Equipment

Why True Spec Golf’s acquisition of Club-Conex is so important

Published

8 years ago

Nov 10, 2015

Custom club fitter True Spec Golf has purchased what is arguably one of the most important companies in golf club fitting, Club-Conex.

Club-Conex, based in Rockford, Ill., produces universal adapter systems that allow for the interchangeability of club heads and shafts regardless of manufacturer. Founded in 2004, Club-Conex’s products have helped consumers, instructors and custom fitters compare the performance of different golf club heads and shafts without the need to purchase multiple models of the same shaft.

Here’s how the testing/fitting process works without Club-Conex. Say a golfer is using an adjustable club head and shaft from Brand A, but wants to try that shaft in Brand B’s adjustable club head. Since each brand’s adjustability systems are incompatible with each other, the golfer has two options:

Remove the shaft adapter from Brand A’s shaft, and install Brand B’s shaft adapter.
Purchase an additional shaft and install Brand B’s shaft adapter in order to compare the performance of the two club heads at the same time.

Option 1 eliminates the ability to simultaneously test the clubs, while option 2 is expensive, forcing golfers to purchase an additional shaft and shaft adapter.

While only a small percentage of golfers will go to such lengths to compare products on their own, the ability of custom fitters to compare different models of club heads and shafts is essential to their businesses. Custom fitting companies can stock anywhere from a few to a few dozen different brands of golf clubs, each with their own unique adjustability systems. Many premium club fitters have taken the costly route of stocking multiple shafts for each type of club head in order to please consumers who are increasingly interested in trying a variety of expensive, aftermarket shafts, while others have turned to Club-Conex.

Club-Conex offers universal adpater systems for metal woods, as well as irons and wedges.

Forty of the top 100 club fitters in the U.S., as well as more than 1,000 club fitters worldwide are currently using Club-Conex, according to Hoyt McGarity, co-CEO of True Spec Golf, which has plans to expand on the five custom-fitting centers it has located in the U.S., Bahamas and Switzerland. McGarity and co-CEO Kyle Monfort were the leading forces behind the acquisition, which was rooted in concern that another custom fitting company would purchase Club-Conex.

“Imagine if I had to have designated shafts for each company?,” McGarity said. “I’d have 800 shafts on the wall. It wouldn’t be cost effective, and I’d be bankrupt.”

Club-Conex’ management and production will remain in Illinois and it will be “business as usual” for the company, according to a True Spec press release.

“We’re looking forward to assisting them in product evolution and marketing,” said Jeff Sparling, Director of Business Development for True Spec.

In 2014, Club-Conex’ UNIT-FIT driver assembly, which consists of a universal tip adapter and specific hosel sleeve that is paired to each manufacturer’s driver head, was approved by the USGA and R&A for tournament use.

McGarity said that he and Monfort plan to improve Club-Conex’s products as they examine current market trends, and will develop new options for teaching professionals at the PGA Merchandise Show in January.

Club-Conex’s products will continue to be sold through its website.

“The determination to sell the company was not only driven by financial reward, but one where the new ownership and I share a common vision for the growth of the company,” said Eric Burch, Club-Conex Founder. “I look forward to continuing to design products that help the club fitting business run more efficiently and I am eternally grateful for the past and continuing support.”

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16 Comments

Pingback: TSG / Club-Conex feature on GOLFWRX.com - True Spec Golf
lew

Nov 12, 2015 at 2:50 pm

Im lost on why people think this is not great for golf. If you have shafts and adapters for a few different heads and brands you can use these to test between without the issues of pulling and re-glueing eventual killing the shafts.

From the fitters point the saving over having many shafts for each adapter passes is amazing.

From a customers view they should see some savings as it costs the fitter less too.

Win win win if u ask me.

Reply Report comment
Styles

Nov 10, 2015 at 6:33 pm

The article claims conex is important but doesn’t backup the headline assertion that the acquisition by true spec is important. It also doesn’t explain why conex is important. Are independent club fitters relevant to the 99% of golfers?

Reply Report comment
- Steve
  
  Nov 12, 2015 at 9:32 am
  
  Definately makes no sense. Is it “so important” when it effects only 40/100 U.S top clubfitters and return effects less then 1/1000 golfers? This is a infomercial more or less, most likely paid by the company to write it.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mat

Nov 10, 2015 at 4:12 pm

It sure would be nice if they sold to consumers…

Reply Report comment
- Apprenti23
  
  Nov 10, 2015 at 9:40 pm
  
  They’ve been available for purchase by Joe Schmoe for the past ten years. You can buy them online through golfworks or either golfsmith, i can’t remember who sorry
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Mat
    
    Nov 11, 2015 at 1:27 am
    
    Let me rephrase; it would be nice if they offered “off the shelf kits” or a simple online store that would let me just buy the parts I need, and take them to a club shop.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - JD
      
      Nov 11, 2015 at 11:11 am
      
      http://www.clubconex.com/#!shop-all/cav5
      
      Reply Report comment
Mike

Nov 10, 2015 at 2:40 pm

I wish this would be put out of business by an industry standard adapter…

Reply Report comment
Charlie

Nov 10, 2015 at 1:34 pm

Seriously, why? Did I miss part of the article?

Reply Report comment
George

Nov 10, 2015 at 1:01 pm

Nice advertising for True Spec, important not really

Reply Report comment
- cho
  
  Nov 10, 2015 at 2:36 pm
  
  George.. they arnt sponsors but nice try.
  
  Two clubfitters in the area I live has this setup and it is awesome. I can test any shaft I want and not just the ones the manufacturer has in their fitting cart. It also allows the small guy to only buy one shaft to cover all heads.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Steve
    
    Nov 12, 2015 at 9:35 am
    
    You would go to a fitter with only one shaft to try?
    
    Reply Report comment
SKip

Nov 10, 2015 at 12:48 pm

Soooo, this acquisition is important because…..?

Reply Report comment
- Joshuaplaysgolf
  
  Nov 10, 2015 at 2:28 pm
  
  Because the name on the building/products will be changing. ITS ASTRONOMICAL!!!!!
  
  Actually, it’s huge because the dudes that started the company can move out of Rockford. I grew up about 30 miles west of there down route 20 and it’s gone steeply downhill in the past few years from quiet, mid-size Midwestern city to major drug hub riddled with daily violence. Not awesome. Good for those guys.
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom

Nov 10, 2015 at 12:09 pm

This is great for the industry.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

13 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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