Equipment Fact and Fallacies

By Jeff Jackson

In golf, just as in life, certain myths are passed down from one generation to another. While some of the statements may be true, others prove to be downright false. Armed with correct information, your new club purchase will be on target for better shots and lower scores.

Titanium Hits the Ball Longer

Titanium came in to vogue as a material for club heads a few years ago. Manufacturers claimed longer shots for all players. The craze has carried to all levels of play, from junior players to tour professionals. What’s the real deal with Ti?

Titanium allows the club head to be made larger; Titanium is 40 percent lighter and stronger than steel. Larger club heads tend be more forgiving than smaller heads. Plus, most Titanium clubs are longer than standard, some more than 45 inches long. What this means is that potentially more club head speed may be generated by the larger swing arc created by the longer shaft. This, when combined with the forgiveness of a bigger head, leads players to assume the reason they may be driving it longer is due to the head being Titanium.

The truth is that a golf ball does not know what material is hitting it once certain hardness is achieved. There are actually certain types of stainless steel (15-5 and maraging are examples) that are stronger than Titanium. Whether the head is persimmon, stainless steel, graphite or titanium doesn’t really matter. The reason players say Titanium hits it longer is due to the larger head and longer shaft, not because of the hardness of titanium.

The Bigger the Club Head, the Straighter the Shot

This statement is right on! As a head is designed oversize, a higher percentage of its weight is moved toward the outside of the head. Have you ever heard of the term “perimeter weighted?”  This is exactly what it means.

A head that has more weight on its perimeters will tend to twist less on off-center hits. The scientific label for this is “higher moment of inertia.” Clubs with larger heads, whether they are woods, irons or putters, will not twist as much when you don’t hit them perfect, resulting in straighter - and longer - shots. Bigger may indeed be better when it comes to club head size.

All Shafts Are Created Equal

A stiff shaft from one manufacturer is the same as a stiff shaft from another, right?  Not so fast.

Every company has their own machine to rate a shaft’s stiffness. What one machine may rate as stiff, another may actually rate as regular or even “L.”  Sound confusing? You bet it is. Until (if ever) there is one uniform method of shaft testing from all manufacturers, beware of the label on the shaft.

In simple terms, a stiff shaft from one company might perform like a regular from someone else.  Ask your pro or club fitter about the performance characteristics of the shaft before buying. Best of all, always test hit a club prior to purchase. The adage, “Try before you buy” is never more true than when choosing the right shaft for you.

The Bend Point of a Shaft Makes a Big Difference in Ball Flight

The bend point of a shaft is defined as its point of maximum bending. Shafts are labeled as either high, mid or low bend point shafts. Logic would dictate that a high bend point shaft bends somewhere near the grip, a low bend point shaft bends near the tip and a mid bend point shafts bends most somewhere toward the middle of the shaft. Furthermore, it may follow that a low bend point shaft will launch the ball higher and a high bend point shaft will hit it lower. While logic may say these things, nothing could be further from the truth.

Of all shafts in existence today, including graphite, steel and titanium, the difference from the highest of the high bend points to the lowest of the low bend points is about 1 ½ inches. Bend points are located at a position approximately 45 percent of the distance from the tip of the shaft. Being this close together, bend points really have little effect on how high a ball goes.

So if you are buying a shaft to help you hit the ball higher, you will be hard pressed to do so.  But if you are looking to a certain shaft to create a specific feel, you will have no problem. Bend point: A major effect on feel; a minor effect on trajectory.

Better Golfers Should Use Forged Clubs, High Handicappers Need Cast Clubs

The fact is, the difference between forged and cast clubs is imperceptible to even the best players in the game. Tests done with tour pros using the same head designs, some cast and some forged, showed that even they could not differentiate one club from another. The difference between the two types of clubs is in the manufacturing.

Forgings are made from a soft type of steel known as 1030 or 8620 carbon steel. Forged clubs are stamped by incredibly large dies into their basic shapes and then are hand ground to exact size, shape and weight by skilled craftsmen. They are then chrome plated as a final step.

Cast clubs are made by pouring molten metal (typically either 17-4 or 431 stainless steel) into a mold. When the metal cools, the club is an exact copy of the mold. There is little hand work done on castings. A series of polishing belts or tumbling machine puts the finish on the cast club. If there is an advantage to casting, it is in the cost of the finished product. As there is not so much hand work, castings are less expensive than forgings. They may also be a bit more consistent from club to club as each head comes from the same mold.

Can a golfer feel the difference? Even though cast clubs are made from a harder type of metal, a human cannot feel the difference. Is there any pliability difference? Not at all. So, when shopping for clubs, do not be overly concerned with whether the club is cast or forged, but more with how it performs in your hands.

Tall Players Need Longer Clubs, Short Players Need Shorter Clubs

Nothing may be further from the truth. The length of a player’s clubs should be determined through test hitting clubs of various lengths. Special labels, known as impact labels, will let a player know where on the face he or she is hitting the ball. The correct length is found when the impacts are consistently close to the center of the face. Often times the shorter player will benefit from longer clubs as the length of the clubs will increase the swing arc and increase the potential for more distance. When looking for new clubs, locate a fitter who uses impact labels to determine the ideal length for you.

You Can Buy Better Game

If you are a shrewd shopper and go to a club fitter or professional schooled in the latest fitting techniques, you will be pleasantly surprised at how a properly fitted set of clubs will help your game.

Having the proper head, shaft, grip, length, weight, and so on can only serve to make you swing more consistently and repeatedly, leading to lower scores. Also, taking lessons is probably the quickest way to improve your game; combine lessons and fitting and you may certainly be on the way to a lower handicap.

Can you buy the game of a tour pro? We should all be so lucky. But custom clubs and lessons can often take several strokes from your score - an investment well worth the study.

Facts and fallacies are everywhere. Golf equipment is no exception. Learn as much about your equipment as you can and your lower scores will love you for it!

Editor’s Note: Jeff Jackson is the Owner/Operator of Granville Golfland (www.granvillegolfland.com and Managing Director of Peerless Golf (www.peerlessgolf.com).  He can be reached at 740-587-4147 or by e-mail at , jeffjackson@granvillegolfland.com.