The Playability Factor
The Clubmaker's Forum
by Kirby Huestis
In my previous article I mentioned the 6 p's of golf..Practice, Play, Professional swing instruction, Positive attitude, being Properly fit, and Playing quality equipment. Well there is a 7th P...The Dynamic Playability Factor.
What is the Clubhead's job?
: be most solid on all hits
: to maximize distance on all hits
: to maximize directional control on all hits
: to provide even incremental distance between clubs
: to provide adequate backspin and bite
: to provide proper sole-to-ground contact
What is the Golfshaft's job?
:to bring the clubhead into the best impact position with repeatable accuracy..All physical and dynamic shaft properties must work with the correct clubhead Playability Factor to Complement the individual golfer's swing.
So.......The Best Clubhead for a Specific Golfer plus the Best Shaft for a Specific Golfer = DYNAMIC PLAYABILITY
The Playability Factor? It is a method used to determine the playabilty of a clubhead by utilizing its Mass and Dimensonal properties. It is a guide to help Golfers select clubs that Complement their skills and desires, making Golf easier and more enjoyable for a lifetime. For Woods and Irons the Basic Parameters are...
____Vertical Center of Gravity
|
Equipment Debate
Before the debate over COR there was the putter issue and it started in Schenectady.
by Douglas A. Lonnstrom, Ph.D.
Arthur Knight and his Schenectady Putter
Arthur F. "Bill" Knight, a General Electric engineer at the turn of the century, brought attention to the Electric City, but not through his work with G.E. A member of the Mohawk Golf Club and Club Champion in 1900, 1901 and 1902, Knight invented the Schenectady Putter (1899) and developed steel shafts (1908)
The Schenectady Putter was a center shafted, mallet type putter. Knight used it at Mohawk in 1902, the same year he applied for and received a patent. Devereux Emmet, a leading golf course architect and designer of Mohawk, borrowed the Putter and lent it to Walter J. Travis, a leading amateur player famous for trying anything that would help his putting. Travis used the Schenectady Putter in the 1902 US Open and finished second. He won the US Amateur three times before 1904.
In 1904, Travis took the Putter to Sandwich, England and won the British Open at Royal St. Georges. The British were not happy to say the least. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St.
Andrews, the British equivalent of the USGA, took up the issue of club design. In 1908, the R&A inserted ".it will not sanction any substantial departure from the traditional and accepted form and make of golf clubs." in the rules, the first reference to club making.
|
____Horizontal enter of Gravity
____Rearward center of Gravity
____Moment of Inertia ( on 2 axis)
For putters we use only the Moment of Inertia on 1 axis.
Vertical Center of Gravity..
The lower the VCG you will get a More consistent Trajectory, a More solid feel, and a Higher Playability factor.
Horizontal Center of Gravity...
The greater the HCG you get a Larger Sweetspot, a more Solid Hit, and a Greater Moment of Inertia, and a Higher Playability factor.
Rearward Center of Gravity...
This rearward dimension has to do with hosel offset and its effect on dynamic loft which is the actual ball launch angle after impact.
Moment of Inertia...
The higher the MOI you will get more Distance on off centered hits, more Solid Feel on off-center hits, Better Directional Control on Off-center Hits and a Higher Playability Factor.
A golf club is more difficult to hit ..The stiffer the shaft, The less the loft, The longer the shaft, The higher the center of gravity, and the lower the Moment of inertia.
The Playability Factor is broken down into 6 catagories.....
Ultra Game Improvement 851+ i.e. Callaway Big Bertha
Super Game Improvement 701+ i.e. Taylor Made RAC OS
Game Improvement 551+ i.e. Ping Eye 2
Conventional 401+ i.e. Taylor Made 300/360
Classic 251+ i.e. Titleist DCI 990
Player Classic under 250 Wilson Staff Tour
Kirby Huestis Master Clubmaker
Credit to Ralph Maltby.The GolfWorks Playability Factor
The Laws of Golf 2 of 20.................
"Your best round of golf will be followed all most immediately by your worst round ever, the probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former."
The Natural Laws of Golf 1 & 2 of 20................
1. 1. "If you really want to play better golf go back and take it up at a much earlier age."
2. "The game of golf is 90% Mental and 10% Mental."
