Sometimes it is the arrow

[The Troll]

Reading the "breaking 80" thread got me thinking about my scores this year.

Never been more consistent, almost every round has been 80 to 84 but haven't had a sub 80 round year....unusual for me. Putting and iron play has been great and my usual mediocre short game has been really good to the point people have mentioned the difference.

The problem....snap hooking at least 5 drives a round....and I mean snap hooking. A driver hook has long been an issue but never like this.

At the start of the year, I put a new driver in play....club came straight from the manufacturer. Originally I was hitting high with it really flattening out and going deep. After the first few weeks it started going higher without flattening and the draws becoming uncontrollable hooks. Naturally, I have worked harder and harder at the range to fix "my issue". Putting 10 wraps under my right hand didn't eliminate the issue.

Decided to try a new shaft. When my guy pulled the factory installed shaft he discovered that the shaft had been incorrectly installed. Someone at the factory appears to have sanded the tip down to an unbelievable thinness. The tip appears to be about 50% of the thickness of the new shaft. With all the balls I have hit I had turned the original shaft's tip into pablum. You can actually bend the tip in any direction with a finger. Still hitting it really deep even with direction issues. A little proof of Harry's comments about the manufacturers.

Not going to post the brand right now as we are currently working out the compensation. I've told them replacing the shaft isn't a solution as I have already paid for and installed a Speeder 757 Evolution TS. Plus it has kind of ruined half a season.

[skt07]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

I have a similar story, but in my case completely my fault.

Driving has always been the strong part of my game. Reasonably long with a small fade, I'm very confident in finding the fairway off the tee.

I picked up a 915 D2 before the start of the season. Took it to the range and it felt great. Started fiddling with the settings to see if I could see a difference and eventually ended my session, happy with the results and looking forward to playing my first round with it.

Fast forward a few weeks to my first round of the season. First drive pulled into the trees on the left. Chalk it up to first round nerves or rust. Second drive, even further left, a high hook. Strange, I never draw the ball with my driver. Maybe I'll just use my hybrid off the tee for the next few holes.

A couple more wayward drives, all to the left, and finally around the 12th hole I decide to check the setting. Look up on my phone what "A3" means - high draw. WTF! I had settled on "D4" - 0.75* extra loft with a standard lie.

I must have forgotten to set it back after my range fiddling. The last couple holes were back to my usual small fades in the fairway.

[bl8d]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

when I see a shop dressing a graphite shaft tip on a belt-sander it makes my skin crawl. I scrape the paint off with a box knife, and that's it. I think Harry does the same.

[The Troll]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

when I see a shop dressing a graphite shaft tip on a belt-sander it makes my skin crawl. I scrape the paint off with a box knife

Got a good look at mine this afternoon in the sun....there is a significant ridge above the sanded area. The shaft has completely failed right at the ridge line. I think this was left in a belt sander while the trainee went for lunch.

I kept saying the scores would come when I got the snappers straightened out....

[Carlton]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

when I see a shop dressing a graphite shaft tip on a belt-sander it makes my skin crawl. I scrape the paint off with a box knife, and that's it. I think Harry does the same.

Even a knife scares me. Golfsmith used to sell a 6" mild abrasive strip for prepping graphite shafts. It was mild enough that it would scuff off the clear coat without damaging the fibers.

I see they now sell a Trizact sanding belt for the sanders that supposedly doesn't damage the fibers of graphite shafts. Probably will do quick damage to a shaft if you have heavy hands.

Got a good look at mine this afternoon in the sun....there is a significant ridge above the sanded area. The shaft has completely failed right at the ridge line. I think this was left in a belt sander while the trainee went for lunch.

I kept saying the scores would come when I got the snappers straightened out....

Humm, maybe someone tried to fit a 350 tip shaft into a 335 hosel?

[The Troll]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

Humm, maybe someone tried to fit a 350 tip shaft into a 335 hosel?

Came direct from the factory.

[caddishack]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

I have had the same problem with having this wild hook from nowhere and ruining my score. I might get it 3 or 4 times a round. Very frustrating.
Yesterday at Ballantray after getting a 7 on the second hole...I decided to leave the driver in the bag and go to my 4 wood. Sure I was further out, but I was on the fairway and scored pretty well using it. brought the driver out on some holes that had wide fairways(which is most lol). In the end I shot an 82, but figure if I had left that driver in the bag from the get go I would have broke 80 for sure.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

So about those lower scores now that the shaft is straightened out... How is that going?

[Bern]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

when I see a shop dressing a graphite shaft tip on a belt-sander it makes my skin crawl. I scrape the paint off with a box knife, and that's it. I think Harry does the same.

So long as you use the right belt there is no real worry about damaging the shaft.
I have 3 belts, 1 for woods, 1 for irons, 1 cloth belt for ferules.

[bl8d]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

Even a knife scares me. Golfsmith used to sell a 6" mild abrasive strip for prepping graphite shafts. It was mild enough that it would scuff off the clear coat without damaging the fibers.

I see they now sell a Trizact sanding belt for the sanders that supposedly doesn't damage the fibers of graphite shafts. Probably will do quick damage to a shaft if you have heavy hands.



Humm, maybe someone tried to fit a 350 tip shaft into a 335 hosel?

what I don't like about a belt sander is they cross-cut the carbon fibers at 90*, there is no way around it. A box knife, a razor blade or an Exacto blade just shave the gel coat parallel to the fibers, hence unlikely to shear them. Every fiber that's cross cut weakens the tip.
Bern says he has a special belt for woods, but it makes no difference because it is difficult to rotate a shaft evenly and smoothly and hold it absolutely parallel to the belt.

http://www.harrison.com/articledetail/shaft-tip-prep

[The Troll]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

So about those lower scores now that the shaft is straightened out... How is that going?

Smart azz!!!!!

Actually don't have it back yet.

[The Troll]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

So about those lower scores now that the shaft is straightened out... How is that going?

Now that I have three rounds in I can answer....

One round about the same, the last two four shots better even though my putting has suddenly gone to hell.

Two rounds ago I had zero snap hooks and hit a 334 yard beast on 18 (take that father time) and today only missed two fairways by more than 2 yards.

The Speeder 757 TS Evolution is a beast.

Now if the manufacturer will play ball with me and own up.

[TourIQ]

Re: Sometimes it is the arrow

Decided to try a new shaft. When my guy pulled the factory installed shaft he discovered that the shaft had been incorrectly installed. Someone at the factory appears to have sanded the tip down to an unbelievable thinness. The tip appears to be about 50% of the thickness of the new shaft. With all the balls I have hit I had turned the original shaft's tip into pablum. You can actually bend the tip in any direction with a finger. Still hitting it really deep even with direction issues. A little proof of Harry's comments about the manufacturers.

Plus it has kind of ruined half a season.

Years ago, WILL came to me for a retrofit of his gamers. He had some metals reshafted with premium Accra shafts, and I wanted to pull the shafts to re-install in his TM railers and laser FLO. When the shaft came out, the shaft tip appeared real thin with inconsistent prep, then when I went to clean out the hosel, brass shims were coming out, I thought WTF!

Turns out the clubmaker severely oversanded the graphite shaft, then had to install a brass shim to take up the slack in order to centre the shaft. At the time, this clubmaker (who will go un-named) was the guy everyone from TGN forum members were getting all horney over for years. He took an expensive premium shaft and did a butcher job, but he was highly respected in the trade and still works in the trade today at a premium shop

when I see a shop dressing a graphite shaft tip on a belt-sander it makes my skin crawl. I scrape the paint off with a box knife, and that's it. I think Harry does the same.

Beginning nearly 20 years ago, I've only ever prepped a graphite shaft with an OLFA utility (razar sharp) knife.

what I don't like about a belt sander is they cross-cut the carbon fibers at 90*, there is no way around it. A box knife, a razor blade or an Exacto blade just shave the gel coat parallel to the fibers, hence unlikely to shear them. Every fiber that's cross cut weakens the tip.
Bern says he has a special belt for woods, but it makes no difference because it is difficult to rotate a shaft evenly and smoothly and hold it absolutely parallel to the belt.

Totally agree ... great summary dek.

So long as you use the right belt there is no real worry about damaging the shaft.
I have 3 belts, 1 for woods, 1 for irons, 1 cloth belt for ferules.

I've never used a belt for graphite shafts, never seen a reason to, but more reasons not to. Safety is a huge bonus.

If a graphite shafted fairway metal will last me 10+ years in my bag, why do I need to save a full minute on shaft preparation, and take it off its frequency slope, and risk shaft integrity?

If you want to hit certain build specifications and tolerances, there can be no shortcuts.