Club mix changes working

[WUTiger]

Last summer I switched wedges from CG14s to Calla MD3 family, and got an XR16 Pro driver (R-flex) which straightened out my tee shots.

Now, I've made a couple of other changes, mainly by chance "good deals" over the winter which are working out. New FWs and a new putter.

I reluctantly have put aside my Tour Edge XRail 4W and 7W for Callaway 815 Alpha FW which I kept stumbling across. I got an 18° with the idea of using it at 17° as a single FW. Got an unhit model at a Thanksgiving area clearance sale for $129.
 

Then, I stumbled across a slightly used 14° Alpha, also for $129 at Golfsmith switching to GG. My original plan was to open the two up to 16° and 20°, but the 15° setting gets the ball up fairly well. So, I've got the two at 15° and 19° for the short run.

The Alpha head has two sole weights: put the heavy one up front, and you get a more penetrating flight. Put the heavy in back, and you get higher launch. I'm keeping heavy in back.

I got to try both out at Myrtle Beach last week, and they have equal distance to the XRails but the Alphas seem easier to keep on line. Both have the Speeder 665 R-flex shaft (62 grams), with a 3.9 torque. My driver has the Speeder 665 TS R-flex, but the standard 665 works better for me in the FWs. The Alphas are a tad heavier overall, which helps. On the week, I had three 15° shots that traveled 220 yds. total. The Alpha misses tend to end up in first cut of rough, rather than in never-never land.

I got the same tip from two different pros at the February golf expo. I had too much footwork in my swing, which sometimes led to poor balance. I've focused on keeping my weight back on the heels, and this has really helped keep me on balance. My wife says I'm swinging the best and most balanced in 10 years.

At MB, I had a couple of spells each 18 where my swing got flaky, but was able to recover both times. Had trouble shaking off the "bad return" last two years.

I shot a 91 at Heathland (five pars, including two 2-putt pars after approach shots from fairway bunkers) and a 96 at Shaftesbury Glen (weird back nine at the Glen: a birdie, a double b, a triple bogie and six bogies). I played tees measuring out at about 6,000 yards at both courses.

As for putter, I stumbled across a local shop which has a good inventory of the Slotline Inertia putters. The heads have tungsten heel and toe weighting, and I got the SL-583F model.

 Slotline got sold to Dynamic Brands about 5 years ago, and I'm not sure the putters are a production model anymore. The putter had really straightened out my line, and I just need to work a bit on distance control.

For set-up, my hands should be about a half-inch in front of the clubface for a square hit and good roll. I sometime put the hands back too much, and hit too much on the upswing and leave the putt short.

[onthehunt526]

John,

It sounds like you're doing what I'm doing... Getting the mix right (all I did was change my shafts in my irons and wedges)... But it sounds encouraging that you're playing well thus far. I haven't even been out yet, between cooking burgers and supermelts for hungry customers, and the 2+ feet of snow we recieved last week, i haven't even been to the LM in two weeks.

[Brian W]

I would love to see some of that in action.  When are we going to do another outing?

[WUTiger]

1 hour ago, Brian W said:

When are we going to do another outing?

We should probably talk to @Club Rat on this. Do we want the Archland TST season opener east (Stonewolf) or west (WingHaven)?

[Brian W]

On 3/24/2017 at 4:54 PM, WUTiger said:

We should probably talk to @Club Rat on this. Do we want the Archland TST season opener east (Stonewolf) or west (WingHaven)?

I liked stonewolf but I dont mind driving out to Winghaven