What is a hybrid?

If you have been playing golf for a while, you know that your long irons are the toughest ones to hit. The long irons (3 and 4) are difficult to hit because of their longer shafts and lower lofts. The real reason is that they have a smaller clubface and thinner bottom sole. I jokingly call my 3 iron the “knife” and well it sorta looks like one. A thin sole does not promote or achieve much bounce. Bounce in long clubs is important if you don’t have a very compact and repeatable swing, especially when coming out of the rough. Long irons tend to close down when gnarly grass gets between the face and the ball. Another drawback to long irons is that they are tougher to “frame” the face with the ball. The lack of loft and the length of the club tend to make the ball look smaller than it is. To get the ball airborne and flying a respectable distance you will need to have ample clubhead speed to overcome the clubs lack of loft. Failure to achieve proper clubhead speed will result in a “hot” low shot, which will usually end up in trouble. The development of the Hybrid golf club helped conquer some of the inherent difficulties of striking long distance shots that fell between that of irons and woods.

The hybrid is a mixture between a wood and an iron. The key to a hybrid is that it has the best qualities of both, and it really is easy to adapt to your game.

The typical hybrid replaces a long iron. It does this by being similar in length, while more substantial in head size. Again the most notable feature is the bounce and depth of the club. While it has less depth than a wood, compare a hybrid to an iron and whoa! The increase in overall depth allows for a lower center of gravity and an increased MOI.  So it really gets the ball airborne.

Check this out. A great video from Titleist, and PGA Pro Todd Anderson from Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia..

I feel that there is a Multi-Level approach to club fitting. It is a sequence of events that ultimately produce a measured outcome.

All tool boxes aren’t the Same

I’ve stated in previous posts that “technology” is a main reason to get fit for clubs. We all can agree that Golf Club Manufactures are doing a great job in making the game easier.  Shots are flying further, straighter, and stopping sooner. These manufactures understand the need/demand of golfers to have the special “edge”. The problem I’ve seen is that there are no standards in golf clubs. Other than rules defining what a club’s headsize, COR (coefficient of restitution) and groove design, Manufactures do not have a set standard for the lie, loft or overall weight of a golf club. This wild-wild west mentality can cause problems across the club fitting process. So all the tool boxes, and their tools are not the same.

Click here to see the spec’s of some of the top clubs for 2010.

What the golfer needs to do to get Fit

In the multi-level approach, the person getting fit for clubs and the club fitter need to work together to optimize the process. This is a list I developed to help fit-e’s (that means you!):

1. Evaluate your goals. What do you need? More consistency? Length? Accuracy?
2. Be realistic. If you hit the ball 230 yards off the tee, don’t believe that a magic club will now get you an extra 50 yards…unless the club you currently use is defective, or so behind the times (i.e persimmon woods, Pre-Watson era,  etc.)
3. Bring your actual swing. You need to be warmed up, hit a small bucket of balls prior to your fitting. Make sure that you are at least 80% regular (meaning you are hitting 8 out of 10 shots as you normally do)
4. Trust your swing, don’t make changes during the fitting process
5. Feel…Feel…Feel…every swing. Let your hands, ears, eyes give you feedback. Tell your fitter if something feels good, and or bad.
6. Be open minded. Do not let a fancy name, shaft dictate your outcomes. Trust what the process is.
7. Hit every club 10 times. Go with the percentages. If you select one club over the other because 1 shot went really well, then you have wasted an opportunity.
8. Write down every single spec of the club(s) you are hitting. Shaft flex, type, weight. Clubhead size, material, loft. Grip size and type. You need as much information available to make the “right” choice. Failure to do so can become an expensive mistake.
9. Question…Question…Question. Ask as many as needed. Understand the process. If you don’t know, damn well find out.
10. Compare your current clubs to those you are testing. Have the process done on them as well. See if they really are part of the problem. Some tools can be re-shafted, bent or gripped.
11. I can’t stress this enough…DON’T BUY on one fitting. If you need to, wait an hour and do it again with your top 3 or 4 choices.

These are some of the things that you need to do prior and as you are getting fit.

What’s interesting now is that Golf Club Manufactures have invested millions of dollars to “help” people improve their games by getting science into the game. MOI, perimeter weighting, adjustable weights, nan0-technology shafts, metals that weren’t even known about 5 years ago. Today, Supercomputers simulate every possible action that a golf head, shaft and even grip will or could experience.  Faster, longer, higher, straighter. All in the chance that “perfection” can be purchased as apposed to earned. In some ways I commend the attempt, in others I despise the notion that “technology” replaces fundamental teaching or hard work.

When to get “into” the game

The realist in me understands the importance of “new” technology. If it can make the learning curve easier, then I am all for it. But if technology (and it does exist) allows people to take shortcuts, I feel that it dilutes the game. Growing up in the game I had one natural advantage. I had the height to have a big arc…which then allowed me to generate lots of clubhead speed. This advantage resulted in the ability to hit big long shots. It was not uncommon for me to be 20-40 yards longer off the tee, or 1-2 clubs less for approach shots. Now my advantage also had its drawbacks. I lacked some of the motor skills of shorter/smaller players, as my Center of Gravity was well above theirs.  I had difficulty in controlling my short game shots, but I had to learn how to play….I had to practice, and that meant 1000’s of balls. My skills improved by development, technology didn’t give me “Amazing Powers”…Today I see people with less talent and ability achieve through technology what I did by working on the game and understanding the principles of the swing. Am I bitter? Not exactly, but I’m afraid that many young golfers won’t have to learn the game at a young age, and that is sad. Today’s clubs will hit it longer, straighter and have more stopping power around the greens than at any time during golf’s long history. The science of the game is being viewed from every aspect, and even though I feel that you should work your way to lower scores…I can’t stop you from buying some.

Ultimately I feel that technology provides a better product for 90% of the golfers playing the game today. I feel this because I see the inspiration that can come from a high handicap golfer hitting those extra fairways.  Or the older golfer still being able to play a par four as a par four. The technology available today increases the chance that an ordinary golfer can achieve an extra-ordinary outcome.  The sweet misery the game of golf can provide, suddenly becomes a triumph over that ‘monster’ hole by use of superiorly designed clubs, matched for the user.

So when do I buy into the new technology?

Take a look at your current set of clubs. How old are they? If you have steel shafts in your woods, then I think for sure it is a time to change. If your irons barely cover the golf ball, then yep it’s time.  If Sam Sneed or Hagen is written anywhere on the club…then go get something “new”.

I feel that you should get irons every 4-6 years if you play more than twice a week in season. The key is to determine how much golf you play or will play. Woods should be changed every 2-4 years, or at least re-shafted. Putters are the only clubs that I think you should monitor as needed. My putter is over 40 years old, and they can’t make one like her…seriously they lost the metallurgy for the original Wilson 8802 and though tried, never duplicated.

The best thing going is that you can upgrade technology for not a lot of cash…If you have clubs from (gasp) the 1990’s or earlier you can get into a set of  early 2000’s  irons for about $150 on ebay. These clubs will have perimeter weighting, oversized heads, and maybe graphite shafts…and that’s the beauty of the game, as long as people can imagining buying a game, they will chase the newest and greatest, often selling off their past conquests.  Even buying a previous years model (2009’s) you can see a 30-50% discount off of suggested retail. So you don’t have to spend big $$ on the newest…just buy something “newer”…

It will change your game…they have the science to make you a Six Million Dollar man…all you have to do is buy the right tools.

Golf shafts are the engine of the golf club.  They come in all sizes, lengths, colors and materials. The key is to find one that maximizes your swing potential and delivers repeatable outcomes.

Hickory to Graphite

The first shaft were made of wood, hickory was a prime choice because it did’t brake as often and had a supple feel resulting in a “springy” kick. Hickory shafts provided ultimate feel in comparison to other natural materials. Eventually people got sick of replacing the broken shafts and steel was a logical choice.

Steel shafts were born out of the “steel” revolution in the early 1900’s.  Although difficult to manufacture, and heavier than hickory shafts, the steel shaft came to replace natural wooden shafts due to the ability to mass produce a somewhat consistent product.  By 1931 True Temper was born and they still continue to make most of the steel golf shafts found in clubs today.

Graphite shafts started showing up in the early 1970’s. They were expensive and very technical. People had early misgivings. But as in all things, technology transformed the golf shaft. Today almost every Driver, fairway wood and hybrid are graphite shafted.  Many iron sets are still made of steel, but again technology has made steel even stronger and lighter. Graphite has become mainstream, the main reason is that graphite can be ridiculously light-weight and mass produced within very tight specifications. Top golfers still depend on steel shafts for their irons, due to the “feel” and the accuracy of steel in higher swing speeds.  Graphite is well served by the majority of golfers (which means you!)

Parts of the shaft

The golf shaft is a tapered tube, between 34″-48″ in length.  The end of the shaft that has the largest diameter is known as the butt.  This is where the grip is applied.  The opposite end of the shaft is the tip.  This is the smaller diameter of the tube, and is where the shaft is attached to the clubhead.

Shaft Flex and Weight

Shafts are labeled by shaft flex and weight. Shaft flex is determined by the amount of “bend” under a load. Clubs that bend (who said you didn’t need to know physics) more at a slower swing speed are designated L-Lady, A-Senior and R-Regular. Clubs that are less likely to bend need more clubhead speed and are designated S-Stiff or XS-Extra Stiff. Swing speed is one component that decides shaft flex. If you have a slow swing speed, a more flexible shaft is needed to provide the needed launch angle to achieve maximum distance. Faster swing speeds need a shaft that bends less, and a lower torque to achieve the desired outcome. Golfers need to swing as flexible a shaft that they can control.

Weight of a shaft is another important variable. Imagine that you had a 10 pound hammer, and you nailed roofs for a living. After a while I’m sure that hammer would become heavy. What would happen if you showed up for work and a salesman had a 8 pound hammer. It would be lighter, you could swing it for longer, and it got the job done. The next day a salesman had a 6 pound hammer…you get the idea.  Lighter is better (sometimes). It does a few things

1. It increases clubhead speed
2. It allows for lighter more technical clubheads

The main goal of going with a lighter shaft is to increase clubhead speed.  Increased speed can result in longer shots. (Can result? Well that is another post, if shaft weight was the only thing that increased distance we’d all be swinging nano carbon shafts which are like $400 a pop and Tiger and Streelman wouldn’t be so long anymore!) It should also be noted that other components of the golf club can reduce the weight of the club like the grip and clubhead materials.

Typical Steel Iron shafts weigh about 130 grams and a typical Graphite Iron shaft is about 80 grams. As far as woods go, unless you are like me with steel shafted 4 wood(seriously I’m going to change…I promise!) all you can get is graphite. Most Graphite shafts are around 70 grams, with ultra-lites costing you some $$$ getting down in the 50’s for weight.

Kick Point

Where the shaft bends along the length of the shaft is the kick point. If the shaft bends more towards the butt end of the shaft it is said to have a “High” kick point. It results in a lower trajectory and lower spin of a golf ball at impact. A shaft that bends closer to the tip is called a “Low” kick point. Low kick point shafts “help” get the ball up, promotes a higher launch angle and more spin. Unless you are a low handicap golfer, the kick point of a club is a factor you can forget about. FYI the difference in kick point location is about 4-6″, so unless you are super technical, don’t worry about kick points….yet.

For more information about shafts check out Golf Shaft 201

When to get fitted for clubs

Every player can and should be fit for golf clubs. Your playing ability will determine the depth of a club fit. The reason for fitting a golfer for clubs is simple. Everyone is different, and using stock equipment adds a variable that can limit potential.  The way to progress in the game is to limit the amount of variables. Using equipment that does not “fit” your swing, can cause unwanted habits, modifications or rob you of needed distance and control….So regardless of your ability, get a trained professional to find the right club for you. It can lead to amazing results, and that is what you want…results.

Waterfall principle

There are two types of club fitting. Static and Dynamic. A basic fitting is done using Static methods, and is the choice for all beginning golfers, or high handicap golfers. Dynamic is more in-depth, intensive and requires a golfer that can repeat a swing. Think of Static Fitting as a raindrop, while Dynamic Fitting is more like a waterfall.

Static Fitting

Static fitting takes into account the physical aspects of the golfer. Measurements are taken for the length of the club, in relation to the position of the subjects grip (most of the time it’s going to be standard length). Taller golfers tend to need longer clubs, while shorter golfers need shorter clubs. The key is to make sure that the subject (you) fall within a certain range. Clubs that are too long or too short will effect the lie angle of the club. Lie angle determines the direction the ball will fly, so it is very important, especially in higher lofted clubs! A second measurement will be for grip size. If your grip is too small, it will allow you to release the club early, usually resulting in a right to left ball flight. If the grip is too large, the release is delayed, and your shots will typically fade or slice. The size of the grip will determine how you hold the club, and what type of grip you use, so this is something that should be looked at. The third measurement is how the subject swings the club. This information will determine the flex of the shaft. And the shaft is the engine of the swing! Check out this post to learn a little more about shafts. A trained club fitter can watch your swing and through past experiences, determine the correct flex. If your swing is slow, or without much power, a more flexible shaft would be recommended or a lighter club. If you have a fast or quick tempo, a heavier shaft could be used. The idea behind a static fit is to get your equipment in the “ball park”.  For most golfers standard length, regular flex and a neutral sized grip fits 80%, but the other 20% need some modification. You won’t know until someone that understands the swing can give it to you straight!

Dynamic Fitting

This type of fitting is more intensive, and requires some time. Dynamic fitting works best if you can repeat a swing. The process is dependent on many different variables, and if your swing is not consistent, the information for dynamic fitting is worthless.  I’ve fit approximately 200 golfers for irons using dynamic fitting, and roughly 50% were not ideal test subjects! The reason is that they could not repeat their swings and provide data that would allow me to suggest a lie angle that would benefit their game.  In dynamic fitting measurements are taken for lie angle, length of club, and to some extent shaft flex. Grip size should be taken into account, but most golfers that can be dynamically fit should have a “feel” for what grip they prefer.

Lie Angle

This is the most important aspect I feel in getting fit for golf clubs. If your lie angle is off by 1 degree, you can miss your target by up to 3 yards…and it gets more hokey as the club gets shorter in length! That is why lie angles for drivers and woods are not as important (some of my fellow Professionals might disagree with me…I welcome it, but I feel that only super-stud golfers could even remotely determine 2-4 degrees of lie angle on anything above a 3 iron) as they are for irons. The process for finding the lie angle is…

• Placing marking tape on the face and sole (most fit carts have stickers that leave a mark on the material)
• Hitting golf balls off of a lie board that is level
• Using identical clubs with lengths varying by 1/2″

The markings on the face and sole will allow the fitter to fine tune the club that best suits your swing…FOR THAT DAY! I recommend that you get fit twice…yep twice before you submit your specs for a new purchase or club tweak (bending). I learned the hard way, with a lesson that failed to tell me that he had slammed his hand in the car door prior to the fitting and wasn’t comfortable. Well we ordered clubs that didn’t fit his swing, but had to bend them upright 2 degrees, and in the process snapped a head…ouch!

Fitting for Dynamic length

Follows the same process as for lie, except we are finding the proper length of the club. Now remember, distance is relative to clubhead speed. So a longer club will potentially hit the ball farther.  Actually there is a limit, a point in where length will not deliver a greater distance factor. A good club fitter will find the optimum length that you can control without compromising control. It should be noted that as the club gets 1/2″ longer, the effective lie angle of the club is increased by 1 degree. So if you are fitted for a clubs standard lie, but add an inch to length, your effective lie for that club is +2 degrees Upright. A club that is 1/2″ shorter would have an effective 1 degree flat lie angle.

Swing Speed and Shaft flex

In some cases, the swing speed (beyond the normal investigation) will also be a measurement for dynamic fitting that can either simplify a problem or present more variables. Most golfers that are of the “player” category need to have the shaft flex analyzed to determine torque and it’s effect on ball flight. I mention it because it some people can really fine tune the components of the shaft to improve, but if you are reading this….thank you!

There is still more!

Fitting is science, and I truly believe that it can change a players game. The problem is that golf is also about feel, and feel is a personal thing that science hasn’t found a way to adequately measure. I always asked what does this club feels like, how about this one, or this one…I gave people choices. There are basically hundreds of combinations of clubs, maybe thousands, the key is finding one that fits your game.  Feel can be physical and mental. I know people that only buy a specific brand, it has to match their “emotional” needs. The coolest thing I ever did was fit people with HG clubs. The cool thing was that the shafts were not labeled, but rather color coded. This way the subject couldn’t determine ahead of time what shaft was being used. From an emotional side, I found that this allowed me to fit someone that needed a weaker shaft (and most do!) without telling them this is a Senior Shaft. All they knew was that the green shaft worked the best…

The club also needs to be visually appealing. Thin top line, thick top line, cavity back, muscle back, chrome, forged, oversized….it goes on and on. If the club does not instill confidence, then DON’T buy it…the mind takes over where the body fails.

So go and get fit. The season starts soon, and wouldn’t it be great to buy some new gear!