It's Official - Nike PUREs Tiger's Irons
 

It's a blockbuster article published last week in Golfweek Magazine. One of the most respected reporters in the golf industry - James Auchenbach - in a story about Strategic Shaft Technologies - revealed that Tiger Woods was able to pick two sets of PUREd irons out of 12 sets that he was testing. Those two sets are now his primary and backup set for his return to golf - hopefully in a few weeks.

This is an incredible scoop for Auchenbach. It is very rare for Nike to say anything about Tiger's equipment. For Nike to acknowledge that they PUREd Tiger's irons and then that he chose the two PUREd sets out of 12 that they sent him to try out is an extraordinary endorsement of SST PURE technology. It confirms what we've been saying all along: PUREing improves the feel and consistency of your irons.

Read the article.

There's a subplot. A few years ago it came out that Nike sent Tiger over 100 drivers for him to pick the "best" ones. Now, we know that Tiger wants 12 sets of irons - all the "same" to find two that he likes best. Tiger has probably been "fitted" 100 times - if not 1000. Fitting can get you in the ballpark but fitting does not trump feel. There is no substitute for choosing the actual club you're going to buy by hitting it, feeling the contact and seeing the ball fly. After a Golf Lab fitting we always provide demos so you can test for yourself - just like Tiger. Anything less is guesswork.

 

 SST PURE - the Breakthough
 

SST PURE has a long and controversial history. The roots go back well over ten years to a time when Howard Butler was working for True Temper. The fundamental question: "Is there a way to optimize the performance and feel of a golf club by orienting the shaft in a specific way?" That quest was joined by Dick Weiss who founded Strategic Shaft Technologies and has been the champion of SST PURE development - founding the company, patenting the technology, and (no small investment) defending the patents. Despite the fact that hundreds of PGA Tour Professionals have had their clubs PUREd in the SST Tour Van at tournaments over all these years - there has always been that nagging question: "If it's so good, why doesn't Tiger do it?"

That question has now been answered. Not only did Tiger have his irons PUREd , he was able to detect the difference between PUREd irons and others - with shafts installed randomly.

It looks to me like SST PURE is about to become an "overnight success" - after ten years of struggle.

 

 The Golf Lab Commitment to Excellence
 

When we founded the Golf Lab over seven years ago, it was with the intention to build "Tour Quality" golf clubs. Our first business decision was to license SST PURE technology - convinced by our own experience that PUREd clubs were better. Over the years, thousands of Golf Lab customers have agreed with us and insist on the real thing - SST PURE for their custom built golf clubs.

 

 SST PURE - the Process
 

Golf shafts are imperfect objects. Cosmetic finishing hides manufacturing irregularities. It is a simple process to reveal those irregularities. All shafts exhibit a "hard side" or "spine" that is the point of maximum strength. The SST PURE process finds that point with sensitive instrumentation. For maximum shaft stability, the "hard side" is located on the leading edge of the shaft at impact - the 9 o'clock position.

A second operation tests the shaft by horizontal oscillation to find the exact point - within the window of stability - where the shaft oscillates in the most stable plane. That position is then marked and the shaft in mounted.

Independent testing, funded by Strategic Shaft Technologies and performed by Golf Labs in San Diego proved that SST PUREd (clubs) produce longer and straighter shots.

View the test results.

Strategic Shaft Technologies publishes a weekly newsletter that comes straight from the Tour. Here's an example of this week's publication: (link to SST PURE newsletter). If you would like to receive your own copy, you can visit the SST website at www.sstpure.com and sign up to receive your own copy weekly.

In recent years, "shaft orientation" has gained a strong following among club makers. Some claim that they can achieve results similar to SST PURE by hand and by eye. We disagree. The SST PURE process requires sensitive electronics and sophisticated software. We invite you to visit the Golf Lab and see the process while we PURE your shafts.

SST PURE costs $50 per club and includes complete disassembly and rebuilding when we PURE your own clubs. With new custom clubs that we build, the process is much less difficult and the charge is $30 per club.

 

 Optimizing Performance of Your Clubs
 

If you are looking for better performance from your golf clubs, your best bet is to bring your current set to the Golf Lab for analysis and testing with your swing. It's a waste of time and money to buy another set of the same thing "off the rack". Remember: the definition of insanity is to expect different results - but continue to do the same thing.

A Golf Lab fitting will find the perfect shaft length, weight, flex and "bend profile" to fit your swing. We will balance your clubs with a combination of head weights and counterweights to improve your swing path, face angle at impact, ball speed and consistency. All testing is "open book" you see the results as you go through the process.

A complete Golf Lab fitting is $245 - takes over two hours and includes follow up testing at the range or on your own course. Driver and irons fitting, individually, is $125.

From time to time we run "fitting specials". We are so confident in our methods that we guarantee results. We're happy to perform a driver or irons testing for balance free of charge. Call the Golf Lab (650) 493- 1770 for details on current specials.

 

 Sidewalk Sale March 14th .
 

Our next Sidewalk is scheduled for March 14th. Mark your calendars. We'll have our usual "door busters" of $29 Titleist Pro V's and other premium balls. We'll have some of our current products on sale for that one day only - at prices too low to advertise. (Now you know what that means).

Correction: The Sidewalk Sale was advertised in the February Golf Today as February 14th. That was a mistake. Please don't come on Valentine's Day. Go out with your sweetie.