tbjohnston

Thanks for all the comments guys. Much appreciated!

You are so correct! Good luck to you & Bullitt5339! (Right with you - down to 11 & change and looking to get to single digits myself...)

A few years ago I moved from a 3 iron to a 3 hybrid, and more recently a 4 iron to a 4 hybrid. I still struggle with hitting a crisp 5 iron consistently, and am considering switching to a 5 hybrid. Wondering if anyone else has made the switch, and if so, what they've found the pro's and con's to be. Currently playing to an 11.1. Thanks, -TJ

Dude - you're doing just fine. Those guys in the 15-20 HCP range claiming to drive 250 either have the world's worst short game, can't measure distance, or can't hit the ball straight. My 3-wood distance is somewhere around 210 (carry plus roll) with a Pro V1, playing a sea level, at about 60 degrees Farenheit. And even without a killer short game this lets me play to a 12. And there are a bunch of guys 20+ years older than me who hit the ball 15 yards less than I do and have high single digit indices. Distance is great - I'm not going to knock it. But if you can drive 220-225, at your current HCP, your next step is either hitting the ball straight, hitting it consistently, or (most likely) stoking the short game. Best of luck to you.

Don't know if this has happened to you, but a big shift for me was moving from counting shots under bogey to counting shots over par... Obviously I'm hoping to move to counting strokes under par : - ) Anyway, it's a very motivating change...

Can't say that I argue with Maltby on this one - the X-16's are easier to hit than the Diablo Forged - they just don't reward a good swing as much.

This is one of the best quotes I've seen. Nicely said.

In case it helps, I tried a whole bunch of irons and ended up picking the Diablo forged. I thought about matching them with other Callaway clubs (e.g. prototypes for the pw and 9), but stuck with the Diablo forged throughout. They are like rocket fuel for launch - consistent ball flight, great length, and can be worked, albeit not as much as a blade. They were ideal for me because of the way the 4-, 5- and 6-iron behave (what I typically hit into 2/3's of our greens). Prior to these, I used the X-16's, also by Callaway. I tried each of the models (X-18's, X-20's, etc.) and it never made sense to spend the money until these. Only issue (aside from expense) is that because Callaway has made the clubs stronger, I have a gap between their PW and my 52-degree wedge, and need to figure things out. Regarding affordability, if they are too much $ (they aren't cheap), if you are a better player, get the X-forged used; if you are a higher handicap, get the X-22's used. That said, the Diablo forged fit me better than either of those.

You are exactly correct. My distance off the tee is no shorter than some guys in the low single digits, but they are in the middle of the fairway every time, and their second shot is generally on the green, and when it's not, they still get up and down all the time.

Nicely said.

Thanks for the comments. Sorry if it came off as "omniscent" - and it certainly wasn't meant for those of you who are low HCP and can crack a 2i 240 yards! Regarding golf balls & kids, when I wrote kids I was thinking of children who don't yet have the distance to play the course except from the forward tees. Should have been much clearer. Cheers

Hoovedawg - didn't mean to preach. Sorry if it came off that way. Just trying to share what worked for me.

This is a pretty long post, but it sums up what I've learned the past few years in moving from HCP of 19 now to a 12+. I'd appreciate thoughts and comments. What should an aspiring golfer do to improve their game? Every golfer is different, but my own experience and watching others leads me to these conclusions – some of which agree with conventional wisdom, some which do not. Today is the best day to work on your short game . Virtually no golfer is too inflexible or too weak to put and chip well. To improve your putting, learn good setup and technique (have your alignment checked), have the right mental approach (visualize the put going in), and put some practice in. Work on your flexibility and balance , particularly if you have a desk job. You cannot possibly have a good and consistent swing if you’re inflexible. And that in particular means those of us with desk jobs. Go see a physical therapist who understands the golf swing. Check out what TPI has to say about this. I see so many guys in their late 40s or 50s spending hours on the range trying to work on their swing. If they would spend 30 minutes a day stretching out in the morning they could put into practice what the pro tells them to do and get rid of that slice. Walk the course . You’ll loosen up and swing better. Check GASP regularly – grip, alignment, stance & posture. Alignment in particular. Manage your misses – this is ½ of course management. Make sure that your misses cost you one stroke at most (unless it’s match play and your opponent is dormie, then go for broke) Play the hole backwards – this is the other ½ of course management. What shot should I hit now so my next shot is the one I really want to hit (in my case a full swing 52-degree wedge). Be comfortable with partial wedge swings when you are inside 100 yards. Practice hitting these out of the rough occasionally. Where is the conventional wisdom wrong? Hit 3w off the tee . Modern drivers are more forgiving than most 3w’s. But make sure you’re flexible enough to hit it, and you don’t need to swing as hard as possible. Aim for the middle of the green . Aim for the middle of the green but BELOW THE CUP . Downhill putts are a recipe for disaster. If the pin is forward, and with hazards left and right, sometimes you’re better off in front of the green with a short chip up to the pin. 4 wedges x 3 swings = 12 distances . Good for an engineer, but decent course management lets you hit a full 52- or 56-degree wedge in…and I’ve never had 4 wedges in the bag and liked all of them. Inside of 100 yards is lots about feel for me, not about engineering – oh, and hitting a 60-degree wedge off of a tight lie is not for the faint of heart. Length doesn’t matter . Uh-huh. If you have a good swing, you’ll hit the ball straighter and farther. And your scores will drop. I’ve been playing one course in Wisconsin for about 30 years now, at least a week each summer. I’m now hitting two clubs further distance as I have a better swing, and I’m hitting more fairways. Surprise, surprise, I’m making more birdies and my scores are dropping. Equipment Blades. You’re ready for blades when…Actually, you’re not ready for blades. When your HCP is low enough that you can play in the qualifiers for the Amateur, then go ahead. Golf balls . These do and do not make a difference. My advice is that men (and hard-hitting women) should play Pro V1s. Kids and the average woman should play Noodles. Whatever you do play, stick with it. A good putter makes a big difference. Go try out a few, find one you like & stick with it. Get some hybrids . Can you really hit a 3i or 4i? Seriously. . Breakthrough moments Learning how to work the ball…of course it’s a rare day that I can make the ball both draw or fade. Most days I can do one or the other, and that’s good enough. Looking forward to putting… Improving my swing so that I can add power and still be confident that the ball will go straight Knowing how far I hit each club Being confident in greenside bunkers means I can be more aggressive in hitting to the green Thanks for reading. Looking forward to your comments.

This is my problem precisely...solving it (for me) requires good, smooth tempo...

Thank you!