Swing Check Day

Last Saturday we had the inaugural Swing Check Day for which I had 12 members turn up guessing and wondering what was going to happen, we were all in the same boat here! I have never done coaching like this before so I didn't really know what to expect, the one thing I did notice it's a fast paced way of coaching and there wasn't really much time for standing around and chatting. What surprised me the most was that a majority of members didn't even want the full 10 minutes, all they was looking for was that nugget of information that could cure their golfing woes or simply just to see a video of their picture perfect swing.

Brenda Aherne was first up and we were working on keeping her left foot grounded through the swing, her left heel was lifting up which was being caused by an over rotation. All in all though it was a successful exercise and will definitely be something we will run again in the future so keep your eyes peeled for Express Coaching!

Clinic Dates

In order to get ready for the summer, we will be running a series of clinics covering all aspects of the game taking advantage of our SkyPro & Coaches Eye technologies to get you on the right track! Each session will cost £10 but if you want to come to more than one you can buy  voucher at a discounted rate, the perfect gift idea for somebody who literally has everything. Please see below the dates and sign up in the ProShop:

Thursday 31st March 5:00pm - 6:00pm, Bunkers

Sunday 3rd April 10:00am - 11:00am, Bunkers

Thursday 7th April 5:00pm - 6:00pm, Chipping

Sunday 10th April 10:00am - 11:00am, Chipping

Thursday 14th April 5:00pm - 6:00pm, Putting

Thursday 21st April 5:00pm - 6:00pm, Full Swing

Sunday 24th April 10:00am - 11:00am, Putting

Thursday 29th April 5:00pm - 6:00pm, Full Swing

MOT Dates

How much do you know about your golf equipment? How far do you hit each wedge? What's your swing speed & does it match your shafts or golf balls? Are you using the correct grip sizes? Are these questions you would know the answers to? I'm sure a few of you do but if you can't confidently say yes to all these question then why not book one of the MOT sessions? All this for just £30, taking full advantage of GC2, Coaches Eye and SkyPro... Bargain! . If this is something you are interested in please sign up in the ProShop but hurry, there are only a few slots available, dates are as follows:

Monday 15th February 10:00am - 11:00am & 11:00am - 12:00pm

Friday 19th February 10:00am - 11:00am & 11:00am - 12:00pm

Saturday 20th February 10:00 - 11:00am

Monday 22nd February 10:00am - 11:00am & 11:00am - 12:00pm

Friday 26th February 10:00am - 11:00am & 11:00am - 12:00pm

Saturday 27th February 10:00am - 11:00am 

 Following on from the awkward lies tips we are going to take a look at the ball above the feet lie. This is a very awkward shot to master but here's a few changes you can make in your set up to make this shot easier.

1. Distribute your weight more into the toes. By moving your weight into the toes (try to feel like you're leaning forwards slightly) this will help maintain your spine angle so you can also maintain your balance through the shot otherwise you will get a real mixed bag of shots.

2. Grip down the club. It's important to grip down because you need to keep your distance from the ball the same as you would if you're playing from a flat lie so that you can ensure a consistent strike otherwise you may find a lot of mishit shots. In order to ensure the ball goes the correct distance you will also have to take an extra club, for instance if you would normally use a 7 iron use a 6 iron.

3. Aim right of the target. You will need to aim right because the lie encourages a right to left ball flight, depending on the severity of the slope. This is called face plane tilt. If you think about a shot from a flat lie your club can lay flush to the ground but when the ball's above your feet the lie angle will differ and will point your clubface left. If you get a chance, set up to a shot with a 9 iron and then with a 4 iron and you will notice that the face plane tilt has a bigger effect on the shorter clubs due to them having more loft.

4. Ball Position. Due to the awkward lie the swing will become more rounded and will also encourage a closed clubface which can only make the ball go left so in order to counteract that, the ball should be moved back in the stance slightly so it favours the centre to back foot more.

Callaway Fitting Experience

After the popularity of the first Callaway Fitting Experience I have managed to secure a second date on Monday 21st March so if you missed it the first time you've got another bite at the cherry but be fast because I have already had some eager members enquire! The fitting centre has state of the art fitting technology using Trackman to get all the data they need to get the right clubs for you from a wide selection of interchangeable heads & shafts. Please find the times below:

8:00am - 9:30am

9:30am - 11:00am

11:00am - 12:00pm

1:30pm - 3:00pm

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Callaway Driver

Last week we broke the news that Callaway had entered the building and we also talked about the NEW Callaway MD3 wedges so this week we will take a look at the Great Big Bertha driver.

Callaway have developed their R MOTO Technology which basically allows the clubface to be thinner, creating a trampoline effect giving more ball speed off the club which gives you the elusive extra distance not only on those sweet centred hits but also on the off centred hits too.

Callaway have also made the head lighter to make it even easier for you to swing the club faster by combing an improved aerodynamic head design with a composite of materials and a weight range from 295g to 325g to cover all swings.

However it's not all smash & grab with this driver, there is also a sliding weight put in for more stability & to help neutralise your draw/fade along with the adjustable hosel there are 8 different options to fine tune loft, lie, & face angle and there is also 19 shafts to choose from so getting the right fit has never been easier.

FootJoy HyperFlex

The FootJoy Hyperflex was very popular shoe last year and so FootJoy have revamped it for 2016 with a few different colour ranges and upgrading the technology.

The exoskeleton upper material makes the shoe feel softer & more comfortable, the show also uses the new HeelLoc 2.0 technology which means you won't be slipping over even if you're climbing through the woods to find your ball! The soles are made with Fine Tuned Foam 2.0 which has been updated from 2015 and is softer & lighter making them even more cushioned, it feels as if you're walking on clouds!

If that's not enough, like all FootJoy shoes, the Hyperflex come with a year's waterproof guarantee.

We have tried the Hyperflex in the shop and found them very comfortable, they combine the stability of the DryJoy Tour with the style of the DNA, a new addition to my wardrobe I feel!