The Search for the Perfect Golf Club

The Search for the Perfect Golf Club
by Tom Grundner, Tom Wishon

The Search for the Perfect Golf Club
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Book Summary Information

Author: Tom Grundner, Tom Wishon
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-04
ISBN: 1587264439
Number of pages: 290
Publisher: Sports Media Group

Book Reviews of The Search for the Perfect Golf Club

Book Review: Now I'm Really Confused
Summary: 3 Stars

This is a really great book but it is far more difficult to implement his instructions than you might be led to believe. I'll illustrate this point on the topic of the driver.

Tom has several messages with respect to the driver:
Slow swing speed players (90mph) need more loft.
You need a graphite shaft.
You need a shaft that is 43 1/2 inches instead of 45 1/2 inches. Your shaft is only 45 1/2 inches because it is convenient for the manufacturer because a 43 1/2 inch steel shaft and a 45 1/2 inch graphite both have the same (i.e. correct) swing weight. Instead of making two heads the manufacturer only has to make one but they foist an unhittable 45+ inch shaft on their customers.

Well I followed that advice and got a custom made 43 1/2 inch driver with a graphite shaft and 460 cc head. The problem is that you can't get the swingweight right on that combination without huge amounts of lead tape, a steel shaft or a graphite shaft that weighs as much as steel. What's the result? That shorter driver is harder to swing accurately than a long driver because you can't feel the weight of the head. That means that you have a driver that is less accurate, harder to hit and as a bonus it doesn't go as far.

Now I'm sure there is a solution to this problem. According to the person that made my club, the solution is lots of lead tape. Obviously, no one wants to go buy a custom made $300 driver and then put six or eight inches of lead tape on it. Also, that's not what we see the pros do so I know there is a solution. Unfortunately, the book doesn't specify what that solution is.

So after reading this book I ended up with a $300 driver that my teaching professional said was unhittable. A switch to an off-the-rack club quickly fixed the problem and none of the bad things Mr. Wishon alluded to came to pass. If Mr. Wishon had addressed this issue I would have loved the book and loved my custom made driver. Unfortunately, he didn't and it was a $300 mistake and the point of the book is to help you avoid that mistake.

Summary of The Search for the Perfect Golf Club

The average golfer knows little more about golf clubs than what he or she reads in advertising or sees in Golf Channel infomercials. This lack of knowledge leads, in turn, to a kind of equipment-induced frustration, called the "grass ceiling," which is one of the leading factors in nearly three million people leaving the game each year.

This is the first book that explains to the layman how and why golf clubs work the way they do. It lets you in on the secrets that will allow you to spend your money more wisely and play the game to the best of your ability.

It is also a book that challenges the industry to rethink what it's doing to the golfer and the game in the name of "modern marketing." It calls for a new "golfer-centric" approach to the sport that will insure the health of the game through the 21st Century and beyond. This is the one book EVERY golfer needs to read!!

"A few years ago, Tom Wishon, with his experience as a designer, helped me understand more about a particular aspect of golf-club performance. With this book, Tom will help you understand the entire field, make good buying decisions, and get the most from your game."

--Arnold Palmer, Golf Hall of Fame Member

"In the course of my career I don't know how many pro-am rounds I have played. In all those rounds, rarely have I seen amateurs with clubs that genuinely fit their game. For me, Tom Wishon stripped away the mystery of club fitting, which I believe helped me to become a Top 20 player on the PGA Tour. I am convinced this book will allow average golfers to get on the right track with their equipment as well. It is a 'must read' whether you are a scratch player or a beginner."

--Scott Verplank, PGA Touring Pro

"Tom Wishon's knowledge of golf equipment isn't theoretical. It's practical. He understands not just the theory of why and how golf equipment works, but how all golfers can make technology work for them. Even more important, he makes that knowledge easily understood whether you're a mechanical engineer or a CPA trying to break 90."

--Mike Stachura, Equipment Editor, Golf Digest

Anyone interested in golf equipment needs to encounter Tom Wishon--whether in person or in print. His passion for sharing his knowledge of the equipment we play with borders on the maniacal, yet he always provides clearly mapped out answers to the most complex equipment questions. Tom has always been an indispensable source and I've picked his brain for years. What's left of it is in inside these pages.

--Mike Johnson, Equipment Editor, Golf World

I have written about golf equipment and golf technology for a very long time. I can assure you that nobody in the game today knows more about golf clubs than Tom Wishon. Furthermore, he has a passion for golf that is really fun to behold. If the great mystery is understanding how clubs function in the hands of real golfers, Wishon gets my vote as the Sherlock Holmes of golf.

--James Achenbach, Equipment Editor & Senior Editor, Golfweek

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