play4him

Man, you do play a lot, don't you ? To re-grip twice a year. So tell me what makes the new grips so nice ?

There's no doubt that technology has made the game easier as far as clubs and balls. The combination helps people hit it farther and straighter, sometimes :). One of the main areas I see it helping the pros is the ability to stop the ball out of the rough. It's negated the penalty of hitting the rough, unless their playing the U.S. Open. I guess what I was thinking, as far as equipment helping someones game, is that it's not going to help a person shooting in the 90's to all of a sudden start shooting in the 70's. That person has to work on their game. There are no miracle clubs. It seems to me that the oversize clubs can make a lot of people lazy, because they don't have to hit the sweet spot everytime. But there will always be people who will reach for the next great thing.

Time will tell, but he definitely has game !

I won't tell you which one to buy because you'll have to make that choice, but I will tell you about my choice. I picked up a 19* Titleist 585 about a month ago. I love the way it sets up and the feel of the club. I've been very happy with it off the tee or off the deck. In fact, I just added a 17* 585, because I was so impressed with the other. I'll probably interchange them depending on the course I'm playing. I'm sure the Taylor Made is a great club as well. You just need to find which one works for you. BTW - Both of my hybrids have the X-Stiff shaft which works well for me. That's another decision you'll have to make, as to which shaft works best for your swing.

I use to play in a lot of tournaments, as it was a way to stay sharp and also pay for my golf equipment. Over the last several years, I really cut back on even playing golf. I started coaching my kids in different sports, and investing in their lives. I thought I would really miss it, but found that I didn't. Just recently I've started getting back into it a little more. Mainly hitting balls with my kids and helping them on their game. I'll probably start playing in a few tournaments, but nothing like I use to.

I know back when I played in college, I went more than one round without a bogey but not sure exactly how long. I've done it since on different occasions, but definitely not as often as when I was played a lot.

I think a lot of people feel like they need the latest, greatest thing to improve their game. I learned the game with a set of Chi Chi Rodriguez clubs from K-Mart. They had the old Wood woods, and the heads on the irons were small compared to today's models. I started out shooting about 115 -118, but was down to 98 by the end of my first year. By the time my sophmore year started I was shooting in the high 70's. I say this because it wasn't the equipment that made me better, it was working on my game. I know the new equipment makes the game easier, but that will only take you so far. You have to work at the game to truly improve.

I got hit back in high school. We were waiting in the fairway to hit our second shots, when a ball hit me right above the left elbow on the fly. No "Fore" or anything. It was a guy on our hole teeing off. I couldn't believe he didn't say anything. It took quite a few minutes to get my feeling back in my arm. Needless to say, I was a little jumpy every time I heard "Fore" for awhile.

Wow ! What a place to grow up. I've been there a few times to practice rounds and as you say, you wouldn't even know it was there from the outside. But once you step through the gates, it's a little bit of heaven on earth. If I could play one course, Augusta National would be my choice ! All I can say is what a great privilege it will be for you to play it, if you get that chance.

I can't speak for Iacas, but I have a 19* Titleist 585. The way I vary my distance is by gripping down on it or by just swinging smoothly. I noticed the other day, I had to lay up on a Par 5 and just swung smoothly and got about 225 out of it. Off the tee on another hole, I hit it 250. So I really like the versatility that I've found with this club. I liked it so much that I bought a 17*, as well. I have X-stiff shafts on both of them. I never had problems hitting long irons, but had heard so much from others about hybrids that I went ahead and tried one. I'm glad I did.

I prefer to walk and carry. It's definitely more healthy for me and I find I enjoy the scenery a lot more when I walk. In most scrambles, you're in such a hurry to get to the ball in the cart, you miss a lot of the beauty. It seems they're building courses nowadays that almost require a cart, because of the distances between holes or the elevation changes.

I just picked up a 19* Titleist 585. I really like it. It works well off the tee, as well as the fairway & rough. I'm also going to try a 17* Titleist that I'll probably swap back and forth with the 19*, depending on the course I'm playing. I don't try to hit down on it, but prefer to sweep it with my hybrids & long irons.

My screen name is play4him which I came up with as a reminder to play golf, guitar or whatever I'm doing for God.

Before I had kids I played a lot of tournament golf, as well as plenty of friendly rounds. It was very important to me at the time. I was shooting par or better every round, so in my mind I justified it. Once I started having children my priorites changed. Golf just wasn't as important to me anymore. I thought I would really miss it as I cut back playing, but found out there are more important things than my golf game. As my children grew I got involved coaching Basketball, Baseball, and eventually Golf for my children. My yearly rounds decreased even more, but I wouldn't trade it for the time I spent with my children. I know it's been said that quality time is more important than quantity, but I disagree. My children know by what I do what is really important to me. I know I only have this one chance to spend time with them because they grow up so fast. I believe the amount of time I've spent with my children will make a difference not only in our relationship, but in the quality of person they become. I think the best thing I've learned, and tried to convey to my children is that this life is not just about ourselves.

Start going over your golf season and think about clubs you never hit or maybe hit once or twice a round. I only carry two woods, so it was easy for me to make room for my gap wedge. Now, I've added a hybrid so I'll eliminate my 3 iron which I hardly ever hit anyway. Just go over your own game, and look at what you really hit and what sits in the bag week to week. Then make the appropriate changes to strengthen your game. It may vary from course to course, but you can adjust for that.

Well, it's pretty easy for me because I play all Titleist now. I really like the way they set up & feel, and appreciate their looks.

You know when you really catch it sweet, it's almost like you don't feel it because there's no resistance. Now that's a nice feeling !!!

I think most of the better players can relate to what your saying. A lot of that has to do with hitting the ball in the sweet spot each time. The better someone becomes the more they hit it in the middle of the club. Take a look at a low handicapper's clubs and you'll notice where they've been hit most often in the sweet spot. That it what I work on with my kids. Trying to get them not to worry so much where the ball is going, but try to hit the ball solid each time.

I've always heard that was the reason for the sunglasses. His eyes are very sensitive to light. I always thought he looked good in the glasses. I wished I would have taken the time to do a pencil sketch of him back when I was drawing some of the pros.

Thinking about a beautiful swing made me think about a golfer who's on the Senior Tour now. Back in the 70's & 80's, Tom Purtzer was always known for having one of the best, if not the best swings on tour. But if you look at his record, he never was considered a top player. It reminded me how just having a good swing is not enough. I remember one of the guys on my college golf team had what I considered the best swing on the team. But he could hardly break 80, which left him home on tournament days. It's amazing how if you look at some of the great players (Palmer, Trevino, Player, and even Nicklaus with his left heel coming high off the ground) their swings were not perfect. But they perfected what they had.

My story is just about an autograph, but it's about what happened that makes it special. I took my oldest son down to Southern Hills for a 2001 U.S. Open practice round. As different pros went by I would tell him their names, so he could call out to them and possibly get an autograph. Well after awhile he had collected quite a few. Then out of the blue, Hale Irwin rode by in a golf cart. There were quite a few people standing around and not one even recognized him. I told my son who it was, but by that time Hale was close to clubhouse. My son took off behind the ropes toward the clubhouse. Hale was busy putting some things in his bag when out of nowhere I hear a high pitched voice yell "Hale", "Hale". Hale looked up and pointed toward someone and motioned them to the players entrance to the clubhouse. I looked down the ropes and there goes my son running toward the entrance. The marshalls stop him, but Hale apparently told them to let him in. He proceeded to sign an autograph for my son and spend a little time talking with him. I had always thought of Hale as a great player, but not very personable. But that day changed my opinion of Hale Irwin. :)

That's been a tip from a lot of pros when they want to make sure they hit it straight. They choke up a little.

I've always liked David mainly because of his golf game. He could really go low, which is always fun to watch. I can still remember watching him shoot his 59. I would love to see him make a complete comeback, which might never happen. But then again, look at what Steve Stricker has done.

As far as rhythm I like to watch Ernie Els & Fred Couples. As far as technique I like Adam Scott & Charles Howell III.

Don' forget about Alice Cooper & Vince Gill.