This was to be a reasonably brief “Back Nine” session with Frank Stranick, owner of FS Golf in Gilbertsville, PA, to compliment a series of articles on single length irons. Shortly after my arrival and tour of his immaculate and expansive club making shop and his equally immaculate and high-tech club fitting area, I quickly recognized that my time with Frank was going to be far more interesting than expected. Frank is polite, professional, friendly, articulate, proud and based on the numerous certificates hanging neatly in his shop, extremely knowledgeable! Little did I know we were just getting warmed up.
Background:
Frank, at the age of seventeen, made a decision to leave high school in October of his senior year (1954) and enlist in the United States Navy. He was subsequently assigned to a S-2 aviation squadron. Frank’s end game was a college degree and the opportunity to pursue a career as a Naval Officer, which required a college degree. Financial circumstances and the pending demise of the GI Bill (1/31/1955) were the motivating factors for his early exit from high school. Frank went on to secure a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics/Industrial Management from Villanova University. In addition to his degree at Villanova, Frank secured a Master’s of Arts Degree in Human Resource Development from Salve Regina University, a Master’s of Science Degree in Management from Salve Regina University and a Master’s of Arts Degree from the United States Naval War College. He was a career Naval Aviation Officer (twenty-five years), serving two tours of duty in Vietnam. He followed his Naval career with twenty-one years in the private sector as a Program Manager for a defense contractor, managing the 688 Class Submarine Acoustic (sonar) System Integration and as a Manager of a chemical products manufacturing company. In addition, Frank has been a certified professional custom clubfitter/clubmaker for over twenty-five years. He and his wife, Theresa, have been married for fifty-nine years. They have three accomplished children and ten exceptional grandchildren. This is some resume! Here we go:
How did you get involved in the business? Who is your mentor?
I was visiting my son in Fort Myers, FL. We played thirty-six holes of golf with a clubfitter/clubmaker. I was fascinated with the concept and spent two days picking his brain, absorbing as much information as possible. At the end of our time together, I thought it would be a fun thing to do in retirement! The clubfitter/clubmaker suggested I connect with Tom Wishon.
Note:
“Tom Wishon is considered to be the foremost authority in clubfitting research in the game, with forty-one years of experience in the golf equipment industry, specializing in clubhead and shaft design, shaft performance analysis and clubfitting research. Wishon has written ten books and more than two-hundred magazine articles for virtually every golf publication in the United States and Europe. From “About the Author”, The New 12 Myths That Could Wreck Your Golf Game.
I took his advice and contacted Tom Wishon. Tom was incredibly helpful (as he is to everyone). He mentioned he had just written a training manual on clubfiting/clubmaking. I paid $25 for the manual, read the contents in excess of half a dozen times and thought I was ready to go! Tom Wishon has been my mentor for my entire time in the industry.
How long did it take before you were credible?
It took quite some time. Please recognize that twenty-five years ago we didn’t have computers, the internet, email or industry specific organizations. There was a very limited knowledge base, all we had was a book!
Through the years I became a member of four national/international clubfitting/clubmaking organizations that routinely convene, offering training and educational seminars.
• Professional Club Makers Society (eight-hundred members)
• Golf Club Makers Association
• Association of Golf Club Fitting Professionals
• International Clubmakers Guild
These are “live” fraternal organizations that share information, knowledge, discussions, attitudes, problems and solutions. I typically receive over fifty emails a day from the organizations and/or their memberships.
There is a tremendous amount of technology in your shop and your fitting center. Was it difficult to adapt to the technology and how does it benefit your customers?
My military and professional experiences were very helpful in allowing me to embrace and use the various technologies. The basic concept to understanding a golf swing is understanding the “D-Plane”. In its simplest terms, “Why does a ball go where it goes?” Using technology (FlightScope) we can determine why the ball is doing what it is doing and what we need to do to correct the situation. FlightScope technology categorizes all of the data. If you sneeze, it provides the details!
When were you introduced to single length irons?
Approximately three years ago I was introduced to the concept of single length irons by my mentor Tom Wishong (engineer) and his partner Jaacob Bowden (financier). Tom was very open from the outset, sharing details on the design, material and composition, with the objective to make irons compatible. After two years of engineering/design Wishong and Bowden introduced Sterling Single Length Irons. I received my first set about a year and a half ago.
The beauty of the concept is the singleness of each club. The only variable is the loft. One club feels like the other eight. You don’t need to get caught up in the ball positon or the swing plane. You just put the ball down and swing. Personally, I have found single length irons a more simplistic concept and have gained back some of the distance I have lost through age. They are not difficult to hit and they are fun to play.
| Head | Loft | Lie Angle | Weight | Length* |
| 5 | 23 | 63 | 274 grams | Same |
| 6 | 27 | 63 | 274 grams | Same |
| 7 | 31 | 63 | 274 grams | Same |
| 8 | 35 | 63 | 274 grams | Same |
| 9 | 40 | 63 | 274 grams | Same |
| PW | 45 | 63 | 274 grams | Same |
| GW | 50 | 63 | 274 grams | Same |
| SW | 55 | 63 | 274 grams | Same |
*The length of each set can change based on customer specifications however each club in each set is exactly the same length.
A customer arrives at your center, what is the evaluation process to determine if a customer is a candidate for single length irons?
The evaluation occurs long before we begin the clubfitting process. We assess the customer’s current set of clubs, discuss scores, consistency of the strike/impact, ball flight and areas of desired improvement. After the initial discussion, I ask the customer if they have or ever would consider single length irons. If customer’s have a preconceived disposition, they are typically not candidates to embrace the concept. My objective is to find an economical and productive way to transition players from their current, unproductive set to a productive set. Single length iron customer’s need to be open-minded. There are a number of excellent candidates for single length irons:
- Players who are new to the game.
- Young players.
- Players with physical problems. We can adjust the length of the club to provide a comfortable, consistent spine angle.
- Players with inconsistent impact locations on the club face.
- Players who are unsure of, or have difficulty with, their set-up position from club to club.
Many customers feel that they need to swing harder because the clubs are shorter. This is not the case as the ball will fly off the face with solid contact and a rhythmic swing.
Does it take longer to fit single length irons as compared to traditional irons?
The analysis is the same, the steps are the same and the time frame to fit is the same. Our objective is to determine the right length club(s), the right head weight(s) and the right shaft (weight/flexibility).
Note: A custom, personalized club fit is a dramatically different and lengthier process as compared to the purchase and slight modifications of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs…i.e. Callaway, Cleveland, Ping, Mizuno, Taylor Made, Titleist, etc.), off-the-rack products.
A 2017 Golf Digest article suggested that in ten years, twenty-five percent of all touring pros will be playing single length irons. What are your thoughts?
I am not sure if it will come to pass. For this to happen, the OEM’s would need to make a significant investment in single length iron technology. The OEM’s will not make the investment without acceptance from the touring player’s as they are in a business to make a profit. The OEM’s are a bit too parochial to suggest to their constituency that single length irons are a good idea.
I believe the acceptance and growth of single length irons on the professional level will originate with the younger players who grew up playing single length irons. Younger players who find the clubs easy to hit because they are using the same club (other than loft) in every situation. However, there will be a component of the golf industry that will never embrace the concept.
The question is simple: Are you playing as well as you can with your current clubs. The answer is often “no.” In the event the answer is no, then why not consider an alternate solution that is easier to play?
Why did Cobra embrace single length irons?
Cobra has a small market share in the golf club industry. I believe they saw a visionary opportunity in the marketplace, utilizing Bryson DeChambeau (NCAA Champion/US Amateur Champion/PGA Touring Professional) to promote the concept and products.
Can you cut down a traditional set and yield the same results?
The radical answer is “yes,” the practical answer is “no.” A Sterling sand wedge is 274 grams and a traditional sand wedge is 300 grams. A Sterling five iron is 274 grams and a traditional five iron is 254 grams. I would need to grind out twenty-six grams of the traditional sand wedge and add twenty grams to the traditional five iron (approximately 42” of lead tape).
Frank’s Closing Comments: You shouldn’t be concerned about how far you hit the ball or what you are using to hit the ball. Golf should be about accuracy, consistency and having fun. Distance is irrelevant if you routinely find yourself in the “W3” (W cubed…weeds, woods, water). Find the right clubs and go have a blast!
Next time, a “Back Nine” interview with a close friend who has been playing single length clubs for about a year.
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