DJ, as far as I know, has not had a complete personal club fitting since back in college. Even being on the Titleist Professional Staff, they have built his clubs based on what he showed up with, measuring them and matching them. They have done a good job. He has hit the ball well but not scored well and has fallen back in the world golf rankings and PGA Tour money list. And, this year, he did not make it to Round 3 of the FedEX cup playoffs. That means he is not going to Atlanta's East Lake for the final and the Tour Championship and is missing all the guaranteed money and bonus money just for getting there.
A month or so ago, he cracked that his 'Gamer Diver Face' (gamer indicates it is in his bag as compared to his back-ups) and the new one, came with a new shaft. New as in new brand name. He had been using a real old version of a shaft that dated all he way back to college and before that, and maybe getting it was now difficult to impossible. He also had his 3 wood and 5 wood shafted with this new band of shaft.
He hit this shaft pretty good in all the clubs, but it did not just look right to me when he swung, especially when he seemed to put a little more power and heat into his swing. The shafts felt good he told me, but to me they looked too soft. I saw too much flex or load in them at the top of the backswing and they also looked too soft at Impact. His irons, he said, felt great and his GIR (greens in regulation) were basically hanging steady.
Either way, I felt it was time for a good club fitting from an independent source to, first and foremost, have the fitter determine exactly what he believes is correct for DJ in terms of length, lie, and most importantly, flex and brand and model of shafts, for both his woods and irons. The key was I had to sell DJ and convince him this was needed. I used the concept of getting an independent evaluation and recommendations, if different from his present specs, can only help the Titleist Tour fitters and builders build him better clubs if he tries the new recommendations and they work.
I had just the club fitter in mind, Chip Usher, of Usher Golf in Savannah, GA. Chip has a great reputation and has worked on the clubs of some tour players and many of the top players in the Savannah and Hilton Head area. He also has re-shafted a few drivers and built a set of irons for my website partner, Don Trahan who recommended Chip to me.
I went to see Chip to check out my irons (I have had my woods checked and re-shafted) and fit me to see exactly what I needed, as I have not been fitted in over 5 years. I hate to admit it but I am not getting any younger and I was sure that even though I was still hitting all my irons the same distance and pretty good, I was working too hard and having to hit with extra energy and force to maintain the distance. My comment to Chip was that now, with my irons as compared to my woods, I was having to use more muscle with the motion. I was tiring out and my lower back was achy from all the extra exertion and muscle I was expending to hit the irons. I told Chip, 'I wanted motion without needing to add extra muscle.' I wanted my smooth and flowing swing back, not the power hitter swing I was now forced to use.
Chip decided that my frequencies/flex was correct, but that I needed a lighter and softer shaft that would load and release the energy more and thus I would not have to supply as much muscle power. He said that my swing speeds were still pretty good for my age and he recommended me staying with steel shafts because they are easier to match a set up and overall respond more consistently then graphite in flight pattern and distance control.
I had Chip build me a complete new set of irons as I wanted to keep my old set (with which I won the 2007 Carolinas PGA Senior Player of the Year) intact and to have it as a test against this new set. Chip built me a great set and aced the shaft flex and feel. I am a happy camper as I am now back swinging with smooth motion and less muscle and hitting it solid and the distance is even a little longer. The other great improvement is that I am now able to work the ball better in hitting it higher and especially lower with knockdown shots and I have gotten my cut shot back. Hitting the intentional draw and hook is never a problem with me, only now it is easier and more controlled. The amount I want is what I get.
Well, with the success DJ saw in my new irons and how well I hit them and liked them and with Trahan also very happy, DJ bought into my concept of the independent recommendation and testing his recommendations, if different than his present specs, and decided that driving down from Charleston to Savannah to do the fitting one morning was a good idea and definitely one that was needed. The fitting went well and I'll fill ya'll in on the happenings and findings in tomorrow's article.
The Surge!