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The Idiocy of Movable Weights and Draw Drivers

Sunday April 15, 2007 | 20:02:34 346 words, 15283 views  

On the Chinese calendar, 2007 is the Year of the Pig, but in golf, it is the year of the Draw. The first major equipment company to the “Draw-ing” table was TaylorMade with their r7 Draw. Then Callaway added to their FT line and its innovative square head, but couldn’t help themselves and now offers a FT-5 in three flavors: draw, neutral and fade.

In 2004-06, we saw the introduction of moveable weight drivers. Then they expanded the concept to irons, hybrids and putters. Now we can move weight around on everything in our bag except maybe our ball retriever.

Lately, to gain a market edge, TaylorMade and Callaway have been trying to undermine each other’s credibility in the media. Creating a controversy of moveable weights versus square heads. This public fight may be good for equipment sales, but it does nothing for the average golfer. Neither of these product innovations will improve a 15-handicapper’s game.

You have just blasphemed!! May the legal departments of these companies smite you.**

Not hardly. Changing the configuration of your driver by throwing weight around a club is not going to make a difference to any golfer unless we have a REPEATABLE SWING. If we can’t do the same thing two consecutive times, what difference does it make if we can put weight in the toe, heel or anywhere else?

Every golfer wants to improve their game. It’s one of those great truths in the universe. Short of outright cheating (a little rule-bending is okay), we are all looking for the next golf magazine tip or Zen moment when everything is right with the golfing world and we shoot that elusive par round.

We are being taken for an expensive ride my friends. Buying that $499 driver isn’t going to mean a hill of beans to your game if you can’t do the same thing twice. Save your money and buy some lessons. That and your old trusty 360cc driver will help lower your score faster than any of the fancy new drivers on the market today.

**Insert “cover-your-ass” legal babble here.

Permalink 2 comments

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: Stacy [Visitor] · http://www.worldgolf.com/blogs/golf-for-beginners
I agree wholeheartedly about moveable weights meaning nothing without having a repeatable swing.

I don't think the average person needs this technology as much as a useful golf lesson from a qualified teaching pro showing them why they are inherently slicing or hooking the ball in the first place.
PermalinkPermalink 2007-04-17 @ 14:42
Comment from: Bruce Stasch [Member] · http://www.worldgolf.com/blogs/golf-gear-news
It is a lot like that comedian who crashed that $1.2 million race car before the first turn. A lesson or two would have save him hours of embarrassment as well as a $1.2 million bill.
PermalinkPermalink 2007-04-17 @ 23:37

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Bruce Stasch, a self-described guru of golf gear, operates two online golf stores and Golf Gear News, a podcast providing thelatest news, interviews, info and tips. Here you'll find insight into the game that you don't find in the mainstream golf media. Expect him to talk about equipment, club building, gear and other weirdness that is the game of golf. He has played the game for more than 10 years and gives himself at least two mulligans per round.