A Publication of Tom Wishon Golf Technology   •   February 2008

February 2008 TW Standard E-Tech Report

 

Items of note before we get down to business...

In the February issue of the TW Standard eTECHreport:

NOTE: the complete February TW Standard eTECHreport pdf version is available by clicking here - 3MB (requires Adobe Acrobat 5 or newer )

TrackMan and TWGT Announce Association for Clubfitting Technology Information

ISG A/S, creators of the TrackMan™ launch and flight analysis technology, and TWGT have decided the golf industry and the golf market need to be exposed to the highest quality and most accurate information about clubfitting and golf club performance. The two companies have decided to work together on a number of projects for the purpose of generating technical information to more accurately educate Clubmakers and golfers about custom clubfitting. [continues below]

TWGT 'New Look' Catalog Arrives in Clubmakers' Mailboxes

It’s not at all unusual to say that Clubmakers anticipate the new TWGT catalog each year because they look forward to seeing the new product designs. For 2008, Clubmakers are not only being treated to the finest in current and new professional clubmaking designs, but to a brand new format and presentation for the TWGT catalog as well. [continues below]

A New Visit to High Launch/Low Spin Driver Fitting

Ever since the introduction of the award winning Search Series of books, we at TWGT receive a lot of contacts from golfers who have read our books and contact us with questions about their equipment. While the topics vary, one of the most frequent involves their interest to know how they can achieve a “High Launch + Low Spin” result with their driver. [continues below]

TWGT New Design Updates

We know you’re anxious to touch, feel, build and hit/use some of the new products from TWGT for 2008. We’re anxious to get them in your hands to hear your feedback! [continues below]

Common Sense Clubfitting for Shotmaking Consistency

The majority of the emphasis in clubfitting is placed on increasing distance and improving accuracy. Being able to improve the golfer’s shotmaking consistency is an area of game improvement that can actually lower the golfer’s score more than fitting changes which bring about more distance and better accuracy. [continues below]

The Right Sticks – Just Around the Corner

The edits are done, the layout complete and the presses are about to roll on TWGT’s latest book aimed at educating golfers about the benefits of professionally custom fit clubs. [continues below]

TWGT Marketing Collateral is Now Available for Download at www.wishongolf.com

TWGT is now providing high resolution files for download directly from our website. [continues below]

TWGT Early Season Specials

Enjoy great savings on TWGT Designs. [continues below]

 

 


 

ISG A/S, creators of the TrackMan™ launch and flight analysis technology, and TWGT have decided the golf industry and the golf market need to be exposed to the highest quality and most accurate information about clubfitting and golf club performance. The two companies have decided to work together on a number of projects for the purpose of generating technical information to more accurately educate Clubmakers and golfers about custom clubfitting.

As a result of meetings between ISG A/S and TWGT held last October in Copenhagen and at the recent PGA Show in Orlando, Florida, the two companies have agreed to work together in a number of different areas all aimed at overcoming myths and misinformation that confuses too many golfers and custom Clubmakers. The companies will work together to generate technical articles for US and European golf magazines and to perform research together in an effort to dig even deeper into the truths of golf club performance.

“We recognize TWGT as the leader in the golf industry in the field of practical clubfitting knowledge,” said ISG A/S president Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen. “All of us at ISG are continually working to use the data from TrackMan™ to reveal the truths about golf club performance. We look forward to working with Wishon Golf on future projects to be able to guide golfers and Clubmakers in the right direction when it comes to turning golfer launch data and golfer swing characteristics into the best possible fitting conclusions.”

As a start to offering the best information possible, TWGT Clubmakers may sign up to receive the TrackMan™ industry newsletter by going to the following sign up link: http://www.trackmangolf.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

In addition, TWGT Clubmakers can access a pdf file of the January newsletter from TrackMan™ at the following link: http://www.trackmangolf.com/newsletter/jan08/TMNewsJan2008.pdf

“We’re excited to be able to share information back and forth as well as work on new research projects with TrackMan™,” said TWGT’s Tom Wishon. “We’ve owned a TrackMan™ system for two years and we’ve found the people behind it are just as passionate as we are about learning everything possible about turning the most accurate ball launch and club delivery data into the best possible fitting recommendations.”

TrackMan™ has quickly become recognized as the undisputed leader in acquisition of highly accurate ball launch and flight data as well as club delivery data. TrackMan™ has become the official launch and ball flight analysis system for the PGA Tour, and millions of golfers are now viewing TrackMan™ data on various televised PGA Tour events.

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TWGT 'New Look' Catalog Arrives in Clubmakers' Mailboxes

It’s not at all unusual to say that Clubmakers anticipate the new TWGT catalog each year because they look forward to seeing the new product designs. For 2008, Clubmakers are not only being treated to the finest in current and new professional clubmaking designs, but to a brand new format and presentation for the TWGT catalog as well.

“As a company, we’re used to thinking outside the box when it comes to our product designs and technical information,” said TWGT graphic designer Cherie Zorilla. “This year we thought we would put a little of that thinking into the layout of the TWGT annual catalog. In changing the 2008 catalog to a horizontal landscape presentation, not only does the catalog lay open more easily, but it gives us a chance to illustrate the products a little better.”

At 92 pages, the 2008 TWGT catalog contains 8 more pages than any previous edition. “As much as possible, we like to present each of our clubhead designs on a 2-page spread so we can show as many views and display as much information as possible about each model,” stated TWGT’s Tom Wishon. “We also prefer to glue in the price list so clubmakers can remove it and then feel comfortable about showing the catalog to prospective customers without them knowing the clubmakers’ pricing.”

One of the little “mysteries” associated with the 2008 catalog about which a few Clubmakers have inquired is the significance of the little “critter” on the back cover! FYI, the golf course scenes shown through the catalog were shot at The Glacier Club at Tamarron, Dalton Ranch Golf Club and Hillcrest Golf Club, our beautiful local courses around Durango, Colorado. The “featured” animal is one of the many Marmot who reside at The Glacier Club, an absolutely gorgeous semi-private facility located in the mountains to the north of Durango. This Marmot was particularly curious about the photographer’s visit that day, so we thought we would thank him for allowing us to invade his home, by awarding him with a cameo appearance on the back cover of the catalog.

Thanks again for all the kind comments about the 2008 catalog. All of us at TWGT look forward to serving your custom clubmaking needs this year!

 

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A New Visit to High Launch/Low Spin Driver Fitting

 

Ever since the introduction of the award winning Search Series of books, we at TWGT receive a lot of contacts from golfers who have read our books and contact us with questions about their equipment. While the topics vary, one of the most frequent involves their interest to know how they can achieve a “High Launch + Low Spin” result with their driver. Because there is a lot of confusion in the golf equipment market place about this subject, TWGT feels it appropriate to re-visit this subject to offer the very latest in technical information about this topic in clubfitting.

Speaking from a purely theoretical fitting point of view, it is true that the ultimate driver fitting should result in the combined launch parameters of “high ball speed + high launch angle + low spin.” The problem is the fact that humans swing golf clubs with a variety of different techniques, some which are not conducive to being able to achieve this theoretically perfect combination of launch parameters. In addition, this combination of “high ball speed + high launch angle + low spin” is intended to deliver the maximum carry distance – a factor which may or may not result in the greatest overall driver distance, depending on whether the fairways are more or less conducive to the roll of the ball after landing.

High Ball Speed

Of the three primary launch parameters, achieving the highest ball speed for each individual golfer is the most important and the easiest to accomplish – all you have to do is fit your golfers into one of TWGT’s driver designs and then fit the golfer with their best combination of length + shaft weight + swingweight (MOI) to ensure the golfer hits the ball on center the highest percentage of the time!

All kidding aside, TWGT is very proud of our ability to design high performance driver designs which deliver a consistently high “Smash Factor” (ball speed divided by clubhead speed) over a large area of the face. The highest possible Smash Factor capable from a USGA conforming driver for any golfer, as calculated by the most accurate launch monitor in the game, is 1.50. (Actually, it is 1.495, but because the TrackMan launch monitor reports Smash Factor to the nearest 0.01 number, TrackMan will round an actual Smash Factor of 1.495 up to 1.50)

Because of TWGT’s variable face thickness design ability, impacts ½” to ¾” above, below and to the side of the center of the face of our driver heads will still result in Smash Factors of 1.48 to 1.49, as recorded by TrackMan™. So even when the golfer has a slightly less than perfect point of impact, achieving the highest possible ball speed for their clubhead speed is the easiest of the three primary launch parameters to deliver to the golfer.

High Launch

Students of the technology of fitting are aware that the optimum launch angle for every golfer has to be related to their swing speed. It is a myth to think all golfers need to achieve the same launch angle to maximize distance. The lower the clubhead speed, the higher the launch angle must be to achieve maximum distance, and vice versa. In addition, the more downward the golfer’s angle of attack, the lower their optimum launch angle will be, and the more upward to angle of attack, the higher the optimum launch angle will be.

What specific loft angle each golfer must use to achieve their optimum launch angle for maximum total distance depends on the golfer’s swing speed + the golfer’s angle of attack + the condition of the fairways with respect to the roll of the ball on the golf courses they play. Without question, the angle of attack is extremely important to know to be able to help any golfer find which loft generates the optimum launch angle for their swing speed.

The angle of attack is the direction the clubhead travels to impact in relation to the ground. The A of A is measured in degrees Upward or Downward, or Level to the ground. The ideal condition for maximizing driver distance is an upward A of A. Golfers with a downward A of A are at an immediate disadvantage when trying to maximize distance off the tee.

The more the golfer swings with an upward A of A to the ball, the lower the driver head loft can be to generate a high and optimum launch angle. The lower the loft of the driver head, the lower the spin rate on the ball. Hence, an upward A of A is the best way to achieve the ideal combination of high launch + low spin. To contrast, the golfer with a downward A of A has to use a higher loft to achieve their optimal launch angle, and with that higher loft comes more backspin.

After the ball velocity, the launch angle is the second most important launch parameter to optimize to deliver maximum distance to each golfer. Spin is definitely in last place.

Low Spin

The role of backspin in optimizing distance is a launch parameter that is least understood and most confusing. The reason that lower spin is considered to be beneficial for maximizing driver distance is because the higher the spin rate and speed of the ball, the more friction is generated between the ball and the air through which it flies. The greater the friction between the air and the ball in flight, the sooner the speed and lift of the ball can decay and contribute to a decrease in distance.

Putting it All Together

Thanks to our technical association with the good people at TrackMan™/ISG AS, we are happy to share a couple of charts of information compiled from research being done with a wide variety of golfers by the TrackMan™ launch system. The following charts show the optimum launch parameters for maximum driver distance.
Chart 1 shows optimum launch parameters for different clubhead speeds + different ranges of angle of attack to achieve maximum CARRY DISTANCE. Chart 2 shows the optimum launch parameters to achieve maximum TOTAL DISTANCE of carry + roll, based on lowering the angle of descent of the ball to the ground to take advantage of more roll from firm to dry fairway conditions.

One of the most important bits of information to derive from this information is how much a downward angle of attack limits the golfer’s potential for distance. Take a look at the difference in carry distance for the +5° and -5° Angles of Attack for each clubhead speed. For example, at 90mph, which is very close to the average man’s driver clubhead speed, the optimum launch parameters show the 90mph golfer with a 5° upward angle of attack can carry the ball 27 yards farther than a golfer with the same clubhead speed but with a 5° downward angle of attack. Yes, the lower launch angle of the 90mph / -5° A of A will generate a little more roll but not enough to make up the distance difference. For all clubhead speeds, the golfer with a downward angle of attack is losing significant driver distance compared to what they could achieve were they to have a level or upward angle of attack.

 

 

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TWGT New Design Updates

We know you’re anxious to touch, feel, build and hit/use some of the new products from TWGT for 2008. We’re anxious to get them in your hands to hear your feedback! While we did anticipate more of the new products being in stock by the first of February, the old adage of the “best laid plans of mice and men go awry” popped up to create a little more delay. As a result we wanted to offer the following information about new product deliveries:

 

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Common Sense Clubfitting for Consistency

The majority of the emphasis in clubfitting is placed on increasing distance and improving accuracy. Being able to improve the golfer’s shotmaking consistency is an area of game improvement that can actually lower the golfer’s score more than fitting changes which bring about more distance and better accuracy. When we talk about shotmaking consistency in Common Sense Clubfitting, the emphasis is on making changes to the golfer’s clubs which result in a higher on-center hit percentage, as well as changes which allow the golfer to achieve more consistency in their swing path and delivery of the face angle to impact.

Key Fitting Specifications for Shotmaking Consistency

1. Club Length

For the vast majority of golfers, the longer the length of the clubs, the more the golfer will hit the ball off center to lose consistency for distance and accuracy. In addition, playing with clubs that are too long can make it more difficult for the golfer to achieve a swing path that would contribute to better accuracy. In addition, some golfers, most typically golfers who are taller than average, may find that an iron to iron length increment of 3/8” (or Dan Connelly’s TLT fitting concept) will work better to improve consistency of impact through the set.

Tips

2. Swingweight/Total Weight and MOI Matching – Fitting for the Golfer’s Best Swing Feel

On the of the A-Effect fitting specifications for shotmaking consistency in Common Sense Clubfitting is the club to club weight distribution through the set. Typically, most Clubmakers think of this as the domain of swingweight matching in the fitting process. However, because more and more evidence is mounting to verify that MOI Matching is better than swingweight matching for delivering clubs that allow the golfer to swing more consistently from club to club, it is very important for Clubmakers to become more knowledgeable about MOI matching of clubs in a set.

If you are uncertain of what MOI Matching can do as a replacement for swingweight matching the clubs in a set, take a moment to read this article by veteran clubmaker Richard Kempton from the TWGT E-TECHreport for Nov/Dec 2007. (http://www.wishongolf.com/etechreport/2007/nov_dec/index_dist.html#art1)

Richard’s report chronicles what he has learned about MOI Matching from having performed MOI Matching and fitting for more than 500 different golfers since 2003.

Tips

 

3. Set Makeup

At first thought, Clubmakers might scratch their heads and wonder how the Set Makeup has anything to do with improved shotmaking consistency. At second thought, changing the set makeup to get rid of the hard to hit clubs and replace them with ones that are easier to hit and deliver the function and distance of the hard to hit clubs can be one of the most powerful and effective ways to improve a golfer’s shotmaking consistency.

4. Lie Angle

Need it be said that ignoring a precise Lie Board Fitting or Golftec Lie Detector (http://golftek.com/liedetector.html) test is a sure way to add to the problems of shotmaking consistency for any golfer. Fitting the lie angle of the irons dynamically to the golfer must be a given in any fitting session which strives to improve the golfer’s consistency.

5. Woodhead Face Angle

While it is not a form of shotmaking consistency that delivers a higher on center hit percentage, fitting the golfer for the right Face Angle of the woods to improve accuracy is also considered a way to improve the golfer’s consistency in play.

 

 

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The Right Sticks: Just Around the Corner

 

The edits are done, the layout complete and the presses are about to roll on TWGT’s latest book aimed at educating golfers about the benefits of professionally custom fit clubs. The Right Sticks: Equipment Myths that Could Wreck Your Golf Game is scheduled to be on shelf and up front at every major brick/mortar and online bookstore in early April.

Based on the format of the booklet, 12 Myths That Could Wreck Your Golf Game, The Right Sticks fills the bookstore chains’ request for an equipment truths book that would capture today’s readers’ interest through a series of short, concise and to the point topics about golf clubs. In advance of the release, we thought we’d share one of the new myths created for The Right Sticks - #22 – The Clubs Sold in the Pro Shops and Big Golf Stores are Good Enough for My Game.

We chose this one to share with TWGT clubmakers because it drives home the point to golfers just how much more intelligent it is to be custom fit than to spend money on standard made golf clubs. Clubmakers who are continually searching for compelling ways to convince golfers of the same point are welcome to download/copy this myth from the new Right Sticks book to give to golfers.

MYTH #22:

THE CLUBS SOLD IN THE PRO SHOPS AND BIG GOLF STORES ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR MY GAME.

As a golf club designer who has designed hundreds of different models during the 30+ years I have been in the golf business, I can tell you that the quality of the clubheads, shafts and grips created by the big, heavily marketed golf companies is actually very good. They might not be usable in the hands of the average golfer, but their technical quality is outstanding.

The reason they might not be usable in your hands, however, is because these companies ruin all their hard design work by selling their clubs under a single set of “average” specifications. Unfortunately, the specifications they choose might allow (maybe) 10% of all golfers to play to the best of their abilities. As for the rest of you... Hey, these are just like the clubs the pros use!

Why don’t these golf companies do what the bat and racket makers do and build their clubs to a variety of specifications, so golfers of all different sizes, strengths, athletic ability and swing characteristics can buy the right clubs off-the-rack and head out to the course to play?

They can’t, because if they did, they would go out of business. They would have to manage thousands of product options instead of ten or twenty. And, even if the golf companies could somehow manage their inventory, the retailers who sell the clubs to the golfers would never, ever, agree to stock all those different combinations or else they would go bankrupt.

I’m sure at one point or another you’ve been in a big box retail golf store; but for a moment, I’d like you to think about what you saw. My guess is that you saw eight to ten brands of golf clubs, with each brand having two to four different models. The only “fitting option” you might have seen among those brands and models are a handful of driver lofts and maybe two or three shaft flexes. Never mind that the driver lofts are not right for most golfers, and no standard exists for what constitutes any given shaft flex.

If you know anything about the retail business, you know that stocking eight brands times two models each, times a minimum of eight different fitting options, times each fitting option having three to six required variations, is nearly impossible. It would require stocking a minimum of over 700 unique sets in each store! Your accountant and banker would quickly tell you not to touch that deal with a ten-foot pole, or else you’ll be headed for Chapter 11. In a nutshell, even if a golf company wanted to offer a wide variety of custom fitting options to be sold off-the-rack, they
simply can’t!

As a result, as the golf industry has grown over the years, they have resorted to offering golf clubs which are made to one standard length, loft, lie, face angle, shaft weight, swingweight, and grip size. In each model of each brand, you will see only a handful of driver lofts, and a choice of two or three shaft flexes (of which neither you nor the golf sales people have any idea how stiff they really are).

Don’t you think it’s a little weird that almost no one asks, “if bats and rackets are commonly stocked and sold in all their necessary fitting options, why aren’t golf clubs?” The few people who might have thought about it enough to ask are typically told: “Custom fitting is only for good golfers,” or “Custom fitting? Sure we do that. Here, hit a few balls at our indoor net and tell me which club you like,” or, “Golf is a hard game and someday when you improve your swing, you’ll hit these clubs better.” It’s like it is somehow your fault that you don’t see lower scores, after buying a set of clubs that were never designed for your use in the first place.

So exactly what is it about standard off-the-rack clubs that keeps you from playing your best? That’s a good question and one that you need to know since gazillions of golfers having been buying these clubs for decades, thinking everything’s fine.

This off-the-rack mentality winds-up extending to other areas as well. For example, how many golfers are even asked about the size of their hands, so that at least the right size grips could be applied? Changing grips is simple, fast, cheap, and any store could do it, but when do you see even that fitted to the individual golfer?

Granted, there are more earth-shaking problems in the world; but within this great game—a game that is enjoyed by millions upon millions of people around the world—you’re definitely not being treated the way you should.

But like I said, and I do mean it, the standard made clubheads, shafts and grips are very well engineered and made. You just don’t want to actually use them in their off-the-rack form.

 

 

 

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TWGT Marketing Collateral is Now Available for Download at www.wishongolf.com

For your marketing needs, TWGT is now providing high resolution files for download directly from our website.

Go to the following page to download product images, TWGT logos, poster art, brochures etc. via our website:

http://www.wishongolf.com/marketing_kit_2008.php

Or from the www.wishongolf.com home page, click on “Information”, then choose “Marketing Collateral”

This download page is replacing the former marketing CDs, so that we can more easily provide you with all the latest information and products for your marketing projects to promote your business and TWGT.

 

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TWGT General Advertising and Sales Policy

For all advertisements and promotions of TWGT designs and products (TV, radio, print, internet) a "Call/Contact for Pricing" policy is in effect.

TWGT designs and products are not to be sold or advertised on auction sites (eg. Ebay, Yahoo).

All and any use of Tom Wishon Golf Technology logos, trademarks and/or images shall be used in a manner consistent as outlined in the style guide Marketing CD.

If you have any questions please contact us at 800-470-0072 or 970-375-0411.

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Comments from the Department of Marketing/Web...

If you haven't noticed, we've added a few things to our www.wishongolf.com and www.twgolftech.com web sites. Tom's been doing a few interviews in his effort to promote custom clubmaking and The Search for the Perfect Golf Club. A 25-minute mp3 audio file of Tom's interview with the SF Bay Area's Golf Talk Radio Show is now available for download. Just take a look at the wishongolf.com home page in the upper right hand corner to find this and a link to a written exchange with BigDogEat.com's Donny Coyle.

There's also a new section on the publicity that TWGT has garnered for its design work. While we receive most of the popular rags (Golf Digest, GolfWorld, Golf Tips, Golf For Women), we don't get them all. If you know of any TWGT sightings that we missed, please drop us an email. If at all possible, a scan of the page(s) of concern would be greatly appreciated.


*SPECIALS -- Please call for details: 1-800-470-0072
All advertised specials are only offered for a limited time; prices are subject to change without notice and do not include shipping or taxes (where applicable). Offers are subject to availability, and cannot be combined with any other offer.


TW is the trademark of Tom Wishon Golf Technology, LLC. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

All eTECHreport (ISSN 1551-1103) articles written by Tom Wishon unless otherwise noted. Please refrain from unauthorized reproduction of text, photos, and/or graphics.