So, I woke up around 9 today, thinking I would merely stop into Golf Galaxy on the way to Prince George. I had planned on playing 9 or 18 today at one of the courses here. However, things didn’t go that way.
I went into Golf Galaxy looking to pick up one of these three drivers: the Titleist 907 D1, the Ping G10, or the Taylor Made Burner. However, I checked them all out and they seemed too closed at address for me. Not something I want. I already play a natural draw and the slightly open face heps with workability and apparently those who have higher spring speeds.
I was getting a bit frustrated and ended up meeting a gentleman named Jim who proceeded to help me in my “driver dilemma.” He said that they could set me up with a driver fitting and we could find a club that would work best for me. After about 6 different drivers and very little distance, we brought out the ball contact tape. We ended up seeing that I was hitting the ball on the bottom half of the face and towards the heel of the club. Also, I would have a tendency to close my feet to the target and open my shoulders.
After getting my stance more square, we tried a Callaway FT-5 driver. It was a 9.5 (a tour head) with a stiff shaft. This configuration is one degree higher in loft than the Ping TISI T that I had been hitting. But after the pro, whose name slips my mind at the time, explained to me the difference in the shaft, ended up working out much better for me. My Ping’s flex point is mid low, with a not so firm tip while the Callaway’s shaft has a high flex point with a much stiffer tip. After looking at the readings on the screen, I had increased my distance by 12-15 yards, increased my ball speed, decreased the ball spin, and increased my launch angle over my Ping driver. While some of this may be due to the mini-lesson I received, I’m sure some credit must be given to the club as well. Also, the size of the club-head instills a lot of confidence when addressing the ball.
Now, some bad news. After hitting at least 100 balls during this fitting process, my wrist is terribly sore. I’ve been icing it ever since I got to the house. So, I didn’t get to play today. I’m going to pick up a wrap for it and then go to my friend’s party tonight. I’ll also take some more ibuprofen for the inflammation. The next week or two is going to busy at the office with some upcoming deadlines. But I will be making an appointment with an orthopedic specialist for the soonest, convenient date.
I also talked to Faith earlier today. She is in Ghana for the semester. Her ISEP group went on a trip to a park and now they are at a beachfront resort. She said it was gorgeous. I’m a sucker for nice, quiet beaches at night. I wish I could be there to enjoy it with her.
Well, I am going to get off of here now. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend! I know I will. 🙂
john kang curd 