Andrew.r.w

I'd consider changing irons if/when your swing speed or tempo changes dramatically, or if you bought starter equipment without really knowing what you needed. Lots of golfers start with marginal equipment, bought with little knowledge or consideration for their size and swing characteristics. I got my first set at a garage sale. Found out they were super soft shafts and I couldn't control the ball well at all. Forged irons and wedges might need adjusting sometimes, especially if you practice on mats a lot. Most of the cavity-back irons are something like 431 stainless and they don't usually move enough to need adjustment. Mostly though, golf clubs last a pretty long time. Grips wear out, and grooves lose their definition over time, and both can be fixed easily. Andrew

With a driver, backspin is one of the keys to distance. Without getting too detailed, the spin starts about at about 2700/3000 rpm backspin. It slows as it goes, and that is affected mostly by time aloft. Time aloft of 7.0 - 7.3 seconds is awesome. Some combination of rpm/speed produces optimal lift. The right rpm/forward speed combo at the high point of the drive's arc causes the ball to kind of hang there a short while, and that gives you an extra 20 or 30 yards if things are right. If the spin rate hits optimal too early the ball balloons, too late and you miss the advantage. Launch angle, backspin, speed .. all keys to the distance, and finding the right head/shaft/ball combo for your swing is why they have so many of last-years' drivers for sale cheap on e-bay.

There's a book on this! It's called "Hit Down, Dammit!" Check the web page: http://www.hitdowndammit.com/ I've never seen the book, but the title says it all. The phrase is in my head a lot these days, and I'm golfing better for it! Andrew

Greetings, all. I work in information technology. I'm a former clubmaker, 16 handicapper, live in northern BC, Canada. I get about 5 months of golf per year unless I travel. My best round so far is 82. Thanks for having me ... it's probably going to be a slice. Andrew

I carry 1 litre of water. I usually refill the bottles twice each on the course. Food wise I stick to an apple or a bell pepper. I never eat on the course unless I have a place to wash my hands first, since the chemicals used on golf courses concern me. Andrew

Craig Stadtler. I think the guy has style. He had a great run some years ago, and still manages to make the cut now and then. Stadtler was my hero when I first started golfing (or at least a version of golfing) back in the mid 80's. I like Mike Wier too, but I wish he didn't do that annoying waggle. Mike's a Canadian icon among young golfers. I see all kinds of kids doing the Wier waggle now and I don't think it's helping them. Andrew

Canucks, Flames, Oilers in that order. Sometimes it's tough work being a Canucks fan but this season was not bad at all. One thing I think you'll see going forward is the cup will move around more than ever. With salary caps teams will have to take risks with lineups and new acquisitions, and trading will be lively on some of the hot new talent. Should be good for the game, good for TV viewing. Andrew