Cool Clubmaking Tools!

Today we had new granite countertops put onto the cabinets in our kitchen.  The guys that did this were REAL pros, it was fun to watch them work (well, not too much watching, I stayed out of their way).

To create a seam that is almost impossible to see, they used a Granite Seam Setter.  They told me this tool cost about $400 but is indispensable for creating great granite seams.  It was fun to watch their craftsmanship.

This caused me to think about the tools that I use to build clubs to specific specs that are identified in fittings.  It is one thing to do a fitting and find the right club lengths, club flexes, club MOI/swingweights.  But you have to have the right Club MAKING tools to be able to build clubs to specs that matter for players.

Key tools that are in my clubmaking arsenal include these…

1.  A club length gauge and precision chop saw that I can use to measure lengths within 1/16 inches and build to length tolerances less than 1/16 inches;

2.  A SpeedMatch MOI machine to measure club MOI values (a better club weight measure than swingweight for most people).  With the right weight additions to clubs I can build a set of irons to plus or minus 5 MOI points out of 2,000 to 3,000.  Sometimes very small MOI differences (1 to 2 gram differences in weight added to club heads) can lead to significant improvements in iron carry distance;

3.  A loft/lie measurement gauge that can be used – coupled with equipment to bend irons and putters – to lofts and lies accurate to about 0.25 degrees; and

4.  A Kaufmann frequency analyzer to measure shaft flexes.  With this and precise shaft tipping, I can build individual irons using parallel tip shafts to within 1 cpm of target flexes (0.1 flex tolerence); and

5.  Precision calipers so that I can determine how much to build up the grip end of shafts so that a set of grips will all be the same size and the size desired by the player.

Maybe not as “sexy” as the granite leveling tool.  But “closing the deal” on custom clubs requires the ability to build these clubs to specs that lead to real game improvement.

The Fit Is IT!!

Tony