I went to the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando a couple of weeks ago. I think as far as modern equipment goes, Lag would probably have liked the idea of the Heavy Driver (Boccieri golf). It’s not exactly heavier in swingweight, but the driver’s weight is much more evenly distributed. He may have also liked Graphite Design’s new shafts as they have shafts of all varying static weights. They have a hybrid shaft that weights as much as the steel shaft in my hybrid.
Other than that, I think he would like some of the new blades and wedges. I really liked Miura’s stuff when I was there and Scratch Golf’s were quite impressive. And actually, Callaway’s X-Prototypes are really good as well.
Into the wind I can sometimes hit the ball nearly as far if I hit a hard low drawing screamer off the ground if fairway conditions are firm.
The problem I have with ideal launch angle is that at least for the type of courses I play, ideal is changing on ever hole…
low draw, high fade, into the wind, side wind, down wind, fairway conditions, tee elevation, slope of the fairway I might be trying to hug. I probably have a dozen different shots I might hit off the tee.
I know you said Trackman likes “cut it left” for some kind of calculation. Wouldn’t super flat lie angles be really helpful in getting those numbers even if it only measuring sweetspot path? If numbers are what you are after.
As far as blades… they showed me a couple they carry… the Nike and Mizuno had quality looking new blades.
Just remake designs of classic Wilson, Mac, or Hogan stuff. Nice clean heads just like the old stuff. Nothing wrong with those other than the price tag.
I did see the new heavy driver… but to a degree it seems they are taking a heavier head, and back weighting the shaft under the grip.
However, as someone who does play modern gear, I’m always looking for something that isn’t over 45", has a modern head, but can still be static heavy, and swing weight heavy.
I know titleist has a good offering this year but 99% of the other companies are caught up in the super light B.S. right now.
Wind makes a difference if the ball is ballooning. I actually played in a tournament in college once where the winds peaked at 68 mph (it was so windy it was difficult to breathe) and there was no way you could not balloon a shot into that wind. The lack of spin will help keep the ball from ballooning, but the the launch angle will give it a ‘balloon bias.’
I forgot to mention the new Wilson Staff FG62 blades are nice as well. I was told by the Heavy Driver guys that they didn’t just backweight the shaft, they added weight under the grip, in the middle of the shaft and in the head. They believe that the weighting, particularly with it being heavier, forces the golfer to stay on plane.
I liked the looks of them as well, but just couldn’t hit them that well. They increased their number of grooves on the face as a way to get around the new grooves rule.
Scratch Golf has a ‘flatback’ deal that actually costs more than their Tour Department custom irons. With the flatback, you can get pretty much anything you desire. You could come in and say 'I want you to design me a set of irons with the same exact design as the ‘59 Dynapowers’ and they will do just that. They just can’t do any precious metals. Cost is extremely expensive though.
To be honest, I didn’t even like the original small headed Taylor Burners in the 80’s. Never owned one. I did have a Bel Air metal that was a copy of an M85 with wood grain faux paint finish and even had screws in it. Also the owner of the company was a member at my club and was trying to get me to go play in Japan right out of college on his sponsorship… which I declined, because I hadn’t discovered sushi yet!
Pretty much a persimmon purist all the way, and still am.
I have never liked the feel of graphite or titanium shafts. I do own a cherry Spalding Model 28 with a black graphite in it … which I had put together because the shaft is so stiff. I would use it on courses that I needed to completely eliminate the left side. Once in a while I would carry two drivers in my bag for that reason…One I could hook and one I couldn’t.
For the second shot, did you swing harder? Did you move the ball forward or change your swing to get a higher launch angle? What was the loft on your persimmon?
I swung pretty hard at all of them… but I didn’t warm up either… he said not to take too many swings or I would tire myself out… Not Likely!
I started swinging harder to try to post a higher number since there was no fairway or green to aim at… just swing hard. I think I would literally self destruct my golf swing if I had one of those out on the deck and my aim was to post a number.
I like to watch the ball going down a fairway or into a green. Range work I have no interest in. I usually hit one ball off the deck… lately with John Allen’s former 66 Dyna I iron, just to let that feeling ring through my body for the rest of the day. I have a tight little needle like fairway down in the canyon I try to land the ball into a tiny meadow so I can pick the balls up once the goats come and mow down the canyon twice a year. They should be here in a few weeks. If I am working on something, I might hit a ball to check trajectory or shot shape. I am always trying to flatted my swing, as I have a tendency to lift a bit and take the easy money… but the best strikes are from flat and behind me where I can really strike with the pivot and hands. I like the connected feeling of really keeping the club low and around me… but it is a lot of work to get it back around and into the big orbit pull required to use such an action… but so worth the work when executed properly especially with a 1 iron…
I just got back from the Gym. Did 25 min on the olyptical machine and did my honey dew list. Couldn’t wait to get home and jump on ABS for about 30 min and came across this thread. Lag, this is so good its not even funny. I wish I was there watching this I would have had to change my pants from laughing so hard. Classic!! “gotta get you to swing more upright”. I love it. Did he know who Hogan was?
I was back in there today… but only for more lead tape as I have three sets of irons I am fine tuning for students… A lot of heads, even older stuff is too light in my opinion… so I can easily go through an entire roll of tape finishing off a set of 2 - PW.
I also like to do progressive swing weighting so the short irons are set up heavier in dead weight and swing weight also. The clerk looked at me and said… “more lead tape eh? I remember you” with a puzzled look. I just had no desire to get walk over and hit a plastic golf ball with a frying pan off a giant tee standing on a mat, and having no purpose other than to get an outstanding digital readout.
Someday I might do a candid camera thing… maybe on April Fools day.
Remember when you got Zenolinked Lag, your graph showed your clubhead did accelerate past impact, confirming your that your intention to accelerate through impact is not just an intention but real.
Here again I think we see proof of this. The slight increase in clubhead speed from hitting it on the up to get a higher launch angle would mean you’re hitting it on the up after low point, where your club is moving faster.
Steb, that’s not true at all, The graph or data did not indicate your statement above at all.
There are two speeds, linear speed and angular speed. The most important speed is angular speed, Angular Speed is the transfer of speed from the kinetic link, which at the end of the chain, speed is transferred into the ball. The graph you are referring to is the linear speed graph, is what you could call, club path speed. Club path speed can be created just by using your arms and club. The average golfer can utilise 100% linear speed at impact.
In addition to lags linear speed was actually decelerating at impact and his utilisation of his linear speed produce is his golf swing at impact was 92% utilisation. The average percentage of Linear speed utilised at the point of impact, for tour population is 96% utilisation. This means they utilise 96% of their linear speed produced in their swing at the point of impact. Also what this means is there not utilising 100% linear speed they have produced in their golf swing at impact. They reached peak acceleration just prior to impact and decelerated 4% (96%), Over all pretty good.
In addition what is the primary focus is angular speed, which is the speed produced from their Kinetic link or engine, being transferred into the ball (ball compression). This speed tells the real story, whether you are accelerating into impact or not. His data indicated club deceleration into impact, and only 70% utilisation of angular speed produced in his golf swing was utilised at the point of impact.
Tour population average is 92 % of utilisation of angular speed produce during their golf swing at the point of impact. What this means is that the speed they produced from the ground up (kinetic link or engine) that they utilised 96% of their speed, their body produced at the point of impact. This speed was created from the ground up, (feet,hips,shoulders, arms and club) 96% of this speed produced from their engine was transferred to the ball at the point of impact.
To sum it up he reached peak angular and linear speed well before impact and his club was deceleration into impact or slowing down into impact. Not accelerating.
Ah Ha…where did the ball go?..and what were the test conditions?
I know it was Lag’s first few hits of the day that were tested…straight out of bed…no warm up…no stretching…no nothing… doesn’t that tell a different story…
I truly don’t care for analytical numbers… i have seen so much space age stuff over the years that goes wanting in the real world of golf on the golf course.
I have heard the word kinetic link for over 2 years and it’s like it is a mystery hidden by the Greek god’s behind a tomb wall with Arabic coding and symbols of horses and cow headed aliens to hide it’s true meaning.
All these words and lingo that only can be deciphered by the analyst.
The big thing is the ball doesn’t lie…Lag’s entire motion and training is based on biomechanical training to utilize the body to it’s fullest effect on a day to day basis… I would rather worry about my ball flight and distance control than my kinetic link numbers any day of the week.
It’s amazing a swing I took with no warm up, no practice swing and straight out of bed fairly early in the morning could possibly be a topic of conversation two years later.
The idea of doing it this way was to get data that would take a look at me swinging at my absolute possible worst under the most difficult of conditions, to then see where my numbers would be to view the worst possible calculation.
To even speculate that this would be an accurate look at my golf swing, yet alone two years ago is at best an absurdity.
Well, it might be interesting to check to see if your hand speed has increased from module work over a 6 month or a year time frame.
If I remember correctly, I think my swing speed shortly after a 13 year layoff from the game was around 102? So clocking one
at 110 with a 14 ounce 43 inch persimmon last week shows all those bag hits and module #3 work apparently have been helping significantly.
I am sure I have strengthened my forearm rotation, and flattened out my swing considerably also.
Good golf is played not by hitting numbers on a machine, but finding a way to get the ball into the fairway off the first tee. I do like to warm up the body with some module work before heading out to the golf course. Hitting one shot before I play gives me something to wrap my head around as I tee off. I really question the necessity of grinding through a bucket of balls before you play. A recent round at Richmond CC with Barkow, Chamlers, and Taylor saw no balls finding the fairway after watching them all hitting nicely on the range. I hit no balls, and corked a beauty down the pipe. In the TRGA event in Vegas, I hit my token one ball on the range, and found the 1rst fairway both days. In the past I would grind a bucket before playing and would often show up to the first tee with some serious concerns. Even worse might be hitting it great on the range, but then hitting a poor tee shot off the first and then having some new concerns. I don’t mind not knowing what kind of day I am having until I am well into my round. There is something about teeing off with a clear head and a positive feeling that you can work with whatever A, B or C game you brought out on any given day.
