GolfTEC Named Official Retail and Club-Fitting Partner of SI Golf Group

From the February GolfTEC Momentum Newsletter.

As you may already know, GolfTEC is now the official retail and club-fitting partner of the Sports Illustrated Golf Group.  Our partnership with SI Golf Group officially launched in the February 2010 issue of Golf Magazine, as part of the “See-Try-Buy” program. For more details on the partnership, read this article on Golf.com. Related to this new partnership, there are two things we want to share with you.

First, among all of the opportunities our partnership with SI Golf Group presents, one stands out from the rest: Helping more golfers play better golf. That is our passion at GolfTEC. And we believe that precision-matched equipment plays a crucial role in helping golfers play their best. The challenge is bringing the often-overlooked topic of custom-fit equipment to the forefront, and then making a professional club-fitting experience accessible and affordable to the average golfer. We are confident that partnering with the SI Golf Group in the “See-Try-Buy” program is the first step to meeting that challenge.

Second, we want to say thank you to each of our clients. The Sports Illustrated Golf Group chose to partner with GolfTEC largely because of our ability to deliver a professional-level club fitting experience to such a large number of golfers. Without the commitment of our clients, we simply would not be able to deliver those results.

GolfTEC is proud to be the official retail and club-fitting partner of the SI Golf Group. We are confident that this new partnership will benefit each of our clients and we look forward to helping more golfers play better golf.

Visit Golf.com/See-Try-Buy to learn more about the program.

Inside Look: GolfTEC University (GTU) – Photos

If you’re coming over from the Momentum Newsletter, welcome to the GolfTEC Blog. Feel free to subscribe via email to receive updates (typically 2-3 times per week) whenever we post new content.

GolfTEC University (GTU) is a 10-day training program that each GolfTEC Certified Personal Coach attends. Led by some of our best and most experienced, the GTU program provides in-depth, hands-on training to ensure that every GolfTEC Coach is equipped to fully utilize g-SWING, GolfTEC’s patented teaching system. This comprehensive program is rigorous and challenging but each Coach that completes the GTU program gains the experience and knowledge needed to teach great golf lessons.

We thought some of you might like to see a little of what goes on in the GTU classroom, so we took a few minutes throughout the 10 days to catch some of the action on camera.

Andy Hilts training the new GolfTEC Coaches

Coaches learning the GolfTEC system

In the classroom setting

Doug Rikkers offering his input

Coaches getting hand-on experience

Working on the top position

Just after impact

Discussing instruction techniques with Doug Rikkers

What’s in the Bag: Sean Kicker, GolfTEC Coach

A look inside the bag of Sean Kicker, GolfTEC Coach, Director of Instruction and Store Manager at GolfTEC Coral Gables in Miami, FL.

Driver: Cleveland HiBore (9-degree); Fujikura Fit-on Gold shaft, S-flex

I personally prefer the smaller 330cc head size of this driver. It really fits my eye and gives me the confidence to keep the ball in the fairway.

Fairway Wood: Cleveland HiBore 3-wood (15-degree); Aldila NVS shaft, S-flex

This is one of my most reliable clubs both off the tee and from the fairway. This small compact head features an Energy Transfer Core that transfers into higher ball speeds.

Hybrids: Mizuno MP-FLI-HI Iron Hybrid (18-, 21-degree); Project X 6.0 shaft

These hybrids are a recent addition to my bag and I am amazed that it took me so long to get rid of my old long irons and switch over to hybrids. These MP FLI-HI iron hybrids deliver a high ball launch and trajectory, pin-point distance control and a soft landing from long distances.

Irons: Mizuno MP-62 (4-PW); Golf Pride Multi-Compound Midsized Grips; Project X 6.0 shafts

The MP-62 irons with breakthrough DUAL MUSCLE technology give me maximum workability and shot making control, while still providing some level of forgiveness.

Wedges: Mizuno MP T-10 White Satin (52-, 56-degree)

I haven’t played a wedge that feels as good as these Mizunos. And with the new Quad Cut Grooves, they give me maximum spin and control.

Putter: Couture Golf Gullane (32″ length, 365 grams)

If you haven’t been fit for a putter—playing an off-the-rack putter instead—you’re missing out in a big way! Playing a custom-fit putter like this one allows me to get into the same setup every time and putt consistently from round to round. The head weight is heavier, which reminds me to accelerate through the ball.

Ball: TaylorMade TP Red Tournament Edition

The TP Red Tournament Edition ball was designed for higher ball speed and higher spin players. It features a mid-to-low launch angle which gives me increased distance and exceptional control in windy conditions.

If you’re considering upgrading your bag, getting a club fitting or just want to try out some new golf equipment, call or stop by a GolfTEC Improvement Center near you.

Outtakes: GolfTEC Momentum Newsletter Photo Shoot

We’re having a little fun with today’s post.

For the February issue of the GolfTEC Momentum Newsletter, we did an in-house photo shoot for the cover image. And we have to admit, we had some fun doing it. So we thought we’d share a few of the photos from the shoot. The theme of the cover story was how to right the relationship between you and your bag. As you can clearly see, the photos were meant to capture the strained relationship that many golfers have with their bag.

What do you think? Ever felt this way towards your bag? Let us know in the comments.

5 Questions to Right the Relationship Between You and Your Golf Bag

Article from the February GolfTEC Momentum Newsletter.

The golf season and Valentine’s Day—two events that are right around the corner. In the spirit of both, we have a suggestion: It’s time for you and your bag to have a heart-to-heart. Why? Because the relationship you have with your bag will be tested over and over again.

To survive those tests, you must trust every club in your bag. The first step to building that trust is asking the right questions. Here are five to get you started:

1. Does the loft of your driver match your ball speed?

Less loft doesn’t always mean more distance. You probably know that playing a higher-lofted driver can help your accuracy. But doesn’t that mean you’ll sacrifice distance? Not necessarily. Depending on your ball speed (among other factors), switching to a higher-lofted driver could actually increase your driving accuracy AND distance. Now who wouldn’t want that?

2. Should you carry a 3-wood in your bag?

Many golfers simply don’t need a 3-wood. A 4- or 5-wood is typically a much better club to carry. The slight increase in loft will improve your accuracy, make it easier to get the ball in the air and in some cases, increase your distance. Additionally, if you carry a 3-wood and 5-wood, you can add another wedge or hybrid to your bag by taking the 3-wood out. If you carry a 3-wood, take a second look at it—you might be better off without it.

3. Is your 4-iron the same head design as your 9-iron?

Many golfers, even some Tour Pros, are making the switch to blended iron sets. A blended iron set gives you increased forgiveness in your long irons, without sacrificing playability in your short irons. Almost every major club manufacturer will allow you to order a custom set of irons, made up of multiple club-head models. Whether you want more forgiveness in your long irons or increased feel in your short irons (or both), a blended iron set is worth a look.

4. Does the lie angle of your wedges match your irons?

It may seem like a basic club-fitting principle to match the lie angle of your wedges and irons. But doing so can result in pulling your wedge shots to the left. This can be caused by swing-plane issues or partial-swing wedge shots. If you’ve found yourself pulling your wedge shots on a regular basis, flattening out the lie angle of your wedges could potentially straighten out your wedge shots.

5. Is there anything to those huge, gimmicky-looking putters?

Size does matter—at least when it comes to MOI (moment of inertia). In spite of their sometimes gimmicky look and large size, those putters increase MOI. If MOI sounds as foreign as those putters look, we’ll make it simple for you: more MOI means more stability and forgiveness. If you’ve eliminated the high-MOI putters from your options in the past, now might be the time to reconsider.

Take the next step

Chances are, one (or more) of these questions applies to you.  You might be curious to increase the loft of your driver and see how it affects your game. You might be wondering if a blended iron set could give you more confidence from the fairway. Or you might have a totally different question about your clubs. Whichever it is, a GolfTEC Coach can help.

You’ve taken the first step of asking the right questions. Now it’s time to take the next step. So grab your golf bag, head over to your nearest GolfTEC Improvement Center and talk to a Coach about improving your equipment setup.