Demos for the New Year

The models can be based on price point, or you can simply have one premium option for testing purposes. For instance, if you want to feature a premium driver, you could have one driver built to middle of the road specifications so the player can simply get an idea on what the feel and look of the head will be. A 10.5 degree loft with an R flex 65 gram shaft built to a standard length of 45 inches would be sufficient for this purpose. For irons, two 6 or 7 irons can be built, one with a standard length, regular flex lightweight steel shaft and one with a standard length, regular flex 75-80 gram graphite shaft. These options, although they may not be to the proper length or have the proper shaft flex for the individual, will still give them an idea what the club will feel like.

For the specification fitting clubs, you do not have to have a multitude of length, lie, shaft flex, loft and grip size options. However, some options are needed. In a driver, you could add 1 option with an S flex built to the same specifications as mentioned above. This will help narrow down the flex choice for the woods. The loft and trajectory can be evaluated based on carefully analyzing the ball flight. The club fitters and the player’s observations can help determine if more or less loft is needed and which shaft flex feels and performs the best. The same can be done for the irons. Using a swing speed analyzer to determine the club head speed, evaluating the tempo of the player and observing the ball flight of the player are all part of the shaft flex fitting equation and are essential to getting the most accurate shaft flex fit.

For length, it is not necessary to have a lot of length options for woods. You can offer a 44 inch option, but with driver lengths being 45 + inches as industry average, you will find that a high percentage of players of all levels will want to initially stay at that length because of the potential distance increase they may experience. Adjustments can be made if, after a few rounds, it is determined a shorter length (like the 44” option) could provide more consistent contact and more accuracy. For irons, it is an advantage to have several options in length. You can use a less expensive or basic iron head design for this, or use the iron you want to feature. These demos are about the specifications, not the design. A standard length 6 iron, one that is ½” shorter and one that is ½” longer can help take the guessing out of what length is best for the player. If desired, you can expand this to 1” shorter and longer from standard. This should cover a high percentage of the players you fit.

For the lie angle in irons, all you really have to have is one iron, preferably a 6 iron, of a known length and lie. Once the player goes through a dynamic fitting, adjustments can be made based on common lie fitting procedures. The mark on the sole created by hitting a ball off of a lie board gives the club maker the information he needs in determining if adjustments are necessary. You can also use your length fitting clubs to fit lie angle. When determining the proper length of the 6 iron using the length fitting clubs, simply use that length club to do the dynamic lie test.

For grip size, having a selection of grip sizing samples is a must. Although the fingertip to palm method is used to help determine the fit size, grip size demos shafted on cut off shafts allow the customer to grip different sizes. The club fitter can determine the right fit based on size, but also gets feedback from the player on what feels best. The right size fit may not always be the choice since the feel preferences of the player are critical at the grip end of the club.

Of course, the above mentioned suggestions assume the club fitter has some experience and a good feel for making adjustments off of the demos used that will provide the best fit. It is also easy to see that many more demos could be made. You could have many shaft flex options, length options, lie options, head options, etc. It requires a sizable investment and each club maker must determine what he needs to do the best job.

To review, a basic demo set up might include:

What is listed and discussed here are the basics, with a few options mentioned. As mentioned before, there are endless possibilities for additions. If the clientele include a lot of women or senior players, A flex and L flex options, as well as shorter length options may be necessary. If you have a lot of low handicappers, more premium shaft options in stiffer flexes may be necessary. The goal should be to have enough demos’ to allow you to show the new models and get the correct data that allows you to properly fit the customer.

A new option for matching the right shaft to the right head is available, and it may actually reduce the cost to the clubfitter. Of course, that depends on how many options the clubfitter wants to offer. The new FAZ - FIT system is an interchangeable adaptor system that allows the clubfitter to quickly change shafts and heads for the player to try, gaining instant feedback (see page 209 of the Golfworks Master Catalog – 2nd edition). One head can be used with multiple shafts, multiple heads can be used with a single shaft, or multiple heads can be used with multiple shafts. There really is no limit to the options that can be created.

An example of using the FAZ – FIT system in drivers would be to use one model of driver in multiple lofts (9.5 degree and 10.5 degree for example) and have either one shaft model in multiple flexes or several shaft options in multiple flexes available. Using two driver heads of the same model with different lofts, and having three shaft models in R and S flex, you have the ability to create 12 different combinations of loft and flex. Vary the weight of the three shaft options (55 gram R and S, 65 gram R and S, 75 gram R and S) and you have an added dimension to evaluate. Trajectory specific shaft designs can also be incorporated, such as a low launch, medium launch and high launch, further enhancing the choices.

Irons can also use the Faz – Fit system. Using 6 iron heads of your featured model, different flexes in steel and graphite shafts can be interchanged so the player can instantly try different materials, as well as flexes and weights of shafts, with the featured iron head. With one head and six shaft options (lightweight steel in R and S flex, standard weight steel in R and S flex, and graphite in R and S flex) there are 6 different flex, material and weight options for the player to try. Just like the woods, this can be expanded to several head types or more shaft types. It is important to evaluate your clientele and decide whether more options are needed (women’s head and shaft options, senior flex options).

Using wood and iron heads with adjustable weights, along with the FAZ – FIT system also allow the head weight to be adjusted for variations in shaft weights that may be used. This is an added dimension that further fine tunes the fitting process.

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