Golf MaGazine - Custom Fit Your Game

COVER STORY: Buy a Better Game
magazine
GETFIT2011
MIKE
ROYNAN
Age: 40
Handicap: 12
Clubs fitted:
Mizuno MX-300 irons
SEE
TRY
BUY @
For more information on any of the products in this section,
go to Golf.com/see-try-buy
Get
Fit!
ROB
ARONOW
Age: 42
Handicap: 5
Clubs fitted:
Titleist AP2 irons
Our exclusive
testing reveals
that custom-fit
equipment makes
a tremendous
difference for 10
average Joes
we’ve PUBLISHED DOZENS of first-person accounts in the past five years
that demonstrate how properly fit equipment can help golfers of all abilities
be more consistent, have more fun and shoot lower scores. (Most of those
fittings were conducted by our exclusive research partner, Hot Stix Golf.)
In addition, our affiliation with GolfTec includes savings on clubfittings
at the firm’s 140-plus retail locations. Yet, the majority of you still haven’t
taken advantage of custom fitting (see page 64). Want more proof that fitting
works? GolfTec (and NY Golf Center) fit 10 average Joes, and we tracked
their progress during the first few months with the new clubs. You’ll find
their stories here. Final note: Look for our exclusive “ClubTest” reviews of
27 top drivers next month.
written by Dave Allen & Mike Chwasky
EDITED by Rob Sauerhaft
photography by Schecter Lee
RON
RAMSEY
Age: 55
Handicap: 14
Club fitted:
Cleveland Launcher
DST driver
DAVID
DEUCHLER
Age: 34
Handicap: 16
Clubs fitted:
Adams Idea a7OS
Hybrid irons
Age: 42
Handicap: 15
Club fitted:
TaylorMade Burner
SuperFast driver
JOHN
RIORDAN
Age: 33
Handicap: 14
Club fitted:
Cobra ZL driver
CHRIS
PULICHINO
KEVIN
KEHOE
Age: 48
Handicap: 19
Clubs fitted:
Callaway X-24
Hot irons
DAN
PERRY
Age: 33
Handicap: 19
Club fitted:
Ping G15 driver
DAVID
SHANKER
BRIAN
MAHONEY
Age: 31
Handicap: 9
Club fitted:
Nike VR STR8-FIT
Tour driver
Age: 42
Handicap: 14
Clubs fitted:
Wilson Di9 irons
On GOLF.com
For an insiders’ look at a
GolfTEC fitting, go to
golf.com/equipment
Buy a Better Game
SEE
OLD DRIVER
Stainless steel, 200cc, 9°, stiff
flex, graphite shaft, 44” length
New DRIVER
TaylorMade Burner SuperFast,
10.5°, TaylorMade Matrix Xcon
4.8 by Ozik graphite shaft,
regular flex, 46.5” shaft length
chris pulichino
“I’ve gained a
ton of distance,
sometimes as
much as 30 to
40 yards, without
exaggeration.”
FItter: Tom Sialiano,
Director of Instruction,
GolfTEC White Plains:
“Chris has a sound swing,
but for his clubhead speed
he was launching the ball
too low and with too little
spin. We needed to get these
numbers up in order to
improve his performance.”
FIX: More loft, a longer,
lighter shaft, and a larger,
more modern head
dramatically increase
his average launch angle
and spin rate, which
boosts overall distance by
providing a better flight.
RESULT: The trick for
Chris is getting used to the
lighter, longer shaft, which
proves to be easy. His head
speed, ball speed, launch
angle and spin rate all
increase, which adds up to
more yards on a consistent
basis. A more forgiving head
tightens dispersion, too.
Handicap before: 15
Handicap after: 15
Age: 42
Home: Westport, Conn.
Occupation:
Advertising/Marketing
BUY @
TRY
OLD IRONS
Forged cavity-back, 3-PW, regular flex, steel shaft, standard length, lie and grip size
New IRONS
Callaway X-24 Hot, 4-GW,
uniflex steel shaft, 1° flat lie,
standard length and grip size
kevin kehoe
“The fitting was an
amazing experience;
I wish I’d done it sooner.
I’m hitting the ball
a full club longer
throughout the set.”
FItter: Tom Sialiano,
Director of Instruction,
GolfTEC White Plains:
“Kevin is a developing
player who needs irons
that optimize his launch
angles and spin rates. His
old, off-the-rack clubs
simply didn’t allow him to
perform up to his potential.”
FIX: Kevin hits the ball
solidly because he’s working
to improve his swing.
However, his old clubs
launch shots too high and
don’t produce enough spin
so he hits high knuckleballs,
which isn’t ideal. The clubs
aren’t particularly forgiving,
either, so ball speed off
the clubface suffers. By
contrast, the new iron has
a seriously hot face plus
a lighter shaft. A slightly
flatter lie angle leads to
improved accuracy.
RESULT: The new irons
help in just about every way.
Kevin’s head speed and ball
speed increase significantly.
He’s swinging faster and
making better contact. In
addition, his launch angle
came down 4°, while spin
rate increased by 600 rpm.
The result is 10 yards more
carry (6-iron) plus a much
tighter dispersion pattern.
Handicap before: 22
Handicap after: 19
Age: 48
Home: Katonah, N.Y.
Occupation: Creative Director
READER Chris Pulichino:
66
old
new
89 mph
93 mph
130 mph
133 mph
11.3°
17.2°
2,550 rpm 3,675 rpm
862 rpm
1,615 rpm
54 yds 38 yds
189 yards
209 yards
207 yards
219 yards
Golf Magazine / golf.com February 2011
NEW
3,000
BACKSPIN (RPM)
Driver
head speed
ball speed
launch angle
backspin
sidespin
dispersion Range
carry distance
total distance
4,000
2,000
OLD
1,000
0
0
100
200
DRIVER TOTAL DISTANCE (YARDS)
300
Launch Monitor Results
6-iron
head speed
ball speed
launch angle
backspin
sidespin
dispersion
carry distance
total distance
old
69 mph
97 mph
22.7°
3,911 rpm
749 rpm
25 yards left
143 yards
152 yards
new
75 mph
104 mph
18.3°
4,496 rpm
640 rpm
11 yards left
153 yards
161 yards
200
CARRY DISTANCE (YARDS)
Launch Monitor Results
“I’d been using my driver
since the late ’90s. The
fitting showed me that
it’s important to change
clubs to match your swing
as it changes over time.
I’m getting so much more
distance on the course [as
I become used to the club]
than I did on the launch
monitor. My accuracy
improved, in part, because
I’m making smoother
swings with the longer
shaft. But I’m not executing
on approach shots. I need to
get custom-fit irons that suit
me like my new driver.”
READER Kevin Kehoe:
NEW
150
100
OLD
30
LEFT
20
10
0
10
6-IRON (YARDS FROM CENTERLINE)
20
RIGHT
“The confidence in knowing
that I have clubs fit to my
body and swing has been a
major benefit. It really helps
on short-iron approach
shots, since I can swing
more under control and still
get all the distance I need.” 
February 2011 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE
67
Buy a Better Game
SEE
OLD DRIVER
460cc multi-material head, 9.5°, graphite shaft, stiff flex, 45”, standard grip size
New DRIVER
Ping G15, 9° (digitally measured
to 10°), UST ProForce AXIVCore
Tour Red 79 graphite shaft, stiff
flex, 45.75”, +1/32” grip under
bottom hand only
FItter: David Estabrook,
Director of Club Fitting,
GolfTEC Philadelphia:
“Dan’s high launch and
high spin rate caused him
to carry the ball far. But
shots often flew way off to
the right because of that
spin. This caused him to
miss the fairway and hit out
of trouble. So we want high
launch and low spin.”
FIX: Dan’s natural shot is
a baby fade, and the stiffer
shaft helps to straighten it.
The heavier, tip-stiff driver
shaft lowers Dan’s spin rate
and drastically decreases
his left-and-right dispersion
range (see yellow ovals). The
G15 provides significantly
better performance on offcenter hits (good perimeter
weighting and low CG)
than his current model.
RESULT: Dan gains
six yards, his average
dispersion decreases by
more than six yards (due to
a decrease in backspin and
sidespin) and he eliminates
really bad misses. With
G15, the misses are much
more clustered (decrease
the “hallway” or dispersion
pattern) and under control.
HANDICAP BEFORE: 22
HANDICAP AFTER: 19
AGE: 33
HOME: Glenside, Pa.
OCCUPATION:
Semiconductor sales
Launch Monitor Results
68
Golf Magazine / golf.com February 2011
TOTAL DISTANCE (YARDS)
Driver
old
new
head speed
99 mph
96 mph
ball speed
142 mph
139 mph
launch angle
16.4°
16.6°
backspin
3,852 rpm 3,446 rpm
sidespin
1,512 rpm
995 rpm
dispersion 26 yds right 20 yds right
carry distance 234 yards
239 yards
total distance 244 yards
250 yards
300
READER Dan Perry:
NEW
200
100
OLD
20
LEFT
10
0
10
20
30
40
DRIVER (YARDS FROM CENTERLINE)
50
60
RIGHT
“Going in [to the fitting], I
thought it was going to be
more of a tape-measure type
of thing—here’s my build
and how we modify the
clubs to fit you. But it’s more
about my whole athletic
personality, and how I
operate on the course.”
OLD IRONS
Game-improvement cavity back,
3-PW, steel shaft, regular flex,
standard length and grip size
New IRONS
Titleist AP2, 3-PW, Royal
Precision Project X 6.5 steel shaft
(tip-stiff), extra-stiff flex, 1° flat
lie, standard length and grip size
rob aronow
“These clubs totally
changed my game.
I’m excited to hit them
because I know where
they’re going. I know
I’m going to hit a good
shot, and that’s a fun
way to play golf.”
FItter: David Estabrook,
Director of Club Fitting,
GolfTEC Philadelphia:
“Rob was wearing out his
old irons on the heel. The
regular-flex shafts were
too soft, especially in the
tip, which caused the shaft
to bow too much and the
clubface to shut down.
As a result, he either
pulled his shots left or
hit them high and right.”
FIX: Rob benefits from
a club with less offset
and a firmer, tip-stiff
shaft to eliminate the high,
right shots and pulls. This
gives him the opportunity
to swing hard with
confidence, knowing the
ball will go straight.
RESULT: Rob picked up an
extra two clubs in distance
with the AP2s. The change
from a regular-flex shaft
to the extra-stiff shaft
eliminated the all-toocommon left miss. His
average miss with AP2, on
the launch monitor, is just 3
yards right of the centerline.
HANDICAP BEFORE: 8
HANDICAP AFTER: 5
AGE: 42
HOME: Collegeville, Pa.
OCCUPATION: Director,
eBusiness Development
READER Rob Aronow:
Launch Monitor Results
6-iron
head speed
ball speed
launch angle
backspin
descent angle
dispersion
carry distance
total distance
old
new
82 mph
84 mph
106 mph
114 mph
18.5°
18.7°
5,941 rpm
5,367 rpm
42.5°
43.8°
6 yds left 3 yds right
150 yards
170 yards
155 yards
177 yards
300
CARRY DISTANCE (YARDS)
dan perry
“I’m much more
consistent. I’m
hitting more
fairways and I’m
not far off when I
miss them. I have
confidence to aim
the ball instead of
hitting and hoping.”
BUY @
TRY
OLD
200
100
NEW
30
LEFT
20
10
0
10
6-IRON (YARDS FROM CENTERLINE)
20
RIGHT
“When I hit the AP2s,
it’s like butter. It’s as
pure as can be. I’m hitting
these 15 yards farther
than my previous irons.
I’ll still mis-hit one from
time to time, but mis-hits
aren’t killing me—I’m
just off the putting green.
Before, I’d be 15 yards left,
or under a tree. Now, it’s a
tiny pull or fade. It’s like my
bad shots aren’t bad at all.” 
February 2011 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE
69
Buy a Better Game
SEE
OLD DRIVER
440cc, titanium head, 10.5°,
regular flex, graphite shaft (65 grams), 1° open clubface, 45” shaft length
New DRIVER
Cleveland Launcher DST,
10.5°, Cleveland Mitsubishi
Ultralight Diamana Red graphite shaft (47 grams),
regular flex, 45.75” shaft length
ron ramsey
“I’m hitting the ball
at least 20 to 30
yards longer with
better accuracy
than before
because I don’t
have to try to hit
the ball high.”
FItter: Tom Sialiano,
Director of Instruction,
GolfTEC White Plains:
“Ron is a good ballstriker
and has a balanced swing,
but he doesn’t launch the
ball high enough for his
clubhead speed. We need to
increase his launch angle by
several degrees.”
FIX: The Launcher DST
10.5° head is slightly closed,
which adds a bit of dynamic
loft to the club versus his
old model (10.5° and a
slightly open clubface, which
decreases dynamic loft). In
addition, the DST comes with
a long (45.75”) and light (47
grams vs. 65 grams) shaft.
These specs help him to
produce higher launch angles
and greater carry distance.
RESULT: Launcher DST
helps Ron launch the ball
higher with impressive
results. His launch angle
increases from 11.5° to 14.1°,
and carry and total distance
increase by 25 yards.
Handicap before: 14
Handicap after: 14
Age: 55
Home: Bronxville, N.Y.
Occupation:
Graphic Designer/Illustrator
BUY @
TRY
OLD IRONS
Game-improvement cavity back,
3-PW, graphite shaft, regular flex,
standard lie, length and grip size
New IRONS
Adams Idea a7OS Hybrid iron,
3-PW, Royal Precision Project X 6.0 steel shaft, stiff
flex, 2° upright lie, standard
length, +1/64” grip size
david deuchler
“I’m not afraid to
pull out the 3- or
4-hybrid, whereas
I used to dread
hitting a shot out
of rough or fairway
from 190 to 220.”
FItter: Wayne Sciscio,
Director of Instruction,
GolfTEC East Hanover,
N.J.: “David has too much
clubhead speed and load
to be playing a regular-flex
graphite shaft. Also, the lie
angle on his previous set
was too flat. This caused
him to bury the toe of the
club in the ground, so the
clubface pointed to the right
[in an open position] at
impact. That’s why he lost
so many shots to the right,
and lost distance, too.”
FIX: The Project X 6.0
steel shaft provides David
with more control over the
clubface, increasing the
number of solid hits. The
oversize hybrid iron set
(includes 3- to 7-hybrids)
generates more distance
on mis-hits and is more
forgiving than his old irons.
RESULT: The stiffer shaft
significantly lowers David’s
backspin numbers (by 1,200
rpm). This combines with
a more upright lie angle to
increase average distance
by 20-plus yards. David still
has a tendency to miss to the
right, but dispersion is a little
less with the hybrid irons.
HANDICAP BEFORE: 20
HANDICAP AFTER: 16
AGE: 34
HOME: Chatham, N.J.
OCCUPATION: Portfolio Manager
READER Ron Ramsey:
70
new
86 mph
129 mph
14.1°
1,256 rpm
225 rpm
35 yards
193 yards
216 yards
Golf Magazine / golf.com February 2011
TOTAL DISTANCE (YARDS)
Driver
old
head speed
84 mph
ball speed
126 mph
launch angle
11.5°
backspin
1,431 rpm
sidespin
388 rpm
dispersion RANGE 69 yards
carry distance 167 yards
total distance 192 yards
300
200
NEW
100
OLD
30
LEFT
20
10
0
10
20
30
DRIVER (YARDS FROM CENTERLINE)
40
50
RIGHT
Launch Monitor Results
6-iron
old
new
head speed
90 mph
90 mph
ball speed
114 mph
121 mph
launch angle
19.1°
20.7°
backspin
6,723 rpm
5,545 rpm
descent angle 49.5°
49.9° dispersion 27 yds right 23 yds right
carry distance 153 yards
176 yards
total distance 154 yards
181 yards
300
CARRY DISTANCE (YARDS)
Launch Monitor Results
“The fitting process
was very scientific and
interesting. I learned that
my old driver was poorly
fit for me. I’ve always hit
a relatively low ball that
rolls but now I see how
much distance I’ve been
sacrificing. My new flight
is higher, but I still get
good roll. I’m not scoring,
though, because my putting
is really letting me down.”
READER David Deuchler:
NEW
200
100
OLD
20
LEFT
10
0
10
20
6-IRON (YARDS FROM CENTERLINE)
30
RIGHT
“The hybrids are a big help
out of the rough and on
long par 4s and par 5s—my
long approach shots aren’t
automatic layups anymore.
Obviously, the extra 15 to 20
yards I’m getting make a big
difference. I consistently hit
the ball straighter, too.”
February 2011 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE

71
Buy a Better Game
SEE
OLD DRIVER
Steel-headed 3-wood, 15°,
graphite shaft, medium-stiff flex, 42,” standard grip size
New DRIVER
Cobra ZL, 9.5°, Aldila Voodoo
graphite shaft, stiff flex, 45”,
standard grip size
john riordan
“I’m pulling out the
driver on every hole
now. It’s a drastic
change from when
I used my 3-wood
or my partners’
drivers. My misses
are so much more
manageable.”
OLD IRONS
Forged blade, 5-PW, steel shaft,
regular flex, standard lie, shaft
length and grip size
New IRONS
Mizuno MX-300, 3-PW, True
Temper GS95 steel shaft, regular
flex hard-stepped, standard lie,
+1” shaft length, +1/32” grip size
mike roynan
“I’m seeing an
average distance
gain of 15 yards
throughout the set.
Once I get the
distances down, I’ll
be going real low.”
FItter: Wayne Sciscio,
Director of Instruction,
GolfTEC East Hanover, N.J.:
“The question John needs
to ask himself is, ‘Would
you rather hit an 8-iron
from the rough or a 5-iron
from the fairway?’ I think
most people would choose
the 8-iron from the rough.
There’s limited potential
with the 3-wood; you’re not
going to hit it 250 yards.”
FIX: A larger, 460cc head
expands the hitting area
and gives John so much
more distance than his
3-wood. The club’s lower
loft and stiffer shaft flex
bring down spin rate and
ball flight and dramatically
boost carry and roll.
RESULT: John’s clubhead
speed jumps 5 mph and
his ball speed increases
8 mph, while backspin
drops and sidespin
decreases by 1,250 rpm.
It all adds up to 26 yards
more off the tee. He’s even
tamed the dreaded hook,
which occasionally plagued
him with his old 3-wood
and driver off the tee.
HANDICAP BEFORE: 16
HANDICAP AFTER: 14
AGE: 33
HOME: San Francisco, Calif.
OCCUPATION: Internet
Sales Manager
BUY @
TRY
FItter: David Estabrook,
Director of Club Fitting,
GolfTEC Philadelphia:
“Mike’s clubs were
simply too short, so his
approach shots were very
unpredictable. He was so
up and down in his posture
that he couldn’t get the meat
of the club on the ball and
was losing a lot of distance.”
FIX: Lighter, longer
shafts (1 inch longer than
standard) take the dip out
of Mike’s swing. This brings
his contact point closer to
the center of the clubface
and improves the transfer
of energy to the ball. The
MX-300 irons provide Mike
with a forged feel plus more
forgiveness than his blades.
RESULT: Switching to a
more dynamic head design
(stronger lofts) and longer,
lighter shafts (softer tip
and ‘hard-stepped’ to
play between regular and
stiff) provide a dramatic
increase (12 mph) in ball
speed while making misses
more manageable. Contact
is much closer to the sweet
spot, as evidenced by an
enormous improvement
in “smash factor” from
1.20 to 1.29 (1.50 is max).
HANDICAP BEFORE: 15
HANDICAP AFTER: 12
AGE: 40
HOME: Collegeville, Pa.
OCCUPATION: Attorney
READER John Riordan:
72
new
96 mph
138 mph
18.1°
3,677 rpm
43.1°
7 yds right
230 yards
241 yards
Golf Magazine / golf.com February 2011
NEW
200
100
OLD
20
LEFT
10
0
10
DRIVER (YARDS FROM CENTERLINE)
20
RIGHT
“I have much more
confidence in the driver.
I’m hitting more short
irons into the greens of
late. (Of course, I can’t say
I’m hitting it beautifully
every time.) Also, my shot
shape has become a more
consistent fade. Before,
I had a tendency to slice,
pull or even duck-hook the
driver. That was no fun.”
Launch Monitor Results
6-iron
old
new
head speed
78 mph
82 mph
ball speed
94 mph
106 mph
launch angle
25.3°
21.3°
backspin
6,668 rpm 6,009 rpm
SIDESPIN 1,292 rpm 1,302 rpm
descent angle 48°
46°
carry distance 124 yards
149 yards
total distance 125 yards
153 yards
10,000
BACK SPIN (RPM)
Driver
old
head speed
91 mph
ball speed
130 mph
launch angle
17°
backspin
4,059 rpm
DESCENT ANGLE 43.4°
dispersion 16 yds right
carry distance 205 yards
total distance 215 yards
TOTAL DISTANCE (YARDS)
Launch Monitor Results
300
READER Mike Roynan:
OLD
NEW
6,000
0
0
100
6-IRON CARRY DISTANCE (YARDS)
200
“It’s eye-opening to see
the on-course differences
with longer shafts. The
extra inch takes time
to get used to, but I’m
starting to be more dialed-in
and comfortable, especially
with longer irons.”

February 2011 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE
73
Buy a Better Game
SEE
OLD DRIVER
460cc, 9.5°, graphite shaft, stiff flex, 46”, standard grip size
New DRIVER
Nike Victory Red STR8-FIT
Tour, 11.5°, neutral face angle,
Mitsubishi Rayon Fubuki Tour 73 graphite shaft, stiff flex, 45”, standard grip size
brian
mahoney
“I actually work
less to get more
[distance]. I’m
hitting a more
controlled shot
and I know where
my misses are
going to be.”
FItter: Josh Chervokas,
Custom Shop Director,
New York Golf Center:
“Brian has a tendency to
come into the ball too steeply,
which delofts the face at
impact. He launches shots
too low for his head speed.
We need to increase his
launch angle, which should
increase overall distance.”
FIX: The 11.5° loft (2° more
than his previous driver)
plus a higher-launching shaft
help to produce a higher ball
flight, longer carry and more
overall distance. The 1-inch
shorter shaft provides better
feel and control.
RESULT: Brian blocked
his old driver on occasion.
The new club improves
dispersion, distance and
consistency. Nike’s STR8FIT technology enables him
to increase launch angle,
too. The setting for a 2°
closed face angle boosts
launch (15.2°) and flight
apex (99 feet). Brian prefers
the neutral face visually and
hits it three yards longer
than the 2° closed face.
HANDICAP BEFORE: 12
HANDICAP AFTER: 9
AGE: 31
HOME: Stamford, Conn.
OCCUPATION:
Tournament Director
BUY @
TRY
OLD IRONS
Forged oversize cavity-back,
4-PW, regular flex, graphite shaft,
standard length, lie and grip size
New IRONS
Wilson Di9, 4-PW, regular
flex, steel shaft, -1/2” length,
standard lie, standard grip size
davId
shanker
“The distance
gains I see with
the new clubs
on the launch
monitor are real
when I get out on
the golf course.”
FItter: Josh Chervokas,
Custom Shop Director,
New York Golf Center:
“David hits it remarkably
straight for someone with
such a steep and out-to-in
club path. He manages
his pull cut but loses tons
of ball speed, generates a
crazy amount of backspin
and launches the ball too
high. All of this adds up to
massive losses in distance.”
FIX: The Wilson Di9 (a
significantly lower and
deeper center of gravity)
reduces his backspin to a
manageable 6,500 rpm. The
slightly shorter shaft length
(1/2-inch shorter than
standard) improves his
consistency. David also
benefits greatly from a
change to a lower-spinning
ball from a Tour model.
RESULT: The combination
of Di9 clubheads and a
slightly shorter, heavier
steel shaft reduce his
backspin (2,200 rpm
less) while increasing
ball speed. The result is a
significant distance gain
(more than one full club)
throughout the bag.
Handicap before: 14
Handicap after: 14
Age: 42
Home: Dix Hills, N.Y.
Occupation:
Manufacturing Executive
READER Brian Mahoney:
74
Golf Magazine / golf.com February 2011
NEW
75
APEX (FEET)
Driver
old
new
head speed
101 mph
100 mph
ball speed
146 mph
146 mph
launch angle
12.5°
14.3°
backspin
3,447 rpm 3,086 rpm
SIDEspin 1,287 rpm 1,020 rpm
apex
81 feet
93 feet
carry distance 230 yards
240 yards
total distance 243 yards
254 yards
100
OLD
50
25
50
100
150
200
DRIVER TOTAL DISTANCE (YARDS)
250
300
Launch Monitor Results
6-iron
head speed
ball speed
launch angle
backspin
DESCENT ANGLE
dispersion
carry distance
total distance
old
82 mph
93 mph
20.6°
8,653 rpm
42°
1 yd right 115 yards
118 yards
new
85 mph
100 mph
21.8°
6,483 rpm
44°
2 yds right
128 yards
130 yards
READER David Shanker:
300
CARRY DISTANCE (YARDS)
Launch Monitor Results
“At last, I carry the ball the
way I should. It’s a much
higher trajectory. Before, if
I had to carry a hazard, I
had to compensate in some
way. Now, if I have 240 to
carry the bunker, I carry
it 250 on the course. It
feels easy. Also, my slight
mis-hits aren’t unplayable
anymore. No longer do I
play ‘Army golf.’ Rather, I
hit a nice, controlled draw.”
200
NEW
100
OLD
20
LEFT
10
0
10
6-IRON (YARDS FROM CENTERLINE)
20
30
RIGHT
“The fitting was a huge
learning experience.
I play quite a bit of golf
and thought I had a very
good set of irons, which I
liked. It was eye opening
to see exactly why I was
losing so much distance
on approach shots. I’m not
long, so every bit helps.”
February 2011 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE

75
C
MAGAZINE
GETFIT2011
Camilo Villegas
amilo Villegas would no sooner skip a workout than Mario Batali
would miss a meal. But Villegas isn’t one for taking chances.
Emblazoned in block letters on the wall of his home gym is a warning
that serves as his reminder: SACRIFICE OR REGRET...YOU
CHOOSE! Three years ago, when Villegas bought his house, a twostory stucco spread on a leafy street in Jupiter, Fla., his first design
decision was to furnish a downstairs bedroom in the manner of a
24-Hour Fitness. His second move was to clamber up a ladder and
stencil on the bold-faced, finger-wagging message—a jolt of
motivation for a man with plenty of his own.
and abuses his abs against 90 pounds of
tethered weight-machine resistance. One
way he works his lower body is through
a freakish feat of strength and athleticism: Standing on one leg, he jumps to
the top of a three-foot-tall box, then jumps
down, landing on the other leg, 10 times
fast. Fresh from that torture, he grabs a
25-pound medicine ball in both hands,
squats with the ball between his legs, then
leaps as if to dunk it through a basketball
hoop, repeating the maneuver for four
sets of 10. His approach sounds obsessive, ritualistic. “It’s not a program or a
regimen,” he explains. “It’s a lifestyle.”
“It’s about balance.
Too much of anything
can get in the way
of you achieving
your goals.”
HUGE DRIVE
“Without fitness,
I wouldn’t be on
Tour,” Villegas
says. “It’s
absolutely
central to
my success.”
82
GOLF MAGAZINE / golf.com February 2011
“I’m not the kind of guy who hits the
snooze button in the morning,” Villegas
says. “But I still like to see those words
when I wake up and get going. They help
keep me focused on what it’s all about.”
Sacrifice or regret. In the choice between them, Villegas, 29, has never wavered. At least not since the fall of 2000,
when he showed up as a freshman on
the University of Florida campus, a 138pound wisp from Medellin, Colombia, and
the shortest hitter on the Gator golf team.
Back in his home country, he had
prowled the fairways as an alpha male,
racking up an amateur record that made
him something of a Latin Tiger Woods.
College brought about his first Charles
Atlas moment. “I realized,” Villegas says,
“that I was going to have to get longer and
stronger if I wanted to compete.”
Into the campus gym he went—weights,
yoga, cardio, pilates—with a fervor wor-
thy of its own Rocky soundtrack. Out he
stepped four years later, having trimmed
his body fat from 12 percent to 4.5 percent while adding 25 pounds of limber muscle to his threadbare frame. By
graduation, Florida’s shortest knocker
had transformed himself into its longest bomber. Peter Parker had become...
Spider-Man. “Without fitness, I wouldn’t
be on Tour. No doubt about it,” Villegas
says. “It’s absolutely central to my success.”
Success for Villegas—three wins and
more than $13 million in prize money in
four years as a pro—has come in the kind
of torrents that allow for private jets and
five-star hotels, both breeding grounds
of softness. Villegas has responded by
hardening his resolve and his already
rippled core. His methods have the ring
of the masochistic. His sit-ups aren’t situps: They’re seated cable crunches in
which he perches on a medicine ball
On non-tournament days, at home or
on the road, Villegas is up at 6 a.m. and
at it for the next two hours. Workouts that
begin with stationary bike warm-ups and
dynamic stretching give way to squats,
presses, crunches and a grid of exercises
that read like an astronaut’s instructional
manual: rocket jumps, thrusts, lifts, vertical swings.
Over the past decade, his longest layoff
from the gym lasted all of seven days.
“I’m not sure what happened,” Villegas
says. “I must have had a really nasty case
of the flu.”
“With a guy like Camilo, it’s like you’re
dealing with a thoroughbred,” says Chris
Noss, Villegas’s strength and conditioning coach. “The challenge isn’t getting
him to get going. The challenge is trying
to rein him in.”
In the depth of his dedication, Villegas
calls to mind his idol, Gary Player, the
Tour’s original fitness guru. And like
Player, he acknowledges the dangers of
overdoing it, which doesn’t always translate into his slowing down. An avid cyclist, Villegas alternates gym time with
long hours on his road bike, often pairing them back-to-back. One year, Noss
recalls, Villegas pedaled 80 miles from
his home in Jupiter to Miami in time to
catch a flight to a tournament. On trips
home to Colombia, he trains with his
fellow countryman, Santiago Botero,
a world champion cyclist. Villegas
himself competes in amateur races.
Of the six 100-kilometer events he has
entered, he has won four.
Last year, Villegas concedes, he spent
so much time cycling that his play suffered. Though he won the Honda Classic
and notched six other top-10s, fatigue set
in late in the season. Noss had to ask his
man: Do you want to be Lance Armstrong
February 2011 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE
83
ANGUS MURRAY
Villegas’s
longest gym
layoff? Seven
days. “I must
have had the
flu,” he says.

magazine
GETFIT2011
captain crunch
Villegas rises
every day at
6 a.m. for a
two-hour, fullbody workout.
the seat of his road bike, Villegas feels the
mental clutter melt away. “It’s something
that lets me get away,” Villegas says of
cycling. “I just lock onto the wheel in front
of me and don’t lose it. That’s the only
thought that’s going through my head.”
Such single-mindedness lies at the
heart of who Villegas is. The term “Type
A” undersells his disposition. His bedroom closet is color-coded, his shirts arranged according to both hue and style.
When he cooks, he cleans the dishes
before he eats.
Villegas’s younger brother, Manny,
who followed Camilo to the University
of Florida and is now struggling to follow
him onto the PGA Tour, regards Camilo’s
bearing with a mix of wonder and admiration. “He’s always been like that,”
Manny says. “I work out with him a fair
amount. But we’re very different. I like
to work out like a normal human being.”
84
Golf Magazine / golf.com February 2011
Villegas’s approach has helped earn
him not only a superhero’s nickname
but also a place in pop culture as golf’s
buffed-out poster child. Late last year, he
enhanced that reputation by appearing
naked on the cover of a glossy magazine,
splayed out in his famous Spider-Man
pose: torso in plank position, one leg
stretched behind him, the other bent
and poised to spring.
“To be honest, I didn’t even think twice
when I was asked to do that,” Villegas
says of his Full Monty. “I’ve worked 10
years to get the body I have. I’m proud
of what I’ve accomplished.”
Glancing quickly at the picture, you
might mistake Villegas for a photoshopped teen idol. But images of him
that you swear were airbrushed prove
undoctored when you meet him faceto-face. He has the chiseled calves of a
sprinter, and square-cut shoulders sloping
toward a tapered waist. Bulging veins
run down his biceps like tributaries in
a topographical map.
With every tournament he enters,
there are, of course, groupies. Predictably, People named him one of the country’s “hottest bachelors,” and little about
his home suggests that the honor should
not be his. Gym aside, there are few furnishings, and nothing perishable in the
fridge. His garage is given over to a turbo
Cayenne Porsche, a Mercedes CLK 63
and a white Chevy truck with the license
plate, KMILO. A hot tub on the back deck
spills into an infinity pool. At the end of
a dock, two Jet Skis sit suspended above
the currents, ready to be lowered, James
Bond-style.
Yet if the house has a few hallmarks
of a playboy’s mansion, Villegas hardly
leads the life of Hef. He rarely drinks.
He’s tucked in by 10 p.m. most nights.
His idea of indulgence is a weakness for
sweet potato fries, and he admits to “eating only half a cookie.”
Inside his house, at the top of the
stairs leading to the second floor, hangs
a large framed photograph of the Rolling
Stones. Among the faces gazing from it
is the wizened, wrinkly visage of Keith
Richards, a man who has known neither
sacrifice nor regret—a better musician
than role model.
“I try to live my life in moderation,”
Villegas says. “Except when I work out.
Battle of the Buff
Two exercise nuts from different
eras—Camilo Villegas, 29, and the
father of golf fitness, Gary Player,
75—go head-to-head
HOURS IN THE GYM
One hour a day
(minimum), three
to six days a week
Two hours
a day, seven
days a week
workout of choice
Biking,
plyometrics
(high-impact
muscle training),
weight-lifting
Swimming laps,
stretching, running.
“You know what I
did this morning?”
Player tells
Golf Magazine.
“I jogged up and
down a mountain.
A mountain!”
philosophy
“Rest is rust.”
“Sacrifice or
regret. . . you
choose.”
diet
Everything, but
in moderation
Mostly vegetarian,
grilled chicken,
lots of water.
“Sugar is
killing our young
people,” says
Player, whose son,
Wayne, is diabetic.
traveller’s tip
“Pack resistance
bands in your
suitcase. In a
pinch, you can
get a decent
workout with
them.”
“Pushups! You
can do them
anywhere, any time,
strengthening
your arms,
pectorals, and
back. And good
old-fashioned
sit-ups for
your core.”
Then I tend to go at it pretty hard.”
He pauses, ponders. “The scary thing,”
he says, “is how quickly you lose it when
you don’t stay with it.”
It’s just another reminder, fixed into
his psyche—like a slogan stenciled onto
his wall. n
ap photo/rob carr
or the Tour’s money leader?
Villegas says he won’t make the same
mistake again. “It’s about balance,” he
says. “Too much of anything can get in
the way of you achieving your goals.”
Fitness remains central to that equilibrium. The gym, for Villegas, isn’t just
a fueling station but a refuge, a sanctuary from the near-constant distractions
of his work life—what Villegas calls the
“zoo of the PGA Tour.” Rising early in
the morning to reel off several hundred
crunches as electronica pumps through
his surround-sound system amounts to a
kind of hardcore meditation. Hopping on
Camilo Villegas