Matt Bannister

Hello Golfers,

Welcome to this week's newsletter keeping you up-to-date with all the goings-on at Stevenage including a birdie-blitz in the Pro Shop Challenge and we take a look at our latest speed clinic too. This edition is being brought to you by Ryan as Matt is currently away. Enjoy the read.

Pro's news

Best scoring match to date...

First up is the round up from the latest Pro Shop Challenge.

This time Luke and I took on Carl Schulz and Wikus Nortje. It is safe to say this was the best scoring match to date in the 9 hole match as we made 5 birdies and an eagle to shot 5 under combined and lost by 3. We actually walked off the golf course a little deflated if you can believe that.

It started on the first where Carl made 4 nett 3 out of the trees and over the back of the green, then followed by two very boring nett pars, one from each of the team. The next two holes each team contributed once again this time in birdies. So the team at this point is tied with the pro shop team, then Wikus happened.

It started with a very steady 5 nett 4 on the sixth, followed by a 4 nett eagle on the 7th hole. However, if Luke and I weren’t beaten enough by this point, Wikus then made 4 nett eagle on the 8th hole to go 8 under through 8. Luckily, Wikus missed his 6 footer for nett birdie on 9 otherwise it would of been a whitewash.

Some very good playing from the lads and it will be the score to beat this year.

Add more speed to your game!

In Matt's absence this week, I also covered his superspeed clinic. Having used and had much success with the sticks myself I’m always interested to see how others are getting on using them.

Unfortunately Gill had to miss this session due to playing requirements, but it was the second session I had seen Malcom for and, I must say, I’ve been very impressed with Malcolm’s development throughout the program.

This week was the start of level 2 for Malcom, adding kneeling swings into the standing and step-in swings from level 1.

Malcom did very well considering the step up in intensity and said he has got a lot from the 6 week course. He now feels he hits the ball better and the distance he did before on a bad hit, and even longer on the good ones.

If you want to hit the ball further too, then the next SuperSpeed class starts on Thursday 18th July at 7pm.

The course will run for 6 weeks with a 45 minute session each week going through the protocols.

The programme costs £200 but that includes the SuperSpeed sticks which are worth £200 themselves, so basically you are getting the 6 week sessions for FREE.

You can book in online via the button below.

book SuperSpeed clinic >

Know your rules: Bunkers

Playing out of the sand is tricky enough without complicated rules getting in the way. Fortunately, golf’s hierarchy rewrote the rule book (literally) and from January this year we've been able to do a few things in the sand that we never could before.

So, what are these new-fangled rules and what do you still need to watch out for in order to avoid a penalty?

What you CAN do:

Touch or move loose impediments in a bunker (local rule previously)
Touch the sand with your hand away from the ball
Ground the club in the sand away from the ball as long as you're not testing the sand

What you CAN’T do:

Deliberately touch the sand to test its condition
Ground the club next to the ball when playing the shot
Touch the sand on a practice swing
Touch the sand when making your backswing

message the team >

Hands up...

...if the only time you 'practice' your wedge play is when you hit a few shots at the start of your warm-up routine? Sadly, this isn't going to lead to a dialled in wedge game, which is one of the fastest ways to see your scores come tumbling down.

1 club. 3 swings. 3 distances.

Sounds easy, right? Well, it could be but first there are two things you must do in order to start saving shots.

1. Correctly gapped wedge system - What we mean by this is having an equal gap between each club in your bag, so you're never left trying to 'manufacture' a shot on the golf course (this is where large numbers start). Cobra's MIM wedges are perfect for exactly this reason, coming in a range of lofts from 50 to 60 degrees so you have every distance covered with your wedges.

2. Have 3 distances with each club - As per the graphic above, if you became comfortable with full, three-quarter and half swings with each of your wedges, you’ll find that your wedge play becomes seriously more effective.

So now you know the secrets to lower scores, it’s time to utilise our expertise and professional advice in order to start unlocking your full potential with your wedge play. Come and speak to a member of the team next time you're at the club.

find out more >

I hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter. As always, if you have anything that you'd like to contribute please speak to one of the pro shop team. I'll see you at the club over the coming days.

Stevenage Golf & Conference Centre
Aston Lane
Stevenage
SG2 7EL

Phone: 01438 880424

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