|
Set
Makeup
The goal of fitting the
set makeup is to replace clubs that are hard to hit with clubs
that can hit the same distance, but with greater accuracy
and consistency. The most important aspects of set makeup that
must be address in the last decade are loft and length. In the
early 1990s, many golf club manufacturers began to decrease the
loft and increase the length of their equipment in an attempt
to deliver more distance to the golfer.
While increasing length
and decreasing loft in the fairway woods and short Irons will
not harm shotmaking success of the majority of golfers, doing
so in the driver and long to middle Irons can have an adverse
effect on the golfer's ability to achieve the proper trajectory,
solidness of impact and with it, the maximum distance
the golfer hits those clubs.
Loft
and Length Averages over time
| |
1960s |
1970s |
1980s |
1990s |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1-wood |
|
3-wood |
|
5-wood |
|
7-wood |
|
|
11 |
43" |
|
16 |
42" |
|
22 |
41" |
|
28 |
40" |
|
|
11 |
43" |
|
15 |
42" |
|
21 |
41" |
|
27 |
40" |
|
|
10.5 |
43.5" |
|
15 |
42.5" |
|
20 |
41.5" |
|
25 |
40.5" |
|
|
11 |
44-45" |
|
15 |
43-44" |
|
18.5 |
42-43" |
|
22 |
41-42" |
|
|
1- Iron |
|
2- Iron |
|
3- Iron |
|
4- Iron |
|
5- Iron |
|
6- Iron |
|
7- Iron |
|
8- Iron |
|
9- Iron |
|
PW-Iron |
|
SW-Iron |
|
|
17 |
39" |
|
20 |
38.5" |
|
24 |
38.0" |
|
28 |
37.5" |
|
32 |
37.0" |
|
36 |
36.5" |
|
40 |
36,0" |
|
44 |
35.5" |
|
48 |
35,0" |
|
52 |
35,0" |
|
56 |
35,0" |
|
|
17 |
39.5" |
|
20 |
39,0" |
|
23 |
38.5" |
|
27 |
38,0" |
|
31 |
37.5" |
|
35 |
37,0" |
|
39 |
36.5" |
|
43 |
36,0" |
|
47 |
35.5" |
|
51 |
35.5" |
|
56 |
35.5" |
|
|
16 |
39.75" |
|
19 |
39.25" |
|
22 |
38.75" |
|
25 |
38.25" |
|
28 |
37.75" |
|
32 |
37.25" |
|
36 |
36.75" |
|
40 |
36.25" |
|
44 |
35.75" |
|
48 |
35.75" |
|
55 |
35.75" |
|
|
15 |
40.0" |
|
17 |
39.5" |
|
20 |
39.0" |
|
23 |
38.5" |
|
26 |
38.0" |
|
30 |
37.5" |
|
34 |
37.0" |
|
38 |
36.5" |
|
42 |
36.0" |
|
46 |
36.0" |
|
54 |
36.0" |
|
A quick study of the changes
in the loft and length of the driver and long Irons quickly reveals
the need for a totally new approach to fitting set make up for
golfers. While it is true the driver loft has increases on average
in the 1990s, the length have increased so much to the point
that in many cases the change over past decades represents more
than 2" in all the woods
Over the same period of
time, the average handicap of the nation's (US) golfers has not
changed (17hdcp in the 1960s and 17hdcp in the 1990s). Because
longer clubs are harder to hit on the center, and because golfers
still seem to have the same ability as they had when clubs were
shorter, it stands to reason that many golfers are probably playing
with clubs which are too long and hitting the more off-center
as a result. However, since manufacturers are making clubs that
are longer than 30 years ago, the less able golfers has no alterative
to use a shorter club, Unless he or she is custom fit for
his/her golf clubs by a competent clubmaker.
The following recommendations
are only offered as a general guideline for beginning to achieve
the goal of finding the proper set make - to replace hard to
hit clubs with easier to hit clubs.
|
Driver Speed |
Driver Loft Angle |
Fairway wood |
Irons |
|
Over 50 mph |
15 Degree |
#5, #7. #9, #11 |
Up to #6 |
|
Over 65 mph |
14 Degree |
#5, #7. #9 |
Up to #5 |
|
65 - 75 mph |
13 Degree |
#5, #7. #9 |
Up to #4 |
|
75 - 85 mph |
12 Degree |
#3, #5. #7 |
Up to #4 |
|
80 - 90 mph |
11 Degree |
#3, #5 |
Up to #3 |
|
Over 90 mph |
9/10 Degree |
#3 |
Up to #2 |
Effects on Golf Shotmaking
Performance Factors
Set makeup is the most
effective ways to actually lower the score of the golfer. In
fact, it is a major factor for Accuracy, Feel, Trajectory
Distance and Backspin of your shot performance.
Set makeup is different
in that its goal is to replace hard-to-hit club with easy-to-hit
club that does the same shot performance, because of this a golfer
can have more of a direct effect on instantly improving the score
than many of the other golf club specifications.
Philip Ang, 1999-2000 Winner International Clubmaker of the
Year
conferred by Golf Clubmakers Association (GCA) - USA compiles this article from Golfsmith Tech
Report.
|