Thursday, January 4, 2007

Dclown the master fitter

Dclown the master fitter I Like To ROLF

Just because someone says they are a club fitter does not mean they are.
Lets see why they are so good, take time to read all the training he got from BSG.
Quotes of his posts below

DTown3011 quotes
Occupation BombSquadGolf Lead Analyst

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I am wondering if anyone has tried them with other shafts particularly the Dynamic Gold. I would like to know how they played in terms of trajectory and swingweight compared to the Speed Step shafts. The Speed Step shafts are (correct me if I'm wrong) 90-100g shafts, the Dynamic Golds 120-130g shafts. The Nike's already swingweight out at D1 with the Speed Step, what would they swingweight out with the DG? I have heard that the Nike heads are fairly heavy in the first place...

Also, I'm assuming trajectory was lower with the DG, I'd appreciate any opinions or insight to the Pro Combos with DG shafts.

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my real question is about Dynamic Gold Iron Shafts which I think I am going to go with. Have played TF Rifles and Regular Rifles and can't seem to find one I like. Have played 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0...to no avail. I would like to know the differences between R200/R300/R400 in the Dynamic Gold line. Is the R200 slightly softer than the R300 which is slightly softer than the R400? Is that how it works? Is the difference noticeable? I would like to play a SLIGHTLY firmer regular flex, and if I am correct about my assumptions was thinking R400 or S200. Please help me out.

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First question, is Dynamic Gold S200 = Dynamic Gold Wedge Flex?
Also, what will be the difference between S200 and S400 in a wedge?

Looking to pick up the Rifle Spinners I need to install in my Ping M/B's...need to know, parallel or taper tip?
I'm guessing parallel but I don't wanna be wrong....aren't all Ping's parallel? ACK, I'm an idiot!!!

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I'm just about ready to order my new set of irons and was contemplating ordering the 3-5 or the 3-4 with R300's and the 5-PW or 6-PW in S300's.

The softer shafts in the long irons will make me swing more smoothly, be easier to turn over, and will give me max distance. There is also a confidence issue here.

Looking for comparisons between the Tour Platform 26.3 and 27.3 shafts to the Fuji Speeder 652.....anyone out there tried both?
I'm looking for some spin (because it's going into a very low spin r7 Quad head) and increased launch angle.
I'm thinking the 26.3 would be perfect in the r7 head...
27.3's in the fairways?

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Do Dynamic Gold S300's play the same flex as DG S300's with Sensicore?
Will I notice any other differences?
Wow, if you can tell the difference between S200's and S300's then your one up on me!

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Have a question for the club shaft gurus out there...
Will extending a shaft, specifically a Dynamic Gold S300, 1/2" with a shaft extension have any effect on the shafts performance?
Trying to decide whether or not to reshaft completely or if I can save some money and just install shaft extensions.
I know mentally, it might be an issue, but if someone can persuade me that extensions don't hinder the performance of a steel iron shaft, than I will just go with extensions.
Someone help me out.

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There used to be one at http://jbaima.hypermart.net/swingweightcalc.htm but the page doesn't work anymore.....
Looking for a calculator where you plug in the shaft weight, length, head weight, length, etc. and you get a rough estimate of swingweight.
Anyone know one?

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This is going to be a real simple one, but I want to make sure that I'm correct with my answer before I move on:

I hit probably 100 or so 7-irons today after my round on the range trying to get some type of rhythm back...because obviously I lost it during my round! After I was done, I noticed an intriguing divot pattern: The dirt/mud from my divots on the iron was a lot deeper on the toe area. In fact, you could tell from the wear pattern on my iron that the heel was barely digging into the ground the the toe was going a lot farther into the ground!
So in essence, the toe was a lot lower at impact than the heel was...
Does this mean my clubs are too flat or too upright? My gut goes with too flat...
...
Thanks, these clubs are +1/2" so they are already 0.5º upright...but I honestly think due to the pattern of mud I'm going to have to go at least 2º more to make solid contact...
NO WONDER I HIT IT RIGHT MOST OF THE TIME!

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I am trying to decide what shafts to put in my clubs for next year (whatever clubs they may be!) and am having a huge dilemma!
I have had the opportunity to try everything under the sun. As far as Rifles are concerned, I have hit Rifle and Tour Flighted Rifle (5.0, 5.5, & 6.0) as well as Project X 5.5. I am just not a Rifle guy! I can't get used to the feel and I really don't enjoy them at all. I don't know what it is, but me and Rifles just don't get along.
So that leaves me at True Temper. The Tour Concept TCI shafts sound IDEAL, but there is no way I am (or can for that matter) spending $60/club to install them. After doing all my irons 3-PW and my 2 wedges, that would be $600 that I don't have. Sorry, but that is just not an option right now at this stage in my life (just getting on my feet, starting my new job, living on my own, etc.) and it wouldn't be smart either.
Onto the old tried and true, the Dynamic Gold. I love 'em, but I feel like I don't get enough height from them and also I enjoy something more lightweight. I thought about the new DG SL but I would still have the trajectory issues of regular DG. I need something that launches the ball higher and also is relatively lightweight...enter the TX-90.
The reason I thought about this is because when I had the best ballstriking year of my life (Summer 2002) I was playing lightweight, tip soft steel shafts. They were the Nike Speed Step shafts and honestly, I LOVED THEM. I loved the weight and I was hitting them at the perfect trajectory. I even was hitting my irons about 5 yards further than I did this year. I don't think it has been confirmed, but many people say the Speed Step shaft is the TT TX-90 or at least something very very similar. Is it the same or at least so similar I won't be able to tell? Is ANYONE still using these shafts and if so, how are you liking them?
I think part of me is scared, if not a little stubborn to put something other than Rifle or Dynamic Gold into my irons. I should be play whatever works, but the TX-90 didn't exactly "take off" as far as sales, and definately wasn't a popular choice for many hardcore players out there. I know they may not have the bling factor as say, a Project X or a Tour Concept, but I need to play what works, not what looks good in the signature.
Convince me I should be playing TX-90's....or else I'm going to suffer through another year of playing shafts that don't work for me. If I'm going to do that I might as well bling HARD with a set of Project X 8.0's tipped an inch

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According to the Dynacraft Shaft Fitting Addendum (http://www.dynacraftgolf.com/pdf/SFA04ch4.pdf) the following True Temper shafts are in order from most flexible to most stiff:

Dynamic Gold Lite X100
Dynamic Gold S200
*Dynamic Gold S300
*Dynamic Gold S400
*Dynalite Gold X100

Does the Dynamic Gold Lite really play that weak? Also DG S300, DG S400, and Dynalite X100 all tested out darn near equal as far as flex (I know the tip stiffness is different). So basically Dynalite X100 will play similar in flex to a DG S300/S400?
How accurate is the Shaft Addendum?
If it is accurate, which it looks to be, it's friggin amazing. Just wish it had Flighted Rifle on it!

Is there any way to tell a .580 core Tour Velvet from a .600 Tour Velvet just by looking at it?
BTW, the bigger the core number the smaller the grip?

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Probably won't be able to get my hands on some Tour Concept shafts to try them out until mid Aprilish time frame, unless I meet up with nut4golf51 on the range this weekend... (PM me Chris! )

I've read literally everything there is to read on the Tour Concepts and was wondering if someone could put into words I could comprehend how Tour Concepts FEEL. I know FEEL is very subjective, but go Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on me and give me some adjectives that would describe how they play.

My concern is that they are very Rifle-like in terms of feel, which not only do I not like but cannot get used to. I have hit everything Rifle (PX, TFR, Rifle, etc.) and have yet to find a Rifle shaft I like feel-wise. They have a weird crisp feeling that I do not like, almost like the shaft isn't moving at impact. Very butt stiff.

I am hoping they are more True Temper-like in terms of feel, as I really havn't hit a TT shaft I did not like in that regard. I've hit them all (DG, Dynalite Gold, TX-90, DG SL) and really enjoy the smoothness and kick thru impact. I am currently playing Dynalite Gold in the irons because they fit me well due to the increased spin and launch characteristics they provide. The TCI's sound even better spec wise.

Convince me that maybe at the end of the year I should invest in a set of TCI S3's....

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I had a chance to pick up my brand new in the plastic Cleveland Comp last night

I put my trusty Accra T60 into it at 44.5" and got a finished swingweight of just above C9 with a V-55 grip.

Added some lead tape to get it to D1 but was wondering what swingweights you guys were getting as well? Seems to be a good headweight because @ 45" standard it would have been dead on D2.

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Just wondering if there are any differences between the BLUE UST iRod shaft you get in the Sonartec MD's and the retail UST iRod shaft that is RED/Black

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I understand the concept of softstepping and hardstepping. Does anyone know HOW MUCH it actually makes the shafts play softer or weaker?

For example: Say you have 2 sets of taper tip shafts, X100 and S300 Dynamic Golds as a benchmark. If you softstepped the X100's and hardstepped the S300 would have have 2 sets that play extremely similar?

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is exactly how much weaker/stiffer the softstepping/hardstepping actually makes a shaft. Has anyone actually quantified it?

Reason being (I'm not going to lie) is that althought I'm going to give my TCI X1's softstepped once a FULL run around...I really love the short irons but the long irons don't go as high as I had hoped. Possibly a bit firm. Was thinking hardstepped S3's would be possibly better, but if they aren't going to be that much different than whats the point?

So hardstepped S3's will play noticably softer than softstepped X1's. I think that may be exactly what I'm looking for...

How about trajectory differences vs. a hardstepped S3 and an softstepped X1? Obviously the S3 will hit higher, no?

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Since Tour Concept shafts have a progressive tip design and are designed for individual irons, has anyone had any problems/complaints about softstepping a set of them before?

Since normal #2-4 iron go high in Tour Concept, would 3-5 fly on a higher trajectory if you softstepped them?

Someone throw me a bone here...

My concern is the ballflight actually, and I would prefer it to be higher. The thing is, the X1's will already keep the ballflight down, SO I was thinking softstepping them would actually give the 3-5 a bit higher flight...along with a slightly softer feel? True?

Assuming X1 will hit lower than S3 (which I'm sure they will) it's actually the opposite...

Maybe instead of doing all this mulling I'll just throw them in and see how they work. What a freakin' concept.

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I swung the driver as good as I have all summer today. Lots of dead center hits, SUPER SOLID, felt bombed...high bombs with a slight draw on them. Also a lot of nice power fades.

Unfortunately I'm 100% MAXXED OUT at 250 yards.

Seriously, I could not it it ANY further. My playing partners were 15 and sometimes 30 yards past me. One swings slightly slower or as fast as me, the other maybe slightly faster than me.

My pitch marks were roughly 1-2 yards behind where my ball stopped. Lots of roll...

We lasered ALL of my good drives, and EVERY time....250 yards.

One of my partners commented on how it looked like my ballflight was "rising" with my driver. Not flat, not penetrating.

It's gotta be a spin issue right? Obviously, I can fix the swing, but with my current move, can I really be maxxed at *gasp* 250 yards?!

Please tell me I'm not MAXXED OUT....and it's the drivers fault!

The shaft flex is fine. I am actually LOVING the feel of the Rombax 705A PROTO, and the X-flex untipped feels great. Best shaft I've hit in awhile and I don't know why more people don't try them out. Can really feel it loading thru the swing but never feels lose.

But...it's Diamana! Gotta bite the bug, right?



2 comments:

BigHitler said...

Truth is, Dclown learned at my knee and sometimes on his knees. If you don't trust his clubmaking skills then you just don't trust me and how could that ever be the case.

rkruff said...

I too am a banned name on that board. Todd, Derek, and the other drolls are compulsive liars, inept businessmen, awful golfers, and spell like third graders.

I cannot understand why normal people fall for their BS.