Don Bonrud April 30th, 2012
Want more distance? We’ve got the club!
Using a lighter weight shaft is only half of the equation if someone is seeking more distance. The other component for hitting monster drives is to increase the club length for faster clubhead speed. But that could create a problem: existing head weights are too heavy, creating a club that feels unwieldy.
Introducing the Acer XF Leggera. A lighter weight head, which when married to today’s lighter and longer length shafts, reduces the overall weight of the club for even faster clubhead speed. Featuring advanced manufacturing which sheds the weight from only the crown area and ensures the center of gravity is in the right place to create those tape measure drives you have only dreamed of.
Note: The recommended standard club length of Acer XF Leggera is 46″
Don Bonrud March 27th, 2012
Whether you are using steel or graphite, selecting the proper shaft flex is an important step in the custom golf club building process. Swing speed is the best way to get a good idea of the correct flex for any one golfer.
Shaft flex ( Relative Stiffness ) is the overall flex of the shaft before it is cut to use. The most common shaft flex designations are (L) Ladies, (A) Senior, (R) Regular, (S) Stiff and (X) Extra Stiff. There are no industry standards when it comes to rating flex for shafts. One manufacturers (R) flex could be equal to another manufacturers (S) flex. When in doubt check with your clubmaker for advice.
Here are some of the problems that can be caused by playing a club with the wrong shaft flex:
- Shot trajectory is too low or too high
- Shots pushed right
- Shots pulled left
- Low straight shot with no distance
- Sprayed pattern of shots
- Poor feel
As you can see from above, playing with the wrong shaft flex can have a very big impact on your ball striking and ultimately your golf scores.
Don Bonrud February 28th, 2012
Winter is winding down and a new golf season is right around the corner. I can almost smell the freshly mowed fairways.
Now is the time to get the golf clubs ready to go.
- If the clubs didn’t get a good cleaning before they were put away now is the time to give the club faces a good scrubbing. The grooves on the club face should always be kept free of dirt so they can do their job.
- If the grips were recently changed and don’t have a lot of rounds on them they can be washed in a mild soapy water solution using a gentle bristle brush. Let them air dry to bring back the tackiness. If the grips are beyond cleaning and are feeling a little slippery its time to have them re-gripped. Grip technology continues to change and there are many different kinds to choose from.
- It’s not a bad idea to have the loft checked on the irons as the repeated pounding on the ground can change the loft and throw the distances between clubs off.
- Does it feel like your swing speed has maybe slowed just a bit over time and the stiff shafts you have in your current iron set may be a bit too stiff now? If the irons are current with today’s technology and you don’t want to buy a new set, you can have them re-shafted. An experienced clubmaker can remove the old shafts and install new ones.
Get your clubs tuned up now and you’ll be ready to enjoy another golf season!
Don Bonrud January 29th, 2012
The 2011 golf season saw the introduction of the color white in golf clubs and 
golf grips and it was an immediate hit. Well, the 2012 golf season is under way and the color white is still red hot and getting hotter. Birdieman Custom Clubs has added the new Turner T13 Adjustable Weight Driver. Long and accurate, the T13 incorporates adjustable weight technology that allows golfers to adjust the driver’s flight pattern. The aerodynamic design promotes increased club head speed for maximum distance. The titanium face is pushed to the USGA legal limit for spring like 
effect. The white crown and black club face improves confidence at address and also looks good in the bag. The T13 comes with two 1 gram weights pre-installed, one in the heel and one in the toe. It comes with two additonal weights, one eight gram and one two gram and also a wrench to change out the weights. Add the heavier weight to the heel to create a draw bias or to the toe to create a fade bias. Custom made, adjustable, long and good looking, the Turner T13 will help you find the fairways more often this golf season.
Don Bonrud December 31st, 2011
Whether you are new to the game of golf or just someone who plays a few times a season in that work outing or fund raising event, it is important to make the right choice when it comes to selecting irons.
Game improvement irons can offer help with some of the more common problems new or inexperienced golfers face when playing.
Here a some features that make an iron a “Game Improvement Iron“
Oversized Head. Has a larger sweet spot on the face which makes the club more forgiving on mis- hit shots.
Wider Sole. Helps prevent the club from digging into the turf at impact.
More offset between the club face and hosel. Helps square up the club face at impact and reduce the chance of pushed or sliced shots.
Thicker top line when looking down over the ball, which increases confidence. Confidence standing over the ball is very important. Think positive thoughts.
Increased lofts will help get the ball in the air.
Keep these features in mind when selecting a set of irons and you will make the game a little bit easier and a whole lot more enjoyable.
Don Bonrud November 30th, 2011
“Nothing can help my game.” “I’m such a bad golfer that it doesn’t matter if I get custom fit golf clubs.” In some respects what they are saying is true. Without a golf swing that is consistent and repeating, it is difficult to fit some of the finer golf club details. Having said that, there are some areas that can and should be addressed.
Driver and fairway woods need to be the correct length. Hitting a driver that is the proper length will increase the percentage of on center or at least near center hits on the club face. The goal should be to swing the longest club length that can be controlled. Driver loft is another area to focus on. A higher loft in the longer clubs such as the driver makes them easier to hit.
Having the right golf club set is a very important area to be addressed. This is true for all golfers but especially for beginners. The beginning golfer should not hit an iron longer than a 5 iron and even that could be replaced by a much easier to hit hybrid club. A suggested set could be a 3 and 4 hybrid, irons 5 through PW, driver and possibly a fairway wood such as a 5 wood.
Golf club weight is an area to focus on too. Lighter, flexible shafts make it easier to hit and control the golf club.
Grips that are sized correctly and are comfortable make a difference as well.
Don Bonrud October 27th, 2011
Two things most golfers have in common when using a hybrid golf club for the first time is that they don’t know where to position the ball in their stance or how to swing the club. There are a couple of ways to look at this. If the hybrid was built with the intention of replacing a long iron and was custom built to irons specifications the ball should be played more in the middle of your stance and swing into the ball with a descending blow just like you would an iron. If the hybrid was built more closely to the specifications of a fairway wood then the ball should be played a little forward of center in your stance and hit the ball at the bottom of your swing with more of a sweeping motion.
Give these tips a try. I think you will agree that hybrids are easy to hit and will help lower your golf scores.
Don Bonrud September 20th, 2011
The hottest fashion trend in golf clubs this season is the color white. Everywhere you look on the course you see golfers playing these hot, new, white clubs. Birdieman Custom Clubs has joined the party with the Snake Eyes 695 series white hybrid. But there’s a lot more to the new 695 series hybrid than the attractive white head. The 695 series hybrid combines a variable cup face that makes the sweet spot on the face of the golf club larger making it more forgiving on miss hit shots. It also has a removable rear sole weight to give you maximum trajectory, which adds up to more distance. We could all use a little more distance, right?
The Snake Eyes 695 hybrid is available for right hand players in lofts of 18, 21 and 24 degrees.
Don Bonrud July 22nd, 2011
So your favorite driver has developed an annoying rattle in the club head. What causes this sound? It is usually caused by a piece of epoxy that has broken loose inside the club head. There are a few options to fix this problem.
One option is to pull the shaft and drill down through the hosel into the head, once this is done shoot a small amount of Rattle Stop into the club head, shake the club head until the loose piece gets caught in the rattle stop goo, reshaft the golf club and you should be good to go.
The other option to fixing the rattle is to drill a small hole in the sole of the metal wood, insert the small plastic tube from the Rattle Stop and shoot some goo in the club head just like option number one. Once the rattle is gone epoxy a small shaft tip plug in the hole, snip off the excess plug, allow epoxy to set and sand down the plug smooth with the sole of the club head.
If you find this all a bit too much to try, you can always call an accredited clubmaker. That should take care of the rattle problem.
Don Bonrud May 29th, 2011
Founded in 1901 with only seven golfclubs, the
Minnesota Golf Association’s membership has grown to more than 400 clubs and 82,000 individual members throughout the state. Their mission is to uphold and promote the game of golf and its values for all golfers in Minnesota.
During the last one hundred years, the
MGA has held true to its beliefs and greatly enhanced the golfers, the courses and the game itself. During the early years, the
MGA’s primary function was to conduct the golf championshipss within the state. However, in the last several decades, the MGA has expanded its scope to include administering the
USGA Handicap System for Minnesota, publishing the Minnesota Golfer magazine six times a year, measuring and rating the golf courses in Minnesota, monitoring the state legislature to make sure the best interests of golf are served and supporting the game of golf in general.
