ASKMYGOLFSPY Vol. 33

AskMyGolfSpy is an opportunity to submit questions to our experts here at MGS. You can pass along your questions to the team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or right here in the comments section below!  

Q: Now that there are better graphite options for irons, will prices come down? – @richriker 

Unlikely. Shaft companies effectively run two business models. When it comes to OEM sales (stock shaft) it’s a volume game. Charge a little but sell a whole lot. 

For the consumer stuff, which includes premium offerings, upgrades, and the stuff sold through high-end fitting locations, it’s a margin game. Sell a little, charge a lot. 

Much like you won’t be able to score a Ventus (or any other premium-priced shaft) for $100 anytime soon, premium graphite irons shafts will remain premium priced for the foreseeable future. 

Q: Are DTC club & ball makers really helping golfers? Yes, they have quality equipment at much cheaper prices, but you can’t get fit for the majority and only a couple offer demos. Is this just an easier and cheaper way for golfers to play the club lottery? -@ssk77 

If you want to work one on one with a fitter to dial-in your next set of clubs, DTC probably isn’t right for you. The draw of DTC offerings is usually the price and a more personal experience with the brand. It’s also true that while fitting has the potential to help improve your game, not every golfer wants to get fitted. 

I’d wager stock, off-the-rack is still the most frequently purchased across nearly every category, so in some sense, DTC sales aren’t entirely different than most everyone else’s. 

Q: For a 7 handicap that uses older clubs (driver/3 wood 10 years, irons 6 years, hybrid and Vokey wedges 10+) what would be the choice to replace first? OR already being a 7, is it practice/play more important to get the 7 down to a 4. Which is more impactful on the handicap? – CiaoCiaoGolf

10+ years on wedges? 

Yeah…replace the wedges first. Like yesterday. Get fitted if you can. The grind matters.

Driver after that.

Q: Do I look like Bryson Dechambeau? – @connorscott28 

I wasn’t aware that employees were allowed to submit questions. 

Do you even lift, bro?

I mean, for sure you’re a few protein shakes short of full Bryson, but you could certainly be a cousin or maybe even a little brother. 

Bryson also dresses better. 

Q: What are the top 3-5 things that a weekend golfer can do to improve their game? – @Guard109 

Credit to Scott Fawcett as a good bit of this is simplified DECADE strategy.  

Keep the ball in play. Penalty shots and the doubles that usually come with them are scorecard killers. 

Choose better targets. Don’t chase angles off the tee (aim for the widest landing area). Likewise, don’t fire at tucked pins. Choose a target that avoids trouble and offers the highest probability of landing somewhere (anywhere) on the green. 

Forget about laying up to a preferred distance. The math says closer is always better, and there’s no guarantee your layup shot will put you where you want to be anyway. 

DDDS. I used to have that written on the console of my push cart. It stands for don’t do dumb sh*t.  

It’s a reminder that trying to pull off the miracle shot is a fool’s folly. Instead, when you need to avoid (or get out of) trouble, choose the simplest shot on the golf course – even if it’s a punched 9-iron that serves no other purpose than to keep bogey in play. Often, avoiding double bogey is a better strategy than chasing par. 

Best public course in Lake George area? – @jonathanB012 

The 12th hole at McGregor Links

As far as public goes …  

The Sagamore is a Donald Ross that overlooks the lake (at least one hole does).  

Saratoga National isn’t too far from the lake. It’s perhaps the most resort-y of the area courses. It’s nice enough, though I think most locals would tell you it’s not nice enough to justify the daily rate. 

McGregor Links is my home course. It’s a Deveraux Emmet design that while rough in places is incredibly challenging. There are no bad holes. 

Glens Falls Country Club is definitely NOT public, if you can find a way on (also a Donald Ross design), do it. It’s the best course in the area by plenty. 

Q: Are irons longer year over year like drivers claim to be? What are the 3-5 year results?  – @1975GENX 

There are a few things that have made irons progressively longer. Loft-jacking isn’t exactly a secret and shaft length has gotten a bit longer over the years as well. There are some trends that suggest that manufacturers are starting to rollback lofts a bit, so we might actually see distance dip a bit in the coming years as OEMs reprioritize launch, spin, and descent angles. 

That said, some manufacturers are creating more distance through face technology. PXG’s GEN6, for example, appear to be longer despite no change to length and loft from GEN5. Lower launch and spin are always a risk, but golfers chasing more distance likely don’t much care. 

Q: Is it bad if my clubs stay in my car all the time? Is it bad for them or is that just made up? – @BrandonSwords01 

Most of us do it from time to time, but yeah, it’s bad. High temperatures, like what you get in the trunk of your car during the summer months, can cause epoxy to fail over time. When that happens, clubheads can start flying off. 

Assuming the loose head doesn’t fly into a pond, it’s not the end of the world (re-epoxy and move on), but it’s better to keep your clubs out of extreme temperatures and avoid the hassle. 

Q: Is there a specific preference for a simulator ball? Is it necessary to play the same ball you play in the field for consistency or is there a better ball that should be used to practice with indoors? – Richie Dalitto

In any indoor environment, it doesn’t matter if you’re using a camera-based or radar-based launch monitor, the benefits (or consequences) of the aerodynamic package (dimple pattern) are going to be lost after the initial launch.  

Said another way, you won’t really know how the ball would have flown once it gets up in the air. 

That said, you’re still going to get the real speed, launch, and spin properties of the golf ball, so I’d recommend using the ball you play when possible. You won’t’ get the full downrange truth, but the rest will be consistent with what you experience on course. 

More Questions?  

As always, if you have any questions for the MGS crew (and they don’t have to be about the golf ball), drop them below for a chance to be featured in next week’s #AskMyGolfSpy!  

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