TheOne

I'm thinking of testing out a belly putter for next year, and I'm wondering what everyone thinks about the heads. Most (if not all) belly putters sold at retail have face-balanced heads, but lots of players on Tour use a belly putter with a toe-flow head. Depending on your philosophy in how to use a belly putter, you could make a case either way. I'm just looking for preferences and experience with different head configurations.

Nice bag. What do you think of the A12 Pro hybrids? I've heard lots of good things, but lots of mixed opinions on the stock shafts. Does the Altus or the RIP launch higher? I would demo them, but the Canadian weather killed the golf season...

I have New Decade MultiCompounds (alternating blue, red, yellow throughout the set - Queen's University colours) with an extra wrap under the right hand in my driver, 3 wood, and hybrid. The extra wrap quiets my right hand just a bit - enough to keep the smother hooks away for the most part. The texture provides great traction, and the grooves and depressions make sure my hands are in the same spot every time. I found that with a smoother grip like the Tour Velvets I was having a hard time getting my hands in the same position shot after shot. Plus the MultiCompounds let me show my school spirit! How many people do their own grips? My coach does mine, plus I get grips at cost, so I don't bother doing them myself. Is it worth it?

I usually carry about 20 balls in my bag. Right now I have a Ping Latitude bag, and it has a pretty big detachable shag bag, so I keep a lot of balls in it. When I'm not playing in a tournament, I only have 2 or 3 new balls in my bag, the rest are just lightly scuffed. I use lightly scuffed balls for non-tournament rounds, and always use new balls for tournaments. In tournaments I carry 6-9 new balls, and switch out balls once they get a scuff on them. It could be every 3 holes, I could also have a new ball every hole for a couple holes. And last year I won a tournament playing only one ball. It all depends on what happens to it. The balls I take out of play in a tournament are still very playable, but there's just something about having a brand new ball that helps my confidence a bit. Again, I used these balls for casual rounds and practice. Once I get a different bag for my university team next year I might have to lighten the load a bit haha

Last year I played the Titleist Pro V1x. Once all the snow is gone and the courses open I'll experiment with the new 2011 Pro V1x. I'll probably end up switching, the 2011 Pro V1x is supposed to fly a little higher, and that would be perfect for me. I like almost everything about the Pro V1x. I find it flies straighter than the Pro V1, without losing the ability to shape shots and manage trajectory. I also love the flatter, penetrating trajectory. Around the greens, it releases a bit more than the Pro V1, and I find that it is more predictable in reacting (check up vs. release vs. skid and stop vs. spin back) to whatever shot you are trying to hit. In my experience, the Pro V1 tends to spin a bit too much for my liking. The firmer feel and sound off the club appeals to me as well. The only thing that I would improve is the durability. After a couple wedge shots, the cover is shredded. In tournaments, I can't play the same ball for more than 4 or 5 holes before having to switch (if I'm just playing a casual round I don't care, I've played the same ball for a couple days). The 2011 Pro V1x is supposed to be more durable, so it should fix this issue. I haven't really tested any other balls; I would admit that I may be blindly loyal to Titleist. I've tried the Callaway balls, but couldn't stand the look of the dimples and the feel and sound off the club. I've heard lots of good things about Srixon and Bridgestone balls, from the Tour, my buddies, and also on forums like this. I might do a bit of testing with those brands. But it's going to be tough to replace the Titleist Pro V1x in my bag. Gotta trust your Titleist.

I think you should experiment with choking up, and if it works well, go for it. I have a shorter than standard driver as well, it's just so much more consistent. My driver is 1" short (plays at 44") and I have my 13* wood and 17* hybrid both a 1/2" short (42.5" and 40.5"). Works great, I feel like I have so much more control, without giving up yards. I have a feeling that you will end up cutting your 4 wood and loving it.

Do you mean a Tour Striker ?

With the thumbtack, I used a screwdriver as well. I have one of the screwdrivers where you can change the tip, so I got my thumbtack, wrapped the handle with a bit of masking tape, and jammed it into the screwdriver. It's easier to use than just having the thumbtack.

I used a screw and a thumbtack to remove the old paint. I used the screw to get the paint out of the larger areas (Spin Milled saw, loft number on the sole, the "BV", and the Vokey wings), and then used the thumbtack to clean up those areas and to work on the lettering. I wrapped masking tape around the screw to make some sort of a grip. I found that using acetone to try and take of the old paint was ineffective. To me, scratching it out with a screw/thumbtack was the most effective.

I've had difficulties with launch monitors as well. I normally hit my driver about 295 yards (carry + roll). I went to the Accra fitting headquarters to get my iron lie angles checked out, and played around with drivers on their simulator. Their simulator was right on, I was hitting it my average distances with my driver. But later in the season I cracked the face on my driver, so I went to GolfTown to look at potential drivers. I grabbed a stock Titleist 909D2 with a stiff Voodoo, and hit a couple balls on their simulator. It said I hit the 909 about 235 yards. I know the 909 wasn't the perfect fit for me, but it couldn't have been so bad that I lost 60 yards. It's definitely the quality of the simulator and launch monitor that is the reason for the weird distances. When I get fit for my Titleist 910 in the spring, I'm definitely going to a certified Titleist fitting centre. GolfTown is a joke for fitting.

I carry a lot of stuff in my bag...but here are my top 5: 1) Rangefinder 2) 2 or 3 gloves 3) Alignment sticks 4) Athletic tape 5) Yardage books

Here are my distances with a normal swing. I could probably add half a club of distance on the irons if I really rip at it. Driver - 295 3+ wood - 275 17* hybrid - 245 3 iron - 225 4 iron - 210 5 iron - 200 6 iron - 185 7 iron - 175 8 iron - 158 9 iron - 145 48* wedge - 135 54* wedge - 115 60* wedge - 90

If you'e putting to a hole with break, aim the string along your intended starting line. It also helps you learn about your green-reading skills, as the line you see in the first place may not be the correct line. You can then adjust the string to match the correct line with the pace you put on the putt.

I think it's just personal preference. I guess try out a bunch of different combinations until you find one you like! I wear a cadet medium glove and I play standard size Golf Pride Multi-Compounds with standard tape, and it seems to be working for me.

Just did this today. It's my first attempt at paintfill. What do you think?