Inside the Leather

I should have made this post last Friday, but due to a lack of a camera it had to be postponed.  I’m still as happy as I was then though so lets get down to details.

Studio B is indeed a wonderful place.  From the selection of putters, the service, and the fitting experience there was nothing at all I could complain about except maybe having waited so long to go! For what it’s worth though this actually is my very first putter that wasn’t a gift (previously I was using a TM Daytona Rossa).  I figure though if you’re going to do something you should do it right. 

So without further ado lets take a look at my new girl…  

[Show as slideshow]

Isn’t she gorgeous?   And wow does she perform.  This last weekend I went out and, on tougher greens, shaved 14 putts of my previous week’s round!

So a huge thanks to Ben Bradbury @ Studio B.  His patience and guidance, I tend to be indecisive, was invaluable.  And a big hats off to Mr. Bettinardi for making such fantastic putters.

So if you’re in the Chicago area and want to experience the best in service and game one of the nicest flatsticks around then head to Studio B!

This weekend was not the one I had envisioned.  Ideally I had hoped to play two rounds of golf and possibly even a third, but sadly only one round happened.  The reason though was a good one;  my playing partner managed to hurt his back pretty bad and we were forced to skip playing Friday & Saturday.

Monday though was another story.  After much rest (and many prescribed drugs) Garon and myself were able to meet up with his aunt & uncle for a round at Foxford Hills.  So with the wind gusting and the weather warm we embarked down a beautiful course.

The round started off okay with me just missing par and happily taking a bogey, but it quickly went south.  Hole #2 found me in trouble with the driver and it’s a tune that would be sung repeatedly throughout the day.

Overall my iron & wedge work was pretty decent and spectacular at times, but it couldn’t overcome the horrible approaches I was leaving myself with off the tee.  If there is a silver lining though it’s I figured out the Nike SQ Sumo² 5900 is not the driver for me.  I really wanted to like this club because I love their Hybrids, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  The driver that is for me though and will most likely be purchasing this week is the TaylorMade Tour Burner, but that’s all for another post.

The highlight of the round though was my putting.  Although not perfect, I still had a few 3 putts and even a 4 putt, I did have 14 less putts than my last round and that makes me a happy camper.  Mad props to Garon though… he had 5 putts through the first 4.

So all in all not a bad day.  I honestly think that if I can manage to get my putting on track at the same time as my driving I could be shooting mid 90s easily.  If I can manage to do that and keep my OB and pop up flys (I must have lost 6 stokes to moving the ball 5 feet) to a minimum I should be in the mid 80s!

Tune in tomorrow for my thoughts on Studio B and pics of the new flatstick.

Thats right tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. I will be heading down to the putter studio of the legendary Bob Bettinardi.  It’s funny how much boys like their toys because I feel like a kid during the days before Christmas.  Last night dreams of putters danced through my head and every minute seems like an eternity.

For those you may be unfamiliar with the name Bettinardi I offer my sincerest apologies because the beauty of his creations rivals if not exceeds that of the other great craftsmen.  In fact here is a bit of trivia… Did you know that between 1993 and 1998 everything that came out with Scotty Cameron’s name was actually made in Bettinardi’s shop?

So back to the important topic though… the trip to Studio B.  I’m lucky enough to visit this flagstick-wonderland because the studio is actually located outside of Chicago.  Once there it basically works like this (or so I’m told)

1. You select from the assortment, which is always changing, the putter head that best suits your eye and stroke.
2. You are then measured for length and the putter is assembled with your choice of shaft and grip.
3. You are then fit for lie and loft on a 60-ft indoor green equipped with a four-camera laser vision system.
4. You walk out of Studio B with one of the finest crafted putting instruments, specifically tailored for you, that anyone has ever seen!

And welcome to my personal Golf Blog/Journal “Inside the Leather”.   Before we talk about why I’m here though lets cover some vocabulary.

Definition: “Inside the Leather” is the measurement used to determine if a putt is a “gimmie.” Of course, gimmies are against the rules. But if you are playing a casual round and only casually observing the rules, you might encounter an “inside the leather” measurement.By near acclamation, when gimmies are being used in a casual round, a ball that is “inside the leather” is a gimmie. “Inside the leather” refers to the grip on the golfer’s putter (grips were once made of leather).

To measure, place the putter clubhead inside the cup on the green. Lay the putter flat on the putting surface, extending back toward the ball. If the ball is between the cup and the bottom of the grip (i.e., if the ball lies next to the shaft part of the putter), the putt is said to be “inside the leather” and, therefore, within the gimmie distance.

Now unfortunately I don’t leave too many shots “Inside the Leather”, but hopefully thats going to change as the season moves on.  I’m taking a lot of lessons this, my first year, and it’s my goal to consistently shoot in the low 90s before the year’s end.

So tag along with me for the journey.  I’m hoping to keep everyone updated with my scorecards as well as my instruction progress and my general thoughts and happenings in the world of golf.  It’s a great and wonderful game and I’m glad to have fallen in love with it!