Got your eye on that new driver? Can't wait to get that twenty/thirty extra yards the advertising promises? You are not alone. The question is, can you buy a game? Will a club, by itself, make that kind of improvement?

The new trend in drivers allows the redistribution of weight around the club head. The idea is to skew the flight.if you have a shot shape you would like to change or encourage, change the weight distribution. That'll fix it! Right?

Remember what influences ball flight. The club makes contact with the ball as a result of how you swing it. YOU HAVE THE LARGEST EFFECT ON BALL FLIGHT! If you have a certain flaw or characteristic that negatively influences ball flight (slice, hook.etc) that needs to be corrected first. The goal here is to make consistently square contact with the ball.

As your ball striking becomes more consistent, adjustments to the club become more obvious and exacting. A degree or two in lie angle, a degree or two in face angle can make a drastic difference in the ball flight. Remember, a swing that consistently produces a poorly struck shot will not respond well to just adjusting the club you must adjust the swing. THE GOAL HERE IS TO MAKE CONSISTENTLY SQUARE CONTACT WITH THE BALL!

I'm not saying that new technology will not help, quite the contrary. The current technology is by far, the most advanced the game has ever seen. It seems technology is improving daily. The golf ball goes farther and straighter, the golf clubs are easier to hit, and golf course conditions have improved greatly. The bottom line is to learn to use these advanced tools to your advantage.

An analogy I use quite often while teaching is that of a sixteen-year-old that has never driven a car. If you give him the keys to a Yugo or a Ferrari, what is better? Answer.neither; he doesn't know how to use either of them. Learning to make consistently square contact will improve your game more than anything else.


Go to your PGA Professional early in the season to develop a program to improve you swing mechanics. Instruction combined with properly fit equipment is the magic combination. One without the other just does not work as well.

The new technology is a wonderful thing. Just remember, you can't buy a game!

P.S. We haven't talked about scoring.SHORT GAME!!!!!!!

-Peter Gerard, PGA Professional
 Peter Gerard Golf Academy at Mill Road
 Latham, NY.  518-785-GOLF
                                                    4653
 

Awarded National Teacher of the Year, National Player of the Year, Multiple NENY PGA Player of the Year and Teacher of the Year Awards.