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Information Technology and Golf Practice

by Chris Mile, President of Miles of Golf on January 10, 2012

Information technology is moving into golf practice and it is real hard to come away thinking it will not improve your game. It is probably not a question of will it help but rather how much will it help. Here are examples of how it is affecting practice at our driving range.

How Information Can Change Your Golf Practice:

  1. When I practice, I tend to just hit the ball and not really concentrate on a target. No more will this happen if you are evaluated on each shot for how close it is to the target. You can even make it a competitive game with a friend or friends.
  2. I really don’t know how far I hit my 8 iron. You will have a clear understanding how far you hit each club since every shot you hit in a practice session gets measured for distance as well as a whole bunch more.
  3. I took a lesson and my instructor gave me some help with my swing path which is from outside to inside. I am not sure if I have corrected this. Feedback on the path and face angle of the club are given with each shot. It shows you graphically how the path and club head are approaching the ball.
  4. There are three things I have read about hitting my drives longer. I am not sure if any of these things are helping me. Since each shot is measured for distance, you can perform your own test for each tip and see for yourself the results.
  5. When I got my clubs fit, the club fitter said an ideal range of spin for my driver was 2400-2500 rpms with a launch angle of 12-13. How am I doing with my launch angle and spin? Each drive you hit in a practice session includes launch and spin data. You can even review this information on the internet at your computer or on your smart phone.
  6. My short iron game is costing me a ton of shots? You can set up short iron practice sessions that grades you by how close you hit each shot to a pin. You can compare practice session to earlier sessions to see how you are doing.
  7. When I practice I am always trying to find something that improves my ball stricking. One of the best indicators of ball stricking is ball speed or how fast can you make the ball go. As you practice, keep an eye on your ball speed and if it increases you are on to something.
  8. I tend to get bored with practice. The feedback and competitive opportunities this kind of practice generates makes golf practice challenging and more interesting.

How does this technology work? There are special tees in our tee shelters that have TrackMan Radar Monitors. These monitors come from the defense industry and were designed to track missiles. They are also used by every club manufacturer to design their new clubs so they have to be extremely accurate. The TrackMan devices on our range measure each shot you hit for:

  1. Ball Speed
  2. Distance
  3. Spin
  4. Trajectory
  5. Proximity to Target

This information is recorded for each shot and summarized numerous ways depending upon what information you are looking for. You may review this information over the internet and keep track of the quality of your practice sessions.

How can I sign up for one of these practice session? Come to the golf shop and we will help you sign up and familiarize you with how the monitors work. Any new customer gets a 30 minute evaluation at no charge. If you like it, you can either purchase time or purchase an unlimited pass similar to a gym membership. There are also programs that combine TrackMan, the Players Club, and monthly range balls.

Want more information, come to the golf shop or go to:

http://www.milesofgolf.com/practice/trackman/

http://www.mytrackman.com/TrackMan.Online.DrivingRange/Index.aspx

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Ping G20 Iron Staff Review

by Bryan Carpenter on November 16, 2011

Overview

Ping continues its success in the game-improvement iron category with their new G20 irons.  The engineering department at Ping had a huge task in front of them when they were asked to design something to outperform the popular G15 irons.  With improvements in some key areas like feel, distance, and overall performance, the resulting G20 iron is shaping up to be one of the most forgiving and easiest to hit irons for the coming 2012 season.

While the look of the iron might not seem radically different than the G15, the benefits of the G20 lie deeper than just it’s looks.  Materially, the G20 irons are still made of a very high quality 17-4 stainless steel that promotes solid shots and tremendous performance.  The feel of the new G20 irons are much different from previous models because of the refinement of the Custom Tuning Port (CTP).  Ping has used the CTP technology dating all the way back to their I3 irons.  This version is described as “floating” in the back cavity, which allows for a thinner clubface, leading to more ball speed and distance.  The primary CTP device is now partnered with two other multi-material “badges” that provide the softer feel and enhanced the overall sound of the club at impact.

While the G series has always been geared toward game-improvement and helping golfers hit more consistent, better performing shots, the G20 provides enhanced accuracy and better control than previous models.  The change is due in large part to the increased moment of inertia (MOI).  With the thinner face and a deeper cut in the back cavity, the engineers were able to lower the center of gravity and pull weight further back for added stability upon impact.

Specifications

In addition to the changes in the club head, Ping has engineered a new steel shaft to work optimally with the G20 iron.  The new CFS (Control, Feel, Stability) steel shaft was designed to increase the transfer of energy from the swing to the golf ball while providing better feel and trajectories.  Available in soft-regular, regular, stiff, and extra stiff flexes, there is an optimal flex available for every golfer.  Weights range from 94 grams in the soft-regular flex up to 114 grams in the extra stiff flex.  As a graphite shaft option, the new TFC 169i is offered as the stock option.  This shaft was designed with some of the same feel attributes as the CFS steel shaft, but with graphite, the player will experience a more active tip, thus producing higher initial launch.  The TFC 169i is available in ladies, soft regular (senior), regular, and stiff flexes with weights ranging from 40 grams (ladies) to 84 grams (stiff).

Ping continues to do a great job with their G series irons by offering golfers a full array of club options to custom build his/her set.  The G20 irons are available from 3 iron all the way through lob wedge (58*) so that golfers can create a set with fewer gaps in loft and better continuity in feel and performance.  Pitching wedge loft on the G20 iron is 45 degrees, which matches up nicely for a 50 degree gap wedge option.  For fitting purposes, standard length of the G20 7 iron is 36 ¾ ” and the well known color code options for lie angle are available from maroon (4.5 degrees upright) all the way down to gold (3.75 degrees flat).

Testing

A side-by-side test was run comparing a G15 7 iron with its stock AWT steel shaft to the new G20 7iron with its CFS steel shaft.  Data was collected using TrackMan, a doppler radar based launch monitor, over a 10 shot sample size with each club.  Both clubs were standard length and were properly fit for lie angle before the test started.  The tester was fit for a red dot lie angle (0.75 degrees flat) using the Ping AFS Cart, which is available for fittings at Miles of Golf in the Cluboratory.

Club Ball Speed (mph) Launch Angle (degrees) Spin Rate (rpm) Carry Distance (yards) Dispersion (yards)
G15 7 iron 116.4 17.9 7150 159.3 9.6 left
G20 7 iron 117.9 16.8 7058 161.7 8.1 left

All the technical data aside, the club still needs to perform, and the G20 delivers.  TrackMan launch monitor data showed that the G20 had an increased ball speed by an average of 1.5 miles per hour.  While initial launch angle and spin numbers were relatively similar, the increased ball speed resulted in an increased carry distance of about 2.4 yards while landing 1.5 yards closer to the target line.  While the small jump in distance is nice, the tighter shot dispersion is much more valuable when it comes to irons.  The tester also preferred the feel of the G20 iron to the G15 because it felt softer and more consistent, shot after shot.

Summary

Ping is continuing the long and successful G line with these irons.  Looks wise they are fairly similar to the G15’s.  Where we see the improvements is in the technology and performance.  The Thinner face combined with the floating CTP port creates faster ball speed, better feel, and increased accuracy.  The new CFS and TFC 169 shafts provide great stability and a great feel.  One of the most important things you can do if you chose to purchase these irons, is make sure you get fit for the proper shaft, lie, loft, length, etc…  And you can do that in the Miles of Golf Cluboratory.

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