Media Articles

GOLFSMITH CLUBMAKER, Holiday 2001
Swing robot Max Headspeed proved himself as a valued member of Golfsmith's research and development team, especially during the testing and refining of the PUREing process, licensed by Strategic Shaft Technologies.

GOLF WORLD BUSINESS, by E. Michael Johnson, September 2001
The spining of golf shafts has caught the attention of PGA Tour professionals, including Jack Nicklaus. In all, more than 70 players on the tour have had shafts in their clubs aligned, according to Dick Weiss, founder of Strategic Shaft Technologies in Miami. And with the SST van now a fixture at most tournament sites, Weiss expects that figure to rise.

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, by Camille Wheeler, April 28, 2001
Members of Golfsmith's research and development team say swing robot Max Headspeed is proving that Weiss' process works. In one particular test, Max was swinging clubs that hadn't been pured. "You saw the ball going all over the place," robot operator Thomas Hull said. "Once the shafts were pured,he was lacing them like a new pair of shoes."

Mike Duggan, manager of shaft technical services at Golfsmith, says puring is "a way for you to hit a higher percentage of shots on center. I'm not going to say you'll hit it 50 yards farther, but I know you'll feel better."

GOLF DIGEST, by John Strege, November 2000
The shaft has been described as a club's engine, the instrument that delivers the club-head to the ball, but has it been doing so in the most efficient manner?

This question is at the root of a debate quietly brewing in the equipment industry: Is shaft orientation (also called shaft spining) a viable means by which a set of clubs can be made to perform uniformly, or is it a myth?

GOLFSMITH CLUBMAKER, by John Meng, July/August 2000
"Already nearly 40 Tour pros have spine-aligned their clubs, more and more original equipment manufacturers (OEMS) are warming up to the process, and SST president Phil Talamonti predicts that more than 50 percent of the Tour players will have spine-aligned clubs before the end of the season ...

"I believe there's something to spine-matching," says Ben Crenshaw. "As professional golfers, we're out there with equipment every day and there's so much to try and so much information to digest. But spine-aligning makes sense. You can tell a lot of difference in a shaft's flex and feel."

GOLFWEEK, by James Achenbach, Feb. 27, 1999
"At a time of startling turnabouts and drastic changes within the U.S. Golf Association -- golfshaking, if not earthshaking -- another rules reversal has come down, this one with the potential to make a huge impact on the golf manufacturing sector. ...

"Weiss was appealing a USGA decision about spines in golf shafts (to the Implements and Ball Committee) ... so swift was the reply that Weiss was stunned. On Feb. 9, 1999, Frank Thomas, USGA Technical Director, composed a letter to Weiss. It said, in part, 'The (I&B) Committee has asked me to inform you that a club or set of clubs which has been assembled or reassembled by you, or by your licensees (in accordance with your patent) ... would conform with Rule 4-1b. ...

"What this means, in essence, is that Weiss now controls one of the most persuasive selling points in contemporary equipment ... I think the Weiss patent could be as important to golf as the development by Dr. Joe Braly and his son, Kim, of the frequency matching system.

GOLF ILLUSTRATED, by Laurie Lee Dovey, February 2000
The identification and alignment of shaft spines are at the forefront of discussions among clubmakers as a result of actions taken by Miami, Fla., investor, businessman, golfer and clubmaker Dick Weiss during 1999. Those actions could affect the golf industry and recreational golfers well into the first decade of the 21st century.

PGA TOUR PARTNERS MAGAZINE, by Tom Stine, September/October issue
"The bottom line of all this technical gobbledygook is that if the spines are not set in the club heads at the proper angle in relation to the clubface, we are not getting the most out of our clubs and we will continue to have some clubs that will perform differently than others.

"Did spining my clubs make a difference? It sure did. I'm hitting my 8-iron, 9-iron and wedge farther. I also noticed that I hit my woods straighter, and I don't hate my 6-iron anymore."

GOLF PRODUCT NEWS, by Harry Coffee, Fenwick Shaft's Director of Composites, March 2000
"... having shaft spines aligned in the plane of the swing is better than having them haphazardly positioned in a set of clubs ..."

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, by Rafer Guzman, April 21, 1999
Dick Weiss says that he has ended the United States Golf Associations own brand of "Don't ask, don't tell."

Mr. Weiss, a professional golfer and golf-club maker in Miami, says the USGA discriminated for years against those who chose a particular orientation -- in club shafts, that is.

GOLFWEEK, by James Achenbach, July 18, 1998
"The spine phenomenon is no secret among knowledgeable golfers ...

The concept is remarkable in its simplicity -- orienting the golf shaft in a particular position in relationship to the clubhead. Weiss does this by removing the shaft from an exiting club, examining and testing it, then reinstalling it in the desired location ...

"There is a preferential direction that shafts look for," Weiss said. "My purpose is to get rid of the negative aspects of how shafts are installed, because they are generally installed haphazardly."

GCA INSIDER, by Tom Wishon, February 1999
"No matter how hard manufacturers try to produce symmetrical shafts with the bending properties commanded by the USGA, it is impossible to make a shaft that bends precisely the same way in every direction. ... To make perfect shafts in these regards could more than quadruple shaft prices. ... In fear of using spines to improve shot performance, the USGA effectively stated that golfers should just accept their shaft's random bending properties. ...

But then came Dick Weiss ...

Testing is still under way to pinpoint the real effect of spine matching, but GolfSmith has seen enough to change its view -- spine orientation could be as significant in shaft-to-shaft matching as frequency analysis. ...

The USGA's secret is out. Even the highest-quality shafts have minor imbalances, and spine orientation could complement frequency analysis and help golfers get the most performace from their clubs."

GOLFSMITH CLUBMAKER, April 1999
"Not too long ago, it seemed as if discussing shaft spines was only possible if it took place in dark rooms or behind closed doors.

"However, with the USGA's official acknowledgement of spines and the spine-orienting process, clubmakers will soon have access to technology which can identify shaft spines, orient shaft spines within a set and maximize the performance of customers' golf equipment. ...

"The Golfsmith technical team is convinced that Weiss' spine-matching process and its now 'official' compliance with the USGA's rules is a prominent development for custom clubmaking."

NATIONAL POST, by John Gordon, May 25, 1999
"Everybody has a favorite club in their bag. Which one do you choose when you absolutely, positively have to make a critical shot? Maybe it's that 6-iron you always pull out when confronted by a narrow landing area with water on both sides.

"Weiss, a wealthy Miami-based entrepreneur and golf professional, says he can give you 14 favorite clubs. It doesn't matter what make they are or what your handicap is ...

"Spine alignment has been used in other sports for years. For example, an arrow that is not so aligned will not fly straight to its target; a fishing rod that does not have its eyelets placed precisely on its spine will twist in your hand when a fish strikes. ...

"In auto-speak, no matter how good or expensive the tires on your car, you won't get optimum performance if your wheels aren't aligned."