Driver Adjustment - It Works??

[Yosser]

I've had a TM RBZ driver since April, it's a 10.5 Degree Tour TP version and the main miss with this club has been a huge slice. I've worked really hard to try and fix my swing faults to solve the problem, but I need to emphasise that this is the only club where this is a real issue. The work with my Pro has concentrated on swinging more from the inside but more significantly slowing the swing down. This has resulted in more control but a much lower flight and it's on a knife edge, a slight mis-hit results in a huge slice. Anyway after another disappointing FIR round last week, I decided to set the loft to 12 Degrees and the figures are like night and day - the club is far more forgiving. Whilst setting up the driver last week it wasn't entirely clear what all the FCT settings actually do, particularly the "Upper Lie" - what loft does this give? I found a TM illustration and these are my assumptions from this:-

0 - 10.5* Standard lie, neutral face angle
1 - 11* Standard lie, face closed 0.5*
2 - 12* Standard lie, face closed 1.5*
3 - Upright lie - but what loft and face angle is this?
4 - 10* Standard lie, face open 0.5*
5 - 11.5* Standard lie face closed 1.0*
6 - 9* Standard lie, face open 1.0*
7 - 9.5* Standard lie, face open 1.5*




Apologies if we are going over old ground here but I've searched all the forums and other relevant sites and cannot find all the answers.

 

[Foxholer]

Does it matter?

You've now found a setting that works, so stick with that - until it stops working.

The actual settings probably don't reflect reality anyway - the real numbers re probably quite different from those 'on the tin'.

Just enjoy the success a setup that matches your needs provides.

I'm more techie oriented than most btw, so it's not a case of 'don't care'! Not surprised that the 12* gives best results either.

 

[Yosser]

Does it matter?

You've now found a setting that works, so stick with that - until it stops working.

The actual settings probably don't reflect reality anyway - the real numbers re probably quite different from those 'on the tin'.

Just enjoy the success a setup that matches your needs provides.

I'm more techie oriented than most btw, so it's not a case of 'don't care'! Not surprised that the 12* gives best results either.

Well I thought that at the very least it was important to be aware that changing loft also affects the face angle. It's this business about the "Upright Lie" that has me confused? Yeh, I agree the results at 12* are not really a surprise.

 

[Foxholer]

On the R1, there are separate Upright and non-Upright settings.

Looks like the U one may simply be off the 'standard' specs. Wouldn't be surprised the way adjustability has been implemented.

Worth reading Wishon's article on adjustability. http://wishongolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/adjustable-hosel-drivers.pdf

 

[John_R7]

IMO this is the beauty of an adjustable club.
Find what works for YOU at a given TIME. Fiddle about or change shaft if the consistency is 'lost'.
The other thing that fascinates me and I cannot answer is the spine of a shaft.
My last adjustment saw me line NBP to target on my R9 (NBP = neutral bend point - softest part opposite spine). The club & shaft combo is great for me but I can still hit operator induced howlers.
So a secondary question (sorry OP) is this:-

Is the improvement because it is loft up (my case 10.5 + 0.25 or 0.5 - can't remember exact line marking or how many higher I am).
Or is it down to the spine position?

New, better graphite shafts can have multiple spines so maybe this is why they appear better in different settings also?
As a final grenade in the mix this spine position will also effect the perceived / actual flex of a shaft. NBP to target plays soft whilst spine to target will play stiffer!

 

[Nick_Toye]

I've just bought a driver and it's adjustable. Do I need a special tool to adjust it?

 

[John_R7]

Nick - yes (although there are ways on some)
What do you have?

 

[Nick_Toye]

Nike Covert.

 

[John_R7]

Don't know Nike.
Best way is always to buy the correct tool - try ebay.

Screws should be torqued in, this is what the preset tool does.
It is possible to use the correct Hex bit (TM is Torx) and 'feel' it in but this is rough and a little dodgy (could loosen mid round if not tight enough or cause future problem if too tight). Personally I loosen ALL my TM stuff with a fixed tool as backward turning a torque tool is not ideal and I have broken one in the past doing this.
If you have the correct bit, an adjustable torque wrench and know the setting you can do this also.
MUCH easier to just buy the correct tool.
I am an engineer so have most things anyway but I use the OEM stuff to put back in.

 

[Nick_Toye]

I'll call in at my local range and see if they have the correct tool.

 

[Yosser]

On the R1, there are separate Upright and non-Upright settings.

Looks like the U one may simply be off the 'standard' specs. Wouldn't be surprised the way adjustability has been implemented.

Worth reading Wishon's article on adjustability. http://wishongolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/adjustable-hosel-drivers.pdf

Cheers great read that!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not a fan of adjustable clubs. Not that there is anything wrong with them but I have a habit of tinkering and so any poor driving round would have me reaching for the wrench and flipping it to another setting. Mind you the way I hit the G25 today it makes no difference. A crap shot is a crap shot whatever you use

 

[Yosser]

I'll call in at my local range and see if they have the correct tool.

My RBZ came with the Taylormade tool but I tell you what it took alot of force before I heard the "click" and it was a bit worrying for a time. Personally I wouldn't take a chance using a none official tool to torque up your club.

 

[Yosser]

Not a fan of adjustable clubs. Not that there is anything wrong with them but I have a habit of tinkering and so any poor driving round would have me reaching for the wrench and flipping it to another setting. Mind you the way I hit the G25 today it makes no difference. A crap shot is a crap shot whatever you use

I know where your coming from, I think we all chase our tails to a certain extent with this game! It has taken me five months of fixing my swing faults before I decided to take this step, I was capable of middling this driver with its orginal settings but the percentages were not high enough, especially on a penal course like mine - too many "3 off the tee" shots for my liking and in all honesty I thought I didn't deserve such a rough outcome on many occasions. Apparently this TP version is ideal for "shot shapers", well I can shot shape with this - just not on demand!

The change has given more forgiveness in that a swing which would give a slice with the old settings turns into a fade to the centre or slight right of the fairway, middle it and its a draw slightly left of centre so I've far more chance of being in play. Obviously a really poor shot will still get punished and rightly so, the thing I need to watch out for now is making sure I don't start balloning the ball up and might have to start tee-ing down a bit more.

 

[John_R7]

Well after reading the Wishon article I am now of the opinion it is the spine position of the shaft that creates the majority of the change.
Either that or the head (on the shoulders).

 

[srixon 1]

I have two adjustable clubs, a driver and 3 wood. Had them fitted 18 months ago and have never changed the settings once. Driver is set to standard loft and lie and the 3 wood is closed slightly. These are the settings that Trackman gave so I just leave them at that. A bad shot can only be blamed on pilot error.

 

[Yosser]

I have two adjustable clubs, a driver and 3 wood. Had them fitted 18 months ago and have never changed the settings once. Driver is set to standard loft and lie and the 3 wood is closed slightly. These are the settings that Trackman gave so I just leave them at that. A bad shot can only be blamed on pilot error.

Er..but you had the clubs fitted, so the clubs have been adjusted to suit your swing. This is the contradiction that I don't get, why have clubs fitted if it's just down to pilot error?

 

[srixon 1]

Er..but you had the clubs fitted, so the clubs have been adjusted to suit your swing. This is the contradiction that I don't get, why have clubs fitted if it's just down to pilot error?

Correct, the clubs are fitted to suit my swing and set-up, and that is why I have never changed them (settings). If I have a bad round or two with them it is because my swing was off (pilot error), and not because I used Tuesdays settings on a Friday.

I don't see the point in constant fiddling with the settings. Like somebody else has already posted you need to find a setting that you are happy with and leave it there. Also, most amateurs don't swing the club the same every time so I don't believe that minute adjustments of half a degree up/down or open/closed can make much difference to the ball flight.

 

[Yosser]

Correct, the clubs are fitted to suit my swing and set-up, and that is why I have never changed them (settings). If I have a bad round or two with them it is because my swing was off (pilot error), and not because I used Tuesdays settings on a Friday.

I don't see the point in constant fiddling with the settings. Like somebody else has already posted you need to find a setting that you are happy with and leave it there. Also, most amateurs don't swing the club the same every time so I don't believe that minute adjustments of half a degree up/down or open/closed can make much difference to the ball flight.

I don't think anybody has suggested that they constantly fiddle with the settings.

 

[Nick_Toye]

So what does the switching of the settings actually achieve?