by Jeff Skinner
The professionals might be getting ready to start their season at Kapalua but for many of us the start is still a few snowstorms and some months away. If you don’t live in a “year round” golf environment the best you can do is fantasize about your first round when you open up with you best round ever. Remember, I did say fantasize.
Maybe we can do more than that like dream about some new clubs that will enable us to become that scratch golfer we know we all can be. Golf Digest’s February issue gives us a preview of the hot new clubs hitting the market this year. Everything you need to hit it longer, straighter and just like a pro is there. All you need is a few grand to get those new sticks to complete your fantasy. Believe it or not Taylormade has a new driver out this year, that’s nothing new, as they lead in driver sales each year. But the name of the new line is “Rocketballz” yes, “Rocketballz. You can’t make this stuff up.
Chris Tuten is a Titleist tour rep and an expert club fitter. James Achenbach of Golfweek has a conversation with him about fitting the pros.
Question: How long are drivers on the PGA Tour?
Tuten: Rickie Fowler, 45 and a quarter. Zach Johnson, same thing. Ben Curtis is one of the longest at 46, but he’s been messing around with a 45-inch driver. On the short side, Geoff Ogilvy is 44 and a quarter. So is Bobby Gates. Bobby is one of the tallest guys out here (6-foot-5). You look at him on the range, it looks like he’s playing a kid’s club.
Question: So what’s the lesson here?
Tuten: All golfers are individuals, and there is no such thing as fitting a player strictly by the way he looks.
Tuten says that the two iron isn’t dead and that Gary Woodland can hit one 275 yards.
Question: Forget the Tour for a minute. Is this the Golden Age of golf clubs for consumers?
Tuten: I’ll say this: Golf clubs have never been better. I feel confident in saying that any golfer can find the perfect set.
Maybe this is the year you can find yours.
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