The Short Game’s best-kept Secret

The “FEEL” Wedge Set Re-Launches “The Dart Thrower”

By: Dr. Barry Lotz

The old adage that “if you want to shoot lower scores, put the ball closer to the hole” is probably one of, if not the singularly most important facets of golf. Doing so involves practice to enhance one’s short game. To do so, a golfer needs dexterity, technique and good tools with the two most important clubs in the bag the wedge the putter.

This article is about a small California company that has resurfaced recently to produce beautifully crafted, functional and professional acceptance by tour players the “Dart Thrower” FEEL 3-wedge system.

Amongst the legions of tour players are the likes of Lee Elder, Harold Henning, Leonard Thompson, Roy Vucinich, Gibby Gilbert, Sr and Walt Zembriski of the SENIOR PGA TOUR. From the BUY.COM Tour, notables are Briny Baird, Dave Rummells, Sonny Skinner, Kevin Blanton, Steve Ford, Gibby Gilbert, Jr. and Rob Johnson. On the LPGA Tour players such as Tracy Hanson, Kristal Parker, Debbie Harmon, and Debbi Koyama. On the PGA TOUR players such as Jesper Parnevik, Kirk Triplett, Bill Glasson, Bradley Hughes and David Peoples have tried the wedges as well as many European and Japanese Tour players. To date over 75% of all players using the “FEEL” wedge system have improved their bunker and short game.

Back in 1986, Lee Miller was perplexed. He and a group of his fellow PGA professional golfers were attending an open forum to learn more about golf equipment, and to Miller’s thinking, he came away with more questions than answers. What he heard was a rehash of the hype turned out by the marketing departments of equipment manufacturers. But with his Ph.D. in Engineering, he knew that what he heard just wasn’t grounded in scientific principles.

Lee started analyzing the various components of the golf club and the way each contributes to overall club performance. He found that he could improve that performance by changing some of the physical characteristics of the club. He began working on the clubs of other professionals and they reported back that the clubs “felt” great once he’d made the changes. There was a solidness and accuracy they hadn’t experienced before, even though their clubs were the best produced by the major manufacturers.

The correct “feel” says Miller, comes from the various club components working as a team to bring the club square at impact. During the swing, each golf club component acts individually, according to the laws of physics. The challenge is to coordinate the moments of force of these components so they fuse at impact, providing an optimum trajectory for maximum distance and accuracy.

Miller found the old personnel that had previously made the “FEEL” line. New tooling was made, and after several attempts small production runs were approved. Everything was exactly as Miller needed. The wedges were submitted to the USGA for approval and to assure conformance to the Rules of Golf. They were approved in 1999.

The decision was made in July 1999 to start initial marketing of the “FEEL”” wedges through the Internet. “FEEL” is presently producing and making sets of the wedges and irons at the “FEEL” Golf Company, Inc. headquarters in Salinas, CA.

While Miller’s competitive playing days are over, due to a shoulder injury, his club design and engineering background will still allow the players to enjoy the “FEEL” of the club in order to become the best they can be.

Our testing pros condensed the “FEEL”” Tour-Matched Golf Wedges most outstanding features as follows:

6 way tour grind with a toe & hosel design to reduce club turn
Very soft “FEEL” through impact
Spanks divots for the stopping bite
Sand&an absolute gem to use to get out
Lob shots&just “FEEL” the best flipping wedges they have ever used
If you want spin, bite, lob, blast, spank, low, high, run, stop, back-up and “FEEL” consider these wedges!

Loft	Bounce	Swing Weight
52°	9	D-8
56°	6	D-8
60°	3	E-0

Additionally, as mentioned previously, these wedges are currently being played by over 100 professionals on all Tours, and Majors have been won with these wedges.

All wedges are 36 ¼” in length and available in right hand only. Price: $329 plus $14 for S&H and applicable local tax.

Lee Miller can be reached at his toll free number: (877) WDGSETS (934-7387), via fax facsimile number: (831) 758-5689, via email at: DrFeel@feelwedges.com and at the website www.feelwedges.com.

Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the California Golf Writers Association, and serves both as a Consultant and Mediator to the golf industry. He is also the author of numerous books, including “333 Best Web Sites for Golfers” and his current book, “How to Build Business Relationships Through Golf” is in the Top Ten Golf Business Book’s best seller list.

He can be reached at www.pgtaa.com or drlotz@cbsgolf.net