Graphite Golf Shafts: Explained

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Now the go-to material for drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids, graphite shafts have had an interesting rise to fame. Today we will delve into the history and design of graphite golf shafts. History In 1968, Frank Thomas, the Chief Design Engineer for the Shakespeare Sporting Goods Company, invented the first graphite golf shaft. He had been contacted by Union Carbide, who wanted to bring carbon fiber technology to the consumer market. While highly effective, graphite shafts were incredibly cost-prohibitive. It would not be until advancements in production, that prices would fall and allow for graphite shafts to become popular. Design… [Continue Reading “Graphite Golf Shafts: Explained”]

Why do Wedges Have Grooves?

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Every golfer knows to keep their wedge grooves clean. Worn grooves make the wedge worse. That is common knowledge, but understanding how the grooves work exactly is less universal. This article should fill in any gaps in understanding wedges Origin of Grooves: it is widely believed that the origins of grooves on golf clubs come from the need to reduce debris between the club and the ball. A helpful analogy is that a club without grooves would perform like racing slick tires. These tires perform exceptionally well on clean dry tracks. However, in wet or dirty conditions particulates prohibit the… [Continue Reading “Why do Wedges Have Grooves?”]

Why are Golf Clubs so expensive?

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Some of us have experienced sticker shock when buying clubs before. It feels like clubs have been getting more and more expensive lately. Why are golf clubs so expensive? Are golf club companies charging so much simply because they can get away with it? To answer these questions we will analyze the financial statements of Callaway and Acushnet (Parent company of Titleist, FootJoy, and Pinnacle) between the years 2015 and 2017. The best way to understand something is to follow the money. Firstly, we can start with the retailer markup on golf clubs. These markups average between 30-35% of the… [Continue Reading “Why are Golf Clubs so expensive?”]