bwinger79

If you are going to Golfsmith to get fitted, they should be able to get you in the right set of irons. The TM r7's are probably the best iron on the market for "game improvement" without losing distance. The Callaway Fusion irons are also very good, but expensive. Again, with the amount of equipment on the market today it really comes down to personal preference. Some people need game improvement irons, but dont like looking down at the super thick top line that most are made with. Dont count out Mizuno. I know that they are know for their blades, but they have come along way with their higher handicap equipment.

There is a lot more equipment used on tour that is not what it seems than you think. I have a buddy that builds clubs for tour pros in AZ, and he lets me in on some of the secrets now and then. Anyway...... you are right iacas, this thread is about colored balls..... so back to that.

Both the UST V2 Hybrid and the Graphite Design YS hybrid are great shafts for the price. Fuji shafts tend to have pretty low torque ratings, hence the "boardy" feel. I would look for something in the mid 3's for torque(3.5-3.7). Ultimately, there are so many shafts on the market these days that it really comes down to personal preference.

You cant take your swing speed with a driver and use it for iron shaft fittings. You may be able to get it up to 110 with a 45" club, but I guarantee you cant with a 5 or 6 iron. Iacas was correct in saying that most likely you need a stiff flex shaft.

You are going about it the right way. Get your swing so it is repeatable before you go to get fit. Otherwise you are just wasting your time. The extra 1/4 inch on your shafts could mean that your irons are still too upright for you. You could always go the cheap way an have them butt trim the shafts 1/4 inch, but depending on the shaft it may throw off the entire flex profile. I would play with them for while until you get your swing right where you want it and then get professionally fit. The online tools will give you a general direction as to what you will need, but there is not substitute for getting professionally fit.....and that goes for all clubs, even your putter.

Man.... if there were one thing I could tell all golfers it would be to get your equipment fit to you and your swing. I know most people dont have Hotstix right around the corner for a dynamic fitting, but a static fitting is better than no fitting at all. At 5'5" I would have to guess that "off the rack" clubs arent going to fit you. Chances are your clubs are both too long and too upright for you.... but thats just a guess.

Dont worry Bean..... I lived in Columbia, SC for about 8 months and had to leave. I dont think that place could ever "grow on me". Great golf in December though. Other than that..... I really didnt see anything else I liked about the place.

I believe that Nike had that Black ball on tour for one tournament, and Tiger never used it. Last I heard from one of my tour connects was that Tiger was trying out a Bridgestone proto, even though it was badged as Nike. You will find that alot of players on tour play things that arent as they seem, like the shafts in half of the drivers of the TaylorMade staffers. You guys dont think they are all playing that Reax shaft do you? Paint can be very confusing to people watching on TV.

The only way you are going to save yourself from wasting $300-$500 is to hit drivers on a launch monitor. I couldnt agree more with iacas. You left many drivers off that list that may be better suited for your game. 100-110 is not an X flex. Keep with a stiff, but like I said, take the hour and hit everything on a launch monitor. Only other question I have is why were you hitting a FT-3 TOUR? Do you have an abnormally high launch? Most 13 caps dont benefit at all from "tour" driver models. LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......LAUNCH MONITOR.......

If you are able to pure your 7-PW, then the problem you are most likely having with your longer irons is mental. Its the same swing, just a longer club. I see many people get that longer club in their hand and immediately over swing trying to get more distance than they need out of the club. Get to the range with your 4-6 iron and try hitting straight shots 140ish yards. This will slow your tempo down and allow you to focus on form. One you are hitting the ball on the line you want, start speeding your swing back up to its normal speed, making sure that you are still hitting the target line you are aiming for. Put that 4 iron in your hand and make your 8 iron swing, you'd be amazed how well you will hit the ball when you arent trying so hard.

You certainly have a little reverse pivot in your swing. I see that you arent getting your weight shifted to your rear foot on your backswing. Focus on turning behind the ball. Also, dont let your rear(right) leg knee flex sooooo much in your backswing. Your right knee is getting outside your right hip on your backswing which is going to lead to all sorts of issues. Try adding a little more turn and a little less slide to your swing. Your buddy on the other hand looks like he needs to move about a foot further away from the ball and really needs to bend at his hips, keeping his torso straight.

Go with the Powerbands. I have owned every brand and type of golf shoe on the market and I have never been more pleased with a golf shoe. Total comfort and performance.

Not necessarily. There are too many variables for me to say a softer ball would help without knowing your swing. Typically, the slower the swing, the more backspin you need on a drive to keep the ball up in the air. But this varies due to different swing types, attack angles, launch angles etc. The only way you can really know what ball works best for you is to test different balls on a launch monitor. If you dont feel like paying for that, you can just buy some different balls, play a few rounds with the different balls, and see what ball is giving you the results you are looking for as far as distance off the tee, trajectory, and feel around the greens, although I would really recommend hopping on a launch monitor.

The Callaway X Hot is nothing more than a line of oversized fairway woods. They are pretty good sticks though. If you are having alot of trouble hitting driver then something a little more lofted like a 3wood may help you keep it in the fairway. Just remember that the X Hot 3wood is 44" long stock, so you might not find much directional improvement with your shots. All in all, a great club though.

Couple easy fixes for ya..... 1- Make sure you turn behind the ball and get your weight off your front foot. 2- Flat left wrist(for right handed players) at the top of your backswing. A bent left wrist at the top of the swing makes it very difficult for most amateurs to return the club to a proper impact position(inside-out). 3- Drop the club down, keeping it on plane, before you start to unwind your hips. This is going to be the hardest thing to ingrain into muscle memory for a "over the topper". Many a range ball will be needed before you bring this move to the course with any consistency.

What effect if any does this process have on the grooves? Are you still getting the same spin rates from the clubs after bluing them? I gotta say, the wedge looks awesome. The green paint is amazing combined with the blued wedge.

I am 5'11" and use a 32.5" putter. Ever since I cut 1/2 inch off it I have been hitting my line a lot more often, and sinking a lot more putts.

Different balls are going to carry different distances for everyone. Some people need the increased spin of a softer ball to help keep the ball in the air longer. Some, on the other hand, need less spin. The only way you are going to find the ball that works best for you and your swing is to test them on a launch monitor, which most people will never shell out the money for even though it is a negligible cost(around $40 at most places). Be careful that you don't go and sacrifice feel for distance though. Hitting 300yd drives wont lower your score as much as a killer short game will, so make sure you can still spin the ball around the greens.

If you guys think ProV's fly far, pick up a box of Nike One Black. I guarantee you will like them as much, if not better than the ProV1x's. If you need a softer ball, buy the platinums.

Instead of trying a shaft with a different flex, try a shaft with a lower torque rating. This should keep the head a little more square for you and eliminate the weak shot right. A shaft with a lower torque rating may feel a little like a board to you, so you may have to play around with different shafts until you get the right combination of feel and stability through impact.

Rockbottomgolf.com is a great site for clubs.

Really???... a golf pro told you this? If you are hitting 180yd worm burners no driver in the world is going to help you, regardless of loft or shaft kickpoint. If your mind is set on buying a new driver, then I would suggest still getting fit at a facility that has a launch monitor. At least you will know which driver suits your swing. I would also recommend a facility that has some sort of fitting cart that allows to you try different shafts in different heads. Something like the Callaway Opti-Fit system. Dont spend $300+ on a driver "off the shelf" when you can get fit and have any manufacturer build the driver to your specs for free. Most places wont charge for the launch monitor or fitting if you purchase the club from them. The only downside to this is that you may have to wait a week or two to get your new stick.

I have bought countless clubs off E-bay and have never had an issue. Make sure you know your seller, use Paypal in case you do get a knock off, and know what you are looking for. You can always get the serial number off the clubs(usually 5 iron) from the seller and call the manufacturer to make sure they are real before you purchase them.

Lets not forget that the longest hitter on tour uses a hot pink shaft. I dont think anyone will care what color it is when you start sinking everything inside 10 feet.

FT-i hands down when you are standing over the ball. It has the most appealing look of any of the MOI machines on the market, although you will lose considerable distance with it. Performance wise, the Hi-Bore XL blows the other "odd looking" drivers out of the water if you put the right shaft in it. Great club combo'd with the Diamana Whiteboard.