Shaft Weight Makes a Huge Difference!

I recently did and iron fitting for a golfer who was struggling with consistent contact and had a high, right miss. Despite having a driver swing speed of 105-110, he was swinging his irons at 81 miles an hour. His current set (older Nickent 3DX irons, a decent GI club) was equipped with 85 gram “S’ flex graphite shafts. This golfer was basically over powering the shaft with a hard swing, so he had learned to try and steer the club swinging tentatively.

After a few tests with different heads, I ended up fitting him with Maltby Sti-OS irons and Score LT shafts from True Temper (Stiff flex). His swing speed went up to 87 MPH, his launch angle came down from 25 to 21 degrees, and his carry went from 130 yards to 155 yards. An increase of 25 yards!

The strong loft of the Sti-OS certainly helped with the launch and carry, but the main factor was matching this golfer’s swing to the right shaft weight. With this new combination he could swing with confidence. So when you are trying new irons, make sure you experiment with different weights. Better yet, see a club fitter who can help find the best shaft for you!

Odyssey F7 2-Ball Putter Makeover

I had an old Odyssey F7 2-Ball putter that had a damaged insert. I decided to do a makeover on the putter. This is not something I usually attempt as a club builder, but I was inspired by some of the rehabilitation projects others had done online.

I wanted to update the look of the putter, and did not like the red accents on the "fangs" and the Odyssey "swirl" on the bottom. So I removed the paint with acetone, and repainted these areas black (I used automotive primer and then gloss black paint on the fangs, and black acrylic paint on the swirl). I replaced the white 2-balls discs with rubber washers (1.5" diameter, 2 grams each). I drilled holes on the top for a different looking alignment aid. Initially, I purchased an alumide insert from Spry Evo. The insert fit perfectly, but had a terrible feel when struck. The original XG insert had a plastic carrier behind it, which helped mute the sound and feel. The Spry Evo insert is made to be glued (with epoxy) directly into the putter. I could feel the vibration of every putt as a result. So I made a new insert from aluminum, and installed it with two layers of heavy duty double sided tape. This arrangement has a much nicer feel. Firmer than the original insert, but with a sound and feel I prefer. The headweight of the putter is the same as stock (345 grams), and retained its original swing weight.

A "before" picture of the bottom of the putter.

Overall, I am happy with the result, and glad to have this putter back in the lineup!

Affordable Wedge Build

In order to fill a gap in my spare set of clubs, I decided to build a 52 degree wedge that matches the Cleveland CG 15 in my main set. My challenge: Make a club to the same specifications for around $20.

The CG 15 is 481 grams, swing weight of D1, 36" long, "R" flex (318 CPM), and is fitted with a midsize grip.

I selected a "Professional Open"" head from Hireko and a FST Stepless Pro 115 shaft. I used a Royal midsize grip. Total cost: $21.98. The finished product weighs 452 grams (lighter mainly due to my preference for a mid-weight shaft), D1 swing weight, and measures 36" long. It looks identical to the CG 15, depicted below.

Now, will this wedge hold up like my Cleveland? Time will tell. But for a set of clubs that only gets occasional use, this was an affordable way to fill the gap between the other wedges.

Here are both clubs side-by-side, prior to assembling the Professional Open wedge (note the lack of ferrule and masking tape marking the spine, located using Flat Line Oscillation).

Fittings

A recent build of an iron set included Maltby KE-4S heads and Kuro Kage Black shafts. The heads are extremely easy to hit, but are not overly chunky. The weight ports make swing weight changes easy. The shafts are impressive - very consistent in terms of weight and stiffness. They play soft to flex, but are not "whippy" because of their mid bend point and medium flex tip. Great choice for a mid to high handicapper with a moderate swing speed!

(These clubs were assembled during my latest training at the GolfWorks in Ohio. I can't say enough about the instruction they offer!)

Grips

These Mizuno M-25 irons (3-PW) were regripped with Golf Pride Tour Wrap grips. Nice soft, tacky feel. Very easy to install. I highly recommend them for golfers who prefer a grip with some, well, grip!

reshafting .350 clubs with .335 shafts

The owner of a Ping G20 driver and G15 4 wood wanted to move into a softer flex shaft. Based on his swing characteristics, I fitted him with a Maltby Distance Series "A" flex shaft for the driver, and Maltby MPF Pro Series DR "A" flex shaft for the 4 wood. The OEM Ping shafts are .350 diameter:

Both Maltby shafts (from the Golfworks) are .335 in tip diameter:

Maltby shafts measure at .3375 before tip prepping

This calls for the use of brass shims, made specifically for this diameter change:

These are brass shims, which are made especially for this application. They are epoxied onto the shaft tip at the time of installation of the head.

Keep in mind that a shaft with a .350 tip will have a different flex profile than one with a .335 tip. If this had been a straight replacement (say, in the case of a broken shaft), I would have selected something different. But this player was looking for a higher ball flight in both the driver and 4 wood, so shafts with a more flexible tip fit perfectly.