The Clubmaker Report
Superstroke news, Hot Rodded Drivers, and more.
HotRod Your Driver, Fairway,
Hybrid, or Irons
It’s no secret that many of the shafts used in the major OEM clubs are chosen to save money, not improve performance.
Most of the requests I get online are from customers looking to upgrade their shafts.
I can get about any shaft made and can improve the performance of your OEM clubs with a new shaft.
The Hiskei Wave shaft is my go-to and almost every reshaft with the Wave shaft improves distance and control.
MyGolfSpy did a great review and my favorite line “is this really happening?” after gaining a little over 6 yards vs. their favorite reference shaft and reducing distance from the target line by 2.77 yards. The MyGolfSpy review is here.
The Wave shaft is $150 so it won’t break the bank and the dark burgundy/gold logo to grey fade graphic/paint looks great.
Hiskei also makes a full line of standard shafts, a 46 gram super light at $125, and a few 60 gram 3.5 torque models that work great, too. Their lightweight hybrid shaft is excellent as is the matching lightweight graphite iron shaft.
I also have some of the clearance AJ Tech shafts in stock. I really like the “fade to plum” 4060 Duratron for seniors and slower swingers. I had a chance to hit my regular flex “fade to plum” a few weeks ago and had some of my longest drives in some time with it. The wide fairways at the course we played helped, too. Z series is 48 grams and 3.0 torque, a great spec for increasing swing speed. I have a few other models and the 4060’s are $125 and the Z series is $100. Add $40 for OEM sleeve/install labor/Star grip and shipping and you’re on your way to better drives. I’ve got a bunch of the AJ60’s (low 60 gram, 3.5 torque that is priced at $100 and is a fantastic shaft with more “standard” specs (vs. super light/low torque that AJ is known for). They work great in fairway woods, too.
I like the entire Mitsubishi line and the Fujikura line. Both of these premium Japanese OEM shaft makers are used by the majority of pros on Tour. They also have shafts for low/mid/high handicappers and can be fit for about any swing by weight and shaft profile.
Send me a note with info on your swing, what you’re currently playing and what you don’t like about it (too low launch, to heavy, too stiff, etc.) and I’ll help you choose a better shaft for your game.
Superstroke Buys Lamkin Grips
I read online recently that Superstroke has purchased Lamkin Grips. Superstroke is the go to putter grip on tour and in OEM putters but never really broke into the standard driver/fairway/iron/hybrid grip scene. The excellent Lamkin grip line will help them with this market. Lamkin has been around a long time and were always super nice people to deal with. I guess Bob Lamkin’s kids didn’t have any interest in the golf business so it was time to move on.
Short Shots
I’ve been playing the new forged Hiskei Luminous Star forged wedges the past few months in the 50 degree gap and 54 degree sand wedge and like them a lot.
I like the front sole relief these have to help a bit with a “sweeping” swing (not much of a divot). They have great forged feel, nice clean look and are available in component or wedges with a full iron set, too.
The Krank Golf Fire Drivers continue to be a hot seller with fan favorite Bryson Dechambeau using both their driver and fairway woods to tear up both the LIV Tour and to make impressive showings in the majors. The Krank Fire drivers are fit by swing speed.
The Fire XX for <200 yard golfers has a CT of 400 (vs. 257 for conforming)! That’s super thin and gives the best rebound effect for senior and slower swing golfers with slower than 80 mph swing speeds.
The Fire X is for golfers with 80-105 swing speeds and driving distance of 200-260 yards. Fire X is also non-conforming with a CT of 340 (vs. 257 for conforming). The face is also very thin and with the perfect rebound for average swingspeed golfers.
The Fire Pro is for golfers with 105+ swing speeds and drives 260-350+ yards. The CT is conforming and is 257.
I can build them with any shaft but really like the Fire XX and Fire X in high lofts for seniors (up to 14 degree loft) with a Hiskei Wave shaft. Price is $399 with the Wave upgrade. I can also do the AJ Tech 4060 for slow swingers, price is $399 with the AJ Tech upgrade.
Yamada Putters are handmade in Japan and have been used by some of the best players in the world. I’m starting to hear hints from Yamada that he may retire after this summer and it will be a sad day for the golf world when he retires. He is the finest putter craftsman on the planet.
I can get the handmade Razor (a 8802 design shown below in various stages of production) is the one I’d go with if you’re looking for a classic design with perfect weighting and Yamada’s unique feel. The Kamakura, Shogun, or Samurai are also beautiful designs and great for putter collectors. Available in burning copper or smoke finish with a leather Yamada grip and head cover. Price is $625 and they take about 3 months.
The production models are excellent and include his most popular model the Emperor 2. This was used for the lowest score in a PGA competition (a 55). I can get this in burning copper or the standard platinum and the price is $425.
The other production models are the center shafted Borzov, Old Man, Turtle MO, and legend 7. Price is $425 and the production usually take about 3 months to get to my office. Send me a note to order or for pictures of the various Yamada putters.
Hiskei Golf Catalog
I’ve posted a PDF of the latest Hiskei Golf catalog. It’s got the specs on all the drivers, fairway woods, irons, wedges, and shafts.
A few of the items are no longer available but I can’t get them for the life of me to remove them from the PDF.
Take a second to browse the shafts. I write a lot about their Wave shaft but they also have a complete line of graphite driver, graphite iron, and graphite hybrid shafts that are excellent and at a good price point.
You can find and download the PDF of the new catalog here.
Let me know if you have any questions.