Our local golf shop is equipped to inject hot melt but doesn’t have much experience.  I had 4 grams added to a Callaway Maverik driver head to improve the acoustics.  I don’t want to hear the sound of metal.  I want to hear a “thwack,” like the sound of a wooden baseball bat.

We placed the hot melt at the high point of the crown, slightly behind the face.  This location worked very well in muting a Ping G10 head, but the Callaway head, with a carbon crown, seems to behave differently.  What is odd is that the precise point of ball contact on the face seems to be significant relative to the acoustics.  Sometimes I get a pleasant “thwack,” and sometimes it sounds a little bit tinny.  With low compression balls (60 or less) the sound is always pleasing, but I need to use balls in the 80-100 range.  I think Callway’s face technology is a factor in this behavior.  It isn’t like misses sound bad and center hits are good.  Something else is in play.

What I would like to do is to find out if better acoustics are possible with this head by moving the hot melt.  This would be done by heating the head so that the glue becomes fluid, then orienting to cause the glue to collect in the preferred location.

Two questions:

  1. What location inside this particular head would be best to achieve the desired acoustics?
  2. How hot can this head become without affecting the crown and/or the adhesive that attaches the crown?  I was thinking that boiling water might regulate the temperature within a safe range, while still being high enough to fluidize the hot melt glue.

I have tried many component heads over the years and acoustics have been pretty much the only cause for dissatisfaction.  In my opinion, too much emphasis has been placed on getting every last ounce of marginal, imperceivable performance, and not enough emphasis on a pleasing sound.  Like watching a great shot, what we hear is part of the experience.  Call me old fashioned.  I started when drivers were made of wood, and I still play blades.  (Anxiously awaiting the TS-4 irons.)

Can anyone help with these two questions?  Over the years I’ve learned that the only place for acoustic testing is on the golf course with the balls one plays.  The range and indoor locations are not good testing environments.

Thanks.

Jim H.

Britt Lindsey Answered question January 16, 2023

I’d suggest removing the hot melt and use yarn.

Things like yarn or cotton still need to be placed within the head and secured with a bit of glue. The head is probably otherwise not even legal. Seems to me that such “remedies” are about killing sound waves instead of killing the source of the sound waves — the vibration of thin, flat surfaces.

Weight is an issue. 4 grams already requires a half inch cut on the shaft, or a lighter shaft.

Tour players use hot melt. There are secrets to this that do not seem to be in the public domain — the reason for my asking. I’m thinking that the metallic sole might be better than the carbon crown in this case. The sole does seem rather thin in the standard Maverik head.

It is surprising to me how very little there is on this topic. The internet is usually packed with comments and experience. I think I found one comment that suggested the crown.

why would you think hot melt (which is legal) would be anymore legal than yarn?
whether your killing sound waves or killing the source, the idea is to get to a more pleasing sound.

Myself, sound is rather a mute point (no pun intended). I played a Cobra SS 427 years ago. Sounded like a cannon on good or bad hits. I loved the attention…lol.

Good luck in your search

I understand now that the yarn or cotton would be illegal because they could move and the USGA considers that a no-no. As JH mentions a type of glue would be required to secure. I would probably use “head tac” in that case. Would be easier to remove with low hit.