by Andy Brent, City Manager
GolfTEC Buckhead Station
Atlanta
My clubs have changed very little since early 2001. Over the years I have upgraded my driver and putter, but my iron set has remained the same. I was never a big believer in technology until I was fit properly last year. This year I have made some serious changes to my bag.
Driver: My driver is a couple of years old but the shaft has been updated. I am playing a Titleist 905R with a Pro Force V2 shaft (65g, x-flex). Driving is one of the strengths of my game. I average about 280 off the tee with a little baby draw (or hook if you have played with me). The x-flex helps me prevent a wicked hook when I flip through impact.
Fairway Wood: I switch out my fairway woods from time to time. It all depends on the course that I am playing. My normal bag has only a 3-wood. If I am playing a longer course I will add a 5-wood for the longer par-3s. My 3-wood is a 13.5-degree Adams Insight XTD Pro. I put a Fujikura Vista Pro 70 gram s-flex shaft in it this fall. I like the heavier shaft to keep the ball flight down and straighter. My 5-wood is a 17-degree Cleveland Launcher. I have a Fujikura Vista Pro 80 gram s-flex in that as well.
Hybrid: I switched to an Adams Pro Gold 20-degree hybrid this spring. It has a Mitsubishi Rayon Javln x-flex shaft in it. I feel that it is one of the better hybrids on the market. This club allows me to hit it high and land it soft from 210 - 220.
Irons: I started playing the Adams Pro Gold irons 4-pw last month. I was playing Cleveland TA1s for the past six years. I was fit into a ½ inch under standard last year during my fit. The honest reason, my stomach gets in the way at impact. The ½ inch short allows me to fully extend through impact. The shafts are Project X 6.5. The x-flex shaft helps me prevent the hard left shot when I flip through impact.
Wedges: I switched up my wedge configuration this past summer. I used to play a pw, 54-degree, and a 60-degree configuration. I put the 54 in the bag when I use my 5-wood. Now that I have taken the 5-wood out of the bag I use a pw, 50, 56, 60 combination. The extra wedge allows me to play more shots inside the scoring zone.
Putter: I am putting with a Rife Aussie Blade Black. The shaft is 33 and ¼ inches long. Being fit for a putter was the best move I made. This is an area where I really struggle with my game. A properly fit putter reminds me to keep a good stance over the ball.
Ball: I have played Titleist ProV1x’s for the past five years. This year I switched to the Callaway tour ix. It is a 4 piece ball. My distance has improved while maintaining feel and spin around the green.
Overall I am very happy with the decisions I have made with my bag. I just need a little more time to play. Getting fit made me think of where the holes are at in my game. I am currently taking lessons to fix my quick hands at impact. Once I fix that I can dial back the x-flex shafts and go with a normal s-flex.
