NuclearMike

A year ago I was 6 mo. post-retirement and 4 months after getting a diagnosis of severe coronary and peripheral artery disease. I stand 5' 6" tall and weighed 206# at the time. I was told that walking was the best therapy for the leg pain caused by the blocked arteries. Starting in January 2017 I began to play again (after umbilical hernia surgery in December 2016) and went daily to my local course and walked from the parking lot to the practice area, where I would be found, twice daily, working on my short game. My index in January was 22.1. Today, after three angioplasties including placement of 17 stents in multiple heart, groin, and leg arteries I weigh 148# and my index as of 11/1/17 is 10.1. Now, I don't hit the ball very far anymore, averaging about 215 off the tee, but since I average 11/14 fairways a round and play the proper tees I can put up more good than bad rounds. If I'm still around a year from now I'll be playing better then than I am now.

Third shot on a par 5, about 40 yards to the hole, I hit a knockdown 56* wedge that did exactly as i envisioned. I hit it perfectly, it took two bounces and stopped dead on the third, six inches to the left of the hole. Easy birdie.

I'm from Texas and embarrassed to be "represented" by Ted Cruz, the Junior Senator from Texas. His extremist views as a freshman Senator aren't endorsed by his colleague Republican Senator John Cornyn nor by most everyone I know, from staunch Republicans to the most liberal Democrats. I don't vote a straight party ticket but I have to tell you, the Affordable Care Act is going to be a great benefit to me and to my wife. Because of her illnesses we can't get insurance the standard way so we have to use a State of Texas Health Pool plan which costs over $2100/month with ridiculous deductibles, limited doctor visits, and the first $1000/year in medication paid by us before the plan kicks in. Obamacare is going to save us substantial money and allow me to stay in the job I've been doing for 13 years, one which discontinued health benefits three years ago. The ACA for us is as if I was just given a raise of $15,000-$18,000/year. Not having affordable health coverage has nearly bankrupted us. Interestingly enough, Ted Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta CANADA where I'm sure that his parents reaped the benefits of their government-run healthcare when he was born.

I have to original Torc and it sees a lot of use. Great product.

How about "Have some pride in your work, fellas?" and "a person's professionalism". and "Love Mark Twain, by the way." I think that you meant spelling, grammar, and PUNCTUATION errors. Or did I come in on the end of an example and now the joke's on me? Either way, no offense meant or taken. I love the thread.

Thanks for renaming the thread, but lenses with two different focus points are "bifocals", whether the lenses are progressive or lined. My lenses are corrective for both near vision and distance vision. They aren't "normal" at the top of the lens. That would imply no correction at all. And as I stated in my original post, I already have single-vision glasses and have used them on the range and will do so on the course again tomorrow with the hope of regaining some of the game that time and sight have taken away. Getting old isn't for pussies. My avatar is one of my McIntosh monoblock tube amps. Just love the look, and even more the performance.

Do you wear bifocals, Erik? If not I'm not sure where your expertise comes into play. If so it's likely that your prescription and lenses are different than mine. Progressive lenses are exactly that. Progressive. I have good focus at the top and the bottom third of the lenses but the middle is where the progression is. If I look out the center of the lens I'm not seeing in perfect focus. I'd need a much taller lens or a lined bifocal to have the kind of demarcation that would let me look directly out of the center of the lens. Regardless, I'm going out tomorrow with single vision glasses and expect to see the same improvement on the course as I did at the range. That seems to be the general consensus of the respondents who wear bifocals- don't do so on the course.

I appreciate the posture advice but I think that part of the problem is that I have no-line bifocals and my lenses are relatively narrow from top to bottom, so there isn't an easily positioned demarcation of the two parts of the lenses.

A little background: I gave up golf for personal reasons about 12 years ago and came back to the game three years back. When I left I was playing to a 10 and wore single vision glasses. I got no-line bifocals during my time away and didn't think anything of it when I started playing again. Ever since my return I've had trouble hitting my irons on the sweet spot, but I hit my longer clubs (Hybrids, 3W, and Driver) really well, especially when compared to the irons. I had a thought a couple of weeks while at the range ago that maybe since I'm focusing on the back of the ball at address using different parts of the lens for the longer vs. shorter clubs that somehow my perception of ball position using the lower part of the lens might be slightly skewed, causing me to hit a lot of irons toward the toe instead of on the sweet spot. I pulled out my old single vision glasses (the prescription is still good), went to the range, and found that I continued to hit my longer clubs well but experienced a vast improvement in contact with my irons. I searched "bifocals" on the forums and didn't find that anyone else had made any comments about playing golf with them. Has anyone else had any similar experiences? I'm playing tomorrow morning and can't wait to see what happens!

I used to have a temper but now I tell myself that I'm just not good enough to get mad at things that are my fault in the first place. Why throw a club? It certainly isn't the club's fault that I hit it somewhere other than where I intended. It's better for my blood pressure and I believe that staying on an even keel helps my overall game. I only hope to keep my bad shots in play most of the time to minimize those blow-up holes that can really screw up a round.

I started by going to the range with my dad when I was six years old. He let me walk with him but didn't let me play until I was 8, when I played my first nine with him. That was in 1966. He taught me the swing (or his version of it, anyway), proper golf etiquette, the history of the game, and how to comport myself on the course. I shot 64 from the front tees that day, with a par on a par 3 hole. That began my love affair with the game. My dad died in 1998, and his last job was as a Marshal at his local club, which he held until two months to his death. Although he did very well for himself in life he said that being a Marshal was the best job that he ever had. I should be so lucky. Actually, we all should. I miss him a lot and will be forever grateful for his help and guidance.

Stay away from Golfsmith for used gear. They don't give you much if you sell used clubs to them and they way overcharge if you buy.

I guess that I shouldn't have put that "I Wasn't Born In Texas But Got Here As Fast As I Could" bumper sticker on my car. Oh, wait... I didn't.

I played Powerbilt in the past and they make really underrated clubs. For a starter set you'll be getting a lot for your money with them.

I practice twice a week and can't get to the course very often because I just can't spare the time. I'll spend two hours twice a week at the range rather than five twice a week at the course. Golf is my only form of relaxation and exercise and I take my time at the range to try to improve my game. I play better at the course than I hit at the range because of much improved fairways vs. the range. For me I love getting to the course but I also love simply going to the range and hitting balls, always with a purpose, but also to get away from everything else that fills my days. My range work has improved my game substantially over the past couple of years even though I've played less than 25 times in the last four years. I'm struggling with my iron play now, but I'll get it right with work at the range.

For me it's definitely iron play. I can drive the ball in the fairway most of the time and hit my 3 wood and hybrids well (and all of these clubs on the sweet spot), but I just can't stop hitting my irons on the toe. I've tried a lot of things to fix my iron swing and occasionally I'll have a good round or range session with them but the next time out I'm back to my old tricks.

Welcome to TST from another Texas golfer.

It surely is. One of the, if not the singularly sweetest sounding amplifiers that I've ever heard.

Mine is a McIntosh Audio 300 Watt monoblock vacuum tube amplifier.

You mean that I'm NOT gonna get laid? That's just a real shame. She doesn't know what she's missing.

The Masters has it right and I wish that the Tour would follow. The people who yell inane things after (or during) the golf swing are just attention seeking losers who think that they are being funny but instead are simply showing that they're adult in age and juvenile in intelligence. People, it's just not funny, no matter whether you say Bababooey, Swedish Fish, Mashed Potatoes or anything else. The people who yell are just a group of tiresome clowns who should have their passes taken away for the remainder of the tournament. Most people, including me, will go to a tournament to enjoy the golf along with others of the same ilk, not be bothered by people who want to use the tournament as their own personal "look at me!" event. Do us all a favor and go home and yell at your TV but stop making those of us who are there for the golf be subjected to your idiocy.

Breakfast: Coffee and vitamins Lunch: Nothing- no time to get out Dinner: Homemade something... whatever he (my son, who is a damn good cook/ housekeeper/ yard guy/ nurse for his disabled Mom) makes for the family at home I will eat. I think that today is baked chicken or chicken fajitas, but whatever it is I doubt that it will be picture-worthy.

My iron set came with a 5 iron (lofted like a 4 iron) as its longest iron. I hit the similarly lofted hybrid farther and higher than I do the iron so I can keep both in the bag, but on most days I add a wedge and take the 5 iron out of the bag, just because the hybrid is easier to hit and stops quicker..

I have psoriatic arthritis and for a couple of years used oversize Lamkin Crossline grips, even though they were actually a little big for my hands. This season I switched to Winn DriTac midsize grips and have seen an improvement in my ball striking. The Winns are softer than the Lamkins, so I don't feel the need to grip very hard. They stay tacky in the Houston summer humidity and although they are reputed to wear out quickly my lower grip pressure has kept them in great condition since I put them on in February. The change was really good for my hands as well as my golf.