vikramraju

I have a set of Ben Hogan Apex PC's that I absolutely love. The feel is unparalleled and I love the look of the clubs at address, and most importantly, my game has improved a lot since I switched to them. Only problem is this, I have a tendency to take pretty big divots and find that the sharp leading edge of these clubs means that they dig into the turf a decent amount. After a while, this takes a toll on the wrists etc. I was wondering if it would help for me to grind down the leading edge to allow the club to enter the turf a little less violently. If so, how do I do this? Thanks.

Thanks for the input guys. I ended up finding a good deal on Nike balls and bought a dozen of One Tours and One Tour Ds to test em out. Fell in love with the latter... loads of spin and plenty of distance. It looks like those are staying in the bag!

From what the OP has been saying, it seems like the emotions that come with the Miura irons are just that much better than a forgiving club. If I could afford those babies, theyd be in the bag immediately. The feeling of puring a forged blade and sweet look at address and in the bag adds to the enjoyment of the game. Like me, it might not just be about where the ball is going, but also the "inspiration" that Rebby talks about. If I was going for easiest to hit, my bag would be a flowerpot of hybrids and those silly little chipper things. :) Quote:

Thanks for the input, y'all. Gonna take these suggestions and play around with a few balls (maybe buy a mini-sleeve or a few refurbished ones). Will re-post once I make some headway and come to a decision.

I love playing alone. Playing with people is nice and all, but to me going out there on my own (especially when there are few people on the course at all) is especially therapeutic and relaxing. Also, it gives me some time to throw a couple extra balls down from hard spots, practice and think.

Try shortening your backswing, and ending it when your left shoulder comes into contact with your chin. This takes away the shakiest part of the swing for us high handicappers and encourages acceleration through the ball. Also, try and get to the point where your shaft is pointing toward the target at impact. Like this if I was looking at you face on --> /.

Problem seems simply not closing the face on impact since the ball is in the back of your stance. Kieran123's advice should work fine. Try a stronger grip (just for your wedges). This encourages squaring the club at impact for a short back of stance swing.

Looks like one I have tested at a Dick's before, albeit in January when I was looking for my putter. I ended up settling on a different one, but I do remember it being alright. What was the price on it?

Hey guys, Just wanted to share a quick thought. I am a high handicapper and didn't think I would use blades until I greatly improved my game (my rounds are still peppered with occasional nasty slices, chunks etc.). Till a week ago, I had a set of Burner 1.0s in the bag, but to be honest the fat top line of the clubs has always bothered me a little. A week ago, I saw a used set of Ben Hogan APEX PC with a #3 shaft irons in a golf store for 50 bucks. Its was a full set, and apparently these forged irons had been made in the mid-80s and at the time were the hottest thing one the market. In fact, an elderly gentleman in the store was telling me about how they were the best clubs he has ever hit. Intrigued, I decided to give them a try on the launch monitor. The first thing I noticed was what a work of art these things were. Beautiful look at address, and just a gorgeous, timeless finish. I pulled out a 8 iron, and to be amazement, striped a shot to 2 feet of the par 3 hole projected on the screen. Mind you, it was the first time I had felt that "buttery" feeling of hitting the sweet spot on a blade. After about 10 swings I was sold and picked up the set. At worst, I figured it would be a cool little nostalgia piece to keep around or even better a good set of practice irons with little forgiveness so I could improve my ballstriking. Long story short, my Burners are now in the closet and I've been playing my best golf in a long time. For those of you interested in a classic set of clubs that wont run in the $800 range, I strongly suggest looking for a set of forged Ben Hogans (pre-Callaway takeover). I've been snooping around and there are sets available on eBay etc. Even though they have been around for ever, they are far from antiquated and the combination of looks and underrated forgiveness are hard to match, from what I've seen. Anyway, just thought I would share the experience because I know a bunch of y'all are looking for a new set of sticks for this season.

I have been playing Long + Soft Noodles for a while, mostly because I didn't want to spend too much on balls, and these were reasonably priced. However, as of late I have been found wanting a little more "bite" on the greens when I am playing chip/pitch shots. The only problem with switching to a high spin ball is the fact that I impart a lot of spin off the tee as it is, often causing slice problems. Any suggestions that are pretty soft and reasonable priced?? I don't know if a want to go to Pro V1s or their equivalent yet mainly because of price and spin rate.

YES! The grip is extremely underrated and has a significant impact on your game. I was a huge slicer myself and I realized my grip was way too strong (some guy on the driving range spotted it) and with a change I quickly improved my ballstriking. Congrats on the epiphany!

I think the best thing to do would be to find some time after work to practice chipping and putting. It usually doesn't cost anything and its a fantastic way to shave shots off your game. I dedicated a couple of evening sessions after work to just those two parts of my game and easily shaved 4-5 shots to my round.

My vote is G15s. My dad has a set of those and he is a high handicapper. I tried em out when he was getting them and they are awesome. Real solid feel of the face and very forgiving.

Yes, I would say it is a good price. You could get an excellent new putter for $120 but considering the fact that you are just starting out, $40 is a great start for a good Odyssey putter.

you can easily figure out your swing speed at a golf store (golf galaxy, golfsmith). Going there and getting this info will give you a better idea of whether a stiff shaft is not appropriate for your swing. In any case, if this is not the case, making some swing changes would probably do the trick.

I've been hitting some irons that I haven't been happy with for a while, so I went out and got some new clubs that were used. I got the on a good deal and I have loved them. Check out the used clubs at a few golf stores...chances are you will find something that works better than your current one for relatively cheap.

If I am playing a practice round and not recording the score, I usually would move it over a hardpan lie. But from what you are saying, I would generally say just play it. Clubs will get scuffed up, you gotta play em, and I actually like that fact that my clubs have some dings in them.

Hey John, I've had the same issues for a long time and only recently been able to get my 4,5 and 6 iron swinging well. For me, the biggest issue was that I was searching for a perfect shot from between 160-190 yards using one of these clubs. I found that my swing mechanics were essentially thrown out the window because I was really going after the pin and swinging hard. I think the easiest thing to try would be to do a more counter intuitive thing like forgetting about the ball and actually trying to swing easier. I found its helped a lot.

I've been having some trouble with getting extra distance off the tee too.... the best solution I have found is to work on flexibility a little more and focus on a full shoulder turn on the backswing. Additionally, working on getting some lag as you hinge your wrists while coming down will do wonders in catapulting your ball a bit further...