A day at the range yields unexpected equipment wisdom

This past weekend I attended a Demo Day at local driving range in my area.  If you don’t know what a Demo day is, it is where manufacturing representatives come out with their latest clubs for people to try.  It is all free and a great way for customer to try new products out and see first hand how they work and potentially what they need like a specific loft, shaft, flex, etc.

One of the vendors had a launch monitor set up to show detailed results of the various clubs and a great way to compare your old driver to latest gear. One of my friends happened to be there who I hadn’t seen in a while. I remember him as a 13 year old phenomenon, which went on to receive all-state honors at my old high school and then an all-American in college. He recently retired as a tour player with the last 4 years on the Nationwide Tour. To say he was a “good stick” would be an understatement.

Acer XK Titanium Driver $99.95 custom assembled each

I got a chance to observe him with the aid of the launch monitor. Not only was his flight pattern consistent from swing-to-swing, but he was getting the most out the club as he had optimum launch and spin numbers.  Not to be outdone, there was another young local golf standout that played collegiate golf and is now working as a teaching pro.  Same thing on the launch monitor – ultra consistent and even longer. He was optimizing the driver too.  Why?  First and foremost is having the proper technique.  The second is properly fit clubs to the golfer’s swing.  Little things like dialing in the proper loft or shaft flex made noticeable difference on the outcome.

I also had an opportunity to observe several other golfers – regular people like you and me.  Believe me, there are golfers who swing just as fast as these pros, but they give up 30, 40 and 50 yards easily because their technique and equipment isn’t as fine tuned.   There is no substitute for taking lesson with your local pro – period!

Even with equipment there are thing you can do by just observing a few things.  One is to use impact labels ($29.99 each shop here) on the face of the club to see where you are making contact.  For instance if you tee the ball low but hit high on the face, that is an assured sign that you are hitting the ball with a descending angle of attack.  What it means is the ball will start low, rise rapidly and just die at its apex where you will get virtually no roll.  This is the ultimate distance killer.

There are a couple equipment changes that you can make.  You could try more a more lofted driver.  At least the ball will start out higher and you might get more carry, but you will still get little roll due to the addition spin caused by the loft.  Believe me, this stuff really is rocket science.

There is one more piece of equipment that golfers take for granted and that is the golf tees! You can try to tee it up higher which may require a taller tee.  Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you suddenly raise your tee height, here is one hint: you may need to move the ball ever-so-slightly forward in your stance to hit more level or even upward.  You may just find that distance that you have been looking for all that time.

Golf tees come in mighty handy. How many times have you dug through

Acer Stand Bag $44.95 each

your golf bag only to find out that they are none left and had to ask your playing partner or scour the tee box for one?

Hireko now has added golf tees to our product line. These white, non-logoed wooden tees are available in two of the most popular sizes.  The 2 ¾” is the standard size that is most commonly found, but we also stock the harder-to-find extra long 3 ¼” size, which are especially suited for today’s large titanium drivers.

Remember you are ordering from Hireko, so you will receive our everyday low price you have been accustomed to.  Why spend twice the money at other on-line retailers or your local shop when you are only going to break them, loose them or give them away? On your next order don’t forget to add some tees.

SHOP FOR GOLF TEES FROM HIREKO
Length  Quantity Price

2 ¾” 15 pack $0.80

2 ¾” 500 pack $13.95

3 ¼” 15 pack $0.80

3 ¼” 500 pack   $13.95

Custom Assembled Acer XK Chipper $28.95

One club that some may find helpful is the chipper.  Hireko is introducing the Acer XK Chipper to it family innovative, game-improvement clubs. For those that struggle from just off of the green with a wedge to get close to the hole or keep the ball on the green, the chipper may help reduce strokes.  One way to think of a chipper is a cross between a putter (the stroke), wedge (for control) and a 7 or 8 iron (for the loft).

The Acer XK Chipper combines the proper loft for those delicate bump and run shots around the green with the same weight and lie of a putter for precision accuracy. The ultra-wide contoured sole glides across either the rough or the close cropped apron surrounding the green. The gooseneck, over-the-hosel design increases the effective face area and eliminates the possibility of shanking the ball.

A chipper utilizes a similar stroke to a putter around the green rather than one where you would cock and un-cock your wrist with a longer swing arc of a wedge.  Chippers should not be ever used as full swing clubs. More accomplished players will find ways of using different clubs and improvised strokes to chip and bump and run shots around the green. But for higher handicapped players or beginners who have not honed their skills or able to create a shot on command, the chipper may make a welcome addition to the bag.

A few things you should know about a chipper first. Number one, a putter grip is not allowed, you must use a standard non-putter grip as you would any iron or wedge to conform to the Rules of Golf.  A model with two sides, like the Two-Way chipper, will not conform to the rules.  But no worries, most golfers who carry chippers do not maintain a USGA handicap and play only for the fun of it.

For clubmakers out there, there are few assembly suggestions for the Acer XK Chipper.  The over-the-hosel post might new to some of you out there.  For one, the post is designed to fit inside a standard 0.370” parallel tip steel iron shaft or even a putter shaft that is not designed for long broomstick models.  If using a parallel tip steel shaft, cut the tip as if it were a wedge to maintain the proper flex.  Make sure when cutting the shaft to make sure the cut is square.  If the shaft tip is angled it will create a slight gap that may be noticeable, so square the shaft tip with your belt sander against the platen or with a file if manual tools are your only resource.

The one bonus of an over-the-post assembly is you won’t need to abrade the shaft tip.  However, you may still want to lightly abrade the post to ensure a proper surface for the epoxy for a lasting bond.

No belly length chippers!  That would be against the Rules of Golf.  Chippers must not be made any longer than standard length clubs of similar loft.  In this case, a 7-iron length would be the limit.

Buy Now Custom Assembled Acer XK Chipper $28.95
Buy Now Component Acer XK Chipper $12.95