A Question for Yoda, regarding Homer and Shaft Flex - LynnBlakeGolf Forums

A Question for Yoda, regarding Homer and Shaft Flex

Amazing Changes

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-24-2006, 08:19 PM
golfgnome golfgnome is offline
Lynn Blake Certified Master Instructor
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by jpeck
My hg's were one inch over standard length, plus 4 degrees more upright than standard and the shaft flexed out as softer than ladies. The clubs that I have now suit me very well. They are 1/4 inch over than standard length, 2 degrees flat, with a reg Dynalite shaft.

For the cost of my hg's I could have bought 3 sets of clubs that actually fit.
It is very unfortunate that you feel this way about your HG's. Before any more "experts" comment on HG let's first clarify a few points.
First of all what is "standard"? HG uses 37.5 inches on a five iron. Some use 37.75, 38, 38.25 depending on the company or the shaft used. Some companies actually have different standards for different clubs.
The same argument is made for lie angle. HG uses 61 degrees on a 5 iron. Other companies are more upright, again sometimes using more than one "standard". HG also changes lie angle by 1/2 degrees or less in some cases. Many companies have changed their own standards for the sake of sales.
So if your HG's are 38.5 inches on the 5 iron (plus 1 inch) and 65 degrees (4 up) then what standard are you using? Please remember that every manufacturer is different.
Now let's discuss shaft flex. How many cycles on what kind of shaft, at what length, etc. The reason many "experts" have a problem with HG's is because they do not understand what process is used. HG uses what is commonly called a "flat" cut in their irons, which means that there is about 1 cycle difference from club to club. A “standard” cut uses about 7 cycles from club to club. What this means is 2 completely different ways to measure flex. Which one is correct? That is for the player to determine. I enjoy the softer “feeling” short irons which a flat cut produces. HG can cut shafts either way for the player.
I have learned over the years not to question the fits of other golf professionals. As we all know there are a variety of ways to teach the golf swing, not all correct. There are also a number of ways to fit a golf club, not all are correct. I personally do not think a fit can be correct unless there is feedback from the player, teacher, and fitter. When I fit golf clubs I use a launch monitor, ball flight, and video. I use the club to change motion and ball flight. I will not sell a person golf clubs unless I feel it will improve their motion and subsequent ball flight. The reason I use HG is because they are THE ONLY GOLF CLUB MANUFACTURER that stands behind the teacher/ fitter and allows changes to be made for free in the 1st 100 days. Any changes after that for one year are done at half price. Why? Because HG wants the player to improve and understands how the equipment affects motion.
When you decided to buy your HG’s I am confident you did so because you actually hit the club and liked it. I would hope that a lie board was used and you did mark the clubs in the center of the face and center of the sole, If you played with them and did not like them you should have addressed this with your teacher/fitter. I have had students send testimonials to HG about how much they love their clubs then quit playing them because an “expert” said they were this or that, thus destroying their trust.

Originally Posted by golfguru
I just pulled apart a so called fitted HG club for a client today. Fitter had to have been on drugs. Builder must have had a quota for glue that had expired. I fix more HGs than almost any other brand of 'fitted clubs'. Not having a go at HGs just stating what I see. Over priced and the fitting system is still in the stone age. Most fitters are not TGM pro's and so just are ice cream salesmen...unlike the fellows who run this site.
Quotes like these are what TGM has been dealing with for years, a complete lack of understanding. Henry-Griffitts has pioneered fitting and does so many things that other companies not only will not do but CAN’T do. Our fitting cart has a minimum of 4,000 combinations of shaft type, flex, length, head design, lie angle, loft, etc. I think that most carts come with 40. HG was the first to introduce a 13 degree driver, the industry has since followed. HG was the first to come out with a 16 degree driver and the industry again is following. HG developed the interchangeable head system more than 10 years ago. Again the industry is following. These are just a few examples of HG’s stone-age mentality. Also, HG’s suggested retail price is the same as just about every other manufacturer out there. I invite anybody reading this to visit www.henry-griffitts.com and find out how dedicated we are to helping the student and teacher achieve their goals. Also, you might ask Lynn and Ted their opinions on HG and their views about what I demonstrate everyday as an HG fitter and TGM teacher.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-24-2006, 10:27 PM
YodasLuke's Avatar
YodasLuke YodasLuke is offline
Lynn Blake Certified Master Instructor
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Marietta, GA
Posts: 1,314
my HG clubs
Originally Posted by golfgnome
It is very unfortunate that you feel this way about your HG's. Before any more "experts" comment on HG let's first clarify a few points.
First of all what is "standard"? HG uses 37.5 inches on a five iron. Some use 37.75, 38, 38.25 depending on the company or the shaft used. Some companies actually have different standards for different clubs.
The same argument is made for lie angle. HG uses 61 degrees on a 5 iron. Other companies are more upright, again sometimes using more than one "standard". HG also changes lie angle by 1/2 degrees or less in some cases. Many companies have changed their own standards for the sake of sales.
So if your HG's are 38.5 inches on the 5 iron (plus 1 inch) and 65 degrees (4 up) then what standard are you using? Please remember that every manufacturer is different.
Now let's discuss shaft flex. How many cycles on what kind of shaft, at what length, etc. The reason many "experts" have a problem with HG's is because they do not understand what process is used. HG uses what is commonly called a "flat" cut in their irons, which means that there is about 1 cycle difference from club to club. A “standard” cut uses about 7 cycles from club to club. What this means is 2 completely different ways to measure flex. Which one is correct? That is for the player to determine. I enjoy the softer “feeling” short irons which a flat cut produces. HG can cut shafts either way for the player.
I have learned over the years not to question the fits of other golf professionals. As we all know there are a variety of ways to teach the golf swing, not all correct. There are also a number of ways to fit a golf club, not all are correct. I personally do not think a fit can be correct unless there is feedback from the player, teacher, and fitter. When I fit golf clubs I use a launch monitor, ball flight, and video. I use the club to change motion and ball flight. I will not sell a person golf clubs unless I feel it will improve their motion and subsequent ball flight. The reason I use HG is because they are THE ONLY GOLF CLUB MANUFACTURER that stands behind the teacher/ fitter and allows changes to be made for free in the 1st 100 days. Any changes after that for one year are done at half price. Why? Because HG wants the player to improve and understands how the equipment affects motion.
When you decided to buy your HG’s I am confident you did so because you actually hit the club and liked it. I would hope that a lie board was used and you did mark the clubs in the center of the face and center of the sole, If you played with them and did not like them you should have addressed this with your teacher/fitter. I have had students send testimonials to HG about how much they love their clubs then quit playing them because an “expert” said they were this or that, thus destroying their trust.

I just pulled apart a so called fitted HG club for a client today. Fitter had to have been on drugs. Builder must have had a quota for glue that had expired. I fix more HGs than almost any other brand of 'fitted clubs'. Not having a go at HGs just stating what I see. Over priced and the fitting system is still in the stone age. Most fitters are not TGM pro's and so just are ice cream salesmen...unlike the fellows who run this site.

Quotes like these are what TGM has been dealing with for years, a complete lack of understanding. Henry-Griffitts has pioneered fitting and does so many things that other companies not only will not do but CAN’T do. Our fitting cart has a minimum of 4,000 combinations of shaft type, flex, length, head design, lie angle, loft, etc. I think that most carts come with 40. HG was the first to introduce a 13 degree driver, the industry has since followed. HG was the first to come out with a 16 degree driver and the industry again is following. HG developed the interchangeable head system more than 10 years ago. Again the industry is following. These are just a few examples of HG’s stone-age mentality. Also, HG’s suggested retail price is the same as just about every other manufacturer out there. I invite anybody reading this to visit www.henry-griffitts.com and find out how dedicated we are to helping the student and teacher achieve their goals. Also, you might ask Lynn and Ted their opinions on HG and their views about what I demonstrate everyday as an HG fitter and TGM teacher.
Let me be the first to step up to the front of the class and voice my opinion. I have to say that Jeff is a total professional, and is excellent at what he does. He's a great asset to HG, and the Barclays Golf School would have been impossible without him. He was a tremendous help.

On a personal note, I love my HG clubs. When I was fit, I fit into a 38" 5 iron, at HG's standard lie angle. I am effectively 1 degree upright under HG's scale. I'm 6 feet tall, with monkey arms . I have since been tested by multiple HG fitters that I know, and my fit has not changed since being fit five years ago. MY CLUBS ARE STILL THE SAME! So, I've saved thousands of dollars, by not having to find a new set each year that might work. Once you get the right set of clubs, there's no reason to get anything else.

In addition, if I wanted another brand of clubs, I'd have to order them, remove the shafts, have those shafts SST PURED and re-installed, for an additional cost. That would be, if only by the grace of God, the shafts were of the same frequency. Or, I could just order another set of HG clubs that are already PURED from the factory. The shaft is the engine for the club and sets off the rack are inferior, in comparison to HG.

As another aside, I was tested by one of my friends that works for another major manufacturer. He tested me on a launch monitor to get the hard data. His net findings were that my clubs were perfect for me. He asked me what brand of launch monitor I used when I was fitted, and I told him it was a human launch monitor, an HG Fitter. We did it by watching ball flight. When another company says, "don't change your clubs, they're perfect for you", I feel confident that I have a good match.

If I thought something was better, I'd play it.
__________________
Yoda knows...and he taught me!

For those less fortunate, Swinging is an option.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-25-2006, 01:34 AM
Yoda's Avatar
Yoda Yoda is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 10,681
The Art of Clubfitting
Originally Posted by gmomegolfer


I invite anybody reading this to visit www.henry-griffitts.com and find out how dedicated we are to helping the student and teacher achieve their goals. Also, you might ask Lynn and Ted their opinions on HG and their views about what I demonstrate everyday as an HG fitter and TGM teacher.
Originally Posted by YodasLuke

...I love my HG clubs. When I was fit, I fit into a 38" 5 iron, at HG's standard lie angle. I am effectively 1 degree upright under HG's scale. I'm 6 feet tall, with monkey arms.
In May 2005, Billy McDonald, GSEB, Master Clubfitter and Chairman of Henry-Griffitts, helped me into a new set of HGs. There were no fitting charts or launch monitors, just me and him and cart full of heads and thistles. I Hit. He fit (a new Clubshaft). I Swung. He hung (a new Clubhead). We Hit and fit and Swung and hung like this for some time, and then he said...

"I think we're done."

"Why?" said I.

"Because you've hit the last fifty balls with that club."

To make a long story short, I got my new clubs a couple of days later -- when you're ready to roll with HG, they're ready to roll with you! -- and prompted by an invite from a friend, headed to the golf course. I hadn't played a round of golf in months (January 4th). I had taught and drilled and so forth in the meantime, but I am not kidding...no golf.

Results?

70.

As in two-under on a championship layout. I lost a shot coming in -- -- and I was choking like crazy into 'the house', but I somehow nailed it down.

That's the truth...and those clubs have been in my bag ever since.

So, we know two things: First, the HG Club works, and second, I had the opportunity to be fit well. There are many fine brands of golf clubs on the market today. Unfortunately, there are not so many fine fitters.

A few months ago, I found myself watching golfgnome -- Jeff Hull, GSEB, PGA, -- fitting several golfers in a Demo Day down South. What I saw, I found hard to believe. I'm watching an accountant drill shot-after-shot with his brand new, well-endorsed Driver low right, low right, low right. Jeff -- who in addition to his clubfitting and teaching talents, also happens to be the 2004 Georgia Section PGA Champion -- walks to the fitting cart, grabs a shaft and screws on a head and -- voila! -- long, high and straight. Another long, high and straight. And then one more.

Back into the accountant's hands went the first Club -- the retail customer's attempt to buy ball flight.

Low right. Low right. Low right.

And then back to Jeff's concoction: Long, high, straight. Long, high, straight.

No TGM. No hands-on coaching. No nothin'. Just a different golf club. I had never seen anything quite like it.

Until the next guy. Then, more of the same!

Anyway, the bottom line is that I invited Jeff up to Westchester, N.Y., to work this same magic with the private clients of Barclays Capital at our Barclays Classic Golf Academy. We weren't selling clubs, and our fitting specs were designed to be 'brand generic' and portable. Our objective was to get a club that fit into the hands of the student prior to his or her instruction. Did we get that job done? We didn't have the benefit of outdoor ball flight those four days, but the indoor launch monitors told the tale:

Professionally done, regardless of brand, clubfitting works.

Big time.
__________________
Yoda
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-25-2006, 06:56 AM
jpeck jpeck is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3
My hg's did not fit.

Last edited by jpeck : 06-25-2006 at 07:02 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 06-25-2006, 08:26 AM
golfgnome golfgnome is offline
Lynn Blake Certified Master Instructor
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 204
Please, please, please tell us all why they did not fit. Please tell us if you went through a follow-up with your teacher. If they do not fit, private message me so maybe we can fix the situation. We want the clubs to work. Blanket statements that "they do not fit" puts the blame on HG. Like I stated originally, there is a relationship between you and your fitter/teacher. If he did not want to work with you, then I blame him. But if you are going with the opinion of another fitter or club repair person, then HG can not be held responsible. We want you to enjoy your clubs and your game.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 06-25-2006, 09:34 AM
jpeck jpeck is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3
My clubs did not fit because the guy gave me a little lesson so that I could hit what ever club he handed me. When I did a follow-up he gave me the same little lesson so that I could hit them again.

In order to play decent golf I would have had to hire this guy to follow me around the golf course. Understand that if I put my normal swing on any of these clubs I would be lucky to find the ball again. Block fade kept the ball on the golf course.

My reference to "standard" specs was simply to point out the difference between the two sets of clubs. As for the "experts" remarks...well, you should not have tried to make out that hg know more or do better work than anyone else. My clubs were junk.

Understand that I don't want to start one of those nasty forum wars here on Lynn's site. However, I feel duty bound to tell it like it is. hg uses testimonials to sell clubs...Well, this is my testimonial.

I've moved on from this episode in my golf but I would just like to say "Let The Buyer Beware".

Unfortunate, indeed.

I feel I have made my point and won't comment on this again.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 06-25-2006, 11:51 AM
golfgnome golfgnome is offline
Lynn Blake Certified Master Instructor
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 204
Quote:
Originally Posted by jpeck
My clubs did not fit because the guy gave me a little lesson so that I could hit what ever club he handed me. When I did a follow-up he gave me the same little lesson so that I could hit them again.
This is commonly referred to as a balance evaluation and is what HG fitters do to get the student to repeat an on-plane balanced motion.

Quote:
In order to play decent golf I would have had to hire this guy to follow me around the golf course. Understand that if I put my normal swing on any of these clubs I would be lucky to find the ball again. Block fade kept the ball on the golf course.
Sounds to me that the fitter was trying to use the clubs to get you to swing on plane better. It may "seem as if" that is what you were doing, but that is your feel. Mechanics produce and feel reproduces. You may be coming over the top or over plane because your clubs may have been to flat and an on-plane motion would make the ball go to the right.

Quote:
My reference to "standard" specs was simply to point out the difference between the two sets of clubs. As for the "experts" remarks...well, you should not have tried to make out that hg know more or do better work than anyone else. My clubs were junk.
I never tried to make out that HG knew more than anyone else, only defending what we do and the inovation that we brought to fitting. I only tried to explain that we use a different sent of specifications. As far as your clubs were junk, lets just agree that you were not happy with them. Our quality control and attention to detail is highly regarded by other companies as well.

Quote:
Understand that I don't want to start one of those nasty forum wars here on Lynn's site. However, I feel duty bound to tell it like it is. hg uses testimonials to sell clubs...Well, this is my testimonial.
No nastiness here, just trying to give a fair presentation of what HG does. There are many great teachers out there that may not be able to help you, but does that make them junky teachers.

Quote:
I've moved on from this episode in my golf but I would just like to say "Let The Buyer Beware".
An educated consumer is always the way to go. This thread is to educate and inform. I am not trying to change your views only to let others know that HG is not "junk". If someone had a bad experience with TGM they would say many bad things about the book. Would you not try to defend its merits as well?

Quote:
Unfortunate, indeed.

I feel I have made my point and won't comment on this again.
I appreciate your comments as it has helped shed light on fitting and teaching and how both can be misunderstood.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-25-2006, 01:09 PM
birdie_man's Avatar
birdie_man birdie_man is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Canader
Posts: 1,092
I had 4 degree upright clubs once...woulda been 64 deg. 5 iron I think.

(barf!)

I dunno how Scott Hoch does it.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 06-25-2006, 08:55 AM
Yoda's Avatar
Yoda Yoda is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 10,681
Fitting Problems
Originally Posted by jpeck

My hg's did not fit.
Sounds like you've got a legitmate beef, jpeck. You paid for something you obviously didn't get. But your beef is with the fitter, not the company. They can only build according to the specs they are given.

Years ago, I paid handsomely for a custom-built set of Titlelist irons. I was fitted by a competent PGA professional and the company was given accurate specs, but what I got was nothing close. At their expense, I completely re-worked that set with a local clubfitter. In that instance, I blamed Titleist.

As I should have.
__________________
Yoda
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-04-2007, 10:55 AM
efnef's Avatar
efnef efnef is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Black Mountain, NC
Posts: 415
Making the switch
I am digging this old thread up because I have just been fitted for Henry-Griffitts irons with what are, to conventional thinking, radical specs (2" over, 5* flat). I had been having some issues with my game and went to an area teacher who has helped me greatly. Into the third lesson, we started messing with some HG shafts and heads. A video comparison with my sticks revealed how bent over I was with my "standard" length shafts (37.75" 5 iron), and how much better my posture was with longer shafts. Anyway, I scheduled a fitting that resulted in a greatly improved ball flight, not to mention a physically more comfortable swing. I will report back with results/follow up in greater detail after I receive the irons and complete the follow up sessions along with any necessary tweaking. I have noticed a lot of controversy on various internet sites regarding HG clubs, but I am only interested in improvement, and don't give a damn about what clubs I use if they help me swing better. I have a lot of faith in my instructor (I won't name names at this time, but my instructor used to work for Peter Croker and is an old friend of Tommy Tomaselo, just to drop a few names ), who seems genuinely interested in my improvement. I hope my experience is helpful to others.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Both arms straight question: where's the shaft? teach The Golfing Machine - Basic 5 01-16-2006 07:02 PM
Setup question for Yoda curtisj76 The Golfing Machine - Basic 1 12-07-2005 11:38 PM
Yoda: What was Homer Kelley like? hue The Clubhouse Lounge 0 07-07-2005 09:57 AM
Yoda / Rhythm Question EC The Golfing Machine - Advanced 0 03-09-2005 08:33 PM
Shaft Flex lagster Drills, Training Aids and Equipment 3 03-02-2005 11:53 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:07 AM.


Design by Vjacheslav Trushkin, color scheme by ColorizeIt!.