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popey, Testing of all Tour equipment occurs at the OEM's before they get into the hands of the players. The PGA Tour tests players, but only sporadically and often times at the discretion of other players (recall the Tiger Woods Tom Pernice fiasco of a year or two ago). OEM's must be careful about this, because if a players driver did test illegal, it would be tremendously bad publicity their sales might never recover from. Yes, the pros do hit it that much further than amateurs, the main reason being that they hit the ball much higher and carry it much further. Even the shorter pros I've worked with such as Tom Byrum and Jeff Maggert are at the top end of the amateur level. In fifteen plus years I've been in the golf industry, five of which came on the Hooters and Sunshine tours, I can count the number of 300 yard carries I've seen on one hand. I've seen J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson do it with their three woods three times in the same round. The real pros play a different game from tee to green.

J.P. Worst case scenario with grips is you get them stuck half way on and lose the cost of a grip. The only really dangerous act is cutting the grip off, be careful, use a hooked blade, take your time. Rushing is when people make mistakes and get hurt. You are correct that the double sided tape does not actually hold the grip on. The difference between the size of the grip and the shaft combined with the friction of the rubber is enough to hold the grip on. The double sided tape is only there to provide a lubricated surface so the grip can slide on easily. If you do decide to re-grip yourself, take a look at how little adhesive remains on the inside of your grip when you cut off the old ones. If you are good, you can install grips on a shaft without any tape at all using lots of solvent or an air compressor (which is great for removing grips as well). However, that's another post.

bg1, No. There is no way to add a significant enough amount of weight in a concentrated enough fashion to affect center of gravity or face balancing. Let's look at this mathematically. Take a modestly weighted putter at 320g, say you cut a 1/2" off and want to make up the swing weight with six grams of lead tape across the sole. 6/320 = 1.875% that's simply not enough to significantly affect face balancing, toe flow, or center of gravity. To put things another way, it's like a fly landing on an elephant.

Since I have received a couple of messages and threads about regripping golf clubs, I figured I would try and add some info for you guys about one of the most basic and easy ways to improve your golf clubs and save some money. What you need: Utility Knife with Hooked Blade - to cut old grips, remove tape, and protect graphite shafts. Double Sided Tape - used to provide a lubricated surface to allow the grip to slide on Masking Tape - for building up grips (if needed). Grip Solvent - look for non toxic non odor options, odor free mineral spirits work well and can be found at home improvement stores New Grips Step 1 Cut the old grip off. Step 2 Remove all the old grip tape Step 3 Build up grip with masking tape to desired thickness (if required) and apply a final layer of double sided tape. Make sure the tape goes on smoothly without air bubbles. Be sure to leave a little excess double sided tape over the butt of the shaft you can pigtail. Step 4 Remove the backing from the double sided tape! This is an important step, and often times people forget to do this and get the grip stuck on half way. Step 5 Spray the double sided tape down with solvent, making sure all areas are coated. Then spray an ample amount of solvent inside the grip (covering the drain hole with a tee or your finger). Cover the mouth of the grip with your finger and move the solvent back and forth and all around so the inside of the grip is properly coated. Once done pour the excess solvent on the tape as well. Step 6 Slide the grip on the shaft and all the way down until the butt of the grip is firmly seated. Be sure you remove the tee from the drain hole so the air and excess solvent can escape before attempting this. Step 7 Make final adjustments to be sure the logo is properly aligned and the grip is on straight. Step 8 Allow the grip to dry at least two hours before playing.

cmarkmyers, You are exactly right, a .580 core grip is smaller than a .600. However, I seem to find it much easier to install a smaller core grip on a larger butt shaft than the other way around. The grip tends to go on easier with less solvent than a larger grip on a smaller butt for some reason. For the second part of your question, anytime you have a smaller core grip on a larger butt, the grip is always oversized. With a larger core grip on a smaller butt, it is always undersized. For a perfectly sized grip, match the grip size to the size of the shaft butt. To further complicate issues, the OEM standard for men is a .580 core grip on a .600 butt. Even though this is technically +1/64 oversized, it is the standard all OEM's use.

Tommy J, The multicompound grips are .600 core, so they can be a tiny bit tougher to get onto the shaft than .580 cores. However, since you're getting them started and then stuck, I'm willing to bet you're not using enough solvent. Be sure the tape is thoroughly covered in it, and also coat the inside of the grip. When in doubt, it's easy to use more solvent and allow the grip to take extra time to dry than it is to get a grip stuck halfway on the shaft. Also, be sure to make sure the drain hole on the butt of the grip is free of obstruction, because if that is blocked, the air trapped in the grip will not allow the grip to slide fully on.

Seppo, Which Pro-Trajectory are you talking about, the 10 year old woods? Or the new 906 fairway woods that have just come out? There is no need to play steel in woods any more these days. With heavy weight graphite available that is able to mimic the properties of steel in a lighter weight, steel in woods is dead. Whatever shaft you decide to play, it is important to pick a bend profile that fits your swing and needs. The Aldila NV is a tip and mid stiff shaft which is butt soft that suits a smooth swinger with a very late release of their wrist cock and a smooth transition. It's not the best shaft for most players. Titleist has a wide variety of great custom options, so get to a fitter and find a shaft that will fit your swing and game the best.

Ken1222, Shaft length is the major factor which determines contact on the face. If you fit into one inch over on your irons, I would stick with one inch over on the hybrid as well. The reason why some companies make graphite shafts a half inch over is to compensate for the swing weight lost with a lighter shaft, so they do not have to use heavier heads. Although it simplifies things for them, it is not good for their customers. If you are +1 inch in steel, you will be +1 inch in graphite as well, assuming you retain the same swing mechanics switching from steel to graphite.

Johnnyallthetime, The Hi-Bore is a very high launching and low spin head. However, if you're honestly ballooning the ball on the course, it's almost definitely an angle of attack problem most likely a descending blow. Before getting into swing plane and other things, I would go back and check the basics. Many times it is the minor things which add up to creating bigger problems. Ball Position - Make sure the ball is not too far back in your stance, that is a sure fire way to increase your angle of attack. Alignment - Be sure your feet, hips, and shoulders are all aimed in the proper fashion, not too open and not too closed. Any one item being off can lead to problems. Grip - Make sure you are comfortable with your grip and it has not become too strong or weak. Tee Height - Minor thing, but especially with the Hi-Bore is very important. The Hi-Bore likes to be teed low, and a contact high on the face can easily lead to excessive spin.

Hence the reason you're spending this New Year's Eve browsing a golf forum instead of on a date . . . ? Sorry, but you walked right into that one! Happy 2007 to all!

jockstrap, That's a great observation, and you're right it is a very valid concern. I haven't seen you swing, and I'm not sure of what your tendencies are in terms of swing path, ball flight, and angle of attack. I will say that lofts and trajectories go well together, and any minor loft gaps can easily be solved by bending individual irons weak or strong. Both have thin soles and relatively low bounce numbers. I will say that the MP-32's have a shaper leading edge and will tend to dig a bit more than the 60's which have a rolled leading edge. Give them both a try, and keep the idea of a mixed set in mind when demoing.

jockstrap, Both irons are fantastic looking and performing. With the MP-60 you will gain added height and forgiveness, especially in the long irons. With Mizuno it's easily possible to order a custom set in whichever combination you want, MP-32 in the PW-7 iron and MP-60 in 6-3 irons. Personally, I see no advantage to going with the 32's other than a penalized shot here and there and greater struggles on off days. You'll have no trouble controlling ball flight or moving the ball in either direction with the MP-60's, plus they will offer more forgiveness, so I don't see much point in getting the 32's. Since you're going to demo, pay attention to the fitters recommendations and pick the ones you like.

ronaldkuntoro, Give the dynalite's a chance. They are a touch heavier than the uniflex shafts you had before, but the softer tip will help increase carry and distance while the increased weight will help with tempo and accuracy. If you really dislike them, you should look into the Dynalite Gold Superlite , which is 7-8g lighter than the standard dynalite gold. They will be a simple cut and glue job, assuming the shop who did the work go the swing weight correctly the first time. Another shaft to consider would be the Nippon 950, light weight steel that's great for slower swingers.

Johnnyallthetime, You need to prioritize your needs for your three wood. If you plan on using it more off the tee than off the deck, I would go with something similar to the CompNT, assuming you like it in the driver, to maximize distance. Assuming you want to use it primarily off the fairways, I would go with something with a softer tip, to help elevate the ball a bit better. Assuming you're wanting to increase performance off both, I'm not too surprised you don't like the NVS, because it is a ninety degree departure from the CompNT in terms of bend profile. There are a couple of shafts to read about and try to demo. One is the Accra SC series shafts which have a softer tip, but retain a much tighter feel even on all out full swings. The Graphite Designs Purple Ice Fairway is another shaft with a softer tip, but again, it still feels very controllable without being boardy. It's a fantastic fairway shaft that deserves more publicity than it receives.

ipark1303, Cutting down your putter shaft that much won't have any negative effects. The only thing that will drop is swing weight. However, since putters are not swung in the same fashion as other clubs in your bag, many players often don't mind the drop in swing weight. It's not something you will know for sure until you do it. If the lighter swing weight bothers you, you can add lead tape to the sole, or a six to eight gram tip weight in side the shaft to bring some weight back into the club and increase the swing weight. If you really hate it, putting a two inch extension back into the club is a snap. Putter length is a very important factor in setup, posture, and stroke path. I would rather have a putter that fits me length wise and is lighter swing weight wise than the other way around.

ipark1303, This is not at all true, many players, even the best in the world often need a softer tipped shaft in their fairway woods to help get the ball in the air and gain some stopping power on the greens. Not only that, many players prefer a heavier weight in their fairway woods for greater accuracy and control. Next tour event you watch, take a look at the shaft differences between driver shafts and fairway wood shafts in most players bags. Seppo, Everyone these days wants something for free, and often times you only get what you pay for. Sounds like the fitter got pretty close the first time, length is the biggest issue since that is the most expensive to change. A 2 degree change in lie angle is not much at all, lie angle only affects about 1/3 of the clubs in your bag, putter - seven iron. PGA pros get education in rudimentary clubfitting, but they are by no means experts, just the same way I have a grounding in most of the swing theories, but I am no way a true instructor. A fitters job is to get your equipment to fit you at the moment of visit. We are not clairvoyant, nor are we here to donate our learned experience and costly equipment to every other guy who comes into the shop. Since it is your money, it is also your onus to explain to a fitter what your intentions are and what you want out of a fitting, caveat emptor as always! Were someone to come to me and say I plan on changing my swing tomorrow, fit me today, I'd have the good conscience to say come back and see me when you're comfortable with your swing changes. However, there are less ethical clubfitters out there just like there are in other professions. If you care about golf, you should get your irons and wedges checked for loft and lie at least once a year. Everyone's swing changes from day to day, whether your name is Tiger Woods or Joe 36 Handicap. Think about how many shafts Tiger has been through in his driver in 2006. Again, everyone has room for improvement whether your name is Tiger or Joe 36 handicap. What a good clubfitter will be able to do is get your equipment to fit you today so you play better today. If you plan on changing your swing, wait till you are comfortable with your swing changes, but don't blame a clubfitter because you decided to change things right after seeing them.

asianpsuation, The Redboard is stiffer in the midsection and significantly softer in the tip and butt than the Blueboard. The softer tip adds higher launch while the softer butt section makes the club easier to load consistently. A very good choice if you're interested in raising your ball flight.

asianpsuation, There are a couple of shafts I would consider. From Accra, the closest thing is the SC-75. But it's still softer in the tip than the blueboard and may get the ball up in the air a bit more than you would like. A shaft I'm currently testing and quickly falling in love with is the Graphite Designs Pershing. It should fit the bill perfectly and is available in a 75g model. It's tip stiff, butt stiff, mid flex, but is just a bit softer than the Blue Board overall, making it easier to load especially towards the end of the round. I highly suggest looking into it, and at $80 it's a real bargain.

Dminn23, oneplanegolfswing.com isn't a very good website at all. It's run by Chuck Quinton who basically tried to piggy back on Jim Hardy's publicity for free. In my opinion, Quinton's a sleazy character who thinks it's okay to leach off the hard work of others. Quinton does not actually agree with Hardy on some of the most important aspects of the one plane golf swing. One great example is the rotation of the forearms. In the Hardy one plane golf swing, if you fan open the club immediately you will lose the connection between your left arm and pec (the only thing he left arm MUST do) and will lose proper contact. Bad news. Hardy wants the arms to take the club back, and once the club is parallel to the ground, the forearms rotate and then you finish your shoulder turn. There are swing coaches who advocate fanning the golf club open immediately on the backswing, namely Hank Haney, but that is a one plane swing based around the shaft plane, and not shoulder and club plane. The most important issue is the release of the golf club, which involves keeping the right elbow up and behind and getting the right palm down while turning as hard as you can with your torso. This is the key that all true one plane golf swings have. Quinton makes no mention of this on his website. If Quinton's theories have worked for you, great, but please don't confuse them with the true One Plane swing theories pioneered by Jim Hardy. If you want real info about the true one plane golf swing, I would visit Jim Hardy's forums. They are free to read and register and many great instructors post there such as Carol Mann and Mike Labauve post there. Another thing you won't find on Chuck Quinton's website. http://www.jimhardygolf.com/default.aspx

asianpsuation, The Oizk Altus is a very different bend profile than the Blueboard. The Altus is tip soft mid firm and butt stiff. If you're paying more than $350 installed for one you're getting ripped off. The Altus is high launch and very low spin and has a very smooth feeling. The proprietary soft feel shaft is neat, but is not a very durable coating at all. Their proprietary Zylon and multi-material composition is why they are able to create such low spin shafts. The TP-7 / TP-7X line is around $800 installed and features side spin reduction properties which do help to reduce misses left and right. It works, but it won't cure wild hooks and slices. If you can afford it and get fit properly it will help increase your driving accuracy, but whether it is worth the hefty price tag is highly debated. Personally I think there are better shafts on the market for far less money. If you want something more comperable to the Blueboard from Matrix, I would look into the Code-6 series which is a tip stiff, but stiff and mid flexible shaft. This shaft does play a bit firm to flex, so you might want to go a flex down. Acculfex makes a wide range of shafts in different bend profiles to suit different golfers needs. I'm not sure which shaft you're curious about, but rest assured Accuflex makes top quality products. The Accra Tour series is a soft tipped shaft that retains a very stable feel thanks to its low torque. Although torque really doesn't mean much, the Tour series is great for aggressive swingers who a stable feeling shaft but still require a softer tip. Outstanding product, but again, a very different profile from the Diamana Blueboard.

GoingfortheGreen, The Black Superquad was a one time only limited run. The full retail launch will have both a TP and non TP which are right in line with the other drivers on the market (and the TP driver line). The superquad seems to sit right between the R7 425, a low spin and launch head and the R7 460 which is high spin and launch. I think TaylorMade is trying to squeeze the superquad right between the two, and initially I'm not sure if there will be a drop in price on the R7 460, although some retailers may take it upon themselves to drop price in an attempt to dump some product. Either way, I think February - April will be a great time to pick up a new driver since it appears every OEM is coming out with a new driver model.

Johnnyallthetime, Your logic is impeccable. However, logic and golf don't always go hand in hand. Although players often don't stray very far in their bend profile from driver to three wood, it's important to let your fitter know your game and exactly how your clubs fit into it. Also different swing styles and launch conditions can often lead to different bend profiles of shafts to properly fit a player. Contrary to popular belief, I've found that my best players typically put a very slight descending blow on their fairway woods while putting a slightly ascending blow with their drivers. A player who uses their three wood primarily off the deck likely will need something with a softer tip which spins the ball a bit more to help stop the ball on greens. Players who primarily hit their three wood off the tee can often benefit from something that's slightly stiffer in the tip to help increase distance and control. Also, it's important to know how a shaft's characteristics change as the weight increases. On occasion, the thicker walls in a heavier shaft can lead to a very different bend profile of shaft. The UST ProForce V2 comes to mind as an example. The 65g version plays significantly softer overall compared to the 85g version. All the more reason to find a good clubfitter to help your game.

ronaldkuntoro, $42 a club is a bit steep. What is the clubbuilder doing? If he's creating a consistent frequency profile, fine tuning swing weight, and balancing the clubs perfectly, then it may be worth the money. However, if he's just cutting and gluing, it's way over priced. Just to give you some reference, DG costs about $8 a club, and a Golf Pride Tour Velvet costs $2. So, is his final product worth $260 in labor?

To hopefully clear up any misconceptions, let's break things down by company. My info comes first hand from the companies (who I visit annually), and in the case of Titleist and Mizuno from the Tour vans who each have a senior PGA Tour rep who I played the mini-tours with. Just for some background there are two forging houses considered to be the tops in the world, Miura in Japan and Endo in Thailand. Miura is known for its buttery soft feel, while Endo is firmer, with a more audible "click." Everything else is forged in China at various houses still good quality. Titleist : Retail - 660 and 695 are forged by Endo in Thailand, 755, 735, and 775 are forged in China. Tour - Forged by Endo in most cases and carefully weight sorted for consistency, and Miura for the top Tour staff which request it such as Ernie and Adam Scott Bridgestone : All equipment is forged by Endo Thailand Srixon : Equipment is forged by Endo TaylorMade: Retail - Forged in China Tour - Top players receive sets from Endo, there is no longer any association between TaylorMade and Miura at all. Mizuno : Retail and Tour - Forged by Miura in Japan. Tour sets are weight sorted. For the most part, there is truly very little difference between Tour and retail equipment in irons, especially with irons from Bridgestone and Mizuno. Just because an iron is forged in China does not mean it is any poorer quality. The biggest difference is the weight sorting. Tour heads are selected for specific weight tolerances so the use of tip weights is not necessary. The only manufacturers which seem immune to tip weighting these days are Bridgestone and Srixon. Secondly, the only way it's possible to get a different forging house set is to either pay big bucks to guys like the snake oil salesman at bombsquadgolf.com (and even then you can't be sure it's the truth) or become a top level tour star. In the end, It's not worth the extremely minor differences. China produces some top quality forgings for retail, so you're not really gaining much by going to a Tour set.

Dminn23, Any two inch double sided grip tape from golfsmith or golf galaxy will work just fine. Apply it lengthwise on the shaft. Do not use the sprial tape, it's worthless. Stay away from the water activated tape, as it is next to impossible to get off later. As far as solvents go, I really like Bramptons HF-100 which is non-toxic, odor free, and very easy on your hands. However, it can be difficult to procure on short notice. http://www.myostrichgolf.com/clubmak...roducts_id=221 At Golfsmith, I would buy their non-toxic odor free solvent. Avoid the stuff that smells like oranges, it's got a lot of odor and dires out your hands faster than the Sahara. http://www.golfsmith.com/products/9158 Odor free mineral spirits are another option, the issue is that they are so volatile, you need to work fairly quickly. I wouldn't use them your first time regripping.