Vincent Hofmann

Stepped on to the course for the first 18 holes of golf I've played in a few years and shot an 89, on a par 71 course. Despite a few double bogeys, it was awesome to get back on the course.

First, I have to declare that I'm surprised that distance has become so important. Started streaming the Golf channel, and then realized that US marketing appears to put a lot of emphasis on distance and swing planes, rather than say accuracy and or consistency. Nevertheless, in a bid to add a bit of data to this discussion I took note of the drives at the range today (a bank / public holiday in South Africa). On average, 20 - 50 year old males, hit their drivers near the 218 - 250 yard mark (no ball roll). The guys who did attempt to hit it long were under 30 (like me) and were pushing the balls wildly left or right. Their shots were oft accompanied with laughter, I don't trust golfers with poor etiquette :) The two guys who were doing drills and one could tell had a practice regime were hitting their drivers consistently near the 250 meter (280 yard) mark with soft draws, so with roll likely to get near the 300 yard mark. There were two guys (of the 30 or so) consistently clearing the 250 meter range marker, with range balls - they shared a Pro coach, and were around the 6ft mark. For nearly two hours, only 10% of the golfers at the range at a well supported club in Johannesburg were able to consistently hit it anywhere near the 300 yard mark with any amount of accuracy.

I've recently been hitting the range more often than I have done in years. I do so primarily to identify weak swing patterns before I go and play the dreaded first round back after a 10 year break. I remember as a kid being taught that range practice had to have a defined set of outcomes; strengthen my short game, hit the driver toward a specific target, and then repeat training drills to ensure my swing was constant (constantly bad at times). I start with my 7 iron, hit about 20 balls to stretch, ensuring that it's not just random shots - aiming at a flag / marker / position on the range. Move on to my 4 iron, try to hit it consistently straight - I'm trying to overcome a newly developed slice - so I start with short back swings and focus on the follow through. Then I move on to my GW and hit 50m and 75m and ensure that I don't move on from the club until I can hit at least 50% of shots within a few meters of the target. Finally move on to my driver, and begin brutally assaulting the nets beside the range, possibly killing passersby and swearing into the ground until I hit at least one or two straight drives which have to land and roll on from the 250m / 280m mark. After about 2 buckets (50 balls each) I go and concentrate on my short game as I have no real feel for the game anymore. I think range practice is vital, if its done with a purpose - if it turns into a pissing contest with the guys beside you to see who can smash a drive, or who can relentlessly hit a 7 iron in the air then it's absolutely a waste of your time.

Went out on the range yesterday and experimented with each grip with a 7 iron, Driver, and Hybrid iron. Found the 10 finger grip good for what I can only call a Happy Gilmore like approach to the ball, just beat the ball and close my eyes - might have killed a passerby on the fairway beside the range. Interlocking was best with my irons and allowed me to work the ball a little, could definitely produce a wider variety of shots. Overlap kind of felt loose and uncontrolled on the irons (I've only ever played an interlocking grip). My driver which I normally fade the ball with went straighter when I gripped it with an overlapping grip, felt more natural to roll my wrists slightly and prevented the face from opening on impact. I'm not even sure I can attribute this to the grip so much as a different attitude to hitting the ball with a new grip, a little more focused on slowing the swing down to feel for any differences brought on by the grip.. I might actually play 9 holes with the overlap next as I definitely hit the ball more consistently with it.

Hit my drive perfect, slight draw into a short Par 5. Second shot, head down, knees bent, thoughts of the smile my 13 year old self would have on his face when I smash my 3 iron at the green, head back down, set up, and then swing faster than I'd ever swung before - shank. Shank it into the water about 5 meters in front of me - my Dad even had a little chuckle at my misfortune. I drop a second and hit it so hard, and with such a slice that it disappears over a little rise beside the green - and rolls into the water beside the adjoining Par 3 green. Then, on my last shot with nothing to lose, I set up and hit the ball and it bloody lands in the hole. I hear screams from the guys around the green who thought it was my first approach, thinking that a kid had just hit his second in from a fair way out.

Perhaps I don't get the importance of the look of an iron, but... I hit a few matt finished irons whilst being fitted for my Mizunos. Most of them far out ranked the Mizunos in the looks department, but most important to me was taking an iron out of my bag which when I hit it didn't make me look like a total fool approaching the 18th in front of the local club house. On a technical note, I hit the JPX 800 Pros a similar distance, if not a little shorter, than similarly priced "real" game improvement irons, but instead of hitting the ball all over the place I hit the ball straight and enjoyed my swing with Mizuno's heavier, stiffer shafted irons.

Definitely one of the most relevant threads for me right now. After reading this thread I might give the overlap grip a go, in part to see if I have better wrist control and to avoid the nasty blisters on my right hand which make practicing damn near impossible right now. My only question, is it worth learning a new grip if the interlock feels comfortable? My old coach wasn't the kind of guy who'd let comfort get in the way of a decent swing, so I'm not averse to retraining my muscles and mind to accept a new grip.

Started following The Sandtrap on twitter, read a review on the JPX800 PROs, read through the forums, bought the JPX800 Pros and started playing again after a 10 year hiatus from golf because of the forums. So hello and thank you.

I recently purchased the JPX 800 Pros, after a lengthy range test of every mid level handicap club imaginable. The JPX800 Pros have no noticeable sound, other than the sound a little shameless pride expelled might make. Love the clubs, went out for the first time to the club here yesterday and hit my 7 iron repeatedly for about an hour without any remorse about how much I paid for the irons. I haven't played the game for 10 years, gave up on it after it became a sport not a labour of love (started playing when I was 6) and these irons reinvigorated the passion I had for the game as a kid. I digress, the sound is quite solid, not quite a thud when hit in the middle - can't speak for the 800s as I hit them once and found the ball was going way too far and ballooning and with little feedback as to whether I was hitting a crap shot or not. However I did hit the ball consistently with them, unlike the clubs I tried from Mizunos rivals which I would hit my 7 iron 200m with and have no real sense of the shot I played - only a sudden realization that kid me would have bought the long hitting irons and adult-ish me now wants a little more control.