Drew Chung

oh..and the reason why i want to cut the shaft are for 2 reasons... 1) i love the feel of the ball being closer to my as i feel more comfortable standing closer with a more upright swing 2) with the regular shaft i tend to swing fast at times so i don't want the club to lag so much and produce a slice

First, I apologize for starting up my 3rd thread in about 2 months regarding drivers. I'm at a different stage of my game and driver. i'm currently hitting a stiff shaft 9 degree.. 68 grams.. Ping Rapture when i hit it good, i can hit this thing 270 i'd say about....when i hit it bad high fade, when i hit it really bad (shank) complete slice, embarrassing. tomorrow i'm going to pick up my Ping G15, 9 degree regular shaft. I'm thinking of cutting it down to 44 and a half inches...just like my ping rapture. question...by me cutting it 1 inch, will this make ... 1) the shaft softer? 2) the shaft stiffer? 3) the kick point rise? i was talking to someone at the course today and he was kinda briefing me on this stuff but i didn't get all of it. so i'm wanting some advise in here before i go in tomorrow and cut my ping shaft an inch. oh...also, my swing speed is between 90-92. would love to hear some advise from you guys...you guys have provided some solid advise before so i appreciate all that you can provide me!

awesome... well, my 2 friends outdrive me by about 30 to 60 yards if we equally hit it good. that's huge. i'm driving it 230 to 250 and they're hitting it 260-280. that's a big difference and they both hit that consistently well. i went out and shot the best score in a long time yesterday with the proforce shaft ping rapture... shot an 81...i was even going into 9 and ended up tripling that hole. but although i played and scored well...i was still being out driven by one of my friends by at least 50 yards. idk...maybe i should just get over it

interesting feedback guys... donkeyshark...thanks...that was descriptive...definitely intuitive information...for as long as i've played i never really took the time to understand the mechanics and mathematics of the swing etc...it's absolutely intriguing me right now as i'm constantly (for the past 3 months) re-working my driver. that's really interesting that you mentioned an 11.5 regular shaft....i was using the Ping K15 - 10.5 degree regular shaft and i swear i thought i was hitting it 230 and about as high as my 9 iron x 2. just looked absolutely ridiculous how high i was hitting it. the more i think about it it's such a fine line between your driver and your swing. it has to blend near perfectly ...i honestly felt i attained this about 1 month ago. i realized what i was doing wrong at the driving range, took it out on the course 2 days later and i found myself shaping my shots with my driver. 3 holes at my course goes like this...draw, fade, straight. i could not have hit a more perfect draw, a perfect fade and a perfect straight shot but i did. felt absolutely pure and so sweet that i could shape my shot with my driver. that was with the Ping G15 - 10.5 degree. maybe i should go back to that...it was a regular shaft. i might just go back to it. Roger Dunn is going to send my Ping G15 - 9 degree - regular shaft back to Ping and get it re-shafted for me...another 2 weeks...i think i'll stick with it. but for the next 2 weeks i'm going to try and use this new driver...the Ping Rapture V2 (Tungsten weight) with the ProForce V2 stiff shaft. all good times, i'm learning as i'm testing these out...see what fits me best. thank you for the feedback!!

Some of you know from my previous threads, i've been toying with a bunch of different drivers. today, i swapped out again at roger dunns...went from a ping G15 - 9 degree - regular shaft to the Ping Rapture V2 (Tungsten weight) with the ProForce V2 stiff shaft.. My average swing speed currently is 86. I think it's a bit higher, maybe 89 as i hit a handful at 92 and the shanked shots were at 83. but anyways...i swapped it out because i was hitting my G15 9 degree about 250 on a solid straight hit. it was driving me crazy that i wasn't driving for dough...losing at least 20-25 yards somewhere, somehow. found out as i was checking out with the Ping Rapture that there was a crack on the shaft just an inch above the hosel. explained why i was hitting it high and fading it....only going about 230 on average. but based off my swing speed, i'd say about 89 or 90...i'm curious to know if a stiff shaft is the right call? i noticed my swing speed lately with my irons have been faster...i don't lose my posture thru the swing during the finish so i know my posture can handle that speed but is the stiff shaft the right call? the weight is 68g and torque is at 3.9 degrees. oh and this driver is 44 and 1/2 inches long...about an inch shorter than the standard. based off the monitor at roger dunns...i was hitting it straight a handful of times at 243 max...that's off the roll as well. that thing can't be that accurate...the guy told me it was but i don't believe him lol... so what do you guys think about the swing speed? what is your swing speed and what type of driver/shaft are you guys using?

cool. well i'm frustrated as all heck right now. this is the 3rd driver i've changed in the past 2 months. driver 1: ping G15 10.5 stiff shaft driver 2: ping K15 10.5 regular shaft driver 3: ping G15 9.0 regular shaft i'm hitting the 9 degree now with the stock regular shaft and although i hit it straight as straight can be...i'm hitting it 250 max. i'll sneak in a 260 maybe..i think... but 240-250 seems to be average. the thing that is frustrating is...i'm a player in the 80s...sometimes low, sometimes how...inconsistent with a few clunks along the way...like 2 bad holes where i double and sometimes even a triple...but hitting my driver only 240-250 is comedic. it's a full on joke. i use to hit it farther with my titileist 5 years ago. i just can't seem to figure it out...i think my swing is better, my friends tell me my set up is square and solid and my swing looks good...i don't overswing ...i've really been working hard on my swing...but i've lost all my distance! idk if it's the ball i'm playing or my shaft or what but when i hit it good and straight and "far"...it only goes about 250! i can't figure it out. i still like this driver, the feel and the look when i set up, just fits to my eye...but the other part, i can't figure out

well said...i agree. here in LA...it got close to a 100 i think about 2 weeks ago...i walked 18 and felt like i walked 54...it was grueling...my clothes were drenched with sweat..i got a tan line that looks hilarious, i probably lost about 5lbs...but man...my feet were aching and i was hurting that night. i thought i was going to get a heat stroke. ran out of water...no snack cart anywhere to be found...i got to the last hole and this couple in a cart offered me there cold gatorade...the lady looked at me and thought i was going to faint. i drank that thing in like 5 seconds flat lol. barely finished with 2 holes left. i also agree with the pace of play. usually out where i play it's the non-avid golfers that ride...they have no etiquette whatsoever...but i'm glad they ride...if they walked and shot shank after shank...i'd get pissed lol

looks like the consensus is walking. i can definitely understand riding if you have a bad back or it's just too hot and humid...100s. especially when the course is hilly. i think if you're not injured and the weather permits, the course should be walked for all the reasons you guys mentioned. i just got back into this game from a long lay off...started back up 3 months ago and i've walked everytime...it's a good 5 mile walk everytime and i think i lost about a good solid 10lbs from the sweat. just got back from my round today and it was scorching hot even with the wind. shot a 8 over on a par72. happy with my game! plus i got some 'oversized' mizuno clubs...10times better than my titleist 990 DCI's...i'm selling them if anyone wants to buy them for $100 :) there good clubs...just made for the single handicapper!

i walk ...i will never ride a cart again unless i'm in some company tourney and everyone rides. but i think this game was meant to be walked on, not driven on. i noticed at my public course...they had a shortage of carts for about 2 months and the course was pretty much empty...then they got new carts and it's unbearable. 5 to 6 hour rounds. do you guys walk it or ride it?

i vote yes and no! not everyone's gonna be satisfied. i find two things funny about clothing on the golf course. 1) people who are decked out in golf gear...you look at them and they look like they can play well and really well, then on the 1st tee they duck hook it or slice or duff it about 50 yrds on the ground. can't play worth a dime but they look good doing it? 2) i have a friend who wears basketball shoes, shorts and a armor shirt that keeps you cool under the sun and he's a 1 handicapper. can play with the best of them out there. doesn't look like a golfer but is a golfer thru and thru. so yea, you shouldn't look like trash out there but at the same time, overkill + no game = tone it down and play the game for what it's worth. we're usually all playing in public courses...dress comfortably and have fun with the game, not what you're wearing

if you're ever in the LA area...sure! and yea, good advise which i'll take heed.

yea...i feel your pain also :) ...that's very much like my status right now!...just out of the blue. this is really embarrassing but earlier in the week and today just out of the blue i got the charles barkley back swing. it wasn't as bad as his lol ...seriously...i know i've got a much better swing than his but i dipped so much...i was thinking it possibly has to do with the weakness in my legs. both my feet were aching from walking 18 in this heat for the past week...4 days in a row. so physically i wasn't strong today and my body, especially my feet were aching. but i couldn't help laughing when i did that...it was comical. i also think that i was really tense in my upper body and my hands and arms when i did that today. so i did something really wierd with my hands, my right wrist. tuff to explain but i dipped and my wrist broke at the top awkwardly. it was friggin hilarious. i've gotta get rid of these shanks

been shooting anywhere from 83 to 88 for the past month. just getting myself out of trouble and not making it easy on my game by missing a lot of fairways with my driver. went out today and shot a 96. this sickens me like no other. honestly, i get mad like most golfers, i don't throw clubs etc...i keep it within and i just cuss myself out but i'm about to just give it up. it's unreal how i can still shank like a brand new golfer. from the fairway. yes, my clubs (titleist 990 DCI's) are tuff to hit, there just like blades but with a cavity back...but still, shanking it like a noob? totally uncalled for and NOTHING, i mean absolutely nothing went right with my swing today. driver was so erratic i was getting sick of it all. i've been golfing on and off for alot of years...to many to count and been putting my time in for the past 2 months...rigorously practicing and playing and have seen slight improvement but to shoot what i did today and swing the way i did, just made absolutely no sense whatsoever. here are my excuses that i won't use. my irons, got 2 hours of sleep last night...woke up at 4:30 and tee'd off at 6am. ate nothing, just a cup of coffee...but STILL. that's just a very tiny percentage of why i shot so bad. my swing just SUCKS and i can't fix this. i'm really at a loss right now....i do love this game and i do want to get better and i enjoy going out with my friends but wow...i feel like i got 10x's worse today. just really messed with my mind today!

just got it and hit it today for the first time. love this driver. everything feels right and looks right when setting up... anyone else hit this driver? i got a couple 280 ...consistently around 260-270...a bit on the short end but first day out with it. let me know what your takes are with this driver. so far, i'm in love with it

thanks for the tips guys. the last time i kept an index i was an 8...that's my benchmark imo...however lately i've been going out and shooting above that and on a good struggling day and fighting for a descent score i can keep it in my low 80s. i guess what i mean by 'oversize' is the face of the club being 'larger' than my 990 DCI's. the difference between his clubs and mine were insanely different. i'm going to go to roger dunn's here in LA today to see what i can do with my irons for a new set.

been golfing on and off for along time. not the most studious of my set of clubs...just wanting to improve as a player and overall just play better, score better, breaking 80 consistently etc... my friend just this weekend pointed out my clubs ...i'm hitting the titleist 990 dci's. too small and for single handicappers. so he mentioned that i should be playing with oversized irons...to better my ball striking etc...and just get that confidence back of ball striking. i went online and there's a gazillion different choices. i wanted to see if you guys can point out some good oversized irons. he uses the mizuno oversized ...he's a 2 handicapper and just hits the ball beautifully everytime. anyways...i'm looking for a set...preferrably used...not into spending hundreds $$$$ right now...just something used to test them out to see if it really can improve with my ball striking. any suggestions would be helpful...thanks! drew

LOL...

think that article was 2 yrs old...? after reading that i feel like he's back trying to regain himself as he was 2 yrs ago. what does that say about a person you know? i think he went thru some trying times and saw the rewards early and just backed off...he did say in another more recent article that he was going to come back strong this year but not sure how well that thumbs holding up. i broke my thumb about 7 yrs ago and it took me about 2 yrs i think to really not feel that pain anymore. it's not like you can put a cast on it. that's the only conclusion i can come up with regarding his play and i also believe his antics partying in vegas was way over blown. i mean who doesn't party in vegas ...if i was him i'd do the same thing, probably a bit more. still got a long season of golf left...looking forward to seeing that swing on sunday's

ben...imo the central coast has some of the most beautiful courses in california. i grew up in sd, lived in san luis obispo and have played up in the sf area tons....and of course here in la and oc... i would love to travel and golf..i've only traveled and surfed. i hear vancouver is beautiful as well...ex gf moved back up there. i'm 42...have an 8 handicap, have done so much in life i'm blessed. im at a point now where i want to and need to take my game to the next level...i mean everything from eating right to working out to practicing 3 to 4 times a week. i have no idea where this drive came from...i've always had a passion for this game but ..and it's not like i'm trying to get on tour LOL... i just want to do this for me. i have to prove to myself that i can score par thru a round once! anyways...going off on a tangent...you sound like a pro golfer. i'd love to ask you for some advise :)

I apologize in advance if this has been posted. It was written 2 years ago...but I wanted to share it as a lot of his perspectives and outlook in life and golf, still play part to this day. It was a deep article...6 pages long so it talked about a lot of the stuff we don't normally read of an athlete...or maybe it does...idk..but..it's a great article. pretty amazing stories by his dad. stuff i didn't know. hope he bounces back this year...read another article where he said he's still not counting this year of being big for him. http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2009-03/anthonykim

ben..i've played brookside with my uncle at like 6am one morning. last time i dawn patrol for golf lol...but yes it was fun. heard great things about rancho park...still need to play there!! wilson and harding are my fav courses right now...somewhat affordable and close to home and pretty wide open in terms of the fairways. also...my get away spots are up in the central coast where my son lives (pismo beach) ...monarch and avila beach and dairy creek are my favorite courses up there. black lake is fun too oh and morro bay :)

i'm following as well. welcome vincent! i'm also new here :)

lot of good details but try one thing. if your instructor told you i'll give you $1 for every shot that you had good tempo...and you wouldn't have to worry about where the ball went...would you? of course you would. work on 1 thing. your tempo. forget about your grip, your stance and where the ball goes...if it slices 50 yards who cares. it doesn't matter. none of those count. go to the range and practice on your tempo. smooth 1-2 swing. once you get the true feeling of how you swing from start to finish...then work on the technical aspect of your swing.

joe...it's a common mistake by new golfers...to slice. there could be a handful of things going wrong with your setup and swing. outside in swing can cause a slice...you're stance can cause a slice, your grip can cause a slice...more than likely it's a combination of things that's causing a slice for you but you said when you're on the range, you hit it straight right? then the only conclusion i can come up with is...your tension when you're out on the course. hitting the range is one thing...being on that tee box is COMPLETELY different. your tension level rises, thus your strangling your grip. keep everything the same next time you go out. don't focus on your swing so much...but try this. when you set up to the ball...lift your club head off the ground about an inch. while doing this, make sure your grip is not tight. just gently hold onto your grip. pretend like your shaking hands with someone who just broke there fingers lol. sounds stupid...but you get the idea! this allows 2 things to happen. 1) you pressuring your grip won't change from the time you set up to the point of starting your backswing. why? because you're already holding your club off the ground. sometimes, you set it on the ground and your grips light but when you pick it up...you immediately strengthen your grip. 2) the chances of you slicing will be slimmer and you may start to duck hook (ball will go left) ...because the lighter your grip, the lesser your tension, the better chances of your wrist breaking at the top and at contact. give that a shot!