by GolfWRX’s own Ben Alberstadt, the article touches on our recently released QUASAR ET3 shaft as well as how our processes of  the TBAR (Tip to Butt Aspect Ratio) algorithm and Zone Flex Characterization can be ‘fine tuned’ to a players needs.

Read More about the Article

The new QMIT project being developed by Carter Penley with the invaluable feedback from Staff Advisor Tommy Jacobs.

Tommy is in the process of completing the first round of player testing and spec development. The feedback so far from Tommy has been encouraging and his design/development suggestions are most helpful and in depth especially when Tommy gets into the feel, playability and trajectory characteristics. As soon as Tommy finishes his thorough field testing, I will gather all data and with Tommy’s input, complete the prototype phase and hopefully the shafts will be ready to go with a limited production and distribution run.

Tommys ability to wring out a new design is one of the best and most methodical player. I have had the opportunity to work with and literally cuts the development time in HALF for a new design phase. The Cost and Time savings is almost immeasurable.

Penley ET2

Overview/Technology

First up is the Penley ET2, made by one of the most knowledgeable shaft makers in the business, The Godfather of Golf Shafts if you will, Carter Penley. Mr. Penley has reemerged with Penley Research and Development and his latest shaft, the ET2, the predecessor being the successful ETA.

Carter Penley without a doubt manufactures the most technically advanced shafts on the market today. The ET2 is one of those advanced shafts that doesn’t get the attention of a Fujikura, Aldila or Mitsubishi, but rest assured, it is an elite, top of the line golf shaft.

The ET2is a significant upgrade of the original and ever popular ETA model. The ET2 was manufactured with feel, control, and distance at the focus. All other parameters (Mechanical and Physical) compliment these three design attributes.

The TBAR Algorithm is at the heart of Penley’s shafts. TBAR is determining flex factor, although we do apply some common flex range description to help players determine which golf shaft is best suited for their level of play.

The Penley ET2 is without a doubt, the “sleeper” of the the Class of 2010′. And historically, only the more advanced players know and really appreciate Penley shafts. This holds true for the ET2, this is an advanced players shaft.

Sources:

Penley Research and Development: http://penleysports.o4sdesign.com

Golf Gear Select ET2 Review: http://www.golfgearselect.com/penley-et2-shaft-review

October 5, 2004 By James Achenbach

All golfers want to know more about shafts. To provide insight into shaft selection and performance, Golfweek talked with several knowledgeable individuals in the golf industry. Many of their comments are included in this examination of steel and graphite shafts. The question-and-answer format also includes general reflections on the evolution of the modern golf shaft.

The highlights: Most men historically have used shafts that are too stiff; clubs that “feel good” almost always have shafts with more torque; the 60-year-old Dynamic Gold shaft still is the most popular iron shaft on the PGA Tour; and the Rifle iron shaft is halfway to a Grand Slam this year.

-What are the primary considerations when buying a custom shaft for a driver?

Be cautious. Experiment with different-size heads and different shafts.

“It can make a huge difference, changing heads and changing shafts,” says Brad Storman, a PGA member who is director of sales and marketing for shaft maker Penley Sports.

Storman’s advice for high-ball hitters: Use a smaller driver head and a stiffer shaft. “Smaller heads produce a lower launch angle,” he says.

Conversely, low-ball hitters shoulder consider a larger driver head with a more flexible shaft. “Remember that a deeper face will produce less spin,” Storman says, “so you may need more loft to achieve the right trajectory.”

-Why do shafts have different tip diameters?

It all relates to feel. Common tip diameters for drivers are .335 and .350, and that 15 thousandths of an inch seems to make a monumental difference for PGA Tour players.

For example, all TaylorMade drivers on the PGA Tour have .335 tips. The players demand it. Yet the company’s consumer drivers have the larger .350 tips.

The smaller the tip, the more the feel. Touring pros can take advantage of this because they repeatedly hit the sweet spot. Amateurs produce more off-center hits and thus can benefit from the increased stability of the .350 tip.

-Other than tip diameter, what factors make some golf shafts feel better than others?

No. 1 is torque (twisting). No. 2 is flex (bending). Shafts with higher torque and more flex feel better to most golfers. There is a famous story about players who reshafted early Eye irons from Ping. These revolutionary cavity-back irons came with one shaft choice only, an extremely stiff steel shaft, causing some golfers to switch to softer shafts. Invariably they were unable to improve the trajectory, dispersion or distance of their iron shots. There was one improvement, though, that they all seemed to notice: “The irons feel a lot better.”

Says Kim Braly, director of research and development for Royal Precision, “I was working with Raymond Floyd, and he likes a shaft with a little more torque. He likes the feel. We worked with low-torque shafts that he hit just as well or better, but it always got back to the feel thing.”

-Should golfers pay attention to torque numbers?

This is a contentious issue. Some experts, such as Ping CEO John Solheim and A.J. Tech founder Al Jackson, have been longtime proponents of low-torque shafts (torque lower than 3).

“If you hit the ball on the face, torque matters,” says Jackson, whose A.J. Tech shafts now are being manufactured by Apache Matrix Composites under Jackson’s supervision. “I just can’t understand why anybody wouldn’t want a low-torque shaft. Steel has a low torque, and nobody complains.”

Pete Sanchez, president and chief operating officer of Fujikura Composites, confirms that several tour players are using Fuji driver shafts with 4.5 to 5 degrees of torque. Golfweek research turned up Jerry Kelly, Jeff Sluman and Stuart Appleby in this group. Sanchez says new materials and shaft designs have made it possible to develop a high-torque, high-stability shaft.

To the notion that high torque is the friend of the slow swinger, Aldila’s Steve Gandolfo says, “Someone with a slow swing speed will want something higher in torque to help square the face at impact.”

Penley’s Storman adds that handsy players should use shafts with a low amount of torque.

-What should everyone know about shaft flex?

There is no industry standard for flex.

One manufacturer’s R shaft could be another manufacturer’s S shaft. Comparing shafts from different companies is hopeless.

Most male golfers use shafts that are too stiff, although women face a different dilemma. Most clubs designed for women are outfitted with shafts that are too whippy.

Says Royal Precison’s Braly: “Shafts have been so stiff that most men, until the last few years, never really flexed a shaft in their lives. They were just holding on.”

-How does a golfer find the proper shaft?

Try different shafts. Ask a qualified golf instructor for help.

Do not compare today’s flexes with those of even a few years ago. Says Braly, “When you talk about OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), golf shafts are a lot weaker than they were 10 years ago. Our 5.5 is now categorized as a stiff. It used to be a regular.

“I would say shafts are now a flex and a half weaker. It makes sense. Now people can get the ball in the air easier.”

Adds Steve Zunich, director of sales and marketing for shaft maker AccuFlex: “I think the OEMs are very intelligent. They have learned that many golfers have a macho thing going. It happens all the time, even with senior players. They say, ‘Oh, I need a stiff shaft.’ Well, no, they don’t. So the manufacturer takes a shaft that is really an R and puts an S on it.”

-Question: Should a player be concerned about flex point?

A golfer probably should be more concerned about tip stiffness. Anyone seeking a higher trajectory should use a shaft with a softer tip.

The Aldila NV shaft is a good example of this. A huge hit among touring pros, the NV has become very popular among everyday golfers. Most amateurs, though, will achieve better feel and a higher trajectory with Aldila’s NVS shaft because it features a softer tip. The NV is green, while the NVS is orange. Harrison Sports has two top-selling Striper shafts, and it is important to know the difference between the two. The Striper Tour is firmer through the tip section, while the Striper J has a softer, more active tip.

The flex point of a shaft occurs in a region near the center of the shaft. This entire region is no more than 6 inches long, and all flex points can be found there.

Technically speaking, a low flex point will produce a higher shot and a high flex point will result in a lower shot.

-What about measuring the frequency?

Frequency matching of golf clubs was invented by Dr. Joe Braly, father of Kim Braly. Historically, this was determined by clamping a shaft at the butt, hanging a weight from the tip and measuring the vibration frequency.

In the last two years, the procedure has been changing.

Now shafts often are measured at different points, including the tip, butt and center section. The resulting profile appears as a curved line that is called an EI curve, or a bend curve.

Despite such scientific expertise, all golfers should beware of relying strictly on frequency readings. Because of new manufacturing techniques, frequencies can be misleading. For example, some new shafts play much stiffer than their frequency readings might indicate. All golfers are advised to base their shaft choices more on personal testing and less on frequency numbers.

-How does a golfer choose between graphite and steel, particularly in irons?

Answer: Although graphite dominates the driver category worldwide, steel has made a remarkable comeback in fairway woods, especially among touring professionals and skilled amateurs.

Noted instructor Drew Pierson of Wilmington, N.C., is an outspoken advocate of heavier steel shafts. He believes they produce better balance in a golf club, and he says low handicap golfers will achieve improved accuracy without losing distance.

Because of its shock-absorbing ability, graphite is well-suited to irons. However, almost all players on the PGA Tour still use steel in their irons.

“I would argue strongly that everybody would benefit from steel shafts in irons,” says True Temper vice president of engineering Graeme Horwood. “With irons, the idea is to hit the ball a specific distance. To do that, you need consistency. You need shafts that are perfectly matched across the set. Simply put, it is very difficult to make two shafts that are the same with graphite.”

To which Penley’s Storman responds, “I am far more optimistic about graphite iron shafts than ever before. Graphite can do more things than steel. You can design graphite to do whatever you want. With the old graphite iron shafts, you couldn’t work the ball. But that has changed. It wouldn’t surprise me to see tour players slowly switching to graphite.”

-Why has the legendary True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft, invented in the 1940s, remained the most popular iron shaft on the PGA Tour?

Answer: “This is the ultimate shaft in achieving very tight tolerances for weight and wall thickness,” Horwood says. “I think consistency is the most important characteristic, and this is the ultimate.”

Many amateur golfers, though, may have trouble achieving a high trajectory with the strong Dynamic Gold shafts. True Temper’s softer-tipped Dynalite Gold shaft, once used by Nick Price on the PGA Tour, might be a better choice.

-What iron shafts were used by the winners of the first two major championships this year?

Answer: Rifle shafts from Royal Precision. Phil Mickelson played the Project X version in his Titleist irons (”Good for people who hit the ball high,” Braly says), while Retief Goosen used Rifle Flighted shafts in his TaylorMade irons (the long irons have a softer tip, the short irons have a firmer tip).

-Why does Dynamic Gold have a visible step pattern in the shaft, whereas the Rifle is a constant taper shaft without steps?

Answer: These two shafts reflect different design philosophies. Says Braly, “We do this because it dissipates the energy better.” True Temper’s Horwood says simply, “The Dynamic Gold is all about consistency.”

-Why the recent surge in lightweight steel shafts?

Answer: New alloys have made this possible. True Temper’s TX-90 has been a big success, and other lightweights have followed. Royal Precision and Nippon have helped rejuvenate a worldwide interest in steel shafts.

-Are shafts regulated under the Rules of Golf?

Answer: Not in the way they perform. So far the rules committees of the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, have exhibited no hint of even discussing the dynamics of golf shafts.

Golf shafts cannot intentionally be bent. Early in his golf career, Ping’s Karsten Solheim made a golf shaft that was angled near the butt end. This quickly was deemed to be a violation of the rules, although TaylorMade’s straight but bulging Bubble Shaft sailed through the approval process.

-Which shaft manufacturer has best predicted future developments in the game?

Answer: Although it has plenty of competition, UST deserves to be recognized for its clairvoyance. UST initiated the tip-stiff trend with its Proforce shaft; today there is an abundance of tip-stiff shafts. UST anticipated the hybrid club revolution with its iROD shaft for hybrids. And it showed no hesitation in aggressively promoting its Harmon Tour Design line of counterbalanced shafts (more weight in the butt to change the balance and lower the swingweight).

-Why have Japanese graphite shaft manufacturers become so dominant?

Answer: “Because in general the Japanese are brilliant at making things,” says Richard Helmstetter, head of research and development at Callaway Golf.

Graphite Design and Fujikura are the best-known Japanese shaft manufacturers in the United States. Says Robb Schikner, vice president of research and development for Graphite Design, of his company’s popular YS line: “After several years, the YS-6 is still the single-most popular shaft in drivers on the PGA Tour. Why? It’s not only the design of the shaft. It’s the manufacturing processes and the equipment – the Japanese attention to detail is really amazing.”

Fujikura, on the other hand, was used in more woods than any other shaft manufacturer at both the Masters and U.S. Open.

-What is spine alignment in golf shafts?

Answer: In 1999, the USGA approved spine alignment. Almost all golf shafts have a spine, which is a seam or a position to which the shaft wants to rotate. If the spine is aligned in the same neutral position in all clubs, there should be more consistent results from club to club.

SST Pure, the leader in this field, has aligned almost 1 million clubs. The company has a network of dealers and a van that follows the PGA Tour, where some 200 players have had their clubs aligned.

Another company, Advanced Shaft Dynamics, uses a somewhat different alignment method and recently signed Vijay Singh as a spokesman.

“People still disagree on the importance of this process,” says Penley’s Storman. “If you ask me, most golfers would be better off spending their money on lessons.”

Author: Sara Black

Posted on: 9/1/2004  High-Performance Composites

Most of the 100 million golfers worldwide would agree that their clubs are a vital part of the game. But what they might not realize is how a composite club shaft can be infinitely tailored to match a player’s physique and ability and create that indefinable “feel” when hitting a shot.

A swing at the little white ball involves a complex and dynamic interplay of many factors, which include the weight of the club head and shaft, shaft stiffness, the degree of shaft flex and twist (torque) and the relationship between the tip and butt shaft diameters — all of which have to complement a golfer’s strength and skill level to produce a comfortable experience. Notable among the forces acting on the club shaft are in-plane bending, caused by club head “droop” during the backswing, which puts the rear half of the shaft (facing the golfer) in compression and the front half (facing the ball) in tension. Extreme flex occurs when the club head lags behind the shaft during the downswing and follow through, causing bending. Torque is produced when the player swings the club over his or her shoulder, then down to the ball in a spiraling arc while bending his or her wrists.

For example, a shaft’s “kick point” is the point on the shaft where the highest flexion occurs, as measured by holding the shaft at both ends and bending it. Stronger-swinging pro players prefer a high kick point, i.e., a stiffer tip, which gives the ball distance. A weekend player with a softer swing typically wants a lower kick point, or more flexible tip, which helps loft the ball into the air.

Composites have earned their huge share of the golf shaft market because a composite shaft’s construction can be precisely designed to tailor characteristics like kick point. Penley Sports LLC (San Diego, Calif., U.S.A.) has the production capacity to roll-wrap more than 6,000 premium composite golf shafts per day, with the aid of its in-house composite laminate design software program that dictates exact fabrication details. The company’s wide range of products is targeted to all levels of golfers, from amateur to professional, who desire enhanced performance.

“We make 300 different shafts and have over 3,000 different designs,” says Carter Penley, founder of Penley Power Shafts, the precursor company to Penley Sports. “We can optimize any player’s swing with composites’ design flexibility.”

Thin-walled tube design

A typical Penley golf shaft is a thin-walled tube ranging from 114 cm/45 inches to 127 cm/50 inches in length with an average weight of only 50g to 80g (1.77 oz to 2.83 oz). Carter Penley explains that the trick is to balance the competing requirements of shaft diameter, sufficient wall thickness to resist torque and flex, and overall weight.

The shaft’s bending stiffness is determined by the moment of inertia (I) — a geometric property of the shaft’s cross-section that indicates its resistance to bending — multiplied by the modulus (E) of the material used. To make a tube stiff enough for a golf shaft, you can increase E, or increase the moment of inertia, or both. Mathematically, the most efficient way to increase the moment is to increase the shaft radius, keeping wall thickness the same. But a larger-diameter tube with thin walls, though still stiff, is prone to failure by buckling. Penley’s goal is to create a lightweight tube that not only possesses sufficient stiffness, but also maintains its shape and resists collapse, even under the very high imposed loads.

To achieve this level of performance, the company roll-wraps its clubs exclusively with aerospace-grade, unidirectional 12K carbon/ epoxy prepreg tape, typically made with high-modulus, PAN-based carbon fiber, in 30.5-cm/12-inch or 61-cm/24-inch widths. Prepreg suppliers include Toray Composites America Inc. (Tacoma, Wash., U.S.A.), Newport Adhesives and Composites Inc. (Irvine, Calif., U.S.A.), and Bryte Technologies Inc. (Morgan Hill, Calif., U.S.A.).

“We don’t use woven broadgoods because they’re too thick and don’t deliver the strength we need for small-diameter shafts,” says Penley.

When compared to steel, carbon’s weight advantage allows a doubled or even tripled wall thickness to get adequate torque and flex resistance, at about one-half the weight of a comparably sized steel shaft, explains Penley. In addition, carbon fiber’s vibration-damping characteristics mean that vibrations from ball impact are significantly reduced, compared to steel, minimizing player fatigue.

The design process starts with certain parameters that are fixed and normally don’t change from shaft to shaft. The shaft tip, or “hosel,” is typically set at an industry-standard 8.5-mm/0.335-inch diameter, for insertion into the majority of club heads. The diameter of the shaft’s butt end is determined by standard grip sizes. Penley calls the ratio between the two the tip-to-butt aspect ratio, or TBAR, and says that 1.7 is an ideal TBAR value after watching and interviewing golfers about club feel.

“Eighty percent of golfers can hit very well at that number,” says Penley. “We use that as our design driver, then let our target weight and stiffness dictate the modulus and fiber geometry.”

The company has developed an in-house design analysis program called SRS, to handle the calculations involved in finding the optimum combination of design factors, including moment, fiber modulus and fiber architecture for each different type of club. Similar to a finite element analysis (FEA) program, SRS makes approximately 900,000 calculations along the length of a typical shaft, calculations which result in the type (modulus) of fiber required, the optimum fiber architecture, the number of wraps and the amount of fiber overlap. An important offshoot of the program is the determination of mandrel size and diameter. Lynco Grinding Co. Inc. (Bell Gardens, Calif., U.S.A.) supplies nearly all of Penley’s steel mandrels, which number into the thousands to accommodate the wide range of club types and sets available, from drivers to short irons.

Software facilitates fabrication

The SRS program is linked to AUTOCAD LT software from Autodesk (San Rafael, Calif., U.S.A.), an off-the-shelf program, which translates the design data into flat patterns. The patterns, in turn, are cut by a computer-controlled, automated sheeter/cutter manufactured especially for this application by Century Design Inc. (San Diego, Calif., U.S.A.). The machine unrolls the prepreg and cuts it at the appropriate length and fiber angles to make the pattern pieces, often called “flags.” Anywhere from five to eight flags make up a typical shaft layup kit.

During production, a technician mounts a mold-release-treated mandrel on a roll-wrapping machine and inputs the corresponding SRS-developed wrapping program into the roll wrapper’s controller. Each program comprises numerous “wraps” layers around the mandrel, which the controller translates into mandrel rotations, which are specified in degrees — 720° means two complete wraps or plies, 1080° is three plies, etc. The computer-controlled layup also controls ply deviation to no more than 5° from the programmed load paths, to minimize off-axis fibers and loss of modulus.

Successful roll wrapping depends on exact placement of each subsequent flag on the mandrel to maintain laminate symmetry and prevent excessive material overlaps, which can lead to a condition called shaft spine, a lengthwise zone of higher stiffness. Penley’s SRS program was originally developed with the intention of reducing or eliminating spine (SRS stands for spine reduction software) through precise fiber architecture and flag placement. While avoiding overlaps is important, it is critical to avoid gaps where plies must be butted together during layup. All shaft designs are digitally inspected by Penley for potential gaps prior to fabrication. “Gaps will really hurt you when it comes to shaft durability,” notes Penley.

According to Penley, a typical shaft layup consists of two initial helical wraps, at an angle of +/- 45°, to control torque, followed by several 0° axial (lengthwise) wraps to control stiffness. The axial wraps are followed by hoop plies at selected locations to control flex and strength. The area just above the hosel is particularly prone to failure, because of its small diameter and proximity to the club head where flex forces are high. That area may receive not only extra hoop wraps but “floating” inserts of high-strength prepreg, typically carbon-boron/epoxy hybrid prepreg supplied by Specialty Materials Inc. (Lowell, Mass., U.S.A.), particularly for high-end pro shafts with a higher kick point.

Once the layup is complete, the shaft is overwrapped with clear polypropylene shrink film, using a Century Design wrapping machine, which helps to consolidate the layup during oven cure. Typical cure takes two to three hours, starting at ambient and ramping up to 135°C/275°F, then back down. Shafts are normally cured in batches of 100 and each of the facility’s three ovens has a 500-shaft capacity. After cure, mandrels are hydraulically extracted with a Century Design device that restrains the shafts while removing the mandrel inside. Shafts are sanded, sized and painted, then packaged for shipment to golf club OEMs for assembly with heads and grips. Quality control includes dynamic analysis of selected shafts in a harmonic oscillation analysis testing device that rotates and flexes shafts to verify the flex, torque and TBAR characteristics and identify spine.

Parlaying experience

in new markets

Vijay Singh, Phil Mikelson and John Daly are some of the more notable names among the professional players that have adopted Penley shafts. Daly attributes his renowned hitting distance in part to Penley’s ETA (Energy Transfer Accelerance) shaft, designed with very high stiffness and high kick point. The company’s new, GAS (Geometric Angular System) shaft will generate some excitement in the golf industry, Penley predicts. Its patented sinusoidal (wave shaped) design, featuring hybrid prepregs, smoothes the loads and gains flex and torque characteristics not possible with a traditional tapered shaft.

The company is looking to parlay its experience in designing and producing golf shafts to other composite applications and markets. Its Applied Technology Group is aggressively branching out into new research and development areas, including aerospace and homeland security as well as other sporting goods.

“These shafts are sophisticated parts that require design and fabrication know-how,” concludes Penley. “We can use our expertise to achieve high performance in other areas needing complex laminate design.”

May 6th, 2004

Equipment scoop from the tours:

Big Bang Theory: Scott Smith used a combination of a Bang Golf Bang-O-Matic driver and Pinnacle golf ball when he ripped a record-setting 539-yard drive at last week’s Long Drivers of America event in Albuquerque. Smith’s driver featured a Penley XXX Ultron shaft and 8 degrees of loft.

By Colleen Kane
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati native Scott Smith often drew comments on the golf course about the distance of his drives – so when he saw an ad in a magazine for a long drive competition, he entered it. It changed his life.

Smith won a competition that sent him on a trip to face John Daly, where he outdrove the PGA golfer by 36 yards to win $100,000 on ESPN. Since, he’s acquired sponsorships with Bang Golf (heads) and Penley (shafts), placed 30th in 2003 in the World Long Drive Championships and quit the family business to teach, perform trick shows at company outings and focus on his training.

Smith begins his 2004 long drive season this March, with his ultimate goal to become the World Long Drive Champion.

Q: What’s your longest drive?

A: In competition 440 yards, but on the golf course, I hit it 485 yards last year.

Q: Average?

A: Probably in the 380s – it depends on the conditions

Q: Your average is better than Tiger Woods, right?

A: Yeah. For swing speed, Tiger Woods probably is in the upper 120 to 130 miles per hour. Mine is about 155 miles per hour. My ball speed is about 210 miles per hour.

Q: Would you ever take Tiger on head to head?

A: Oh, yeah. He would never out-drive me.

Q: How did you get into golf?

A: I grew up a baseball player. … I think that helped a lot with my power and my hand eye coordination … Then, I picked up golf at 16.

Q: You played for La Salle High School – were you any good?

A: I was probably average. I don’t think they had a really great program back then. But I have about a 6 handicap. I want to get that better.

Q: How did you get into long drive competitions?

A: I’ve always been an avid golfer, and a lot of people would comment on my distance. I saw an ad in Golf Magazine for the Pinnacle Distance Challenge. There were 10 tour stops in 10 cities, and I won in Washington, D.C., so I got to go to Mesquite, Nev., to compete with Daly on ESPN. Once I won, then I got sponsors.

Q: What’s your best trick shot?

A: I hit the ball through a half-inch piece of plywood. Most people don’t realize that takes 200 mile per hour ball speed. I hit a ball off a 4-foot tee, and it’s hang time is about 15 seconds before it hits the ground. I can hit it standing on a medicine ball.

Q: Did you ever try anything that didn’t work?

A: I fool with different shots. I usupractice with racquet balls to help get the feel and the timing down.

Q: What’s training like for you?

A: I’m training diligently for my start of the professional season (in March until October). I do core training, like with your abs … flexibility and weight training. I train about five days a week, with golf specific training three days a week.

Q: So what kind of places do you get to go while on tour?

A: All over – Florida, California, Dallas, New York City. We’re making a stop in Toronto. I like to see new places. It’s a nice lifestyle. It beats the family business – that’s for sure.

Well sure, but if I had a lucky roll…
Twenty-five-year-old Clayton Burger is the new longest man in golf. Burger recently took first prize in the ReMax World Long Drive Contest in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was Burger’s first appearance in the contest, and it is the second year in a row that a first-timer has won the event. Incidentally, the club Burger used was a Cobra SS 427 with a 52-inch Penley shaft, and he took home $80,000.00 plus some ancillary prizes. Oh yeah, for the record, the drive went 402 yards!

BY ISEEKGOLF.COM | 29 MAY 2003

http://www.iseekgolf.com/news/1181-long-hitter-john-daly-re-signs-with-penley-shafts

John is very excited to be a part of the organization that has helped him make a significant comeback. This week Penley plans to release its new PGA Tour trailer with John’s image and personalized shaft and graphics. Director of Marketing and National Sales Manager Brad Stormon says, “John is a star and continues to impress the general public with his personality and playing ability, when we signed John, Penley realized that the golfing public loves him and is one of the few players in golf that can draw a crowd like Tiger Woods. With Penley shafts, John has continued to enhance his distance along with holding the title as the longest driver on the PGA TOUR.”

Penley Golf Shafts also have been recognized as the most accurate and longest driving shafts on the PGA and Nationwide Tours; with Victor Schwamkrug showcasing his ability with a 328.9 yard driving average, along with John Daly’s driving distance on the PGA Tour holding the #1 spot for two straight years. In addition, Joe Durant captured the #1 spot in driving accuracy in 2001, Penley also claimed the 2002 driving accuracy category on last year’s Buy.com Tour.

Source – Penley