withdrew

I hate my 60°. I'm considering swapping it out again and coming back to my 3i. I feel like I'm in an abusive relationship. The 60° is such an a**hole to me, once in a while (1/10 strokes!) I hit that GEM of a shot that keeps me coming back for more. I always come back for more. I think the 3i, while I find it difficult to hit, at least I can always rely on it for low punches when my tee shot finds the other side of the tree-line, and I have to get outta jail and back into the fairway. So even if I don't use it for long shots, it still serves a purpose. The 60° is just plain ABUSIVE. Sorry to jack. I have 52° (LOVE IT) a 56° (LOVE IT) and a 60° (HATE IT...no wait, LOVE IT...no, I HATE IT...) I also have the PW that's part of my ISI set, 47°. I love that club too.

that's the thing that kills me: INCONSISTENCY! i might hit the 60° once or twice out of FIVE tries they way i actually want to. and those mis-fires are usually a complete disaster (dribble 2 feet in front of me, sliced into a greenside bunker or laser-beamed into the woods) i'm a decent wedge player, from a 100 yards out with a good lie and with a good look at the pin i can get my ball SOMEWHERE on the green about 75% of the time. what is it about the 60°?

Okay, so I have a Titleist Oil-Can Vokey Spin Milled 60° wedge in my bag. Took out my 3 iron so I could stay @ 14 clubs. I think I HATE this club. Obviously it's MY skill level that is letting me down but I feel like that this club F**KS me EVERY OTHER SHOT. I think I HATE IT as much as I LOVE IT (at times). And then I'll hit that ONE shot per round that makes me keep it in the bag. Does anyone else have this problem? Should I drop the lob and put my 3 iron back in the bag?

I've had the same irons for quite some time, and they are pretty old to boot (Ping ISI-K's), but they work great for me and there's plenty of rounds left in them. I just got an expensive driver/fairway/hybrid setup and I will most definitely keep those for a while, but I don't feel too guilty because I've never really had expensive equipment, and this was the first time I really went "all out." I just re-gripped my irons and they feel like brand new clubs. Obviously the wedges take a beating, and if they wear down I would certainly get new ones, but as far as "latest and greatest" it seems like irons and wedges are pretty straightforward, and have been for at least the last decade. No need to change drastically (for me).

"Have I ever had a hole I could never nail?" Hmmm let me think about that one... Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? LOL

very good article, top to bottom. i'm really not in a place to question the guy (pelz), not that i believe everything i read, but he's proven and battle-tested. that article will absolutely help a player like myself.

a banana before, h2o during, beer after!

Interesting and for me the SG4 is the way to go!

sky-high pitches that land soft within 2 feet of the cup. pitch-marks that look like craters, where there's no visible dirt just a deep indentation on the green. damn i love that. i love a great drive any day, but i like the finesse aspects of the game.

I am loyal to Nike for apparel, Callaway for woods and Ping/Titleist for irons! I suppose if I had the perfect swing I could play with anything (or play whatever equipment from the sponsor that paid me the most) but since I am terrible, I might as well have all the best gear I can afford!

didn't lee trevino (or some other witty golfer of yesteryear) say, "when there's lightning, i hold up my 1-iron, because only god can hit a 1-iron?" for me the same thing goes for a 2-iron, and even a 3-iron. and my putter. and driver.

since you already have a Sun Mountain V1 just get a cart bag, regardless of the weight. you aren't going to be walking without the cart anyway, due to your injury, and once the bag is mounted on the V1 the difference between 5-10 lbs would be hard to notice.

90-100 yards, I use my PW (47°) 80 yards or when I must clear a hazard, GW (52°) 60-70 yards or out of a bunker, SW (56°) Inside 60 yards, LW (60°) I'd say my "go-to" club is the 52° because I usually don't have to worry about getting the ball up high, and it's always far enough, but with the 60° I've come up short countless times (still getting used to it).

Lessons changed my golf life. Take lessons!

Any long iron sucks for me. I get a lot of those ugly-but-good-outcome shots, laser-beam line drives on medium par 3's where the ball ends up miraculously on the green, the other guys say "nice shot" but we all know it was ugly and lucky. My 7-8-9-PW-GW-SW-LW are friggin awesome for me. Putter is decent, but I certainly 3-putt more than I'd like. Driver needs work, I'll hit a decent draw one shot and then a wicked slice the next. My own fault. My 3W is money, my 2H hybrid falls somewhere between my driver and 3W, kind of unpredictable, but I hit it nicely off the deck.

That sounds like good advice. I did consider the fact that I was putting the cart before the horse, perhaps getting ahead of myself and the instructors intended path for my game/swing/mechanics etc. I am DEFINITELY improving, and it has been the best investment in my game that I have ever made. There's no doubt he's a good instructor, and I will surely be back. As far as "always wanting to improve" that goes without saying. With this game as you undoubtedly know, it's forever a learning process. I certainly hope to break 80 and go even lower, but I understand that you have to crawl before you can walk, which is why I don't even mention the word 80 or 70 when it comes to my game. I play with an open mind, I don't get very frustrated or heated when I make mistakes, and no matter how I play, I always enjoy myself. As you also mentioned, I'm not (and don't want to be) that guy who buys thousands of dollars in equipment and takes one lesson, telling the instructor how to take strokes off my score. I am definitely in it for the long haul. Thanks for the advice guys. I appreciate it and look forward to more discussions like this. -Andrew

Hey guys/gals: Let me begin by asking all you PGA Pros or instructors out there to NOT take offense at anything I'm about to say. I am only speaking about my personal experience with two instructors, and I want to get some feedback from this community. I've been playing golf since high-school, but mostly nonsense, I was never any good. When I was in college (about 10 years ago...my god am I that old?) I decided I wanted to play regularly, but I still sucked so I got my father's K-mart clubs (a driver and 5-iron) cut class and went to the driving range with $100. I hit about a dozen large buckets until I had blisters, but I did get to the point where I would ALWAYS make contact, and ALWAYS get the ball airborne, which was my only real goal. What I also ended up doing was reinforcing some terrible habits, I'm sure. Fast forward to 2000, where I came back to the game. Got myself some average equipment (Tommy Armour 845's oversize irons, Tight Lies Woods) and started playing again, sans lessons. Mostly driving range nonsense again, because I didn't want to make a fool of myself. Started a new job in 2000. No more school, but long hours and shift-work, weekends and holidays, only in my dreams. Golf took a back-seat. 2005-2007, Weekends and holidays off, salary is pretty good so I don't need any overtime, back to golf. I started playing pitch & putt regularly, got pretty good at it, but still have those fundamental breakdowns that need addressing. Finally took some lessons. Sorry about the lengthy intro, just want to give you some background. First instructor- INFATUATED WITH HIPS. HIP MOTION. HIP MOVEMENT. TWIST YOUR HIPS. TURN. ROTATE YOUR HIPS. DO THIS IN THE SHOWER. TWIST, ROTATE, ETC. ETC. I got kinda sick of it to be honest. He did teach me about letting my arms hang loose, which has stuck with me until this day, but I think I only ended up taking 2 lessons from him. I proceed to get new clubs, the ones in my WITB (except for the woods, which I just got this season). So one day I'm at the range (same place where I took that first lesson) and I hear this other instructor speaking with a guy in the bay next to me. Sounds like a knowledgeable guy, (both of them) and the instructor seems very soft-spoken and patient. I eventually get his card and set up an appointment, which was stellar. I think I actually got more out of that one hour than I got in YEARS of playing on my own, and he made the other instructor seem like a tremendous waste of time. I made another appointment, and again, I felt it was very productive. The instructor likes me, and I listen to him and practice what he tells me to do RELIGIOUSLY, METICULOUSLY, OBSESSIVELY. I really want to be good at golf, and I have relatively low expectations. I don't have enough time to devote to this game that would allow me to shoot in the 70's, but I am happy to be an 80's-90's guy (I'm a mid-low 90's guy right now!) I can tell that the instructor knows I'm devoted, he's almost surprised that I retain the information this well and that I practice so often. Now I don't want to come off as arrogant or full of myself, but I think I am a great student. I love the game, I have great equipment (like all TERRIBLE golfers LOL) and I am dedicated to becoming better. Third lesson, I felt we took steps backward. I have specific things I want to address (which I spoke-up about) and I feel they were almost ignored. I can understand not wanting to "overwhelm" a student with too much information, but it almost seems like he's holding out on me, (not that I'm on my way to becoming Tiger Woods) but I am responding well to the instruction, and he knows that once I can hit the ball straight, consistently, that I won't be back for more lessons. He's not 100% wrong- I am not here to become a golf god, and like I said, I'm happy shooting in 80's and 90's. Perhaps one day my expectations will change, but right now all I want to do is hit the ball down the middle, I could care less about distance and carry and roll and angles, I just want the fundamentals to be pure, and the other stuff will come as it may. Wow that was a mouthful. So my question(s): -Do instructors ever "hold out" in an effort to keep you coming back? -Is this ethical? -For you instructors out there, do you know of instructors that do this, or have you done this yourself? -Do you have set curriculum regardless of the skills of the individual? Would you treat me the same as a 14 year old Tiger Woods, or would you adjust your lessons to the needs of the student? Maybe I'm crazy, but like I said, this is my experience and I would love any and all comments. Thanks in advance. -Andrew

I wanted to get a 52° Spin Milled but you're 100% right, they don't offer one. I got the Series 200 52° and the Spin Milled 56° and 60° and they are amazing. The look great at address (inspires confidence for me) and they really get the job done. I'm not a real digger and I don't put tons of spin on the ball, so I think they work well for my game and I manage to keep my chips, lobs and other close approach shots from rolling off the green, so I'd have to give them a thumbs up. I really can't compare them to anything other than my previous wedge, a Cleveland gunmetal tour action, 56° which was also an amazing club. I really didn't want to take it out of my bag, I've hit so many great shots with it over the years, even holed out a few chips here and there, but I had to let go and go for the new Titleist Vokey. Again, I never back-spun balls off the front of the green or even to the fringe, but the Cleveland had a soft feel and landed balls nicely on the green as well. I'm glad I went with the Vokeys though!

Woah! That's some big time stuff there, not college radio! That's amazing, a really cool job. Dogs and bears, they are just a funny combination, talk about a Napoleon complex...I have a Miniature Pinscher, and he only pays attention to dogs 10x's his size. I did deal with that toll, because I was actually living in Brooklyn and commuted to Staten Island for both HS and college. I cannot believe how expensive that toll is, sickening really. And you're right about all the tolls at all the crossings, unfortunately raising tolls doesn't really make people drive less, it just makes commuters (mostly middle class!) go further into debt or sacrafice other things. I came back to golf because I realize what a relaxing game it is, and my new outlook and approach to the game is much more healthy and conducive to having a good time. I don't really get frustrated and if I break 100, I'm happy. At least I got some sun and fresh air, and a good walk never hurt anyone! Also, I can't really get injured like I can while playing basketball, and while I'm not "old" yet (30) my body certainly doens't cooperate with my mind the way it did 10 years ago. It's great getting to know you. -Andrew

Hmmm- what radio show? Is it something I've heard of? As long as your real name isn't Mike Francesa you're okay in my book. I definitely want to try out some Jersey courses. I've always heard good things. I went to high-school and college in Staten Island so I know a bit about Jersey, it's just one of the stepping stones to get to Jersey, but if mostly you come into the city, I suppose you rarely go that way. Thats crazy about the bears. I'd freak out. My dad has a summer place in PA so I've seen them before, when you get close it's scary. They are so much bigger in person, and most people don't know how fast they actually can run. They look so sluggish on the Discovery Channel, hibernating or foraging for berries and what-not, meanwhile the thing could chase down a racehorse pretty easily. I will surely leave the bagel & lox home that day. Andrew

I use Maxfli Noodles and I think they're great. Not too expensive, good feel around the green. I'm not a "distance" guy, I would trade 50-75 yards for accuracy ANY DAY, so these balls that promise all this distance don't really do it for me. I also use Callaway Big Bertha balls and they are pretty good as well, they feel soft to me anyway, and I can usually stop them somewhere on the green. The fact that these balls are decent and relatively cheap, that's what I love.

Tom: Yeah, the nickname melting pot is really almost an understatement at this point! My wife was born in Queens but her parents are from Malta, which is an amazing place- I've been there several times already! I'm really happy to hear others appreciate NYC, because usually it's a lot of bashing, especially from some New Jersians (you obviously being an exception!) Sure you get the occasional Joey Buttafuco type on the course, "HEY YO, FORE, LOOK THE F*CK OUT OVER THERE!" but the overwhelming majority of the people I encounter are professional, they follow the rules and they practice the etiquette without being stuck-up or snobbish. I do feel lucky to have access to this area, and thanks for the kind wishes. I'm going to have to get over to Jersey sometime soon! -Andrew

I'm certainly NOT the man! For some reason I just hit my irons better off the deck (on the tee box) than off a tee. Maybe if I tee it very low, I will get better results, but I almost always hit my iron tee shots right off the grass.

TOM! Nice to meet you too bud. Forest Park is only 10-15 minutes away from my house, I'm actually going to play there next week! I love the NYC Public courses because they are like secrets hidden throughout the city, and when you play them you forget that you are actually in New York! And to answer your question, everyone was using "Hello" and "Hola" etc. etc. so I figured I'd try something different, "Kif inti" means "How are you" in Maltese. My wife is from Malta. Great to meet you. Hope to hear from you again. -Andrew

not much more to say that hasn't already been said. you lowered yourself to his level by using a slur, basically throws your credibility into the toilet, whether you are right or wrong. this is one example of the COUNTLESS times you will face things like this in your lifetime. you sound like a pretty mature 15 year old, however you have lots to learn. i'm not suggesting you roll over and play dead, and i understand the need to stick up and defend yourself, especially in the heat of the moment, but you really need to step back and think before you speak and act. elders deserve a certain amount of respect, even if they don't see it your way, even if they're out of line, you should hold YOURSELF to a higher standard. like someone already mentioned, you can't control what HE does, but you can control your reaction and how you respond. not that anything excuses his behavior, but he could be a veteran, he could be dying and be quite possibly playing his last round of golf, maybe he's a widower and he's taking it out on the easiest target out there, a 15 year old who just knocked his tee shot into the woods, or perhaps he's just a grumpy old douche bag that's impossible to please...no matter what he is, you should have acted better and represented your age group in a more professional light instead of rattling off curses and slurs. nuff said. consider it the cheapest life lesson you've ever learned, nobody got hurt.