bradsul

Which is why I maintained that it needed to be looked at as a possible issue. I didn't say what pressure it should be. I agree I was probably incorrect before, my problems most likely stemmed from incorrect grip size . Too tight a grip is just as much of a problem in my opinion, it restricts free movement of the wrists and forearms. But that's moving OT for this thread. Back on topic, OP said he's thinking about lessons with a Pro which I think we will all agree is a great step to take.

That wasn't my experience. But thinking back I was using grips that were too small as well. That had much more to do with it I imagine. I stand by grip pressure being an issue to be looked at however.

In addition to what @saevel25 has mentioned, check your grip pressure as well. Squeezing the club too tightly can cause blisters too.

I imagine everyone has had those kinds of rounds! It's probably the main reason I don't add my score until the round is over when I'm playing stroke play. I never do well when I'm thinking "you just need to X" before I hit a shot.

I have the precursor to them, the Super DHy. I picked up the 21 to replace my 3i and hit it so bloody well that I went back and picked up the 18 and 24 to replace my 5W and 4i. I love that they fit into my set in terms of both club length and loft and they offer enough forgiveness that I don't worry about slight miss-hits. I don't bother with a fairway wood on most courses now and just use my 18 (2i) off the tee. The ball flight is absolutely gorgeous. Such a penetrating flight and lots of roll out. It actually goes farther than my 5W ever did. You do need to be careful how much rough you take on with them though. They definitely prefer tee and tight lies.

It absolutely won't save that many strokes. I wasn't putting forth a complete solution. The simple fact is you need to everything that has been mentioned so far to get into the single digits and stay there. I was simply adding some focus to something that doesn't often get any spotlight. And punch shots are a tool that every mid-high handicap should have. They are the ones MOST likely to need it multiple times per round. Like I said I'm not advocating hero shots, I'm talking about getting out of trouble with one shot so you can continue the march to the green. [bad drive] + [reasonable punch] + [reasonable iron] + [2 putts] == bogey or [bad drive] + [reasonable punch] + [missed green with iron] + chip + [2 putts] == double bogey I'm willing to bet either of those would be preferable to pinball in the trees followed by carding a snowman. Something I witness from mid-high cappers all the time.

Some great stuff mentioned already but I think this needs some highlighting: Recovery Shots You need to practice these just like any other shot. Work on low punch shots with your 4-5-6-7 irons. Learn how far you carry them, how far they roll out. How high/low you can hit them. How much they will curve right or left. You're going to get in trouble, that's just a given. Give yourself confidence to get out of trouble and suddenly those tee shots that worried you aren't quite as scary. Now this is NOT advocating for 'hero' shots. Sure sometimes you can go after the green through the trees, but you need to be just as accurate to get yourself out of the trees and back in the middle of the fairway.

Golf Town simulators used to be pretty bad for this. I always took in one of my own clubs where I knew what they did to use as a control. They're much better now though since they've changed to a GC2-style launch monitor on the floor. I still bring in a control club though.

I just thump the ground with my club to pop up a small amount of turf and use that. I actually do this for everything except my driver unless the tee box is in pretty nasty shape.

The MP FLi-Hi was fantastic for sure. My father has the JPX version and they're definitely not a driving iron anymore. Great hybrids in their own right though! He has his with shafts matching his irons (also JPX) and they fit right into the set.

I've been using the Adams Super DHy driving hybrids in 18, 21, and 24 and I absolutely love them. I find they're closer to a super game improvement iron than a hybrid. In addition they're designed to fit into your iron set so you don't get that annoying yardage gap. They hit about 15yds longer instead of 20+ like my traditional hybrids. They're marketed as driving irons but I find they launch really well off the deck too. I carried a 2i driving iron for a while and it was a beast off the tee but you needed to be really on the money with your ball striking. Gorgeous penetrating ball flight when you got it though. I tried that new Titleist (714U I think it was) and quite liked it but couldn't get it to launch off the deck. A little too single purpose for me.

To get feedback on hitting the ball heavy try laying a towel on the ground about 2" behind the ball. Works on grass too with the added benefit of negative re-enforcement when you have to ask people to stop hitting so you can run out and grab your towel.

These were on pretty darn cheap so I thought I'd try the Footjoy 'minimalist' offering. I love all my various pairs of True Linkswear but I quite liked the look of these. They are definitely NOT zero-drop heels but for Footjoy they are pretty low!

I picked up the Adams Super DHy 21 and 24 degree long-iron-hybridy things. They more resemble super GI irons than hybrids but wow do they hit a nice ball. I've been banging away on the simulator with them all week and I'm seriously considering going back and getting the 18 degree.

I bought one back in the fall when they went on big-time discount at Golf Town. I really like it and the Kurokage shaft is just fantastic (for me anyway). The tour model was my preference looks-wise but I had better numbers for spin and launch with the non-tour model so I went with that. I tried the 2.0 versions as well but I just can't get past the looks. It's probably all in the paint they chose but to me it just looks like it's made of cheap plastic or something. The numbers I got were all but identical so no real reason for an upgrade.

I've seen damage like this before from people playing on snowed/frosted greens. Fortunately most often the footprints are that of deer or coyote but sometimes it's people too.

A couple hours north of OP in Guelph and it's been a pretty nasty winter for sure. I'm resigned to not getting back on the course again until April. I'd be incredibly surprised if it was earlier.

I've never seen bottles for carry. I think that might just be on courses with sandy soil types where a divot disintegrates. Here any divots are beaver pelts you just pick up and put back in place. I rarely even see bottles on carts up here. When I head down south though every single cart has a couple bottles or a container with a scoop.

With the GolfTown sale on now I decided to try out the new Lamkin premium grip. http://www.lamkingrips.com/max-performance/utx I put one on my 6i and I'm really liking it so far. I'm a gloveless-cord-guy and though these aren't nearly as aggressive, I've been enjoying it quite a bit. Time will tell if they hold up to Southern Ontario humidity in the summer but I think I will outfit all my clubs with them. At only $6CAD during the sale it's a tough price to beat too!

I carry 4 including my PW. PW (45deg, part of my iron set) GW (CG15 52 bent to 50, 8deg bounce) SW (CG15 56.14deg) SW (CG15 62.12deg) I carry the second high lofted sand wedge because some of the courses I play have very high sided bunkers and it makes my life easier. It also doubles as my lob wedge so it's not wasting a spot in my bag.

Cross-country skiing for me.

I'm sure you'd get arguments on both sides of that one. The Merkur HD (and similar) is sort of the 'gold standard' I think. They're nice and weighty and have excellent construction. When it comes to blades they are so many the best thing is to get sampler packs (most only shops offer them) and try a bunch out. Your face will like some and not others. Lots of good brands to try at the link below. http://www.fendrihan.com/razor-blades-blade-samplers-c-116_4_14.html I like Feather blades myself.

Looks like (or very similar to) the Merkur HD.

I rinse the head off when its too covered in shave cream. It takes a lot to clog up the head with hair (assuming you shave regularly anyway), I rarely find a need to rinse the for that. And as long as you follow the no extra pressure rule there are no issues with the jaw line and chin. The blade isn't as exposed as you might be thinking. Take a look at some pictures of safety razors on google and you'll see what I mean.

It's not difficult at all. The number one rule, well number two actually. Number one would be: the blade NEVER travels sideways! The number two rule is: no pressure! The weight of the safety razor itself provides all the pressure necessary, don't press the blade against your skin. If you do this you will never suffer razor burn unless you are using a dull blade. Just get your face nice and hot and hydrated (right out of the shower is my personal preference), apply some nice shaving soap or cream and away you go! I think the biggest change from a multi-blade cartridge is you won't want to do those big long strokes with the blade. I like little short overlapping ones. Tends to mean you only go over a certain area once. If you hit google or youtube there are hours and hours of videos on wet-shaving. Regarding ingrown hair: it isn't something I've had to deal with much but it does happen. I honestly don't think the type of razor has much to do with it. I got them occassionally before I used the safety razor and I get them occassionally now. One thing I have noticed is they usually occur in the same general location. Try doing that particular area in a different direction for a while.