Taking it to the next level
Three readers join gm’s Jezz ellwood in a quest to achieve specific golfing goals in 2016 with mizuno’s expert assistance. First step: a full custom-fitting in the mizuno Performance Centre at Celtic manor…
ome golfers are happy to just roll up every week, potter round the course and look forward to their next game. Some… but not many! If you scratch beneath the surface, ambition still burns fiercely in scores of golfers.
Many ambitions are handicap- or score-based – getting as low as possible or shooting a personal best. For some, it may be as simple as making that first ever birdie. Others long to improve a part of their game that’s holding them back, or have their eyes set firmly on a particular event.
It was for golfers such as these that Mizuno decided to team up with Golf Monthly for this season’s exciting Mizuno #YourGame2016 project. Mizuno has long been renowned for crafting the finest forged irons on the market, and for introducing countless game-improving technologies as part of its commitment to helping all golfers get the most out of their games.
For #YourGame2016, Mizuno wanted three Golf Monthly readers to reap the benefits of a custom-fitting session for a full set of Mizuno clubs at its Celtic Manor Performance Centre, before embarking on a season-long quest to achieve their goals.
The chosen trio would also be kitted out with a full complement of Mizuno apparel, gloves, balls, bag and accessories. There would then be a series of money-can’t-buy Mizuno experiences throughout the season to encourage them along the way.
It was no surprise, then, that more than 700 golfers put themselves forward, each going to great lengths to state their specific golfing goals
Sfor the year and present a strong supporting case. When the combined GM/Mizuno judging panel sat down to sift through the entries, they were amazed by the collective ambition of the nation’s amateur golfers.
In addition to the anticipated handicap and scoring goals, several other entries really caught the eye. One lady playing off +1.2 wanted to qualify for the Ricoh Women’s British Open; a scratch golfer wanted to turn pro and make it out on to the EuroPro Tour and another wanted to climb 400 places on the World Amateur Golf Ranking to be eligible for The Amateur Championship.
There were scores of ‘wannabe’ scratch golfers, club champions and county champions, and a host of golfers for whom single figures was the holy grail. But after much deliberation, the panel eventually whittled it down to their chosen three.
Liam Frean is a 19-year-old student at St Andrews who plays off 3 and wants to get lower, but perhaps more importantly, give himself the chance to win some scratch events. “I play a huge amount of competitive golf and have a real love for the game,” he said. The panel was impressed with his average of two hours’ practice a day.
For the now-retired Peter Jones, the goal was the magic figure of 9.4. Currently off 11, Peter plays more than 50 competitive rounds a year, while also practising regularly. The panel particularly liked the ambition in his sign-off line: “With the help of Mizuno, I hope to achieve my goals for 2016… and then set new ones.”
The final member of our triumvirate is Dan Barlow, a 15-handicapper with his eyes also firmly set on single figures. Dan confessed to being undecided as to whether or not custom fitting could really help inconsistent golfers. “I am also a massive Mizuno fan, but am scared that I am not good enough to use Mizuno equipment,” he admitted. But this hadn’t prevented him snapping up a set of MP-32s from his local charity shop!
Golf Monthly’s Jezz Ellwood is joining our Mizuno #YourGame2016 trio as he battles to prove that an iffy golf swing and being the wrong side of 50 needn’t bring an end to golfing ambition. Stuck on 5 for several years, Jezz now has renewed designs on making it down to 4 for the first time, having come agonisingly close before.
Turn the page to meet our Mizuno #YourGame2016 quartet and find out how their initial fittings went. As the season progresses, look out for regular updates and reports online and in print as they benefit from Mizuno’s ongoing support, whether competing on the prestigious Mizuno Golf Pairs Tour, playing a European Tour host venue or perhaps even receiving one-on-one advice from a Mizuno touring professional.