Golf Equipment

Thanks to all of you, I have had a great time blogging this year and I look forward to continuing the sharing of my ideas and suggestions for improving your short games, discussing current events in golf and general conversation.

From a humble beginning only a few months ago, we now reach almost 1,000 golfers every day, which surpasses my wildest imagination of where we could go with this.

So, in the spirit of this joyous season of Christmas, I have allocated 100 of our wedges to be sold between now and Christmas to TheWedgeGuy.com readers at a special price of only $103.20 !

That’s 20% off our Suggested Retail Price of $129. [Your price is even lower on orders for two or more !]

Plus, I’ll send you a FREE Eidolon Cap ($22.99 value) and pay for the shipping.

So my Christmas present to you readers can turn into a Christmas present to yourself of a better short game for 2008.

All you have to do is place your order online – www.bestwedge.com, and put “TWG” in the field marked Discount Code.

Thanks for making 2007 a great year for EIDOLON Golf. We look forward to an even better 2008.

Using the Ask Terry button, in the right hand sidebar, Warren asks:

I’ve been experimenting with blades in my mixed bag, which currently has cavity back long irons and blades from 7 through the wedges. 

I’m tempted to move to all blades for a variety of reasons - mainly the crisp, effortless shot when I do hit it right.

Looking at the ‘used‘ market, I’m wondering about blade design and its evolution. It seems that older Arnold Palmer blades have mass concentrated near the center of the clubhead, while older Titleists have more toe weighting. 

Current blades on the market seem to vary linearly from heel to toe. Can you talk to these variations ? 

Is the industry moving towards the ‘perfect blade‘ or is the selection ultimately just a union of club and swing - a ‘whatever works best for you’ sort of thing. 

Thanks for the insight, if you have the time to respond.

Warren,

There has been a considerable evolution of the designs of blades since the old Arnold Palmer’s, and the result of that is that modern blades by Mizuno, Titleist and others are easier to hit than ever before.

I’d like to think I started that trend with the RL Blades I designed while President of Reid Lockhart.

That design was the first true blade that moved some of the mass toward the toe for superior performance on toe mis-hits, which are most common for amateur players.

In the current crop of blades on the market, some rather loosely use the definition, as they have moved a considerable amount of mass from behind the sweet spot, which completely defeats the purpose of playing a blade.

This line of posts, about blades, has continued to attract the most commentary of anything I’ve written this year, and shows that golfers are weary of the “you can’t play” diatribe fed to them by the manufacturers.

You CAN play, and better than even you might believe.

As for selecting one of the modern blades, I’d offer this guidance, but implore you to play a round or two with anything that you might consider buying. A few shots on the range will help you narrow it down, but on-the-course performance is what you are after.

So, here’s some guidance:

If you tend to leave the ball to the right, opt for a design with a little offset. If you tend to hook or draw the ball, stay away from offset for sure !

If you are a mid- to high-handicap, choose one of the blades with a little more perimeter mass distribution. That will help you as you improve your game.

If you are older (like me) and would like a few more yards (ditto), do not be afraid to play blades with graphite shafts, but I would not recommend “off the rack” models.

Graphite can be wonderful in blades, but such irons should be built by a qualified custom clubmaker/clubfitter so that you can get exact matching. This just won’t come from a major manufacturer, trust me.

Good luck in your search, and let us know what you end up choosing.

I talk about my clubfitter often, and I consider him part of my team. Anytime I want to do something with my equipment, I go see Jim. He’s built all of my clubs, and I know they’re perfectly matched and built to tolerances the major manufacturers can’t even dream of.

If you’ve never treated yourself to a visit to a true clubfitter/clubmaker, I strongly suggest it. For a start, you’ll be amazed at what you have in your bag. That sizeable investment in mis-matched woods, irons, hybrids, etc., is probably making this game harder than it needs to be.

A good clubfitter has the equipment necessary to see how your clubs stack up against one another and against your swing and posture. I can assure you that you’ll come away surprised and impressed.

You see, one of the problems in this industry is that there are no standards for any measure of a golf club. Companies even measure length differently, so that a 46” driver from one might be ½” different from a 46” driver from another.

But the most glaring problem of this lack of standards is in shafts. The designations “R” and “S” mean nothing. I know for a fact that you can see as much as a 2-3 flex difference from one brand of “R” shaft and another.

So how can you possibly know what you’re swinging without a qualified clubfitter to put it on the frequency machine and see what it “REALLY” is ?

This is a short post, but maybe one of the most important I’ve ever written. To find a qualified clubfitter in your area, visit the PCS or GCA websites. Most component companies – Wishon, SMT, etc, will also have a referral feature.

For the sake of your game, make this visit a priority.

I’m a big fan of the Dilbert cartoon strip, as they bash the humorous (if it weren’t so true) deficiencies of big business. This one a few weeks ago really caught my attention, as it seemed they were singling out the golf equipment industry in particular.

These guys (Callaway, Nike, TaylorMade, et al) must think all goflers are just nuts, and incapable of thought. They parade out “the next great thing” on an annual or more frequent cycle, and think they can drive you to the cash register salivating.

This “next great thing” hits the market in the spring at full retail price, and within 6 months, the reps are calling on all the stores and pros offering more inventory at 30-50% off the prior published wholesale price.

It’s a crazy cycle that you would think should be starting to get stale. A friend in the retail business has told me that the square drivers are already “old news” and so the companies are offering him more of them at less than half of what he paid for his starting inventory in March.

His question to the rep was, “So, no one wants these anymore, but you want me to buy more of them ?”

What kind of logic is this ?

So, when you get the fever for a new driver, set of irons or whatever, I strongly suggest you don’t do anything without taking it on the course for a few rounds. Hit it side by side with what you are planning to replace, and see if it really performs better. If your pro or shop won’t let you do that, find another place to get your golf equipment. These things all cost too much to buy them on a whim or a wish.

And I’ll offer this - if you really want to improve your game, here are three sure fire ways to do it:

1. Build a relationship with a qualified clubfitter - he can make sure your clubs are matched and fit your game.

2. Consider lessons - less than 12% of all golfers have EVER taken a professional lesson. Try different pros until you find one that communicates with you.

3. THINK - Not just on the course but off as well. Think about what shots you have the most trouble with, and ask yourself why ? Think about the risk/reward on every shot. Play holes differently than you might normally.

I’m going to write a new post about each of these subjects, so watch for them in the weeks ahead.

Using the Ask Terry button, Andy sends this in:

I’ve been playing about 2 years, with a cheap set of clubs and scoring around 90-100. I’m looking at getting fitted properly. I understand the difference between blades and cavity backs and am thinking of going the blade route. I have seen the Mizuno MP-32’s and see that they are recommended. Can you give me any feedback or other options to consider.

Hi Andy,

I’m flattered that I’m having that much influence on your selection of clubs, but before you select blades, I suggest that you see a qualified clubfitter and try various head designs and shafts to see what is yielding the best results. You might want to play a simple cavity back iron for a while longer, or you might find a blade like the MP-32 is just what the doctor ordered. There is no substitute for trying various clubhead designs and shafts under the skilled eye of a professional clubfitter.

John also had a follow-up comment about club fitting:

First off, thank you very much for replying to my email on your terrific blog.

Trouble is, I really like the “feel” of Mizuno forgings, and I would like to believe that when you custom order a set of clubs with specific shafts, you are getting what you pay for.

How can you find a custom club fitter that will shaft Mizuno heads?

John,

I am not in any way trying to say that Mizuno or anyone else cannot make you a good set of clubs, only that you should have any new set checked on good loft/lie and frequency equipment to double check the factory.

Just to make sure you really got what you paid for. Any custom clubfitter will do this for you, for a fee, and then can do anything to those heads that is necessary.

I suggest you visit the Professional Clubmakers Society web site to find a clubfitter near you. If they have PCS certification, they are qualified.

Using the Ask Terry button, John asks:

Is there any “real” difference between x100 and s300 shafts ? I have heard people say yes and say no.

As I am looking at acquiring new clubs, I want to make sure that the shaft is right for me. I have no trouble getting the ball in the air, and my 5 iron swing speed is typically between 82-88 mph on any given day. Your input on this question is greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

John,

The “textbook” answer is yes. The X100 is somewhat stiffer than the S300.

That said, however, every manufacturer seems to turn out clubs with the “same” shafts that are very different when you examine them closely on a frequency machine.

This is a huge problem for the golfer in trying to purchase golf clubs that will work properly for them. For any golfer who is seriously interested in getting better, I strongly suggest having your clubs made by a qualified professional clubfitter/clubmaker, rather than to purchase from a major factory.

At the very least, have your clubs checked and measured by a qualified professional so that you know exactly what you have. You might be surprised.

If you’re buying a new set of clubs, you should demand the set be put on a frequency machine and loft/lie gauge to make sure they really are what you “think” you’ve purchased.

If the store doesn’t have that equipment on site, get a promise that the clubs are returnable for full refund if you find out they are not to the specs and tolerance you expect for this major financial outlay.

I don’t want to “rain down” on the major golf companies, but the facts will bear out that the consistency of product the big ones produce is not very impressive.

I’ve seen actual random testing of clubs purchased that reveals many things:

An “R” shaft can range from soft ladies to strong “Stiff”, even within what are supposed to be the same make and model; irons that have variance of up to two full flexes within a given set (this is much more common with graphite shafted irons that with steel); loft and lie angles that are off by as much as 2-3 degrees, almost a full club !

The only way to know what shaft you should really be playing, and what shaft you are getting, is to be professionally fitted and have your clubs built specifically for you by a qualified clubmaker who can show you right there what you really have.

Using the Ask Terry button, Jason send this for us to think about:

Turned pro in 02 and have struggled with pitch/chip shot around the greens. I have a big problem with the sand wedge/lob wedge sticking into the ground, and my technique is not bad. My current lob wedge (Mickelson grind) has 11 degrees of bounce. Any ideas on equipment changes and or technique/drills ?

Thanks for the question, Jason.

Regarding the sand/lob wedge sticking into the ground, my thinking is that your technique might need a bit of tweaking; try to shallow out your angle of approach to the ball, possibly moving it a bit further forward.

Also, make sure the clubhead is moving down the line and left at impact to make sure the bounce can work to its best advantage.

That all said, the bounce of the wedge has a lot to do with that. In my assessment, the “Mickelson grind“, like all other “tour grind” wedges have way too much of the functional bounce removed to work for anyone but a golfer with Phil Mickelson’s skills, which are rather unique.

The rest of us, including the bulk of tour pros, could benefit from wedges that have more function in the sole.

Bear in mind that this grind was designed for PM’s skills, the tight turf of tour courses, firm packed sand the pros are spoiled by, and for golfers who spend hours a day with their wedges.

In other words, they are NOT for the rest of us.

I rarely use this blog as a tool for selling EIDOLON wedges, but I can tell you that more and more golfers are finding that what we are doing with wedges is a cut above everyone else in the industry.

Until you try one, you can’t believe what that little patented improvement in the sole is capable of doing for your short game.

Thanks and good luck in your career !

Using the Ask Terry button, Steve asks:

What’s your opinion on wedges with lofts greater than 60 degrees ?

Any advantage/disadvantages for the average golfer ?

Steve,

I am kind of amazed at these wedges with lofts over 60 degrees, actually.

There’s one that’s 73 degrees for Pete’s sake ! In my experience, most amateur golfers cannot properly handle the 60, and adding loft more than that seems like just adding another way to lose strokes.

The higher loft a wedge has, in many ways, the harder it is to hit it properly, as the face is making a more and more glancing blow to the ball.

Most courses do not have the kind of shots where a well hit shot with a 60 won’t get the job done, in my opinion.

I think that if any golfer would really work with a good 60, he would find that there would be very, very few instances when he wishes he had more loft at his disposal.

A good 60 can allow you to open the face from a reasonably tight lie, and hit good bunker shots. It also allows you to hit flop shots with little or no roll after landing, with practice of course.

If the goal is to provide full swing distances less than their 60 flies, there are other ways to achieve that. I have written a book called “The SCoR Method” that outlines just such a method that is very simple to learn.

So, to me, until a golfer has a short game with their 52, 56 and 60 that is the envy of their friends, any wedge with more loft than that should stay in the stores.

Brian used the Ask Terry button to send this in:

Hey Terry ,

Just now checking out your site after hearing you on with Peter Kessler last week, good stuff.

I’m a leftie and play with a pitching wedge that is part of a set, KZG forged CB, and two Titleist wedges, 52 degree Vokey oil can (not spin-milled) and 56 degree Vokey oil can spin-milled.

This low bounce vs. high bounce talk has my head ‘spin-milled’.  Can you tell me about the bounce in the wedges I own and how they should play ?

Thanks for the comments on the interview. I look forward to being back on Peter’s show soon to talk about grooves and shafts in wedges, as those also affect playability.

Regarding your own wedges, it appears that the LH Vokey 52 has 8 degrees of bounce, and should be marked 252-08.  That’s quite a bit of bounce for a gap wedge, and I would suppose that it might not be that great from tight lies.

At the same time, it’s not that much bounce if you like to use it on longer bunker shots.  In other words, it’s kind of “average”.

As for the 56, it appears that it could have either 10 or 14 degrees of bounce, again, the number should be SM56-10 or SM56-14.

If it is the former, I’m guessing it’s not that great a bunker club. If the latter, probably tough to play from tighter lies.

That’s the problem with all the offerings from the major brands. Each wedge they make (over 150 models between Titleist and Cleveland) is a relatively specialized scoring tool – good at some things, not so hot at all others.

What we did with our V-SOLE, is produce in each loft, a sole that is great from nearly every lie you can find on the golf course.

I hope that helps you sort out and clear your head on this.