Maybe it’s the tools and not the craftsman after all

John Craven
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Golf Ireland Academy, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland. (Image: Golffile.ie)

John Craven

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A friend of mine awoke one morning with an unfamiliar feeling; he wanted to clean the house. After going out to buy a hoover, he cleared surfaces that hadn’t seen sunlight since the day they were first licked, even stacking the kitchen and dining room chairs on their respective tables to ensure a smooth operation. Headphones on, he cranked Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’ and with melodic motivation coursing through his veins, he refused to miss a beat until every dust piled nook and cranny of his two-bedroomed apartment had met its maker.

90 minutes later, the final whistle blew, a bead of sweat falling from his brow to the overworked Dyson below. Admiring his work from afar, he reached down to the off switch, both weary and relieved, to put himself and the hoover out of their collective misery, only for the strangest thing to happen; the vacuum turned on. If ever there was an argument against noise-cancelling headphones, this was it, and after investing what felt like a lifetime of effort into cleaning his humble abode, my friend was back to where he started.

That’s often how I feel about playing golf.

Lessons, driving range visits, short-game sessions, backyard pitching practice, putting into a pint glass on the living room carpet, gym, diet, delusion and still little improvement. Ah yes, golf. Sound familiar?

After putting myself through such tedious routines for the best part of 15 years, you might understand my intrigue when I was told that it might actually be the tools and not the craftsman holding my development back?

Rory McIlroy didn’t head down to Halpenny Golf, pull a few TaylorMades off the rack and become world number one, I was told. OK, he might’ve done all those other things I listed above – bar the living room carpet practice, I’m sure his house smells of rich mahogany – but Rory, on top of all that, identified, like every other golfer at the top of the sport, the benefits of making his clubs specific to him, Rory McIlroy.

‘But sure that won’t make any difference to me,’ I hear you say from a six foot divot. But it will. No question. There’s technology on our doorstep that will make untold improvements to your scores without you having to alter your action in the slightest.

Sounds too good to be true? Of course it does, but you should see for yourself! Golf club custom fitting sessions are available at the GUI National Academy where knowledgeable PGA professionals will put you through your paces and identify, to your personal specifications, exactly what’s needed to improve your game.

We can’t guarantee you’ll become Rory McIlroy overnight, but you will become better.

The Benefits of Custom Fitting

When you go to one of the Academy’s custom fitting sessions, their PGA Professionals will watch you hit balls and monitor your data using the latest Trackman 4 equipment and software. Trackman is regularly used by most professionals to monitor ball flight, spin rates, and dispersion.

You’ll start by hitting balls with your own clubs and, if Trackman shows your current equipment is perfect for your game, the Academy staff won’t try and sell you a thing. That’s not something you’ll hear every day.

If they think a change in equipment would improve your game, their professionals will suggest the clubs they think will help you make the most improvement. You can then hit some more balls with these clubs and see the results for yourself on Trackman.

Another big advantage of a custom-fitting session at the GUI National Golf Academy is they have a full driving range where you can see exactly where the golf balls you hit, go. That’s not the case at other fitting facilities where you would be asked to hit balls into a net and simply believe what the computer says. The Academy also has a large putting green where you can test putters that might shave a few shots off your game.

During the custom fitting sessions, you’ll only be asked to hit tournament quality balls, so you get true results with the clubs you use.

Academy’s Full Custom Fitting Service

If your current clubs prove to be a perfect match for your game at the end of your custom-fitting session, the Academy won’t try selling you new equipment. But your session won’t have been a waste of time, as you’ll know when you hit a bad shot in the future, you simply made a bad swing,

But if new equipment could improve your golf game, their professionals will discuss your Trackman results and offer you the best advice. They’ll even email your results and recommended specifications to you after your session, so you can buy your new clubs whenever and wherever you choose.

The Academy also provides you with a competitive price for any new equipment you may want from a big choice of manufacturers, including TaylorMade, Ping, Mizuno, Srixon, Cleveland, Callaway, Scotty Cameron, Odyssey, and Cobra. The Titleist National Fitting Centre is also on-site, providing you with one of the best opportunities for fitting in Ireland.

If you buy from the Academy, your clubs will be sent directly to any address in Ireland and will come with the full manufacturer’s guarantee.

You can also take advantage of their free after-sales care check-up, which means you can bring your clubs back to the Academy after 6-months and they’ll check your loft and lies are still true.

You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain from a custom-fitting session at the GUI National Golf Academy, so book yours now or email kenny@bettergolf.ie or call 01 5054040

 

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