Mizuno Swing DNA / Shaft Optimizer

Thought I'd share with you my experience of this for those who are interested.  

I went to the Belfry yesterday to get fitted for new wedges and while I was there I asked if I could try out the new Mizuno gadget for checking out your swing, the Swing DNA / Shaft Optimizer.  For those who who don't know what this is, it's an electronic gadget attached to a special shaft that measures what the shaft does in your swing and makes a recommendation on which shaft is best suited to your swing. 

Now this gadget doesn't just measure your swing speed.  It is effectively an electronic strain gauge attached to the shaft that measures the flex and movement in the shaft during the swing and gives the fitter a set of numbers on it's screen.  The fitter then types these numbers into software on a PC for three seperate swings and the software does some funky calculations.  From this, your swing is plotted on a graph showing your speed vs tempo (I think this is purely for the player's benefit!) and recommends shafts to suit your swing type. The fitter then fits the head (or heads) of your choice to the recommended shafts and you are fitted in the usual manner to find the combination you like and suits you best. 

I was recommended the Dynamic Gold S300, with the FST KBS Tour S and Nippon N.S. PRO 1150GH TOUR S as back up options.  It was recommended that I did not use a graphite shaft and if I wanted a rifle shaft to use the Project X 5.5.  After hitting 3 balls with the Nippon shaft, I decided it wasn't for me as the balance just felt wrong.  The stats showed that the Project X shaft gave me slightly better results than the others and this felt best too, although the FST KBS Tour also felt good after a couple of shots.

This system is not supposed to replace custom fitting, merely give the fitter a head start by narrowing down the huge shaft options (39 for Mizuno irons) to the theoretical best for the player.  The custom fit lie, length, etc still needs to be done, but I was able to be fitted for wedges and irons in the time that it would normally take to do just one or the other.  I didn't even notice the piece of kit on the shaft while it was being used.  I think it was worthwhile and anything that helps you to get the right set up has got to be a positive. 

Then full details are on the Mizuno website via the link below if you want to find out more.  

http://golf.mizunoeurope.com/custom/swing-dna.php 

****WARNING - BORING TECHNICAL HATCHET JOB FOLLOWS****

An interesting concept, but as usual the website is high on jargon filled prose (with spelling mistakes!) but little technical detail.  However, I can see quite a few flaws in their cunning plan.  The object of the exercise I can understand, dynamically measuring the shaft flex to optimise the choice of an individuals shaft, but the method they have chosen to use simply cannot work.  OK, they do address one of my first queries with the interchangeable heads by helpfully removing 8 grams of material to compensate for the fixing system, but unfortunately because of the large swing radii involved even minute shifts in the centre of gravity of a head can have significant effects on the balance of the club.  As a consequence the data gained is then compromised if you need different length shafts for different clubs, unless of course they go through the complete range from wedge to 1 iron.

The main problem I have with it though is that the transducer part clips onto the shaft being tested.  Real straingauges need to be close physically bonded to the material being tested and are arranged (on a cylindrical shaft) in 3 axes (lengthways down the shaft, radially around the shaft and at 45 deg to the central axis) otherwise they don't work, and for a long thin shaft you would need at least three along it's total length to be able to get any meaningful data.  So this device measures the flex in only one position and cannot compensate for shafts with different kick and flex points, which is probably why they've got some fancy software to show you what could, possibly, be happening.  Smoke and mirrors I'm afraid.  And I'm still not sure how my head would change my swing with a lump of plastic just below the grip, and unless it's weightless could also affect the clubs C of G...

Sorry folks, wanted to be outside building a pergola but it's raining, so decided to have a rant instead..     

*****WARNING - DEBUNKING OF THE TECHNICAL DEBUNKING FOLLOWS*****

Hate to destroy a large part of what you said Tim, but the strain gauge does not clip onto an existing shaft.  It's a specially constructed shaft with the gauges built into it that is balanced like a normal shaft and is available in different versions.  They measure you with the one closest to the shaft you currently use. I couldn't tell the reader was there.  They also rebalance the heads so that the weight distribution is as close as possible to a normal head.  I tried an MP62 head with a Project X 5.5 in both a built up one and a standard off the shelf (they had one there).  Got to be honest, they felt the same.  

Everything you said is true though

Don't care, it's stopped raining now so back out in the garden with large pieces of wood.  Apologies for not grasping the technology better, more to do with their website than anything else.  However, if it has got an optimised shaft with multiple sensors on it as claimed why have they bolted on the massive block just under the grip?  That approach would mean that the shaft would need a hole in it therefore compromising the vibration characteristics of the shaft.  Surely a better approach would be to build all the kit into the grip and then to just plug it all in (or even blue tooth) to download the data?    Still not convinced that it's all that it's cracked up to be in tech terms...  

I went to the Mizuno National Fitting Center at The World of Golf in New Malden, Surrey.

The guy there used the Swing DNA thing to work out the best three shaft options for my swing.

He did tell me what it measured but I cannot remember what he said now!

He did say it had cost Mizuno a load of dosh to develop.

Once he had the best three shafts for my swing he then put different clubheads on each shaft and measured the results.

I ended up with the Mizuno MP68s (8 iron to PW) with the Project X Rifle 5.5 shaft.

Russ

"Nothing will replace the eye,skill and experience of a good fitter.....but how many of them are there in this world?"

You should have spent a bit off time to find one Lewis , this is just more mumbo jumbo and some poor souls have to help re-coup Mizuno's investment.I cannot believe that a powerhouse like yourself has come away with NS 950's.(to light for you IMO)There's no need to be a brain surgeon to work out that the MX is easier to hit than the MP's either.

Lewis , I seriously hope they workout for you and you don't become bored with the diluted feedback as I know you spend alot of time on ball striking. I went down that route once and I did. Just my opinion, though I suspect it's not.

Listen to Leyo he's a snake eyes god