Club Modification = Orlimar Tri-metal Hip Ti 10.5 deg

[Hacker James]

Ok. 45 inch Orlimar shaft with Orlimar tri-metal Hip Ti head. Wanted to trim the tip to get a little stiffness.

I cut 3/4 inch from the tip of the shaft which originally was an "A" Flex. This resulted in something close to a Regular shaft a little on the stiff side.  The swing weight was then C8/9. The original swing weight was probably around D3. I then put a new mid size Wynn Grip Dri-tec with single wrap of tape. This brought the weight down to about C7/C8 as the Wynn Grips tend to run a little heavier.  On the driver range, this resulted in straighter shots more than likely due to shorter, more control, shaft with a little more stiffness. For some reason the ball flight was quite a bit higher trajectory. Normally, it would not be affected that much, but I surmise that the tip trim had some influence on the kick point.  I may decide to add a gram or two of lead tape to the sole of the club. I think I want the swing weight to smooth out at around a D0. One thing I have to be careful with is that I will be swinging faster and may have to adjust tempo a little. So far, I like it.

[Wanzo]

I'm not really a tinkerer when it comes to clubs and I know nothing about swing weights etc., but you have some really unique clubs. 

[Hacker James]

37 minutes ago, Wanzo said:

I'm not really a tinkerer when it comes to clubs and I know nothing about swing weights etc., but you have some really unique clubs. 

How so?  is that in a good way or otherwise?

[Wanzo]

25 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

How so?  is that in a good way or otherwise?

Ha, yeah I didn't necessarily mean anything by it.  Just when I saw Orlimar in the title, I though to myself that I hadn't seen that name in a while.  Along with some other names you don't see a whole lot, adams, northwestern, Hogan, jones.  Hey, I say play what makes you happy, gives you confidence as long as it's fitted. 

[Hacker James]

oh, I know. I was just wondering what you thought peculiar. Yes, these are older vintage equipment. The Jones are new age however. Incidentally, Jesse Ortiz (founder of Orlimar) is now making clubs for the New Bobby Jones Company. The Hogans are a little older 1988-2002, all forged, but cavity back. Some were picked up at veterans store, others were bought new. What makes some unique is the mods I've made to them. They are fitted, except for lie angle. Fitted by me, for me. I am sure professional fitters could do much better, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of messing around and coming up with something that works or at least feels like it does.

[Hacker James]

just as a rule of thumb, one nickel coin weighs 4.9 - 5.2 grams. this would account for about 2.5 points of swing weight change added to head if you were to tape one on your club. Same result with 2 pennies. I would probably glue/epoxy one on and call it a "lucky" club. Not unlike what we used to do with "Penny Loafers".

[Piz]

Back in the 1960's, in Detroit, it was fashionable to put nickels in your penny loafers.  No telling what long-term effect that may have had.  

[Hacker James]

39 minutes ago, Piz said:

Back in the 1960's, in Detroit, it was fashionable to put nickels in your penny loafers.  No telling what long-term effect that may have had.  

inflation. In Chicago, such an act would probably increase your chances of being "mugged", OTOH, today's thieves are much too lazy to take the time to pry them out of your loafers.  They would much rather threaten you at gun or knife point and have you empty your pockets, then shoot you anyway.

then, the mere wearing of a golf glove can change your swing weight by 4 or 5 pts. Same as for a wrist watch. Maybe we should don neoprene gloves and  all wear pocket watches.  I wonder if they make them anymore?

 

"I jest y'all"

 

Edited February 2, 2017 by Hacker James

[Wanzo]

3 hours ago, Hacker James said:

Yes, these are older vintage equipment. T

You should post a pic sometime. I'd like to see them. 

[Hacker James]

2 minutes ago, Wanzo said:

You should post a pic sometime. I'd like to see them. 

well, vintage is a bit of an exaggeration. They are older, but nothing special, hundreds just like them on ebay. But, I might some day. I do not have a cell phone, and my camera needs new batteries for over a year now. ( procrastination)

[Hacker James]

all said and done regarding the Orlimar mod, I could have saved a ton of money had I waited until after I modified it before buying the Tour Edge Offset. Oh well, two drivers depending on the situation or how I am hitting on a particular day.

[1badbadger]

So you ended up buying another driver instead of tweaking the Orlimar?  

This is a good way for players to dial-in a club without having to spend a lot of money on a new shaft, so for the benefit of others who are considering tipping their driver shaft to stiffen up the flex, I was going to mention two other options for after the shaft is re-installed in the head.  I think it's important to increase the swingweight at least a little...you had mentioned bringing it back up to D-0, which I think is a good minimum.  Gluing a penny or nickel to the head is an inspiring concept (and who can't use the luck a penny provides?) but lead tape is a great inexpensive alternative and easy to use.  I'm also a believer that the shorter driver length has other benefits, like being straighter, more consistent and quite often more distance.

The other option is if the shaft is tipped 3/4", the shaft can be extended 3/4" on the butt end which will return it to the original length and swingweight.  This will obviously require a new grip as well.

I'm curios about your range session...you mentioned you were hitting the Orlimar straighter and higher after tipping the shaft, but didn't say if the distance was longer, shorter or about the same.  I'm not exactly sure why your trajectory was so much higher...do you think it was too high, or was it just higher than you were accustomed to?

[Hacker James]

@1badbadger I modified the Orlimar PLUS I ordered the new club. I use both. I like the modified Orlimar much better than before, a little more trajector, about twenty yards more distance, and more control. During a round, if I get tired, sometimes switching to the other driver helps for whatever reason. 

[1badbadger]

6 hours ago, Hacker James said:

@1badbadger I modified the Orlimar PLUS I ordered the new club. I use both. I like the modified Orlimar much better than before, a little more trajector, about twenty yards more distance, and more control. During a round, if I get tired, sometimes switching to the other driver helps for whatever reason. 

Thanks for the update James.  This is another great example that shows a driver with a shorter shaft doesn't mean giving up yardage. Not only is it easier to hit and straighter, more often than not it will increase your distance.

[Buckeyebowman]

I notice that you trimmed the tip and not the butt of the shaft. Cool idea! I have one of those clubs and never could hit it higher than the gutters on a ranch house! The fact that you got some additional height on your shots is a plus.

[Hacker James]

15 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

I notice that you trimmed the tip and not the butt of the shaft. Cool idea! I have one of those clubs and never could hit it higher than the gutters on a ranch house! The fact that you got some additional height on your shots is a plus.

well, don't take that as gospel. Ordinarily it should not have an effect on height, but with the added control, and lighter weight, all factors together may have contributed. I am probably swinging a D0 at the moment. The tip trim did stiffen the shaft up a bit also. Anyway, it seems to be working for now. You also need to be careful in tip trimming, some shafts are tapered, while others are parallel.

[Hacker James]

another aspect of using lead tape. Try placing it on the rear of the crown rather than on the sole. For one thing it will last longer with less chance of being worn off the the tee or turf.(albeit somewhat ugly). Some claim it will affect the COG, but according to Tom Wishon, this is very negligible and it takes a significant amount of weight to move the COG slightly. But you can change the SW as desired. in other words it does not have to be on the sole.  Others say it doesnt make any difference what you do, it all depends on confidence and feel.

 

Edited February 10, 2017 by Hacker James

[1badbadger]

1 hour ago, Hacker James said:

another aspect of using lead tape. Try placing it on the rear of the crown rather than on the sole. For one thing it will last longer with less chance of being worn off the the tee or turf.(albeit somewhat ugly). Some claim it will affect the COG, but according to Tom Wishon, this is very negligible and it takes a significant amount of weight to move the COG slightly. But you can change the SW as desired. in other words it does not have to be on the sole.  Others say it doesnt make any difference what you do, it all depends on confidence and feel.

 

James made an interesting point regarding the CG.  I'm a fan of Tom Wishon and have a lot of respect for his knowledge of clubs and shafts, so when he has something to say, I listen closely.  His research and testing on this showed that it would take a significant amount of lead tape to affect the CG.

At the same time, clubs like the TaylorMade R7 driver which came out in the early 2000s had adjustable weight screws which were designed so the player could change the CG easily by switching the weights which would change the ball flight.

Since then other companies have introduced clubs with adjustable weights, and although each manufacturer has their own system, the reason is the same...move weight around to shift the CG which will alter the ball flight.

I was able to do a lot of testing with the Bridgestone j715 which had 2 removable weight screws, and the unique thing with that driver is the screws are each on a different axis, which affected the the trajectory and the spin.  I've seen the numbers...and it makes a difference.

I'm talking about woods...irons are a little different.  If anyone is going to be using lead tape to tweak the feel of their driver or fairway woods, and you feel that applying it towards the heel or toe will make a difference, go for it.  If it does move the CG and alter your ball flight, great.  If not, it won't hurt anything.  Worst case scenario is it does the same thing as applying it in a "neutral" spot.