Well, my second grandson was born today - Madux Lee Wright, 7 lbs 13 oz, 20-1/2 inches long.
As always, pretty neat stuff.
Wheh my first grandson, Emerson, was born about 2-1/2 years ago, I remembered that there is a commorative driver that you can buy from Louisville Golf - today I did the same for Madux. They sell a wooden headed driver, and engrave the baby's name, weight, and birthdate on the head.
The thing I guess I did not know from when I did this for Emerson is that the LENGTH of the club is made to be the length of baby when he or she is born - a nice touch!
As you might guess we are flying pretty high about the birth, everyone is doing very well. It is kind of fun to think that there could be a possibility in say 10 or so years that we could have a foursome of me, my son, and two grandsons. I suspect that David's other father in law feels the same way!
Tony
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
A Break In The Action....................Well, Sort Of!
This year has been the busiest one I have had so far in the almost four years since I started clubfitting and clubmaking. It has been a lot of fun to see some new clients come to me because others have referred them.
But....at the same time.....I believe that there are things I need to do to continue to improve my clubfitting abilities. And truthfully I hope to be able to say the same thing ever year......I see how the best fitters are always looking to improve what they do and how they do it.
For me, the next big improvement step is to move up to a more sophisticated Launch Monitor system. Last week I purchased an Accusport Vector Pro launch monitor. I think this particular unit has some indoor fitting capabilities that will greatly enhance my indoor fittings. Specifically, better measurement of ball flight - left and right of the target - and improved measurement of ball spin.
Coupling the Vector Pro and my present Golftek V swing analyzer system will allow me to truly measure all key fitting parameters indoors. I will now be able to measure club and ball speed, ball spin, launch angle, shot dispersion (left or right), Power Transfer Ratio, club path, clubface angle at impact, and a number of other important parameters. Having all of this data will allow me to really see how changing shaft flex, shaft weight, club MOI/swingweight, and club length affect key ball striking results.
The small down side (if there is one....) is that it will take me a little time to get the new system operating. Tonight, for example, I added memory to my laptop computer so that it could collect data at the speeds needed by the Vector. I will operate the Vector Pro and the Golftek at the same time, so adding this memory will also allow me to ensure that I can collect key data with no problems.
But all in all I am very excited about being able to take my fittings to a new level of sophistication. In a way the timing of making this change is probably right - since in a few days I will probably be making a trip to Georgia to see my new grandson - Madux Lee Wright - be born! On the downtime moments, I can do some Vector Pro manual reading and be ready to get back to fittings when I return...
Tony
But....at the same time.....I believe that there are things I need to do to continue to improve my clubfitting abilities. And truthfully I hope to be able to say the same thing ever year......I see how the best fitters are always looking to improve what they do and how they do it.
For me, the next big improvement step is to move up to a more sophisticated Launch Monitor system. Last week I purchased an Accusport Vector Pro launch monitor. I think this particular unit has some indoor fitting capabilities that will greatly enhance my indoor fittings. Specifically, better measurement of ball flight - left and right of the target - and improved measurement of ball spin.
Coupling the Vector Pro and my present Golftek V swing analyzer system will allow me to truly measure all key fitting parameters indoors. I will now be able to measure club and ball speed, ball spin, launch angle, shot dispersion (left or right), Power Transfer Ratio, club path, clubface angle at impact, and a number of other important parameters. Having all of this data will allow me to really see how changing shaft flex, shaft weight, club MOI/swingweight, and club length affect key ball striking results.
The small down side (if there is one....) is that it will take me a little time to get the new system operating. Tonight, for example, I added memory to my laptop computer so that it could collect data at the speeds needed by the Vector. I will operate the Vector Pro and the Golftek at the same time, so adding this memory will also allow me to ensure that I can collect key data with no problems.
But all in all I am very excited about being able to take my fittings to a new level of sophistication. In a way the timing of making this change is probably right - since in a few days I will probably be making a trip to Georgia to see my new grandson - Madux Lee Wright - be born! On the downtime moments, I can do some Vector Pro manual reading and be ready to get back to fittings when I return...
Tony
Monday, June 14, 2010
What IS A Driver Fitting?
I have done a pretty large number of driver fittings in the last month or so. In doing these, I have realized that it is important to set appropriate expectations for what can and cannot be accomplished in driver fittings.
There is no question that everyone would love to get more distance with their present driver head or with another driver head. This is always a key focus for a driver fitting. It is important to know, though, that the maximum that a player can carry a driver is pretty much defined by physics. If you know a player's swing speed, you can get a pretty good estimate of their maximum carry distance by multiplying their swing speed by 2.5. 100 mph swing speed, max driver carry length will be about 250 yards.
A major focus in all driver fittings that I do is consistency. I work to find the right length driver that the player can hit in the center of the clubface the most. Finding the right shaft for the player - based on his swing speed, swing tempo, and club release point - has a major influence on the ability for a player to hit consistent drives with minimal dispersion of shots.
Another important focus that can help consistency is shaft weight and club MOI/SW. These two variables can influence swing path and the ability of the player to close the clubface when he hits the ball. The right choice of shaft weight and/or MOI/swingweight can help the player to hit straighter shots or at least to reduce the magnitude of pull and pushed shots (see the 9 Ball Flight Laws from last week's post.....).
And yes you can also provide help to increase driving distance. Some players can benefit from a different type head, from a head that is smaller (to help them to be able to close the clubface), and sometimes with a head that has some offset or closed face angle - to reduce the magnitude of a slice.
For players with very slow swing speeds who want more distance, you can use very lightweight shafts with very soft flexes - and can use a superlightweight grip for the player so that they have the lightest possible club to swing. Or, in some cases, you can help them more by building them a 3 wood with 13 to 15 degrees of loft, or can build a driver that has a higher loft than often played.
There are, then, a LOT of ways to help players to improve their driving. Some can lead to more distance, and in a lot of cases increased consistency can be as important or more important as more distance.
Tony
There is no question that everyone would love to get more distance with their present driver head or with another driver head. This is always a key focus for a driver fitting. It is important to know, though, that the maximum that a player can carry a driver is pretty much defined by physics. If you know a player's swing speed, you can get a pretty good estimate of their maximum carry distance by multiplying their swing speed by 2.5. 100 mph swing speed, max driver carry length will be about 250 yards.
A major focus in all driver fittings that I do is consistency. I work to find the right length driver that the player can hit in the center of the clubface the most. Finding the right shaft for the player - based on his swing speed, swing tempo, and club release point - has a major influence on the ability for a player to hit consistent drives with minimal dispersion of shots.
Another important focus that can help consistency is shaft weight and club MOI/SW. These two variables can influence swing path and the ability of the player to close the clubface when he hits the ball. The right choice of shaft weight and/or MOI/swingweight can help the player to hit straighter shots or at least to reduce the magnitude of pull and pushed shots (see the 9 Ball Flight Laws from last week's post.....).
And yes you can also provide help to increase driving distance. Some players can benefit from a different type head, from a head that is smaller (to help them to be able to close the clubface), and sometimes with a head that has some offset or closed face angle - to reduce the magnitude of a slice.
For players with very slow swing speeds who want more distance, you can use very lightweight shafts with very soft flexes - and can use a superlightweight grip for the player so that they have the lightest possible club to swing. Or, in some cases, you can help them more by building them a 3 wood with 13 to 15 degrees of loft, or can build a driver that has a higher loft than often played.
There are, then, a LOT of ways to help players to improve their driving. Some can lead to more distance, and in a lot of cases increased consistency can be as important or more important as more distance.
Tony
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Nine Ball Flight Laws....
Thanks to Dana Upshaw today for posting (through AGCP forum) this link that summarizes the key types of ball flight that are possible - what have been called the "Ball Flight Laws:"
http://www.hkprogolf.com/ball_flight_laws.html
This article discusses the nine ball flight types, which are...
Pull hook
Pull
Pull fade or slice
Draw or hook
Straight
Fade or slice
Push draw
Push
Push fade or slice
The article rightly notes some suggested swing thoughts and changes that can help a player to stop a particular type of flight. It also discusses the influence of shaft flex, shaft weight, grip size, lie angle, and grip size on these different ball flights.
The article rightly shows that "straight" shots are produced when the club travels from inside the target line to square at impact to back inside the target line.
In my view grip size is not likely to be a great contributor to the type of ball flight a player produces. Lie angle and shaft flex can make some contribution to which type of ball flight can be produced, and definitely should be evaluated. Shaft weight can have a major influence on swing path, and club swingweight/MOI can have a major influence on the club face angle relative to the swing path.
So what is your predominant ball flight?
Tony
http://www.hkprogolf.com/ball_flight_laws.html
This article discusses the nine ball flight types, which are...
Pull hook
Pull
Pull fade or slice
Draw or hook
Straight
Fade or slice
Push draw
Push
Push fade or slice
The article rightly notes some suggested swing thoughts and changes that can help a player to stop a particular type of flight. It also discusses the influence of shaft flex, shaft weight, grip size, lie angle, and grip size on these different ball flights.
The article rightly shows that "straight" shots are produced when the club travels from inside the target line to square at impact to back inside the target line.
In my view grip size is not likely to be a great contributor to the type of ball flight a player produces. Lie angle and shaft flex can make some contribution to which type of ball flight can be produced, and definitely should be evaluated. Shaft weight can have a major influence on swing path, and club swingweight/MOI can have a major influence on the club face angle relative to the swing path.
So what is your predominant ball flight?
Tony
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Driver Fittings - And Optimal Flight Software
First things first though! - We spent the weekend with our grandson Emerson and his mom and dad this weekend, and I realized a little while ago that I did not write a blog post last night.....first time I forgot in about a year. I guess watching Emerson attempt to hit golf balls distracted me from getting on the computer last night!
It is going to be a busy driver testing and fitting week - one test session and two fitting sessions coming up. I am actually adding two great test heads to my fitting clubs - the Alpha V5 LX head and the SMT 455 DB head. Club Conex Faz Fit fittings to use with my present group of test shafts. Am also making up two new 44-1/2 inch test shafts to fill in some holes in test shaft group.
In addition to collecting data launch monitor and video fitting data (and using the BMT shaft fitting system for choosing the right driver shaft) a workhorse for driver fittings is the Optimal Flight software (www.qualitygolfstats.com). Optimal Flight takes the launch monitor data to another level of usefulness - it allows me to do a lot of "what if"" projections in terms of what launch angles and ball spin rates can produce the best driver results. It also has the capability to do Real Time collection of the launch monitor data so that I can evaluate how changes in launch parameters can improve results.
Today I purchased the 2010 version of the software - well, most likely just the first version this year, because the developer Todd Koss is great at updating Optimal Flight on an almost continual basis. He is going to help me with learning how to use some of the new capabilities of the new release - so that I can do a first test drive on Thursday night.
If you ever want to get a sense for what this software does, you can in fact purchase a 1 week license to use it and give it a thorough test drive. Or you can come to Centenial some time and let me show you the capabilities that it has. It is a First Class piece of software that is invaluable for driver fittings.
Tony
It is going to be a busy driver testing and fitting week - one test session and two fitting sessions coming up. I am actually adding two great test heads to my fitting clubs - the Alpha V5 LX head and the SMT 455 DB head. Club Conex Faz Fit fittings to use with my present group of test shafts. Am also making up two new 44-1/2 inch test shafts to fill in some holes in test shaft group.
In addition to collecting data launch monitor and video fitting data (and using the BMT shaft fitting system for choosing the right driver shaft) a workhorse for driver fittings is the Optimal Flight software (www.qualitygolfstats.com). Optimal Flight takes the launch monitor data to another level of usefulness - it allows me to do a lot of "what if"" projections in terms of what launch angles and ball spin rates can produce the best driver results. It also has the capability to do Real Time collection of the launch monitor data so that I can evaluate how changes in launch parameters can improve results.
Today I purchased the 2010 version of the software - well, most likely just the first version this year, because the developer Todd Koss is great at updating Optimal Flight on an almost continual basis. He is going to help me with learning how to use some of the new capabilities of the new release - so that I can do a first test drive on Thursday night.
If you ever want to get a sense for what this software does, you can in fact purchase a 1 week license to use it and give it a thorough test drive. Or you can come to Centenial some time and let me show you the capabilities that it has. It is a First Class piece of software that is invaluable for driver fittings.
Tony
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