Losttsol

If you don't really compress the ball much when you swing, I don't think either of them are worth any more than a Top Flite.

When I hit the drive high on the face, it's always a straight high pull which would be opposite of you. So, taking my extensive knowledge of physics into the answer, I'm thinking you're you're swinging slightly flat with the face a touch open.

Couldn't tell where the ball went, but you looked up way to quick. The swing looked pretty good to me though.

Well, the second time was a charm I guess. I took my hybrid out to the range today for another go at figuring it out. I made a lot of progress. The club really likes a more downward swing angle, more than I normally use with my long irons. Once I got the club to meet the turf and the ball at the same time, the ball really popped. My best hits were fairly straight with just a tail to the right at the end. It was going a little further than my 3-iron as well. Still couldn't hit one good off a tee though.

Every really good drive or long shot I have done, my finish has always just felt right. I don't always realize what I'm doing prior, but at the end, my body is fairly upright, arms extended, and it feels effortless. You almost feel like you're posing at the end, but you can't help it. I sometimes wonder if you could just practice driving by trying to get to that perfect finishing position and not worrying so much about everything else. If you're flipping at impact, you won't finish in the correct position. You most likely will swing flatter and come across your body more, leading to a hook. Hooks don't feel good, but they feel better than letting go to much and slicing.

This reminds me of what the starter was telling us one day. He posts these pictures on the outside of the starter's booth many days. Just things to think about, pretty cool actually. He had a printout of pictures of Nicklaus, Tiger, and two other golfers (don't remember) showing the moment of impact of their drives. He asked us what was the same in all the pictures. I didn't see it at first, but he told us how they all kept their right elbow tucked in during the downswing. Gives your body a true pivot point to deliver force to the ball instead of just a sweeping roundhouse of a swing.

After the first day, I must say that Tiger looks very strong. He's the one to beat.

Day 1 Leader: David Toms Day 2 Leader: Jim Furyk and Bubba Watson tied Day 3 Leader: Ricky Fowler Day 4 Winner: Playoff between Ricky Fowler and Phil Mickelson...Mick wins.

I bought a used Ping G10 18 degree hybrid, trying to fill a gap between my 4 wood and my 3 iron. I've only been to the range once with it and it was awful. I tried everything. Hitting it hard, hitting it soft, swinging like an iron, sweeping it more like a wood, hitting off a tee, you name it. I couldn't get the thing to go much more than 160yds and it was an ugly ball flight. Lower trajectory than my 4 wood and would just die like a wounded duck. I never got it to go as far as my 3-iron. I'm going to try at it another time at least, but seeing other people struggling with them makes me feel a little better.

I used to live in Florida and went to the course by myself one day to play a round. I got paired up with another gentleman who must have been around 60-65, I was in my late twenties. I'll never forget, he had a set of Cleveland blades which I don't think I had ever seen before. He said he normally played from the blues and asked where I played from. I usually play from the whites, but I told him I'd play from the blues as well (didn't want to let the old man totally show me up). We walked the course and he was fairly quiet during his round. Hardly talked at all. He ended up being the best golfer I had ever played with. He shot an even 72, mostly pars, a couple birdies and a couple bogies. Anyways, going back to the round, we were on the back nine at about the 15th hole. Par 4 and I had around 150yds left to the hole and hit my iron. My shot went left of the green. Before I even looked away from where my shot went, the gentleman tossed another golf ball at my feet. He said, "hit your shot again, but put your left foot just slightly above of your right foot." I stood like he said and hit it again. My ball landed 6 feet from the cup. Best golf lesson I ever had. It was also one of my most enjoyable rounds I have played. This is opposite of what I have encountered with some other very good golfers I've been paired with. Many times they either critique you to death or act very smug like you are hurting their game by playing with them. If I hurt this guy's game then he was probably some Senior Tour guy I didn't know and would have shot a 65. As for being hit up to. If the ball rolls past me, I leave it alone. If it comes very close on the fly, I pick up the ball and throw it in the woods.

I just stumbled across this kit you can buy. Looks like it would be fairly simple to replicate at home. Put some masking tape on the club face and paint a line on a ball. Maybe not giving you exact measurements, but at least giving you an idea if you are too flat or upright. Anyone know of other ways to do this? http://www.golftek.com/lit_docs/LieDetector.pdf

Lots of them dealing with golf balls... - Never use a "water" ball when teeing off over/around water hazards. That's giving up before you even start. - Never putt into a hole with a ball already in it. - Never use a yellow or orange ball. - Never use a ball that you just found during a round you are currently playing. - Never wash a ball and then use it right away at the tee where you washed it. - Never mark a putt with any coin less than a quarter. - If you suddenly realize you are mistakenly playing a Lady Precept, you have to keep on playing it. (Don't ask)

He's a super technical golfer. The way he finishes shots with the club perfectly over his head and parallel to the ground is crazy. I think I'd slice everything if I did that.

Nice free swinging. I agree you've got some good movement in your lower body, but maybe get a little more athletic of a stance for those drives.

I realized a long time ago that hitting 180 balls on the range doesn't add up to much for me. I get one regular bucket. I hit the first few balls with a pitching wedge at the 75 yd target with a short swing. Then I push my wedge up to 100 yds with a full swing. Then I'll usually go through some of my irons for a few shots each. After that I'll play a few imaginary holes. Then work on my fairway wood off the deck (my worst club) and then do 5 to 8 drives. I always finish on the range though with my wedge or sand wedge on full shots. Then I go to the chipping greens and do 10-15 yard lobs, maybe some longer chip and runs, 5-10 sand shots, then putting to finish. All that said, I should probably just go to the course and do lob wedges, sand shots, and putt. That would take off more strokes in my game than anything else. I'm at the point now where I am usually in the fairway with most shots (some long, some short). It's when I get to the green where I add on the unnecessary strokes. A consistent two putt is priceless, believe me.

Go Ping. Only for the fact that 1 out of 2 people I see on the course have Taylormade golf bags and clubs. Even the 12 year old kids with their golf bags on their backs say Taylormade. It's a conspiracy I tell ya!

Yes, Hell's Point is a little gem, I forgot to mention it. It's pretty close to VB National and Signature. I haven't played there in some years though, so don't know the current condition. It's a Rees Jones course and you want to stay on the fairway at all costs. Lots of woods and it was built basically in a swamp. That's the nice thing about the general area (southern VB). You have Arnold Palmer, Fred Couples, Rees Jones, and Pete Dye courses all within 5-10 minutes of each other. They are all quality courses in their own right.

I had been playing with a set of Ping Eye 2 clubs from 1987. I just recently switched to Ping i3+'s. I'm very glad I switched, but really miss the Eye 2 sand wedge and 2-iron. I still bring one of them sometimes. That 2-iron is a laser beam off the tee. It has a perfect ball flight and goes exactly where you aim it. Overall I like my i3+'s better though. The Eye 2's were lofted higher, but I still get more distance with the i3+'s at the equivalent lofted club.

I have always heard you are supposed to stand behind, but far back out of the tee box in order to watch the ball flight. It never bothered me and I've never had anyone say I was standing too close. What if the person you are playing with is a lefty? Is everyone supposed to go around to the other side of him so he doesn't see you? That's ludicrous. Stand behind and well out of the way unless the player says otherwise.

That is exactly why I dropped a 3 wood. I can hit my G10 4 wood off the deck or tee with confidence. My old 5 wood went way too high off the tee. I thought I needed a 7 wood, but I think I need a hybrid. Somewhere around 21-23 degrees. I play a 13 club bag and drop in an extra putter or driver or 2 iron or (the 5 wood which I never use).

FIR's - This is what Tiger needs. He's great at getting out of trouble, but not after a long layoff. 230yd hooks around trees are not what you want to be doing after not playing for so long. I'm sure he's been practicing chips and putts enough.

My worst rounds are usually not my highest scoring. It's more about my mental state going into and during the round. I shot a 94 a couple of months ago at my usual course and was super pissed off, because I started with a 42 on the front. I shot an even 100 at the Arnold Palmer course near me a few weeks ago and was good with it. It was a much harder course and that damn Arnie knows where to put the sandtraps - and there's a lot of them. Afterwards, having a drink outside the clubhouse, we toasted Arnie (we couldn't help it because his statue was right there) and said, "you would know where to put those traps you ol' SOB." He was nice enough though to offer cheap happy hour drinks after kicking our butts.

I've only played one of his courses once, TPC Virginia Beach (now VB National), and did surprisingly well there. Didn't seem too crazy to me or maybe I was just on that day. I liked it well enough.

I would like to play it, but sure as heck not from the tee boxes the pros use. That would get ugly quick. I'd think $600-$800 would be a fair price to play that course. I think if I had the choice though, I'd rather watch the pros play live on Sunday at the Masters instead of me hacking it up on a Monday afternoon in August.