• Equipment

  • Need Honest opinions on a club concept

I don't play like I used to, but at 52 Y/O, I can still get past 110 SS. I honestly haven't hit a head after 2006 that does anything for me. Yes, there is adjustability, but as far as forgiveness, etc, I just don't see that much difference. I have a 975D Titleist from 1997 that I pull out every now and then and it puts a smile on my face. It is still the most solid feeling metal driver I have ever hit, and I can still squeeze a 300 yard drive out of it. IMHO, the ball is what has changed the game. Any premium ball I can lay 275 all day long with that Titleist, but the newer heads go farther due to the thinner face and CG for higher launch and lower spin than that Titleist. BTW, it is a 6,5* with a DG S300 and original cord grip.

I do want to try a Powerbuilt AF1 from a few years ago.

All I can say to a Club builder would be to make it appealing at address without being a mailbox on a shaft. Have adjustability to 4 loft/lie, 8.5-12.5 and face angle, 3 open to 3 closed. Put 4 adjustable weights that slide front to back, side to side and cannot fall off. Make it solid feeling with some bulge and roll. Come in at 440 CC with an anti glare matte black face, crown, sole. No scoring lines and a small, unobtrusive alignment mark on top.

My $.02

These are all great comments, but given the USA limits on design spec, what is left to make breakthrough improvement on? Every time I see an OEM claiming they have revolutionary design (Callaway Epic?), I just see another little tweak. Frank Smith said it in his book- since the advent of titanium and graphite, adjustability has been the only really new science.

    sdandrea1

    Material. Is the next big change.

    Titanium and multi material had it's glory just like the steel and fortified, reinforced steel before it.
    Not just for the drivers. Golf balls will go back to one piece like the Gutta-percha ball with the ability to change it's property for different swing speed.
    In a few decades, most everything will be "printed" by a printer instead of the traditional ways of preparing. That might even include the food we take.

    It's a bit away and I certainly would not see this happening. However, it's already in the works to make it a reality in the not so distant future.

        Release
        I agree. But if the COR of .83 remains, what will the new material give us? We already know that making a club ultra light may or may not help a player. Now if the OEMs convince USGA on bifurcation , we could see some more room for innovation.

            I agree with brsmith that a nicer-looking clubhead that is slightly smaller but has the same performance would be a plus. 400 or maybe 420 without sacrificing MOI would be a welcome change, at least for me.

            sdandrea1

            Like everything else. Perhaps the governing rules of the game will also be modified to certain extent in the future.

            How old is this game ? How old is the Religion ? If Catholic Church could change it's guidance after thousands of year, so will the game of golf after a few hundred years. If will morph and change, or perhaps a HYBRID form of this game will appear.
            The ideal hybrid model is to take less than 3 hours to finish. Cost less and most certainly takes up less real estate to get similar experience. Virtual reality golf ?
            Come to think of it, one of my favorite show , The Star Track had projected many of today's invention decades ago. Like the smart phone, artificial simulation,...... So a virtual reality is not that far fetched. Virtual gaming goggles is on the market already. In real estate , a buyer off shore in another country could put on a pair of virtual goggles and tour the interested property to have a tour as close as being there, walk from room to room, up and down the stairs......

            Nothing could replace the real thing, However, in the big picture with more population and lomoted resources in the future, the game might suffer just being in the way of the progression. The real game might return to a side show belonging to the few privileged.

            We are the fortunate ones to be able to enjoy it.

              In this day and age it's all about performance and price.....how much bang can you REALLY get for your buck?
              As far as copying someone else's design,with all the gimmicks,materials used etc.,it's pretty hard to come up with
              something that is totally earth shatteringly different that hasn't been done before.
              I say give it a shot, 'cause you never know what a golf ho will bite on! 🙂

              And of course there is this:

              Charles H. Duell was the Commissioner of US patent office in 1899. Mr. Deull's most famous attributed utterance is that "everything that can be invented has been invented."

              So, who knows?

              LogicalOne

              Tom Wishon also wrote a piece about 40g minimal weight having an effect.
              I think he was talking about his driver head design that had the internal moveable weight.
              Golfsmith head maybe?

                I am not arguing the math. Head rotation thru impact area and the amount of weight to increase or delay same doesn't take all that much. A slight delay is all that is needed. Same with front to back sliding weights to influence L/A. It's the degree of influence that determines the amount of weight.

                And that other guy you mentioned isn't he the advocate of shorter is better and yet now that theory is out the window as it's all about 2" overlength wedges on Sl irons? Just sayin.

                  Theory works ONLY if the hands swing the golf club stays constant . The base for all the numbers changes then, it would be pointless for those numbers.
                  If I have a choice between a healthy body and the most advanced technology applied to the golf clubs within the conforming rules.
                  I'd take a healthy body and swing a set of 50 years old golf club any day.

                  Bangoman

                  It always comes down to $ in the end. Just because some of us more "mature" individuals think something is a triple bag of horse hooey doesn't mean it won't sell. If the masses believe the latest tweak will help their game, then there is a market. I used to be in that market.

                      I believe what Wishon said was it takes 40 grams to move the center of gravity on a golf club, not club performance.

                        accufitgolf

                        According to Mikes post it depends on how much you want to move it that would determine the weight. How have you been btw?

                            Bangoman And that other guy you mentioned isn't he the advocate of shorter is better and yet now that theory is out the window as it's all about 2" overlength wedges on Sl irons? Just sayin.

                            Two different subjects.

                                Bangoman
                                Steve:

                                All is well. To refresh your mind, I retired about 12 years ago from owning a full time shop. I only mess around with my own clubs now. So happy to be out of the business as I do not see how a small operation/shop can make any money at it nowadays. I will not even do work for friends as I see them as friends, not customers and I want to keep them that way.

                                My health is good for being 74. I play golf 2-4 times a week. My calling card reads:

                                Sleep Late, Play Golf, Drink, Eat, Repeat.

                                John