As a 10th-rate golfer whose favoured club is a sand wedge, a couple of hours at Improve Your Golf (IYGL) made me dream of Open fame.
Husband-and-wife team, David Lloyd and Debbie Leung, put aside careers as a banker and lawyer to pass on some of the knowledge they learned at a golf university in California to help Hong Kong's golfers choose the right clubs for their game.
'Ninety per cent of golf is in the swing and 10 is in the equipment,' David said. 'You can buy a set of golf clubs that are going to hurt your game, but you can't buy a set that's going to give you a game.' Their shop stocks an array of clubs, books and clothing and has a workshop that can re-grip clubs while you wait. But selling clubs is not the main focus of the business. What sets it apart is the personal tuition using digital video and radar technology that enables players to pick a club and better their game.
Golfers can see in an instant if their tee shot is heading straight down the fairway or whether the next stop will be the drop zone, but beyond that it is difficult to accurately know why.
This is where the shop's Doppler radar system comes into its own.
By analysing club and ball speed, rotation, launch and club-face angle, David shows not only how far you can hit the ball, but also which clubs work for you, and which do not.