A Publication of Tom Wishon Golf Technology   •   May 2004

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May 2004 eTECHreport - Welcome!

Summer is in full bloom at WishonGolf.com...

• The TWGT Forum is hopping with activity! If you haven't already, Sign-up for the Forum here.
• The 949G/Ti will be here June 15th – a photo of the actual clubhead is now on the description page – click here.
• More generous comments have been added to the Testimonials section.

Launch Angle and Trajectory are Two Different Things

 

Would it sound confusing to tell you that two golfers with the same launch angle would NOT achieve the same trajectory with their shots? Would it also sound confusing to tell you that two golfers with the same swing angle of attack to the ball but totally different swing speeds using the same exact club would achieve the same launch angle? I think a fair answer to both would be a resounding YES.

But both statements are completely true. Launch angle is simply the angle at which the ball leaves the clubface and is determined by the golfer’s swing angle of attack, the loft of the clubhead at the point of impact on the face, the forward flexing of the shaft and the effect of the clubhead’s Center of Gravity on the forward bending action of the shaft. Swing speed has NO effect on the launch angle of the shot whatsoever.

At this point you might furrow your brow and ask, “then how can a golfer with a high swing speed hit the ball much higher than a golfer with a lower swing speed, if both golfers use the same club?”

The answer to that lies in the fact that launch angle and shot trajectory are two different things in the hitting of a shot. Shot trajectory, or the height that the ball flies is a product of the launch angle PLUS the ball velocity and backspin. If two golfers generate the same launch angle with the same club but have totally different swing speeds, the golfer with the higher swing speed will achieve a higher trajectory for the shot because his higher swing speed will generate both more ball velocity and more backspin. Thus the greater the ball velocity and backspin, the higher will be the shot for the same launch angle. Got that?

Let’s look at an actual example to show what we mean in both cases.

Example #1 - How two golfers using the same club with the same swing angle of attack but with different swing speeds generate the same Launch Angle, but totally different trajectories.
Let’s take two extremes here to better illustrate this point. Golfer #1 has a swing speed of 75mph, while Golfer #2 has a swing speed of 100mph. Both have a 0 degree, or level Angle of Attack into the ball because they both make the same swing moves on the downswing. Both are using a driver with 11 degree loft

Using TWGT’s Trajectory and Ball Flight modeling software to perform the analysis, look at the top line of numerical data in green which illustrates the launch results for the 75mph golfer compared to the launch output in blue for the golfer with the 100mph swing speed. Obviously, Golfer #2’s much greater swing speed easily accounts for the much greater ball speed (147.5mph vs 110.6mph) and carry distance (233yd vs 155yd) of the shot. Golfer #2’s higher swing speed also accounts for much more backspin (2860rpm vs 2145rpm) because the higher the swing speed, the greater the friction between the ball and the lofted surface of the face. But the two golfers, regardless of their vast swing speed difference, will achieve the same launch angle with the same 11° driver of 9.6 degrees, because in our example, they have the same 0° angle of attack.

Now, compare the blue and green line drawings at the bottom of the screen which indicate the trajectory of the two golfers’ shots with the same club. As you can see, despite the fact both golfers hit the ball at the same launch angle, Golfer #2 (blue line) will end up hitting the ball more than TWICE AS HIGH as Golfer #1 (green line). This is because Golfer #2’s 100mph swing speed generates a 37mph higher ball velocity AND 715rpms more backspin than Golfer #1 can achieve with his much lower, 75mph swing speed.

When two shots take off at the same launch angle, the shot with the higher ball speed and greater backspin will have more lift under the ball from the greater spin, and will remain in the air much longer because of the greater ball speed. The combination of the two results in a much higher shot trajectory. How much higher? If you look back at the two trajectory lines on the above screen image, you can see that the trajectory of the shot for the 100mph golfer is MORE THAN TWICE AS HIGH at its peak as is the height of the shot for the golfer with the 75mph swing speed. Yet both golfers used the same club with the same loft and same shaft.

So what does all this mean from a fitting standpoint?

• Changing trajectory for a slower swing speed golfer by changing shafts from a high to a lower flight design within the same flex and model of shaft will NOT achieve very much difference in shot height. Thus in fitting shafts to the golfers with slower swing speeds, focus your shaft fitting efforts on selecting the best shaft weight to improve swing speed and comfort for the golfer’s strength and swing tempo, as well as on the best OVERALL FLEX for the best feeling of solid impact with the ball.
• Visibly changing trajectory for a slower swing speed golfer can best be accomplished by selecting a different loft and/or a more rear located CG in the clubhead.
• Changing trajectory for a higher swing speed golfer can be accomplished to a visible effect with different flight designs of shafts within the best flex for the golfer ’s swing speed and downswing tempo. However, loft first and a head with a more rear CG location are still going to be more influential in their effect on trajectory for the high swing speed golfer.

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Chicken Soup for the Clubmaker

By Matt Mohi, TWGT National Accounts Manager

“The best set of clubs a golfer will ever play will be a set that is accurately fit and built to the golfer’s specific needs, using the highest quality designs available.” I have heard Tom say this repeatedly to people when they ask him why they should see a clubmaker vs. buying off the rack. I guess it is something that we all believe, or we’d be doing something else. Is that what you truly believe?

This is really a great time for fitters and builders. Thanks to the USGA’s limit on the C.O.R. of the face, no longer can companies claim their new face material or shape will get you “20 yards more than your current driver.” We have come full circle where the emphasis is now squarely on CUSTOM FITTING and building a persons’ equipment to fit their game and their swing. Standard, off-the-rack clubs will always fail in this regard for the simple reason that they are built for the masses.

Fitting and building go hand in hand. While the assembly of any custom-fit club is not terribly complicated, it does take an attention to detail that has been aided by different tools to get the job done. On the other hand, FITTING has always been more of a combination of understanding the golfer’s swing movements and outputs with your fitting experience to guide your recommendations. The proper combination of the accurate fitting recommendations and detailed assembly will result in better performance for the golfer.

Seems simple, right? The challenge for all of us is how to better communicate that message to the general golfing public who develop their opinions of equipment performance from the large OEM marketing campaigns. In the face of that, we have to pull back the curtain a bit and walk through what really goes on. When a golfer walks into your shop, talk to them about your process. Tell them what makes you different. Educate them with your knowledge about what you do and how you do it – if you educate first, they will feel like you are on their side and not just trying to sell them a golf club.

What we do here at TWGT is essentially the same as what you do for your customers. You and I are trying to provide a level of expertise regarding equipment and fitting so that better performance is the end result. For us, it is Tom’s designs that not only need to perform well, but also need to be pleasing in appearance. The next step is communicating with clubmakers the difference between TWGT and other companies. This not only shows up in our design and performance side, but also in our technical information side. When Tom shares what we are finding out through R&D, it is so all clubmakers and fitters can learn, and educate your customers in turn. For those of you that have had interactions with Tom, you know how generous he is with his time, information, and experience.

I have heard some Clubmakers tell me, “I don’t want to have to tell a story.” I really think that this is a pretty lazy view of how to build a business. It would be akin to me calling up somebody and saying, “Did you get the catalog? OK, great…let me know if you need anything.” While some might like that very passive approach, I think it is doomed to failure if you are trying to grow your business. My job isn’t to sell – my job is to educate clubmakers about the benefits of our company and let clubmakers make the decision of whether or not they want to buy. The better I can distinguish everything we do better, the greater chance I have of building a strong relationship with a customer. Luckily, with Tom’s designs performing so well, it isn’t too tough a row to hoe.

Go over the basics with your potential customers – this is what we are going to do in the fitting process, these are the designs that I choose to work with, and this is what I am going to do on the assembly side – and all of this will result in better performance for you Mr. Golfer. If you don’t take the approach that this set will be the best the golfer has ever played with, then why should the customer believe they will receive a good product in return for his money and time? This is why it is important to be as well informed about equipment and fitting, and to be able to educate golfers about what makes a difference and what doesn’t from the performance side. Ultimately we are all going to be judged by how the ball flies through the air, but if we do things properly, we have a huge advantage over clubs that are built to standards, and bought off-the-rack. It will never hurt to be a little zealous in our belief about the difference that custom-fit equipment will make.

Lastly, it is vital that you value what you do and that it shows up in ample compensation for your work. I once had a skipper from my commercial fishing days who told me, “A man’s labor is his greatest gift.” Of course I immediately asked for a raise, and was promptly shot down with, “Too bad, you already signed the contract for the season.”

Too often I hear clubmakers promote themselves as being a less expensive alternative to the OEMs. We all need to work toward the goal of making a better product that shows up in better performance. And yeah, you might be able to save somebody a couple of bucks in the process, because the OEM’s have to spend so much money convincing Joe Golfer that their stuff is the best, even when ill fit, or not fit at all.

TWGT is working hard to (re)inform the public about the benefits of proper fitting and building. Tom’s continued involvement with Golf Digest and PGA.COM, with more to come, will provide that opportunity for us to do things on a larger scale. Clubmakers have to do this on a one-on-one basis, but it is still important to educate every golfer that comes to your shop about the difference between your work and standard off-the-rack clubs, no matter what name is on the clubs. For every individual that becomes a believer in what you do and how you do it lies the potential for him or her to inform other golfers about the performance benefit you offer.

It isn ’t rocket science, but it does take the commitment to “tell the story.” This is your story. This is our story. Together, we can and will provide golfers with the best set they have ever played. Go out and start educating the masses!

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The MOST IMPORTANT Fitting Specifications for Game Improvement

When you list them on paper, there are more than 20 different specifications on a golf club that can be defined, measured and ultimately fit to the golfer. Let’s face it. Trying to precisely define each and every one of these intricately for the golfer’s swing movements and manner of play would not only take too long, but would be an exercise in futility because each possible club specification will not visibly change the performance of the shot.

Thus, when trying to award priorities in your fitting to offer the most game improvement help for your customers, make the effort in your work to accurately fit the following club specifications and fitting factors. If you do, your success rate in fitting will increase, and with it, the level of satisfaction and word of mouth advertising from your customers.

1. Woodhead Loft Angle

   The majority of golfers are using drivers with too little loft to maximize their distance potential. In general, if you see any golfer with a swing speed of 90mph or less with a driver of 11 degrees or less, you will likely be able to deliver more distance off the tee. Using aids like the TWGT Trajectory and Ball Flight software will help you pinpoint the driver loft decision accurately.
   Use common sense on the fairway wood lofts. If the golfer does not achieve much height with a 10 or 11 degree driver, a 13-14 degree #3-wood will not be beneficial. Always keep in mind that a set of fairway woods can be #5, #7 and higher than that.

2. Club Length

   45” long drivers are too long for 90% of the people who play golf. Fitting more drivers and woods shorter than what the OEMs build their woods today will bring you many, many happy customers. Tall people don’t all need long clubs either. A good “wrist-to-floor” length advisement chart (in the printed TECHreport coming soon to your mailbox!) will be able to guide your initial length recommendations for comfort and control.

3. Set Make Up

   Always replace hard-to-hit clubs with clubs that hit the ball the same distance but are easier to get up in the air. If the less skilled, less athletic, lower strength player is competent with fairway woods, push them into #7, #9 woods or even #11 woods and don’t start the irons with a club longer than a #5- or #6-iron. Well-designed hybrids such as TWGT’s 321LI with matching shafts are always going to be easier to hit than any conventional long iron, for ANY golfer. If the golfer has a very slow swing speed, forget a driver and start the woods with a #5-wood. Just remember – the longer the club, the stiffer the shaft, the heavier the club, the lower the loft, the harder the club will be to hit.

4. Ironhead Lie Angle

   The greater the loft, the more off-line the shot will fly if the lie angle is not fit correctly to the physical stature and swing movements of the golfer. Do include a Dynamic lie fitting with ALL fitting sessions. If you can’t bend the lie yourself, perform the test with a test iron and tell us what lie you need and we’ll take care of the bending. But do NOT ignore proper lie fitting in the irons.

5. Woodhead Face Angle

   No question, this is your #1 most effective path to accuracy improvement for golfers with the woods. ALWAYS look for the best face angle to counteract the miss-direction tendencies of your golfers. And remember, TWGT will hand select (for a small fee) any wood model for custom face angles within the +/- tolerance of each wood design.

6. Club Total Weight (shaft weight)

   Fit your golfers with the LIGHTEST total weight clubs that they can control. Total weight is determined more by the shaft weight than any other specification. Remember, the definition of control to a 6’3”, 215 lb athlete might be a 125g steel shaft. It might also be a 65g graphite shaft but with a higher amount of headweight. Talk to your golfers, ask them about what they perceive as comfortable or not in terms of the total weight of clubs they have used in the past. But when you encounter golfers who are not that strong or athletic, lighter is always going to be best.

7. Shaft Bend Profile

   How the stiffness is distributed over the length of the shaft has a bearing on the feel of the shaft and the height of the shot. But when in doubt, err on the side of more flexibility overall and more flexibility in the tip section of the shaft. Keep the tip firm shafts only for the players with a late release of the wrist-cock and you can’t go wrong.

8. Club MOI

   If you are not building clubs to match the MOI of a favorite club from the golfer’s past, you’re missing a golden opportunity to increase the areas of game improvement for golfers. If you are building to matched swingweight, be sure to keep the general guideline of ‘faster the tempo, stronger the player, higher the swingweight’.

9. Grip Size and Texture

   Never underestimate the power of a new grip fit to the size that is most comfortable to the player. Remember, COMFORT in the grip is more important than whether the fingertips just brush the palm when the golfer puts their hands on the club.

10. Wedge Loft And Sole Angle Increments

    Don’t overlook short game fitting. After all, more than half the shots made in a round are with the short irons and putter. If they leave the ball in the sand, more bounce, or a wider sole, or both will help. If they play where the greens are raised, a 60° wedge is a must. If there are more than 6° between the golfer’s PW and SW, add a gap or AW.

11. Putter Length, Lie and Loft

    Very few clubmakers make it a point to push for a putter fitting when golfers come to their shops. There is no more important scoring club than the putter. Learn to fit putters for lie, length and really don’t overlook the potential for loft fitting as perhaps THE key element for putting improvement.

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Specific Shaft Fitting with TWGT

At TWGT we are continually working to provide you with more and better technical information to guide the fitting recommendations you make for your golfers. One of the most intimidating for clubmakers can be the selection of the shaft. The reason I decided to create ALL of our own shaft designs–and not distribute shafts made and branded by the various shaft vendors–is because I am absolutely sure we can create shafts that are not only the absolute best in quality, but are INDIVIDUALLY designed for SPECIFIC golfer swing types.

Much of our R&D work over the past 2 years has been able to accurately identify which specific swing movements truly relate to the bending and performance of the shaft. We’ve had to do that as an integral part in the creation of an upcoming software program intended to predict the launch angle contribution of the shaft to the shot. We’ve also had to do that as part of creating our brand new “more human swinging” hit-testing robot.

That’s why you’ve been reading so much from us lately that stresses the identification of swing movements as KEY for helping you to make better shaft fitting recommendations for your golfers. The next issue of our print magazine, TWGT TECHreport (which is in the mail as you read this) will show the beginning of that in one of the feature stories on Shaft Fitting Specifics.

From our R &D studies, the following charts show the important swing movements/factors that you need to learn and observe in your golfers to match them to specific design differences in shafts. Because these points describe different parts of the downswing, you’ll need to observe all of them in your golfers to decide what description of the swing moves listed below is most like what the golfer displays. Then check each movement’s shaft design points and combine these together to best match how the golfer swings. Be sure to note the DIFFERENCES IN TIP TRIM INCREMENTS advised among the shaft recommendations. This is a key part of fitting with TWGT shaft designs for different golfer swing types.

Backswing to Downswing Transition

How smooth or quick is the transition between the end of the backswing and the beginning of the downswing? Here are the variations to look for:

1. The golfer has a distinct pause and begins the downswing with a smooth and even application of the downswing force.
2. The golfer has a fairly quick transition, or no pause at the top, is somewhat aggressive in beginning the downswing but is not quite yet really fast or super aggressive, where you slightly see the shaft bend a little at the very beginning of the downswing.
3. The golfer is very quick in the transition, and really gives the impression of “pulling” down hard on the club to start the downswing, and where you really see the shaft bend for that split second before it starts down.

Wrist-Cock Release

How early or how late does the golfer un-hinge the wrist-cock on the downswing? Here are the variations to look for:

1. The golfer un-hinges the wrists very early on the downswing, so the angle between the shaft and the arms begins to increase and un-hinge as soon as the downswing begins.
2. The golfer can retain most of the wrist-cock at the very beginning of the downswing, but begins to un-hinge the angle between the shaft and the arms shortly after beginning the downswing, and before the club reaches a point of being waist-high on the downswing.
3. The golfer is able to hold the wrist-cock until later in the downswing, with the angle between the shaft and arms beginning to un-hinge at or below the time the club reaches a point of being waist-high on the downswing.

After observing these two key elements in the swing of the golfer, combine what you see and follow these recommendations for shaft selection.

Transition 1 / Release 1

The golfer with the smooth transition and early release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the lower end of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Softer in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Softer tip section design for bend profile
• Not below 3.5 degrees of torque
• Lighter in shaft weight (<75g graphite, <110g steel)
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • ZT Series High Flight Graphite with 0” (woods) and 1⁄4” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 0” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • LV Technology Graphite with 0” tip trim increments (woods and irons),
  • Series 5 Steel with 1⁄2” (woods) 1⁄4” (irons) tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)

Transition 1 / Release 2

The golfer with the smooth transition and medium release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the lower to middle area of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Softer in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Softer to medium tip section stiffness design
• Not below 3.5 degrees of torque
• Lighter in shaft weight (<75g graphite, <120g steel)
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • ZT Series High Flight Graphite with 1⁄2” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 1⁄4” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • LV Technology Graphite with 1⁄2” (woods) and 1⁄4” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • Series 5 Steel with 1⁄2” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)
• If this golfer does not flex the wrists forward at impact with the medium release of the wrist cock:
  • InterFlexx High Graphite if they want to address a higher trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1⁄2” (woods) and 1⁄4” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite if they want to address a lower trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1⁄2” (woods) and 1⁄4” (irons) tip trim increments

Transition 1 / Release 3

The golfer with the smooth transition and late release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the middle area of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Softer to Medium in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Softer to Medium tip section stiffness design
• Not below 3.0 degrees of torque
• Lighter to Medium in shaft weight (<85g graphite, <120g steel)
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • Series 5-SL Graphite with 3⁄4” (woods) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 3/8” to 1⁄2” tip trim increments
  • Series 5 Steel with 1⁄2” tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)
• If this golfer does not flex the wrists forward at impact with the medium release of the wrist cock:
  • InterFlexx High Graphite if they want to address a higher trajectory desire from the shaft, with 3⁄4” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite if they want to address a lower trajectory desire from the shaft, with 3⁄4” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Tour Graphite if their swing speed is higher than 105mph, with 3⁄4” (woods) incremental tip trim

Transition 2 / Release 1

The golfer with the somewhat quick, slightly aggressive transition and early release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the middle area of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Softer to Medium in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Softer tip section stiffness design
• Not below 3.5 degrees, not above 6 degrees of torque
• Lighter to Medium in shaft weight (<85g graphite, <120g steel)
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • ZT Series High Graphite with 3⁄4” (woods) 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • Series 5 Steel with 3⁄4” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)
• If this golfer does not flex the wrists forward at impact with their early release of the wrist cock:
  • InterFlexx High Graphite if they want to address a higher trajectory desire from the shaft, with 3⁄4” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite if they want to address a lower trajectory desire from the shaft, with 3⁄4” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments

Transition 2 / Release 2

The golfer with the somewhat quick, slightly aggressive transition and medium release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the middle area of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Medium in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Medium tip section stiffness design
• Not below 3.0 degrees, not above 5.5 degrees of torque
• Lighter to Heavier in shaft weight (<100g graphite, 115-125g steel) although if very light shafts are desired, do not leave the swingweight below D1-D2.
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • ZT Series High Graphite with 1” (woods) 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • ZT Series Mid/Low Graphite with 1⁄2” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • Series 5 Steel with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)
• If this golfer does not flex the wrists forward at impact with their early release of the wrist cock:
  • InterFlexx High Graphite if they want to address a higher trajectory desire from the shaft, with 3⁄4” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite if they want to address a lower trajectory desire from the shaft, with 3⁄4” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Tour Graphite if their swing speed is higher than 105mph, with 3/4” (woods) incremental tip trim

Transition 2 / Release 3

The golfer with the somewhat quick, slightly aggressive transition and late release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the middle to slightly higher end of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Medium in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Medium tip section stiffness design
• Not below 3.0 degrees, not above 5.5 degrees of torque
• Lighter to Heavier in shaft weight (<100g graphite, 115-125g steel) although if very light shafts are desired, do not leave the swingweight below D1-D2.
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • Series 5-SL Graphite with 1” (woods) tip trim increments,
  • ZT Series Mid/Low Graphite with 3⁄4” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • Series 5 Steel with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)
• If this golfer does not flex the wrists forward at impact with their late release of the wrist cock:
  • InterFlexx High Graphite if they want to address a higher trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite if they want to address a lower trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Tour Graphite if their swing speed is higher than 105mph, with 3⁄4” (woods) incremental tip trim

Transition 3 / Release 1

The golfer with the definite quick, hard and very aggressive transition and early release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the higher end of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Medium in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Medium tip section stiffness design
• Not below 3.0 degrees, not above 5.0 degrees of torque
• Medium to Heavier in shaft weight (75-100g graphite, 115-125g steel) although if very light shafts are desired, do not leave the swingweight below D3-D4.
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • Series 5-SL Graphite with 1⁄2” (woods) tip trim increments,
  • ZT Series Mid/Low Graphite with 1⁄2” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • Series 5 Steel with 3⁄4” (woods) and 3/8” (irons) tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)
• If this golfer does not flex the wrists forward at impact with their early release of the wrist cock:
  • InterFlexx High Graphite if they want to address a higher trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite if they want to address a lower trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments

Transition 3 / Release 2

The golfer with the definite quick, hard and very aggressive transition and medium release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the higher end of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Medium to Firm in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Medium to firm tip section stiffness design
• Not below 3.0 degrees, not above 5.0 degrees of torque
• Medium to Heavier in shaft weight (75-100g graphite, 115-125g steel) although if very light shafts are desired, do not leave the swingweight below D3-D4.
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • Series 5-SL Graphite with 1” (woods) tip trim increments,
  • ZT Series Mid/Low Graphite with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • Series 5 Steel with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)
• If this golfer does not flex the wrists forward at impact with their medium release of the wrist cock:
• InterFlexx High Graphite if they want to address a higher trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments
• InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite if they want to address a lower trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments
• InterFlexx Tour Graphite if their swing speed is higher than 105mph, with 1” (woods) incremental tip trim

Transition 3 / Release 3

The golfer with the definite quick, hard and very aggressive transition and late release is better fit into a shaft with the following design characteristics:

• Rated in swing speed so the golfer’s swing speed is at the higher end of the shaft’s swing speed range
• Medium in the butt stiffness compared to what is average for other industry shafts of that swing speed range
• Firm/Stiff tip section stiffness design
• Not above 4.0 degrees of torque
• Medium to Heavier in shaft weight (75-120g graphite, 115-125g steel) although if very light shafts are desired, do not leave the swingweight below D4-D5.
• TWGT Shafts Designed for this Player are:
  • Series 5-SL Graphite with 1”+ (woods) tip trim increments,
  • ZT Series Mid/Low Graphite with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • GI335 Graphite with 1⁄2” to 5/8” (irons) tip trim increments,
  • Series 5 Steel with 1”+ (woods) and 1⁄2” to 5/8” (irons) tip trim increments (if the player desires steel)
• If this golfer does not flex the wrists forward at impact with their early release of the wrist cock:
  • InterFlexx High Graphite if they want to address a higher trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Mid/Low Graphite if they want to address a lower trajectory desire from the shaft, with 1” (woods) and 1⁄2” (irons) tip trim increments
  • InterFlexx Tour Graphite if their swing speed is higher than 105mph, with 1” (woods) incremental tip trim

 

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The Most Fun I Have Had in Decades

As a new business owner with my best friend and wife Mary-Ellen (who, if you excuse the clubmaking metaphor, is definitely the “epoxy” that holds all the “heads” and “shafts” together in our business!) it definitely is nice to be able to call the shots (whether good or “less good”!) In the past when clubmakers would ask what I enjoyed the most about my work, I used to say it has been the actual design process – from the concept of the performance intent, making the models, modeling the performance, checking the tooling masters, testing the prototypes, to giving the “go” for production when everything is as I want it.

But since starting our own business, it’s been interesting for me to note how that’s changed a little bit. Since we ‘opened the doors’ of TWGT last February, we have been fortunate to have received a ton of emails, letters and phone calls from clubmakers, even from the customers of the clubmakers, with incredibly nice complements and kudos on the performance of our head, shaft and grip designs.

Over the past year and a half I have come to realize that I enjoy the feeling of pride in hearing how our designs have been able to bring real enjoyment to golfers as much as the actual design process. OK, call that a little bit of feeding the ego, but it’s different now than it was for me in my previous work. In the past, I always took pride in trying to create the best component designs I possibly could because I have always had a real passion for my work. But now it’s different because my name is on the designs for the first time in my design career.

Maybe it’s because of that. Maybe it’s because I feel I have learned more from the R&D projects in the past 2 years than I did the 10 years before that have really helped me become a better golf equipment designer. I know a lot of the technical and engineering discoveries we have made recently have been incredibly fascinating and definitely make me feel that our present designs are the best I have ever been fortunate to be able to have created. . . so far, because there are new things on the ‘back burner’ all the time!

One thing that hit me the other day as well was the fact that we have received numerous “kudos” communications for each and every one of our TWGT models and not just a few. In my past work, there were always complimentary letters/emails/calls about models, but there were always 4-5 models every year that we never heard ‘boo’ about.

So to all of you who have taken the time to let us know how much you like our designs and how they have brought more enjoyment when you play, thank you very much!! It’s like gas in the tank to keep the car racing down the track trying to do better and better. We’re in the process of putting together a place on our wishongolf.com web site where we can share some of these with you.

And for those of you who have yet to try any of our designs, you really need to because, well, for lack of a better way to say it – they really are the best performing models I have ever designed. If you’re not that familiar with all of the design differences, call us and let us help you select the right head, shaft, grip and assembly specs for your golfers, and I have a strong hunch you’ll have some real pats on your back for a job well done in clubmaking.

Thank you!!!

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