Journey to the Mackenzie Tour: One Amateur's Pipe Dream

[Diece]

9 hours ago, iacas said:

No. On the PGA Tour, they're all pretty great ball strikers. That's why they're there.

And no, not "the best" putters, but the guys who got hottest that week. Maybe that's the best putter, but putting has the largest fluctuation of any of the SG categories.

So:

• week to week, the hottest putter of the better ball strikers that week tend to win or finish high.
• overall, approach shots has the greatest separation top to bottom on the PGA Tour, then driving, then short game, then putting.

No they don't. Not unless you're getting pretty darn vague. Impact positions vary quite a bit, really.

I think someone could get away with less than that. But yes, it's gonna take some time.

I wouldn't get a "cheap" launch monitor unless it was the Mevo. None of the others are very good at all.

I actually was looking at a launch monitor last year, but like you said most of them suck. I don't know if the Mevo was out at that time though.

Would you consider a Mevo a decent investment, considering what I want to do or should I wait?

 

[iacas]

37 minutes ago, Diece said:

 Would you consider a Mevo a decent investment, considering what I want to do or should I wait?

I try not to spend other people's money, as I don't know what their priorities are, what their cash situation is like, etc.

All I can say is: https://thesandtrap.com/b/training/flightscope_mevo_personal_launch_monitor_review.

[pganapathy]

10 hours ago, iacas said:

No they don't. Not unless you're getting pretty darn vague. Impact positions vary quite a bit, really.

I wouldn't get a "cheap" launch monitor unless it was the Mevo. None of the others are very good at all.

I remember reading an article which stated that most pro's had a similar impact position.  Essentially, they all had a forward shaft lean and had a fairly square face at impact.  Of course, I might be wrong, but if memory serves the article essentially said that most pro's don't have massive hooks or slices, but rather a baby draw or baby fade thanks to impact position.

With regards to the 'cheap' launch monitor, I suggested it because I watched a YouTube video which implied the Swing Caddie 2 SC200 was reasonably accurate.  They were comparing it with the GC Quad.  I have no experience of the SC200 myself.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, Diece said:

I actually was looking at a launch monitor last year, but like you said most of them suck. I don't know if the Mevo was out at that time though.

Would you consider a Mevo a decent investment, considering what I want to do or should I wait?

 

You’ve joined Evolvr. Get going with that then maybe you can ask your instructor what he thinks. 

[iacas]

47 minutes ago, pganapathy said:

I remember reading an article which stated that most pro's had a similar impact position.  Essentially, they all had a forward shaft lean and had a fairly square face at impact.

That's about all they have in common, yeah, and their club faces aren't really "square" either, because they're all playing differently shaped shots - some fades (face left of target at impact), some draws (face right of target). Etc.

[Diece]

Ive must have checked my phone every 10 minutes today, waiting for the response from the Evolvr guys.

Cant wait to put my nose to the grindstone.

[NationwideTourCrimsonTide]

On 4/29/2019 at 9:31 PM, klineka said:

I wasnt comparing Tiger to Rory. I was using their statistics to prove how your statement was not accurate.

There are more strokes to be gained from tee shots and approach shots (ball striking) than there is on inside 120 yds. 

It doesnt matter what the OWGR is, it's largely the same. Outside of glaring weaknesses, better players are better because they are better at ball striking.

This thread is about a kid trying to get better and pursue a mini-tour. I was simply pointing out that thousands of aspiring tour pros hit the ball really well. Their trackman data is all relatively similar. The top 50 ball-strikers in the world probably do hit it noticeably better, pure smash factor, etc., but it’s not the hardest component required to gain status on a pro tour. The top 250 in the world are machines from 120 and in. The guys outside that level aren’t quite machines yet, whether it’s their inability to putt consistently throughout a season, losing a shot per round in scrambling, or not hitting wedges the precise distance. On the PGA Tour, everyone has pretty similar exceptionally good skills with the wedge and putter. For this kid, I was pointing out that in addition to needing to have reliable and consistent ball-striking, he’d then need to become machine-like from 120 and in. Basically, he says he sucks at putting. I’m saying putting is really important.

[Vinsk]

35 minutes ago, Diece said:

Ive must have checked my phone every 10 minutes today, waiting for the response from the Evolvr guys.

Cant wait to put my nose to the grindstone.

I’m grossly untalented when it comes to golf and my instructor has helped me tremendously in just a few months. And he’s had to work with years and years of compensation and previous poor instructional advice. I’m very pleased.

[Double Mocha Man]

So Vinsk, the tour could still be in your future!  Guessing your new instructor didn't tell you to keep your head down or left arm straight.

[iacas]

37 minutes ago, NationwideTourCrimsonTide said:

I’m saying putting is really important.

No, it’s not.

[Diece]

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

I’m grossly untalented when it comes to golf and my instructor has helped me tremendously in just a few months. And he’s had to work with years and years of compensation and previous poor instructional advice. I’m very pleased.

Honestly, I don't know why I've been such a goof in regards to instruction.

One of my other interests is art, painting, photography, sketching etc. The great artists, 90% of them were taught by teachers. Picasso was taught by his dad who was a painter. Matisse was taught by Gustav Morreau a teacher in the Beux Arts School in France. 

In Matisse's book on Art he literally says to become a great painter you have to study the masters and be taught in all of the forms of the greats. 

If great artists learned and refined their craft with lessons and teaching then why the F did I think I didn't need it.

For everyone of the great artists who are self-taught, there's another 10 who took lessons. Same with Golf, for every pro who is self-taught there's another 10 who had to take lessons. Now, there's obviously a varying degree of how much you rely on your coach, I don't think I will ever be one of those guys who is joined at the hip with their coach and can't even wipe their own ass without someone helping them but I definitely know I need instruction. I need better fundamentals, I need to get rid of the major flaws in my swing. I can't do this shit myself.

[Double Mocha Man]

That might be a Salvador Dali golf swing you have.

[Diece]

10 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

That might be a Salvador Dali golf swing you have.

Hahah..probably.

I should get an anteater as a pet.

6 hours ago, iacas said:

I try not to spend other people's money, as I don't know what their priorities are, what their cash situation is like, etc.

All I can say is: https://thesandtrap.com/b/training/flightscope_mevo_personal_launch_monitor_review.

Interesting, I'm probably going to get it...eventually.

But doesn't seem like something I absolutely must have right now.

It's more important to get some new, updated equipment.

[Beastie]

3 hours ago, Diece said:

Hahah..probably.

I should get an anteater as a pet.

Interesting, I'm probably going to get it...eventually.

But doesn't seem like something I absolutely must have right now.

It's more important to get some new, updated equipment.

New equipment won’t make you better hardly at all. Spend that money on a decent coach instead. 

[Diece]

57 minutes ago, Beastie said:

New equipment won’t make you better hardly at all. Spend that money on a decent coach instead. 

Okay, I would normally agree....

But I'm playing with old Hogan blades.

My wedges are worn + not fitted.

3 wood was from a used club rack.

Driver was great, until it broke and I couldn't get it fixed so my dad fixed it but he put way too much epoxy in the head. 

If I was playing with 5 year old equipment, yeah I would agree with you but I have shit that's 20 years old and only the irons are fitted. I definitely need to upgrade.

[upndown21]

6 hours ago, Diece said:

Hahah..probably.

I should get an anteater as a pet.

Interesting, I'm probably going to get it...eventually.

But doesn't seem like something I absolutely must have right now.

It's more important to get some new, updated equipment.

I got my Mevo a little over a month ago and it is by far the best investment in my golf game. Personally I feel it is better than lessons if you know what you are trying to accomplish. 

[klineka]

47 minutes ago, upndown21 said:

Personally I feel it is better than lessons if you know what you are trying to accomplish. 

Most people don't know what they are trying to accomplish without lessons though, so they try to fix the wrong thing or try a quick fix they saw in a magazine and then end up not getting better or actually getting worse.

[David in FL]

3 hours ago, Diece said:

Okay, I would normally agree....

But I'm playing with old Hogan blades.

My wedges are worn + not fitted.

3 wood was from a used club rack.

Driver was great, until it broke and I couldn't get it fixed so my dad fixed it but he put way too much epoxy in the head. 

If I was playing with 5 year old equipment, yeah I would agree with you but I have shit that's 20 years old and only the irons are fitted. I definitely need to upgrade.

I’m curious.  How were old Hogan blades “fit” to you?