Whether you are a weekend hacker or a recovery master like Rory McIlroy or Justin Thomas, the wedge is your tried-and-trusted friend to get that ball on the dancefloor.

But discovering which is the right fit for you is no quick fix, and almost every golfer will have a different suggestion when it comes to choosing a lofted club. 

Just like any other part of the game, if you are starting out — or deciding the wedge in your bag is not doing the job — visit your local pro or club fitter to try out the full range on offer. You will be surprised just how many, and varied, options are out their, and you can get the right fit tailor-made to suit your needs. 

In the groove
While it can be a wrench to part with a club that has seen you through the best and toughest of times, every top pro will tell you a wedge is the club that needs replacing more often than the others. 

If you are a weekly golfer, chances are you will see a decline in performance after around two years of regular use (75-100 rounds). This is, as you may expect, down to general wear and tear, with the club face seeing a lot more of the ‘dirty’ side of the game (rough and sand) than, say, a driver or putter. 

Even range use takes its toll, as harder range balls can impact the endurance of your wedge significantly.

“The grooves on the face of wedges tend to get worn out after frequent use and this can result in a drop in performance,” says Dean Cheesley, CEO of eGolf Megastore. “The main areas that get impacted, the launch angle, spin and control, are clear indications that it is time for a replacement.”

If you are seeing a drop-off in performance around the fringes, it might not be you. Double-check the face of your club, especially if it is on the older side. If you are loath to part with your pal, a specialist club-fitter should be able to get it re-grooved. However, as is often the case, sometimes a club is past its best and it is time to go shopping. 

What suits?
As mentioned above, every player is different, so the needs of their wedge varies. However, it is generally agreed that a pitching wedge should be a few swingweight points (amount of weight in the bottom two thirds of a golf club compared to the top third) heavier than a player’s 9-iron, with a lob wedge a slightly more again.

Then comes the bounce and grind.  Bounce is the angle of the sole measured against the ground. The more bounce, the more the bottom of the club is raised and prevents it from digging into the turf and sand.

The grind on a wedge is the geometry of the sole, which can be manipulated by ‘grinding’ material from the heel, toe, trailing edge and leading edge to perfect how the club interacts with the turf. 

Again, this is a process that is almost unique to every golfer to get the most out of your club. Grinding will help create a steeper or shallower swing, depending on each golfer’s needs, and a visit to your local club-fitter is a must to get the perfect result.

As a rule of thumb, steep swingers benefit from wider soles (high bounce) and those with a shallow swing gain more from a narrower sole (low bounce). Each to their own.

How many?
To complicate/simplify matters, depending on your view, some pros recommend golfers carry a mix of high and low-bounce options in their bag for versatility as terrain around the greens is varied and sometimes one option is better than the other, regardless of swing. 

Of course, you can get too much of a good thing, and it is recommended that a golfer does not go too heavy on the number of wedges in their bag (remember, for every wedge, you have one less elsewhere). It is suggested that a long wedge (120 yards) to the shortest is used to begin with until a player finds exactly the right fit for them in terms of distance, spin and control. If you have more than four wedges, maybe a visit to the pro is in order. 

TaylorMade Hi-Toe Milled Grind (RRP AED 835)
TaylorMade Golf may have produced the leading all-round wedge in the Hi-Toe 3 — capable of producing the entire range of short-game shots to help unlock creativity and save strokes around the green.

The post Get your groove back: Getting the most out of your trusty wedge can make all the difference to your game appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Games are made by long drives, but they are lost on the final few inches.

Just ask Will Zalatoris, possibly the best young golfer on tour.

His key failure: getting it in the cup from the dancefloor.

Zalatoris is notorious within 10 feet for lipping out, over-hitting and leaving it short.

On Thursday at Southern Hills during the PGA Championship, he had a simple two-footer. Most would line up and drain. Will missed…

Will Zalatoris struggled yet again with the putter
at the PGA Championship. Maddie Meyer/PGA of America/Getty Images

That — granted, along with 71 other dramas — cost him a major. I could count on four hands the number of ‘gimmes’ he left hanging. None more so than in the playoff with Justin Thomas, when the best friend became Will’s worst enemy once again.

Zalatoris seemed to conquer his demons on Friday and Saturday to put himself in contention at Southern Hills, but come money-time on Sunday, he was let down by the flat face once again. And it cost him as JT took the Wanamaker Trophy home. Zalatoris missed out due to his putter.

HELPING HANDS
It is probably the most neglected ‘club’ in the bag, but it will be the difference between a par-72 or an 80 on your card.

eGolf have tapped into this and they are at the forefront of new technology to boost your confidence the next time you are faced with a tricky 10-footer, bobbly tap-in, or a 35-foot left-to-righter.

REALITY
We have all seen simulators, right? 

Alongside their bespoke club-fitting, eGolf Megastore has also launched a new fitting system to get that putter in gear.

It may sound strange but custom-fitting a putter is as crucial as getting dialled in for a driver or wedges.

In the recent expansion of its Al Quoz store, eGolf has equipped itself with the Middle East’s first-ever Quintic Ball Roll System to offer an in-depth analysis of a player’s putting stroke in an experiential putter fitting.

This may sound convoluted but, again, just as Will. How many strokes have you added to your card by missing a simple putt?

The Quintic Ball Roll System offers you the best possible solution to any issues you may have: think Trackman for the green… 

The Quintic Ball Roll System offers you the best possible solution to any issues with the putter

It is used around the world by Bettinardi, TaylorMade, Ping and Callaway to name a few. The Quintic Ball Roll System is the No. 1 choice across the globe, regardless of ability, and even the ‘Scientist’ Bryson DeChambeau — he of the biggest drives in the game — is a follower. Big names such as Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Yuka Saso and Xander Schauffele are also fans.

THE BREAKDOWN
The technology utilises a high-speed camera which tracks the golf ball for the first 16 inches of the putt. The numerous metrics captured by the software include the tracking of the putter head both pre- and post-impact, the launch angle, skid, backspin, sidespin, bounce, ball speed and the point at which true roll begins, with specialists on-hand to analyse the data.

TAILOR-MADE
Made-to-measure Quintic putter fitting will start by first establishing the current specs of the golfer’s putter, including loft, lie, shaft length and the grip size, shape and style. Further to these static measurements, eGolf’s state-of-the-art system and pros take note of each individual’s specs — including height, wrist-to-floor height and hand size — and these specs are kept in a personalised database for each player to track their progress over time, looking at key factors such as speed, launch angle, spin, skid and initial ball roll.

IN THE HOLE
This data allows the Quintic specialist to suggest adjustments in the golfer’s current putter or a total change in the design, be it the face, head shape, hosel type, face inserts, grip style or shaft length. It’s at this point where the fitter can make a comparison between a variety of putters from each of the brands.

The final outcome of the comparison would result in all the stats from the Quintic software showing a noticeable change from the start of the fitting to the end of the fitting, highlighting the most suitable putter for each player’s putting stroke. 

It may sound a bit technical, but when all rolled into one, it will get the golf ball rolling smoothly on the greens and players can avoid the sort of nightmares that are haunting Zalatoris …

PERFECT FIT
“We chose Quintic because it has the most accurate parameters, for both the ball and the putter, of any other system on the market. It has become the system leading putter fitters use to fit the best players in the world and with the amount of data points it provides, it can make a substantial improvement to amateurs’ games as well,” explained Dean Cheesley, CEO of eGolf Megastore.

The post Face the facts: It can be your best friend or your worst enemy — how to get the best out of your putter appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
The UAE is now at the forefront of the global golfing scene, and more and more players — from pros to beginners — are coming to the region to enhance their game.

Of course, this is not possible without the right equipment, and eGolf Megastore has always been on hand to guide golfers in the right direction, from picking up your first set of clubs to a bespoke bag, just right for you.

With a new-look store in Al Quoz, Dubai, we caught up with Dean Cheesley, the man behind the whole operation at eGolf to explain how everyone can get involved.

RELATED: Driving further as eGolf Megastore expands Al Quoz branch

It has been quite a journey for you and the company. Can you sum up how we arrived where we are?
It has been a journey indeed! We are largely where we are today due to our loyal customers and the decisive leadership from our department heads and store managers. In retail terms, although it seems longer to many that we have been operating stores, eGolf is still a young company with only six years since opening our first physical retail store in Dubai. 

This month in particular commemorates the anniversary of 10 years since eGolf’s first customer, an online sale which took place when eGolf was a start-up from home. A lot has changed since then, for sure, and we are very thankful for our customers and their ongoing support towards the eGolf Megastore brand, we’ve been fortunate and caught a few lucky breaks in between.

You have recently expanded your Al Quoz flagship store. What was the thinking, demand and vision behind this?
Customer feedback over the past couple of years was that our club-fitting area had gotten too busy and the lack of physical space was having an impact on their overall experience in the store. It became clear that our once subscribed notion of making the area ‘cosy’ for our customers had since become too ‘cosy’ to continue to offer a first-class fitting experience. So with that in mind, the decision to increase the number of club fitting bays from two to four and modernise the area allowed us to keep pace with the growing demand and offer a premium fitting experience that our customers were looking for.

The eGolf flagship store has expanded to help cater to demands

The technology you now have in store is cutting edge. Tell us a bit about your latest arrivals and how your team help cater to each golfer’s individual needs and playing style.
Our latest arrival is a SST PURE Shaft Alignment machine which is a rare piece of technology present at every Tour event and is the company’s largest capital investment into its club fitting technology to date. SST ‘Pureing’ is a process which is used by more than 75 per cent of players on the PGA Tour including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland for greater consistency, accuracy and distance from the golf clubs and has seen over $2 billion made by players on the PGA Tour using the technology. In its simplest terms, all golf shafts have imperfections caused by the manufacturing process and these imperfections are known to cause off-line twisting and bending during the golf swing. When a shaft is analysed by the SST PURE machine, its most stable or ‘Pure’ position is identified and marked before it is installed into the clubhead. Anyone who plays golf can benefit consistency and accuracy gains from the SST process, not just the elite and tour players who use SST ‘Pureing’ on their own clubs each year.

What other changes and technologies have you introduced to the new extension area?
We have also introduced the first Accredited Quintic Ball Roll Putting Lab in the UAE to offer advanced-level putter fittings. Quintic Ball Roll System is often referred to as the ‘Trackman for Putting’ and utilises a high-speed camera which tracks an significant amount of club and ball roll data the first 20 inches. Quintic is the preferred putting analysis software used by the major club manufacturers including TaylorMade, Callaway, Bettinardi, SIK and Ping during product development and Tour-player putter fitting. The addition of our new Quintic Putting Lab is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure that golfers in the region have access to the very best Tour-level technology which is available in other markets around the world.  

You recently opened the J.Lindeberg store at Dubai Mall, which their CEO referred to as the new global flagship store during his recent visit to Dubai. What was the thinking here and why open a single brand only store?
J.Lindeberg has been one of the top selling golf apparel brands in the Middle East over the past couple of years. Its popularity continues to rise following the injection of new executive management, design and production teams under the direction of new Chief Executive Officer, Hans-Christian Meyer. Coupled with this, rising stars such as Viktor Hovland and Nelly Korda have brought additional focus and attention to the brand with their ascension into the top five and world No. 1 rankings respectively. As one of the world’s most desirable fashion-forward brands, our decision to open a new global flagship store at the Dubai Mall allows us to introduce J.Lindeberg’s luxury fashion, athleisure, ski and racquet lines to the Middle East and the high-volume of tourists that visit the Dubai Mall each year, and we’re very excited about the new store.

eGolf boss Dean Cheesley with J.Lindeberg CEO Hans-Christian Meyer at The Dubai Mall store

What has been your biggest learning about the UAE golf retail landscape over the past decade?
Today the consumer is far more astute than they have ever been. Before coming into our stores, customers are well read up about the latest products and brand offerings and have high expectations around product knowledge, service levels and in-store experience. This bodes well for the continued evolution of the golf retail space in the UAE, as eGolf Megastore will continue to elevate its standards to meet and exceed our customer demands.

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The post Get in the groove: eGolf Megastore helps make the game simpler for all, thanks to ground-breaking technology and new store appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
As a full European Tour venue since 2018 and runner-up in Golf Digest Middle East latest biennial ‘Top 10 Courses of the Middle East’ ranking, Al Mouj Golf enjoys a richly deserved global reputation.

Now the three-time Oman Open venue boasts another quality connection after appointing eGolf to manage the Al Mouj Golf Academy and Pro Shop.

The partnership with the Middle East’s largest golf retailer will see eGolf provide grassroots coaching programmes courtesy of its US Kids Golf distributorship, plus equipment and custom fitting services at the Greg Norman-designed club in Muscat.

Al Mouj CEO Nasser Al Sheibani said the agreement would give members and visitors to the Omani capital access to the leading brands in golf, some of which weren’t previously available in the Sultanate.

“This agreement underlines Al Mouj Golf’s commitment to providing our golfers with the highest quality golf products, some of which haven’t been previously available to our members and guests.”

More important, Al Sheibani said, was the junior component of the partnership which is designed to attract the next generation to the game.

As the Middle East distributor of US Kids Golf, eGolf will roll out a grassroots junior participation programme founded around the complete US Kids Golf teaching curriculum, a Middle East first.

A full suite of US Kids Coaching products will be available and refreshed regularly. All Al Mouj Golf coaches will hold Level One and Two Coach Certifications from the US Kids Golf Teaching Institute in Pinehurst, USA, while specialised US Kids club fitting will also be offered.

Complimentary club fitting and use of equipment and group classes with individual attention are part of the service. The coaching follows US Kids Golf’s games-based philosophy that engages golfers and makes learning for all children more fun.

“This agreement supports one of our key objectives at Al Mouj Golf to grow golf in Oman and inspire children of all ages to take up the game in a fun and exciting way,” Al Sheibani said. “That hopefully inspires them to remain lifelong players and build lasting memories out on the golf course with their friends and family.”

Dean Cheesley (pictured) who founded eGolf Megastore in 2011, hailed the agreement.

“I am very proud of this partnership, particularly in regard to our support of Omani Junior Golf through our upcoming work at the Al Mouj Golf Academy. We share every golfer’s passion for the game and combine our passion with a commitment to helping our customers achieve their maximum potential on the course.

“This is particularly true in regard to the development of Omani junior golf and the Omani national team and I look forward to many more years of partnership to grow and support the future of the game in Oman.

“The partnership also provides members and guests of Al Mouj Golf with access to more than 85 golf brands via the eGolf network in the UAE, enhancing their retail experience in the Sultanate.”

almoujgolf.com

The post Junior golf set to benefit from Al Mouj, eGolf partnership appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Sun and Sand Sports sales manager, well-known in the golf industry for his association with Nike, won a qualifier at eGolf Megastore for one of two wildcards into the £50,000 event which is headlined by reigning two-time world champion Joe Miller.

Dominguez belted a drive of 351.7 yards in the X-Golf simulator at eGolf’s Al Wasl store to pip the brother of JGE’s director of golf, Mark Gregson Walters. Alan Walters registered a tidy 347.5 yards.

SEE ALSO
Joe Miller v Lucas Dornan – short game challenge

Dominguez is “excited about the opportunity to compete against the world’s best” and understandably a little nervous about doing so in front of long drive fans in the stands on the JGE driving from 5pm Friday.

Ricky Dominguez

“Guys like two-time and current world champion Joe Miller and former world champion Tim Burke hit the ball an absolute mile. To be standing on the same long drive grid and competing against guys like that is surreal,” Dominguez said.

“Sure, there will be some nerves. But I think after the first drive is struck the adrenaline will naturally kick in. Hopefully that’ll help me find an extra gear that I haven’t seen before.”

So, could you give the long drive pros a tickle up?

SEE ALSO
VIDEO: How to launch it like UK champion Lucas Dornan

“Well Joe [Miller] is well known for his 437 yard drive in the 2016 World Long Drive Final so that’s what I’m up against! If I can hit the grid consistently and achieve a personal best, you never know what might happen.”

eGolf Megastore founder and CEO Dean Cheesley was thrilled with the response to the #LDWS qualifier and wouldn’t be surprised to see Dominguez shine on Friday night.

EGolf Megastore founder and CEO Dean Cheesley congratulates Ricky Dominguez on his near 352 yard bomb

“You have to remember that a stipulation of the eGolf qualifier was that competitors were not permitted to warm up on our X-Golf simulator before registering their drives. If you take that into account, Ricky’s drive of 351 yards is a mighty hit,” Cheesley said.

“We asked Ricky to hang around and hit some more balls after the competition had closed and once he got warmed up… let’s just say that 390+ is not out of the equation.

“If you follow it closely, you can understand that the sport of long drive is on the verge of exploding globally. It’s been that way for a couple of years now and this new World Long Drive Series may just be the initiative that takes it to the next level.

“It’s going to be a world class event on Friday night and the team at eGolf is certainly proud to be associated with it.”

The post Dubai amateur Dominguez qualifies for Long Drive World Series with 351.7 yard simulator smash appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.