Club Champion – the nations #1 premier golf fitters

As an aging (senior) golfer I have seen my scores rise and my enjoyment of the game decrease. My shots no longer soared high, far or straight. I was so frustrated I was ready to throw in the towel on a sport I truly enjoyed.

My decision to have a club fitting at Club Champion was a golf lifesaver for me.

Wall of club shaft options

With the cost of a full set of quality golf clubs approaching that of my first used car the best thing you can do for yourself and your game is to get a professional club fitting. That is exactly what I did at the Club Champion fitting store in Minneapolis.

For less than the cost of a new driver you can be custom fit for a complete new set of clubs (driver, fairway, hybrid and irons) and purchase them at the same price as a big box store. Even if you only need a driver, a set of irons or just a putter Club Champion has an economical program to fit your needs.

Why get a custom fitting?

First of all, everyone’s swing is different plus our bodies and swings change over time. So, why buy clubs “off the rack” when a custom fitting will maximize the distance, accuracy and consistency we all desire. By combining the right club head, shaft, loft and lie a professional club fitter can add distance, increase accuracy and consistency across all the clubs in your bag. Second of all, it is economical considering the price of new clubs. Most importantly, it will make a difficult game easier and more enjoyable.

What is a typical fitting session like?

In my case I needed new irons. The strength of my game was always my iron play. My current irons, which were top of the line when I bought them years earlier, were no longer doing the trick. Long irons were hard to get in the air. My reliable draw had gone away. Once deadly short irons were missing the mark. So I made an appointment and headed over to Club Champion.

Club head manufacturers

For an iron fitting all you need to do is dress comfortably, bring your current 6 iron, golf shoes, a golf glove and an open mind. Once inside you will meet your fitter (mine was George Smith), give him some information about your game and what you hope to accomplish. Next, you will go to one of the hitting bays and warm up using your own 6 iron. Then the fun begins.

Each Club Champion store has the latest club heads and shafts from all the major manufacturers (see their website). In addition, all heads and shafts are interchangeable and can be switched in mere seconds. This means 1000’s of combinations. Club Champion hitting bays are equipped with the same Tracman launch monitors used by most tour pros. A Tracman will tell you swing speed, ball speed, launch angle, club path, spin rate, distance, direction and more.

Hitting Bay

After warming up you will hit 15 – 20 shots with your club. The Tracman records each shot and in addition gives an average of all the shots. Your trained fitter may then delete a few of your worst mishits with the remaining shots being your baseline. In my case my 6 iron flew an average 152 yards in the air, 54’ high and anywhere from 10 yards right to 15 yards left of center.

Based on my amateur swing speed of less than 80 MPH George ruled out all tour level type clubs and any sort heavy stiff shafts. He asked me what I liked in an iron and I told him a thin top line with soft feel. George then picked out a few different irons form an array of manufacturers and a couple of different shafts from top of the line shaft makers. The beauty of custom fitting is that in a few seconds any shaft can be combined with any club head to come up with the perfect fit for you.

What happens next is where the magic begins. A trained fitter can hear, see and look at the numbers to come up with just the right mix of head and shaft to maximize your ability. Some of the club head and shaft combinations just did not work for me. Distances dropped. Accuracy suffered. Club head speed decreased. If I liked a certain club head look and feel but we were not getting the results then we switched to a different shaft using the same club head and hit another 20 shots. Then we tried other manufacturer’s club heads and so on and so on until we found the optimal club head and shaft combination that worked best for me.

Let me tell you that the results were amazing! My distances increased by nearly 15 yards per club. I was launching them higher and straighter. My swing and ball speeds increased with no extra effort on my part. It turned out my existing irons were too heavy, too stiff and too long for me. It wasn’t me…it was the clubs!!

Club Champion's custom build shop

After the fitting session

When you are finished hitting balls your fitter will print out a detailed Tracman data summary of all the different club combinations you hit. The two of you will look at the numbers and determine what combination worked best for you. Then you will get a detailed price quote for the club head, shaft and even the grip you want. Your custom order clubs will normally be delivered in about two weeks.

Suggestions for a successful fitting

First and foremost, come with an open mind. Don’t be fixated on any one manufacturer. In fact I preferred to not even look at the club I was hitting. Same with the shafts. I didn’t want the name to influence me in any way. Let the Tracman numbers be your guide. Second, don’t do an entire bag fitting (irons, woods, hybrids) in one session. Trust me, you will be too tired after hitting 60 – 100  six irons to hit any drivers or hybrids. Come back a few days later relaxed and refreshed before fitting other clubs. Lastly, trust your fitter. They are trained to help you enjoy the game by fitting you with clubs that match your swing.

About Club Champion

Club Champion has over 20 stores nationwide and should have over 30 by this time next year. All stores are company owned and not franchises. Besides club fitting they offer club repair, re-gripping, re-shafting and more. They also offer a club trade in program where they will purchase your current equipment. In addition, Club Champion can host corporate and private events at their stores. This is a great way to socialize with friends and colleagues. You can also give the gift of a custom fitting with easy to buy gift certificates. This is a perfect reward for co-workers or a nice birthday gift to an avid golfer.

Top 5 Longest Drivers On The Market

Today, there is a lot of debate and discussion on what the top longest drivers on the market are. As a matter of fact, each person has their own opinion regarding this based on what kind of hitting drivers they are using when they play golf with their friends or family. And most major manufaturers and even retailers claim that what they have in their store is the longest driver on the market and those are usually the most sellable brand items to them.

When we are to determine what the top five (5) longest drivers on the market are, we are going to seperate those in the price range of over $350 and under $350, based on some surveys by well known major manufacturers of golf drivers on the market.

On top of the list which rate over $350 is the Callaway FT- 9 that ranks as the highest of all golf drivers that combine versatility, distance and control in one driver. Unlike other drivers, this kind of gold driver sounds great. Nike SQ Dymo and Dymo2 Str8- Fit are revolutionary drivers that everyone is raving about since they offer eight (8) different clubhead positions that a player can adjust depending on the swing he or she wants to target. Among the best golf drivers that are under $350 is the Adams Speedline. Consistently this is rated as the number 1 top golf driver since it represents a new technological shift in driver design. The club head is crafted mainly to increase speed and distance. Next in the list is the Callaway Big Bertha Diablo, which is one of the longest and straightest drivers that anyone can purchase but has one major setback as considered by some to be big and ugly. Cleveland Hibore Monster XLS is big and aggressive. It is not a subtle driver and the loud noise off the tee sounds like a cannon has just been fired. The Cleveland Hibore Monster XLS also has one of the highest MOI available.

Whatever kind of driver you have and want to purchase you should determine the type by its design and most of all the consistency and distance it offers when YOU use the driver yourself.

Top 3 Game Improvement Irons

A golf iron is designed specially to be used when striking the ball. Generally, these are available in three forms which include putters, irons and woods, notable by design and intended use.

The putter club has a loft which does not exceed ten degrees and is designed mainly to use when putting on the green. Golf irons should not be essentially different from the usual and traditional make and form. The club should be made from a head and shaft, plus it might also have additional materials on the shaft to help players get a stronger hold. All the parts of the club should be solid to give one unit without external supplements. Some exceptions might be made for contraptions that will not change the function of the club.

Some Benefits of the Top 3 Game Improvement Irons

Adams Idea a2 OS irons are a great game improvement set. These are very easy to hit and can be found for reasonable prices. This set will be perfect for players with mid-to-high handicap who want to enjoy the game. The clubs in this set come with a large spot that will strike the ball high. Most people really love the idea of using a steel shaft in shorter irons with graphite within the hybrids. In general, this can help players to have much better control using their scoring clubs and much better distance with the longer clubs. Based on the promotions, it will pretty easy changeover from one club to the next and gapping will be consistent throughout the set.

Callaway Big Bertha Fusion irons have a traditional look with a lot of non-traditional technology. These have a good appearance and can provide the benefits of using an oversized iron for game improvement. They were made to maintain a conventional look, but behind this familiar appearance is a variety of unfamiliar technology. Basically, the idea was to combine these aspirations into a single club. The Big Berth Fusion is among the top three game improvement irons presently on the market, plus it’s the ideal Callaway set for the advanced handicapper.

Ping G5 irons are made for optimum performance, assisting to enhance ground impact to strike the ball better. Improved weighting tends to make this iron set very flexible. These irons come with club heads with traditional look along with dull-grey finishing and light-weight steel or the graphite shafts, to suit a player’s preference. The clubs include perimeter-weighted heads in order to retain distance control no matter where you strike the ball. These irons can be found with many different lie angles (shown by several colored dots on the clubs), allowing players to modify the clubs to make a swing. There is also a unique weighting technology that will increase the moment of inertia, resulting in an improvement for an average distance shot.

Top 3 Cleanest Looking Blade Irons

The top 3 cleanest looking blade irons according to golfing enthusiasts seem to be the Bridgestone J38 Dual Pocket Cavity Irons, the Snake Eyes 600B Forged and the Nike Forged Blades. As the top 3 cleanest looking blade irons, they bring something different to the greens with price, quality and distance. They are used by a variety of golfers, pro and amateur, young and old alike.

Rated as among the top 3 cleanest looking blade irons is the Snake Eyes 600B Forged combos PW-5 iron and 4-3 600C iron. Either in wet or dry conditions these two irons are said to be easy to hit and workable in rough conditions. The pros for these Snake Eyes irons being in the top 3 cleanest looking blade irons are in their unique ability for spin control, excellent height achievement and excellent control on distance. The stability of the Snake Eyes irons are valued as well as their good feel with on impact and off impact functions.

Other golfing enthusiasts also value the Snake Eye 600MB for being one of the top 3 cleanest looking blade irons for its club-face center and how it allows for favorable heel center hits. The excellence is encountered with the Snake Eye 600MB when it comes to the flight trajectory, spin control of the ball and distances. The fact that the blade of the Snake Eye 600MB forces the golfer’s attentiveness of the quality center face hit, and not the speed and power, speaks well of its ability for proper ball compressions.

Classified as having some of the top 3 cleanest looking blade irons the Nike Forged Blade have irons that are valued for their distances achieved with shorter forged blades. Although some golfing enthusiasts insist that the Nike Forged Blade irons are traditionally lofted, other golfing enthusiasts believe that the newer Nike Forged Blade irons are modern lofts, yet still look and perform as well as the older versions of the Nike Forged Blade irons.

Other golfing enthusiasts agree that the Nike Forged Blade irons may out perform the MP57’s, yet are still valued for their durability and are less likely to have to need a re-shafting overhaul resulting from bad pitting. This makes the Nike Forged Blade irons, especially when in set combos, some of the most favorite of the top 3 cleanest looking blade irons.

Constructed of 1020 carbon forged steel, the Bridgestone J38 Dual Pocket Cavity Irons are valued for their weight distribution and the golf pride tour velvet grip. Bridgestone has been designing golf clubs for nearly 40 years and are well known for their golf balls. Designed to appeal to the mid-handicaps to the professionals, The Bridgestone J38 Dual Pocket Cavity Irons have high quality Project X Flighted shafts.

Bridgestone J38 Dual Pocket Cavity Irons are a sound compliment to the Bridgestone J38 460 driver with a classic look to its forged cavity backs. Solidly rounding out the top 3 cleanest looking blade irons, Bridgestone J38 Dual Pocket Cavity Irons are valued because of their tapered sole design and excellent versatility when it come to shot making.

Built by Professionals for Professionals: Callaway Golf Clubs

Callaway Golf Clubs are one of the most recognized and purchased clubs on the world market. Having outlets all over the world as well as serving as the equipment sponsor for many notable names in golf, Callaway is headquartered in Southern California and has always been the All-American company. Used and recommended by professionals such as Trevor Immelman, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, and even Annika Sorenstam, Callaway equipment stands above its competitors in many ways. The highest grade materials, testing center, and product innovation all add to why Callaway is so successful on and off the course.

Since the Callaway name is considered an upscale brand around the globe, there may be some difficulty in finding the right set of clubs. Although major sporting good chains and even some smaller stores sell Callaway Golf Clubs, these are often the generic versions and do not come with the proverbial “bells and whistles” that may be desired by the prospective golfer. Individual clubs may be a bit easier to come by since stores do not have to buy or stock the entire set in order to make a sale. This is common among wedges, putters, and driver, but irons usually are sold in sets.

Some Callaway buyers also look custom building, designing their set of clubs. Between the grip, shaft, grooves, bags, and even balls, buyers may have a say in how their equipment performs as well as the material of which it is produced. Used or pre-owned clubs on the other hand may be wise for the amateur golfer that want to get a taste of how the professionals play. The downside to the investment in used Callaway’s is that the technology is ever changing: not that the buyer will receive an inferior product, but the impression may be different because of the age and wear of the clubs.

One example of the ever changing technology in Callaway Golf Clubs is in the newly developed Diablo Octane Driver. The Diablo offers the latest technology with a lightweight carbon fiber head that allows for a faster and harder swing than the preceding titanium, aluminum, or steel models. Also built with a graphite shaft, Diablo has been tested and has performed better than many other brand drivers as well as other Callaway drivers by an average eight yards. Another note on the Callaway brand is that the company boasts the number one putter in the golf community. The Odyssey line of putters produced by Callaway has been named to the 2011 Golf Digest Hot List because of the line’s ability to essentially outdo nature: a responsive, lightweight, and scientifically proven putter that can navigate a ball over a rolling green and along the toughest reads in the game.

All About Discount Golf Clubs

The game of golf is one of the most expensive games to play. Players are responsible for shoes, bags, balls, tees, gloves, and of course the clubs. Since the game can cost a small fortune just to startup and play, why carry the added expense of costly clubs? Discount Golf Clubs are the most desired and obtained element of the golfer’s game. First, potential buyers must identify what exactly is needed for their bag: driver, irons, wedges, putter, or whatever. If a whole set of clubs is wanted then buyers will have to decide whether or not a golf bag is needed too. Second, it is important to set a budget so that buyers stay within their means, but also because a thin line separates discount from full price.

Since literally anyone can learn to play golf, the ubiquity of golf supplies can bring about some incredible deals on such supplies. By investigating all available brands, not just discounted golf clubs, and discovering the benefits and flaws to each, golfers will be able get the most for their money. Used golf clubs also come at a discount as well as incomplete sets or imperfect clubs. Imperfect does not always mean that the clubs themselves are faulty, but it could mean that the grips are poor or the bag is substandard: both have nothing to do with the performance of the club head. If used clubs are available or desired, remember that a little wear and tear is okay. Price is effected by the wear and tear so be sure to carefully identify each scratch or dent and negotiate accordingly.

Brands to buy bring about another challenge to the searching buyer. Buying new clubs can offer warrantees as well as services that may come discounted, but are worth the expense as well. When buying new clubs, the most discounted models are often the lesser known names such as Acuity or Krank, which can offer similar quality as big names, but at lower prices. The potential downside to these lesser known new club brands is that they may not last as long as big brands that are built for the long haul. Used clubs bring discounts automatically and golfers can find old Callaway, Ping, Nike, or Cleveland golf clubs that will last a long time and may have a bit of history to them.

Finding a place to buy discount golf clubs is becoming increasingly easier with the growing internet and retail development. Stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golf Smith, and other big box style stores are just a few places to find new golf clubs at a discount, while local thrift stores, flea markets, and pro-shops can be potential sources for used or pre-owned clubs or bags.