Lessons Learnt 2
But in spite of all these so-called technical advances OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS the average US golfer’s handicap has remained at 16.1 for the men and 29.2 for the ladies (and presumably much the same for the rest of the world).
Design gimmicks – remember the drivers with movable weights for draw or fade complete with spanners etc. A classic example of sales gimmickry !
Why ? – independent research has proved time and time again that to make any difference with regard to draw or fade, the movable weight needs to be at least 50 grams. As the average driver head weighs 200 grams, that means a quarter of the head would have to become the movable weight. An impossible engineering task !
Now we have draw bias drivers which is simply a driver with the face manufactured in a closed position – i.e. for the right handed golfer the face is angled slightly to the left of the intended flight path. Fine if you address the ball with the club in this position AND you can hit the ball in the same position ! And so it goes on………….
Another current fad is ultra lightweight carbon fibre (or graphite) shafts for drivers etc. It is my view that at present you cannot build a stiff ultra lightweight shaft, simply because a stiffer shaft needs more carbon fibre strands and more strands means more weight. It may say “S” on the shaft but it won’t be stiff in terms of shaft speed.
Also experience has shown that players with quick tempoed, aggressive swings, generally benefit from playing with a heavier shaft – e.g. a 75 or 85 gram driver shaft rather than the ultra lightweight 55 grams being “pushed” at present.
Built Down to a Price – in the pursuit of profits, the large manufacturers “build down to a price”. For example, the shaft that you see being played by the top tour players will invariable be different from the one you buy off the shelf in the discount store/pros shop.
A recent experience underlined this when a customer bought in a shaft to be fitted in his driver. It appeared to be one of the very top-of-the range shafts which he had bought on the web for a price which was one third of the price I can buy it from the warehouse. A careful examination exposed a coded product code on the butt; enquiries through trade contacts revealed that this was a shaft especially made for one of the major manufacturers which had somehow been “dumped” on the market. The shaft in question, of the same name, colour etc as the more expensive one, was of a lower technical specification.
A Few More Basic Facts
Clubhead speed = distance and some of us have more clubhead speed than others. A good clubfitter/maker can make the most of your clubhead speed but he/she won’t be able to increase it. Please do remember that your athletic ability is pre-set in your genes at birth and this includes your clubhead speed. You can achieve your pre-set maximum by good coaching and practise but you will not exceed it, otherwise we could all be taught to drive the ball 300 yards !
