May 2009 TW Standard E-Tech Report

In the May issue of the TW Standard eTECHreport:

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

 

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Spring Upgrade Completed for TWGT Shaft Bend Profile Software

 

The first of two planned upgrades for TWGT’s unique Shaft Bend Profile software is complete and owners of the software have been notified of the web link through which they can access and import the update. If you own TWGT’s Shaft Bend Profile software and you have not received an email with the upgrade link information, please contact us by telephone or email and we will get the new upgrade to you.

To contact us by phone to request the upgrade, call 800-470-0072 or 970-375-0411. Email to request the upgrade is contact@wishongolf.com.

The 2009 upgrade to the TWGT Shaft Bend Profile software is the largest and most extensive addition of shaft information and program changes we have completed since initially offering the software in 2005. More than 400 new and different shafts have been added to swell the total number of shafts available for clubmakers to research to nearly 1300. In addition, 41” beam/205g butt frequency measurements have been re-done for all the shafts as well as a complete re-do of the swing speed ratings for each shaft in the software.

But we’re not done. We plan to send a second Bend Profile software update in June to add on another 105 shafts from three more shaft manufacturing companies, Accra, Aerotech and FST. In addition, we will continue to work on making adjustments in the software to enable clubmakers to research the shaft information in additional ways to help clubmakers make even better shaft fitting decisions for golfers.

As always, we want to make all of our technical information as helpful to clubmakers as possible. If you have suggestions for shafts not listed in the software or functions and features you feel would enhance your use of the software in your clubmaking and fitting, please let us know. We can’t obtain every possible shaft in the world or entertain every possible software function change, but we are certainly willing to do the best we can within limitations.

TWGT’s Shaft Bend Profile is the most comprehensive and virtually the only resource in the golf industry for quantitative information with which to compare shafts. Clubmakers have found it to be invaluable in their fitting work. If you are not using the Bend Profile software in your fitting work, you are guessing at the design and performance specifications of shafts, so get your copy today!

 

 

 

 

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Modern Shaft Design vs. Grip Size Update Nearing Completion

 

In doing the shaft measurement work for this year’s upgrade to the TWGT Bend Profile software, among the many data points we measure on all the shafts is the butt diameter. After measuring more than 400 different shafts to add to the software, one of the points that surfaced from our work and which clubmakers do need to know about is the wide variation in shaft butt diameter of shafts and how that can significantly affect the size of grips.

Gone are the days when clubmakers could count on virtually all R flex shafts having a butt diameter of 0.580” or S flex shafts almost all having a 0.600” butt diameter. For example, take a look at the above chart which shows the actual measured butt diameter range among the different flexes of new shafts added to the Bend Profile software this year.

Please understand this range in butt diameter among shafts of the same flex and type is NOT a criticism of the shaft makers. Each shaft manufacturer chooses the butt diameter for their shafts based chiefly on what butt diameter they need to end up with the flex, weight, bend profile design specifications they ordain for each shaft for the raw material specs from which the shafts will be made. Once any shaft is designed, it is then the responsibility of the golf companies and clubmakers to know how to install grips on the different shafts to end up at the grip size desired.

The reason we bring this up is because we simply don’t think very many companies or clubmakers are aware that today’s modern shaft models exist in such a wide range of butt diameters, and from that, how such ranges in butt diameter will affect the final installed sizes of grips.

Remember, grip size is a product of . . .

Grip Size = Grip Model Outer Diameter + Grip Model Core Diameter + Shaft Butt Diameter + The Thickness of the Tape Used for Build Up and/or Installation.

When this many variables exist to affect the final installed grip size, the only way grips can be installed to a precise, pre-determined size is by measuring or checking each of the contributing elements.

 

Grip Model Outer Diameter

If you think that all grips sold as “men’s standard” are manufactured by the grip makers to end up with an outer diameter of 0.900” down 2" from the edge of the grip cap, (the long time published “standard” for a men’s standard grip size) when installed on a shaft butt of matching diameter to the core size in the grip, think again. Grip companies also have the right to make their grips to end up with whatever outer diameter size they deem appropriate based on their research and beliefs
about grips.

For example, we here at TWGT believe that the majority of men are a little more comfortable with a slightly larger grip so we design some of our original, proprietary men’s grips to end up with a 2” outer diameter of 0.915” when installed on a 0.600” shaft butt to match to the designed M60 core of our men’s standard grips. Other grip designers and grip companies do the same thing based on their beliefs from grip fitting research. In our case, we do inform clubmakers of this information in the chart that accompanies the presentation of the TWGT original grip designs in our catalogs. Most other grip companies do not provide this information.

An uninstalled grip is very difficult to accurately measure for outer diameter because of the pliable nature of the various grip materials. In addition, all grips are manufactured to expand a little when installed on a shaft with a butt diameter equal to the core size in the grip – this is done to facilitate the grip securing itself to the shaft and/or installation tape.

The only way one can know the designed outer diameter of a grip is to install it on a shaft to the grip’s designed length, with the butt diameter equal to the core size of the grip, with one wrap only of 2-way grip installation tape. Once that is done, with calipers or a micrometer, a diameter measurement can be made.

 

Grip Model Core Diameter

The “hole” down the inside of the grip is referred to as the core of the grip. For many decades, slip-on style grips have been manufactured with standard core diameters of 0.560”, 0.580”, 0.600” and 0.620”. Today, some grips are made with a 0.590” core while very few are offered with a 0.620” core. Common reference terminology for the grip core has typically been to use a letter indicating if the grip is for men (M) or women (L) along with the first two digits of the decimal equivalent core diameter. I.E. M58, M60, L56, L58 and so on.

The largest grip makers typically offer each men’s size grip in 58 and 60 core sizes and sometimes in 62 as well. Women’s grips are typically made with cores of 56 and 58, with a few being done with a 60 core since so many of the modern L flex graphite shafts are being made with a butt diameter closer to 0.600”. Some companies have to offer their grips in only one core size because their sales volume for the grip is smaller.

In the past, most of the veteran grip companies would mold the core identification size code on the inside of the mouth end of the grip. But here again, some do not. So the only way you can know the core diameter of a grip when it is not molded inside the grip mouth is to ask the grip maker or check the information they may provide for the specs of their grips.

 

Shaft Butt Diameter

As you have seen in the chart at the beginning of this article, the butt diameter can vary greatly within each flex. While most of the shaft companies do offer the butt diameter as one of the specifications within their product information, all shafts do have a plus/minus tolerance in manufacturing for each spec, including the butt diameter. For some companies, the tolerance for butt diameter will be +/-0.002” and for others, +/-0.005”.

Therefore, the only way real precision in grip size installation can be achieved is to measure the butt diameter of each shaft with a pair of calipers or a micrometer. And one more thing – due to the nature of wrapping successive layers of the raw composite materials to form the shafts, graphite shafts are not as concentric as steel shafts. Therefore when using calipers or a micrometer to measure butt diameter, clubmakers are advised to rotate the shaft while taking the measurement – the measured butt diameter for grip installation will be the average between the largest and smallest diameter measurements around the butt end of the shaft.

 

Tape Used For Build-Up and/or Installation

Some clubmakers use compressed air to install grips without the use of 2-way grip tape. Some exclusively

install grips using 2-way grip tape with solvent. The varieties of tape sold for grip installation or grip size build-up are not made with the same thickness. Because the intent of grip build-up tape is to increase the butt diameter of the shaft to stretch the grip larger in diameter, variations in the tape will mean the same number of wraps won’t result in the same amount of grip size increase.

Therefore, the only way to know how many wraps of build-up tape results in what amount of grip size increase is to again use calipers or a micrometer to measure the increase in diameter of the butt of the shaft per each layer of build-up tape applied.

TWGT does not mean to imply that clubmakers must go through all these time consuming procedures to install grips, but we do want to make clubmakers aware that the number of variables that affect the final grip size can be significant. Grip size fitting still is chiefly a matter of what each golfer prefers in terms of the feel of the grip and how that preferred grip size can prevent the muscles of the forearms from being too tight to allow a smooth, consistent takeaway of the club to start the swing.

We do mean to inform clubmakers that if you have golfers who demand a very specific, precise installed grip diameter, the only way to ensure the grip remains the same size when golfers switch shafts and grip models is to go through such painstaking measurements with calipers or a micrometer.

 

 

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TWGT Tapped to Teach British PGA Professionals

Early June means the height of the golf season all over the northern hemisphere, but at the UK PGA’s headquarters at the Belfry, it also means the time when British club professionals will be able to undergo an extensive classroom and outdoor training program in clubfitting from TWGT’s Tom Wishon and Matt Mohi.

As part of their desire to utilize the equipment knowledge of TWGT to upgrade their training programs, the PGA of Great Britain asked TWGT’s fitting gurus to travel to their training center at the Belfry to conduct two back to back, two-day hands on training sessions in clubfitting during the week of June 8. The sessions for the British pros will include a total of 11 hours of classroom and outdoor instruction in the “how-to” of professional clubfitting.

“We’re truly honored the PGA of Great Britain has continued to ask for our help in upgrading and enhancing the equipment side of their training programs,” said TWGT’s Tom Wishon. “We take this as a real complement that not only does the UK PGA recognize a need to significantly increase their pros’ knowledge of equipment and fitting, but that they recognize TWGT as the best source for that information. And what better place to do this than at the Belfry’s spacious classroom and practice range facilities.”

After the UK sessions, TWGT will head to Germany to help teach the summer clubfitting seminar being conducted by German PGA professional Mike McFadden at the Jakobsberg Golf Klub near Koblenz, Germany. McFadden, a TWGT “clubfitting disciple”, has recently been tapped by the German PGA as their head of equipment and fitting education. The 2-day summer session Mike is hosting for fellow German PGA members is all hands on in its focus to teach German pros the actual “how-to” procedures and techniques of
accurate clubfitting.

“Mike McFadden is what can be called a ‘triple-threat professional’ in the sense that he can teach, he can play and he can fit, all at a very high level of competence,” Wishon went on to say. “This is a real step forward for clubfitting awareness in Germany with Mike having been ordained by the German PGA as ‘the man’ when it comes to educating the pros in his country. We’re very pleased that Mike has asked us to help him conduct this summer’s major training program in clubfitting for the German pros.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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More Valuable Shaft Information from TWGT Shaft Software

In an ongoing effort to convince clubmakers of the value and ease of use of TWGT’s Shaft Bend Profile software, this month we wanted to show you a few more features of the program and how it can help clubmakers in their shaft fitting.

• Finding Shafts With Similar Bend Profile Design

One of the most interesting features of the Bend Profile software is the ability to select any shaft and then find other shafts within the same type with a similar bend profile design.

Step 1: Select the type of shaft you want to compare by clicking on the radio button for Woods, Fairways, Hybrids, or Irons found on the upper left side of the screen, below the Select Shaft pull down window.

Step 2: Use the Select Shaft pull down menu to select the shaft for which you want to find shafts with similar bend profile design. When chosen, that shaft will appear in the Selected Shafts box at the upper center area of the main Graph Parameters screen.

 

Step 3: Under the Percentage pull down, select 1.0 to start, then click on the Find matches box. Continue changing the percentage by 0.5 increments until the software finds matching shafts within the percentage difference. Matched shafts will be displayed below the original Selected Shaft. The Percentage box tells the data base how close to look for similar shafts. Because the software works literally, it is highly unlikely there will be two shafts with every one of the beam length frequency measurements to be precisely the same. This is why you need to change the Percentage difference value until the software finds and lists matched shafts. Any shafts found which are 3% or lower to the selected shaft can be considered to be so close in the bend profile design to be considered a match and therefore similar.

 

• Sorting Shafts by Swing Speed Rating

Once you measure the golfer’s swing speed, TWGT’s Bend Profile software allows you to find all the shafts within each shaft type that have a swing speed rating that covers the actual swing speed of the golfer.

Step 1: Type the swing speed for which you want the software to filter in the box labeled Swing Speed located just under the Selected Shafts window. Immediately after the swing speed value is typed in the box, the software will display the shafts in an order so the chosen swing speed is within the low and high swing speed ranges listed on the right side of the main data base screen.

Step 2: Click on the box Clear Swing Speed to delete the chosen swing speed and return the main screen to its default setting.

 

• Sorting Shafts by Any of the Bend Profile Measurement Points

Let’s say you want to find all shafts which have the same 41” or 36” beam length measurement, or all shafts within a selected range for any of the seven different bend profile measurement points.

Why would you want to do this? The 41” and 36” measurements for woods, and the 36” and 31” measurements for iron/hybrid shafts are a relative stiffness comparison for the butt section stiffness of a shaft. In TWGT’s shaft fitting methodology, the butt stiffness is both a primary indicator for the swing speed rating as well as for the fitting of the shaft to the downswing transition move of the golfer’s swing.

Once you know the swing speed and transition rating for the golfer, you could sort for all the shafts which have a 41 or 36” measurement that corresponds to the swing speed rating within which the golfer’s measured swing speed lies. Then from all the shafts that fit the golfer for swing speed and transition move, you can then look for differences in the tip section stiffness (16/11 measurements) to find shafts that are tip soft, tip medium, tip firm or very tip stiff to match to the golfer’s wrist cock release of early, midway, late or in between.

Step 1: Select the type of shaft you want to compare by clicking on the radio button for Woods, Fairways, Hybrids, or Irons found on the upper left side of the screen, below the Select Shaft pull down window.

Step 2: Find the boxes on the main Graph Parameters screen for Sorted/Filtered Column, Low, High, Filter, Clear Filter.

Step 3: Under the pull down for Sorted/Filtered Column, select which of the bend profile measurement positions you wish to filter the shafts for.

Step 4: Type in the Low and the High frequency measurements for the selected beam length measurement point between which you want to filter the shafts. E.g. – 170 180, 155 160, etc.

 

Step 5: Click on the Filter box and the software will refresh the main data base in a ranking of the selected beam length measurement point for the frequency measurements within the chosen frequency measurements. To bring the data base back to normal, highlight and delete the entries made in the Sorted/Filtered Column, Low, High boxes, then click on the Clear Filter box.

 

Additional Sort/Filter Information

If you wish to see all the shafts within each type all listed from the low to the high measurement for any of the seven or six beam length measurement points, simply select the measurement point you wish the ranking to be done by from the Sorted/Filtered Column pull down. Do not enter anything else and simply click on the SORT button. To return the data base to its default alphabetical setting, click on the Clear Sort button.

Again, this is just a sampling of some of the features in TWGT’s unique Shaft Bend Profile software. For clubmakers who are interested in having a quantitative means to compare shafts, the program really is a valuable addition to any clubfitting shop.

 

 

 

 

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TWGT’s Tools for Educating Golfers

The goal of every Clubmaker wishing to increase their sales of custom fit and custom built golf clubs has to be to convince golfers that custom fitting is far superior to the standard made, one size fits all, brand name clubs sold off the racks in retail golf stores, pro shops and through internet golf retail web sites.

So many golfers have never thought that these heavily marketed brand name golf clubs are nothing more than one size fits all, mass produced, standard made clubs. The multi-million dollar brand name marketing campaigns of the big golf companies fool golfers into believing buying good golf clubs is only a matter of choosing the brand name and club model.

We know it is difficult to get golfers to listen to an explanation like this. Big marketing campaigns have a very powerful effect on the uneducated consumer’s brain. But we also know that the clubmakers who use the books and videos TWGT has created are able to plant the seed of common sense in golfers’ brains which for many will grow into the realization that custom fitting is without question better for a golfer in search of the best clubs for THEIR game.

Please don’t forget we have these items available to help you explain the facts of life about golf clubs to your golfers. USE THEM and you will find your work in custom clubmaking can increase.

 

TWGT Videos

• Designed to tell the facts of life about golf clubs and clubfitting through a series of brief videos. Give golfers these links to view the videos or show them on a computer in your workshop.

Links to the TWGT Videos:

On wishongolf.com - http://www.wishongolf.com/video_wishongolf.php

On twgolftech.com - http://twgolftech.com/videos_twgt.php

On You Tube:

“Custom Fit vs. Standard” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbIRBJ2Seds

“What does Custom Fitting do for Golfers?” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-yEfb9iDNw

“The Facts of Life about the Golf Equipment Industry” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seZJUO4ZQ_s

Basic Shaft Fitting - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec95TZSPnoQ

 

12 Myths Booklets

• Offered by TWGT at our printing cost so clubmakers can give a copy to every golfer you see. At 32 pages, every golfer has the time to read the facts of life about golf clubs in the 12 Myths booklets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Right Sticks

• Think of The Right Sticks as the 12 Myths booklet expanded to 37 different golf equipment myths. Ideal for the golfer who has a little more time to read, but prefers a book with “short chapters” to match his attention span!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Search for the Perfect Golf Club and The Search for the Perfect Driver

• TWGT’s more in depth books telling the facts of life about golf clubs which back to back won the Golf Book of the Year Award for 2006
and 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No other company is as committed to helping clubmakers educate golfers about the facts of life of golf clubs to be able to increase your sales of custom fit golf clubs. TWGT will continue to work harder than any other company to earn your business by helping you grow your business in custom clubmaking.

Like we said, these vehicles work, but only if you make the effort to get them in front of the golfers you wish to serve with your clubmaking skills. USE THEM NOW!

 

 

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