Hello golfers,

So the golf season is drawing to a close but there are still lots of exciting events to either play in or watch. None bigger than the Ryder Cup next week. The bookies have Europe as favourites and quite rightly so after the recent matches and also being the home team. However, the American side have nothing to lose and look a very strong side on paper and in Tom Watson have a fantastic Captain to lead their bid to win back the trophy. Oh how I bet he wishes he could have his wildcard picks again with both Hunter Mahan and Webb Simpson struggling for form and with the FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel not in the team he may have missed a trick, hindsight is a wonderful thing I guess. One thing is for sure it will be a brilliant contest as usual with some amazing golf lighting up Gleneagles. 

I dusted down the clubs and took to the course last week to compete in the Devon PGA Matchplay Championships at Yelverton. Having not played much golf I was looking forward to it but not really expecting much. It was a nice surprise, therefore, when I won my last 16 match 3&2 and was approximately four under par when I won. This set up an afternoon clash with Adam Frayne, the home Professional, who is a very good player and regular winner around the region. Thankfully I continued my form from the morning and was under par when I wrapped up a 5&4 victory.

The semi-final saw me match up against Rich Woods from Dainton Park. I was looking for a quick start but didn't really get going and went two down early on. I dug in though until Rich made three birdies in four holes through the back nine to seal my fate. I was really pleased with my performance though and to get through to the semi-finals is something to be proud of.

PING Staff Player Billy Horschel is the 10 million dollar man as he has secured the FedEx Cup by winning the Tour Championship in Atlanta. His play over the four rounds was sensational and thoroughly deserving of his windfall. To hold off a strong challenge from the world number one Rory McIlroy was a tremendous effort. It's a shame for all golf fans that he will not be at the Ryder Cup next week....although I expect the European Team are quite pleased he's not.

It's been a great season on the PGA Tour and the standard of play seems to get better each year. A lot of this is the players getting better but a big factor is the improvement in the equipment they use, read below to find out more.

Play what Billy plays

Billy Horschel was the FedEx Cup winner using the awesome new range of PING G30 products. We stock this range and have a complete range of demo clubs for golfers to try, as well as a custom fitting cart to allow players to receive the ultimate fitting. 

You can find out more about this exciting range on my website, simply click here. To book your fitting please contact us here.

All golfers can benefit from custom fitting!

As good as the Tour Professionals are, they can only reach the standard they are at by using correctly fitted equipment. By having irons with the correct lie angle and shaft flex or by having a driver fitted with the correct loft and grip size, they can maximise their performance. All golfers should see this as a sign of how to improve their own golf.

I listen to a lot of amateurs saying:

 "There's no point getting custom fitted as I don't hit the ball consistent enough"

My response is:

 "Okay I understand that however have you ever thought that the reason you don't hit the ball consistent is down to the fact that your clubs are totally unsuitable for you? How do you know if the clubs you use optimise your performer ace or indeed hinder your performance? Did you also know that most custom fitting is FREE?"

It really is remarkable what difference correctly fitted clubs can make to a player's game. If you're spending money on any new clubs why would you not get them fitted correctly? We are custom fitting experts and with our wide range of demo products and our state of the art GC2 Simulator and Launch Monitor, we have the complete custom fitting solution.

If you are thinking about any equipment change then please come and talk to us in the Pro Shop.

New addition in the Golf Studio

This week sees a superb addition to our Launch Monitor and Simulator. The HMT unit is an amazing device which looks at the clubhead around at impact analysing the path the club is taking, attack angle, strike point on the club face and much, much more! It really is the ultimate device for improving any golfer's technique and understanding of their swing. It also take our custom fitting service to a new level allowing us deeper analysis on what the club is doing at impact and how that can be affected by changing lie angles etc.

To book your appointment using our HMT system please click here.

Our Price Promise to all our Customers

I take great pride in not only the amount of great product that we stock, but also how competitive our pricing is. I make it one of my weekly tasks to sit down and look at other retailers and compile a list of what price they are selling the products that we stock. Without having to move my pricing I am always sitting there right alongside the best pricing online. The one thing that I can give ALL my customers that the online retailers cannot is face to face advice and service.

We are here seven days a week to help you with all of your enquiries and queries and are the best people qualified to recommend and fit you for correct product. We also offer a complete after sales service package on all items we sell which gives our customers complete piece of mind.

If by any chance anyone finds a product we sell and the price is cheaper than us, then I am more than happy to match that price without compromising on our quality of service. Please feel free to come in to the Pro Shop and chat to us about our services.

Grip for Success

As we approach the winter months it is essential that you review the condition of your grips. Many of you will not have changed your grips since you have had your clubs so they will be well over due a change. It is a proven fact that poor grip condition can lead to poor golf. One of the key reason is that over a period of time grips lose their traction. They become hard and shiny and can start to slip in the hands when hitting shots. As a reaction to this it is common for a golfer to then increase grip pressure in order to keep hold if the club correctly which, in turn, can cause tension leading to poor rhythm and poor timing.

We have recently installed a new Grip Bar in the Pro Shop which allows us to correctly fit you for the best type and size of grip to suit your game. Correct grip size is crucial for consistent golf as it allows the hands to control the club head. If the grips are too thin then the hands can work too quickly causing the clubhead to close and the shots to fly left. If the grips are too thick then the hands can work too slowly leaving the clubface open leading to the ball flying to the right. 

Next time you're at the club why not pop in and talk to us about having some new grips fitted and see what difference it can make to your game. 


Super Stroke your way to better scores

As many of you will have seen recently there has been a growing number of players switching to use a Super Stroke putter grip. The larger grips are designed to encourage a more solid putting stroke helping to eliminate excessive wrist action which is often one of the major causes of inconsistent putting. If the wrists become too active then this can have major restrictions on the ability to control distance putts and maintain a square club face through impact causing pushes and pulls. The Super Stroke range of putter grips come in various sizes to suit all golfers. So next time you're at the club why not pop in to the shop and we can advise you on what size grip to be fitted with.



Winter golf weekend

We are holding a winter golf weekend on the 4th and 5th of October. Over the weekend we are offering a FREE equipment check, FREE winter golf tips and special offers on our winter clothing ranges. Look at next week's newsletter for further details. 

As a golfer I am sure you are keen to improve your game and reduce your handicap or even obtain a handicap. My staff and I are the most qualified people to help you do this. We are trained to the highest standard in custom fitting and coaching the 2 key areas to look at if you really want to improve your golf. I have managed to help many of you this year by custom fitting you correctly to a product that will undoubtedly help your game. Whether it be a set of irons, a driver or even a wedge or putter we have the skill set to correctly fit you in to the correct product to improve your game.

Our custom fitting is completely FREE when you make a purchase within one month of your fitting and with our wide range of choice aided by our state of the art GC2 Launch Monitor and Simulator.

James' Coaching

James is running a number of coaching initiatives in the next few weeks so now is the perfect time to find out how to correct any bad shots you are hitting and how to improve your game further. Here are some dates for the diary:

• Saturday 20th September - All day - FREE five minute short game fix - Based upon putting, chipping and short pitches
• Monday 22nd September - No Teignagers Coffee & Coaching due to away day
• Tuesday 23rd September-  Ladies Coffee & Coaching at 2pm

Winter Game Improvement Sessions

A four week course costing £7.50 per session to include a coffee, potential prizes and discount shop vouchers. Posters are up around the club and you can sign up in the Pro Shop. The sessions are planned for the following dates:

• Sunday 19th October between 10.30-11.30am
• Sunday 26th October between 10.30-11.30am
• Sunday 2nd November between 10.30-11.30am
• Sunday 9th November between 10.30-11.30am

These sessions will cover swing fixes, driving/fairway woods and short game. 
 

We all need Lessons

Even the best player in the world needs regular check points to make sure he is progressing on his intended target. Whether it is a quick swing check or a series of lessons, checking in with a golf coach every now and again can stop it getting to the point of quitting. Many times having a lesson when playing great will help cement certain swing thoughts rather than waiting until those low point rounds become customary and confidence is at an all-time low.

James is here to coach full-time so whether it is a planned lesson or at the point of desperation he will make sure your improvement comes first. 

Downhill awkward lie - This troublesome shot can be found on the golf course and can cause many a headache or two when trying to play from there.

Tendency for this shot is to try to play it as though there is no slope and results can vary. To guarantee a better, improved strike a few changes have to be made. Make sure your shoulders are tilted to run parallel with the slope and ensure ball position is set back towards the higher foot in the stance (as pictured below). Keep weight on the lower foot and maintain it through impact.

  

Allow the ball to come out lower than normal and to run a greater distance. Please be careful if you would have to carry an obstacle from this like such as a bunker or other hazard.

Saturday saw the men compete in a three-man team event. With two scores counting and the course in great shape, good scoring was expected. This proved to be the case and the winning score of 91pts was posted by Tom Sheffield, Micky Davis and Geoff Garrett. Runners-up were Mike Jelley, Gary Pearson and Vince Floyd.

Sunday saw the annual playing of the Colin Edmunson Trophy. The match sees the A Team, B Team, Teignagers and Juniors compete for bragging rights in a collective Stableford scoring format. The match is always keenly contested and this year it was the A team who lifted the trophy and gained bragging rights for the next 12 months!

Congratulations to Teignager Gordon Thomson on his fine recent run of form which has seen his handicap be reduced to 10! This is a fantastic achievement and just reward for some great recent playing.