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The Golf Lab Members Only Newsletter
Driver Discoveries Summer 2006
August, 2006
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in this issue
-- World-Wide Standard of Excellence
-- Where’s the Problem?
-- The Simplest Way to Improve Performance with Your Driver
-- New Driver Shafts for 2006 -- Fujikura Rombax -- Graphite Design Pershing -- Aldila VS Proto -- Penley P2 -- True Temper (Bi-Matrix) Prototype -- And Thanks for Reading
For the last couple of months, we have been working hard on drivers and shafts to figure out how to get our customers extra distance for “free”. The new Trackman and Cheetah radar-based launch monitors allowed us to discover why some women and seniors do very well with low loft, stiff flexes (but very light shafts!). That is against the conventional wisdom of high loft and soft flexes. If you are not getting the distance you think you deserve, see if your profile matches others who have found success by going against the grain. We have found a problem with traditional launch monitor analysis. Conventional launch monitors can lead to false assumptions. If you find a pitch mark in the fairway next to your ball, your “angle of descent” is too steep. “Run out” is an important component of total distance. Learn how to pick a driver than maximizes roll. Set make up is getting to be a very big issue for most players. With Senior Tour players coming out with bags that start with 5 and 6 irons, it’s fair to say that almost all amateurs are thinking about replacing their long irons with utility clubs. We’ve searched out a great, inexpensive alternative for Golf Lab customers who want to give utilities a try without breaking the bank. As always, you can check out a demo for a round on your course – the best way to test equipment. |
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World-Wide Standard of Excellence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We’ve been lucky to establish a strategic relationship
with the Max Out Golf Group founded by
Mitch Voges, the 1991 Amateur Champion. Max Out
invented the Shaft Max load measurement device
and the Launch Max launch monitor. Max Out also
invented a wireless fitting system that permits driver
shafts
and heads to be swapped for testing. They were the
first company to do that, way back in 2001. The
Max Out Group is growing, adding new members in
London and Belfast – taking the worldwide total to
six locations. The technology that we receive from
Max Out is unique in the world. We think that there
is a new category of golf shop that is
emerging. “Technical fitting and clubmaking” is
definitely coming into its own. Golfers have found
that they play better if they work with a competent
clubfitter with the right technology. But, fitting is
only as good as the skill of the clubmaker to match
the fit. Look for the Max Out Golf Group to become a
worldwide presence in the new kind of custom golf
shop – the technical custom shop.
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Where’s the Problem? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most launch monitors have a built-in software routine
that compares each shot to a “theoretically perfect”
shot. That software is based on mathematical
models that are focused on maximum carry distance.
The model looks for a high launch angle and low
spin. We first discovered the problem working with
women and seniors. When we fitted them according
to the “optimization model” (high loft and soft flex),
they would occasionally come back to the shop and
report that they were losing distance. That’s not
supposed to happen. We discovered that golf is not
necessarily controlled by mathematical models.
Maximum distance is a combination of carry and roll.
For women and seniors, roll is a crucial component of
distance. We started to look very closely at our
fitting recommendations. Rather than going with the
conventional wisdom of high loft and soft flexes, we
began to experiment with lower lofts and very
light shafts in stiff flexes. Guess what? All of a
sudden our players began to set personal distance
records. Whatever your level of play, you’ll know
your driver is right when it takes you to “places
you’ve never been before”.
This phenomenon was noticed on the PGA Tour. The new Trackman launch monitor, based on radar, tracks the ball for most of its flight. There is now a technical breakthrough that allows players to determine the “angle of descent”. That is the reason that the Trackman is all the rage on the PGA Tour. Players have found that launch monitors that report that maximum distance from a computer program sometimes don’t prove out in real life. PGA Tour players who want maximum distance from their drives know that the angle of descent has to be 40* or below. Golf Lab clients now have the opportunity to take advantage of technology only available to PGA Tour Pros and a few select amateurs until now. Plan on booking your time at an outdoor fitting. Stay tuned for details on the next "Technology Shootout" at Poppy Ridge in September.
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The Simplest Way to Improve Performance with Your Driver ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you’re just going to pick one thing to tweak to
improve your results with your driver in a few minutes
have a close look at club length. Most drivers are
45” or more off the rack. Most PGA Tour players use
44.5” drivers – or less. At the Golf Lab we like to
test a too-long driver with a launch monitor and
record the results. Then, we take it to the back
room for a haircut. We blow a grip back on and test
it again. Most of the time ball speed goes up –
sometimes dramatically. Longer drivers do not go
farther for most players. They are never more
consistent.
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New Driver Shafts for 2006 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There’s been a spate of new shafts coming out this
summer. We’ve tried them all, stocked them all and
have them available for demo at the Golf Lab. For
most players, maximum distance is a factor of shaft
length, shaft weight, shaft flex, shaft bend profile
and stylish color combinations.
Keep in mind, buying a new driver or shaft at the Golf Lab prevents disappointments on the course. We test your driver in advance. You know how it performs. We test you with your new driver. If it doesn’t beat the performance of your old driver, you don’t own it. There is no guesswork and no orphans in the closet.
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Fujikura Rombax ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The “New Speeder” is the Fujikura Rombax. It comes
in three models: 5W06, 6W06, and 7W06. Each one
is targeted for a slightly different player with
increasing weights and varied bend profiles. The
technical story is about the Fuji magic material –
Triax. The design goal is to strengthen the shaft to
prevent “ovaling” – the tendency of the shaft to
distort during the swing. The Speeder had a nine
year run. Fuji hopes the Rombax will replace the
Speeder.
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Graphite Design Pershing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The single most popular shaft model on the PGA Tour
is the Graphite Design YS-6. A year ago, Graphite
Design made a bold move. They changed their color
and graphics, added a “+” to the shaft name and
then raised their prices. We received a sample of
the
new Pershing shaft to test. It is black with
holographic graphics. For looks, it’s a “10”.
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Aldila VS Proto ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aldila has enjoyed its position on top of the
worldwide popularity rankings with its popular NV and
NVS series of shafts. They’re out with a new entry,
this one aimed at a price range a little under $200 in
the aftermarket but with more layers of very thin
graphite fabric utilized in its construction. We’ve
tried it and we like it.
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Penley P2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The technical story behind the P2 is that it is
manufactured using a patented, “viscoelastic”
dampening material that is supposed to create a low-
torque shaft that doesn’t feel harsh. The line is set
up in progressive weights with matched driver and
fairway woods. For example, the P2-96s model is a
68 g. driver shaft and a 90 g. fairway wood shaft
designed for players with a swing speed of 90 to 102
MPH. The concept of weight-matched shafts for
both drivers and fairway woods is rare in the shaft
business. Most club fitters recommend heavier
fairway wood shafts so Penley is providing a product
that professional clubmakers will like. We always
support once-proud companies that crash and burn
and then attempt recovery.
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True Temper (Bi-Matrix) Prototype ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Tiger plays a shaft, the whole world knows and
wants to try it – and we’re no exception. We think
that the Prototype will be fabulous as a spin killer in
short lengths (the steel tip is heavy and brings
swingweight up several points). It’s also going to be
a good shaft to bring down ball flight for players who
are tired of bringing rain.
If you haven’t tried high loft, high COG heads with short, tip stiff shafts, you should think about it. The Nike Lucky 13 has been the surprise of the summer with short, stiff tipped shafts.
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And Thanks for Reading ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, here’s a “Members’ Only” Special. We’ve located
a very good utility head from PURE FIT GOLF that
comes with adjustable weights. Adjustable weights
are a nice feature because you can bring up the
weight of the head which allows you to play your
utilities at the same length as the iron it replaces.
That’s the secret to performance. Keep the length
down. Here’s a picture of the head:
We’re matching it up with your choice of 70, 80, 95 or 115 gram Aerotech Steel Fiber shafts, set to your custom length and flex for just $99 If you want the setup SST PUREd, the price is $129 That’s a cool $50 saving from normal retail. If you’ve been thinking of putting utilities in your bag, or if your current utilities aren’t performing, now is the time. Remember, we’re just one minute off of 101 at Embarcadero in Palo Alto. Easy access from the entire Bay Area and we’re here all the time during the week. Drop ins welcome.
Leith Anderson and Bob Huff
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Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email:
leith@calgolftech.com
phone:
(650) 493-1770
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