True or false: All club fitters are the same, stick with the brands you’ve always played.
To be clear, nothing is further from the truth. Just how far we’ve come in club design and fittings is on full display inside the True Spec Golf outdoor fitting container at The Ridge at Castle Pines North. Drawer after drawer of state-of-the-art club heads, walls lined with premium shafts, club measuring machines, and everything else you’d find in a premiere fitting studio packed neatly inside a sleek, unassuming container just off the driving range.
I thought I had an idea of what to expect when the company invited me to its new Denver location for a full bag fitting. I had a custom fitting several years before at a big box outfitter — how different could it be? I wasn’t even considering any upgrades to my bag nor had any notion that my current clubs could be holding me back. But boy was I mistaken.
The two Bs of True Spec club fittings
Within minutes of Master Club Fitter Tyler Yearley’s explanation of the True Spec outdoor fitting process, I knew this fitting would be different. True Spec fitters begin with a series of simple questions to better understand who you are as a golfer — current handicap, strengths and weaknesses, objectives, etc. — before shifting the focus to your current equipment. Yearley walked me through the specs of my current bag using the onsite machines to “blueprint” my clubs, explaining how the length, weight, lie and loft, along with shaft flex and profile, all play a factor in my on course performance.
Blueprint in hand, it was time to get a baseline. After several swings with my six-iron on the Trackman, Yearley had the data he needed to optimize my irons. I’m no stranger to Trackman data, but having an expert eye define the correlation between the numbers and my overall performance was truly enlightening. For years I thought my bag was already built for my game, that all the flaws and inconsistencies stemmed from my swing mechanics. But Yearley explained how minute changes in my specs can have a dramatic effect on my inefficiencies.
“I firmly believe custom fit clubs are the quickest and most enduring way to improve your scores,” Yearley, a former teaching pro says. “Depending on how often you play, it’s worth going through the process every year or two.”
My baseline numbers clearly showed where my current bag is lacking — ball speed/smash factor, and excess spin — none of which I really considered could be dramatically improved with upgraded equipment. I was almost embarrassed at how much I didn’t know about my current setup, not only the specs of my bag but just how much it was affecting my performance on the course. With my hope restored, off we went to select club heads and shafts for testing.
A tried and true testing process
True Spec leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to testing the latest golf tech, with more than 35,000 club head and shaft combinations on hand.Yearley had several iron setups in mind for me given my current specs and baseline numbers, and made room for anything I was curious to try. True Spec is a “brand agnostic” company when it comes to OEMs, meaning there are no incentives influencing their recommendations — their goal is to determine the best equipment for you, period.
“There are some golfers who have always been very loyal to one brand,” he says. “However, it’s actually quite rare that one brand will be the best fit through the entire bag — something we’re starting to see even at the tour level. Our mission is to find and build the best set of clubs for your game, regardless of the manufacturer.”
True Spec’s testing process itself is fun and straightforward. The Denver location offers the added benefit of testing outdoors, taking advantage of real turf to deliver a true feel for the clubs you won’t find hitting off traditional mats. You’ll notice a difference between club setups immediately, though, for the less educated like me, having an expert weigh in helps make sense of all the data. “I don’t like the dispersion with this one, bring it back,” Yearley would say before handing me the next club. “Ball speed is really good here. Let’s see if this shaft gives us better trajectory.” Sure enough, after a few more configurations Yearley had my iron prescription dialed down to two options — one for optimal distance and another built for accuracy. They’re called “master fitters” for a reason, and the proof is in the numbers.
The true difference
From start to finish my True Spec fitting exceed all expectations. By the time I got home an email with a breakdown of Yearley’s overall findings, truncated charts and data from our Trackman session, and an easy-to-read prescription and quote to use when upgrading my bag was waiting for me in my inbox. I wish everything in life was this easy.
All club fitters are not created equal. It was an eyeopening experience, to say the least, and one I’ll look forward to again for years to come. Yearley’s expert insight gave me the tools needed to improve my game without all the sales pitches and awkward up-sells I was used to. With unbiased, experienced master fitters, state-of-the-art testing machines, tools and studios, and more equipment combinations than you’ll want to count, there’s a reason why True Spec Golf is the worldwide leader in custom club fittings. See for yourself at any one of their locations, the results won’t lie.
This promotional post was made in partnership with True Spec Golf. CGB endorses all advertisers, products and services promoted on our pages.
“Distance” is the Holy Grail for golfers everywhere. Every golfer I’ve ever talked or given lessons to always asks how to hit the ball farther. Even without them asking, the constant barrage of $600 drivers all the major manufacturers, specialized balls promising extra yards, and distance-driven strength training is a testament to that never-ending chase to hit the ball as far as you can. But the quest for longer shots actually starts from the ground up — literally the only point of contact between us and the ground, our feet and the shoes we’re wearing — an often overlooked source to maximize distance.
Athalonz is a golf shoe brand many may not be familiar with. But those who hit the ball really, really far, including many on the World Long Drive Tour, are wearing these shoes. Why? Because those who can hit the ball 400 plus yards know ground contact is absolutely critical, and Athalonz are designed to maximize just that.
While the modern slip-on design stands out in all the right ways, with subtle color schemes and stylish leather band wrapped around the heel, you wouldn’t think the EnVes are a high-tech performance golf shoe. But the science behind these shoes is what drives the company (the EnVe model alone holds four US Patents). “Shoes are a force transfer system. Via physics principals, the forces can be manipulated to improve power,” the company says. Anthalonz golf shoes are designed with “the right angles in the right places” to promote the natural transfer of forces throughout your entire golf swing with goal of increasing your power, from the ground up.
I was a bit skeptical of the company’s power claims at first, but after the first few rounds in varied conditions, I could confirm the comfort and stability Athalonz offer. The shoes let me feel free to swing I hard as I could without worry of slipping out of my shoes. With a lingering ankle injury — and as a PGA teaching professional and all around avid golfer practicing and playing way more than my body oftentimes can withstand — finding comfortable, durable, and stabilizing shoes is critical to my game. The difference was so great the EnVes (whites and later blacks) quickly became my go-to playing shoes. But I was still curious to see if I could actually quantify an increase in distance — so we hit the TrackMans at Pikes Peak Indoor Golf Center to find out.
The setup: The Athalonz EnVe vs FootJoy Club Casuals, both spike-less. After a few practice swings and a quick round in the simulator to warmup, the test began. Using the TrackMan’s Test Center I hit 3 sets (6 balls each) with one warmup set, alternating shoes between each set. Keeping my swing consistent with my ankle pain threshold, I wanted to see if I was getting the boost in power I thought I felt.
Here are the results:
Set 1
FootJoy
FootJoy Club Casual set 1 totals. Avg. total distance 274.9 yards.
Athalonz
Athalonz EnVe set 1 totals. Avg. total distance 285.4 yards.
Set 2
FootJoy
FootJoy Club Casual set 2 totals. Avg. total distance 260.4 yards.
Athalonz
Athalonz EnVe set 2 totals. Avg. total distance 270.7 yards.
Set 3
FootJoy
FootJoy Club Casual set 3 totals. Avg. distance 273.7 yards.
Athalonz
Athalonz EnVe set 3 totals. Avg. distance 271.3 yards.
For those crunching the numbers, that’s an average 6+ yards in total distance gained in the Athalonz EnVe over the course of this test. Given the comfort and stability I mentioned before I would’ve told you the difference is was way more than 6 yards — and in the majority of sets it actually was — I just feel like I can swing harder.
It’s one thing to feel like a nice new pair of shoes is helping your game, but it’s a whole other thing to know they’re helping you play better. As a teaching pro and avid golfer myself, you should see what Athalonz shoes can do for you.
Editor’s note: ColoradoGolfBlog receives a small commission when you purchase items from the links you see on our pages, including this one. CGB has endorsed all advertisers, products and services and advertising does not influence editorial decisions or content.
It’s not often we highlight a product yet-to-be available to anyone, but we’re making an exception for Colorado-based Sauce Golf Co. The fledgeling company had been promoting its innovated cooler golf towel, meant to suit just about any golfer’s needs as a rain guard, shoe bag, towel and groove cleaner, and cooler bag all in one.
It sounds a little gimmicky at first, sure, but what really caught our attention and got us on board was one of the most entertaining infomercials we’ve seen in a while:
Bravo, boys.
Whether you think the cooler towel is gimmicky or not, you can’t argue against the subtle, clean design of the product, or usefulness. It’s not overly flashy or in anyway indicative of the product’s many uses, and worth having on hand when you need it for one thing or another. We definitely won’t mind one on or in our bags.
The video notes availability and dates for the 2019 holiday shopping season, but the company has decided to push the official release of the cooler towel until Spring of 2020. In the meantime, Sauce Golf Co hats and shirts are available to backers at the $25 level or higher via the company’s KickStarter page, with proceeds going towards the improvement and relaunch of the cooler towel. The no frills design of the shirts and hats sport a throwback-esque text logo in red/white and green/yellow schemes.
As of this writing Sauce Golf Co. has just over half of its listed fundraising goal of $1000 with a couple weeks left in the campaign.
ColoradoGolfBlog, in some cases, receives a small commission when you purchase items from these links. CGB has endorsed all advertisers, products and services and advertising does not influence editorial decisions or content.
Cold weather sucks — especially for golf. Colorado is no stranger to much-less-than-favorable temperatures, but oftentimes you just gotta say fuck it and get some swings in when you can. That usually means throwing on an uncomfortable amount of layers, adopting the legendary “Tommy Two-Gloves” look, and every other feeble attempt at staying warm, and still freezing your ass off. The fact remains that cold weather golf just sucks and always will. Thankfully, though, G-Tech Apparel is making the cold season a lot less sucky with its patented heated hoodie.
This will be one of the easiest reviews we’ve ever written given the quality, look and performance of the two CGB branded hoodies we received just in time for the Colorado cold season. Even without its signature feature the hoodie impresses: the polyester/spandex material in the hydro-thermal hoodie is water-resistant, sporting a semi-glossy finish and stylish modern lines. It’s a sturdier hoodie that’ll keep you toasty on its own as well, with a substantial hood that covers your head, hats and beanies comfortably, too, without messing up your line of site when addressing the ball. First impressions placed G-Tech easily in the running for a daily use sweatshirt — and we haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.
Second impression: Holy shit. This is a game changer.
My first round in the G-Tech heated hoodie came on a 45-degrees at tee off kinda day. I made it to the first green before needing to lower the temperature setting from high to medium to keep from sweating, and never once found myself shivering or needing to warm my hands with anything but the heating “Therma Grip.” It had topped 58-degrees by the end of the round and the low setting kept me comfortable through the home-stretch. I had figured the battery pack would’ve died well before our 4+ hour round was over, too, but it lasted closer to 6 hours by the time all was said and done.
G-Tech’s patented Therma Grip is what brings the heat to this heated hoodie with low, medium and high settings. The control button rests on top of the pocket and couldn’t be easier to use. Hold down the button and select your setting (green/yellow/red = low/medium/high, respectively) and you’ll feel the heat distribution begin almost immediately. The heated grip rests in the belly pouch of the sweatshirt — along with the battery pack — and feels like a small strip of padding designed and fastened to be held in your hands. It may sound a little awkward, and granted it was at first, but that the heating element/battery pack placement adds about the same amount of girth as a pocket full of gloves, hand warmers and whatever else is the only not-spectacular thing we can say about this product. Don’t worry about it impeding your swing in any way, though, it won’t — and with the heat resting on your belly your core stays toasty too.
Ending with a bit of advice: when you buy your G-Tech heated hoodie (starting at $149) you’ll want to buy two, especially if you have a girlfriend/wife/etc. — this may be the most steal-able hoodie out there. As of this writing the company’s website says all products are sold out, so keep an eye out for new arrivals when they drop.
ColoradoGolfBlog, in some cases, receives a small commission when you purchase items from these links. CGB has endorsed all advertisers, products and services and advertising does not influence editorial decisions or content.
Just to get it out of the way early; this post is not a jab at My Golf Spy (while entertaining, that’s not our drama).
We’ve been a fan of the Ampcaddy golf speakers since the launch back in 2014. The smart design and ample sound seemed hard to beat without upping your budget to the JBL realm, and more than enough to suit the needs of a foursome. Ampcaddy quickly became a staple in our golf bags and a focal point for our signature golf outings, so when when we heard about production on the Ampcaddy Pro and Pro Max speakers we could hardly wait.
In the meantime, we found one of our favorite new products of the year in the UpSide magnetic rangefinder, an excellent, less-expensive option measuring true distance and slope, with a badass magnet for easy cart storage when not in use. After testing the UpSide rangefinder we learned the company would also be jumping into the speaker market with its own compact magnetic device. Given the quality of the rangefinder, we expected to be impressed again, and, admittedly, began to question the strength of our Ampcaddy loyalty.
The Amcaddy Pro.
When both speakers finally launched, though, it was hard to notice any significant differences, mainly because the Ampcaddy Pro ($79.97) and the Upside SuperX7 ($79) are the same exact thing, literally. The only difference between the two is the mounting system, the Ampcaddy with its signature clamp and UpSide with the magnet, and of course the branding. Other than that there is no difference — again, literally the same exact design — both are small and compact, delivering 15 watts of sound, water resistant, rechargeable and all around great speakers. What sets them apart is more minor functionality — Ampcaddy has it, UpSide does not.
The UpSide SuperX7.
Ampcaddy launched both the Pro and the Pro Max ($129.97) speakers at the same time, the Pro Max sporting the familiar Amcaddy pill-shape design with upgraded features. The Ampcaddy speakers can be paired to the same device for up to 80 watts of sound. The SuperX7 also has pairing capability, though only with one other speaker for up to 30 watts of sound. We ran through the Ampcaddy pairing gamut using two Pros, a Pro and a Pro Max, and even two Pro Maxes, just to see how loud we could actually get with the Ampcaddy. (The two Pro Max pairing for 80 watts proved the loudest, obviously, and earned us a noise complaint from a course resident before we even finished the first hole.)
Pairing any combination of Ampcaddy’s new speakers equals stupid loud music. Really, there’s no need for more than one — even the small Pro is more than enough — but we’d be lying if we said the pairing feature isn’t a game-changer, and useful when you really want to turn up on the course. The real kicker is Ampcaddy’s clamp mounting system proving better than UpSide’s magnet as well. While the magnet on UpSide’s rangefinder is a definite selling point, the company uses the same thing on the speaker. Though small, the speaker does weigh more than the rangefinder, and just a little too heavy for the single magnet to hold it securely. If you have a fast cart or pocked cart paths, the SuperX7 will come flying off if jostled too much. Ampcaddy’s mounting system not only ensures the speaker isn’t going anywhere, the added multi-directional swivel feature makes it easy to “aim” your sound away from other golfers as the need arises (and it will).
All is not lost for UpSide, though, we’ll still be singing the praises of the company’s rangefinder and ingenuity. But when it comes to delivering the on-course soundtrack, Ampcaddy still reigns supreme.
ColoradoGolfBlog, in some cases, receives a small commission when you purchase items from these links. CGB has endorsed all advertisers, products and services and advertising does not influence editorial decisions or content.
For all there is to love about summertime golf there’s one thing we all struggle with: beating the heat. Cold beers and bucket hats can only go so far when you’re already sweating by the time you reach the first tee box, and heaven forbid a good-looking cart attendant catches you rocking any less than flattering sweat stains out there. The clothes you wear on the course matter in more ways than one, whether you’re out there flexing your look or just trying to meet the club dress code.
Rhoback polos are made for those living an active lifestyle on and off the course, with a range of colors and styles suited for anyone’s taste. As a matter of fact, the company “craves activity” and is dead set on changing the way you think about your summer active wear. The quick drying and extremely breathable material — 92% poly and 8% spandex — is all but unnoticeable on the course, which is a good thing. No matter the temperature or precipitation in the air, Rhoback polos keep you looking great, and cool, without worrying about sweat stains, wrinkles or becoming disheveled and needing to change right after your round. That’s part of the company’s goal, to design all day active wear, ready to go from the course to a meeting to a dinner date without hesitation. The comfort fitted polos don’t impede your swing in any way and look sharp tucked or untucked no matter the outfit. The sturdy self collar holds its shape well and is all but guaranteed to never “bacon,” speaking to the durability of Rhoback’s designs as well.
The Casey Jones
To see the difference between Rhoback and standard golf shirts, imagine the difference between wearing a black polo on the hottest, sunniest day of the summer versus a white polo, or a long sleeve versus a tank top — it’s night and day. After two rounds at altitude in the baking July sun I should feel like a hot, sweaty mess (as indicated by the sweat stains covering my hat) but my Rhoback Casey Jones polo still looks fresh off the rack, and I could keep chasing the sunshine for another 18.
It’s not that Rhoback is the one and only company making great summer active wear, but Rhoback is making it more practical and accessible than others. Many a golf shirt looks, well, like a golf shirt and not always an appropriate option for off the course outfits. But Rhoback’s subtle, classy designs can be paired with just about anything, for just about anything — not too flashy or overpowering.
If you’re looking for a high performing active polo ready for whatever you can throw at it, out Rhoback polos to the test.
ColoradoGolfBlog, in some cases, receives a small commission when you purchase items from these links. CGB has endorsed all advertisers, products and services and advertising does not influence editorial decisions or content.
From start to finish my True Spec fitting exceed all expectations. By the time I got home an email with a breakdown of Yearley’s overall findings, truncated charts and data from our Trackman session, and an easy-to-read prescription and quote to use when upgrading my bag was waiting for me in my inbox. I wish everything in life was this easy.
While the modern slip-on design stands out in all the right ways, with subtle color schemes and stylish leather band wrapped around the heel, you wouldn’t think the EnVes are a high-tech performance golf shoe. But the science behind these shoes is what drives the company (the EnVe model alone holds four US Patents). “Shoes are a force transfer system. Via physics principals, the forces can be manipulated to improve power,” the company says. Anthalonz golf shoes are designed with “the right angles in the right places” to promote the natural transfer of forces throughout your entire golf swing with goal of increasing your power, from the ground up.
It’s not often we highlight a product yet-to-be available to anyone, but we’re making an exception for Colorado-based 
Cold weather sucks — especially for golf. Colorado is no stranger to much-less-than-favorable temperatures, but oftentimes you just gotta say fuck it and get some swings in when you can. That usually means throwing on an uncomfortable amount of layers, adopting the legendary “Tommy Two-Gloves” look, and every other feeble attempt at staying warm, and still freezing your ass off. The fact remains that cold weather golf just sucks and always will. Thankfully, though, 
This will be one of the easiest reviews we’ve ever written given the quality, look and performance of the two CGB branded hoodies we received just in time for the Colorado cold season. Even without its signature feature the hoodie impresses: the polyester/spandex material in the hydro-thermal hoodie is water-resistant, sporting a semi-glossy finish and stylish modern lines. It’s a sturdier hoodie that’ll keep you toasty on its own as well, with a substantial hood that covers your head, hats and beanies comfortably, too, without messing up your line of site when addressing the ball. First impressions placed G-Tech easily in the running for a daily use sweatshirt — and we haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.
G-Tech’s patented Therma Grip is what brings the heat to this heated hoodie with low, medium and high settings. The control button rests on top of the pocket and couldn’t be easier to use. Hold down the button and select your setting (green/yellow/red = low/medium/high, respectively) and you’ll feel the heat distribution begin almost immediately. The heated grip rests in the belly pouch of the sweatshirt — along with the battery pack — and feels like a small strip of padding designed and fastened to be held in your hands. It may sound a little awkward, and granted it was at first, but that the heating element/battery pack placement adds about the same amount of girth as a pocket full of gloves, hand warmers and whatever else is the only not-spectacular thing we can say about this product. Don’t worry about it impeding your swing in any way, though, it won’t — and with the heat resting on your belly your core stays toasty too.
For all there is to love about summertime golf there’s one thing we all struggle with: beating the heat. Cold beers and bucket hats can only go so far when you’re already sweating by the time you reach the first tee box, and heaven forbid a good-looking cart attendant catches you rocking any less than flattering sweat stains out there. The clothes you wear on the course matter in more ways than one, whether you’re out there flexing your look or just trying to meet the club dress code.