Train like a tour pro with Benross
We all know that tour professionals hit it further, chip it closer and putt better than anyone else.
However, they also have access to the best equipment and top coaches in the game.
Working with Benross, a brand that produces equipment designed for the club golfer, we wanted to give five readers the chance to be custom fitted for new clubs and receive detailed and dedicated coaching to see how much they could improve.
We sent our readers to the stunning Heythrop Park resort in Oxfordshire, where they experienced a taste of life as a Benross tour professional and were able to test their skills over the venue’s championship-standard Bainbridge course.
Once each reader had been custom fitted on the first day of the weekend, Benross built their new sets overnight and delivered them the next day – giving them a real sense of tour pro life!
Alongside the best equipment, top pros also have access to experts and we wanted our readers to experience the same level of training.
The group received dedicated coaching sessions on putting, short game and swing improvement – and we even provided access to a fitness coach and a golf psychologist.
Club golfers rarely get the chance to experience such a dedicated level of coaching and expertise.
We will be monitoring the progress of our readers throughout the summer to see how much of a difference their new clubs and continued access to our team of experts can make to their scores.
MEET OUR FIVE ROOKE TOUR PROS
Jonny Marsh
Handicap: 8
“Swing-wise, I’m always looking to improve and just take things away that I can practise.”
Lilja Arnorsdottir
Handicap: 28
“My strength is my short game. My weakness is my driver – we don’t get on at the moment!”
Ian Pringle
H’cap: 12 “I want to get rid of my really bad shots. I don’t mind hitting average shots, what I don’t want is the really lousy ones.”
Gudjon Reynisson
H’cap: 24
“I’ve never had any lessons in putting and it’s just something I’ve done since having mini-golf sessions as a child!”
Darryl Gwilliam
H’cap: +2
“I’m quite a feel golfer so trial and error is huge for me. I’m always trying to play a shot that only I think I can hit.”
One of the most profound differences between professional and amateur golfers is in their short-game skills THE BENROSS FITTING
Our readers were turned into Benross tour professionals with the help of their custom-fitting expert Scott Nightingale. Each reader was given a full fitting session using Flightscope technology to find out which Benross set suited their game. Gudjon was fitted into the game-improvement Max range, Lilja received a set of Pearl Speed clubs with softer shafts to promote forgiveness, and Ian was fitted into the Gold Speed range with longer shafts to compensate for his extra height. Darryl and Jonny were given a set of Rip and Hot Speed clubs respectively, both with stiff shafts designed for better players.
One of the most profound differences between professional and amateur golfers is in their short-game skills. Put a professional within 30 yards of the green and there is every chance they will get up-and-down in two, whereas for amateur golfers, chipping and bunker shots can often be the stuff of nightmares. Our readers had a two-hour short-game masterclass with renowned PGA pro Gary Alliss, who set about trying to improve their skills around the green.
Every golfer is constantly searching for a consistent, reliable and smooth swing which can be repeated with every shot.Our group of five readers spent time working with PGA professional Richard Ellis, who is an expert in the bio-mechanical side of the golf swing. Ellis worked with each of our readers to help them try and create an efficient and cohesive swing which worked for them.
The average number of putts per round for players on the European Tour hovers around 28, but for club golfers the number can be much, much higher. Specialist putting coach Andy Gorman has helped tour pros like Charley Hull and Robert Rock improve their touch on the green, and he worked with each of our readers to help make their putting strokes more reliable.
Physical preparation is key to good performance on the course, but for many club golfers, this is a game that is played as much in the mind as it is on the course.
Most regular golfers will have had a lesson from a PGA professional at some point in their life, but very few have ever tapped into the expertise of a golf psychologist to try to address some of the mental problems that they face when struggling on the course.
Each of our readers spent time with professional sports psychologist Duncan McCarthy, and for all of them it was a completely new and eye-opening experience.
Our coach Andy Driscoll took our readers through specific drills to help prepare the body for golf including balancing exercises and tips to increase the amount of turn generated through the swing. He also spoke about the limited value in certain types of drills for golfers such as sprinting and explained how tailoring your training regime to the type of exercise you do on the course can lead to better golf fitness.
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.
