by Shawn Zawodni , Miles of Golf Club Fitter It’s white! Actually the entire line of TaylorMade metal woods for 2011 are white. The reason for the white head, according to TaylorMade, is that it makes the head look larger and inspires confidence at address. It also has a matte finish that is designed to…
by Chris Mile 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 others, 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…
By Nate Lammers, Club Fitter In March 2022, Titleist and Bob Vokey will be releasing their ninth iteration of the Vokey Spin Milled wedges (Vokey SM9). For the last 18 years or so Vokey wedges have been the preferred choice for professionals, college and high school players, junior golfers, and amateurs alike. Bob has learned…
By Shawn Zawodni, Club Fitter It’s the beginning of a new season and that means new toys! For the past two generations, TaylorMade has offered two different heads available in the SIM lineup: the SIM MAX and the SIM MAX OS. TaylorMade has done away with the SIM moniker for their flagship game improvement iron…
By Jacob Coudret, Club Fitter Callaway has always produced high performance irons and 2022 continues the tradition with the introduction of the Rogue ST iron line up. This year Callaway is going all out on speed and forgiveness without sacrificing playability. The new Rogue ST Iron line features four different models: Rogue ST Max, Rogue…
by Patrick Aretha, Club Fitter The new Rogue ST family represents Callaway’s next step in their quest to create the fastest, most stable drivers and fairways possible. At the beginning of this evolution, Callaway created “Jailbreak” technology utilizing vertical bars behind the face to keep the crown and the sole of the driver head from…
by Jon Watchowski, Club Fitter The golf world has been anticipating the introduction of TaylorMade’s new “Carbon Wood” age for the last few months. Well, the wait is over. The new 60X Carbon face is now utilized in the 2022 TaylorMade driver line up. That’s right, TaylorMade is done with titanium-faced drivers. It should be…
by Joe Dier, Club Fitter The PING i59 is the newest edition in PINGs iron lineup. The i59 is the replacement for the PING iblade. It offers a sleek players look and feel while offering the forgiveness of the i210. To achieve the forgiveness this club offers, while being as “blade-like” as it is, it…
by Sean Sommerville, Club Fitter As always, distance and accuracy are the key to driving the golf ball and playing good golf. For Cobra in 2022, that means bringing back their LTD model from 2015. While recent Speedzone and Radspeed drivers were fast, they failed to offer the forgiveness that Cobra was striving for. While…
by Kevin Caron, Club Fitter Every two years the golf community awaits the release of Titleist’s new irons. The revamped T-Series irons focus on forgiveness through the use of multi-material designs allowing for better results on off-center strikes. Each model features a new and more dense “D18” form of tungsten weighting, which allows for more…
By: Luke Nesbitt, Club Fitter As a company primarily known for high quality iron production, Mizuno has been hard at work creating clubs for the very competitive driver market. The previously released ST-X And ST-Z drivers were a big step forward for Mizuno and seeing Keith Mitchell get a win on the PGA Tour while…
by Sean Sommerville, Club Fitter For years, TaylorMade has produced high quality golf clubs for players of all levels. In 2022, the new MG3 wedges will join that list. Here is some information pulled from the TaylorMade website, followed by our testing data and conclusion. Enjoy! RAW TALENT. RAW SPIN. Wedge technology has evolved. The…
by Kevin Caron, Club Fitter Features: When it comes to wedges, manufacturers design the heads to perform consistently with regard to launch and spin as well as the overall feel, whether it is off the clubface or through the turf. With the T-22, Mizuno has improved in all of those areas. From a feel standpoint,…
By Nate Lammers, Club Fitter Historically there are two predominant ways to be fit for golf equipment; static measurement fitting and ball flight fitting. The following is a breakdown of each. What is static measurement fitting? A static measurement fitting is based on a person’s height and arm length (or wrist to floor measurement). These…
By Jacob Coudret, Club Fitter People who play golf step on the first tee with skill that ranges from weekend warrior to aspiring PGA tour professional. What do all these golfers have in common? The ability to improve and play better golf. For years golf companies have been developing training aids and practice tools in…
By Ken Johns, Master Putter Fitter At Miles of Golf, club fitting is the core of our business. We began fitting customers 25 years ago and have been nationally recognized as an industry leader ever since. And although putter fittings are relatively new (last 8 years), it may be the most important fitting we do…
by Ken Johns, Master Putter Fitter We are excited to announce the relationship between Miles of Golf and Edel, both powerhouse companies in the fitting arena. Today, let’s talk about the new Edel putters and getting fit for them in our fitting studio. The foundation of the Edel fitting system is the “Triad” – Aim,…
By Shawn Zawodni, Club Fitter I was interested in writing this article for many reasons: 1) we constantly get asked about swing weight during fittings 2) doing a little online research I found that there are very few accurate explanations of what it actually is and 3) I love playing around with different swing weights…
By Patrick Aretha, Club Fitter Golf is hard, and anyone who endeavors to play this game will agree. So, let’s not make it harder than it needs to be by understanding the importance of properly fitted clubs for YOUR game. With so many options to choose from it can be difficult to figure out what…
By Justin Pahl, Club Fitter One of the most common issues in golf is the inability to hit lower lofted irons consistently, with a high enough trajectory to stop the ball on a green or near a desired target. The solution to this problem can usually be found in some sort of hybrid iron or…
Tour Performance Golf Balls Tour caliber golf balls are the most advanced golf balls on the market today.They feature multi-layer construction consisting of three to five layers (core, mantel, cover, etc.) which allow the ball to perform best with all clubs. Some golf balls have multiple mantel layers to provide feel and higher launch angles…
By Nate Lammers, Club Fitter Just last month, Hideki Matsuyama won the 2021 Masters Tournament becoming the first Japanese player to win a major. Hideki is sponsored by Srixon Golf, well known for their golf balls but less so for their golf clubs. The company has been producing fantastic irons for quite some time, but…
by Joe Dier, Club Fitter G425 Irons: Maximum forgiveness has always been a staple of the PING “G” series irons. With that in mind, the new G425 line-up continues that tradition in an iron that also offers a more compact and aesthetically pleasing shape. Let’s take a look at some of the technology offered: Perimeter…
by Jon Watchowski, Club Fitter Let’s start off by looking back to early 2020. TaylorMade comes out with one of its best drivers to date, but the pandemic did not allow it to reach its full potential. The new “shape in motion” technology was a great design that allowed golfers of all skill types to…
by Nate Lammers, Club Fitter In 2016, the origin of Callaway “EPIC” was born. In that first rendition the mind set was simply “More Ball Speed”. This was achieved with technology offering less wasted energy, greater aerodynamics, and deeper center of gravity. Thus, “Jailbreak” was born. In “Jailbreak” vertical bars behind the face keep the…
by Joe Dier, Club Fitter G425 Drivers What can I say about the new PING G425 drivers other than the fact that they are some of the best drivers PING has ever produced. I know that may be a bold statement, but after testing all three models and seeing how they perform compared to last…
By Justin Pahl, Club Fitter It’s ShowTime, as Mizuno likes to say! The new STZ and STX drivers are the culmination of their 3-year rapid-fire development project to create the most widely played drivers its global tour staff has ever seen. Which in turn produces an incredibly good driver for a wide range of golfers.…
by Chris Mile Choosing the right tees has a huge impact on how much you will enjoy golf. Many attempts at answering this question are not based upon any theory but just based upon someone’s recommendation. There is a logical way to determine which tees you should play. Golf courses are designed so that every…
We have partnered with Metro Detroit Golfers to provide some awesome new content. Here is their latest podcast detailing their fittings in The Cluboratory at Miles of Golf:
by Joe Dier, Club Fitter Cobra has two new iron sets in their line-up this year; RAD Speed and KING Tour, and both irons feature innovative new technology. These additions will address a wide array of player needs from high handicappers looking for a game improvement iron to low handicappers who want the ability to…
by Joe Dier, Club Fitter In the past few years, Cobra has dramatically improved their metalwood line up. Starting with the F8 driver, where they inserted a CNC Milled face to add ball speed across more of the club face, the results have been fantastic. That technology has proven wildly successful, so much so that…
By Shawn Zawodni, Club Fitter Cleveland Golf is known for making some of the most iconic wedges in the history of golf. In 1988, the company released one of the top selling golf clubs of all time, the legendary 588 wedge. The 588 quickly became the most popular wedge on tour. After riding the success…
by John Watchowski, Club Fitter When looking at recently released golf clubs, every company seems to be intensely focused on distance with the traditional blade style iron starting to become a thing of the past. TaylorMade is bucking that trend with their new P Series iron line-up. The line-up features the P7MB, P7MC and P770.…
by Nate Lammers, Club Fitter Two and a half years ago, the Titleist speed project was put in motion with the introduction of TS drivers and fairway metals. The goal was to increase ball speed across all areas of the club face by pushing the boundaries of technology and aerodynamics. The advancements made over the…
By Justin Pahl, Club Fitter Traditional look, smooth buttery feel, and consistent high-end performance are just a few things you will hear about Mizuno irons. No matter what model of Mizuno you look at whether it be the MP line or the JPX line just know when looking for a new set of irons Mizuno…
By Connor Dillon, Club Fitter Are you a skilled golfer looking for tour inspired clubs, the latest technology, and the necessary adjustability to fit your individual game? How about “straight from the tour van” technology? Well, that’s the new moniker surrounding the Exotics EXS Pro line from Tour Edge. These new clubs are bursting with…
We had 230 entries for the Buying Local Contest. Of the 230 entries, 130 of the favorites were for food and beverage establishments, and we all know how difficult the pandemic has been for them. This means we all have a lot of work to do to help these bars and restaurants stay in business.…
April 23, 2020Dear Golfer and Friends of Washtenaw GC, Miles of Golf, and Kendall Academy: The Spring of 2020 will be a memorable one for many reasons. As a lifelong golfer, I believe that a Golf Course should be a place where a golfer can get away from all the stress and worry of life,…
11 things you should never do when playing golf. Click Here to Read Article __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How creative is your quarantine golf setup? Click Here to Read Article
By Nate Lammers, Club Fitter TaylorMade has been known for pushing the limits of golf club engineering for 35 years and have no plans on stopping soon. Examples of technology that TaylorMade has used to help move golf club performance forward are: The first metal driver, early forms of adjustable driver sleeves, movable weights, inverted…
By Connor Dillon, Club Fitter In their annual search to provide maximum performance for every golfer, Callaway has introduced their new line of Mavrik irons. Instead of trying to find one iron that fits a wide array of golfers, they’ve chosen to produce 3 different models, Mavrik, Mavrik MAX, and Mavrik Pro. All share the…
By: Eric Hensler, Club Fitter With every new year, comes brand new driver releases, Cobra being one of the first to release their new line of drivers in the new year. The 2020 Cobra Speedzone and Speedzone Xtreme are touting subtle but amazing changes to the very successful 2019 Cobra F9 driver, one of the…
When one of Dave Kendall’s friends learned that he was one of the new owners of Washtenaw Golf Club in Ypsilanti, he bluntly asked, “At your age, what in the world are you doing buying a golf course?” The good-natured Kendall, well-known as the celebrated golf instructor at Kendall Academy at Miles of Golf, took…
by Justin Pahl, Club Fitter Mizuno has always been known for their irons. More specifically the way their irons feel. Their irons are played by many tour pros who are “free agents”. These “free agents” don’t have any club contracts so they are free to play what they want. With this said, it’s very flattering…
By Dominic Choma, Club Fitter Feel is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the golf industry. A major reason being is that the joy that most golfers derive from the game of golf comes from how the game makes them feel. Golfers love to talk about that one shot they hit a…
by Dominic Choma, Clubfitter Golf club manufacturers are always looking for ways to make their clubs go farther and be easier to hit. The reason for this is simple: if a golf club goes farther and straighter, more players are going to want to use that club. There are many ways that companies will attempt…
by Derek Skidmore, Club Fitter The year of 2019 so far has been a very exciting year for driver fittings. With the amount of fittings we have performed this year at Miles of Golf we can honestly say there is no one driver that has truly separated itself from the pack. Callaway believes that it…
By Nate Lammers On April 30th 2019, the Miles of Golf staff had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Bob Vokey speak about his history, the wedge, and how it should be properly fit to a player. This was our experience and an in depth description of the Vokey SM7 and how it all came…
By Shawn Zawodni, Club Fitter Cobra has been on the leading edge of innovation, and pushing the envelope of what’s acceptedin the equipment industry for a while now. With Lexi Thompson, Ricky Fowler, and BrysonDechambeau leading their tour staff, you can tell they’re targeting a younger, edgier, more openminded group of golfers. It’s no secret…
MIZUNO ST190 & ST190G Mizuno has always been known for the smooth impact, great feeling, and the clean look of their MP series iron and awesome forgiveness and thin top line of the JPX lineup. They have not always been known for their drivers and metal woods, even though they have always produced a high…
Miles of Golf: Still Leading the Way in Club Fitting by Terry Moore, Michigan Golfer News ================================================================== So a guy walks into a bar that also doubles as a club fitting center and says, “Give me a beer and a driver that I can hit straighter than mine.” Although Miles of Golf in Ann Arbor…
The first thing that comes to mind for most people when they hear the name Srixon is their golf balls. This makes sense, as Srixon has been a leader in the golf ball market for years now, and their golf balls are recognized as some of the best in the game today. The hard part…
Finally Titleist Speed (TS) is here. The two year/24 months/730 days/17,520 hours or 1,051,200min wait is now over. Since the release of 917 models club fitters, retailers, and customers alike were figuratively screaming at Titleist R&D to make the clubs faster to compete distance wise with the rest of the biggest names in golf (you…
Ping Golf has always been known for making irons that are consistent, regardless of where you strike the ball on the clubface. This is achieved through perimeter weighting, or taking weight from the middle of the clubhead, and moving it around the edges of the golf club. This will make the club perform better when…
By Dominic Choma, Club Fitter When manufacturers are designing a driver, their main goal is to help the golfer hit the ball as far and as straight as possible. They are many different ways to achieve this goal, as evidenced by the many different options available on the market today. Terms such as “Jailbreak”,…
by Michael Dutro, Senior Instructor, Kendall Academy of Golf If you have taken a lesson from myself, you may have noticed my affinity for using mirrors while instructing. You may even be remembering that you were going to stop after your last lesson and pick up a mirror. Either way, I truly believe that there…
by Dominic Choma, Club Fitter As a club fitter, I get to see and test various products from different manufacturers. Many you have heard of and some you haven’t. There are plenty of products that come along that promise game breaking technology and performance, and some even succeed in backing up that promise. Recently,…
by Michael Dutro, Kendall Academy Instructor If you have never witnessed the cinematic masterpiece that is “Caddyshack”, stop what you are doing, clear your schedule, and let the laughs begin. If you have ever worked in the golf industry or have every spent much time hanging around the golf course, then you will have no…
By Dominic Choma, Club Fitter High and far, that is the main goal for the majority of golfers when it comes to their iron shots. High because that will allow the golfer to achieve the proper landing angle for their iron shots, providing more control. Far because, well, everyone wants to hit the ball…
By Michael Dutro, KA Instructor How many times have you bought new golf clubs in your life? How was that experience? I have found that most people buy golf clubs for two reasons, 1, they got a great deal, or 2, they saw a tour pro with a new driver and they figure if that…
2018 PGA Merchandise Show Review Each year we venture south to Orlando for one of the golf industry’s biggest event, the PGA Merchandise Show. This is a spectacle that features more than 1 million square feet of vendors showing the latest and greatest products to hit the market for the coming season. This year’s show…
By Dominic Choma, Club Fitter At first glance, the new F8 and F8+ drivers from Cobra look different from just about any other driver on the market. This is due to the CNC milling grooves that are on the clubface of both the F8 and F8+. This CNC milling process that every F8 and F8+…
By Dominic Choma, Club Fitter If there is one piece of data in the game of golf that golfers care about more than any other, Clubhead Speed might be it. For good reason, as the amount of speed a player can generate has a direct correlation to how far they are capable of hitting…
by Dominic Choma, Club Fitter Read Full Trackman Report Here A topic that almost always provokes debate is the importance of finding the correct shaft when choosing a golf club. This debate is caused by the multitude of differing opinions and theories on the shafts relationship with the flight of a golf ball. Because of…
By Chris Mile I just had a club fitting with my club fitter, Nate Lammers, to check out some new clubs that might be a better match for me as I continue to get older. I’d like to tell you about that fitting, but to set the stage, it got me thinking about playing with…
by Dominic Choma, Club Fitter In the last blog post, we discussed the TaylorMade P790 iron. We found that the P790 was a great option for the better player who is looking to hit the ball farther while not giving up the look and feel of a classic players iron. While this iron will benefit…
by Dominic Choma, Club Fitter TaylorMade P-790 Iron Report Distance, it is the #1 request that I get from my customers on a daily basis. They want to hit the ball farther, whether it be with their driver or their irons. This makes sense, as most golfers are more comfortable hitting an 8 or 9…
by Dominic Choma, Club Fitter Every year when late summer rolls around, Titleist gets set to release a new line of products. From Drivers and Fairway Woods one year to Irons and Hybrids the next, golf enthusiasts everywhere tune in to see what Titleist brings to the market. As a company known for making quality…
by Matt Green, Miles of Golf Club Fitter Our analysis took place on hole 9 at Heatherwood. A medium length par 4 from an elevated hitting position. Trackman will take level line of sight to calculate total distance (last received data) so actual distance may be greater than recorded. Competitors this year increased their average…
Click on link below to see individual data: OGA 2017 – Ohio AM – Springfield CC – Sheet1
By Dominic Choma, Club Fitter Every 18 months, the golf industry asks the question “what will Ping do next?” For good reason, as Ping has always been one of the leaders in the golf industry when it comes to innovation. Many of the concepts and designs that you see in golf clubs today started out…
Dear 2017 Contestants: I would personally like to welcome back all the returning players to the Cincinnati MET, it was great seeing so many familiar faces. I would also like to welcome and thank all the new players that were surprised to see Trackman on #8 tee at the Hamilton Elks Golf Club. Since opening…
by Dominic Choma, Club Fitter On the heels of the massive success of the Callaway GBB Epic line of drivers in 2017, Callaway announced the release of the Epic and Epic Pro irons on June 16th. These irons will retail at $2000 for a set of 8, or $250 per club. Both of these irons…
By Dominic Choma, Club Fitter All three models have an 8 gram weight and a 2 gram weight. The weights can be placed either in the heel or the front of the club to promote a more draw biased flight in the heel, or a lower spinning and more fade bias flight in the front.…
By Dominic Choma, Club Fitter New for 2017, TaylorMade Golf has introduced 4 different iron models: The M2, M1, P770, and the P750. Each is designed for a different category of golfer, which allows this line to cater to many different players. The M2 caters to the game improvement crowd, which happens to be…
There has been a great amount of buzz surrounding the Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic line of drivers. Much of this has to do with Callaway touting their breakthrough “Jailbreak Technology” as a game changer in driver performance. There are two models in this line, the Standard Great Big Bertha Epic, and the Great Big…
Cobra King F7/F7+ Review by Dominic Choma, Club Fitter Needless to say, Cobra had the tough task of improving on the King F6 and F6+ for 2017. This is where the King F7 and King F7+ drivers come into play. New for 2017, the King F7 driver will replace the King F6 and will retail…
Miles of Golf would like to thank Greater Cincinnati, Miami Valley and the Ohio Golf Association’s for your cooperation. Allowing us to attend these events for data collection from the best amateur players in the state helps us become better. This is our third year collecting data and it has proven to be a useful…
Dear Met. Am. Contestant; As you are probably aware, Miles of Golf was on the course collecting TrackMan driver data on the 11th hole (#2 White) at Hamilton Elks. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding for allowing Miles of Golf to collect this data from you during the course of play. We do this to better understand what equipment the best players in the city are using, as well to understand how the equipment is performing for these players. As a competitive golfer, you are exactly the kind of player we enjoy working with Miles of Golf. One of our primary goals as…
The new KING line of drivers from Cobra Puma Golf has been the big talk around our golf shops, partly due to Cobra’s partnership with NASA to develop new materials for this driver on the space station. The newest addition to this driver is the “Spaceport”- a 16 gram weight, which helps to create an…
During Milesapalooza, you have the opportunity to try an array of new clubs during the event’s weekend Demo Days. Recent changes in golf club technology over the last few years are not radical departures but rather small refinements providing additional options from each manufacturer. These should not be overlooked. Combining these enhancements with a custom…
by Derek Skidmore, Club Fitter Is that Carbon Fiber? This seems to be the number one question when you first see TaylorMade’s new M1 driver. According to TaylorMade, the crown of M1 is an ultra thin, ultra light carbon composite. This material is used to create better weight distribution, producing very high MOI (Moment of…
I just made a recent trip to the Cluboratory to test some new clubs with my club fitter, Nate Lammers. Nate knows my game so I always go to Nate. I had some equipment issues this season so I went there to look at my whole bag. Issue number one for me is always distance.…
Click on the pdf below to view the actual driver data from the 2015 Ohio Amateur at Zanesville Country Club. Data was collected by Miles of Golf club fitter, Derek Skidmore on the 11th tee during Tuesdays round. Data collected during these events is used to understand how current equipment is working in competition and…
The introduction of modern launch monitors and the increase in consumer knowledge has driven golf club technology to heights previously unseen in the equipment market. While many industry insiders continue to insinuate that there are really no new ideas, the execution of these so-called, old ideas is truly revolutionary. With doppler radar technology, like that…
During the 2015 Michigan Amateur, Miles of Golf was on the course collecting TrackMan driver data on the 15th hole at Plum Hollow. Individual player data can be found by clicking on the pdf below. The hole measured 420 yards with the wind blowing in to the players at various speeds throughout the day. The…
During the 2015 Met Am Championship, Miles of Golf was on the course collecting TrackMan driver data on the 6th hole at Western Hills. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding for allowing Miles of Golf to collect this data from you during the course of play. We do this to better understand what equipment the…
Probably a better question is why shouldn’t you start now? Watching guys play golf in Hawaii and Arizona while we are dealing with Midwest weather can be difficult to take. As a bunch of golfers, Miles of Golf shares your pain, but there are some really good options for getting your game going early. We…
By Derek Skidmore, Club Fitter The new line of RSi irons from TaylorMade Golf are all about increasing performance on your mis-hits. RSi 1, the flagship, is a replacement for the SpeedBlade and is designed for the majority of golfers. RSi 2 replaces SLDR/ TP CB, and is designed for a better ball striker or…
Ask almost any golfer who has been in the game, since at least the early 2000’s, what they think the most popular driver ever was and chances are they will tell you “A TaylorMade R something or other.” The R label for TaylorMade has been synonymous with elite performance and tour presence and has been…
The NEW line of Titleist 915 Metals proves that Titlest golf clubs are not just designed for the better player. The 915 metalwoods are all longer, straighter and more forgiving than their predecessors, making them a viable option for a wide range of handicaps. The 915 drivers have implementedtwo new technologies to aid in this…
When playing isn’t an option here are some thoughts on having fun and improving in the off-season. Our ranges and teaching academies in Ann Arbor and Cincinnati are open all year with heated and covered teeing areas that make winter lessons and practice surprisingly comfortable. We even heat the range balls to keep then lively.…
Mizuno is getting ready to release its new iron lineup for the 2015 season. As usual, Mizuno has done a great job offering a comprehensive array of models for golfers of all abilities. While certain models will remain unchanged (MP-4, MP-54, JPX EZ Forged, and JPX EZ), the additions of two new JPX and two…
Driver Data Analysis By Derek Skidmore, Club Fitter – Miles of Golf Cincinnati MIAMI VALLEY MET AVERAGE /PGA TOUR AVERAGE Club Speed Ball Speed Launch Angle Attack Angle Spin Rate Smash Factor Spin Axis Carry Total Yards 107.1 154.7 9.2 -1.6 3050 1.46 -0.3 232.1 252.3 113.0 167.0 10.9 -1.3 2686 1.48 6.0 275.0 294.0…
2021 Ranking Competitors GAM Local Total Points Points Points 1 Tyler Copp 308 308 2 Austin Fauser 113 113 3 Mike Ignasiak 105 105 4 leuan Jones 70 70 5 Cal Wollock 55 55 6 Thomas Fauser 25 30 55 7 Charlie Green 50 50 8 Eric Carnacchi 30 30 9 Lucas Nesbitt 30 30…
Here we are again, the time of the year where we get to see PING’s latest and greatest. Every time PING brings out a new product, they claim greater control, distance, and accuracy with the highest MOI possible. I must say they could not have hit the nail on the head any greater than with…
Cathi, Titleist Club Concierge posted Club Fitting – Ann Arbor, Michigan in Club Fitting Day two of my Michigan roadtrip, I visited with our rep in the Ann Arbor area and he took me around to some of our private custom fitters and our large Regional Fitting facility – Miles of Golf. They are located…
Driver Data Analysis by Pete Smith, General Manager, Miles of Golf -Cincinnati Club Speed (mph) Ball Speed (mph) Launch Angle (deg) Spin Rate (rpm) Smash Factor Attack Angle (deg) Spin Axis (deg) Height (ft) Landing Angle (deg) Carry (yds) Total yds PGA Tour Avg 113.0 167.0 10.9 2686 1.48 -1.3 6.0 96.0 38.0 275.0 294.0…
As we finally begin another season of golf, here are some suggestions as to how to make our preparation more efficient and effective. 1. PREPARE YOUR BODY. In most cases we have had less physical activity over the winter than during the summer. Light stretching on a daily basis will help you prepare your muscles…
SLDR fairway woods and rescue clubs from TaylorMade are finally here. After witnessing the early hype and success of the SLDR driver, the fairway woods and rescues have been a long time coming. TaylorMade has incorporated a new Speed Pocket with low and forward CG (center of gravity) also sporting a new sleek and smaller…
It’s fairly evident just by looking at the Cobra Baffler XL driver that the club is designed to be as easy to hit as possible. The oversized club face, visually recognizable perimeter weighting, and offset design all give tremendous confidence that drives can fly farther and straighter than before. The Baffler XL driver is replacing…
Last year, my regular Sunday morning golf group experimented with a plan to deal with the recent aeration of the greens at our course, Radrick Farms, in Ann Arbor, MI. We decided to play One and Done on the greens. Simply put, once a player’s ball was on the surface of the green, the player…
Tour Edge has been producing high quality golf equipment since 1987 and this not so well know company can make one heck of a driver. Every year it seems that produce a driver that blows us away with its massive ball speeds, low spin, and great look.The XCG6 which is the previous model from Tour…
In March 2010, Cobra was acquired from Acushnet by Puma with the goal of revamping the golf industry. Cobra’s focus was loud colors, bright personalities and great golf equipment for a more hip, and young generation. One The first driver releases by Cobra/Puma golf was the ZL Encore, a club that help golfers achieve greater…
Rocketbladez meet the new SpeedBlade irons. Newly designed with a larger, longer Speed Pocket. The benefit of the new Speed Pocket is simple. Faster ball speeds on solid shots, as well as heel or toe shots. The new Speed Pocket combined with the lowest center of gravity TaylorMade has ever produced creates faster ball speeds…
With subtle yet distinctive changes to their multi-material irons, Titleist is staying true to its serious golfer roots by making irons that looks and feel great, sound amazing, and instill confidence that every golfer is looking for. New this Fall, AP1 and AP2 irons offer you a choice in blade size, forgiveness, flight and performance.…
MP-4, MP-54, JPX EZ, and JPX EZ Forged Widely considered the makers of the finest mainstream forged irons, Mizuno has expanded its iron lineup for 2014 with a focus on distance and aesthetics. In four new iron models and a revised hybrid iron model, players now have the ability to select an iron which suits…
The new SLDR from TaylorMade has been touted as their longest driver ever, so we decided to test it in The Cluboratory. The distance is said to be accomplished by moving CG (center of gravity) low and forward to promote a higher launch with much lower spin and faster ball speeds across the face. There…
Miles of Golf has been collecting driving data for GAM tournaments for 5 years. We use this information in our club fitting, but it also tells players something about their driving skills. We have data for the 2012 Men’s GAM Championship, the Men’s GAM Senior, and the Boy’s GAM Junior Championship. Shawn Zawodni, who has…
I don’t know about you, but keeping up with what is happening in golf is real different for me than it was a couple of years ago. Gone are the days of reading the local newspaper sports section, Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, GolfWeek and feel like I was current. Aside from the lack of local…
With adjustable drivers becoming an even more common trend in the golf market, Ping has joined TaylorMade, Titleist, Cobra, and others with their first adjustable driver, the Ping Anser. A combination of design technology and custom fitting options allows the Anser to be tuned to each individual player’s swing for maximum distance and optimized launch…
Miles of Golf feels one of the very important parts of fitting a customer for a driver is the length of the driver. That is why the Cluboratory, our fitting center, has drivers of varying length. This paper will describe why shaft length is critically important in fitting a driver. We all know how important…
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…
Overview Nike Golf has been fighting an uphill battle with the consumer for years with new product introductions. Most customers that come into Miles of Golf feel that Nike is a marketing company and technology does not play a major role in the evolution of their equipment. Through our own, independent product testing, Miles of…
Overview The Nike VR S Forged iron will be a new game improvement forged iron from Nike, but shouldn’t be forgotten by the better player. This is a growing market in golf and many of the companies will be introducing clubs in this category. The profile of the iron is slightly larger than a traditional…
The TaylorMade R11 irons are the newest editions to the TaylorMade lineup, complimenting the highly successful R11 wood line. They are designed to replace the current TP CB irons. TaylorMade felt that the TP CB irons became a little lost in the market. The TP CB’s are a thin faced, wider sole, more forgiving TP…
Overview The ZL Encore driver is the follow-up to the original ZL driver from Cobra Golf. This is Cobra’s premium driver offering. This largely composite club head is designed for golfers who are looking for maximum performance with increased distance, control, and feel. Now a corporate partner with Puma, the apparel company, the design team…
Overview Titleist is getting ready to unveil a new line up of Advanced Performance Irons on November 15th that will include four new models: AP1, AP2, CB and MB. Miles of Golf is one of five Regional Fitting Centers across the country that has been given early access to fit current Titleist PGA Staff members…
The wonderful all-season facilities at Miles of Golf allow the Kendall Academy Teaching Staff to teach in a pleasant environment, year round. The advantages for the student are significant. A student can speed up the process of game development using the off-season for skill development. During the off-season we can develop programs that are designed…
During one of those wonderful summer days last week with the temperature in the 70s and blue skies, our range was packed with golfers looking like they were really enjoying being outside, enjoying their friends, and practicing their golf. As you probably are aware, Miles of Golf and the Kendall Academy are pretty serious about…
Mizuno JPX 800 Technology: Mizuno is kicking off 2011 with the launch of a new line they’re calling JPX. Completely new and exciting product will be introduced including drivers, irons and wedges. The JPX 800 Pro Iron is part of that new series. It is aimed towards the mid to low handicapper and incorporates traditional…
It’s white! Actually the entire line of TaylorMade metal woods for 2011 are white. The reason for the white head, according to TaylorMade, is that it makes the head look larger and inspires confidence at address. It also has a matte finish that is designed to eliminate glare from the crown, no matter what angle…
As one of five Regional Fitting Centers in the country for Titleist, one of our responsibilities is to take care of equipment needs for PGA professionals and top amateurs on staff with Titleist. We started to fit these players in November for the 910 drivers, the response was overwhelmingly positive. This year’s line-up offers two…
2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Nike’s Iron line. Most notably, the VR Pro Combo is an exciting addition which re-invents one of the most popular Nike irons ever, the original Pro Combo’s. This year’s VR Pro Combo irons progress from a blade in the pitching wedge to a full pocket…
The 2011 continuation of Nike Golf’s SQ MachSpeed series takes on a new look and raises its standard for feel and performance. Last season, Nike offered just one head style: a “square” head that appeared slightly skewed and somewhat awkward. With some simple design differences, the MachSpeed Black square driver takes on a more traditional…
1. Comparison of PGA Tour, Michigan Am, and GAM Sr. Am Driver Data. Smash * Launch Ball Speed Club Speed Factor Angle Spin Carry Dist. Total Dist. GAM Super Sr. 91 136 1.49 10.9 2926 203 232 GAM Senior 98 144 1.47 10.3 2903 217 240 State Am. 109 161 1.48 9.9 2920 257 280…
Henry Do and coach Dave Kendall have established a special bond while molding the 15-year-old Greenhills sophomore into a championship-caliber golfer. Do captured the Randy Wise Junior title last week at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc. (Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com) The top shelf of Dave Kendall’s office is lined with photographs,…
Total Performance, Precision Fit. Two new Titleist models 910D2 and 910D3 replace the existing 909 line (DComp, D2, D3) and offer improvements in overall performance, looks, sound, feel and fitting optimization. The new 910 drivers feature an interchangeable shaft connection (screwed not glued) and a new SureFit Tour (SFT) hosel that provides adjustability for loft…
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…
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…
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 topics: When to Start. Ideas on what you can do to determine when a youngster is ready. Equipment. What is necessary and what…
By Chris Mile 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. …
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Golf Safety warning – for golfers everywhere. Golf and lightning don’t mix. Be careful when you are on the course & do not try to beat the lightning! When the horn sounds, come in immediately ! Subject: LIGHTNING HIT A GOLF BAG A man got hit by lightning Monday morning on a golf course in…
The most important job of our body in good golf is to provide an efficient blend of balance (legs, hips, spine), speed (arms), and reliability (club face). When we get this blend correct, rhythm and confidence is a by-product and will produce a full golf swing that will produce successful results. The most common error…
I am baring my soul about what happens to my golf game as I mature. I want to warn you, it is not all good and if you want to read a little upbeat inspirational guide to senior golf, don’t read on. That said, golf is still great fun if not quite as pretty as…
Seems like the world is turning into one hybrid after another. First it was mules and now its cars and golf clubs. The idea behind the Golf Hybrids is just like other hybrids, take the best qualities of two similar things and create a new thing. For golf hybrids, also called utility clubs, what is…
The Kendall Academy is all abuzz about a student of instructor Tom Tantapanish. The student is a 13-year-old boy named Henry Finch. He started taking lessons with Tom in the late summer. What is amazing and baffling to the Academy, is his ability to hit these gargantuan drives with a very unorthodox swing, a swing…
These are some of the major golf organizations that run the game of golf and play major roles on how golf works. There are many others that are not even listed. United States Golf Association (USGA) – This organization is responsible for running some of our most important golf tournaments in the U.S. like the…