Head Breakage

[captainamerica]

This is something that I have zero knowledge about.  I hear people talk about breaking heads all the time.  The only heads that I have broken were the Bangstorm and AOG 'CT' head.  I understand why I broke the CT head as it was so thin faced.  The Bangstorms would literally break in about 6 balls.  So, I was lead to believe it had something to do with a bad head.  Other than those heads, I haven't broken any others.  Nforcer, Cobra, Adams, Krank, Geek, Bangomatic...I've never broken a playing driver either.  Is there more to breaking heads than just swinging hard, i.e., not hitting the ball solid or other factors?  I know I'm not the fastest guy in the world, but over a three year period, if it was solely on swing speed, I surely would have broken more.  Maybe I don't swing fast enough or hard enough to do it!  Just something I don't understand and if anyone has any insight on this topic, I would love to hear it/learn about it.  Thank you!

Ryan Hixson

[Stitch]

I don't know what to say Ryan...I have brojen my fair share of heads and I am deffinately not one of the fast swingers.  I don't always hit center face nor am I one of those guys who throw balls all over the range, all of the heads I break which is about 5 in the last 2 years break in the same place.  They are Geek DCT's and they crack along the top of the head (in the black paint just above the face) not far from the hosel.  Most of the time they are very small cracks and somewhat hard to see unless the light hits them just right. Kinda like little blips in the paint. You can hear the difference first but then the cracks get more and more visible.

I think the biggest factor is what balls you hit with them.  The range I usually go to has old Pinnacle balls and they seem to be really tough on the heads.

[bradfromearth]

Unless of course you have to sit down to pee. 

I sit down to pee and I have broken many heads over the years.

I got started on this sitting down thing after peeing on my floor a time or two at 3 am in a sleepy stupor.  This is only at home though. try it some time. It is a lot easier and safer.

Seriously though, some seem to break easier than others. I have only shattered one and that was a bang dark matter. It just blew apart. They will all wear down over time.

[Geekoman]

Geek on breakage:

First you must come to the conclusion that NO golf head (Ti) was mean't to withstand a 130 plus clubhead speed.  And anything above that...look out!  And looking at that conclusive evidence eventually most or all heads under that criteria will fail.  The main reason for clubhead breakage is hitting on the weld...whether high or low...and heel hits (sometimes) will also produce a 'indentation' or collapse below the hosel (on the heel of the club) as that particular area is very thin.  And then we come to the Greg W. statement of "Don't ask..don't Tell".....But, such as life is.  I don't think I have to expound on this subject which has been 'touched upon' many times by several of you.  On that subject I just say, LDA test away at World's!  I encourage and demand CT testing on any competition heads out there in play!!! 

And that would include 'used' as well!  Especially!  LOL!

Geeko

[TheDoctor]

I think it is a combination of speed and quality of hit.  obviously the faster you are the more likely you are to break a head.  It is exponential at the top end of the spectrum as well.  swinging 145 vs 140 isn't a little more likely to break a head, it is twice as likely or more.  I also observed that a decending blow doesn't help things either.  Tim Burke is one of the few LDer's fast enough to be extremely competitive despite a decending approach into the ball.  The combination of Tim's break your neck speed and decending angle of attack makes him the biggest monster for club breakage that I have ever seen.  He consistantly destroys very good, durable heads.  The type of breakage he produces is a higher degree of deformity too.  Easily the weirdest breakage I have ever seen.......consistantly.

[POUNDS IT]

Doc,

You're right Burke breaks everything he touches. He's like a bull in China shop with clubheads...lol. I was thinking about it and I've never broken a club head. A lot of people have asked me if I had ever broken one but I honestly can't remember breaking one. Maybe I got lucky with good heads.

Landon Gentry

[TheDoctor]

Landon, I am suprised you've never broken a head.  You have indeed gotten very lucky in that regard.  I would think a solid block of Kevlar wouldn't last too long in your hands............can't wait to see you bring it this year at worlds.

[POUNDS IT]

LOL...well I try bro. After I posted that I went back through my past years and all the heads I've hit and the only thing I can think of was I knocked the weight out of the back of one of my cobra's like 2 years ago. I've been hitting the Rage's for about a month now and haven't a single issue with them. Let's hope I stay lucky. See you at world's.

Landon