# What is " azimuth " ? In simple terms please



## chrisd (Jul 31, 2014)

I did a gapping session yesterday on my clubs and have the results and the only one I'm having difficulty with is the AZIMUTH column, so, could anyone please explain in simple terms what those readings mean please. 

It was a very interesting 2.5 hours, I could see where I'd over/under estimated my club yardages, that my 4 and 5 irons went virtually the same distance unless I leaned on the 4 or hit it off a tee. We tweaked my driver to a better setting and I was pleasantly surprised how close to target my wedges were going after a couple of changes made recently.

About a week ago I had got the X Hot2 driver and free rescue club. The 19* rescue club was only available with my pro in regular and as the deal was finishing he couldn't get it with a stiff shaft. I was easing back on it on the simulator, worried that it might be too whippy and go right on me and sure enough it did. The pro said that I was to give it a real smack and to my surprise it went hugely better proving what I have since seen Mark Crossfield saying which is that the shaft stiffness makes little difference in a club. 

The final result is that I now have a better idea of my carry and total distances in benign conditions and any adjustment on the course is from a better basis. After the session I played in our monthly Stableford and shot 37 points with only 3 points on the last 3 holes as I flagged in the heat and after about 150 balls hit during the morning session


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## Liverpoolphil (Jul 31, 2014)

Simple terms. Left to right 

Elevation is obviously up and down 

So if centre is 0 for example and your reading was +4 degrees that would mean you would be going 4 degrees right


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## Airsporter1st (Jul 31, 2014)

chrisd said:



			I did a gapping session yesterday on my clubs and have the results and the only one I'm having difficulty with is the AZIMUTH column, so, could anyone please explain in simple terms what those readings mean please. 

It was a very interesting 2.5 hours, I could see where I'd over/under estimated my club yardages, that my 4 and 5 irons went virtually the same distance unless I leaned on the 4 or hit it off a tee. We tweaked my driver to a better setting and I was pleasantly surprised how close to target my wedges were going after a couple of changes made recently.

About a week ago I had got the X Hot2 driver and free rescue club. The 19* rescue club was only available with my pro in regular and as the deal was finishing he couldn't get it with a stiff shaft. I was easing back on it on the simulator, worried that it might be too whippy and go right on me and sure enough it did. The pro said that I was to give it a real smack and to my surprise it went hugely better proving what I have since seen Mark Crossfield saying which is that the shaft stiffness makes little difference in a club. 

The final result is that I now have a better idea of my carry and total distances in benign conditions and any adjustment on the course is from a better basis. After the session I played in our monthly Stableford and shot 37 points with only 3 points on the last 3 holes as I flagged in the heat and after about 150 balls hit during the morning session
		
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In navigational terms azimuth is a horizontal compass bearing.

In golfing terms, I believe it is the difference between the direction you hit the ball in and the direction it actually takes. In other words, assume you are trying to hit the ball down a centre line - if the ball starts off left of that centre line it is negative azimuth and right of the centre line, positive azimuth. 

That is my simple understanding and explanation. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than I will soon come along with something better.


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## chrisd (Jul 31, 2014)

Thanks guys, both explanations make perfect sense. I was almost always positive from .2 to 5, and a few negative from 1.2 to 3.2 except one -9.7 with the driver


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## PhilTheFragger (Jul 31, 2014)

-9.7!!!!!

That's an inverted shank


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## garyinderry (Jul 31, 2014)

chrisd said:



			About a week ago I had got the X Hot2 driver and free rescue club. The 19* rescue club was only available with my pro in regular and as the deal was finishing he couldn't get it with a stiff shaft. I was easing back on it on the simulator, worried that it might be too whippy and go right on me and sure enough it did. The pro said that I was to give it a real smack and to my surprise it went hugely better proving what I have since seen Mark Crossfield saying which is that the shaft stiffness makes little difference in a club.
		
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mark's opinion.   in the same video he also says that ping did research and for some reason unbeknown to them, amateurs were more accurate with stiff shafts. 


I know for a fact, that I feel a lot more comfortable swinging stiff shafts as opposed to whippy shafts. 

I have a slow enough back swing but a bit of a violent transition. the feeling I get from whippy shafts is awful. at times I feel the club head at my ear when my hands are back at the ball. 

you hitting that hybrid a little easy might be explained by the club not getting square at impact.  picking up the speed of the swing might in turn speed up the toe closing and stop it leaking right. 

mark crossfield states that he doesn't think shafts make much difference. remember this a player who has a neutral club path, smooth tempo and control of his clubface. in essence, a good swing. the same cannot be said for the majority of golfers. 


finally, I think the proof is in the pro pudding.  I have yet to see any pros with reg shafted clubs in them.  if they could easily control them the same as say stiff and x flex, of course they would have these clubs in the bag for the added distance it is claimed these clubs provide!


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## chrisd (Jul 31, 2014)

I feel the same Gary and in fact I changed my driver last week for one that felt slightly less stiff as it was easier to hit - in my opinion.

 The answer to the hybrid was clearly that, with a slower swing I wasn't squaring the club face and so, hitting harder, for my swing, was the answer as it got me properly through the swing path and so it proved on the course an hour later when I played.


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## chrisd (Jul 31, 2014)

PhilTheFragger said:



			-9.7!!!!!

That's an inverted shank  

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Yet it only sent the ball 17 yards offline!


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## garyinderry (Jul 31, 2014)

chrisd said:



			I feel the same Gary and in fact I changed my driver last week for one that felt slightly less stiff as it was easier to hit - in my opinion.

 .
		
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are you sure?  I am saying that stiffer should produce better results across the board.


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## chrisd (Jul 31, 2014)

It was still a stiff shaft but I suspect the kick point might have been different. I just felt slightly less stiff


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## chrisd (Jul 31, 2014)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Simple terms. Left to right 

Elevation is obviously up and down 

So if centre is 0 for example and your reading was +4 degrees that would mean you would be going 4 degrees right
		
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That would be club face angle compared to a straight path?


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## garyinderry (Jul 31, 2014)

I get lost at kick points.  I haven't stood (as much as I'd love to) hitting a load of these shafts for hours seeing the effect they have. 

people talk about the feel of the a club at impact!  I much prefer the feel of a stiff boardy shaft. it gives the impression of solidity. whereas others hate this feeling and describe it has having no feel at all. 

its all very subjective, but interesting none the less.


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## PhilTheFragger (Jul 31, 2014)

chrisd said:



			Yet it only sent the ball 17 yards offline!
		
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So you finally managed to nail one and it went 100 yards :whoo::ears:


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## Foxholer (Jul 31, 2014)

PhilTheFragger said:



			So you finally managed to nail one and it went 100 yards :whoo::ears:
		
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So how come he'd have to give you 9 shots in a match?! 

From my ancient memory of my Astronomy studies, 'azimuth' was/is the compass bearing of an object in the sky (3D) projected onto the horizon (2D). The other positioning attributes were angle of elevation, position of the observer (let, long, altitude) and date/time. It was also the name of an IT Consulting company a mate of mine set up back home in the 70s!

I was at Precision a couple of weeks ago and Simon mentioned that Flex is the last consideration when fitting someone for a shaft! 

I certainly prefer a shaft that is slightly too stiff - though not 'boardy' - rather than a slightly too soft one. I tend to 'hold off' softer shafts - resulting in 'high rights'! More stable shafts encourage me to commit to the swing, something that seems to work better - for me! 

A Pro mate (who uses Regular Flex because he hooks anything stiffer, told me he conducted a test with other Pros and a Ladies flex shaft was deemed the 'best' performing, but they all went back to their X-flex ones afterwards!


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## HomerJSimpson (Jul 31, 2014)

I was border line stiff/regular shaft at Pachesham when I went for my fitting session (tried numerous makes/models before arriving on the G25). When I swapped to I 25's the pro said the same thing but I didn't like the feel of the stiff and ended up getting hard stepped instead. I would be interested to see how the G30 stiff compared to the G25 regular and see if Crossfield has something


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## chrisd (Jul 31, 2014)

PhilTheFragger said:



			So you finally managed to nail one and it went 100 yards :whoo::ears:
		
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Have you been looking at my stats sheet?


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## Foxholer (Jul 31, 2014)

HomerJSimpson said:



			I was border line stiff/regular shaft at Pachesham when I went for my fitting session (tried numerous makes/models before arriving on the G25). When I swapped to I 25's the pro said the same thing but I didn't like the feel of the stiff and ended up getting hard stepped instead. I would be interested to see how the G30 stiff compared to the G25 regular and see if Crossfield has something
		
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There's a bit of a difference between what works for Driver (and FWs and Hybrids) - including flex - and what works with Irons!

The equivalent to hard-stepping for wood shafts is 'tipping'. There's no equivalent to soft-stepping!


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