golftecCertified Personal Coach for GolfTEC

By Alden Peterson

It’s a new golf season, filled with hopes of good shots and better scores. But how do you make better golf a reality? One way would be lessons. Another way would be better practice habits. Yet another would be precision matched equipment. For better scores, you’d have to give yourself every advantage under the sun. As Certified Personal Coaches at GolfTEC Utah, we set out to attack the weaknesses in our students’ games from every angle possible. We offer a fact-based diagnosis of your swing, conduct regular sequential lessons, and allow you to practice efficiently with our video interface. We’ll even record lessons so you can remember where that pesky right elbow should be on the downswing. Today, though, we’d like to focus on equipment and how it can really help your overall game. There are some exciting new advances being made and we’ve picked just a few to highlight. Here’s to the best golf season yet!

34aCallaway Supersoft Ball
While Callaway has a great new club lineup this year, we would like to focus on a great new ball that seems to be flying under the radar. The new Super Soft ball could be one of the greatest advances in ball technology in over a decade. It features a compression of 38, which is 20 points lower than Callaway’s softest two-piece ball. What this means: explosive distance for any swing speed, especially slower ones. The way the ball “jumps” off the face is pretty amazing. Match that with a soft feel around the greens, advanced hex-aerodynamics, a $19.99/dozen price tag, and you’ve got a real winner.

34bTrue Linkswear Shoes
This company was started by PGA Tour star, Ryan Moore, who was frustrated by a lack of athletic, comfortable, and stylish golf shoes out on the market. What came from that is basically the most comfortable shoe, golf or not, that we’ve ever worn. Every pair of shoes is built around natural motion, allowing the foot to spread out in a wider toe box during each step. The heel and forefoot are set at the same distance from the ground, which promotes even weight distribution, and a foot that isn’t “tired” at the end of the round. The soles are thin and flexible and one can feel each gripping the ground, both at address and while walking. If you’re looking for a shoe that makes walking a joy, and one that can help your game, give these a try.

35bTaylormade SLDR Driver
If you want more distance, getting fit for this driver should be priority number one. The low, forward center of gravity makes this possible and is so pronounced that almost all players will need a higher loft than they currently play. This means more distance because the two basic distance metrics are met, high launch and low spin.

35aBushnell Tour Z6 Jolt
The one big upside of this rangefinder is in the Jolt technology. With Bushnell’s Pinseeker technology, the optics can look for a flag shaped object and differentiate it from those pesky background trees. The jolt comes as a vibration when the distance to the flag is (quickly) determined. This gives the golfer confidence that their number is accurate and can really help speed up play. Furthermore, the readout is displayed in bright red and is measured to the nearest 1/10th of a yard inside 125 yards. Hopefully, one day we can all be that accurate! At $399, waterproof with 6x magnification, and a two-year warranty, the Bushnell Tour Z6 is small enough to put in your pocket and forget about it. Just don’t forget to grab one this spring.

35c

Game Gold Stat Tracker
Ever feel like you practice a lot, but never shoot better scores? This year, gain some perspective on where you need to focus your practice efforts with Game Golf. PGA pros have access to all of this data via Shotlink, or a complete statistical analysis of every shot hit over the course of a year. The Game Golf system is basically a Shotlink for amateurs. Each pack comes with miniature disks that are inserted onto the grip cap of each club. Prior to each shot, the grip is touched to a small receiver on the belt and your stats are automatically logged with each club. Now, you know what the strengths and weaknesses are in your game. Now, you know how far your 7 iron actually goes. You can spot trends over time, share and compare stats with friends, and self-guide your practice and strategy. Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk, and Graeme McDowell have all used this product during practice rounds. If you’re looking to take your game to the next level, Game Golf will really give you a hand—$249, 30-day money-back guarantee.

Previous articleSwing Into the Good Life
Next articleArtistic Innovation Meets Natural Beauty and Great Golf