Don:
I also make clubs and was very happy with the fit of my KGZ before I started
trying natural golf. I am using Ball buster reverse taper grips which I
like very much. Like you said I tried building up the lower end of the
grips with tape to get a no tapered grip, which I like but so far the reverse
taper are working better for me. This may be in part that they are
easier on my hands, I am arthritic and my hands are often very
sore.
I suspected that the longer shafts would be harder to control. I also
wondered if the shafts and the heaver heads were an attempt to keep swing
weights nearer normal.
I have only been experimenting about a month, and I am very happy with what I
have seen so far. My shots are absolutely
straight. My
driver, fairway clubs are perhaps just a little longer than I was hitting them
with the conventional swing and set up. My iron shots are shorter than
before I switched. The higher number the club the more distance I have
lost. I may be just a little impatient but that was the reason for my
question about club length.
Thanks for your comments. They make me feel better about where I am now.
One additional question. Did you go to one of their
schools? I have my questions about the need. I am doing so well
from the book and the tapes, I question the need for an expensive
school.
Once again thank you for your comments and time.
TomB
.
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-----Original
Message-----
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Don M
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 12:12
PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Natural
Golf
Tom Barnett
wrote:
I have decided to give Natural golf a
trial. I understand that the lie is more upright and the shafts are
longer. Can any one give me an idea what the changes are? How much
longer? How much upright? I have grips and a local clubmaker will bend
the heads. Help please.
I have
been a Natural Golfer for a year and a half. I have taken 12
strokes off my score with NG, am hitting longer, and it's easier on my
body. It's so much simpler too. I'll never go back. I did
take a lesson and it helped get me started.
There is a lot of confusion
about the equipment. The company wants you to buy their "special" clubs,
which are indeed longer and more upright. I tested theirs in a range
session against mine and mine were better. :) But I'm a clubmaker
so I did not intend to buy theirs anyway.
Longer is not better, so
forget that idea right off the top. They can give you their pet
theories. They're just BS. Longer clubs are harder to control, no
matter what kind of swing you have. Moe Norman hit hundreds of balls a
day. He had Popeye forearms and had the swing to hit long
clubs. You and I don't. They need to get away from
that.
Just get fitted for regular clubs! Or use the ones you
have. The lie angle will probably end up a degree or two upright from
whatever you were before, unless you already are properly fitted by upright
clubs. When the lie angles are right, you will actually see the
club soled square on the ground (not toe up) at address, or pretty
close. That's not the test, that's just something I've seen.
I would think head droop would come into play during the swing but whatever,
they sit flat at address and hit the center of the sole on the impact board
for me.
I see you already bought grips. Well, that's a personal
thing. I prefer conventional grips but with 4 wraps of buildup tape
under the lower hand. If you use heavier non tapered grips, don't have
the clubmaker add weight to "bring the swingweight back up". That
becomes a double whammy because you are then adding weight at both ends,
making a heavier club. If you use the heavier grips, just let the
swingweight get lighter. It's only a couple of swingweight points
anyway, because I have tried the NG all-weather grips. I have one on my
9 iron right now, giving it an extended trial. The new ST grips are
pretty close in weight to regular grips, so those are a non
factor. You might have the clubmaker put 4 or 5 wraps under
the lower hand of a regular grip on one club, just to see if you like that
better than the NG grips. For future reference, Golfworks sells a grip
that is a virtual clone of the NG all-weather grip as far as size and weight,
for the price of a normal grip.
In summary, use regular clubs, get the
lies adjusted as needed, use whatever grip you want, and don't add weight to
offset the grip weight.
I'll be glad to follow up if you need
anything.
-Don
M
