and number of holes, have one thing in common. To finish every hole, you must putt. That’s right, you have to take the putter out and use it at least once, probably twice, and all too often three times on every single hole you play.
So, don’t buy that bucket of balls and try to be the long drive winner. Instead, grab a handful of the balls you use every day, hit the putting green, and win the round, time and time again.
June 3, 2010
The Golf Frustration Blues
I am in the middle of the fairway, 150 yards out, no wind, no shadows. I take my 8-Iron and go through my routine. I address the ball, keep my head down and wham……Worm Burner. You guessed it, I topped the ball.
Simple 94 yard par 3. You can do this every day. Except some masochistic course designer thought the fairway between you and the hole is a great place to put a pond, maybe he likes fishing. But I digress, my ball is in the water. I do not know why, this is a shot I make all the time when there is no pond in my way.
They say that golf is a “Mind” game, or golf is a “Mental” game. Well, I am here to tell you “They” are wrong. Golf is a head game. It gets in your head and torments you. It beats you down. It makes you do crazy things like pay $500.00 for the newest, latest, greatest, driver. A driver that will send the ball farther and straighter than any club before. That is, until you get it in your hands and slice the ball onto interstate 90 that runs along the par 5 5th.
So, why do we do it? Why do we keep going to the course, weekend after weekend? I will tell you why. Sometimes that Golf Bug that has gotten in our heads is asleep. We step up to the first tee and take out our Driver and hit it straight and true. Then, hole after hole we make sweet shots and finish, maybe not with a pro tour score, but we break 100 or even 90.
We beat the demon in our heads.
May 26, 2010
Invited to a Private Golf Club? Ten things you should do
Someday, we might get invited to a Private Golf Club to play a round of golf. Playing at a private club is a bit different than playing at your local public course. Most private clubs take etiquette and rules seriously, they also enforce dress codes. Here are 10 tips to make your round enjoyable. Remember, your behavior and manners are a reflection of the person who invited you. Be honored and respectful.
One: Know the Dress Code. You do not want to show up for a round of golf in shorts, no matter how fashionable, if they are not allowed. Make sure your clothes are cleaned and pressed, and your shoes are polished.
Two: Be on time. When I say “Be on time”, I mean “Be Early”. Remember, a private club is not as lenient with their tee times as a public course. If a member is issued a tee time of 10:17am you can bet that you will be teeing off at 10:17am, if you are late, you are at the back of the line, not a very good first impression. Show up early, introduce yourself to the pro-shop and tell them who you are meeting and where you will be. I suggest you hit the putting green and not the bar.
Three: Be prepared to gamble, be prepared to lose. I am not saying “Expect” to gamble or expect to lose, just be prepared. Have cash in your pocket in all denominations. You do not want to lose a wager on who gets closest to the pin on a par 3 and then have to ask for change. Pay quick and don’t ask for what is owed to you.
Four: Buy lunch. You have been invited to a nice morning or afternoon of golf. There is no better way to show your gratitude than to buy lunch for your foursome.
Five: Be prepared to walk. You may be used to riding every time you play golf, but, the person who invited you to play might like to walk. You can’t interact if you are riding and waiting while the walkers catch up to you. You probably need the exercise anyway.
Six: Don’t get drunk. After the round you might be invited into the bar for a cocktail before lunch. Know your limitations. A sure way to NOT get invited back to a private golf club is to be dancing around with a lampshade on your head.
Seven: Walk the course. Most private golf courses have pretty friendly people working there. Show up some late afternoon and introduce yourself to the clubs Pro. Tell him you were invited to play a round by one of the members, tell them which member, and ask if you could familiarize yourself with the course. Tell him you will not get in anyone’s way and you will respect the course. More than likely they will allow you to do that. Make notes and mark yardages, this will help on holes where there is a dogleg, or a hill that you can’t see over. Remember, the folks you are playing with are very familiar with the course and will take it for granted. You will not hold anyone up.
Eight: Be ready to tip. You might have a caddy, so be ready with a tip for them. Discretely ask the pro-shop what you should tip. Don’t forget a snack at the turn or the beverage cart. Most private clubs have teenagers that get your clubs from your car and when the round is done will clean your clubs, these kids need a nice tip.
Nine: Maintain the course. You should take extra care fixing your divots, raking the bunkers, and fixing your ball marks on the green. As I said earlier, private club members have a great degree of pride in their club, you should feel special that you were invited. When you show great care for their course they will be extremely grateful and this will go a long way for future invites or possible sponsorship if you are interested in joining. When you walk onto the green fix a few ball marks, not just your own.
Ten: Tune up your equipment. Make sure your golf clubs are in good repair and don’t look like garage sale used golf clubs. Clean your bag. Buy a new glove. Buy a couple new boxes of balls, don’t show up with an onion bag full of seconds. Make your purchases in the pro-shop.
Bonus Tip: Take a lesson. If you read posts in this blog you will notice I tell people this all the time. Being a guest at a private club is not place to get frustrated and have a bad time. A lesson at any time will take strokes off your game, and better than that, you will gain confidence in your ability.
Above all else. Have Fun.
May 10, 2010
The Rhythm of the Game
I never really thought about how the Rhythm of the Game of golf could affect my score until I read an article about Skeet and Trap Shooting that involves the rhythm of the match.
When I talk about rhythm I am not talking about waiting, we wait for everything. Think about waiting for a moment. If you come to a four-way intersection and you are 20 cars back, you have to wait your turn. If all goes the way it should, one car at a time from each road goes in turn, you have rhythm. When this occurs you do not feel the wait, but let one person jump the gun and throw off the rhythm of traffic and you are now frustrated. These waiting/rhythm situations occur time and time again in daily life.
What about the rhythm in a game of golf. Here is an example. I was playing a round with some friends. We were waiting to tee off. Groups were teeing off at regular intervals, we were all behind schedule a few minutes but it did not matter as there was a steady flow, there was rhythm. Then behind us came a group, and one woman was complaining so much we let them tee off ahead of us, the first miss-beat in our rhythm. Then, this same woman on the second hole, parked the cart on the cart path, walked across the fairway to her ball walked back to the cart to get her golf club, then walked back across the fairway to play her ball. This totally threw off the rhythm of the game and our scores were not for the record books.
So remember, it is not the waiting, it is the rhythm. As long as you keep a steady rhythm to your game your scores will reflect it. Rhythm is not a fast game or a slow game, it is a steady flowing game of golf.
March 28, 2010
The Golf Driver and Distance
460 cc golf driver, the cc stands for cubic centimeters, 460 is the maximum allowable for playing golf. you can get your golf driver with a much larger head but it is illegal, so don’t bother. These larger driver heads are usually used for competitive distance drivingin which the rules of golf do not apply.
So, the first step in getting more distance from your golf driver is the ball. We will not, at this time, get into a deep discussion about the different golf balls and what they do. We will talk about that some other time. For now, just find a ball that you like that is designed for distance. Golf balls designed for distance have less spin when the club head initially strikes the ball.
Step 2 is to get a golf driver with optimum loft. Optimum loft is different for everyone so I can not really tell you what loft you should get. Experiment with drivers of varying lofts and when it is right you will know. I, for example, tend to hit golf shots very high with all my clubs, so to get optimum loft on my driver I had to drop to 8 degress of loft to get optimized. Slower Swingers might find that a 12 or 14 degree loft driver is optimum for them. A general rule of thumb is the stronger your swing, the lower the loft.
Step 3 tee it high and let it fly. Conventional wisdom is to tee the ball so the center line of the golf ball is about even with the top of the club head. Now, however, some instructors are saying the ball should be even higher. Tee it up so the club head only reaches about 1/4 the way up the ball. Now you know why 3 and 3 1/2″ tees are getting more and more popular.
Step 4 get the ball farther up in your stance. You want the ball at least even with your forward foot, (left for right hand golfers and right for left hand golfers) you can even go a inch or to forward of your lead foot. Just remember, the farther forward the ball is in your stance the less control you will have so your strike needs to be right on. You need to find what is most comfortable and accurate for you. You do not have to move the ball all at once, experiment and practice and slowly get the ball farther up in your stance.
Step 5 get a bulls-eye, hit the ball in the center. You are probably wondering why I say this. Well, it is simple, most of us do not hit the ball in the center. We line up in the center of the ball, but we do not hit the ball in the center. You tee the ball, you take a couple of practice swings, you address the ball, set the club head on the ground behind the ball to line it up, and then WHAM, the ball goes anywhere except the fairway. The reason is this, the club swings like a pendulum. It does not go up and down, it swings.The first thing to remember is that the ball is 3″ in the air. OK, with that knowledge, try this test. Tee the ball up, place the club head on the ground centered behind the ball, then with your arms outstretched lift the club head to the ball. Is it centered now?
This is not unusual, so chalk it up as a learning experience. Just start experimenting and testing. Move back a bit and do the test again and again until you find your own sweet spot.
Finally, you need to hit the ball on the upswing. Everybody’s swing is different, so you will need to have your swing observed. It might only take one lesson. Just tell the instructor you want to make sure you are hitting your drive on the upswing and then he or she will observe and make corrections for you. You might not need a lesson for this you might find that perfect swing on your own. Remember, your golf driver is your friend.
