Face roll

[Chieflongtee]

How many of you know the face radius roll on your woods mainly your driver?

[Started2k3]

I don't know right now but if BCmist posts what the roll is for a SMT Deep Bore then I will know.

[jvincent]

Too late to edit the poll, but you left out no roll for us GRT guys so I voted "I know".

[jeffc]

gotta go with the don't care column. I have enough to worry about when I swing a club.

[Chieflongtee]

gotta go with the don't care column. I have enough to worry about when I swing a club.

You should care unless you hit the centre of the club face consistently. What this means is if you hit at the bottom of the face you will hit the ball a lot lower and obviously a lot higher if you hit it close to the crown. It is not something that you should worry about when swinging but before buying. A 12 inch roll radius driver will be a lot more forgiving(height wise) than an 8. Of course if you buy a driver with no roll then you are set.

[BC MIST]

I don't know right now but if BCmist posts what the roll is for a SMT Deep Bore then I will know.

The Deep Bore has a ROLL radius of 12".

[Chieflongtee]

For all of you who checked don't care I sure hope for your sake that you are not buying $500 drivers.

[jeffc]

not to sound condescending but why do you care how other people spend their $?

[Chieflongtee]

Why do people buy expensive clubs in the first place? Aside from the image thing I would tend to believe that they do to to improve their score and their game in general wouldn't you agree. But I see it too many times especially in the classifieds.I am just trying to help. If you want to waste your $ then go ahead and buy the out of spec club with a 3 degree open face and the wrong stated loft. Then change your swing to adapt it to this particular club and screw up your swing for the rest of your clubs.

[Started2k3]

The Deep Bore has a ROLL radius of 12".

Thanks. I knew you wouldn't disappoint.

[BC MIST]

not to sound condescending but why do you care how other people spend their $?

One of the advantages of studying club making as a hobby or as a business is that one learns to discern between the truth and marketing BS. For example: I have disassembled and "measured" enough OEM products over 10+ years to make an observation that MOST OEM products are NOT what they are supposed to be. Shafts are not the flex they say, lofts and/or lies, head weights, lengths, swing weights,...are out of whack. Lie adjustments are made to all irons based on the measuring of one club of someone other fitting system, hosel bores are not in the centre of the hosel area, and the list goes on. IMO, for the prices the retailers charge for this stuff, you should get what you pay for. Sometimes you do, but sadly, many times you don't. If you want to spend you money on this stuff, then, of course, it's none of anyone's business.

However, a few of us try to share some knowledge about what they should look for, when they seek out a new set of sticks, because this is our nature. Sometimes it is solicited and sometimes not. Regardless, the intent is to help. IMO, when you go into a retailer, you should be in a position of knowing almost as much, or as much as the average salesperson, so that you can decide if what they are trying to sell you, or if what you think you want, is suitable for the kind of golf swing you have.

There are 20+ fitting factors that can be considered to help you get the perfect set of clubs for you, and 100+ factors that can possible lead to your game improving, the most important of which, IMO, is attitude. Those who are not interested in club fitting truths can choose not to read the comments on club fitting and can go to the other more interesting threads, like Michelle Wie, pictures of yourself, drunk, etc..

[rhh7]

I look forward to the posts of Chieflongtee, BC Mist, and JVincent. I have learned a lot in a hurry. They have an abundance of wisdom to share. I am not tempted by $500 drivers, as my budget is about $50. For that, I will have a 12 degree stainless steel head, no bigger than 280cc, probably smaller, with a lightweight steel shaft in senior flex. I intend to swing within myself, and hit 80% fairways next season.

[little brit]

Sorry to sound dumb but why do clubs have a roll on the face? If you hit towards the top you are effectively adding loft and at the bottom delofting. Is it so that better players can use this for different shots? You mention forgiveness but why would it be more forgiving? I would have thought that also if you hit on the toe it would be more open and heel more closed. Why would anyone want this for consistancy?

[jvincent]

Sorry to sound dumb but why do clubs have a roll on the face?

Not a dumb question at all.

I'd have to search for the full answer, but in a nutshell it's just always been done that way until recently. I suspect it comes from early manufacturing techniques but I'm not 100% sure.

When Wishon introduced the first GRT driver I was all over it like white on rice.

Why? I tend to mi low on the face a lot. Having reduced loft with a traditional driver used to kill me. With the GRT driver, low face hits are much, much better.

[Chieflongtee]

The answer is in Wishon's book. It came along at the same time that face bulge came along. There was a very good reason for face bulge (gear effect) bur never an obvious one for roll.

[Chieflongtee]

Not a dumb question at all.

I'd have to search for the full answer, but in a nutshell it's just always been done that way until recently. I suspect it comes from early manufacturing techniques but I'm not 100% sure.

When Wishon introduced the first GRT driver I was all over it like white on rice.

Why? I tend to mi low on the face a lot. Having reduced loft with a traditional driver used to kill me. With the GRT driver, low face hits are much, much better.

Probably don't have to worry about tee height too much either.

[jvincent]

Probably don't have to worry about tee height too much either.

Actually tee height is one of those things that I'm sensitive to.

I'm generally OK teeing it lower than normal, but if I try to tee it up high, bad things happen.

My current preference for the driver is a 2 3/4" tee inserted just enough to be stable.