Angle
of Attack
- The degree of descent of the clubhead approaching the ball just
prior to impact.
Balance
Point - The point on the shaft where the mass at each
end is equal.
Ball
Speed - A measurement in miles per hour of how fast the
ball is traveling immediately after it comes off the clubface.
Bounce
Angle - The measurement from leading edge to the ground.
It allows the club to "bounce" off of the ground instead
of digging in. This measurement applies mostly to wedges. The
greater the bounce angle the more the club head can cut through
tall grass and resist traveling too deeply into the sand.
Build
up Tape - Extra tape added underneath the grip to make
the grip slightly larger.
Center
of Gravity - The club head balance point that is controlled
by the size of the club head and the location of the head weight.
The lower the center of gravity - and the farther back it is from
the clubface - the easier it is to get the ball airborne.
Club
Head Speed - The actual speed of which the club head
is traveling just prior to impact. A higher club speed will produce
a longer shot upon solid contact. There is a direct correlation
between club head speed and ball speed that is determined by how
solidly the ball is struck.
Clone
- A copy or imitation of a club head that already exists. This
term especially applies when the head is designed to simulate
it.
Component
Industry -
Flex
- Generally, flex is defined as the relative stiffness or overall
bending property of a shaft. Manufacturers typically categorize
shafts by regular, ladies, senior, firm, stiff and extra stiff
flex.
FLO
-
Frequency
- A more thorough, accurate, and precise way to measure the flex
of a shaft is by frequency. The frequency scale used by Hot Stix
Golf is based on the length of the club as well as cycles per
minute (CPM). CPM is measured by clamping the club at the butt
end into the frequency monitor and measuring how many times the
club passes a certain point over a given time. A frequency number
of 8.0 is extremely stiff. 1.0 frequency is very soft.
Hard
Spine -
Impact
Position - the position of the lead hand at impact.
Lie
- A measurement of the angle of the shaft coming out of the club
head determines lie. Lie angle has a direct effect on direction
as well as distance. For instance, if your 5-iron is 4-degrees
off in lie angle, even a perfect shot will go as much as 40 feet
off line.
Loft
- The angle of a clubface and the corresponding steepness of the
shot it will produce. Loft is determined by the angle of the face
compared to 90 degrees to the ground.
Kick
Point - The position on the shaft that exhibits the greatest
amount of bending when the shaft is compressed at one or both
ends. This reading is important because it helps determine ball
trajectory. The lower the bend point the higher the ball flight.
Likewise, the higher the bend point the lower the ball flight.
MOI
- Moment of inertia. Measurement of the resistance to twisting.
OD
-
Open
Foundry -
Original
Club Designs - PCS
- Professional Clubmakers Society.
Shaft
Flex - A rating of a golf club shaft's ability to bend
during the golf swing.
Shaft
Profile -
Skidding
-
Smash
Factor -
Soft
Spine -
Spine
Align -
Striking
Pattern -
Swing
Path - The direction the clubhead travels through impact
with respect to the target line.
Swing
Plane - The angle between the shaft and the golfer's
arms with respect to the ground as seen at the end of the back
swing.
Swing
Point -
Swing
Weight - Commonly, swing weight is known as the "feel"
weight of the club. To determine the feel, simply hold the club
up waist high and take notice how heavy the head feels. Some golf
clubs will have a heavier swing weight than others by design.
Variables in swing weight can result from length of the club,
graphite vs. steel shaft, head weight, and grip weight.
Torque
- The amount of resistance to twisting that a shaft has is called
torque. Each shaft has a different torque, and it important to
match the correct torque for your individual swing. The lower
the torque number the less the shaft will twist when force is
applied. This also will make the shaft feel "stiff".
