stogiesnbogies

~~You said: ." I show respect to those who show me respect. Youve shown me none, thus you get what you get and have no one to blame but yourself. You can look up all the great quotes that you want in an attempt to make yourself seem superior but the simple fact is that youve had a history of an arrogant, know-it-all attitude where youve made it clear that you know more than anyone else does. Perhaps instead of attacking, insulting and name calling; you should make some clear, valid, logical points to support your beliefs." Fact is that your initial unfounded, mean-spirited and over-the-top criticism of my Original thread praising the Cleveland Niblick back in 2011 !! was my "introduction" to the kind of arrogant, surly behavior which you continue to display -absolutely uninvited and unwarranted to this very day. That was one of my very first posts on this board and that was the manner in which you "welcomed" me to thesandtrap !!!!! But worse yet, you never, ever let the thread go as you insist with a troll-like attitude to invoke unprovoked digs at me such as the niblick comment in this unrelated thread! Your comments in this thread -some three years later -are equally mean spirited , non-constructive, and continue to attempt a bully-like approach of yet again harping back to the Niblick thread without any provocation or even reference to the Niblick in my "Baseball Grip " Thread. You claim that it is I who"~~should make some clear, valid, logical points to support your beliefs."...and that is precisely what all the other posters who responded positively to this thread essentially said I had done when expressing their appreciation for it's existence since it is something that they too have been experimenting with and enjoyed sharing. And indeed I enjoyed sharing it with them as I previously said. Fact is that the "History of arrogant, know-it-all attitude posts where "you've made it clear that you know more than anyone else" is a projection from your own feelings of insecurity and are not in any way substantiated by facts .....provide some archive threads that YOU think demonstrate this behavior and you will discover that the snarky, arrogant "know-it-all, mean spirited posts are no one elses but YOURS ! You have not only initiated them but continue to post them to this very day.-In totally unrelated threads which only underscores the severity of your condition. And once you are capable of acknowledging that this has indeed been the case for some many years now, you will then perhaps explain how your comments here in this thread, were in any way valid, constructive and added value to the thread. Then I would suggest you simply follow your own much needed advice that you've falsely projected upon me: you said: "~~ Perhaps instead of attacking, insulting and name calling; you should make some clear, valid, logical points to support your beliefs." and if you find yourself incapable of doing that I would request that you simply ignore my threads in the future and leave them to those who wish to add value and constructively share their experiences. If you are not capable of this , then I shall indeed need to alert the moderator of your continuous harassment -for there is simply no other description befitting your behavior. " It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." Mark Twain

Hi fellow posters, I've been away from this board for some time and truly enjoyed getting caught up on your many constructive and insightful posts regarding the baseball grip. First, I wish to thank all the posters who have expressed appreciation for my OP here. Fascinating to see how many golfers have indeed tried and succeeded with the "baseball grip" despite conventional wisdom's admonishments against it. I believe that good golf boards should support threads where individuals are encouraged to explore new ideas and approach them with a sense of openness .....unlike Gaijingolfers' unhelpful and snarky comments here about yet another club he ridicules, namely the Cleveland Niblick..These kind of comments only serve to inhibit the very purpose of the discussion board as a place where" thinking aloud" and "thinking allowed" may thrive. From his closed minded, hyper critical tone and attitude one would be surprised to learn that he's a less than modest 20 handicap according to his own admission....meanwhile this past year my handicap has dropped from 18 to 15 -thanks in large part to remaining open to new ideas and approaches including the baseball grip and the Cleveland Niblick amongst others. The overwhelmingly favorable response to this thread and the discovery that many other golfers have succeeded with this "unconventional" grip only underscores the fact that conventional thinking is merely the consensus of conventional minds. And as Emerson aptly pointed out: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines". ... as well as some narrow-minded, mean spirited posters stuck at 20+ handicaps. Fairways and Greens, mates.

It's possible that he was misspeaking and it's also possible that the PGA is making one last effort on behalf of some of their members but then again there are some big name players who represent $$$$ corporate sponsors that use the anchored putter including world #2 Adam Scott ......and there are also guys like Tim Clarke who have congenital conditions that do not make it possible to swing a conventional putter.....so I do suspect that there is still some kind of behind the scenes efforts going on....

There were no details provided during the telecast. Simply that the PGA was seeking a "Grandfather's Clause". but I would speculate that it might be use of putter over several or more seasons....and as I said previously the PGA is unlikely to be the only pro tour seeking this as the Euro Tour and especially the Champions Tour are loaded with anchored putter users. Personally, I see no reason not to allow the Champions Tour to continue using the long stick as the older guys are truly entertainers -more so than other tours. BTW: While I too am a senior and I have always used a traditional length putter (actually rather short by many people's standards at 33 inches) so I do not have any skin in this game, mate! Just sayin'.

"~~When did they seek this? I've only seen the item in which they seek a 15 year delay for recreational golfers." One of the announcers mentioned it in passing during last weekends TV PGA coverage.

....I've tried them all from V1, V1X to agua balls and keep returning home to the humble DT So/Lo....best all around performance for my senior swing speed and putts beautifully....price is right as well at about 20 bucks a dozen.

While the USGA and R&A; are traditionally the governing bodies of the game, the PGA is the cash cow....it is sponsored by a who's who of corporate heavyweights so I would not be so quick to predict that some kind of accommodation may yet be made for the anchored putter players.....we shall see.

It's starting to look like the anchor putter may well not be obsolete as rumor has it that the PGA is seeking a "Grandfather Clause" which would allow guys like Scott, Keegan Bradley etc. to continue using it...should this become reality one should expect the Champions Tour to follow suit ASAP since so many players use it on that tour including Freddie and Langer.

One additional thought: If you like your 56 and 60 wedges it is very likely that you can also get a gap wedge from the same model line. However you should try and demo several different ones so that you have some idea of the range of possibilities. Enjoy the process and find the one that works best for you.

I play a hybrid iron set (Cleveland HiBore 3 ) which is hybrids 3-PW with great results. Average 10 yards more (and far straighter!) with each club over traditional irons. I'm now a 15 handicap and was a 17 before I put these bad boys in my bag early last year. However I am a senior player with slower swing speed so this may or may not be useful for you. In any event, you are probably going to want to dump those 3i and 4i since they are far more difficult for most people to hit and don't have the distance of a well struck hybrid. Anyway....looking at your club set up , you might consider dropping the 3 iron/hybrid all together since the 3W covers you there and in its place consider a Gap Wedge. Looks like you have PW, SW and LW so there's a hole in your distances that the gap wedge ( sometimes called "A" Wedge or "D" wedge depending on manufacturer ) would fill. They are usually around 49 degrees loft and very useful from about 100 yards in. Many people also pitch and chip with them as well. Good Luck.

There is no club in the bag more important or subjective than the old flat stick. Ask 3 golfers what the best putter may be and expect at least a dozen opinions.....and remember that opinions they indeed be.....not necessarily appropriate for your stroke and set up, etc.. I would suggest that you consider getting a putter fitting at a place like Dick's Sporting Goods . It is relatively inexpensive and a portion of the fee can be put toward a putter purchase. You need to determine whether you are a "straight-back-and-straight-through" style stroke or an "In and out" "swinging gate" style putter of the ball.. This, along with critical components such as length , lie and loft can be determined by a good fitter. That said ; The TaylorMade Daytona #1 is a very good club for the money. I have one with the older but excellent AGSI insert in my putter rotation as my go-to blade....however I tend to favor mallets so my "gamer" is an Odyssey White Ice Sabertooth which I absolutely love....backed up by an Odyssey Metal-X #7 that competes ardently for bag time as well..... I would suggest that you check out Odyssey putters in general as IMO, they present the very best quality for the dollar in putter lines. FYI: I have tried a friends Scotty Newport and it seems like a very good club indeed.....just IMO not c. $400.00 worth of "better" than my Odysseys and Taylormade Daytona. Enjoy the process, try as many as you can on real greens that you most often play....try not to get caught up in all the buzz around brands, names and price tags..... Remember: The best putter for you is the one that puts the ball in the hole most frequently with the fewest attempts . Best of Luck finding the putter that speaks to your game.

Golfsmith and Dick's Sporting Goods are rock solid on-line club sites too.

Speaking of semantics that same club is called a Gap Wedge, Approach Wedge and don't forget the Dual Wedge ( marked with a "D" on the sole.) They are indeed essentially all the same club with loft from 49 degrees up until you border on the "Sand wedge" which starts at approx. 54 degrees ... Another thing that has made this issue more complicated besides the multiple names is the often great range of lofts using the same name. OEM's have strengthened most lofts in virtually all iron sets in recent years in order to market them as "longer" than the previous 7 iron etc. For Example, Many of todays 7 irons are yesterdays 6 irons - no wonder we hit that new 7 iron so much longer!! LOL

Yes...that plus the fact that in many cases , range balls are just beat to hell! LOL

Totally agree! I have played the Bridgestone E6 (very good but bit harder than so/lo) , B330RX (arguably the Rolls Royce of balls for slower swing speeds but alas, with a Rolls Royce price tag!) Wilson Staff Duo and Fifty Elite (both okay, imo) but NOTHING has the overall tee to green performance of the humble Titleist DT So/Lo!!! Great ball at a great price point for most amateurs-especially those with slower swing speeds which, of course is most amateurs. LOL

Yes they do work but are most definitely non-conforming and illegal regarding USGA/ R and A rules. That said I have tried them for fun and they are a hoot.....I sometimes see hackers who have neither the talent nor desire to improve their game play them and it's a kick for them to finally experience hitting a ball straight ...perhaps straight into the woods...but straight. LOL They are especially popular with hacks who play par 3 courses for obvious reasons....and so long as everyone understands that its just for kicks...there's no harm I suppose...

Methinks we're all in agreement on that point. At between 40-50 bucks a dozen these are definitely not agua balls, eh? :)

Yup.....the 330RX is a very good ball indeed- it's essentially the "V1" for amateur swing speeds with great feel around the greens, etc. ....everyone seems to like it -except perhaps your accountant. LOL

Frankly , the very best of the Bridgestone balls for the vast majority of amateurs is the B330 RX but now we're talking Pro V1 kind of cash....about 50 bucks per dozen.

I was not in any way endorsing magazine reviews as they are indeed often anything but impartial. I was simply providing someone with general data/background information that they can consider regarding a particular ball which I find most satisfactory for my game. I thank you to not put words in my mouth regarding some insinuation that I endorse the concept of buying equipment based upon a magazine review.

Titleist So/Lo goes for about 20 dollars per dozen....not 40 bucks, mate! Perhaps your confusing it with the higher end Titleist models such as Pro V1 or Pro V1X or maybe the NXT Tour or NXT Tour S models. I personally play and love So/Lo s as they are inexpensive -about 20 bucks a dozen and less on sale...yet perform exceptionally well for my slower swing speed....they are indeed Soft and Long as in the name "So/Lo". Golf Digest gave them a gold medal hot list virtually every year and this year said that the least expensive Titleist (the So/Lo) was quite likely the best value for the amateur player. I couldn't agree more. And they do indeed putt well as you mentioned. If you want to try some other balls from the same price range that I have found to be quite good as well -try Bridgestone e6, Wilson Staff Duo, and Wilson Staff 50 Elite. These are all comparable balls from the same price range of about 20 bucks per dozen. Eventually you will find one that fits your game and gives you confidence. Hope this helps. Play well.

Funny....I feel the same way but give the edge to the DT So/Lo....slightly but noticeably better around the greens and with the flat stick.

Funny game isn't it?! Sounds like the flip flops made you react in much the same way as a golfer returning from an injury....cautious enough not to over swing and consequently play good golf! However, I'm not sure which is more dangerous : playing in flip flops or borrowing your bosses sticks. LOL

I've seen guys at my club play barefoot..."natural golf" style. However, If they had a little chat with the course super and learned a bit about the range of pesticides etc. they spray into the course they might think again. He11, I feel edgy just picking up my ball with a bare hand after talking with him! LOL

Wilson Staff 50 elite is a good ball -especially for slower swing speeds...50 compression feels good off the driver etc. and definitely putts nice too.....I play those when I'm not playing the ever reliable Titleist DT So/Lo...both great balls for a great price.. .BTW: .the Wilson Staff Duo is a 40 compression ball that really has distance and isn't bad either....and lastly in this "low price range" around 20- 25 bucks per dozen is the Bridgestone "Fix" ball which is a 3 piece that replaced the treospeed....haven't played the "Fix" but it's a Bridgestone and one of my playing partners likes it a lot.