This ball changes - Callaway Golf
This ball changes - Callaway Golf
This ball changes - Callaway Golf
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I-MIX READER<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
t<br />
After Brooks spends a few minutes warming<br />
up on the driving range, Sabella starts the<br />
session by handing Brooks the 9-degree<br />
FT-5 Neutral clubhead fitted with a Matrix<br />
75-gram shaft. Brooks is pushing a lot of his<br />
drives to the right off the tee, so they move<br />
on to a 9-degree FT-5 Draw clubhead with an<br />
Aldila 75-gram shaft. Brooks’ shots fly longer<br />
and straighter with this configuration, but he<br />
says the shaft feels stiffer in the tip and thinks<br />
he might prefer a slightly lighter feel.<br />
2<br />
t<br />
With the goal of increasing Brooks’ clubhead<br />
speed, Sabella fits the FT-5 clubhead with a<br />
Grafalloy Pro Launch Platinum 65 Stiff Shaft.<br />
Both Sabella and Brooks are enamored with<br />
the shape and distance of the shots. Brooks<br />
tries the FT-i Neutral clubhead with the same<br />
shaft. Although the high moment of inertia<br />
helps his off-center hits, Brooks still prefers<br />
the more traditional look of the FT-5 Driver.<br />
Sabella explains that the square-shaped<br />
FT-i Driver requires an adjustment period<br />
and that the I-MIX system is a great way to<br />
experiment with technology combinations.<br />
3<br />
t<br />
After about 30 minutes, Sabella and Brooks<br />
find the perfect combination – a 9-degree<br />
FT-5 Driver with a Grafalloy Pro Launch<br />
Platinum 65 Stiff shaft. Brooks’ drives are<br />
now flying as straight as an arrow, and his<br />
shot dispersion has narrowed into a nice,<br />
neat patch some 40 yards left of where his<br />
earlier pushed shots were landing on the<br />
Ely <strong>Callaway</strong> Performance Center test range.<br />
Brooks’ <strong>ball</strong> flight is slightly lower, but he<br />
is carrying the <strong>ball</strong> farther.<br />
4<br />
An introduction<br />
to i-mix<br />
By greg sabella<br />
“The USGA used to have a rule on how the clubhead was attached to the<br />
shaft of the golf club. It basically stated that there needed to be permanency<br />
in the bond. That’s why golf equipment manufacturers used a strong glue<br />
to fix the two components together and also why it required significant heat<br />
and/or force to break that seal.<br />
A couple of years ago, to improve the speed, efficiency and accuracy of<br />
our fitting for Staff Professionals, we developed a system called OptiFit,<br />
which is very similar to what I-MIX has become. That system enabled us to<br />
quickly and easily interchange clubheads and shafts for the players to test<br />
on Tour or when they visited us at the Ely <strong>Callaway</strong> Performance Center.<br />
When the USGA announced that it was going to change the rule, we were<br />
ready to introduce I-MIX to both our Staff Pros and amateur golfers.<br />
The I-MIX System allows you to change your driver loft for differing course<br />
32 <strong>Callaway</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> SUMMER 2008