Frankly Golf

Dear Frank:
With The Masters coming up this week I was wondering about green speed and how this is determined for this championship. The greens are always so slick and scary looking!! I read that you were involved with the Stimpmeter and thought that maybe you could answer my question.
Thank you,
Marge

Marge,
Yes, I was involved with the Stimpmeter. In 1976 I re-designed a device that had been developed in 1935 by Eddie Stimpson but rejected by the USGA at that time. The original was not very consistent in its readings. I first tried out two very elaborate designs of my own, which turned out to be good but clumsy, and dependent on the skill of the operator. I then took Eddie's concept and redesigned it, and since the conception was his I called it the Stimpmeter, which was what he had called his.

A ball is positioned in a slot at the top end of a "V"- grooved aluminum beam. The beam is slowly raised until gravity pulls the ball out of the slot and it runs down the groove onto the green. The distance it rolls from the end of the Stimpmeter on a flat portion of the green is the speed of the green, measured in feet. It is very consistent, simple, and now used around the world.

In 1977, I asked our agronomists at the USGA to measure greens during their visits to various clubs. They returned data that I analyzed to try to develop some standards for green speeds. This proved to be 6’6” for everyday play at golf courses, and 8' 6'' for average competition play. For championship play in 1977, 10' 6" was considered fast. To reach that speed, we had to double or even triple cut the greens; we made sure that if the greens were undulating we would keep the speed somewhat slower.
In 1998, at the Olympic Club in San Francisco during the US Open the fairways were running at 6' 6". Not only had significant agronomic changes taken place, but mowers designed for greens were being used on the fairways. Today, if you want to roll the greens and really shave them down, you can get them as fast as 15 feet, as was the case at Bethpage Black on the Sunday of the Open in 2002.

The green speed at Augusta National is a secret, but whatever it is it should be fair and very much dependent on the undulations of the green. You never want to have the ball accelerating past the hole from any direction; if it does, then either the hole location is inappropriate or the speed is too fast. A ball should be able to stop close to the hole when putted from almost any location on the green. This does not mean it should be easy to do, but it should be possible. With the above in mind, there is quite a responsibility on the shoulders of the individual in charge of dictating green speed and hole locations. I suspect the greens for the Masters will be close to 12 feet.

Hi Frank,
Can you clear up for me whether PGA and LPGA players can use range finders during tournament rounds?
Thank you.

Bob,
The answer is NO at this time. They can use an EMD (Electronic Measuring Device) for practice rounds, but not during competitions. Personally, I don’t see any good reason why they shouldn’t be allowed to use these devices during tournaments and championships too. If we can do it, why can't they? Why does it matter if a player gets his or her distances from a range-finder or from a caddie’s pacing it off from a marked sprinkler-head? The only difference is that the EMD is a little quicker.
The time will come when the tour players will be able to use these devices during competition, but we’re not there quite yet.
Frank

I’ve noticed that when I’m hitting my driver, my feet for some reason turn back and forth like a washing machine. This causes me to be very erratic with my drives. I’ve tried buying new shoes, but this doesn’t seem to help. I do better when I hit my three-wood and I have no such problem with my irons.

I’m a 17 handicap mainly because my drives go anywhere between 160 and 230 yards depending on how much my feet slip. My shot pattern is that the ball generally has tremendous side spin depending on the spin of my feet, and it either goes very high and stops in the fairway and backs up a couple of feet or goes way to the right or left. The only good thing about this is that I am a very good golfer once I get off of the tee. I have had to work on the other parts of my game to make up for my slipping feet.

Can you recommend a drill or a brand of shoes that will keep me from sliding everywhere? This problem easily costs me 5 – 10 shots per round.
Thank you for any advice you can give me.
-- Steve

Steve,
When I was doing some work at the USGA on swing dynamics, we tried to demonstrate some of the ground forces involved during the swing. This was most successful when we had a three-foot-diameter aluminum disc built, and we mounted it on ball bearings so it would turn easily about a central axis. When I stood on this disc and tried to make a golf swing, my feet would turn in the opposite direction as the takeaway, and opposite again in the downswing. This rotation of the disc got even more exaggerated when the club was swung like a baseball bat, then eased up as the plane of the swing plane became more upright (vertical).

Your swing plane does change from your driver to your wedge, so it makes sense that this is a problem on the drive and not on your irons. It does not make sense, however, for your feet to slip under you during the swing, unless you’re hitting from a very slippery wet tee or have no spikes on your shoes. I suspect you’re not transferring weight properly, and need to get some good teacher to look at your swing. One drill you might try is to swing with your feet very close together; this will quiet the action of your feet, and make sure you’re turning rather than shifting and sliding. You might also try stepping through your swing on the follow through as Gary Player has sometimes suggested.

Frank,
Can you tell me how close and/or how different "knock-off" clubs and brand-named clubs are? More importantly, for the average player/hacker, would it make more sense to go with the more economical "knock-offs?"
Thank you,
Steve

My definition of a knock-off is a club that closely resembles a popular product. In some cases it even has a name that at first sight might be confused with the product it’s trying to copy.

This is not good idea, even though they may be less expensive. I would certainly not want to fly in a plane with a knock-off engine called Roils Royse instead of the real thing ( i.e. Rolls Royce). Why then would I want to trust my drive off the tee or the rest of my golf game to a “Bigg Berta” or the like?

In some cases the knock-offs are not as blatant as the example above, or don’t actually violate trademark laws, but if you want the performance offered by the real thing, you should stick with the original product. There might be a difference in the method of manufacture; there will almost certainly be a difference in quality control and consistency. By manufacturing a knockoff, the producer has demonstrated a willingness to cut corners; you have to wonder what other compromises it’s made in the quality of the club.

A better way to get prime performance at a discounted price is to go for last year’s model, which should still work very well. The laws of physics don’t change much, and certainly not from year to year. New clubs will certainly, in most cases, have some improvements, but those differences are usually extremely minor from a performance standpoint. So go for the real thing, and if price is a factor then most of the models introduced over the previous couple of years will be a good buy.

Hi Frank,
I just turned 60 and am about a 15 handicap. Should I move to the seniors tees? My game was never good enough for the back tees, but I always played the tee box closest to the 6500 yardage. If I'm driving the ball into the fairway, what iron should I be hitting into the green? I feel that if I’m hitting a sand wedge into the green I should be playing from a tee box further back.
Frank, love your stuff..... Joe from Vegas

I would recommend you go to the senior tees -- but don’t think of them as being “senior” tees, just “more enjoyable tees.”

Our research indicates that the average golfer prefers to play from tees at about 6,200 yards. This is a very good length that provides the most appropriate challenge to golfers shooting between 90 and 95 on longer courses.

Your question about which iron you should be hitting into the green is a tough one because it doesn’t have any one answer. I do believe you should use a set of tees that gives you a chance to score par on every hole you play. It may not be easy, but it should be possible.

If you drive the ball a maximum of 200 yards and hit your three-wood a maximum of 185 yards, then a par four of more than 400 will be tough, unless you are outstanding at the up and down shots. If this is the case for you, then move forward and explain to your fellow golfers -- assuming they have similar handicaps -- that you would rather have a good enjoyable day on the course than a bruised ego. They might try it too, and be relieved that someone had the courage to step forward and make the game more fun.

It is sometimes hard to accept the fact that we don’t hit the ball as far as we think we do. In general, golfers overestimate the distance we drive the ball by 30 to 40 yards. This information comes from our study and survey of more than 18,000 golfers.

Move up a set of tees, and you’ll find that there’s still plenty of challenge, but a bit less strain on your body and mind. You’ll probably enjoy the game more, and play better; quicker, too.

Thanks for your comments, and I’m glad you are enjoying my stuff. Have fun on the course, Joe.

I realize that on the surface this question seems to have little to do with equipment. However you have exposed the average player's ignorance in regards to our knowledge of how far we actually hit the ball and so I'm coming to you with this one.

I'm a single digit handicapper, currently a 4, which means that I'm often directed by the score card at the courses I play to use the back tees. The reality is that I only carry my driver 230 and the back tees on most courses in South Florida are over 7,000 yards. I notice that LPGA pros, who hit the ball on average around the same distance as I, have plus handicaps and the course that they play are set up at about 6,400 yards. I'm asking because my friends are always trying to get me to move further back and I end up hitting lots of 4 woods, hybrids and 4-irons into greens. I'd much prefer giving them a few more strokes and playing from a set of tees that gives me a chance to use all of the clubs in my bag.

I hope that you can educate us on this matter even if it is on the fringes of what you normally write about.

Rev. Kevin,
You have pushed my hot button on this one. Please review the report on Growing the Game which covers this issue www.GrowingTheGame.org . This is an analysis of 18,400 responses to our survey, which is part of our research to determine why golfers quit playing the game and what their preferences are about course design.

Unfortunately what you have experienced is a significant factor to be contended with when it comes to fixing the problem. Golfers seem to think they are not only better than they actually are but hit the ball farther than they do and as a consequence tend to play courses about 500 to 600 yards longer than suits their game.

It is good to aim a little higher and keep challenging yourself but the game is not only a personal evaluation of oneself but a form of entertainment at the same time. One should feel good and reasonably well satisfied after the game: not beaten up every time. If we would only play from a shorter set of tees (about 6,200 yards for the average golfer 12 to 20 handicap) we would not only have a more enjoyable round but also play in less time. The time it takes to play is the second most important reason given for quitting the game.

Rev. Kevin, suggest to your friends to move up a tee and when they lose fewer balls, spend less time on the course, smile a little more and are more excited than ever to come back again, ask them to spread the word for the sake of the game.

Why do we "average" golfers have to be subjected to the current rage of super fast greens? Greens with undulations or swales as we call them - OK. It discourages me, and I can only speak for myself. Also, there is too much variation of green speeds between courses.

If the Pros can only separate the men from the boys by playing on pool tables or glass so be it.

I just read your study on "Growing the Game" and like it. This subject should be added.
And I am not a "bad" putter.
Ken, TX

Ken,
There is no doubt that fast greens in combination with severe undulations, do not help the cause of trying to make the game more enjoyable for the average golfer. The game is not growing and in fact participation is flat having fallen for some time. There are some projections that the number of course closings will, for the first time in nearly 70 years, match the number of new course openings.

Based on our research study report (see “Growing the Game” by clicking here) we have confirmed what most of us know, that the game not only takes too long to play 18 holes, but costs too much and most of us are not deriving as much pleasure from playing as we used to. One of the reasons for this is that in many cases we are playing from the wrong set of tees. The survey of over 18,400 golfers from 44 countries around the world (largest survey on this subject ever done) also show that we seem to overestimate the distance we drive the ball by 30 to 40 yards.

Also courses designed for scratch golfers are too challenging for the average golfer even though the tees are set forward. This forward tee position does little to ease the tough approach shots, which again are designed to challenge very good golfers.

Ken, you are right that fast greens with undulations have had a detrimental affect on the enjoyment factor for a lot of golfers.

When in 1976 I redesigned a device to measure the speed of greens (I called it the ‘Stimpmeter’ because I worked with a concept originally developed by Eddie Stimpson in 1935) I also developed an instruction brochure with suggested speeds for average play. These have been exceeded by a significant amount.

This has come about for two reasons; the ability to make greens faster without ruining them and this was spurred on to attain bragging rights for having the fastest greens around. This is not good for many golfers as it presents an inappropriate challenge, which spoils the round in many cases.

I will certainly include this issue in Phase II of the research study, which is in the fund raising stage at this time. I'll also have more to say about this subject in my soon to be completed book.

Thanks for your interest and concern about the game that a lot of us enjoy so much.

I want to buy a golf gift for my husband for Christmas and I don’t know where to start. He is new to the game and I would really like to get him something that will help him improve! I am confused! Do you have any suggestions or advice for me? Geraldine

Geraldine,
There are so many options, I can understand your confusion! Depending on your budget, there are some obvious gifts that will be useful and/or practical, such as golf balls, range finders, golf sunglasses, training aids or even an animal headcover!!

I read about your suggestion to impose a 10 club limit on the pros. In my opinion, this would only widen the gap. Everybody will still carry their drivers, so the big hitter will still have that advantage. The short-hitters will be more negatively affected because they depend on a wider variety of irons to reach the greens.

A long hitter should be rewarded assuming they can hit the ball accurately. I don't think anybody disagrees with that sentiment. The only thing that will work is to make it truly penal to hit the ball far and off-line.

But, we must also assess whether the bombers really do have an advantage.
If you look at the GIR performance of the 20 longest hitters on tour, only 3 are in the top 20 GIR leaders (Woods/Scott/Mickelson.)

Not only that, they generally aren't even able to play their way into the four major tournaments. Out of the top 20 current driving distance leaders, only six played in The Masters (five made the cut). Nine played in the US Open (seven made the cut). Eight played in the British Open, but only three made the cut. Eleven played in the PGA Championship, but only 6 made the cut. So, the top 20 driving distance leaders only took home checks in 20 out of 80 potential starts. Woods, Mickelson, and Scott
received 11 of those 20 checks.

What about money earned in all of the tournaments this season? Of the top 20 driving distance leaders, only six are in the top 50 money leaders.

Further, one could also argue that the real effect of today's more forgiving and scientifically custom fit equipment is the extension of the careers of older professionals. People lament the lack of young rising stars on the PGA Tour. I think it is due to the fact that up-and-coming professionals have to compete with the likes of David Toms, who not only has the huge advantages of maturity and experience of 400 starts, but can hit the ball"long enough" to not be at a length disadvantage. (He drives it nearly 20 yards longer at age 39 than when he was 29.) Heck, even Fred Funk is hitting the ball 10 yards longer at age 50 than age 40.

Brian,
Thanks for some interesting stats which I would like to share with our readers. In my article published in The New York Times (available at
http://www.franklygolf.com/nyt_april06.asp ) I did suggest that the ten club rule be adopted along with better and more strategic course set up which would penalize the long hitters who were not accurate. This is a better solution than what the USGA has suggested doing i.e. rolling the ball back 25 yards for all of us.

The reason why some of the pros are hitting the ball longer than they used to 15 years ago, is because of the Spring-like effect (COR limit) permitted by the USGA. This in conjunction with the new multilayered ball has allowed them to approach the optimum launch conditions which were never available before to some of our older superstars like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player.

Instead of trying to roll the ball back for all of us my suggestion is to bring back the skill level that requires shot making and accurate drives.

Training Aids Clarification
Hi Frank, your Q&A section on The Golfchannel web site, you stated that the momentus could be carried in the bag because it complies with the rules regarding club design. Surely the momentus isn't compliant since it comes with a moulded grip designed to teach grip mechanics which breaks rule 4-1 b

Hello Frank,
I was reading an article on the conforming issues of the Momentus Swing Trainer and if you carry it during a round, it's to be considered one of the 14 clubs. I have one of the originals, with the large grooves and dots on the face. My brother has a newer one, which they did change the face.

Now for the question. Supposing that my Trainer is not conforming and my brothers is, if we both carry them during a round of golf, where the trainer is the 15th club in both bags, should one or both of us incur penalties..?

Now for a twist. Both of our swing trainers are the traveler models, which break down in the middle. You unscrew it and can stow it in a bag for traveling. If we were to break it down and carry it in a pocket of the golf bags, would we still incur penalties..? I play in lots of tournaments and this is the 1st time I had ever known of this issue. I would like to be within the rules of golf so your advice is welcomed.
Thanks,
Jeffrey Portman
St Louis, MO

Gentlemen; Ron and Jeff
You and some other readers of my Q&As have asked very similar questions and I would like to clear this up. The issue is whether or not the club (training aid) has a head with which you can strike a ball. If so then it must conform to the rules and is counted as one of the 14 clubs. You may swing any conforming club during a round to keep warm, even if this is the primary purpose of the club.

If, however, it violates any of the equipment rules and you carry it then you are subject to the penalty of disqualification. So if the grip does not conform or in Jeff's case it is broken down into two pieces, these are both considered non-conforming clubs and if you carry either of these in your bag you will suffer the disqualification penalty for merely carrying the club even though you don't use it.

Bottom line is don't carry a club (training aid which can be used to strike a ball) in your bag if it doesn't meet the equipment specifications.

Due to a series of health problems, it has now been five years since I last played golf. I have a new hip and two ‘stents’ in my aorta. I am in my early seventies and I am anxious to get back to the game and need new equipment. When I played my last game, my handicap was 12 and I was hitting it long and straight with a titanium driver (which now matches my hip), 4,5,7,and 9 graphite metal-woods and graphite irons.

Barbara,
Congratulations for getting through the health problems and even more so getting back into the game. Nobody can tell you that this game isn’t one of the most addictive ever. Let’s be frank, you will take a little time to get back to your 12 handicap but don’t let that affect you.
I would suggest that you start with your woods and get one of the newer titanium drivers with a high COR (see my website www.franklygolf.com under “Frankly Speaking” to learn more about COR). Most of the new drivers are at the limit so you don’t have to worry. Choose a driver with a loft of about 14 and hang on to your 4,5,7, and 9 woods for now. Iron technology has not changed so much in the last ten years so these are still OK for a while.
You should however try one of the newer soft core balls such as the Precept XP3, the Titleist DT Solo or Callaway HX Pearl.
When you get into the swing of things again then think about looking at some irons but you don’t need them now.
Well done and welcome back.
Frank

Frank,
During our club championship this past weekend we had an incident where a contestant threw his putter in anger and it struck another player. We could not find a rule that covers this situation. Is there a rule that would penalize or DQ the offender?

Scott, IL.

Scott,
I have had to dig deep to get some sound information to you on this one. The answer is fairly complex and has nothing to do with how the Attorney General would rule on this violation of etiquette.

The multifaceted answer is as follows:
First it depends on whether or not the club conforms to the Rules of Golf. If you can determine this then it will be a good start.

If it doesn’t conform then he (the thrower) would be disqualified for carrying a non-conforming club. If it conforms but the impact resulted in blood being deposited on the face of the putter then the intent of the action needs to be established. If intentional and the result was to deposit foreign material on the face of the putter, this is not good.

One is not allowed to apply foreign material by whatever means, during a round, to the putter face for the purpose of influencing the movement of the ball. Also, if the playing characteristics of the club were changed as a result of the impact, and this is action is considered “not in the normal course of play” so in either case of this, the penalty is disqualification.

There is no reason to be concerned about whether the impacted player lived through the incident or not as this is irrelevant as long as the thrower yelled “FORE” during the flight of the putter.

If, however, “The Committee” established prior to the event that as a “Conditions of the Competition” it was not permissible to throw putters at other players, and posted this notice appropriately, then it (the committee) is entitled to request the player to relinquish his putter for the rest of the round.

The most serious penalty is that his buddies forget his phone number.

My area of expertise covers the equipment and in some cases its trajectory rather than the conditions of the competition established by the committee.

I do not have an official handicap, but I shoot between 92 and 100 regularly. In order to improve I have decided to drop the driver from my bag and just hit my 15 degree 3-wood or a 19 degree Sonartec MD Hybrid off the tee (I also have a 23 degree Sonartec MD Hybrid). Tee shots are my main liability on the course. Would you recommend adding a 64-degree Lob wedge to replace the driver? Currently, I have 3 wedges in the bag – gap (51 degree), sand (56 degree), and lob (60 degree) - Cleveland 588. I have a pretty good short game and I am comfortable hitting the 60-degree lob wedge from the fairway, the sand, around the greens, etc. Would it be superfluous to add the 64-degree wedge?

There is no need to add another club just to make up the 14. In fact it is probably better to take out a few clubs. You will find that until you are able to really appreciate and dial in what each consecutive club in your set can do for you, it will be better to have fewer rather that more clubs in your bag, fewer decisions to make. I know that in many cases even with lower handicap golfers they score as well or better with ten clubs as they do with the full compliment of fourteen. If your driver loft is 11 or 12 degrees in loft I think you should shorten it to 43-1/2 inches and see if this works for you. You don't need another wedge. Let me know how you make out.

I love reading your equipment answers in Golf Digest magazine. I read this definition of grooves at the Taylor Made site:

”Grooves are the thin, straight, horizontal indentations found in the
clubface of irons and woods. The purpose of grooves is to help the club impart backspin on the ball at impact. When the clubface, moving at a high rate of speed, makes contact with the ball, the cover sinks into the grooves, which “grab” the ball and impart backspin. The average, cleanly struck wedge shot spins at about 10,000 rpm. Backspin creates lift, which makes the ball fly higher; backspin also makes the ball stop faster.” Is it correct to say that “ the cover sinks into the grooves, which ”grab” the ball and impart backspin”? I always thought that grooves were present to channel away foreign debris to provide clean contact with the ball and the clubface.

The grooves on the clubface are for the purpose of creating a rough surface so the ball will not slip during contact. The cover does in fact penetrate into the groove and the amount is mostly dependent on the cover thickness, softness and speed of impact. This penetration helps prevent or reduce slippage during impact. The spin is generated by an angled surface presented to the ball at impact (oblique impact). The more angled the surface the more spin is generated. However, the ball must stick to the face for most of the time that it is in contact with the face. The face roughness is limited by the Rules of Golf, which state that except for certain specified markings (grooves) and decorative sandblasting, the face must be smooth.

Grooves will also help reduce the slippage in the presence of foreign material such as grass fibers and grass juice. These grooves provide somewhere for this foreign substance to go. However the main purpose of the groove is to grab the ball. In thick juicy rough grooves are basically useless.

Frank,
Would a stiffer shaft keep the ball from curving so much? My somewhat inconsistent swing and regular shafts seem to load and release at different places in my swing curving the ball in all directions, mostly left. I don't care about distance as I can't swing that fast anyway and all I want is "straighter". 7-Iron carry about 145. Thanks, Steve

Steve,
Generally a stiffer shaft will help improve consistency but also tend to reduce feel. A softer shaft will help in letting you know where the head is at all times in the swing. A good quality shaft, which does not have a spine, should not perform the way you describe (even if it is a soft flex shaft). I would try a good quality shaft of the flex you feel comfortable with using before going to the stiff shaft.

While I generally agree thats the average golfer needs as much help as he/she can get, I don't agree that today's golf ball is at all good for the future of golf. Not only does the ball go too far for those who's swing speed is above 105 mph, but to add insult to injury it doesn't curve on mishits. Regardless of skill level the self-correcting ball gives the strong player a huge advantage. It has virtually taken the smaller golfer [or average size golfer] out of the game. College coaches are already beginning to recruit based on size and strength here in California. At the current rate a Ben Hogan, Gary Player, or Lee Trevino type player will never be seen again. As you correctly point out, golf is a game of participation. Why continue to make it like other sports, which belong to the big and the strong? At least the long hitter should have to control the direction of his ball, while knocking it 330 or more yards. Regards, Mike

Mike, Thanks for your comments. If we make a ball which goes 25 yards farther for us and 25 yards less for the pros then this would be ideal. It is not going to happen, so lets change course set up which rewards distance with accuracy not as is presently the case raw distance alone. By the way, the new balls are not self-correcting they just spin less and thus don’t deviate from the center-line as much as high spinning balls. They do still slice... I can attest to this from personal experience!

If you have not already done so on your website, can you explain the details of "torque". Exactly what does 4 deg and 2.8 deg of torque for 2 different shafts mean, when both relate to a stiff shaft. Is one better or more consistent to use than the other? Somewhat confused. Alan

Join the gang. Most manufacturers have tried to make shafts which will suit the majority of golfers and have been very successful with this in the shafts they install in their standard sets.

Torque is a bad term to use as it does not mean what it says from an engineering point of view. Torque is the type of load applied to something and relates to twisting. An example is when you tighten the wheel nuts on your car the more torque you apply to the nut the tighter you will set it. This ‘Torque' is measured as a “Twisting force” and the units are a combination of the load and the distance from the axis from which it is being applied. For instance if you apply a pound load at one foot from the axis i.e. at the end of the one foot long wrench, then you are applying a ‘one- foot- pound' torque to the nut.

This is a lot more than you wanted to know as a preamble but necessary if you are to understand the term torque as used in golf. “Torque” as used in golf means the amount of shaft twist under a specific load. “High torque” means it twists a lot and “Low Torque “ means it doesn't twist much.

5 degrees is considered “high torque” and 2 degrees is considered “low torque”. So now that I have managed to confuse you (I hope not) I can say with some confidence that a 3 or 4 degree torque shaft is very good for 99% of us. Only when you are in the top amateur / pro class and swing very hard should you consider a shaft with 2.5 degrees (or less) of torque.

Jayme,

The answer is that unfortunately we are not going to see any major advances in technology similar to what we have seen over the last decade but there will be some minor tweaking to equipment which will be recognized by those who are trying to optimize performance. The major advances will be in the 3 F's....fitness, flexibility and focus.

May 28, 2002
I'd like to know more on the Honma golf clubs. I have been told that they are Japan's best and most expensive golf clubs but I know nothing else. If I compare them with Mizuno or Callaway what would the difference be? I've been informed there is a set of irons for sale, 3-PW, SW, graphite shaft, LB 606 model. Can you advise me on this one? -- Rolando

The Honma Company makes every part of each club and if you said that you wanted a hand-made set, then this would be as close as you could get. The clubs are like jewels and very, very costly. I would suggest you try a set or even a single club before you invest your bank roll. The Mizuno and Callaway Companies also make very good clubs. What you are up against is personal preference rather than any major performance differences.

I enjoy playing golf and used to wear prescription glasses. I recently had Lasik surgery and now have 20/20 vision. I'm not bragging (really!), but my problem is now that I can wear real sunglasses I'm not sure what type (not brand) of sunglasses is best for golf? I have heard that polarized, yellow lenses are the best for playing golf. Are they? -- Bill Fleming

I have no idea at all. I don't wear sunglasses except for driving (my Jeep that is), so I asked vision expert Craig Farnsworth for some insight. In his experience, the type of tint is a personal preference. The jury is still out on polarized lenses for golfers. It seems that yellow or pink lenses are best for flat (cloudy) or low (dusk or dawn) light. During brighter days a light brown (cinnamon) or orange tint seems to be most popular with golfers. A word of caution, though: lenses that are too dark or have too much gray in the tint. These tend to flatten the terrain, which is especially bad for reading greens. No matter what sunglasses you opt for, make sure they offer 100% UV protection. Then make sure they are comfortable and that you look cool!

May 7, 2002
You have mentioned in the past proper care of clubs. Can you discuss cleaning and maintenance of clubs as well as storage. Should you clean your woods any different than your irons (titanium etc.)? I have seen club tub type cleaners used -- what is your opinion on giving your clubs that much of a bath? -- Gary Boulanger, Holbrook New York

Gary,
Taking care of your clubs, like removing the moisture, is not as important as it used to be with wooden clubs. My suggestion is to keep the clubs clean for appearance sake. Not to mention that it can't hurt the performance to keep them clean. Most cast clubs are made of stainless steel and therefore are not affected much by moisture. Some acid-type soils left on your clubs may eventually start having an effect over time though. Dipping your clubs into a tub of water to clean them should not affect them at all. Clean them, dry them and shine them up and they will probably perform better for you next time you take them out.

May 1, 2002
What is the difference between women's vs. men's clubs. I tend to shoot better with women's clubs than men's. What is the difference between the two clubs and why would I shoot better with women's clubs? -- Jamie Lansdown

Jamie,
Generally women's clubs are shorter and lighter than men's. They will perform better for juniors, or if you are small and find them easier to swing. Otherwise I would not recommend moving to that light a club unless they are in your comfort zone.

May 1, 2002
I enjoyed your article in the January issue. My vote would be to eliminate caddies, make the players carry their own clubs, and if they can carry 15 clubs without getting fatigued, then it's OK. I suspect that they will choose fewer clubs to avoid fatigue, maybe even less than 10. Any thoughts? -- Joe DeLorenzo

Joe,
Thanks for your comments and thoughts. As good an idea as you have, a lot of caddies will then be out of a job and many more golfers will be in hospitals with sore backs! I am still very much in favor of 10 clubs for the pros, however, and believe it is a very practical solution to the concern that equipment has made mediocre players into superstars.

Much has been said of the distance that the pros have gained with the new technology in equipment. My trouble as with most amateur golfers is that we don't swing 125 mph. What distance gain has Joe Average experienced with today's clubs? Or has this ever been checked ? -- Scott McNeal

Scott,
If you consider yourself Joe Average then your handicap would not have changed in over two generations, based on sound and factual statistics. I do believe, however, that the high-tech equipment of today will result in the occasional booming drive. But since the average player doesn’t hit the sweet spot as regularly as the pros do, you will not experience anywhere close to a similar increase in your overall average distance. One thing is for sure though, you must make good friends with your clubs, be they hi-tech or not!

Why were (electronic) yardage devices deemed illegal in the first place? It seems to me that the information they provide is already out there. I assume that either laser or GPS technology is used to measure sprinkler heads. The distance to the pin is just a number, you still have to execute the shot. -- Eric Nelson, Chicago, IL

Except as provided in the Rules, during a stipulated round the player shall not use any artificial device or unusual equipment:

Which might assist him in making a stroke or in his play; or
For the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or conditions which might affect his play; or
Which might assist him in gripping the club, except that:
a plain gloves may be worn;
resin, powder and drying or moisturizing agents may be used; and
a towel or handkerchief may be wrapped around the grip

I have never been a very good golfer, despite playing off and on since age 7. However, this year I have enjoyed the fact that my handicap has been steadily going down to the teens. This is a result of sticking to the plan of re-building my swing (with help from a pro, of course). I have played with my discount irons and woods, and funneled all of my money into lessons. I have slowed down my formerly too youthful swing speed. I am building a more consistent swing, and I now believe that a nice set of clubs would aid my distance off the tee. The problem is that I can't find any good resource that tells me what driver I "should" have. I want a driver that I can build towards, not one to compensate for my current faults. Where can I find the best no-nonsense fact based information on what the best club is for a good consistant golfer? And one that might be a little forgiving until I get there? -- Gordon, Omaha, Neb.

Gordon,
You are my kind of guy and, believe it or not, you are an average golfer (the average handicap in the country is 17) so don’t undersell yourself. You have probably done more for your game by spending money on lessons than buying a new set of clubs. Don't think that this means that newer and better clubs will not help though. But don't expect miracles. I also like the idea that you want to correct your swing rather compensate for flaws. Too often do golfers buy clubs to compensate and then correct the swing flaw to find that a new club correctly built needs to be purchased. This is a costly error. I suggest you spend some time to find out the location of a pro who has some demo drivers and go and try them. Most of the newer well-known titanium clubs will should be fine but make sure it feels good to you before you drop the bucks. Keep trying.

I believe you and or others have said the maximum distance that can be achieved is only about 10 yards greater than the current distances Tiger and the others reach now. The "laws of physics" will limit anything greater. Without the math, just how and what physical laws come into play? -- John Thompson, Chandler, AZ

John,
Just to be clear on this, the ball will continue to go farther if the clubhead speed continues to increase. I am sure that some golfers of the future will be able to generate more speed than Tiger. However, with the assumption that the clubhead speed remains constant, the exchange of energy from the clubhead to the ball is limited by the Coefficient of Restitution (COR) of the collision between these two bodies and this cannot exceed 1.00. In practical terms this number is not expected to exceed about 0.93 or very close to it. This means that a ball and club with the same masses as they are today will not result in a ball speed greater than a certain amount limited by the COR. Currently, the collision between the club and ball is close to 0.86 COR or more, so there is not much room to go. This means that additional standards on balls and/or clubs, which would limit more ball speed, are almost meaningless. With regard to the only other design factor contributing to distance (i.e. aerodynamics) manufacturers have almost reached the optimum based on what has been tried. Improvements are very small in coming as are records in the marathon. Using this analogy we don’t expect to see a record broken by 10-15 minutes, neither do we expect to see any major advance in aerodynamics for golf balls. With what is left we can expect to see only 10 or maybe 15 more yards because of advanced club and ball design. I don’t know if this is comforting or not.

I have two questions. The first is are you supposed to snap your wrist when you make contact with the ball? And second what clubs do you recommend to carry for a weekend golfer? -- Robert

First, your wrists will "snap" automatically at the right time so you don’t have to worry about it. As far as a set of clubs for you as a weekend golfer is concerned, visit your pro or ask someone who can recommend a pro and get him to fit you out with set of a good cavity back irons. I recommend 4-iron through PW and a SW with a good, big bounce on the sole. Start with a 3-wood and a 5-wood until you feel confident, then think about getting a driver with a 10 or 11 degree loft. The pro should be able to guide you from here. But don’t get any set that you are not comfortable using.

I recently upgraded from a knock-off set of clubs to a set of Titleist 981's with Rifle shafts. A pro recommended that I place my hands forward of the ball, based upon the soleplate sitting flush with the ground. My irons are much crisper and hold their line better with my hands forward. Is this correct? It's something I never read in the golf magazines. -- Andrew Alingino, West Chester, Pa.

If what you are doing works don’t question it. There is nothing better than trial and error fitting. In this case the pro found the solution for you and your swing. Enjoy.

I play 3-4 times per month and was a 12 handicap in 2000 until I fell and broke my left wrist in October of 2000, requiring surgery to fix it. Now, in 2001, I have not broken 90 once and would like to have a driver that has a much greater "sweet spot". What driver has the largest sweet spot with the greatest forgiveness to try to get back in to the low 80s? -- Roger Hill, Marietta, Ga.

Roger, I don’t think that the solution is a new driver, even though it wouldn't hurt to try one. I think that you need to see your pro for a lesson or at least to find out how the motion in your left wrist has changed. There are a lot of people who have the same problem (i.e. not breaking 90 with a 12 handicap) and they didn't have to break a wrist to accomplish this. Assuming that you have the clearance from your doctor to play and practice I would suggest that you spend the time with the pro and on the range. It will be less expensive than a new driver.

I was wondering what the women pros do with their clubs after using them. I know they get new ones all the time from sponsors. I would be interested in knowing if they are ever for sale to the public. Thank you for your time. -- Debbie Herd

I don't think that they change their sets as much as you think. Next time you have the opportunity to talk to a LPGA pro ask them if they have an old set that they wont be using again and if they would like to sell the set. I don't think that they would mind answering and you may even be able to get a set this way used by someone who knows how to hit a ball. This does not mean that you will be able to make the same set sing the same song, however. If this is what you are looking for then I would suggest that you rather get a set fitted specifically to you and your swing. A lot of the women golfers are able to successfully use men's clubs and I don't suggest that you try these unless you are, which you may be, in their league.

INFORMATION ABOUT PERFORMANCE

A store near me had the Titleist 975J driver but only with the Pro Force 75 stiff shaft. I went ahead and bought it and, surprisingly, I didn't find it to be stiff at all and have been hitting it great. The problem now is that my 3-wood shaft feels too whippy and maybe too light -- I have a 12.5-degree Titleist 975F with Pro Force 65 stiff, which has a frequency about 6.3 to 6.5. Retief Goosen (and some other players) has steel shafts for all clubs through the 3-wood, but the driver has a graphite shaft. Some players use steel shafts throughout (Tiger, Scott Hoch, Sergio Garcia). Some others have graphite-shafted woods, but steel-shafted irons. What would you recommend for me?

The second question is what shaft is good for a hybrid club? Should it match the irons shafts, or perhaps be between the wood and iron shafts in terms of frequency? With all the hybrid clubs (I currently use a Cobra Baffler 18 degree with True Temper S300 shaft but have tried a few Taylor Made Rescue clubs as well), there's a tendency for the face to shut at impact and create an unwanted draw.

My final question has to do with the Titleist 681 irons. I've been thinking about getting a set because so many good players have switched and done well with them. What is your opinion of the difference between these and say the Mizuno MP33s or MP29s? -- Andy Chao

You are obviously into your equipment a lot more than most. I have met a few people like you and find that they get so wound up in the search for the perfect set of clubs that they can never settle down and just play. You obviously have a lust to find the Holy Grail and this seems to be a case where "the journey is more exciting than reaching the destination." I would like to suggest (but know that you are not going to change) that you settle down with a good set of Titleist blades or the MP29s with 6.5 or 6.0 shafts, including the woods, and then work out any problems with your ball flight on the range. I'd bet you have the talent for golf already, and no piece of equipment is going to give you what you are looking for. Develop a good pre-shot routine and stick with it -- you will be better off doing that than you will be by constantly changing your equipment. There really is no magic. I hope your disease is not incurable!

I really enjoy your column. I especially appreciate your advice regarding equipment; you generally encourage practice and physical fitness training over a new club every time, and I agree completely.

Still, there are times when you need to buy stuff, and I have noticed that it is extremely difficult to find information on how "stuff" really performs. For instance: what is the dispersion rating of a Titleist Pro V-1 versus, say, the cheap balls I can buy at the local Wal-Mart?

Which is longer, and by how much? Which hits longer, a Warbird or a Burner or a Brand X? What about the performance of those inexpensive "clone" clubs? I guess what I really want to know is this: where do I go to find out this information? Did your former employer ever publish results? It seems like it's in the best interest of club and ball makers to keep us mere consumers (translated: "customers") in the dark. One other question: a few weeks ago your magazine printed that the rumour was true about the Pro V-1 ball seam trick. It seems that lining up the seam to point down range could add a few extra feet or yards. Will that trick hold up with other brands of balls that use similar cover designs: will any ball with a seam lined up to point downrange get a little extra distance? -- John McGee, Benton, Ark.

Thanks for the kind remarks. I don't know where you are going to get the precise information you are looking for as most of it, if available, is proprietary in nature. The best information I can provide is that there is not as much difference in performance as is implied in the promotional materials between the top multi-layer balls; they are all very good products.

The fact that the first Pro V1s were slightly assymmetric in performance was not intentional by design. Neither did it make a recognizable difference. This is an aerodynamic phenomenon, however, and something that if not compensated for is inherent in any ball with a pronounced seam.

If you are looking for a good performing club then I would suggest you avoid the knock-offs or clones. When it comes to clubs you must try them to get what you are comfortable with. There is nothing better than your own personal tactile and kinetic senses of "feel" to guide you.

I thoroughly enjoyed your interview with Frank Thomas. But you forgot to ask him one question -- his opinion regarding Casey Martin and the cart. Or are you waiting for the Supreme Court to weigh in first?! -- Mark J. Lamberger

Mark, I do have an opinion on this one and it is as follows: if a cart has a measurable effect on the performance of golfers, then either every competitor should be allowed to use one, or no competitor should be allowed to use one.

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