If it’s not you, it’s someone you know: the guy who drives with a 3-wood because he can hit it farther than his driver. Why is that, you ask? The same lift and drag properties than keep airplanes and Frisbees in the air are what keep golf balls in the air. Too much spin equates to too much lift, and shots will tend to balloon, resulting in a loss of both carry and roll.

The three operative ingredients of the equation to Max Out your game are synchronizing your ball speed with the right launch angle and spin rate. While clubhead speed may give an indication of potential distance, until your game is evaluated at a facility like Max Out Golf Performance Laboratory, you’ll never be certain if you are loading the shaft as efficiently as you can or if you are getting all you can out of your game. If this sounds more like rocket science than golf, in part, it is. Welcome to the brave new world of high-tech clubfitting.
Long before my own game hit the national scene, I was tinkering with golf clubs for no other reason than to see if I could play better. My wife didn’t mind, because she knew I was in the garage and not out playing poker with the guys. If you called my house in the early days, Rickie would just tell you I was out. It quickly became apparent there were no real standards for measuring shafts, balls, clubheads, etc. I started to measure every product I could get my hands on, and quickly discovered huge discrepancies from one product to another, even among the same manufacturer. This held for clubheads and especially shafts. A “regular” shaft from one may have the same bend characteristics of another’s “senior” or “ladies” – and I wanted to do something about it.

And so, with the help some fellow golfers and investors, we developed what we believe is the most sophisticated science-based clubfitting system in the world. At Max Out Golf, we use a proprietary gauntlet of launch monitors, wireless shaft load analysis tools, high-speed cameras, and sensors combined into the Integrated Golf Measurement System (IGMS).

Though the four billion dollar golf equipment industry cranks out new clubs year in and year out, most are designed for the “average” golfer. The problem is, there are no average golfers. This under-publicized truth is the basis by which we make equipment recommendations. Everyone’s swing is unique and each golfer needs to play with clubs that best address how he or she strikes the ball.

The Experience
At Max Out Golf, clubfitting is a dynamic process – and that means hitting balls. Lots of balls. Upon arrival, you’ll fill out a Player Profile Assessment detailing your game, types of courses you play, ballstriking goals, etc., while your existing clubs are measured. Then, on to one of the high-tech hitting stalls for a few warm-up shots. The goal is to combine a player’s talent and technique, with the right technologies available in the game today.

A wireless transmitter is strapped to your wrist with a small cable leading to the shaft of a special club that measures your “shaft load profile.” This is the first component of IGMS, dubbed ShaftMax, another Max Out Golf innovation. Basically, it measures how much load you put on the shaft, including when and where it bends and releases. This helps determine the best flex, bend profile, tip section and gram weight for your swing. During the process we’ll also help find ways for you to be more efficient in the way you load the shaft, which will result in longer and straighter shots.

For the next two hours, you’re hitting balls while other IGMS components (LaunchMax monitor and VideoMax analysis) diagnose ball speed, spin rate and direction, launch angle and flight characteristics as you try different clubhead/shaft combinations. A computer plots your progress until you find just the right shaft/head/grip/ball combo (Max Out Golf pioneered a “quick connect” system that lets you try out different shaft/head combos in seconds). Equipment really does matter, and most customers see 20-50 more yards – with the right equipment – instantly.

Think what ball you play doesn’t matter? Think again. Average golfers can’t make use of the popular balls pros use because they don’t compress the ball enough. Compressions on tour balls run as high as 117! Too much or too little spin means lost distance, even if you have a Tiger-like swing. Recent testing has show spin rates vary from 2,969 rpm’s to 2,245 rpm’s among 30 leading golf ball brands when struck with a driver by a robot, and spin rate discrepancies from 10,194 to 5,711 when a robot hits wedge shots!

Getting your clubs
After arriving at recommendations for irons and drivers (and yes, there is a full high-tech putter evaluation and fitting service as well), don’t expect a hard sell on the latest clubs in stock. Max Out Golf is vendor-neutral, and not affiliated with any one club manufacturer

About Max Out Golf
Founded by former US Amateur Champion Mitch Voges, Max Out Golf is the game’s most advanced performance laboratory, combining high-tech custom golf club fitting and retail equipment sales. The Official Performance Lab and Fitting Center for the PGA of Southern California, Max Out Golf has locations in Sherman Oaks, Palo Alto, and Beaumont, California; White Plains, New York; and London, England. Max Out Golf is not affiliated with any golf manufacturer, yet can source and tailor customized sets from any of the world's leading golf companies. For more information please visit www.MaxOutGolf.com.

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