AskMyGolfSpy Vol. 24 | MyGolfSpy

Sure. Completely everybody ought to play a 7-wood. No exceptions.

Severely, do it.

For actual, although, I’ve been a shameless fan of the 7-wood since I put one within the bag a few years in the past however, admittedly, there’s no assure your expertise will mirror mine.

I also needs to level out that my driver head pace hovers round 110 proper now. That doesn’t make me the quickest man on the planet (and even on the MyGolfSpy workers) however the level is that higher-lofted woods positively aren’t completely for sluggish to reasonable swing pace gamers.

I dumped a 4-hybrid for the 7-wood and it’s constantly straighter, dispersion is tighter and it’s tougher to hook. Typically talking, the large miss isn’t one thing I fear about.

If there’s a draw back to the 7-wood it’s that, with the exceptionally excessive trajectory, it’s not superb in a robust wind. For windy situations, I’m going to maintain a hybrid or presumably even a utility iron round.

If there have been any requirements defining shaft flex, this might be a simple reply. The issue is {that a} “stiff ” in a single mannequin could be stiffer than an “X-stiff” in one other or softer than a “common” in one more.

For higher or worse (in all probability worse), “flex” is basically only a catch-all that loosely (or barely) describe the general stiffness of the shaft. As a single measurement/metric, it’s not notably useful so far as describing the place a shaft is stiff and the place it may be a tad softer.

Some shafts have stiff butt sections and mushy suggestions, some are mushy within the deal with and mid sections and stiffer within the tip. Shafts are available in all mixtures and, once more, a easy flex designation doesn’t start to cowl it.

All of that mentioned, if the stiff in no matter shaft you’re taking part in is working higher than the X, that’s in all probability the place you’ll want to be. Swing pace is only one consider shaft becoming. Tempo and transition are necessary as effectively … and that’s earlier than we dig into the weeds on swing path and miss tendencies.

I’m conscious of at the least one research that discovered that the shaft that feels finest in a golfer’s palms is commonly the one which performs finest as effectively. If it feels proper, it’s in all probability as a result of it’s bending proper. So, whereas we’re at all times going to facet with the info, there could also be one thing to the texture factor relating to selecting a shaft.

Is there a method to inform if one’s set of irons are too draw-biased? – MikeG

Assuming you’re right-handed, if the ball is constantly flying too far left, that’s a fairly stable clue.

If that’s the case, earlier than you ditch the irons, have your lie angles checked. I used to have a giant left miss (and it didn’t a lot matter what iron I used to be taking part in). Bending my lie angles a level or two flat (relying on the mannequin) has made a world of distinction

The reply to the primary a part of your query is “nope.” No likelihood. Golf corporations positively aren’t going to decrease costs, particularly if they’ve new issues to promote much less usually.

As for the second, yeah, I believe it’s cheap to imagine that whether or not it’s an additional six months or a full 12 months, R&D groups might pack a bit bit extra horsepower into the brand new mannequin. In the end, which means golfers might get extra (relative to the earlier mannequin) than they do in a one-year cycle.

That mentioned, whereas there are some attention-grabbing (and comparatively new) applied sciences within the metalwood class, a very good little bit of the year-over-year modifications quantity to transferring the middle of gravity round in order that the brand new mannequin performs in a different way than the one which got here earlier than it.

I’ve but to see a scenario the place the brand new factor is healthier for 100% of golfers. So, even with extra improvement time, higher efficiency can’t be assured. For some it will likely be higher, for others worse and for a sizeable chunk, just about the identical.

What’s your opinion on Snell balls? I like them however don’t know many golfers that use them. Would love to listen to your ideas on Snell versus different top-quality balls to see in the event that they measure up. – BrianR

We’ve preferred what we’ve seen from Snell balls up to now. They’ve examined effectively in our robotic ball checks and high quality has examined as common or higher in Ball Lab and, for a very good run, it’s probably the MTB sequence was the most well-liked direct-to-consumer ball available on the market.

Sadly, Snell’s urethane fashions have been robust to get currently. Chalk that as much as a mixture of normal provide chain points and TaylorMade’s acquisition of what was the Nassau ball plant (not TaylorMade Korea).

For now (and maybe for the long run), TaylorMade is now not producing balls for third events. Which means when the brand new MTB and MTB-X launch later this 12 months, they’ll be made at a special manufacturing unit.

We’ll know extra as the brand new balls get nearer to launch however given Dean Snell’s previous success and the truth that Snell balls are in style with our readers, it’s one thing we’re going to be taking a look at carefully.

Not a lot a query however a remark that appeared in a single type or one other about 100 occasions in response to our story about layoffs at PXG.

Rephrased as a query: Is that this the start of the tip for PXG?

I may very well be mistaken however I don’t assume so.

Readers have been predicting the demise of PXG from the very starting and but the corporate is extra in style than ever and, by some measure, its low costs have positioned it because the model of the individuals.

To make certain, layoffs are by no means good however there are a few components in play. First, as James Carville famously mentioned, “it’s the financial system, silly.”

Layoffs are on the rise throughout the nation and it stands to cause extra will comply with. I’d wager that earlier than the 12 months is over, PXG gained’t be the one golf model to chop workers.

On a associated word, the perfect of golf’s COVID increase is behind us. It’s all however a certainty that gross sales will probably be down throughout the entire of the gear business in 2023. I don’t imply to be flippant however there’s a component of this that’s a bit like January at any massive field retailer.

For the golf gear business, it’s been like Christmas for the higher a part of two years. Many (in all probability all) elevated workers to fulfill unprecedented demand. Golf’s marathon vacation season is winding down so it stands to cause others can even have to right-size for a altering market.