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12500 Brooks School Road Fishers, IN 46038 phone: 317-842-0017 |
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Answers to your Important Questions | Answers to your Driver Questions
Golf Shafts
Premium golf shaft: These shafts have the tightest design and performance characteristic. The tolerances are specific to create defined results. These characteristics are verified through after production testing. All of these facts increase the production cycle and the cost. We verify these characteristics as a standard operating procedure at no additional charge. Standard golf shaft: These shafts offer specific design and performance characteristics. The tolerances are not specifically tested after production. We verify the characteristics as a standard operating procedure to insure performance at no additional charge. Value golf shafts: These shafts are produced by the same techniques on the same machinery without the tight performance characteristics. We also test these shafts to insure that they will perform as needed by our customers. Steel versus Graphite Steel shafts have been the predominate shaft utilized in golf since the early 1930’s. The combination of cost, durability and performance makes this shaft type still the predominate shaft in golf. There are multiple designs that can optimize performance for a wide range of golfers. Steel shafts transmit more vibration to the golfer and are fairly consistent in their role in the production of club head speed. Graphite shafts have been available since the early 1970’s. The use of the lightweight, strong material has evolved as engineers have understood the relationship between the shaft and the club head. The production process to make graphite shafts continues to be refined. The simple fact is that a lighter weight material used a golf shaft enables the golfer to produce more club head speed. Graphite is also a great shock absorber to minimize the vibration that travels up the shaft to the golfer. Graphite shafts require more fitting to insure the increase in club head speed is controllable for the golfer. Forged Versus Cast Blade versus perimeter weighted Forged irons The forging process has been used to manufacture the majority of iron heads before 1980. The process starts with bar steel. The steel is heated, pounded, stamped and shaped into a specific design. The process necessitated softer steel to start with so the end product is softer when compared to a cast produced iron head. A major source of confusion to golfers is that all forged irons are “blades”. A blade iron is predominately flat backed or muscle backed offering no forgiveness. The truth is that there are many good perimeter weighted forged iron heads. They are not as prevalent because the production process to make a forged iron is lengthier and thus more costly. Forged irons deliver a softer feel to the golfer. Better golfers like the feedback they receive from a forged iron head. They are able to “feel” miss-hits and good shots so that they are able to internalize their practice results. Cast irons The casting process to make iron heads is now the predominate method used by manufacturers today. The combination of reduced production cost and greater variability of design has made this process popular since the 1980’s. Early casting materials used harder grades of stainless steel as the molten metal was pored into the cast. Softer grades of stainless are now utilized in cast irons but the iron heads are still not as soft as a forged iron head. Most cast iron heads are thought to be perimeter weighted. This is no longer the case. There are many non-perimeter weighted iron heads and wedges that are manufactured through the casting process. Blade irons The less perimeter weighting present in an iron head design creates more feed back for most players. The notion that they are less forgiving is true once you make contact way off center. The degree of the lack of forgiveness is not equal to the degree of feed back you receive on an off center contact. The golfers’ perception is that if they feel more of a miss-hit the ball does not travel as straight or as far. This has been proven not to be true. Perimeter irons The more perimeter weighting present in an iron head design creates less feed back for most players. Perimeter weighting masks the miss-hits. The golfer does not feel the shock of a miss-hit so the assumption is that the shot was ok. The greatest shot forgiveness of perimeter weighted irons does not occur until the contact is far from the center of the iron. Golfers who have grown up playing perimeter weighted clubs and have a great deal of “feel” believe there is no lack of feel with this iron head design. What Driver should I use? Performance criteria: 1. Every golf club has specific performance characteristics designed for a specific golf swing. A touring golf professional’s driver swing averages Ball speed 150 + mph Club head speed 110 + mph Launch angle 12.5 to 14 degrees In swing tolerances ± 1° The average golfer’s driver swing Ball speed 95 + mph Club head speed 85 + mph Launch angle 16 to 18.5 degrees In swing tolerances ± 7° No single club design can be mass produced that optimizes its performance with these two swing models. OPTIONS: 2. The grip (size, feel and durability), the shaft ( weight, kick point, torque, and flex) which must compliment the head ( weight, size, center of gravity, and loft), all which works to optimize your swing ( angle of attack, swing path, and face position). You must select: 1. Grip Grip (hundred of options) 2. Shaft Shaft (thousands of options) 3. Head Head (hundreds of options) 4. Swing (repeatable 25% at 18 handicap) Is this simple? No. The solution….. A trained, trusted, experienced club fitter and builder at Fairway Golf. |
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