Most likely the arrow. Tom King 2.JPG (125121 bytes) If it was the Indian, Tiger could compete using a motley assortment of rental clubs, right? Practically speaking, if your handicap is 20 or better, then using properly fitted equipment is vital to your performance. Above a 20, then the rental clubs are "same difference."

KZ Golf has found a niche with the custom pro line , a hallmark of component golf club heads. KZG Forging.jpg (24395 bytes)From the casual golfer to the accomplished player, there is a KZG model made to suit your game. All of the KZG forged iron manufacturing processes: forging, grinding, plating and polishing are done solely in Japan, where the highest quality and attention to detail are the industry standard. Essentially, all the finished forged and cast heads come directly to us, where we'll fit you with the appropriate shaft and install it professionally. Your savings are substantial because you've avoided the middleman (think: retailer). You'll be the owner of beautiful custom made clubs that rival any in the golf business, and a great deal to boot.

We see a lot of dusty relics from the 1930's and 40's, and there are more of them out there than you would think. A common belief is because the clubs are old, then they must have value. Like all collectibles, a golf club is only worth what one is willing to pay, and more often than not the cost of refinishing will exceed its value.

Stepping shafts is a method of reshafting that focuses on a flex between the specific designations, say, between a regular and a stiff flex. "Hard stepping" would make a shaft stiffer, "soft stepping," more flexible. The effective change in flex between immediate lofts from stepping is 1/3, or 5 cycles per minute, a practically negligible change in performance for most golfers.

This falls under the category of: "If you think it helps you, it will." The principle is sound, but whether it is practical for most golfers is a different story. Spining is another entry in the long line of "new" innovations in the golf industry that aren't really new at all, such as bore-thru heads, shaft butt-weighting, freezing, shock absorbing, and magical pendants. The TrueTemper Company espoused spining in the 1970's with very limited success, and there is a good reason why. No two golf shafts are identical nor perfectly round, and there is usually an almost imperceptible seam or spine resulting after manufacture. A metal shaft is welded along its axis, but the resulting torque is so low on a metal shaft that any resulting spine effect is practically inconsequential. A graphite shaft is produced by the wrapping of several layers, or plies, all beginning and ending at different points to form the body of the shaft, leaving several seams present. Shaft manufacturers have made great strides towards perfecting consistency and have nearly eliminated any weak or strong sides of the graphite shaft, effectively negating the need for spining.

One of the few innovations in golf equipment in recent years that has real merit is the "hybrid" golf club. Hybrids KZG Hybrids.jpg (17882 bytes)combine features of both woods (cambered sole, larger head, roll and bulge) and irons (heavier weight and shorter shaft). A hybrid tends to be easier to hit than the testy long iron, usually the nemesis for all but the strongest, most precise player.

While regripping is a common repair at any time of year, it always peaks in the spring. Many golfers will show up over the next few months requesting new grips and, often times, will believe they need a larger size. Some have tried their buddy's clubs with the bigger grips and enjoyed the comfortable GripSize1a.JPG (43273 bytes)feel. Other times they want to 'demonstrate' to me their need for a larger grip. They hold the club head up with the shaft perpendicular to the ground while squeezing their fingers into the palm, as shown at left. The problem with this method is that a golfer rarely has to hit a shot from a lie 3 feet over their head! I have a relatively small hand and yet can easily dig my fingers into my palm when held in this manner, even using this oversized GripSize1b.JPG (47440 bytes)grip. In the actual playing position, seen at left, our hands at address are naturally elongated down the (proper size) grip, and we are hopefully holding it only lightly.