Golf Clubs On Us

Hi, I am using this to put thoughts out there about the issues relating to golf equipment, the golf swing and the game of golf, that I run into on a regular basis here at my shop. I run a full time golf club repair shop and there is alot of mis-information floating around out there when it comes to equipment and how it’s suppose to work. Hopefully I will help shed some light on what I see here daily. If I can help you to understand your equipment better you will play better. I will try to comment daily but somedays are longer than others so I cannot promise anything.

The Club Guy

Until recently I hadn’t played much golf for a while.  So I start up again and resume watching on TV, and I’m hearing about hybrid golf clubs.  Am I getting old or has the age of specialization reached this far into the traditional world of golf?  Or was the world of golf not all that traditional to begin with other than at Bushwood?

Hey, my clubs include a driver with three and five woods, irons from three through pitching wedge and a putter.  What more could I need?  Well I never did use my three iron for two reasons: I didn’t think I could do better with it than I could with my five wood, and I hit my five wood pretty well.

Like a lot of players, the lower the number on my iron, the harder it is to strike it well.  Unless I get a perfect swing, infrequent though not impossible, I’m not going to get good results.  But I’m not sure I ever would have thought to turn my creativity into designing a club to make up for my imperfections, so it’s a good thing somebody else has.

But when we talk hybrid here, I guess it’s like hybrid vehicles, where the idea is to merge the characteristics of two or more means of motive power to produce vehilces that will go farther on the same amount or less energy.  What we have here is a way to combine the best characteristics of irons with the best characteristics of fairway woods.  Unlike an iron, a hybrid club face, being somewhat hollow,  can deform when it strikes the golf ball, then instantly it seeks to regain its shape, and that adds to the force applied to the ball.  Also hybrids are closer to irons in terms of their length, which means a player would use an iron-like swing, as opposed to setting up further away like one would with a wood.

There are even different designs between club manufacturers.  Some look more like an iron, some look more like a wood, although the club head is not as deep as a wood.  

Most hybrids will cause a higher trajectory than a similar wood and impart more backspi.  This is great for long approach shots, because the player may feel more confident to try to land the ball on the green.  Previously he player may have tried to land the ball short of the green and roll up or and on and worry about rolling off.

Whatever the reason, these clubs are hot sellers.  A report done in 2007 by the Darrell Survey Company showed that at least 65% of the PGA Tour players use at least one hybrid, and 80% of the Champions Tour players (that’s the older guys) use at least one, some more than one.

PING 50th Anniversary Rapture V2 Hybrids are the perfect choice for any player looking for ultimate forgiveness or a long iron replacement. The PING Rapture V2 Hybrid has a sloped crown and a 112 gram tungsten sole allowing for the center of gravity to be placed lower and farther back from the club face. PING designed the Rapture V2 Hybrids with a larger head profile and a longer face to increase MOI and improve accuracy of hits. These irons feature the PING 50th Anniversary Logo.

The Taylor Made Burner TP Driver combines Superfast Technology and Dual Crown Technology. Weighing less than 300 grams, this driver promotes a faster swing speed, a higher launch angle and a lower spin-rate. The Burner TP Driver is a high MOI driver that combines two great distance producing technologies to produce the greatest distance possible off the tee.  Available with a variety of custom shaft options.

Designed for new golfers this package includes all the clubs needed to start playing and enjoy the game. This package is an excellent choice for players looking for their first set or looking to move up from “hand-me-down” clubs.
Set of 6 Ti-Matrix irons (5-PW) has a perimeter weighted design with low center of gravity that provides higher more accurate shots. Club heads are oversized and are easy to hit, even for beginners or high-handicappers. Shafts are Inferno-Lite steel with Regular Flex
3 wood (15°) with graphite regular flex shaft
5 Wood (21°) with Inferno-Lite steel shaft with Regular Flex
3/4 (24°) Hybrid is easier to hit than long irons, shaft is Inferno steel with Regular Flex.
Putter is heel & toe balanced for a more true roll.
All clubs come with soft all-weather grips.
Men’s right hand standard length.
Inferno light-weight stand bag has 4 way padded divider top, padded shoulder strap, 5 zippered exterior pockets, umbrella holder, Velcro glove tab with towel ring, zippered snap-on rain/travel cover & bottom assist handle.
Full manufacturer warranty covers breakage or defects for one year

Customer Review: Starter golf clubs

Brought these clubs for my husband in 2007…well his first or second outing to the driving range one of the heads flew off!!! The company immediately sent him a new one although it was not the same brand as the one I brought but they did respond very quickly. I did not want to spend a lot on some clubs for my husband since he had never played so I did not know if he would like the game. Okay clubs for beginners.

Customer Review: broke within 10 swings

The graphite shaft wood broke within 10 swings at the driving range. Pretty embarrassing when the club head flies almost as far as the ball you just hit. The other clubs seem to be holding up a little better, but time will tell. I don’t feel as though they will hold up very long however. I didn’t expect much from these clubs based on price, but I did expect to make it through at least one round before they broke. Hopefully I won’t get hassled about a replacement or repair.