Editorial: It’s been a hectic first year at St Andrews
It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since AGT opened its new Custom Fit Centre in St Andrews Links Golf Academy. The time has just flown by, so much so that this issue of AGT News is long overdue. Moving premises and expanding the business has kept us fully occupied and it is only now that we have found the time to update the website and compile another newsletter.
AGT’s Custom Fit Centre is now well established as the leading facility of its kind in the country, offering a range of products and services unmatched elsewhere. As a result we now provide full equipment support to the top international players from the Scottish Golf Union (SGU), the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association (SLGA) and the Scottish Institute of Sport. It should be noted however that over 80% of the players coming through the centre are regular club golfers, keen to improve their game through equipment customisation. Feedback from customers has been excellent. All have enjoyed the new St Andrews experience.
The PGA Show in Orlando at the start of the year was even more exciting than usual with KZG organizing the first IPAC Expo to announce the launch of the International Professional Association of Clubfitters. We gained much valuable information and have since successfully introduced the revolutionary Balance Certified system of butt weighting into our putter fitting sessions (see below). Ed Robertson was again recognised as one of KZG’s “World’s Top 100 Club Fitters” for 2007.
Both KZG and Miura have introduced great new products this year and these will be discussed later.
All in all it has been a hectic but exciting start to our new venture at the Home of Golf. Make a point of visiting us in 2007. We’re sure you will be impressed by our new high tech facility.
Product News: KZG launches two new flagship drivers
There’s a simple reason why the Gemini driver continues to win awards throughout the golf industry: It outperforms all of the competition. Armed with KZG’s innovative Twin-Face Technology, the Gemini consistently produces longer, straighter results with off-center hits than any other club on the market.
The Gemini II 460cc is the latest addition to the range. Check out the recent survey of drivers from Golf Test USA where the Gemini II was voted the most accurate driver of those tested, including the two latest square headed drivers from Callaway and Nike. KZG’s Twin-Face Technology is the key to the Gemini’s unbeatable distance and accuracy.
At impact, the second titanium plate behind the hitting surface helps transmit energy to the perimeter of the clubface. The result is a greatly enlarged sweetspot, making off-center shots fly further and straighter than ever before.
For those of you with directional problems off the tee, KZG’s latest GF 460 could be the ideal solution. Unlike other variable-weight drivers, the Gravitational Force (GF) Technology weight portals are positioned deep inside the head, where changes in weight and center of gravity have the greatest effect.
This means more than simple presetting for shot shape. With a selection of screws weighing 1.5, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 grams, the GF technology system gives the professional clubfitter precision tools to optimise an individual golfer’s launch conditions for maximum distance and accuracy.
If you’re an avid player and want to tweak your driver to perfection then this is the club for you. With the numerous weight options you can adjust the swing weight, center of gravity, spin rate, draw or fade bias, and trajectory.
Visit our products page for further information.
Feature Article: What's new at the AGT Custom Fit Centre?
Putter Fitting
Every golfer can benefit from holing more putts and often what is preventing you from doing so is a badly fitted putter. Most putters on the market are 35 inches in length and as such, will only fit a small population of tall golfers. For the rest of us a 35 inch putter puts us into an unnatural address position with the wrong lie angle, leading to poor stroke mechanics and missed putts.
So whether you are in the market for a new putter or whether you would like your existing putter retro-fitted, customising your putter makes a lot of sense. With the correct length and lie it acts like a guide stick, putting you in the correct biomechanical position to putt well.
If
the putter requires to be cut down then doing so can make it feel a bit light, with a lack of feedback at impact. To rectify this we have introduced the Balance Certified system of butt weighting putters. This inevitably results in improved distance control, better roll and a nicer feel at impact.
The SAM PuttLab system is also available for those players who would like to fine tune putter loft. The ideal loft on a putter depends upon the player’s rise angle or lack of it and the position of the clubhead relative to the hands at impact. SAM PuttLab measures both of these parameters. By optimising these, the player achieves optimum ball roll, a key factor for successful putting.
Tour Van Gold
Good though it already is, our TVG service for advance players has just got better with the addition of putter fitting to the initial 2 hour session and a software upgrade to our database. We will adjust your putter for length and lie and you will also have the option of testing the innovative Balance Certified System.
Our TVG database software has been totally re-written to include some useful new features. Members will soon have the option of accessing their own TVG data from their home / office computer. This will include Trackman files. So if you have had a session on Trackman the data will be saved into a pdf file and linked to your TVG records.
Provided you have Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download) on your computer, you will then be able to review all the shots you hit on Trackman. Personal data will be protected by password entry. The SGU, SIS, and SLGA coaches will likewise be able to access TVG information related to each player under their care.
We will also be able to e-mail members with any announcements of special offers or updates to the service. Existing members will be notified in due course of the introduction of an annual TVG subscription. The £30 annual subscription will entitle you to bring in all your clubs at the end of the season for a full equipment check and adjust. This will enable us to update your database records with any new equipment spec. It will also entitle you to a further year of 10% discount pricing at the Custom Fit Centre.
Driver Shaft Testing
We have replaced the clubheads in our Htec fitting system as some customers didn’t like the 1 deg. closed clubfaces on the original heads. We have also added considerably to our range of high performance test shafts.
We now offer a full range of Matrix shafts, together with the top performers from Aldila, Grafalloy, UST, Fujikura and Graphite Design. Matrix has a reputation within the golf “techie” community as the ultimate in shaft performance. The Matrix Ozik series are some of the most expensive shafts around so it makes a lot of sense to test them prior to buying. However if Oziks are somewhat outside of your price range, Matrix make a wide range of shafts to suit the pocket of every player.
The Matrix Studio series offers a selection of additional flexes at three weight levels. The fact that all our shafts are aligned also gives the player confidence in the knowledge that they are test hitting a shaft in its best performing position. The combination of our flexible Htec fitting system and Trackman’s unique ability to measure ball flight, enables us to select the correct combination of driver loft and shaft selection for optimum driving distance and accuracy.
Trackman
The Trackman flight monitor is under continual development and the latest version of the software has some really exciting new features. No longer can it be referred to as simply a ball flight monitor as it now measures the 3 dimensional movement of the clubhead through impact, providing additional fitting information such as club path, clubface angle, dynamic loft and attack angle.
These new parameters give the clubfitter a much greater understanding of how the club has interacted with the ball at impact to provide a particular ball flight. For example if the player is experiencing a low launch angle and a high spin rate then we can use the additional club parameters to explain the problem and how it might be addressed. If it requires a coaching solution then the academy PGA instructors are always available for some helpful advice.
Product News: Miura models get a new look
The Miura MC101 has been replaced with the new MC102 model and the CB201 has been replaced with the CB202. Compared to the previous models, the CB202 now has a thinner topline, a slightly rounder toe and a sleeker look, whilst the MC102 has a new sole grind, a more rounded toe and less offset.
The softer appearance and the updated graphics have given the new models a more modern look without any loss of Miura’s renowned performance or feel. The Miura Wedge Series is a proven legend. Now, in addition to the classic satin finish it is being offered in noble black. This new model offers extra spin and stunning good looks. Visit our products page for further information.
Special Announcement: Academy vouchers make great presents!
If you are wondering what to buy as a present for a keen golfer, why not give them a Trackman custom fit session (£55) or if they are a category one handicap player you might consider a Tour Van Gold package (£100). This comes in the form of an attractive academy gift voucher with the person’s name printed on it.
The player can then arrange a convenient time for the session. A visit to our Custom Fit Centre at St Andrews is a unique experience and you can rest assured that your gift will be much appreciated by the recipient. Contact
Us for further information.
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