This is a good question, Bagger. For those who respond, I would also like to ask... is it possible to accurately fit clubs for BOTH Swinging and Hitting, or should they only be fit for one of the procedures. (C'mon Brian, I know you have some thoughts on this!)
Is club-fitting about fitting the clubs to the swing, or fitting the clubs to what the swing should be. Do most golfers want a magic club to fix an errant swing? Can a magic club fix an errant swing? I started golf in 1971. By 1980 I was playing Tommy Armour persimmon woods and Wilson Staff irons, all with steel shafts, no lob wedge, a balata ball, and shooting 81 consistently. A friend once told me I was the best 81 shooter he ever saw. It’s now 2005 I have a 45” long, Fujikura graphite shafted, 420cc, Titanium driver, frequency matched, MOI’d, spined, and what not . Perimeter weighted, forged cavity back irons with every different steel shaft imaginable, tour wedges, a belly putter, and the best golf balls known to man. Yes, I am 25 years older, but I’m still a consistent 81 shooter. Do you think it’s the arrow or the Indian? I’m now practicing my flying wedges, my grip, my pressure points, and alignments and hitting some shots that I’ve never dreamed of, (not all great). 34 years of bad habits to change. The proper swing is the cake and the fitted clubs are the icing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a club nut, but I finally see the fog slowly lifting. Let’s stay on track.
__________________
A mile from the place that golf calls home
For me, I had been going to more flex in the shafts. TGM says for me that I should be going to stiffer clubs, so I have switched to steel stiff shafts in irons and stiff graphite with my woods. My driver still has a R flex but I'd like to get it changed to stiff. I switched back to blades as well except the 3-5.
Distance is still the issue with me. I had swtiched to graphite to get more distance but they didn't help so I figured I might as well go back to steel.
I keep trying to build strength and working on the clubhead trailing the hands with firm left wrist in the hopes that those will help.
I agree with Rick's statement: "The proper swing is the cake and the fitted clubs are the icing." I have had so many club-fitting sessions end up being a G.O.L.F. lesson. I try to be honest and tell the player that until we make some changes to their current swing (or hit), they will never get the benefit out of a new set of clubs. Most of the time, they are willing to attempt making a change. When they see that they can actually change their ball flight (some of them for the first time in their life), they leave happy and comeback happy.
It is the indian, not the arrow. But, a good indian with a good set of arrows goes along way.
BTW, if the purchaser is someone who does not care to change his (or her) stroke, will never practice, wants to buy a game, and has a wallet the size of their ego...then step right this way. Do I have a set of clubs for you.
Brians hmmmm there shows there are differing opinions on this topic. The rule of thumb is to fit people with the lightest most flexible club THAT THEY CAN CONTROL.
For some that might need stiff stiff stiff. Lynn correct me if I have the wrong end of the stick but Homers idea was to have as stiff a shaft as you can (control)?
Hittes need stiffer shafts because of the way they load the shaft. Swingers have much more choise in the matter.
Steel shafts have not changed much in decades (OK OK its a rule of thumb statement) but graphites now have many of the NASA composite fellows working in the design teams allowing many more types of loading actions to be dealt with. I truely believe that Homer would have been hugely interested in the techinical evidence of what shafts can now be made to do
"alongside players release mechanisms". Shock horror even Tom Wishon has come out with a 'theory' on that side of things now....wonder where the conversation started him thinking about that one
For an average player the lightest most flexible shaft will help more than hinder. As you get better then the loading of the shaft differs and so the need to change shafts becomes an issue to get the most out of the tool in hand.
Lynn correct me if I have the wrong end of the stick, but Homers idea was to have as stiff a shaft as you can (control)?
Correct, Paul.
The stiffest Shafts. For Hitters, something to 'push against,' so it makes much difference. For Swingers, a 'piece of string,' so it makes little difference.
The hardest Balls. From shoulder height, drop onto concrete a medium compression Ball -- so-called 'right' for the average player -- and a high compression Ball -- right for the good player. Which bounced highest?
Now, ask yourself:
Why would I ever want to play the Ball that bounced lowest?
Lynn correct me if I have the wrong end of the stick, but Homers idea was to have as stiff a shaft as you can (control)?
Correct, Paul.
The stiffest Shafts. For Hitters, something to 'push against,' so it makes much difference. For Swingers, a 'piece of string,' so it makes little difference.
The hardest Balls. From shoulder height, drop onto concrete a medium compression Ball -- so-called 'right' for the average player -- and a high compression Ball -- right for the good player. Which bounced highest?
Now, ask yourself:
Why would I ever want to play the Ball that bounced lowest?
Lynn,
Could you clarify. I thought a softer, lower compression ball (like a noodle or a laddie), actually compresses more against the clubhead. The multi layered balls won't compress as well with a slower clubhead speed, and thus, won't compress the inner layers, which is the name of the game for distance. I'm very confused about all of this, needless to say.
[ The hardest Balls. From shoulder height, drop onto concrete a medium compression Ball -- so-called 'right' for the average player -- and a high compression Ball -- right for the good player. Which bounced highest?
Now, ask yourself:
Why would I ever want to play the Ball that bounced lowest?
For more control around the greens! Dropping a ball from my shoulder might approximate how hard I hit a chip ... Why would I want a ball that chips "hot"?
I don't believe compression matters like it used to. A ProV1 isn't going to bounce as high as an old Top Flite XL, but I'll bet it goes further off of my driver.
Linear Mode
