Equipment maintenance
Taking care of your equipment is an important part of playing your best golf. Here are some tips:
- GRIPS. Perhaps the most important part of your equipment is the handle; and its immediate relationship with your hands. Invariably, we see people who need new grips. Why are your grips so important? If a grip becomes worn or slick (and this will happen over a period of time because your grip absorbs the oil and dirt that is released from your hands), you will need to squeeze it more tightly for control. That added grip pressure is bad, very bad. The harder you hold the club the slower it (swing speed) travels. If you play more than once a week, you should get new grips every year. To maintain your grip throughout the year; take some powdered detergent and put it on a damp cloth. Rub the handle (grip) with the damp cloth and dry it immediately with a dry towel. This gets out all that hand oil and returns the grip to its elasticity. If you play less frequently, change your grips every two years.
- SPIKES. Another often overlooked, but equally important part of your equipment, are the spikes on your shoes. Nowadays, we should all be wearing soft spikes on our shoes (they are much less invasive on greens than the old steel spikes). Your frequency of play would determine, how often your should have your spikes replaced but a good rule of thumb is that once the spike has started to wear down, get new ones. Those spikes provide the traction that your feet need for good balance and once they wear down, you lose traction.
- GLOVE. After playing your round, don’t stuff your glove back into your bag. Doing so, will have the glove lose its shape and feel. The best way to increase your glove’s life line is to lay it flat in a ‘ziplock’ bag; but you can also put the glove over the head of an iron (doing so will let it breathe and allow it to keep it’s shape, much better.)