Mike Adams: Outliers Don't Exist in Golf

Today we’re going to dispel a long-held myth that we can’t fit for wedges indoors.  Such is not the case. 

The process starts with having the proper mat so that we can analyze turf interaction.  Just any old concrete, worn out mat won’t do the trick.  In actuality, the right mat can be just as good as hitting shots of proper turf.  Nonetheless, having the right mat is imperative. 

If you listened to our previous podcast, you know that we’ve launched our new SMS line of wedges.  When fitting indoors for these wedges, the process starts with one of four grinds.  Each grind is designed for a specific type of player based on swing and body type.

Next, we put the weight in the center of the golf club, then adjust it based on what we find. 

One of the most common questions we get during the fitting process is, how do we determine the correct bounce?  It starts with looking at launch angle and subtracting it from the true loft of the wedge.  This is determined with the use of a launch monitor.  While it might sound complicated, it’s rather simple in practice. 

The final step is determining the right shaft.  We have 18 to choose from. 

Normally, we determine shaft weight by looking at spin rate and length of backswing.  If you have a shorter backswing, a lighter shaft is going to be better.  By comparison, the longer your backswing, the heavier shaft you’ll need. 

Determining shaft flex is a function of how hard you hit the golf ball. 

The best part is that this entire process is that it's simple. We’ve always prided ourselves in our wedge fitting – being the best in the business at what we do. The system we’ve created with SMS line is our best yet. 

For a lot of folks, doing a fitting outdoors this time of year is a challenge due to the weather.  The good news is that an Edel Fitter near you can accomplish the task inside.  Head over to EdelGolf.com and a fitter near you.

Thanks for listening!

We're back! It’s good to be back and I wanted to kick off by talking about our SMS wedge that we launched last year. It incorporates the Swing Match Weighting System, which utilizes three weight ports in the back of the wedge.  Two dummy weights are light and one is heavy.  Our fitting system allows us to optimize these weights based on every person’s swing type. 

This system is centered upon the leverage we put on the club as we swing. It took some experimentation to come up with it, but what we eventually found was that there’s a dramatic difference in both ball flight and how a club feels when we move weight from the toe toward the heel. 

By putting weight in different aspects of the golf club, you can customize the variables in your swing that match what you’re intending to do.  That’s exactly what SMS allows us to accomplish. 

Mike Duffey, a leading biomechanist from Penn State, led the way in crunching our research as we studied golfers of all different body and swing types using our prototype wedges.  What we found was that there was a 44% improvement in downrange ballistics (peak height, total distance, left and right deviations) and a 10% increase in spin when the weight was put in the correct place for the specific player.  Even more, only 24% of people needed weight in the middle of the golf club. 

Why the Swing Match Weighting System matters is so you have the weight properly oriented in the club and allows golfers of all types to optimize their motion to achieve desired results. Make sure to check out our SMS wedges at Edelgolf.com. 

Heath is a four-time PGA Tour winner and getting ready to start competing again after a hiatus.  He recently went through our putter fitting process and said it was “it was very eye-opening… It opened my mind to what I was missing for such a long time… I’ve got a putter and wedges in my bag I know I can count on.”  For Heath, “Understanding is knowledge, and knowledge is power.”

Here at Edel, we’re about to release our new wedge line which has variable weighting.  Heath says this new line of wedges “blew my mind… in terms of weighting, feel, and flight.”  For him to make these changes is pretty remarkable.  He’s a guy that doesn’t like to change equipment much.  His irons are four or five years old. 

When I asked Heath what he would tell his younger self, he says it would be “to learn more.  To educate myself on the little things I know now… You can get to the end result quicker, with less effort.” 

He also had some interesting things to say about how things have changed now, compared to when he first got out on Tour.  Today he “sees a lot of speed.  The power game is there... short games have improved too.” 

As hard as it might be to believe, putter fitting hardly exists on Tour according to Heath.  More often than not, players are putting with something that’s being pushed by a manufacturer, not necessarily the right club for them.  Heath stresses how important getting this part of the equation right is.

At Edel, we’ve also started using BioMech technology in our putter fitting process.  There’s nothing on the market quite like it in terms of the information it provides real time.  Heath’s using this technology as well and has nothing but good things to say.  The best part is, it’s affordable for almost anybody. 

The key to all of this is matching proper aim and speed, with biomechanics.  Once you put these three pieces of the puzzle together, it’s pretty hard to make a bad stroke.

We can’t thank Heath enough for taking time out of his busy schedule to join for a conversation.  His insights are unique and useful for any golfer that wants to get better.  We have no doubt that he’ll find success in the coming years as he resurrects his game.

Welcome back to another edition of the Edel Podcast.  Today, we have the pleasure of sitting down with my longtime friend, Mike Adams.  To this day, Mike continues to mentor both students and teachers.  He’s a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and has worked with the majority of the Top 100 Teachers.

I ask Mike what biomechanics means to him.  He says it’s “It’s the study of human movement and how people move in time and space.”

Mike got started in the biomechanics sphere when his wife retained a ski injury.  The doctor that performed her surgery, Dr. Steadman, worked alongside Dr. Chuck Dillman who was the biomechanist for the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.  “Dr. Dillman and I became friends and started working on projects together.”  Through a lot of time and toil, the pair came up with different body types and how they relate to the motion of swinging a golf club.

As time wore on, the pair, with the help of Dr. Ned Armstrong, developed a “testing system to find out what students could and could not do.”  This revolutionary process screens players for six things: wingspan vs. height, middle knuckle to elbow, elbow to shoulder socket, right hand grip, external shoulder rotation, and lower body pivoting.  The screens “give teachers a blueprint to move forward with their students.”

When Mike describes the Ultimate Golf Lesson, he recounts the first one he did last year with Terry Rowles.  The event also featured some of the leading authorities in biomechanics and how their research and findings relate to golf.  He used force plates, video, launch monitors, and three-dimensional technology.  The premise was that “it’s better to test than guess.”

Mike and I both maintain that it’s vitally important for the teachers of today to take these measurements and properly apply them to their students.  Where teachers get into trouble is trying to fit all their students to a single methodology.  That’s why these scientifically backed screenings are so valuable.

In order for teachers to continue to improve their craft, and in turn get results for their students, they have to be continually learning instead of repackaging information that already exists.

Mike and his partner Terry Rowles are about to release a new book.  It’s based on the two Ultimate Golf Lessons.  Their goal is to write the “the most extensive golf instruction book ever written, backed by science.”  If you want to become a better instructor, this book is a must read.

Terry and Mike are also hosting a webinar that starts in February.  In the webinar, the industry’s best biomechanists and instructors are going to explore all the quantitative information they’ve realized.  It’s not meant just for instructors, however.  The information is accessible for players of all levels that have a desire to improve their game.

I ask Mike what he wants his legacy to be.  His response is that “I contributed to helping people get better.”  Pretty simple and modest for one of the game’s greatest teachers.

This podcast is chalked full of game-changing information so be sure to set aside a few minutes and give it a listen.

As always, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us at the workbench on the Edel Podcast.  We’ll see you next time.

Welcome back to the Edel Podcast.  On this week’s installment, we have the pleasure of sitting down with Terry Rowles.  Terry is a Top 100 Instructor who works with a host of PGA and LPGA Tour players.  

When I asked Terry who some of the other people he’s been influenced by, he said “technology has been a good friend… and before that I worked with David Ledbetter in the late 90’s and early 2000’s which stimulated me to think about a holistic approach to golf…” 

Terry points to the importance of teachers understanding how the body works as it relates to the golf swing.  It’s absolutely critical.

He says there’s two pieces to being a great teacher.  “First is having an understanding of the game… we’ve got to look at a golfer and see what the skills they need to score better are… Second you have to be good at listening… Who is this human being in front of you and what are they asking for?”

When we talk about biomechanics as it pertains to golf, Terry thinks “it’s quantifying movement… to enhance performance or reduce injury.” Biomechanics gives us “the framework to understand where we are on a map and how to move forward.” 

For modern teachers, Terry stresses that understanding biomechanics and how to properly apply them is a long process.  Unfortunately, not enough teachers make the necessary investment to go through the process.  In order to be an industry leader, these skills have to be mastered.

Through the process of quantifying the movements of the best players in the world, Mike and Terry have learned two things.  First, that what players are working on usually coincides with their biomechanics.  Second is that these players are so good, “they don’t usually need to make big changes.” The key is determining what the right things to work on are in a biomechanic sense.

According to Terry, the ultimate golf lesson involves biomechanical tests that determine what a player needs to do with their golf swing in order to improve.  Keep an eye out for his upcoming book. 

What’s so great about Terry and Mike is that “they aren’t just teachers, they’re teachers of teachers.” To that end, their ideas have proven tremendously beneficial in helping other instructors learn and therefore, allow their students to see real, tangible benefits.

As it pertains to fitting, Terry thinks the key is  “matching up all the pieces so that you can go after it hard… it’s a matter of matching up the offense and defense.” 

If there’s a single pinch pin where the golf swing goes wrong, Terry says  “Average is the enemy… if Matt Kuchar and Dustin swung ‘in the middle,’ they wouldn’t be the players they are… We need to fit the golf swing (and therefore equipment) to the way a person’s body is supposed to move.” 

We’re all too thankful for Terry taking the time to sit down at the workbench with us today.  If you’d like to learn more about his ideas and teaching philosophies, head over to his website and tune into the full podcast above.

As always, thanks for hanging out with us here on the Edel Podcast.  We look forward to being with you again on our next episode.

 Today, we’re lucky to be joined by Mike Schy.  His coaching philosophy and methods have helped thousands of golfers improve from beginners to Tour Players, including Bryson DeChambeau.

More than anything else, Mike is passionate about helping people.  Even more, he thinks outside the box.  That’s evidenced by the work he’s done with players like Bryson DeChambeau. 

His philosophy on teaching constantly evolves.  He’s always seeking out new information and loves to learn.  He says, ”the longer I do this the less I know.”  Unlike a lot of younger teaching professionals, Mike refuses to put his students in a singular box.  It takes time to learn who students are as golfers, and as people. 

Concerning Bryson, Mike knew he was different from other players around the age of 12 or 13.  “He was smart, had a passion that was unlike anything I’d ever seen…”  As a teacher, Mike has learned that great players like Bryson, “have to discover things on their own… It’s my job to help facilitate that.”  A great example of that was Bryson’s discovery that playing single-length equipment made the most sense. 

Mike has some interesting thoughts about why people are so hesitant to try playing with single-length irons like Bryson.  “It’s because of what he does.  His golf swing looks funky.”  Coupled with the fact that the clubs are so upright, he uses jumbo grips, and wears odd hats, he doesn’t conform to what most everyone else is doing. 

Mike thinks that the biggest advantage of single-length irons is that they make the game easier to learn.  Because the clubs are the same length and weight, beginners aren’t having the learn a bunch of different swings.  For good players, the consistency that single-length clubs afford is undeniable. 

When I asked Mike about what club fitting means to him as a Golf Professional, he said fitting clubs is like buying a pair of shoes.  Of course, you’re going to try them on before you buy them.  Golf clubs are no different.  Club fitting is “absolutely essential.” 

As for the direction of his instruction in the future, Mike was very candid when he said “I don’t know and that’s probably a good thing…”  One he absolutely maintains however, is that “you have to understand the makeup of a player way before you start developing a golf swing.”  Even more, he’s working to understand more about biomechanics and the mental side of the game. 

Now that he spends so much time out on Tour, Mike learns a lot through observation.  “I’m observant.  I love watching other teachers and players and learning about what they do… There’s a big difference between being a teacher and a coach.” 

Any time I get to spend with Mike is always a treat.  I really appreciate him taking time out of his busy schedule to sit down and pass along some of his wisdom to our listeners. 

If you’re interested in learning a little more about Mike, visit MikeSchy.com.  Should you happen to be in the Fresno area, be sure to stop by Dragonfly Golf Club and take a lesson – you won’t be disappointed.

Welcome back to the Edel Golf Podcast.  Today we’re taking another listener question about aim markings on a driver and aim bias in regard to offset vs. no offset.

The question specifically reads “how does the same aim bias due to lines on a putter also apply to markings apply to other clubs in the bag such as the driver?”

To answer this question, let’s start with a story from a longtime Edel Golf friend, Lon Hinkle.  After we did a putter fitting with Lon, he said to me, “you know what, I’ve switched to a driver that looks a lot like this mallet putter.”  In comparison to his recent switch from an angular and closed driver to a more round and bulbous, concluding that aiming a putter is just as important as properly aiming all the other clubs in the bag.

This leads us to discussion of the popular notion that blade clubs with little or no offset aim farther right and clubs with more offset aim farther left.  In reality, the opposite is true.  We were surprised when we came to this realization that turned conventional wisdom on its head.

In the end, there’s no denying that aim markings on a golf club absolutely effect aim bias.  The same can be said for paint patterns and top lines.

If you’re curious to learn more about how aim markings and other factors impact directional bias, all you need a laser and mirror to do the test for yourself.  Listening to the podcast above is a great place to start.

As always, thanks for your questions!  We can’t wait to sit back down at the workbench and help you understand and learn how to play your best golf.

Usually when golfers forward press, they’re “trying to take something away.”  Some people say they need something to get the stroke going.  In reality, the reason they “can’t get the wheels going is because they know if they stay in the position they’re in at address, with the aim bias that accompanies that issue… they know that nothing good is going to happen from it.”

Let’s talk about what a forward press is.  It’s the “changing of a vector… which is a power angle, like hitting a cue ball with a cue…”  In general, forward presses are trying to take away left aim.  This delofts the putter and opens the face. 

The problem is that people forward press so much that they create negative loft which is terrible for trying to roll the ball truly.  Even more, it makes both speed control and direction difficult to achieve. 

While there’s most definitely something to be said for having a trigger, like a forward press, to get things in motion, the negative variables that it brings about tend to create more serious issues. 

In the end, a little bit of forward press can be good.  However, most people do it too much.  For some players, it works great and by all means, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.  However, if you’re forward pressing and not seeing the results you want, it’s probably best to try and negate the motion as much as possible.

Thanks for tuning into to another episode of the Edel Podcast.  We are always hearing from our listeners so feel free to drop us a comment with your thoughts below. 

We’re lucky to be joined in-studio by In Gee Chun.  She’s twice been a major champion on the LPGA Tour winning the Evian Masters and U.S. Open as well another LGPA event.  Altogether, she has 14 worldwide wins. 

When I asked In Gee Chun about the things she’s learned from the Edel fitting process, she says it changed her “whole perception of the game, especially the scoring clubs.”

Going through the fitting process, one of the things she learned most was about the right setup for her game and her confidence has grown significantly. 

As it pertains to wedges, finding the right grind has been a game changer.  She says “I can’t use any other wedges anymore.”  With the new grinds, she’s able to make solid contact out of trouble lies more consistently.  Again, the result has been a big increase in confidence. 

For In Gee Chun, the “scientific approach to golf makes all the difference…”  That’s what we’re all about at Edel Golf – using science to help you find what looks real and feels real. 

The Perception of Reality 

If you listened to Bryson DeChambeau talk during the U.S. Open, he spoke about this very concept with his putting and how his goal was to match both perception and reality.  

The secret to becoming a great player is to “match what you see and match what you feel and match it against reality.”

When it comes to selecting a putter, most golfers take what they see and feel, and hope that it matches reality.  It doesn’t have to be that way because there is an exact science to all of this. 

More than any other part of the game, putting is a perceptive process.  The validity of this process can be found immediately by using a laser on the face of the putter to see where it’s aiming.  Even with all the focus patterns that putters come with (lines, head shape, length, colors, etc.), it’s astounding that “only three percent of golfers we’ve tested can aim their putter correctly.” 

The question becomes what causes so much aim bias?  

1. The answer is that we all perceive things differently.  

What makes us so proud of the job we do at Edel Golf is that 96% of the people that get fitted for a putter by us, can aim their putter precisely and correctly. 

2. The other prominent perceptive process in putting has to do with speed.  

When golfers struggle with speed, it’s usually a weight issue.  That’s why having a putter that’s properly weighted to your perception of what speed is, is so important. 

When we’re able to fit golfers with putters that they can aim correctly and are correctly weighted, the end result is confidence. 

“Confidence is knowing you can do something and having the result match the intention… Confidence comes from doing something over and over…” 

What’s cool about the process of putter fitting is that it’s fluid from one golfer to another. Sure, the tenants and mechanics are rooted in science but that science is applied differently to every individual. The key to becoming a great putter is understanding your process and perfecting it. 

At Edel Golf, we’re here to help you learn the process and equipment that works best for you. We have fitters all over the country that know how to fit putters correctly.  All you have to do is reach out to us and find one.