Big buzz for adjustable clubs

[Kilroy]

It's miles of aisles at the massive PGA Merchandise Show, where all that is new and wonderful in golf is introduced.

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[BC MIST]

It will be interesting to see how all of this evolves.

A proper fitting job considers club length, club head loft, grip size, face angle, shaft flex profiles, shaft flex, total weight of the club, swing weight and others I can't think of right now. (grip size, too) For a local company like Artisan Golf, it would cost thousands of dollars to setup and with the constant change in heads and shafts, this cost would be ongoing and probably prohibitive, assuming the component companies followed suit.

Doubtfully, the OEM's will consider all of these factors and so will offer very few options, but will call the process a miracle. What will it cost the golfer for a couple of heads and three varying shafts? Throwing money down the drain thinking that a hugely better game can be bought is a personal choice, however, spending an equivalent amount on lessons, learning how to swing and then how to hit shots high/low, left/right, is much more advantageous. A really good player does not need this as he can already maneuver the ball, and for the average golfer, just making consistent, solid contact with any club should be the goal.

[Chambokl]

A really good player does not need this as he can already maneuver the ball, and for the average golfer, just making consistent, solid contact with any club should be the goal.

Hey BC mist I also believe this. I have my R7 set-up and never moved it after my initial twinking.

But, and there is always a but...lol, I remember a certain Phil playing tournaments with 2 drivers so... maybe now Phil will have 2 heads in his bag and 3 shafts and will be changing on the go..just a joke...

[Chieflongtee]

TWGT Commentary: Shaft to Head Connection Systems

It was some ten years ago that quick change, shaft to head connection devices became available to allow custom Clubmakers to offer golfers the chance to hit different combinations of shafts and clubheads during a fitting session. The devices were created with the belief that through actual hitting, the golfer could find the right shaft and clubhead to walk away from the fitting session knowing they were custom fit.
However, it is 2008 that such shaft to head connection systems are initially going to garner a lot of publicity in all of the golf magazines and golf information web sites. With more OEM companies launching fitting systems which include a quick change shaft to head connection capability, there is no doubt such devices and the instant fit concept they convey to consumers will be a topic of several conversations in your shop.
In the past six weeks, four golf magazines have asked TWGT’s opinion of shaft to head connector systems. With such interest, we felt it would be appropriate to state the facts and give all Clubmakers the straight talk on the value of shaft to head connector devices in a fitting session.
To an uneducated golfer, the concept of being able to find their perfect club(s) by instantly hitting numerous combinations of shafts and clubheads sounds ideal. Rather than taking measurements, observing the golfer hit balls with his clubs or other demo clubs, and combining the information with the clubfitter’s knowledge and experience to offer the fitting recommendation, the golfer can “plug and play” until they actually find the right club(s).
However, to do that and end up with the very best custom fit clubs requires so many pre-made shafts and heads to cover all the key fitting specifications that no retailer and no clubmaker could possibly afford them, much less be able to easily store, organize and find the exact shaft and head to plug together for each golfer to hit.
If we talk Driver fitting only, which is where most of the OEM companies’ shaft to head connection systems are exclusively focused, the most important fitting specifications are Length, Loft, Face Angle, Shaft Flex, Shaft Bend Profile, Total Weight, Swingweight (MOI), and Grip Size. Ignore one or two of these in a fitting session and you not only risk sending the golfer out with a Driver that falls well short of being able to improve the golfer’s tee shot play. . . you pretty much ensure less than optimum driving for the golfer.
The vast majority of the OEMs connection systems will only allow golfers to try different shafts, all at too long of a length, and with no consistency for swingweight. The OEMs’ connection systems will consist of a wide variety of different shaft models, each one offered in 2 or 3 flexes. Driver heads to plug into the shafts will be available in only a handful of lofts, typically from 9 to 11 degrees, and with no options for face angle.
The OEMs’ connector shafts are cut so the clubs will all end up at each company’s standard men’s driver length of 45” to 46”. All of the heads which the shafts are to be attached are made to the same headweight, without any ability to change headweight. As a result, plugging in a shaft that weighs 55g will result in the connected club having a low swingweight, while plugging in a shaft that weighs 90g brings about a club with a high swingweight.
None of the OEMs’ driver heads for the connector systems will have face angle options. Face Angle is without question the number one fitting specification that can bring about an improvement in accuracy for every golfer. In addition, few of the companies will have heads for their connector systems with lofts higher than 11°, a critical omission for many golfers.
In truth, to successfully incorporate a connection system in custom fitting would require no less than 60 to 80 different shafts and at least 36 different driver heads. How so?
If you know shaft designs, it is possible to pick a minimum of 5 different shaft models in which the bend profile design varies enough to fit most of the different golfer combinations of transition, tempo, release and strength. More might be better, but if you really study differences in shaft bend profile design, you could find 5 different shaft models that could cover the transition, tempo, release and strength requirements of 90% of all golfers.
Next, each of the 5 different shaft models would need to be included in 3 to 4 different flexes to cover a wide range of golfer swing speeds. Five shaft models in 3 to 4 flexes each means a group of 15-20 different shafts – and this is the starting point only.
Each of these 15-20 different shaft models/flexes has to be made in different lengths so when plugged into the heads, you can offer driver lengths of 43.5”, 44”, 44.5” and 45”. Now your count of pluggable shafts to cover all golfer swing speed, swing mechanics and length fitting is 15-20 times 4 different lengths each, for a total of 60-80 different shafts.
If you wanted to offer grip sizes to match most, but not all, golfers’ hand sizes, you’d want to have each of those 60-80 shafts built with grips of ladies standard, men’s standard, men’s +1/64”, men’s +1/32” and men’s +1/16” oversize. Do that and you’ll be up to 240 to 320 different shafts!
You say we can skip the grip sizes and do the grip fitting later? OK, we’ll buy that for practicality, so let’s go back to the 5 different shaft models times 3 to 4 flexes times 4 different lengths for a total of 60-80 shafts. Now it’s time to switch over to talk about the driver heads you need to plug into the shafts.
Since all golfers are not going to want to choose the same clubhead model, you’ll probably need a minimum of three different driver head models. Making an effort to keep things under control, it is possible to cover the driver loft fitting needs of 90% of all golfers with each of the three driver models bought in lofts of 9.5, 11, 13 and 15 degrees. Not bad so far, that’s only 12 driver heads.
Because 70% of all golfers slice the ball in varying amounts, and you can’t ignore the other 30%, you will need to have each of those 12 drivers in face angles of at least 0° square, 1° hook and 2.5° hook. Oops, that means you’re now up to 36 different driver heads, into which you can plug the 60-80 different shafts.
And by the way, if the driver heads don’t allow you to add or remove weight to be sure every shaft can be plugged in and set up to a viable swingweight (MOI) for each different golfer, you’ll need to have a big roll of lead tape close at hand as well. Simply plugging shafts of different weight and length into heads is going to cause the swingweight (MOI) of the clubs to be all over the place. And one sure ticket to driver fitting failure is to ignore the swingweight (MOI) of the club.
Total cost? Even if your suppliers give you a volume deal, a successful shaft connection fitting system for drivers, one that truly will allow the vast majority of golfers to find their perfect driver through plug and play, will cost at in the area of $4,000 to $5,000.
And we’re only talking drivers. Want to add on the same plug and play capability for fairway woods? Hybrids? Irons? You can see where this leads.
TWGT is not anti-connector in our fitting philosophy. We are dedicated to true custom fitting and not the pretense of it by “trial and error” fitting. Companies who tell golfers they can be accurately custom fit with their shaft to head connection systems, despite their severe limitations for length options, no swingweight, no face angle, and not enough loft options, will never provide as good of a fitting result as a full fitting that considers all of the performance specifications.
If you wish to incorporate one of the available connection devices in your fitting sessions, fine. They can be compelling to consumers for their simplicity, so such a system in your fitting sessions might actually reel in an interested golfer you otherwise may not have landed for a potential sale.
But please, please understand that if you do use a shaft to head connection system in your fitting, you must be careful in setting up all the combinations of shafts and heads to include options for length, swingweight (MOI), loft and face angle along with the different shaft models and flexes. You can’t possibly cover all the fitting parameters you may need to accurately fit all golfers, but if you’re smart, you can put together an assortment that can help satisfy the golfer’s curiosity and give you enough additional information to allow you to come up with a final fitting recommendation that is accurate.
If we did it for driver fitting only, this is how TWGT would create such a system to allow for enough plug and hit options to fit over 90% of all golfers:
Shafts (33 pcs total)
ZT Series Graphite - A, R flexes, each one in 43.5”/44”/44.5” (6 pcs)
InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite – R, S flexes, each one in 43.5”/44”/44.5” (6 pcs)
Series 7 SUL and FL Graphite-R, S, A, AA flexes each one in 43.5”/44”/44.5” (12 pcs)
Series 5-SL 65g Graphite – R, S flexes, each one in 43.5”/44”/44.5” (6 pcs)
730CL Graphite – L flex in 42.5”/43”/43.5”; (3 pcs)
Driver Heads (8 pcs total)
919THI – 9°/0 FA; 11°/1 hook FA; 13°/1 hook FA; 11°/2° hook FA
525GRT – 9.5°/0.5 Open FA
915CFE – 15°/1 hook FA; Offset 11°/2° Hook FA
730CL – 16°/1 hook FA
From these 264 different driver fitting combinations, such a system would allow a combination for just about any golfer who plays the game. Yes, the 21 shafts and 8 driver heads would cost more than $1,000, but if you feel you need to be in the shaft to head connection game, this combination of shafts and heads will allow you to offer golfers a far better way to find their perfect driver than through the head to shaft connection systems any of the big golf club companies are offering.
On the other hand, you can also take the approach of the custom tailor to offer an analytical fitting experience that conveys extreme care and demonstrates fitting skills to the golfer.

• Session 1 – measurements of the golfer, measurements of the golfer’s existing clubs, observations of the golfer hitting shots to evaluate the contribution of their swing mechanics to the fitting recommendations, showing the golfer clubhead model options, making the golfer very aware the KEY to their improvement is all about the precise FIT of all 20 specifications of the clubs.
• Session 2 – Observing the golfer hitting the small number of test clubs you have built based on the information/observations/golfer feedback you obtained in Session 1. Obtaining the golfer’s feedback about the test clubs’ performances, and making decisions on the final specifications for the golfer.
• Session 3 – Doing the dynamic lie fitting test and alterations of the full set, delivering the set and taking payment from the golfer.

As we said, shaft to head connection devices have been available to Clubmakers for more than ten years. If they represented such a fool proof way to custom fit golfers, why haven’t these connectors found their way into every single clubmaker’s shop by now? They haven’t because the majority of Clubmakers have learned they cannot cover all the important fitting requirements to end up delivering clubs which are accurately fit to bring about the most improvement in each golfer.
Accurate, professional clubfitting requires the clubmaker to study and learn what changes in what fitting specifications will bring about the most improvement for each different golfer size, strength, athletic ability and swing characteristics. Not some instant plug and play connection system that totally ignores most of the key fitting factors in an effort to generate the excitement to sell more clubs which never perform any better for the golfers.
Please, don’t let the brainwash marketing of the big golf club companies fool YOU into thinking shaft to head connection systems are the greatest thing since sliced bread for conducting a custom fitting session. The marketing of such systems this year is going to fool enough golfers, and professional custom clubfitting needs every committed clubmaker possible to learn the truth and educate golfers about exactly what a truly accurate and professional fitting experience is and can do for all golfers.