jbartho5

I think Alexandre just about summed it up perfectly haha.... I agree completely

From my personal experience... Been playing for 4 years, I'm a 4 handicap. My first set I bought used for 75 dollars at a course near me in Ohio that has one of the best rated pro shops in the Midwest so equipment selection was great. They were Titleist DCI 990's and I absolutely loved them. Felt smooth when struck properly and could work the ball high, low, left, right. Last year I bought a set of Mizuno Mp-32 with only two rounds used on them for 200$... I really like these clubs. I've been more consistent but for some reason lost some distance. I'm ok with the loss in distance and gaining consistency and precision. I think distance was a pride thing when I first started playing, and I still get about 160 out of my 8 iron with the mp-32s... My point is that different clubs will have different advantages and disadvantages for everyone. Its nice to have this forum so you can have an info base to use when considering clubs, but i think the most important thing is to try any set out before buying, and try multiple sets. You might think you love a set until you try another set and REALLY love that one lol...

hsgolfer, my best is advice for you is that you keep working at it and practicing at it and you put the time into your game. You are 15 so what a freshman or sophomore maybe? You have time. I saw somebody else mention that having the short game as a strength is a definite advantage. Dave s also posted the link to the Mid-American conference stats... I played baseball at Kent state and still live in the NE Ohio area. I knew a few guys on Kent state's golf team. They can play (John Hahn now on the European tour, Ben Curtis won the british open, etc.) but there's no saying that they didn't start out just like you at a younger age. The cool thing about golf is that you can go to the range and work on any shot you choose until your hands bleed and you then get that confidence to execute those shots in a tournament or a pressure situation. You see pros mention that all the time; they are in a HUGE moment, a shot with millions of dollars on the line, but they trust the practice they've put in and execute. I spent countless nights in my garage hitting baseballs all through middle school And high school because I loved it. It's great to see that you want to work for something as well. Golf is a wonderful game. I earned a scholarship at Kent, but looking back I actually wish I would have got into golf at a young age and tried to golf in college bc I love it so much =p.... Bottom line is golf is a game where you dont need anyone but yourself and a range or a course to develop your game and it's all about your passion for it. Sorry for the lengthy post but I like to provide as much insight as possible... Keep us all posted on how you're playing! Ps Dave s, that MAC tourney in central Ohio was played at Longaberger GC, one of the best public courses in the US, if you ever make it to Columbus area I highly recommend it...

Right on saevel25... I think the biggest fitness misconception in any sport is that many people try to take the body building style workout regimen and apply that for use in a competitive sport. Learning to strengthen the core and build your full body strength for FUNCTIONAL strength is the goal in sports. Going to the gym and lifting biceps and back one day then chest and triceps the next day is going to strengthen those muscles for certain, but really they are only becoming stronger within the range of that particular lift. Full body lifts that incorporate multiple muscle groups (dead lifts, cleans, squads, RDL's) even at very light weights using correct posture will transfer over to the golf course, basketball court, baseball diamond, etc with much better results.

I played baseball in college my first time around, and picked up golf once baseball injuries ended my career... The cool thing about baseball and golf is that they both demand applying strength throughout a wide range of motion; the key is the balance of strength and flexibility. Say, as opposed to football, there is more demand for explosive strength and linear/lateral speed. (a running back is so musclebound that he can't really swing a club with a decent range of motion). A really good book that you could buy on amazon for 5$ is called Core Performance by Mark Verstegen. It uses the idea that athletic strength should be founded on the core rectangle which is the torso and it's four corners (two hip joints and two Shoulder joints). My first degree was in exercise physiology and I trained a lot of athletes before going back into nursing and a lot of my clients loved the book. There is even a golf version of the book Mark designed specifically for golfers.

I am a registered nurse... Meaning hard work for three nights every week but also means four days off for playing the greatest game of all. Played baseball at Kent State during my first degree before nursing. Screwed my knee up and picked up golf three years ago once baseball was no longer an option from knee issues. I caught the golf bug and have never looked back!