Tomboys

Great pics Sean. Man, if I had a swing like that, I sure the hell wouldn't be sitting at my desk typing. I'd be on the course playing against my buds getting back all that money I donated to them over the years.

First off, thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it. Secondly, I didn't know Happy Gilmore was a story about you. LOL. J/K. For some drills on weight shift, look into the sliding the hips thread. There's some great videos in there that should be helpful. As far as advising you further on your chunking and balance problems, there's an old saying that I follow; "Someone that says he knows something when he really does is not dangerous. Likewise, someone that says he doesn't know something when he really doesn't is not dangerous. But, watch out for someone that says he knows something when he really doesn't. That's a dangerous person." With that, I'm not going to say much more because I don't want to be a dangerous person and potentially impede your learning. The reasons are as follows: You're assuming that your chunking is caused by the lack of weight shift. It could be, but it could also be that you're just simply flipping. Additionally, you say you have a weak left side, so your balance tends to be off. Well, it could be that, but it could also be that you're lunging at the ball with your upper body causing your weight to get out over your toes, so if you didn't step forward with your back leg, you'd fall on your face. The fact that on some shots you're able to hold a balanced finish seems to suggest to me that there's nothing wrong with your left side strength But, I digress. Your difficulties could be a chain reaction created by something as basic as your set up to the ball. As I wrote in my previous post, I wasted time addressing the symptom, not the root cause. For me, it took a trusted and qualified eye to identify my root problem. Hence, I'm advising you to do the same. If possible, post a video of your swing and ask for feedback. If you're polite about it, you could ask the guys like Iacas and mvmac to comment on it. Those are the guys "in the know"

I just wonder where Keegan gets all that spit from. I dunno about anyone else, but when I'm under a lot of pressure, my mouth tends to get dry.

IME, the golf swing is not an intuitive motion, so it's a constant vigil to ensure that all the components are working in the proper "parameters" and sequence to ensure that you get consistent results. To compond matters, most instructors--and I can say this with some degree of authority because I've taken my fair share of lessons from a multitude of different ones over the years, aren't worth a sh*t. Wait, it gets worse. Feel isn't real, which means that what you think you're doing, doesn't always match what you're actually doing. So, WTF does a struggling golfer do? IMO, you need proper education and proper feedback. To help you with your education, I recommend reading the following threads (please cut and paste, I'm too stupid to figure of how to post links): 1) Learn the ball flight laws http://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/ball_flight_laws . If you don't know what causes a ball to fly in a certain manner, you're going to have a helluva time trying to duplicate and/or correct it. This is where many instructors fail, they have the information backwards, so you end up doing something totally wrong. Sure, what they suggest may work here and there (just by accident), but, longterm, you'll struggle with consistency. The information is supported by physics, not theories, so the results are universal and repeatable. 2) Maintaining the flying wedge http://thesandtrap.com/t/36669/maintaining-the-flying-wedge . Having the clubhead pass your hands (commonly referred to as a flip) at or before impact will pretty much ensure that you'll always be an inconsistent golfer. You may hit some solid shots here and there, but a majority of them will either be fat or thin. 3) Getting your weight to the lead (front) foot http://thesandtrap.com/search.php?search=the+secret+sliding+the+hips . The longer the club, the more weight you have to have on your lead (front) foot. If you don't get enough of your weight to the front foot on the downswing, then the bottom of the swing arc will fall somewhere behind the ball instead in front (target side) of it. Similar to the above thread, if the swing arc bottoms behind the ball, then you're going to struggle with making solid and consistent contact. If feel isn't real, how do you get feedback? IME, one of the best ways is via video recording. When I took up golf, the video taping of swings was just starting and the majority of the instructors near me didn't have that available. This is another reason why I didn't stay with a particular instructor in the past. I remember those early years of lessons, I would hit a bad shot and my instructor would tell me to do something. So, I would hit a few more bad shots and then all of the sudden I would hit this great shot. My instructor would say, "That was great, that's the way to do it". The only problem was, all the swings felt pretty much the same. As such, when I would go to the range or out on the course afterwards, I just threw everything I learned into the swing hoping that the results would be ok. Hence, feel isn't real because while the swings felt similar, they weren't. Also, through video, you can isolate the root problem of your swing rather than waste time addressing symptoms. For instance, I had a flip. So, I spent a lot of time working on maintaining the flying wedge and it helped a lot. I played much better and got down to a single digit handicap. However, towards the end of last year, I started playing poorly because my contact had deteriorated. I was hitting balls fat, thin and everything in between. I figured I must be flipping again, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop. I went to my instructor and we talked a bit. He asked me what was going on and I told him I thought I was flipping again, so he watched me hit about 10 balls. He said, "Yup, you're flipping/throwing the clubhead at the ball". When I asked him what I should do, he replied, "Go work on your weight shift (hip slide)." From there, he explained that because I wasn't getting my weight to my front foot, my body instinctively knew it, so it would throw the clubhead at the ball because if I didn't, I'd miss the ball completely. Sure enough, went to the range and worked on getting my weight to my front foot and viola, solid contact again. Later, I figured out what happened (why my hip slide ceased). I have gout and it affects the joints. While many assume that it only affects the joint in the big toe, it could be any joint. During late summer, I had a severe case to where it affected my knees and it lasted about 3 months. Instead of being smart and laying off golf, I continued to play even though I could barely walk because I had made such improvements in my game that I wanted to keep the momentum. Big mistake. I ended up compensating by swinging with just my upper body since I couldn't shift that much weight to my front foot. Unfortunately, when I got better, my body and my mind forgot to add back the proper amount of weight shift.

Oh, I didn't know MacG was owned by Golfsmith, not that it should matter because there's no excuse for being treated rudely. Well, take heart because many of my friends as well as myself have recieved some attitude from sales personnel at Golfsmith a few times. So, you're not alone.

The Golf Mart, northern California. And, while I'm not 100% sure because it's been a few years, Golfsmith either fixed or sent the clubs back to the manufacturer to be fixed when two of my buds broke their driver shafts (Titleist and Taylor Made) near the hosel. I may be wrong about the retailer, but they were definitely fixed for free. Nonetheless, if you're getting "static" from the retailer about repairs, call the manufacturer and work directly with them. Be sure you find your receipt because some of them won't help you unless you have proof that the club was purchased from an authorized seller.

Agreed. For me, it's the stark contrast between the cut and fit of his tailored dress pants paired with some shoes you run a 5K with. Whenever I see that combination, it makes me want to say, "I hate it too when I forget my shoes and have to borrow a pair".

The best thing to do is post a video of you hitting a golf ball. That way, you'll get some direct and immediate help. If you go over to the instruction and playing tips section, you'll see a bunch of member videos and the help they received. There's some great stuff there.

From what I've been told by some guys I know that work at golf stores, manufacturer's view shaft breakages near or at the hosel as being caused by defective material or installation and will warrant the repair at no-cost. However, breakages in the middle of the shaft are viewed as being caused by user-abuse, so they will not offer a warranted no-cost repair.

IME, it does depending on the configuration/design of the hybrid. FWIW, per Wikipedia: Behavior Though generally similar to a wood of the same loft in performance, with slightly less carry distance (distance traveled before first impact) but similar launch trajectory, and generally similar to an iron in swing mechanics, hybrids have some behaviors different from either. Because the wood-like head design creates enormous impulse on the ball, the loft of a hybrid head is generally higher than either the wood or iron of the same number, so that the distance carried by the ball is similar to the comparable iron number. This does two things; first, the angle of launch is increased so that the ball carries higher than the comparable iron. Second, the increased loft coupled with the tighter impulse also imparts increased backspin on the ball. This increased backspin is different from both the iron and the wood of the same number, and creates a flight path similar to a higher-loft iron but at a lower angle of launch; the backspinning ball will lift itself in the air along its flight line, "stall" when the lift generated by the spin coupled with the ball's momentum can no longer keep it in the air, and drop relatively sharply onto the turf. The sharp drop coupled with the continuing backspin creates "bite"; the ball's forward momentum will be arrested sharply at its point of impact and carry only a few yards thereafter. Once this behavior is known to the player, it can be used to great effect. For instance, a player may be faced with a hole incorporating a hazard just in front of the green. A driver, low-loft fairway wood or long iron shot will roll significantly, and depending on the distance carried in the air the ball will either roll into the hazard with a resulting penalty, or roll past the green, which on many courses is difficult to recover from and may incorporate other hazards. Normally a player might hit a mid-iron shot designed to "lay up" in front of the hazard and then hit an "approach" shot with a wedge or short iron to carry over the hazard and onto the green. However, a hybrid with sufficient distance would allow the player to hit a shot that carries the full distance to the green in the air, but then "sticks" on the green relatively close to its impact point, allowing the player to make one stroke instead of two to get on the green. Both my 3i and 3h are 21*. But, my 3h is an inch longer, so it yields a slight increase in swing speed which results in a carry that is greater than my 3i. However, since it stops quicker, the total distance is no greater than my 3i. For example, 210 is the "go" number for both my 3i and 3h. My 3i may carry 200 and roll out to 210. In contrast, my hybrid may carry 207 and roll out to 210. Granted, when my target is a fairway, I may get a little more total distance (due to increased roll) because I can lower the trajectory and spin more with a 3i than a 3h (ok, I admit it, I can't actually do that, I'm talking about when I thin or "blade" the shot, but you get the general concept. LOL). However, the trade-off is worth the benefit of being able to hit the green and hold it from 210 out even with slightly thinned shots. In fact, it's because of this last point that I decided to switch out my 3i for a 3h. I was going for a green in two on a par 5. I had 210 left with a trap in front and a lake guarding the left side of the green. I mis-hit my 3i resulting in a low draw. It cleared the trap, but once it hit the green, it just rolled and rolled right off the green into the water. I threw down another ball, took the cellophane off the grip of my 3h--I had just bought it, and hit another ball. Crap, another low draw. Just like my 3i, it cleared the front bunker and hit the green. I saw the ball rolling and figured it was gone too. However, it just stopped. It was then that I had my "Ah-ha" moment with hybrids. It's funny that Wikipedia uses this very example because I "discovered" this "attribute" about hybrids long before I looked it up. Lastly, my initial foray with a hybrid was a complete disaster. My results were mixed at best. It was a 20* head fitted with a 67 gram stiff HL graphite shaft. I hit more duck hooks than I could count resulting in me trying to change my swing to become anti-hook. Not a good thing because I starting missing left and right, so I sold the damn thing. My current hybrid is a 21* head fitted with a 92 gram stiff graphite shaft with a higher kick point. Plays like an iron and I don't worry about duck hooks any more than I did with my 3i.

+1. While I tend to wear Nike Dri Fit pants/shorts and UA shirts--primarily for fit and feel reasons, I do have a couple of el cheapo synthetic golf shirts that I bought for $15 and they work just great. Now, they may not feel as nice against the skin and/or they may not stretch/give as well during the swing like my UA shirts do, but for $35 less per shirt, I can live with that. Also, I find that Adidas seems to be discounted more often and deeper than Nike and UA in the pro shops/sports stores. Another option is to try the outlets for Nike/Adidas/UA/Ashworth. They have them all over the country and if there's not one local, I'm sure they'll ship.

Agreed. Not all hybrids are created with the same player profile in mind, yet they are all lopped into the same category. If you look at irons, they tend to be grouped into separate categories (SGI, GI and Players). So, it stands to reason that a 5 capper playing blades looking a replacement for say his 3i has some different performance needs than say a 25 capper playing SGI cavity backs looking to replace his 3i. Hence, if the 5 capper chooses a hybrid that's geared towards the 25 capper and visa versa, both players may not be happy with their respective choices. Indeed, the 5 capper may find that his hybrid hits the ball too high with the inability to control (lower) the trajectory to his liking. Also, he may find that the feedback is too muted, so he's constantly looking at the clubface to see where impact was. In contrast, the 25 capper may find his hybrid hits the ball too low and is actually less forgiving than his 3i. He may also find that the feedback is too harsh on mis-hits. As with any club, the key is to be fitted to ensure that you have the right combo of shaft and clubhead for your needs. I feel the most comfortable with irons. In fact, I had a driver and then irons (2 -- SW). However, after a bit of trial and error, I found a fairway wood and hybrid that effectively eliminated my 2 and 3i and my overall results have been better.

IME, just as not all size 10 labeled shoes fit the same, not all x-stiff labeled graphite shafts perform the same. Each shaft has certain characteristics such as kick-point, weight, and torque to consider. Because of these variables, it's difficult to say whether or not just changing to an x-stiff will greatly improve your accuracy. Also, it's not just about improving accuracy, it's about finding a shaft that gives you the best balance between accuracy and overall distance (carry + roll). Hence, finding a "good" shaft for your driver is something that only you and a good club fitter can determine. To make things even more complicated, a driver SS of 110 mph--from what I've been told, is borderline stiff / x-stiff. So, which side of the "scale" you fall on is dependent on your swing and how aggressively you load the shaft.

I like it even though I have no desire whatsoever to hit one. It's got that persimmon wood motif going on which is a bit of nostalgia for me. When I got into golf, the industry was just making the move to metal woods, so a lot of players were still using persimmon woods.

Where I come from, that paint job would be called, "Ghetto Fab".

I believe it was Webb Simpson.

Small world. I had the same experience you did with the (BW) Classics. Missing fingers were the norm. Luckily, when I lost a spike, I lost the whole thing, so I wasn't stuck trying to unscrew the post out of the sleeve mid-round. However, it was bad enough that I resorted to keeping several replacements and a wrench in my bag at all times. Also, after wearing them for a bit, I hated the way they would flatten out and stay that way on the outside of my shoes while the inside ones would "spring back" to their original shape. I even resorted to having my feet and gait checked because of this wear pattern. Turns out, everything was physically normal and I didn't require orthotics. So I, too, ended up switching to Champ Stingers a little over a year ago and have had no problems whatsoever.

I apologize, I meant no offense. I had a "high school" moment. Your advice is sage.

Which ones are they? The Tour or the Classic? Also, when you say "snap off", do you mean you're losing pieces of the plastic "fingers" or are you losing the whole spike (with just the stud remaining)?

LOL. And, to add to that:

Quote: My first thought was bad swing--or at least an inconsistent one which also includes an inconsistent ball position--rather than loft or shaft. I only say this because OP stated the shots were too high one round yet fine on the next. So, did the club somehow change between those two rounds?

You're so right!! I paid my money, got picked up by a limo and the driver dropped me off here: I was greeted by a guy who looked a lot like this fellow: And, he told me to get a set of these (with the zz lite shafts, natch)... I was told that once I completed the program, I'd get to play with these two graduates... ...and this one too. Although he's not sure why this guy keeps going into the forest even though his ball is in the fairway... Oh well. I'm so excited! I can't wait to get started. All I can say is:

Yup, I'm pretty surprised that this kind of stuff doesn't happen more often. I played a round once where the group behind us just kept hitting into us as we waited for the guys on the greens to finish up. After a few random holes of this, my bud jumped into our cart and went back to tell them to knock it off. Right as we pulled up, one of their players jumped out of his cart, grabbed a club and headed directly towards us. My buddy started to get out of the cart when I grabbed him and said, "Keep seated." At that point, he simply told them that we're waiting too, so please stop hitting into us. On the very next hole, we're sitting there next to the tee box with two other groups waiting (it was a par 5, so that tells you how bad the back up was). These yo-yos pull up behind us, see all the groups and start cursing and screaming. One of them throws in cart in reverse and stomps on the accelerator. Well, he goes too far and backs down a gulley and gets his cart stuck. Another time, one of my buds was playing his first round after he had both knees replaced. So, the course gave him a handicap flag so that he could go a little closer to the tees and greens. At one of the tee boxes, he parked his cart several yards off the path, but still more than 30 feet away from any tee box. As we're leaving the tee, we hear a player yelling from the green next to our tee box. As we approach our carts, the guy looks at us and says, "So you guys think you own the place? You think you can park your cart wherever you damn well please?" My bud points to the handicap flag on his cart and asks, "Do you know what this means?" The guy says, "No." My bud replies, "Well, maybe you should learn.", and we drive off.

While I've never been a cart girl, IMO, leaving a .50 tip for a 2.50 item is plenty. The way I look at it, it took her a whole 3 seconds to hand you a candy bar, so it would be fine and I'm sure she would be grateful to even get a tip for just that item. Now, if you were buying a bunch of drinks/items or had her mix you a drink, then .50 would be questionable.