huskylawyer

2010 was a very tough year in all facets of life (honestly, perhaps the worst year in my last 20 years). Soooooo glad it is over. 2011 is going reasonably well. It will be turbulent on the personal front, but that is why I'm playing golf now--to clear my head. The legal practice is going pretty good (wasn't bad in 2010). M&A; is picking up and businesses are allocating more resources to us lawyers. Started my own business 2 years ago and it is going strong. I can't complain.

That's a really good point. I know my swing speed is slow. With confidence, I'll swing more aggressively, but right now I'm mostly focused on form. I tend to lose control when I try to kill the ball. Maybe I'll see if the shop I bought the Ping from (just bought it a few days ago) will let me replace it with a ping with a higher loft.

Yes, thanks. I'll work on the looser grip. Not sure why I grasp the iron like I'm holding onto a life line or something. When I finish the swing I follow through and hands are at my head level. Iron ball flight is pretty good. About right I would say.

Love cars! I own a 2008 E63 AMG Benz. Added a Meisterchaft (sp) exhaust, carbon fiber low profile spoiler, and black rims. Dropped it a tad. Also have a JL Audio/Focal sound system, custom installed (2 10w7s, 3 JL Amps, Focal door speakers, custom box). Pics below. Dream car (that I will own one day!) is a Porsche 911 Turbo S (997 or the upcoming 998).

Today I pocked up a black Clicgear 3.0 hand cart. It is awesome. Folds up nicely to fit in the backseat of my car (with my clubs) and when it is put together (easy to do), it is stable, cool looking and functional. Very happy!

Noobie golfer here. So I took 2 hours of lessons, with 90% of it being the basics and how to hit an iron. I feel pretty good hitting 5-9 and all the wedges, but the driving is giving me fits. The instructor noted that with both the irons and driver, I was taking the club too far back on my back-swing and losing control. This helped a ton! He also pointed out that the driver swing is different than the iron swing, whereas with the iron I'm kinda coming down on the ball, with the driver, I'm more sweeping through it (at least that is what I think he said lol). So with the driver (Ping K-15), I have a wider stance, a bit farther away from the ball, with the ball a few inches inches from the inside of my left foot (iron, more center). When I do get decent contact, the ball travels about 200 yards after roll (I don't swing very hard or fast), and fairly straight on the good hits (15% of the time, he he), but not much air. Knees are bent, keeping my head down, following through. I tend to grip the club very tight (as evidence by the blisters), so perhaps this is it? Also, should I be aiming to get under the ball more? How about my wrists? Maybe the club face isn't positioned correctly when I set up (pics would be great if anyone has any). Any tips would be greatly appreciated, and let me know if you need more info. I plan to take more lessons, but giving the forums a shot. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for all the feedback! I hit the driving today and was proud to pull out my bags and clubs! I'm hitting the irons very well. They are just so easy to swing. I'm still having problems with the hybrid (need to hit like an iron) and driver, but I'm gonna take some lessons to work it out. It will take some time, but I'll get there!

So I'm getting back into the game and just bought my new gear. A few days ago I went to the local shop and looked at the balls and got kinda intimidated. Thinking (probably incorrectly) that "its just a ball" I bought some of the lower priced Titleist balls because (a) I've heard of the brand, and (b) they where the cheapest on the shelf. Yesterday I visited the shop and overheard one of the sales guys talking to some dude about balls, and they were having a spirited discussion on what balls to choose. After listening to them, I started to think "balls do matter". So my question: As a beginner and high handicapper, is there a certain type of ball I should gravitate towards? Frankly, I have no idea, as I thought that with respect to balls, you just pay for branding. Is this true? If not, can some people here recommend some ball brands for me? Thanks in advance.

I think there is some good advice in this thread. Like the original poster, I am blessed to have the means to spend up to $2K on new equipment. Additionally, like the OP, I'm new to the game (well..i played a long time ago, but not enough to rise above a "beginner"). BTW, the only reason I can spend the $$ is because I don't have any other expensive hobbies. I'm just a middle class dude that needs a hobby! (other than poker lol). However, I wanted to spend my money wisely. So as suggested by some here, I did the following: 1) I literally lived at the local golf store (not a big chain, but a reputable golf store that has been around for awhile), to the point where the people working there were like, "you again??!!" LOL. I basically told them (a) my budget, (b) that I wasn't that good, and (c) how much I plan on playing (driving range 2-3 times a week--during summer, at least 18 holes each week). This helped them give me some great advice. 2) Go for gear that will be "forgiving" and for high handicappers. This will narrow down the gear for you. The local store owner should be able to help, and also lurk on this board to see what people generally classify as "forgiving." 3) Practice with the gear the forum users and local golf store owners recommend. I learned about the Ping K15 on this forum (some users noted how forgiving it was). My store had a place to hit, and they hooked up gizmos to the clubs to measure my speed and swing. This further helped narrow down what I should get. Additionally, by practicing with different gear, you will gravitate to stuff that simply "feels better". I ended buying my bag first (Ping Latitude v2), then my irons (which were fitted - Callaway Diablo Edges) on my first visit to the store (which lasted about 2 hours). After about 8 visits to the local golf store, I also ended up with a Ping K15 driver (noted for being forgiving), Ping G15 hybrid (23*), and a Nike Method putter (I probably should have bought a cheaper one, but it was love at first sight). I probably spent about $1,500, but I really feel confident that I did my due diligence and I have gear that fits my game at this point. Just my 2 cents.

Well I've jumped back into golf enthusiastically. I just replaced my shamelessly ancient Spalding Monitor gear (praying I get $40 on eBay or craigslist lol). Since I haven't played in years, for the past 3 weeks I've been hitting the driving range and golf store regularly to try out different clubs. I'm a high handicapper, who tends to hit everything to the right. I just learned how to hit a driver so that ball actually goes in the air lol. I have terrible distance when I hit the ball, but I think with confidence I'll get better. Tell me how I did: Driver: Ping K15 Driver (10.5) - Surfed the forums and did some research, and this driver is pretty forgiving. I couldn't believe how easier it was to hit the ball in the air consistently when compared to my old cheap driver. Second place was a Callaway driver, but this ended up winning after a lot of practice shots. Hybrid: Ping G15 (23 ) - I knew nothing about hybrids until 2 weeks ago (hadn't played in 5+ years, not even sure they had hybrids back then). I liked how this felt when I swung it. Irons (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, P, S, A) - Callaway Diablo Edges - I love the styling. Been hitting them pretty good. Putter: Nike Method 001: I just had to splurge. I'm a "nike guy" in other sports gear, so I just bit the bullet and bought it. Bag: Ping Latitude V2 Bag: Very functional, but the clubs tend to stick at the bottom. Hoping this clears up after some use. Shoes:Nike Lunar Control: Very comfortable and I like the styling. I'm quite happy with everything so far (though the bag may be replaced if the sticking issue starts to annoy). Any suggestions, feedback or comments appreciated.

Thanks for all the great feedback! I have a lot to think about now. See you on the course.

Long story short, over 5 years ago I was a casual golfer. At most, twice a month. I wasn't very good (50 handicapper probably lol). I didn't really have time to play, so I went on a long hiatus. Recently, I decided I needed a new hobby, so I took 2 hours of golf lessons last week (first time I hit a ball in years) and I had a blast (and actually hit the ball in the air!). After convincing myself I'm going to become the next Tiger Woods, I literally dusted off the old clubs, and sighed, thinking to myself, "I can't go to the golf course with a bag and clubs that look like something Fred Flinstone played with." So I went to the Golf shop to upgrade the equipment and bought a black Ping Latitude V2 Bag. For irons, I swung a number of clubs and had the shop set up all the gizmos so they could analyze my bad swing. We finally settled on the Callaway Diablo Edges. Had them fitted and will be getting them in 7-10 days. Now I need to focus on a putter and driver. I'm also confused over this 'hybrid" technology, as when I was playing back in the stone ages, I've never heard of it (maybe I was ignorant). So my questions: 1) I'm thinking I should invest more money in the putter. I have my eyes on the Nike Method 001 putter. I like the styling, and I've read good things about it. Of course I'll hit a lot of putters to get a feel. Any suggestions for someone in my situation and budget? 2) When I said "Fred Flinstone" gear, I wasn't lying. I own "Spalding Monitor" drivers and woods. Honestly, they don't look bad, and now I'm thinking, should I invest in other stuff, i.e., putter and hybrid clubs (getting into that later) and just use the cheap driver and woods while I get back into it? Any downside to this approach? Should I spend money on $250 (or more) driver, or is that a waste for a beginner? 3) So can someone give me a 101 on hybrids clubs (or point me to a thread). I'll hit the "search" button after I post this, but if anyone wants to volunteer any suggestions, feel free. Should I put some money into it? If so, any brand suggestions? (I suppose I could just go Callaway since I already have the main irons) Because my schedule is flexible, and I need to control my bankroll for poker (i.e., less poker, more golf), I'll probably hit the driving range 1-2 times a week and play 18 1-2 times week. Ideally, I'd like to spend, at most, $500 when I next visit the golf store (again, I already have irons and bag). Thanks in advance for your help.

Nope no free pass; just consistency and not hypocricy. If marital infidelity is the basis for not liking him (or any pro golfer for that matter), then you probably won't like many of the pro golfers. Statistics (infidelity by married men at 50%+), logic (stands to reason that pro golfers, with money and lots of travel time have an even higher rate) and common sense (the "boys will be boys" culture" in the PGA) strongly suggest that those guys we are watching on TV play the game we love also have girlfriends in various cities. That's why when people take the moral high ground with respect to Tiger. He got caught, but I don't think his morals with respect to marriage and fidelity are all that different than most of the guys he plays with.

Daly - just a train wreck. He gets such a free pass and so many apologists. Mickelson - just comes off as fake to me As for the "I don't like Tiger because he cheats on his wife...." crowd, well if that is the criteria than you'd probably hate about 75% of the PGA. Just sayin'......:-O

As my handle suggests, an attorney ("husky" for university of Washington undergrad, Michigan law trained- GO BLUE!). No courtrooms for me. Intellectual property and commercial transactions for Internet/tech companies.

Hi Everyone, I just decided to get back into golf (much cheaper than my poker habit). I hadn't played in at least 5 years, so during a business trip to Arizona this past week, I decided to take 2 hours of lessons at the Talking Stick course in Arizona. I had an absolute blast, and was amazed how helpful just 2 hours of lessons was. Now the bug has hit me. I own a golf bag that looks like something from the stone ages, and some golf clubs that I probably couldn't sell on eBay for $20. I hit the local golf store and picked up a Ping Latitude V2 bag and after hitting a few irons in the store and talking with the folks at the store, I ordered a fitted Callaway Diablo Edge iron set! Now there is no turning back. I'll be looking for a putter and driver soon, but for now, my new irons and my ghetto oldie set will carry me through the driving range practices for the next few weeks. One question: Are there other heavily trafficked and solid message boards out there that I should check out? Happy to meet everyone here.