There has been a lot of discussion on the AGCP forum posts this week in terms of OEM golf clubs - in terms of their quality and whether clubfitters like to reshaft OEM clubs for players or use other great heads - like those from Wishon, Alpha, Infiniti, Scratch, Bang, and others - for building clubs.
I personally have had great success both ways. OEM heads definitely make quality golf heads. They look great and play well. What often happens is that they are not coupled with shafts that are the right fit for players. I have sometimes found players playing shafts that are 1 to 2 flexes too stiff for them for example. But they can be rebuilt and when they have the right shafts and the right weighting that can play very well.
On the other hand, the quality of heads from Wishon and other major component companies are as good as OEM heads. And sometimes - not always, but often for irons - they are easier to build to fitting specifications than building with OEM heads. When you buy quality component heads you know the head weights you will get. And with some heads like those from Wishon you have the ability to add "hosel weights" and can easily vary club MOI/swingweight specifications.
The question then is - if you really like the OEM heads that you are playing with but think that the clubs are not a good fit for you - how do you find out? The easiest way to find out is to have your clubs regripped and have a clubfitter identify the specifications - overall weight, MOI/swingweight, length, shaft flex, lofts/lies - for your clubs. To correctly determine shaft flex you need to measure flex with the grips off.
So..............the next time your clubs need regripped if you bring them to me I will also do a full set of specifications on them - no additional cost - and provide you with some ideas on how well they might fit your game. All you need to do is let me know you have read my blog!
Tony
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Personal Golf Club Evaluation...
One of the kinds of emails that I truly enjoy receiving is when someone fills out the "Personal Golf Club Evaluation" form on the home page of my web site. Every week or so I get one of these evaluations from folks I do not know, and it I think is a good starter in terms of learning what people want out of improved golf clubs.
Because I want to help players play the best golf they can, obtaining this information is a key starter to helping folks find clubs that can improve their games. The answers people provide in terms of how they hit different clubs are not always the same - some for example say they would like to hit hybrid clubs like they hit their irons, while some say exactly the opposite.
Usually I can see something in the responses that suggest areas where clubfitting can improve the player's game. If a player says that they do not putt well, it could suggest they need a different putter but also could suggest that some mods could be made to their present putter that can help them putt better.
The evaluation also asks what is the player's favorite club and least favorite club, and favorite shot and least favorite shot. I know for me the favorite club and shot would be the driver, and least favorite shot would be the 20 to 40 yard pitch shot. Improving short pitch shots is something I have concentrated on a lot for the past few months, and I have put a Scratch sand wedge in my bag - digger/driver grind - that suits the way I hit short shots well.
I really encourage anyone who might be interested in being fit for clubs to first fill out this form and send it to me. After completing it, I always ask the player if they want to visit me at Centennial Golf Course - where I do fittings - and let me make a few simple measurements to get an idea on the length and weight of their clubs. Getting a good evaluation up front of player's likes, dislikes, and desired areas for improvement is an important initial key to the fitting process.
Tony
Because I want to help players play the best golf they can, obtaining this information is a key starter to helping folks find clubs that can improve their games. The answers people provide in terms of how they hit different clubs are not always the same - some for example say they would like to hit hybrid clubs like they hit their irons, while some say exactly the opposite.
Usually I can see something in the responses that suggest areas where clubfitting can improve the player's game. If a player says that they do not putt well, it could suggest they need a different putter but also could suggest that some mods could be made to their present putter that can help them putt better.
The evaluation also asks what is the player's favorite club and least favorite club, and favorite shot and least favorite shot. I know for me the favorite club and shot would be the driver, and least favorite shot would be the 20 to 40 yard pitch shot. Improving short pitch shots is something I have concentrated on a lot for the past few months, and I have put a Scratch sand wedge in my bag - digger/driver grind - that suits the way I hit short shots well.
I really encourage anyone who might be interested in being fit for clubs to first fill out this form and send it to me. After completing it, I always ask the player if they want to visit me at Centennial Golf Course - where I do fittings - and let me make a few simple measurements to get an idea on the length and weight of their clubs. Getting a good evaluation up front of player's likes, dislikes, and desired areas for improvement is an important initial key to the fitting process.
Tony
Monday, April 12, 2010
Is Lighter Longer? Is Longer Longer?
Great Masters this week, and Phil certainly deserved to win. Eagle, eagle, birdie.....amazing!
Watching these guys on TV, though, it is surprising how often they hit it into the trees. There has been a lot of discussion today on the AGCP forum that perhaps some of this is being caused by using shafts that are not the right weight for players.
Shaft weight has the biggest influence on the overall weight of a club. You all probably are seeing ads for how there are now REALLY light drivers being sold, because this is supposed to help players swing faster and hit it further. Maybe this is true for some, but also most likely not true for everyone.
In fact, I am in the process of building the lightest driver I have ever built for a client. It will probably come out to a total weight of about 275 grams, using an ultralight grip and very light shaft. This is more than 25 grams lighter than typical driver weights. For this player, I am sure that lighter is the way to go, and will lead to increased swing speed and added distance.
It gets different, though, when you are talking about folks who swing the driver at speeds of greater than 100 mph. For these players, light shafts may result in some increased swing speed, but most likely will also result on over the top swings and pull hooks. Yes, there will be some really long drives in there too..............but a lot more second shots played from the trees.
If you are really a "boomer" then - unless you are a long driver contestant and do not care if you hit more than 1 out of say 6 fairways - then you should think about getting a heavier shaft in your driver rather than lighter. Playing second shots from pretty green fairways rather than pine straw is a LOT more fun!! And most likely any loss of distance will be minimal.
Tony
Watching these guys on TV, though, it is surprising how often they hit it into the trees. There has been a lot of discussion today on the AGCP forum that perhaps some of this is being caused by using shafts that are not the right weight for players.
Shaft weight has the biggest influence on the overall weight of a club. You all probably are seeing ads for how there are now REALLY light drivers being sold, because this is supposed to help players swing faster and hit it further. Maybe this is true for some, but also most likely not true for everyone.
In fact, I am in the process of building the lightest driver I have ever built for a client. It will probably come out to a total weight of about 275 grams, using an ultralight grip and very light shaft. This is more than 25 grams lighter than typical driver weights. For this player, I am sure that lighter is the way to go, and will lead to increased swing speed and added distance.
It gets different, though, when you are talking about folks who swing the driver at speeds of greater than 100 mph. For these players, light shafts may result in some increased swing speed, but most likely will also result on over the top swings and pull hooks. Yes, there will be some really long drives in there too..............but a lot more second shots played from the trees.
If you are really a "boomer" then - unless you are a long driver contestant and do not care if you hit more than 1 out of say 6 fairways - then you should think about getting a heavier shaft in your driver rather than lighter. Playing second shots from pretty green fairways rather than pine straw is a LOT more fun!! And most likely any loss of distance will be minimal.
Tony
Monday, April 5, 2010
What a Sports Week!
Well, I am drained tonight after watching the NCAA basketball final game tonight. I think it was the most intense final game I have ever seen. Butler certainly could have won, Duke did.......two beautiful teams.
And on top of this we get the Masters this week. I had the chance to go to Augusta for practice rounds about 10 years ago......and the two things I remember are how beautiful the course is and how effortlessly these guys hit the golf ball. I am hoping it is one of the best Masters ever, and am rooting for Ernie Els to win his first Masters.
Back to clubfitting info. next week!
Tony
And on top of this we get the Masters this week. I had the chance to go to Augusta for practice rounds about 10 years ago......and the two things I remember are how beautiful the course is and how effortlessly these guys hit the golf ball. I am hoping it is one of the best Masters ever, and am rooting for Ernie Els to win his first Masters.
Back to clubfitting info. next week!
Tony
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