Påstanden:
This is a question, really a question, hopefully for discussion, the "pro" and "con" type.
There is an excellent thread ongoing about "the best of" new equipment. Embedded in that thread are comments about how the big-name OEM companies are innovating with designs that take performance, especially drivers, to a level many of us never considered. Adjustable heads, aerodynamic designs, re-shaped sweet zones, etc.
As I think about this my question is, "With the designs evolving so fast, is this creating a chasm, a gulf between designs from big OEM companies and the smaller, independent component companies?"
My own impression is that the smaller independent component companies will continue to develop and sell high quality "traditional" heads, for those who want the no-frills components. But they probably don't have the knowledge and research budget to stay at the forefront of clubhead design, if that indeed is what we are getting from the big name OEM companies.
Thoughts on this? Especially those who might have an insight to what the smaller independent component companies might be doing or are capable of doing.
Og svaret fra Tom Wishon:
24305.7
Actually, I see some of the OEMs as trying to dabble in certain areas that some component companies have been the leaders for some time - I'm talking about the adjustable OEM drivers as a poor second fiddle to what professional clubfitting is really all about.
But when you have $20 mill to $50 mill a year to spend in marketing, to the golfer who does not have an in depth background in club design technology or a good awareness of what professional clubfitting is really all about, the marketing can certainly make it seem like the OEMs are leading.
In the OEM adjustable drivers, you have a limited range of being able to change the lie and face angle. Despite what they say, these adj hosels do not change the loft unless you hover the clubhead over the ground in the address position. That adjustable hosel direction they say is for loft really is for face angle when you allow the driver to sit on its sole in the address position.
So with a very limited range of changes in face angle and lie, that still leaves many very key fitting specs as being unchangeable when you buy one of these drivers off the rack.
What about length? All these adj drivers are still made to one length that is too long for the majority of golfers.
What about loft? Some OEMs do offer separate driver models with 9 to 12 loft, but what about the sub 85mph golfers who need 13, 14, 15 lofts to max out their swing to distance?
What about more range in face angle? Many golfers who slice the ball need 2, 3, 4 degs of a closed face angle to bring their slice back more into play.
What about the total weight and swingweight? Here again these off the rack adj drivers come with one basic shaft weight option in one basic swingweight option.
What about the shaft flex, shaft bend profile, shaft weight? Again, the off the rack OEM adj driver comes with one shaft model in one weight per driver model. It comes in the usual A, R, S, X flexes, but with no standards in the industry for flex, who knows how stiff one company's A, R, S, X are compared to each other company? What about tip stiff, tip flexible, butt stiff, butt flexible, etc for the shaft bend profile? Again with one shaft model option in the off the rack driver, that does not fit golfers with different swing characteristics.
What about grip style/size? OK, this is the easiest for a golfer to have changed when they know about being able to do that. But off the rack these adj drivers come with one grip style in one size.
And then what about the other 13 clubs after the driver that also need to be fit for each specification to each golfer?
You can pooh pooh what I say here because you may feel because I work in the component side and the professional fitting technology side of the industry, I am prejudiced. I work in this side of the industry because long ago I learned the importance of professional fitting that encompasses ALL OF THE FITTING SPECS as the only way a golfer can get equipment that helps him/her get the absolute most from their size, strength, athletic ability and swing characteristics.
So no, the marketing might make it seem the OEMs are leading in design, but as long as there are companies that understand full specifications custom fitting and as long as there are good clubmakers who do as well, there is no way the business model of offering standard made, off the rack clubs can beat a professionally custom fit set for a golfer.
One last thing - for those with a long memory of head design technology, some may remember that back in 1995 was when an adjustable hosel driver and woods debuted which accomplished this same adjustable face angle and lie in the same "tilt the shaft in the hosel" manner like you see the adjustable hosel pieces do it today in these off the rack OEM clubs. And that model was introduced by a component company, some 15 yrs before the OEMS did their versions.
TOM
Flere gode poenger, spesielt setningen om at stort sett alle driverne som selges off-the-rack er for lange for de fleste av oss.
) som kan alt for lite om dette til å i det hele tatt tenke på å få customfitted alle parametrene på en god måte. dermed er poengene til tom wishon rimelig godt underbygget.
