On the home page for my web site, I pose the question "Does It Matter?" - do professionally fitted clubs really make a difference in how people play golf.
This year I was able to help people answer that question YES when I built clubs to fit their swings and games. The Yes answers included putting people in drivers that are the right length and have the right shaft to produce more consistent drives, iron shafts that match their swing speeds and release characteristics, wedges that spin the ball and help them to hit more consistent short game shots, putter weighting that is optimized for their putting strokes.
As the year ends I thank my clients (and also Des Mahoney, the Teaching Professional at Centenial Golf Course) who helped to more than double Game Improvement Golf sales this year. And looking toward next year, I am very excited because I will soon be obtaining new equipment to help me show players even more clearly that professionally fitted clubs do matter. I will be upgrading my driver fitting test clubs to allow me to do even better length and weight fitting. And I am evaluating a number of measurement systems so that I can accurately measure the effects of club and shaft weighting on clubface angle and club path. In the next few weeks I will present details on these new fitting systems and equipment.
And finally, I am looking forward to continuing to work closly with great club component companies like Tom Wishon Golf, Infiniti Golf, SK Fiber, ACCRA, Alpha Golf, Scratch Golf, Global Tour Golf, Tour Lock, Swing Science, Golfworks, and Golfsmith to provide quality clubheads, shafts, and grips that can help players lower their scores and enjoy golf more.
Thanks to all of you who read this weekly blog - and have a Happy New Golfing Year!!
Tony
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
ReMax Long Drive 2009 - Always The Best!
I watched the ReMax long drive championship tonight - it was on ESPN on Sunday and I recorded it. Probably got in trouble with the boss since I was really focused on watching this.
As always, what a great show! 360 plus drives from Seniors and Super Seniors, 400 plus drives from the "younger" bombers. And the winner was........well, not fair, you do not really want me to tell you who it was.
They showed a lot more TrackMan launch monitor data this year than they have in the past. It was interesting to see that some of these guys got there with high launch and a bit higher spin and some got there with lower launch and lower spin. But it seemed to me the winning formula was to optimize roll, which most often means lower spin. There were a few shots that had spin rates in the range of 1,500 rpm or less................super low numbers.
There were OEM driver heads in the mix, but also other great heads like Alpha, Geek Golf, Krank Golf, and others. Most of the heads with lofts less than 7 degrees.
It was also great to see Jason Zuback in the mix again.................he was close to making the final four, and the poor guy could only hit it 380 in the quarters..........my can he hit that ball!
The ReMax is on again on Christmas Day I think at 2 pm on ESPN2. If you are on the down side of present opening, this is a good present to give to your self if you want to do some couch potato resting!
Merry Christmas to all!
Tony
As always, what a great show! 360 plus drives from Seniors and Super Seniors, 400 plus drives from the "younger" bombers. And the winner was........well, not fair, you do not really want me to tell you who it was.
They showed a lot more TrackMan launch monitor data this year than they have in the past. It was interesting to see that some of these guys got there with high launch and a bit higher spin and some got there with lower launch and lower spin. But it seemed to me the winning formula was to optimize roll, which most often means lower spin. There were a few shots that had spin rates in the range of 1,500 rpm or less................super low numbers.
There were OEM driver heads in the mix, but also other great heads like Alpha, Geek Golf, Krank Golf, and others. Most of the heads with lofts less than 7 degrees.
It was also great to see Jason Zuback in the mix again.................he was close to making the final four, and the poor guy could only hit it 380 in the quarters..........my can he hit that ball!
The ReMax is on again on Christmas Day I think at 2 pm on ESPN2. If you are on the down side of present opening, this is a good present to give to your self if you want to do some couch potato resting!
Merry Christmas to all!
Tony
Monday, December 14, 2009
Dear Santa - Bring me a Scratch Wedge!
I recently built four Scratch demo wedges particularly so a new client could test them. We did this testing today and he liked the playability of all of them. But he particularly liked the "Driver/Slider" grind with a KBS R flex wedge shaft. It was fun to watch, because he is a good player (3 handicap and has been lower) and has great feel with clubs. He could easily feel the difference between an S flex wedge shaft and the R flex one.......hitting the R flex shaft made less than full swing shots much easier to control.
When I order these wedge heads for him tomorrow, I think I will add a Digger/Driver grind cast wedge head for me. Scratch sells three wedge grinds - Sweeper/Slider, Driver/Slider, and Digger/Driver. I completed the Scratch Wedge Evaluation form on their web site and it is clear that the Digger/Driver is a good fit for the way I hit wedge shots......misses most often fat shots. This grind helps players like me to still get good shot results even when we hit a little behind the ball.
All wedges are simply not the same and do not play the same. Scratch is really on to something with their line of wedges, and their sales have skyrocketed since Ryan Moore started endorsing their clubs. I believe I am the only clubfitter selling Scratch wedges in East Tennessee......so if you are interested in them please get in touch with me and come to the Centenial Teaching/Fitting Center sometime to try one out.
Tony
When I order these wedge heads for him tomorrow, I think I will add a Digger/Driver grind cast wedge head for me. Scratch sells three wedge grinds - Sweeper/Slider, Driver/Slider, and Digger/Driver. I completed the Scratch Wedge Evaluation form on their web site and it is clear that the Digger/Driver is a good fit for the way I hit wedge shots......misses most often fat shots. This grind helps players like me to still get good shot results even when we hit a little behind the ball.
All wedges are simply not the same and do not play the same. Scratch is really on to something with their line of wedges, and their sales have skyrocketed since Ryan Moore started endorsing their clubs. I believe I am the only clubfitter selling Scratch wedges in East Tennessee......so if you are interested in them please get in touch with me and come to the Centenial Teaching/Fitting Center sometime to try one out.
Tony
Monday, December 7, 2009
Please Do Not Tell Emerson!
Emerson happens to be my #1 grandson at this time (I am sure many of you have a similar grandson). He turns 2 years old in two weeks.
The debate is - do I get him his first real set of golf clubs this birthday? And the answer is pretty easy to guess.....of course I do. Not totally sure when he will REALLY first use them though I will help him some when I see him at his birthday party.
A well kept secret in terms of golf clubs for children is AccuLength golf clubs (www.acculength.com). These clubs are unique because they are designed to be able to expand in length up to 4 inches - by adding individual 1 inch shaft pieces that can be epoxied into a specially designed shaft. They sell four different types of golf club sets, that allow clubs to be fit for length for children from 3 feet tall to 5 foot 4 inches tall. The set that will work best for Emerson is the AL500, which comes with a 24 degree wood, a pitching wedge, and a putter. Quite enough for a normal 2 year old don't you think?
I am not sure Emerson will be ready quite yet to play in a group with his dad and two granddads.....but might as well get him thinking along those lines. And...........I will try to keep his dad happy by including some soft golf ball substitutes.......to keep the windows in the house from intercepting golf balls!
Grandkid's are the BEST!
Tony
The debate is - do I get him his first real set of golf clubs this birthday? And the answer is pretty easy to guess.....of course I do. Not totally sure when he will REALLY first use them though I will help him some when I see him at his birthday party.
A well kept secret in terms of golf clubs for children is AccuLength golf clubs (www.acculength.com). These clubs are unique because they are designed to be able to expand in length up to 4 inches - by adding individual 1 inch shaft pieces that can be epoxied into a specially designed shaft. They sell four different types of golf club sets, that allow clubs to be fit for length for children from 3 feet tall to 5 foot 4 inches tall. The set that will work best for Emerson is the AL500, which comes with a 24 degree wood, a pitching wedge, and a putter. Quite enough for a normal 2 year old don't you think?
I am not sure Emerson will be ready quite yet to play in a group with his dad and two granddads.....but might as well get him thinking along those lines. And...........I will try to keep his dad happy by including some soft golf ball substitutes.......to keep the windows in the house from intercepting golf balls!
Grandkid's are the BEST!
Tony
Monday, November 30, 2009
Is It Worth It?
This year for the first time I have had some pangs of guilt related to leaving for Thanksgiving - because I had to slow down some club builds for good clients. All in all guess this is a good thing, because it means my business is building as I have planned - but I hate saying to people that I cannot their clubs built "right away."
Thinking of this reminded me of one of the really great clubfitters and clubmakers I know tells his clients - that they need to expect it will take at least two weeks to get their clubs built. Truthfully it usually takes me at least this long to build a set of clubs, and here are the typical things that happen when I do a build....
1. After the fitting I order the components - heads, shafts, sometimes grips and ferrules - and it usually takes at least 3 business days to get them from suppliers.
2. As a result of doing a fitting - say for irons - I identify a good match to the right shaft flex and club MOI/Swingweight for the customer.
3. When I get the shafts for the club build, I use a "zone profiling" procedure I learned from Keith Chatham (an AGCP Master). At this time I do a first test of shaft "FLO" - the shaft orientation where the shaft will oscillate in one single plane. When I have the shafts zone profiled, I know which of the shafts would best go in the longer irons and which would best go into the shorter irons.
4. Then I often build at least a test 6 iron - and sometimes also a test 9 iron - for the customer to test. This testing usually involves some final adjustments as needed to the club MOI/SW based on feel and performance.
5. Once I find the final MOI/SW and shaft flex from this testing, I am ready to start building the set to the best MOI/SW and shaft flex. This requires identifying what the right amount of additional headweight to add to the club - or in some cases how much weight to take out of the clubhead - so that the set can be matched for MOI/SW and flex. I do this using a neat trick I learned from Dana Upshaw (another AGCP Master) - club blueprinting. Using one sacrificial shaft I can identify the correct amount of headweight to add/subtract for each club to MOI match the set (I MOI match all sets now). This procedure usually takes a couple of hours to do, but it is a critical one to allow me to build a truly matched set.
6. Once I have identified all of the appropriate headweights, I can then builid the set. I tip each shaft so that it has the right final flex, then cut each shaft to length, then do final shaft FLO and orientation with the clubhead, and then epoxy all of the heads and shafts. I use 24 hour epoxy for most builds, though there are some excellent epoxies that will cure faster.
7. Then - after 24 hours - I sand and polish all ferrules, install grips, and do a final check of the MOI/SW for all clubs to ensure that I build them as I had planned.
So yes..............it does take time to build truly matched set of clubs. Time well spent!
Tony
Thinking of this reminded me of one of the really great clubfitters and clubmakers I know tells his clients - that they need to expect it will take at least two weeks to get their clubs built. Truthfully it usually takes me at least this long to build a set of clubs, and here are the typical things that happen when I do a build....
1. After the fitting I order the components - heads, shafts, sometimes grips and ferrules - and it usually takes at least 3 business days to get them from suppliers.
2. As a result of doing a fitting - say for irons - I identify a good match to the right shaft flex and club MOI/Swingweight for the customer.
3. When I get the shafts for the club build, I use a "zone profiling" procedure I learned from Keith Chatham (an AGCP Master). At this time I do a first test of shaft "FLO" - the shaft orientation where the shaft will oscillate in one single plane. When I have the shafts zone profiled, I know which of the shafts would best go in the longer irons and which would best go into the shorter irons.
4. Then I often build at least a test 6 iron - and sometimes also a test 9 iron - for the customer to test. This testing usually involves some final adjustments as needed to the club MOI/SW based on feel and performance.
5. Once I find the final MOI/SW and shaft flex from this testing, I am ready to start building the set to the best MOI/SW and shaft flex. This requires identifying what the right amount of additional headweight to add to the club - or in some cases how much weight to take out of the clubhead - so that the set can be matched for MOI/SW and flex. I do this using a neat trick I learned from Dana Upshaw (another AGCP Master) - club blueprinting. Using one sacrificial shaft I can identify the correct amount of headweight to add/subtract for each club to MOI match the set (I MOI match all sets now). This procedure usually takes a couple of hours to do, but it is a critical one to allow me to build a truly matched set.
6. Once I have identified all of the appropriate headweights, I can then builid the set. I tip each shaft so that it has the right final flex, then cut each shaft to length, then do final shaft FLO and orientation with the clubhead, and then epoxy all of the heads and shafts. I use 24 hour epoxy for most builds, though there are some excellent epoxies that will cure faster.
7. Then - after 24 hours - I sand and polish all ferrules, install grips, and do a final check of the MOI/SW for all clubs to ensure that I build them as I had planned.
So yes..............it does take time to build truly matched set of clubs. Time well spent!
Tony
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving!
Some of my Giving Thanks areas this year related to clubfitting and clubmaking....
1. Getting to partner with Des Mahoney at Centenial. Des is a superb golf teacher, and advocate of my clubfitting efforts, and a great friend. Two years ago when I first had the opportunity to team with him at Centenial, I would not have imagined what a good team we would become.
2. The Association of Golf Clubfitting Professionals (AGCP). The best clubfitting group that there is. Every week I learn new things from these guys. No question to them is a dumb question.
3. My clients. I am busier right now than ever before, and I thank the folks who have asked me to help them play better golf by getting clubs that truly fit them.
4. My wife. The one who puts up with me almost every night building clubs in the basement of our house. Could NOT do it without her support.
Thanks to all of you.
Tony
PS.........and one more thing............way to go Scott Stallings getting to the Final Stage of Q School!!
1. Getting to partner with Des Mahoney at Centenial. Des is a superb golf teacher, and advocate of my clubfitting efforts, and a great friend. Two years ago when I first had the opportunity to team with him at Centenial, I would not have imagined what a good team we would become.
2. The Association of Golf Clubfitting Professionals (AGCP). The best clubfitting group that there is. Every week I learn new things from these guys. No question to them is a dumb question.
3. My clients. I am busier right now than ever before, and I thank the folks who have asked me to help them play better golf by getting clubs that truly fit them.
4. My wife. The one who puts up with me almost every night building clubs in the basement of our house. Could NOT do it without her support.
Thanks to all of you.
Tony
PS.........and one more thing............way to go Scott Stallings getting to the Final Stage of Q School!!
Monday, November 16, 2009
56 Blog Posts?
Tonight before I started writing my weekly Monday post, I noted that I have now done this 56 times. It is hard for me to believe that I have been doing this blog for more than a year.
I am in Atlanta tonight but miss the fact that my new Scratch Wedge Demo Heads came in the mail today. You might want to get on the Scratch Golf site..... www.scratchgolf.com. They are making some of the best-selling new wedge heads in golf. Their niche is that their wedge heads are designed for different kinds of club swingers. They sell three different designs of wedge heads for different kinds of wedge shot swings.....you can answer three simple questions on their web site and determine of Digger/Driver, Driver/Slider, or Sweeper/Slider wedge head designs will best fit your game. They sell both forged heads and cast heads.....and the cast heads are very good, some are in play on the Nationwide Tour.
My plan is to build 4 demo sand wedge clubs - one each of the cast and one of the forged - and allow you folks to try them and see what you think. If you are interested, come to Centenial on a Saturday sometime after the Thanksgiving holiday and hit some balls with these wedges....I think you will be presently surprised!
Tony
I am in Atlanta tonight but miss the fact that my new Scratch Wedge Demo Heads came in the mail today. You might want to get on the Scratch Golf site..... www.scratchgolf.com. They are making some of the best-selling new wedge heads in golf. Their niche is that their wedge heads are designed for different kinds of club swingers. They sell three different designs of wedge heads for different kinds of wedge shot swings.....you can answer three simple questions on their web site and determine of Digger/Driver, Driver/Slider, or Sweeper/Slider wedge head designs will best fit your game. They sell both forged heads and cast heads.....and the cast heads are very good, some are in play on the Nationwide Tour.
My plan is to build 4 demo sand wedge clubs - one each of the cast and one of the forged - and allow you folks to try them and see what you think. If you are interested, come to Centenial on a Saturday sometime after the Thanksgiving holiday and hit some balls with these wedges....I think you will be presently surprised!
Tony
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
