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Club Making Legend Chat w/Forum Members

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JB

JB

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Based on the amount of people that loved the interview we did on the home page/magazine with one of the greatest club makers ever, we think we are going to do it again. For those that missed the interview, it truly is a must read if you are into golf equipment in any way.

http://thehackersparadise.com/?p=12943

This time, we want the wonderful forum members here to have a voice and a chance to ask anything they would like to ask to one of the true icons in the world of golf equipment. His accomplishments are simply to long to list, but many on here know what his past is like.

If you have a question for John Hoeflich, put it in this thread. You can ask as many questions as you would like and no question is too basic or too difficult. He has worked with the biggest companies in the world and created some of the best selling clubs of all time. Truly a chance that does not come up every day to discuss the passion of golf equipment with a man that has arguably been one of the most influential to ever work in the industry.

We are unsure of the format as of yet.
It might be THP Radio
It might be a Home Page article
It might be a live forum chat

But we know one thing, it will be a really good read with JBH involved.
 
This will be great. His previous interview was excellent.
 
Favorited. What a great idea JB. His interviews are the best and he just seems like the nicest guy in the world. Definitely on my must meet list. Gonna think of some good questions.
 
Hi
Thanks for thE chance to ask away!

My first ?: do you think that after this year, the technology in golf clubs in general can be a's dramatic? It seems that many oem's have outdone themselves. What do you think will be the next great leap?


Thanks for your time
Mark
 
wow, this is a big opportunity for THP'ers to really tap into the mind of a clubmaking genius!

If you have a question in you, get it in this thread, cos the answers will make great reading/listening! :D
 
This is awesome! Another reason why THP is the best!
 
When you work on a new club idea - do you start with what looks good to you or do you start from a point of new technology ?
 
Mr. Hoeflich,

It is said that many people learn more from their failures than their successes. What would you consider your biggest failure in club design and, more importantly, what lessons did you take from it? Did a future, successful design eventually come out of it?

Thanks!
 
How much thought / effort goes into shaft selection for a general public release? Is shaft selection most often determined by cost to the OEM?
 
Sounds awesome! I wasn't a hacker when this was done the 1st time so I'm looking forward to this.
 
Great opportunity! I have several questions.

What is the biggest misconception that the amateur has when buying clubs?

In your last THP interview, you said that the original TaylorMade Rescue club was the worst golf club ever made. Hybrids have obviously gotten better, what do you see as the biggest flaw in hybrid technology today?

Hybrids and chippers (niblick) have revolutionized the game, what is going to be the next innovation in golf club technology?

Is engineering experience or creativity more important when designing new clubs?
 
Cool opportunity to pick the brain of a hall of famer!

I do have a couple of questions:

1. Do you have an artistic background? ie, do you actually sketch/draw your concepts and designs?

2. How challenging have the new groove rules been on club design?

3. Out of all of the companies you worked for, which one just "gets" it better than the rest?
 
Look forward to any of the formats you may chose. It's great to see all the excitement already.
 
Love this opportunity:

1. Two parter: What's your view on adjustable drivers, fairway woods & now hybrids? Do you see it as a way for amateurs to cover up swing flaws or maybe it's just a very convenient way to dial in your fitting?

2. What's your lowest round?

3. Do you have any fun and interesting projects in the works?

4. What did you have for lunch?
 
What an awesome opportunity! And such great questions already! I'm going to have to bring my A-game to think of some good ones!
 
Club fitting has become quite popular and a sort of a necessity for giving the player the best chance to shoot the lowest scores possible. All of the major OEMs have developed a fitting system of some sort to bring fitting to the public. What, if anything, can be done to make fittings better and perhaps easier for the average golfer to get more of them out to get fit. Is there anything the OEMs can do that they are not doing already? What are your thoughts on the matter?
 
Wow...I love this !!

Questions for JBH....

1. We've seen lots of materials used to make club heads...stainless...titanium....kevlar...graphite...etc... Are there any new materials that clubmakers are looking at and if so, can you tell us what they are and how they would affect the clubs?

2. With the growing popularity of adjustable woods, do you see the possibility of legal, adjustable irons in the near future?
 
If iron design were to be come standardized, what feature would you like to see on all irons regardless of skill level?
 
What does the term "forgiveness" mean to a club maker (as opposed to marketing)?
Is forgiveness more than just MOI and other "statistical" measures? If so- how would YOU measure/evaluate forgiveness?
Are "forgiveness" and "workability" dynamically opposed to each other?
What are your opinions of stronger loft irons? Are they a natural progression of technology or an artificial way to improves distance (and sales).
 
Great that he's being brought back. Loved the interview the first go around. Here's my question:

I noticed a trend that manufacturers are starting to push more forged clubs into the marketplace more so than ever here in the US. Do you think this is a trend that will be here to stay (like in Asian markets) and do you think that more advancements out of iron manufacturing will take place if US consumers are willing to buy into forged irons?
 
There are some really good questions here, can't wait to hear the answers!
 
Awesome opportunity and I will have to think of some good ones to post. Great idea, THP!
 
Hi John,

Thank you for your time. My swing has changed quite a bit over the past few weeks and I have gained quite a bit of distance. In addition, I load the shaft pretty heavily, if that's the proper term. How do I know if my shafts are too flexible?

Thank you,

Sean
 
What's in your bag right now, from driver to putter?
If you are always switching out clubs to test your new stuff, do you have a set of clubs that you consider your go-to set? If so, what are those? And, when was that last time this go-to set was upgraded?

Thanks for taking the time to speak with THP.
 
This is really cool and there are some outstanding questions in here already, I'll think about this for a while and come back with a question or two. Excellent content for the site/forum, THP continues to be the best, keep it up guys!
 
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