, Doug Clark wrote:
>Spines are fascinating but annoying in my book. I really expect the
>clubmaker market to vote with its dollars for spine-free shafts, now that it
>has been shown that they can be produced.
COME THE REVOLUTION!
The catch phrase for spine-free shaft manufacturers is "virtually spine-free". That means that out of the 8 or 9 shafts you are planning on buying, a small number (7is a small number:-) ) "may have a very small spine". I don't think that in this case the shafts would be acceptable! Here's how to do it................order 200 shafts, test each one and select those that meet with your approval, then send back all the shafts that you "reject", pay the freight both ways, pay a restocking fee and build "the perfect set of irons"!
With all the money a club builder will spend with a manufacturer this way, the shaft manufacturer will surely go out of business and we won't have to be "bothered" with another shaft supplier! "Boutique" shafts will become the leaders and their prices will approach $70 each. Club builders will glow about their quality but "Boutique" won't have the money to get their shafts on the Tour. THEIR "REJECTS" WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR $6-10 EACH, after repainting of course. Consumers will require hours of "selling" on the part or the club builder to convince them of "the perfection" built into "Boutique" shafts. Once sold they won't see any improvement in their scores and will be back to see you "FOR A REFUND". You will soon have a shop full of "slightly experienced clubs" at terrific prices! You will test these clubs, regrip them, adjust the lofts and lies for the next customer (at no charge). You better get ready for your place in a cardboard box under an interstate overpass!
Plenty of good shafts are currently available now. For those of us that spine shafts it's tough enough to explain to the consumer why the graphics don't line up perfectly! Penley seems to have solved this problem.
No sir, I didn't have anything to drink when I built your clubs!
If you don't take ten strokes off your game, just bring 'em back! And we'll talk "bout it.
O.K., now get your whips.
Arnie
