Adjustable clubs? Twist the grip!

[Doctorfro]

Ok, maybe I'm just not getting it. I'm not in the market for a new driver or anything but these "adjustable" clubs don't make sense to me. Instead of loosening the shaft and turning it and replacing it in the head, would it not make more sense to simply open or close the club face by changing your grip like you do when you lay the face of a sand wedge open in the bunker? I understand that wouldn't work if you have a ribbed grip but am I missing it? Please explain, someone? To me it seems like more marketing gadgetry.

[-BAMA-]

lol thats funny...

i thought the exact same thing when i saw the r9 commercial today.

i open my driver clubface slightly sometimes when i want to play a fade.. sure.. it adds loft, but it works just fine for me.

[Stacey_E]

Ok, maybe I'm just not getting it. I'm not in the market for a new driver or anything but these "adjustable" clubs don't make sense to me. Instead of loosening the shaft and turning it and replacing it in the head, would it not make more sense to simply open or close the club face by changing your grip like you do when you lay the face of a sand wedge open in the bunker? I understand that wouldn't work if you have a ribbed grip but am I missing it? Please explain, someone? To me it seems like more marketing gadgetry.

You know, you are not that far off base. I'm not interested in one either. But from a previous thread I was suprised. I would have thought that if I wanted to increase the loft of a driver (cough R9 cough) I would open the face angle. Apparently I was wrong. From what I read, and may have misunderstood, to INCREASE the loft you actually CLOSE the face and then open it back up at address. Uh...if that's true, can't I just open the face of my current driver?

I dunno, I hate to dis new technology. But I'm just not interested at the moment. That might change one day.

[TinCupTampa]

I was at Golfsmith today and was hitting last year's tour burner... I have no desire to replace my current driver... I just wanted to see how they hit.

Anyway... the salesman came up and asked if I had tried the new R9. I told him I wasnt even slightly interested. He looked me straight in the face and told me that I obviously had no desire to improve my game. I, without missing a beat, looked him straight in the face and told him he obviously had a resounding desire to sound completely ignorant. He replied that he was a single digit and sprayed the ball all over the place and the new R9 has corrected his "dispersion problems". I asked him if he believed everyone was stupid enough to believe that?

I could have went on all day with him but I basically told him to save it for the 30+ capper and sell them on it and I walked away.

Long story short... you should just manipulate the club face and your swing to achieve the same results as this "new tchnology" can give you.

[obsessedgolfer]

Drivers like the r9 also adjust lie angle, and most times when you open a club up you bring it back square when you hit the ball.

[iacas]

Long story short... you should just manipulate the club face and your swing to achieve the same results as this "new tchnology" can give you.

Unfortunately that's not the way it really works.

I appreciate that I can set the face angle open by default and move the weight to the toe. The pros do it - they play with open faces and toe-weighted clubs so they don't snap hook a shot. The R9 changes the way the shaft meets the clubhead. You can't do that by rotating the grip in your hands a little, nor can you rotate the grip enough to move weight around. I think TM of course over-states the use, but who can blame them - they're marketing, and you know it. But you guys are under-stating it here, too. There's some purpose and utility to it.

[chriskzoo]

I think we really are at the point of diminshing returns on drivers now that they are capped a 460cc.

[flopdarock]

i can understand the lie adjustment... but i really need to take a look at the open closed thing... i just cant wrap my mind around it till i see it

[RocketSauce]

I was at Golfsmith today and was hitting last year's tour burner... I have no desire to replace my current driver... I just wanted to see how they hit.

LOL! thats awesome man! were you at the Golfmsith in North Tampa on N Dale Mabry when this happened?

[thr33]

single digit who sprays all over the place....right...his short game, iron play and putting must be amazing! I know he's a salesman, but does he have to make himself sound like a douche? I've been to plenty of golf stores, and nobody has EVER approached me in that manner.

[AbsoluteZero]

i open my driver clubface slightly sometimes when i want to play a fade.. sure.. it adds loft, but it works just fine for me.

well that's kind of the point of a club you can adjust right? You don't have to add or decrease loft by opening or closing the club face.

I think the idea of the R9 and the Nike driver are cool, but I'm not sure how much it will matter for most people. It seems like the majority of the people buying clubs like this are trying to fix something in their swing as opposed to trying to shape their shots a certain way. If your swing is fundamentally flawed, you should spend time fixing it, not money to cover it up... It just seems like a proper fitting session would be a lot more beneficial to someone than spending extra money on a club that will adjust for you.

[Doctorfro]

Ok, for me, I like to be able to set the club down on the ground and it set up square. Am I in the minority in that aspect? If you simply rotate the shaft in the head how can the club ever set flush on the turf unless it's simply not on the turf. I know you don't hit the driver off the ground (maybe some do!) but how can you change lie angle unless the you are rotating a shaft that is bent on the end? Is that how it works? I have not had one in my hands long enough to examine and figure it out. I'm just asking this because I am perplexed and wondering if this REALLY is the future of golf club fitting or is this just a marketing gimmick.

[iacas]

Ok, for me, I like to be able to set the club down on the ground and it set up square. Am I in the minority in that aspect?

A lot of better players like to see the club a little open. All about hook avoidance.

And some of the hackers out there like to see a closed clubface (though that's probably detrimental to their game).

[TheLauncher]

It seems to me that the most useful thing about the r9 would be trying out a bunch of different configurations until you find one you like, without having to hit 5 or 6 different clubs. Once you do settle on a loft, weight distribution and face angle I would think it would be better to find a club that matches those specs, rather that the adjustable one.

And I'm not sure on this, but wouldn't the rules of golf prohibit changing the club once you've started a round? So in other words you wouldn't be able to say, 'this hole calls for and easy fade, I think I'll open the face a little, *click, click*.' If this is the case I don't see the purpose of an adjustable club other than to discover what works for you.

[Stacey_E]

And I'm not sure on this, but wouldn't the rules of golf prohibit changing the club once you've started a round? So in other words you wouldn't be able to say, 'this hole calls for and easy fade, I think I'll open the face a little, *click, click*.'

That is correct sir.

[joderek]

I just played the R9 that I bought last week. I hit it at the range yesterday and played with the shaft adjustment, the way it came set up was NU shaft position and neutral on the weights that gives a 10 yard draw. I changed it to a flat N position and neutral on the weights, I got a high fade, my favorite ball flight. I shot a 38 with it and the ball flight was the same every time. It seems just as long as my Tour Burner TP from last season. So far i am happy with it, it is definatly one of those clubs once you set it you leave it alone. The only part about the club so far is my local course already had 2 returned with cracked faces.

[cigarnut81]

This technology is 14 years old guys. Do not let them tell you otherwise! Golfsmith had a driver head that did the same thing in 1995!

[jamo]

Finally, someone realizes what i have been thinking the whole time! BUt seriosly, your not even paying extra for the R9 to have the changing lofts etc., most high end drivers are 400$ anyway