Connect with us

Equipment

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

Published

on

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.

Titleist_Uni_Fit

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:

  1. Remove the shaft adapter from Brand A’s shaft, and install Brand B’s shaft adapter.
  2. 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.

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.”

Your Reaction?
  • 126
  • LEGIT15
  • WOW11
  • LOL2
  • IDHT2
  • FLOP0
  • OB3
  • SHANK19

16 Comments

16 Comments

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

  2. 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.

  3. 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?

    • 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.

  4. Mat

    Nov 10, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    It sure would be nice if they sold to consumers…

    • 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

  5. Mike

    Nov 10, 2015 at 2:40 pm

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

  6. Charlie

    Nov 10, 2015 at 1:34 pm

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

  7. George

    Nov 10, 2015 at 1:01 pm

    Nice advertising for True Spec, important not really

    • 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.

      • Steve

        Nov 12, 2015 at 9:35 am

        You would go to a fitter with only one shaft to try?

  8. SKip

    Nov 10, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    Soooo, this acquisition is important because…..?

    • 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.

  9. Tom

    Nov 10, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    This is great for the industry.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Whats in the Bag

Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)

Published

on

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX

3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

Whats in the Bag

Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)

Published

on

Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5

  • The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!

3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X

Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

Published

on

As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

Your Reaction?
  • 17
  • LEGIT4
  • WOW1
  • LOL1
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending