Custom fitting tall golfers may present specific challenges for a number of reasons but the automatic assumption that tall golfers require longer clubs is not necessarily correct (the corollory to this is that short players don’t automatically require short clubs either). The length of the golf club should be determined by what the tall golfer feels comfortable and confident with.

Key factors for determining the club length for the tall golfer include playing ability, athletic coordination, health and physical make-up. The ability of the golfer to return the club head squarely and consistently to the ball is critical. A tall golfer who has difficulty hitting the ball solid may be better off with standard clubs if there are no physical limitations such as health. This being said, there are several fitting variables to consider when fitting longer golf clubs for the tall golfer.

Shaft flex - A given shaft flex will tend to feel more flexible as a club is lengthened. The longer the club is lengthened, the ’softer’ it will feel. If no adjustments are made for this, a tall golfer who requires a ‘Regular’ flex shaft may end up with a shaft that has an ‘A’ flex or even an ‘L’ flex totally unsuitable for his swing and wondering why he is spraying his drives all over the golf course. This would apply to both graphite and steel shafts, woods as well as irons. This particular problem can be compounded even further because there are no real standards between manufacturers related to shaft flex. One manufacturer could easily have an ‘R’ shaft flex while the next manufacturers’s shaft is labelled as Stiff but has essentially the same flex characteristics.

Lie - As a general rule, the longer the club is from standard, the flatter the lie must be. Lie can impact ball direction. To upright a lie and the ball can fly to the left. To flat a lie and the ball could be pushed to the right.

Club Balance and weight - The total weight and weight distribution (swing weight) of the club is important for overall feel. As club length gets longer, the head of the club will feel heavier if no compensating weight is added to balance the club.

Grip Size - Grip size is important for both feel and comfort as well as potentially impacting ball direction. A grip that is too small may cause the golfer to hook or pull the ball.

All things considered, there are several equipment variables directly related to the equipment in the tall golfers golf bag that could have a considerable impact to his game. While the length of the golf club should be determined by what the tall golfer feels comfortable and confident with it is evident that the tall golfer should have their equiment checked for proper fit and make-up and all equipment variables reviewed against what he may really require versus what he may have in his bag.

A golf shaft is a golf shaft is a golf shaft right? Just give me a driver off the rack with an ‘R’ flex and let me loose. Unfortunately, that’s what most high handicap golfers tend to believe. The problem with this is there are no real standards for what constitutes a particular flex, or relative stiffness, in a golf shaft. One manufacturer’s Stiff flex is another manufacturer’s Regular flex. That’s why if you’ve ever borrowed a friend’s driver on the golf course and decided that’s the driver for you, you may be disappointed after you purchase it. You may find that you can’t hit it because it comes in a different shaft. They just aren’t the same.

This issue is compounded by other important factors for golf shafts that include shaft material and weight, the particular bend or ‘kick’ point (where the shaft bends most during the swing) of the golf shaft and the golf shaft’s torque or resistance to twisting during the downswing. On top of this, club length affects the shaft flex as well unless adjustments are made. A longer club will feel more flexible. A shorter club will feel stiffer.

With all of these variables at play in selecting a proper golf shaft for your swing one thing is sure – the chances of getting the right shaft off the rack are negligible. A shaft that works for one golfer will be the completely wrong choice for another golfer even if they both require the same flex golf shaft.

To complicate things even further, price is no determinant either! A $12.00 graphite shaft may be a far better choice for you over an $80.00 shaft because it has the particular specifications you need over and above the $80.00 shaft. Go figure…

The reason high handicappers can benefit greatly from custom fit golf clubs is that each of these variables in the golf shaft can be considered in light of that player’s abilities and particular playing characteristics.

Each of these variables affects the playability of the shaft in 5 important ways:

 1. Trajectory
 2. Solidness of feel
 3. Consistency of hit
 4. Directional control
 5. Clubhead speed or distance

The key factor in determining the appropriate shaft flex for a particular golfer is their swing speed which correlates to how far they can hit the golf ball. Swing speed for the average golfer is around 84 -87mph. Golfers with lower swing speeds require a shaft that is more flexible but getting a shaft that is too soft will find that golfer spraying his drives all over the golf course and spending more time looking for golf balls than playing golf. A shaft that is too stiff will cause a lower than normal ball trajectory with subsequent loss of distance, consistent pushing the ball to the right or slicing and will tend to feel like a board in the hands of a golfer with a sub-95mph swing speed.

The lighter a shaft is the faster swing speed can be attained (and greater distance) but too light a shaft will cause problems. Golfers with smooth swing tempo’s can benefit from lighter golf shafts. Golfers who tend to have quicker swing tempo need more weight (and stiffness).

The ‘bend‘ point of a golf shaft helps to determine ball trajectory and directional control. A low bend point (towards the clubhead) provides for a higher trajectory and softer ‘feel’ but may cause some directional problems with faster swings.

A golf shaft’s ‘torque’ is an important consideration in terms of feel. This is only a consideration for graphite shafts. Golfers with high swing speeds require shafts with low torque to reduce twisting. Golfers with slower swing speeds would look for higher torque to get a better feel for the golf club.

So, not all golf shafts are created equal. Each golf shaft has particular characteristics that impact playability and shafts between manufacturers are not consistent with respect to key factors such as flex with price having little to do with either quality or suitability for a golfer.

That being said, there is a high degree of flexibility by a custom golf fitter to fit the appropriate shaft to a golfer so that they can hit the ball with a normal trajectory, good consistency and directional control while providing a solid feeling for the golfer.

Spine alignment refers to finding the spine for each shaft and then aligning it perpendicular to the clubface (either at the 3:00 o’clock or 9:00 o’clock position). When the spine is aligned in this manner the golf club becomes more stable, improving the golfers ability to hit the sweet spot more consistently. Tests have shown that a golfer’s ability to hit the sweet spot (impact repeatability) improved from 14% to 51% when they moved to spine aligned clubs. Missing the sweet spot by two-tenths of an inch will cost you six yards.

To complicate things even further, price is no determinant either! A $12.00 graphite shaft may be a far better choice for you over an $80.00 shaft because it has the particular specifications you need over and above the $80.00 shaft. Go figure…

The reason high handicappers can benefit greatly from custom fit golf clubs is that each of these variables in the golf shaft can be considered in light of that player’s abilities and particular playing characteristics.

Each of these variables affects the playability of the shaft in 5 important ways:

 1. Trajectory
 2. Solidness of feel
 3. Consistency of hit
 4. Directional control
 5. Clubhead speed or distance

The key factor in determining the appropriate shaft flex for a particular golfer is their swing speed which correlates to how far they can hit the golf ball. Swing speed for the average golfer is around 84 -87mph. Golfers with lower swing speeds require a shaft that is more flexible but getting a shaft that is too soft will find that golfer spraying his drives all over the golf course and spending more time looking for golf balls than playing golf. A shaft that is too stiff will cause a lower than normal ball trajectory with subsequent loss of distance, consistent pushing the ball to the right or slicing and will tend to feel like a board in the hands of a golfer with a sub-95mph swing speed.

The lighter a shaft is the faster swing speed can be attained (and greater distance) but too light a shaft will cause problems. Golfers with smooth swing tempo’s can benefit from lighter golf shafts. Golfers who tend to have quicker swing tempo need more weight (and stiffness).

The ‘bend‘ point of a golf shaft helps to determine ball trajectory and directional control. A low bend point (towards the clubhead) provides for a higher trajectory and softer ‘feel’ but may cause some directional problems with faster swings.

A golf shaft’s ‘torque’ is an important consideration in terms of feel. This is only a consideration for graphite shafts. Golfers with high swing speeds require shafts with low torque to reduce twisting. Golfers with slower swing speeds would look for higher torque to get a better feel for the golf club.

So, not all golf shafts are created equal. Each golf shaft has particular characteristics that impact playability and shafts between manufacturers are not consistent with respect to key factors such as flex with price having little to do with either quality or suitability for a golfer.

That being said, there is a high degree of flexibility by a custom golf fitter to fit the appropriate shaft to a golfer so that they can hit the ball with a normal trajectory, good consistency and directional control while providing a solid feeling for the golfer.

This is a very common problem for golfers – and it’s an awkward adjustment. The solution is very simple, however. Instead of setting your driver behind the ball such that the center of the face is aligned with the ball, move backwards a couple of inches (towards your back) such that the toe of your driver is aligned with the ball. Now do the test again. Stretch out your arms and pick the club up to the ball’s height. Is the ball aligned with the center of the driver face? If so, put the club back down and fire! If not, keep moving back until it is.

Don’t worry that once you set the driver down it doesn’t align with the ball. The ball isn’t on the ground – it’s three inches above the ground!

Overlooking the 1867 yard Par 3 15th hole

Duffers will golf just about anywhere as long as the price is right. Fortunately for Alan Shepard, NASA picked up the green fees for perhaps the most exclusive public golf course in the solar system (we’re not sure what may exist in the rest of the galaxy). 

On January 21, 1971 Apollo 14 blasted-off to the moon for a little golf junket (ostensibly framed as a scientific expedition or, was it an exercise in Cold War chest thumping…). Optimistically, Shepard only took three balls with him (how could he expect to play a round of golf with only three balls?). 

True to duffer-form, Shepard, using a jury-rigged 6-iron, took a couple of mulligans on the first hole. Is there any surprise at that? First off, he gets to the course late, with no time to hit a few warm-up shots on the range and little to no warm-up; next, there was absolutely no pre-shot routine. On his third shot, Shepard connected with the ball and sent it into the lunar void ‘mile and miles and miles’ according to Shepard at the time. This was later appended by Shepard to a shot of between 200-400 yards. Not that bad for a duffer wielding a custom made 6-iron…although if he had connected with it, the ball could have traveled about one mile in the lunar gravity.  

The NASA logs didn’t reflect any hint of first tee fright.

To hit the ball farther, the average golfer focuses his efforts on delivering the golf club to the ball with as much effort as can be mustered to build power in the swing. The result is a teeth grinding, muscle tensing, massive and violent lunge at the ball. This type of swing would generally move the ball to just about where the red tees are and leave the golfer red faced by the effort.

Generating swing speed by trying to swing harder just doesn’t work because this type of ‘power’ is completely misapplied as it relates to the golf swing. The golf swing, and swing speed, is all about rhythm, tempo and timing applied with proper swing mechanics to get the golf club smoothly, efficiently and squarely to the ball. It’s about understanding the physics of a golf swing and using that to accomplish the task versus brute strength. The reason a good swing looks effortless is because it is! One can look to Lorena Ochoa at 5’ 6”, 120 pounds and an average driving distance of 283 yards to understand how true this is.

Proper swing mechanics effectively applies energy through the right sequence to the golf club to maximize club head speed. Your body physiology and skill level of course determine how effectively and how often this may occur during a round.

Notice I didn’t say ‘maximize club head speed so you could hit the ball as far as Tiger Woods’.

Trying to swing harder to generate swing speed creates several problems for the average golfer. First, swinging harder will exacerbate any and all swing faults the golfer may have. Swinging harder will generally:

• Cause you to over swing throwing you completely off balance
• Cause power sapping tension throughout your entire body but particularly in your arms and hands
• Completely throw any timing and rhythm you may have had out the window
• Rarely, if ever, bring the golf club into solid contact with the ball
• Slow your swing speed

Swinging harder at the golf ball fails to effectively leverage the laws of physics to swing the golf club so you have to do all the work instead of letting the golf club do the work. The wrong muscles are used in the wrong sequence. The swing becomes all ‘arms’.

To fix this, there are two simple things that the average golfer can do to get more distance out of their drives.

First, rather than concentrating on trying to hit the ball harder to get more distance, the average golfer should concentrate on hitting the ball more squarely. Bringing the golf club into square contact with the golf ball will have immediate and positive results with respect to distance, accuracy and consistency. A squarer hit transfers more energy from the golf club to the ball with less sidespin.

Second, less will generally bring you more. Most high handicap golfers would be far better off taking a three-quarter swing rather than taking a full swing. Why? The average golfer just doesn’t have the proper flexibility to take advantage of a full swing and so creates unwanted, power sapping tension in their bodies and the strong possibility of introducing a myriad of swing flaws from this position.

The three-quarter swing will result in more consistent, square hits because:

• The average golfer, starting from a solid foundation, will have much better balance through the golf swing
• The golf swing will be tension free resulting in a smooth easy swing
• In a three quarter swing, the golf club essentially starts on-plane and stays on-plane through the swing resulting in far more consistent shots. Gone are the over-the-top, slice generating, golf swings that produce nothing but frustration and lost golf balls.

The result of a three-quarter golf swing is a more solid, square hit producing greater distance and more drives landing in the middle of the fairway.

So, if you want to maximize swing speed and send the ball farther down the fairway, don’t try and send the ball into orbit by swinging as hard as you can. Instead, play within yourself and skill level. Focus on hitting the ball more squarely and take a shorter swing to improve your swing mechanics. You’ll be amazed at how easily you’ll be able to generate real power and swing speed.

Mary at the 1st Tee

Mary Queen of Scots on the 1st Tee

Mary Queen of Scots was an avid arbiter of the game of golf in the 1560’s. A known golf junkie of the day she initiated several innovations to the game, including a focus on the mental aspects of the game which still resonates today.

While we have no known record of the good Mary’s golf score or official handicap (she surely must have been a duffer, if not in lineage, then in her play), Queen Mary did travel the links in style, followed by an entourage of cadets, sons of French noblemen, that she brought over from the mainland (that would be France), after the death of her first husband. 

Not having the advantage nor the convenience of either a golf cart (alas, another work left on the drawing board of the great genius Leonardo Da Vinci) nor a golf bag (which was to come in the 1880’s), these cadets, sporting finely pleated collars and heavy gowns of silk and velvet, followed Mary Queen of Scots as she strolled from hole to hole engaging in fine conversation and perhaps assisting the fair Queen with her club selection and yardage.

The Scots, of course, being neither bilingual nor accustomed to such a following, pronounced the French ‘cadet’ as ‘caddie’ and the name has stuck.

Interestingly enough, the term ‘fore’ comes from this era as well. Given the unkempt state of the links, the possibility of losing one’s ball was extremely high, so ‘fore-caddies’ were sent ahead to watch where the wayward ball might land. Prior to giving the ball a whack, the good golfer would shout to ensure that the fore-caddie was watching for the ball.

Unfortunately for Mary Queen of Scots, her love for the game led to her downfall. Her reputation, already having being sullied by a dalliance with the Earl of Bothwell, sealed her fate after being seen golfing shortly after her husband, Lord Darnley, was killed. The good Scots felt it inappropriate to be golfing when she should have been in mourning. As Scottish writer Lewine Mair, wrote, Mary’s golf career was ‘dramatically cut short when she failed to maintain that relationship between her head and her shoulders which all the games great teachers have deemed essential.’ So much for worrying about swing plane.

Sigmund Freud's Couch

Though Sigmund Freud is widely known in the field of psychoanalysis (though his ideas have been somewhat discredited these days), what is surprising to most people is the significant influence that golf had on the development of Freud’s thoughts on psychoanalysis and his work in general.

Born in Freiburg , Czechoslovakia in 1856, his family moved to Vienna four years later and entered the University of Vienna in 1873 as a medical student. Freud didn’t pick up on golf until about1896 when he was introduced to the game through a friend. His buddy convinced him to go on a golf junket to Scotland organized by a group of Freemasons. This left him to wonder about the people crawling about the heaths of Scotland looking for their golf balls. Not coincidentally, he first coined the term psychoanalysis in 1896. He did play several rounds while in Scotland and in 1897, becoming worried about his obsession with the game, begins self-analysis. He was particularly, interested in the manifestations of First Tee Fright but didn’t formally address this until later in his career in 1926 with the publication of his seminal work ‘Inhibitions, Symptoms and Anxiety’.

Not an especially good golfer, Freud was never interested in the mechanical aspects of the game but focused rather on the mental aspects of golf. Interviewing hundreds of golfers while on the course, he later moved to the local watering holes after the game to better facilitate note taking and ultimately, moved the interviews back to his office and the comfort of his couch.

Gleaning deep insights into the golfer psyche, he started to publish his works on a regular basis. In 1905 he published ‘Three Essays on Sexuality, Jokes and Their Relation to Golf.’

In 1921, after analyzing the very deep relationships developed within  the golfing foursome and later how they relate to the beer cart girl, he publishes ‘Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego’, in which he applies a social context to psychoanalysis.

From here, of course, many others started to pick up on where Freud left off.