N
othing is more
frustrating than
splitting the fair-
way with your tee shot, hit-
ting an iron shot close to
the flag – and then missing
the birdie putt. The prob-
lem is most golfers have no
idea why they miss putts.
First and most impor-
tantly is speed. If your
speed is off then no matter
how good the stroke is the
ball is unlikely to disap-
pear in the cup. I always
recommend what we call
"die speed," that is having
the ball finish no more than
6-8 inches past the cup.
This makes the hole as re-
ceptive as it can be.
Second, the direction
your ball travels off the
club face is determined 25
percent by your path and
75 percent by your face
angle at impact. This
means it is imperative that
your face is square to your
target line at impact.
Once you are striking the
ball with a face that is
square to your target line
and speed that is con-
ducive to the ball going
into the hole, you will start
to see a lot more of those
great shots turn into
birdies.
› Jeff Fisher is the co-owner
and Director Of Instruction
at the Fisher Bryan Golf
Academy at Longbow Golf
Club in Mesa, Arizona.
l
GAME IMPROVEMENT
OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
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FALL 2014
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obsports.com
P
roperly fit clubs will
allow you to play better
golf with less thought,
enjoy the game more and
have a lot more fun.
Start with the putter. If it
has the proper length, lie
angle and grip size, you can
aim straight at the hole and
concentrate on distance, confi-
dent that you are aiming
directly at your target.
Wedges that have
the proper bounce
and grind, lie angle,
and length will allow you
to hit all types of pitches into
the green. Wedges that are fit
properly allow you to hit re-
covery shots around the
green with proper technique,
feel, and your imagination.
Fitted irons, fairway metals
and hybrids are key in allow-
ing you to address the ball
with proper posture and allow
you to stand over shots into
the green with confidence.
And finally, the driver – the
second most important club
in your bag. If the length, loft
and shaft are properly fit you
should be able to eliminate
one side of the fairway on the
golf course. And if you can
eliminate one side of the fair-
way, you can swing the club
much freer when you play.
› Al Murdock is a PGA Pro-
fessional at Raven Golf Club –
Phoenix and operator of The
Perfect Fit.
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MAKE MORE BIRDIES
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