First off, thanks Troy for the time it took to explain this in detail. I hope that my playing the other side of the issue didn't get something started. It was only meant to get deeper into the whys of it and not to make anyone mad or hurt any feelings. Being at the world level of competition you certainly know what types of equipment work for you and are in a position to see what works for others and I appreciate your insight on this. I have learned what I sought out of this thread and more.
thanks again, Tom