Optivibe/Tour Lock

[Spohnny]

I was trying to extend the shaft on a putter I had, and the only thing I had to use was a metal rod that went about 10" into the existing shaft before snugging up. I cut it off at the length I wanted, put a grip on it, and rolled a few putts. I was surprised to find that the putter went back and forward dead str8, with no effort on my part, and long putts were easier to start on line. I checked and the balance point had moved about 6" closer to my hands. Based on this experience (and what I found on the internet), I have ordered a number of the optivibe and tour lock weights to try in my other clubs. I've had no experience with these, but is there a combination I should start with for my driver, irons, wedges?

[Weirfan]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

There is plenty of information on the positive effects of counterbalancing/ backweighting, just do a search. Guys like Leith Anderson at the golf lab have compiled large data bases on the positive results achieved by the majority of golfers. Tim Hewitt is another who tested hundreds of golfers.

I posted the results of two studies in the "do you care about swingweight
" thread. But to summarize them, many golfers get increased distance ( 1 club) and increased accuracy when the proper amount of back is applied.

Just be forewarned that dialing in the correct amount of weight for your particular situation WILL take some trial and error and involve testing with several different weights. That is why I typically suggest people buy 3 weights to start. I highlybrecommend the Tour Loc Pro, easybto install and uninstall for your experimentation.
Perhaps start with an 8, 16 or 20 and a 30 grams weight.

In my experience there is no set presc ription for what will work person to person, but generally people fall in the 20 - 50 grams in the driver/woods and 8-20 for the irons.

http://www.tourlockpro.com/tourlockpro.html

2 critical things to make sure to do:

1 use impact labels, tape, dry erase marker etc to examine the center contact pattern on the face of the club. This tells you how well you are hitting the ball , and of course the shot dispertion pattern ( a little tough to do in winter indoors)

2. Allow an accomodation period to the new club balance point. Although some will find immediate improvements with backweighting, because we have all been using clubs that have all been made with the same balance distribution since we started golf, there can be period of unfamiliarity and discomfort with such a dramatic change in club balance point. A FEW HITS AT ONE RANGE SESSION WONT DO IT .

Too often I have seen guys bring their old driver and one with a counterbalance weightbtonthe range, take 5-10 swings with each and say ,meh.....i dont like it , or I dont see a difference, then dismiss backweighting as not for them

Give it some time and I think that you will be happy like many.

Good luck and keep us posted

[sharkhark]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

I just bought the weight that is 100 grams and the grip modifier tool to install in my Scotty Cameron Putter.
Made hole no problem.
Counter sink. No problem.
Install weight down thru hole? Problem.
It appears that the shaft diameter is smaller than the weight.


That's fun. No warning or faq concerns on their site about that potentially happening. Now I have a scuffed up weight (from me trying to force down into shaft)
.... And a grip modifier tool... And a hole in my Scotty Cameron pistolero grip that I paid big bucks for ages ago when it was new on the scene.
Pretty pissed at this....

[Weirfan]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

that sucks....

I've never had this problem but have only used the Tour Lock weights not with the Opti-vibe.

I have seen at times had to make the hole in the grip larger to get the apparatus in but personally never had an issue with the shaft butt diameter being too small.

was the putter shaft ever cut down from the standard 35 inches? If so it will be narrower and could be the issue.

[Weirfan]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

just did a search on FGI and there is mention of experiencing the shaft butt being too narrow .

the manufacturer should tell you what butt diameters are not accepting of their product but dont appear to

[sharkhark]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

thanks weirfan...its the original 34 inch length

i have held the tour lock weight beside the shaft of my scotty and it to my non expert, pretty clumsy eyes....looks as big if not bigger than my shaft period...much less to fit within that more narrower diameter....

its just a normal scotty cameron newport. probably one of the most well known brands and models....

i dont see why if this thing is so big that in some cases it is an issue..why they wouldnt have somewhere on their site a warning to measure or something like that.

since my problem i tried to find a faq or the like on their site that addresses this or other problems and nothing. they just want to sell their goods. pretty disappointing.....not sure what i am going to do. i ordered it thru gt not them.
but dont feel it is gt's fault. i spent $45 not to mention my grip now has a hole in it....my poor pistolero...................i sent an email that so far has not had a reply...to tour lock themselves...........i will post their reply when i get it


ps? what is fgi...my apologies..dont know that site? if it is a site...

[Weirfan]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

FGI = freegolfinfo.com

[sharkhark]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

FGI = freegolfinfo.com

thanks. did a quick look and yes as you said two different references to the weight not fitting some diameter shafts.

wouldnt a scotty newport like i have be a pretty well known putter and shaft? its funny went to tour lock site sent an email. but while on that site i saw that you can connect thru facebook but that link on their page is dead. so i went to twitter where they were flogging their product.

posted to the main guy in a couple spots asking why no warnings of any kinds about it being so fat it wont fit
something that they list on their site as being a common one to add this to, scotty cameron. we will see what the guy says.

[sharkhark]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

that sucks....

I've never had this problem but have only used the Tour Lock weights not with the Opti-vibe.

I have seen at times had to make the hole in the grip larger to get the apparatus in but personally never had an issue with the shaft butt diameter being too small.

was the putter shaft ever cut down from the standard 35 inches? If so it will be narrower and could be the issue.

I just got off the phone the owner of the company tour lock and he's the inventor he was baffled. Asked if there is an extension in it or cut down. I said no.*I sent email to their site and posted on twitter impressed at response personally calling from USA.*He offered to cover shipping to him. Generous.*But now that got me thinking. I forgot that About 4 years ago approximately... I thought that at 34 inches stock and me being tall I wanted to try it at an inch longer.*I paid Queensway gt employee proshop to do it.*He said they would have to install a graphite extension plug. He said he could save grip he did but had used some sort of pin ***** method that left holes all over my iomic grip.*It didn't feel as nice whether in my head or not so at season end went to same gt and asked to bring it back to 34 inches.*He said he couldn't save grip (so I bought new iomic) and he said he would have to heat the shaft & remove plug.*I said ok. Then this past season at dartmouth gt I paid to have the new pistolero grip installed.*When I look down inside the hole I cut to install tour lock Pro weight I see what looks like a good 3 inches down before the shaft starts.*Shouldn't the shaft be just below the grip cap?*If there is considerable distance did this gt employee not in fact heat up the plug & remove.*Could he have cut it down? Screwed something up?*I'm really concerned & confused. If that's the case how would I even fix this & who would pay? Me? For Golftown mistake?*Any ideas? I'm possibly going to gt tonight bring Putter and weight.

[Pingeye2_fan]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

I just got off the phone the owner of the company tour lock and he's the inventor he was baffled. Asked if there is an extension in it or cut down. I said no.
I sent email to their site and posted on twitter impressed at response personally calling from USA.

He offered to cover shipping to him. Generous.

But now that got me thinking. I forgot that About 4 years ago approximately... I thought that at 34 inches stock and me being tall I wanted to try it at an inch longer.

I paid Queensway gt employee proshop to do it.
He said they would have to install a graphite extension plug. He said he could save grip he did but had used some sort of pin ***** method that left holes all over my iomic grip.
It didn't feel as nice whether in my head or not so at season end went to same gt and asked to bring it back to 34 inches.

He said he couldn't save grip (so I bought new iomic) and he said he would have to heat the shaft & remove plug.
I said ok. Then this past season at dartmouth gt I paid to have the new pistolero grip installed.

When I look down inside the hole I cut to install tour lock Pro weight I see what looks like a good 3 inches down before the shaft starts.
Shouldn't the shaft be just below the grip cap?

If there is considerable distance did this gt employee not in fact heat up the plug & remove.
Could he have cut it down? Screwed something up?

I'm really concerned & confused. If that's the case how would I even fix this & who would pay? Me? For Golftown mistake?

Any ideas? I'm possibly going to gt tonight bring Putter and weight.

Sounds like maybe he cut the extension instead of removing it.

[Gridiron]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

I put a 100 gram Tour Lock Pro in my Scotty Monterey with Pistolero grip just this fall and had no issues at all (love it!). Extremely easy. It seems you have found you problem though.

[sharkhark]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

Sounds like maybe he cut the extension instead of removing it.

Even if he cut it wouldn't it be flush almost with where it had been or considering I don't visually see any plug in it did he cut so far down to even get the part sticking down into the shaft? If so that would be why there was so much empty space between the hole I made and the beginning of the shaft?

Yikes! Don't even know how to begin fixing if that's it and can't go to Queensway I'm in Dartmouth... Not really their fault.. Do I go into them?
Unless literally a new shaft were installed how would they fix? If a plug were put in it appears it would have to be way long and I wouldn't be able to install this tour lock I wanted to.... Sigh....

[sharkhark]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

I put a 100 gram Tour Lock Pro in my Scotty Monterey with Pistolero grip just this fall and had no issues at all (love it!). Extremely easy. It seems you have found you problem though.

Thank you for feedback I want to do the tour lock. I also initially thought it was the pistolero shape causing install issues until i saw the empty space. Thanks for info.

[sharkhark]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

Soooooo the gt employee last night took off my grip. The shaft wasn't cut off way below like it looked to naked eye. What I was looking down into hole thru was the shaft of Putter.

What then looked like the shaft below was remnant of the extension cut off and further even once they removed that the tour lock wouldn't fit.
There was a huge piece of epoxy blocking. Apparently the guy who installed original extension didn't turn upside down after install. The pro shop repair guy last night said that's done to prevent epoxy running down the shaft. They cleaned it out and put a new matching Scotty grip at no cost so it's all good now & I owe an apology to the tour lock guy because their product had nothing to do with it.
I'll contact him to let him know.

[Gridiron]

Re: Optivibe/Tour Lock

Good to hear your found the problem. Kudo's for GT for taking care of you.

How does the putter feel with the Tour Lock in it?