What Pros Should Know About Golf Club Specifications By JOE WOLFE

We, as golf club manufacturers, place a most any specification. But where the pro great reliance on the suggestions, ideas, might lack in understanding of factory and experience of the home or club pro. terminology, and the factory lack under- I do not intend to eulogize the merits of standing of the professional's terminology, our golf clubs or any of our fellow manu- we obtain one result — confusion. facturers. I am merely going to try to convey to you your importance to us in A Vague Order the Wilson factory and the necessity of Let us take a typical order which was both of us exactly understanding what placed in the factory by a staff man, and you want. could have been placed by any one of Among my duties at the factory is that many pros. The order was: "One set of keeping our staff men "equipment special woods, 43 inches long, about D-6 happy." In keeping with this assignment, swingweight, 13% ounces in weight. The about a year ago the executives of our driver not too deep — a little extra loft. organization decided to send me out on Bulger faces — not too much hook. Me- the tournament trail. The purpose was dium shafts — not too stiff, about 4 y2 twofold: first, I would be better able to ounces. A little upright. Grips should be recognize the club problems that the staff a little big." Now let's review this: A set men encounter and cope with them, and of woods 43 inches long weighing 13% second, I was to pick up any ideas for ounces would and could be made to finish advancing club design. approximately D-6 in swingweight, but now we get into that driver. He wants it The first was no problem. In pursuing "not too deep." "Not too deep" to Sam the second, however, I soon found difficul- Snead would mean 1-9/16 inches in depth, ties. The staff men recognized a good club and to the factory a deep face is 1% and were able to handle one but their lack inches. The difference between these two of familiarity with factory terminology figures is of course 3/16 of an inch. This made it a problem to decipher their may not mean much in building a house, wishes. As a rule, the tournament player is interested basically in his own personal but when you're talking in terms of depth club problems or gripes. Here once more, of woods, that is a tremendous amount. his lack of factory terminology made it The staff member is so familiar with difficult for us to understand his personal factory terminology that he understands club problems. Naturally, there are ex- the depth of a deep faced driver is 1% ceptions to this rule. We rely tremen- inches plus, and the standard depth is 1% dously on the advice of some of our staff to 1-11/16 inches. Now, in ordering, with men and their understanding of the game this knowledge at hand, it is a compara- and its players. tively simple matter to order a set with the driver 1/16 inch shallower than standard, To recite a few examples of the tourna- or Ys inch shallower than standard, or he ment player's idiosyncracies: Johnny Re- can even use the exact figures, as: "driver volta has a large, ham-like hand, yet he to be 1% inches deep" or "driver to be uses a small, ladies' gauge grip on his 1-9/16 inches deep." In conjunction with clubs; Gene Sarazen has small, chubby this information, this same staff man has hands, but uses large, oversize grips on learned that the standard depth of a bras- his clubs. Dutch Harrison wants the sie is 1-7/16 inches, the spoon is 1-5/16 blades on his irons set back, or extremely inches, and the No. 4 spoon 1% inches. offset; Pete Cooper wants no offset at all. This information could prove valuable San Snead desires a thin top line on his to you in this respect: One of the basic blades; Claude Harmon requests a heavy functions of your job is to sell clubs that top line on his personal set. These exam- should and could improve the game or ples alone are proof enough that indi- scoring of your member. Now it may be vidualities are being expressed, rather than that yours is one of the courses that en- basic design features which we so an- joys lush, soft fairways. Being aware of xiously seek for general application. that, you would not want to order any In our factory we have the personnel wood clubs with the faces any shallower and ability to make any golf club to al- than the figures I just quoted. On the other hand, your fairways might be the *(At Indiana PGA spring meeting) sparse type and you might find that the depths mentioned are much too deep for example: Jim Ferrier and Cary Middlecoff your particular course condition. At use a 9y2 inch bulge on their drivers, but this moment we are using those figures Harmon and Mangrum insist on an 8% in our fairway woods, but you profession- inch bulge. Now, let's get ito this 8y2 inch- als are the ones who dictate our specifi- 9V2 inch radius bulge and roll. If you cations — either knowingly or unknow- were to take a pencil or crayon and draw ingly. If the voice of the pro comes in to a circle with an 8 y2 inch radius, the arc us strong, criticizing the depths of our described by this 8 y2 inch radius would wood clubs, we then, of course, heed the be equivalent to the bulge of a driver and constructive criticism and alter the brassie. depths. I cite this incident to impress If you were to draw a circle with a upon you that you, and not we in the inch radius, as shown in Fig. 1, then the arc factory, are the final judges on club speci- described would coincide with the bulge on fications. a No. 3 and No. 4 spoon. Let me repeat, this Precision in the Loft standard is not necessarily fixed perma- Let's carry on with this order. He calls nently. Dutch Harrison believes that a 7 y2 x for "a little extra loft." "A little extra inch bulge fits his game. (A l /2 inch radius loft" to Jack Shields, for instance, is 2 circle would describe a smaller circle, and degrees. To any one of you it might mean 1 degree or 3 degrees, or it might even mean standard loft. It would have been extremely simple if he had known that the loft on a standard depth driver is 10 degrees, brassie 13 degrees, spoon IS de- grees, and the No. 4 spoon 19 degrees. In this way, knowing that the difference of loft between each club is 3 degrees, he would know what he wanted specifically— 1 degree or 2 degrees more loft than standard. Or, he could quote actual fac- tory terminology by asking for "a little extra loft — make the driver 11 degrees," (incidentally, 11 degrees is the loft most manufacturers use on their deep faced drivers), "14 degrees on the brassies, 17 degrees on the spoons, and 20 degrees on the No. 4 spoons." As far as I know, there has been no scientific device developed that definitely proves that 10 degrees, 13 degrees, 16 de- naturally means more of a bulge.) Sam grees, and 19 degrees are the perfect play- Snead leans toward a straighter face — ing lofts on wood clubs. If enough of you closer to 10 y2 inches. If we were to find home teaching pros order clubs extra that the majority of you insisted or be- lofted, which would be 11 degrees, 14 de- lieved that a9% inch radius bulge was the grees, 17 degrees, 20 degrees, or if most most efficient and eye-appealing, we cer- of you finally decided that wood clubs tainly would set that up as our standard. should be more under-lofted, meaning 9 degrees, 12 degrees, 15 degrees, 18 de- Fitting the Shafts grees — we manufacturers would then Back to the order. He wanted "medium heed your advice and change our specifi- shafts" — not too stiff—about 4 y2 ounces. cations. The True Temper shaft company has done Now, on with the order! He calls for a great job in helping the golf pro select bulger faces. All wood clubs are bulged his shafts. You are all no doubt familiar somewhat, but let's get straight with the with their categories: "A" softer than factory terminology. standard, "T" standard, "S" stiff, "X" We consider the lateral measurement on extra stiff. the face of a wood club the bulge, and the Of course we, as most manufacturers, vertical measurement the roll. Face have some special categories for individual bulges and rolls are measured in terms of specifications. However, the point is this: "radius." The bulge which the factory When this staff member asked for a "4 y2 shoots at in most models is an 8 y2 inch ounce staff — not too stiff" he really left radius. The roll on woods is the same. us in the middle. As a general rule, the This pertains to the driver and brassie. the stiffness of a shaft increases in pro- On the No. 3 and No. 4 spoon, we shoot portion to the weight of the shaft, but at a 9y2 inch radius and roll. On some we have many more factors to consider. models our standard is 9y2 inches on the It is altogether possible to have a ladies' driver and brassie, and 10y2 inches on the shaft weighing 4 y2 ounces, and possible No. 3 and No. 4 spoon. With this span we to have an "S" or stiff shaft weighing can cover practically all orders. As an 4y2 ounces. So you see, in ordering a shaft by weight, the staff member was of these tip sizes, .294 on the stiff, and not really helping the factory to a .277 on the medium, you can readily see marked degree. that the only alternative is for the fac- In wood club steel shafts we have tip tory to build up the .277 diameter shaft diameters and butt diameters to contend with some foreign substance, until it with. The tip is, of course, the narrow reaches the diameter of the .294 hole al- end that is inserted into the head, and ready bored in the head. Cutting off two the butt end is the gripped end. The inches from the bottom of the medium shafts for ladies' woods have a .270 tip shaft would possibly insure a better fit and a .560 butt diameter. The next step but in cutting off the two inches from up in stiffness is their "A" shaft which the medium shaft, we once more make it has a .580 butt end and a .277 tip. The into a stiffer shaft, which was not the next grade is the standard or "T" shaft original idea in reshafting the club. which also has a .277 tip diameter but the butt diameter increases to .600. We Explains Lie Specifications then swing into the stiff or "S" shaft In asking for his set a little upright, which has a .294 diameter tip and a .620 the staff member really left the factory butt. dangling. The lie on our driver is 54 de- Starting with the ladies' .270 tip and grees, the brassie 54 degrees, spoon 55 .560 butt, the ideal weight is 4 ys ounces. degrees, and No. 4 spoon 56 degrees. "A As we move up into the "A", "T", and little upright" might mean 2 degrees or "S" shafts, each category should increase 3 degrees to the professional, and y2 in weight y8 of an ounce, until we end up degree to the factory. It it understand- with our "S" stiff staff at 4% ounces. able that all professional golfers do not necessarily have to be factory-wise 100% Unfortunately, the shaft manufacturers but able to transfer degree measurements find it extremely difficult to maintain into simple, understandable language. these perfect weights. For instance, it is altogether possible to have a standard Our staff men now have this simple "T" shaft weighing 4 V8 ounces, and also formula: On a 43 inch driver, each % a standard "T" shaft weighing 4% inch of deflection, either upright or flat- ounces. A manufacturer could, and does, ter, is equivalent to a 1 degree change in have a ladies' shaft — an "A" or soft lie. (See Fig. 2.) Let's put it another way: men's shaft, a "T" or medium shaft, and Take a driver 43 inches long; address an an "S" or stiff shaft that all weigh 4% imaginary ball at the club's standard lie; to 4-7/16 ounces. now move the gripped end or hands upright So you can readily understand the im- % of an inch — that new position is 1 possible situation that this order presents degree upright; move it up another % to the factory. Here's an interesting of an inch — that's 2 degrees upright. sidelight on this steel shaft for wood The same principle applies to a flatter clubs picture: Quite often a professional lie — each % inch is equal to 1 degree. might send in a stiff shafted wood and This varies somewhat on the irons. On a ask that the factory reshaft it with a 38 y2 inch No. 2 iron, which is standard softer or medium flex shaft. Being aware (Continued on page 70) not only be limited by cost, but also by geles campus presented results of experi- the effect of the chemicals on grass when mental trials of herbicides and fertilizers treated sand is driven onto' adjacent put- on the turf plots at UCLA. ting green turf by an "explosion-shot". As These five speakers earlier conducted a this was not determined in this study, broadcast panel discussion on turf culture further tests are planned in this respect, for Armed Forces Radio, with emphasis on along with additional work on various the military aspects of turf. rates of application. Leaching away of Additional speakers on turf subjects the chemicals in the sand traps, as well from UCLA were Prof. Pierre A. Miller of as continuous raking are other factors the Division of Plant Pathology, who dis- that have a bearing on the effectiveness cussed turf diseases and their control by of the chemicals. fungicides, and Prof. V. T. Stoutemyer, It should be understood that the above chairman of the Division of Floriculture report is based on preliminary testing of and Ornamental Horticulture, who ex- the chemicals. Some of the chemicals and plained the purpose of some of the experi- rates used appear practical. The results mental grass plots. are given as a suggestion of what chemi- Another panel discussion on trees and cals might be effective and as a guide for turf at the morning session of the second further testing under actual conditions. day evoked many questions. This panel Certainly, the effective use of ohemicals was conducted by Fred W. Roewekamp, for purposes mentioned above will save city Forester of Los Angeles, Prof. Pierre many hours of hand labor and expense. A. Miller, and Dr. Mildred E. Mathias of the U.C.L.A. Botany Department. William H. Johnson, president of the National Golf NOTE: The author would appreciate Course Superintendents Assn. presided at the benefit of any suggestions or ex- this meeting. periences of others in the chemical At the final afternoon session, John J. method, or any other method, for McElroy of the Agricultural Extension controlling weeds in sand traps. Service on the Berkeley campus of the Uni- versity of California described their meth- ods of operation and the possibility of as- Southern California Holds sistance to those groups concerned with recreational and ornamental turf. Third Turf Conference Southern California third annual confer- ence on turf culture, April 30 and May 1, WHAT PROS SHOULD KNOW held its first session on the turf plot at (Continued from page 44) the University of California at Los An- length, each % inch deflection, upright geles, giving visitors an opportunity to or flatter, is equal to a 1 degree change see comparative trials of the many new in lie. and standard turf grasses under various Hook Variations cultural treatments. More than 200 per- The next item on the order is "not too sons from various parts of Southern Cali- much hook." The factory has means of fornia attended the two-day meeting. checking and measuring hook, but the The meeting was opened by Dean Rob- amount of hook on a wood club varies ert W. Hodgson, head of the Los Angeles with practically every pro, that is, as far division of the University of California as personal opinion goes. A straight face College of Agriculture. Prof. H. B. Musser, to Cary Middlecoff is 2 degrees open to Pennsylvania State College, explained the the factory. A straight face to Skip Alex- operation of his program, one of the oldest ander is 1 degree hook to the factory. and largest turf research programs in the The standard hook on a driver and bras- United States. Prof. Musser also dis- sie is y2 degree, degree on the No. 3 cussed control of weeds. spoon, and on the No. 4 spoon 0 degree. Dr. F. V. Grau, Director, USGA Green This is a perfect example as to the im- Section, described new improved turf portance of the home professional to the grasses, including Zoysia Z-52, U-3 factory. It is understandable that the bermuda grass and Merion bluegrass, and touring pro uses a wood club facid much discussed their use in combinations of more open than the club you would rec- warm and cool season grasses. He also ommend for Mr. Average Golfer. The reviewed turf aeration. exact amount of hook necessary to make O. J. Noer showed many color slides il- a club more playable, or the lack of lustrating maintenance methods and solu- hook, comes to us directly from your tions of turf problems. Dr. Robert Hagan recommendations. of the Division of Irrigation on the Uni- That last item on the order was "grip versity of California's Davis campus, dis- a little oversize." The factory uses a cussed the fundamentals of watering turf ladies' gauge, a men's standard gauge, glasses. slightly oversize, and full oversize. Re- John E. Gallagher of the University of ducing these descriptions to simple fig- California Division of Floriculture and Or- ures, the difference between each gauge namental Horticulture on the Los An- is 1/32 of an inch in diameter. "A little Golf's newest, finest shirt - MR-M has the features that win quick sales. SINGLE NEEDLE Compare the AIR-FLO with any other golf shirts CONSTRUCTION BREATHING ACTION near its price range. 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oversize" to Gene Sarazen is 3/16 of an inch; to Jim Turnesa it is 1/32 of an inch. Once again, this brings out the golf clubs putting courses importance of factory terminology. DRIVING RANGES This completes our order for a set of PLASTIC COVER GOLF BALLS FOR DRIVING RANGES woods placed by the staff member. You $3.25 per doz. YOUR OLD CULLS COVERED WITH THE PLASTIC PAINT- LESS COVER —$2.50 per doz. ship old balls via truck, bill as SCRAP RUBBER THE FINEST RANGE BALL BUILT —WHEN YOU BUY PLASTICS. YOU BUY THE BEST. all prices F.O.B. all terms C.O.D. WAGNER'S GOLF SALES CO. 534 TENTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA EXBROOK 31689 formerly of Chicago AMERICA'S BIGGEST SELECTION of GOLF AWARDS Wilson's Russell Dreher (R) shows Joe Wolfe (L) and Dr. Cary Middlecoff finished club head he has A complete selection of golf trophies, cups, just polished on factory buffing machine. and plaques for tournaments and banquets. Immediate delivery from stock. can easily see the impossibility of the task facing the factory in trying to Send for catalogue No. G12 build this set of woods accurately. Iron Orders Also are Hazy UNIVERSAL SPORTS AND AWARDS A typical iron order causes less confu- Universal Bowling 4 Billiard Supply SIS S. Weha.h Ave. — Chicafo S, III. sion than the companion order of woods. Tele. • W A bath 2-S2SS However, we quite often receive an order of this type: "One set of irons, same as Pete Cooper's, same swingweight, same head weights, etc., only make clubs y2 inch longer and step up irons a little, and also make a little upright." It is quite important to know that when a club is lengthened y2 inch, the And swingweight automatically increases ap- Folding proximately three points. To keep the Chairs same swingweight on this set, we would have to remove 3/16 of an ounce from the head. A sixteenth of an ounce placed DIRECT PRICES TO in the head or removed is equivalent to adding or subtracting one swingweight GOLF CLUBS, PARKS, point. Of course, this same principle HOTELS, SCHOOLS, etc. holds true in shortening a club; for every THE nHoWOt- COMPANY y2 inch that the club is made shorter, 12 CHURCH STREET COLFAX, IOWA Constructed of Tire Casings for Heavy Duty—Longer Wear

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