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Interchangeable Shaft - Drivers
- Thread starter JRJ
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If you think about it, to me it looks like this early iteration needs some more work. They are packaging them with different weight and different flex type shafts.
The weight differences alone will make the swingweight change when the shaft is changed. Tom Wishon has published his thoughts on this already:
TO ALL
I can always tell when the golf mags are hot to trot to write about something "new" in equipment by how many of the equipment writers contact me to ask what I think. Since I've had 4 different golf mag writers ask me about the OEMs "new" shaft to head connection systems in the past month, I feel golfers really need to know the facts - largely because I could tell the writers were not thrilled with my comments, so I doubt what I told them will see ink.
This matter of interchangeable shafts to heads is very much like an iceberg - what you see and get is only a very small part of the whole task of finding the right driver that allows each golfer to play to the best of their given abilities.
For example, if you can plug shafts of 55g, 65g, 75g and 85g into the same head, unless there is some way to add/change the weight of the head, you're going to end up with a completely different swingweight for each different weight shaft. Will whatever headweight used in the plug in heads allow each golfer to find the best swingweight for their individual strength + downswing transition move and swing tempo? Unlikely, so golfers may end up hitting one of the shaft/head combos poorly and think it was the shaft instead of it being the wrong swingweight, since there was no way to adjust the swingweight.
A HUGE, HUGE success point in driver fitting for so many golfers is driver length. All of the plug in shafts are going to be made so the end length is the same for each shaft model. To create each different shaft model + flex in 3 or 4 different lengths would swell the number of shaft pieces so large no OEM would ever consider that. So the one length of each plug in shaft will be each OEM's "standard driver length", which today is between 45-46".
For the past three years now, the average driver length on the PGA Tour has been 44.5". If there is any group of golfers who should/could control a longer length, it would be PGA Tour players. Yet, on average, they play with a shorter driver length than what the OEMS are trying to sell as standard, one length fits all, to all average and regular golfers? It is an absolute myth that all golfers swing a longer length club faster. ONLY golfers with an inside out to square swing path + late release can get more clubhead speed from a longer length. Physics is proof of that. And believe me, thousands of custom clubmakers know the vast, vast majority of all golfers hit the ball longer, straighter and more on center with a 43.5 - 44.5" driver than the "standard" 45-46" that the OEMs will make the plug in shafts for their connection systems.
How about the face angle of the driver head? Any options for an open, square, closed face angle among the heads able to be plugged into the various shafts? Doubt it, because to do this swells the number of heads required to be a part of the plug in systems. 2 driver models X 3 lofts for each is only 6 heads, but 2 driver models X 3 lofts X 3 face angles for each is 18 heads - a LOT more expensive to do for such a shaft to head connection system. Yet 70% of all golfers slice the ball to some degree. And when it comes to fitting for accuracy off the tee, all good clubmakers know that face angle is THE most effective and powerful fitting factor they have to help such golfers.
How about lofts on the driver heads higher than 11-12*? While many of you won't may not have to worry about this one because your swing speeds are higher than average (avg Male 87mph), many of the golfers with 85mph or slower swing speeds are going to need more loft to maximize their driving distance that what will be included in the plug and play systems.
Seriously - the concept of a shaft to head connector system is sound, but ONLY if you have enough shaft + length + headweight change + loft + face angle variations within the parts to be plugged together. Shaft to head connector devices are not new - they have been available to custom clubmakers for nearly 10 yrs now. Some clubmakers who have been able to invest in enough shaft/head combos do use them. Most clubmakers do not use them all that much because they have learned they need to have too many different shaft pieces of different model/flex/length and too many heads of different loft/face angle/weight for such a system to really be viable as a means of driver fitting.
So do be careful if you head to the course/store to try out these systems to know that what you'll be experimenting with is NOT covering the most critical driver fitting factors of length, loft, face angle, swingweight.
It is a buyer beware on this "new" development from the OEMs.
TOM
The weight differences alone will make the swingweight change when the shaft is changed. Tom Wishon has published his thoughts on this already:
TO ALL
I can always tell when the golf mags are hot to trot to write about something "new" in equipment by how many of the equipment writers contact me to ask what I think. Since I've had 4 different golf mag writers ask me about the OEMs "new" shaft to head connection systems in the past month, I feel golfers really need to know the facts - largely because I could tell the writers were not thrilled with my comments, so I doubt what I told them will see ink.
This matter of interchangeable shafts to heads is very much like an iceberg - what you see and get is only a very small part of the whole task of finding the right driver that allows each golfer to play to the best of their given abilities.
For example, if you can plug shafts of 55g, 65g, 75g and 85g into the same head, unless there is some way to add/change the weight of the head, you're going to end up with a completely different swingweight for each different weight shaft. Will whatever headweight used in the plug in heads allow each golfer to find the best swingweight for their individual strength + downswing transition move and swing tempo? Unlikely, so golfers may end up hitting one of the shaft/head combos poorly and think it was the shaft instead of it being the wrong swingweight, since there was no way to adjust the swingweight.
A HUGE, HUGE success point in driver fitting for so many golfers is driver length. All of the plug in shafts are going to be made so the end length is the same for each shaft model. To create each different shaft model + flex in 3 or 4 different lengths would swell the number of shaft pieces so large no OEM would ever consider that. So the one length of each plug in shaft will be each OEM's "standard driver length", which today is between 45-46".
For the past three years now, the average driver length on the PGA Tour has been 44.5". If there is any group of golfers who should/could control a longer length, it would be PGA Tour players. Yet, on average, they play with a shorter driver length than what the OEMS are trying to sell as standard, one length fits all, to all average and regular golfers? It is an absolute myth that all golfers swing a longer length club faster. ONLY golfers with an inside out to square swing path + late release can get more clubhead speed from a longer length. Physics is proof of that. And believe me, thousands of custom clubmakers know the vast, vast majority of all golfers hit the ball longer, straighter and more on center with a 43.5 - 44.5" driver than the "standard" 45-46" that the OEMs will make the plug in shafts for their connection systems.
How about the face angle of the driver head? Any options for an open, square, closed face angle among the heads able to be plugged into the various shafts? Doubt it, because to do this swells the number of heads required to be a part of the plug in systems. 2 driver models X 3 lofts for each is only 6 heads, but 2 driver models X 3 lofts X 3 face angles for each is 18 heads - a LOT more expensive to do for such a shaft to head connection system. Yet 70% of all golfers slice the ball to some degree. And when it comes to fitting for accuracy off the tee, all good clubmakers know that face angle is THE most effective and powerful fitting factor they have to help such golfers.
How about lofts on the driver heads higher than 11-12*? While many of you won't may not have to worry about this one because your swing speeds are higher than average (avg Male 87mph), many of the golfers with 85mph or slower swing speeds are going to need more loft to maximize their driving distance that what will be included in the plug and play systems.
Seriously - the concept of a shaft to head connector system is sound, but ONLY if you have enough shaft + length + headweight change + loft + face angle variations within the parts to be plugged together. Shaft to head connector devices are not new - they have been available to custom clubmakers for nearly 10 yrs now. Some clubmakers who have been able to invest in enough shaft/head combos do use them. Most clubmakers do not use them all that much because they have learned they need to have too many different shaft pieces of different model/flex/length and too many heads of different loft/face angle/weight for such a system to really be viable as a means of driver fitting.
So do be careful if you head to the course/store to try out these systems to know that what you'll be experimenting with is NOT covering the most critical driver fitting factors of length, loft, face angle, swingweight.
It is a buyer beware on this "new" development from the OEMs.
TOM
Ryan Smither
Super Moderator
Interesting. Thanks Leek.
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