Hello golfers,
I hope this finds you well.
Well after a long build up, it is finally here! It's Ryder Cup time! This is one of the biggest global sporting events and produces awesome golf, an unrivalled atmosphere, passion beyond belief and sportsmanship like no other!
Looking at the teams it's a really tough one to call but I have made some predictions below if you fancy a flutter! One thing is for sure, there will be lots of thrills and spills along the way.
I am very lucky to be flying up for the duration and am somewhat excited to say the least!
My predictions
Top European Points Scorer - Justin Rose
Top American Points Scorer - Ricky Fowler
Overall Score - Europe 16-12 USA
Do you agree? Click here to let me know your predictions.
Gold Cup
Last weekend saw the first round of the Gold Cup. On a good day for scoring and a big field the stage was set. I have been at the Valley for almost four years and I have never known the scoring to be so good! 28% of the field played under handicap and there were five scores recorded of nett 62! Amongst those were Tom Sheffield who leads the way with a gross 71 in the scratch. It's all set up perfectly for the second round on Saturday, good luck to all.
Teignagers' Simey Trophy
Brain Barron (pictured here) was the main man in the Teignagers' Simey Trophy. An outstanding 46 points in the second round saw him claim the trophy and reduce his handicap by four shots. Well done Brian.
This a bit of a success story as Brian has been working hard on his game with regular lessons. If you ever need proof that lessons really do work then here it is.
To see the benefit of what lessons can do first hand, please contact James in the pro shop by clicking here.
We have recently added the HMT unit to our Launch Monitor and Simulator facilities. 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 will 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.
Ball above the feet lie
The tendency from this lie is for the ball to curve left during flight and finish further left of the intended target (for a right-handed golfer). The slope creates a more upright spine angle causing the golfer to swing more around themselves creating the above shot.
To play this shot correctly, try to maintain the majority of body weight through the toes. Most people's bad shot will come from leaning back with the slope. Try to grip down the golf club for added control. Due to gripping down an extra club up will be worthwhile taking away the necessity to hit it too hard.
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.
Winter Game Improvement Sessions
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.
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.
