Are You Ready for the New Season?

2010 is here, and we at The Sand Trap are geared up for an exciting new year. I’m sure we’ve all got our own set of goals for improvement in 2010, but if you haven’t taken note of them by now, you probably should think about recording them somewhere so you can do some self-evaluation as the year goes on.

As far as equipment goes, January and February always brings a bit of excitement, as most manufacturers release their new stuff. It’s also when Golf Digest releases their annual Hot List, and when the larger of the two PGA Merchandise Shows takes place. What does this mean for you, the golfer? What should you have in the bag that you already don’t? Read on to find out!

New Equipment
Stay tuned to the Bag Drop, as we’ll have comprehensive coverage of the releases of new clubs. Then stay tuned to the reviews so that you’ll have accurate and up-to-date information to help you decide on your newest addition to your arsenal. Our reviews continue to be some of the best you’ll find anywhere.

Sure, all of the new clubs for 2010 will get a lot of attention, but that definitely doesn’t mean that you should limit your choices to just the very latest and greatest. Most of the equipment from last year can be found at extremely discounted prices. A number of great drivers and fairway woods are now going for $150-$250 cheaper than what they were at this time last year. It’s a great way for those of us on a budget to improve our bag.

Golf Digest Hot List
Another year, another set of bold statements from the guys (and gals!) at Golf Digest. Among the advice they give this year: drop your 3-wood in favor of a 4-wood, most of us should ditch our 4-iron, and if your driver is more than two years old, you should ditch it.

Hmmm, not so sure I agree with all of that, at least as broad statements that all golfers should follow. Some of these statements they make can lead to confusion and second guessing where there may not need to be. A prime example is Golf Digest saying that most of us should ditch our 4-iron in favor of a hybrid. Only you know whether it’s a good idea to replace your long irons with hybrids. If you hit a hybrid better, then by all means, switch if you haven’t already. But if you’re comfortable with your long irons, and they add key shots to your game, it makes absolutely no sense to take that advice. Why would you swap out your long iron and then have to learn to hit equivalent shots with your hybrid, when that may already be a stronger point of your game? While I do realize that there has always been a great number of players that struggle with their long irons, if you don’t, why change?

While we’re at it, the excuse to switch because some pros have is just silly. Again, the pros that have switched are playing to their strengths, that’s all.

My Hot List
Instead of preaching about who’s right and wrong in the Golf Digest Hot List, here’s a short list of things that might just make a difference in your game, most of which may not at the top of your list to add to your bag, but maybe they should!

Camera
So you haven’t taken the plunge with lessons yet, but you’re having problems with your swing that you just can’t seem to work out. What to do? Skip that new $400 driver for now, and get yourself a new digital camera so that you’ll have the ability to take video of your swing. You’ll then be able to analyze it on your own, or post it on our forum and possibly get some helpful tips that may set you straight. Don’t forget, our own Swing Check analyst, T.M. O’Connell, offers a great, free service in his spare time.

Now, you may be wondering what camera to buy. While I’m not going to get brand or model-specific, here are some general guidelines and features for you to look for. First, at the very least, you’ll want a camera that can capture 60 frames per second (FPS). The golf swing is usually only two to three seconds long, so the more times your swing is captured within those few seconds, the more it can be analyzed. Of course, faster framerates are even better, but 60 is more than serviceable. The other requirement is simply decent resolution. Some cameras can get 400+ frames per second, but at such low resolutions that will make you the size of a golf ball dimple on your computer screen. If your video is too small to see the details of what the hands are doing or to look at key checkpoints, it’s pretty much useless.

Notebook
Yeah, this one sounds kinda boring, but stick with me for a bit. Have you read a tip (or ten) that you want to try? I don’t know about you, but I’d head out to practice on the range, or play a practice round, with a number of tips that in mind that I read either on our forum, in Golf Digest, or a book I recently picked up. The problem was that there were at least a few of those things that I’d remember just about the time I’m taking my golf shoes off, after I had finished practice.

Among the other uses, I’ll record my distances, notes from a round, and various swing thoughts. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got early on was to get a pre-shot routine, and stick to it on every shot. Not only is my pre-shot routine recorded in there, but so is a quick checklist I go through at address. Maybe it’s overkill, but I can honestly say that keeping this has helped me a great deal, though maybe it’s a necessity for me because of all the other stuff on my mind other than golf. The thing is, I’d have a hard time believing I’m the only one that has that problem.

As far as what kind of notebook to use, I prefer the small Moleskine cahiers, which can be found at Barnes and Noble and other retailers. They come in packs of three and are pretty thin, yet durable. I keep mine in the waterproof sleeve of my bag with a pen, so that it’s ready at any time. While I recommend the Moleskine notebooks, it really doesn’t matter what you use, as long as you can keep it dry and it’s quickly accessible. I promise you, if used properly, it will help bring more consistency to your game.

Lots of Extra Tees
One of the things frequently discussed in the forum is the benefits of hitting down on the ball and compressing it. For a lot of people, this can be an extremely hard action to visualize, let alone perform. To enforce the preferred type of strike, one of the most helpful tips I’ve seen both in a number of places is where you stick a tee in the ground a couple inches in front of your ball, and try to make contact with the ball while also striking the tee. My preferred Zero Friction tees are not necessary in this exercise – an old wooden tee will do. Save the Zero Frictions for the course!

A close second to that drill is to roll up a golf towel the long way and place it directly behind your ball, in line with the target. The point of the drill is to strike the ball with a descending blow, while never touching the towel. So maybe rounding up a few extra towels may be in order as well.

Coming Soon
Well, quite simply, tons of new information on lots of new clubs. TaylorMade recently made their newest drivers public knowledge, and after seeing them, I can tell you that if you were a fan of the R7 SuperQuad, you’ll probably be a fan of one of the new R9 SuperTri. Also expect to see coverage of the new drivers and fairway woods from Nike, Callaway, Cobra, and others. Look for more info here this time next week, and in the weeks to come.