Fluidity

You have to hold onto everything in life with the right amount of grip pressure. Too tight and you lose power, too loose and you risk losing control.

Just like love, sometimes you need to let it go and if it’s true it will come back to you. So it is with Nike. They have been on my team from day one and I have appreciated everything that they have done for me and would never want to sour our relationship, but it’s time for me to play the field a bit and see what else is out there as far as gear is concerned. I simply cannot afford to put all my eggs in one basket blindly without knowing what else is out there and what it means to try different equipment. This journey demands exploration on all fronts and gear is an important part of the game and not one that can be taken lightly. I have literally never played a round of golf with anything not branded Nike (outside of my little driver experiment last month) and for better or worse my curiosity has me yearning for some side-by-side comparisons. I’m not sure where this blog is going to take/leave me, but the scientist in me needs to know more about what gear is available. So, I am making a grand assumption that if I branch out and test some other gear but end up liking the Nike best that they will continue to provide the necessary gear for the rest of The Dan Plan. You know what they say about assumptions, though… I’m perhaps making a business mistake, but until I sign official sponsorship papers that delineate what I can and cannot carry in my golf bag I think that it makes sense to experiment a bit.

I wasn’t 100 percent open when I last talked about trying a different driver in that I have had it in my bag for the past 6 weeks or so. The one that I have been using is the TaylorMade RBZ 9.0 Tour. What I have found with that driver is that I swing it faster. I noticed that I was hitting the ball farther and couldn’t figure out what it was about it that made this happen. I took it out for a lesson a couple of weeks ago where my former coach had a FlightScope set up and swung it side-by-side with my Nike VRS 9.5 and found that with the Nike my swing speed was about 101mph and with the TaylorMade it was 107mph which is a huge difference and creates about 12 more yards of carry. I was surprised and didn’t know how that was possible, so took the club into the Nike club fitters to see if they could figure out what the differences were. We weighed everything and found out that the TM was about 24 grams lighter than the Nike. The head was 9 grams lighter, shaft 5 grams lighter and grip was 10 grams lighter. That lighter weight allowed me to swing the club faster and produce more distance.

With a faster lighter driver comes a bit less reliability. I kept a second driver in my bag for a while as the 14th club and when I would hit on a tight driving hole would pull the Nike as I knew my miss was a slight blocked fade and when I had an open hole I would pull the TM to try and blast it out. As time progressed I started using the TM more and more and when I added the 60 degree wedge I actually took the Nike out of my bag. I’ve been playing the TM solely for the past couple of weeks.

I’m not sure how much of a difference gear makes, but I suppose that is the point of this testing period. If I didn’t explore the options I might spend my rounds thinking that there could be something that suits my game better. Those thoughts introduce doubt and this isn’t a game where you can afford to carry doubt in your bag. So, I’m going to use the driver example and, for better or worse, try everything I can get my hands on to see what is available and how it could help or hinder my progress. I’m excited about this phase of the project and hope that it doesn’t offend any manufacturers or close any doors. I’m not sure what will be in my bag a year from today, but by exploring all of the options the outcome will be confidence and that’s really the only stick you need.

On a closing note, I have been talking about this with some people I trust for the past few months since I first started pondering gear and they keep telling me to “remember what The Dan Plan is about; it’s not about getting a sponsor, it’s about getting as good as you can get.” No matter what happens, I’m going to continue to learn, have fun with it, and become the best golfer that I can possibly be. One hour at a time.

To kick start this, what gear does everyone love to play?

18 Responses to "Fluidity"

Jeff says:

November 2, 2012 at 7:37 am

I think this is a good thing, Dan. My first inclination when I started reading this post was to fear you might be burning a valuable bridge but we both know Nike would never provide any equipment if they didn’t see something in it for them and they would stop at any time for the same reason. Why should you be more loyal to them than they would be to you. You have to put the spirit of the The Dan Plan first.

Also, to your point, I have been a Titleist fanatic for about 15 years. I have also been dead set against Ping because I never liked the way their irons looked. My clubs are all past due for replacement. My brother just got the Ping Anser driver and pushed me to try it so I did a swing test a few weeks ago with the newest Titleist driver, the Ping Anser, TaylorMade’s RBZ and the Callaway Razor Fit. The Anser averaged 17 more yards than the next closest driver! Needless to say, I have shut up about Ping and now carry the Anser in my bag. Try them all and play the clubs that make you the best golfer you can be!
Richard says:

November 2, 2012 at 7:57 am

I think it’s great that you’re exploring other equipment. Personally, I’m not a super huge fan of Nike clubs, but that is strictly a perception thing – I have no play time or statistical data to support my view. Currently, I play Titleist everything and I’m pretty happy. If I were to switch, I’d probably go to Taylormade, Ping, or Cleveland
Steve says:

November 2, 2012 at 8:14 am

Dan,

I agree with your desire to try other equipment. Keep in mind that the driver, although and important piece of equipment, is only used at maximum 14 times in a round. And as many of the more experienced golfer know, we never use the driver that many times in a round. I would suggest that you focus on your scoring clubs. The wedges and the flat stick. In a given round you may average 32 putts which is 40% of your strokes on a round of 80. As you get closer and closer to scoring par you will surely find that the most beneficial use of your time will come from the short game practice. Although, not as sexy as hitting the big dog, the wedges and putting will alter your handicap the most for the good. Best of luck with altering your equipment my friend.
JMM says:

November 2, 2012 at 9:51 am

for irons you can’t go wrong with Mizuno. they are honestly the best in the business and very underrated in my opinion probably because of the fact that they dont sponsor any big name players besides luke donald and dont produce as many advertisements as other companies(i.e. Taylormade) I recently switched from an old set of cobras to mizuno mp59s and am absolutely in love with them.. for wedges its personal preference but cleveland and titleist vokeys are the best in the business (i personally play vokeys). A putter is very personal but i like the scotty camerons the best. Best of luck finding new clubs!
cdvillasenor says:

November 2, 2012 at 10:36 am

Dan, even Phil Mickelson is playing an RBZ 3-wood in China this week so don’t be tricked into thinking you have to be one brand top to bottom. I play Adams woods/hybrids and I LOVE them. I have Nike Pro Combo irons and wedges. My putter I’ve had since 1986… I say play them all and you’ll figure out what works for you.
Griff says:

November 2, 2012 at 11:08 am

Good call Dan. Also test out various lofts, and find out what works for you in a competitive environment. Many golfers find that a lower lofted driver is wonderful in a range environment, but a slightly highly lofted driver can keep more shots in the short grass. I’ve tested everything from a 7.5 to a 11.5, and game a 10.5 that is actually right at 10.2 loft. Used a TM R9 11.5 last year, and it seemed like I couldn’t hit it crooked, which is a great feeling with the big stick. I would be very hesitant to mess with your irons, if you like the feel, and distance control, but check out various fairway woods, hybrids and wedges. I am a big fan of Adams Hyrbids, and Cleveland wedges. To me, it doesn’t get any better than a original 588 tour action wedge.
Frank Flickersome says:

November 2, 2012 at 11:43 am

Rory is about to find out why Nike is not the top selling golf equipment, they told him that they could copy his Titlist irons and put a Nike swoosh on them. What does that tell you about Nike irons?
williamevanl says:

November 2, 2012 at 12:30 pm

I see you are starting to delete comments now, **sigh**

on an unrelated note:
Dan, “There’s no reason why you can’t continually improve”
Chris M. says:

November 2, 2012 at 2:21 pm

I love to play Mizuno irons and my Newport 2 Scotty Cameron putter. I’ve played Mizuno irons for 13 years now. I played MP-14s for ten years and have been playing MP-52s for the past 3. I’ve been using my Scotty Cameron for the past 14 years (sure I’ve tried others during this time, but I’ve always come back to Scotty).

My driver has been where the most change has taken place. It seems like I’ll pick up a new driver every other year or so. I’m currently playing a Taylormade R-9 Superdeep that I love, but I’ve got a Diablo Octane Tour Black looking for some playing time too.

Good luck with your search. I think it is the right thing to do. My only advice would be to get properly fitted for anything you are going to commit to. Mizuno has a great shaft optimizer analysis that can probably be used with any set of irons you may be interested in. However, you’ll need to find a good club fitter when it comes to the endless shaft options available for drivers.
David says:

November 2, 2012 at 2:59 pm

I’m all over the map. My bag is like a package of skittles. Mizuno MP-53 irons, Titlesit 910 D2 Driver, Tour edge CB4 3 wood, Adams Idea Pro Hybrid, Cleveland CG 15 wedges, and a Ping wolverine putter. My loyalty belongs to no brand, I’ll use whatever gets the ball in the hole the best.

Although, Mizuno and Mirua irons are by far my favorite, the Japanese are geniuses when it comes to clubmaking.
David says:

November 2, 2012 at 3:07 pm

Hey Frank, doesn’t Tiger do the same thing? It’s not like what he’s playing you can buy off the rack.
James says:

November 2, 2012 at 5:35 pm

Make sure you try the Adams a12 irons with the KBS shafts. Best in the business bar none!
Todd Marsh says:

November 3, 2012 at 6:41 am

Dan,

I think it is good to try other equipment. I demo clubs all the time. I have found that some clubs fit your swing better than others. One never knows until they try it and as good as Nike has been to you there is no contract to hold you to them. I am not sure of your website traffic but it must be pretty busy, plus you do the speaker circuit and have given Nike some exposure. Don’t feel guilty unless you have verbally lead Nike on.

I use Ping irons even though they weren’t the longest I hit as I hit the Ping higher and at my distance control is more consistent with them than others. This year I switched from the Ping G15 driver to the Ping I20; it has a more penetrating flight with less backspin so I get more roll.

Interesting theory with the 10,000 hour deliberate practice.
Dan Persoff says:

November 3, 2012 at 6:49 pm

Your coments are interesting Dan. On the one hand I feel that it should not matter what equipment you use, and that it is a distraction from working your personal improvement, on the other hand, I think that if you are having fun trying different things, that is a good thing, the more fun you have, the better.
Jason says:

November 4, 2012 at 1:45 am

I concur with JMM’s comments – I love Mizuno irons and think they are very under-rated. But I’m not wedded to any brand as I use Ping woods, Mizuno MP-52 irons, Cleveland wedges and a TaylorMade putter. I have just migrated to the equipment with which I feel most comfortable/confident and thus give me the best chance of hitting my best shots. Let’s face it, it’s a tough enough game without trying to play with clubs that don’t suit you but carry the “all-important” logo…

Keep up the good work, the great blog and good luck with the new coach.
Crane says:

November 4, 2012 at 10:13 pm

Tournament –
I been wondering about your mindset in tournaments.

I hope you have an opportunity to meet pro’s who excel at tournament golf. But here’s a bit of what it appears from the bleachers.

Everyone wants to win the tournament, but it seems that some people have to. There is some mindset of intensity, that begins to grow through the tournament.

There are all sorts of names on the leader board on Thursday evening, but consistent four rounds and a hunger for the fourth seem to separate the herd.

Perhaps some mental coach could help you acquire that urgency. Also, help to have a sense of calm and confidence under pressure. In my job, that is what separates folks during promotional exams. Some ramp it up, and calm down all at the same time. You can see them key up the intensity, but remain within themselves so they can stay focus, and not miss important new information.

Not sure if this helps, and you probably already have better advice, but winter hours are short on sunlight, so some reading and research might be helpful.

Crane
Tom says:

November 6, 2012 at 11:39 am

I think that until you are scratch or better, equipment doesn’t make any material difference. I think focusing on equipment is a distraction from what is important. I also think that in the case of the driver comparison that doing that comparison just one day is not meaningful. You should try it at least two more times. And, even then, the gain of a few yards while losing accuracy is probably no bargain.
Justin says:

November 6, 2012 at 1:36 pm

I’m still barely out of the beginner stage, but I’m on my 2nd set of clubs, and I love my Mizuno irons and wedges that I currently use and was surprised to see a few comments supporting them

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