“Maybe It’ll be a Wholesale Change?“
Disclaimer: Before I even to start to write this article, I want to premise it by saying that when in doubt, go see a certified clubfitter. It can be a place like Club Champion Golf, TXG, or the likes of Golf Town, Golf Galaxy, Edwin Watts, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Either way, if you’re going to actually take up golf and play more than an occasional charity scramble or once a year with some drunken friends, make the investment and get fit.
Ever since 2018, it’s been an adventure. The stroke that I suffered and eventually recovered from has left me in a literal “No Man’s Land” from a golf standpoint. Initially, I lost weight, muscle-tone, strength, and a bunch of clubhead speed because my left side wouldn’t fire. The stroke affected my left side to the point where I had to learn how to walk again. So, as I got my golf legs back I experimented with “L-Flex’ golf shafts at 47 grams. It worked to a degree. The weird thing is, that year ended up being my best scoring season ever, I played New Level Golf 1031 Forged irons that year with KBS Tour 120 S shafts. My swing was all tempo. No real speed to speak of. 2019 was more of the same and I hadn’t gained any strength and while I had a couple of big numbers, it was a really solid year. Greens hit were above 80% as were Fairways hit. A great recipe for shooting good scores.
Then 2020 happened. Nothing good happened in 2020 and I’m not referring to that little pandemic issue. My golf game hit a new valley. As quickly as I hit the peak, I hit an all-time low. I was ravaged with arthritis and couldn’t really pick up the club. Every single swing hurt and it was only the combination of alcohol and CBD products that made the pain somewhat manageable when I played, but what a struggle. I switched to graphite shafts and started playing SUB 70 699 Pro Black irons. The graphite did make things easier on my joints. The only way that I could play that year was to make half swings and bunt the golf ball around. Then there’s 2021.
My year started out strong after our provincial lockdown ended in May, like the year before. I played some really good golf, albeit, on short courses. My swing was clicking and life was good. Unfortunately, a mass on the spinal cord and some cysts took over and my swing regressed into a colossal pile of dung. I had no turn and my swing turned into this “handsy” abomination. I was picking up the club instead of making a turn, what’s worse, I had a lateral shift into the golf ball. The entire 2021 season was dedicated to finding a way to swing with what I had to work with.
In October, I finally found a way and suddenly I had some semblance of turn and power. In the meantime, I’ve also gained weight and with it some strength. All of it culminating into increased distance. The only problem is, I have no idea where it’s going unless I really lay off of the RPM’s. Most of my misses are big sweeping draws (see hooks) with the occasional miss right. I’ve seen many strikes with my driver go low off of the face. Shaft droop. My ball flight has gotten extremely high with my irons and the spin numbers are up there too. When you can spin back a Pinnacle Rush back 6′ on a flat green, there’s spin. All of these symptoms are a by-product of a bad shaft.
The time has come to get fit. Here’s some info about my swing.
- PW carries 135-140
- Swing is quick tempo
- Release is delayed
These aren’t the only changes that I’ve experienced this season. My clubs feel too light in my hands which takes away my feel through impact. My irons are already at D4. Maybe, I’ve been lying to myself this entire time, but I’ve now really noticed that any sort of offset is bugging me. The offset definitely does not help with my overcooked draws either. Now to find a head that matched my eye. What will it be?
Time to make a change.
Until The Next Tee!!
#seeuonthenexttee #fightandgrind
"The Next Tee (TNT)" 