! Scigolf presents Scott Hazledine Answers Your Golfing Questions On Your Golf Game.

Question 23

Dear Scott,
I am a 4-handicap who is convinced that the Moe Norman swing is superior and I am ready to make the switch. What are the advantages/disadvantages to adjusting the length and lie of my forged cavity back irons and installing your grips vs. purchasing the IMA irons? How much length adjustment is typically involved? Until you begin selling IMA woods, is there a preferred method of adapting woods that are available on the market today e.g., are there any different considerations such as head size or material, or shaft type or flex, that should be considered in taking up your method?

Greg.

Great questions, and you are correct in being convinced of the superiority of the Ideal Mechanical Advantage technique. Typical length adjustment is based on your grip change and ability to hit the ball solid. Taking in to account the grip change, use your traditional grip whether you interlock or overlap and measure the bottom thumb position on the handle. Now take your single axis grip; you do not need to have split hand separation and both hands can be touching. You may if you prefer, or have small hands. to place the thumb under the thumb pad of your right hand. Be careful that the heel pad of the right hand stays on the grip handle. If your heel pad is on top of the handle you have lost the single axis benefit. You must also make sure that the butt end of the golf club is on the same line as the right forearm. Now simply measure your bottom thumb position on the handle. A split grip or hand separation is not part of the principle. Only a single axis grip is mandatory, and by that I mean the club shaft is on the same oblique plane as the rear forearm. The difference in the two thumb positions may be any where from a 1/2 inch to two inches, it is seldom more than that. Your club face needs to be increased by that length so that you are still swinging the same lever length as you were traditionally. That would be the length defined by the bottom of your lower hand to the club head. You want to keep the same length when you change to single axis.

The IMA golf clubs were designed for single axis golf swings. The weight port directly behind the center of the club puts the mass of the head mainly in the center. This allows for the center of gravity to be directly and overwhelmingly in the center. Traditional forged blades still have the center of gravity closer to the hosel then is ideal. The four-way camber on the sole of the IMA clubs allow for much easire slope adjustments.

Traditional iron forged blades are flat on the sole and on side slopes. It is easy to catch a toe or heel deep. Also the cambered sole on the IMA irons allows the club to move through long grass easier and is highly effective out of divots. We also spline test all of our shafts and individually weight the heads to be seven grams over standard. This extra weighting allows for a more stable club head. IMA clubs eliminate all tendencies for the toe to flip over through impact and separation. Virtually all cavity back golf clubs have a design built into them so they flip over.

The grip is not part of the principle as far as size goes. You only need a grip that is large enough so that you do not slip or have movement. Shafts flex is mainly for trajectory, and unless you experience arthritis or medical problems of the hands, steel is still the most effective and least costly way to go. I won't put in a graphite shafts that costs at least 40 dollars more. All tests that I have seen show graphite to be little or no advantage. You might pick up three or four yards of added distance. That's ten dollars a yard. I personally don't think it's worth it. I prefer to play with as soft a flex as I can control my trajectory with. By placing weight in the top weight port and less weight in the bottom weight port I can get away with a softer shaft. Ball height is a primary importance to me and shafts flex is the most influential component. Typically you will find a change to single axis will allow for at least one shaft flex reduction. Because you are no longer trying to use shaft flex for directional control.

There is simply nothing on the market that is similar to the IMA Woods. This is why it's taking so long for them to be produced correctly. No one has ever done this before.