Tag: Golf ball compression

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GOLF

Off Season Golf Simulator Goals

SIMULATOR SEASON EXPECTATIONS

As the 2020 Golf Season in Ontario comes to an end, the Simulator Season begins. The last three off seasons I have utilized Golf Simulators to work on specific aspects of my game. Understanding the limitations of a Golf Simulator is the first thing you should be aware of when planning your Simulator practice. Some of the limitations are obvious. You can’t work on your bunker game, or recovery shots from awkward lies in a Simulator. There are a few limitations that aren’t so obvious. Having a perfectly balanced platform to hit off of is a limitation. Having to aim your shot previous to setup is a limitation. Even the technology of the Simulator can make certain shots impossible. For instance I use a Chipper out on the course but most Simulators read them improperly.

Most people would assume that hitting off perfectly flat ground is an advantage, but it isn’t. I used to wear my most comfortable shoes in a Golf Simulator. I found out the hard way that weight transfer is quite different if I am wearing something other than golf shoes. You can’t dig in or rely on your cleats to help you remain steady during an aggressive swing. In fact I used that understanding to focus on swinging with more precision to gain distance instead of faster. Aiming is quite different in a Simulator. You can’t just adjust your stance and play for a Push Draw or Pull Fade. You first need to adjust the aim point with the software to account for a Push or Pull. Then let your swing dictate how far the ball Draws or Fades. If you make the adjustment at Setup instead of with the software that can cause many Simulators to read it far too extreme, and guarantee a terrible result.

Last Off season I focused on improving my consistency with the Driver. The work I did in Golf Simulators definitely helped. Driving is actually one of the best skills you can practice in a Simulator. It takes the mat out of play, and in most cases the even ground in a Simulator is similar to what you have on a Tee box. It’s about as close to the real thing as you can get. I was able to work on my Setup, Takeaway, Club Face control, and Finish position in the Simulator. The practice worked and my consistency has improved. This Off season I will continue to work on my Driving. Only this time my focus will be on improving my Launch Angle.

Something I have really focused on lately is improving my quality of contact with my Irons. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to work on your Iron striking in a Simulator. First of all most hitting mats are quite forgiving. Bad strikes can read as good strikes depending on the surface. Secondly you can’t take a divot hitting off a mat. So there isn’t a visual indicator of where your club bottomed out. Lastly Irons are more likely to be hit off uneven surfaces in real life. A Simulator can provide you with a false sense of security in your Iron swing because every shot is perfectly level.

Now fortunately I have come up with a way to practice my Iron striking that provides me with a way to measure my quality of strike. Here are the numbers from a perfectly struck 7 Iron.

7 Iron perfection

For a full explanation of how I improved my Ball striking. CHECK OUT THE FULL VIDEO ON IGTV.

So if your Golf Off season is about to begin, and you are serious about improving. Find something that you can effectively work on in a Simulator, and stick to it.

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GOLF

TAYLORMADE PROJECT A VS SRIXON Q-STAR TOUR

Srixon Q-Star Tour Golf Balls

About halfway through this golf season I switched from the Taylormade Project A golf ball to the Srixon Q-Star Tour ball. After a few months of play with the Q-Star Tour it’s time for a comparison.

Both balls are specifically designed for golfers that swing their Drivers at a little less than 100mph. Both balls have a 3 layer design with a Urethane cover. In other words they should be perfect for me.

The Project A has a 322 dimple pattern, and 70 compression.

The Q-Star Tour has a 338 dimple pattern, and a 72 compression.

COMPARISONS

DRIVER

Neither of these balls have proven to be the longest balls off the Tee for me. That Award belongs to the Nike RZN Red unfortunately. A ball that’s no longer in production. That being said the Srixon Q-Star Tour is slightly longer off the Tee than the Project A. Both fly relatively straight, but like any 3 piece ball will slice or hook if you hit it poorly. Both balls promote a mid to high ball flight but don’t sail too high.

Taylormade Project A 3.5 out of 5

Srixon Q-Star Tour 4 out of 5

WOODS AND HYBRIDS

Both balls performed great off my 3 Wood and Hybrid clubs. Once again the dimple patterns and ball compression promoted a high ball flight. That made long approaches into Greens less daunting. 2 piece balls rarely hold the Green off my Hybrids, but these 3 piece balls landed soft enough to attack Pins. There was almost no difference in Hybrid distance, but the Srixon Q-Star Tour did travel further off the 3 Wood. The Project A generated a little more spin so it held Greens slightly better. I was able to hold Greens with my 4 Hybrid from 180 yards out with the Project A. That’s ridiculous!

Taylormade Project A 4.5 out of 5

Srixon Q-Star Tour 4 out of 5

IRONS

Once again both balls performed great off the Irons. When attacking Greens with an Iron in hand it’s hard not to smile. I used to club down and aim for the front of Greens with 2 piece balls expecting about 5 yards of roll out. With the Taylormade Project A, and Srixon Q-Star Tour I can take aim at the flag and stick it. In fact if I opened the club face just slightly I could spin the ball back a couple yards. This allowed me to play shots to the back of Greens for the first time. The opportunities this provided me in certain situations was amazing. If ever there was an argument to switch to a premium 3 piece ball that would be it.

Taylormade Project A 5 out of 5

Srixon Q-Star Tour 5 out of 5

SHORT GAME WEDGES AND PUTTER

My Short game is very consistent. I don’t have that many different shots that I use around the Greens. I prefer to use Chip and Runs whenever I can. I hit flop shots when necessary, and I occasionally hit a one hop Pitch shot. Chip and Runs are actually a little more difficult with 3 piece Urethane covered balls because they want to check up. As a result of that I was forced to hit them a little harder than what felt natural. Hitting flops over hazards or out of bunkers was a blast. Even out of the Rough I could generate a fair amount of spin. The Srixon Q-Star Tour was a little more durable which surprised me. The newest Spinskin is far more durable than the original version. Off the Putter I found the Project A to be a little more responsive. It felt a little hotter off the face which is great for me because I have a tendency to leave putts short.

Taylormade Project A 4 out of 5

Srixon Q-Star Tour 4 out of 5

CONCLUSION

Obviously I was impressed with both balls. If you add up the scores it’s a tie, but the numbers don’t tell you everything. For me there is an obvious winner, and that’s the Srixon Q-Star Tour. If I was a naturally longer hitter than I would have chosen the Taylormade Project A. I love the amount of control, and Spin that I can generate with that ball. It’s also a pleasure to putt. The additional distance I get with the Srixon Q-Star Tour is impossible to ignore though. An extra 10 yards can make a world of difference on some doglegs, and it Spins well enough to attack Greens. In other words it’s the better ball for me.