Clubmate Golf Australia

______________________________________________________________________________

The "Search" Begins...

At the beginning of April, regular golfers will start to learn the truth about their clubs when the new book, The Search for the Perfect Golf Club, becomes available. While The Search for the Perfect Golf Club becomes the 6th book I have written in my career, it is the first one I've done that is aimed primarily at regular golfers. At the time of this writing, initial copies are expected to be available for the PCS Expo (and from TWGT) in early March, so clubmakers can not only become familiar with the book itself, but also learn how the book is intended to help them increase their custom clubmaking business while educating golfers in the process.

I did the book for two primary reasons. I have always wanted to write a book that was aimed specifically at consumer golfers because what they know about golf clubs comes primarily from the ads that bombard them in magazines, the commercials they see on television, and articles in consumer golf magazines that really don't tell the whole truth. Most golfers think the best clubs they can buy are those bought off the rack in standard specs made by the big brand name golf companies. They believe this because of the huge brand name marketing campaigns unleashed by the big golf companies.

While the quality of most of these OEM components is sound, there is no way that all golfers can ever hope to play to the best of their ability when all they can select in the clubs they buy is a shaft flex and a driver loft that is never higher than 12 degrees. If this book does nothing more than plant a seed of doubt that what they have in their bag might not be the best clubs they can buy for their game, I'll consider it time well spent.

The other reason I did the book was to give clubmakers something they can sell, lend or even give to their prospective customers to reinforce what they are trying to tell the golfer. I realize that not all clubmakers are good "sales people." I also realize that many golfers are not very good listeners. It's my sincere hope that this book provides new inroads for discussion, and methods to reduce the impact of brand name brainwashing.

Excerpt from the Introduction

The golf club and the ball today are among the most superbly designed instruments and objects ever crafted for use in a game. Every inch of the club has a purpose and a clear rationale for why it is the way it is. It is 100 percent pure, engineered function. So, why then are so many golfers out there slashing away like cavemen with tree limbs in their hands?

One source of the problem, I believe, is that most golfers know next to nothing about how to select golf clubs that are designed to maximize the strengths, and minimize the weaknesses, in their swings. They know little more, really, than what they read in golf equipment advertising and Golf Channel infomercials. Now, I will admit, these ads rarely lie; but they also almost never tell the whole truth. So, armed with nothing more than these semi-truths, the golfing public spends $4.7 BILLION dollars a year on equipment hoping and expecting that with the "right stuff" they will play the game better and enjoy it more.

Yet, if you don't understand how club length, the loft angle of the face, and the flex and weight of the shaft all has to be properly matched to the way you swing, the club remains simply that, a club--in the Cro-Magnon sense of the word. You will pick clubs with attention only to the name and the price, and wind-up standing there on the tee, looking sheepish, titanium tree limb in hand, saying, "It's a hell of a tough game isn't it?"

Okay, I know what you're thinking. "That's interesting and all of it might be true but, what the heck, a club is a club. It's not the arrow; it's the archer. It's not the equipment that makes a good golfer."

Really?

Most golfers think the clubs played by the tour pros are the same ones they can buy in their local pro shop or retail golf store. In reality, the clubs the pros play are to the clubs you buy off the rack, as Jeff Gordon's NASCAR racecar is to the Chevrolet Monte Carlo in your driveway. All the pros know full well what I will tell you in this book--that they can't possibly play their best with standard made, off the rack, clubs.

You think that custom fit golf clubs are only for good golfers? That myth could not be farther from the truth. Look at it this way. The pros are skilled enough to be able to play well with almost any golf club. You, on the other hand are not; which means YOU need properly fitted golf clubs even more than THEY do. You need them to minimize the swing errors the pros don't have and to maximize your swing strengths.

Now, let's be clear--I am NOT saying you can "buy" skill as a golfer. I am not saying that by spending enough money, you can somehow go from being a double-digit handicapper to qualifying for next year's U.S. Open.

Learning and "grooving" the proper swing fundamentals is the key to game improvement for any golfer. Look at the people you know who are excellent players. Look at the professionals. Very few of them are completely self-taught. They have each spent many hours with professional instructors to learn the proper technique, followed by many more hours of practice to make the changes permanent. Buying new clubs is NOT a substitute for making that kind of commitment. Never has been. Never will be.

I AM saying, however, that equipment that doesn't fit--that is the wrong length, or loft, or weight, or balance--can keep you from being all that you could be as a golfer (at any level), and it might even keep you from becoming a golfer at all.

You see, golf is inherently a difficult and often frustrating game; but that's part of its charm, part of the fun. As with any game, however, if things are rigged so you can't possibly win, suddenly it becomes a whole lot less charming and not fun at all.

Excerpt from Chapter 7 - It's a Miracle

Putting it together

We've looked at the clubheads. We've looked at shafts and grips. Now it's time to put them together into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. But, let me make this qualification. The whole will be greater ONLY if the assembly of the head, shaft and grip result in a finished club that is built to the right length and the correct swingweight. The head, shaft and grip can each be perfectly selected for the golfer's fitting needs, but if the length and swingweight are not right for the golfer as well, the chances of hitting the club consistently solid and on center are less than your chances of winning big in Vegas.

Another part of putting it together is deciding exactly which clubs you're going to put in your bag. No, I don't mean the brand or model of the clubs; I mean what mixture of clubs. In clubfitting this is known as your "set makeup." Believe me, set makeup is just as important as any individual fitting specifications for getting the most out of your equipment.

Set makeup and the 24/38 rule

If you are like most golfers, you bought your clubs at a golf store where they sold you a set consisting of a driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, and eight irons (3 through pitching wedge). The putter and any additional wedges were extra.

Why those clubs?

The answer is tradition. Traditionally, a set of irons consists of eight clubs, which is currently interpreted as: 3-iron through pitching wedge. But that common set composition forces most of you into buying a set that has at least two clubs most golfers, in all probability, cannot and will never be able to hit.

The story starts with the "Vanishing Loft Disease" we discussed in Chapter 1. You'll remember, since the 1960s, the club companies have been tinkering with the loft and length of clubs--gaining distance by lowering the loft angles and lengthening the shafts--in order to say their clubs "hit farther."

There is a rule among custom clubmakers called the "24/38 Rule" and it goes like this: The vast majority of golfers simply do not, and never will have, the ability to hit consistently an iron that has less than 24 degrees of loft and more than 38 inches in length. To do so requires a swing precision that the average golfer rarely has the opportunity to attain.

If this was the 1960s and you were buying a set of clubs, the 3-iron would be right outside the edge of the longest iron you could reasonably expect to hit--24 degrees of loft, 38 inches in length. In 2004, however, because of loft creep, your 5-iron is now the 24/38 cutoff club. So what are you doing buying a three and four iron? For that matter, why are the club companies SELLING you 3 and 4-irons when they know the 24/38 rule as well as anyone?

The answer is tradition. That and the fact they don't want to reduce the basic 8-club iron set they sell to the retailers for fear of suffering an instantaneous drop of 12.5% in revenues. Heck, either a #4 through a Gap Wedge or a #5 though Sand Wedge sounds pretty good to me for the set. That still keeps the sale at eight clubs, and I guarantee you it will be eight irons far more golfers will use than the typical eight irons most have and will buy these days.

When you buy a set of clubs from most golf equipment retailers, and certainly any custom clubmaker, you can and should specify which irons you want in the set. So, if you are going to buy eight clubs, why not make them 5-iron through pitching wedge, plus a gap wedge and a sand wedge instead of the 3 and 4-irons?

The USGA rules say you can put up to fourteen clubs in your bag. Fortunately, they don't tell you which fourteen you have to use.

If it hasn't come through loud and clear so far, I admit to having many strong opinions about golf equipment. But, each one came about from the things I have learned in my 32 years of clubmaking, clubfitting and design experience. One opinion up there at the very top of my list is that most golfers completely underestimate the importance of proper set makeup and how it can immediately impact your ability to scorelower if you choose wisely, but higher if you don't.

Back cover testimonials supporting Tom and his new book

"A few years ago, Tom Wishon, with his experience as a designer, helped me understand more about a particular aspect of golf club performance.

"With this book, Tom will help you understand the entire field, make good buying decisions and get the most from your game."

Arnold Palmer, Member, Golf Hall of Fame

"In the course of my career rarely have I seen amateurs with clubs that genuinely fit their game. For me, Tom Wishon stripped away the mystery of club fitting, which I believe helped me to become a Top 20 player on the PGA Tour."

Scott Verplank, PGA Touring Pro

"Tom Wishon's passion for sharing his knowledge of the equipment we play with borders on the maniacal, yet he always provides clearly mapped out answers to the most complex equipment questions. Tom has always been an indispensable source and I've picked his brain for years. What's left of it is in inside these pages."

Mike Johnson, Equipment Editor, Golf World magazine

"I have written about golf equipment and golf technology for a very long time. I can assure you than nobody in the game today knows more about golf clubs than Tom Wishon. If the great mystery is understanding how clubs function in the hands of real golfers, Wishon gets my vote as the Sherlock Holmes of golf."

James Achenbach, Senior Writer and Equipment Editor, Golfweek Magazine

"Tom Wishon's knowledge of golf equipment isn't theoretical. It's practical. He understands not just the theory of why and how golf equipment works, but how all golfers can make technology work for them.

"Even more importantly, he makes that knowledge easily understood whether you're a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering or a CPA trying to break 90."

Mike Stachura, Equipment Editor Golf Digest magazine

"I have known Tom Wishon for a lot of years and known about him for many more. His understanding of club design and fitting is tops in the game. At my golf academies his book "Practical Clubfitting" is our bible! You can be sure that any project in which Tom is involved will be top notch."

Chuck Cook, Perennial Top Ten Ranked Instructor and Teacher of 4 U.S. Open Champions

"If you are a woman golfer, you must get this book! Tom has provided comprehensive education and suggestions for women. As a matter of fact, it's the best information for women I have seen. Tom covers everything we need to know, including set make up. Do not buy a club from the rack before you learn how much better you could be fitted."

Carol Mann, Member, World Golf Hall of Fame

Search for the Perfect Golf Club available in April 2005 - Purchase online

to top

______________________________________________________________________________

New Product Preview

715CLC Driver

Committed to a design philosophy of "lead, don't follow," the all-new 715CLC represents a supreme example of why TWGT is unsurpassed in its design originality and innovation. The 715CLC offers clubmakers ‘Complete Launch Control' through a totally unique rotating weight arm for a far greater range of flight control options and more mass movement in a weight adjustable driver design.
[Due mid April]

915CFE Drivers

Never content to rest on the laurels of a quality design, TWGT has re-engineered the popular 915CFE 420cc and the new 915CFE 460cc and 380cc drivers to include the performance enhancement of TWGT's unique and proven GRT face construction, utilizing a full forged ‘cup face' variable thickness face design.
[In stock now!]

515GRT Drivers

Along with the addition of a brand new 440cc version with 10.5° loft, the 515GRT line has undergone slight re-design innovations to further improve the already lauded performance of these driver models. Starting in 2005, all 515GRT drivers, including the new 440cc version, are manufactured by investment casting the body from 6/4 titanium, and plasma welding the 10-2-3 beta titanium forged faces on the cast body. TWGT invested in this improvement to further modify the impact sound of the 515, and bring about even better ball speed from off-center hits.
[515-440cc in stock now!]

515GRT Fairway Woods

"They said it couldn't be done," but TWGT's unsurpassed design, materials and manufacturing experience proved the pundits wrong by creating the 0.830 COR 515GRT 3-, 5- and 7-wood with a forged ‘cup face', no-roll radius construction using a brand new super high-strength steel alloy from Carpenter Steel. Even the largest companies in the golf industry have not been able to create fairway woods with a COR higher than 0.810. Another industry ‘first' from TWGT's design expertise that truly will amaze golfers.

915HL Fairway Woods

An ultimate game-improvement fairway wood line designed to complement any of the 915CFE drivers, the new 915HL #3-, 5-, 7-, 9- and 11-wood heads will offer clubmakers a chance to fit all golfers who need a semi-shallow/semi-offset design that ensures a high launch and fade reduction. Also for golfers with a desire to use more high-loft fairway woods and fewer irons in their set make-up.
[In stock now!]

CLF Series Putters

The new CLF Series Putters offer clubmakers a chance to custom fit putter loft to the stroke of the golfer through an interchangeable full face 2°, 4° or 6° loft insert. In addition, the CLF Series putters and their faces are completely 100% CNC machined for incredible quality.
[Due in mid April]

PCF Wide Sole Wedges

Expanding the very popular PCF series of wedges, TWGT adds an all-new PCF Wide Sole design as a performance improvement option in wedge fitting for golfers who need the benefit of a wider sole with more bounce sole angle. Finished in the beautiful and popular Platinum Nickel finish, the PCS-WS wedges are truly stunning both in looks and performance.
[In stock now!]

Series 7 SUL-55 and FL-45 Graphite Wood Shafts

Created for R- and S-flex players in 55g, and A- and AA-flex in an unbelievably light 45g design, Series 7 graphite continues to prove TWGT's complete understanding of shaft fitting and design technology with the lightest shaft designs in the Wishon Golf shaft design line.
[In stock now!]

C.O.P. Center of Percussion Technology Graphite Wood Shafts

Continuing our research into technologies that enhance assembled club performance, TWGT has created a totally new concept in shaft design with the all-new C.O.P Technology graphite shafts in R and S flexes for woods. Recent research by TWGT has shown that moving the Center of Percussion of the assembled club closer to the clubhead will improve the solid feel of impact and with it, ball velocity. By incorporating a unique wrap of high density metal strands around the lower half of the shaft, the C.O.P. shaft moves the Center of Percussion closer to the head, thus capitalizing on this exciting and very new concept of assembled clubfitting.
[Coming in mid April]

Trajectory and Ball Flight Modeling Software Upgrade

Clubmakers who use the original TWGT Trajectory modeling software will be amazed at the changes in the new upgrade version available in 2005. In addition to more user-friendly changes with a complete new interface and data saving/printing capability, the new Trajectory and Ball Flight Modeling Software will allow clubmakers to separately model the effect of the shaft on the launch angle of any shot.
[Due in mid April]

to top

______________________________________________________________________________

TWGT Shaft Design Matching

All of the TWGT Shafts are designed in a collaborative effort by Tom Wishon with the composite engineering assistance of veteran shaft designer Robin Arthur. Robin is well known among many custom clubmakers as the genius behind the original Grafalloy graphite shafts, including the ProLite™ and Pro Logic™. He currently serves as the composite engineering consultant to Royal Precision where he has designed all RP graphite shaft models since 1999, including the Rifle™ and Saber™ shaft designs. Tom Wishon is well known among custom clubmakers for his extensive experience in shaft analysis and shaft fitting research. The result of the combined work from two of the most experienced shaft authorities in the game is the full line of TWGT original design steel and graphite shafts each created to offer a specific performance attributes to cover a wide range of golfer types.

TWGT ZT Series Technology Graphite Wood and Iron Shafts

Overview

Wishon Golf's ZT Series is the most versatile shaft design for fitting golfers in a high quality manufactured graphite shaft offered for an economical price. ZT Series offers both a High and Mid/Low flight version. However, the two versions are specifically designed for separate segments of golfers, each with different swing speed and swing mechanics. ZT Series High are created in A, R and S flexes for both woods and irons. ZT Series Mid/Low are available in R and S flexes in both woods and irons.

Specific Performance and Fitting Guidelines

ZT Series High is designed with a combination of a softer Butt and softer Tip stiffness within each flex to better suit the golfer with a medium to smooth transition, moderate to slightly quick tempo, and who tends to release the wrist-hinge early to midway on the downswing. For this type of golfer, the ZT Series is selected on the basis of being a good, all around shaft and not specifically for its trajectory. ZT Series High flight is not for golfers with a very fast transition between the end of the backswing and beginning of the downswing, or for golfers with a very fast tempo. It is also not recommended for golfers with a late release. However, the ZT High is also a good selection for the golfer with slightly better than average swing fundamentals who also wishes to experience a slightly softer feel at impact with a higher trajectory.

To contrast, ZT Series Mid/Low is designed with a Butt and Tip section that are medium-firm within each flex. From these combined bend profile design elements, ZT Mid/Low is best matched to golfers with a faster back to downswing transition, especially those players who tend to aggressively "pour on the coal" right from the start of the downswing. ZT Series Mid/Low is also a good selection for the golfer who is more of a "hitter" and who also possesses a midway to late release of the wrist-cock on the downswing.

TWGT InterFLEXX Flight Control Graphite Wood and Iron Shafts

Overview

TWGT's innovative InterFLEXX graphite shafts utilize a specific placement of aluminum coated Hexcel composite wraps to create both a High and a Mid/Low flight control design. Unlike the ZT Series, which is really two completely separate shaft designs within the same family, TWGT's unique InterFLEXX graphite shafts are truly designed for golfers who definitely desire to change launch angle and trajectory, but do not wish to move into a shaft that is either too flexible or too firm in its feel just to achieve the desired trajectory.

The secret to the unique InterFLEXX design is that both the High and the Mid/Low versions are designed with the same Butt section stiffness. This keeps the overall bending feel of the High and Mid/Low versions similar. Then through the use of the Hexcel wraps, InterFLEXX demonstrates its launch angle difference by changing the Center and Tip stiffness. The result is a family of shafts that can be fit separately to the same exact golfer, or even "mixed and matched" within the same set for further customizing the flight of each club in the set.

Specific Performance and Fitting Guidelines

For example, a player who is reasonably accomplished with the middle and short irons but who sees a drop-off in shot consistency with the long irons can easily use the InterFLEXX High in the long irons to gain a higher launch angle for these hard to hit clubs then switch to the InterFLEXX Mid/Low in the middle and short irons to prevent the ball from ballooning up too high and in the process have each of the shafts feel the same in overall bending stiffness feel.

InterFLEXX is well-matched to the golfer with a smooth to moderately fast transition. The slightly softer Butt section design is not well-matched to the golfer with a very hard and forceful transition from back to downswing. InterFLEXX is also a good selection for the golfer with a smooth to moderately fast tempo again, it is not the best selection for the golfer with a very fast tempo, however if the golfer had a fast tempo but only a moderately strong transition, it would still be a good fit. Finally, golfers with a release of the wrist-cock that is midway to late are well-matched with InterFLEXX and will most definitely be able to see the trajectory difference between the High and Mid Low versions. The only reason that InterFLEXX is not a good match to the golfer with an early release is that an early release will prevent the golfer from being able to see any real trajectory difference thus golfers with an early release would be better matched with the ZT Series High shafts.

TWGT Series 7-SUL-55 and Series 7-FL-45 Graphite Wood Shafts

Overview

One of the newest additions to the family of original TWGT design shafts are the super-ultralight and feather-light Series 7 graphite shafts for woods. Tom and Robin created the Series 7 graphite wood shafts to offer two distinctly different designs for different golfer types who wish to achieve the lightest total weight possible in their assembled driver and fairway woods. Series 7-SUL is a 55g shaft designed in R and S flexes for the average to better than average golfer, while the Series 7-FL-45 is an incredibly light 45g shaft designed in A and AA flexes for the slower swing speed golfer with less physical strength and less skilled swing fundamentals.

Specific Performance and Fitting Guidelines

Series 7-SUL-55 is a 55g shaft created in R and S flexes for golfers with average to better than average swing fundamentals. It is a good match for players with a smooth to slightly fast transition, but definitely not for golfers with a very forceful start to the downswing. It is well suited for golfers who wish a very light total weight and have a smooth to slightly fast tempo, but again, it's not well-matched to players with a very fast tempo. Such golfers would not be good candidates for a 55g shaft in the first place. The tip section design of the SUL-55 is also ideal for golfers with a midway to later release in the downswing. Just remember, no golfer with a very forceful transition and fast tempo will be well-matched to a shaft that weighs less than 60 grams.

The Series 7-FL-45 is an incredibly light 45g shaft designed in A and AA flexes for golfers who are average to below average in physical strength with slower swing speeds who desire the lightest possible total weight in their woods to try to increase their swing speed a little more. (AA flex = L flex but is marked as AA to avoid possible "ego problems" with men who simply refuse to use any shaft affixed with the letter L) The Series 7-FL-45 is an ideal match for golfers as described above who also swing with much less force and aggression a smooth to moderate transition speed, slower to average swing tempo and an early to midway release of the wrist-cock on the downswing.

TWGT Series 5-SL Graphite Wood Shafts

Overview

TWGT's Series 5-SL graphite shafts for woods are designed for the better than average to very skilled golfer and would be the shaft within the TWGT shaft line that would be best designed for PGA Tour players and top amateur tournament golfers. Series 5-SL is designed with a firm Butt section with a moderately firm Center section and firm Tip section and is available in an R and S flex for woods only in a 65g raw weight. In addition, TWGT has created a very flexible Series 5-SL shaft that is not marked for flex so that it can be used for fitting slow to very slow swing speed golfers who do not wish to have anyone see the flex they are using in their woods.

Specific Performance and Fitting Guidelines

The Series 5-SL's firm Butt section, moderately firm Center section and firm Tip section make it an ideal shaft selection for the golfer with the following swing characteristics powerful to aggressive transition to start the downswing, average to faster than average swing tempo and midway to late release of the wrist-cock on the downswing. Series 5-SL R and S flex designs are intended to be fit for golfers who are definitely more of a "hitter" than a "swinger" because of its overall bend profile design.

TWGT GI-335 Graphite Iron Shafts

Overview

Wishon Golf's unique GI-335 graphite iron shafts are one of the integral parts of the easy-to-hit performance of the 321Li hybrid iron replacement clubs. By blending the stiffness profile of an iron shaft in the butt section with the tip flexibility of a wood shaft in the tip section, the GI-335 is the most unique hybrid iron shaft in the game today. By designing the tip section to be the same 0.335" diameter as wood shafts, the GI-335 is able to launch the ball as much as 4 degrees higher than a conventional iron shaft. Yet with the butt stiffness design, the GI-335 will not feel "too whippy" even to very aggressive swinging golfers. Available for 2005 in an all-new AA-flex plus the A, R and S flexes.

Specific Performance and Fitting Guidelines

Because the bend profile design of the GI-335 is so different compared to any other wood or iron shaft in the game today, it can be fit to virtually any type of golfer. The only modifications would be to reduce the tip trim by 1ž4" per hybrid clubhead number for very smooth and less athletic players, and to increase the tip trim by 1ž2" per club for the very strong and very aggressive swinging golfer.

A very interesting option that is possible with the GI-335 is to use the shaft in any conventional ironheads that the golfer needs help in achieving a much higher launch angle. Thus for golfers who wish to retain the use of their conventional long irons to mid irons, with the installation of the GI-335 in these irons, the golfer can continue to have the same conventional ironhead but with a much higher launch angle. Installation of the 0.335" tip diameter GI-335 shaft into ironheads with a 0.370" hosel bore is easily accommodated by using the special coil shims created by TWGT.

TWGT Series 5 Steel Wood and Iron Shafts

Overview

Without question one of the most popular TWGT shafts has been the lightweight steel Series 5 design. Designed to follow different trimming and installation guidelines for the different flexes within the design, the Series 5 Steel shafts have proven themselves as a superb playing and feeling shaft to thousands and thousands of golfers since its introduction. Key to the performance and feel is the Series 5's lightweight (under 110 grams when cut and installed) combined with its slightly lower balance point for better feel.

Specific Performance and Fitting Guidelines

There are two distinct design elements that make the Series 5 steel shafts able to be fit to an extremely wide range of players who desire the weight and feel of steel. First, TWGT has developed different trimming and installation guidelines for the different flexes so that the performance of the Series 5 is better matched to the different swing speeds. This way, slower swing speed golfers who desire the weight and feel of steel are able to avoid any possibility of the shafts becoming too firm. Second, the bend profile design of the Series 5 is a very unique "opposite" of what has been a mainstay in other companies' steel designs if compared to the Dynamic pattern from True Temper, the Series 5 steel is softer in the butt section but a little more firm in the tip section. This bend profile design feature, when combined with the slightly lower balance point, allows the Series 5 to offer a firm feel but without being too firm. Yet when the trimming is changed for the softer flexes, the tip section becomes a little more flexible than it will be in the stiffer flexes and thus match better to the swing speeds of the golfers.

TWGT C.O.P. Center of Percussion Graphite Wood Shafts

Overview

Perhaps the most unique shaft in the TWGT design line are the brand-new C.O.P. Center of Percussion R and S flex shafts for woods. Unlike most shaft designs, which are created strictly to offer golfers a specific weight and bend profile, TWGT's fascinating C.O.P shafts are designed to create a specific assembled club performance aspect in addition to its weight and bend profile design. Further research into the elements of matching clubs by Moment of Inertia revealed if the Center of Percussion of the assembled club was able to be closer to the clubhead, the solidness of feel of the overall club would be improved. To achieve this in assembled woods built with the C.O.P, the shaft had to be designed with a much lower balance point than what had been created in any other wood shafts. Thus TWGT's use of high-density metal strands spaced 0.5mm apart longitudinally in the lower half of the shaft is incorporated to lower the balance point without adversely affecting the weight and bend profile. The result is a very interesting shaft that, when fit so the bend profile and weight match the golfer's swing requirements, can deliver an extremely solid feel for greater shotmaking consistency.

Specific Performance and Fitting Guidelines

Keep in mind that the C.O.P. shaft is uniquely designed to fulfill an assembled club performance result. As such it is very important to be sure the COP's 72g weight, and its semi-soft butt to firm tip section design is well-matched to the golfer's swing characteristics for the lower Center of Percussion feature in the shaft to work best for the golfer. A lower Center of Percussion can be an advantage for an extremely wide range of golfers, but if the weight and tip section designed into the C.O.P shaft is not well-matched to the golfer's swing moves, the net result will not be positive for the player.

Thus, the COP's 72g raw weight (cut weight @68-69g depending on playing length fit) is excellent for a wide range of average to above average strength golfers. The COP's bend profile is best matched to golfers with a moderate to stronger transition who also have an average to faster swing tempo and a midway to late release of the wrist-cock. The COP shaft should not be fit to golfers with a smooth transition and tempo and an early to midway release.

TWGT LV Technology Graphite Wood and Iron Shafts

Overview

While TWGT does not tend to offer fitting advice that is polarized strictly by gender, it is true that the LV Technology graphite wood and iron shafts are designed with the slowest swing speed golfers in mind. Since the slowest swing speed golfers are typically women, it is true that the LV Technology shafts are designed to be TWGT's shaft offering for the average to slower swinging lady player. However, there are many senior men who would benefit from the very light 64g weight, and very soft butt and tip section design of the LV Technology. In the case of men who match well to the weight and bend profile design of the LV, TWGT has created a version of the same LV wood shaft that is finished in a dark forest metallic with no flex letter on the shaft (See Series 5-SL for this information).

Specific Performance and Fitting Guidelines

As mentioned, the LV Technology wood and iron shafts are designed for the slowest swinging golfers. The 64g weight of both the wood and the iron shafts is ideal for the player with below average strength and athletic ability who needs the benefit of a very light shaft to keep the total weight of the woods and irons very low for more control of the club during the swing. In addition, the LV's very soft butt and tip section bend profile design is ideal for the golfer with a smooth to slow transition between the back and downswing, who also has a slower swing tempo and an early to midway release of the wrist-cock on the downswing.

Comment from Tom Wishon on the TWGT Shaft Design Line

"I really have been pleased with the response of clubmakers to our completely proprietary line of custom designed graphite and steel shafts. Shortly after Mary-Ellen and I started TWGT, I decided that I really wanted to only feature our own shaft designs. The main reason is because after 32 years of probing and digging into the world of shaft design and performance, I really believed that the only way to design shafts was to look at specific golfer swing needs and characteristics and then use everything I have learned in my continuing quest to unlock the secrets of shaft performance for each segment of golfers to design shafts that were very specific to golfer swing and performance needs.

I first met Robin Arthur when he left General Dynamics as an aerospace composites engineer and took over the position of VP Engineering for Grafalloy in 1991. Within a very short time I could tell that Robin shared the same passion as me for really breaking through the confusion of shaft fitting to develop shafts that were as golf swing, golfer specific in their design as possible. The shaft's main contributions to the club are its effect on golf club total weight and the trajectory and height of the shot. Because these elements are totally controlled by the golfer's swing characteristics, I knew that when we designed any shaft for TWGT, we wanted to first identify what each shaft specific movement in the swing required to end up with a shaft whose design elements were in perfect synchrony. That is why both Robin and I believe that it is just as important to know which of our shaft designs a golfer should NOT use as much as it is to know which shafts are the best to use.

No matter what direction our combined shaft R&D takes us in the future with our TWGT original shaft design work, we will always be sure to make sure clubmakers know which shafts are for which golfer type so that the best performance can be realized by all golfers. Since 2002 I truly believe that we have achieved some real breakthroughs in custom shaft design and fitting that even some of the biggest names in the shaft business have yet to discover. This year in 2005, we plan to continue our work in shaft analysis to bring you another real breakthrough in being able to even better compare shafts and be able to know even more about predicting shaft performance for your golfers before the club is ever built.

So as they say, "stay tuned" to TWGT and I promise that clubmakers who are really interested in maximizing the performance of the shaft in the clubs you fit and build will know a lot more to help you be an even better source of the best clubs any golfer could hope to buy.

to top

________________________________________________________________________

715CLC Driver The Story Behind the Design Q & A with Tom Wishon

Editor's Note: This month TWGT unveils its new and extremely innovative 715CLC Complete Launch Control driver. In his own words, Tom Wishon calls the 715CLC "both the most challenging and the most satisfying" clubhead design project that he has ever tackled in his entire design career. In this month's eTECHreport, Tom describes the genesis of the 715CLC and gives the inside story on the most exciting and innovative weight-adjustment driver design in the golf equipment industry.

Why did you decide to design a weight-adjustment driver?

Obviously when it comes to clubhead design, any designer will work within two different areas to come up with each model. One, you have the models that head into a totally new direction of design that usually come about because of an idea, or as a result of other R&D work you may be doing. Design features in our line such as the GRT face, the 0.335" tip diameter Gi-335 iron shaft that makes the 321Li hybrids perform so well, the CNC machined variable thickness face in different steel alloys for the 770CFE irons these are all examples of taking your design into directions others have not probed.

Then you have what I call the "market driven" designs or in other words, if you know the market wants a particular type of design, then you start thinking about how you want to create it so that it's different, or better than what is currently out there filling that demand. An example of this would be all of the car companies who developed their own version of an SUV they know the market wants SUV's and they go to work to create their version with its own distinctive features they can use to differentiate it from the other SUV's on the market. For me, I believe adamantly that if I'm going to create a "market driven" design, no matter what area of clubhead design it may be, I won't do it unless I can figure out a way to make my design not only different, but with features and performance benefits that I feel are better.

How did the 715CLC design project begin?

What became the 715CLC actually began in February of 2004, which, as it turned out, was 3 months before Taylor Made introduced their R7 adjustable weight driver. I wanted to create a driver that would have a tungsten weight on the outside of the head and be able to be shifted from the heel to the rear of the head as an improvement on the first heel-weighted metal driver I designed back in 1995. That head was named the AccuCore 50 driver and was designed as a result of my remembering the drawing on page 209 of Cochran & Stobbs' milestone book, The Search for the Perfect Swing, as well as working with the late, great Elmore Just of Louisville Golf on a heel-weighted wooden wood back in 1988. Those previous design projects taught me two things first, that heel weighting could reduce a tendency to fade the ball through its effect on changing the CG and MOI of the head, and second, that it takes a lot of weight in the heel to create a minor change in the fade correction of the ball.

The reason I wanted to be able to offer both heel- and rear-weighting was because a lot of my R&D work since starting TWGT has been in the area of how the CG affects both the MOI of the head as well as the launch angle of the shot. Thus I felt that if I could design a weight that could slide around the perimeter of the head from the heel to the back, the driver could offer fade adjustment, or a higher launch angle on the same head.

I actually designed and built a model with the same radius all the way around the heel to back of the head, so that one curved tungsten weight would be able to slide around the outside of the head's perimeter area in a channel that would be invisible to the golfer in the address position. However, when I did a search to determine if there were any patents in effect that might be similar, I found one issued to McHenry Metals for a driver designed by my good friend and all-time great clubmaker/designer Mario Cesario.

How did TWGT arrive at the unique design of the rotating weight arm for moving weight around inside the 715CLC head?

Realizing the ONLY way to behave as a designer is to respect all prior legal claims to inventions, I knew I had to change the way the weight would be attached and moved around the head. As a result, I began to think more in terms of a weight holding/changing device that could "live inside the head" yet still be accessible for making any changes. It was at this point my thinking changed from a heel- and back-weighting adjustment to an around-the-head design.

Our first concept for this was to develop a circular mechanism into which weights could be inserted at virtually any position around the circle. With this concept it not only would be possible to offer fade correction and a higher launch angle, but a lower flight as well as a possible draw reduction too. So back to the US Patent and Trademark office we went, and son of a gun if there wasn't a patent already in place for such a circular mechanism! So back to the drawing board we went and after a few days the concept of the L-shaped weight arm with the weight able to be rotated 360 degrees around the inside of the head popped up. And if you can't tell, the search for any prior art or patents for such a weight movement mechanism came up clean.

How much weight can be moved around the 715CLC driver?

No question here is one of the tricky parts of a weight-adjustment design. Clubheads have a definite limiting factor that has to be respected in every single design headweight. Compounding that is the fact that larger and larger driver heads have been gaining in popularity. And the larger the head, the more metal has to be used, which means more weight is used up in making the head body, with less left over for discretionary weight-adjustment. In addition, the weight arm mechanism was going to require a portion of the head's weight be allotted for creating the one recess that would secure the arm in its desired position.

On the other side of the design coin, I knew that I had to be able to offer at least the option for moving as much as 40 grams around inside the head. The reason for this is because my previous heel weight design taught me that 20-25 grams is barely enough to begin to show any visible change in ball flight. So this driver had to have the ability to offer clubmakers up to 40 grams of movable weight so that their golfers would be able to see a definite change in ball flight. Thus, we arrived on weight arms in increments of 25g, 30g, 35g, and 40g.

How come this is the only TWGT driver design without your weight bore?

Primarily it was because I needed the weight it took up to help make the whole weight of the head body + weight of the weight arms add up to a final headweight that was useable by clubmakers for the vast majority of their length to swingweight fitting requirements. Since we had decided to offer 4 different weight arms, we knew that we were going to be offering the one head model in 4 different finished headweights, each separated by 5 grams.

Since 5 grams is about 2.5 swingweight points, we knew that any swingweight addition a clubmaker would need to use to hit his golfer's desired swingweight (or MOI) would be only 2 to 4g. So by adding the final 2-4g with a small shaft tip weight, it should not be enough to greatly offset the ball flight change possible with the position of the weight arm out toward the toe side of the club.

Why is the entire weight arm in each weight increment sold separately instead of just one arm with interchangeable end weights?

That is a classic example of how amazing and challenging this design was to develop. We had no idea of the severity of the internal vibrations that bang around inside a driver head when you hit the ball. This was the main reason we investment cast the weight arms themselves from 6/4 titanium. The internal stress in a driver head required 6/4 Ti for the strength. Additionally, in testing we found the brass end weights would vibrate loose after 100 hits or so, which necessitated permanently securing them to each weight arm. Hence the reason we offer separate weight arms in 25g, 30g, 35g, 40g options, each with the brass end weight permanently fixed to the weight arm.

How does the weight arm function?

When you say "function" there are actually two definitions of that word that need to be addressed. First, there is the function of the clubmaker actually moving the arm and securing it in the desired position. For that we engineered a 21mm diameter titanium screw cap for the access from the sole to the chamber that will secure the weight arm. Each one is individually machined from 6/4 Ti because this is not exactly a "common part". Each weight arm has a "pinch" cast into the top so the clubmakers can hold and rotate the arm by holding the pinch between thumb and forefinger. Or if they are thick-thumbed like me, they can use a small pair of pliers to hold and move the arm while holding the head with the sole perpendicular to the floor in their opposite hand. Either way it's not difficult. Once the desired position is "dialed in", there are "gear teeth" that secure over 4 protruding pins at the bottom of the holding chamber. This lock mechanism works in conjunction with the down pressure of the titanium screw cap to keep the weight arm from moving. (Installation method shown)

The other "function" of the weight arm is of course to be positioned in a quadrant of the head that will effect a change in the flight of the ball. We engraved these flight change options on the sole of the 715CLC for easy reference. (see Weight Arm Positions graphic below) The catalog also has this graphic depicted, and guidance on this is packed with each 715CLC head. If you just think of it like the face of a clock with 12 o'clock (X) being straight up to the toe and 6 o'clock (X) to the heel, it's pretty easy. Thus, 3 o'clock (#2), in which the weight arm points at the face is the lowest flight for the 10.5 loft of the head 9 o'clock (#5) then becomes the highest flight option.

For fade and draw reduction or enhancement, we only recommend clubmakers do this with the weight arm in the 1:30 (#1), 4:30 (#3), 7:30 (#4) and 10:30 (#6) positions. Another fascinating thing we found in development testing was that aiming the 35g and 40g weight arms straight at the toe or heel (6 and 12 o'clock positions) moved the Center of Gravity so far to the heel or toe that the golfer lost too much ball speed from ON-center hits. This is definitely one of the restrictions of a weight-adjustment driver design. Unlike the way in which a face angle change alters shot direction by directly altering the golfer's swing path/face angle delivery in real degrees, a weight-adjustment driver does its thing to ball flight through CG and MOI changes. Thus the design and the USE of heads that offer a LOT of weight movement is truly for golfers who wish:

February-March 2005 eTECHreport - Welcome!