If 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.

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....



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.....

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.......

Did 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?"  

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.

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....

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???

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...

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.....

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......

I'm just gonna put this right here....

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. 

You can't handle the truth!!!

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.  

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.

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? 

First 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".

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?

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?

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....

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.

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.

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.

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.


 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.


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.

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.

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*

Credit; "Back to the Future" - Universal Pictures 1985
If you haven't seen it..... what's the matter with you?

*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.

 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......

Pre-weekend - World Amateur Handicap Championship

Well 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 HERE. 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 (you can see it here), and 4 night of free food and drink at the 19th hole expo put on at the Sheraton Inn conference center.

Saturday:
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.

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.
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.

Sunday:

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.

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!

Getting 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. "Chris, it's not the arrow, it's the Indian"  ----- 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.

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.  But Chris, you said flex isn't standard over all manufacturers, that could be ok right?  Yes, thanks for paying attention!! Still, when something is very very wrong, it's good to check it out to pinpoint the issue.

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.



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.

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....



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.....



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!!

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!

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.

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.

Are you getting the "shaft" when you buy a club? - Part 1, sorta

A little on shafts ... just a little

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?

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!




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.



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:



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:



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?

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.

What makes a shaft good... and why are some so expensive... and WHICH SHOULD I CHOOSE?

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!!! 

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. 

So what am I supposed to do!! 

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.

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. 

Magazine 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. 

Watch this video:

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.  

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.  

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. 

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.