tom wishon q&a compilation by golf gear select wishon has been one of the most prolific...

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© Copyright 2010 Dan DeRoeck, LLC :: Tom Wishon Q&A Compilations sponsored by Golf Gear Select

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Tom Wishon has been one of the most prolific clubmaker/clubfitter/club researchers of our era. Tom has also been very vocal about how the general golf population is lacking good, accurate information on golf equipment and fitting. Information golfers need to make educated decisions on their equipment.

Golf Gear Select has teamed with Tom for a Q&A that took place on golfgearselect.com. Tom was gracious enough to give us his time in answering the many questions our readers put forth. The Q&A lasted several days and we gathered 55 questions related to all areas of clubfitting. And as you will see from the very detailed responses provided, Tom is not only a commensurate professional of his trade, he is very giving of his time.

Because we felt the information Tom provided was so valuable, we took the liberty of creating a pdf document listing every question and answer. The name of the special report :: Tom Wishon Q&A Compilations.

Golf Gear Select wants to thank Tom for his time and energy for this project. Tom provided a ton of valuable information that covers many areas. I hope you find an answer to one of your questions in these Q&A's.

We made it simple to navigate the Q&A by using Bookmarks which can be found on the next page – simply click on Q&A you would like to read.

If you like the information presented here, please take the time to Tweet this at twitter.com/golfgearselect – Thank you!

If you have any questions regarding this document, please email us at [email protected].

Tom Wishon Golf Technology :: The Leader in Custom Clubmaking and Clubfitting Technology, visit : http://www.twgolftech.com/

This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved. Please contact us via email at [email protected].




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Bookmarks (click to view Q&A):

Q&A #1: Adrian :: Taylor Made Super Tri Driver with a Standard 65g TP Shaft

Q&A #2: James :: MOI fitting

Q&A #3: TK :: Mizuno MX700 (10.5*) with a stiff Harrison Eclipse 55 shaft

Q&A #4: Barry :: how important is the transition in selecting a club shaft

Q&A #5: Mike :: Ping S56 irons with stiff flex KBS Tour shafts

Q&A #6: Richard :: In my irons I like to feel the kick of the shaft but like the ball flighted low

Q&A #7: Jake :: I play Mizuno MP 63 with KBS tour shafts. My problem is my driver

Q&A #8: Jim :: I am a scratch player on a 130 slope course of 6800 yards

Q&A #9: Doug :: I have always had a short back-swing creating a lot of load on my driver shaft thus having trouble finding a suitable consistent (never stock) driver shaft

Q&A #10: Gregory :: D oes the type of swing make a difference regarding club fitting, specifically regarding length?

Q&A #11: Jeff :: I have a Titliest 905R 9.5* with Pro Force V2 stiff 45" 76g 2.2 tor. 267 butt,7.0 Mid, 28 Tip, Tip Par 4.0. Average drive is about 270yds.Ball flight is medium

Q&A #12: Al :: Shaft - How do you determine the best weight of a shaft for fittings and should the woods be a similar in weight to match the irons?

Q&A #13: Jeff :: I bought 2 new drivers recently. Ping G15 and Taylor Made Superfast.

Q&A #14: Dave :: When spine aligning a club where do you thing the spine should be in relation to the clubface and do you feel the spine aligning adds flex stiffness or makes a shaft more flexible.

Q&A #15: Greg :: Is there any way to get a Driver with a lie angle that will work for shorter golfers?

Q&A #16: Sergio :: I would like to have Tom's opinion on shaft profiling, and where to place the shaft's spine: in line with the head's face , or perpendicular to it.

Q&A #17: Phil :: 75 yrs old-healthy and reasonably fit, have lost over 50 yds off the tee in last 4 yrs have 9 degree medium shaft taylor made draw. have not lost that much off of irons

Q&A #18: Regis :: Because of injury my driver swing speed puts me at about 85 mph.

Q&A #19: Philip :: My swing is too flat. I have been working on making it more upwrite and find I hit the ball further and straighter.

Q&A #20: Nelson :: I had been hitting a Taylormade R9 460 9.5 deg.with the Motore F1 TP shaft.

Q&A #21: Leigh :: What is your recommended maximum length for installing a graphite extension into a graphite shaft without the extension breaking?

Q&A #22: Ariff :: I'm now 55 yrs old. I've been using a 905R Titleist Driver since 7 years ago

Q&A #23: Isy :: How can I increase my driver swingspeed 15%?




Q&A #24: Mark :: I always have had a problem with buying wedges off the shelf and was wondering what sort of set up you recommend?

Q&A #25: Richard :: I am wondering why OEM Manufacturers of Irons all seem to make their forged Iron sets with hosels that are taper tip.

Q&A #26: Alan :: what is the deal with driver length

Q&A #27: Andrew :: I tend to hit the ball right to left.

Q&A #28: Andrew :: I have managed to get my 9.5 degree taylor made TP driver down to 43 inches by using winn lite midsize grip and adding extra 10 grams onto the headweight

Q&A #29: Blane :: I like smaller clubs and a lower ball flight not this try to reach the stars type shot

Q&A #30: Blane :: Every pro I've watched and talked to say get the ball up high and let it go.WHY?

Q&A #31: Bendan :: would it be better for golfers to build their drivers by choosing the shaft first and then picking a head that gives them the optimal launch angle and spin when used with that shaft?

Q&A #32: Chris :: Need a Shaft suggestion

Q&A #33: Dick :: I play Mizuno irons that I have been fitted for, they are 2degrees flat and I hit them very well with a slight draw

Q&A #34: Frank :: my wrist is 33--34 inches above floor. what should be length of driver, and what shaft is appropriate?

Q&A #35: Gene :: what do you suggest i use for a driver/shaft to maximize distance

Q&A #36: Gene :: Can a driver be matched to a three wood.

Q&A #37: Jim :: How important is lie angle when picking a driver?

Q&A #38: John :: i swing around 96/100 i have been told to look at lighter steel stiff shaft

Q&A #39: Ken :: he wants to use project x 6.5 shafts. I was concerned they may be too stiff,

Q&A #40: Ken :: Can you recommend a shaft for the G10 to replace the standard Ping shaft to give me a higher trajectory and more distance?

Q&A #41: Michel :: As you can read my irons are short. What could be wrong with it??

Q&A #42: Nollie :: New ultralight shafts (Fujikura Blur) and driver heads are becoming available, promising faster speed at longer lengths.

Q&A #43: Phil :: The Fuji shaft feels better with less effort but doesn''t give me the distance of the Prolite. Would like to settle on one. Which is best for me?

Q&A #44: Randy :: was thinking about starting a small buisness by buying a Trackman launch monitor and helping golfers get fitted to correct clubs or building clubs.

Q&A #45: Rob :: i have a swing speed of 82 and play reg shafts,the other day i asked him for a shot with his stiff shafted driver and fealt that i hit it better,why

Q&A #46: Tom :: I was fitted last season, how often do you recommend going back to your fitter and having a "tune up"?

Q&A #47: Ron :: Would a regular Epic shaft give me a good option-already own shaft.

Q&A #48: Sergio :: What do you do, when somebody who is about to start playing golf, asks to be fitted.

Q&A #49: Jim :: I have a few True Temper Sensicore shafts. I don't know what the numbers and letters on the butt end of the shaft indicate.




Q&A #50: Unknown :: I really need more row on my tee sho.ts as my flight mates tee shot get at least 20m row and my none.

Q&A #51: Unknown :: How do you know what is the right weight golf shaft?

Q&A #52: Corky :: Would you recommend I switch shafts when I return to golfing

Q&A #53: James :: am considering the Taylormade Superfast TP 10.5^ stiff w/Matrix Ozik HD6 shaft; is this shaft a watered down version of the real thing?

Q&A #54: Raoul :: Would this upset the swing weight and balance of the club doing more harm than good.

Q&A #55: Paul :: can I make my driver's lie and length the same as my irons?




Question #1:I play a Taylor Made supertri driver with a standard 65g TP shaft. Unfortunately i appear to get a very high launch and a less penetrating ball flight. I'm a 5 handicapper, and i'm told i need a shaft with a high kick point, would you agree with this, if so, what shaft would you recommend?- Adrian

Answer #1:Adrian

A driver ball flight that is higher than you desire is most typically reduced first by using a lower loft, second by using a shaft that is designed either to be stiffer overall, OR, designed with what we call a more tip stiff bend profile. A lower loft definitely reduces the height of the shot for all golfers. A more tip stiff shaft design only reduces the height of the shot for golfers with a later to very late release of the wrist cock angle coming into impact. Since you are a 5 hdcp, more than likely you do have a later to very late release, so a stiffer tip shaft could lower ball flight a little for you. Of the two, loft very definitely has more of a visible effect on shot trajectory than does a more tip stiff shaft. The stock shafts offered by the big golf companies in their standard off the rack clubs are typically not all that tip stiff in their design because these stock shafts are made by the big companies to try to satisfy as large of a segment of the golf population as possible. Best advice for you would be to find a really good, experienced custom Clubmaker with a launch monitor in your area with whom you can work to be fit with the best combination of loft and shaft to end up resulting in your best launch angle, spin rate and shot shape.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #2:1. Is MOI fitting more important than static swing weight fitting?2. How do I determine what MOI is best for me for irons, woods, driver, hybrids, putter?- James

Answer #2:James:

Having done serious research in the comparison of MOI matching of clubs to swingweight matching since the late 1990s, and having developed the equipment and techniques for MOI matching of clubs in 2003, I can tell you from communicating with many custom clubmakers who have and do MOI match golfers for their clubs that we do feel MOI matching can bring about a measurable improvement in on center hit consistency and swing tempo/timing consistency than swingweight matching.

When you make the MOI of the assembled clubs the same, from a pure scientific standpoint you are making the clubs so that each one requires the same, exact effort to rotate around your body and release




to impact. Swingweight matching does not do that. It comes somewhat close, but there is no question when it comes to making the clubs all require the same exact effort to swing and release, MOI matching does that while swingweight matching does not.

The best way to determine what MOI is best for which golfer first has to start with a little trial and error experimentation. Once the best length, loft, lie, shaft, and grip are determined for a golfer, a test club with those specifications is built. Test club wise it is best to do this with a 3w or driver for the woods, and a 5 or 6 iron for the irons. Then the golfer would add a little lead tape at a time to the head until they find the point that they feel most comfortable with the overall feel of the club, the club does not feel too light or too heavy, and they start to experience fewer incidence of off center hits. This should be done over 2 to 3 different ball striking sessions on the range so that you get a chance to overcome the fact that some days our swing and body are a little off.

Once that right amount of headweight feel is found for the test club, the MOI of that club is measured on the special MOI measurement equipment and all of the other clubs in the set are then built to have that same MOI.

From our experience with tons of MOI fitting experience, the best MOI for a golfer’s woods will typically be in the area of 50 g-cm2 higher (g-cm2 is the measurement expression for MOI) than the irons. This is because woods as a group are all so much longer in length than are the irons. If woods graduated in the same increment of length change from the last wood to the first iron, then the MOI of all the clubs would be the same for a golfer. But that’s not the way woods are vs irons so over thousands of MOI fittings since 2003, we have found that once you find the right MOI in the irons, making the woods to have their MOI be 50 g-cm2 higher is the right fit relationship.

Wedges are a separate animal and are typically not made to have the same MOI as the rest of the irons. This is chiefly because wedges are swung more often with a less than full swing than are the numbered irons. Most typically, the PW would be +20 g-cm2 higher than the numbered irons, the SW would be +40 g-cm2 higher than the numbered irons.

Putters are even more different because they rarely are swung with anything close to a full release and at a far lower clubhead speed. We find with putters that once the best length, loft, lie, and grip are found for the golfer, then experimenting with adding weight TO THE VERY GRIP END of the putter can very definitely make a huge improvement in on center hit and distance control consistency. There are special counterweights made for this purpose which can easily be dropped into the butt end of the putter shaft and locked with a hex head wrench. Most typically we have found that adding 60g or 80g in the grip end of the putter works best for the majority of golfers to really calm down their stroke.

~ Tom Wishon




Question #3:Hi, I currently play a Mizuno MX700 (10.5*) with a stiff Harrison Eclipse 55 shaft 45.5 inches. My SS is 100, quick transition and I play a high fade. Avg carry 255 yds. I like a lightweight shaft and I am thinking of going towards a stiffer shaft, perhaps a Miyazaki Kusala Blue in the 61 gram range. Any other suggestions? Thank you.- TKAnswer #3:TK:

Since your question involves specific shaft models, and since accurate shaft fitting really requires a close analysis of the golfer’s swing speed + transition, tempo, release and golf strength, I strongly would recommend that you find an experienced custom Clubmaker in your area with whom you may work to find the specific shaft for your swing.

Typically, a golfer with a stronger transition move at the ball and in your handicap range does better with driver lengths of 44 to 44.5 and with shafts that weigh in the area of 75-85g which are also designed to be a little more stiff in the butt and slightly stiffer in the tip than what your 100mph swing speed would otherwise indicate. However, because lower handicap golfers also typically gain a feel for what they perceive as a more desirable bending FEEL for the shaft, this is why it is always far better for you to find a good Clubmaker in your area to work with to really find that best combination of shaft flex, shaft bend profile, total weight, swingweight and length that works the very best for YOU and your swing characteristics and your swing feel preferences.

We maintain a list of competent, experienced custom clubmakers that you can reference at the following link - http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php

~ Tom Wishon

Question #4:how important is the transition in selecting a club shaft, e.g. two golfers with the same swing speed, but one has a very smooth transition, the other very quick.- BarryAnswer #4:BARRY:

Very good question because the difference in how forceful the golfer starts the downswing can be of high importance to finding the right overall stiffness in the shaft along with the right shaft weight and right headweight feel as well.

Typically if you have two golfers with the same clubhead speed, the one with a much more forceful transition move will do better with at least ½ flex stiffer shaft than what would be normal for that swing speed, with a 20g heavier shaft weight and in the area of 2 to 3 swingweight points higher in the




headweight feel than the golfer with a pause at the top and a very smooth, gradual transition move.

Golfers with a strong transition who end up with too light of a total weight and/or too light of a swingweight tend to experience a higher degree of off center hits, more heel side hits, and even the tendency to make a slight outside in path become more outside in.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #5:I recently purchased a set of Ping S56 irons (fitted by Ping rep.). They have stiff flex KBS Tour shafts. I hit them straighter and lower than my older i15 irons with AWT stiff shafts, but they don't feel as solid or go as far. ny suggestions?

– MikeAnswer #5:The most typical shot result from using shafts that are too stiff for the golfer’s swing speed and transition and tempo is exactly what you report – loss of distance and loss of a solid feel of impact

when the ball is hit on center. Without question this sounds like a situation in which you should be using shafts which are less stiff in their overall flex and even less tip stiff in their bend profile design.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #6:In my irons I like to feel the kick of the shaft but like the ball flighted low. Can I get both out one shaft?- RichardAnswer #6:RICHARD:

This is a little difficult to achieve because typically a shaft that is flexible enough to offer more of a feeling of the shaft kicking through impact will also generate a little higher ball flight. But there are some ways to “trick” this to a certain extent. If you found a shaft model that was designed to be much more of a tip stiff shaft, you could try one flex lower in that model than what your swing speed would ordinarily indicate was a proper fit. The hope would be that the softer butt stiffness of the one flex less version of the shaft could offer the kick feel you want, while the tip stiff part of the design could possibly help keep the ball on a little lower shot shape.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #7:I am 50yrs old and play of 5 handicap. I have always been a good iron player and still hit all irons very



http://www.golfgearselect.com/kbs-shaft-review/

http://www.golfgearselect.com/kbs-shaft-review/


well. I play Mizuno MP 63 with KBS tour shafts. My problem is my driver. I play Mizuno MP 600 with Fubuki X flex. My loft is 10.5 deg. Set to nutral. I draw the ball and often hit trouble on the left. I have played 9.5 degree Wishon Driver with Accra S4 dymatch shaft but with this club had a very low ballflight and hit a lot of low cat fade shots. My swingspeed is 105 tot 110 with even tempo and late release. I therefore lose a lot of shots with the driver. I need a driver with square face and shaft that will give me controll and a higher ball flight. I like the Grafalloy shafts. The driver I have had the best results with was Titleist with Grafalloy prolight S flex. It was more stiff tiped because of the bore through. What would work best. Lower loft driver with Garafalloy Axis Blue or Higher lofted driver with Grafalloy Axis Red?

– JakesAnswer #7: JAKES:

There are several points to discuss in your question to be able to get to the best final solution, so please bear with me as I guide you through them.

First of all, you need to determine what the chief reason is you can hit trouble on the left with your MP600 + Fubuki X driver. If the left misses are from more of a PULLED SHOT than a hooked shot, it could be that either a higher swingweight or a heavier version of the same flex/bend profile of the Fubuki could help reduce this tendency. If the left misses are from more of a HOOKED CURVING SHOT and you know your path seems to be ok, then the logical solution would be to have the driver head with a little more open face angle/less closed compared to what the face angle is now.

On the other hand, if you hit the MP600 + Fubuki X reasonably straight most of the time, but only occasionally hit the left with a HOOK, then this too could be an indication that if you increased the swingweight on this club by at least +2 over what it is now, that might help reduce the incidence of the hooked left shot.

On the Wishon 9.5 driver with Accra S4 DyMatch shaft, from what you say about the VERY low ball flight with low fades, this says that both the loft is a little too low for you AND the shaft is a little too stiff. It is also possible that the face angle on the driver may need to be a little less open or more closed than what it is, but first and foremost it sounds if you had a 10.5 to 11 and a little less stiff shaft, this would bring about a definite increase in trajectory and probably reduce the fades as well.

One of the biggest problems that golfers have in making equipment changes is that they change too many things on the clubs all at the same time so that they cannot pinpoint what one thing ends up being the biggest reason for the shot differences they experience with the new club. For example, if you found a driver head with the SAME LOFT, SAME FACE ANGLE as the Titleist, and then used a Pro Lite of one more flex stiffer than what you had in the Titleist to counter the difference between the through bore of the Titleist and the blind bore of the other driver model, you would be keeping a lot more things constant and stable to get where you want to be.

Since you seem to be very perceptive in your shot analysis, and since you seem to be able to detect shot differences pretty well, you really should find a very experienced custom Clubmaker in your area with



http://www.golfgearselect.com/grafalloy-axis-shaft-review/

http://www.golfgearselect.com/grafalloy-prolite-shaft-review/

http://www.golfgearselect.com/accra-dymatch-shaft-review/

http://www.golfgearselect.com/mitsubishi-fubuki-review/


whom you can work to experiment with shaft and head differences ONE AT A TIME so that by process of elimination you can end up with the right driver for YOUR swing and YOUR preferences. To just keep trying this shaft or that head is too much of a guessing game.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #8:I am a scratch player on a 130 slope course of 6800 yards. The fairways are soft therefore they do not produce much roll after landing. I have a low ball flight with 3200 rpm spin. I am playing a Cleveland hi bore 10 degree driver with stock stiff gold shaft 65g (Fijikura) I average 265 off the tee and usually straight. I would like to get more height on my drives therefore more distance due to minimal roll after landing. Basically I am looking for higher loft lower spin. Any suggestions.

– JimAnswer #8:JIM

First of all, it needs to be determined if the 3200rpm spin reading you have gotten is accurate or not. Few launch monitors are that accurate for spin recognition. From my experience with tons of launch monitors over many years, the only one that I have found to be very reliable for accurate spin recognition is TrackMan. Even the FlightScope unit is not nearly as consistently accurate for spin as is TrackMan. Launch monitors like Golf Achiever, Zelocity, Vector simply cannot measure spin that accurately.

Higher than desired spin on the driver typically comes more from the golfer having a little more downward angle of attack into the ball or, from the golfer allowing the clubhead to slightly pass in front of the hands so the dynamic loft on the face is higher at impact than the actual static loft on the face. Equipment wise, higher spin can only come from a higher loft on the face and slightly from a shaft that is too soft in flex or too tip flexible for the golfer’s swing. Since you say you have lower ball flight with 3200 rpm spin when using a 10* loft driver, assuming the loft really is 10*, it would seem that you must have a slightly downward angle of attack coming into the ball.

So equipment wise, the only ways to reduce spin will be first to use a lower loft, second to use a more tip stiff shaft than what you are using now. But both these changes are going to make the flight trajectory lower than what you are experiencing now. So if you want to increase trajectory in an effort to carry the ball farther, you can only do that with a higher loft and/or a more flexible shaft – and both of those are going to result in more spin than you have now.

I would recommend you find someone with a TrackMan launch monitor and have your launch angle, spin rate and your angle of attack into the ball measured. This way you will know for sure what the cause of the lower flight with higher spin is from. But with my experience, a low flight with higher spin with a 10* loft head means downward angle of attack. Which in turn means to change things to higher launch and lower spin would require a swing overhaul to get into more of a level to slightly upward angle of attack. And that for a scratch player may not be advisable because such a swing change could



http://www.golfgearselect.com/cleveland-hibore-driver-review/

http://www.golfgearselect.com/cleveland-hibore-driver-review/


open the door for other swing errors until you really nailed down the angle of attack change. Bottom line then is that 3200 rpm for a 105mph driver speed is not terrible by any means. Since you obviously do not have a ballooning ball flight shape, for more carry distance you could experiment with a little higher loft on the driver and as long as the shot shape never jumps up into a ballooning flight you could get more carry for your soft fairways.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #9:I have always had a short back-swing creating a lot of load on my driver shaft thus having trouble finding a suitable consistent (never stock) driver shaft. In the past I have always gone with the lower torque/stiffer tip type shaft set up in a stiff or x-stiff shaft. Should I be looking for suitable weighted shaft based on "flex" first rather than "lower torque"?Or torque first?(My ball flight is low)- DougAnswer #9:DOUG:

Short backswings with strong acceleration do require more overall stiffness and/or more tip stiffness to prevent a sudden, forceful swing move from over bending the shaft at the start of the downswing. When choosing the right shaft, the weight of the shaft, the overall flex and the bend profile are the most important elements, with torque being much less important.

The reason is because you just do not see higher torque with any shafts that are designed in a stiffer overall flex with more tip stiffness. The shaft companies know that players who need to use stiffer overall flex shafts and more tip stiff shafts also need to keep the torque no higher than 3.5*. So it is very rare in the industry these days to even see a normal S, a strong S or any X flex with tip stiff bend profile to ever have a torque higher than 4*. In addition, as long as the overall flex and bend profile and weight of the shaft are correct for a golfer’s swing, the difference between a torque of say, 2* and 3.5* is very minimal on shot dispersion. The golfer might notice that the 2* torque shaft felt a little stiffer at impact than the 3.5* torque version of the same flex and bend profile shaft, but he would not experience anything in the way of off line shots from a 1.5* torque difference.

So do your best to get fit for the right shaft weight, shaft overall flex and bend profile for your swing moves and the torque is not going to be an issue.

~ Tom Wishon




Question #10:Regarding club fitting, does the type of swing make a difference regarding club fitting, specifically regarding length? (Example, the rotational swing vs. the stack and tilt, the PPGS swing that Don Trahan teaches.) Thanks for your time.-GregoryAnswer #10:GREGORY:

Proper, accurate fitting is 100% all about matching those specific swing characteristics of the golfer with each one of the key fitting specifications of the clubs. But not in the sense of SWING TEACHING METHODS. The swing characteristics that have a huge effect on the club’s fitting specs are clubhead speed, angle of attack into the ball, force of the transition to start the downswing, downswing acceleration, point of the wrist cock release, position of the hands relative to the clubhead at impact, swing path, hands/arms delivery of the face to impact, and swing plane.

It is completely possible to follow this or that swing teaching method and have all the different variations in any of these above swing characteristics. In fitting, we do not care HOW the golfer achieves their swing characteristics I mentioned above, we simply care to know WHAT those swing characteristics are so we can best match the golfer’s swing characteristics to the best lengths, lofts, lies, face angles, shaft weight, shaft flex, shaft bend profile, total weight, swingweight, grip size and clubhead model.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #11:I have a Titliest 905R 9.5* with Pro Force V2 stiff 45" 76g 2.2 tor. 267 butt,7.0 Mid, 28 Tip, Tip Par 4.0. Average drive is about 270yds.Ball flight is medium.It has taken several years and lots of trial and error to find this combination that I really like. I want to replace it possible with Nike VR and I want to go to 10* and with the new AVIX Core Red shaft and was not sure if I should go to 68G stiff versus 78G stiff. Swing Speed 95-100. I would like your thoughts on what to try whether it be club and or shaft combo open to try new things.JeffAnswer #11:JEFF:

Please do not take this the wrong way, but in reading your question, the question I have in return is “if you like the performance for you for this 905R driver, why do you want to change anything after all the trial and error effort you made to find it?”

I understand that the lure of a new head model or new shaft can be great to all of us who keep seeking



http://www.golfgearselect.com/ust-proforce-v2-review/


something better or something more. In this case, the smartest thing a golfer can do is to never change more than one thing at a time when they are hunting. For example, if you want to try that VR driver head, then keep the shaft, length, swingweight or MOI of the club, and grip all the same as what you have now so that when you hit the VR, you definitely know if any shot differences you see are from the head. Or if you want to see what the AVIX shaft might do, keep the same exact head, length, swingweight or MOI of the club and grip the same so you know if any shot differences you see are from the shaft.

To go change the head model and the shaft at the same time starts to put you in a situation such that if you see shot differences, you really don’t know what caused them. Since your question places you in the category of being very interested in equipment differences, that’s superb but you have to use a very organized approach to how you try out different heads or shafts or specs in your clubs. Isolate the variables by changing only ONE THING AT A TIME and you can learn tons. Change more than one thing at a time and you will be guessing.

And also since you are an equipment fan, do try to find a really good, competent, experienced Clubmaker with whom you can work who can help you keep all these variables in line so when you do experiment, you know you are testing one thing at a time.

Question #12:Shaft - How do you determine the best weight of a shaft for fittings and should the woods be a similar in weight to match the irons?AlAnswer #12:AL:

The weight of the shaft is the number one most influential thing that affects the TOTAL WEIGHT of the club. So when you are contemplating a change in shaft weight, you need to look at what a total weight change will do for your swing.

The total weight of a club has to be matched to the golfer’s natural/most common sense of swing tempo, swing timing, swing rhthym. Get the total weight too light for the golfer’s tempo/rhythm/timing and they have more tendency to pull the ball, hit the ball off center, possibly go more over the top and outside in with the path, and generally be more inconsistent. One other symptom of the total weight being too light is when the golfer keeps telling himself, “I gotta slow down, if I could only slow it down a little, I’d be OK.”

Total weight being too heavy usually shows up most commonly as the golfer feeling tired after hitting 20-30 balls during a range session, or the golfer simply notes that the club just feels like it becomes more and more of an effort to swing through the ball. Other symptoms are more of a tendency to push the ball to the right or to come up off the shot through impact.

BUT. . . hand in hand with total weight comes the headweight feel or the swingweight of the club. And separating total weight problems from swingweight problems can be tricky. Many of the same symptoms for the total weight being too light or too heavy are the same exact symptoms for the




swingweight being too low or too high. So along with any move to a different weight shaft has to come experimentation with adding/removing weight from the head so the overall weight feel of the club in relation to your tempo/timing/rhythm feels the best to you.

In general, the more forceful the transition move to start the downswing, the shorter the backswing and more abruptly the golfer starts the downswing, the stronger physically the golfer, the faster their natural tempo is, the more aggressive the downswing, the heavier the shaft weight AND the swingweight likely need to be. And vice versa for a smooth transition, smooth tempo, less strong golfer, less aggressive downswing move at the ball.

Shaft weight in the woods and irons does not have to be the same. It is hugely common for many golfers of higher than average strength or stronger, more aggressive swing tempo to use graphite in the woods and steel in the irons. But typically when you have a stronger, more aggressive swinging golfer, their graphite in the woods would be in the 80-90g level and not in the 50-65g level. In addition, when you have a big weight difference in the wood shaft to the iron shaft, this is also where swingweight or the MOI of the clubs becomes very important to match to the golfer’s tempo and swing aggressiveness.

MOI matching the clubs to each other instead of swingweight matching can definitely help to offset differences in the shaft weight of the woods to the shaft weight in the irons. For more information on MOI matching of clubs as an alternative to swingweight matching, head to this link to read more about it so you have an idea what this is and what it can do for golfers - http://wishongolf.com/moi.php

Question #13:I bought 2 new drivers recently. Ping G15 and Taylor Made Superfast.

I had changed my G15 10.5 deg shaft to Fujikura Motore Speeder VC5.0, 45.75 inches long. I managed to get the weight of this club down to 310 gm. this help me increase my swing speed. I average 90mph.I also want to do the same thing for my Superfast with 10.5 deg head. It is a lighter club than G15. So I am having problem finding a shaft that will lead to any weight saving and at the same time reduce the dispersion of Superfast.Please help and suggest my options.Eric

Answer #13:ERIC:

First of all, let’s look at the Superfast driver. 46.5” in length, 283g total weight, D8 swingweight. The golfer who is going to benefit the most from this club will be an above average strength golfer with a very smooth tempo, with an inside out to square swing path, and with a late release of the wrist cock angle coming into impact. That is the only type of golfer who could possibly control this long of a driver and gain clubhead speed from its length and its light weight and very high headweight feel. If that is not you, then I am only being honest in telling you that trying to use this club to play to the best



http://www.golfgearselect.com/fujikura-motore-f1-shaft-review/

http://www.golfgearselect.com/ping-g15-driver-review/

http://wishongolf.com/moi.php


of your ability is a waste of time.

Some facts about drivers and distance. The only golfers who can gain clubhead speed from longer length drivers are those golfers who have a later to very late release of the wrist cock angle. Twice in my career I have done extensive testing with golfers to prove this. When the golfer unhinges the wrist cock angle early to midway in the downswing, they cannot gain more clubhead speed from a longer and longer length driver. The point when a golfer unhinges their wrist cock angle is when they achieve their highest possible swing speed. If the release happens early to midway on the downswing, by the time the clubhead gets to impact it will have slowed to a lower speed.

Second, longer length drivers put more stress and load on the golf swing. If the golfer has an inside out path AND a late release, they can keep this stress and load on their swing a little lower. But if the golfer has an outside in path and/or an early to midway release, the load that the 46.5” length puts on their swing is HUGE and the result is a lot higher level of inconsistency and more off center hits.

Since 2005, the average driver length on the PGA Tour has been 44.5”, not the 45.5 to 46.5” lengths seen on all of the standard made drivers from the big companies sold in pro shops and golf retail stores. If you look at the average PGA Tour player, they all have a late wrist cock release. From that, there is no question all tour players could gain more clubhead speed and more distance if they used a longer length driver. But they don’t, on average, because they know even as good as they are, they cannot be as consistent with a 46” driver as they can one that is shorter in length.

For average golfers who do not have a late wrist cock release, and who also have more of an outside in path, using a driver any longer than 44” really does hurt their overall driving distance. With an earlier release, the average golfer cannot get more clubhead speed from a longer length and they definitely get more off center hits and more swing path inconsistency.

So it’s fine for you to try the very light total weight to see if this helps increase clubhead speed, but do it with a much shorter length and with the swingweight matched to YOUR swing tempo and swing strength.

Question #14:When spine aligning a club where do you thing the spine should be in relation to the clubface and do you feel the spine aligning adds flex stiffness or makes a shaft more flexible.DaveAnswer #14:DAVE:

The practice of “spine alignment” is not so much about the so called “spine” on the shaft and where it is on the shaft. It is all about testing the shaft to find a stable plane of bending and then installing the shaft so that the stable plane is in line with the target or the golfer’s swing path.

What do we mean by stable plane of bending? If you take a raw shaft (no grip, no head installed) and you put the grip end securely between the jaws of a vice with a symmetrical weight of at least 200g




attached to the tip end, if you pull back on the shaft tip and let it go, the shaft starts to oscillate back and forth. In a stable plane of bending, this oscillation would keep going straight forward and straight back. A non stable plane of bending would show up as the shaft starting to oscillate back and forth in a non straight manner, usually so the tip end would look like it is wobbling all over the place. By repeatedly rotating the shaft between the vice jaws and doing this oscillation test over and over, you can eventually find a point at which the shaft will oscillate straight back and forth with no sideways movement. That would be a stable plane of bending for the shaft.

One other thing – whether this makes any difference in the shot depends entirely on whether the golfer has a late wrist cock release or not. For early to midway release golfers, spine alignment or shaft orientation does not matter. This is because whenever you unhinge the wrist cock angle in the downswing, at that point the shaft goes from flexed back to flexed forward. If the golfer has an earlier release, the shaft goes from flexed forward to back BEFORE IMPACT so that by the time the clubhead gets to the ball, the shaft has rebounded back to being straight.

But for the later release player, this is when shaft alignment can be more important because with a late release, the shaft is moving from flexed back to flexed forward at impact. Thus if there is any asymmetry to the bending of the shaft, as it moves from flexed back to forward, this is when that mis-alignment can show up in the form of a miss hit shot from the shaft not being in a stable plane of bending toward the ball.

Question #15:Is there any way to get a Driver with a lie angle that will work for shorter golfers? I have had this issue for my whole golf career. If I choke up on the club I loose distance. Is there anything you would suggest?Thank you.GregAnswer #15:GREG:

This is a tough one because all drivers are pretty much made from Titanium with shortish length hosels, and titanium is very, very difficult to bend for doing a lie adjustment. However, all is not lost because you can offset any misdirection coming from the lie being too upright for you by using a more open face angle on the driver head.

Here’s what I mean. If you find that all drivers are much too upright for you, the misdirection problem that comes from the driver head arriving at impact with the toe end of the head tilted well up is a pull or hook. This is because as the clubhead is tilted more back on its heel, the loft on the face is automatically aimed more to the left. Misdirection problems in drivers and woods can be addressed by using a face angle that is opposite to the off line direction of the shot – meaning a more open face angle if the upright lie is causing a pull or hook.




If you find that you slice the ball then the upright lie is not the cause of the slice, in which case a more closed face angle becomes the fitting recommendation to reduce the severity of the slice.

Question #16:I would like to have Tom's opinion on shaft profiling, and where to place the shaft's spine: in line with the head's face , or perpendicular to it.Sergio

Answer #16:SERGIO

See the response I made to Dave Davison's same question above. Find the stable plane of bending of the shaft and install the shaft so that stable plane of bending points at the target.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #17:75 yrs old-healthy and reasonably fit, have lost over 50 yds off the tee in last 4 yrs have 9 degree medium shaft taylor made draw. have not lost that much off of ironsAnswer #17:PHIL:

As we age, and I hear you loud and clear because I just turned 60, we simply start to lose clubhead speed from a drop in our body strength and flexibility and how much we can rotate during the swing. This becomes a good news/bad news situation for us golfers. The bad news is that you can’t trick physics because distance is purely related to clubhead speed. For each 1mph of clubhead speed we lose, we drop 2.8 yds of carry distance with the driver.

The good news is that working with a really good clubfitter to be as accurately fit as possible can offset some of this distance loss, especially if you have played with standard clubs bought off the rack in a pro shop or golf retail store. As clubhead speed drops, more loft on the driver helps gain back some distance loss. If you are blessed with a smooth tempo swing, an inside out to square path, and a later to late wrist cock release, you can gain more clubhead speed from longer lengths AND lighter shafts. But if you have an outside in path and/or an earlier release, longer driver length won’t gain anything in terms of distance.

I strongly recommend you think about seeing a GOOD clubfitter. We maintain a list of competent, experienced custom clubmakers that you can reference at the following link to see if there is one in reasonable proximity to where you live - http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php

Last point – if you love the game, don’t want to lose more in how you play, and are willing to commit to a well planned physical work out program, there very definitely are some fantastic training regimens



http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php


that truly can bring back some of the lost clubhead speed as we age. My son is a physical therapist also with an exercise science degree and last winter he finally got his old man here to agree to go into such a training program after hearing me complain of lost distance.

Let me tell you how much I have always HATED working out in the past. But somehow I got the guts, courage, fear of losing any more in my game, to hang with his personal training sessions three times a week. After three months of his personal training, him being there every workout session to help me/encourage me/yell at me sometimes too, the endorphins from working out finally started to kick in for me so that I could see and feel the benefits enough to gain my own motivation to keep it up. After 3x a week sessions from last November to late March, I started this golf season with +5mph swing speed more than I had last season, (remember 1mph driver clubhead speed = 2.8 yds) so that was 14yds I gained back.

If you are so willing, I strongly recommend you find a licensed personal trainer who specializes in Core Strength and Flexibility training. Trainers licensed either in the TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) or the Paui Chek programs are also good for golf training. And remember, no one, and I mean this, no one hated working out more than I did. But having a trainer there with me for every work out for three months is what got me over the hump. It really is worth it and now that it is November again, I am back at working out again.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #18:Because of injury my driver swing speed puts me at about 85 mph. Therefore with many shafts I find myself smack in the middle between an A and an R flex. ( probably the same problem for those debating between an R and S shaft). On certain shafts, the manufacturer's specs show very little difference between flexes in terms of torque. When analyzing one particular shaft is there something else (other than torque) that would help me in deciding between an A and an R flex or (assuming the torque numbers are close) can I assume that there really is only a subtle difference between the flexes in terms of performance?- RegisAnswer #18:REGIS:

There are no standards in the shaft industry and there never will be because the golf companies and shaft companies do not want this. I know first hand. I served on an ASTM committee convened in the golf industry in the late 1990s that was trying to set up standards for shafts so consumers could have definite, empirical points of reference. After three years of meetings, the ASTM disbanded the committee because they could not get the company reps on the committee to agree to compromise. Every company wanted the standards to be their own that they had set up for their shafts.

So the best resource you can find for being fit into the best shaft for your swing is seriously to find a skilled and experienced clubfitter with whom you can work. The good custom clubmakers do have




access to the data base of empirical shaft test information that my company maintains for now more than 1600 different shaft models and flexes. The good clubmakers also are far better trained to be able to analyze a golfer’s swing speed + transition move + downswing tempo + Wrist cock release + strength to then use this data to come up with the best shaft fitting recommendations. We maintain a list of competent, experienced custom clubmakers that you can reference at the following link to see if there is one in reasonable proximity to where you live - http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php

One other thing – as clubhead speed slows, the very most important fitting specifications for distance are length, loft, shaft weight, total weight and swingweight or MOI of the club. The shaft’s flex is not quite as important for distance as are these other fitting factors. Working with a really good clubfitter will allow you to find the best overall combination of clubfitting specs to deliver the most distance possible for your swing speed and swing characteristics.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #19:Tom, I am 6' 2" tall with 37" sleeve length. In a standing position my hands hang 28 1/2 " off the floor. For years I have played irons that are +1/2 inch in length 2 degrees upwrite. My swing is too flat. I have been working on making it more upwrite and find I hit the ball further and straighter. My questions is + 1/2 is starting to feel too long . I feel too far away from the ball and feel like it makes me swing more around my body instead of up. What is your recomendation?Philip MosemanAnswer #19: PHILIP:

All of our initial measurement work for obtaining a starting point for length determination has been done from a WRIST TO FLOOR measurement basis and not from a sleeve length or fingertips to floor basis. So I apologize that I cannot fully relate to where you are with respect to all of our measurement work. But since you say your sleeve length is 37”, I can relate to that meaning your arms are a little longer than average for someone of your height, so in terms of trying to estimate that to a wrist to floor basis, that would mean you would likely have a little shorter W to F measurement than most golfers who are 6’2” tall.

In that case, it would not seem that your clubs would need to be longer than standard to offer you a basic starting point for COMFORT in the length of your clubs. So I don’t doubt what you are saying when you observe that you feel the +1/2” length is probably too long and tends to force you into swing



http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php


plane changes that don’t feel natural.

If I do some “extrapolation” based on other golfers’ height + sleeve length and where they are with respect to a wrist to floor measurement, my best guess would be your W to F would be in the area of between 34 to 36”. On our reference chart for this, that would equate to a STARTING length of 43.5” for the driver and 38” for the 5-iron. Note definitely we say that a wrist to floor reference is only a STARTING POINT for length determination.

When we teach length fitting, we stress to start with the lengths indicated by the W to F measurement, then we observe the golfer’s golf athletic ability, their swing path, their tempo and transition force/aggressiveness, and the point of their wrist cock release as further inputs from which the final length is determined. In general, the better the golfer’s athletic ability, more inside out to square the path, more smooth the tempo/transition and later the wrist cock release, the longer the clubs COULD BE from the wrist to floor starting point measurement.

And the less the golfer’s athletic ability, more outside in the path, more aggressive and forceful the tempo/transition and earlier the wrist cock release, the clubs should then never be longer than what the wrist to floor starting point measurement indicates, and could need to be a little shorter. FYI, here is a copy of our wrist to floor measurement chart that once again, we use only as a STARTING point from which we then observe actual swing characteristics before coming up with a final length:




Wrist to Floor

Driver Length

5-iron Length

27" to 29" 42" 36 1/2"

29+" to 32" 42 1/2 37

32+" to 34" 43 37 1/2

34+" to 36" 43 1/2 38

36+" to 37" 44 38 1/4

37+" to 38" 44 1/4 38 1/2

38+" to 39" 44 1/2 38 3/4

39+" to 40" 44 3/4 39

40+" to 41" 45 39 1/4

41+" to 42" 45 1/2" 39 1/2

over 42" 46 and up39 3/4 and up

Question #20:Tom, I had been hitting a Taylormade R9 460 9.5 deg.with the Motore F1 TP shaft.I went to a store and compared my club on a launch monitor to the Taylormade Superfast 9.5 deg. with the TP shaft . Both were stiff shafts. I'm 64 yrs old and my swing speed is between 103 to 105. The Superfast looked better on the launch monitor, so I traded in my R9 460. I am hitting the ball longer with similar dispersion but the height is much lower. Why? I feel with the same height as my R9 the Superfast would be even longer than it is now. Should I have gotten the10 or 10.5 degree. If so, how would have known that on an indoor launch monitor?Nelson RadcliffeAnswer #20:NELSON:

The only accurate way to determine the reason for a change in ball flight is to look at EACH ONE of



http://www.golfgearselect.com/fujikura-motore-f1-shaft-review/

http://www.golfgearselect.com/taylormade-r9-driver-review/


the specifications ON BOTH CLUBS that directly relate to shot height, and compare them one at a time to see which one(s) are different to cause the lower flight.

The only factors in a driver which show a definite contribution to the height of a shot are, 1) Loft, 2) Vertical Roll Radius on the face, 3) Center of Gravity of the head, both vertical and front to back location, 4) shaft flex and shaft bend profile, 5) total weight and swingweight.

1. The higher the loft of course, the higher the shot and vice versa. 2. The more radius of the vertical roll, the higher the loft will be on the top 1/3 of the face, the

lower the loft on the bottom 1/3 of the face. And vice versa, the less radius on the vertical roll of the face, the less the loft increases on the top 1/3 of the face from the center and the less the loft decreases on the bottom 1/3 of the face.

3. The lower and more rear located the CG, the higher the shot can be for any given loft. And vice versa.

4. The more flexible the overall flex of the shaft and more tip flexible the bend profile, the higher the shot can go. And vice versa. But this only happens for golfers with a later to very late release of the wrist cock angle on the downswing. Since you are a 6, I’ll assume you do have a later release so this one is also a possible explanation for you.

5. Changes in the total weight and/or swingweight COULD, not always, but could result in a change of the angle of attack of the club coming into the ball. Sometimes, not always by any means, a move to a much heavier weight or heavier headweight can cause the angle of attack to be slightly more downward which could result in a lower flight for any given loft. But #’s 1, 2, 3, and 4 are more predominant in their effect on shot height.

Of course without both drivers to measure carefully, I can only take a guess here as to the reason. But one big possibility is the fact that even though the two heads were marked the same for loft at 9.5, it is very possible they do not have the same exact loft. There are +/- tolerances in all specifications on clubheads and it is very common for there to be a variation in the loft no matter what company makes the head.

All launch monitors will show a launch angle for every shot as well as a backspin measurement. If you see the average launch angle is lower and/or the average spin is lower, then that means a lower flight for sure. So in your case here, you should have seen that the launch angle of the Superfast was lower to indicate this lower flight you see in play. And if so, then the number one solution for this is a little higher loft.

Once again, I am going to sound like a broken record here, but if you really want to stop the guessing and trial and error in club selection, find a really GOOD and very experienced clubfitter with a launch monitor with whom you can work to get every one of the key fitting specs matched to your swing. Few, darn few, of the people who run launch monitors in the big retail golf stores really know what they are doing when it comes to fitting. And on top of that, they simply do not have the range of fitting options among the OEM off the rack clubs to offer.

~ Tom Wishon




Question #21:What is your recommended maximum length for installing a graphite extension into a graphite shaft without the extension breaking? Isn't it possible that a graphite shaft could break under the left hand (right hand golfer) while executing a normal golf swing?Leigh TaylorAnswer #21:LEIGH:

Most graphite extenders are actually injection molded black plastic and not really made from a composite graphite material. At least I will say since I saw my first graphite extender back in the mid 90s, I have yet to see one made from actual graphite composite material. As such, the general rule of thumb for extender safety length is directly proportional to the clubhead speed and downswing aggressiveness of the golfer.

For golfers with very aggressive swings and clubhead speeds north of 100mph, +1” is totally safe, +1 ½” is typically OK, but 2” or more starts to get dodgy. For golfers south of 100mph with a little more smooth downswing tempo, 2” is going to be fine, but I would not push it to 3”.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #22:I'm now 55 yrs old. I've been using a 905R Titleist Driver since 7 years ago.It was custom-fitted with Grafalloy Blue shaft weighing 55g Regular. I'm buying a new Titleist 910D. Should I now fit with a Japanese shaft with lighter weight?ariffAnswer #22:ARIFF:

The #1 goal of shaft weight fitting has always been to match the weight of the shaft to the golfer’s most typical swing tempo and the golfer’s force they apply at the transition point in the swing, when they start the downswing. In general, the more smooth and rhythmic the tempo and the more gradual the force of acceleration is put on the club to start the downswing transition the lighter the shaft COULD BE. Whether it SHOULD BE involves also bringing in the golfer’s own personal sense of weight FEEL and what they have developed a preference for after years of play.

And on the opposite side, the more quick and fast the tempo, and the more forceful and sudden they ramp up their swing force to start the downswing, the heavier the shaft weight could be. The reason is because the shaft weight controls the TOTAL WEIGHT of the club more than any other element in the club. For most golfers, if they get a club that is too light, this causes them to fight their swing tempo



http://www.golfgearselect.com/titleist-910-driver-review/


and transition move so that they are always struggling to get their tempo to be consistent. And for most golfers, if the shaft weight is too heavy, this causes them to labor more with their swing tempo and transition and they start trying to swing harder to make the club feel right for their natural tempo and transition move.

If after 7 yrs of using this 55g shaft you have never struggled with being too quick in your swing tempo, and you have always felt you had no real problem being consistent with your tempo and timing, then yes, you could be a definite candidate for using an even lighter weight shaft. But if you have gone through bouts of struggling to force yourself to “slow down”, then going heavier in the shaft weight would probably be more advisable.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #23:How can I increase my driver swingspeed 15%?Isy RodriguezAnswer #23:ISY:

I’m not going to mince words here. Increasing a golfer’s swing speed by even 10% is never going to happen strictly through any change in the golf club’s specifications. Swing speed increases of 5%, 10% are really only possible if the golfer makes a serious commitment to a physical training program that focuses on core strength and flexibility training, and when the golfer stays with that program for a year or more.

From the standpoint of the club itself, swing speed can be slightly increased by increases in the length and decreases in the total weight (shaft weight) . But swing speed increases from length ONLY happen for golfers who have a later to very late unhinging of the wrist cock angle on the downswing. And swing speed increases from lightening the weight of the shaft MUST be accompanied by accurate swingweight fitting so that the golfer can also achieve their best possible on center hit performance at the same time. To get a 5% increase in swing speed from longer length OR from a lighter shaft weight will result in less distance if the golfer also happens to experience an increase in the off center hits from these changes.

If the golfer has a smooth tempo and a late wrist cock release, then yes, this means going longer in length and lighter in the shaft weight can result in as much as a 5% increase in clubhead speed. But 10% or 15% is only going to happen with a very well designed physical training program that focuses on core strength + flexibility – and even then, +15% would be very doubtful because our bodies all have limits.

Those golfers you see with the 120mph and higher clubhead speeds are born with that athletic capability and then develop it from either superb swing characteristics or physical training.

~ Tom Wishon




Question #24:HI. I ALWAYS HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH BUYING WEDGES OFF THE SHELF AND WAS WONDERING WHAT SORT OF SET UP YOU WOULD RECOMMEND. AND WOULD CUSTOM FIT HELP GREATLY. I HAVE NIKE VR BLADE PW 1 1/2 DEG UPRIGHT UNKOWN LOFT. DGS300 SHAFT WOULD YOU RECOMEND STIFFER OR SOFTER SHAFTS? A GREAT DIFFRENCE BETWEEN EACH WEDGE SHAFT LENGTH? AND WHAT DEGREES OF LOFT BETWEEN LOFTS? I FIND THAT A 4 DEGREE LOFT DIFFRENCE IN A SAND(56) WEDGE AND LOB WEDGE(60) IN OFF THE SHELF WEDGES ARE VERY SIMILIAR. WOULD I NEED TO START WITH GETTING MY PW CHECKED FOR LOFT AND LIE BEFORE I START BUILDING A WEDGE SET.MARK LANGNESAnswer #24:MARK:

There is so much more about wedge fitting than I can cover in a brief answer, but I will do my best to hit the key points.

1. To ensure a proper distance difference between the wedges, the loft increments have to be accurately checked. 4* difference between the #9 to PW to AW to SW to LW is certainly advisable, but the rule of thumb is no less than 3* and no more than 5* in loft between each wedge.

2. From a length standpoint, this can be entirely up to the golfer’s comfort in setting up to the shot with each wedge. Typically though, the PW and AW (gap)would be the same as the #9, the SW and LW would be -1/2” from the PW/AW.

3. Swingweight or headweight wise, this is keyed by how much each wedge is used in a FULL SWING shot versus how much it is used in a ¾ to half swing. So typically, if the golfer uses the PW and AW for many more full swing shots and leaves the ¾ length and half swing length shots to the SW or LW, then the PW and AW would be built to have the same swingweight as the #9. If the PW and AW are used for knock downs and ¾ length swing shots a lot, then increase the swingweight of the PW and AW by +2 swingweight points over the swingweight of the #9 iron. For the SW, the swingweight would typically be +2 to +4 swingweight points over the swingweight of the PW and AW.

4. Your wedge set makeup should be chosen on the basis of the green, bunker and turfgrass characteristics where you play. Here are some of the guidelines for that:

a. Raised greens, small greens, very undulating greens indicate a need for higher lofts in the SW and LW of the set makeup, so a wedge set makeup of PW being +4* loft from the 9, AW being +4 from the PW, SW being +4 from the AW and LW being +4 from the SW is considered more beneficial.

b. Flat greens, large greens, greens on the same level as the fairway indicate a need for perhaps lower lofts in the SW with no LW required in the set. So the PW would still be +4 from the #9 and with the SW being in the area of 54-55* loft. Depending on what




that actual PW loft is, this tells you if you need a gap wedge (AW) to fill in the loft difference between the PW and SW.

c. Fluffy sand, deep sand, fine particle sand tend to indicate a need for a little more bounce sole angle on the SW – and if you use a LW from sand, that type of sand indicates more bounce than usual on the LW. In such cases, more bounce means no less than 12* on the SW and no less than 10* on the LW. BUT – keying into this bounce decision is your personal angle of attack into the ball with the wedges. If you are more steep and downward, more bounce helps to keep the wedge from digging too deep in the sand; less

d. steep and more level in the A of A indicates a need for a little less bounce sole angle so the sole can get more under the ball in such soft, deep sand.

e. Coarse sand, shallow sand, heavier particle sand tends to indicate a need for a little less bounce on the SW and LW.

f. Thick, longer grass around the greens, and also Bermuda type grass around the greens tends to indicate a need for a little more bounce sole angle on ALL THE WEDGES, not just the SW and LW.

Hope this helps a little.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #25:I am wondering why OEM Manufacturers of Irons all seem to make their forged Iron sets with hosels that are taper tip. Yet the same manufacturers will offer other iron sets, albeit less expensive ones that are parallel tip hosels. The net result of this is that if you wish to reshaft you are limited in your choices of available shafts. I realize that one can bore out a taper tip hosel to parallel if you have a good quality drill press and the right tool but this process can have issues too.Answer #25:RICHARD:

This goes way back into tradition. For years and years, the steel iron shaft most used by tour players was the Dyamic from True Temper. A characteristic of the Dynamic taper tip shaft is that each different raw length used to make each different numbered iron in a full set was actually made to the same weight. So the 39” raw length taper tip Dynamic shaft that went into the 2 iron weighed the same as every one of the other shorter raw length taper tip Dynamic shafts for each of the other irons in the set.

When the parallel tip shafts were introduced in the early 70s, tour players largely preferred the feel of the Dynamic taper tip because the parallel tip version of the shaft decreased in weight down through the set to the short irons. This happened of course because when you use one master shaft for every head, you cut more from each iron shaft from the long to the short iron clubs. This changed the balance point of the clubs when built with the Dynamic parallel tip version vs the taper tip version and the tour pros noticed this and did not like it. For years, most of the forged irons from all the OEMs were offered with the Dynamic iron shaft because that is what the tour players most often used. Since the tour players liked the taper tip Dynamic, so too the OEMs stayed with this shaft in their forged irons and all the heads were made with a tapered bore.

But the Dynamic pattern from True Temper is one of the very few steel shafts in which the taper tip version weighs the same for each shaft. Pretty much every other taper tip steel iron shaft today is made from a parallel tip blank model. After trimming to the different shaft lengths required for each head number, the shaft companies then squeeze down the parallel tip into a tapered configuration. The



http://www.golfgearselect.com/true-temper-dynamic-gold-shaft-review/

reason is because it is FAR less expensive to make a set of taper tip shafts from a parallel blank than it is to make each taper tip shaft from its own separate tooling so each shaft could weigh the same. I do think that Nippon Shaft Company does still make several of their taper tip iron shafts to all be the same weight for each different raw length shaft used to built a full set, but I do not know for sure which ones. So this means when you see a set of taper tip iron shafts in a set of irons off the rack and the shaft is not a Dynamic, it’s a waste of time for them to do this since the tapered and parallel versions are the same. But not in the Dynamic, so that still stands as the main reason many OEM forged irons are tapered bore – that and the old tradition that “good players use taper tip iron shafts.”

Boring out tapered hosels to accept a parallel shaft should NEVER do anything to harm or change the club in anyway. If the Clubmaker has a decent drill press and a good holding fixture for the heads, this is a very routine and simple operation that would never change anything for the worse.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #26:Tom, what is the deal with driver length. On many web sites I have seen they are all recommending 43 -44 " driver length yet all the driver companies sell 45,46 and some approaching 47" drivers. If I buy a new driver should I get it cut down by an inch or two. Then what does it do to the swing WT, shaft flex, club WT etc. What's the story??? Thanks, AlanAnswer #26:ALAN:

Great question you ask, Alan because this is an extremely important area of clubfitting for all golfers to get the most from their drivers. From the early 1900s all the way to the 1980s, the standard men’s driver length from every golf company on the planet was 43”, with women’s at 42”. Then all of a sudden, driver lengths started to increase rapidly to the point that today, men’s standard driver lengths run between 45.5” and 46.5”, with women’s being dragged along to still be 1” shorter.

Did the golfer population all of a sudden get taller or more proficient to be able to handle that much of a driver length increase? No. What triggered this was an acceleration of competition for sales among an ever increasing number of golf club companies. When it comes to driver sales, DISTANCE SELLS. Companies who are able to convince golfers that their driver will hit the ball longer have always reaped the benefit of a big increase in sales. When it comes to convincing golfers that a driver generates more distance, increasing length has been one way to do that because it is believed by all that a longer length means more clubhead speed, and more clubhead speed means more distance.

The problem is, a longer length does not guarantee more clubhead speed. But for 98% of the golfer population, a longer length does ensure a higher percentage of off center hits. The only golfers who do see an increase in clubhead speed from a longer driver length are those players who have a later to very late unhinging of the wrist-cock angle on the downswing. For all who have an early to midway release, going longer does not bring a higher clubhead speed. This is because for ALL golfers, the point at which they get their highest clubhead speed is right when they unhinge the wrist cock angle. Release




the club early to midway on the downswing and the club actually is slowing down when it gets to the ball.

Here’s a factoid to think about. Since 2005, the average driver length on the PGA Tour has been 44.5”. Not the 45.5” to 46.5” being sold to millions of golfers. On Tour you have a collection of golfers who you would think could very well control a longer length driver because of their incredible swing skills. But the reason the average driver length on Tour has been 1” to 2” shorter than what is sold off the rack is because as good as these guys are, they know even they cannot control a longer length as well as one that is a little shorter. Now think about how this applies to all the regular golfers out there.

If a golfer has a smooth tempo, inside out path, later release, and good control over their swing, then fine, go with the longer length to try to maximize distance. But if the golfer has any of the following – faster, more aggressive tempo, early to midway release, outside in path, and average to below average golf athletic ability, the best driver length will be in the area between 43.5 and 44.5 for men, 42 to 43 for women.

As to cutting down your driver, very definitely when you do this you MUST add weight to the head to restore the swingweight balance and headweight feel. Not doing that ensures a very high percentage of off center hits because you won’t be able to feel the presence of the head’s weight during the swing.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #27:I play of 15 and generally hit the driver 250 - 260 on a good day but they are few and far between, I tend to hit the ball right to left. I have gone thru quite a few drivers and shafts trying to find the right combination until recently. I now have a titleist 909D Comp 8.5 Matrix Xcon 6 stiff. I have been choking down on the driver about an inch or more which has given me better control. If I were to get the shaft cut down 1 or 1.5 inches what differences would this make to the shaft?

AndrewAnswer #27: ANDREW:

When you shorten the length of an existing club, it is a MUST to add weight to the head to restore the swingweight of the club back to proper level for your tempo and swing timing. Not doing that pretty much guarantees worse performance from not being able to feel the presence of the headweight so your timing and tempo get messed up. Cutting down the length by 1” or even 2” won’t change the shaft’s performance to any point of negativity as long as you do add weight to the head to get the swingweight back up to where it was before the cut down. Adding weight to the head creates more of a bending action on the shaft than before so it offsets the slight increase in stiffness that occurs from a 1 to 2 inch reduction in length.

~ Tom Wishon



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Question #28:I have managed to get my 9.5 degree taylor made TP driver down to 43 inches by using winn lite midsize grip and adding extra 10 grams onto the headweight.The swingweight is D5 and the shaft is in the 65 gram range.The total weight is 306gramsI am 6 foot tall.Is there any recommendations that you can give me?AndrewAnswer #28: ANDREW:

To be completely honest, the best recommendation I can give you is to find a good, competent custom clubfitter in your area to work with to go through an extensive swing and fitting analysis to nail down every one of the key performance specifications on your driver and other clubs too. Really good fitting advice by email is tougher to do because fitting is all about identifying each swing characteristic of a golfer that has a direct influence on each fitting specification. Not knowing any of your swing characteristics such as clubhead speed, misdirection tendencies, swing path, downswing force/tempo, point of wrist-cock release, angle of attack into the ball makes it difficult to react to your club specs there to offer the best help. So really, if you are serious about the game and serious about getting the best equipment to allow you to play to the best of your ability, you’d not only find it very educational but you’d find it very worthwhile to find a good, experienced clubfitter in your area to work with. To find a good clubfitter in your area, head to this link - http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php

~ Tom Wishon

Question #29:I have been trying to find a driver head around 300-320cc's and for me no luck.Who would have made this size and would it be a piece type driver head.The 460 cc head is wearing me out I like smaller clubs and a lower ball flight not this try to reach the stars type shot.Any help would be appreciated.Thanks Blane KesslerAnswer #29:BLANE:

In today’s golf equipment industry, finding a new 300-320cc volume driver is about as easy as finding a needle in a haystack. Your best bet would be to hunt for a used titanium driver head or club from the 1990s and have it retro-fitted with the right shaft and all fitting specifications to match your swing characteristics because to my knowledge, no golf club company today makes a driver head any smaller




than the 420-460cc range. The golf club companies create what they think has the best chance of selling. And ever since the early 2000s, the marketing that has inferred that “bigger is better” has so polarized the golf market toward the larger size heads that no golf company wants to take a chance on trying to sell anything much smaller.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #30:Mr.WishonI have been playing golf 44 of the 47 years I've been on this planet.All thru ther years growing up watching the pro's and the best scratch golfers in my area hit all their shots low and long and with great spin on the ball.The clubs had small heads and faces.So here is what I want to know.Every pro I've watched and talked to say get the ball up high and let it go.WHY? You don't get bounce and roll it stays where it landed.I've played their way for 10 years now and I'm tired of it.When I go to a fitter they say,hittings shots like that will get you in trouble.No kidding I say,I'm use to hard pan and like hitting low shots tree top high I say.I need to know what is the Gain from high shots of any kind.Sure the tech is based and built around all these drivers with the club head the size of a soft ball,wheres those drivers with small compact heads.To me thats where the more solid shots are from I have caved in the face of every driver I have had since they have hit the market.The only one that I have not done that to is the Ping Rapture.Great club ,but I wish it had a club head of a 300cc driver.Where are they at by the way I would rather have one of those than anything.So Mr.Wishon please show and tell me the beneifit of this high ball shot of any kind.Thank you for your timeBlane KesslerAnswer #30:BLANE:

Keep in mind that out on Tour, the courses are all manicured with firm fairways with the grass cut to ½” or less – conditions that definitely help when it comes to roll after landing. But the main reasons a lot of tour players hit such high, soaring shots are because, 1) greens on tour are typically very firm so a high trajectory iron with a steep angle of descent helps stop the ball more quickly, 2) fairways are also fast so when a Tour player’s tee shot starts to head off line, again a steeper angle of descent helps keep the ball from running too far into the rough or out of play. Most all these guys have driver swing speeds north of 112mph and mid iron swing speeds north of 90mph. This means they get plenty of distance from their CARRY and do not tend to need a lot of roll after landing. So add this to the points 1 & 2 offered above and you see why many of the pros do want a high, soaring flight.



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For everyone else who wants to squeeze every yard from their swing speed, finding the right driver loft that allows for a good balance of carry + lower angle of descent for maximum roll is the way to go. But again, this depends on the typical fairway conditions where each golfer plays. If your typical fairway conditions are moist, lush, longer grass and not conducive to roll after landing, you need to be fit with a driver loft that allows for maximum carry. On the other hand, if your typical fairway conditions are dry, firm, shorter grass, then the best driver loft is the one that gives up some carry distance to generate a lower angle of descent to the ground to take full advantage of the roll out conditions of the fairway.

Last thing – golfers who play a lot of “traveling golf” do find it very wise to have two different drivers – one for maximum carry for use on the courses with fairway conditions that don’t allow for much roll, and one for a balance of less carry with a lower angle of descent for fairway conditions that do allow for a lot more roll out after landing.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #31:I note with interest some of the shaft fitting methods that you and others are using to choose a shaft for a particular golfer based on swing speed, tempo and release. With this in mind, would it be better for golfers to build their drivers by choosing the shaft first and then picking a head that gives them the optimal launch angle and spin when used with that shaft? In my experience people tend to do it in the opposite order, but maybe we're missing something here?I'd also like to know where torque fits into that equation, and whether it is possible to be fitted with one shaft for distance and another for accuracy - is there a trade off there?Answer #31:BRENDAN:

First of all, keep in mind that the shaft ONLY contributes to the launch angle and spin of a shot for golfers who have a semi-late to very late unhinging of their wrist-cock angle coming into impact. For golfers with an early to midway release, launch angle becomes strictly the product of the golfer’s angle of attack into the ball + the loft on the head at the point of impact on the face + a slight contribution of where the center of gravity (CG) of the head is in relation to the CG of the ball at impact.

In the fitting process for a later release golfer who will get some launch angle and spin contribution from the shaft, this is where the fitting process really needs to incorporate a test club(s) session in the fitting AND with a good launch monitor to be reading what is happening to the ball speed, launch angle and spin rate for each test club combination. In that environment, it does not matter whether you




choose shaft first, head second or vice versa because the launch monitor is going to tell you what changed with each change in the head to shaft test combinations.

Some clubfitters do use special head to shaft connector devices that allows them to interchange different heads with different shafts on an instant hit basis during the fitting session. Such shaft to head connectors really can be helpful for finding the best combination of loft and shaft for a golfer’s swing speed and angle of attack. It may take you a little research and a few phone calls, but if you take the time to find a clubfitter who can do such a test club session with a launch monitor, this really will nail things down to result in the best fit for head loft and shaft.

As to the torque, over the past ten years this really has become a non-issue in shaft fitting. The reason is because the shaft makers now take the approach to keep torque reasonably low on their shafts for higher swing speed golfers, and vice versa for their shafts for lower swing speed players. Torque only becomes a fitting issue if a golfer with a higher swing speed AND a more aggressive transition and tempo gets into a shaft with a torque higher than 4*. Since almost all stiffer flex shafts are made with 4* or lower torque, this means torque is pretty much a non-issue these days in fitting.

When a golfer wants a separate driver for distance and one for accuracy, the most typical difference in the clubs will be their length – with the distance driver being 2” to 3” longer in length than the accuracy driver. While it has been said that a stiffer shaft offers a little better accuracy, this really is not the way to go when trying to create separate drivers for distance and accuracy. For one, the more flexible shaft would not hit the ball more than a few yards to maybe 10 yds longer than the stiffer one. For the other, you want the shaft to be as perfectly fit as possible for YOUR clubhead speed, transition, tempo, and point of release. To have two markedly different shafts for flex could end up doing more harm to your consistency with very little to no effect on the distance.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #32:Chris WelchNeed a Shaft suggestion. I am 53 years old. More of a hitter of the ball versus a smooth swinger. Swing speed 98-103. Ball speed 148-152. I like a lighter shaft over heavier. Have carried an index of 7 but more like 13 today due to not playing as much. I miss hitting it far!Answer #32:CHRIS:

To do a credible job in shaft fitting, beyond the clubhead speed we need to SEE the golfer’s downswing transition move, their downswing acceleration, their point of wrist-cock release, and get an overall feel for how they use their strength in their swing motion. Based on what you offered, there are tons of shafts which would be in the category of rated for 100-110mph with a firmer tip section design. I say a shaft in a 100-110mph rating range because you say you are a hitter and that type of swing move




always tends to bend the shaft more than one with a less aggressive move on the downswing.

BUT. . . if you want more distance as your final statement indicates, the shaft is not where that is going to come from. Distance increase can only come from, 1) going to be fit by a really good clubfitter to get all of the key fitting specs lined up perfectly for your swing, 2) experimenting with longer length to try to get more swing speed. However, as I have said in other answers, longer length only results in more clubhead speed for golfers with a later to very late release. If you have that, then fine, experiment with a longer length, but do accept the fact that if you do, you will see a little increase in off center hits and decrease in control of the club. But if you can live with that for the times you would get the stars all in alignment in the swing, then go for a longer length.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #33:Dick MartzTom, I play Mizuno irons that I have been fitted for, they are 2degrees flat and I hit them very well with a slight draw. All my clubs are regular length. I hit the driver well, but when I miss, it always a fade or push. Will buying a driver like the new Titlist 910 which allows both lie and loft adjustment help reduce the number of fades and pushes? Will a slightly heavier shaft from my current 65 Diamana to a 75 gram shaft help?Answer #33:DICK:

When a golfer has a relatively consistent push or fade with the driver, the main reasons for this are one or a combination of the following, 1) the face angle is not closed enough for your typical swing path and face angle delivery in your swing, 2) the total weight of the driver may be a little too heavy for your swing tempo and timing, 3) the swingweight may be a little too high for your tempo and timing, 4) both the total weight AND swingweight could be a little too high for your tempo and timing. Loft is not an issue in directional problems. Driver lie angle is ONLY a possible in this if the driver lie you now have is too FLAT for you and your swing. Since pretty much every company’s driver heads are made with a 60* lie, and since that is quite an upright lie for the majority of golfers, it is not likely the lie of your driver is a culprit in your push fade tendency.

There is a BIG myth associated with these adjustable hosel devices on drivers. You definitely can change the lie angle to be more flat or more upright. But the other direction of adjustment does NOT change the loft unless the golfer intentionally holds the face square to the ball in the address position instead of letting the driver head rest flat on its sole. If the golfer always sets up to the driver by letting the sole sit on the ground, this other adjustment direction then causes a face angle change and not a loft change.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #34:Name of fitter in Cork area?



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Frank FitzgeraldI am 79. my wrist is 33--34 inches above floor. what should be length of driver, and what shaft is appropriate, please? recommend a suitable driver?Answer #34:FRANK:

I beg your pardon because my knowledge of Irish geography is not as good as it should be, but if you are not that far from Waterford, I would recommend you contact Jim at JB Custom Fit Golf in Waterford on 051-355 551 to inquire about working with him to meet your custom fitting needs.

Wrist to Floor measurement is only a starting point for length determination. From this, the final length is determined by evaluating the golfer’s golf athletic skill, swing path, downswing tempo and transition aggressiveness and point of wrist cock release on the downswing to come up with the best final length for the golfer. Based on your 33-34” wrist to floor measurement, that gives a STARTING POINT for driver length of 43”. If you have ALL of the following – a smooth tempo, if you do not have a very aggressive transition move to start the downswing, if you have a square to inside out swing path and if you have a midway to later release of your wrist cock angle on the downswing, then you could go longer than what the wrist to floor measurement indicates as the starting point up to as much as 45”.

If you have two of these characteristics, you could go with a 44” length. But if you have a fast tempo, if you have a more aggressive transition, if you have an outside in path and an earlier wrist cock release, then we would recommend you stay at 43” for the driver length.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #35:genei am 61 with a 15 handicap. i am 6'4" and weigh 300lbs. my swing speed is about mid 80's to low 90's. driver distance is about 200 yards with moderate fade. what do you suggest i use for a driver/shaft to maximize distance. any help to get more distance would be appreciated plus any suggestions on fairway woods/irons.Answer #35:GENE:

For golfers with a 15 hdcp and a swing speed between 85-95mph, the most important driver fitting specifications for maximizing your distance will be the length, loft, shaft weight, and swingweight. Shaft flex certainly needs to be fit properly for your swing speed and your downswing characteristics, but it is not going to be nearly as important for maximizing your distance as will these other 4 fitting factors.The one swing characteristic that you did not offer which adds to clubhead speed to allow us to judge your best loft is your angle of attack into the ball. With your current driver now, if your shot trajectory/height is average, then for your swing speed the best loft for maximum carry distance is




going to be in the area of 12*. If however, you hit your current driver higher than normal, then of course your ideal loft has to be lower than 12. And likewise, if you hit your current driver lower than normal, your optimum loft will be 13-14*.

Gene, the very, very best thing I can advise for you to squeeze out every possible yard for your swing speed and how you swing at the ball is really to find a good, experienced clubfitter in your area with whom you can work. A good clubfitter can take all the proper measurements, observe the key swing elements you have that relate to distance fitting decisions, and come up with the best length, loft, shaft weight, swingweight, and the other fitting factors which would combine to maximize your clubhead speed and your angle of attack for the most possible distance. Again, to find a good Clubmaker in your area, check out this link - http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php

~ Tom Wishon

Question #36:Gene RussellI have a taylormade superfast driver and three wood. My three wood is great, driver I lose it right to often. Can a driver be matched to a three wood. Driver is 9.5 regular flex. Three wood same. Would more loft and smaller head help. I am 64years of with a smooth tempo.Answer #36:GENE:

I would suspect three of the reasons that you are struggling with the Superfast Driver is because it is 46.5” in length with a standard swingweight of D8 and with only a loft of 9.5*. You did not say what your swing speed was, but I can tell you that a 9.5* loft is more of a proper fit for a golfer with a swing speed in the area of 95 to 105mph. While you do have a smooth tempo, which is a pre-requisite for being able to consistently control a longer driver length, 46.5” is VERY long and I would suspect, too long for your swing speed and tempo. And then the D8 swingweight. . . well, even at 46.5” of length, that is a lot of headweight feel on that long of a length to swing consistently.

I would recommend you shorten the driver by 1 inch to start with. When you do that, the swingweight will automatically drop to around D2 because the clubmaking rule of thumb for length to swingweight when a club is shortened is 1” = 6 swingweight points. A smaller head really won’t have anything to do with shot consistency unless you would happen to be so pre-disposed to not liking a large head that it would sub-consciously make you swing harder or change your swing in some way to counteract that feeling.

~ Tom Wishon




Question #37:Jim HurleyHow important is lie angle when picking a driver? All of my irons have been adjusted but the drivers have been stock (albiet with aftrmarket shafts). Also, is adjustability of lie angle on some of the newer drivers a significant advantage when choosing a driver.Answer #37:JIM:

Lie angle is typically least important on the driver because the severity of an incorrect lie to accuracy is related to the loft. The lower the loft, the less off line an incorrect lie shows up for a golfer, even given the fact that the driver hits the ball the longest distance. Even though you may see the toe of the driver tilted well up in the address position, this is not how the clubhead would actually be at impact because of what is called “shaft droop” that occurs during the swing.

When we unhinge our wrist cock angle on the downswing, this causes the clubhead to bend the shaft both a little forward AND a little downward at the same time. This happens because the shaft is attached to the clubhead at the very heel end of the head. With all the head’s weight sticking out there in front of the shaft, this causes the head to elicit both a forward and downward bending action on the shaft. The downward bending action on the shaft then brings the toe down more at impact, thus lessening whatever lie effect there may be on the shot.

With almost all drivers today being made with a 60* lie, this means for 98% of all golfers, if there is any possible misdirection coming from the lie being ill-fit to the golfer, the shot should fly a little left for a right handed golfer. But it is true that with the adjustable hosel drivers, as long as ALL of the other key fitting specifications are correct for the golfer, adjusting the lie to fit the golfer does at least eliminate the lie as being a possible cause of a misdirection shot. It’s just that rarely do we see the lie on its own be the main cause of an off line shot with the driver for the vast majority of golfers because of the reasons I stated above.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #38:john doggetti presently play mizuno mp 57 irons with aldila tp100 graphite shafts regular i swing around 96/100 i have been told to look at lighter steel stiff shafti swing quite fast and hardAnswer #38:JOHN:

Typically to match the total weight of the clubs to the swing tempo, timing and rhythm of the golfer, the more aggressive the downswing move at the ball, the heavier the shaft should be. This is because




the weight of the shaft controls the total weight of a golf club more than any other element in the club. If the total weight/shaft weight is too light for a golfer’s tempo and timing, the most typical symptom is that the golfer fights getting “too quick” with their tempo and they are always telling themselves to try to slow their tempo. But coupled with the total weight/shaft weight is also the swingweight of the club, or how much you feel or don’t feel the presence of the head’s weight during the swing. What can be tricky is to try to separate the two “weights” to determine which one might be causing a feeling that the weight of the club is either too light or too heavy for the golfer’s tempo and timing.

The Aldila graphite shaft you have in your irons weighs right around 100 grams. In terms of iron shafts, this is considered in fitting to be slightly more on the light side than heavy. Heavier weight iron shafts tend to run between 115g to 130g. Lighter weight steel shafts run anywhere from 90g to 115g. I would not think that if you swing fast and hard that you would want to try anything lighter than the 100g shafts you have now.

Depending on just HOW FAST AND HARD you swing at the ball, a 100g shaft might be a little on the light side. One experiment you can perform to determine this is to get some lead tape and over the course of 2-3 ball striking sessions on the range, add weight to the head to see how it feels – whether you sense that the increased headweight feel helps you control your tempo to be more consistent or not.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #39:KenI am 6 feet 10 inches tall My fitter wants me to play irons that are 1 3/4 inches longer and plus 4 degrees upright. he wants to use project x 6.5 shafts. I was concerned they may be too stiff, but he says since they are that much longer they will play shorter. Does a shaft play softer because it is longer?Answer #39:KEN:

With the majority of steel shafts, the rule of thumb is that for each 2” longer the clubs are made, the shafts will play one flex softer in feel. So it is true that at + 1.75” over standard length, the shafts should soften up by close to a full flex level in feel. The main point here though is what is your swing speed and downswing transition and tempo with respect to what should be the starting point for flex for you so that when the +1.75” is added, the shafts would drop down to be a proper fit for you.

I can tell you that the normal swing speed range for a golfer to be considered to be properly fit into the Project X 6.5 shafts AT STANDARD LENGTH would be a 5 iron swing speed of right around 85mph – meaning with a normal loft 5-iron at standard length, the golfer would need to hit that club in the area of 185 yards. If you hit a normal 5 iron in the area of 175, then these 6.5’s at +1.75” would probably not be too stiff.



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Question #40:Ken BrownI recently purchased a Ping G10 10.5 stiff driver to replace my current G5, also 10.5 stiff.My typical drive with the G5 is straight about 240 yards on the fly, but with a rather low trajectory. The G5 has a NVS 65S shaft.Can you recommend a shaft for the G10 to replace the standard Ping shaft to give me a higher trajectory and more distance?Answer #40:KEN:

Without having your clubhead speed and without knowing your transition move, tempo and point of wrist-cock release in the downswing, it is very difficult to talk about specific shaft recommendations. Also, the only golfers who can actually experience a change in shot height from a change in shafts are those who have a later to very late unhinging of the wrist cock angle on the downswing. As a 15 hdcp, you may or may not have a later release to be able to experience a change in shot height from a shaft change.

Loft has a far more direct and certain effect on shot height than does the shaft. Here again, without a clubhead speed, it is difficult to know if the 10.5 loft is a proper fit for your swing speed or not. Typically when we hear that a golfer with a 10.5* loft has a low shot trajectory, two things come up as a reason. 1) if your swing speed with the driver is not higher than 85mph, this could be one reason for the low trajectory because a 10.5* loft is better matched to a golfer with a swing speed in the area of 90-100mph who also has a level angle of attack into the ball, 2) if you have a downward angle of attack with a 90-100mph swing speed, this also can be the cause of a lower than desired shot height.

Without knowing anymore about your swing speed and swing characteristics, my first recommendation would be to say that you should be using more loft, in the area of 11.5 to 12 to be able to see a definite increase in trajectory. But I also would strongly recommend you take the time to find a good, experienced clubfitter in your area with whom you can work to nail this down more accurately.

Question #41:MichelHello, my driver 11° = 235 y ; # 3 wood = 205 y ; # 5 wood = 185 y ; # 7 wood = 165 y.Irons : i.e.8 = 120 y7 = 130 y6 = 140 y5 = 150 yAs you can read my irons are short.



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What could be wrong with it??Best regardsAnswer #41:MICHEL:

I am sorry but it is quite difficult to offer a very clear answer without knowing what your swing speed is with the driver and with your 5 or 6 iron and without also knowing what the actual lofts are on these irons you are using. If you walked into my shop, the first thing I would do is to measure your swing speeds and measure the lofts on your irons. From that I would know for sure what your actual iron shot distances should be.

Based on your 5 iron having a loft in the area of 26-27*, a distance of 150 yds should mean you would have a 5 iron swing speed of around 60-65mph. If you can go somewhere to have your 5 iron swing speed measured ACCURATELY , at least this information here should help you know a little more about whether your iron distances are short or not.

In the golf industry today, each company decides what the loft of their clubs will be. There is no set standard for loft that all the golf companies follow on their clubs. So there are 5 irons in the industry today with as little as 23* loft and there are 5 irons on clubs sold today which have a loft as high as 28*. Loft is the #1 factor that determines how far a shot is hit with the irons. So now you can understand a little more as to why it is important to know what the lofts are on your irons.

Swing speed is the other factor that controls how far a golfer hits any club of a specific loft. In looking at the distances you report for your woods, I will guess that these distances are for the full distance including the roll of the ball after landing. A 205yd #3 wood shot would tend to indicate a driver swing speed of around 80-85mph. Typically if we see a golfer with an 80-85mph driver clubhead speed, the matching 5-iron swing speed would be in the area of 65mph. So from all my guessing here in the face of not knowing your swing speed and loft measurements, it is possible that your iron distances are slightly low, but not a lot. And once again, that also could be because the lofts on your irons might be a little higher than normal too.

The very best way you can know for sure is for you to find a very good Clubfitter in your area and to have him analyze your swing speed and measure the lofts of your clubs. From that, you would be able to know a lot more to help you. To find a good Clubmaker you can head to this web link - http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php

~ Tom Wishon

Question #42:Nollie SwynnertonNew ultralight shafts (Fujikura Blur) and driver heads are becoming available, promising faster speed



http://www.golfgearselect.com/fujikura-blur-to-be-available-in-january-of-2011/


at longer lengths. The length aspect is contrary to what's in your books. What are your thoughts on the matter for use by older guys?Answer #42:NOLLIE:

As I have mentioned in my books and in other answers here, longer lengths only result in a higher swing speed if the golfer has a later to very late unhinging of the wrist-cock angle on the downswing. If the golfer has an early to midway release of the wrist-cock angle on the downswing, by the time the clubhead gets to the ball the swing speed will be lower than what it was at that actual moment of release. This is why swing technique tries to teach golfers to hold that wrist cock angle until later in the downswing.

Much lighter weight shafts can result in a small increase in swing speed. This can happen even for golfers who have an earlier release because our same swing effort is now swinging a lighter total weight club. BUT. . . if the length is too long for the golfer’s swing ability, more times than not the length being too long counteracts the lighter total weight to end up with no real increase in swing speed at all.The perfect candidate for a much lighter weight shaft with longer length resulting in more distance is a golfer who has a smooth, gradual transition move to start the downswing, a smooth tempo, an inside out to square swing path, AND a later release of the wrist cock angle. With all these characteristics, yes, the much lighter weight drivers even at 46” in length can result in more distance.

But if the golfer has a more aggressive tempo and transition, if the golfer has an outside in path, and especially if the golfer has an early to midway release, these very light and very long drivers are going to cause more miss hits and more inconsistency and more of a chance of lost distance than a driver with a little heavier shaft and shorter length.

Question #43:Phil BengtssonNot all stiff shafts are the same. I have two drivers, one a 9.5 deg (Grafalloy Prolite 3.5) and the other is a 10.5 deg (Fujikura E160). The Fuji shaft feels better with less effort but doesn''t give me the distance of the Prolite. Would like to settle on one. Which is best for me?Answer #43:PHIL:

In my company, we maintain a data base of now more than 2000 different shafts made over the past 5 years by more than 30 different companies. IN looking up the data on the stiffness measurements of these two S flex shafts, what you feel is borne out by the data. The ProLite 3.5 S flex is actually a full flex stiffer overall than the E160 S shaft in design. This very definitely explains the difference in FEEL.As to the distance, you have one other X factor between the clubs that has to affect this, that being the



http://www.golfgearselect.com/fujikura-e150-e160-shaft-review/


9.5 loft in the driver you hit farther vs the 10.5 loft in the one you hit shorter. Assuming these lofts are actually what they are, which is no guarantee because EVERY company has to deal with a +/-1* tolerance for the loft on their production heads, this explains some of the distance difference.

Logic would say to always use the driver you hit farther, as long as the directional control is good with that. But in between the lines of your question is the fact that it stands out that you do have a very definite FEEL requirement for the shaft. So logic would also say why not consider putting the E160 shaft into the 9.5* head so you have a chance to experience the best of both worlds in your dilemma?

There very well could be other differences between the two drivers that could also be contributing to the distance difference but this would require being able to measure all specs of the two drivers to be able to go through any differences, one by one to eliminate variables. The best way to do that would be to find a good Clubmaker who has all the proper club measurement equipment so you could know everything more clearly.

But off the top of my head I still would be interested to see you switch shafts in the heads and see what happens because just from what you said in your short question, that seems to be a logical thing to try.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #44:Randy FarrisTom.I am 54 and retired. I was thinking about starting a small buisness by buying a Trackman launch monitor and helping golfers get fitted to correct clubs or building clubs. There are launch monitors at some golf stores but they seem suspect to me and are geared into getting the person into buying a new clubs always. What advice could you give me? Thanks Randy FarrisAnswer #44:RANDY

There is no question that the number one best and most accurate launch monitor in the business and ever made is TrackMan. Even the FlightScope trails in accuracy in several of its parameters compared to TM. The units which are all in the $3000-$5000 range, meaning units like Zelocity, Golf Achiever, Vector are not nearly as accurate as is TM.

And don’t get me started on the golf retail stores and their launch monitor use. From lack of knowledge in how to translate the data into meaningful fitting recommendations to lack of accuracy in the launch monitor to pressure from the store managers to make the sale as fast as possible, fitting in the large chain stores is ridiculous and a definite buyer beware situation. I’ve seen it first hand in my experience many times, unfortunately.




For sure, being able to know exactly how to translate what TrackMan reads into really accurate fitting recommendations is first and foremost. But a really close second for success in what you want to do is whether you are really outgoing, have a really engaging personality, and whether you are very comfortable “talking the talk” to the golfers you will see.

I’ve worked with custom clubmakers for now more than 30 yrs in my career. The ones who are the most successful are the ones who can combine BOTH a strong technical knowledge/experience with the courage and ability to really engage the golfers in a comfortable conversation which educates the golfers and makes them realize what the Clubmaker is telling them really is the truth about golf clubs. I can’t tell you how many clubmakers I have met and known who are SUPERB in their technical skills but struggle in their business because they just cannot “talk the talk” to the golfers they see.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #45:robi have a swing speed of 82 and play reg shafts,the other day i asked him for a shot with his stiff shafted driver and fealt that i hit it better,whyAnswer #45:ROB:

First of all, not all Stiff flex shafts are the same in their actual stiffness design. There is no standard in the golf industry for how stiff any of the letter flex designations on shafts are. Each golf company and shaft company is free to determine how stiff they want each of their different flexes to be in their shafts. As a result, there is an INCREDIBLE range within the shafts of each flex designation that exists in the industry, even sometimes within the shafts of the same flex from the same company!

My guess would be the S flex in your friend’s driver is not really stiffer than the R flex in your driver. But do realize that hitting one club better than another can be from far more fitting differences than just the shaft. To really know the full story of why you hit his driver well would require measuring all the key fitting specifications of yours and his driver, then comparing them one by one.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #46:RobertTom,Always good to hear from you. I was fitted last season, how often do you recommend going back to your fitter and having a "tune up"?




Answer #46:ROBERT:

Thanks much! Good question you ask too, because most golfers don’t have an idea about this. Only if the golfer has been able to make changes in their swing for their clubhead speeds, for their swing path, in their strength, or for when they unhinge the wrist cock release on the downswing should they then head in to be re-fit for their clubs.

If the original fitting was done accurately, and if the golfer has no changes in any of these key swing parameters, the clubs would be good for life.

Only other exception in the area of “tune-up” would be if the golfer plays forged carbon steel irons, has a stronger swing move at the ball, and hits shots off mats or generates pretty significant divots when they play. In such cases, the loft of forged carbon steel irons can change from such use and as such, a check of the lofts (and lies) should be done each year to readjust them back to where they need to be.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #47:Ron WorthingtonReshafting a 09' 9.5 taylor burner with stiff Pro Launch. speed about mid 90's- need softer shaft, higher ball flight. Would a regular Epic shaft give me a good option-already own shaft.Answer #47:RON:

Bear with me here as there are quite a few different ProLaunch models from Grafalloy. Pro Launch Axis S, Pro Launch Blue S, Pro Launch Platinum S are all very similar to each other in flex design and all quite similar in flex design to the Epic R. So similar that you really should not notice any difference in the actual bending feel among all these models. But the Pro Launch Red S is quite a lot stiffer overall compared to the other PL’s and to the Epic R flex. So check which ProLaunch you have for sure.

The one other big difference is that the Epic is around a 77 gram weight shaft while all the ProLaunch shafts are in the area between 60-65 grams. So a move to the Epic would increase the total weight and increase the swingweight/head feel of the driver.

~ Tom Wishon



http://www.golfgearselect.com/grafalloy-epic-review/


Question #48:Sergio DienaI have another question for Tom. What do you do, when somebody who is about to start playing golf, asks to be fitted. It has happened to me, and I tell him not to buy clubs but to rent some, and to come back after at least 10 lessons with a good pro.Answer #48:SERGIO:

VERY GOOD QUESTION and thank you for asking this! Most people think it is a waste of time for any beginning golfer to be custom fit because they do not have any type of a consistent swing yet. Even though a beginner does not have any type of consistent swing, for the purpose of helping them to learn the game faster and to make sure the clubs do not get in the way to prevent them from gaining progress in their lessons, beginners should use clubs to learn with which are shorter in length, with more loft, with more flexible shafts, with the total weight and swingweight matched as well as possible to their strength and with the grips sized to the beginner’s hands.

Using standard clubs to learn with, especially standard woods, can actually cause beginners to have a more difficult time learning some of the key swing elements. Once the golfer gets to a point where they are getting >90% of their shots up in the air and they are seeing some consistency to their mistakes, then the fitting can be done for all the specifications to match how they swing.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #49:Jim McFerranI have a few True Temper Sensicore shafts. I don't know what the numbers and letters on the butt end of the shaft indicate. I need to know what the raw flex is. They are 18270952-13 USNL IMM 43.00. Can you help me?Answer #49:JIM:

Those code numbers on the butt of the shaft are True Temper’s in-house production code designation for the Release Men’s flex shaft. The Release is made only in one men’s flex, which is more like a soft R to A flex. The 43 indicates the raw uncut length of the shaft is 43”.

~ Tom Wishon




Question #50:Your NameMy tee shot using driver have no run as my ball most of the time even back spin about six inches. I have tried many low spin shafts with high kick points and even use 9.5deg driver with adjustable face. I even tried low torque shaft at 3.0 to 4.5. All did not work. I have a swing speed of 100-105mph. My tee shot only do 200meters and i have rescue my game with my iron play. I play off a handicap of 10. I really need more row on my tee sho.ts as my flight mates tee shot get at least 20m row and my none.Answer #50:Dear Unknown Golfer:

Based on your description, I have to assume that you also hit the ball on a higher than normal trajectory to end up seeing no roll at all on the shot. From all my years of experience, more times that not when I hear this type of shot description and the golfer has seen no change from stiffer shafts or lower lofts, what is happening is that the clubhead is passing ahead of the hands before impact.

When that happens, the loft on the head at impact is higher, which generates the higher flight with more spin and no roll upon landing. The only real way to check on this is to video tape your swing with the camera facing your chest. Run the video in slow motion and look for where the clubhead is in relation to the hands at impact.

If this is the case, there is no equipment change that can bring the ball down and generate roll because this is a total swing issue. If this is the case, you would need to take lessons and practice seriously so that you can train your release to allow the clubhead to stay a little behind the hands at the moment of impact. More times than not this swing error comes about from the golfer unhinging the wrist cock too early in the downswing so the clubhead keeps moving past the hands before the head reaches the ball.We see this a lot in golfers when we see a very high shot trajectory from a driver with a relatively low loft.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #51:Your NameHow do you know what is the right weight golf shaft? They vary from 48 to 90gm. It would seem inpossible to just go by feel. You would think there would be a technical indicator.. thanksAnswer #51:Fitting the weight of the shaft has to be done through an evaluation of the golfer’s swing speed, their physical strength, how they use that strength in their swing, and how aggressive the golfer’s transition and tempo are. Then on top of that, the golfer has to be quizzed as to whether they have developed their own preference for the sense of the total weight of the clubs during the swing. Asking for the golfer’s own weight feel preference is important because sometimes you do encounter a golfer whose




strength and swing force might indicate a lighter shaft, but they have over years of playing developed a preference for a little heavier total weight feel – and vice versa too.

Typically, the faster the swing speed, the stronger the golfer, the more forceful the transition move to start the downswing, and the faster and more aggressive their downswing tempo, the heavier the weight of the shaft needs to be to then be able to allow the golfer to develop their most consistent overall swing timing. And vice versa, the slower the swing speed, the more below average their strength, the more gradual and easy the transition move and smoother the tempo, the lighter the weight of the shaft should be.

Golfers who are totally on the “low end of these several points” are where you use the 45-50gram shafts. Golfers who are the direct opposite in all these points are where you point to the heaviest shafts. Then you have to use judgment to assess where each of these swing and golfer elements are to pick shafts that would be in between lightest and heaviest. However, of all these fitting elements used to judge the weight of the shaft, the ones that stacks up most important for shaft weight determination are the transition and the downswing acceleration.

Fitting for elements like loft, lie, shaft flex, length are far more cut and dried and able to be accurately determined from various technical measurements of the golfer and their swing. But fitting for the shaft weight (total weight) and swingweight and grip size are the main fitting elements that very much do require judgment from a very experienced clubfitter COMBINED WITH FEEDBACK FROM THE GOLFER about what they may have developed a preference for over years of playing.

This is also where working with a very experienced clubfitter who has years of experience in fitting golfers can be very helpful. A depth of experience in fitting golfers and knowing which ones reacted better to which shaft weights is an extremely valuable trait in a clubfitter because so much of shaft weight and swingweight fitting is judgment and knowing what swing moves react best to what weights in the clubs.

Question #52:Corky BelobraydichI have been golfing for thirty years. I am a average golfer who shoots in the low 80's, and really enjoy playing. I am 50 years old and have a driver swing speed of 105 mph+. I am right handed and have had golfers elbow in my right elbow for the last two years. I completely ruptured my flexor tendon in my right elbow golfing towards the end of this year. I had surgery recently to reattach the tendon. I am hoping to be able to golf again this coming spring. Currently I had been using TT Dynamic Gold S300 shafts with sensicore. Would you recommend I switch shafts when I return to golfing. If so, what type of shaft would you recommend. Would you recommend me switching to graphite shafts in my irons. Should I go to over sized grips. Any help or recomendation you may make is appreciated.Thanks in advance.




Answer #52:CORKY

First of all, with a son who is in training to be a Physical Therapist, please DO get yourself a GOOD therapist, DO religiously follow all the therapy exercises and DO NOT push it too fast too soon to get back into hitting full shots. What your clubs become in terms of shaft flex, shaft bend profile, total weight and swingweight after you are completely through your therapy depends completely on what your swing force and swing speed is after you have finished all rehab and have your DR’s and your PT person’s full approval to get back into the game full bore. Most definitely the vibration dampening capability of graphite certainly makes it a definite consideration for your elbow. So yes, once you are back at the game full bore, you would be well advised to move from steel into graphite.

Oversize grips or softer composition grips are more of a thing for arthritic pain reduction than for joint discomfort, so the grips should simply be what you like the feel of, and at the size that fits your hands in a way that you do not have to increase grip pressure to maintain a comfortable, secure hold on the club during the swing. But having seen some friends try to come back too fast, too soon from joint surgery and watching how that set them back another 3-6 months, please do be sure to take it very easy on getting back into full out swings while you keep doing everything your Dr and PT person tell you to do in your rehab.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #53:James LewisHappy Thankgiving Tom!I am considering the Taylormade Superfast TP 10.5^ stiff w/Matrix Ozik HD6 shaft; is this shaft a watered down version of the real thing? I need it to freq.w/grip at about 245cpm w/shaft length at 45.5" instead of 46", dont want to waste money IF the stock shaft is good? hard to beat $299; but IF reshafting to authentic HD6--firm @ 247-251 cpms raw; wil play softer? and help produce a slight medium draw? then thats what l want! Plus i want to cut down the length at least 1/4" to stay in fairway more! my smash factor is good at stock length, i just choke down, but prefer shorter shaft. My average Driver swing-speed is 95mph; current driver (5-yr old knock off) Average distance is 257 yrds. Whats your Advice??Answer #53:JAMES:

Since the actual HD6 shaft from Matrix sells as a shaft only for around $300, it is unlikely the one in the Taylor Made driver that is selling for $300 for the full club is exactly the same shaft. Over the past several years, there is a trend for some of the big golf club companies to offer one of their driver models with a shaft that carries the same name as one of the shaft companies’ brand name shaft models. So there is a lot of confusion as to whether these brand name shafts are exactly the same in the



http://www.golfgearselect.com/matrix-ozik-review/


big company driver as the company’s actual shaft that they sell in the after-market as a shaft only.

The only way that can be known for sure is to have both “versions” of the brand name shaft to do a full comparison of weight, flex, bend profile, torque and balance point – and that’s pretty tough to have both shafts with which to do that. So what’s left on one hand is to use common sense – if the shaft sells for $300 in the after-market as a shaft only and the driver retails for $300 in fully assembled form, something is not adding up. And that something is usually that the shaft company inked a deal with the big golf club company which in effect says, “if you buy enough shafts, we’ll let you use this name on the shaft.”

With ANY club you’re contemplating buying off the rack, you need to be able to hit test that club enough times to be able to make your own decision as to whether the club and shaft is right for your swing speed and your swing characteristics.

But in the end, since you did ask for my advice, you would be FAR better off finding a GOOD, experienced custom clubfitter in your area with whom you can work to end up with fully custom fit clubs for which all of the key fitting specifications are each tailored for you and your swing.

~ Tom Wishon

Question #54:Raoul FableI recently bought a Taylor Made Burner Superfast driver 9.5 deg Matrix Xcon 4.8 shaft regular flex after several fitting sessions on an indoor launch monitor. 95mph 16deg launch 3000rpm. I play off 18 h/c.In general my drives are still being pushed out to the right (I'm right handed) but not with a severe slice and distance is not what I had hoped for - 220 to 225 yards. I rarely manage a draw with this club.I noted that you are not a fan of long shafted drivers and like your advice on whether I should try cutting down the shaft to 44.5" or 45". Would this upset the swing weight and balance of the club doing more harm than good. Look forward to your advice. RaoulAnswer #54:RAOUL:

You can shorten the length of any existing club by removing the grip and cutting the shaft to the desired new length. However, when this is done with any club, you MUST MUST MUST re-swingweight the club at least back to its original level by adding weight to the head. Failure to do this will make things worse with the performance of the club. Unfortunately with off the rack clubs like this, there is no other easy way to add weight to the head to re-establish the swingweight than to use lead tape on the outside of the head. But that would certainly be MILES better than not re-swingweighting the club as you try to experiment with the effect of playing a shorter length driver.

~ Tom Wishon




Question #55:Paul G. Louisville,KYI am having success with the same length irons theory, can I make my driver's lie and length the same as my irons? (5i- 110mph clubhead speed, 240y straight). My drives are all over the place, need accuracy and will trade yardage for it!Answer #55:PAUL

When the lie angles are properly fit for the golfer for all the clubs in the set, you’ll generally find that each club ends up with a different unique lie angle to fit you properly. This is because the lengths of all the clubs are different, as are the headweights and actual flex of each shaft.

But as to a single LENGTH situation, I’m not a big fan of that for several reasons. First of all, if you did do that, as you say the lie angles are one of the specs that would need to be the same for every clubhead in the set. You just cannot find drivers and woods that would have the same lie as your irons because they just are not made that way. Second, you also would need to have the weight of each clubhead be exactly the same if all the clubs are going to be built to the same length. And again, you just won’t find clubheads made that way because there just is no demand for such clubheads to prompt a company to do that with their clubheads.

There is some proof in the industry that this single length concept really does not work all that well for the majority of golfers. Back in the mid to later 1990s, the former Tommy Armour Golf Company introduced such a concept in a line of woods and irons they named EQL. All the woods were made the same length as a 5 wood while all irons were built the same length as a 6-iron. 6 months after the EQL set was introduced, Tommy Armour Golf Company was out of business and closed down. The reason was because after a very robust period of initial sales, a HUGE percentage of the golfers who bought the EQL set returned them because they simply did not like them for several reasons.

If you’re struggling with drives all over the place, yes, a shorter driver length is part of the help for this, but in general, to be down around 43 to 43.5” and not at the 45.5 to 46.5” that is so common on all the big golf companies’ drivers they sell to golfers off the rack. In addition, getting the total weight and

swingweight of the driver properly fit to your strength, your downswing force, and your natural sense of swing tempo will go along with the shorter length to help improve your tee shot consistency as well. And finally, if you see that your miss-direction shots with the driver tend to be more in one direction than another, getting the face angle of the driver fit so it offsets that misdirection tendency is yet another very important thing to do in your search for a better driver.

~ Tom Wishon




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