Golf World UK - August 2017

EQUIPMENT

Ask Derek

World Club Fitter of the Year Derek Murray

answers your equipment questions.

weights, adjustable hosels and

shaft options that are available.

It’s possible to manoeuvre the

centre of gravity of the clubhead

and the dynamics of the club as

a whole in ways that have

significant impacts on launch

conditions and ball flight. As well

as helping to minimise faults in a

golfers existing technique, this

can also be used to influence it

for the better. From basics like

the length of shaft and lie angle

of the head impacting posture to

more intricate elements like the

shaft properties and weight

position in the head influencing

how a golfer actually swings the

club and delivers in the head into

impact. In short, a good club

fitter can actually make

you a better player, as

well as improving

the results of your

shots.

Q

Will

closing

the face on

my adjustable driver

help reduce my slice?

JACK CANNOCK, LONDON

Yes, it will. However, it can also

increase the loft a little so be

aware of that. For example, the

TaylorMade hosel has a ‘Higher’

setting that adds loft and closes

the face a little. Making the club

more upright can also help to

create a draw or reduce a slice.

Different manufacturers have

different ‘draw’, ‘higher’ or

‘upright’ settings so make sure

you educate yourself on how

they work relevant to your driver

and all the ways this will impact

your launch conditions and shot

shape. Your pro should be able

tti

Q

Howmuchdoes

strike location

affect performance

when pitching and

chipping?

GETHIN JONES, MID-WALES

Strike location is very

important to every club

whetherfromdrivertoputter,

as it impacts launch angle, ball

speedandspin.Thisisperhaps

most noticeable with your

wedgesbecauseofthe

amount of precision and

control required to pitch and

chiptheballclosetoavery

specifictarget.Awellfitted

setofwedgesshouldhelp

youfindthesweetspotmore

often. If this isn’t the case and

you’re hitting the ball off-

centrequitealotthenitcan

bequitedamagingtoyour

scoreasithasanegative

effect on spin, flight, distance,

control, speed and direction.

Ifyoucan’tcontrolthese

factors reasonably

consistently then it’s virtually

impossible to have a good

short game.

Q

Are stock shafts
any good or is it
worth paying more to
upgrade to a better
quality bespoke shaft
and how much should
I be spending?

PAUL CLEMENTS,
HERTFORDSHIRE

Stock shafts tend to be a little
more variable from shaft to shaft
because they are cheaper to
produce. This can make it trickier
to get one that performs exactly
the same as the one you tested –
even in the same specs. The
money you invest in a more
expensive shaft is in the materials
used and the tolerances of design
that means that if you want it to
play a certain way then it will. It
also means matching the
performance of a shaft from
testing it is more reliable. It’s hard
to determine whether an
expensive shaft will be any better
for you personally, but if you do
test a club with a stock shaft that
produces good numbers then
buy that exact club. You should
go somewhere where you can
test the different shafts to see
what performance benefits the
extra investment can produce for
you. Don’t buy
something just
because it’s more
expensive, buy it
because it performs
better! But, generally
speaking, the added
consistency of a shaft
that’s a little more
expensive will usually
be worth the
investment.

Q

How far is it
possible for the
way a club is fitted to
influence and improve
technique?

LAURIE MCDONALD,
ST ANDREWS

More golf clubs
are now more
adjustable than
ever before
thanks to the
amount of
moveable

Please send your equipment

questions to kit.alexander@

bauermedia.co.uk with the

subject line ‘Ask Derek’.

The best will be answered

in the magazine

each month.

Do you have

a question?^

SHARPEN

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