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  1. #1
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    Whatever happened to the "Bubble Shaft"???

    This was supposed to be this great technological advance. TM put it in a few different drivers back in the 90's and then it was gone. Was this just another marketing scam or was there some merit to this technology. What was the premise to the advantage of having a bubble shaft anyway?

  2. #2
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    I used to have an old Burner driver with the bubble shaft, copper head finish and the whole lot. I never liked that club!
    WitB 2010:

    Dr: Titleist 907 D1, YS 6+ s flex
    3W: Cobra S9-1 F, , Aldila DVS HL s flex
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    3i-pw Titleist 690 CBs, True Temper s300
    gw: Cleveland CG12 52 degree
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    Other clubs:
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    3i - pw Mizuno MP 29, (planning to reshaft at some point).

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by connecticutter
    I used to have an old Burner driver with the bubble shaft, copper head finish and the whole lot. I never liked that club!
    All the TM staff players on tour replaced the bubble shaft too. I hit a the Burner Bubble and the Burner Titanium Bubble when they first came out. Didn't like either. Longest Driver of the mid to late 1990's was the Nicklaus Air Bear.

  4. #4
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    I had a TM Burner Bubble back in the day. I think TM put in the bubble shaft so that you had to buy a special TM grip. Impossible to regrip with regular-sized grips.
    I have no idea what those shafts were trying to accomplish. A shaft would never bend that close to the grip.
    fred3 antagonizer
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    *Plus many more accolades that are the cause of jealousy

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Horseballs
    I had a TM Burner Bubble back in the day. I think TM put in the bubble shaft so that you had to buy a special TM grip. Impossible to regrip with regular-sized grips.
    I have no idea what those shafts were trying to accomplish. A shaft would never bend that close to the grip.
    I worked at a golf shop in college. I remember re-griping those shafts. what a pain in the butt. They had to send every pro shop a special spreader to get the grip over the flared butt end of the shaft. The grips were super thin and I hated the feel of them. I think they eventually came out with a chord version.

  6. #6
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    I actually know something about this. Taylor Made started expanding the width of their shafts, particularly near the grip, in the hopes that they could insert a small engine in the shaft in future models. Unfortunately, they were never able to get clearance from the EPA.

    They sold the patent to the government who used it to develop Stealth technology. Not alot people know this. A friend of mine knew Gary Adams real well who spilled the beans one night after too many drinks.
    GR lives...

  7. #7
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    You know the bubblke shaft coldn't have been any good, because Titleist didn't bother stealing it. The best drivers from that era were without doubt the Cally GBB and BBB drivers. They were the longest and most consistent drivers o the market by far, and were in nearly every pro's bag. Until Titleist came along with a driver that used Cally's pateneted bore through technology. Another example of Titleist thieving a good idea from Cally.
    The views expressed by Not a Hacker are not meant to be understood by you primitive screw heads. Don't take it personally, just sit back and enjoy the writings of your better.

  8. #8
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    Funny, I can't think of worse drivers that the GBB and the BBB. They felt like ass and made every ball balloon unless you used a 6 degree driver.

    Also, hate to break it to you, but Callaway did not invent the bore thru shaft. That has been around since the 50's. There are tons of persimmon woods with bore thru shafts.
    "Golf is such an easy game, even a human can do it."
    -Dr. Zaius-

  9. #9
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    I had a Titanium Bubble shaft driver for years, and when I got the lag right and didn't try too hard, that was a LONG club for me.. regularly 290-300.. I"m not quite that regular with those numbers now, but then I'm older, fatter and weaker...

    but when I was playing regularly in Belgium about seven or eight years ago, that was the sweetest driver EVER.

    I lent it to a coworker who like the look.. he brought it back cracked across the face.

    otherwise I might still have it.
    Cleveland long clubs
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianMcG
    Funny, I can't think of worse drivers that the GBB and the BBB. They felt like ass and made every ball balloon unless you used a 6 degree driver.

    Also, hate to break it to you, but Callaway did not invent the bore thru shaft. That has been around since the 50's. There are tons of persimmon woods with bore thru shafts.
    I actually had a pro force 75 Stiff in my GBB, so maybe that was a reason it went so good. Mine was a 10 degree and ballooning was not an issue for me.

    You are right about bore through shafts being around a long time, I remember some Wilson blades from the 70's with them in them. But Cally was the first company to use the bore thru technology in their drivers, and Titty came out and stole the idea.
    The views expressed by Not a Hacker are not meant to be understood by you primitive screw heads. Don't take it personally, just sit back and enjoy the writings of your better.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Not a hacker
    But Cally was the first company to use the bore thru technology in their drivers, and Titty came out and stole the idea.
    Are you sure? It seems a little difficult to believe Titleist would actually steal technology from another company.
    GR lives...

  12. #12
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    Off size proprietary shafts in general are falling out of fashion. I have some Spalding Top Flite Intimidator 400 fairway woods that would get play today if they accepted standard size shafts.

    It was a great clubhead used successfully by Lee Trevino. But Trevino's custom made models had standard hosels which would accept whatever shaft he chose to use. The production models didn't.

    As for bore thru shaft placement in woods, it was available back in the solid persimmon / laminated maple days. Callaway didn't invent it.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by NiftyNiblick
    As for bore thru shaft placement in woods, it was available back in the solid persimmon / laminated maple days. Callaway didn't invent it.
    Nifty, Nifty ... don't go ruining a good story, NEVER let the facts get in the way of a good story!
    I chose the road less traveled.

    Now where the f#ck am I?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by NiftyNiblick
    Off size proprietary shafts in general are falling out of fashion. I have some Spalding Top Flite Intimidator 400 fairway woods that would get play today if they accepted standard size shafts.

    It was a great clubhead used successfully by Lee Trevino. But Trevino's custom made models had standard hosels which would accept whatever shaft he chose to use. The production models didn't.

    As for bore thru shaft placement in woods, it was available back in the solid persimmon / laminated maple days. Callaway didn't invent it.
    But what about the patented S2H2 (Short Straight Hollow Hosel) technology?

    Sorry Nifty, just messin with you.
    The views expressed by Not a Hacker are not meant to be understood by you primitive screw heads. Don't take it personally, just sit back and enjoy the writings of your better.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Not a hacker
    But Cally was the first company to use the bore thru technology in their drivers, and Titty came out and stole the idea.
    Sorry but that is not correct. Bore thru shafts have been around as long as steel shafts have. The only thing Callaway did was cut off the hosel. Which turned out to be a terrible idea because this caused shafts to break all the time.
    "Golf is such an easy game, even a human can do it."
    -Dr. Zaius-

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