How MLB All-Star Walker Buehler gained control with irons

It’s not day-after-day a two-time All-Star pitcher with a World Series ring walks right into a True Spec Golf becoming studio (truly, skilled athletes go to True Spec greater than they’re keen to confess), however it occurred final week when Walker Buehler got here to True Spec’s Scottsdale location seeking a brand new iron set that higher match his golf swing.

“Walker came here with an open mind ready to get fit for the perfect set of irons to match his game,” mentioned Blake Smith, grasp membership fitter at True Spec Golf. “His iron game was plenty long, and distance wasn’t what he needed or wanted for that matter. He wanted straighter iron shots that didn’t leak to the right, and we were able to deliver a set of irons that were just as long, if not a bit longer than his old irons, but with a much tighter dispersion and greater accuracy. That was the overall goal.”

Club becoming isn’t at all times a distance search.

Most golfers assume that membership becoming is the key sauce behind gaining extra distance. Or in case you already hit the ball a great distance, then you definately don’t must get match for the rest. But as we’ve seen with gamers like Buehler and dozens of others who’re capable of generate huge clubhead pace, distance isn’t every thing. Sometimes getting match for accuracy and dispersion is what a participant wants. In Buehler’s case, he needed accuracy, which for True Spec meant selecting an iron setup that wasn’t essentially longer or extra forgiving, however one which curtailed his undesirable push/fade.

“With iron fitting, we’re really paying attention to ball flight on solidly struck shots and keeping a close eye on the mishits. Depending on what the player is seeking, we look at parameters such as ball speed, clubhead speed, efficiency, peak height, and curvature, and depending on what we see, we’ll try some irons with adjustments in things like shaft flex, weight, clubhead construction, loft and lie angles,” mentioned Smith. “Sometimes the solution is even simpler—things like shaft length/flex and a simple clubhead construction change or adjustment to grip size can play a huge role in how accurate a player is with their irons. We look at everything.”

With size not being a part of the equation for a participant like Buehler, True Spec homed in on elements corresponding to clubhead forgiveness and general really feel to assist him get essentially the most constant outcomes. “We want to make sure he’s hitting solid shots, and we can tell where on the face his misses are coming from. Our goal isn’t to improve his solid shots—we’re looking at making his missed shots as close in distance and direction as we can get to his better strikes,” mentioned Smith. “Doing this means testing different clubhead designs to see what best suits a player’s swing.”

Long hitters typically don’t play the identical set makeups that the majority of us adhere to. In Buehler’s case, his 6-iron swing produces 135 mph ball pace, which means he can simply carry it 215 yards. “Because Walker can hit it a long way, we decided that he doesn’t really need a 5-iron in his set. We slotted a 4i driving iron in between his 3-wood and 6-iron to best space his distance gaps as evenly as possible.” Smith continued, “We always keep correct gapping in mind, and always make sure the player is carrying the distances needed to offer congruence throughout the bag.” The level is, there’s no unsuitable reply for the way your set make-up ought to look. Some gamers would possibly want extra irons and fewer woods, whereas others is perhaps the opposite manner round. In Buehler’s case, his preferrred set afforded him extra room to hold a wide range of wedges.

Case in level, lengthy hitters like Buehler typically carry three or extra wedges to fill large gaps they often have with quick pictures. Additionally, longer hitters are inclined to hit the ball increased with quick pictures. That’s why, in Buehler’s case, True Spec opted for a set of wedges to decrease his ball flight and cut back spin. “We fit Walker into three wedges (four if you count the PW) to keep his short game distances evenly spaced,” mentioned Smith. “Although he doesn’t swing as hard with his wedges as he does with his longer clubs, he still hits them further than most. We chose a set of wedges with a very stable profile for a lower and more penetrating launch.”

By now, it is best to perceive that there’s no single strategy to membership becoming. Whether you’re an All-Star pitcher with long-drive-like pace or a median golfer with a modest swing pace, a grasp membership fitter might help you discover the right iron set. In Buehler’s case, his prescribed set of irons is straighter than his earlier set by practically two levels at influence. His carry distance remained about the identical, however as a consequence of hitting it barely increased with extra control (another excuse for hitting it straighter), his complete distance decreased by a median of three yards, which additionally means extra stopping energy.

“There’s always a trade-off when going through a fitting,” mentioned Smith. “But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In Walker’s case, we willingly sacrificed three yards in favor of a much tighter shot dispersion. While we tested some irons that flew much further, distance isn’t what he’s seeking. He’s focused on scoring with his irons, and hitting straighter shots is almost always preferable to hitting longer shots, at least with the irons.” In Buehler’s case, his prescribed Srixon ZX7 Mk II irons have been constructed with Oban Steel CT 125g shafts (preferrred for sooner swings), customary lofts, and upright lie angles (which helped mitigate that leaky fade.)

If you’re able to take the following step and both discover a new set of irons or enhance the configuration of your current iron set to raised fit your recreation, even when it means discovering a set that’s not essentially longer however straighter, contact a membership fitter close to you as we speak. And keep in mind, don’t simply assume the longer golf equipment you get to check are those finest suited match to your recreation. Sometimes hitting it straighter (not additional) is the important thing to capturing decrease scores.

Looking to work with your individual club-fitting knowledgeable to dial in your gear and play higher golf? Book a becoming with the business consultants at True Spec Golf. With greater than 30 places, it’s simple to discover a location close to you.

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Ryan Noll

Golf.com Contributor