If your eyes and brain are bleeding from the metallurgy class in the Callaway newsletter, you’re in luck. This Fitters Corner will expand on that – but, only slightly. Haha.

I had a macho chat with a fellow fitter a few weeks ago. We were saying “Remember how easy it was to bend an iron XX years ago?” “I used to be able to bend iron heads by feel and get them perfect every time – the first time.” Now? Everything is so hard to bend. Why is that? “I cracked one the other day. You believe that??” I said “Yes, I certainly do.”

Most manufacturers use different metals with different densities and tensile strengths to get the optimal blend of weight, strength and feel. This often means using a different alloy of stainless or carbon steel. While it feels different when you hit a golf ball with it, it also feels different with your bending bar/ loft & lie machine. Heavier, more dense, less carbon = harder to bend.

Will it break? Maybe. It depends on how far you try to go. The bigger problem? Notice the blown up diagram of the pull apart for the Paradym iron head? See the face has a weld that runs parallel to the hosel? Precarious… Try to bend that hosel too much and you can break that welded joint. Some companies may even weld the hosel on to the club head. That can be easy to break as well.

As a guideline, if you’re going to try to bend it yourself, use the company options as your guideline of what you can do with your loft and lie machine. If we will go 2* Up or Flat, you shouldn’t try to go 5* Up – we stop at 2* for a reason…

Now you know why they bend harder today than they did 15 years ago. You’re not getting older or weaker – the metal is changing.

I don’t get these often anymore, but every once in a while, someone will call and say “I got a set from you guys and the specs are way off.” To make you feel comfortable, our tolerance is +/- 1/4*. We bend the clubs electronically, so they always come out perfectly. They are then checked on a digital gauge for loft and lie before they are boxed and shipped. Our “loft and lie machines” are deep in the 6 figures range, and calibrated regularly. Be confident that a set from us is perfect. Every time.

Happy Fitting!!!

Jim Yeager, PGA