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May 25, 2005
New Power Play System Q Driver
The 455cc version of the Power Play System Q Driver is now available. This model is the big brother to our best selling Power Play System Q Titanium Driver. It is 55cc's bigger than the original model, increasing the headsize and sweet spot.
If you are looking for an OVERSIZE driver, this is the one for you. The System Q 455cc driver is built with a standard Pinemeadow Aldila shaft and Pinemeadow Grip for $99. Shafts and grip upgrades are also available.
Posted by tom at 03:05 PM
May 13, 2005
Acer Hollow Core Irons Are In!
The Acer Hollow Core irons (3-PW and SW) are now available. They start at $229 with Apollo Lite Steel shafts and Pinemeadow standard grips.
Be sure to check out these new items too:
1. Bionik 207 Putter – Features new technologies that will make putting easier.
2. Brush-Tees – An easy way of adding some yards your drives.
3. Golf Ball Water Globe – A golf game that will seriously drive you crazy.
Posted by tom at 12:45 PM
May 12, 2005
Oversize vs. Regular Wedges
It can be argued that wedges are the second most important clubs in your bag. They are used so often in a round they can really make a difference in the improvement of your game. Some players will carry up to five wedges, but it is more common for players to only have one to three depending on what suits their game. An assortment of wedges can be used for every type of shot and lie.
With so many things to consider when purchasing the right wedge, it is important to choose the wedge that is going to work for your particular game. When wedges were originally made, they were designed with regular sized club heads, but golf technologies and the game has changed so much that oversize wedges are being made available to go along with the standard regular sized wedges. Carrying an assortment of wedge types and lofts is a new concept that is gaining momentum.
With this is mind, it is important to decide what type wedge head size suits your game. Having an oversize versus a regular wedge head is not necessarily better, and vice versa. Here are some things to take into consideration when you are making your decision.
The advantages of an oversize wedge:
• Added Face Height
• Larger Sweet Spot
• Increased Forgiveness
If you have problems getting under the ball on shots out of the rough or in the deep sand, the additional face height will improve ball launch without having to dig deep. The extra face height helps to ensure contact.
Most oversize wedges also have a larger sole than usual. The design concept of the wide sole is to lower the center of gravity (LCG) making it easier to get the ball in the air. The LCG helps reduce topping the ball.
Of course, with a larger club face comes a larger sweet spot. The bigger the sweet spot, the more forgiving the wedge will be on miss hits. That can be an advantage on any type of shot. A larger sweet spot will give you assurance that you are going to make good contact on every shot. Basically, a larger sweet spot results in increased forgiveness.
The disadvantages of an oversize wedge and why some people prefer to have a traditional/regular wedge:
• Harder to shape certain shots
• Wedge doesn’t get caught while approaching impact
Traditional size wedges give you more control. You do lose a little forgiveness and size of the sweet spot but you have the capability of shaping your shot. To hit a regular sized wedge, you should be at the point in your game where you are confident in sacrificing some forgiveness to gain control. Another disadvantage of an oversize wedge is that it can get caught up in the grass and sand a little easier and result in less distance. Since the club head is bigger, the bottom of the head has more of a chance to grab the grass or sand during your swing.
Posted by tom at 11:06 AM
May 06, 2005
The Hybrid Club Movement
If you follow golf on television or subscribe to golf magazines, then you have likely witnessed the mounting discussion surrounding hybrid (sometimes referred to as utility) clubs. Hybrids are becoming the hottest and most popular club to carry in your bag. Unlike some clubs that are specifically designed for certain players or skill levels, hybrids are suited for both recreational players and touring pros.
The word hybrid means of mixed origin or composition. In golf, the hybrid club is the combination of both wood and iron designs into a single club. This combo has resulted in some of the most forgiving and easiest clubs to hit to date. Features you will find in a hybrid club are:
1. Flatness of the face on the hybrid wood. Classic woods have a curved face, but the hybrid woods are flat just like an iron.
2. Weighting that is distributed throughout the club like an iron or fairway wood. Most woods have the focus of the weight distributed towards the front.
3. A wide sole like a fairway wood.
4. A club length similar to an iron rather than a wood.
The purpose of the hybrid club is to be interchangeable with and maintain the characteristics of both an iron and a wood. The resultant club is typically easier to hit with less effort than a traditional long and lower lofted iron. The term “long iron” normally describes all the clubs from a two iron through a five iron.
There are multiple reasons why many recreational golfers struggle with long iron shots. The goal of the hybrid club is to make it easier to hit these shots. The most common problems are:
1. not being able to make a complete shoulder turn on the backswing
2. swinging too hard and thus throwing off tempo
3. lower lofted clubs are just plain harder to hit
Elite players who do all the right things with long irons can save strokes during the average round, but the majority of players struggle with them, and now have an alternative in the hybrid club. The long narrow face and a wide sole of hybrid clubs render a low center of gravity that helps players with slower swing speeds launch the ball with little effort. That makes playing a hybrid club similar to the sweeping style swing of a wood, rather than an iron style swing that has to pick the ball off the turf with greater effort. Effectively, all players can benefit from hybrid clubs, but particularly grateful are those players who have lost swing speed due to age, injury or other physically conditions that have prevented them from making a full shoulder turn on the backswing. Hybrids allow for a shorter back swing while launching the same distance you are used to experiencing with a wood.
The face of a hybrid club is manufactured out of harder 17-4 stainless steel, similar to a fairway wood, which helps with ball compression and forgiveness of the club. The hardness of the metal allows a slower swing speed to produce distance that would normally be a result of a faster swing speed. Not only will shots be longer with the hybrid club, but shots will be more accurate, because the hybrid allows for a greater margin for error. All this from a club that is shorter and lighter than its performance-matching counterparts!
Many players using hybrid clubs are not only replacing long irons, but are using them as fairway woods as well. Some of the loft angles on hybrid clubs match those of a 3 and 5 wood, but since they are shorter and lighter, they are more versatile.
Hybrids are extremely forgiving and can be used easily from the fairway, rough, or tee, and they are a great stroke saver. If you suffer from the long iron blues, consider a hybrid club or two to compliment your game.
Posted by tom at 01:02 PM
May 05, 2005
New Excel's on PinemeadowGolf.com
The Excel line now has a hybrid wood at $39 per club. Hybrid Woods are available in four lofts: 17, 20, 23 and 26 degrees.
Also, the newest member of the Excel woods line, the Excel Ti 450 Driver is available in a 10.5 degree loft.
Posted by tom at 03:54 PM