EGS

I love TM products as well. I play Mizuno MP-60s, however, I wanted to get the TM Smoke blade irons but they were not on the market yet when I got my new set last summer! I LOVE my Mizunos, but part of me wishes I waited until the smokes were on the market.

I use refurbished prov1x's and they are just as good as new balls. I can not tell the difference other than a logo here and there and some minor imprefections. If you google "Prov1x used" you get to places like lostgolfballs.com and golfballplanet.com which are great. They grade the balls and the higher the grade, the closer to "new" cost you pay. The term refurbished is a nice way of saying: we fish balls out of lakes or buy them off golf courses/individuals that recover lost balls and then sell them back to you. They also claim to have these huge machines that polish and clean balls to make them refurbished, but who knows. Excellent way to get the best balls for a better price. I would be interested to hear from someone who has had a bad experience with refurbished balls.

I recently picked up a RAM sandwedge at Sports Authority for $29. It actually is decent looking (gunmental) and preforms pretty well. I got it because the grooves are deep, similar to the new Cleveland zip grooves. This means more spin. I played with it for the first time the other day and hit a shot from about 110 out of the rough, and the ball checked up on the green and spun back. I checked the ball and it had marks on it which indicated to me that it cuts through the rough (and probably sand) well and to get a prov1x to spin back out of the rough is pretty good. Good investment for $29 bucks.

Pro v1 is a great ball for slower swing speeds. If you swing over 105mph, go with the v1x because it compresses more and as a result your distance will be better. The feel around the greens is not as soft as the v1, but it is still very soft. Both are great balls, but you should hit both to see which fits your game better because there really is a difference.

Wilson 8813. I've had it for 13 years, but I am thinking about switching to the TM Rosa Monte Carlo. I am tired of having to concentrate so much on my pace since the 8813 is a light weight blade. I figure the heavier putter will regulate the pace and I can swing lighter with better results. Any thoughts?

Just a word of caution, be careful what you wish for. Too much spin combined with average accuracy can be a really bad thing. I have seen to many guys concentrate so hard on hitting down on the ball to generate spin, that their accuracy is compromised and they are hitting the ball short of the hole, and then spinning it back off the green or to a lower tier, leaving them a three putt. Spin is usefull in some situations, but I think being able to hit the ball to a spot and have it stop is more usefull for my game. Personally, I would rather stick it than spin it.

One more thing about the guys playing Callaway, Nike, Taylor Made, etc on the tour. These guys have their clubs tinkered with and changed around so much, that it almost does not matter what brand they play because in most cases, it is far from what the average consumer buys. They get the pay check to play a brand, but what they actually go to the tournaments with is far from what that brand sells. I would be interested to see if there are any pros that play with "off the rack" clubs.

I was also in your situation about a month ago. I had heard the same stories about Mizunos and how they were great. I thought the same thing as you: "If they are so great, why doesnt everyone and their mother have them." I went to a few places that had simulators and started to hit some larger cavity back clubs, and was hitting them great. I tired the cavity backed Mizuno's and they felt good. I was talking to the guy who owned the store and told him about my game and what I shoot. He told me I should be looking and a forged or blade. I tried a few forged clubs and what a difference. I later went to a range to try the MP-60's. I was warmed up and hit my 6 iron (DCI oversize) three times, then hit the MP-60 three times and I felt like I was hitting a great 5 iron. I had also hit Titleist, taylor made, the new callaway x-forged (which were nice) and bridgestone blades (also nice). The Mizunos just felt better when I hit them pure. I am absolutely thrilled with the purchase I made. I have taken a few strokes off simply because my distance has increased in my 8,9,pw. These clubs are great and I would reccomend getting forged over cavity backs if you play frequently. My logic for why you do not see many people with Mizunos is because they are generally thought of as clubs that are harder to hit. Either that, or it could be that they usually run hundred shy of a grand! I love my mizunos and if you are going to get some, get the forged. In the long run, they will force you to strike the ball better.

Although it is very simple, I find that if I am having trouble striking the ball, I grab my three and four iron, and swing hard for about five or six swings on a practice tee. The added weight and bulk of the grip then make swinging one club a joke. Simple yet very effective for getting back to basics.

I guess it was a day for worsts. I was 2 over on the front from the tips with 6 consecutive pars at the turn. On the back: One part, three doubles, and four bogeys for a 47. 85 is not bad, but, frustrating as all hell when I shot 38 on the front. Ever have that thought after a double or triple like "wow, I didnt shoot that high on the ENTIRE side of the card and I just did on one stupid hole."

I have stayed at the hotel boardering the fairway furtheset from the water many times, and it is truly a senic course. As far as the course itself, I have walked it several times and it does not look as challenging as one may expect, for a SMART golfer. If you can play within yourself, you can shot low there. If you start trying to smash the ball, you will have a long day. Great venue though, and maybe one of these days I actaully bring my sticks on vacation with me.

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but you can hear it straight from the source on this one. I am a college coach (not golf) and its not a violation of any kind to receive free equipment as a student-athlete. A car is a violation, but that is comparing apples and oranges. As one poster wrote, Snowman, I am quite sure you did not pay for your helmet and pads when you played D 1 football. Things have changed in the way that equipment goes out of "style" much faster, so instead of refurbishing it, the athletes are allowed to keep it at the end of the season. Golf and lacrosse are two sports where I know this happens.

Again, its not a gift. They are being paid for. The vendors are not giving these clubs away. The athletes get them from the school, and they are paid for, at a discounted rate, but certainly paid for.

Snowman, I think you are misunderstanding what the meaning of "free" stuff means. Alumni and random vendors cannot give individuals free goods. However, the coaches and administrators pay the vendors or sponsors directly, and the athletes essentially get these things for "free." At major universities and colleges, I am sure each player can say to their coach, hey, I want to hit a set of these Callaways, and a month later, not like them, and get a different set. It is pretty common in equipment based sports like baseball, lacrosse, and golf. Free is free to the athletes, not the administrators and the university through which they recieve the equipment. PS. I hit the Callaway X-Forged and they are nice. You do not need to be a great striker to hit them. The best part about starting to hit blades and forged clubs is that you will not hit great shots with them until you work out the kinks in your swing. These type of clubs give you instant feedback, so if you are a good student, you will be hitting better in one week of practice. Once you start hitting them, you will see immediate difference in distance and accuracy. I got MP-60's and have added yardage to every club and knocked four strokes off my handicap.

I had the same problems you are describing. I was shooting in between 90 and 95 for 13 years. Everyone would tell me I had a great swing, and that I should "stick with it". This season, I went out with a different mentality, and after one round of shooting 81 three months ago, I have not touched 90 once and have shot as low as 75. The reason is confidence. I am not sure what experience you have in other sports, but success in other athletic endevours will help you to bring out your best golfing. When I approach the ball now, I KNOW I am going to hit a good shot. If I dont hit the shot I want, I have tried to train myself to have a short memory so the negativity will wash away. Once I realized I could hit the shot I wanted to hit everytime I stood over the ball, I started to score much lower.

10th hole on the Gold at Flanders Valley. Monster par 5, up hill the ENTIRE way. Tee shot into a fairway bunker with about 250 left. Lay up with the five iron to about 50 yards. Elevated blind pitch up to the green with a bunker to my left, and then pin slighty to the right of the bunker. I hit a half lob wedge and hit it crisp. It felt good and the line was good. Dropped off my bag, and walked up to the green. Shot of the day for me! I saw a ball mark about a foot past the hole, and the ball backed up to about four or five inches from the top of the cup. Tap in for birdie, which gave me two birdies in a row at that point. Went on to shoot 75, my best round in thirteen years of golf.

75 on Flanders Valley Red-Gold. Out in 39 with one bird, In with a 36 and four birds. Missed some easy putts, and had some great second shots to make up for not my best tee round. Had about 6-7 approaches within 8 feet. Thats my best round!

Mr. Buckethead, I was really interested in your par as a bird philosophy. I went out yesterday with that mindset, but I could not convince myself that a par was really as good as a bird. What ended up happening was that I got to complacent with not hitting a good approach. I hit 85% of fairways, however, my GIR's were terrible. This left me with a chip and sometimes a two put. I went out in 40 (36) and was in at 43(36) with no doubles on the card, which is within my normal range. I really tried to uphold the idea, but it got away from me. I must say, the area where this thought process helped trememndously was on 5's. I realized that I would rather hit my 3 iron to be in the fair way every time that try to get on in two, and likely shoot myself in the foot in the process. Thanks for the insight.

If you practice on grass, find a artificial surface to practice on and get some confidence. If you are already on the fake stuff, just relax and try to swing the right way, and not hit the ball. If you have hit your irons well in the past, there is no doubt you can do it again and the biggest problem with your swing is inbetween your ears.

I suppose that is it. For some reason I always had it in my head that a punch was a low flying ball resulting from a half swing further up in your stance, but I guess it has more to do with the follow through than anything. But like I said, it works!

This is probably really poor mechanics, but I hardly ever have a follow through when taking a divot. When I find myself 135 and in I find myself concentrating on striking down on the ball. This produces a nice high shot that stops and backs up everytime, and takes the perfect divots. My finish usually does not come up past my hip on my left side. The mechanics are likely off, but it has produced great results that leaves me with a two putt and the most.

12th hole, par 4 about 380. Hit a poor 3 iron off the tee with about 152 yards to the green, left side of the fairway. As I approached my ball, I realized I would have to lean against a tree and put the ball inside of another tree to get it out safely. The pin was front right, and I could not fade the ball because of the low overhang covering the left side of the fairway. My only choice was to hit the draw with my 8 and hope for a safe third shot. Struck it pure and caught a good role and put it 4 feet from the hole to the right. Blew the putt.

Sorry to infuse my tee problems here too, but I have been hitting a snap hook for the past two weeks off the tee. My ball will start out low and straight and then gradually curve left about 100 yards into flight. At the range, I can fix the problem, but out on the course, its in my head too much. Any suggestions?

It might be a good thing to do in order to gain confidence with your accuracy, but in the long run, you should practice to try and determine what the real issue is. As for the distance, I am no rocket scientist, but if your tempo and swing speed remained consistent, I would venture to say your ball would go half as far. If you experiment with a half swing and an increase in swing speed, you might get some good distance and better results. If you are not comfortable with your accuracy, it cannot hurt to experiment with your swing.

I just got up from my office chair and took a few practice swings and that is a great tip! I think taking my mind off of the problem and focusing on something small like that will help tremendously. I will let you know how it works out!