Golden Greek

I had a fitting at Club Champion in Chicago. Pretty cool concept...I found them to carry a number of shafts that you wouldn't necessarily be able to find & test at normal big box. This was my first fitting and I did a full bag (one last horah before I got married and disposable income disappeared). They're clearly focused on the fitting, not pushing you to buy a new club/shaft/etc. I agree on costs....they basically told me I would have to buy a driver retail ($400) then a shaft ($350), add fairway woods, hybrids, irons & wedges and it's enough to buy 2 used jetskis. I actually took my spec sheet and bought the shafts and clubs on ebay, or other internet retailers..some used, some weren't. The best driver shaft for me was Oban Kyoshi White XS...hard to find a deal on that shaft anywhere so I finally bit the bullet and I have zero regrets. The shaft could have been purple & pink for all I care...it's helped me find the center of the club face much easier. C-taper S+ shafts in the irons have helped keep my spin down and get better distance. My fitting was very enjoyable and I became a true believer after seeing the results.

3balls.com is great. My friends and I have all bought used clubs off of 3balls and have found their actual condition to be better than what's represented on the website. In other words, something in good condition if often very good or much better. Their prices are reasonable and competitive to what you see in the used section of a Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy. I agree with @Pretzel on deals on golfwrx but you really have to keep track of the classified forum and if you're looking for something specific, you need to be patient. Also.... golfballs.com. Prices are competitive to balls you'll find anywhere else, and personalization/ID align is $4.00 more or sometimes it's free depending on what ball you're buying. I usually buy a 3-4 dozen from golfballs.com at the beginning of every season.

I recently switched to the e6 from ProV's and love them. Around the greens have taken some getting used to. As others have mentioned the e6 rolls out more than other balls on short shots into the green. I think the feel of the ball off of irons is great and found the feel off the putter to be even better. The ball goes so damn straight, I often question if it's legal. I haven't played the super soft, but I can't say enough about the e6. I agree with @dennyjones. Buy a sleeve of each and give them each a shot. I just got two dozen e6's from Golfsmith for $50. I'm "that guy" that likes to play a yellow ball, but the e6 yellow isn't my fav personally. It's not as bright as others and I find it harder to spot in the grass compared to e6 white.

I'm a fan of Beef and hope he's here to stay. He's a normal guy from humble beginnings...His dad drives a bus and his mom serves school lunches. His appearance may be rough but his swing is smooth and I hope Arby's paid through the nose for him. and apparently his autograph is just "Beef" http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/beef-johnston-exits-pga-championship-style. Question is, could he join the list of other single-named celebrities?...like Sting, Madonna, Cher, or maybe more realistically Coolio...or Fabio?

I keep trying left hand low but can't seem to stick with it. I've worked on it in practice but default back to traditional every time I get on the course.

We're talking 'bout practice!.... 10-15 minutes a day on my BirdieBall putting green in the basement. I bought an 18' x 4' green and can't say enough about it. Outside of that I get the the range once every-other week. We have a newborn so I'm not getting out much these days!

Absent of an actual fitting by a professional, Ping has three different putter styles based on the arc of your stroke (straight-no arc, slight arc, strong arc). The level of arc is identified on the shaft band of the putter. I'm not sure if they're still carrying it into the newer models but I was just in Golfsmith and there were a ton still on the rack. Anyway - identifying your the arc of your stroke will help you understand what type of putter works best for you. You don't have to buy a ping, but I found it helpful to identify the styles that worked best different strokes. Feel is obviously the most important, but it's also jeopardized if you're not consistently hitting the same area of the putter face. As for me...I'm straight back-straight through...so mallet is best (also verified by a SAM fitting). Slight arc...blade. Strong arc...heel shafted or heavy toe...Wilson 8802 or think Phill Mickleson's staple putter style regardless of the logo stamp over the years. I have an older SC Fastback and love it. Got it used online after trying it out in the store.

Lululemon are the best I've ever had hands down. A cheaper, yet still expensive alternative are the UnderArmor boxer/briefs. You can find them online for $25 (American). In my opinion, even if you splurge for one nice pair...it's well worth the comfort on the course.

I've followed this forum (and a few others) for years and finally decided to join in! I'm in my 30s and I've played golf for the last 20ish years. handicap varies from a 9 to 10. hope to play more over the next few years but reading and posting helps the itch when I can't get out to play!

this is not professional advice but I've played numerous adjustable drivers (almost all of which were from the used section in a golf store). If you enjoy tinkering, they're great but you can also enter a deep dark hole of time wasted on adjusting settings rather than a swing. I would suggest a neutral driver or adjustable club. Find a golfstore where you can test a few different clubs... hit 10+ shots with each, switching back and forth every couple shots.

This is hard to admit, but instead of taking in the scenery and enjoy being outside...I find myself checking work email.