Golf World Top 100 Golf Store Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Michigan Amateur Driver Data

by Chris Mile, President of Miles of Golf on July 14, 2010

Miles of Golf took a TrackMan Radar Monitor to the 2010 Michigan Amateur at Oakhurst Golf and Country Club. The data was gathered during the first round of stroke play on June 22 on 119 players out of the total field of 156.

Some conclusions are as follows:

1 . The average ball speeds and distance contestants hit their drivers is not that much different from data on the PGA Tour. The difference was 14 yards.

2 . The Michigan Amateur players launch their drives slightly lower with greater spin than the PGA Tour.

3 . One-quarter (1/4) of the Michigan Amateur players matched or bettered the PGA distance average. This probably indicates that raw distance is a relatively minor factor in determining
the difference between a very good amateur player and a tour player.

4 . Miles of Golf fit the clubs of 39 of the 64 players who made match play and 11 of the Sweet 16.

Download Michigan Amateur Driver Results

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Competitive Golf

by Chris Mile, President of Miles of Golf on June 28, 2010

Competitive golf is a juiced up form of the game. For many golfers it adds an element to the game that makes it incredibly fun. For other, it is a form of torture.

Part I is for those golfers on the fence about competing. It offers clues that may help you decide if competition is for you. Part II talks about preparations for competition; things like practice, gear, and knowledge of the rules. Part III delves into the competition itself and is primarily about the thoughts that creep into your head during competition.

Part I. Is Competitive Golf for You?

“Golf” and “Competitive Golf” are almost two different sports. Both are fun but the competitive part of the game makes it really different. Golf is mostly about being with friends and enjoying the beauty of the game, the exercise, and the challenge. Competitive Golf should have everything that Golf has but with the added twist of beating other players. The addition of this little variation really changes the game.

By Competitive Golf we are not just talking about the PGA Tour, but things like the Tuesday night league at your local golf course or the city golf tournament. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide if you even want to compete:

1. If you are reading this, you are at least interested so you passed the first test.

2. Can you handle failure? Even Tiger Woods wins less than one-half the time. If you want to work on humility, you should consider competing because any golf competitor will fail more times than succeed.

3. How do you handle pressure? Do you like pressure or do you try to avoid it? If you would like to handle pressure better, competitive golf may be good for your personal development.

4. Do you have a handicap? There are two types of tournaments amateurs play. One is called a “Gross Tournament” where everyone plays even up. No one gets or gives shots to opponents. For this to work, all the players need to play at relatively the same skill level so even if there are no shots exchanged, you need a handicap to get you in the right “flight”. The other type of tournament is called a “Net Tournament” and here shots are exchanged to allow players of varying skills to compete and a handicap is absolutely essential.

5. What is your knowledge of the Rules of Golf? To compete you need to have an understanding of the most common rules like “out of bounds”, “unplayable lie”, “hazards”, etc. There are just a few you need to know. The others you can look up when the situation arises.

6. Do you like to wager when you play with your buddies? This gives you a taste of what it’s like to compete, but competitive golf is still different than just betting with your golfing buddies. If you do not like the feeling of betting, you will probably not enjoy competition.

Hopefully this will give you clues about whether you will enjoy “Competitive Golf”.

Part II. Preparing to Compete.

Preparing to Compete in golf for most people is really fun. If it does not turn out that way for you, you might want to reconsider competing. Preparation for competitive golf isn’t like getting knocked around in preparation for a football game or a marathon race where you need to spend hours running. It should be enjoyable.

These are some of the things you will need to do if you want to play your best golf in competition. If you get really serious about competing you may want to consider all of these suggestions:

1. Work on the weak parts of your game. To play well, all parts of the game need to be working. If your game is reasonably good in every respect except that about one-half the time the ball comes flying out of the bunker at warp speed, I would recommend working on your sand game not perfecting a Phil Michelson flop shot. Under pressure weaknesses in your game will kill you.

2. Practicing versus Playing. How you allocate time between the two should depend on what works best for you but you clearly need to allocate time for both. Hank Haney spoke to Charles Barkley about Tiger’s preparation for competition. He spends 2 hours practicing, then plays 9 holes, and then spends another 2 hours practicing. He seems to prefer more practice over playing. Dave Kendall, the director of Kendall Academy, who recently won his 2^nd Michigan Senior Open, prefers to combine playing and practice. He will often go out alone on a course and play several golf balls on each hole.

3. Tweak your equipment. Playing your best requires that you feel good about hitting all the clubs in your bag. When there is pressure, doubts about your equipment get magnified. When there is pressure, confidence in your equipment also gets magnified.

4. Know the rules. Bone up on two things, the fundamental rules of the game and how the Rules of Golf Book is organized so that you can look up some of esoteric rules when they occur on the course. Some of the rules you should know cold are: “out of bounds”, “lost ball”, “unplayable lie”, “playing a second ball” and “hazards”. Be sure to put a rules book in your golf bag.

5. Acquire either a golf range finder or GPS measuring device. Most tournaments now allow these devices. If you do not have one, you are at a real disadvantage.

6. Practice the gimmes. When you compete, those 3 and 4 footers you may have been conceding, all of a sudden have a new importance.

7. Help. Just about every professional golfer has a swing coach and possibly a sports psychologist. If you can find an instructor that can help with your game and possible act as your competitive mentor, you are in luck. It is great to be able to bounce questions off an experienced competitor.

Dave Kendall, the director of the Kendall Academy added these comments:

Players should do their best to develop a highly reliable style of play. Avoid high risk exotic shots. Nurture confidence by developing an arsenal of simple low risk shots.
Constancy with the driver is more important than distance
Make your wedge gamea high priority
Make your putting a high priority

Part III. The Tournament.

You have completed the preparation for the tournament and the tournament is approaching. Here are some final thoughts and ideas:

1. Practice Round. Most players want to schedule a round so that they can get familiar with the course; its routing, green speeds, type of sand in the bunkers, and trouble areas. I like to end up with a strategy for playing each hole. Prior to playing your practice round, read the local rules on the back of the score card. These rules may or may not be in effect when you play. Often times if you ask the golf professional or course staff, they will indicate the approximate location of the tees like middle, back, or forward. To illustrate that my thoughts on competition are really my thoughts and may not necessarily be yours, Doug Davis, who manages the Miles practice facility is an outstanding competitor. He was one of U of M’s best players and has won four GAM events. He rarely plays practice rounds. He prefers to compete not knowing where the problems lie because he feels it adversely influences his decision making.

2. Equipment Check. An important part of being ready to play is having your equipment ready to compete. Count the number of clubs in your bag to be sure it is 14 or less. Clean your clubs. Replace worn cleats on your golf shoes. Check your foul weather gear. Decide on the golf ball you will use and have an adequate supply because in some events you cannot switch from one model of golf ball to another during the round. Most tournaments now allow players to use range finders or GPS units. If you do not have one of these, you will be at a disadvantage. Decide if you will be riding or walking and take the appropriate golf bag and wear the right shoes. Personally, I like to have a brand spanking new golf glove for a tournament. It is important for your confidence to know that your equipment is ready for the event.

In some events, you will receive information about the specifics on how the tournament will be conducted. There are rules options that are at the discretion of the tournament that you need to know so read this document carefully.

3. Warmup. To my thinking, the warmup starts when you wake up the day of the event and gets your mind and body ready for the competition. You need to do whatever you can to stay calm and relaxed. For me, I like to go for a short easy walk or run. I also like to do a few Yoga relaxation exercises. You need to think about what will make you calm and relaxed.

When you arrive at the course and start hitting balls and putting, you want to retain a calm and relaxed state. I like to hit shots with as slow a swing as I can and with as light a grip as possible. Competition tends to speeds things up so by practicing with a slow tempo hopefully things will be just right when the competition begins.

For most players, the first shot is an intimidating one. During your warmup, hit a few shots that in your mind mimic your first shot.

4. Competitive State of Mind. These are some random thoughts about your state of mind during the competition. As you will see, some of this will get at the core of who we really are. This is one of the really compelling aspects of competitive golf and can be a great character builder.

For this to really get interesting, we need readers to offer up their ideas about the competitive state of mind for golf. There is a comments section after this article for you to add your thoughts.

Style of Play. We all have a different approach to playing the game. Some golfers are risk takers and some are more conservative. In competition, you need to play with the strategy that works best for you. What sometimes happens is that a player who is naturally conservative in his or her play will get more conservative in competition, and for example, be short on all their shots and putts. I see the opposite effect for aggressive players where they become overly risky. I think you need to stay with what makes you play your best and not deviate from this in competition.

Play the Course. This means your competition is the golf course not the other players. Don’t worry about what other players are doing; concentrate on how you can play your best on this particular golf course this particular day. Anyone who has competed has suffered the consequences of thinking that they are not doing well and not trying their best only to find out that the field did not play well. If the course is playing difficult for you, don’t be surprised that it is playing difficult for everyone.

Never Give Up. Playing golf when things are working is easy. Playing when things are not working is tough. Good players will figure out how to score well when things are not at their best. If you just give up when things get tough, you will never figure out how to do this. Plus, nobody likes quitters.

Play with Courage. We all have our best swings and our safe swings and usually they are not the same swing. Have the courage to attempt our best swing and shot not our safe swing.

During a good competitive round, players get uncomfortable with the prospect of a really low score and possibly feel they are not good enough to play this well. Understand that it takes courage to shoot a really good score and be courageous.

Mind Games. Here is a game I sometimes play when competing. I will break the round into 6 sets of 3 holes each. Why? This give me the ability of getting a fresh start after each three holes (instead of 9) so if I do really well or poorly after three holes I put that aside and start the next three. Somehow for me, thinking in three hole increments works better than thinking in hole by hole (one hole) or nine hole increments.

Tiger often refers to a mind game he plays on putts. He calls it “trusting the line” or “staying committed”. It is a mind game he plays to be able to aim a putt wide of the target and know that gravity really works and will bring the putt back on line.

There are tons of these mind games and other random thoughts on the competitive state of mind in golf. Let’s share them.

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Developing a Plan for Getting a Child Started in Golf

by Chris Mile, President of Miles of Golf on June 5, 2010

When getting a child started playing golf, there needs to be a plan that addresses certain issues. This article will help you come up with a plan and offers advice on these issues:

When to Start. Ideas on what you can do to determine when a youngster is ready.
Equipment. What is necessary and what is not necessary.
Developing Skills. Learning by watching and formalized instruction.
Playing Partners. Getting friends involved is vital.
Courses to Play. What to look for in courses that are best for juniors.
Parental Involvement. Thing parents need to do and thing parents need to avoid.
Helpful Resources. Organizations that can help a junior golfer get started.

1. When to Start. Dave Kendall, director of the Kendall Academy at Miles of Golf, feels the time to start is when the child appears interested in playing. I know of some youngsters, besides Tiger, that are totally taken by the game at a very early age, like 3 or 4 years of age. For most youngsters this is too young with most starting in the 8-12 range. For some, the right time is never because they just have no interest in the game. I am convinced that at a very early age most of us know sports we like and sports we do not like. Things you might do to help determine when and if a youngster should start are:

If there seems to be an interest, you need to make a plan that addresses equipment, playing partners, courses to play, and lessons.

2. Equipment. The equipment to get started need not be a big expense. You can get a junior set that includes a bag and enough clubs for $100-$200. These sets will start with a lofted wood, a mid iron, short iron, and putter. Most companies have three sizes of junior clubs depending on the youngster’s height. If a junior is on the fence about playing, even one or two clubs are plenty to get started. I personally would rather see a youngster with a few clubs that are the right size and moderately priced versus a full set of expensive clubs that are too big. Golf is a hard game to learn and clubs that are not the right size can make it impossibly hard. When just starting things like golf shoes and gloves are not essential.

3. Developing Skills. Most youngsters learn athletics at a young age by mimicking what they see. Give a kid detailed instruction about the golf swing and watch their eyes glaze over and their excitement about the game fade away. If a child watches good players, most times they will pick up the game in the same natural way kids learn, by watching and trying. I like this plan. Take a child to a golf tournament, and it really does not matter if it is a junior tournament, professional, or amateur. Then take them to a range or course and let them hit shots saying little or nothing to them about how to hit the ball. My stomach gets upset when I think of all the bad golf advice I have heard given to a child from a parent. Probably the best formalized instruction for a child getting started is to have the person they will be playing with have a lesson so the child will have something good to emulate. At some point, if a child is interested in the game, you should consider formalized instruction. There are plenty of good programs in the Ann Arbor area that offer juniors instruction. See 7. Helpful Resources for information on instruction in the area.

4. Playing Partners. If a child is going to become a good player and enjoy the game, the most important thing that must happen is that he or she has buddies to play with. Parents or grandparents are OK, but they must also have golfing buddies their age. If you have one priority in getting a kid started, this is it. Get a group of kids interested in the game playing with each other and developing friendships and rivalries.

5. Courses to Play. The “best” courses in the area may not be the best place for junior golfers to get started. In the Ann Arbor area, many of the best junior players started playing at Georgetown, Huron Hills, and Brookside. What makes them good is that they are not real difficult so a young golfer can be successful relatively early in their playing career and they become accustom to shooting good scores. At these courses, kids “rule”. They can play in relative equality to adults and they can play a ton for not much money.

6. Parental Involvement. As mentioned, I am not crazy about parents giving their child golf instruction. Parents need to give thought to developing the plan for getting a child started in golf. As far as playing with your child, here are some suggestions: (1) Let them play without a lot of helpful hints or instructions. (2) Sometimes go out with your child and act as a caddie, letting your child be the boss and having the joy of being the center of attention of a parent. (3) Have the parent use limited flight golf balls so everyone hits it about the same distance. Almost Golf makes my favorite limited flight balls. (4) Set up your own course. It may be only 2 holes and you may tee off 100 yards from the green.

7. Helpful Resources.

a. Kendall Academy – offers after school, spring break camp, summer camp, beginner clinics, and private lessons. http://www.milesofgolf.com/kendall.html

b. City of Ann Arbor – offers junior golf programs through the City Recreation Department. www.a2golf.org

c. Pittsfield Township – offers junior golf programs through the Recreation Department.

d. First Tee – a national organization teaching kids golf plus life values. www.thefirsttee.org/

e. Michigan PGA – tournaments and instructional programs. http://michigan.pga.com/index.cfm?menu=1450&openitem=1450

f. Washtenaw Junior Tour www.washtenawjuniorgolf.com

g. Livingston Junior Tour www.livingstonjuniorgolf.com

h. Meijers Junior Golf Tour (Ages 7—14) www.juniorgolf.org

i. Adams Golf Junior Tour (Ages 12—19) www.juniorgolf.org

j. Taylormade/Adidas Collegiate Tour (Ages 18—24) www.juniorgolf.org

k. Huron Hills Wee Tee’s — great place for kids and young beginners to start to play. www.a2golf.org

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How Long a Course Should You Play?

by Chris Mile, President of Miles of Golf on May 23, 2010

I have wanted to tackle this question for sometime because it is a real big deal, and I have seen some half baked answers to this question. In my book, every golfer should have the opportunity to hit par threes in one shot, par fours in two, and par fives in three. If this is not possible, you are playing a course that is too long, and If you play a course that is too long or too short, you will not get the joy you should from the game.

Computing Your Ideal Course Distance. The answer to the question of how long a course should be is real simple. It is 28. Just multiply the length of your average drive by 28 and that, in my estimation, is the length of a course that will be challenging but enjoyable to play.

The logic behind the “Driver x 28″ is that an ideal course will have a combination of easy, moderately difficult, and difficult holes. Knowing the length of your drive, you can estimate how far you hit your other clubs. For example, most golfers will hit their 6 iron 64% of the distance of their driver. If a medium distance par 4 is a drive and #6 iron, you know the length of a good par four for you is 164% of the distance of your drive. Having this information plus definitions for short, medium, and long holes, you can compute the total distance for an ideal course for you based upon your driving distance.

Now the only thing you need to know is the distance of your average drive. This is a more difficult question than you might think, and as a clue, most of us overestimate. To get a real accurate estimate, you can have the TrackMan radar units at our range measure your drives. They are accurate to within 1 foot for every 100 yards. Anyone who signs up gets a 30 minute free trial and this is plenty of time to get an accurate read on your driving distance.

How “Driver x 28″ Was Created. My definition of a course that is fun to play will have a combination of short, medium, and long holes. For example, since the average course has 4 par three holes, one should be easy, 2 moderately difficult, and 1 hard. There are generally 4 par fives so the same logic applies to par 5s. There are usually 10 par fours so I am saying there are 3 easy, 4 average, and 3 hard par fours.

The chart below tells how far a typical player hits each club relative to their driving distance. This information is from a TrackMan analysis of the PGA and LPGA tours. You can see the distance for each club as a percent of the driver distance.

Club Distance as a Percent of Driver Distance.

	PGA	pct of	LPGA	pct of	average
		driver		driver
driver	296		246
3w	260	0.88	218	0.89	0.88
5w	242	0.82	200	0.81	0.82
7w			186	0.76	0.76
hyb	237	0.80			0.80
3	220	0.74			0.74
4	209	0.71	180	0.73	0.72
5	198	0.67	170	0.69	0.68
6	185	0.63	159	0.65	0.64
7	177	0.60	147	0.60	0.60
8	162	0.55	135	0.55	0.55
9	149	0.50	123	0.50	0.50
pw	137	0.46	109	0.44	0.45


Hole Difficulty Index
Par	Difficulty	Club Selection		% of Driver	# per Round		Total % of Driver

3	short	9 iron		0.5	1		0.5
3	medium	6 iron		0.67	2		1.34
3	long	3 iron		0.74	1		0.74
4	short	driver + 9 iron		1.5	3		4.5
4	medium	driver + 6 iron		1.64	4		6.56
4	long	driver + 3 iron		1.74	3		5.22
5	short	driver + 3 wood		1.88	1		1.88
5	medium	driver + 3 wood + PW		2.37	2		4.74
5	long	driver + 3 wood + 6 iron		2.52	1		2.52
					18		28

Driving Distance		150	175	200	225	250	275
Recommended Total Yards		4200	4900	5600	6300	7000	7700

I am arbitrarily defining short, medium and long holes. For example, my definition of a medium length par five is a driver, three wood, and pitching wedge. So to compute the distance of a medium length par five relative to your driver distance the math looks like this:

Medium Length Par Five

Driver 1.00

Three Wood .88

Pitching Wedge .45

Total 2.33

If your average drive is 200, a moderate par five distance is 466 yards. (2.33 x 200 yards). Carry this same logic for each hole and you come up with a distance of (driver distance x 28) for an ideal course length.

Questions regarding “Driver x 28″:

1. What if there is not a set of tees that correspond with my ideal yardage? First of all, don’t expect that you will be able to match the yardage number exactly. If you are close, within 5%, that should work out fine. Also, there is nothing wrong with making up your own course. Your course me be comprised of holes using different tees. Your objective should be to play holes that always give you the possibility of hitting each green in regulation (1 for par three, 2 for par fours, and 3 for par fives). The only downside to making up your own course is that you will not have a course rating for handicapping.

2. What if everyone else in my group is playing from different tees than me? Hold your ground. Everyone will have more fun if you play the proper tees. Nobody likes to play with a frustrated playing partner. If you are wagering, the handicap system accommodates players using different tees, so if you are playing a shorter course, you will receive fewer shots.

3. Shouldn’t the length of the course be adjusted by your handicap? NO. There are tons of examples of high handicap golfers who can hit it a ton. Are they going to like playing a real short course? The same for a low handicap golfer who is a short hitter. Will he or she enjoy hitting fairway woods into most par fours?

4. How well will the “driver x 28″ system work for the real long or short hitter? I am not sure, but I think it will be OK. I would like some feedback on this question.

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Cluboratory Guide

by Brent Norton on March 12, 2010

Miles of Golf began custom fitting clubs in 1996 with Titleist and Ping clubs. Since those early days, we have grown into one of the largest custom club-fitting golf shops in the country. In 2009, we were honored to be named Pings number one fitting account in the nation. We are also one of four Titleist Regional FittingWorks centers in the country.

Companies We Represent. Miles of Golf is an authorized custom fitting account for all the big names in golf clubs: Titleist, Ping, Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra, Mizuno, Adams, Cleveland, and Tour Edge.

Our Commitment to Club Fitting. It is our belief that players who have properly fit clubs can play better and enjoy the game more and that there is a real difference between “any club” and “a club that has been fit for a player”. What distinguishes Miles of Golf’s custom fitting from others is first and foremost, the knowledge, training, and experience of our fitting staff. This staff fits literally thousands of clubs for players throughout the year and some of the best players in the Midwest, amateur and professional, come to Miles of Golf to get fit for clubs because of the reputation of our staff.

In addition to our outstanding staff are the facility and tools we have for custom fitting. The facility, the Cluboratory, is heated and protected from the elements (open all year) yet allows player to hit out onto our range so the full flight of the ball can be observed. The tools include $150,000 of clubs for testing and fitting and the latest in launch monitor technology, the TrackMan.

Fitting Services. The Cluboratory offers two fitting products, the Cluboratory Fitting and the Maxx Cluboratory Fitting. Our normal Cluboratory Fittings are designed for 80% of all players. It offers the opportunity to test both irons and woods and then be custom fit. These fittings rely heavily on visual ball flight, which offers our experienced club-fitters the information they need to produce an exceptional fit. Ball flight monitors are used at the end of the process to verify the fit. The fees for a normal Cluboratory testing and fitting are fully refundable with the purchase of equipment and do not require an appointment.

The Maxx Cluboratory fittings are designed for serious player who wants the Maxximum in club-fitting expertise and technology when making decisions about golf equipment. There are several different types of Maxx fittings all of which use the TrackMan ball flight monitor and are conducted by our most experienced club-fitters. For a player to benefit from our Maxx fittings, he or she must have the skills to hits shots with relative consistency.

If this is not the case, the ball flight monitor is not that beneficial and the normal Cluboratory fitting is best. The fees for Maxx fittings are partially refundable with the purchase of equipment and require an appointment. For more information on our Maxx Cluboratory fittings go to www.milesofgolf.com/maxx.html

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What can you tell me about the process of fitting clubs? There are two things that go on in the Cluboratory whether it is a normal Cluboratory or a Maxx Cluboratory fitting. The first thing that happens is the testing process. You will hit different clubs to determine is which model of clubs you want. Your club-fitter is working with you to help you with the selection suggesting possible clubs for you to test based upon your swing, ball flight, and budget. After you have selected the club you like best, you will start the fitting process. The club-fitter, working with you, will determine the proper specification (shaft, grip, lie angle, loft).

2. This sounds great, but it must be way expensive. Club-makers charge us the same for custom clubs versus stock clubs so the price of our custom clubs should be close to, if not the same, as competitor’s stock clubs. There is a nominal shipping and handling fee for custom clubs.

Our staff will spend a fair amount of time helping you testing and fitting clubs; consequently, there are fees that apply if you do not purchase clubs. If you do purchase clubs, the testing and fitting fees for a normal Cluboratory fitting can be applied to your purchase so there is no out-of-pocket expense for these services. For Maxx Cluboratory fittings, there is an out-of-pocket expenses; although, a portion of this expense can be applied to a purchase.

3. What if I am not the best player? Actually better golfers probably have more skills to adapt to ill-fitting clubs than do average golfers. Golf becomes easier if clubs are adapted to you instead of you adapting to the clubs.

4. I’m impatient! The testing and fitting process generally takes an hour or less and is fun and informative. The time it takes to build and delivery your clubs varies with the time of year and the club-maker. Normally you can expect delivery within two weeks. This time can be shortened with priority shipping.

5. How do I know if I want a Maxx or normal Cluboratory Fitting? First of all, both of these fittings are of exception high quality and most golfers will be satisfied with either one. The goals are the same, to help golfers find equipment that will improve their game. Probably the biggest difference between the two is the use of the TrackMan ball flight monitor throughout the Maxx Fittings. It does give the club-fitters more information to help with the testing and fitting process, but it uses very expensive equipment and is time consuming so therefore more costly. Even with this equipment, the club-fitters will still closely observe the ball in its full flight just as they do with the normal Cluboratory fitting. For an experienced club-fitter, observing the ball flight is critically important to performing their job. The normal Cluboratory fitting takes ball flight measurements to verify that the clubs fit. Golfers who are really into the game and want to thoroughly examine exotic shaft options will love the Maxx Fittings. If you have a less intense interest in the game but still want high quality clubs that fit, the normal Cluboratory fittings are perfect for you. For more information on the Maxx Fittings, go to our website at www.milesofgolf.com/maxx.html.

6. Help! It’s getting real complicated to know what clubs I want in my set. Part of the fitting process is helping you determine what clubs you should be playing with. How many irons do I need? Should I be playing with more hybrid or utility clubs or high lofted fairways? All of these questions are addressed with your club-fitting. If it is determined that you do not need a full set of 8 irons, custom clubs are sold by the piece so you only pay for the irons you need whether it is 8 irons, 7 irons or whatever. Many times this makes custom clubs less expensive than stock clubs.

7. What brands of clubs can be custom fit? Most of the clubs Miles of Golf sells can be custom fit. The less expensive models can only be fit for length and this is critically important for any golfer, even a new one, if you are particularly tall or short. Premium clubs can be fit for different shafts, grips, and lie angles. Clubs that are not current or discontinued cannot be custom fit. Sometimes your present clubs can be retrofitted to you, and Miles of Golf can help you with this. If retrofitting involves re-shafting clubs, it is usually not cost efficient to do this.

8. Can you fit every club in my bag? As they say in Alaska, Youbetcha. Miles of Golf has the ability to fit your entire bag of clubs including your wedges and putter.

9. This sounds like something that can help my game. How do I go about getting my clubs fit at Miles of Golf? Our normal Cluboratory fittings do not require an appointment. There are occasions when you may have a short wait to be fit, but we are staffed to fit clubs all day. A Maxx Cluboratory fitting requires an appointment. Simply call Miles of Golf at (877) 973-9005 or speak to someone at the sales counter in the Golf Shop, and they will schedule the fitting for you. Once you have scheduled your Maxx fitting, we will send you an email confirming the date, time and type of fitting. The TrackMan monitor is in very high demand, so please call if you need to change the schedule. There is a $50 cancellation fee if you cancel less than 24 hours before your fitting.

10. Hey, I have a question you did not answer? Sorry about that but please call 877-973-9005 or email bnorton@milesofgolf.com.

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Testing the Performance of Drivers with Pured Shafts

by Brent Norton on February 4, 2010

Every shaft contains irregularities in straightness, roundness and stiffness that are inherent to the manufacturing process. There is a theory that structural inconsistencies can affect a shaft’s performance depending on how the shaft is aligned in the clubhead. In an effort to minimize these inconsistencies, a process known as puring has been developed. The result of the puring process, in theory, is that players of all skill levels hit the ball longer, straighter and more uniformly consistent.

Miles of Golf has been asking the major club manufactures for years if a pured shaft outperforms a non-pured shaft. We always got the same information back from manufactures, some of their tour staff plays insist on pured shafts, while others do not. We decided to run some test on our own to see if our customers could tell a difference and if puring actually worked.

The Testing Process.

For the experiment we used Graphite Design shafts and a Cobra ZL head (9.5 loft). Two of the three shafts were pured and marked for testing, with the identities hidden from the testers. We had eleven players in our test group with swing speeds ranging from 83 M.P.H. to 116 M.P.H. The handicaps of our testers ranged from +2.2 to 13.

After warming up to get loose, each player hit 5 balls with each shaft. The ball used was the Titleist Pro V1. The monitor used was the TrackMan, considered the most accurate in the industry. It is a Doppler radar device used by every club manufacturer to test and develop new clubs.

Test Results.

Does a shaft that has been pured allow players to hit the ball farther, straighter and more consistent than a shaft that is not-pured?

Distance. Comparison of total distance to include carry distance plus rollout.

In our test group, pured shafts increased the yardage by less than 1%. The average distance of all the testers went from 253.64 yards (not-pured) to 254.89 (pured)

Accuracy. Comparison of the right and left dispersion of shots from the intended target.

In our test group, pured shafts did not reduce dispersion. The average dispersion of all the testers went from 14.48 yards (not-pured) to 14.54 (pured); statistically no change at all.

Feel. Could the testers tell a difference in the way each shaft felt (subjective)

This varied from player to player, but the consensus was they could feel a difference in the way the pured shafts felt to them, even though the statistical data did not show an overwhelming performance benefit. The players that could feel a difference commented that the club felt more stable and uniform during the swing.

Summary.

With all of the information that we gathered, we did not see a statistically significant difference between clubs that had been pured and ones that had not. Our findings support what club manufactures say about pured clubs, it does not seem to make a difference.

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Testing the Performance of Drivers of Different Eras

by Chris Mile, President of Miles of Golf on January 15, 2010

Do current drivers perform better than hickories from the 1920s? How much better? How about early steel shafted clubs from the 1930s, or drivers from the 1950-60s, or the early metal drivers? This was the impetus for a test we conducted in the Miles of Golf Cluboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan using a TrackMan ball flight monitor.

The results are not surprising, current clubs do perform better. We have measurements of distance and accuracy for seven (7) different drivers that span the years from 1920 to the present. The details of testing along with a video are very interesting and follow:

The Testing Process.

Club Fitter.

Brent Norton conducted the test. Brent manages the Miles of Golf Cluboratory and is recognized as one of the very best club-fitters in the country. Major club manufacturers like Titleist, Cobra and Callaway send prototype clubs to Brent for his evaluation.

Club Testers.

In the video, we had two players test each club. One player, Doug Davis, has an outstanding amateur record, is a former captain of the University of Michigan Golf Team and an all Big-Ten player. Doug is one of the owners of Miles of Golf. Doug is not a long hitter.
The other tester was Scott Hayes. Scott competes professionally and also teaches at the Kendall Academy located at Miles of Golf. Scott is also a past captain of the University of Michigan Golf Team. Scott’s ball striking numbers are comparable to a PGA Tour player.
We gathered data from 4 additional players making the total number we tested six. All players were consistant ball strickers with club-head speeds ranging from the 80 to 110 mph.

Test Clubs.

The clubs tested were supplied by Gene Bolden. Gene has a huge collection of clubs and is one of the most knowledgeable collectors in the country. Gene is the ex-basketball coach of Div I Oakland University. During the shooting of the video, Gene adds interesting and colorful information on the vintage clubs.

1. MacGregor persimmon head and hickory shaft from 1923.
2. Schavolite Composite head with an early steel shaft from the 1930s.
3. MacGregor Tourney persimmon head with True Temper Tour shaft from 1949.
4. Cleveland Classic (MacGregor M85 copy)persimmon head with Dynamic Gold shaft from the 1970-80s.
5. Taylor Made Burner Plus 9.5 with a stainless steel head and Dynamic Golf shaft from the 1980s
6. Taylor Made R9 9.5 with a Titanium head and stock graphite shaft, a current 2009 club.
7. The driver the player currently plays. These were 2009 drivers fit to the player.

After warming up to get a feel for each club, players hit 6 balls with each club. The same procedure was followed with all 7 drivers. The ball used was the Titleist Pro V1. The monitor used was the TrackMan, considered the most accurate in the industry. It is a Doppler radar device used by every club manufacturer to test and develop new clubs.

Test Results.

How do clubs of different eras compare when we measure the distance and accuracy of each?

Distance. Comparison of total distance to include carry distance plus rollout.

1. From the hickories in the 1920s to titanium drivers of 2009, there was an average increase of total distance of 26%. For the testers, the smallest increase was 37 yards and the biggest was 73 yards.
2. Each era showed increases in distance with one exception. The early stainless steel drivers of the 1980s did not show increased distance over persimmon clubs of the 1970 and 80s.
3. The greatest improvement from one era to the next came with the titanium drivers. Roughly one-half the increase in distance (13%) took place between the late persimmon / early stainless steel drivers of the 1980s and the current titanium.
4. Higher club-head speed players had a greater PERCENTAGE increase in distance. Slower swingers had low 20% range increases while faster swingers had increases in the low 30% range.
5. Launch angles remained relatively constant.
6. Spin numbers decreased substantially, approximately 41%. This is a major factor in increased performance of new drivers.
7. Club-head speed increased 5%.
8. Ball speed increased 12%.
9. Efficiency, or the ratio of club-head speed to ball speed, increased 6%.
10. There was noticeable improvement in distance with the club fitted for the player over just a random 2009 titanium driver.

Accuracy. Comparison of the right and left dispersion of shots from the intended target.

1.From the hickories in the 1920s to titanium drivers of 2009, the accuracy improved 34%. This was computed by measuring the standard deviation of shots hit with each driver.
2.There were no great improvements in accuracy from 1940-1990. About two-thirds of the total improvement came with the current titanium drivers.
3.There was noticeable improvement in accuracy with the club fitted for the player over just a random 2009 titanium driver. Drivers fit for a player improved accuracy more than distance.

Summary.

Both distance and accuracy of drivers has improved with each successive era with the exception of the distance of early stainless steel drivers. Drivers from the 1920s to 2009 saw distance improved 26% and accuracy 34%. The major advances in both distance and accuracy took place with the introduction of titanium drivers.

Download Miles of Golf Vintage Test Results

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TaylorMade R9 Driver Review

by Shawn Zawodni on December 29, 2009

The TaylorMade R9 driver is labeled as the ultimate in adjustability with a claimed 75 yards in left to right movement. The R9 is approximately 420cc in size vs. the industry standard of 460cc’s. In theory this should mean a less forgiving head that is suited towards better players. Because the R9 has 8 different holsel positions which change the angle of the face, as well as 3 different weight settings which change the center of gravity, the driver can be optimized to fit anybody’s swing, low to high handicapped players (I’m not trying to sound like the commercial I promise).

Technical Data:

The R9 as stated above is approximately 420cc in size. It has 8 different hosel positions ranging from neutral to 2* closed to 2* open as well as 2* upright moving in 1* increments. There are 3 movable weights in the R9 2 1 gram weights, and 1 16 gram weight. I will get into what the positions will do later in the review. The R9 is available in 3 lofts 8.5*, 9.5*, and 10.5*. The stock shaft is a proprietary Fujikura Motore 65 gram shaft that comes in ladies (55gm), M flex (senior), Regular, Stiff, and Extra Stiff flexes. The R9 TP is the Tour Preferred edition and comes with a premium shaft for $100 more. There are many TP shafts to chose from. The standard length is 45″.

Performance:

With the R9 out for almost a full year now, we have been able to do extensive testing and analyzing. The ball speed off of this driver when contacted in the middle of the face is one of the highest ball speeds that we see during fittings. Ball speed wise the R9 is comparable to the Ping drivers, or the new Cobra ZL. I tested this driver in the 2* Open hosel position, with neutral weighting, and the stock X-Flex shaft. With a swing speed average of 115mph, I consistently produced ball speeds of 171mph, which means that this driver is performing at the USGA legal maximum. With a positive attack angle (club head traveling upward at impact) the R9 launched the ball high with a low amount of spin. For me, an average of +1* attack angle produced an average 11* launch angle and 2,500rpm of backspin. This equals high launch, low spin. A steep attack angle (club head traveling down at impact) produced a Very low penetrating shot that spun like I would have predicted with a steep attack angle. With a -3* attack angle I averaged 7.5* of launch with 3,300rpm of backspin. As for the left to right adjustability, it works. The 2* Open setting with neutral weighting was a perfect set up for me. When I left the face 2* open and put the 16gm weight in the toe (moving the center of gravity away from the rotating shaft, slowing the rotation of the club head) I tended to push the ball on average 25 yards right of my target line. When I put the face to the other extreme, 2* closed with the 16gm weight towards the heel (moving the center of gravity towards the shaft will speed the rotation of the club head) I hit massive hooks that averaged 40 yards left of my target. I have to put in a little note here that I have a tendency to hook the ball to begin with.

Final Thoughts:

The R9 is a very predictable driver that can be customized to individual swings. If a person has trouble closing the face an impact resulting in a push or a slice, then the face angle as well as the center of gravity can be adjusted to correct for swing flaws. The head felt good, sounded good, and looked good. I was extremely pleased with how the R9 performed on our TrackMan launch monitor, and it met or exceeded all of my expectations. There are only a couple of downfalls to this driver: 1) The 420cc sized head isn’t as forgiving as a 460cc head, even with all of the adjustability. TaylorMade has release a 460cc version with the adjustable hosel, but without the adjustable weights for the person who does need the extra forgiveness. and 2) An individual who buys the driver without being properly fit may not know how to adjust the club, or what setting they may need. An individual may get frustrated because the driver may not perform up to its potential because it’s not fit properly. This is a great driver that will fit the majority of players, but remember the most important aspect when buying a club……GET FIT!!

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Understanding Efficiency

by Dave Kendall on November 30, 2009

Let us use this off-season to improve our bad habits and replace them with new good habits supported by good concepts. Here we are going to look at what makes an efficient golf swing.

An efficient swing understands the important relationships between these concepts:

EFFORT: Percent of maximum energy expended

RELIABILTY: Percent of center of the clubface contact consistency

DISTANCE: Percent of distance relative to all things happening perfectly

DIRECTION: Percent of directional consistency

There are all kinds of relationships between these concepts and here are but a few: If our desire to create distance is inconsiderate of our need for reliability and direction, our percentage of mistakes goes way up. There is a high correlation between excessive effort and a high number of mistakes. Conversely, the shorter we hit the ball, the less we can afford mistakes.

Highly efficient players understand the following table.

EXAMPLES:

100 % effort = 50 % reliability = 90 % distance = 50 % direction

80 % effort = 80 % reliability = 90 % distance = 80 % direction

60 % effort = 90 % reliability = 80 % distance = 90 % direction

Try to find the BEST combination of effort, reliability, distance and direction for your game. For most players, this means putting a higher value on reliability and direction and less on effort and distance.

Increasing our potential for distance will be attained by a chain reaction involving the right amount of speed, from the right place, at the right time. This is not attained by moving everything as fast as we can. We will discuss speed, as well as other vital attributes of efficient golf, further in future articles. If our level of effort can be reduced, it is easier to attain balance, rhythm, timing, and clubface awareness. Speed will become easier to create once we possess these vital attributes. These attributes are most often learned and maintained by practicing at much less than full effort. If we cannot control our level of effort, it will be almost impossible to attain efficiency.

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TrackMan the Game Holiday Tournament

by Chris Mile, President of Miles of Golf on November 24, 2009

Win $60 Range Card and 60 Minutes on TrackMan the Game.

Friday Nov. 27 - Sun. 29 from 11AM to 3PM

Tournament Rules:

1. Bring your full set of clubs and come to the Golf Shop to sign up. Contestants receive a $10 range credit just for entering. One credit per customer.

2. Each contestant hits 3 shots at five different targets and 3 drives. You are scored by how close your shots are to the targets. Depending on how close the shot is, you receive a score of eagle, birdie, par, etc. When you are finished, you will have hit 18 shots and will have an under or over par 18 hole score.

3. There is no entry fee but you must pay for your TrackMan the Game time. If you are new to TrackMan you will receive a free 30 minute trial. Contestants may enter each day and play as many rounds as they want. For the first game, range balls are supplied. To play multiple times, contestants need to supply their own range balls.

The low gross and low net score each day wins a $60 range card and 60 minutes on TrackMan. Net winners need to have a GAM handicap that will be verified prior to receiving the prize.

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