Belly and Long Putters

Are you struggling with your current putter?  Do you have the “yips”, that is one time your putt come up way short of the target, yet on the next green you knock it way past the hole?  One reason could be that you may be using too much wrists in the putting stroke and having problems with the timing and force required to get your distances down pat.  If you watch any of the Tours on TV you will notice that there are several pro’s that have switched to longer putters to correct this problem; some of which have resurrected their careers.

The Belly Putter
The belly putter is really nothing more than an extension of a regular putter as the stance and hand position is usually the same as with a conventional putter.  The only difference is the shaft and grip extends beyond the hands and is anchored at or into the belly of the golfer. By having the butt end of the putter make contact with the golfer’s belly, this helps stabilize the stroke and takes out the wrists to promote more of a pendulum stroke. 

Existing putters can be made into belly putters, while heavier heads (350 – 400g range) work best for this.  You can either re-shaft with a longer shaft specifically designed for belly putters or extend an existing putter by approximately 9” (you can always shorten it if it a little too long). Most belly putters are in the 38”-45” range, with 43” being most popular.

The Long Putter
Long or sometimes called “broomstick” putters take the wrists completely out of the stroke and may be a wise choice for those with a bad back.  In addition, the putting stroke is made with the hands separated apart from one another. Unlike belly putters, long putters cannot be easily converted from a standard putter.  The long putter will have the player standing more erect than with a conventional or belly putter stance, thus the lie angle will need to be considered.  Most long putters have a lie angle of approximately 79°.  Special bent shafts, such as the one here http://www.hirekogolf.com/hireko/orderportal/catalog_presentation/by_group/0/812/0/0/0/0/0 can be used to create this lie angle as well for putters with a 90° bore.

Long putter perform best with heavier heads (400g +) as the added head weight helps from a feel standpoint and the stroke tends to be shorter.  Long putter are generally in the 46-52” range and will depend upon the height and anchor point on the body as the exact length which might be best for the golfer.  For example, the golfer may decide to anchor or hold the butt end of the putter at the Adam’s apple, the chin or in the sternum.  Each of which will result into a slightly different length.

Belly and long putters are just another example of how custom club fitting can possibly help improve your game by making the game more enjoyable and saving strokes from your score.

Sincerely,

Jeff Summitt
Technical Director
Hireko Golf

New Mantara Hybrids Coming Early Fall!

As an update, our newest hybrids – the Mantara – have just started production at the foundry. These will be the largest hybrids in our line and complement the Mantara family with a distinctive look. Instead of a “square profile” it will be more reminiscent of a rectangular shape (about 30% narrower than the matching fairway woods). Designed to replace traditional #3, 4 and 5-irons, the large volume clubs will resist twisting on off-center shots. These heads will fall in the neutral bias category and have face progression closer to a fairway wood. The Mantara hybrids will be available in mid-September. Here are some of the specs below.

Heel-to-toe 106mm
Face-to-back 64.5mm
Crown height 37mm
Face height 35.5mm
Face angle square
Volume 160cc (#3), 150cc (#4), 140cc (#5)
Loft 15° (#3), 18° (#4), 21° (#5)
Offset -9.5mm (#3), -10.5mm (#4), -11.5mm (#5)

Power Play System Q2 driver development

Ideas come at all different times and places. My office is littered with tiny pieces of paper with ideas for designs or notes on things to help understand a particular issue. Some of these are jotted down in the wee hours of the morning or while driving down the road to go to the grocery store. In some cases both, like in the case of the new Power Play System Q² driver. After the original Mantara was finalized with all the graphic changes and the XL driver and fairways projects were started our owner challenged the design team to come up with a driver for the Power Play series that would perform better than those we currently carry. This was no easy task as the Power Play line has become our best selling driver line.

• “Square” driver in the Power Play line for a higher MOI
• Screw weighted for swingweighting and directional bias
• Player’s shape and sound

My job was to provide dimensions, specifications and the idea on how and why the project should go past the drawing board before I turn it over to John to perform his mojo on the graphics. The whole concept behind “square drivers” was to push weight to the rear corners to create a higher moment of inertia. The Power Play drivers have been our adjustable weighted series drivers and made a natural fit to use screws as a means of adding weight and stability. But how many screws are best? One doesn’t allow for directional bias (draw or fade enhancing) and more than two limits the amount of weight that can effectively be shifted. After all, the lightest we can make a driver at 460cc is 180g without the screws and receptacles that house the threading and expect it to stay together. Even though a 6-4 titanium face makes more than sufficient face material for a 460cc driver to achieve a high CT / COR, a beta titanium face was selected from a weight saving standpoint. This allowed for significant alterations in screw weights for complete customization – not only for directional bias, but swingweighting and length as well.

The last part, although it does not affect the performance, is equally important. That is the look at of the club at address and the sound it makes upon impact. For more savvy customers, square shaped heads can be a turnoff as it looks unconventional. But by rounding or softening the corners and using a more traditional crown shape, this makes it look like a player’s club, but with all the added game-improvement features. By going with the traditional crown, it also creates a much subdued sound reminiscent of a much smaller driver. Even little elements, such as the masking to reduce the effect a of an “idiot mark” to removing paint around the hosel to avoid discoloration when re-shafting, were well thought through. I don’t think I have ever been so excited to sign off on a project and see it come to fruition.

Sincerely,

Jeff Summitt
Technical Director
Hireko Golf

Available Fall of ‘07

New Upgrade Options for Custom Assembly

Hello All!  This past weekend, we updated the shaft and grip options for custom assembly (look for the products under the “Assembled” tab).  We have made available for custom assembly nearly all shafts and grips we carry in our catalog, creating a nearly infinite amount of choices for custom assembly.  In addition, you will notice some pricing changes for the assembled products.  This was done to create consistency between web and phone-in orders.  For those on Chairman pricing,  the web does not yet recognize special pricing for shaft & grip options, so those orders will still need to be placed by phone, but we are working on it!

To all that commented on the new driver sounds, thank you!  I’m glad many of you are finding it helpful.  I do need to apologize for a slight error on my previous post (which has since been edited).  As Jeff commented to me, the driver sounds were recorded outdoors, not indoors.

Aside from that, look for a slew of new Hireko products arriving soon.  The new Acer XP905 Hybrids for mens and ladies are now in stock, as is the new Acer Mantara Fairway Woods.  The new Acer Mantara Hybrids are on the way.  Also, be on the lookout for a new series of Acer CB putters, as well as a brand new Power Play driver you’ve got to see to believe!

Yours truly,
Richard Lin
Executive Vice President

The Myth of Offset

For golfers who are new to the game, there are lots of confusing terms associated with golf clubs. In addition, some of the explanations are inaccurate as well. One of which I want to address is offset. Many times I see the explanation that offset shifts the center of gravity further back in the head resulting into a higher ball flight. I want to dispel this myth and help those understand the function of offset better.

First, it is difficult to truly tell what offset does by itself. Typically heads with reduced, little or no offset tend to be designed differently from irons with more offset. Increased offset irons are designed as game improvement clubs, many of which have more upright lies, wider soles and shorter hosels positioning the center of gravity lower than comparable profiled irons. In this case, there are too many other parameters that have changed to honestly know what effect offset itself does to ball flight.

I am fortunate to have accumulated a lot of different irons over the years. One particular model was a Ping Eye II style iron that every manufacturer had their own version back in the late 1980’s and early ‘90s. Dynacraft’s version was called the “4140”. This was a progressive offset, cavity back design with the offset of the 5-iron being 3.5mm. Dynacraft also tooled up another design called the On-line. This head was made from virtually the same mold as the size, shape and profile were replicated. The only difference was the On-line featured no offset at all. Finally, two heads that was so similar to one another that the effect of offset can honestly be tested.

To understand how small difference this really is, look at the value. In metric, 3.5mm might seem like a lot, but in imperial measurements this amount to only 0.138” or just over 1/8th of an inch. The other important consideration is the ball position in the stance. Let’s say a golfer is at the driving range hitting off of the grass. The golfer drops or rakes a ball somewhere on the ground in front of them. From there he or she attempts to align themselves to the ball and their target. The ball may be nestled down in the grass or maybe sitting up on a little patch of grass. The ball will be a positioned in relationship from the distance of their body and also in relation between their front and back foot. I can tell you that the difference from one time to the next, the position will be greater than 1/8” difference, especially if the person is a higher handicapped golfer. Remember this very important point as clubs are played by humans and not swing robots.

With these two clubs in hand, they were measured very carefully to make sure they had the exact loft and lie, if not they would have been adjusted. As luck would have it, both measured 28° loft and 60° lie. Again these were older clubs as reflected by these angles. Each clubhead was built as a demo with the same shaft, shaft weight (within the gram), frequency, grip weight, while the shaft were carefully cut on a cutting jig to ensure the exact amount was trimmed from the tip and butt and then assembled to the same length and swingweight. The offset head required two small strips of lead tape to achieve the exact same weight.

What happens when these two clubs are hit side by side at the range? Remember what I said earlier about the position of the ball in the stance and how it sits does in the grass. The average golfer upon solid contact can hit the ball straight with the offset club, but also the non-offset club too. However, the tendency on the majority of the shots was that the offset club would yield a ball flight more left than the offset club (this for a RH golfer). The other thing that was apparent was the trajectory, with the non-offset club hitting the ball higher. To understand why can be explained by the position of the center of gravity.

The center of gravity of the non-offset club is actually further behind the face of the club. The hosel does contribute a considerable percentage of the overall clubhead weight. The clubhead with more offset actually shifts more weight forward of the face rather than backwards. However, the center of gravity in relationship to the centerline axis of the shaft is further back in the offset head. This is what helps the clubface assist is closing the face. A reward center of gravity increases the center of gravity angle, therefore naturally closing the face.

I asked a few other very low handicapped golfers who are knowledgeable about the equipment and the swing to tell me if they thought offset hit the ball higher or lower. The best response I share is that offset tended to “trap” the ball at impact and effectively cause the ball to produce a slightly lower shot that will tend to go more to the left for a right-handed golfer. This has always been my experience as well with the same angles, shafts, shaft flexes, etc.

There has been much debate over the years on the effect of offset. I am sure that I will hear arguments from fellow golfers who will read this and make a judgment based upon that golfer’s past experiences. My contention is the clubhead design, aside from the actual offset, may be the reason for their response. I simply wanted to conduct a scientific approach to limit all other variable as physically possible to test only one parameter – offset.

Sincerely,

Jeff Summitt
Technical Director
Hireko Golf

The Distance Challenged

Golfers who are not strong enough to hit par 4’s in two will be subjected to a higher number of strokes before they ever tee up the ball on their first hole. Ability to overcome distance is a term used to describe a way in which a player can likely reduce their score based upon their natural physical strength. For instance, it is easier for a player who is in the rough to hit a green in regulation with a 9-iron than it is for someone who is in the middle of the fairway, but requires a 4-iron to do so. If you did not know, the USGA Course and Slope Rating of a course are directly related to the length of the course; the longer it is the higher it will be rated.

The average lady golfer possesses a driver speed around 65 mph and distance of 160 yards. On average, a lady might hit her 3-wood 140 yards. Combining the distances of the driver and 3-wood would total 300 yards. Assuming that this lady golfer could hit two solid shots back-to-back, any Par 4 longer than 300 yards has already penalized the player as her strength does not allow the opportunity to hit the green in regulation. The odds of hitting the ball on a recovery shot and then one putting for par will be quite infrequent. Women on average score 17 strokes more per 18 holes than men. By not being able to reach the green in regulation could be one of the biggest reasons for this discrepancy.

An average senior golfer has a driver swing speed of approximately 80 mph and a driver distance of 200 yards, while a 3-wood might travel a total distance of 180 yards, So any Par 4 over 380 yards is almost a penalty onto itself as this senior golfer is incapable of overcoming distance barriers. For most golfers, hitting their best possible drive and following that up by solid contact with the longest club in the bag designed to hit off of the fairway and still not reaching the green can be very frustrating.

An average male golfer hitting his driver 220 yards and a 3-wood 200 yards, then the barrier is 420 yards in which to reach the green in regulation. Distances longer than this aren’t found often off of the standard men’s tee box. But the odds that this player can again hit back-to-back solid shots and have the ball stay on the green are again slim. Consider the fact that a strong amateur player who routinely hits his driver 260 yards for him to hit his second shot into a 420 yard Par 4, he would only need to 160 yards or the equivalent of an 8-iron in his hands. For those of you who play on a regular basis, which club would you rather have in your hands on your second shot?

What would it feel like to be in the shoes of a strong amateur? For the lady golfer to have this same opportunity to hit her driver and an 8 iron a comfortable distance, the Par 4 would need to be 245 yards. For a senior golfer this distance would be approximately 320 yards. Next time you play, look at the scorecard and just see how many Par 4 holes are these distances. Even for an average strength golfer, a driver and an 8 iron is approximately 350 yards. There is a definite advantage to possessing strength and being able to propel the ball a long way.

This is one of the reasons why you want to play the right set of tees. But if you do and are still unable to overcome distance barriers, then when looking for new equipment or for updates to your current set make up, then you should be concerned most with finding the correct driver (or driving club) to yield the best possibly distance. This may be one reason why LPGA players may actually use drivers longer in length than the men on the regular tour. You may also want to invest in more fairway woods than long irons since they will needed more often as well as be easier to hit.

For strong golfers, the emphasis on fitting and selecting the right type of equipment should be focused on accuracy. Far too often I see strong young men obsessively seeking a driver they can hit an extra 10 yards, rather than considering the 13 other clubs in their bag and making them more efficient. Concentrate on putting in clubs that will fill in any gaps especially in the scoring clubs, primarily wedges. Also look at replacing long irons with hybrids as so many professional have. Strength does indeed factor in how one should be fit.

Sincerely,

Jeff Summitt
Technical Director
Hireko Golf