6 game-changing tips from an equipment expert

Marty Jertson, Ping’s vice president of fitting and performance, knows more than just about anyone about golf equipment and custom fitting.

Ask Marty about anything golf-related, and he’ll have gave-changing tips to share. Here are six key golf-equipment tips Jertson shared with GOLF that could transform your game.

Marty Jertson’s 6 game-changing tips

1 – “An easy way to hit it farther with your driver is to curve it less. A straighter ballflight off the tee will increase your total distance. Maximize your efficiency and stop bleeding distance by hitting your driver as the crow flies.”

Balls

2 – “In most scenarios, with a driver fitting, prioritize distance over accuracy at a ratio of 2:1. If you gain 20 yards with a longer driver, for example, the left-right dispersion can grow by up to 10 yards, and it will still be better for scoring (from a Strokes Gained perspective). We see too many short-hitting golfers over-prioritize hitting more fairways.”

3 – “How you utilize your 3-wood is highly dependent on your clubhead speed. If you hit your driver 250-plus yards, you’re likely to hit your 3-wood more off the tee than off the ground. Keep this in mind as you get fit for a 3-wood. Longer players should prioritize tee-shot performance, while golfers who hit their driver less than 250 yards should focus their lowest lofted fairway wood as a club to hit off the ground. This is why Ping makes an LST for faster players and the SFT for the everyday golfer.”

TheStack Swing Speed Trainer (Hardware + App Bundle)

$314 (was $349)

  TheStack Hardware 5 milled Stack weights enable 30 weight combinations between 0g and 300g Dual-purpose weight case / phone stand Highly engineered training club – Adult (41.5″) or Junior (38.5″) version (see Fitting Juniors) Speed radar not included. View all compatible devices here.  We recommend the PRGR TheStack App Training 2-year License included, accessible on iOS only. Dynamic speed training formulated by Dr. Sasho MacKenzie Guided workout timer for reps, sets, and rest intervals Custom speed metrics to track your gains Hands-free data entry using voice entry technology Includes access to Stack Putting (Beta) – Learn more Includes Single User License – Enables training and tracking for up to five local (i.e. family) users under one login. Multi-user Coaches License license sold separately. Access TheStack App from the App Store when your order arrives. Requires iOS 15.0 or later.

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4 – “You may not realize it, but you hit your mid-irons about 50 percent of the time off the tee. So you should be practicing your 6-, 7- and 8-irons off the tee and evaluating them off a tee — not just off the ground — during the fitting process. Considering all lies, about one-third of your mid- and short irons will be from the fairway, one-third from the rough and one-third on par-3s off the tee.”

5 – “The spin rate of a golf ball doesn’t tell the whole story. We’ve seen very high-spin balls achieve a low peak height, and we’ve seen low-spin balls achieve a high peak height — influenced by aerodynamics, dimples and inertial differences. We developed Ballnamic, our ball-fitting app, to enable you to simulate outdoor flight from initial shortrange (indoor) launch conditions.”

6 – “With putting, outside of basic length, loft and lie, the two most crucial aspects to match to your stroke are your face rotation (how much you twist the shaft around the handle) and your tempo (ratio of backswing time to forward swing time), neither of which you can see with the naked eye. The more you rotate the face, the more of a toe-down (strong arc) putt you should use. Don’t shoot for a Tour average tempo. Instead, match your putterhead weight to your natural cadence.”

Want to overhaul your bag? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.