Bear Mountain Ranch, Washington
Fossil Trace Golf Course, Colorado
Mission Hills Golf Club, China Shenzhen
Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand
Legend Golf and Safari, South Africa
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Homemade Shaft Spine Finder
If I do a search on the web and seek for opinion on shaft spinning/splining, I will get tons of results and opinions on its arguable performance and results, it is a well discussed and debated topic. There are no absolute agreement on either side of the discussion, from if-it-work to how NBP (neutral balanced position) should be aligned to if feel-spinning is accurate enough compare to frequency and flo spining. On top of all these, there is also certified SST Pured methodology that is copyrighted, licensed and very expensive method to determine how golf shaft should be aligned and how it provides consistency and stable feel to the player.
However, all participants that are into this field agree on one thing in common, there is certain orientation in shaft that will differ its bending and alignment. It is the different applications of this stabilizing method in golf that are not accepted uniformly in general.
To me, I could only summarize it into three words: Shaft Spinning Works.
...and it works pretty well.
If I do a search on the web and seek for opinion on shaft spinning/splining, I will get tons of results and opinions on its arguable performance and results, it is a well discussed and debated topic. There are no absolute agreement on either side of the discussion, from if-it-work to how NBP (neutral balanced position) should be aligned to if feel-spinning is accurate enough compare to frequency and flo spining. On top of all these, there is also certified SST Pured methodology that is copyrighted, licensed and very expensive method to determine how golf shaft should be aligned and how it provides consistency and stable feel to the player.
However, all participants that are into this field agree on one thing in common, there is certain orientation in shaft that will differ its bending and alignment. It is the different applications of this stabilizing method in golf that are not accepted uniformly in general.
To me, I could only summarize it into three words: Shaft Spinning Works.
...and it works pretty well.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Launch and Loft
High launch (low kick) shaft with low loft driver
or
Low launch (high kick) shaft with high loft driver?
It is argued that high loft and low launch provides more distance, low launch and high loft provides more control. Is there an optimal territory where we can have the best of both?
PGA trend has been moving away from low penetrating shot to high spinning shot. Obviously the main reason is to get the best control, when was the last time we heard PGA players choose a driver because of its distance?
LPGA trend, on the other hand, has been moving lower and lower loft. Obviously the main reason is to get the best distance, when was the last time we heard LPGA players need more control?
Now this is quite an interesting trend comparing PGA and LPGA.
High launch (low kick) shaft with low loft driver
or
Low launch (high kick) shaft with high loft driver?
It is argued that high loft and low launch provides more distance, low launch and high loft provides more control. Is there an optimal territory where we can have the best of both?
PGA trend has been moving away from low penetrating shot to high spinning shot. Obviously the main reason is to get the best control, when was the last time we heard PGA players choose a driver because of its distance?
LPGA trend, on the other hand, has been moving lower and lower loft. Obviously the main reason is to get the best distance, when was the last time we heard LPGA players need more control?
Now this is quite an interesting trend comparing PGA and LPGA.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
How to decrease driver's distance
1. Use lower loft head. It takes maybe 20% more club head speed and 100% accuracy on the sweet spot to hit a bullet-like low stinging shot and achieve the same distance of a 1* higher lofted head.
2. Swing with relaxed muscle. I don't know why this tip is so popular.
3. Try to help the ball up. While increment of angle of attack is good, helping the ball up is not.
4. Swing with loose grip. Like 2, I think the confusion is between technique and muscle.
5. Rotate the shoulder faster than waist. For many reasons as I was told, golf swing is from ground up.
6. Use a closed face driver. The damage crept into the swing, not to mention distance.
7. Swing with lose armpit. While accuracy increase, distance decrease.
8. Swing with weak leg muscle. I think this is because the swing is from ground up.
9. Swing with bad timing. Many say tempo is the key, but slow tempo with bad timing on the swing sequence is more disastrous.
10. Trying not to kill the ball. Intentionally try to swing easy is more a lack-of-practice excuse than a reason why the ball won't go.
1. Use lower loft head. It takes maybe 20% more club head speed and 100% accuracy on the sweet spot to hit a bullet-like low stinging shot and achieve the same distance of a 1* higher lofted head.
2. Swing with relaxed muscle. I don't know why this tip is so popular.
3. Try to help the ball up. While increment of angle of attack is good, helping the ball up is not.
4. Swing with loose grip. Like 2, I think the confusion is between technique and muscle.
5. Rotate the shoulder faster than waist. For many reasons as I was told, golf swing is from ground up.
6. Use a closed face driver. The damage crept into the swing, not to mention distance.
7. Swing with lose armpit. While accuracy increase, distance decrease.
8. Swing with weak leg muscle. I think this is because the swing is from ground up.
9. Swing with bad timing. Many say tempo is the key, but slow tempo with bad timing on the swing sequence is more disastrous.
10. Trying not to kill the ball. Intentionally try to swing easy is more a lack-of-practice excuse than a reason why the ball won't go.
Friday, August 14, 2009
OnOff Plus Experience
Day 1, driving range:
1st ball, with tons of anticipation, hit a low dive, carry plus roll maybe 200 yards. Like a pile of cold water poured on my head, all the excitement vanished into thin air.
The rest of the practice session, hit a whole bunch of slices. The long forgotten banana slice that I had left behind came back and visited me. There was one ball, went straight 100 yards, take a 90 degree right turn and traveled another 100 yards. I had chill went down the spine. This 9 degree square face can't be good.
Day 2, Harbor Links golf course:
Consistently hit slice/push slice. Lost 4 balls, 3 went to the right, 1 hooked to the left. I ended up aiming for the left fairway as a rescue mission. Fortunately putting was alright, still managed to play a disastrous 91. Lost distance, lost accuracy and lost confidence. Compared to my old beloved Nakashima NP1 10 degree 0.5 closed face, I wanna cry.
Day 3, driving range:
Determined to figure out the problem, hit close to 200 balls on this new driver. First third session, continued slicing. Adjusted grip, stance, posture, ball position then grip again, swing tempo, rhythm, nothing worked. I sliced like there was no tomorrow. Went for a coffee break, frustrated and despaired. When everything else fail, drink coffee, it never fails. I tried free swing on the corridor, rotating the torso holding the ice-coffee cup like an idiot. Suddenly I realized I was changing my spine angle on the downswing. Second third session, adjusted spine angle, started hooking the ball. Non stop hooking. Went for a bathroom break. Last third session, continued forcing myself to control the spine angle on downswing, rotated my torso around an imaginative pole behind the back, I started hitting some straight shots. Heart lightened a little.
Day 4, driving range:
Started with a straight ball. A little relieved. A few slices, a few hooks here and there. Kept reminding myself to forget distance, worked on foot work, leg muscle, knee height and rotate torso around the pole behind. Started to see some good results. Then I tried to draw and fade some balls. Forced an inside out swing path with closed stance, hit some nice high draws. Distance gained. At least balls are not hooking left and slicing right anymore. Hit more draws, gained more distance, I could touch the net like my old Nakshima. I started laughing like an idiot again.
Day 5, Eisenhower Red:
Started with a straight drive, nothing fancy, a normal straight drive for a Par 5, 3 on and 2 putts for a 462 yards hole. It was a good start for the OnOff after all the adjustments. Not a slice on the course but did hooked a few. The most severe and new error was I was topping 4 driving attempts with the driver after the adjustments. It was something that was totally unexpected. A new problem found in the swing or damn the new driver?
Day 1, driving range:
1st ball, with tons of anticipation, hit a low dive, carry plus roll maybe 200 yards. Like a pile of cold water poured on my head, all the excitement vanished into thin air.
The rest of the practice session, hit a whole bunch of slices. The long forgotten banana slice that I had left behind came back and visited me. There was one ball, went straight 100 yards, take a 90 degree right turn and traveled another 100 yards. I had chill went down the spine. This 9 degree square face can't be good.
Day 2, Harbor Links golf course:
Consistently hit slice/push slice. Lost 4 balls, 3 went to the right, 1 hooked to the left. I ended up aiming for the left fairway as a rescue mission. Fortunately putting was alright, still managed to play a disastrous 91. Lost distance, lost accuracy and lost confidence. Compared to my old beloved Nakashima NP1 10 degree 0.5 closed face, I wanna cry.
Day 3, driving range:
Determined to figure out the problem, hit close to 200 balls on this new driver. First third session, continued slicing. Adjusted grip, stance, posture, ball position then grip again, swing tempo, rhythm, nothing worked. I sliced like there was no tomorrow. Went for a coffee break, frustrated and despaired. When everything else fail, drink coffee, it never fails. I tried free swing on the corridor, rotating the torso holding the ice-coffee cup like an idiot. Suddenly I realized I was changing my spine angle on the downswing. Second third session, adjusted spine angle, started hooking the ball. Non stop hooking. Went for a bathroom break. Last third session, continued forcing myself to control the spine angle on downswing, rotated my torso around an imaginative pole behind the back, I started hitting some straight shots. Heart lightened a little.
Day 4, driving range:
Started with a straight ball. A little relieved. A few slices, a few hooks here and there. Kept reminding myself to forget distance, worked on foot work, leg muscle, knee height and rotate torso around the pole behind. Started to see some good results. Then I tried to draw and fade some balls. Forced an inside out swing path with closed stance, hit some nice high draws. Distance gained. At least balls are not hooking left and slicing right anymore. Hit more draws, gained more distance, I could touch the net like my old Nakshima. I started laughing like an idiot again.
Day 5, Eisenhower Red:
Started with a straight drive, nothing fancy, a normal straight drive for a Par 5, 3 on and 2 putts for a 462 yards hole. It was a good start for the OnOff after all the adjustments. Not a slice on the course but did hooked a few. The most severe and new error was I was topping 4 driving attempts with the driver after the adjustments. It was something that was totally unexpected. A new problem found in the swing or damn the new driver?
Conclusion:
It was beyond my expectation by merely swaping a driver head, I have to go through so much adjustment and adoption with my driving swings. I was hoping for the best and better performance but instead it turned out to be an "error-digger" where it signified my swing problem that I had been getting way with Nakashima all this time. Bigger volume is not more forgiving, lower loft is not longer and square face is definitely not square at impact without proper swing. I was playing with Nakashima NP1 420cc 10 degree 0.5 degree closed face and it seemed much more easier to control and drive compare to this 2008 OnOff Plus 9 degree squared face driver. The built charasteristic was similar on both drivers but they sounded very different, vibrated very different, most importantly, they performed like heaven and earth when used by the same user. Was this for the better down the road or it was simply seeking trouble for no reason? I have been asking myself this question for the last few days.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
OnOff DriverFinally I had a chance to purchase a used OnOff driver off eBay. This club is really hard to find. At first glance, it is such a beauty, 2008 Plus model, black oxide finish.
OnOff requires clubmakers to be certified before they could be official club distributors. I understand why after I received the driver head. The hosel is designed to use special ferrule, custom ferrule with sleeve and collar so clubmakers could align, adjust the loft/lie and further revise the club-shaft orientation precisely.
It requires to use something like this: Callaway Ferrule
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Why Golf is so much like Stock?
1. Patience is the most torturing word
2. The harder you try, the lesser the result
3. Control is everything
4. It is done between two extreme, balance is the key
5. Risk versus Reward is always proportional
6. For every inch of success, it requires tons of hard work
7. What you ignore now is always what haunt you later
8. Paid attention to the non critical issues, even though with hard work, result is minimum
9. You can always cheat yourself
10. The playing field is always changing, hardly any duplication
.
1. Patience is the most torturing word
2. The harder you try, the lesser the result
3. Control is everything
4. It is done between two extreme, balance is the key
5. Risk versus Reward is always proportional
6. For every inch of success, it requires tons of hard work
7. What you ignore now is always what haunt you later
8. Paid attention to the non critical issues, even though with hard work, result is minimum
9. You can always cheat yourself
10. The playing field is always changing, hardly any duplication
.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
R9 3.20.2009
Taylor Made really got my attention. Its R9, with FCT and MWT technology, 24 combination of adjustable face angle, lie angle, loft, draw and fade bias, wow.
A driver that transforms to any kind of adjustment with a ranch, wow. I already do all these different shots with one fixed face, lie, loft and weighting parameter with my current driver. Still, a driver that could adjust its lie angle? wow. Think about it, lie angle adjustment in driver. wow.
TM is also not advertising better distance or more superior performance, it is very careful in its advertising campaign. Though, it does say it allow 75 yards side to side variant with altering the adjustment above. wow, 75 yards.
Its website is awesome, promoting the driver with a launch date, wow.
Taylor Made really got my attention. Its R9, with FCT and MWT technology, 24 combination of adjustable face angle, lie angle, loft, draw and fade bias, wow.A driver that transforms to any kind of adjustment with a ranch, wow. I already do all these different shots with one fixed face, lie, loft and weighting parameter with my current driver. Still, a driver that could adjust its lie angle? wow. Think about it, lie angle adjustment in driver. wow.
TM is also not advertising better distance or more superior performance, it is very careful in its advertising campaign. Though, it does say it allow 75 yards side to side variant with altering the adjustment above. wow, 75 yards.
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