My extensive knowledge and skill set has helped golfers of all abilities in realizing their true potential for the game and I continue to practice my philosophy with a passion for success. I have the mind set that your success is my success as we work in partnership towards achieving your own personal goals.

Come and find out how we can help you to reach your golfing goals and take advantage of our Special Offer of free golf club evaluation and launch monitor assessment (HK$500 value) to find out if you are
getting the most out of your equipment and your game.

We’re open 4-11pm daily

Our Address:

Golf-Pro Shop
South China Athletic Association
88 Caroline Hill Rd
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

Tel:   (852) 2882 6878

Email: mark@precisiongolf.hk

Website: www.precisiongolf.hk

 Most people believe that club fitting is for those low handicap players and professionals and hope that one day that they will be good enough for club fitting. Let me tell you once and for all that club fitting is for everybody regardless of age, gender or ability. Everyone can benefit from customizing their equipment. Whether it is as simple as customizing your grip size or setting the loft angle and shaft profile of your driver club to maximize your driving distance, club fitting has distinct advantages over buying clubs off the rack. Think of buying golf clubs off the rack as walking into a shoe shop and buying a pair of men’s or lady’s shoes. Let’s take an average and expect everybody to wear this size of shoe. For some it will fit and for most it will not. Let’s say the average is size 8 but your shoe size is a 5 then you can be assured that you will not enjoy walking let alone running in that shoe and expect blisters sore feet with muscle aches and pains. As much I hate to think about – this is how most people play golf when they play off the shelf equipment.

 Your golf swing will inevitably change over time. Typically as your swing improves you should expect greater clubhead speed which will affect the deflection of the club shaft and the way the golf club lands on the ground at ball impact (lie angle). It is important that you see your club fitter periodically to check the way that your clubs are performing and make necessary changes. Typical changes include: increase or decrease in shaft flex and weight, swing weight and total weight, club lie and loft angle.

Data
The following data is compiled by the launch monitor after each shot.
-         Clubhead speed
-         Ball speed
-         Dynamic loft (loft of the clubhead at ball contact)
-         Launch angle (the angle the ball is launched when leaving the clubface)
-         Club head path
-         Clubface angle
-         Angle of attack of the clubhead
-         Rate of ball back spin and side spin
-         Displacement of the ball during and after flight
-         Carry and total distance
-         Efficiency or smash factor

How date is used to enhance the fitting process
The data from the launch monitor is particularly useful in fitting the driver club. Launch monitor is also useful in plotting incremental difference in shot distance between each club thus making it easier to work out the set make-up.
Traditionally it was believed that a ball that launched low and climbed higher during flight maximized shot distance when playing the driver. This method relied heavily on the ball roll after landing. Driver heads where designed with grooves consistent with iron club heads and were offered in lofts as low as 6 degrees. The problem here is that the main function of grooves is to encourage backspin. With the emergence of the launch monitor manufacturers and club fitters realized that a ball that spins too much creates too much drag against air resistance and hence the modern trend of offering drivers with higher loft and little or even no grooves began. Drivers with as much as 19 degrees are now available in the market.
The key to maximizing driver distance is to maximize carry distance. This is achieved by matching the ball launch angle and the backspin rate to the clubhead speed at impact. Simply the higher the clubhead speed the lower the launch and spin requirement. The lower the clubhead speed the higher the launch and backspin requirement. For example:
Clubhead speed of 100 mph requires a launch of 15 degrees and a backspin rate of 2400 rpm
Clubhead speed of 70 mph requires a launch of 21 degrees and a backspin rate of 3000 rpm

The optimum launch is achieved by matching clubhead characteristics such as loft weight and head design with shaft characteristics such as flex, deflection point and weight together with club length, total weight and swing weight (balance between the head and handle end of the golf club), together with your swing.
The angle of attack (or approach) of the clubhead to the ball is also a critical factor in maximizing distance off the tee. The angle of attack greatly influences the amount of backspin that is imparted on the ball at impact. It has been stated that the average attack angle on the USPGA tour is around 5 degrees and on the LPGA is around 8 degrees.

Testing shafts with varying shaft profiles during the fitting process aids the process of optimizing ball spin. Shaft manufacturers offer shafts with either low mid or high launch properties as well as high mid or low spin influences in many shaft weights. Typically slower swingers will be most suited to lighter, softer shafts with a high launch influence (low kick point) and faster swingers will be suited towards heavier, stiffer shafts with low launch influence (high kick point) however there are always exceptions.

History
The first launch monitor is believed to have been developed by Acushnet the parent company of Titleist Golf some back in the 1970’s. It featured a large mainframe computer with a camera that captured the ball and club at impact, and the ball about 12 to 18 inches into flight.
“Way ahead of its time,” Acushnet CEO Wally Uihlein said.
As with other advances in equipment, launch monitors are now portable, smaller and more efficient.

Types of launch monitors
There are currently two types of launch monitors in the market. One technology is using radar technology to track the ball its entire journey and the other uses high speed digital imagery of the ball and calculates the shot characteristics based on images immediately following impact. Both have their advantages however the radar systems do require more space in setting up. Perhaps the greatest thing about the expensive radar technology is that it confirms that the cheaper image based systems are in fact very accurate at calculating and simulating the actual ball flight and are a fraction of the price.
 
The Launch Monitor on Tour
 “There’s a lot of reasons the ball is going farther, and one of them is the launch monitor,” Jeff Sluman (PGA Tour professional) said. “You can really dial in the exact ball flight and get the right shaft and the right club, and that combination will maximize your potential off the tee.”
Brenden Pappas used a launch monitor for the first time two years ago while on the Nationwide Tour. He found the equipment for optimal launch angle and spin, and now tests himself every four or five months just to make sure his driver is reacting the way it should.  Pappas is tied with Tiger Woods at 10th in driving distance on the PGA Tour. “I’ve changed drivers to get extra spin on the ball,” he said. “If you don’t embrace technology, you fall behind. I use everything at my disposal. You’d be crazy not to.”

The launch monitor is not singularly responsible for players hitting the ball farther. It’s simply the catalyst for players being matched up with the best equipment — clubs, shafts, balls — for their game. “It shows players what it will take to play power golf,” said Bill Morgan, executive vice president of research and development at Titleist. “The information shows players how to make changes that give them increments of distance. For some, it was big. For others, it was not so big.”

Phil Mickelson showed at the start of his season in Phoenix how much he was putting that information to use. “The spin rate has been knocked down. The launch angle has been sent up. The ball is just taking on a whole different orbit,” he said in Phoenix. “From last year, I’ve got a 2-degree higher launch angle, 8 mph faster ball speed and about a 15- to 20-yard overall distance difference.”

Charles Howell III was still in junior high when he first went to the Callaway Golf’s test center and worked with a launch monitor. He came away with a lesson in engineering. “I learned that it was a lot of numbers involved in driving,” he said. “I had tried a bunch of different drivers. At that age, you’re just trying to hit the ball far, and you don’t understand why one driver goes farther than another. Now, you have numbers to put to it. I was lucky enough to have that when I was 13 years old.”

Dick Rugge, senior technical adviser for the U.S. Golf Association, believes the launch monitor simply speeds up the process of finding the right equipment. “It’s a catalyst,” he said. “It doesn’t create more distance, but it makes getting there quicker. Through trial and error, somebody could keep trying different clubs, balls and swings, and sooner or later they would get there. But the launch monitor makes it happen much quicker.”

Parents often buy clubs thinking that their son or daughter will grow into them just like buying clothes however, with golf, growing into your clubs is a very painful and unrewarding experience. Trust me – I’ve been through it.

It bothers me that many parents spend great time and money on their kid’s golf development like paying for instruction and taking out the course and often overlook the importance of their equipment.

What also bothers me is that many instructors do not understand the function of the golf club in playing the ball and the importance that the equipment plays in their student’s development.

Here are the factors you must consider for your child’s equipment.
- Are all clubs including the putter the correct length?
- Do the iron, utility and fairway metal clubs land flat on the ground at ball impact (= correct lie angle)?
- Does the shaft flex (amount of bend) match the strength and swing speed of your child?
- Are the clubs of optimum total weight and swing weight (balance between the head end and handle end of the shaft)?
- Do the grips of the clubs fit your child’s hand size and strength?
- Is there appropriate loft angle on each club to maximize control of shot distance?

Benefits:- Establishing the correct length and lie angle promoted good posture and balance in the swing resulting in increased athleticism and power.
- Having the clubs landing flat on the ground at impact ensure centre face or sweet spot contact resulting in increasing the distance that the ball can travel.
- Correct lie angle also increases control of shot direction. Simply think about what happens when you play the ball from a side hill lie. The ball flies of the right if the ball is below your feet and to the left if the ball is above your feet. Or think of what happens when an airplane turns on its side – the plane goes in a circle. This is exactly what happens to the ball if it is struck with a clubhead that is not landing with its sole flat on the ground at ball impact.

Remember that as your child grows his or her equipment must be adjusted for lie, length, grip size and shafts flex. This does not always mean new clubs. Clubheads made of stainless steel are adjustable for lie angle by 2 degree toe up or toe down and clubhead made of forged mild steel or soft cast stainless steel can be adjusted 6 degrees in either direction. Shafts can be extended by up to 2 inches without affecting the playability of the clubs too much although the head weight often becomes too heavy if lengthened too much as well as the shaft flex becoming softer.

In summary – if you are serious about your child’s development in golf strongly consider the importance of customized equipment. Constantly monitor their equipment with quarterly visits to your preferred club technician. A fifteen minute evaluation can make the world of difference to the development and confidence of your child.

Should you have any question please post below or contact me personally by phone or email.

Thank you for your attention and good golfing.

Mark Smith
Australian PGA
Hong Kong PGA
Nakashima Certified Master Club Fitter

Tel. 97750347
Email: mark@marksmithgolf.com

The best players in the world have always been able to change their equipment to match their game and course conditions by going into a Tour van and getting their clubs altered before a tournament. Now, with Interchangeable shaft and head Technology, everyone has that option. It could quite possibly be the wave of the future and a very simple way of custom fitting your equipment to suit your changing swing.

There are currently many club manufacturers offering their version of interchangeable head and shaft combinations with a range of customizability. One such company – Nakashima Golf – The originator and leader in interchangeable hosel technology – have developed possibly the most revolutionary driver of all time. Every aspect of the Nakashima Htec 460 driver can be customized: loft, lie, face angle, internal head weighting, shaft, shaft flex, club length, swing weight, gross weight and even impact sound. This allows complete optimization of your personal launch conditions.

In designing the HTEC, we felt that it was very important to take into account the needs of the master club builders that we work so closely with. A common belief that finding the spine of the shaft and placing that spine in its proper position when building the club is an essential element of making a higher performing driver. The HTEC body and the aluminum hosel each have twelve splines which help create a secure fit between the HTEC head and the hosel. These splines also enable club builders to place the shaft in one of twelve positions which will give them the ability to place the spine in its optimal position should they so desire. (John Nakashima)

The offset 12 spline hosel allows adjustment of face angle and lie angle (2 degrees in either direction)

The Nakashima Htec Driver head has been designed with a completely removable hosel made from CNC milled 7075 Aircraft-Grade Aluminum. This feature allows the Htec head to be quickly and easily assembled with any shaft for play and of course the all important fitting process.

All Nakashima drivers are constructed with a state-of-the-art 2-piece pull-face design. The body is vacuum cast from high-grade titanium and then the forged face is plasma welded in place. This design avoids any energy loss at impact, creating maximum power transfer.

The Nakashima forged face is produced with a proprietary process with super-micro forging. This forged face gives Nakashima drivers unmatched distance with a sound and feel unlike any other in the industry.

The Nakashima Htec Driver is the maximum USGA legal size which provides an unbelievably high moment of inertia (MOI) that creates a huge sweet spot for maximum forgiveness and distance on off-center hits. Its slightly shallower face with a slightly lower center of gravity produces more dynamic loft for a higher initial launch angle with optimal spin for unbelievably long tee shots with unmatched carry and roll distance.

Although these claims are from the company itself I can assure you that until now I haven’t found a driver yet that out performs Nakashima Golf’s 460cc and 440cc on the launch monitor and in play. This comes down to two main reasons. Firstly Nakashima Golf offers a vast range of shafts in their fitting system that caters for every golfer regardless of swing speed, swing type or stature. Secondly the scope of loft options (6 different lofts) in two different head designs allows the fitter to tune the launch angle and ball spin rates to optimize carry distance. Add to this the ability to adjust lie angle, face angle, internal head weight and even the sound – it just doesn’t get any better.

Specifications
HTEC 460cc
Lofts: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 ,11.5, 13 and 15 degrees
Lie Angle: 57.0 degrees
Construction: Multi-material design featuring separate face, body and hosel
construction
Body: Titanium
Face: Proprietary Super Micro Grain Forged Titanium
Hosel: CNC Milled 7075 Aircraft-Grade Aluminum
Connecting screw: Stainless Steel
Weight screws: aluminum, stainless steel, tungsten
C.O.R.: .830 (Maximum Allowable)

Oban Devotion
With various shaft weights ranging from 43 grams to 84 grams, the design pattern remains consistent throughout the Devotion Series, while kick points and torques vary depending on the weight class.

Materials
Ultra premium, high modulus graphite equate to better feel and performance.

Structural Design
High quality graphite utilized throughout shaft construction creates firm butt, mid and tip sections and provides inherent stability throughout the shaft load sequence.

Performance
Devotion 6,7,8 – Mid Launch. Low Spin. Responsive feel. Structural integrity throughout the swing dynamics. Ideal for the player who tends to create more load in the shaft with a quicker tempo.
Devotion 4, 5 – High Launch. High Spin. This shaft favors the lower swing speed player.

Fitting Notes – Precision Golf (Mark Smith – Nakashima Certified Master Club Fitter)
The Oban Devotion has fitting perfectly into our Nakshima Fitting system for golfers requiring lighter shafts with a high launch angle. In the firmer flexes the ball spin rate is optimized to provide greater carry distance.
The Devotion 4 can be set up with very light flex which set’s it up perfectly for the slower swingers in the range of 40-70MPH as well as golfers who load the shaft progressively due to smooth tempo.

The new 2009 NP5 Tour Forged irons are the most solid, easiest to hit forged irons ever made!

Features:
• Huge Cavity for maximum forgiveness
• Wide Sole Width for easy playability from all types of lies
• 1020 Carbon Steel for the ultimate feel in golf
• CNC Milled U Grooves produce the ideal spin rate for maximum playability in all conditions
• Available in durable double nickel chrome plated mirror finish
• Loft/Lie can be easily adjusted +/-4 degrees
• RH 4-Pw

Click here to View Nakashima Tour Forged Irons Range

The new 2008 NP2 Tour Forged irons feature the same classic lines as the flagship NP1 Tour Forged irons with the addition of a slightly wider sole and an increased cavity. These adjustments allow the NP2 Tour Forged iron to be played by a wide variety of players. Both professional and amateur will benefit from the increased control and playability. The NP2 Tour Forged irons are true billet forged from the world’s highest grade of carbon steel. This precise process insures the soft feel and sound preferred by better golfers. All grooves and logos are painstakingly CNC milled for precise control of depth and greater consistency, which in turn allows us to create crisper, more refined grooves and engravings. The new 2008 NP2 Tour Forged irons may be the most versatile irons ever. They feature the ideal combination of feel, workability, and forgiveness in a classic head design. Features: Full cavity for unbelievable forgiveness Increased sold width for consistent playability from all types of lies 1020 Carbon Steel for a solid, soft, consistent feel CNC Milled Grooves produce the ideal spin rate for maximum playability in all conditions Available in durable double nickel chrome plated mirror finish *All Nakashima irons and wedges are custom made to your exact specifications. (Loft, Lie, Shaft, Shaft Frequency, Club Length, Swing Weight, Gross Weight, Grip Style and Grip Size)

Click here to View Nakashima Tour Forged Irons Range