Hi "Mac", John M
Fitting juniors has been close to my heart. I got
into this biz with my sons when they were both in public
school.
My 2
boys and I started playing the game 6 years ago and the 2nd year of playing we
decided to get into clubmaking and bought some of the clubmaking
toys.
The
first year we each played with $50 used clubs but did invest in new grips (after
I felt the head twisting in my hand prior to impact, then the 45* ugly
shank).
The
next year in business we each got a new set of clubs, Duane was 14 while
Dwight was 11 years old. So now the $42 question > what flex for these
Junior players?
I
noticed Dwight (at age 11 was maybe 4 ft-11 and 95 lbs) starting to crush my
driver and fairway woods with Firm 6.0 flex. We have one par 3 that
measures 210 yards and he kept hitting it over the green with my driver.
Everything was wrong from a fitting standpoint. He wasn't 5 feet tall or
weigh even 100 lbs but was handling men's woods at standard
length.
For
irons we built him GS Tour Cavity (the ones Leitzke played), thinking we could
just reshaft as he grew, so why invest in zinc kids heads. These got
reshafted every 2 years.
Now he
is 16 and towers over his old man for both height and weight.
When
Duane was 14 years old he got a new GS Ti 260 driver with Paragon Parasonic
shaft. From memory it measured D5, 44.5 inch and 247 cpm (6.0 flex).
Two years later he built a new driver, 44.5 in, D5 and 271 cpm (8.3 flex).
This time the shaft of choice was Harrison UL Pro 2.5. We bought the
expensive shaft thinking he would just grow into it as he advanced through high
school. That day he jumped 2.3 flexes, and was still noticeably
longer off the tee with the new XX-Stiff shaft. Now at 19 he plays
a RBT/325 at 47 inches and 7.0 flex shaft.
Now the problem of fitting
myself. I decided to fit myself to Firm (6.0) for my woods (since I
tried a friends set that I liked), and Senior (4.5) for my irons with 4 cpm
between clubs. For irons I made DC Copperhead II, 37.5, D1, steel
Shadow shafts, 292 cpm (4.5). Over the last couple of
years I have increased my swingspeed about 7 or 8% due to better balance and
weight transfer. My mph swingspeed is now 90 DR / 79 5I. After
Dwight's irons were reshafted in August of this year, he now had new grips and
mine needed to be replaced. He wasn't playing for a couple of weeks
so I swapped his irons in my bag and left mine behind. Dwight's clubs are
still GS Tour Cavity, but now at 38.0 inch, D5.4 and 316 cpm (7.4 X-Stiff
flex). I jumped 3 full flexes, and these are the
best performing and feeling irons I have ever hit. Extremely accurate and
I gained some distance to boot. I guess its time for a new set
of irons.
I understand that not all variables were
held constant when flex was increased, but I was surprised at what the kids
could handle (thinking they would just grow into it) and what I could hit myself
for someone not very athletic. John, I'm going to think outside the box
come spring, and build myself the 'high handicapper' a new set of Raven NearNet
Forged Chromed Blades.
John you stated "The only one that seems a bit out of whack
is Harrison, which seem to play stiffer ... the Harrison UL3.5 is the world's
first perfect shaft." I find a lot of the Harrison UL's are supershafts,
and normally stiffer than most other manufacturers. Just turn a
Harrison UL 90 degrees and good chance you will get a different
flex. I agree the debate is resolved, only because I play
RBT/325 with Harrison UL Pro 3.5 A flex at 45 in. (shaft is delta 8 cpm
between the 2 planes). My fairway woods are UL3.5 Firm flex
since I like to lean on the shaft.
A guy
at work had problems this year with pain in his wrist and forearm when hitting
range balls and playing a round. He is around 25 years old and very
athletic. Maybe a prior injury. He would be in discomfort all
evening. His irons with TT Dynamic shafts were 2 years old. I
installed homemade S-C and new grips. The next day he went out for several
hours and hit about 300 balls. I talked to him again
today. He said he had not experienced any pain or discomfort in the
last 2 months of play, since his clubs were fitted with the homemade
inserts.
Thanks
HarryS
-----Original Message-----In a message dated 11/6/2002 6:25:46 PM Hawaiian Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 12:17 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: ShopTalk: X flex shafts
I'm a high handicapper but
straighter, better trajectory, more roll/overall distance, sounded
pretty good to me. Plus I'll be able to say "me? I hit an X." A lot
to that.
A year or so ago I built a tipped X flex driver for one of my junior golfers and so I had to try it too. Surprisingly it was OK to hit. Accuracy was good, trajectory a little low and not as much overall distance. You have to be careful about the assumption that more roll will result in greater overall distance. Depends a lot on ball flight path, spin (whether it climbs at the end and falls or just arcs over into a nice shallow landing angle). I stayed with the drivers that had the longest air time & best landing angle.
Rich "Mac" McHattie
Mac's Golf
