Introducing Launch Doctor:
Interchangeable Launch Adjuster

There were several causes that gave rise to the era of shaft interchangeability. Proper shaft fitting is certainly on top of the list. If the shaft fitting aspect of the equation is broken down, we can all agree that once the proper shaft stiffness has been determined, the next item on the list must be the launch angle.

There are two common ways to change launch angle: change the head loft or change the shaft. In either scenario, the expenses associated with it are usually quite high. If only there is a way to inexpensively fine-tune launch angle, it would have resolved lots of issues for golfers in general.

We have worked on this issue for over 4 years, and we have finally come up with a solution to the problem. After filing numerous patents both domestically and internationally, we are ready to announce our brand new interchangeable launch adjuster, the Launch Doctor.

This concept has its origin in long drive. It is widely known in the long drive circle that upon downswing, when the hand is at 10 o’clock position, the shaft tends to lag behind tremendously. Remax Senior Long Drive champion, Eric Jones, came up with the idea of inserting a cut shaft inside the golf shaft to stiffen it up. Eric and I co-invented the original insert concept. Since then this concept has been expanded into one that uses multiple inserts to adjust launch angle.

The conventional wisdom on launch angle is that by increasing the stiffness of the shaft, the launch angle will be lowered. Therefore, by inserting a shaft inside a shaft you can only get a lower launch angle because the insert will increase the stiffness. What we found is that this is not the case because it depends on where you place the insert. If the insert is placed near the butt like Eric Jones suggested, the launch angle will actually be increased because the shaft is forced to bend more from the tip portion. On the contrary, if an insert is placed near the tip, the shaft will be forced to bend more from the butt and as a result lower the launch angle.

The insert is made up of UTP (Ultra Thin Ply) graphite that weighs 1/3 the weight of regular graphite. The insert is 12” long and weighs merely 6 grams. It has a lock at its butt end so that it could be locked in place, and the kit also comes with a lockable grip cap to conform to USGA rules. The table below shows you the insert’s impact on swing weight and cpm. As you can see that tip insert increases swing weight by one, and butt insert increases cpm by only half a step.

Using head of a different loft will still be the most effective mean to change launch angle. However, if all the golfer needs is to fine tune the launch angle, then there is no better devise out there than Launch Doctor. Harrison Launch Doctor kit comes with two lockable inserts (a tip and a butt insert), a tool and a lockable grip cap. Launch Doctor received USGA approval early this year. It will be launched in September 2008.

Copyright © 2008 Harrison Sports, Inc. All rights reserved.