Hello golfers,
I hope you are all well. The weather certainly has started to change a bit this past week or so that's for sure. Particularly in the mornings as the temperature has really dropped and I am sure it will not be long until we have our first frost. And so we must prepare for our winter golf season. We can do this in many ways, keep reading the newsletter to see how you can get prepared this winter and also details of a winter golf special offer.
Mixed feelings
I like many Liverpool fans am adjusting to the news of the sacking of manager Brendan Rogers. I have mixed feelings as he came so close to realising all reds fans' dreams by almost winning the league two seasons ago. However since then the team have gone backwards and this is despite having spent millions in the transfer market. Glaringly the reason the title slipped away, the dodgy defence has never been strengthened and this is the catalyst to many fans' frustrations alongside playing players out of their favoured positions. Ultimately it's a results business and as in any walk of life, if the results are not being achieved then something has to give. So thanks for the ride Brendan and good luck in the future. To the successor, hopefully Jurgen Klopp, good luck as despite some fans' perceptions that we are a big club, the fact is we were a big club but not anymore, and that is the biggest challenge ahead for the new manager.
Congratulations to Andy Skinner (pictured here) for winning this year's Stableford Winners' Cup. His return of 38 points was the best of those who had become eligible to win the trophy by winning a stableford through the past 12 months.
Andy also took top honours in Division Three in the Monthly Stableford. Division Two's top spot went to Daxi Zhang with 40 points and Tony Potter won Division One with 37 points.
Derek Castree posted the best score of the day in the Teignagers' Medal as his nett 67 won Division One with Colin Hulett runner-up with nett 68. Paul Tregellas won Division Two with nett 71 with Gordon Thomson runner-up with nett 73.
An excellent nett 71 from Maggie Thomson topped Division One in the Ladies Medal. Jane Hodgson's nett 75 was runner-up. Liz Evans' nett 75 pipped Jo Horton to Division Two. Pauline Robinson won Division Three with a nett 76.
Ali Orchard put her recent lesson from James to great effect as she won the Ladies Weekend Medal with a nett 72. In second place was Fiona Carpenter with a nett 74.
Fitting really works for everyone
We are often trying to portray the importance of custom fitting to our customers and how EVERYONE can benefit from it. I had a fantastic driver fitting with a customer last week which really opened his eyes to how crucial it is to get expert and unbiased advice before buying equipment. By changing both the type of driver and the loft of the driver we saw some superb gains in both the distance of the shots but also how much straighter the ball flew. Our GC2 launch monitor is a superb tool which gives us first class data which is valuable to help us fit you with the correct product to best suit your game. It allows us to easily explain to our customers what the data means and how it can change with a correct fitting.
I also had a great putting session with a customer at wits end with their putting and looking to change putters. When we went out on to the putting green I used my iPING app to analyse the putting stroke to enable me to work out which type of putter to recommend. In actual fact what it let me do was realise that there were a couple of technical flaws in the technique which was the root cause of the putting woes and therefore after a couple of simple tweaks, the purchase of a new putter was no longer needed. One very happy customer.
Tools like the iPING app and the GC2 are valuable and essential tools when we are coaching and fitting and allow us to deliver to our customers a first class service. Custom fitting can be done with all hardware including irons, woods, wedges and putters. Come and talk to us about how fitting can improve your game. Get in touch here.
Get fit for the new TaylorMade M1
We now have the fitting components for the new TaylorMade M1 product. The driver has been out on the Tour for a few weeks now most notably in the hands of Jason Day who has seen some serious gains since putting it in the bag. I have gone through a vigorous testing session with both the 460 and 430 heads and have been mightily impressed with the results. The head shape looks classical and the graphite crown looks impressive when you set it behind the ball.
Starting with both in a neutral setting, it was interesting to see that by tweaking with the driver head set-up (such as lofts and weight positions) I managed to change the data I got off the launch monitor significantly. It just shows you how important custom fitting is to ALL golfers. We had another example this week with a customer trying the M1 and again by setting it to suit his swing characteristics managed to reduce his spin and in turn hit the ball much straighter and a lot further than with his current driver.
The new TaylorMade M1 is available for custom fitting and for pre-order ahead of its official launch date of October 8th. Come and see us in-store or get in touch here.
New winter clothing hits the pro shop
We have now started to have delivery of some superb ranges of winter golf clothes. With ranges for both ladies and gents, we have everything you will need for the winter months ahead including base-layers, fleeces, thermal mid-layers and waterproof suits with added accessories like winter hats and gloves. The pro shop is your number one stop this winter. Come and check out the new ranges next time you're at the Club.
So winter golf is on its way and now is the perfect time to make sure you are perfectly prepared. So how can we help you achieve this? Being prepared can help keep you enjoying your golf over the winter months. Here is a list of things we can help you with to put you in great shape coming in to the winter season:
Re-gripping your clubs - The condition of your golf grips are a key element behind playing good golf anytime of year but particularly in winter. Grips in bad condition make it harder to control the club especially in wet conditions. When was the last time you had your grips changed?
Re-spiking your golf shoes - It's vital that the spikes in your golf shoes are in perfect condition if you are able to gain perfect traction when playing in winter conditions. This can be related to swinging a club but also to the basic walking around the golf course safely. We hold spikes for all makes and styles of shoes.
Playing with a rain grip glove - Rain grip gloves are specifically designed to help you maintain correct traction on the golf club in wet conditions. They are specially designed to grip better when they are wet and so are a must carry in your bag in the winter season.
A good set of waterproofs - A good set of waterproofs makes winter golf a much more enjoyable experience. We have a great range of waterproof suits to suit all budgets and have accessories to go with it such as umbrellas and waterproof hats etc.
Waterproof shoes - There's nothing worse than getting wet feet during a round! Investing in a good pair of waterproof shoes that will last you a while is great investment. We have a great range of shoes ideal for winter golf in lots of great styles and at great prices.
Indoor golf simulator and launch monitor - We are blessed to have a golf course that stays playable 12 months of the year however there are still days where the weather above is the reason we may not want to venture out on to the course. This is where you can take real advantage of our superb indoor simulator and launch monitor. Whether you fancy playing courses such as Pebble Beach and The Belfry or just want to check your yardages and use the driving range, the weather is irrelevant and allows you to keep your game in shape all year round.
As we approach the winter golfing season, we have a great opportunity to get ready for plenty of golf over the coming months. We have put together a package aimed at giving you the perfect head start before winter kicks in. This offer will be available to purchase until mid-October but be quick as it is a limited offer and will be very popular. Our offer consists of the following:
1 x 30 minute golf lesson
1 x Loft and Lie check on a set of irons
1 x re-grip
1 x set of re-spikes
1 x All Weather glove
The price of this would normally sell for £59.99
Our Winter MOT Offer allows you to purchase all the above for only £39.99
A voucher will be issued on purchase allowing 30 days for this offer to be used. If you are interested in taking up this offer please come and see us in store or get in touch here.
More sand for more spin
A question I always get asked is how to generate more spin - there are a few simple things that have to be in place, or achieved to stand the best chance:
The right golf ball - To achieve a ball that stops on the spot the player needs to generate 8000rpm of spin or more - the use of my professional advice and our GC2 HMT technology will show straight away if you can generate that or if your ball is too 'hard' to do so
Grooves - Specialist wedges and new grooves create more friction in contact with the ball to generate more RPM
Strike - Only balls struck from the middle will spin the most (being picky slightly below middle is perfect)
Speed - The more clubhead velocity the more potential RPM created
Grooves 2 - Grooves must be clean and without dirt/grass. Sand on the face from an ex bunker shot can actually increase the amount of RPM
There are a few more in depth factors but as you can see it is potentially harder than first thought. A lesson on this is a perfect way to maximise the spin you can create hugely helping greenside/approach control when playing.
Please be aware that the main days I will be coaching are: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday. 8.00am - 8.00pm Sessions can be booked on other days if possible, and talked about with me advance. I will notify of any changes to the days when needed.
Coaching deal - 2 x 45 minute sessions - £45.00 Limited offer
Notes - Junior Saturday sessions are resuming October 17th at the normal times
Do you fancy some competitive winter golf?
We are approaching the start of our Devon Professional Alliance season. In light of this we are asking if anyone would like to join myself, James and Chris in playing in some of the events? The format is either Pro-Am (1 pro and 1 amateur) or Am-Am (2 amateurs). The scoring is betterball pairs stableford and amateurs play off three-quarter handicap allowance.
These really are fun days out and are generally run every other Thursday at a variety of courses throughout Devon including Saunton, East Devon and Yelverton. The cost of the days are £40 to include 18 holes, 2s sweep, a meal after play and prizes. If you are interested in joining us for some winter golf then please contact one of us in the pro shop by clicking here.
