i-Guy

I would say for the people outside the top 125 (PGA Tour) or close to it that it is a grind as their job is pay for performance...they cannot go to work somedays like a lot of us and not perform at their best...if they do they loose their job...that is pretty darn serious and stressful. I think not walking in their shoes we tend to think that their jobs are wonderful...that is why winning a tournament on the PGA tour is such a big deal as it secures you financially for quite a while...just my 2 cents.

I am no teaching pro but have dealt with this problem in the past and I found the following: The most common cause of hitting off the toe is releasing the club early, the wrist unhinging and the right arm straightening too soon on the downswing. Players who do that tend to hit fat shots, so they learn to yank the club upward either by standing up or bending their left elbow. The problem is, both moves pull the club toward the body, closer then it was at address, which causes contact off the toe… Practice hitting punch shots…the shorter backswing and firmer wrist will promote a hands-leading impact position with a straight left arm. This helps maintain the radius of the swing so you bring the club to a fully extended impact position for center-face contact… Hope this helps…

Funny I am the opposite and look forward to my skills catching my ability to handle the pressure...when I played volleyball for the USAF I got assigned to the UK and I was such a poor practice player that my coach did not even start me...I was furious...well in the first match of the season one of outside hitters was struglling so the coach puts me in...needless to say I started every game from then on out and at the USAF Championships I was voted MVP of my team...practice is boring and my coach used to get in my crap all the time about how I practiced...put somehting on the line and for whatever reason (cannot explain it) my attention and focus become more keen...

Very good point as to the OP can you practice enough to be come a Pro...I know a guy who is a legendary ball striker in these parts and at the range he can hit every shot and his swing is something to just watch in amazement...well he turned 50 recently and decided to try and qualify for the Senior US Open...I got to be his caddie...well we went and played a practice round and as we worked our way around the course he could every shot he needed to and I thought we have a chance...I might be caddying in the Senior US Open However, on the day of the qualifier he hit the ball all over the place and a couple of times admitted to me he was very nervous…then a couple days afterwards he told me he thinks he is not cut out to play tournaments...he really wants to teach the game.

I heard this saying somewhere that it takes 10-15 years for "Instant Success" ...I think the underlying point of this saying is that for all the guys currently on tour if you walked in their shoes through all of what it took to get where they are today, that it has been about 10-15 years of hard work. There is no one on the PGA Tour that just woke up one day with no experience and within 2-3 years was on the tour...no matter what story they told or you have heard. So to the OP question...I say the answer is YES! But it is different for each person on what their journey may be to get to that point...and if not starting out as a junior with your parents financial support...you will need to win the lotto to be able to quit your job and do the things (lessons, practicing, playing, etc...) to get good enough in 10-15 years to make it on the PGA Tour... Just my 2 cents!

I am working on figuring out which driver I need (loft, lie, shaft., length, etc...) that will work with my recent swing change...I am doing my version of the stack and tilt...my coach calls it a left axis swing as I basically rotate around my head (keeping it still...for the most part) and my weight stays on my left side through out the entire swing...I am getting excellent results with my irons all the way to my 3 wood but when I try to hit drivers I get mixed results...I assume because I am approaching the ball with a decending blow. I did own a driver that was 44.5in, 9.5 deg with a 85 gram X flex shaft before my swing change but when I decided to commit to this swing every time I hit this driver it would go straight as an arrow but I could not get the ball very high and my distance seriously suffered from lack of carry...so I have been testing some 10.5 deg drivers with stiff shafts and the ball flight looks better but I don't like the feel of a lighter shaft (especially at 44.5 inches which I loose a couple of swing weights)...do you think it would make sense for me to go to heavier shaft or is this swing just not going to work and I need to do something different when hitting a driver???

That is one of the things that makes golf so great and so darn hard all at the same time is that there are many ways to get it done and as you can see there are many opinions on how to get it done and none of them are wrong!

I don't know...I am thinking that you need to start at the core of the game and that my friend is your irons...I know what a few other post have said but I am here to tell you as an 8 handicap and someone who has owned/played and tested out many different sets of irons over the last two years "a good set of irons will make a difference" ...I would do some research and find a very good fitter and go get yourself a nice set of GI irons...they will last quite a long time as your game develops and you can tweak them (length, lie or even change shafts at some point) if your swing changes over time. I find that most people are fickle about drivers and putters and you will find that these can change many times over your golfing career (drivers because of technology and putters because of what you feel confident about at that time) but IRONS are the main stay of any good golf game. I also like the idea of getting very good wedges (and that means ones that are suited to your game...are you a digger or a sweeper, etc...) because once you start playing the big course it will probably be some time before you start hitting lots of greens in regulation so you will want wedges you can count on to help you get up and down. Just my 2 cents and good luck with whatever you decide...

yes...your right I meant the "Black Satin" in my earlier post

Hmm...interesting...I have not had that problem at all...but what I do know is that I have had that problem multiple times with non-black putters in the past.

my 2003 Nissan 350Z "Performance Model" with NISMO products: [PIC]2529[/PIC]

I just read every post and I have the following question for the OP: What is considered a "Low Handicapper"? The answer may be that it is relative to each person...for instance I play to around an 8 handicap and I consider a low handicapper as anyone below 5...to each his own I guess... Now to answer the quesion (if I may as an 8 handicap): I think it matters on two things as follows: 1) The course you are playing (tightness, length, etc...) 2) If you can hit a driver with any consistency at all For me in reference to #1 above, if I play a course that is 6,500 or less I may not even bring a driver to fight off temptation as on courses of that length "most of the time" I find my driver length brings all the trouble into play (avg 250-270) so I am better off with my 3 wood (strong 3 wood which is very good for off the tee and I avg 230-250. For me in reference to #2 above, I actually am having trouble with my driver swing and have been testing many different driver set ups (loft, shafts, shaft length, etc..) to try and find a set up that works with my recent swing change...you see I do a version (my version) of the stack & tilt and basically hit down and pivot around a steady head with every club in the bag...this works extremely well with irons and even my strong 3 wood but I am having trouble finding a driver set up that works...wish me luck in my seach!

I had a Anser for quite awhile but for what ever reason a heel shafted putter works better for my stroke so I started playing around with the Zing style putters and loved them so much I bought two...I actually like the back nickel more just becuase there is no sun glare on the putter from any angle.

My bag is quickly becoming all as I am planning to buy a 910 D2 driver and possibly a 910 Hybrid (when they come out) but I am never going to putt with anything but PING . The following is my line up (in order of favorite to play with): Zing Redwood 35in Black Satin Zing Redwood 35in Black Nickel B60 35in Copper Beryllium (excellent cond and do not use because it may be worth something one day)

First - I clean my clubs after every shot on the golf course because I want it to be ready when I am ready for the next time I plan to use it...I hate when I figure out what shot and which club I want to hit and then pull the club and it is full of dirt...now I have to break away from being ready to hit the shot and clean the club...I rather clean it right after each shot that way I don't have to think about that the next time I need to use it...now on the range I may just work through 10-20 balls with a certain club and then I will clean it. I also clean all clubs used (range work or playing) each time out first thing when I get home (see below for how) as it only take a few minutes...okay maybe 10-15 if I used every club during a round of golf. The reason is that I take pride in my equipment and want it to look as good as it works Second - "Keep it simple"...I use a Edwin Watts cleaning tool...use the wire brush on the grooves and the other side for the rest of the club...I simply spray Windex (yes you read that correctly) on the entire club, use the brush and then wipe off with a Titleist micro fiber towel. My AP 1 irons are fairly new but they still look like brand new...and I would like to keep them this way as long as I can.

I think it is very interesting that Tiger is working with Sean Foley (unofficially) because Sean doesn't teach the S&T; exactly but he instills allot of the S&T; ideas into how he thinks one should swing the club...and I may be mistaken but I thought I heard or read somewhere that Sean learned allot from Bennet and Plummer...the S&T; creators. I think this is a great swing pattern and even though I know Tiger is not doing the S&T; exactly I see parts of it in his swing as far as staying stacked over the ball more, etc...

Just curious how what you quoted from my post was contradictory? I simply statetd each shafts weight and then went on to explain how the DG felt to me and then how the KBS felt...I don't see anything contradictory about my post at all???

I have played both the KBS Tour Stiff (currently) and various DG shafts and the closet DG shaft that i can recommend to the KBS Tour stiff is the DG S300 but they are not the same...but close. The DG is 130 grams and the KBS is 120 grams...the DG (to me) feels just a tad bit stiffer or harder then the KBS Tour. The biggest difference to me is the way the KBS feels...even though it is lighter by 10 grams, on the down swing the shaft just feels like it loads very well and I love the ball flight I get from it better then the DG...I am in no way knocking the DG. I also feel like I can work my ball flight a little better with the KBS (high or low)...hope this helps.

DITTO...great answer or better yet try the S&T..ha;! ha! just had to throw that in...but I agree with David 100% as for the possible reasons why you are pulling your short irons...my initial thought was that your sequence was off and that your upper body was getting through just a tad quicker then it should and therefore causing a closed club face at impact (over the top)...good luck figuring it out but I suggest getting your self videoed.

I am consumed with learning to swing the golf club correctly... Let me give you some background...I am 51 years old and have fooled around with golf for a few years off and on (mostly off) since I was in my mid thirties. A couple of years ago after shooting a 92 in a FSGA (Florida State Golf Association) qualifying tournament (shot 84 in a practice round???)...I decided I wanted to learn to play the game and play competitively...I miss competition as I played volleyball in the USAF for 8 years. My goal is to be able to compete in the state Senior Championship held by the FSGA which you have to be 55 to qualify for so it gives me four years to get my game in shape. I am currently an 8 handicap and my short game is my strength...my ball striking is very inconsistent and if I happen to be in a good groove and my timing is really on I can break 80 (did 5 times in 2009)...but even when I am swinging good I do not swing the club the way it is intended to be swung and I have a friend that is a scratch player and his strength is his golf swing and it is a beautiful thing to see, as he can just hit ball after ball right at the target (unfortunately his short game is lacking and hurts his score). Anyway I went through a few swing coaches since I decided to learn to swing the club properly and I started working with a guy at David Leadbetter Golf Academy (DLGA) at ChampionsGate late last year...however, for about the last year and a half my shoulder had been bothering me and last fall I was diagnosed with two tears (rotator and labrum) which need to be repaired so I had surgery in January and I did not have a real good recovery and I am just now able to swing a club again... So I am schedule to go take a lesson at DLGA in October and get back to my pursuit of a great golf swing…I still work on my short game to keep it sharp but I want to be an excellent ball striker. Wish me luck!

Good luck with keeping that feeling... I am an 8 handicap and that is my challenge forever in golf...I sparingly find times when I can get my arms out of the swing and use my lower body correctly and that usually results in breaking 80. I work hard on my short game and that is what keeps my handicap in tact but to go lower my ball striking is going to have to become more consistent and that is my challenge...to use my lower body in the correct sequence! Again good luck keeping that feeling!

I did a little research and all the big manufacturers blade type irons PW are at 47 or 48 like Titleiest (MB & CB), Ping S56, TM MB TP Smoke, Wilson FG Tour irons as examples so my CG1 Tour irons being at 46 is a tad strong...but like I said I am fine with that as it works in my bag...

Don't get me wrong in that I get your point but to "each his own" ... I don't mind my pitching wedge being 46 or 45 as I use it only for full shots from the fairway and not for around the green at all...that is just my style in that I do everything around the green with one club...my LW. So back to my earlier post that the loft does not matter as long as the change in loft between clubs meets your needs...and as you said you can call a 41 deg club a PW if you want??? I would also comment that I think the standard is changing as manufacturers are always trying to design the longest clubs by going to stronger lofts...as I said earlier I was surprised to find out that my CG1 Tour irons PW was 46 degree...that is strong for a blade...just my 2 cents.

As stated by others it depends on the manufacturer...I thought the standard set a while back in blades was 48 but I recently started playing the Cleveland CG1 Tour irons which have blades for the PW-6 iron and the PW is 46 deg...I guess it does not matter as long as you have the correct gap you desire between your clubs and that you know your distances with each club in your bag...just my 2 cents.

Sounds like a very good plan…like I said “Good Luck” And not that an 8 handicap is good enough to question what you need to work on to achieve a 10 handicap but I would be interested in your stats as follows: GIR: Putts per round: Up and Down %: FIR: Penalty strokes per round: I think that these can tell a lot about what a golfer needs to work on to improve their overall game...not that I am referring to you " Bullitt5339 " but I cannot tell you how many times I have played with 25 handicappers who when they got done with the round and shot 110 they try to tell me that if they could have just hit their driver better they would have probably broken 90...what they failed to recognize (because they do not keep stats) is that even if it took them three strokes to get around the green it took them 4 more strokes from there to get into the hole...I have a few buddies who are in the 20 handicap range and I always preach the short game to them and they ignore me...expect for one because I convinced him to start keeping his stats and when he saw the numbers he could no longer argue the facts of what he needed to work on (short game stuff like putting and chipping)...recently he shot an 84 on a tough golf course and hit two drives out of bounds during the round… just my 2 cents.