ClubTest

I finally put together my KZ 260cc driver. I used an Apache SL59 shaft,

and the final specs are as follows:

Head: KZ 260cc, 10.5 loft, 1* closed face (looks like more), 200 gram head

(I added a 2 gram tip weight for a total head weight of 202 grams)

Shaft: Apache SL59, 245 CPM raw shaft (R-flex).

Grip: Royal Slot cord

Finished club: Tip trimmed the shaft 1.75" to get 242 CPM frequency

(Brunswick equivalent) at 3" ungripped or 4.5" gripped on my GS meter.

Total club length of 45.25" with a D4 swingweight (no butt trim at all).

Figured I could shorten the club to 45 or 44.75", if needed, and still have

at least a D0 swingweight.

Hit the club yesterday for the first time on the course (about 7-8 drives).

No tendency to fade the ball at all (my normal shot), and actually hit a

couple of draws. Kept all drives in play (a rare occurence for me). Best

drive was around 295 yards on a slightly downhill par 5. My worst drive

was around 240 yards, which was a high push to the right, and which

normally would have been OB right. I can really feel the SL59 shaft unload

at the bottom of my swing, which I coudn't feel with a Micro 58 shaft at

238 CPM, 45.25", D4 swingweight and a Biam 300cc Big Dart head (square

face). My initial impressions are really good on both the head and shaft.

The only drawback is that this head makes the most god awful clank I have

ever heard!!! Oh well, as long as the ball is screaming down the middle of

the fairway, I can live with the sound. Maybe it will even un-nerve my

golfing buddies and give me an advantage!!!

Head:O'Donnell Triumph 10.5* Driver

Shaft:True Temper Dynalite Steel Shaft R flex

Grip:Golf Pride Tour Wrap

Review:

I was really excited about getting a club with a maraging steel face

and this led to tremendous disappointment when the club didn't perform

the way I had hoped. I took it out to the range and hit 3 230+ drives

in a row, but since then I have yet to hit a good drive with it. The

club was barely in my bag for more than a round before I went back to

my old Tour Tech Driver. The head was only $39 so I guess the saying

is true you get what you pay for.

Adam Boscarino

Arbor Golf

http://arborgolf.hypermart.net

GCA Member

Just a note to say that the Peerless Eclipse titanium head with the

Inovative comp tour light shaft is a real winner.I assembled it 44.5", D6,

with a velvet light grip.The results with this club is amazing.Went out today

with using this club for the first time first hole 290 yards.I hit 13

fairways and very easy to work the ball both ways.I have not had as much

success with the Grafalloy Pro Light as I've had with these.

witam40231@aol.com

I wanted to write this review to add to your club test data. I bought the

Peerless Acura II clubhead from you and built a set of clubs using the True

Temper Stratus shaft with Sensicore.

I suffered a shoulder injury four years ago and have been dealing with all

sorts pain. It has limited the amount of practicing I could do, and mishits

were a killer. I thought I tried putting Simms Shock Reliefs in my clubs,

but I did not like the effect they had on the balance of the club. So I

decided to try building a set using the Acura II head and the Stratus shaft.

I put the set together using a Lamkin Oversize Wrap grip and have been using

them for three weeks now. The results have been great. The shock absorption

of the shaft is not underated. The bad vibration from mis-hits is greatly

reduced, and good shots feel solid and pure.

I used a regular flex shaft which I would recommend for someone with a smooth

tempo swing. Distance is about 145-150 yards for a seven iron. Ball flight

is high off of a regular swing, but I have had no problems pulling off

knock-down shots to control the ball into the wind.

I would recommend this shaft and head combination to anyone who is looking

for relief from arthritis or tendonitis problems in the hands, wrists,

elbows, and/or shoulders. I have already been able to practice more, and

recently I played four days in a row, something I have not been able to do

since my injury.

Tlgraden@aol.com

Sensicore/Dynacraft Resolution

I just came across a great combo I wanted to pass on to everyone through

your "Club Test". Since my business is "Cub's Clubs", I think I'll call

this one "Cub's Club"!

I wanted to try out the TT Rocket Shaft w/Sensicore, and have been looking

for a good head to try it with. I finally thought I had settled on it when

I purchased the "Bobcat" from GolfWorks, but a simple twist of fate sent me

in a totally different direction. I had a few special requests for demos,

and a great weekend forcasted, when I headed to the shop the other night.

I layed out the demo heads with the shafts I had purchased them for and

commenced to weigh my components. Well I was really surprised when I took

a look into the hosel of the Dynacraft "Resolution" 7-Iron that I had

planned to put on an Graffaloy Attack-Lite. The hosel hadn't been

countersunk good enough and I didn't have a bit. I worked around the issue

and headed out to a super hardware store close to here looking for a 20 deg

countersink. To make a long story short, I'm in Japan and, after five

years, about the only thing I can ask for in Japanese is a beer and a tee

time! Coming home with no countersink, I started looking at the heads on

the shelf for a solution. Voila! The Resolution had the solid frame, low

COG , and backwighted cavity I was looking for. So I scrapped the Bobcat

for the Resolution and couldn't be happier with the results.

Head -- Dynacraft "Resolution" 7-Iron

Shaft -- TT Rocket w/Sensicore

Ferrule -- Black 7/8"

Grip -- GP Player's Wrap

Club Length -- 37" (1/2" over length as suggested by TT)

Finished Weight -- 434 grams (no extra weight added)

Swingweight -- D3

Flex on Deflector Board -- Stiff

Swing Style -- Suited more the guy with a powerful accelerating transition,

sometimes referred to as a hitter. Swing speed of 86 or better with good

hand action. Was actually built to provide a firm tip and thus control for

this type of swing.

The result was a club that I fell in love with even before the ferrule was

turned down. I took it to my home course, where I often carry demos, and

didn't get to my locker before a crowd had gathered. Everyone loved the

club. Four or five people had the chance to hit it on the course today and

they all called their shot and were able to keep the ball on line. I even

got a two putt birdie as the result of a great drive and the seven iron

from a downhill lie, 155 uphill to 5 feet below the hole, and a run to

five above.

The only thing I didn't like about the shaft was trimming and prep. It was

a tedious job cutting the steel with a hacksaw, and even prepping was

different than on a regular steel shaft. I had to take special care not to

let the walls cave in on me during cutting, as several members of ClubMaker

Online have written about loosing the shaft. Other than that the club is a

beauty to behold and a pleasure to swing. The dampenening affects of the

sensicore are definitely not overrated.

Try it. I think you'll like it and will hopefully make a lot of sales!

Steve "Cub" Culbreth

Cub's Clubs

Fussa-shi, Tokyo-To Japan

Search for the perfect driver

I am a 13 handicap who uses a 4 year old Big Bertha 10 deg driver (pre War
Bird) with RCH 90 firm shaft. My driving has not been the weakest part of my
game, but I am always looking to improve every part. I got into making clubs
about 2 years ago when I made myself a set of irons. I recently decided to
scan my suppliers for a better driver. I find the Bertha shaft to be a
little to flexible for my liking and as I found out later, Callaway tends to
use a Regular shaft for their Firm.
I have built many drivers in the last year for friends and as demos. I found
several to be as good as a Bertha, but none better until recently. The
drivers I have made and my opinions of them are listed below:

XPC Plus head (205 CC - 204 gr) - Aldila HM35BT stiff shaft (90 gr - 3.1 Torque)
As good as a Bertha, don't get the ping that I like

XPC 2000 head (205 cc - 204 gr) - Aldila Low Torque Plus shaft (92 gr - 4.0 tor)
Very good feel - stiff shaft

Mercury III head (about 220 cc - 205 gr) - Mercury filament wound shaft - 91
gr - 3.9 tor
Liked the head - shaft too stiff

Hugh Mungus head (260 CC - 201 gr) - Golfsmith Ultralite shaft (68 gr - 4.5 tor)
Head sounded and felt tinny - shaft too flexible feel (torque too high?)

Tried many others - Finally found a shaft I liked - Precision Composites
Mach 22 (75 grams - 3.9 degrees torque). It is also a great looking shaft.
So now I needed a head to go with it. Thought seriously aboout the Golfsmith
TI260 but didn't like the price tag (over $100). Finally bought a Mercury
Titan (250 cc - 196 grams) from CSG in 9.5 degree. Added a Golf Pride
Classic Cushion Grip and made it to 44 3/4" long and D2 swingweight. Tried
it on the range today (It was 70 degrees in Dallas today). After one day I
am ready to sell my Bertha. This club felt great. Can't wait to play a round
with it. All told, the cost was under $60 with head cover.
Now my next Christmas present will be a new set of irons. Looking at the
Golfsmith Sterling, Counterpoint and the new Tour Tech I as well as the
Exeter from CSG. Pretty well decided on Rifle 6.5 shafts. Will keep you posted.
Chuck West <chuckw1@airmail.net>

Review of Harvey Penick Master Irons

Finally used my new Harvey Penick Irons, warmed up to 40 degrees. Used the
TT Lites with Penick grips. The barrel ferrules look great !. Took a couple
of swings to get used to feel of clubs. Consistantly hit the 10 iron 100
yards within 15 feet left / right. Excellent 10 iron larger head then what
I was hitting before. The 5 iron being old faithfull came through like a
champ. Averaging 180 to 210 yards. NO SLICING. Took longer to get used to 3
iron, but thats me with the longer clubs. Finally started laying back and
whaling the ball. Great height and distance, about 230 - 250 yards. STILL
NO SLICING. I believe the no slicing is do to the tapered sole, heel to
toe. This gives ne balancing on the down swing and through the ball. Hit
these better than other clubs I have. Received 5 iron of Peerless PHD. My
mind is almost set on slicing this one before I even hit one because of the
extra weight in the hosel.

Highly recommend Harvey Penick clubs from Club maker Online !!!
Scott Fishel
From: spaurand@lcs.isu.edu
X-Sent-To: <jhm@clubmaker-online.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 15:53:08 -0700
Organization: Idaho State University
Mime-Version: 1.0
To: jhm@clubmaker-online.com
Subject: Re: Ultralight Shafts

If you feel this will be helpful feel free to use it.
Randy Spaulding

Review of Grafalloy Ultralight Shaft

I recently installed a Grafalloy Ultralight shaft in my PowerLink driver
(used to have Aldila HM50 but it was just too stiff). Overall distance is the same but I hit it higher and carry about 15 yards farther. This has helped my control because I don't get balls that roll and
roll until they find the trees or water.
Randy Spaulding spaurand@lcs.isu.edu

Club Review of New Mad Dog Irons and Woods from Dynacraft

Just wanted to drop a line to give a quick review of the new Mad
Dog irons and woods available from Dynacraft Golf. I recently
purchased a set of the cobalt finish heads (1-PW) irons and a 9.75
degree driver and 3-wood.

I put True Temper Dynamic Lite stiff shafts on the irons, a
Graffaloy Pro Lite Stiff Graphite shaft on the driver, and a
Brunswick Rifle 6.5 stiff shaft on the 3-wood.

The initial impression on the irons was fabulous. The appearance
starts the club off in the right direction. Of particular
interest was the cobalt finish. The club sets up very nicely,
featuring a gold circle (similar to King Cobra irons) in the
center of the club face. The irons are extremely solid, and have
slightly strong lofts for increased distance. These irons were
easy to hit from all lies (fairway, rough, hardpan).

I was not as impressed with the woods. Although they have the
same eye pleasing appearance and solid feel, I do not seem to have
the same distance as with other woods I have hit. The Graffaloy
shaft, although stiff, seems to be somewhat whippy. I tend to
snap hook a lot of tee shots. I assembled the club to a 44"
length.

Dynacraft has promised a full scale advertising campaign for these
new Mad Dog irons and woods. Far greater than we have seen from
any component company in the past. I can't wait, it could mean
many sales of golf clubs to friends and others who are interested.

I am extremely happy with the current driver that I am playing.
It is the Extreme Impact Titanium Insert model from Golfsmith.
Talk about a solid feel at impact and impressive distance off the
tee while not sacrificing accuracy. I put a Golfsmith Carbon
Stick stiff graphite shaft on this driver. I have always had good
luck with Golfsmith products.

Thanks for your time, and I look forward to hearing other club
reviews from others out there.
DJArnold@gnn.com (Doug Arnold)

Jetstream Ti-Alloy (Golfsmith) and a fenwick aeroflex shaft

When this club is made to 45" the shaft combines great with the 300cc head to create
drives 15-20 yards longer consistantly. This driver makes me feel like i just can't
miss and putt consistancy into my driving game.

7warhank@mail.initco.net

45" Driver Review. I just finished making up a driver consisting of the following
components: Golfsmith SS 235 head, Grafalloy ProLite stiff flex graphite
shaft, and a Griptec Lite 42gram Grip.

I made it 45" long and butt-trimmed only. The swingweight is D8 and
total weight is 325 grams.

I'm used to a 43" driver and I was surprised how easy this club was to
swing. The SS 235 head fells really solid. I hit the ball further and
with no loss in accuracy. The launch angle seems better than with other
drivers I use. The SS 235 has a 10.5 degree loft.

I would recommend this combination to anyone thinking about going to a
45" driver.

Kevin George
kgeorge@major.cei.net

Review of Powerbilt Shock Relief Inserts and Winn Grips-By John Muir
I have a set of Harvey Penick Master Irons with Brunswick Rifle shafts (6.0) and I added the Powerbilt Shock Relief Inserts and the new Winn Grips.
Both products are designed to reduce shock and combined with the Rifle Shafts the feel was smoooooth. The Winn Grips were a pleasant surprise. I am thinking about adding them to my catalog and decided to test them on my own set. They are very lightweight (about 40 grams) and they have a nice tacky feel which is supposed to get even tackier when wet. I had a bit of a problem installing them but a quick call to the manufacturer got me going in the right direction. The grips have a underlisting and you must rotate the grip counterclockwise while installing or they separate slightly. I was able to unwrap the grip and reinstall correctly. One advantage is that when the grip wears out you can order the outerwrap and install it over the underlisting. According to the manufacturer the grips also absorb more 65% more shock than the standard grip. These are the grips used on the new Goldwin AVP drivers and their extra light weight increases swingweight and gives a more head heavy feel.
The Powerbilt Shock Relief Inserts were very easy to install with just a bit of liquid soap. They slide down the butt of the shaft before regripping and performed as the manufacturer promised. These might be an interesting addition to a forged set.