PiKapp23

It's funny because I am seldom affected much by my foursome golf mates - either with how they play or their speed. If anything I often seem to play better when they are playing badly just because I tend to focus on my game more, but even then it's not much of a difference. This past Sunday the golfer who is about the same level as me that I was riding with shot 103 (probably 10 strokes worse than I've ever seen him play) and the other two guys who are lesser golfers (about 18-20 hndcps) shot a little high and I still played right at my level (+8 on relatively long and difficult course).

The vast majority of the time I take it off when I take my clubs out of the car and leave it there. My bag has a putter slot that keeps it away from other clubs banging it and I don't want to mess with it all day, so I just leave it in car. I do the same thing wth driver cover since it's tall enough not to get banged by other clubs. When I was younger I lost a couple of covers to clubs because I either laid them down and forgot or they fell off and I didn't notice until later.

i definitely think it's worth having. I have had mine for over a year now and love having exact distances. As a higher handicap one real advantage to it is helping you learn you distances with your clubs and then having the confidence for specific yardages that you can hit that. I know sometimes if I am unsure of a distance it affects my swing - I start doubting the distance I think it is and then do not commit completely to the swing. My distance control has gotten much better since I've gotten GPS. I now have swings for difference distances and there is less guesswork. It's also helped me inside 100 yards for the same reason. The more you use it the better you'll get at specific yardages. I have played very few rounds without it in the last year, but Sunday I played a course I had never played before that didn't have the course mapped (the first time I've had that happen out of about 60 courses). The course was fairly long (6400+ yards) and was very poorly marked but somehow I still managed one of my best rounds of the year, hitting 9 GIR. I think playing with the GPS has helped me judge yardages as well and that was reflected in my round, which I was happy to see I had not lost my 'feel' for distances (which is sometimes a complaint players have about GPS and laser units).

Within the Mizuno MP line, the MP-52's are even a little more forgiving than the MP-57's.

I think getting you lie angle adjust for your swing is probably the best thing to do. If you want to try standing more upright then I would suggest lessons to help the transition easier for you. Adjusting the lie to fit your swing is an easy thing to have done (and usually pretty cheap). I'm 6' 1" and have my irons 2* upright and it made a huge difference. I had been playing standard lie clubs for years and had a tendency to catch the toe a lot because of it. I guess ideally you could take a lesson (or more) to get your stance set then get your clubs fit for that stance and swing.

Also worth looking at is the Mizuno irons MX-23 and MX-25. Both are great game improvement irons that are a few years old (and thus you can get them for a good price), but are more playable than most GI irons on the market. The MX-200 is also in that same vein, but because it's a newer model they are still a little pricier. If you haven't previously hit Mizuno irons you should just to experience the feel.

How 'bout a 4W (17*) and 3H (around 20*) instead? A 4W is easier to hit off fairways than a 3 without giving up much distance. Adding it would allow you to add a hybrid to your bag to either replace your 3I or complete your bag. Typically a 3H will be longer than a 3I by 1/2 to 1 full club so that could provide a good gap between the 4W and your current 3I. A hybrid is much easier to hit consistently than a 3I and with a higher ballflight. Because of the shorter shaft it's also easier to control than a wood.

I said "something in between", but it would completely depend on all situations involved, such as how deep/thick rough is, how fast green, my lie, how much room is around pin, etc. Normally I would probably try to hit a ball to the front of the green or fringe and let it release toward hole, but if ball is perfect and rough not too bad I might try a lob.

My all-time favorite has always been Tom Watson (and no - not just because of this year's Open). He was the best player in the game about the time I first started to become interested in golf. He's quite possibly the classiest, nicest guy to ever play the game professionally. Additonally, I always loved the way he played. He was always a pretty long driver but not the most accurate. However, he was definitely one of the best short game players ever. No one got up-and-down like he used to. Plus, I love the watch links golf and no one in my lifetime has played links golf better. I read "Caddy for Life" by John Feinstein about him and his longtime caddy Bruce Edwards and it only validated and confirmed by longtime admiration for him.

I have always enjoyed playing in the rain (providing it's not too cold or so hot that rain gear becomes miserably hot). I have played a lot of good rounds in rain. I am a patient player and rain just doesn't affect me so I tend to play pretty well while those I play with become sloppy. Over the last few years I have found I really enjoy playing in 'bad' conditions - high wind, rain, high heat and even cold. These conditions make the game interesting because you have to adjust your game for the conditions and to me this makes it fun.

The only thing I collect anymore at all is golf course logo balls (and only those I've played). I now have about 150 or so logo balls and always make sure to play a few new courses every year so i can get some new ones. I also have logo balls for some special events - Open Championship (St. Andrews), Ryder Cup, Masters, US Open (Torrey Pines), Memorial and a couple others I can't think of. I enjoy collecting logo balls and they are cheap (which is good since the rest of the game isn't).

I think the one change that has really benefitted me the most is finally learning to hit down on the ball (taking divot after the ball). For the last few years I have been pretty consistent scorewise, but as a longtime 'sweeper' of the ball when I was a little off or had non perfect lie I struggled with my irons, hitting lots of fat and thin shots. Last winter something just 'clicked' and I figured out how to correctly do it (somehow I figured this out on a simulator at Golf Galaxy while testing out new irons). Now I almost always make good contact with my irons and have been hitting more greens and closer to the pin. A close second would be learning to control my chips and short pitches. I went from being a bad short game player a few years ago to now being recognized by my players partners as the best among our group and I now expect to get up and down a good percentage of the time.

I finally decided I was going to buy the R9 (or R9 460) and went to store. I hit the R9 20-30 shots on simulator when one of the guys who works at the store came over. He asked how I liked the R9 460 I was hitting then suggested I try the Dymo STR8-FIT. I explained I hated Nike and he said to give it a try with an open mind. After about 10-15 balls switching back and forth between the R9 and STR8 I realized I really liked the Nike better (*gasp*). I then hit both on the launch monitor for 7 balls and the numbers for the Nike were better across the board. I've now been playing it about a month and am very happy with it. If it wasn't for the sound (less than the SUMO's, but still a little 'tinny') I'd give it a 10/10 - as it is it gets a 9.5/10.

Of the newest models you can look at it like this - this list is from max 'workability' to max 'forgivness': -workability- MP-67 MP-62 MP-57 MP-52 -forgivness- I currently play the MP-60's (in short irons), which would be between the MP57 and MP-62 (but closer to the 57). I have hit just about every model of Mizuno MP that has been on the market for the last 5-7 years or so. Personally, my favorites were the MP-60's and 57's. I also really liked the MX-52's, but just didn't feel like they were as 'workable' as the others. The 62's were also good, but have a smaller sweetspot so you definitely have to be a consistent ballstriker for those. The MP-67 is the most difficult to hit as they have a small sweetspot and very little forgivness (at least the 62's have some forgivness in the long irons). Those are the closest to the old traditional blade in the current line and the MP-52's are the closest to be 'game improvement' irons in the MP line. I couldn't tell a huge difference between most in the short irons, but once you get to a 6 iron and shorter you can tell a significant difference between the models

Yes, a soft tip or 'low kick point' will result in a higher ball flight in most cases, which is not bad unless you typically play in windy conditions or already have a high ball flight. A lot of times these type of shafts will play very similar to a regular flex shaft (but possibly with a little more control). The good thing about this is that it may allow you to slow down you swingspeed resulting in more accuracty and (and probably better tempo) without losing any distance. I played probably that same shaft in my old TM R540XD for several years and came to love it. I fought the high flight for a while before finally realizing I was hitting lots of fairways, controlling ball flight and not losing any distance. Since it broke early this year I looked for a new driver with a similar shaft but it seems most now have a little higher kickpoint. My trajectory is lower with currently driver, but my accuracy is definitely not as good. I feel like I have to swing a little more agressively to get the same distance I used to, but my tempo and rhythm are not as good because of this.

The waiting for the new model is a bad game to get caught up in. The MP-68's may be just around the corner, but then there will be something else new 'around the corner' so it never ends. If you can get that good a deal on the 67's now I would go for it. Who knows if the 68's will be as good anyway. One thing about Mizuno is they do not drop prices big on the irons just because a new model has come out (and will not allow most stores to do that either). Also, if you are not a high level competition guy then the 68's will probably have the new rules to conform to the USGA/R&A; Grooves Rule, so they'll have less 'bite'. If you are someone who plans to play in USGA and/or PGA Tour events then it would make more sense to by irons with the new grooves because the older configuration will not be allowed next year in high level USGA events or PGA Tour events and equipment rules will not be changing for average golfers until at least 2024 (if ever). If you plan to compete it might make sense to investigate when groove requirement changes will be made at events you plan to play and what kind of grooves the MP-68's will have.

I'm 6' 1" and use a 35" putter. I have an upright stance and this is the perfect length for me in my stance.

Using a red Sharpie I put a 'X' through the number on both sides of the ball (about 1/2 " in size). The red makes it easy to spot even from a distance and I've never even found a ball with that same marking.

I agree with the others on all counts but will also add this (a lesson I found myself). A high ball flight with a driver is not a bad thing because often this is at least in part due to extra backspin on the ball. What is good about this is that a ball that has a lot of backspin is much less likely to also have side spin, so it's quite common for a higher ball flight to be straighter than one that is lower. Of course you don't want too much backspin since that will limit the total distance, but too little is usually not good either for most golfers - especially us amateur hacks. While you might get more distance with a lower trajectory (counting roll) most golfers actually get more distance off a higher trajectory (obvioulsy, there is a limit to this). For the longest time I hit very high tee shots (launch angle on monitor was usually 17+ degrees with 9.5* stiff flex driver) and tried other drivers but always came back to the one with high launch as I hit more fairways and typically longer drivers (except on really dry days where low game me a lot of roll). It is often recommended by 'expert' to consider going with a higher lofted driver these days maximize distance because of the lower ball spin nature of modern drivers and golf balls.

Lessons and an equipment fitting are both important steps especially if you're going to take the game seriously. You'll save yourself a lot of heartache and money by starting with these steps. Yea, you'll spend more money initially, but save money later on. Plus you're more likely to continue playing and getting better if you have a strong foundation of the fundamentals and the proper equipment. Welcome to the game.

It is true to sometimes the simulators will 'lie' because they will not capture the spin on the ball as well as a launch monitor will so shots can show as longer and straighter than normal. There are other ways the simulators can 'lie' as well that involve the configuration of it. One thing that often happens is they have it set for 'irons' instead of 'driver' (or vice versa) which impacts the data it gives you because it adjusts for more spin with irons so the flight is more accurate with them. Because of this the driver seems to come off on a low trajectory and looks to the machine like it was caught a little 'thin' so less spin is expected. Another common issue is just that it's out of calibration. They need to be checked and adjusted regularly or you'll get some weird readings. I've seen some that show every shot as a fade or draw when in reality the shot was exactly the opposite. One I was trying irons on over the winter showed every slice as almost straight, fades as draws and draws as bad hooks. When I got on launch monitor (which was beside the simulator) I was able to see what it was going. I have also seen people accusing the stores of setting the simulators up with a tail wind or something like that to show distances as being longer than what they really are but I've never seen that myself.

I agree distance is overrated, but if you can control the long distance drivers and irons it can really make the game somewhat easier. I am not a long driver, but can consistently hit the ball 230+ with occasional 260ish drivers, but usually in the fairway. Because I am long and straight enough I consistently have mid and short irons into greens and I am definitely more accurate with a full 7 iron (and shorter) than I am with a 5i or a hybrid. I know I could hit the ball a little longer, but I usually choke up on the driver a little bit (about 1.5 inches) and this helps me control those drives. If I'm playing a short course I'll hit 4W/2I off tees a lot just to keep in play and give me more full-swing yardages, but on longer courses I know I need to hit a little longer because I'm not so good with wedges that I can layup on long par 4 and then wedge it close. Distance with accuracy is definitely a weapon.

For me I care primarily about 'how I played', not so much the score. I have had rounds where I scored well, but didn't feel like I played well and while I was happy with score I couldn't help but think how much better I might have scored if my ball striking had been better. These are usually the days I putt and/or chip lights-out. Earlier this year I shot a 81 and was really upset because I only missed 1 fairway and hit 12 greens (probably a record for me), but putted so poorly (I think I had 39 putts) that I couldn't score. That's the last time I putted so poorly, but unfortunately it's also the last time I hit the ball so consistently well.

If you are topping or slicing really badly then a new driver of whatever size and design is not going to help much (and probably not at all). Best thing to do is spend 1/4 the price of a new driver and get a lesson or more. I know it's seldom what people want to hear, but the truth is a bad swing is not going to be fixed by equipment but can be by lessons and good practice. A lesson or two is probably not going to suddenly turn you into a scratch golfer, but it will help you identify what flaws are causing you the biggest issues and provide you with some information and drills to help you correct these issues. If anything a new driver may make things worse because they very well could cause those same problems to be magnafied.

Graphite is typically longer in the same club, unless the shafts are either way too flexible or too stiff for you. Steel in irons is often more accurate, but seldom give more distance (all other factors equal). As for best steel shafts Dynamic Gold is probably the cheapest, but Nippon and Project X (also True Temper brand) are also good. KBS is the new 'hot' brand. Different shafts have a different feel and slightly different ball flights and feel so you just have to consider what it is you really want.