Re: ShopTalk: Blades

[Bernie Baymiller]

Graham,   >My reading of your note is that for you the smaller head is one of the factors that helps you control draws and fades.   It may just be a preference, but yes, for me it seems easier to work a ball with the small head. And, that's true of knock-downs and open-faced lobs as well.   >Can I also assume that you think less offset is better for controlling both draws and fades equally?   I don't know about "equally"...it's harder for me to cut the ball with and offset head, but easier to draw it. If I set up to intentionally hook a ball around a tree, I'll close my stance, close the face, take a flatter swing and hit it with more right hand. With a big offset, it seems like the face is already closed...which makes it easier for me. When I reverse this to hit a big slice, it's difficult to get the offset face lined up and sit properly. But, when I do, it works OK.   I should add that I'm an old man and don't have the strength or late release I did in earlier years, nor the flexibility in my back. I think age, flexibility and hand speed would make a difference, but when I was younger, there were no offset cavity backs in existence to compare. (Perhaps without the young man's hand speed, the spin will be less.) When younger I could work the ball just by how I set the club down on the ground. Can't do that anymore...now it takes more adjustments as above.   >One of the reasons this has come up is that I had a potential customer come to me for advice. As it turns out he had already made up his mind to buy a set of Mizuno MV33 forged blades, despite the cost. His reason: these will allow him to work the ball better. In the end I got him thinking about a number of issues and offered him a few good alternatives, but it wasn't enough to change his mind. Cest La Vie!!   Yeah, I get tired of that "so-and-so pro plays this and all the good players play this, so I have to play it" syndrome that's prevalent discussion on so many golf forums. I have mostly senior customers and the worst clubs for their game are the "so-and-so pro's" short, heavy and stiff-shafted clubs. The seniors seem to learn faster, though. They want to believe the hype, but they've heard it before. There are always a few that stick with the "status" clubs regardless of how badly they play with them, but straight and 240 yards is Nirvana for most seniors. Most don't hit it far enough to worry about margin of error in their shots. They're just shooting at the green, not at pins. Greens in regulation will get most a better score than over-hyped expensive clubs, so when they try a set that starts getting more greens and bringing down the handicap, they use them whether so-and-so pro does or not. Can't say the same for most younger players I've seen.   Bernie Writeto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]