Callaway will offer interchangeable shafts, too, with its I-Mix system, which will be unveiled at this week's merchandise show.
"The trick in the engineering was to get the fitting clubs to perform just like glued or assembled golf clubs," Callaway's Jeff Colton said. "It was no small feat to do that."
Callaway's system, which comes from its Opti-Fit clubfitting technology, features a special tip assembly that goes into a keyed hosel in the clubhead, which is secured with a screw. "Shafts may become like putters are now," Colton said. "It's not unimaginable to think about seeing a stack of shafts in the garage, just like a stack of old putters like you might have there now."
The options will grow as more companies get into adjustable clubs. For example, Puku Golf, a small New Zealand company, has already been offering an adjustable putter in which length can be altered by up to four inches and loft and lie can be changed without bending metal.
It seems likely that adjustable clubs will find a following, but how big a following is unclear. There are pros and cons. The pros? Average golfers will have more customization options than ever — a veritable buffet of technology.
The cons? The technology doesn't come cheap — exotic shafts can cost several hundred dollars. The shafts will be interchangeable, but each company's interlocking system is likely to be proprietary, so a shaft included in a TaylorMade package won't fit into a Callaway head, and vice versa. Clubhead sales could be hurt if golfers simply buy a new shaft instead of a whole new driver. Retailers and club pros may be forced to stock a much bigger inventory of shafts.
"If you asked people in the industry whether we're all going to sell more clubs or fewer clubs because of this, nobody can answer that," said Toulon. "We're going to enter the fray and see what consumers say. How widespread their excitement will be, we don't know."
Let the shafting begin.
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