In This Issue:
- The Timms Report
- Buildshop News
- Swing Metrics
- Equipment Corner
Client Profile
Name: Sari Ewing
Handicap: 12
Most recent visit to Cool Clubs: End of October.
What is your overall impression of Cool Clubs?
They really are the top of the industry because they focus on making sure the person who is in their fitting bay is going to have the best golf experience they can have. That means if you shoot 100, you are going to be the best 100 shooter. If you shoot 66, you are going to be the best 66 shooter that you can be, they don’t discriminate between somebody who is a Tour player and someone who is a nice average golfer like me.
How has it impacted your game specifically?
I’ve had a big improvement in the distance I get on all my clubs and most specifically my driver. It has also made me a much better iron player. I previously had some irons that were not fitted well for me, they were too heavy and the lie was all wrong. I got some new irons from Cool Clubs about six months ago and the difference is amazing.
Would you recommend it to others?
Not only would I, but I have. Every time I go in, we adjust my clubs and equipment for the level of game that I am at and what I am trying to achieve. I think anyone who is a golfer would love to have the sense of relief that your clubs are the one thing you don’t have to worry about.
News and Notes
On Sept. 29, Cool Clubs celebrated the opening of its location at Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine, Calif. Taking place at the state-of-the-art fitting bay conveniently located on the practice tee at Oak Creek, the event also showcased a tour through the mobile Cool Clubs Custom Fitting Truck. Among attendees were representatives from major golf equipment manufacturers and members of Oak Creek and Pelican Hill Golf Clubs. Members received an exclusive peek into the offerings available at the Cool Clubs Custom Design Studio and Production Workshop headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz. Guests of Cool Clubs at Oak Creek will enjoy the same technologies used at the Cool Clubs Headquarters. Fitting procedures at Oak Creek include: woods, irons, hybrids and custom wedges.
A new fitting concept is on the brink of reveal at Cool Clubs. The Outdoor Fitting, which takes place at the TOUR Academy at TPC Scottsdale, allows golfers to get fit out in the elements. The fitting begins at Cool Clubs Headquarters where current club specs are analyzed. Golfers are then transported to the outdoor fitting bay at TPC by Transtyle Luxury Transportation.
Come check out the outdoor fitting bay and new wedge fitting system at the TOUR Academy Open House on Nov. 15th and 16th at TPC Scottsdale. In addition to on-the-hour giveaways and discounts on TOUR Academy programs, Cool Clubs will be offering complimentary driver fittings both days. See you there.
|
Member of the Cool Clubs Family:
Seeing as how 25-30 percent of the game is dedicated to wedge play, we consulted with our resident experts on every aspect of these short game instruments. From our new outdoor wedge fitting system to our accomplished wedge-grinding pro, rest assured that from 100 yards and in every whim of your wedge game will be catered to. We hope you enjoy this snapshot of our current endeavors.
Sincerely,
Cool Clubs
Intro: Preserving its place on the cutting edge, Cool Clubs’ CEO, Mark Timms sits down to discuss the new outdoor wedge fitting system at the company’s Oak Creek Golf Club and TPC Scottsdale locations.
 Where did the inspiration for the new wedge fitting system come from?
I’ve thought about it for years, but to be able to do it using the right clubs, golf balls and under the right conditions just took some time to get fine tuned. We also worked to create the proper demo mix; we have more than 60 different wedges to choose from with different bounces, brands and configurations so that you are able to try different things.
What does the wedge fitting process entail?
The fitting will run from one and a half to two hours and is pretty detailed. The first part of the process is what we call a gap fitting in order to spread out the wedges in your bag consistently. We start by determining how far you hit the shortest club in your set (typically a pitching wedge) and we utilize the trackman technology to find that data. Then we look at how many wedges you have room in your bag to carry and what is the highest-lofted wedge you are comfortable hitting then we fill in the gaps between. Once we have determined what lofts you need, we go to the short game area. There will be six different shots we’ll hit around the greens with different configurations of bounce and brand to see which ones you actually hit better.
What role does golf ball brand play in the wedge fitting?
For the full swing component of the fitting, we will use ProV1 or ProV1X golf balls. It’s not the typical range ball you would normally hit, but it’s so we can factor those characteristics and their actual distances. Around the short game area we use totally different golf balls, not only ProV1’s, but also Taylormade, Callaway, Bridgestone and a number of other golf ball brands so that you are actually practicing and getting fitted with the ball you really play.
What types of wedges are hit during a fitting?
Initially, the two brands we are carrying for the wedge fitting are Titleist Vokey’s and Cleveland wedges. Among the variety of wedges we offer are the custom ones we do, where we can make anything with any characteristic.
Really, like what?
We can create a specific bounce, a specific trailing edge, shaft changes and we can change a lot of things on top of what you can normally get from stock clubs. That is exactly what they do on tour. For example, look at the Titleist wedges on tour and certain players like certain grinds, different amounts of bounces or lead heels. It may not be for every one, but for the better or the discerning player, we can fine tune things past what we would normally get off the rack.
Why should golfers get fitted for wedges?
It is one of the most important parts of the game. After the driver and putter, it is one of the clubs you use the most. Where you score is really with your wedges and your putter. In general, when people just grab wedges off the rack, they think they need a high bounce or a low bounce wedge without really trying them and seeing which ones they are more successful with. Without doing that it becomes hard to determine which one of those clubs is correct.
Where does shaft flex fit into the wedge fitting process?
During the gap fitting, we also determine what shafts would be optimal in wedges. In general, shaft flex or type of shaft in wedges is kind of overlooked. When you look at most major brands that sell wedges, they typically only offer one shaft; there is no stiff, no regular or anything. We offer more than 30 shaft types when you consider brand, composite, flex, graphite or steel.
When was the new system put into practice?
We first implemented it in California at our Oak Creek location on October 1st. It’s available at TPC Scottsdale as of November 15th (Need to double check).
Intro: This month, Jamey Harrington, head of custom design at Cool Clubs, emerges from behind the grinding belt to share the innovative concepts shaping wedge performance.
 While an off-the-rack wedge might suffice in terms of function on the course, discerning players can attest that customization in this arena has great impact on playability and results. Such is the reason Harrington devotes much of his time to perfecting the instruments conducive to scoring around the greens. His passion for his trade comes across in the intricate grinds he performs on some of the industry’s highest-performing wedges.
“I like to take an existing stock wedge and put my own spin on it,” Harrington says. “One thing I do is thin the hosel so it passes through longer grass and rough with less resistance. I also do some really aggressive heel toe grinds that make the club overall more versatile around the greens; allowing the golfer to open it up for soft delicate shots and bunker play.”
 Harrington’s customization process involves the use of Tungsten technology, a metal with characteristics that make it twice as heavy as the carbon steel most wedges are composed of. Tungsten is employed to maintain the weight integrity of the club head after heel toe grinding takes place.
“The heel toe grinds allows for a more efficient shot with minimal twisting of the club head through impact because less materials is making contact with the ground,” Harrington says. “It’s a really unique product and viable for cool clubs to have. We have really brought the wedge arena to the next level with our use of high-quality materials, making it aesthetically pleasing and seeing it perform. Those are the three concepts the custom design studio goes by.”
 In early October, another innovation was added to Cool Clubs in the form of overweight Miura wedges. The additional weight allows Harrington to bypass the Tungsten process and start with grinding straightaway. “The nice thing about the Miura wedges is they bridge the gap between stock wedges and the high-end, labor intensive custom wedges because the Miura wedges don’t require the added cost associated with Tungsten inserts,” Harrington says.
Providing a more cost-effective approach to wedge customization, the new Miura wedges also boast the world-renown quality of Miura forging.
Intro: Thought you were done with school? According to John Stahlschmidt, PGA Head Instructor for the TOUR Academy at TPC Scottsdale, educated hands are the key to more impactful wedge play.
 While we all desire Tour-worthy wedge play, certain measures can be taken to ensure amateurs allow themselves every opportunity to wedge it close like the pros. Once equipment is deemed ideal for your approach to the game, it’s time to give those new wedges a spin around the links.
“Spin is a result of first being able to hit the ball solid,” Stahlschmidt says. “The more speed you can produce and the more acute the angle into the golf ball, the more the ball is going to climb up the face and spin.”
However, before golfers get too spin-happy, the basic swing mechanics employed for the long game apply to the wedge game too. Stahlschmidt says overlooking the basics in lieu of Tour-ambitious tricks is a common source for complication. “The key when you hit a wedge or any iron for that matter, but especially a wedge, is the club head has to strike the golf ball on a descending blow. In order to for that to happen, the shaft of the golf club has to be leaning forward at impact.”
According to Stahlschmidt, the problem plaguing many amateurs is a shaft actually leaning away from the target at impact, which causes the club to work upward while adding loft to the face.
“We like to teach that the right hand controls the shaft, which controls the direction of the club head and the left hand is responsible for controlling the club face. When you do that properly you have what we call educated hands. Most amateurs don’t have educated hands, but the tour pros know how use their hands to deliver the golf club into the ball properly.”
Once solid contact is achieved, it’s then is a matter of learning how to control your distances and flighting your golf ball higher or lower. “Generally speaking, the better wedge players hit their wedges low and they spin a lot,” Stahlschmidt says.
While maintaining the basics and educating your hands will yield stunning results on the course, confidence in your wedge game is the real advantage; saving approximately five to seven strokes per round.
“If you are a good wedge player, you are not going to leave yourself many 20-30 foot putts,” Stahlschmidt says. “You will, in turn, really cut down on your three putts. If you have the ability to hit your wedges crisp, solid and learn to spin it then you are going to be closer to the hole. Confidence in your wedges will take a lot of pressure off your putting.”
Intro: In order to get within wedge range, you’ll need to split the fairway with a fairly sizable drive. Here, Mark Timms weighs in on three choices that recently hit the market.
-
 Titleist 909D Comp- To be released to the public this month, the new 909 D series from Titleist (which includes the DComp, D2 and D3), offers a variety of pear profiles, high performance materials and the ability to alter the center of gravity with SureFit Swingweight technology. “We assume are going to be good because there are some Tour players who seem to like them a lot,” Timms says. “They come in three models which all have varying characteristics of traditional look to them with high-launch, mid-launch and low-launch characteristics.”
 Ping Rapture V2 – Featuring a slightly elongated 460 cc head, the Rapture V2 is characterized by two visible Tungsten weight pads to the rear of the heel and toe. “We’ve had a lot of success with this one Cool Clubs since it’s already been out for a month. It is more of a traditional looking club with very low spin numbers and very hot through out the entire face.”-
 Callaway FT iQ – Available Nov.15, the FT iQ employs technology found in Formula 1 racecars and features a square profile. “It is extremely hot all over the face, permitting toe and heel hits,” Timms says. “It has much lower spin than the previous square-type drivers, which was typically their downfall. Previous square models had a deep center of gravity and tended to spin the ball a lot, and really high. For some people that is good, but not for everybody. The new Callaway FT iQ, which yields much lower spin rates, is pretty impressive.”
|
