• Testing one and the same club in a number of configurations – until now an enviable privilege reserved for professionals –– now possible for leisure golfers
• Club configuration kits for consumers
• Multi-faceted product selection at GOLF EUROPE 2008 in Munich  

 
Until now, only tour professionals had the privilege to test various club head/shaft combinations – clubs assembled and re-assembled with various shafts by the tour truck crew. Today, modern fitting systems offer a number of options for leisure players to test different configurations, independent of skill level. New attachment systems between club head and shaft allow players to easily connect a club head to a selection of shafts, or vice versa, use one shaft with club heads with various loft specs. This creates hundreds of combinations for one and the same club. Sounds simple, yet in the past, attempts with threaded, interchangeable systems usually resulted in unwanted problems at the attachment point.  
 
New, specially constructed designs literally eliminate the impact of the attachment system. Manufacturers promise that the assembled, interchangeable clubs handle like regular clubs.  
 
Yet that is not all. The latest idea is to offer these combination systems with shafts and heads directly to the consumer. For example, a player purchases two driver heads and only one shaft. Depending on the weather and/or course conditions, he decides whether to use the driver with more or less loft, and just before he heads out onto the course, he selects the appropriate combination. An amendment to the regulations made at the end of 2007, valid since January 1st, 2008, permits the use of the so-called “Adjustable Clubs”. The market reacted swiftly – as soon as the official sanction was given, the first do-it-yourself kits hit the market.  
One-hit-wonder or a new era for golf clubs? GOLF EUROPE 2008, 16th International Trade Fair for Golf, held from October 5th to 7th, 2008, at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, will tell all.   
 
Fact is that major manufacturers have registered patents for such combination systems. In addition to customizable specifications the new head-shaft-attachment technologies also put new emphasis on color aspects. Just imagine the ability to color-coordinate the driver head with your polo shirt for that perfect Sunday afternoon round….
Color as a feature of hardware, representing the ability to stand out from the masses, is advancing into the spotlight and will have considerable presence at golf’s leading trade show in Munich. Golf equipment for 2009 will not only be more versatile, but also more colorful.
 
 
2/MK/sf