HmtGolfGuy

* Titleist 905T driver w/Grafalloy Prolaunch Blue shaft, separate ebay purchases for club and shaft plus shaft installation and new grip, $65 * Sonartec 17 degree fairway wood w/UST ProForce V2 shaft, separate ebay purchases plus shaft installation and new grip, $80 * Sonartec 19 degree fairway wood w/stock shaft and new grip, ebay purchase, $60 * Nickent 24 degree hybrid, ebay purchase, new grip, $20 * 3-GW Irons, Giga Golf, custom lie/length, upgraded grips (equivalent to TaylorMade R11), $195 * 54 degree Hogan S/W, older than dirt, free from friend, $9.50 for new grip * 62 degree lob wedge, $28 new * Odyssey F7 2-ball putter, Callaway Preowned, $40 * Callaway Carry Bag from parent’s neighbor Christmas day 2009 (he got a new bag for Christmas!) $0 Total = $497.50 If purchased new, approx. $2,265.

In a recent Golf Magazine, there was a tip on turning your hips more during the backswing. I experimented with it the last time I played, and saw a significant improvement in several areas (power, consistency, ball flight). For the average golfer, too much emphasis is placed on creating a "power coil" by turning the shoulders against the hips when they aren't physically capable of doing so. Turn the hips, then start the downswing by turning them back towards the target and you still create a lot of coil, but it's a more fluid motion and easier to accomplish.

I've got a similar issue with a gap in yardage. Mine's between my 3-iron (not quite as accurate as I'd like, but steadily improving to match the other irons) and my Driver. Different yardages than yours, but same large gap. Since I carry 4 wedges, I've only got room for 1 club. I'm trying to find something that's easily controlled, enough distance to use as an alternate driver and go for some par 5's in 2, yet has a a high enough ball flight that it doesn't run right through the green. During my "Holy Grail" like quest, I've experimented with several different head/lofts/shaft length/shaft kick-point combinations, so my suggestion is based to some degree on experience with a similar club. Since the Thriver is essentially a full-sized driver head with a shorter shaft and 14 degrees loft, your best bet is to try and replicate the same type combination in a fairway wood. These are usually more forgiving than a hybrid, usually with a somewhat higher ball flight than a similarly lofted hybrid. I'd recommend you go with look for a 5-wood - 18 degrees or so - if you can get one with a larger head, all the better. A few options off the top of my head would include the Callaway Big Bertha Diablo (18.5 degree), Ping G10 (discontinued but still available in many places, also an 18.5) or an Adams Speedline (18 degree). All three are available with a draw bias if you're so inclined. If you want to go with a larger head, check out the 2006 Cleveland Launcher 17 degree 3-wood, a little less loft but bigger head (no draw bias available that I'm aware of). Get the same shaft flex you currently use in the Thriver. Hit it at a range a couple different times to see if the trajectory is what you're looking for. If it's good as is, great - if not,have a fitter recommend a similar performance/feel shaft with a kick-point that will give you the right trajectory. Once you're happy with the ball flight, have the shop cut it down 1/2 inch, then put a Winn Lite grip on it to get the swing weight back around what it was originally. Based on the yardages you cited for your 5h, 4h and Thriver, my guess is you'll end up with an in-air carry of around 170-175 yards and not too much roll-out. Once you're confident in it, you could probably muscle it out another 10 yards if you need to without losing much accuracy. Whatever you end up doing, make sure you come back and post some results!

I primarily play the Penta TP3. I hear they're being discontinued, but if you can still find them they usually are on sale. Not the equal of a ProV, but a VERY good all-around ball. I'd rate distance, spin, workability and feel all about 8.5-9 on a 1-10 scale, and pretty durable.

Also have a Tight Lie Tour 17 degree, same challenges as the Sonartec. It's a little higher flight, but still fairly low, a little easier to work left/right, but still difficult from the rough. Definitely not as long, give up about 20, sometimes even 15 yards for only 1 degree extra loft and very similar flight pattern. As they fly and play just about the same I'm sticking with the Sonartec for the extra distance - at least for now!

I play a Sonartec 16 degree. The thing is a rocket, nearly as long as my 9 degree Titleist driver, but even lower trajectory with the original shaft. Put a higher launch shaft in it and it's still no higher than my driver. LOTS longer than the 3 wood I was playing. Great off the tee, only give up about 15 yards vs the driver and feel confident letting it rip on tight driving holes. O.K. from the fairway (lack of height can be an issue), quite challenging from the rough (probably because it's launch angle is so low). Not enough height to use for most approaches on par 5's unless you've got room to run it on to the green. Given the amazing distance, would love to find an 18 degree with a high launch shaft, that would be more useful re: approach shots without sacrificing too much distance when teeing off.. Years ago played a Powerbilt Citation persimmon 4 wood - LOVED that club! Was long enough off the tee to use for tight driving holes, could turn it left or right at will, play it high to land soft for long approaches or low and running . If I can find something that plays the same way, I'd be all over it.

Quote: Spin difference with a wedge would be minimal, if anything the ProV1 might spin a little more. However, modern balls and clubs are designed to impart spin differently depending on the type of shot and club, for example the spin off a driver is only a fraction of what you get with a wedge. On the other hand, balata's spun a lot off every club, so it was a LOT easier to shape shots. That could work both for or against you, depending if the "shaping" was intentional. Believe me, with today's equipment you'll never seen a slice like you could get from a balata off a persimmon driver - we're talking about aiming left side of a fairway and slicing over the trees and into the far rough on a parallel fairway! Of course, bending a 30-40 yard draw/hook around a dogleg was an incredibly satisfying feeling when you got it right, and about the only person who can do that anymore is Bubba Watson. Most older clubs had higher lofts (Driver standard was 11 degrees), so Balata's were designed to fly lower to fit the equipment of the time. They also came in different compresions, 90 was the most common, 100 was for the big hitters, 80 (when you could find them) was for ladies and seniors. The softest ball you've ever hit would feel hard compared to an 80, but if you didn't have a high swing speed the 100's felt like rocks!

Still have a Powerbilt Citation, real persimmon, take it out a couple days a year just for fun. Unbelievably sweet when hit right, on good swings distance is essentially the same as my Titleist metal driver. MUCH easier to work left/right/high/low (even with today's balls), but don't mishit it, those shots get ugly in a hurry. If I ever find a matching 4-wood I'll grab it! (Current fairway "wood" is a 16.5 degree Titleist with the small head so it'll be a straight exchange except better feel and workability).

It's not really a matter of how far you turn your hips on the backswing, it's about the difference between your hip and shoulder turn. Lots of golfers try and keep the lower body very quiet, turning the shoulders to create tension between the hips and shoulders to create power (think Lee Westwood or Ernie Els). Others turn the hips quite a bit, allowing a bigger shoulder turn, but still maintaining the difference between the two to create their power (think Bubba Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead). Virtually all of the bigger hitters increase the difference by turning the hips towards the target before moving the shoulder on the downswing. If you're a fast swinger, you may be better off keeping the hips fairly still, but if you have a smooth swing with a medium or slower tempo, turning the hips more may be the way to go. Flexibility is also a major factor, the more flexible you are the more you difference you can create and the more potential power you'll have Regardless of which way you go, commit to it and practice it. Focus on your timing, making sure you make a good transition between backswing and downswing, and letting this tension build. Also, when you are using your shorter clubs (6-8 iron or lower), the hip/shoulder turn to create power isn't as important as consistent ball-striking, as the object of those clubs is to get it close, not crush it long. Just my 2 cents, hope it helps.

This is exactly why this thread even exists and why you will probably never understand someone who does "fluff". I've played for over 40 years, and in every round I've posted for handicap purposes or during tournament play I've never "fluffed" a lie unless moving the ball is within the rules. However, sometimes I play to work on a certain aspect of my game, or try different strategies on holes, or maybe trying to hone a draw played to hold or ride the wind. At those times, I may hit more than one shot from the same position. Do I count these scores? Absolutely not. I've had many opportunities to pad a handicap by counting these rounds, but that's not fair when it comes time to "play for real" (i.e. money or a tournament). In fact, this can actually have the opposite effect because I miss out on at least a half dozen rounds each year that would end up raising my handicap (at least to some extent). Go to a professional tournament early in the week and watch a few practice rounds and you'll see the best players in the game do exactly that (and "fluff" lies when doing so). Does that make them less of a player because they're not playing by the rules? Nope, not at all. Same goes for the average player, as long as they don't count the scores for handicap calculations or in a tournament. For me, I enjoy golf in both situations. It's a different enjoyment for each - posting a good score when you have a run on bad lies is a great feeling, but so is using the course for practice and getting that cut shot just right so it holds it's line into a right-to-left wind. As noted above, I don't count the scores when I'm playing that way (the ONLY exception would be if I ever got a hole-in-one, but that's a single hole not a full round score - and no, I wouldn't call it a hole-in-one if it wasn't my original tee shot). When I was in High School, the pro at the local course once told me one of the fastest ways to improve was to hit two shots off the tee, then play the worst one. Repeat with your second shot, and every shot/putt for the whole round. In his words, "do that 2 or 3 times and you'll be amazed at how quickly the difference narrows, because you'll get REALLY tired of having to play from the worst position after a lousy shot." Definitely not playing by the rules, but if your goal is to improve your score (not necessarily your swing) you should try it - I've seen a lot of players knock 8-10 shots off their scores after just 3 rounds playing that way. For 99% of us the goal is to have fun. For each person that definition is different, and no one should put anyone else down or criticize them because it's not the way they have fun. As long as you don't do it when it "counts", or when you're posting for a handicap, it really doesn't matter one way or another. (BTW - best score ever = 69, no fluffs, including a left-handed shot because of a tree. Had a blast! But - same could be said for the 85 I shot with a great friend just goofin' around and fluffing a couple lies)

I am quite impressed with the TP3 - used to play the "original" Penta, also played some with the ProV1 (not 1x). Price vs. Performance is excellent For more info, check out the review I posted in the User Review - Equipment - Golf Balls - Mid-Level section of this website .

Precisely. The full 2 years won't come until sometime next year. He's done most of the preliminary shaping of the "blade" that is his swing, this winter he'll work on honing things to a sharp edge. At the moment, he still "thinks" too much about how to hit a lot of shots, and that is exposed most in the pressure cooker that is inherent in weekend rounds at majors. It's also why he plays as conservatively as he does, his margin for error is still considerably larger than it used to be (and probably will be in 6-12 months). The shot making was also one of the last things to come around during the prior swing changes, so I believe we'll see that aspect a lot more next year. The ability to shoot at (or at least nearer) the pins and knowing he can play the finesse shots needed on approaches and around the green will take a lot of pressure of his putting (as well as lead to shorter putts). A couple thoughts about his conservative play - he's actually played this way a lot in the past, but the intimidation factor he had going for him made other players do stupid things to beat themselves, so he didn't need to be more aggressive. Also, for a number of years there were only a handful of players with the ability and mentality to stay aggressive 4 straight days and out-score him. Now, ALL the players embrace the "go for it" attitude, figuring "who knows, maybe this is my week to put together 4 really low rounds (and if not, oh well, let's try again next week). He's probably going to need to adjust his game plan to counter this change. Of course, if he cuts .5-1.0 strokes per round by fine-tuning his distance control and short game, all the talk about him being too conservative will be nothing more than a distant memory. Going back to the original question, to say he's "done" because he didn't win a major this year is really jumping the gun. If he doesn't win one by the time the 2014 U.S. Open has come and gone, then yes, he may be "done" with regard to his standards (and our expectations). On the other hand, by Father's Day 2014 the people who've climbed on the "Tiger's done" bandwagon may look awfully foolish.

Is Tiger done? Don't be ridiculous. He's won 3 times in only a handful of events, was in the mix going into the weekend in 3 majors, and is sitting at # 3 in the world. Done? I don't think so. Is he the Tiger of old? No, and probably never will be. Not because he won't play well, just that what he did for so many years is really beyond comprehension. 8 years in a row without missing a cut - find me one player this year who hasn't missed a single cut, and if so, do you think he can do it again for the next 7? 9 missed cuts in his career? There are players who win regular tournaments and/or challenge in majors with that many in YEAR! Consider he's accumulated more world ranking points this year than anyone except Rory, and that's with a major (and the extra points) going to Rory. So he's only the second best in the world this year - so far. There are dozens of golfers wishing they were "done" like Tiger! Keep in mind, his focus over the last year was on his driving and long-irons, full swings with long clubs (the ones that most likely contributed to his health issues). He had to fix those first so he could continue to play without injury. Now he'll get an off-season where he can work on his short game again (wedges/distance control/putting). If that improves even half as much as his long game did last off-season, it's gonna be a long year for anyone not named "Tiger" in 2013. For all those believing Tiger is done, please contact me - I've got some beachfront property in Arizona I'd like to sell (got a bridge, too!).

The real problem here is perception. You don't understand someone playing any way other than what you subscribe to. I get GREAT pleasure from playing by the rules, and in general am much more satisfied with what I accomplish when I do. HOWEVER - I grind every day at work or home to get the absolute most out of my opportunities, and on occasion I just want to go out to the course and NOT grind. It's not that I enjoy the game more, I'm enjoying the DAY more given the specific circumstances of that day at that time in my life. There's more than one reason to play golf - possible the least correct yet very common statement about golf is "it's a good walk spoiled". On my "fun" days, it's a great walk (or ride) in some of the most beautiful land around. The rest of the time it's me vs. the course, which is a whole 'nother story~

There are no easy courses, just abnormally low scoring rounds at a track that will eventually take it's revenge.

Depends entirely upon my reason for playing golf that day. If it's to get a mental break and just have fun, then I'll nudge it from a nasty lie to an acceptable one. Same thing if there's a reasonable chance of damaging the club. Also if there are parts of the course that SHOULD be marked as Ground Under Repair, but they don't bother to take the time to do it, I'll make that call for them (if I'm playing to post a score, this is discussed and agreed upon prior to starting the round and at least 1 other player has to agree with the call - if you've played golf for any length of time you know exactly what I'm talking about). If I'm playing to improve, post a score or especially if I have money riding on it, I'll play it "down" (and make it clear that's how ALL balls will be played by everyone - and yes, I WILL drive my cart all the way across the fairway to make sure if I suspect you're fluffing!). There's a difference in playing for the fun of getting out and enjoying the course and the time away from everything else vs. playing "serious" golf. Just don't confuse the two and expect me to believe you can shoot a 75 when I know you can't make a 4 foot put more than 1 outta 3 times!

I'd have been with your buddies - probably end up with a 9 on the hole because I'd start laughing in the middle of my swing!

@ Tonyk10. Dude - a little punctuation would make a big difference, we might be able to understand you!

It was even better in person! Don't see those type of tee markers much anymore, guess I know why!

Let me set the scene. It was just after finishing High School in Yuma, AZ and a group of us were playing at the local course during summer. Since it was about 105 degrees when we teed off, there weren't many people out there, so we were all going to tee off #1 and then split up as we played. The tee markers were the old square wooden blocks, and the white tees were slightly offset about 20 yards ahead of the blues. Last guy up (known as a somewhat inconsistent but very long driver) turns to the group and says "Ok guys, watch this!". He then crushes his drive but caught it REALLY thin, ball goes screaming into the tee marker and rebounds directly into the middle of his forehead! Thud - over he goes, out like a light. There'a about 3 seconds of stunned silence, then everyone else explodes in laughter, literally falling to the ground we laughed so hard. About 45 seconds later he starts to come around, at which point we told him "Dude, it's a good thing you were breathing 'cause none of us could've stopped laughing long enough to perform CPR"! Best part was the perfect circle bump sticking out on his forehead - you could practically read "Titleist" on it!