What do pro golfers think a lot about with their equipment, that recreational golfers overlook?
1. They don’t keep their grooves and grips clean
Johathan Wall, Managing Equipment Editor at Golf.com: It’s the little things that pros think a lot about, like keeping the grooves clean on your irons and wedges, or checking your grips to make sure they still have some tread left of them. Treat your clubs well and they’ll return the favor. It’s as simple as that. You can use a golf tee and a wet cloth to remove dirt from your grooves. And if you don’t know how to determine if your grips are worn, see if they have a sheen in any spots. If they’re starting to shine like a set of chrome blades on a sunny day, you’re well past due for some fresh handles.
2. They don’t pay attention to club gapping
Andrew Tursky, Senior Equipment Editor at Golf.com: Can’t stress enough how on point Wall’s response is. Keep those grips fresh and grooves clean. I’d also add that loft gapping is a big one that low handicappers, and especially pros, get dialed in, whereas as amateurs generally ignore it. Basically, you want to avoid any huge yardage gaps throughout your set, and avoid any tightly bunched yardages, too. For example, if you have a 4 iron and a 5 iron that go roughly the same distance, ditch the 4 iron for either an extra wedge or a hybrid. On the other hand, if you have a huge hole – such as no club that goes 180 to 200 – it might be time to fill that role.
3. They don’t care about grip sizes
Luke Kerr-Dineen, Director of Game Improvement Content at Golf.com: Granted, I’m not an equipment expert like J-Wall and Tursky, but continuing on the grip theme: Something I hear pros talk about far more than recreational golfers are the size of their grips, because the size of the grip effects the way you deliver the club into the ball.
And no, I’m not talking about the standard-midsize-oversize sizes. I’m talking about altering grip sizes to the exacting degree by changing up the tape underneath. A standard grip with an extra layer of tape underneath; a midsize grip with two layers of tape; half a piece of tape more under the bottom half of the grip to help reduce the tapering. These guys are painstaking, making sure their grips feel exactly right.
Article originally appeared on: Golf.com