FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What is Spring Face (COR)?
• What is spine aligning ?
• Are there any real benefits in Titanium Clubs ?
• Can golf shafts lose their stiffness?
• How important is it to have grips fitted properly?
• Can the lofts and lies on my irons change as a result of regular play?
• What is the appropriate loft for a driver?
• Is there advantages of square grooves versus v-grooves?

What is Spring Face (COR)?

There are two types of spring face driver designs: variable face thickness (VFT) and constant face thickness (CFT). Also known as C.O.R. (Coefficient of Restitution)

A traditional titanium driver is made from very strong titanium with a face thickness of approximately 3.2 mm. A CFT driver has a face thickness of approximately 2.6 mm over the entire hitting surface of the golf club while a VFT driver has the normal face thickness of 3.2 mm in the center of the club face and a 2.6 mm face thickness around the perimeter of the club face.

Both the VFT and CFT spring faced drivers are manufactured from titanium with more elastic properties than traditional titanium allowing the metal to actually flex slightly without breaking. There is no evidence that either spring face driver design style performs better than the other when struck solidly in the center of the club face.

Here is how it works: When a spring face driver strikes a golf ball, the face of the driver gives or flexes slightly softening the collision between the golf ball and the club face. Due to this softened collision more of the golf ball's energy is stored which results in the golf ball rebounding off of the club face with higher than normal velocity. The final result of all this flexing and energy storing is simply more distance for the golfer.

The U.S.G.A. has a test for spring face drivers that measures the outbound velocity of a golf ball after it is shot from an air cannon into the face of the driver. If the outbound velocity of the golf ball exceeds 83% of the inbound velocity then the golf club is deemed to be non-conforming to U.S.G.A. rules

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What is Spine Alignment ?

Every golf shaft whether it is graphite or steel has a line running the length from the butt end to the tip that is stiffer than the rest of its circumference. This line is called the spine and is a result of the manufacturing process. Steel shaft start out as a flat piece if steel that is rolled into a circle and is welded as the two edges touch. Graphite shafts are made by rolling a sheet of graphite cloth soaked in resin until it is the thickness and size required by the manufacturer.

At Tommy Knocker Golf I have the equipment necessary to locate the spine in every golf shafts. This allows me to orient the spines in same place on every club head.

The end result is a set of golf clubs with a consistent feel between clubs that is unbelievable.

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Benifits of Titanium clubs

Fact..All driver heads weigh about the same.

Golfsmith took all driver heads, Maple, Stainless, 300cc Titanium, Ceramic, Graphite, Maraging Technology, Percimmon Wood..All materials. Installed identical shafts, put them all in their Max Head Room Robot and hit them all on the "Center of Gravity" (The sweet spot) and guess what?

Fact...The distances of the drives were all within 1% of each other, That's right 1%. The point being if you hit the center of gravity every time use any material driver you want. The benifit of differant materials comes into play when you "miss" the center of gravity. Titanium has a high strength to weight ratio which allows you to make a 300cc or larger head and still matain the weight required by all drivers and believe me when I say bigger is better.

Fact...If you miss the center of gravity with a small Percimmon or metal (200cc) wood head by 1/4" you lose 12% of your distance and the shot will go right or left depending on which side of th CG (center of gravity) you hit. If you miss the CG with a 300cc Titanium head by 3/4" you only lose 6% of the distance and the shot will still go straight. It has to do with "Momentum of inertia", M=d*v2... Ya Da Ya Da...It was also proven by Golfsmith in the above tests.

The bottom line is...300cc and bigger driver heads will always produce a longer sraighter golf shot when you don't hit the center of gravity (Thats me). I don't know about anyone else, but it works for me. Thats why I have a 360cc in my bag.

The use of titanium, which is lighter and harder than steel, has allowed club heads to become larger because the same strength can be maintained with thinner walls. The overall weight of a titanium head is approximately the same as a steel head, it's just bigger and more forgiving on miss hits. The increased distance that comes from titanium drivers is due to the longer and lighter shafts that are used, which increase club head speed, which in turn, increases distance.

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Can golf shafts lose their stiffness?

It has long been thought by many that, over a period of time, a golf shaft, through constant flexing, will tend to lose its stiffness and become weaker. Exhaustive tests performed by club manufacturers, reveal that the shaft does not lose its stiffness. If, however, a shaft is rusted, pitted or bent, its flex characteristics may have changed.

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How important is it to have grips fitted properly?

The proper grip size should feel comfortable when in address position. This will allow for positive control during the swing and help keep the wrist correctly aligned as the clubhead moves into the impact zone. A grip that is too large will cause you to leave the ball to the right, while one that is too small will cause you to hook the ball

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Can the lofts and lies on my irons change as a result of regular play?

Yes. Lofts and lies can be affected by a variety of conditions, such as play on hard fairways, hitting off mats, and the occasional abuse of a frustrated golfer. Maintaining even increments from club to club is important, we suggest that you have forged golf clubs checked periodically. Cast clubs are much stronger than forged clubs, and specifications vary little

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What is the appropriate loft for a driver?

The industry average standard loft for a driver is 11°. The more loft, the more carry and less roll will result. The less loft, the less carry and more roll. You will discover that the better the fairways are maintained the more carry is necessary. Harder fairways require less loft because more roll is possible. Keep in mind that the lower the loft the harder it will be to compress the golf ball, which means that some distance can be lost because the ball will leave the club face with less velocity and back spin.

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Is there advantages of square grooves versus v-grooves?

Square grooves have no advantage over v-grooves upon impact "if" there is no foreign material between the clubface and the ball, such as grass or water. Square grooves put more spin on the ball only when forgien material is on the club face. By working like a snow tire on a car-the square grooves are bigger and thus allow the grass or water to escape which helps maintain better contact between the golf ball and the clubface.

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