tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42223081284571787672024-03-13T22:15:40.554-07:00Meanwhile in the Rough...My life on the greens, in the lounge, and on my misadventures in golf and cigar lifeThe Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-59118608621186091222023-08-25T13:04:00.002-07:002023-08-25T13:04:35.354-07:00Covid didn't get me, the government did.<p> Well, it was my full intention to get the blog going again. I started Youtube back up and was really getting moving with a new outlook after surviving the Covid shuttering of many businesses around. I've moved in with another golf business to provide better service while still maintaining the budget pricing whenever possible and just when things were looking the best... the rug gets pulled out from under me. </p><p><br />Club Conex - the company that makes the connectors i've been using to fit golf clubs - has just won a lawsuit and entered into an agreement with TopGolf (not that one)/All-fit golf. This is due to All-fit making "counterfeit" versions of the Conex adapters which infringed on some patents of club conex. Their agreement after settlement is to make Club Conex the sole distributor in the united states for all of the All-Fit products that infringe (as well as ones that don't infringe) on their patents. while i use Clubconex for irons, the All-fit Master system is so much better for woods because it doesn't require replacing a screw in each head (or buying another head to have on hand). This new agreement basically makes Club conex the only game in town because if we want to continue using these non-infringing products, we need to join a membership for $2000 and pay another $100 per month just to be able to buy and use the products. </p><p>I've never been so sad in my entire life to have finally seen my dreams start to take hold then be yanked away by what can only be described as "American greed". Patents are law, there's no disputing that but honestly why would you punish the users of your product when you're the only game in town? Golf is cost prohibitive enough without gouging the small fitters into non-existence. Just be a distributor and collect the money that way by providing product. </p><p>I haven't decided what to do. Basically, I can bow down, pay the money, use the system and that will eat my entire earnings for the year and then some. Yes you heard that right. I was never in this to be rich. I was never in it to become the next big business and expand to different areas. I got into this to provide golfers with the tour level of service that they deserve WITHOUT being hounded by marketing emails, high prices, and everything under the sun. Golf is really really expensive. Saving money will only help the local courses and other businesses that surround the game. Unfortunately i guess it's this kind of thinking that was ultimately my downfall. The money in golf is goading people into buying new stuff every year even if they don't need it. Service and repair has been reduced to a few grips here and there and some terrible repairs at the local golf club seller. </p><p>Lesson learned is that the name of the game is gouge the customer like everyone else. Make sure you get as much money as possible while providing the bare minimum of service so that you can prop up the industry moguls that are charging a premium. It's very likely that i won't recover from this one, not just keeping the business alive but in my very soul. </p><p><br />Thank you to everyone that has given me the chance to see what things could've been. I'm sorry i failed you all.</p>The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-22024473253909940732020-06-05T13:21:00.001-07:002020-06-05T13:34:35.099-07:00Dr. Tour Sauce - the struggle to stay open through tough times in rhyme.COVID-19 has thrown a bunch of wrenches into the mix. It's brought new business and old over the course of the last couple months and one thing has come out for certain - there are bigger things than golf right now. That being said, it seems there are a lot of players who just don't realize that we play a game, and while it is the effort of everyone with a personal shop to treat each player as an individual, it doesn't give that player carte blanche to act like a douche (I've been working on my French). I've actually fired a couple of clients, sent them packing to the next guy to deal with because well --- life is too short. Golf is recreation - we're not saving the world or lives, and certainly could have worse professions or hobbies. It's a shame that it sometimes brings out the worst in people.<br />
<br />
So if you may be on the fence about what to do or where to go - maybe even wonder about the state of the game and what to do next - I've decided to channel my inner Dr. Seuss to sort of explain the inner workings of a crazy person's golf-mind. Sometimes it's catchy prose that makes a message stick rather than the message of social media moguls who see the chance to align themselves with the flavor of the month. I would urge anyone who has had enough with the state of things to make your voices heard in a peaceful manner. Stand up in your everyday life and say "NO" when something is wrong. Donate every day, and do good as you can. Confront that bigot and stand tall right then, rather than virtue signaling later when its convenient. Tell your friend that joke wasn't quite right. Don't wait for death or injustice to take a stand, make sure you're always there daily to guide those around you to love one another and share in the joy of every day granted to us on this planet. No one is asking you to give up freedom, just do what you can to protect the freedoms of those around you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
My name is The Club Nut, and I speak for the Tees,<br />
The greens, fairways, rough and all your golf needs.<br />
I make sure your gear is precise and well-fit,<br />
So you can be confident in every shot you hit!<br />
<br />
That other place is cheaper and bigger, I know,<br />
but remember they're generally messy and slow.<br />
We do what we do, for the love of the game,<br />
and we treat every job as if it were the same!<br />
<br />
Precision and quality, no matter the size.<br />
Every player's a tour pro in a club-builder's eyes.<br />
You deserve the best, with satisfaction to spare<br />
to help stop the misses that cause you despair.<br />
<br />
Why then do players not value the same?<br />
All the products and experience under our name.<br />
"Make me a deal! It's cheaper online<br />
and I'm pretty sure I can do the work myself just fine!"<br />
<br />
I wish I could give you the discount you seek<br />
and have all your items in stock every week!<br />
That overhead's large and requires quite a lot<br />
of money, and credit, and liens on my spot!<br />
<br />
Still, what no-one sees is the staunch dedication,<br />
the experience, machines, and time spent on station.<br />
Measuring, figuring, and problems to solve<br />
it's not just some glue that completes all the jobs.<br />
<br />
And what about ranges, and courses, and clubs...<br />
where all of us go to play golf with our buds?<br />
It takes lots of time to keep up with that land!<br />
We need to help out and lend a similar hand!<br />
<br />
The complaints of the rough and aerations are ripe,<br />
with craters on greens from anger-filled swipes.<br />
Pace of play grumbles at four hour rounds<br />
from people who forget to make a "FORE!" sound!<br />
<br />
We get it that sometimes you just need to see<br />
that sometimes a deal isn't all it's cracked up to be!<br />
Fast, cheap, and good doesn't really compute<br />
when it comes to equipment and courses to boot!<br />
<br />
We value your business, can't stay open without it.<br />
but please understand, we don't warrant the bullsh*t!<br />
So fix all your divots, and ball marks, and damage<br />
and we'll keep our fees at the lowest we can manage.<br />
<br />
It's not all that bad, and regardless of skill<br />
at least you are healthy, not hopelessly ill!<br />
You're tweaking your gear, not praying for solace<br />
from tyrants and bigots and forthcoming malice!<br />
<br />
You could have it worse like some places therein,<br />
where people beat those who have different skin.<br />
We're in this together and must come to terms<br />
with racism, sexism and truly sick words.<br />
<br />
Golf is our outlet, a fond welcome to all!<br />
Let's love one another and chase that damn ball....<br />
No one cares what your age is, or race is, or creed,<br />
but be sure that we're watching your foot-wedge in the trees.<br />
<br />
It's not about news, the who, what, when or why,<br />
It's about what YOU do when you see it go by.<br />
Be humble, be righteous, but above all be kind<br />
to each other, and none of us will be left behind.<br />
<br />
We have but one life, and of all of our days<br />
this one matters most in the most crucial of ways.<br />
We can bring change, just like we can bring folly<br />
but this Game should bring everyone together, by golly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-58816299858206028742019-12-18T12:34:00.000-08:002019-12-18T12:34:31.480-08:00Directed Force Putter - Part 2About 2 years ago, I did a <a href="https://cigarsngolf.blogspot.com/2017/06/first-impression-directed-force-or-is.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> about the Directed Force putter. A lot has happened since then, and Directed Force has now become L.A.B. golf. There have been improvements to the original design, new grips, and a brand new Blåd1 design. PGA pros have been seen using the putter, and the company is all over golf social media now. With all that success comes the absolute hate by all the keyboard masses out there. Now, being someone who sells said product in the shop, I find what they say hilarious as it's clear most of the haters have never even touched the club. Of course, the biggest negative is the look of it - which we've covered before - but the second biggest bar to clear is the misunderstanding of the forces at play in the golf swing.<br />
<br />
Let's talk about fine motor movement. These are the micro contractions your muscles and tendons perform to do things like say, pick up a broken eggshell or a shard of broken glass without smashing it between your fingers. The ones that allow you to thread a sewing needle or sip soup out of a spoon. These are the same types of actions that keep the golf club from spinning in your hand (along with a good, tacky grip). Nowhere are they more important than in the putting stroke and nowhere is it <br />
more evident when you're nervous. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yyYBAmwYeVU/XfqJRTFdicI/AAAAAAAAf-Y/HrL5iCPhiAELEaM0DX8GuD8LSqsQZLGjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/frabz-Search-your-feelings-You-will-know-it-to-be-true-cc1c88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="408" height="226" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yyYBAmwYeVU/XfqJRTFdicI/AAAAAAAAf-Y/HrL5iCPhiAELEaM0DX8GuD8LSqsQZLGjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/frabz-Search-your-feelings-You-will-know-it-to-be-true-cc1c88.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
"Um, actually, you putt with your BIG muscles" No. you don't. You move the putter weight with your big muscles, but the only thing bringing the face back to square are your forearms and the forces they exert to keep it from flopping open or closed. Most people don't even realize they're doing it, but they are. These forces are the reason that players swear by big or funny shaped grips that say they "take the wrists out of play" blah blah blah. The problem is that while they might work for a time, they're not fool proof. They give a little more leverage to counteract these forces - for a time - then putting is off the rails again. All muscles will eventually get used to something and get stronger. Then you have to compensate. Don't believe me? Try this: <br /><br />1. Go to a doorframe and stand in it.<br />2. With your hands down to your sides, raise them to the side so the backs of your hands touch the sides of the doorframe<br />
3. Now try to raise your arms straight to the sides and "spread the doorframe apart" with the back of your hands for about 8 seconds as hard as you can. Hulk smash!!!<br />4. Now step forward and try to relax your arms and you'll find them slightly rising. You'll need to try to keep them down. <br />
<br />
Neat, right? Well, if you did it correctly anyway. It's the quickest way to illustrate what we all call "muscle memory". Muscles get used to doing something a certain way, and they want to keep doing it. This is effectively what happens to golfers throughout their season/career/round. It's why you struggle to make swing changes and why they "feel weird". It's why you could putt lights out with a putter for months, then suddenly struggle. Why a change in grip size or head shape can work for so long then just kind of mehhhh out. Back to the whole L.A.B. golf thing.....<br />
<br />
With the head not exerting any additional torque, it's much easier to bring the club face back to square consistently. The majority of these micro adjustments go away and the "Big muscles" can take over FINALLY.<br />
<br />A few things to take away from an experience with this putter:<br />
<br />
1. Not everyone is going to like it. The looks, the concept, whatever - you can't please everyone and owning one WILL expose you to all the jokes. So many people will call it a gimmick.<br />
<br />
2. There will always be skeptics trying to disprove theories on torque and how it pertains to the golf swing/ putter stroke. This doesn't change the fact that it is able to be observed by the naked eye and the DFP performs differently in relation to this force than any other putter.<br />
<br />
3. I've done my share of fittings and demos with players and have not had one in-person experience that did not lead to the player putting better and more consistently. I think that in itself says something about the technology.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm sure I made enough people develop a tick and maybe pop a vein or two in this short post, but that's just how it goes. I could really give someone a heart attack if I started talking about how there's no such thing as "straight back and through" strokes and "finding a putter shape to fit your arc" is equally as temporary as changing a grip, but I think I've done enough for one day.<br /><br />For more information on this putter and how it works, drop me a line for a fitting or check out www.labgolf.com. You can also check out the links below for other reviews and thoughts.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYlWsTXol0k" target="_blank">Tour Experience Golf</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lab-golfs-blad1-putter-takes-the-idea-lie-angle-balancing-to-a-blade-shaped-putter" target="_blank">Golf Digest</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbCCRPK0N8I&t=232s" target="_blank">Mike Sullivan Golf</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIz68KP47zQ" target="_blank">Putts Around</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31N1awxzFMc&t=612s" target="_blank">Jaime Gylan PGA</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VniDRdMBY1I" target="_blank">Steve Furlonger Golf Performance</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LppuEEnk1TM" target="_blank">Mark the Golf Addict</a>The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-50956504912351248432019-12-16T12:41:00.000-08:002019-12-16T12:41:18.244-08:00Let's talk investment....in your game<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been about 2 years since I last posted to the blog. Lots going on, and most of it has to do with golf! There's something that's been bugging me for a long long time, however, even though I've written and written and written about it time and again. That, my friends, is the value of golf equipment. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the last 2 years, my business has been golf. I have fit many, many players and done work on a large number of golf clubs but one thing has always stayed the same: Golfers want the best deal. I want to give the best deal but there's an unfortunate hurdle between my business and golfers: MAP pricing. This is the price that manufacturers say you can't go below or else you lose your dealer status. The sad part is that most of the eBay salespeople and online swappers are NOT dealers and can therefore provide a product WELL under this set pricing. It got me thinking about how we view equipment value these days. Let's talk in real world examples:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Player A buys a brand name driver - We'll use the previous year Taylormade M3 as a standard. Brand new, stock off the rack this club was valued at $399.00 in most markets. A year later, there's a new launch of driver offering more yards so Player A decides to sell his M3 and get something new. Nearly EVERY store out there has a policy to trade in that club and provide a value for it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/L0ESR610dcA/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L0ESR610dcA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Players know there's guaranteed money out there when they're ready to upgrade. Why isn't it this way with components? Because it's HARD to do. It's easier to counterfeit a tube of fiberglass than it is to make a convincing model of a full club. Check out this video from Rick Shiels Golf when he bought a driver off a known counterfeit site just to see what would happen: </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Obviously, it was no contest and you can tell just by looking, let alone the performance. Still, what about shafts, grips, or even component sets? The PGA Value guide doesn't have listings for the smaller boutique brands. There's no Wishon Golf or KZG on the guide so we're left haggling with people who want to lowball a player who's looking to upgrade. Even as a shop with the ability to examine clubs, there's just so many unknowns. I can't offer a good price for shafts because I don't know where they've been or how they were put together. It hurt me to tell people that I might be able to give them $25 for a shaft because there was no trade-in schedule for them. This didn't sit well with me, so I took action. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Club Nut has sat down and drafted the <a href="https://0d85d1a3-8cfa-42cc-a1a2-b906241c4191.filesusr.com/ugd/3d1654_43d625a93ba4457689010523891cbb25.pdf" target="_blank">"Normalized Trade Value Program"</a>. In a nutshell, it's a list of conditions applied to new builds coming in 2020 that allows the buyer to know EXACTLY what their purchase will be worth up to 1 year in the future when it's not on the PGA Value Guide. Why is this important? Have you ever tried to sell a set of shaft pulls? You might as well give them away unless you're prepared to sit on them for a while. That hottest driver shaft you wanted to try? Yea, even before the year is up there's a ton for sale and you're left holding the bag. Now, we'll take that shaft back in credit toward your next upgrade. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the TLDNR crowd, it breaks down thusly: If you purchased it from me, haven't let anybody else screw it up with less-than-adequate workmanship, and have taken decent care of it without wrapping it around a tree or seven - then you've got something to trade in. That's it. Call it rewards, call it a guarantee I guess, but you'll know you have something that you can actually trade in. There are rules, however and it has to meet the parameters set forward. The reason? See video above. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I just see clients and non-clients alike selling extremely good products for pennies on the dollar or including them to "sweeten the deal" in sales that are already below what the product is worth. That value should be yours and should translate to more golf and more on-course refreshments! (Also maybe a gift to the spouse for not giving you an earful for golfing every weekend?). Likewise, I've seen tons of fake equipment come through the shop that players have spent a pretty penny on with no recourse. It's your gamble, ultimately, but you've got friends in your corner. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Speaking of saving money - there's our Founders Club gift card. It's like saving 25% on everything you purchase through The Club Nut -- then saving another 15% minimum when you upgrade! I don't know, sounds like a decent deal to me. <a href="http://www.theclubnut.com/store" target="_blank">See the store items for more details.</a> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-43900108688638050692017-11-09T07:45:00.000-08:002017-11-09T10:36:52.098-08:00Law of diminishing returns<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Every
once and a while i get thinking about golf club pricing again. I see
new things coming out, i see the products come and go, and watch them
get bought and sold daily. I wonder what goes through the mind of
some manufacturers when they go to price a product. Do they really
think a towel is worth $40? A hat is worth $50? If you're
unfamiliar with the phrase, Law of diminishing returns, the
definition is as follows: </span></span></span></span></span><strong><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">1</span></span></span></span></span></strong><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">. used
to refer to a point at which the level of profits or benefits gained
is less than the amount of money or energy invested. I'm sure
the manufacturers look at this from their perspective all the time -
afterall, it's what keeps a product going BUT i'm willing to bet they
rarely look at it from the consumer's end.... and I think it's time
they did. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aWvbcmaRTWI/WgR0PcYgrVI/AAAAAAAAc0A/VgNqtzNZl1Uh2bOCJgLhZ1NMu13kLdf3ACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-09%2Bat%2B10.09.35%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="984" height="627" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aWvbcmaRTWI/WgR0PcYgrVI/AAAAAAAAc0A/VgNqtzNZl1Uh2bOCJgLhZ1NMu13kLdf3ACPcBGAYYCw/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-09%2Bat%2B10.09.35%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">This
is not just money, but time - energy - and performance. Recent
newcomer to the golf club industry, PXG, has a saying "nobody
makes golf clubs like we do.. period". Certain lawsuits
may shed light on how true or untrue that is, but the question posed
is: Is that a good thing? Are they efficient enough? is their
special elastopolymer really THAT much better than something that's a
fraction of the cost to use?</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Law
of diminishing returns applies to consumers in this way - At what
point do you stop paying for a product and start paying excess. THAT
is the diminishing return. In golf you have a club, call it a 4
iron. That 4 iron is made of some sort of metal, or a
composite. It has a job to do. There are non-quantifiable variables
like feel, look, finish, and desirability that are based on what the
person using the club thinks about that club and that can move the
point of diminishing returns (PDM) one way or the other.
Marketing speak and industry claims aren't helping the matters
either. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TC0Q-SRxZXY/WgR0PSgciMI/AAAAAAAAc0A/IZOOtmfD-rk9fwEn2LtkYUmniPYPpsWDgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-09%2Bat%2B9.56.32%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="967" height="382" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TC0Q-SRxZXY/WgR0PSgciMI/AAAAAAAAc0A/IZOOtmfD-rk9fwEn2LtkYUmniPYPpsWDgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-09%2Bat%2B9.56.32%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br />The chart above can always hinge at the first point.
Some technology is really good, some, not so much. It depends what
the technology does to the playability of the club, the looks of the
club, and the feel of the club. Take these three players as an
example. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Player A only looks at performance. He/She
doesn't care about the name on the club, where it's made, or that it
might look campy or weird. They test out clubs for themselves and may
look online for reviews from noted sources on the subject. When
two products meet the same requirements, they will likely choose the
less expensive product. They would look at the chart below and say
"I'd definitely take the pink product. There's not enough
difference in performance to justify that kind of cost"</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Player B
is interested in status and performance. As with Player A, they care
about how the club performs BUT it also needs to be something
well-known and not something from the local Wal-mart bargain bin.
They will do their research and testing and normally come out with
something that's in the mid to high price range. Very much where OEMs
price the "off the rack" selection of clubs.
Occasionally they will upgrade a component and spend a little more -
because you know, tour players do it. Player B would look at
the chart and say "There's room for improvement, i wonder if
there's another name brand in between that offers something as good
or better.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Player C gives affluent a new meaning. They might be
playing great but something new or better came out and they've gotta
have it. The best of it too - upgrades, special finishes,
everything extra that you can imagine. To them, it's worth it
to spend $3500 on a set of $1500 irons because it's a "limited
edition black set" even though there's no difference in the
performance of the club. Player C wouldn't care if the blue
club was better or worse than the pink club. It's name brand and it's
expensive. Sign me up. </span></span>x</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">x</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There's
all sorts of mashups between these players, but they represent the
beginning middle and end of the spectrum pretty well. I'm sure we can
all see a little bit of each of these in our own selves and figure
out where we land. I'm sure we've all been guilty of Player C once or
twice. Damn that special edition looks awesome - i'm gonna get it.
Still - the only thing in my mind that's WORTH paying for is
technology. The club HAS to do what the technology is meant to
do and it has to help in some appreciable way - not just be
different. Likewise that cost has to match the performance
enhancement over the next competitor. I talk about wedges a lot
because i have some of my own. The reason they're priced the way they
are is based on this system. The materials, the time, and the
base cost lends itself to that price in an effort to keep the product
going. The performance against other wedges speaks for itself
and justifies that price. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
putters we can see the same story play out - There are many different
brands of putters - all have the same sort of styles but they range
from $90 up to $350 for the same type. Is a $350 blade putter
REALLY nearly 4X better than a $90 one? Depending what's going
through your head maybe, maybe not. It's hard to believe it's made of
that much better quality steel. In my days of playing blades
and mid mallets, i rolled a few "Scotties". I didn't
like them, personally. I found much better feel and control in an
Odyssey than I did with the SC. Saving almost $150 was a bonus
on that. I've since moved on to what will be the last putter in
my bag (unless they come out with something better) because it
actually marks a difference from anything out there. I paid more than
a SC would have cost, but it's worth it for the performance and the
noted difference in improvement. The same between OEM
adjustable drivers and "epoxy hosel" drivers. An M1
is justified to be more expensive than say, a Top Flite driver due to
the actual technology in it - but that's where it starts to get
hairy, how much more? If you play the driver on standard -
you're paying a premium for a certain look. For irons... if you
can't tell the difference between the feel of cast and forged - play
cast, they're cheaper.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For
me, a club has to really offer an improvement for me to spend the
money. My clubs are set up the way they are because they've hit
a balance of playability, look, and performance that gives me
confidence when i put them down behind the ball. There's nothing in
my bag that i say "ugh, i don't hit this well" yet i will
keep because of name brand, and likewise, there's nothing that i hide
because it's not mainstream and i think people will make fun of it.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You've
gotta do what you think is best for your game AND your wallet. NEVER
buy a club because of what you think you can resell it for when
you're "done with it". Thats' the wrong reason and
you're going to end up spending a lot more than you have to, thanks
to depreciation and the speed at which clubs are released.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wether
it's "blue collar" brands like Bombtech, Maltby, Acer or
Kirkland..... or OEM brands like Air Force One, Tour Edge, or
Wilson.... even the expensive brands like PXG, Honma, Itobori and
Renegar. You have to find the price point you're comfortable paying
for the performance you're getting. </span></span></span></div>
<style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 0.79in }
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }
-->
</style>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><br />
<br />
<br />The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-32932830804089724672017-10-11T07:39:00.000-07:002017-10-11T07:39:07.318-07:00Is golf equipment worth what they're charging?There are a lot of issues that people have with golf. Too slow. Courses are too hard/easy. The game is too expensive. All valid concerns sometimes - but I think we have ways of combatting all of them, even down to the smallest nitpick. Still, golf equipment is at the forefront of the complaints. $500 for a driver? $2500 for a putter? $200 for a golf bag? $50 for a dozen balls that are going to get lost anyway? It's crazy!<br />
<br />
The equipment industry has no shortage of pricey items. From Scotty Camerons that go for upwards of $2000 to sets of irons and "fitting experiences" in the tens of thousands. Honma even released gold plated clubs!!! Most of these things are more like collectors items than actual gear - and i get that. Everybody wants to have a piece of history or something that they can say "yea i got that" but how much of golf equipment is REALLY worth the cost and how much is a name? Let's think about this - is it innovative? Is it manufactured efficiently? Does it perform? Is it THAT much better than what came before it? All very valid questions. The overwhelming answer however is NO.<br />
<br />
Let's look at drivers. Persimmon heads were the latest tech in the 70s and early 80s. Thats what they had. Then along comes Taylormade with their steel head "pittsburgh persimmon". Suddenly, the face is hotter, the weight can be positioned better, and the club LASTS LONGER. WOW. that's innovation right there. Worth the price of admission to be sure. A while goes by and nobody can better the idea other than to make it BIGGER. New innovation. Showed jumps in ease of use, more distance, better sweetspot and more ability to address the club as a canon made to launch the ball as far as possible. Then comes titanium. Then comes multimaterial (Failed). Then comes adjustable hosels. Then comes adjustable weight and multimaterial again. What do all these things have in common? They were innovative at the time and capitalized on new technologies to provide increases in performance. So where are we now? On the runway of fashion.<br />
<br />
Drivers now are more about looking good than they are about performance. I know you feel you hit that neutron stick farther than your old driver but it's not because it's better. It's because it's FIT better. The technology has revolved around making the clubs prettier rather than getting new technology in them. Some are under the guise of "better feel" or "better sound". Whatever man. Is having a club that's a little more tinny sounding than last year's model worth another $399 to you? If it is - then you have too much money. Rick Shiels recently did a comparison of the last 5 years of clubs from 3 of the biggest OEMs in golf. The data collected showed there was less than 5 yards difference between them on average. 5 yards, in 5 years. The kicker is - it wasn't even like 5 years ago was 5 yards shorter than this year, it was all over the place. This is because OEMs are worried about staying relevant and not about pure performance. This leads them to create clubs that underperform in the guise of something that's "revolutionary".<br />
<br />
In this game, you need to have something that catches people's eyes. Something that says "hey we're not just sitting back and counting money, we're actually working on new stuff". Some come out with new clubs every 2 years, some come out with 2 new clubs every 6 months - but most are still making money and paying pros. It's a hustle, and YOUR MONEY is the prize. Not one of those drivers is worth the premium you're paying for it. You're better off finding an older driver for hundreds of dollars less. Still - let's look at some clubs that I think ARE worth the scratch because they're doing something different and the performance backs it up:<br />
<br />
Air Force One Golf. There's not much to talk about here because they don't have a huge line - and that's what makes them good. AFO has 2 drivers (pro and MOI), fairways, hybrids, 2 lines of irons (AFX and AFX Pro) and a line of wedges. That's it. Their business is Super Game Improvement or High performance, easy to hit. The thing they do uniquely is Nitrogen charging their clubs. AFO makes their clubs, puts the weight where they want it, then shaves the face of their woods, hybrids, and some irons down to danger level. After that they pressurize the club with nitrogen, providing weightless support to the face and increasing the forgiveness and getting as close as possible to the maximum limits set by the USGA. It's brilliant, because it's weightless, unlike some other brands that are pumping elastomers and polyurethane into their heads. Using nitrogen increases discretional weight and makes a nice POP sound when it's hit. Lofts are increased and weight is lower for the same height. I've never hit a ball as far as i have with the AFX GI irons. If distance is where it's at for you - give them a look.<br />
<br />
Directed force putters. This company revolves around their Reno putter and the proprietary and patented system of weighting and design which allows it to remain square to the putting stroke automatically. It's a potential game changer for every player and definitely shows the technology they say is in the club. Pricey, yes, at $400 per club but that money is directed into the club itself. Obviously it's not a name. They are very exacting with their tolerances, and obviously the technology speaks for itself as no other putter does what their putter is capable of.<br />
<br />
PXG. Odd to find a bigger manufacturer on my list of "worth it" clubs. Especially one that is one of the more expensive players in the business. Still, PXG has gone onto something with their irons. Specifically the weighting system. By using their Elastomer inside, they free up discretionary weight to make more ports on their irons. This can really help dial in not only swingweight, but keep that CG where you want it - and look good doing it. In golf fitting, there is always give and take. You add something somewhere, something else will change and you need to compensate for that. PXG has done that and kept the club smart looking. I admire that. No wonder it appeals to so many. I wish i had that capability when building and fitting.<br />
<br />
Taylormade. OH shit, OEM #2. The reason TM is on this list is because of their M1 weighting system. There have been iterations of what is ultimately one of the most adjustable driver systems in golf over the last 10 years. The SLDR, the R11/1/15, R7 - everything revolving around changing the weights and CG of the driver. It's my personal opinion that the M1 has done it the best so far. Even with PXG and their circular weight ports, the capability of the M1 to adjust to the golfer is amazing. One drawback being the single cog sleeve where the entire shaft has to change orientation. The M1 has the capability to be the lowest and most forward CG of any driver -relative to neutral axis (independent testing) and still has the capability of being changed to the most forgiving - almost making the M2 obsolete? They have something special with their rail weights - that most other OEMs have been trying to copy. Couple that with the now common multi-material construction and you have a pretty nice weapon. Of course, it's hit or miss (no pun intended) as some people can't stand the look or the sound of the newest M1. Likewise other clubs.<br />
<br />
<br />
It's not rocket science - it's harder. Its' working within parameters to develop and manufacture a product that needs to both appeal physically and through performance enough to perpetuate the system in an EXTREMELY competitive environment. People often ask why don't I design a driver, or a putter, or irons and why did I stay with wedges? The answer - Because i don't want to get caught up in the distance races. Wedges are for scoring. They need to feel good, launch predictably, and spin controllably. It's a classic shape that is found in nearly every manufacturer and theres' no new technology needed. It's a "working man's" tool and that's what i like. In my opinion, we've seen what we're going to see out of the golf club until the USGA changes it's parameters. What you see above are my pick for the best bang for your buck in the their tech department.<br />
<br />
Gone are the days of cheaper clubs. Muscle back Blades and cavity backs - the most basic and common designs among clubs - are now often more expensive than technology packed "game improvement" irons. They say things like "tour" and "pro" and they're not. They shouldn't cost more than multi-material irons with more steps and more innovation, but they do. Because they look prettier and have prestige associated with them. Truth is, they're relics. People gravitate toward them because of "feel" and workability and that's fine, but no reason to pay an ultra premium for that. Afterall, isn't that what a golf club is supposed to be? Something that feels good and performs? Those same people trust drivers that have more technology than their car put into them and don't worry about the pure feel and workability of the humble persimmon anymore. Did you know - independent testing showed that theres' a 6 yard difference between a persimmon driver and a modern one when comparing apples to apples? It's not the new materials, it's what they allow engineers to DO with those materials to create a better club. longer shafts, lighter heads, more forgiveness. Having a big headed driver is not enough - the technology has to provide something extra or else it's just another big headed driver. Same with irons. Same with putters. Smoke and mirrors and a new sticker on the back. Take a good hard look at what you're getting for your money. Not just the head - but the shaft, the grip, and the service as well. They all go together to get the best performance out of your equipment. If it's not a jump in performance, then use the money and take a lesson - or get a bottle of bourbon. Same result right?The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-34106050064132261252017-10-02T06:03:00.000-07:002017-10-02T06:03:01.873-07:00The Shot-Shank Redemption<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-seiFrMDNbIo/WdI14Vug4OI/AAAAAAAAcbo/GBJXymnXB348y9GL7FKI7ZKLUPnKxTjfgCLcBGAs/s1600/Corporate-Washroom-shawshank.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-seiFrMDNbIo/WdI14Vug4OI/AAAAAAAAcbo/GBJXymnXB348y9GL7FKI7ZKLUPnKxTjfgCLcBGAs/s640/Corporate-Washroom-shawshank.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
"How often do you look at a man's shoes?" - the line famously delivered by Ellis "Red" Boyd during Andy Dufresne's last moments as a guest at Shawshank Prison. I'm sure that most of you retifists lose it over a new pair of Jordans, or need to have a nice pair of going out shoes but that's beside the point. How much do you really think about your shoes in golf? We may look at the style, name, or comfort of them - even the spike pattern since that's what matters most, right? What if I told you the reason you shot 85 on tuesday and 99 on wednesday is laced up and matches that Ricky Fowler flat brim perfectly?<br />
<br />
So I decided to do a little bit of scientific method throughout my season. After a few WTF rounds of golf and having my wonderful low single digit handicap turn mid, I needed to find out what the hell was going on. Not paying attention for the most part, just marking down everything about my round in the notes. What pair of sunglasses I wore, pants or shorts, how early I got there for the tee time and even the shoes I had worn after each round. At the beginning, I thought I was honestly wasting my time. I was grasping for straws and I remember thinking to myself there's no way that any of this would be costing me strokes. I can tell you, they most certainly did. Turns out - my shoes were killing my score. No knock on the brand, because I do really like the spikes, but I use 3 pairs of footjoys. 2 pairs of FJ Energize - 1 white/ 1 black and 1 pair of FJ Contour - Brown. I bought them like anyone would - to match my golf attire when needed. A shoe is a shoe, right? Honestly, I bought the contours because generally I wanted something that I didn't have to change at the course and could just go right out after - Thinking golf shoes were golf shoes. I looked at my notes and noticed something peculiar....<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6LOdD28ihk/WdI1BuUBMwI/AAAAAAAAcbc/g25A4BCGePQ6A1ElMG262rK4vioUyPvuACLcBGAs/s1600/Weeble_2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="292" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6LOdD28ihk/WdI1BuUBMwI/AAAAAAAAcbc/g25A4BCGePQ6A1ElMG262rK4vioUyPvuACLcBGAs/s1600/Weeble_2.gif" /></a>On days that I practiced with a shoe, then golfed the next time with that same shoe I tended to shoot relatively well. One of my best rounds came on the third day of wearing a particular type of shoe in a row. In each instance, I noticed that when I changed from Energize to Contour and vice versa, my score ballooned significantly. Sometimes up to 10 strokes and my ball striking went to hell. Granted, this was not at the forefront of my mind when playing the rounds. I was just playing my game and trying to score.<br />
<br />
Slowly a pattern began to emerge.... When I switched shoes, my swing just felt out of sorts for a while. I couldn't figure it out. Nothing was different and I JUST played. I wasn't rusty, but there was no fixing it until the 10th hole or later. There were even outliers in the rounds where I had changed shoes but my game didn't change. Was it all in my head? Am I just a crazy, neurotic golfer who blames things like shaft label placement and ball marking technique rather than his own swing? I needed a drink.<br />
<br />
I glanced over things again and eventually I caught on. Turns out, the Energize are almost 1/2" higher than the Contours. This put my weight a little more neutral at address, since I tend to lean backwards naturally with my weight shift (Thanks, Dr. Scholl's contraption at walmart!). This means that the Energize were actually a better fit for me in terms of posture and weight transfer. It wasn't something I could necessarily feel, but it's something I could compensate for EVENTUALLY when it wasn't there - which was the case. When I changed back to the flatter, more casual Contour style, I needed to consciously change my weight displacement or at least allow for it. This is why it took a good bit of time during the round, or a practice session, to get my bearings. But what about the days when I changed and I was ok??? I took another sip and thought harder and realized. INSOLES. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdO6auAjSGw/WdI1XkeHF-I/AAAAAAAAcbg/xFSpl7OVRB4OPPC5-SuYGXs_0cHd6vC1ACLcBGAs/s1600/tenor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdO6auAjSGw/WdI1XkeHF-I/AAAAAAAAcbg/xFSpl7OVRB4OPPC5-SuYGXs_0cHd6vC1ACLcBGAs/s1600/tenor.gif" /></a>Remember that Dr. Scholl's thing I was talking about? Well it's there to help you choose what insoles are right for you. I have back troubles and can't really walk on hard surfaces for a long time without stopping, stretching, and at the very least saying "ow". This was because of that rearward CG of mine, and I was putting all the shock and weight on my heels, sending the feedback right up to my spine. Insoles cured that, and I had put them into the Contours when I walked the course making them about 1/2" higher (probably more like 3/8). Closer to the Energize - which felt good enough NOT to put the insoles in. I didn't put them in when I took a cart, or if it was particularly soft out. EUREKA!!! How could I be so dumb?!<br />
<br />
<br />
Is this a complete study of the subject... no, not by a long shot - BUT you may want to do a little experiment of your own. See which shoes you play best in and what kind of specs they have. Every person will be different, just like using a particular golf club, but you might find that you can actually shave a few strokes wearing a certain type of shoe. There's a lot of talk about stability in the golf swing and the golf shoe, but how much do we really think about the height and balance of our golf shoes?<br />
<br />
A couple years back - in a campaign that I believe continues to this day - Shoe companies like Adidas were saying you needed to be as close to the ground as possible. They touted thin soles and "more interaction with the turf". Sounds good on paper, but we all know that there's only one thing that can keep you stable in the golf swing - balance. Proper weight displacement is 100% the key to a good setup and starting point for the swing. Perhaps it's time for the Carrie Bradshaws of the golf world to take a look in their closets and ask "Does my collection of golf shoes love me as much as I love them?"<br />
<br />
<br />The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-87848860930239825982017-07-31T11:19:00.000-07:002017-07-31T11:19:46.122-07:00If you play efficiently... are you a bad person?Another week, another "rules" discussion. This time it's the US Girls Junior Amateur Championship. On extra holes, Elisabeth Moon was faced with a birdie putt to win the semi-final match over Erica Shepherd. Moon missed the putt and immediately raked the remaining putt of about 8 inches away, assuming it would be given. The problem was - it wasn't. Shepherd made no mention, motion, or otherwise attempt to concede the putt and because of this Moon lost the match under rule 18-2. The internet at large is calling Shepherd a "bad sport" and questioning her integrity in the game over the win. You would think rightly so, but is it just mis-understanding of the rules and match play that are blinding them to the way the game is played? They're rules - not a test to get your wings, Clarence.<br />
<br />
Match play is the one time in golf where your score doesn't matter as a whole. You are playing heads-up against your playing competitor and if you take a 10 it doesn't matter, as long as they take an 11. In addition, you could shoot a 68 and STILL LOSE to someone who shot 82. It's an amazing format and has a few rules stipulated ONLY for that format - and for good reason. Let's look at two that applied to the whole deal this past week....<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Let's start where the hub-ub is. Rule 2-4 Concession of Match, hole, or stroke. In match play, at any time, a player may concede a hole or match. In addition, a player may concede their opponent's next stroke provided the opponent's ball is at rest. Once given, it cannot be taken back in any circumstance. There is a KEY word here. The player MAY concede. It is that player's choice to do so. Nowhere does it say that a player MUST concede a stroke at any time - for any reason - at any length. There is also no mention of "if they're nice" or "as a show of respect". Nothing about equity. This is very important in application and use and is a powerful tool in playing a match. Look at it this way.....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tGy6nGWaPJs/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tGy6nGWaPJs?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe></div>
You're playing a match and your opponent hits their putts close right off the bat. They're the type of person who rakes away gimmes so you concede 1 foot, 2 foot, maybe even a 3 foot putt for the first couple holes. By the 7th hole your opponent hasn't putted anything inside 3 feet or longer, but now has a 3 footer to win a hole. How comfortable do you think they're going to be over that putt? Sure, it depends on the caliber of player but there's not one of you out there who hasn't yipped on a 2 footer or even a 12 incher once in their lives. Anything can and does happen in golf. In 1983 at the open championship, Hale Irwin whiffed on a 2 inch putt. 2 inches- if it was even that. Whiffed. Mental lapse. Not match play and no excuse for a misunderstanding because you have to hole everything but it still happened. He got no "pass" because it was a "gimme" length putt. Same in match play.<br />
<br />
By the same token as my previous example - maybe you don't give ANYTHING at all. Make your opponent putt everything out for the first 9 holes? Maybe they get to thinking you're a jerk and it gets them off their game when you finally DO give a putt. A stretch maybe - but stranger things do happen. It's not a "gimme" until it's given. Thing is, the "gimme" in match play is as much about gamesmanship and strategy as it is a show of respect to the opponent's game. That's not to say you HOPE for anyone to miss a shot ever, but just know that you're not a bad person for not giving them a short putt if you don't want to. Just expect tit for tat. Regardless never ASSUME something is given. Like a provisional ball, it must be voiced that a concession has taken place before it's actually good. If you didn't hear it.. ask.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w8T1ZpMMEEM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w8T1ZpMMEEM?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="320"></iframe>This leads us into the actual penalty rule - 18-2 Ball at rest moved by player, partner, caddie..... This is actually the breach the lead to Moon's loss. Because there was no concession, the officials stepped in when she moved the ball. Under 18-2 it's one stroke penalty in match play. Because of this, Moon lost since Shepherd was already in for a 5. It's unfortunate but it's the rule and is there to protect the field. In this case, the "Field" is one person. Shepherd. Concentration is key and if you lose it - be prepared for a penalty. There is no room for precedent in applying the rules of golf. If it were a 2 foot putt and she raked it back because she just gave Shepherd a 2 foot putt... is that ok? It's not pretty and you can feel how you want about it, but the rules are the rules. Sure as your ball is unplayable from out of bounds, you'll be penalized if you don't get an actual concession before moving the ball in any circumstance.<br />
<br />
Now reading this - you'll probably think me a monster. Playing on people's emotions and fears to try and win. It's not that at all. In fact, the entire purpose of match play is to "Put pressure" on the other player. Hit your shot close, force them to change the game plan. Don't give away strokes. Giving or not giving a putt is simply using the rules to an advantage - same as any other rule. This one just has another person in play directly. It should not be viewed as something noble or seen as martyrdom to give strokes away. It's a strategy, and if you're not using it as such, then you're playing a losing game. If you're going to let morality and self assessment dictate gimmies - when does it stop? how far is too far? What if the winning putt is within your very liberally measured "gimmie" circle? Do you make them putt it then? Well that's not very nice if you do...<br />
<br />
Bottom line... It's not your fault if your opponent gets yippy over a 3 foot putt. Nor is it a problem or malcontent to exploit that weakness. Now..... you're a bad sport if you call them names and make comments calling Mr. Lippy McYipsalot out, but simply making them (or not making them) hit a shot is no reason to think you're Mephistopheles or the angel Gabriel. It's no different than say - telling your partner that play needs to speed up because the group is behind? Not your fault if it gets in their head. How about intentionally hitting the ball long and into the bleachers on a long par 4 to get a free drop and take the hazard out of play when the tournament is on the line. Or say more recently - taking relief for an unplayable on the driving range where it's nice and flat so you can get a full swing and a perfect lie. Come on - man up and play it straight right? To allow someone to get away with a blatant rules violation so you can feel good about yourself isn't noble - it's a disservice to that person. They haven't learned anything and all you've done is let everyone know you're a pushover. Sure, you can sleep a little easier that night knowing you lost because you didn't call a penalty what it was - if you're not tossing and turning thinking about the moment that cost you the match, that is. But hey, by that point you drank yourself to sleep - right, Champ? There's no reason to feel bad about being competitive, but there are things that exist between falling on a sword yourself and intentionally breaking your competitor's kneecaps that are perfectly acceptable. Learn to use your gimmies.......The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-7125999081774814692017-07-11T07:18:00.000-07:002017-07-11T07:18:02.755-07:00Did we witness blatant cheating and get a "No Call"? I can't get away from this weekend's rules "debacle" with John Rahm seemingly placing his ball back on a different spot than where he originally marked it. Facebook, all the golf forums, hell I swear I saw it in the newspaper and I'm pretty sure my cat was muttering about it in his sleep on the window sill. It seems a number of weeks ago, we saw this from Lexi Thompson and she was given a swift and brutal penalty of four total strokes, whereas Rahm was basically smiled at, told not to do it again, then invited over for tea and biscuits. Some say it's BECAUSE of Lexi's penalty that Rahm was not penalized for mis-placing the ball and that may be part of it. I think it's a mis-application of the rules in general and it begs the question - "Are we looking at applying the rules incorrectly this whole time?" <br />
<br />
The nature of the penalty is that Lexi "played from the wrong place". OK shit happens right? She played from the wrong place by about 1 inch total if that? Let's look at the whole here..... This was snapped from a video analyzing the move with a black square placed on the video at a fixed point, showing the move. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WQz9_Sa2WC4/WWTSYN1UDcI/AAAAAAAAaxA/dZ78eX3cD0Awdz1M7Xag1fKz7sKbR7OaACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-10%2Bat%2B10.04.28%2BAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="1457" height="127" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WQz9_Sa2WC4/WWTSYN1UDcI/AAAAAAAAaxA/dZ78eX3cD0Awdz1M7Xag1fKz7sKbR7OaACLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-10%2Bat%2B10.04.28%2BAM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
To me, yes, it's clear that she moved the ball after marking. It could be reasonably assumed that she put the coin down, had a brain fart when aligning the ball, but then took care to put it back down in front of the coin on line with her target. There's no arguing that this is the wrong place but does it REALLY give her an advantage. Let's blow up her 2 foot putt....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r8F_VJarrH4/WWTS3Iirk0I/AAAAAAAAaxE/w5LTie5oteslP0XTJNK3zfN-d0xu9J6NwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-10%2Bat%2B10.05.48%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="450" height="386" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r8F_VJarrH4/WWTS3Iirk0I/AAAAAAAAaxE/w5LTie5oteslP0XTJNK3zfN-d0xu9J6NwCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-10%2Bat%2B10.05.48%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is the after-image. Nowhere on this line of putt does it look like she's going to gain any sort of advantage by moving the ball left or right, even up to a putter head-width!! If anything she moves it INTO A WORSE SPOT with what appears to be a mark or dark bit right there in front of the ball now. She also does not move the ball closer to the hole nearly as much as Rahm did, so basically she was penalized not for the intent to cheat, just for losing focus and placing the ball incorrectly. But what about Rahm???</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Looking at Rahm's video - it's raining. The greens are getting traffic and it's kind of ugly. Here we can see that he clearly places his marker to the right side of the ball. Everyone seems to agree with that...</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ebpjkbJuz0/WWTVGFAgUvI/AAAAAAAAaxQ/Mff1Hx15NAocs1VAopFHTukbR4f1uHJzwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-11%2Bat%2B9.34.19%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="562" height="468" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ebpjkbJuz0/WWTVGFAgUvI/AAAAAAAAaxQ/Mff1Hx15NAocs1VAopFHTukbR4f1uHJzwCEwYBhgL/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-11%2Bat%2B9.34.19%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
When golfers routinely mark behind the ball, why this time does he choose to go right of the ball? Sure, he has to move the marker but you can move one, two, three putter heads and not have an issue - and actually that's what the ROG says to do. But..... If you look closer at the image... you'll see the reason, in my own opinion, that he marked to the right of the ball.....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ll9_FQm-Bic/WWTVkAnpbMI/AAAAAAAAaxU/ig-Ror7VrJQjt9LUK478OP8NWmfIWanGgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-11%2Bat%2B9.34.19%2BAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="1126" height="234" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ll9_FQm-Bic/WWTVkAnpbMI/AAAAAAAAaxU/ig-Ror7VrJQjt9LUK478OP8NWmfIWanGgCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-11%2Bat%2B9.34.19%2BAM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Would you look at that? Right there, in front of his ball and right on the line of his putt... holy spike mark, Batman!!! Clearly a huge issue in this weather, and it's a confidence building short putt to boot. Could you imagine if he missed it? With the weather as it was and a short fuse temper - there's no amount of a lead that can predict what would happen at this point. Rahm marks to the right, lifts the ball and moves his mark, clearing the way for his playing competitor to sink his short putt which is on a line just outside this spike mark towards the camera. Now, let's look at Rahm's replacement of the ball. He has already moved the mark back quite precisely if you ask me, then goes to put the ball back down......</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eftZ6mijnvs/WWTXpWeib2I/AAAAAAAAaxc/-ijH07UF4oM0sHi48wVwVmlY9aCo5qYCgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-11%2Bat%2B9.46.01%2BAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="832" height="436" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eftZ6mijnvs/WWTXpWeib2I/AAAAAAAAaxc/-ijH07UF4oM0sHi48wVwVmlY9aCo5qYCgCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-11%2Bat%2B9.46.01%2BAM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm just gonna put this right here....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ruh Roh, Shaggy! By moving the ball to the FRONT of the mark, rather than replacing it at the side, he has given himself a clear advantage by making an unobstructed line to the hole. That friends... is motive. The video doesn't lie. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWRjyJ7fuEY/WWTd9wfLlXI/AAAAAAAAaxs/HyCBCyV0iIgNP8nTDwkH32BOudRObhw-ACLcBGAs/s1600/raw.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="497" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWRjyJ7fuEY/WWTd9wfLlXI/AAAAAAAAaxs/HyCBCyV0iIgNP8nTDwkH32BOudRObhw-ACLcBGAs/s400/raw.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't handle the truth!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The USGA is looking at "intent" in the rules right now. I'm a member of a number of forums and a person on there had an interesting thing to say. When exactly does intent stop and responsibility to follow the rules begin? You don't INTEND to hit a ball out of bounds, yet there's still a penalty for it. Bernhard Langer doesn't INTEND to anchor the putter to his chest, yet it still looks like it from an outside perspective and it surely brushes his shirt - which the USGA lets go as part of it's new initiative. Lexi presumably didn't INTEND to move the ball either, she was just lining up the putt as some say Rahm was. Being a little too focused on one thing and not on another. Here's where I draw the line though. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br />The opportunity for mal-intent exists and THAT'S where a penalty should happen. This was backwards. If you look at Lexi's putt, there was no advantage to be had by moving the ball and in equity it could have been said that it was an accident and therefore a no-call situation would have been OK as it wouldn't be reasonable to say that she intentionally cheated when there was no gain to be had. It's entirely plausible to be a "brain fart". In Rahm's case, you can look at it and SEE there's an issue that in fact DID IMPROVE his situation when the ball was moved. I don't for a second believe that he had that much of a fart where the ball is moved exactly enough to clear an impediment. THAT warrants a penalty. In fact, it may be the most clear definition of cheating. The thing is - it's over and done with and the call is made. Rahm is adamant in his explanation that he took due care in placing and replacing his ball. Basically staying positive and not wavering. Sell it to the end, so to speak.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In either case, there will be arguments on both sides for weeks to come. People in their weekend beer matches are going to be watching each other like hawks and ribbing the entire foursome every time someone marks a ball - all in good fun of course. Still, this raises serious questions about both the clear application of the rules, and the opportunity for creative cheating on tour and wherever the cameras aren't looking especially. From Tiger Wood's ADMITTED incorrect drop with no penalty to the slow-mo replay of a grain of sand being touched by Anna Nordqvist resulting in a win for Brittany Lang, there are just too many instances and inconsistencies that have sent the USGA back-pedaling to try and "re-apply" the rules properly. I think that "intent" is a good thing to look at in the case of the rules, but also keeping in mind the "opportunity for mal-intent" (let's face it, cheating is an UGLY word until you're proven to have done it). What do you think? </div>
The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-60817464885058404572017-06-27T18:10:00.001-07:002017-06-27T18:13:29.399-07:00First Impression: Directed force ...OR... "Is there actually any innovation left in golf?"I've posted before about new technology. Ins and outs, innovations and old hack ideas. I lie awake at night - after coming in from the shop - and think about golf. Late night and early morning TV are filled with infomercials... Hundreds of them. Everything from training aids, to the next big "technology" in clubs. Guys yelling BOOM and POW and hitting the ball 400 yards, promises of clubs "so easy to hit it's like cheating".<br />
<br />
It hurts me to watch these things. They prey on golfers and their desire to play better golf by making promises that sound legit but are in fact nothing but snake oil meant to separate golfers from money they could use as greens fees or lessons - further diluting the equipment business and depressing the golf market more. Even leaving the television for the Internet I find little but "reviews" of how great things are. This and that - more distance - everything that's great about the products and no reasons why other than "it helps your game'. There is absolutely no shortage of miracle clubs with any combination of letters and numbers that boast "innovative" technology and while some of them may deliver a few gains - they're not for the majority of golfers. How much of that really CAN BE real? How much is bunk?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ajkbpx-8y4/WVL5Lpl168I/AAAAAAAAarw/Wjkkc-Ci_REsUQyfJwBt3Q_vmDbxU3e3gCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20170626_195552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ajkbpx-8y4/WVL5Lpl168I/AAAAAAAAarw/Wjkkc-Ci_REsUQyfJwBt3Q_vmDbxU3e3gCK4BGAYYCw/s320/20170626_195552.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
So a number of months ago, I came across "Directed Force Putters". A small company with a big idea - make a better putter. Simple. No infomercials yet, nothing blowing up my email and Facebook, just saw one out at a tournament and heard loads of people saying they love their DFP. What the hell, man?<br />
<br />
A gentleman by the name of Bill Presse heading up the team, and coming out of the USA, Directed Force pushes it's business based on "lie angle balancing". Whatever dude, just another kitsch phrase... or is it? I was duly skeptical. Nevertheless, I decided to do some digging. I searched and searched online for a used putter that I could at least test and didn't find one. Are they really that good that nobody wants to get rid of one? Everyone that I found that owned one of these franken-putters just did not want to part with it. Literally every single one I contacted. Want to sell it? "NO". ...Please? "Get off my lawn, dude!"..... You had my interest, now you have my attention. This is something I want to get into - a club people want to play until it wears out....<br />
<br />
Flash forward, I FINALLY got my hands on one. One of these guys walks into the shop and wants some changes to his. Knowing there's some weird arcane magic stuff going on here, I contact DF to make sure we don't ruin his flatstick. After researching and talking the man himself, Mr. Presse, we're going to get it done, but first - "let me test it huh?" Score! I took a few putts on my carpet downstairs and immediately know this club is different from anything else I've used before.<br />
<br />
Background: I've used and/or tested just about every putter out there. Especially recently with some new-found putting woes. My list includes but is not limited to: (BREATH) Cure, Brainstorm, Scotty, All the Major brands, wooden putters, long putters, belly putters, extra short putters, long putters, heavy putters, ultra light putters and even mini-golf putters. Face on, face balanced, toe hang, toe up, high moi, center shafted, plumbers neck, single and double bend - every.....fucking.... putter. I can honestly say that NOTHING that has come before it is anything like what the Directed Force putter is. DEFINITELY nothing looks like it - which is what i found to be the biggest hurdle...albeit a pretty low one.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5n5E2TEab0/WVL6QsueMmI/AAAAAAAAar8/G8MC4hBQSPEtmqn8LIU9k-eR4mtKhSRXQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20170627_115119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5n5E2TEab0/WVL6QsueMmI/AAAAAAAAar8/G8MC4hBQSPEtmqn8LIU9k-eR4mtKhSRXQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/20170627_115119.jpg" width="228" /></a>Looking down, I couldn't even totally describe it without a picture. A branding iron maybe? Metal detector? (Find me a fortune!!) Large hitting face, ample reflective sight lines with a center mounted/center BODY shaft, and a large trailing weighted head. The shaft sets in at an angle, and the grip is drilled such that it mounts vertically on the shaft. Essentially it's something between the recent Backstryke putters and the high moi Spiders you see now yet still TOTALLY different. It's just the strangest gosh darn thing.....and I really started to fall in love with it.<br />
<br />
For all it's quirks and idiosyncrasies, it sets up PERFECT. I mean, spot on balls perfect. I know exactly where that ball is going when i put the head down. This is great because it's like my older Ghost Spider in that respect: Very easy to line up and once you have the line, that part of the equation is out of the picture. It's all speed and roll after that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n5XDx5VgPf8/WVL9FhPX4aI/AAAAAAAAask/URjYsjH0vYwR3FCbygs1v6cO7D9Z7StBQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20170627_115232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n5XDx5VgPf8/WVL9FhPX4aI/AAAAAAAAask/URjYsjH0vYwR3FCbygs1v6cO7D9Z7StBQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/20170627_115232.jpg" width="259" /></a> The grip fits very well in my hands - and rumor has it they have a larger version - but i don't have that one to test. It's not really needed though at this point- the "Press grip" is just the right size. The shaft lean is unobtrusive to the eye, and the sight line just makes a great shape in relation to the trailing ball-catch. One thing I'm a little put off by is the shiny nature of the aim T. Shiny. Real shiny. It seems to just glow at address which is nice, but man when the sun hits that thing directly, look out! Good news is that I spoke to the creator and this issue is solved - They're now laser etched on all the new putters - but you can still get the milled version if you're a paint fill kinda person.<br />
<br />
<br />
The swing. The swing is effortless. The technology they're touting actually seems to be on display. I know that with my Spider, and pretty much most putters it's very easy to leave the face open on a putt or put a little too much oomph into releasing the putter and close it. Even if you're stroking it perfectly by the shoulders, the putter fights you a little. The stroke has to be perfect, and there's weight that needs to be compensated for in the head. You can feel it, no matter the putter. That being said...there is zero effort needed when making a stroke with this putter. It seems to know what to do and when to do it. Literally take a neutral grip and rock your shoulders and the ball starts on line every.....single....time. One handed, either hand, as long as the club started soled flat on the lie angle, the ball started right on the intended line. I nearly soiled my pants to be honest. Now..... does that mean you can't miss? No, not in the slightest. It's not a gyroscope. You can almost feel it fighting you though in the back swing and through swing trying to stay on line and not have your nasty meathooks ruin your chance at birdie. The club WANTS to be square to your stroke. It's like a physical being. After about 10 "getting used to it" putts, there was no part of me that felt i had to do anything to get the putt rolling... and roll it did. It was a mental block to come to terms that i had to do NOTHING to make this putter work other than set up and rock my shoulders.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fsgi4jqFjfI/WVL8xHVkqzI/AAAAAAAAasc/PU8AHhVkyycg3PD3M8DpKVSKNhv48C2AACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20170627_115154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fsgi4jqFjfI/WVL8xHVkqzI/AAAAAAAAasc/PU8AHhVkyycg3PD3M8DpKVSKNhv48C2AACK4BGAYYCw/s320/20170627_115154.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Roll and feel. The strike is hard to qualify. It's solid but soft. If you're a fan of urethane inserts, you're going to have a period of time to become familiar with the new non-insert feel. In addition, it takes cues from the type of ball you're using. If it's a harder cover ball - the sound is going to be more of a pronounced and harder feel. If it's a softer players ball, you'll have a more muted feel and with either type you can really hear a light "tink" type of sound resonating through the head. It's actually rather pleasant any way you hit it, but coming off of soft insert putters, it does take a little getting used to - but no more than any other putter out there. It's a confidence building sound in my ears.<br />
<br />
Even if you put ear plugs in and wear oven mitts, there's no denying the roll. Pure, unadulterated Velcro on the green. No bounce. The ball just tumbles and tumbles and tumbles. Over marks, across hills, just tumbles. Full disclosure, I skidded a couple in the beginning because I used the same stroke i needed on my old putter to make it roll. Newsflash.... This is as close to a "point and shoot" putter as we've got to date. The grooves on the face are apparently a roll machine. Set up, rock shoulders, collect winnings. *drops mic*<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyILgxdwIeQ/WVFYbhjK9DI/AAAAAAAAaq4/CoUiPtmG4R4MSEQ0BTIU854bPFmXJI7TwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-06-26%2Bat%2B2.53.43%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyILgxdwIeQ/WVFYbhjK9DI/AAAAAAAAaq4/CoUiPtmG4R4MSEQ0BTIU854bPFmXJI7TwCK4BGAYYCw/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-06-26%2Bat%2B2.53.43%2BPM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit; "Back to the Future" - Universal Pictures 1985<br />
If you haven't seen it..... what's the matter with you?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
*picks mic back up* So what does all this mean.. Well, to me, it means that there's at least a little bit of morality left in the golf equipment business other than yours truly. There's some real thought and real innovation in this putter and from first use - it's not a smoke and mirrors marketing speak type of campaign slapped on the same old thing. You're certainly not paying for a name, but I honestly think you're going to be hearing a LOT more of the Directed Force name in the next year or so. With a silver metal on the Golf Digest Hot List already and momentum starting to build, for the first time since metal woods initially came on the scene - to quote Doc Brown - we're about to see some serious shit....Look out, big OEMs.<br />
<br />
There will be a part 2. This is not over. A putter's true self is not brought out until you get in the pressure of a real match. Since I have this for quite some time, I'll be using it in the match play this weekend and really giving it a test. Let's see how you handle it when the cheddar's on the line Mr. Force......<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-89430490669132430912016-08-28T09:48:00.000-07:002016-08-28T09:48:06.689-07:00Pre-weekend - World Amateur Handicap ChampionshipWell it's the time of year that i really really look forward to (when i can afford it). The Myrtle Beach Golf Holidays World Amateur Handicap Championship (hitherto forward referred to as the "world am" because damn). You can keep up with their blog <a href="http://myrtlebeachworldamateur.com/blog/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. So the World Am is a great huge tournament comprised of over 3000 golfers who descend on Myrtle Beach every year to play for glory. It's a great deal if you're an early registrant. I believe it was $575 this year. That's 4 days of golf guaranteed, donuts and coffee at the courses, swag bag (<a href="http://facebook.com/theclubnut" target="_blank">you can see it here</a>), and 4 night of free food and drink at the 19th hole expo put on at the Sheraton Inn conference center.<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Decided to leave around 4am... actually got on the road closer to 5. Truth of the matter is... traffic around Baltimore is a whole lot more manageable at that time of day. Actually i was past DC well before the sun came up. Holy crap I was making good time. FYI the Virginia Visitors center and the North Carolina Welcome Center are both very good places to stop. They're just far enough from each other to give you a much needed break, and they're very clean and secure. Neither have gas stations though - be forewarned. One stop for gas just after the NC station and i made it to Myrtle with no issues. Actually, it took me longer to go the last 10 miles because of MB traffic on 501.<br />
<br />
I decided to stay at the Sheraton conference center, just so i wouldn't have a lot of travelling to do. Be forewarned... there is an $8.00 +tax fee to park here each night. Doesn't matter if you're staying at the hotel or if you're coming from outside, you have to pay to park. That's ridiculous IMO. Paying upwards of $100 per night AND you have to pay for your car to be on premises?? Not again, i'll tell you that. When i stayed here about 6 years ago, i didn't have a car so i didn't realize that was happening. Nobody mentioned it on the phone either while i was making the reservation, so i was pretty surprised.<br />
I had a nice burger and some beers for dinner, but was pretty much exhausted from the drive, so i called it an early night.<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TxDa9bo-Nao/V8MVVs8t6tI/AAAAAAAATKQ/d0RNZtwiK3EBoxe0DVxo0740bnT2P4NQwCK4B/s1600/20160828_092550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BZqMNWazDz8/V8MVVGXeaLI/AAAAAAAATKI/1irVKLxCkGITmQIpSsY9mpSQ4Dsd235uQCK4B/s1600/20160828_094439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BZqMNWazDz8/V8MVVGXeaLI/AAAAAAAATKI/1irVKLxCkGITmQIpSsY9mpSQ4Dsd235uQCK4B/s320/20160828_094439.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tyuss_q79fw/V8MVVM-ECjI/AAAAAAAATKE/adaKxLEJkL8m9xK5qgr7g1Eruv7vhsafQCK4B/s1600/20160828_094512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tyuss_q79fw/V8MVVM-ECjI/AAAAAAAATKE/adaKxLEJkL8m9xK5qgr7g1Eruv7vhsafQCK4B/s320/20160828_094512.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Went to the PGA tour superstore to register. Up early, got there right when they opened and the line was already super long. Got my swag bag and decided to hit the XR16 driver again, against my own driver --- still not up to snuff. It's the only swinging i've been doing since friday... My cut is so out of sorts, i just don't feel right over the ball. Hoping that just goes away. Not going to think about it anymore. Either way, despite being 2 inches longer physically, the XR can't hold a candle to it. Oh well. Still searching. good for the confidence though, to know i'm still playing the best gear for my game. warmed up and took a 3 ball comparison.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TxDa9bo-Nao/V8MVVs8t6tI/AAAAAAAATKQ/d0RNZtwiK3EBoxe0DVxo0740bnT2P4NQwCK4B/s1600/20160828_092550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TxDa9bo-Nao/V8MVVs8t6tI/AAAAAAAATKQ/d0RNZtwiK3EBoxe0DVxo0740bnT2P4NQwCK4B/s320/20160828_092550.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
Getting ready now to take a walk to Broadway at the Beach - where the opening party is going to be. I might take an umbrella... looks a little overcast out but meh, live a little. I could use the walk and the shower i suppose. haha. It's been a good day so far. met some cool people too and will probably meet more tomorrow. Going to wrap up here and get out hoofin' it. Go have a cigar at the tinder box and chill out the rest of the day. Tomorrow is going to be epic... here's to a good start!The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-45103935122867383452016-08-01T10:33:00.002-07:002016-08-01T10:33:57.013-07:00Getting the shaft - part 2-ish or "Giving the Indian a crooked arrow"I posted a couple weeks ago about OEMs and their shaft offerings when getting fit for a club. With all the shafts out there and most of them for no upgrade charge "I'll just get the most expensive because it's the best, right?" Seems to be a common occurrence. Well, yes - and no. Recently, a client of mine - we'll call him Smashy - was having troubles with his driver. He bought it, and hits it good sometimes but remains very inconsistent so he gave me a ring to see if there was something in the equipment. <i>"Chris, it's not the arrow, it's the Indian" </i> ----- Native American, please Dude. Still, i don't care if you're Robin Hood: If your arrow isn't right, you're not hitting a damn thing.<br />
<br />
Well, Smashy is kind of a big dude. The kind I wouldn't like to meet in any sort of alley, let alone a dark one. Big hands, oversize grips, taller than me (not hard to do, but still), and when he takes a cut at the ball he can exceed 121 mph. Smashy is currently gaming a Stiff flex in his driver. <i>But Chris, you said flex isn't standard over all manufacturers, that could be ok right? </i> Yes, thanks for paying attention!! Still, when something is very very wrong, it's good to check it out to pinpoint the issue.<br />
<br />
Well, we put Smashy on the Flightscope and found out some things about his swing. Overall, it's very repeatable and VERY hard. Gosh it makes my back hurt thinking about it. So we warmed him up, and put some good swings on his current driver to get the numbers. Spin was high at 3100+, launch was OK, but AOA at -3 and AOD at 56 degrees was a real issue. I checked out the flex profile and saw that he was FAR out-swinging the current shaft and the tip was way too active.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQE6ohYuBCE/V5987daEqzI/AAAAAAAAS_I/QCfOLl3HBKsR3Iajv3Zx2IV6X8DDKEEEgCK4B/s1600/File_002.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQE6ohYuBCE/V5987daEqzI/AAAAAAAAS_I/QCfOLl3HBKsR3Iajv3Zx2IV6X8DDKEEEgCK4B/s640/File_002.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Note the squiggly lines on the left side. Layman's terms, this is how the shaft is loading and accelerating the head before impact (0). Orange is the current shot at screen grab, but all the shots are represented in gray. Take note at how some of the lines start high and then decelerate, then accelerate again. This is common in every shaft. It doesn't just bow and unload at one point. The bad news here is that while it kicks HARD, it can't handle the energy store for his particular swing and while it was kicking hard relative to the flex, it wasn't hard enough - note 107mph swing. In addition, the lines are not relatively close to each other or at the same shape - indicating that it's loading faster or slower by quite a bit, and sometimes it even decelerates before impact because of how aggressively loaded the shaft is. Not a terrible shaft - but not at all a good fit. We want everything going in the same direction and consistently. Smashy - being a fade/slice player - needed something that would accelerate quickly and help close the face, but be able to handle his aggressive transition and even give him a little bit better of an attack angle. So, we put him in the budget-friendly Vista Pro 75 X flex.<br />
<br />
A little about the Vista Pro - it's the basic end of Fujikura's offerings. It was originally released about 3 decades ago (?) and dominated then - so they re-engineered the materials and tech to re-release this year, replacing their EXS line of shafts. FYI it has the same bend profile as the Tour AD DI shaft - for $280 less....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egwcWUnLf1M/V59-xhzvbgI/AAAAAAAAS_U/0-ylE0ZZ0AQfo-z3Ylttx0ZTH4DaCvtFwCK4B/s1600/File_001.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egwcWUnLf1M/V59-xhzvbgI/AAAAAAAAS_U/0-ylE0ZZ0AQfo-z3Ylttx0ZTH4DaCvtFwCK4B/s640/File_001.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
10 shots with the Vpro shaft, and notice how much more evenly the lines mirror each other. A few outliers on awkward swings, but the shaft helps out and loads/ unloads much more consistently for Smashy than his original shaft. This X flex and lower torque rating is much more able to handle his aggressive nature and perform consistently so that he can hit drives in a repeatable fashion. Only one swing failed to produce good acceleration in this instance. Taking this information - there was nothing else at this pricepoint that could take the kind of swing he had, so for fun I pulled out the HZRDUS black 6.0 (6.5) which active flex rates between stiff and X... Just for fun, to see if we could squeeze a little more consistency... Remember, this shaft is rated LESS flex than this X.....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CdvTveOL030/V5-B23Yd4QI/AAAAAAAAS_k/kFVM0Sfw12QhAZ-FLR1UNi1Sw4tZFuBQgCK4B/s1600/File_000.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CdvTveOL030/V5-B23Yd4QI/AAAAAAAAS_k/kFVM0Sfw12QhAZ-FLR1UNi1Sw4tZFuBQgCK4B/s640/File_000.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
As you can see - experiment failed. While he could load the shaft well sometimes and it performed fairly consistently for him - it was just not a good fit for the swing. HZRDUS is TOO aggressive and TOO STIFF for the way Smashy swings, so could not effectively load and unload for him consistently..... We even hit the LZ, with the same results.... just not as good as the Vpro for Smashy Smashworth. Two high-end shafts knocked out due to fit. Now he has a great fit and saved a boatload to spend on lessons if he needs!!<br />
<br />
But wait --- H Black is more expensive than the Vpro!!! It should be better! Truth is that yes, it is "better" in it's numbers - lowering spin and launch - but it is not better for this player because it doesn't fit his swing. When he hit it, he bombed it but the consistency is not there and we all know in golf it's less about how good your good shots are and more about how bad your bad shots are. I've had fittings already where this scenario was 100% reversed! Fitting needs to happen properly!<br />
<br />
The moral of this story - don't buy something because it's expensive or "included". Pros use stuff because they have a team of people that sit and stare at every ball hit, analyze it and build them a new golf club in between each bucket. The shaft they have fits them, and know what --- manufacturers will paint whatever they want on it for them. There is nothing "stock" about a club if you see a pro playing what you see on the rack, trust me.<br />
<br />
This is what a competent fitter brings to the table. Find your local guy - NOT someone on a sim at a box store but someone who does building and fitting. Someone who has no one else besides you at your appointment and isn't going to leave you or hurry you so he can go sell some girl a new golf skirt in the next department over. There are plenty of small shops and guys squinting at fulcrum scales, agonizing over the last few grains of lead to put into a club head to make it exactly what they need for their client. Sit down, have a beer, and discuss - you'll make a friend and have a great guy just like the pros do, and lift your game up another level.The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-1109025691946712302016-07-25T06:47:00.000-07:002016-08-01T11:30:40.534-07:00Are you getting the "shaft" when you buy a club? - Part 1, sorta <h3>
A little on shafts ... just a little</h3>
<br />
There has been a lot of things circulating lately about shafts and how they affect performance. One noted reviewer did a small study where he hit an X flex and senior (A) flex of shaft and noted that on the monitor there was no difference between the performance of the shaft, only the feel between the two. Another is adamant that the performance of the golf club comes primarily from the shaft. Both are very well known and have massive followings - but who is correct?<br />
<br />
The only way to settle this, unfortunately, is to draw your own conclusions. Good thing is, I can give you the knowledge and steer you in the right direction to do so. I can tell you without a doubt that shafts absolutely make a difference. Why then, when you go to the box stores and try all the different clubs from different manufacturers, with different shafts do they all go about the same for you. Well, that's the rub. The shaft has to be a match for the swing and head that is being used. We've all heard big OEMs say "high launch and low spin is optimal for maximum distance". That is true, in a vacuum, which is why there are so many shafts out there - what's good for one person to get high launch and low spin is not good for others!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AiLFYGwmhA8/V5YMMjmGeGI/AAAAAAAAS9o/J00fT3adxKMwyKMZTPBPbB1b84CaTG-3ACK4B/s1600/Low.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AiLFYGwmhA8/V5YMMjmGeGI/AAAAAAAAS9o/J00fT3adxKMwyKMZTPBPbB1b84CaTG-3ACK4B/s1600/Low.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
Case A: I took a tip-stiff shaft - very little action, high kick point and low spin/launch. Put that in a low spinning head with a low loft and hit it. I put the best move I could on it, hit it in the dead center of the face. This was my ball flight. Note the carry distance, total, and spin number.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bwpbf1TzezI/V5YMd8uDQ9I/AAAAAAAAS94/OzvCkAlfFtgx4_OEP4A6AKjrk9r9Df85QCK4B/s1600/Low.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bwpbf1TzezI/V5YMd8uDQ9I/AAAAAAAAS94/OzvCkAlfFtgx4_OEP4A6AKjrk9r9Df85QCK4B/s640/Low.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I took the same shaft, in a lighter flex, which had higher launching properties than the original, and a slightly softer tip. This is pretty standard across the board, as shafts get lighter in flex, the launch properties change. This is what the result was:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_zxJmjvlbyk/V5YNP3DlBnI/AAAAAAAAS-A/GGUeWUH-hGYyQXt2FNI4mFQ39hDz3WPHQCK4B/s1600/Mid.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_zxJmjvlbyk/V5YNP3DlBnI/AAAAAAAAS-A/GGUeWUH-hGYyQXt2FNI4mFQ39hDz3WPHQCK4B/s640/Mid.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Note how higher spin and higher launch got me more distance - not an incredible amount...but that goes against the High/Low that is "optimal". The reason is because everyone swings differently. I have a slightly negative attack angle so i put a little more spin on the ball than usual and the effective loft that I deliver is low, which is why I launch a 10.5 driver at 10 degrees and less... Now, what happens if i put the 2nd shaft on the first head? Glad you asked:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xp8pYPwEOGM/V5YO_p6jR7I/AAAAAAAAS-M/IpCI8CZc4FICKuqlMkm3XufcPMyCgP2twCK4B/s1600/Both.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xp8pYPwEOGM/V5YO_p6jR7I/AAAAAAAAS-M/IpCI8CZc4FICKuqlMkm3XufcPMyCgP2twCK4B/s640/Both.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
In this scenario, the higher launch, but lower spin head really negated the more active tip section but my total distance still fell short by a yard or so. Carry distance suffered 4 yards. Not a huge deal, and i'd take either one of these two combinations, but it does show - if not slightly - that high launch and low spin aren't universally better depending on what you want. On a standard surface it's less roll, but if i'm trying to carry a creek or get over a hill, i want to maximize carry. Hard pan will roll just fine. Know this - if one of these shafts was included in the build and the other was $200 more? which one do you think I'm getting? So what does this mean?<br />
<br />
It means that shaft absolutely matters. Flex absolutely matters. Is one shaft better than the other? That's subjective, but if you're getting the same numbers and performance with two different flexes, there's something about your swing that's changing to compensate - wether it's tempo, release, or speed -- and honestly a shaft that's a good fit for you should complement how you swing and you shouldn't have to change for it or any piece of equipment for that matter. The other side of that coin is that shaft type and flex doesn't necessarily matter as much as some people think. Barring COMPLETELY improper flex (having a super stiff low launching X when an Lflex is needed), I've never had a fitting where someone increased distance 40 yards just by changing shaft brand or flexes. You can easily gain 5 to 15 yards, but that's about max on average. More important is the DISPERSION benefit from the proper shaft ..... and a GOOD shaft at that. Distance doesn't matter when you're hitting out of the trees.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b><br /></b><b>What makes a shaft good... and why are some so expensive... and WHICH SHOULD I CHOOSE?</b></h3>
<div>
Shafts, when swinging, are under a pretty hefty load sometimes. Even if you're not a big swinger and have a light flex, that sucker is still going to flex a good 5 or more inches off it's base line. This stores the energy of the swing and releases it (hopefully) at the right moment to power that ball down the fairway (or into the woods, depending on who you are). Shafts have areas of stiffness, areas of flex, and different torque - all dependent on how they are wound and layered by the manufacturer. With new technologies and materials, shaft makers can even change flex properties according to where and how much heat/pressure is applied to the fibers. It's really amazing!!! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In my world, a shaft is "good" if it flexes predictably in all rotations. Or at least fairly so. Just last night i showed a client of mine what happens when you horizontally load a shaft and release it. We did it first with a high end OBAN Devotion. Rotating the shaft, it was noticeably better and more consistent in one area than it was in all others - Good enough to get some performance out of but not absolutely necessary. We then did it with a $15 budget stick. We aligned the spine and it flexed just as repeatably as the Oban, but when we turned it off that axis..... oh lord. Like a drunk etch-a-sketch, that tip was all over the place, flexing and oscillating. How is that supposed to deliver the club to the ball consistently? No way i would install that shaft without FLO - and i don't. But that's the point. At a price point over 10x what the budget shaft was, the Oban was much more suited to a driver where the adjustable hosel will be rotated and changed. The performance won't necessarily suffer if settings are changed. Put the budget one in a club like that and good luck, pal. That is why when you buy an OEM driver, they have a BUNCH of high end shafts available - some for an upcharge and some not.... The upcharge are (normally) more consistent in their manufacture. The tolerances are tighter and it will perform better in just about any orientation. Making these shafts costs $$$$$ so that's why there are $1000 shafts out there. Believe me, you'll feel the difference. The question is - do you need it? Unless your name is on the leader board every weekend, probably not. And no, having a $1000 shaft isn't going to put you there either. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b>So what am I supposed to do!!</b> </h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Supposed to do? See a pro about your game. Get better. What SHOULD you do? Take better care of your equipment. When you buy that club, it's got a great shaft in it. Don't abuse it, don't break it - because to get one that's as good, it's going to cost you. There are great shafts from yester-year out there. Old designs that were good in the day and can be had for a fraction of what a new one costs. Remember this though --- there are no caps on shaft performance. While heads are limited and new ones come out every year with a new gimmick, there's no way they can "out perform" a head that has been maxxed to USGA specs. There are NO SUCH SPECS for shafts. They need only be straight (except putter flanges) and of a certain length. Energy transfer, torque, flex, materials, diameter and the like are not regulated by the USGA. Look at the DG spinner wedge shaft... Weird right? It may very well bring your wedge game where it's never been before - all because of the design. Manufacturers make shafts to do good things. This tech is growing and becoming better understood each year. Fujikura has taken millions of data points to create it's XLR8 line with specific properties to maximize loading and energy transfer. Same with Project X and their LZ series and HZRDUS line. Matrix improves on their designs (and graphics) each year and a number of boutique manufacturers are coming up like Veylox and OBAN. Be aware as well when getting a high end "free" upgrade from an OEM. Make sure it's the version you think you're paying for. I know for certain that some big names are "giving" the HZRDUS black as a no upgrade. It is different than the "Handcrafted" version you see on tour and available for aftermarket purchase. Due diligence.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you have the chance - get fit for a shaft. You'll be glad you did. Hit everything they have to offer if you need to go to a box store, and for goodness sake - if you break a shaft don't just put any old crap in there. Make sure to go to a competent repair and fitting shop and talk through it with them. Don't skimp out on the price either. You get what you pay for. If you use an adjustable driver, you need to put that money back into the club if it breaks - look for someone selling their shaft, or get a proper quality one put in. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-15475896036037115512016-05-23T07:09:00.003-07:002016-05-23T07:09:58.649-07:00Magazine advice, social media and bad tips...I spend a lot of time on social media. I enjoy helping people, it's what I do. When i'm asked about a shaft or a swing or a thought, generally speaking i don't offer advice. I offer information. Information as to what should be happening to get the best out of the equipment or make the ball do what you want, NOT what they're doing or not doing in their swing. I offer ball flight laws and the effect shafts have on different swings. Why? Because 99.99999% of the time there is little to no information about what is going on with that golfer and I have little to no time to have an at length conversation with the subject to gain the information needed. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Watch this video:<div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwCXyULU-aGZf_2iheCF4kcVBb1ru7paeniztmQaTFOhYDb7ZpHehmFo8eLGJ2KMdVPWqJzji3b7dT5NUrknw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
What's wrong with this swing? It's very flat, the club is in a decent position, but not perfect at address, head dips a little low on the swing, and the hips clear pretty fast. Far from picture perfect. Probably most of what i wrote above would be exactly what you would see written or would write yourself if this was posted and said "any help, i would be grateful". Heres the thing.. what you don't know is that this person has no L5/S1 disk in their spine. Their shoulder locks on a spur if it goes higher or any different position farther forward than what you see here, and the grass is wet, and they aren't wearing spikes. They also average 10/14 fairways per round and hit the ball over 250 yards consistently. All those things considered - i think it's a pretty darn good swing. Mostly because it's mine - at an impromptu demo day for Ping where i wanted to try the new offerings they had. Still, that didn't stop the advice on ball position and where to get my hands and how to angle the club and how i was wrong wrong wrong wrong. Some of them were even Local Pros in different states! Here's my advice to you - the only real advice i give.... Be very very very VERY wary of what you read and post online. Especially coming from "Pros" or "Teachers". They're very often the real deal, but no coach worth the dirt in your divot will give you any advice based on your description or a single video. They would want at least 2 different angles, head on and Down the line of the same swing, and to have a lengthy conversation about what you do and don't do. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Still, every day I read comments from Pros and hacks alike - stuff they read in a golfing magazine once. Something that works for Adam Scott - former #1 player in the world - is a crapshoot for a middle aged bogey shooter who has trouble walking 18 holes. It's just the way it is. Looking for advice online from forums and social media is only going to hurt your game and maybe even your body - trying to do something that it's physically unable to do. While you may be able to glean some moves off it, remember to sort out the information from the advice. There will be different and opposing opinions and as we know on the internet - everyone has to be right. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In my area, you can get a great swing evaluation from a real teaching professional for less than the cost of a round of golf. That is absolutely invaluable. When you decide to change equipment or swing characteristics without factual information about what you're already doing, you're throwing money away or chancing that you're going to make your game even worse - and with no way of going back. Practice makes PERMANENT, only perfect practice makes perfect. If you practice something that is incorrect, it's going to stick with you and will be harder to get rid of. Good advice CAN be found in a magazine, but figuring out if it applies to you is not your job. Go to your local PGA or LPGA pro and start a conversation. One lesson can go a long long way. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Take things with a grain of salt - especially things written on social media. It's a forum where any keyboard warrior feels invincible and will waste no time in ruining others just because they can. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-35091208244147914852016-04-17T09:02:00.000-07:002016-04-17T09:02:47.390-07:00My time with the M2 6iron - Part 2As you may or may not have read in <a href="http://cigarsngolf.blogspot.com/2016/04/my-time-with-m2-6iron-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, I had the lovely fortune of getting a Taylormade M2 6 iron in the mail. I detailed it's specs <a href="http://cigarsngolf.blogspot.com/2016/04/my-time-with-m2-6iron-part-1.html" target="_blank">there</a>, which I will not go into again here, and came to the conclusion that something was up. Well... the problem is that NOTHING is up, except marketing budgets.<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Before we begin, let me state some facts: </b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>The M2 is stock exactly as it came from Taylormade. I opened the box, examined it, and took it out to hit. </b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Lofts of the irons are nearly identical. +/- about 1 degree. Length varied with the M2 being 38" long, and the KE4 being 37" long physically. </b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>As previously stated in part 1, even though marked differently, the shafts in each club test the same flex, so regardless that the TM is labelled stiff and mine is a "regular" they are actually both the same flex. See some of my other writings for why this happens and other things "They" don't want you to know.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>I'm hitting the same types of balls with both clubs. I went through painstaking measures to sort through range balls and find the best balls, making sure they're all of the same type and removing all the non-range and/or any balls that don't seem right (a big "screw you" to all the people who bring their own garbage balls to hit at the range. Shame on you. Keep your top rocks to yourself nobody wants to hit your budget balls - even in practice. Do you understand the looks I got while sorting through all these range balls? DO YOU?!). Ok......</b></i><br />
<br />
The weather has finally broken (again) here in Pennsylvania and I was absolutely itching to get out and play golf. Since there's no cream for that sort of itch, the only solution is to get out and chase a little white ball around in the sunshine. As luck would have it, there was a scheduled demo day at Crossgates Golf Course in Millersville that I was due at with my <a href="http://birdiexris.wix.com/theclubnut#!index/mainPage" target="_blank">Clubcrowns and Shaft wraps</a>, and that means I would have some time (and free balls) to hit all the 6 irons my heart desired!! Well, it's time for the cold, hard truth. Let me preface this and say that I was duly warm for this test. Having hit a bucket with each 6 iron before taking measurements. I wanted to be loose, and I wanted to make sure I had the feel of each club fresh before measuring shots. For each, I took the best 8 shots - removing the worst and the best from the original 10 "pressure" shots.<br />
<br />
<b>I'll get right to it, then tell you why: </b><br />
The M2 is not all it's cracked up to be. Not for me anyway. Funny I should have those choice in words because that's honestly what I felt like I was going to do to this 6 iron. Every shot felt like the club could shatter... and the sound. Oh god, the sound. I mean, I can't even describe it to do it justice. If you took about 5 of those cheap tupperware lids you find on Chinese take out now, stacked them up and hit a ball with them? I think that would come close. It's a plastic "slap!" that does not instill confidence in me at all. I mean, I even absolutely MURDERED one - smash factor was almost up near my driver as far as energy transfer (which is a very good sign for this head mind you) and the thing still sounded and felt like the head was just going to fall apart. The grip being off-center didn't bug me as much as I thought it would but I could definitely feel it. Thing is, it SHOULD have helped me turn the ball over in a right to left draw, but it most certainly did not. The stiff shaft (which was actually regular) felt ok as far as flex and shock goes, but as we'll see in the flightscope data later, it was actually all over the place.<br />
<br />
I will concede that the longest shot of the M2 was longer than the longest shot of my own Maltby KE4. As stated previously in <a href="http://cigarsngolf.blogspot.com/2016/04/my-time-with-m2-6iron-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, this was fully expected considering that the shaft is a full inch longer than my current 6 iron. That being said, the SHORTEST of the M2 was Shorter than my KE4. If one is to believe the marketing, this should not be happening. So as things average out, the M2 still comes in longer than my current 6 by approximately 2 feet overall. Not exactly the gains promised by the manufacturer. Something else I noticed, interestingly enough is that the M2 on average did NOT fly higher than my own 6 iron. Again, contrary to the marketing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UfE0IzR3aLU/VxOYWRPfBhI/AAAAAAAARZE/h7XEab6zlX4iu7X0uuR-e0pOwlsPOvzIgCK4B/s1600/File_000%2B%25282%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UfE0IzR3aLU/VxOYWRPfBhI/AAAAAAAARZE/h7XEab6zlX4iu7X0uuR-e0pOwlsPOvzIgCK4B/s320/File_000%2B%25282%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a> Looking at the overall data, we can see a few things. First, the numbers for the M2 are slightly better in some areas. Total distance, is better by almost a yard, but strangely the carry distance is better on my original 6 iron by 1.1 yards. You can make your own inferences at what you want, but I'll mark this down as an original iron win. I want carry distance and stopping power in my irons. I could care less to hit my 6 iron 200 yards if 20 yards of that is roll. I want it to go high and come down soft. Isn't that what the M2 is supposed to do anyway? The spin on the M2 did average higher- but you can see the minor outlier of 9080 RPM, and 8635 RPM of spin. That's high but since my metal on a stick got to nearly 7000 I didn't think it unfeasible that this new technology could achieve that. Hell, smash factor near my driver! Either way, since the Flightscope is on outdoor settings and tracks the ball to finish rather than calculating into a net, I kept them in for the overall data. All things considered, smash factor, spin, and ball speed were higher with the M2 - why didn't it fly farther though? I'm as stumped as you, but being there and seeing the ball flight and where the shots ended up, I can confirm the data.<br />
<br />
Let's talk about clusters and accuracy. The M2 boasts more forgiveness than standard clubs. There's a speed pocket at the bottom and all manner of carbon plastic do-dads in the back and up the face that are supposed to help create more speed and forgiveness across the entire face. Remember before when I said that the longest was longer than my 6iron, but the shortest was shorter? Well, here's how it looks on the chart:<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XKYfQclUe2A/VxObx-N5K6I/AAAAAAAARZQ/mUxIBAD9Ejoy04jm0K3xCnGMQxe6CsrfwCK4B/s1600/File_003.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XKYfQclUe2A/VxObx-N5K6I/AAAAAAAARZQ/mUxIBAD9Ejoy04jm0K3xCnGMQxe6CsrfwCK4B/s640/File_003.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Looking at this chart, it maps out the shots as they landed and calculates standard deviations. The forward and back for the M2 are not to my liking, especially for all the promises made on keeping ball speed up with the pocket on low hits. This basically means that I could hit a dead solid shot and and have it settle on the green, then drop another ball and have it come up with a difference of 15 yards. That's a club and a half!!! You'll have to take my word for it when I say this, but in all honesty these shots were not all that far apart on the face. It's not like one was 1/2 inch out on the toe and one was 1/2 inch on the heel. My ball striking is pretty good. Talk about being in between clubs. The right to left deviation is another concern. It seemed like the iron didn't know which way it wanted to correct. Remember when I said I was being fair between the two clubs? Well, sorry KE4, I was on the side of the M2 for a lot of this....<br />
<br />
<b>Height and direction:</b><br />
<br />
After hitting balls and warming up to get the feel for each club, I knew the M2 was not getting in the air for me. I watched as ball after ball was a line drive and just was not getting off the ground. I actually teed one up in the test below to make sure I would catch the ball perfectly on the club face and get the ball up (didn't do that with my 6 iron). Nope not at all - although it did give me a 184 yard bullet which was nice. Both screens below are the best shot, distance wise, in the group. The M2 rolled out about 2 yards farther than the KE4 and definitely did not get as high. You can see also, that the correction of the M2 kind of left me with two way miss. I'm a slight fade ball hitter. I can work the ball both ways if I want to (let me stop here and say that the M2 IS predictably workable when hit well) but my go-to is a little fade. Bad back and shoulders make that an easy shot. So why all the left on the M2? Correction in that "forgiveness" category. It is workable, as I said, when you hit it well, but if you catch a little toe or a little heel, it tends to over correct for the shot, which left a few of the balls to the left, and one WAY out to the right. It's meant to hit the ball straight on off-center hits, but for it to correct and do that you have to deliver the club mostly square anyway. If you're an 18 handicap that has an open club face, it's not going to really do you much good -- then again, no club will. Sorry it's just the way it is. Lessons, folks.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BowpmfjQujs/VxOd-X1gl2I/AAAAAAAARZk/zMpV6EqZDrQspLWnSJhBA1yhnfLpjJnewCK4B/s1600/File_004.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BowpmfjQujs/VxOd-X1gl2I/AAAAAAAARZk/zMpV6EqZDrQspLWnSJhBA1yhnfLpjJnewCK4B/s320/File_004.png" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jhD6CIiyb5A/VxOfh5hZXII/AAAAAAAARaA/wREw_0PLoqAvOWlGNmOZy80uabTkkrEPgCK4B/s1600/File_000.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jhD6CIiyb5A/VxOfh5hZXII/AAAAAAAARaA/wREw_0PLoqAvOWlGNmOZy80uabTkkrEPgCK4B/s320/File_000.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Talking materials:</b><br />
I think one of the last things we need to talk about here is quality of components. There are good metals and bad metals. Good graphite and bad graphite. Good build quality and bad build quality. If you take the time to know your product and put in the time to assemble it correctly it will treat you well. Here's where the M2 gets some love. It COULD BE a good club. It really could. OMG could it be good. There's things that need to be addressed, however. First: Lose the FST ultralight shaft. If you want light, use an MCI 80 graphite composite shaft. This stock shaft is not doing it for me, or most likely for anybody. The two charts below show flex action for the two clubs. The orange line is the flex acceleration for the longest shot on each. The gray line are all the other shots. You'll notice that both of the longest and best shots came with a downward sloping profile. It's just what fits me the best as a golfer. The head actually isn't accelerating through the ball (even with my relatively low swing speed, I'm still a high-spin player) and it's allowing me to hit flush and keep the flight where it's optimal with my swing. Now, notice how the shaft on the left (incidentally, a Fujikura 95i Sflex graphite shaft, soft stepped) is relatively consistent in it's flexing along the swing. With both clubs I have a few crap shoots in there, but for the most part it is a very consistent grouping. Now look at the FST in the M2. Not for me at all. Some times it kicks hard at the bottom, sometimes not. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the hosel design, with the crazy air foils, or if it's just due to the shaft combo and length. I do know that it's not something I'm down with for anyone. Even with the most inconsistent swings, I want the shaft to perform predictably if not optimally. That grouping at the top should be tighter as well as all the way through the middle of the swing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zm13-g5GvYs/VxOihOVrodI/AAAAAAAARaU/zPtI7XuXAikNXCzDUZsR9lwKAkxIuzhbgCK4B/s1600/File_002.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zm13-g5GvYs/VxOihOVrodI/AAAAAAAARaU/zPtI7XuXAikNXCzDUZsR9lwKAkxIuzhbgCK4B/s320/File_002.png" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SKyMya8AH98/VxOihAbQDQI/AAAAAAAARaY/NAOxUnT_HroDFjlE1f0bKqmgQcnvWgQKACK4B/s1600/File_001.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SKyMya8AH98/VxOihAbQDQI/AAAAAAAARaY/NAOxUnT_HroDFjlE1f0bKqmgQcnvWgQKACK4B/s320/File_001.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
FST makes some great shafts - The KBS Ctaper is phenominal, as well as the Tour90. Even the FST 115 and similar models can be great on a budget.... IF they're installed properly. This, in my opinion, could benefit from a FLO run. Very much like assembly lines though, this was more than likely pulled out of a pile and assembled, checking for length and weight, not much else.<br />
<br />
So what have we learned from all this.... If you haven't fallen asleep or had your head explode looking at the photos and reading my terrible font, then you've probably come to the same conclusion I have. The M2 is not a good stock club. It's just not. Off the rack, it won't really help you gain yards or accuracy unless you fit it perfectly as is. The M2 head is subjective when it comes to sound and feel. If you're at all into the "THWACK" of a good hit, then the M2's is not for you. At best, a pure shot will leave you with an unsatisfying "click" sound and sort of a plastic resonance feel up the shaft. It can accurately be described as a toy sound and feel, not premium golf club feedback. It looks fancy, but doesn't deliver on the promises - even when the deck is stacked in it's favor with a longer shaft and slightly jacked lofts. Still, it's a smart looking club. It really has a different back cavity look and even though the top line is thick, I don't really mind it in comparison to the thinner players clubs. it really instills confidence at address if not in performance.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wyQjfaBYuY4/VxOqvZGN7QI/AAAAAAAARao/x-lPQ4_upUodTXyIPW4BLXd4iQzdrpKkQCK4B/s1600/Screenshot%2B%25289%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wyQjfaBYuY4/VxOqvZGN7QI/AAAAAAAARao/x-lPQ4_upUodTXyIPW4BLXd4iQzdrpKkQCK4B/s400/Screenshot%2B%25289%2529.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.... and I thought Xfinity's appointment windows were bad...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After all this, I would urge you to give one a hit and see if you can tolerate it. See what other shaft options they have as upgrades. With all of this technology that doesn't really seem to do much, I have to wonder if the upgrade would be worth it, though. You're paying more to get what the stock option should have delivered. With a pricetag of $800 average per set, it's not something that I would ever recommend to run out and buy sight unseen. A qualified builder could make you a set of component irons that out duel this badboy for less - plus they'll be everything you want and more as far as options. Example, Put a ProjectX 5.5 with new decade grips on these bad boys and you're looking at almost $1000.00. Oh, and apparently it'll ship between 2 days from now and next September? Go out, look around and pay attention. Always ask "why" when you're getting fit and when someone wants to sell you something. Why do you need this? Why is it better? Why will it do what you say it will? Most importantly of all - is the investment worth the payoff? Is 5 yards worth $499? Is a marginal improvement worth $1000? For me, no. This is just my experience though. You may crank these guys and if you do, I say drop that money and get them. It's about what works for you, and if you've read anything else I've written, you know that's the only thing you should worry about. Not name, not what flex you hit, and certainly not what some guy on the internet has to say. Get out there and get swinging!<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again on the next post!The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-62587681392975737382016-04-07T18:04:00.001-07:002016-04-07T18:05:08.460-07:00My time with the M2 6iron - Part 1I was recently chosen - along with about 5000 others - to try out the new Taylormade M2 iron. They shipped me a 6 iron, via fedex and it arrived today. The claim is that this 6 iron will go higher, and farther than my current 6 iron. I immediately put to task getting all the vitals on the new M2 iron and came up with some really disturbing things:<br />
<br />
1. The specs on the site say that the 6 iron is 37.625" long, D2 swingweight, and 25 degrees of loft. The 6 iron I received is 38.25" long, D3 swingweight and 26 degrees of loft. This is really disheartening for a company that is as large as TMAG. I refuse to believe that this iron is not INTENTIONALLY built like that. I'm not sure that is such a good thing over being a crappy build. Being 1 degree off, or one swingweight off isn't a big deal. Well - maybe the swingweight, but I digress, 3/4 of an inch longer than it should be is a little much to be a mistake. Count that it's also a full inch longer than what a 6 iron should be - or 1/2 an inch+ if it's to spec'd length - sounds like someone isn't playing fair.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qj3E7eCRq5w/Vwb_G3CwyPI/AAAAAAAARXo/feNHOl6CtbUArCvC9hnLxFGWrIdqCUnFA/s1600/20160407_185312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qj3E7eCRq5w/Vwb_G3CwyPI/AAAAAAAARXo/feNHOl6CtbUArCvC9hnLxFGWrIdqCUnFA/s320/20160407_185312.jpg" width="180" /></a>2. I requested a regular flex. I'm not the man I used to be - or rather my back isn't the back it used to be - so I need something that doesn't have a lot on it. I put it on the deflection board and it comes out at a regular. The problem with this is that it's STIFF marked on the shaft - so it stands to reason that these club flexes are a full flex off of what the shaft is specified at. It also doesn't appear to be a high launch shaft. Mid to high at best, in my opinion, judging by the flex profile under load.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6zYD7fa-Ew/Vwb_GWmqsFI/AAAAAAAARXY/wN5m1jNOJc06OUhYf4oEA2ZFgPbbEh3gg/s1600/20160407_185430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
<br />
<br />
3. The grip has a rib in it... which is fine. However, it's set so the face is at a closed position. This is presumably to be a reminder to press the hands forward, as it lines up nicely square for me when this is done. Still, when you look down the shaft - the grip is actually on crooked. The butt graphics line up with face square, and the bottom hand end of the grip is twisted strong, causing the hood. As a fitter and builder, putting the rib in a different position to promote face angle is fine, but for God's sake put the damn thing on straight. IT's ok to twist it, but this is standard from the factory, come on! They're either trying to stack the deck with this length, or dare I say inept at putting a golf club together. It's nice to get something free, but how about something that's right?<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6zYD7fa-Ew/Vwb_GWmqsFI/AAAAAAAARXY/wN5m1jNOJc06OUhYf4oEA2ZFgPbbEh3gg/s1600/20160407_185430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6zYD7fa-Ew/Vwb_GWmqsFI/AAAAAAAARXY/wN5m1jNOJc06OUhYf4oEA2ZFgPbbEh3gg/s320/20160407_185430.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Already Three strikes against this new iron from Taylormade. Overall it's kind of a sharp looking iron. I like the nickel black, I don't mind the thick topline as I play one myself, and it feels kind of nice at D3. I chipped a few balls around the basement and I don't like the clickey sound I get from it. It also feels sort of hollow, like if I swung really hard I could cave the face in or break it. The range time will tell there. I will put it up against my current 6 iron and see if it truly lives up to what TMAG says. Higher and Longer than my current 6. We'll see. The Flightscope will tell the tale - even though it's a fixed fight. 4 iron length, 5 iron loft - should go further. My 6 iron is strong as well at 28 degrees, but it's the standard length for a 6 iron - a full inch under what this tester club is. All I can say is that this club better beat me by a LOT if it beats me at all.<br />
<br />
Part 2 will be at the range with the flightscope.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Aq_2YsbE3U/Vwb_Fzb9vNI/AAAAAAAARXQ/YphDPFMG-Msq8UfZgXbRD5w4BCMKYaltQ/s1600/20160407_185446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Aq_2YsbE3U/Vwb_Fzb9vNI/AAAAAAAARXQ/YphDPFMG-Msq8UfZgXbRD5w4BCMKYaltQ/s640/20160407_185446.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_pNBU9mIozk/Vwb_GzdObbI/AAAAAAAARXk/4bqvl9ZdDM4Qh_Rj5B0jQrrfIH4P1vZbA/s1600/20160407_185105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_pNBU9mIozk/Vwb_GzdObbI/AAAAAAAARXk/4bqvl9ZdDM4Qh_Rj5B0jQrrfIH4P1vZbA/s640/20160407_185105.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-70420340300128546112016-04-04T14:00:00.001-07:002016-04-04T14:00:19.968-07:00How often do we fall for marketing over performance? Do you really want to know? DEMO DAY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_vy7vF2MUno/VMZ6Ussd5GI/AAAAAAAAFww/1akLP6B0EuU-aBq9IR395xzS1F-ei-r_g/s1600/used%2Bcar%2Bsalesman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_vy7vF2MUno/VMZ6Ussd5GI/AAAAAAAAFww/1akLP6B0EuU-aBq9IR395xzS1F-ei-r_g/s320/used%2Bcar%2Bsalesman.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Let's talk marketing. Every cent paid to pros to play equipment, every ad, every paint job, every cardboard standup, and every little Google ad to the right or left of the page you're surfing on. Marketing is what sells clubs. Why is that? Are we as golfers so inept at knowing what we want, or recognizing performance that we need other people to tell us how to spend our money? Certainly not. Are we tiny striped varmints that must have the shiniest new toy and keep up with the (Bobby) Joneses? Unfortunately that might be it.<br />
<br />
When talking about technology - things don't leap forward at the pace manufacturers would have you believe - with one exception but I'll get to that later. Thing is, MOI, Trampoline effect, CC head size, Groove depth -- it's all CAPPED. The USGA says "hey, that's enough. NO more". There's an entire section in the rule book about what a club can and can't look like, all the way down to the amount of bend you can have in your plumber's neck putter. Not kidding at all. It's all carefully worded, carefully measured, and ham-fistedly capped by the USGA. So why are there new clubs coming out every 6 months saying they're increasing this or that? Because it's 2016 and +1 micron is an increase. No joke, that's about what's happening too. Think of it this way:<br /><br />
Club A 2015 says it's average dispersion is 10 yards (just keeping round numbers here, kids) offline due to XYZ technology. Club A 2016 promises a 10% improvement in dispersion over the previous model! Sounds big, but that 10% improvement is 1 yard in this case. Actually it's half-a-yard on each side of the dispersion chart (right and left). So, is 1/2 a yard closer to the center line really worth $500? If you say yes, you have too much money and not enough grey matter.... The thing is, manufacturers have found the "buzz words" that golfers think they want to hear. They brought the tech side out and if they say it enough times, we'll just have to buy. Talk about turning a 50 cent word into a million bucks!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E4Xexw0SYwU/U2OSATntCpI/AAAAAAAACtg/YJBZY8WCYXUQo_KxlNwrdgSCkYibOXaJA/s1600/20140501_181730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E4Xexw0SYwU/U2OSATntCpI/AAAAAAAACtg/YJBZY8WCYXUQo_KxlNwrdgSCkYibOXaJA/s320/20140501_181730.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, not the G crossover - Hybrid irons<br />just like it have been on the market and<br />performing to high standards for YEARS.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To continue.... These new clubs ARE released with some genuine technology in them - things like adjustable weights and adjustable hosel sleeves are really nice to help dial in the specific launch conditions that a player might need (not to mention they save the manufacturers MILLIONS by not having to manufacture different lofts). Some of it is even old tech recycled for a new generation. I remember in my youth (not too long ago actually) there were carbon fiber crowns and sliding weights. They went away and came back just the same and now it's the "hot shit" with people buying it up like mad. It's all reference and marketing. "BUT CHRIS!" you say "I gained 10 yards over my last club!". I'm sure you did, and there's a few good reasons for that - one of which I said I would get back to above. <br />
<br />
1st, not to beat a dead horse but clubs are getting physically longer. We've covered this before. 5 irons the length of 4 irons. Drivers to 45.5 inches or more. That will get you distance if you hit it well, but the real reason is something nobody really thinks about outside of one letter::<br />
<br />
THE SHAFT! I'm not talking about just the length though. Every single one of those new drivers out there has a brand spanking new, redesigned shaft. There are options where you can get an older variety -- oddly enough considered an "upgrade" but for the most part each one has a new or different shaft. Why is that? Because shaft technology is the only thing in golf equipment that's not limited. WHAT? -- -Yes. --- NO!--- yes. The length limit and shape of shaft is defined in the rule book, but there's really no way to limit kick, material, and energetic response of something like a shaft. Steel or graphite, if they're straight and under 48" playing length, they're legal. This is good news for us.<br />
<br />
Over the past couple of years, shaft tech has absolutely EXPLODED. You can customize not only your flex, but your torque, kick point, materials, and balance point. Fujikura has an entire line of shafts that are all completely different flex profiles and amount of torque. There are shafts with multi-material blends where metal and graphite co-exist to make a crazy powerful combo. Some have more resin or higher thread counts in certain areas to stiffen them up. All of this combined allows more energy to get to the ball and provide you with more distance and accuracy. Piles of data is analyzed from what goes on at takeaway through just before impact and even afterward to create shafts that more or less hit it for you! They know how you swing and are engineered to do one thing - deliver whatever you put on the end of them as hard and fast as it can into the back of that unsuspecting white orb on the tee in front of you. Last week, I literally put a brand new 2016 shaft in a driver head that is 5 years old and it out performed every new driver that the client tested it against. Even if it came in a close second, that's still an immense improvement for not a lot of buck.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UK5v_FBaiso/VwLTfD61SDI/AAAAAAAARVQ/1aOgKgMNAWcsJaZDndz3cxqqLIUGhoMQg/s1600/11y8bx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UK5v_FBaiso/VwLTfD61SDI/AAAAAAAARVQ/1aOgKgMNAWcsJaZDndz3cxqqLIUGhoMQg/s320/11y8bx.jpg" width="320" /></a>Now, a great shaft will not help a mis-engineered head. That's not what is going on here. What's true is that there are caps made by the USGA on the heads of golf clubs. Believe me when I say that they are all within a few points of that legal limit. Unnoticeable by human perception kind of points. Even the little no-name component companies. Look into a good engine for your club - it's going to be cheaper, and a better fit than picking up something new off the rack and trying to make it be your old faithful. Going back to another post from months past - you have to like what you're looking down at. If you like it, give it a tune-up. Ol' Betsy still has some yards to be had, trust me......<br />
<br />
<br />
If you wanna see what it can do - We're having a demo meet and greet at Leisure Lanes Driving range in Lancaster, PA this wednesday April 6th, 6-8:30pm (ish). Come see what a shaft tweak can do for your driver, get your numbers on our flightscope, or just hit one of our component heads against your current neutron stick. It'll be fun!The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-85839179340848379582016-04-04T13:21:00.000-07:002016-04-04T14:01:01.037-07:00What to do if you don't know what to do.... the Rules of Golf<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M3TfSLBvkQs/VwLLxR5CruI/AAAAAAAARUk/mtEfCcvt6MkgpRjxn1FlVI6NnZk3mmP0w/s1600/Charles-Crombie-Rules-of-Golf-Rule-XXIII-105300-300x216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M3TfSLBvkQs/VwLLxR5CruI/AAAAAAAARUk/mtEfCcvt6MkgpRjxn1FlVI6NnZk3mmP0w/s1600/Charles-Crombie-Rules-of-Golf-Rule-XXIII-105300-300x216.jpg" /></a>I always recommend to those who want to play better to PLAY MORE COMPETITIVE GOLF. That's scrambles, singles, tournaments, even a $5.00 nassau with their friends. Put some pressure on your game. With that pressure comes another understanding of the rules - not because you want to, but because you HAVE TO know how to play them properly. Knowledge builds character, pressure builds game.<br />
<br />
Eventually you'll run into a situation where you don't know what to do. We're not talking OB stakes or my ball is in casual water - we're talking something so weird that you just don't have it in memory and you don't have time to look it up. What to do in this case? Well in this case, the Rules of Golf have you covered. Invoke rule 3-3 and play two balls. Record both scores and sort it out with the committee at the end of the round. This is a very good rule to know and can be the difference between a disqualification and a 2 stroke penalty.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fPeh21Nfz3s/VwLMMYFSM_I/AAAAAAAARUs/Y_oPlWQvjQsRQniaNPtvIx-3LO2K5P9GQ/s1600/judges-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fPeh21Nfz3s/VwLMMYFSM_I/AAAAAAAARUs/Y_oPlWQvjQsRQniaNPtvIx-3LO2K5P9GQ/s200/judges-02.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right or wrong - The Committee is<br />
Judge and jury. May God have mercy<br />
on your scorecard.....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One thing that you must remember on this, the committee's final ruling is the final ruling. Wether they're right or wrong, there's nothing you can do because what they say goes so remember to be factual and record all information regarding the rule discrepancy all the way down to what people say! It's true - even in the case of someone hitting a provisional ball. It's not a provisional unless they say the word "provisional". Look it up. "I'm reloading" or "I'm going to hit another" does not constitute a provisional ball and will leave you hitting 4 from wherever it ends up (hopefully the fairway!). <br />
<br />
From things you SHOULD say to things you SHOULDN'T say. Don't ever give advice on a swing, and when someone tells you they want to finish, don't say "take your time". Both constitute a breach of rules and CAN be used against you in the Court of Golf (if your opponent chooses to call you on it). We all expect the gentleman's response of "thanks" most times, but if you get a particularly competitive opponent you could end up two down really fast.<br />
<br />
The rules of golf are there to protect the course and (believe it or not) to protect YOU from inequitable results. The color of a set of stakes could be the difference between putting you in a great position to play and being stuck behind a tree or going back to the tee. Seems worth it to me! From where and how you can drop to what to do when someone takes your ball everything is in that tiny little rule book. They're not as convoluted as everyone would have you think either. Start at the beginning and read a few pages per day. You'll go through it in no time and have a better understanding of what to do and when to do it - even save you a few strokes!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/clubhouse/default/members-join.html" target="_blank">FYI you get a "free" copy for becoming a member of the USGA - in addition to getting a neat hat</a>! <a href="http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/clubhouse/default/members-join.html" target="_blank"> www.usga.org </a>The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-68237216093020658862016-02-09T09:36:00.001-08:002016-02-09T09:36:27.950-08:00How us small shops do a "fitting cart".<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/um8H2MOHgug" width="459"></iframe>The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-87769446227810263572016-01-13T09:57:00.000-08:002016-01-13T10:00:48.898-08:00Are you REALLY paying that much for a name?! Come On!!I hate to be the guy to beat a dead horse, but if you're playing the wrong equipment you're not going to improve as fast as you could. If you're playing the wrong equipment for a lame reason, then it's even worse! By far, the #1 reason people give at my demo days for not trying or buying custom fit non-branded names is the resale value. Correct, RESALE VALUE of the clubs that they're going to buy because it improves their game. Why are people so concerned with the resale value of something that they will pay PREMIUM PRICE when new just to resell it and get something "better" another year down the road.<br />
<br />
Sure, the resale value of an off-brand component set of irons is not going to be near the resale of a big name, but they're not going to be the same price at the start either. Let's launch a hypothetical....<br />
<br />
Say you're fit to a no-name driver with a premium brand shaft. You are smashing the ball longer than you ever have, and straighter. It's a great club. Retails for $300 just for a nice round number.<br />
<br />
You go out and are fit for a Tayloring XM 917 (see what i did there) and are hitting it the same as the No name club. Retail is $450-ish.<br />
<br />
That's $150 difference. $150 that can go into lessons or maybe even 3 rounds of golf!<br />
<br />
The brand names will come down in price, but ask yourself why that happens? To make way for new things. New gimmicks. New paychecks to the tour pros who play them. All of that affects resale anyway. You can get $200 for a club when it's still new, but basically half the price of new retail and that's what you're looking at. The older it gets, the worse that ratio gets too.<br />
<br />
Money makes the world go 'round. Ever since people started trading trinkets for items, someone has tried to think up new ways to make people part with their scratch. The saturated golf market has made us all - even me at one point - think about what we're playing and tell ourselves that we NEED the new stuff. Real talk - Technology is maxed out. These gains they're making in COR and MOI are minute at best and, very much like paying $499 to gain 5 yards over your existing equipment, not worth the effort. Things like "multi material" technology were tried before but never caught on because we weren't into gimmicks back then. Things like the hybrid iron have been around for a long time, but now they're rebranding as a "crossover" and people are biting at a premium price.<br />
<br />
Club manufacturers build a lot of clubs. Thousands. They send them all over the world and put all sorts of stickers and designs on them for rack appeal. Anyone who has tried to re-ell a club out there and done it, consider yourself lucky. A quick search on some popular sale and auction sites will show pages and pages and pages of the same club. Manufacturers know this, and they're the only ones making the money hand over fist. They advertise and pay players top dollar to play their gear all so hopefully you'll believe what they tell you. Ontop of that, you get to advertise for them for FREE with all your branded gear.<br />
<br />
Bottom line, if it helps you hit the ball farther and straighter then by all means buy it, brand name or no. Just be sure you're testing everything before you do it and not JUST paying for a name. It's all smoke and mirrors and a good club builder will tell you that first hand. Go see your local guy and try some things out. I know you'll be glad you did.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-87731903075475264592016-01-13T08:53:00.004-08:002016-01-13T08:53:53.061-08:00No more lonely golfers?Let's chat a little about the new ruling by golf's governing body. No longer will scores played alone be able to count towards a players handicap. Why? The reasoning is to curb "sandbagging" or posting higher scores in a bid to get more strokes during handicapped tournaments when a player is actually better than their 'cap.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, this is one of those times where a new rule is not needed but rather where the old rules need better implementation. How does the USGA intend for this to be policed? What is in place to keep Player A from going out with a buddy or just with a random person and still posting a score that is not accurate? In a word - NOTHING. Very much like other hot topics of politics and rules, there is nothing to stop an evil person from being evil. They don't follow the rules anyway, like this is going to stop it? Short of verifying every single score, the ruling only serves to anger and penalize those who would follow the rules. I play a lot solo. I count every single stroke on rounds that post to my handicap, even when I'm the only one on the course. I take pride in what I shoot and constantly strive to be better. I'm as upset as anyone else when an 18 handicapper at my club posts a 73 in tournament play. "Best day I've ever had" they say. Sure it is. Still, it just sits in my gut the wrong way about this new ruling. Now when I - and honest to a fault golfer - get the chance to spontaneously play because my wife has last minute plans with her girls, I need to make sure I'm paired up with someone in order for my round to count. I've had some bumper days alone too. Days where everything clicks and I'm just in the zone. No more.<br />
<br />
I suppose I should be glad though - those rounds won't count and my handicap might balloon. That being said, it would no longer be an accurate representation of my abilities as a golfer. It will be my abilities on days when I was able to find someone to golf with. If last year is any indication, I'll be south about 15 rounds of golf for my handicap. Some high, some low. Not a great cross section when you only get to play maybe 35 rounds in a year. *sigh*. Come on, USGA. We're supposed to be growing the game, not making it annoying.<br />
<br />
<br />
Read the whole story here:<br />
<a href="http://www.golf.com/golf-plus/usgas-ruling-solo-round-real-handicap">http://www.golf.com/golf-plus/usgas-ruling-solo-round-real-handicap</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NR4uSRvV8uU/VpaBBvoW6aI/AAAAAAAAQ10/rlDKi1YNfgg/s1600/iberostate-b-varo-golf-course-package-in-punta-cana-233706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NR4uSRvV8uU/VpaBBvoW6aI/AAAAAAAAQ10/rlDKi1YNfgg/s640/iberostate-b-varo-golf-course-package-in-punta-cana-233706.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nobody for miles and miles...... ahhhhhhhhhh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-87465433017660183272015-12-21T13:30:00.002-08:002015-12-21T13:30:13.749-08:00Use air to dial in your gripsSo we talked a little last time about the types of grips... Thing is, grips are expensive. Well, some are. Still, we can't just spend a bunch to re-grip and then spend a bunch more to get them changed if we don't like it so what do we do? Well, at The Club Nut we work with you to dial in exactly what you need. I use air to dial in the size for your grips and allow a "grip demo" if you will. Once the size is dialed in, then it's onto the double sided tape, or you can just use them as is. Observe!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zaVZ2ri16hM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zaVZ2ri16hM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-57335814857994248802015-12-20T10:36:00.001-08:002015-12-20T10:36:09.060-08:00How much time do you put into your grips?Grips are an overlooked item in golf. Most players basically let them go because they're buying new equipment every other year and just trading them in. the problem with this is that standard isn't always standard. Most clubs come with a branded version of the Tour velvet grip. It's a great grip, don't get me wrong, but there are so many other options out there. You're only a quick shopping trip from getting the best grip from you and being the most comfortable in your game.<br />
<br />
There are so many options out there for different shapes, sizes, colors, textures and even weights. Don't get sucked in by the one size fits all.. Why do companies put the same grip on? Because they're cheap and a decent all around grip. Remember: Retail sales are about what fits most people and what they can sell the most of. One size fits most is never going to get you the game you want. Take a watch below if you're new to the golf gripping game or even if you have some years under your belt. Maybe you've never thought about your grips.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ATQDGnR6L1c/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ATQDGnR6L1c?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-77037698473171589512015-11-10T07:41:00.004-08:002015-11-10T07:41:58.083-08:00The importance of proper flex - The trebuchetMost of the subject of fitting and club choice is centered around shaft flex. There have to be 10,000 articles on the internet for this if there's one, so why write another one. There is a method to my madness, and I feel that with some exceptions, shaft flex and manipulation thereof is misunderstood. More often than not, the words "you swing this fast, so we'll put you in a ____ flex". While that is important, using swing speed as the only indicator of needed flex will leave the player with potentially only half the performance they COULD have. The reason being: tempo is a large factor when determining equipment needs.<br />
<br />
When the swing is initiated, the shaft is loaded. Someone with a fast tempo will aggressively load the shaft requiring a firmer flex than someone with smooth acceleration to achieve the same kick through the ball. In addition, swing speed can increase with the proper flex or decrease with improper fit. The only way to find the right shaft is to hit the club and evaluate the feel. There are really no numbers to distinguish a standard for "reguar" and "stiff" across manufacturers. The closest comparison scale would be CPM or Cycles Per Minute. In this way, an exact number for each shaft can be recorded and each flex designation can be compared and the proper fit can be achieved. So this is all old news to you... OK no worries... but we're here to talk about why this is important.<br />
<br />
Many studies have shown that swing speed decreases slightly before impact. It's a byproduct of physiology for a normal swing. The AMOUNT that it decreases differs depending on where that shaft is around the impact area and how you release your hands. Shafts flex and re-flex during the swing. Usually, with a driver, that shaft is flexing towards the ball slightly and is releasing all it's energy into the ball through the clubface. This is done by "Braking the swing" or "throwing the club" as some teachers will describe it. You may have also heard "hitting against a strong left side (right handed)". Explanation is for right handed golfers. Just flip it for lefties - What this means is that as the swing motion happens, the left leg becomes the pivot and essentially puts the brakes on the swing, allowing the arms and wrists to create MORE speed as the energy transfer moves through the grip and shaft and into the ball. The best way to illustrate this is to use a trebuchet - a medieval device used to hurl large objects very far away. "But why not a catapault?" you ask? Because a catapult is a fixed fulcrum and just using the flex of the shaft to hurl the ball. The trebuchet has moving parts that perfectly mimic the golf swing --- well, if you turn it upside down. Watch below it's the best to illustrate what i'm talking about. While you view, imagine the wood arm of the trebuchet is your arms and wrists, the rope is the shaft of the golf club. Notice, as the energy peaks, the trebuchet arm STOPS but the rope keeps moving and releases the stored energy (and the rock) ultimately hurling the object 100s of feet. Turn it upside down and you'll realize that this STOP point is roughly the same as in a golf swing. Your arms just keep moving forward because let's face it - if you stopped a full golf swing like that, your shoulders would probably dislocate and you'd blow out a knee.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qC6RJxFEMfY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qC6RJxFEMfY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The next video is this notion in practice. Long drivers, and Dustin Johnson being the best example. Notice the lag of the club and right at the bottom, the player puts on the brakes with the left leg, throwing that club through and that poor ball can't do a thing about it. Notice the leg straightens and his foot even moves back a little bit. the hips PAUSE then keep moving through. It's an upward motion to stop the swing, very much like (if you turn this video upside down) the downward motion of the weights in the trebuchet. If you flip the top video upside down, the mechanics are the same. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VZjg0KzKMPU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VZjg0KzKMPU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
OK so what does all this have to do with shaft flex? Well, a proper swing is how you get the shaft to flex and a proper swing is how you get the shaft to transfer power. If this is something you can't do - bad knees, bad back, just slow speed in general -- you need a shaft that will load and unload easier and help to get the maximum performance out of your club. Having a shaft that is too stiff means that even if you're aggressive in loading it, you may not be able to have it UNLOAD properly since you have to maintain that speed and put the brakes on aggressively. That stiffness will cause it to unload the power early - robbing you of distance. Same with a shaft that is too flexible. At the point where the brakes go on, it may have way too much energy and will not unflex efficiently to transfer that power, resulting in loss of distance and accuracy.<br />
<br />
So what does all this mean? Well - OEMs make "whole flex" shafts as I like to call them. R, S, Firm, X, etc. They have no interest in getting particular with a shaft because it doesn't fit the market. They want to sell as many clubs to the widest array of people. An R flex will most likely work for you, but between R and S there are a multitude of flexes. Maybe removing 1/2" from the tip is a perfect stiffness for you. Maybe your optimal is JUST UNDER R flex? Just Under or over Stiff? Maybe it's just adding 1 swingweight point to your driver, making it the perfect flex and weight. Remember, lighter isn't always better and faster.<br />
<br />
See a competent fitter and hit some different shafts. Even message me for some brain-picking if you want. The difference between hitting more fairways and hitting longer drives doesn't simply rest in a new $500 driver. It may be just taking that old trusty club and adding a little tweak. Use the money you save for beer.The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222308128457178767.post-24991094971025632002015-10-02T07:42:00.001-07:002015-10-02T07:42:34.209-07:00Let's talk rules, sportsmanship, and gamesmanshipIt's not even possible to open my web browser to anything golf related and NOT see Suzanne Pettersen in some sort of interview about "the gimme heard round the world (nor not)". If you're not privy to this information yet, here's the short version:<br />
<br />
<i><b>Allison Lee was lining up a putt to win the 17th hole and put the U.S. 1up in the match. Lee missed the putt, leaving about 18 inches for the half. European Charlie Hull begins walking toward Suzanne who is standing at the far end of the green near the ropes to go to the next hole. Lee picks up her ball, thinking it was conceded. Pettersen stops and states that Europe never conceded the putt and under rule 2-6 in match play, since Lee lifted her ball not in accordance with the rules (not marked, and not conceded) it's a general penalty of loss of hole. Europe goes 1up.</b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
OK now you're caught up. Let's talk about the long version right now. This is not a debate, it is a statement of facts, and why it happened. It's also laced with my opinion on the current controversy iron maiden that Suzanne Pettersen is currently enduring for no good reason other than to save face in the court of public opinion - which apparently holds more sway than most things these days.<br />
<br />
Currently, the universe is pretty upset with Suzanne. Furious, actually. In most viewers' eyes she is akin to the devil for playing tricks on poor, young, Allison Lee while the rest of the viewers think she's a downright cheat. I'm going to say this right now, and you can think however you'd like of it. <i><b>Suzanne did nothing wrong</b></i>. It's as simple as that. Gamesmanship - what took place here - happens all the time in golf. The layman's definition of Gamesmanship is basically doing something a little shady - but not illegal - to get a competitive edge. Very much like "oh that's a big lake over there" or "dont' want to go right here" spewing from your gullet at your buddies while you try to win your weekend $5 nassau. Further, do a Google search sometime and read how Tiger Woods would game guys all the time. Walking fast ahead of someone who's having a bad hole forcing them to quicken their tempo and their game to keep up. Walking slower to get someone out of their pace of good play. That's ALL gamesmanship of one sort or another. Even calling for a measurement of who's away just to get in someone's head or make them putt first. Questionable actions - maybe, depending what side of it you're on - but all perfectly legal and within the rules. What we have here is that Allison Lee fell for a well played bit of hard gamesmanship. Right down to Charlie Hull walking over to talk to Pettersen. To look at it objectively, there may not have been any gamesmanship at all - the team may just have wanted to converse quickly before the next hole.<br />
<br />
Rule 2-4 in match play states: <i>"A player may concede a match at any time prior to the start or conclusion of that match. A player may concede a hole at any time prior to the start or conclusion of that hole. A player may concede his opponent's next stroke at any time, provided the opponent's ball is at rest. The opponent is considered to have holed out with his next stroke, and the ball may be removed by either side. A concession may not be declined or withdrawn"</i>. Pretty straight forward. The key piece of information in all of this is that no concession was made by Europe. Even the act of walking away like the putt is good, is not a substitution for making a statement like "pick it up" or "that's good" or the non-ambiguous "stroke conceded". It's not even reasonable to believe that would count since nowhere in the rules is a gesture ever acknowledged as an acceptable indication of play (obviously unless you're using sign language - but don't go there). Intent is big in golf. What Lee should have done was ask "Is this good then?". Even if she thinks she heard SOMEONE say it's good, unless she was absolutely sure it was Hull or Pettersen it is on her to ask. No one but your fellow competitor may concede a putt. Not even their caddy. Even Pettersen can be heard saying "I don't know if it was someone in the crowd, but we didn't say it".<br />
<br />
Now, that being said, was what happened moral in my eyes? Nah, not really. Was it in the spirit of the game? Mehhhhhhh......not as I would interpret it. With all that said, still there was nothing wrong with it and she doesn't deserve the flak she's getting. Was it painful to watch... most certainly. Most people say Suzanne should have showed sportsmanship by allowing the gimme after it was in question. Those people probably hate rules, keeping score, and love when participation trophies are given out for kid's teams too.<br />
<br />
Using sportsmanship to get around rules creates a lot of unknowns. It sets a dangerous precedent too.<br />
Is it sportsmanlike to let someone pull their ball off hardpan that's not marked as GUR? I mean, you should really be able to play off grass all the time, even if it's rough. How about letting your competitor rake a footprint from a previous group in a bunker and replace his ball for a good lie. Hell no you wouldn't do that and you know it. You'd take that advantage. Europe didn't agree that she "probably would have made it anyway". Unknowns don't go well in golf - terms like "known or virtually certain" being in the rule book a number of times. Still, say Pettersen says "oh yea, it's fine" in an amazing show of sportsmanship to the US and they go on to halve the match or even lose and that gesture turns out to be pivotal. What about her team mates?<br />
<br />
<i>Suzanne did you tell her she could have that put?</i><br />
<i>Well, no, but it was confusing so I just said it was OK after the fact. She thought we did.</i><br />
<i>So you didn't stand by the facts and just let them back in the match?</i><br />
<br />
Is it sportsmanship to throw one's entire team under the bus just because a competitor had a lapse in judgement? Not in this case. She stood by the facts that she knew. The fact is that it was never conceded. Even in 1999 when Payne Stewart conceded to Colin Montgomerie in the Ryder Cup match because the fans were just DESTROYING Monty and being classless overall-- that could have been a VERY different story. Very different overall in fact, as the US would have already gotten the cup by the time the events of the Infamous 17th hole would have happened. I guess 17th holes are just bad for shows of sportsmanship in general. In the case of the Solheim Cup, however, the only ones to blame are the officials on this one and here's why:<br />
<br />
The moment this happened, in equity, we should have jumped to <b><u>Decision 2-4/3 </u></b>in match play: <b><u>Player Lifts Ball in Mistaken Belief That Next Stroke Conceded.</u></b> Regardless of whether or not the stroke was conceded, the necessary doubt was there. Lee heard it from SOMEWHERE that it was good - we have to take her on her word on it as golfers. Couple that with Hull walking away. While not an indication on its own, that gesture coupled with the words spoken in a loud arena could lead to someone thinking they're in the right without that second thought. THAT is where the issue lies. Hell, even the official thought for whatever reason that it was conceded when he made the announcement. As officials, they failed the players in this instance. This is without a doubt exactly why that decision was put in the rule book. Before you sit there and mouth "nobody can know all the rules, Chris. Not even officials" - HOLD UP - it's 2015. I have the rules on my phone and I don't know about you, but I can look up any situation in pretty much 10 seconds...and do.... very often when something is in question. Why are the officials not able to do this? Basically because nobody wants to take responsibility for anything, I'd wager. My question is: Why don't they just KNOW this. You're an official in the match play championship. Brush up, son. It's akin to knowing what to do with white, yellow, or red stakes. Second nature. There's no way it should have gone further and no way it should have ended like it did.<br />
<br />
Of course... would the US have come back as well without a rallying cry? That's another debate altogether. I'd like to think so, my girls got game!The Club Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14925902861183401332noreply@blogger.com0