Bernhard Langer's Wood Bros Persimmon Texan driver and more...

I had a very cool opportunity to communicate back and forth with Dave Wood, the founder of Wood Bros, who made some of the finest persimmon woods for Tour Players as well as the public. Dave said it would be ok if I shared this info with wrx. I wanted to do so because i know there are still a lot of persimmon fans out there, especially us that have a great appreciation for the infamous Texan, one of the best looking drivers of all time. As most are aware Wood Bros custom made persimmon drivers for a lot of the tour players in the 80s and early 90s, including Jeff Maggert, Bernard Langer, Bob Tway to name a few. Dave is a super nice guy and was open to a few questions I had about persimmons in general.

I asked Dave what Bernhard Langer's Texan was like and if it was any different in size compared to what a non tour player would get their hands on.

DW Answer - Your observations are correct. Most of the retail Texan heads were based on an altered turning master, who's DNA, was tied to the MacGregor Nelson model 69 that was used in the M85. As a raw turning form, the apex of its height on the face profile, would be slightly over 1 3/4". The crown height began at 2".
But these dimensions are in the turning masters raw form. I think most Texan face depths would measure between 1 5/8 to slightly under 1 3/4" in finished form, due to top-line edges and stain line optics. (sole radius and leading edge cambering affected this visually as well)

As you are intimately aware Fred, WB Driving Instruments were hand crafted and sculpted from solid blocks, Overall they look the same, but upon critical inspection... each had is own uniqueness and character. Many variables in club-making to achieve the finished specifications and harmonized optical results.

Langers head did not appear overly deep, because he wanted his top-line softly rolled under. The stain line would encroach on the face. Bernhard also liked for the face-line to appear very square at address, so the toe stain-line would continue to the edge of the face profile. If you took that same head and brought the stain-line downward, it would look closed to his eye. Another detail was that he wanted the club bored to 56.5 degrees, which was upright for the time, but he wanted it to appear flat at address. To do this the crown was lowered and blended just a little more than a standard model. Very subtle things. He was a perfectionist and a technician and always a challenge to work with.

F - I also asked Dave is a Tour player had a preference in a certain grain patter in the wood, or where they less concerned with grain, but more so with shape, face angle, weight, ect.

DW- Their first concerns would be the heads physical specifications such as loft, face progression, lie angle etc. Then, profile optics (shape). Actually grain and growth rings were controlled it the raw flitch of persimmon, before it was turned from a master. You always want the growth lines going into the face, even on a tight U or Horseshoe. All of our Driving Instruments, Texan, All-American, Australian, Japan etc, were very choice blocks. Although they were oil hardened and cured to weight, we started the process with the most dense persimmon.

Many Tour players did like to see uniqueness in the grain like the carbon spots on the one being offered. Hal Sutton had one that he loved that had a lot of carbon in it. He called it "Christine" like the car in the horror film by Steven King.

DW- Many people think that I changed the name from "Texas Golf Co." to "Wood Bros." because my brothers, Don and Charlie started working there while in college, but actually... The name was inspired by "The Blues Bros" and intended to be a fraternal brand

Some general info about the making of Wood Bros Persimmon instruments:

Stage one of the WB Persimmon oil hardening process, required that all raw turnings were soaked in linseed oil vats for several months, to unify and strengthen the persimmons grain and increase its total gram weight... Stage two, required baking the wood turnings in the hot Texas sun, within glass covered, solar hot boxes, for several more months.......... Once the Oil Hardening process was complete, the heavy-and-dense wood block, was sculpted into its classically symmetrical shape to exact gram weight. No holes, lead or internal weights were ever used, all were completely solid blocks controlled by mass and geometry .... More than one hundred hand craft stages later, a totally solid Championship Balanced driving instrument was ready for play (Wood Bros was the first club maker to mark precise Degree's of loft on woods- a practice that all equipment producers soon followed and continue today)... During the 1980's and 1990's Tour Players using Texan Driver's won more than 150 TOUR events worldwide and six Major Championships..... All Tour Players custom ordered and purchased their Drivers and Fairway woods from Wood Bros...Bernhard Langer purchased a Texan similar to the one being offered, to win the 1993 Masters Tournament... The FINAL Major Championship to be won with a wooden driver..

Fred

Fascinating stuff. Thanks so much for posting it. The snippets about Langer's legendary fussiness made very interesting reading and it shows how much clubs have changed over the years and how some of the uniqueness of older clubs has been lost from the game with the advent of modern clubs. The subtleties that many players looked for in their clubs is a rarity now, with only a few players really going the extra mile with minute preferences for the way clubs look. It's remarkable to read how much effort went into getting that driver exactly the way he wanted it to be.

Hello Fred, a little bird had allready informed me about your latest purchase. Congrats!

Thanks for posting this info. I too exchanged some brief e-mails with mr Wood as a result of that ebay auction. He also told the story behind the gift he made for Bernhard Langer for his win at the '93 Masters (see picture below). Dave Wood drew and engraved Leonardo's Last Supper on the heads skirt knowing that Bernhard Langer as a religious man would appreciate this. Little did he then knew that Langers Masters win and this special driver were both the last time a Major was won while playing a persimmon driver and that it was the last persimmon driver to be built by Dave Wood.

[attachment=496723:WBlastsupper.jpg]

Crikey.

I must admit, my first thought on seeing that picture was that the head hadn't been prepped properly and that the persimmon had turned blue as a result of all the olis in it coming to the surface.

That, or it was a spoof club made of Danish Blue cheese.

Beautiful work.

Talk about a masterpiece, can you imagine what that's worth? Just awesome.

Thanks for posting, a good read, I like to know how some players are fussy about equipment.

Freddie-

 

Only what you and a select few would pay.

 

As for me- Have seen and documented the "Mother Lode" of LH Classic Clubs.

 

Having a LH Texan, an M09 copy, and "The Black Swan" done by Dave Wood does it for me

 

..unless there's a LH 1954 Toney Penna WW Special....

Thanks for reposting this.

 

It brings back great memories of Wood Bros shop in Humble, Texas and picking heads from Dave's oil hardening vats on the roof - something I was privileged to do several times - and then seeing my clubs in different stages of creation.

 

Texsport

I will have to re photo some of my Texans out on my new Deck. I just put up a new Trex deck (still need railings installed this week). The Trex boards match some of my favorite Persimmon heads! The new deck is a bit larger than the original, its now 12x 10.. Can't see any screws, because I went with the hidden fastener system, which creates a tongue and groove like attachment and provides qtr inch gaping. We tore it all down and built from scratch.

Nice deck! I especially like the backdrop of childrens' playground toys and brightly coloured power tools!

Given that this is a vintage forum, I have to say that I preferred the old wooden deck :)

Thanks Shirley,

BJ, I am not surprised you prefer the ol wood... It was terrible tho...

Here is Langer's 1st Texan which he gamed in 1988 for a couple of years. The letter Dave Wood created for me I misplaced for a long time, which I just found. An incridible block.

Fred-

 

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

-Keats

I absolutely LOVE the Langer Wood Brothers driver! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!

I am not surprised you prefer the ol wood...

 

Is that what she said?

Do any of you get out there much and practice or play classic Woods? This fall I got a lot of great practice in with some of my really good classics, I especially like to hit my 693's (1950s) model and a few of my Wood Bros Texans. Here is a 7 min video from a few weeks ago. I was hitting my 1988 WB Texan, that has a S500 shaft. It was refinished in 2012 by Dave Wood. This club was Dave's 1988 Tour Demo that Berhard Langer acquired from Dave and played. Love to hear any feedback. I made some nice swings here. I also realized that after about 8 or 9 weeks of hitting this range at least once a week, my swing got much better and grooved after a number of practices.

> @freddiec said:

> Do any of you get out there much and practice or play classic Woods? This fall I got a lot of great practice in with some of my really good classics, I especially like to hit my 693's (1950s) model and a few of my Wood Bros Texans. Here is a 7 min video from a few weeks ago. I was hitting my 1988 WB Texan, that has a S500 shaft. It was refinished in 2012 by Dave Wood. This club was Dave's 1988 Tour Demo that Berhard Langer acquired from Dave and played. Love to hear any feedback. I made some nice swings here. I also realized that after about 8 or 9 weeks of hitting this range at least once a week, my swing got much better and grooved after a number of practices.

 

Nice looking swing there!

I play lots of golf with classic woods, but nothing with classic Wood's...

I've been on the lookout for a Wood Bros driver, but either got unlucky in the auctions, or just turned up too late. The best I have is an early edition Corker, which is a nice club, but not his best.

As I live in Japan, I'd really like to find an All Japan one day.

> @freddiec said:

> Do any of you get out there much and practice or play classic Woods? This fall I got a lot of great practice in with some of my really good classics, I especially like to hit my 693's (1950s) model and a few of my Wood Bros Texans. Here is a 7 min video from a few weeks ago. I was hitting my 1988 WB Texan, that has a S500 shaft. It was refinished in 2012 by Dave Wood. This club was Dave's 1988 Tour Demo that Berhard Langer acquired from Dave and played. Love to hear any feedback. I made some nice swings here. I also realized that after about 8 or 9 weeks of hitting this range at least once a week, my swing got much better and grooved after a number of practices.

 

Actually I do--- If I do a serious practice session on the range one of my persimmon drivers will be in the bag along with one of my little tiny persimmon 5 woods. Nothing as glamorous as a Wood Brothers Texan though usually a Power Bilt or Toney Penna. I actually play a lot of vintage golf with my persimmons too Yep hitting the real lumber gets my timing on

7 minutes ago, freddiec said:

I recently acquired a Mint 1984-85 (1st Generation) Wood Bros Texan prototype.  The head is gorgeous (very similar to the 1953 M85) and has a very unique White/Gray/White fiber insert.  I love the stain color and Wood Bros trade mark stamps. Incredible block, maybe the nicest I've seen.   

I've already called "dibs"!

Beautiful, but with only 9* of loft, I doubt I could get it above head height...

4 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

Beautiful, but with only 9* of loft, I doubt I could get it above head height...

Fred hits this one really well.  He's texted me some videos to show how solid the WB M85W is.  It looks to be a tremendous driver and in terrific hands!

25 minutes ago, RobotDoctor said:

Fred hits this one really well.  He's texted me some videos to show how solid the WB M85W is.  It looks to be a tremendous driver and in terrific hands!

 

I'm impressed. I've three WB Texans, two with 11* and one with 10*, and the 10* is noticeably harder for me to hit. 

Yeah, with this shaft and 9 degrees of loft, I have no problem hitting a good flighted shot with it, a 10 degree would be ideal, but 9 I can get a good flight if the shaft is good for me.

Edited September 29, 2021 by freddiec

1 hour ago, freddiec said:

Yeah, with this shaft and 9 degrees of loft, I have no problem hitting a good flighted shot with it.  I'll post a video.  

 

Very bice! Looked to go straight and with a good height on it.