About Ryan Heiman
Founder and Head Author of Independent Golf Reviews
Hi, I’m Ryan.
I am an amateur golfer that loves the game.
Not only do I love to play, but I also love to tinker with my clubs. Since taking the clubmakers 101 class about 9 years ago, my clubs and small shop are constantly changing with new stuff and constant tweaking.
I slowly became a club junkie over the years. I was also a member of a number of major golf forums. I was constantly on the search for new products that worked. It was trial and error for the most part. I thought it would be really great to write reviews about all my experiences.
I started writing on a couple of other golf sites, mainly in their forums.
After a couple years of doing this I decided to create this website: Independent Golf Reviews.
It is just reviews, nothing else.
Here are some things about me and my game:
I have a wife and four boys. Yet, I still get to play at least once a week. I try to play as many of the local courses as I can.
My swing has improved greatly over the last couple of years. I used to have the typical over the top move that caused everything to slice. Now after a couple years of practice and lessons I have straightened things out (mostly) and play to about a 3.0 handicap. I swing the big stick around 105mph.
I fit into a pretty standard set-up from most companies. When I have gone in for a fitting, standard loft, lie and typically stiff flex shafts fit my needs. I feel I have a fairly repeatable swing. I tend to struggle with one part of my game. It changes throughout the year, my low scores come when I put it all together, and high scores sometimes slip in when nothing works.
I grew up in WI playing a mixed set of hand-me-downs; a starter set of Wilson blades and persimmon woods. I took the free lessons offered by the PGA teaching pro at the local muni and learned to appreciate the game. After years of moderate play due to being involved in multiple sports and other hobbies, I decided to narrow things down and concentrate on one sport/hobby. Since moving to Tucson, AZ; I get to play golf all year round.
My goal with this website is to offer thorough reviews of clubs, courses and accessories with both the positive and negative aspects. I want IGR to be a site where any golfer can come and read about a wide variety of golf related products and learn what might work best for them.
One of the unique aspects of my site is the wide variety of products that I have used. As you can see, I’ve played just about everything from everyone out there. I attempt to be as neutral and bias free as possible.
One thing that I do that not all review sites do is actually play them on a course for a few rounds. I will also try to review any club or product from any company, and play any course wherever I happen to be. I will give you a regular golfer’s impression.
My second passion has become golf course architecture. I love playing different courses and enjoy the variety of each layout. I have learned to appreciate the little things, the overall feel, the intricate details, and the place in history for many golf courses. I’ve played over a 475 different courses in 39 different states and 6 different countries.
About my swing
I have a fairly quick tempo with a sometimes bad habit over the top move that gets me in trouble. I have fairly flat swing but it is pretty consistent.
Average yardages
Driver ➜ 275
3 wood ➜ 240
20* hybrid ➜ 220
4 iron ➜ 195
5 iron ➜ 185
6 iron ➜ 170
7 iron ➜ 160
8 iron ➜ 150
9 iron ➜135
PW ➜120
50* ➜ 110
54* ➜ 100
58* ➜ 90
Putter ➜ 2 feet
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