Clubfitter’s Notebook – April 12, 2012
What a Masters!! It’s going to be hard to watch other golf tournaments for a few weeks. We love Bubba because he’s not so Corporate. What’s your favorite color?
Say what you want about Bubba’s 153 yard hooking gap wedge to win the playoff. I thought the shot of the day was Kuchar’s 256 yard hybrid to three feet for eagle on fifteen. Better than the Albatross? Oosthuizen’s 246 yard 4 iron was the purest of pure luck. Very cool on TV from every angle.
Pink Driver Special
If you want to make a STATEMENT we can help. If you love your current driver and would like to change the color to add a little distance – send it out for a “Bubba” of pure pink powder coating. Match that with the same pink shaft.
If you don’t want to go all the way to pink – we can turn your old black driver into a stylish white driver. Powder coating is a great way to rejuvenate a driver that you used to love but looks tired. Give an old friend another chance to get back in your bag. The most reliable technology in golf is a new coat of paint.
Ultimate Driver Optimization – Make Your Driver Better
We keep improving our technical services. We added a guarantee that deserves your consideration. You will hit longer and straighter drives with your own driver after one hour or the service is free.
Measure and Test – Stage One and Two
We take driver optimization to the “next level” in four steps. First we measure the true face angle and loft of your driver and length and flex of your shaft. How sharp is the tool?
Then we test your driver with our Flightscope launch monitor to verify you’re your “launch ballistics” are within the range of acceptable performance. Once your driver checks out, we proceed to the next level.
Reaching the “next level” requires a driver that works for you.
Aiming Your Driver – Stage Three
Tim Tucker applied an old idea a new way to invent True Aim Optical Decals. He took the idea of alignment marks from putters and applied it to drivers and long distance fairway clubs.
The concept is simple. When you aim your driver there is no good visual reference to align the face. Your driver face is designed with bulge and roll and the back is round. How do you know where you’re aiming? You don’t.
True Aim provides perpendicular and parallel lines that are easy to line up with your target line. It makes sense because the lines are square. The whole point is to provide an easy aiming reference that fits your eye.
Tim spent a day at the Golf Lab while the Nationwide Tour was in in Hayward. He has been following the PGA Tour since the beginning of the year. One eye witness on the driving range reported players walking by saying “that was unbelievable”.
Look for our video blog interview with Tim Tucker on Monday. We’re telling our stories at the “next level”. We’ve been working on creating the video blog for over a year so this is an exciting time. When the email arrives on Monday, please have a look.
Accurizing Your Driver – Stage Four
I don’t need to repeat what I said about the Accurizer over the last month. It works.
After we get the best True Aim decal pattern, we add the Accurizer. There’s only one more thing to do – hit the driver – compare performance. We let Flightscope be the judge.
If you missed the detailed Accurizer story, here are two links to the background story.
http://calgolflab.com/blog/2012/03/26/balance-certified-accurizer-or-tour-lock-optivibe/
The Guarantee
Book Your Driver Optimization Fitting. We modify your driver and measure the improvement. Play your driver for a month. If you want it put back the way it was, we’ll do that and give your money back. I’ll even buy you lunch and let you tell me how awful it was for an hour. Ultimate Driver Fitting $150. Accurizers $60.
Accurizer Update
Lawrence Fu is a high school senior headed for Santa Barbara on golf scholarship. We’ve known Lawrence for eight years – working with him on several sets of clubs and lots of experiments. Lawrence is a very good player and a very good judge of equipment.
Lawrence plays a Nakashima driver. He was the first player who returned an Accurizer because “the ball won’t stay in the air”. Since then, two more players with Nakashima drivers have found that the Accurizer reduced backspin too much. That’s pretty good verification that Nakishima drivers are “low spin”. Most drivers don’t have that problem.
Launch monitor testing shows that the Accurizer reduces backspin by 500 RPM for most players. Launch angle usually comes down by half a degree.
We installed Accurizers for irons in Lawrence’s short irons three weeks ago. He came back last week. “Let’s test the four iron”. We ran the “before and after” test with the Accurizer. Just like the six iron three weeks ago, the dispersion improved by 30%. Accurizers went into the rest of his irons.
When Lawrence likes it, it’s OK. Accurizers work in drivers. They also work in irons.
Graphite Shaft Revolution Update
Lawrence has been thinking about lightweight graphite shafts for his irons. He’s currently playing Shimada 115 gram steel shafts that he chose after extensive testing. They’ve been good.
He said “It seems like the Accurizer is made to order for a lightweight graphite shaft. If I can feel an improvement with steel, why would that improvement not be more with graphite?”
That’s exactly the question I want to answer for very good, very strong players so we signed up a new tester – welcome Lawrence.
For the last year I have been testing lightweight graphite shafts, matched with weighted up heads and counterweighting with our “core customers” – serious golfers from 45 to 65 years old. That setup is chosen every time based on head-to-head performance testing.
Until now, we have not uncovered any serious interest in lightweight graphite shafts among very good young amateur players. I thank Lawrence for volunteering to test as many options as we can imagine. Just because it’s a preposterous idea doesn’t mean it won’t work.
My goal is to verify claims about golf club performance. It is a rare to find a very good player for extensive club testing. We know that the “Golf Lab Build” is great for players who are older and weaker. What about younger and stronger?
BTW: If you see yourself as a good product tester, get in touch with Bob Pegram (650-654-1770).
The “Testing Menu”
Lawrence is playing Adams CB-1′s with Shimada Tour shafts. The Shimada shaft is 115 grams. Flex is extra stiff.
Golf Lab test iron heads are Miura, Vega, Bridgestone and Mizuno.
Golf Lab lightweight graphite shaft choices include AeroTech and Matrix. Aerotech models are the Steel Fiber in 70, 80, 95 and 110 gram weights. Matrix iron shafts include the Studio, Radix and Kujoh.
My preferred method is to “test the extremes”. The extreme for Lawrence is a set of Vega VM-02′s shafted with Aerotech Steel Fiber 70 gram shafts. We will set the flex a little stiffer than standard, given Lawrence’s 90 MPH 6 iron swing speed and 180 yard six iron carry distance. We will “Accurize” the set. When Lawrence picks them up, we will set correct lie angles. It’s a sure thing that no clubfitter in the world would ever recommend 70 gram graphite shafts for Lawrence.
That set is on Clint’s bench this week.
Next week: We’ll choose from Matrix Kujoh or Radix. (Studio is discontinued.) There will be good reason to taste the 80 gram “X” flex Steel Fiber from Aerotech which will be a good test against the Matrix Program at 80 grams. Then, there’s the 95 gram UST Prototype that matches up with the Matrix Program – also at 95 grams.
Playing Opportunities: My favorite way to start a fitting is with nine holes. That’s the best way to get acquainted.
The weather is finally looking good. Every Wednesday morning I’m playing with Scott Mosher in Palo Alto for a “Morning at the Muni”. Scott is working on his game with my long-term help. Two Golf Lab customers are invited to play along each week. There is no charge. You’re only on the hook for the “Breakfast Special” – nine holes with cart and any breakfast on the menu for $32. Starting time is a little after eight. Breakfast will be over about ten thirty. Call Bob for a reservation (650-654-1770).
Edel Wedge Fitting at Mariner’s Point. Outdoor wedge fitting on natural turf is a unique experience. Our Edel Wedge Fitting system is expanding. A second set of demo heads arrived this week. The Edel fitting system is based on “Tour Weights”. Lighter weights feel and perform better for most amateurs.
An hour and a half is just about right to complete ”fitting for bounce”. We start with short shots around the green and then progress to distances up to 50 yards. A final stop is the bunker.
You will probably want to adjust your wedge swing a little to get best results. Nothing scary.
Edel is the only wedge line that allows a choice of seventeen different shafts. Even so, that just scratches the surface. We take shaft selection “over the top”. We added a dozen models of wedge shafts including all of the high performance graphite models.
You have probably not thought about ”fitting for shaft feel” before because it’s never been done before. The extended Edel shaft fitting system works with wedges all the way down to 52*. There is room at Mariner’s Point to hit wedge shots up to ninety yards. That’s enough room to hit the kind of wedge shot where feel and ball flight are revealed.
Our sessions at Mariner’s Point are Fridays at 8:30 and 10:00. Each session is $75. We have a limit of two players per session.
Edel Wedge Fitting and Demo Special
We’ve been bragging that we broke the code on wedge fitting. It’s just like every other fitting for every other golf club. You never know for sure until you take the clubs to your own course and compare performance under normal conditions.
Wedges can be fitted indoors. We use a combination of lie boards and impact tape. Your natural swing can be discovered indoors just as well as outdoors.
You still have to test. We want to get off to a fast start with Edel. For the month of April, any Edel wedge fitting customer – indoors or outdoors – can “borrow” a set of Edel wedges for a week. That’s a pretty good bargain for $75.
Thanks for reading all the way down to here.
There is always a reward. If you book your Edel wedge fitting – indoors or outdoors – in the next 48 hours – we offer a $25 per club credit on any purchase. If you buy a set of Edel wedges – you could say the fitting is free. Edel wedges come both cast and forged. Cast are $199. Forged are $350.
Best Regards,
Leith Anderson and the Golf Lab Gang JR, JT, Bob Pegram, Joel Whittom, Dian Terova.
Nice job. We had a great time at your new place. I hope you are able to help players have more fun. Remember narrow your focus, to widen your fairways.