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Here's where we will post recent news, including excerpts
from our newsletters and mailings.
Custom fitting is not a recent innovation. In fact, for the first several hundred
years of the sport, most golf clubs were custom made by golf professionals for their
pupils. The art of clubmaking and clubfitting was an essential responsibility of all
golf professionals.
Clubfitting and clubmaking are back, and there is not one player, professional
or high handicapper, who would not benefit from the services of a custom clubfitter.
The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio will improve your golf game by dynamically fitting
your next set of clubs for those parameters which affect distance, accuracy, trajectory,
and feel. We will evaluate your current equipment and golf game to develop a
starting point for which club specifications in your next set should be changed to enable
you to meet your playing goals. Club length, shaft weight, shaft flex, shaft
bendpoint, grip type, grip size, swingweight, balance point, head type, and loft and lie
angle will be dynamically determined and fine tuned by measuring swing speed, shaft
loading ability, and face impact and sole impact testing.
The results of the custom fitting process will be clubs that feel a part of you (like
tailored clothing), more fun, and lower scores.
We offer extensive fitting hours, including evening and weekend appointments. |
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One of the most important club head specifications affecting accuracy is the lie angle
of irons at impact. You can make a perfect swing with the clubface square to the
target line, and the ball will not end up on that line if the lie angle does not sole
correctly at impact. Try this experiment to make this concept more concrete.
Take your stance with a short iron in your hands. Then lower the club in your
hands, and observe as the club lie becomes more upright (the toe is in the air).
Notice what happens to the club as you lower it until the shaft is on the
ground. While it is impossible to do, imagine you could hit a golf ball with the
club in this position. What would happen? The ball would start left by the
amount of the club loft, and backspin would be completely replace by hook spin. That
is why you righties out there hit draws with your clubs when the ball is above your feet.
The directional angle of the club becomes more upright, and some backspin is
replaced with hook spin. The drawings below illustrate this more clearly:
  
Too upright a lie will cause the ball to start left with a hooking action.
Correct lies where the club soles center at impact will start at the target line with no
side spin. Flat lies will cause the ball to start right with a slicing action.
Longer irons are typically too flat as the downward centrifugal action of the downswing
causes these softer shafts to droop down.
Your correct lie angle for each club will be determined in a dynamic
lie impact test and each club's lie will be bent to its correct position using our
state of the art Mitchell Golf Bending Machine. |
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What is a Clubmaker?
In simple terms, a "clubmaker" is one who assembles a grip, shaft and golf
club head resulting in a finished golf club. However, a "professional
clubmaker" is dedicated to the craft of clubmaking and incorporates sound fitting
techniques into selecting the proper combination and specifications for each and every
club made.
Why Should I Buy From a Professional Clubmaker? (Instead
of off-the-rack in the store or from a fitting cart).
Everyone is unique. Like fingerprints, no two golfers swing exactly the same.
When you buy clubs off-the-rack you are buying a "one-club-fits-all" set.
Sure, you can play golf with the clubs and they look fine in the bag ... but they
are not built to fit your swing. If you place three golfers next to each other on
the driving range, each with exactly the same handicap, and have them swing the same club,
each will have a different swing speed, shaft load, swing plane, and so on. Each of
these swing characteristics can be measured. A clubmaker has the knowledge of the
variations in shaft specifications to select the shaft that best matches Your
Individual Characteristics.
The modern golf professional must be a jack-of-all-trades. He runs the golf pro
shop, oversees the maintenance of the course, staffing, membership development,
schedules and provides golf lessons, plans outings and tournaments, etc. In terms of
helping you with your golf game, he is trained as a "swing professional".
A professional clubmaker, on the other hand, concentrates on one thing ... equipment.
He is constantly keeping abreast of the latest technology in shafts, grips and
heads. he knows how to take a swing characteristic and maximize the potential
improvements through proper golf club design.
Can I Afford to Have a Profession Clubmaker Make My Clubs?
This may surprise you ... absolutely! Even though you receive individual
attention from an equipment specialist who understands your individual needs, custom
fitted clubs are no more expensive than off-the-rack clubs.
How Do I Know if A Clubmaker is A Professional?
There are probably over 100,000 "clubmakers" in the U.S. alone.
However, all clubmakers are not equally skilled.
The Professional Clubmakers Society (PCS) provides certification opportunities for
their members. Being certified as a "Class A" Clubmaker is the PCS mark
of approval. This separates the amateurs from the professionals.
A professional clubmaker needs certain equipment in his/her shop. To perform
basic loft and lie adjustments (a very important factor in well-fit clubs) a loft &
lie machine is required. This is an expensive piece of equipment that every
professional clubmaker considers essential in his shop.
Professional clubmakers rely on a frequency analyzer as the only true measure of shaft
flex and consistency when assembling clubs. This tool enables the professional
clubmaker to fine-tune each club to match the other clubs in the set.
A professional clubmaker will spend all the time needed in a fitting session with a
golfer to determine the exact specifications needed for his/her equipment. A
thorough fitting session will cover: A player evaluation and interview to determine
what you want to improve in your game; A thorough examination of the golfer's current
equipment; An opportunity for the clubmaker to view the golfer's swing, set-up, ball
flight, etc.; Analysis of swing speed, load, impact label, etc.; A professional clubmaker
may recommend that adjustments be made to current equipment rather than purchasing new
equipment. With proper tools, off-the-rack sets can be fine-tuned to work better for
the golfer. However, in most cases, the shaft (or engine of the club) is not right
for the golfer's swing characteristics and needs to be replaced to maximize success.
A professional clubmaker stands behind his work. He is always there to keep your
clubs in proper adjustment for you. If a club is lost or in need of repair, your
clubmaker can duplicate the specs from your original club and keep you in the game! |
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Just got back from the 2001
Professional Clubmakers’ Society Expo in Louisville,KY. Talk about clubmaker’s
heaven!
A brief outline:
Thursday evening, March 1st, was our
member’s meeting and dinner. Sat with Alan Cohen and John McDermid. Alan is a bright
energetic guy with a good sense of humor. I’d talked to him on the phone once and had
exchanged a few e-mails. It was great to put a face to the voice. John McDermid is an
interesting man. He actually served in Canada’s parliament for fifteen years, and is
married to LPGA great, Sandra Post. His company, Espen Golf, is located 45 minutes from
Toronto, and only 10 minutes from Brampton. Ms. Post does the teaching (Sandra Post School
of Golf), and John does the clubfitting/clubmaking.
The Expo Seminars and Workshops began on Friday.
Howard Butler, who developed the Determinator and Shaft Lab at True Temper, gave a seminar
on Coefficient of Restitution. Howard’s a funny and bright guy who was able to
communicate a dry and somewhat complicated topic in a way that’s easy to understand.
One new technical aspect of Howard Butler's COR presentation that is that clubs with thin
faces can deform and spring back in inconsistent ways. This is called
"hiccupping." He said that the next stage in "spring effect"
development, will be trying to make the effect more consistent, particularly on off center
hits. I know that Tom Wishon and GS are studying this, and will be trying to make more
consistent "spring effect".
Friday’s second seminar was also a true
treat! Dr. Matz Modeer is a Norwegian clubmaker with a thriving business. His operation,
which includes a beautiful state of the art workshop in a 300 year old building as well as
a three hundred yard range, is located at his 75 acre facility on an island. Dr. Modeer
provides an all day clubfitting experience. Over the course of an entire day, light meals
included, Dr. Modeer fits and educates his clients about the golf clubs they’re going
to end up with. He uses performance fitting to determine the shaft and clubhead, and
FitChip information to obtain shaft slope. His building and shop are the epitome of
European sophistication.
On Friday night, we all attended our First Annual
Tee It Up Party, which was a fundraiser for the future new PCS headquarters and PCS
Clubmaker Hall of Fame. Some of the great items auctioned off were an 18th Hole St.
Andrews flag autographed by Tiger Woods, and an 18th Hole Masters flag autographed by Tom
Watson. Friday night’s festivities were concluded by a couple hours at
the bar with Merlin Comeau (last year’s Canadian Canadian Clubmaker of the Year
(COY),located in Nova Scotia), Markku Huotelin (1999 European COY, located in Finland),
and new PCS member Jim Williams. Markku is Mr. KZG in Finland. He markets KZG as the
Mercedes of golf clubs, and has two black baby Mercedes that he uses in his marketing. He
also has a state of the art fitting center and workshop, and has worked with Finnish
players on the European Tour.
Saturday’s Seminars were both interesting.
If you’re located anywhere in the Detroit, Michigan area, you simply must go see
Claude Giroux at the Village Green Driving Range in Stony Point (Windsor area) Ontario.
Mr. Giroux uses Swing Dynamics with Ball Flight Monitor (which I use) and the V1 (teaching
machine) in his clubfitting. He’s got an amazing shop, and is a bright unassuming guy
who I know must be fun to work with. The second seminar on Saturday was the annual
celebrity clubfitting. This year, personable C.J. Pappadakis (Colorado) and his son John
fit Indianapolis Colts Tight End Ken Dilger. Mr. Dilger is a big guy (6’5", 250
lbs.), and swings his 5 iron around 100 mph and his driver in the mid 120’s with an
easy tempo! He’s also a gentleman, and answered questions about both golf and
football.
Saturday night was the PCS Member Awards Dinner.
Willie Parks, Jr. and Don White (MacGregor Golf) were inducted into the PCS
Clubmaker’s Hall of Fame. Mr. White, who has worked at MacGregor since 1971, is an
amazing story. He was brought into MacGregor and mentored under Art Emerson and Jack
Wulkotte. He started as a production grinder, but was moved over to the custom department
after only 3 months. His clubs have won 8 majors, and countless other tournaments. The
MacGregor employee who introduced Mr. White illustrated Mr. White’s talents with the
example of how he worked on Jose Maria Olazabel’s clubs. Mr. White had to grind in an
offset edge into Olazabel’s blades, had to keep extra weight at the toe (without
making it visible) as well as to grind the sole so that the clubface sits one degree open
to help fight Olazabel’s tendency to go left (offset).
Don White comes across as a very simple, down to
earth, man -- but he is very eloquent. He started out by thanking God for his success, and
told the attendees how appreciative he was of his reward. He said that he was very
honored, and "little bit frightened" (which generated a laugh and I think
relaxed him). He mentioned that when Jack Wulkotte was inducted into the PCS Hall of Fame,
that he asked Jack "How did you get in?" Jack responded, "You get in when
you reach the pinnacle of the profession."
Mr. White then said that when he got the letter
from the PCS stating that he was being inducted, he thought it had to be a mistake. But he
checked the name on the letter, then the envelope, and saw that it had his name -- but he
still thought it had to be a mistake. So I think he called Diane, and she confirmed what
the letter said. What a modest man!
Of course he thanked Art Emerson and Jack
Wulkotte and MacGregor. By the way, Mr. White is 51 years old(he started at
MacGregor at the age of 18, and is the first African-American inductee in the PCS Hall of
Fame. Mr. White is a Class "A" gentleman who has surely reached the pinnacle of
his profession. I know that all PCS members and employees are very proud to
have him in our Clubmaker Hall of Fame.
Then came the Clubmaker of the Year (COY) Awards!
Diane Ogle, PCS director, introduced each of the six finalist with a five minute bio and a
slide show of their operations. I couldn’t be prouder of these members with their
first rate shops and true dedication to the craft of clubmaking. The finalists were Tom
Cook (Minnesota), Gene Sprayberry (South Carolina), David Bass (North Carolina), Ed
Grabowy (Georgia), Rene Cleaver (England), and David Eager (Calgary, Alberta). Gene
Sprayberry was the International COY, while the other finalists were Regional COY.
Congratulations to these fine men and women, who are an inspiration to keep improving
oneself professionally!
I had to leave early Sunday morning, and missed
Dana Upshaw (and Merlin Comeau’s) clubfitting seminar on Sunday. It was great
to run into Dana (1999 PCS International COY) and other clubmakers whom I’ve learned
a lot from – not only about clubmaking but also about how to run a business and to
conduct oneself. If you'd like to learn more about the PCS or find your local
certified clubmaker, please check out the
PCS
website.
Of course it was exciting to see all the new
products this year. I placed a healthy order with Bob Toski Golf which has some great
looking player cavities this year as well as the best looking ladies irons I’ve ever
seen. Golfsmith’s new 350 and 400 Ti heads look first rate, as do the Aermet and
Snake Eyes Forged (available in both USGA conforming and non-conforming versions).
There were some other neat goodies there, and I added the Flexmaster to my shop. The
Flexmaster may be a better tool for shaft matching than the dependable frequency analyzer.
To see some of the new 2001 products check out our New
Products page for periodic updates.
Jacques, 3/7/2001 |
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The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio is proud to announce that we've added the Flexmaster
as our latest clubmaking tool. Shafts are double checked via our frequency analyzer
to produce the most consistently made clubs possible. We're also using
the Flexmaster for shaft zoning or profiling.
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Two of our corporate values at The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio. are to provide the
highest level technology in the market place and to facilitate enjoyment of a difficult
golf game.
We therefore offer a selection of both conforming and non-conforming drivers (some in
the same model).
We advise everyone purchasing a non-conforming head that they cannot be used in rounds
submitted for USGA handicap or in most club tournament play.
Most of our customers prefer a head that is conforming with the USGA rules of golf.
We offer plenty of heads that are very lively in their spring effect, but are USGA
conforming. In fact the difference between conforming and non-conforming heads
of similar design (volume, face height, and variable or modeled face design) is very
slight. The difference between the Snake Eyes conforming and non-conforming heads is
only 1 mm! And the difference in performance may only be a couple of yards.
However, our customers who simply want the longest golf club they can purchase, and are
not interested in USGA sanctioned play or handicaps, often go with the non-conforming
version. We have no ethical discomfort providing these clubs and place no
judgment on the customer. |
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I would like to address the basis of my pricing for people viewing my website who are
considering scheduling a fitting appointment.
Since I have the experience, qualifications, certifications, tools, and equipment, I'm
able to offer value-added services which increase both the value and the price of the
products I offer. My typical graphite shafted set of irons runs from around $800 to
$1200 (although it can be much higher). Individual woods typically run
from $175 to $400, but can run as high as $600 (La Jolla w/ Fujikura Speeder
757). People work hard for their money, and my clubs are not inexpensive, but
I believe that they are an excellent value for several reasons.
First, I use the highest quality and high tech heads, shafts, grips, and fitting and
clubmaking tools.
Second, you will be fitted for your optimal specs. Fittings average two to three
hours, sometimes more. Clubs are built to your exact specifications with the
tightest tolerances. Shafts are matched using our frequency analyzer and
Flexmaster (shaft profiling). Shafts are then SST Pured (for an
optional upcharge). Heads are weight sorted and adjusted for loft and lie. After
sale services are included in the price as well. For example, when you picks up your
irons, each individual iron is hit off a lie board and adjusted.
Third, I'm more interested in building long term customer satisfaction and relations
then in making the quick sale. If any customer has a problem with his clubs, I will
do everything possible to adjust them to work as promised, including reshafting, changing
grips, adjusting lofts and lies, and even changing heads.
Ultimately, I compete on quality and services provided, not on price. I
provide not only first-rate service and products, but help lower my customer's golf
scores. Lowering your golf score -- what would you pay?
Jacques, 8/2/2003 |
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For those of you driving by our store on Mill Street, you may have noticed an
improvement in our appearance. We're still a great custom golf club shop, offering
and backing our fitted leading edge technology that lowers your scores -- we just look
better! We've re-designed our corporate logo.
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While it is impossible to provide exact pricing for every club combination, the price
guidelines below will give you an idea of what you can expect to pay at the Greenwich Golf
Fitting Studio. Prices effective 12/1/2004:
(General pricing guideline is that you will pay the fitting fee, Map
price for the clubs, plus any value added alterations, e.g., shaft upgrades
and SST Puring).
Complete Club Fitting (woods, irons, putter) |
$325 |
Driver Fitting |
$125 |
| Irons Fitting |
$125 |
| Sam Putt Lab Putter Fitting |
$125 |
| Custom Grind Iron Fitting |
$250 |
| Grind wedges to change bounce |
$50 |
| Add custom grind to fairway woods |
$50 |
| Rebuild Putter (Fitting, Swingweight, Adjust Length and Lie
Angle, Replace Grip) |
$75 |
| SST Pure Retrofit |
$60 (add $5 for bore thru) |
| SST Pure Option for New Club |
$50 |
| Mizuno MP 60, MP 32, MP 37, Callaway X-18 |
Starting at $100 per club (plus
alterations) |
| Mizuno MX 23; Callaway Big Bertha |
Starting at $90 per club (plus
alterations) |
| Mizuno MX 17 |
$500 steel, $600 graphite (plus
alterations) |
| Callaway Fusion, X-Tour; Mizuno MX-900 |
Starting at $125 |
| Mizuno Fli Hi Cleek; Cleveland Halo |
Starting at $150 |
| Hogan FTX |
Starting at $100 per club (plus
alterations) |
| La Jolla Drivers |
Starting at $400 |
| Nakashima Drivers |
Starting at $399 |
| Toski HRC 53 Fairway Woods |
Starting at $220 |
| Wishon Titanium Drivers |
Starting at $300 |
| Golfsmith, Snake Eyes, Wishon Fairway Woods |
Starting at $175 |
KZG Forged Irons (steel shafts) |
Starting at $800 (set of 8) |
| Most other irons (steel) |
$75-$100 per club |
| Most other irons (graphite) |
$100-$150 per club |
| Blueprint Woods (includes SST Pure) |
$100 plus materials; add $10 for bore thru heads. |
| Blueprint Irons (includes SST Pure) |
$75 per club (set of 8) plus materials |
Lie test and adjust lofts/lies |
$75 (set of 8) |
| Check and adjust lofts/lies |
$50 (set of 8) |
| Most regrips |
$7 per club |
| Winn and cord regrips |
$10 per club |
| Winn putter regrips |
$15 |
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The Ruger Ti 320+ Series driver heads were tested and evaluated by an independent
facility in San Diego, California. The results of this robotic testing confirmed
that the Ruger drivers outperformed many top OEM brand drivers in terms of spin rates and
overall distance.
When compared to the Taylor Made 360 and the Cleveland Launcher, the Ruger heads tested
favorably in terms of club head speed to ball speed ratios (smash factor), carry
distances, and average dispersion rates. The big diffference ocurred when the spin
rates were compared: the Ruger Ti 320+ Series heads consistently outperformed the
competition producing lower spin rates in each and every test.
Independent Test Results
Spin Rates (RPMs)
Ruger High Launch
2971.50
Taylor Made 360 Ti 12*
3412.13
Ruger Mid Launch
2551.88
Taylor Made 360 Ti 9.5*
2982.38
Ruger Low Launch
2573.63
Cleveland Launcher 8.5*
2806.50 |
| What does this data mean to the average golfer? A tee shot struck
with a Ruger Ti 320+ Series head will carry longer and hit the ground running. To
see a picture of the Ruger head, please go to our new products page. (*Taylor
Made and 300 Series are trademarks of Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc. Cleveland and
Launcher are trademarks of Cleveland Golf). |
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JACQUES:
This week when the new January issue of Golf Digest arrives in the
mailbox, if you scan through the back section of ads you might see a new ad in there
popping up at you. I am pleased to announce the
introduction of Tom Wishon Golf Technology, aka my own component company! After 22 yrs
helping all of the big component companies get big, it was time for me and Mary-Ellen to
finally do this for ourselves.
We will mail our 2003 full line catalog on February 1, 2003. Between
now when our first ad hits in GD and then, we are working to try to
build up our clubmaker customer mailing list. Therefore, any help that
you can provide in terms of an announcement on any of the various forums you
monitor/manage would be most appreciated. (yes, I can beg as well as anyone!!! HA!)
Mary-Ellen and I have located the company in Durango, Colorado.
WHAT!!!?? Yes, Durango, Colorado!! For one, I am a native of Colorado, born in Denver and
grew up through high school in this state. The mountains and this climate (beat the Texas
summer heat!) are something I always missed over the many years since I left. Since the
nature of this business is phone/mail/internet orders and all communication with
clubmakers is done by catalog/newsletter/email we felt that we could be anywhere to build
this business as long as there was adequate trucking in and UPS out. Durango is in a
unique location in that not only are there three UPS hubs within a couple hundred miles
(Denver, Albuquerque, Grand Junction) but the climate here is really mild for a mountain
city. Two of the 4 golf courses here stay open 12 months and yet if you drive 30 mins
north of Durango, you are communing in the midst of 13,000-14,000 foot granite peaks. If I
was looking for inspiration from the surroundings, it is all here!!
The other reason we decided to launch our own company and located here is partly
personal that has to do with losing three close friends in the golf business all within 4
months in 2001 combined with wanting to do designs and products and services precisely the
way I wanted to do them. In short, the old adage of "life's too short" hit me
like a 2X4 'tween the eyes in 2001. SO here we are, and I look forward to doing the best
work of my entire career in the next several years.
If you don't mind, I would like to tell you a little about what we are
planning, because we are going to be a little different in terms of our
product design offerings in some areas.
First of all, in 2003 you will see what I really feel is the best
overall clubhead product line I have ever designed. Virtually all of
the various materials imaginable plus a few new ones, and the various
methods of manufacture from casting to forging, are included in the 8
sets of woodheads, 8 sets of irons, 4 models of stand-alone wedges and 3 separate models
of putters I created for the opening catalog. The design tone is clean, solid,
unpretentious but intended to stand toe to toe with ANY clubheads in the market, whether
component or OEM.
In the area of shafts and grips, this is where we are pursuing a little
different direction in our design and product development. Our shaft
and grip offerings are going to be 95% all of our own designs. I really
feel that the years I have put in doing research on shafts, including
the book I did in 1991 called The Modern Guide to Shaft Fitting, and all of the following
testing and analysis that was published in various
magazines/newsletters, etc., gave me a really solid foundation to design a very strong
line of shafts. In addition, I am working closely on all of our shaft designs with Robin
Arthur, the designer of the ProLite when he was at Grafalloy and now designer of all the
Rifle graphites for Royal Precision, and the two of us really are convinced with his
composites engineering experience and my testing and analysis and fitting experience, that
we can make the best shafts on the planet. Because we know that some vendor branded shafts
are always going to be in high demand, we are going to stock a few of the popular
Grafalloy, True Temper, UST and Aldila shafts, but only a few that we chose for their
variety of playability for golfers. For example, we will stock the ProLite 35S and 45R,
but not the 35R or 45S because I believe from my work that a shaft like the ProLite 35 is
only suited for higher swing speed players, and a shaft like the 45 is only modeled for
medium swing speed players.
In the area of grips, we are offering a totally 100% proprietary line of
our own grip designs. We will offer no other vendor's grips in our
product line because I really had a fun time working with two of the
biggest and best grip manufacturing companies in the world on different rubber compounds,
molding techniques, and then on new styles and grip design features. The result is 6
different lines of grips from soft to firm molded compounds to simulated leather slip-ons.
For example, the 2 different cord grips are really different in that they feature
different populations of cord fiber with a much less harsh texture on the hands. Or for
example, the rubber wrap style grips are made with a wider and different angled wrap
design that feels better in both hands, or a bigger right hand section as a standard
feature.
The Tools and Technology section is also going to show clubmakers a
completely different approach in our product line. For one, we are not
going to offer clubmaking tools. We are going to focus on fitting
tools/devices and technology items to help clubmakers learn more and do a better job
of fitting and educating their customers. For example our new putter fitting toll will fit
all lengths from normal to Belly to Long and will do it all in a way that locks the
golfer's eyes directly over the ball to ensure accuracy of the length/lie fit. And there
will be a number of new software programs to help clubmakers learn more and fit more
accurately. In the R&D side I have three of the BEST engineering/testing/analytical
minds in golf helping me so that we can continue to keep helping clubmakers learn and
educate their customers. That's a little tough on an opening year budget, but it was
important so I bit the bullet to do that.
So all in all we are working our tails off here to get things up and
running for the time of the catalog mailing. Our web site will go live
around Jan 1, 2003 and I am working on putting a bunch of new tech
information up there now.
All in all, I have decided that in no way am I going to go out there and
try to play in the same arena and play the same game as the other
component companies. Mary-Ellen and I do not want to turn this into
a company that is as large as the industry sales leaders. Our goal is to
be the best in tech info, best in product, and just be here in Durango
doing what we do best. We hope to build our own testing range soon with all the bells and
whistles, but we have to walk first before we can run, so that will be down the road a
year or two.
Anyway, sorry to run off at the mouth on this, but I am pretty pumped about this and now
that I can open my mouth with the ads coming, I wanted to share this with you.
Thanks and I appreciate any help you can offer in getting the word out.
TOM WISHON
(Click to Enlarge)
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| Intriere receives Elmore Just Award
(4/7/03)
I was proud, honored (and very surprised!) to receive the Elmore Just Award at the
2003 PCS Awards Diner. The award, named after PCS (and Louisville Golf) founder,
Elmore Just, is in recognition of outstanding contributions to the PCS.
The award was mostly the result of work done by a PCS committee I chair.
Therefore, I consider this award to be shared equally with the committee's members.
I would like to acknowledge the technical contributions of Al Taylor, Royce Engler,
Glenn Loving, Bruce Taylor, and Kim Pappas.
I would especially like to thank my vice-chair Al Taylor for his advice and guideance
on our projects.
I would also like to thank PCS members who supported our projects: including Lou
Ullrich, Barry Harris, Gregg Thompson, Michael Clark, former member Dana Upshaw and many
others.
Thanks guys, this plaque is for all or you!
 (Click to Enlarge)
Jacques, 4/8/03 |
| Golfsmith
honors Intriere (10/8/2003)
News Release
Austin, TX, October 8, 2003 -- Jacques Intriere of
Greenwich, Conn., was recently honored as the top custom clubmaker in the New York
tri-state area by Golfsmith -- the largest supplier of golf components in the world.
Intriere, who has been a clubmaker for nine years, spends 50 to 60 hours per week
offering golfers a wide range of game-improving services at his 1,500 square foot
clubmaking facility; Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio.
The veteran clubmaker was recognized for his tireless dedication to his profession,
highlighted by his intense need to continue his clubmaking education, during a recent trip
to Golfsmith's world headquarters in Austin, Texas. More impressively, Intriere
received the honor in an extremely competitive region filled with hundreds of professional
clubmaking businesses.
"We are proud to recognize Mr. Intriere's ability, integrity and
professionalism." said Golfsmith Vice President Ken Brugh.
Fittingly, the studious clubmaker's main purpose for making the trip was to attend
Golfsmith's Master Craftsman Program which offers instruction and hands-on training in a
wide range of advanced clubmaking skills including clubhead and shaft design analysis,
customized grinding and head shape profiling, and golf component manufacturing techniques.
This comprehensive program, the only one of its kind in the golf components supply
industry, is presented by a skilled team of Golfsmith clubmakers, designers, engineers and
repair craftsmen. Participants receive a thorough understanding of products,
processes and techniques, and invaluable shop experience working alongside Golfsmith's
technical staff.
For further information:
John Hunt 800/933-7411 ext 4024, john.hunt@golfsmith.com |
***NEWS RELEASE***
GREENWICH, CONN. — Strategic Shaft Technologies
announces the addition of The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio of Greenwich,
Conn., as its newest licensee to offer SST PURE®, the leading
shaft-alignment process on the PGA Tour. Now offering SST PURE to golfers in
the Tri-State area of Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts, The Greenwich
Golf Fitting Studio joins more than two dozen licensed SST PURE distributors
in the United States, Australia, Korea, Japan, Ireland, France, Spain and
the United Kingdom.
“We’re very excited to welcome The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio to our
family of SST PURE clubmakers,” says Dick Weiss of Strategic Shaft
Technologies, founder of the SST PURE shaft-alignment process. “Jacques
Intriere and Greenwich Golf have demonstrated an unsurpassed commitment to
quality and to providing excellence in the craft of custom clubfitting. The
Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio is a great asset to golfers in that region who
are seeking the finest in custom-fit clubs.”
Founded in 1994, The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio is a state-of-the-art,
custom-fitting center that — in addition to the SST PURE technology —
features a Swing Dynamics Analyzer with Ball Flight Monitor that captures
and processes critical clubfitting data such as ball speed, launch angle and
backspin data. Owner and professional clubmaker Jacques Intriere is
certified by the Professional Clubmakers Society (PCS) as a Professional
Class "A" Clubmaker and Clubfitter and was named as the 2004 PCS Eastern
Regional Clubmaker of the Year. In addition, Intriere has been recognized as
the top clubmaker in the New York City tri-state area; received the PCS
Elmore Just Award; and received Elite and Distinguished Clubmaker Awards
from Golfsmith International.
“I want to stay at the forefront of clubmaking and custom fitting, and SST
PURE allows me to fit the best clubs possible and to build the best clubs
possible,” says Intriere. “SST PURE technology and the computer-generated
graphics it produces clearly illustrate to my customers how their shafts
perform before and after the PUREing process. There’s no other system like
it. I want to stay at the pinnacle of my profession, and SST PURE will allow
me to do that.”
To date, more than 180 PGA TOUR players have embraced SST PURE shaft
alignment technology. Using proprietary computer software and sensitive
data-acquisition sensors, the SST PURE shaft alignment process analyzes the
structural irregularities that exist to some degree in every golf shaft and
locates the shaft’s most stable orientation. By assembling the club with the
shaft in its PURE orientation, off-line bending and twisting of the shaft
are minimized and impact repeatability on the center of the clubface by the
golfer improves up to 51 percent. The process can be performed on existing
clubs, new clubs or new shafts — steel or graphite — from most major
manufacturers.
For more information on The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio:
Contact Jacques Intriere at 203.532.4810 or visit www.greenwichgolf.com.
Headquartered in Miami, Strategic Shaft Technologies, LC, was founded by
clubmaker Dick Weiss, who was the creator of the SST PURE® process. The
patented SST PURE process of club assembly — deemed in compliance with USGA
standards — locates each shaft’s irregularities and aligns the shaft to
neutralize them, so that each club bends in the direction it should —
straight down the target line. Upon having his shafts SST PURE aligned, a
player receives a personalized computer printout confirming the process and
an SST PURE shaft label for every shaft that has been PUREd. The SST PURE
process of golf shaft alignment is available at SST PURE licensees around
the United States and internationally. For more information, call
813-759-6708 or visit the SST website at www.sstpure.com.
2004© Strategic Shaft Technologies, LC. All rights reserved.
###
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Press release distributed by:
Meng & Associates Inc.
"Marketing That's Custom Fit"
P. 512.528.0880 F. 512.528.0744
mengassociates.com
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The SST Pure Story (3/3/2004) What is SST PURE?
SST PURE Shaft Alignment is the golf industry’s leading
method of using computer analysis to examine the structure of any golf shaft
and align it in its most stable position. Irregularities exist in every
shaft, and these irregularities induce off-line bending and twisting that
negatively affect the way a club performs. Assembling a club in the SST PURE
alignment results in longer, straighter shots and a lower spin rate. Each
PUREd shaft is accompanied by a printout that details this improvement in
performance.
When a shaft “kicks” forward immediately prior to
impact it is important that the shaft does not oscillate up and
down. Aligning SST PURE’s Principal Planar Oscillation Plane (PPOP)
in the hit direction minimizes out-of-plane movement of the shaft.
Shaft oscillation tests have shown that out-of-plane movements of
more than a half-inch can occur in shafts intentionally oriented
with the PPOP not in the hit direction. This untoward movement is
caused by the shaft, not the player!
The PPOP occurs because of variations of stiffness
around the circumference of a shaft as well as variations in a
shaft’s straightness. Most shafts have two or more POPs. A perfectly
symmetrical shaft does not exist, but theoretically it would have an
infinite number of POPs. A shaft has only one PPOP, or SST PURE
plane of alignment.
|
 (Click to Enlarge) |
Repeatability Improvement occurs for all handicap levels. The picture
on the left shows how Repeatability improved 44%, 51%, and 39% respectively
for a 12 handicap, 0 handicap, and 20 handicap! |
 (Click to Enlarge) |
Jimmy Whelan (Tour Van Jimmy) and Dick Weiss (founder and owner of SST) have
Pured clubs for over 180 touring pros. Last year, their Pured clubs
won over $40 million. This year they placed 9 out of the top ten at
the Mercedes Championship. This year they've begun Puring clubs on the
Champions Tour and have already worked with over 1/3rd of its players. |
 (Click to Enlarge) |
The printout that accompanies each SST PUREd shaft is the proof to
you and your customer that the shaft’s most stable plane has been
located. Screen shot at left shows a shaft Pured at the
Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio
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SST PURE® Licensee Honored as Clubmaker of the Year (3/8/2004)
GREENWICH, CONN. — Strategic Shaft Technologies is proud to announce
that one of its newest SST PURE® licensees — Jacques Intriere of The
Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio in Greenwich, Conn. — has been awarded the
2004 Eastern Regional Clubmaker of the Year Award by the Professional
Clubmakers’ Society, an international organization dedicated to
excellence in custom fitting golf clubs.
“Winning the Eastern Regional Clubmaker of the Year Award is nice
recognition from my peers,” says Intriere, a Professional Class "A"
Clubmaker and Clubfitter. “More importantly, however, is the continuous
recognition and appreciation I receive from my customers every day. I’d
like to think I’ve been their Clubmaker of the Year for years.“
Founded in 1994, The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio is a
state-of-the-art, golf equipment fitting center that specializes in
one-on-one custom-fitting sessions. The recent addition of patented SST
PURE shaft-alignment technology has been one example of Intriere’s
steadfast commitment to providing the finest in custom-fit golf clubs.
To date, more than 180 PGA TOUR players have embraced SST PURE shaft
alignment technology. Using proprietary computer software and sensitive
data-acquisition sensors, the SST PURE shaft alignment process analyzes
the structural irregularities that exist to some degree in every golf
shaft and locates the shaft’s most stable orientation. By assembling the
club with the shaft in its PURE orientation, off-line bending and
twisting of the shaft are minimized and impact repeatability on the
center of the clubface by the golfer improves up to 51 percent. The
process can be performed on existing clubs, new clubs or new shafts —
steel or graphite — from most major manufacturers.
“We’re very excited to see The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio receive the
recognition they deserve,” says Dick Weiss of Strategic Shaft
Technologies, founder of the SST PURE shaft-alignment process. “Jacques
Intriere and Greenwich Golf have demonstrated an unsurpassed commitment
to quality and to providing excellence in the craft of custom
clubfitting. The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio is a great asset to
golfers who are seeking the finest in custom-fit clubs.”
For more information on The Greenwich Golf Fitting Studio:
Contact Jacques Intriere at 203.532.4810 or visit www.greenwichgolf.com.
2004© Strategic Shaft Technologies, LC. All rights reserved.
###
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John Meng
Meng & Associates Inc.
"Marketing That's Custom Fit"
P. 512.528.0880 F. 512.528.0744
mengassociates.com
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Intriere receives GCA Eastern Regional Clubmaker of the Year (10/22/04)
The Golf Clubmakers Association honors Jacques Intriere as its 2004/2005
Eastern Regional Clubmaker of the Year.
(Click to enlarge. Jacques Intriere, left, Dana Wong center, Dana
Upshaw, second from right, Irl Robinson, right). |
|
True Temper Tour
Concept Program (9/27/05)
Greenwich Golf
Fitting Studio becomes a True Temper Tour Concept Dealer. The Tour
Concept is the golf industry's first flighted and constant weight shaft.
Other installed shafts, including Grafalloy Tour are available
through this program. We're proud to become part of the elite network
of Tour Concept dealers.
Following is a
9/27/05 Press Release from True Temper on their M80 shaft.
INTRODUCING M80® FROM TRUE TEMPER®
The World’s Lightest Alloy Iron Shaft.
Memphis, TN … Solidifying
its position on the cutting edge of golf shaft design, True Temper has once
again raised the standard by which all golf shafts are judged by. With the
stateside release of the new M80 iron shaft, the industry leader brings to
market the world’s lightest alloy golf shaft. Constructed of True Temper’s
proprietary super-strength S3 alloy, M80 brings a unique blend of materials
and advanced design together to deliver a superlight, incredibly responsive
golf shaft.
Previously only available in Japan, M80 is now offered in the US exclusively
through True Temper’s premium Tour Concept Program. The ultra-lightweight
design features a raw weight of 84 grams and is the perfect shaft for
current graphite iron shaft users seeking featherweight irons with improved
shot consistency over graphite.
Available in 0, 1, and 2
flexes, M80 is a constant weight, taper tip design that offers improved
consistency and feel throughout the set of irons. Additional information is
available at www.tttourconcept.com.
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Online Review of Customer Fitting (1/22/06)
Wow, not even sure where to start. Appt
was for 9:45 AM but we had a nice nor-easter
to deal with this morning. Couldn't get
in touch with Jacques because of the
long weekend but checked my email at
6:30 AM and was pleased to see that he
had sent an email at 6:15 AM offering to
postpone if the drive looked unsafe.
Checked outside and had about 6" of wet
snow on my car but all the news channels
showed no snow along the CT shoreline so
I decided I'd start southward and see
how the highways were. Turned out not to
be a problem at all. Total trip was
about 90 miles each way and only took a
longer than usual because of the
weather.
Brought along my current bag and 5 other
clubs (two other drivers and a 6,8,P
from a backup iron set). Also brought a
sheet with all my notes and questions to
make sure I covered everything that I
wanted to. Primary questions I wanted
answered were:
- Get accurate readings of driver SS,
launch angle, spin rates.
- Is current driver loft OK?
- Is current driver shaft OK?
- What driver shaft profile should I be
looking for in general.
- Get some specific driver shaft
recommendations.
- Get accurate reading of 5I or 6I SS
and spin rate.
- Are current iron shafts OK (weight,
flex, length, SW)?
- Are my iron lofts and lies OK?
- Try irons of different SW's, check
impact patterns.
- Any iron head design features I should
be looking for that aren't present in
PC3 / 752tc?
- Specific iron shaft recommendations.
- Confirm playing length of driver, FW,
hybrids, irons, wedges and putter.
Measure and discuss.
- Discuss bag setup changes: I carried
19*, 22*, 25* hybrids last year. Lowest
iron is a 5I at 27*. Am thinking of
dropping 25* hybrid (can easily choke
down an inch on 22* when necessary) in
favor of another wedge. Measure
distances and trajectories and discuss.
- Am also thinking of dropping my 15* 3W
in favor of a 16* or 17* 4W. Measure 3W
and 4W launch parameters and discuss.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Jacques had to leave
almost immediately after our session in
order to pick his kids up at school due
to early dismissal. As a result, we had
time to discuss and review all the
results when we were done but he did NOT
have time to print all the various
monitor results, club specs, putter
monitor, etc. for me to take home. He is
going to print them and either fax or
PDF them to me tomorrow. So everything
here is from memory and I don't have the
exact figures regarding spin rates,
launch angles, CPM of existing clubs,
etc. I will update when I get the
results.
The entire process took a little over 3
hours and consisted of the following:
- Personal interview (Jacques took
notes; I did not fill out any forms)
- Measure specs of current clubs
- Warmup
- Iron fitting (hit about a dozen
different 6 iron head and shaft combos)
- Hybrid fitting (three different
heads/shafts)
- FW fitting (three different
heads/shafts)
- Driver fitting (5-6 head /shaft
combos)
- Putter fitting
- Iron lie board check
- Grip size check
- Sit-down review
- Follow up via email and snail-mail
---------------------------------------------------------
Personal interview:
Talked about 15 minutes about my game in
general. Current handicap (5.2), biggest
reason for hcap drop from 10 to 5
(short-game lessons last winter), game
stats (GIR, putting averages, up & down
%, etc), general ball-striking ability,
strengths and weaknesses, best clubs I
hit, worst clubs I hit, divot shapes,
general ball flight tendencies, any
adjustments in ball flight I'd like to
see (higher, lower), etc.
Moved to the shop in back where we
continued talking informally while
Jacques measured specs of all my clubs
(including the extras I'd brought
along). Jacques noted that he wasn't
familiar with the FST shafts in my
Wishon 752's but was extremely impressed
with the frequency tightness of the Pro
Black Lites. Told him I'd reshafted them
myself (my first reshaft job) and he
asked if I used a frequency machine
(chest swell). Told him I didn't but had
simply followed Tim Hewitt's "basic
clubbuilding for dummies" instructions
that weren't designed to take the place
of a qualified clubbuilder but should
get the weekend player somewhere in the
ballpark. Apparently, his instructions
yielded even better results than that.
Jacques was VERY impressed with the
shafts and said so several times.
Moved to the launch monitor area. Did
some stretching, hit a few wedges and 8
irons into the net and then we got into
the fitting proper.
Irons:
Current clubs: Wishon 752tc / FST Pro
Black Lites (~5.0 flex, firm). Backup
set: Dynacraft PC3 / Harrison
Professional (6.5 flex, very stiff)
Hit the Wishon 6 iron 3 or 4 times,
reviewed results on launch monitor (VERY
cool graphics display) and then we tried
about 10 other head/shaft combos.
Determined the following:
- Avg SS is 82-85 with 6I. Carry ~155y,
total 160y.
- Consistently picked up ~2-3 MPH with
90g shafts (not ALL players benefit from
lighter iron shafts but I did). Just
about any shaft in 90g range would be
better for me than the 122g Pro Black
Lites or 135g Harrison Professionals.
- Best iron heads for me are just about
any moderately forgiving, cavity-backed
forged iron that I like the look of (I
liked that he didn't push any one thing
at me). Had best results with Mizuno
MX-23 (absolutely pured these shot after
shot) and Wishon 770CFE (played 1/2 club
longer than the 752's on similar
shafts). Others to look at are Wishon
550C and SE 600XC.
- 5.0 shaft flex yielded best results
(even though he thought I hit the 6.5
flex Harrisons surprisingly well)
- Specific shaft recommendations: TX-90
(not the TX-90 Tour), Nippon 950, any
good 90g graphite shaft (i.e.: Vista Pro
90), any Accuflex in 90g range.
- Generated a large amount of ball spin
which is why I generally don't have a
problem stopping lower spin balls on
most greens.
Hybrids:
Current hybrids are 19*, 22*, 25* ZT
Maximizers on TX-90. Hit the 22* 3-4
times and then tried a Sonartec MD-23*
and Wishon 321LI, also on 90g steel
shafts and graphite. 90g steel is fine
(no improvement was noted with graphite
shafts in the hybrids) but both the
Sonartec and Wishon yielded straighter
ball-flights than my ZT Maximizers.
Jacques stressed that it wasn't the
shafts as the TX-90 shafts in my ZT's
were a good choice for me. We discussed
bag setup and he agreed that dropping
the 25* hybrid was probably a good idea.
Fairway woods:
Current FW: 15* Wishon 515 GRT 3W
Although the monitor showed that I hit
the Wishon 3W off the deck pretty well
with an acceptable trajectory the
monitor confirmed that my idea to swap
the 3W for a 4W is a good one. Hardly
any lost distance with a better ball
flight, more accuracy and, subjectively,
more confidence. Two great 4W's that I
hit were the Sonartec SS-07 16*
(recommended shaft: Accra T60, M4 flex)
and Mizuno F-50 16.5* with stock Exsar
stiff shaft. The Cally 4W I tried sucked
dog snot. Note to self: Figure out how
to get kcee to trade me for his 17*
Innovex 4W .
Driver:
Current driver is an SMT Spectrum 10* /
Harrison Striper Tour 601 stiff. Also
brought along an Alpha v2 400 / Fuji
Speeder 569 stiff and a SMT 455DB 12* /
Icon V3 reg (borrowed from my wife's
bag; I hit it almost as far as my
Spectrum but almost always push it out
to the right).
Hit my driver and a variety of others
picked out by Jacques and determined the
following:
- Avg SS with driver was 100-102 (forgot
the carry and roll numbers).
- 250 CPM on the Harrison shaft was a
good match.
- Hit one shot with a $1,000 shaft just
for laughs (forget which one it was).
Actually gained about 3 MPH (5-8 yards)
but didn't sign up to buy one, LOL.
- My launch angle was surprising high
(17-18* range with a couple over 19*).
With that much of an upward angle of
attack my current driver loft of
10-10.5* is fine. Explains why several
12* driver experiments didn't work out
well for me. Also had a very VERY high
amount of ball spin. Note for future
lessons: If anything, I should try to
reduce spin with driver by trying to hit
ball higher on club face. Note: This
explains why premium high-spin balls
have never worked very well for me and
why playing lower-spin balls is actually
beneficial for me. Some low-spin OEM
heads we tried are Cally FT-3, Cleveland
Comp (not a Launcher) and Mizuno MX-500.
A TM R7 would also work but I should
stay away from Cally BB, Cleveland
Launcher and other high-spin,
high-launch drivers. Per Jacques, if I
want to stay with SMT, I should ask Mike
which SMT driver has lowest spin rate.
Also, my 44.5" driver length is fine; I
control it well enough that there's no
reason to cut it down any further.
Driver shafts:
My Harrison Striper Tour 601 at 251 CPM
is a decent fit but Jacques suggested I
try an Accuflex Evolution R flex several
times. The Fuji Speeder 569 that is
currently in the Alpha is the softest
tipped Speeder of them all which is bad
for me because I already have plenty of
launch angle and spin. That explains why
I never hit that expensive shaft well at
all. Surprisingly (to me at least) he
suggested that a very cost-effective
possibility was a Grafalloy Blue R
untipped or even tipped 1/2".
Putting:
Current putter: TaylorMade Rossa Fontana
Sport-7 (center-shafted mallet), cut to
32.75", backweighted ~60g-90g (I
honestly forget which) and a Ping
Fingerlock grip.
The SAM Putting lab is SO cool. A little
device clips onto your putter shaft and
is wired to a small box that clips onto
your belt. You stand so the clip-on
thingy faces the main unit, put balls on
a mark and then hit sets of 5 putts to a
target about 10-12 feet away. The device
measures your putter face angle at
address, your swing path, face angle at
impact, face angle rotation during the
stroke (open to square to closed),
impact point on the putter face (both
heel-toe and vertically) and then
displays all the results graphically.
The great news is that my putting stroke
is WAY good:
- Face angle at address was
near-perfect.
- Face angle at impact was near-perfect.
- Swing path was ever so slightly from
outside-in. Although not nearly enough
to be problematic, a slight inside-out
path would be preferable.
- Impact distribution on the putter face
was good but not perfect. 4 of the 5
were pretty tight (by decent amateur
standards) but one was about 1/4"
off-center. That could easily translate
to 5' short on a longer putt.
Added an additional 90g backweight, hit
5 more putts and, presto!, my swing path
corrected itself to nearly dead
straight!!!! Jacques suggested that the
90g addition was actually probably too
much considering I already had 60-90g in
there but that I ought to increase my
backweighting to a total of 110-120g
(once I remember what I put in it in the
first place). Confirmed that a
center-shafted putter is perfect for my
stroke. Generally, players should use a
center-shafted putter if most misses are
left and use a heel-shafted putter if
most misses are right. That makes sense
given the way that putter offset should
work to assist with squaring the putter
face. Jacques thought I had a putter
that was really right for me so of all
the other putters there the only other
one he had me try was a center-shafted
Heavy Putter. Very nice feel through
impact and the high MOI should virtually
eliminate the distance loss from the
occasional slightly off-center hit.
Finished by measuring my putter loft at
4* which was perfect for my stroke.
Wedges:
Current wedges: Cleveland 588 RTG 53*,
57*.
Hit a few shots. Jacques measured my
wrist to floor and said that although I
should play my irons at standard it
would be a good idea to play my wedges a
little longer than standard, probably
same as PW (seems my arms are a bit
short for my height). Stay away from
Pelz wedges and others that are
deliberately shorter.
Iron lie board:
Wishons were 1-2* upright, PC3's were
spot on (I'd already had them adjusted).
As expected, Wishons hits were a little
heel-biased.
Checked grip size. Men's standard or one
extra wrap was fine for me.
Started winding down by discussing my
bag setup. My 2005 bag usually
contained:
1W - 10*
3W - 15*
2H - 19*
3H - 22*
4H - 25*
5I - 27*
6I - 31*
7I - 35*
8I - 39*
9I - 43*
PW - 47*
GW - 53*
SW - 57*
After dropping the 3W and 4H and adding
a 4W and a 51-52* GW, my 2006 bag will
(eventually) be:
1W - 10*-10.5*
4W - 16.5*-17*
2H - 19*
3H - 22*-23*
5I - 27*
6I - 31*
7I - 35*
8I - 39*
9I - 43*
PW - 47*
GW - 51*-52*
SW - 56*
LW - 58*-60*
Packed my stuff up while Jacques fielded
a phone call from a woman looking to
purchase a gift certificate for her
husband. She didn't understand why it
would take 3 hours so Jacques handed me
the phone and had me explain it to her,
LOL! We then sat down for another 10
minutes to recap while I took some
notes. Closed up the shop and we left
together but not before Jacques said
that if I wanted to come in again for a
follow-up there'd be no additional
charge!!!
I can't tell how how happy I was with
the entire experience, how much I
learned and what a great time I had.
Jacques was an absolute pleasure to work
with. He is that rare combination of
someone who absolutely knows what
they're doing but doesn't put themselves
on a pedestal. He said he was at my
disposal if I'd like to have him build
something but I want to stress that AT
NO TIME did he ever try to sell me
anything; I was very impressed with
that. I also liked that he carries and
gave equal recommendations to OEM and
component clubs. Was also impressed by
how he treated ME personally. Didn't
roll his eyes when I mentioned I was
starting to tinker with clubbuilding
purely as a hobby. On the contrary he
was actually quite encouraging. That was
pretty cool and made a nice impression.
Guys, I would recommend this experience
to anyone that is even a little serious
about their game and their equipment. It
was as much FUN as it was educational.
_____________________________
No matter how well you
strike the ball it is your ability to
turn three shots into two that makes or
breaks your score - Nick Faldo
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Callaway Optifit System
(9/30/2006) |
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(Click to Enlarge)
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This is the best wood fitting tool to come out since the
advent of the launch monitor. 25 heads with different lofts mated with 40 shafts, yield 1000 different test clubs and only
take up two square feet! This system provides data that help determine
which driver loft and length you should be playing, what shaft (including
flex, point, and weight), and whether you should be playing a draw or fade
biased driver.
A Clubfitter's dream come true! |
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Sam Putt Lab (8/30/2006) |
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(Click to Enlarge)
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We've been using the Sam Putt Lab to fit putters since
early 2005. Used by many top teachers and on the Tours, the Sam
Putt Lab shows face angle at address and impact, club path and rise, impact
spot on face, shaft angle at impact, clubhead path, face angle throughout
the putting stroke, and timing. Additionally, it compares your putting
stroke to some of the top players in the game today.
It actually scores all aspects of your putting as well as your consistency
in comparison to data from 100 top European PGA touring pros.
Using this tool, we've been able to quantify improvements
in moving to a new putter or retrofitting your existing one. |
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Intriere receives 2006 PCS Regional Clubmaker of the Year Award (12/2006) |
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I was honored to receive the award this past March, along with Keith Chatham
(International winner), Ed Grabowy, Patrick Kennedy, Jim McCleery, and David
Bass. |
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Greenwich Golf to exhibit at March Westchester Golf Show (2/2007) |
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We are happy to announce that we'll again be exhibiting at the
Westchester Golf Show. The Show runs Saturday and Sunday, March 17th
and 18th. Stop by to chat, hit the newest driver on our launch
monitor, see what's new in irons and hybrids, and enter our daily drawing.
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It's Hip to be Square (2/2007) |
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(Click to Enlarge)
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By now, you've either read in a golf magazine or seen TV ads extolling the
benefits of square driver heads. Is it hype or does the new bizarre
geometry have merit? Our launch monitor data indicates that these new
heads reduce side spin, resulting in more accurate drives. On center
hits, you'll hit the square driver a comparable distance to a conventional
driver. But on mishits, the higher Moment of Inertia (MOI) of the
square driver will result in drives with higher ball speed and less side
spin than the conventional design, resulting in more accuracy and more
distance. |
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Jacques plays the Old Course |
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In celebration of my 50th birthday, I made the pilgrimage to St.
Andrews. It was worth the wait. If you haven't gone I encourage
you to do so. Click on the thumbnails for some shots of me at the Old
Course. Oh, and I want to thank my wife for the surprise birthday
party and permission to go. Thanks to Harry Kelly of Piping Rock for
the photos.
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