Divotmaker77

Had a set of the MP 54's. Great clubs but did not offer the forgiveness and distance I was hoping for. Currently looking at the new JPX900's. Beautiful design and based on the reviews are great performing clubs.

I bought one back last winter. It works outside but you have to hit off a mat and not in direct sunlight. If you want something to use on the range a lot then you are going to have to spend a lot more money and get the GC2. I used my Skytrak in my garage in a cage setup I constructed. Played The Golf Club with it. IMO, if you have a nice room setup to where you can freely swing and all then its not a bad option. If you have the $ to spend then the GC2 is the better option. In my case, its useless right now because of how hot it is outside and the garage being a sauna. If you ask me right now, I wish I never bought it because I spent a lot of $ on the whole setup for it to be collecting dust right now, but when it gets cooler I know it will be worth it again. Overall, its not a perfect unit but it simply comes down to getting a ton of technology at an affordable price. I would love to have a Trackman, Flightscope, etc. but its just priced to high. Accuracy wise, its not bad. Again, its not a Flightscope or Trackman but for the golfer who is on a more limited budget, wants to continue working on their game during the winter, and wants to have some buddies over to drink some cold ones and have blast playing the best courses in the world in the privacy of your own home its a pretty darn good deal. My advice is if you get one get the warranty and also get the protective case. The biggest thing I did not like about it was how close to the ball the unit has to be positioned at and being scared to death that I accidentally shank a shot or something else and hit the unit. The protective case will give you peace of mind and after some time getting used to it, its not a big deal.

A high HC player has bigger issues than the ball they are using. Spend the money on lots of lessons and get cheap balls until you can hit the ball consistently. Personally, I hover in the 8-12 HC range and as I have gotten better over the years the type of ball I use has everything to do with what performs best on the greens I am playing on. ProV1's tend to be my preferred choice, but sometimes I will play with Bridgestone E6 or something else cheaper and get good performance as well. The TM Project (a) may be the best cheaper ball option that performs as good as the most expensive balls.

If this is indeed true, guess is he has a strong group of investors behind him and a plan to bring many of the top Nike pros over to TM. Highly doubt he would be involved in the everyday dealings. Even though he has not played much, the TW brand is still very strong and I am sure would help push some product.

Scheduled an appointment next month and was just wondering if anyone has had an experience with this? Tired of going to the Golfsmith's of the world that juice up their launch monitors to sell product and salesmen who really do not know what they are doing when fitting. Also want to be able to hit balls outside to see their true ball flight and distance and believe Titleist uses the Trackman for precise numbers. My current bag is respectable but I am getting ready to join a club and will start putting some serious rounds in this coming year and want to go ahead and make sure I am playing with the right equipment and ball. I want to do some comparisons with my current equipment versus what the Titleist rep offers me to compare with, but did not know how many shaft selections, etc. they offer and how much time the rep will put into helping me make the best decision/purchase.

I knew pretty early on that TM was going to crash and burn. I think they probably knew as well but guys were getting rich so they continued their reckless behavior. Same happened with the banks, etc. Greed seems to destroy a lot of people. Like the article said, the innovation and technology at first was very noticeable and that is why I like many others gravitated towards TM products. I think what was the final straw for me was when the Rocketballz lineup came out. First, I thought the name was ridiculous. Still think it is. When they promised 20 more yards that was all I needed to know. I cannot tell you how many guys I played with who bought them were bragging how much better they were hitting the ball and when we played they continued to hit the ball all over the place and their great shots were not going any further than they were before. It was masterful marketing on TM part and many bought it hook line and sinker. The RB Stage 2 and R1 were complete disasters. The colors were hideous and the clubs did not perform any different. I did not know hardly anyone who bought them. The last TM product I bought was the R11 driver and frankly it was not that good a performer for me. It looked awesome though when it first came out. TM really did hit a home run with the color change. I will say though that guys I play with that now have the M1 and M2 have been hitting the ball further. Not crazy further but it does appear to be a high performing club. I am a Titleist guy now and happy about it. They do not come out with something new every 6 months and their clubs hold good value. Performance is second to none and they are a company who has always been a staple in the golf industry and I expect them to continue to be an elite brand when others come and go.

Glad he is coming back but have zero confidence his back is going to hold up. Swinging a club thousands of times at 115-120+ MPH with the back surgeries he has had is a recipe for more disaster. I know he is using very good doctors, trainers, etc. but the best team in the world is not going to miraculously heal a 40 year old guy who has put a ton of mileage on his body. If he can come back and make one last big run these next 5-7 years Pro Golf may experience its best run ever with all the talent that is on tour now.

A club or ball does not know who is swinging/hitting it. Both are only going to perform to the level of the person hitting them. Yes, a shaft can make a difference, but if you are slicing it very likely has a lot to do with poor mechanics. Manipulating a club (adjustable drivers, etc) is not going to fix bad mechanics or habits in a golf swing. That is where tons of golfers go wrong both from a frustration and financial point. I used to be that guy who blamed my equipment for poor play until I got lessons and learned how bad my swing was. Years later and countless hours of lessons, range sessions, rounds, etc. I am at a point where each time I make a bad shot I know most of the time why and its not the equipment's fault.

The "best" clubs tend to be the ones that get the most marketing push behind them. Manufacturers can only do as much as what will conform to today's rules. I have tried several brand drivers and frankly the numbers really are not much different except when I use different shafts. To me, it really just comes down to what looks best to you, are you married or have a crush on a certain brand, and what feels best when you hit balls. Obviously, there are differences between a Game Improvement and Players iron. No doubt, technology has improved greatly in the last 10 years. A club that is 10 years old will not perform as well as a brand new club, but unless you are great player I am not sure you are really going to notice a major difference.

I can't imagine the next release of irons are going to be revolutionary enough to wait over a year to get. Only reason I may wait is hoping the 716's come down in price, but I am not sure they will come down enough that's worth the wait. Same applies to the 915 driver. Not sure the 917 is going to be that much better to spend an extra $150+ to get instead of the 915D2.

Have looked around on the internet and only see info on the next 917 Driver release, but was wondering if anyone knew when Titleist was going to announce/release their next line of AP1/AP2 series of irons? I have been looking at the 716 line, but thought I would wait to see when they release the next ones to see which ones I want to get.

The problem with Golf is that it oversaturated itself with too many courses and the manufacturers made too much equipment. Taylormade is the blueprint on what not to do. A new club line release every month (it seemed). I go to stores and see tons of older equipment on the shelves that never sold because a new line would come out right after the previous one did. Also, the equipment is simply overpriced. There is no way the average golfer is going to spend $500 on a new driver, $1000 on new irons, the list goes on. I think Golf needs to take a step back and reel itself in a bit. Manufacturers need to quote releasing so much new equipment all the time and sell what they release much for longer span. A club released today is not going to dramatically change anyone's game who has equipment that is less than 3-5 years old. Release a new line every 2-3 years. How do you get more people playing? Today's society is all about instant gratification, doing things quickly, and the younger generations have been raised on technology instead of getting out of the house and doing things. Golf has to find a way to make it cheaper to play but also quicker to play. Too many courses do a terrible job in pace of play control and the cost to play is too much for many folks.

I used to be a hardcore TM guy. Entire set was all TM. However, I got tired of spending a fortune on a set and then 3 months later they come out with something new. Frankly, the equipment I bought was not groundbreaking stuff. I just bought what was on the shelf and went about my business. As I have gotten better and more educated on equipment, I have become more "snobbish" about what I play with. I do my homework and I test everything out. I have moved away from TM because I simply play better with other brands. TM kept marketing I would get 15+ more yards with every club and it never happened. I eventually wised up and realized I needed to put my money and time in lessons and fix my mechanics. Once I did, I was able to go and legitimately test Titleist and other high quality equipment that I simply hit better. Do not get me wrong, TM is still a good product. I think their biggest issue is folks have caught on to their marketing act and many feel they were taken advantage of over the years. No way am I going to spend $500 on a new driver that will be outdated in 6 months or less and frankly is not going to give me any better numbers than what I play with now.

JMO, go to a golf store and find a quality used set. I was at Golfsmith last week and saw several high quality used iron sets that would retail for $1000 and were on sale for around $600. Some were obviously used a lot and some looked like they have barely been used. Remembering back when I was your age I was broke so I would have looked hard for the best used set I could find. As you get older and have more income you can splurge and get that latest and greatest new set. Brands wise, everyone is different. I play with Mizuno's, but I have no problems with Titleist, etc. I am a big believer in getting fitted. So, sometimes going the used route is a little more suspect, but if you find some forged clubs you should be able to bend them to your fitting. Just make sure they have the right shafts for your swing.

I recently bought a Titleist 915 5 wood. I absolutely crush the ball with it. Is perfect off the tee on shorter courses. I can't remember the last time I used my 3 wood. Like others have said, it totally depends on the player and their swing. By no means is it dead though.

Everyone has their own swings, preferences in styles, and budgets. I am not a believer in TM anymore because they have oversaturated the market with products that are not as revolutionary like they claim them to be. Jason Day hits the ball a mile because he is Jason Day and is the #1 player in the world. Average Joe's like me are not going to see that kind of benefit from a club if we have equipment that is less than 3-5 years old. If you have an older driver and have the cash to spend then by all means go get fitted and buy one, but all of these manufacturers will have yet another new club come out in the next few months that will change your game and products like the M1 will be reduced in price and collect dust on racks just like everything else TM has released.

Have tried it several times and its just not in the cards. Think it would be great to have a girlfriend or wife who is a good golfer to play with, but mine stinks at it and she is not ever going to try and get better. We finally agreed she will do her thing (shop) and I will golf. That is our time away from one another doing what we like best.

Agree with making the courses more walker friendly. I am at an age where I can handle longer courses with hills, etc. but some courses have really long distances to the next tee box making it impossible for someone to walk and keep pace of play. As I get older I would love to be able to play courses that are easier to walk and keep pace of play plus get the great exercise someone wants to get by walking. Torn on larger holes. Not sure how to do it, but what about having two different holes on each green with a flag with a color representing which size hole you are hitting at. Put the larger hole in an easier section of the green and the current size hole at an adequate distance away from the larger hole. Not saying to do this on all courses, but some courses could have certain days they do this (weekends) and then take the large hole out for a few days of the week when folks want to play the traditional hole sizes without having too different flags on a hole. Seems crazy now, but maybe it would work. Torn on synthetic greens because I think it would be very difficult to get the ball to stick. Tee box wise, good idea as long as courses keep the the turf in good shape and not let it wear out like you see at a lot of ranges that have the synthetic mats.

There is a cute older Brazilian woman who plays and practices at the range a lot by herself at my course. She is not very good but she loves the game and tries hard to get better. She is really quiet, but once you talk to her she is so eager to talk golf and ask for advice on her swing, etc. Her husband will play with her once in a while but he is not in the best of shape and seems to struggle to keep up with her.

Do not doubt he is a good instructor, but his show is made up of bandaide lessons. Just an example, who in their right mind is going to a range with a large kid pool floater wrapped around their body? Personally speaking, everytime I watch these guys on tv give lessons all it does is screws me up more. I finally stopped watching these shows and strictly listen to what my instructor at the course is teaching me and concentrate on that only. There are some great online instructors as well, but again, I start getting away from what my instructor is teaching me and next thing I know I need an hour lesson fixing what I learned from these other lessons. To each his own though.

I am opposite as I am more of a picker. I am really good out of greenside bunkers but terrible out of fairways because I tend to lift up trying to get the ball in the air quicker. Have been working hard on not lifting my body and have been having more success lately.

I used to watch videos on Youtube, watch Breed, Hall, and others on the Golf Channel and more times than not it screwed my swing up more. Not saying some of the tips given are not good, just that there are so many ways to fix issues and everyone has their own way of teaching that it can all get overwhelming and creates too many thoughts in your head. I finally learned to just listen to what my pro was teaching me and if I started having some issues I would just go get a quick lesson to fix.

Remember my first tournament. Was a nervous wreck and played like it. Was a great experience though because just casual rounds became much easier. Have not played a tournament in 4 years. My game has just been too inconsistent. That said, I need to get back out there and test it against good competition again.

Agree as well. If you hit them well I would not screw with it. Once a club gets into your swing DNA do not mess with it. Pros have to because they are getting paid to sport the latest clubs, but I know for a fact many would not switch if their sponsor did not make them. The latest technology is much better, but I know several really good players who upgraded their woods, but have stuck with older irons with the worn ball mark dead center on all of their irons and still post great scores.

A few courses in my area are letting several traps grow in now because of budget issues. They are mostly letting the fairway bunkers go and putting their money and effort into the ones around the greens. I love bunkers because I am really good hitting out of them, but it does get difficult when you are hitting off of hard dirt with no sand. Course finally made them ground under repair spots because enough folks complained about them. That said, I have seen more courses let their greens go because of budget issues and that is a complete no-no in my book. Let your greens go and I no longer play there. Course near my home I used to play all of the time has allowed their greens to get completely away from them and I have only played it once this year and told the shop I would not be back until they replace them all which basically means I won't play there again. You can let your tee boxes and fairways go to an extent, but once the greens are shot I am done.