BrewsnBogies

Just a quick note regarding this thread - if you want to read more about "dropping you arms", take a look at Jim McLean's book "The Slot Swing". It spends a lot of time breaking down the thought of finding the right slot for your swing and talks about your hands "dropping" into the slot as you initiate your downswing. For me, it has really helped my game!

+1 on the Adams V3. I have the 3, 4, and 5, and depending on the course and weather, I'll usually carry two of them. I've had the Ping G10, Mizuno Clik Fli-Hi's or something like that, and Adams A7. I really like the small head and easy swing of the V3's. Can I work the ball with them? I can work it straight almost everytime, which at my handicap (and yours I suspect) is what we are looking for.

I notice the hybrids are good for about 15yds more than the iron equivalent, and I carry both a 5H and a 5I. I carry both for shot trajectory, not for closing yardage gaps. If it is windy, or I am hitting from quite a distance and not really going for the green, I will hit the iron. My long iron shots (and I think most everyone's long iron shots) have a more piercing trajectory that works better on windy days and also when I want to take advantage of any roll. But I use the hybrid when I want to hit it high and land it soft, like a 190yd shot into a par 3. So, noy just about yardage!

If your long irons are stell shafted, and your hybrids are Graphite, as most are, then it will be a little easier on your body. Also, in my experience, I got the most out of Hybrids when I learned how to swing with a slower tempo, while with the irons I fou8nd myslef trying to swing them harder - so that helped me as well.

Are you asking about what are the differences between G15 Steel and G15 Steel Shafts, or just steels and graphites in general? The Ping G15 stocks are going to be AWT (Ascending Weight Technology Shafts). I had those installed in my G5's over the CS Lite and I thought they were a great shaft. I had them installed with Cushin inserts to help dampen the impact a little on my wrists and elbows. I have never played the Ping TFC graphite shafts except in Hybrids and woods, but I think they are also great shafts, at least in the clubs. I'm a Callaway RazrX man now, and I play Graphite Reg flex In general, you can't just assume that a Graphite reg flex shaft is going to hit the same as a reg-flex steel shaft. The feel is different - the swing weight is different and i most cases, the graphite clubs will be a little longer, which may affect your shotmaking. Also, in the old days, the belief was that graphite shafts were whippier than steel, but these days, it is not the case. I would recommend that you try the reg flex steel shafts to see if they feel good to you. Also, if you can, get fit. Ping clubs are great clubs, but I really think they work best when they are fit to you. For me, and only me, I found that I had to have my Ping clubs made a little more upright, and that made all the difference in the world going from G2's to G5's. But Ping clubs are the only clubs that I ever had to go upright on. Hope that helps! Gary

I switched from Steel to Graphite and it has helped me tremendously, especially in the wrists and hands. It probably helps the elbows and shoulders too due to a generally lighter swingweight. Your swing and ball flight will change, but not because you changed to Graphite. I think the Old school thought is that Graphite will make you hit higher and will generally be "whippier", but that just isn't the case. There is just too much variation in Graphite shafts to make any general statements about how your game will be affected. If you are comtemplating changing to Graphite for physical reasons (which I did), you should take the time to have someone look at/analyze your swing and tell you what you should change to in a graphite.

UPDATE: I may have just achieved a Golf Breakthrough , only time will tell. As I mentioned above, I was going to go back to square 1, start from a Neutral position, don't do anything crazy, and swing slow and easy. Well, I did this, and it helped a little, but still not really under control. But while I was working on the range before I played, I was watching another guy a few bays down and he was drawing every shot, sometimes hooking them a little. I noticed that he was bending over quite noticeably from the waist, and his swing was quite a bit flatter. I went through a couple more swings and it suddenly hit me how upright I was. I had very little bend at the waist. So I bent over just a little bit . I took a few practice swings, and I realized that my swing became a little flatter, and actually felt more natural and consistent. When I started hitting the ball, I found it very difficult to hit anything other than a straight shot or draw the ball. It looks like bending over slightly (combining this with my normal smooth takeaway, and keeping my back elbow close to the back hip when I drop down on backswing) has completely taken away my OTT swing path. I went out and played my league round and shot 9 straight bogeys, the most consistent round I have had all year. I should also mention that I tweaked my irons swing the same way, slighty bending a little more from the waist, and I felt alot more solid and in control with my irons and hybrids. I'll update this as I move forward, but today I am a happy man!

Working on ball flight, especially with driver. No problems with distance at all and I seem like I'm striking it pretty good. Just can't consistently control it. Driver is worst, the gets a little better as I move through short irons. Hit a fade into green with my PW, which I really can't complain about. But with driver, that fade becomes more like a pull-slice. (I hesitate to say slice, because I never start out right of target) My ball flight with driver ranges from Pull to Fade to OverFade. Ball always starts to left of target even when I think I am aiming more at target. I am guessing that my swing path varies for all these shots, probably from my hips not getting back to the ball the same way each time. I thought my push fades were from an open clubface, but I notice that with my clubface adjusted open on my driver, the fade is reduced. So what I am I working on today? I'm starting back at square 1. Going to go back to Neutral grip, or maybe a little strong, and am going to re-adjust my driver clubface to neutral. Going to focus on 3/4 swings, and going to try and emphasize forward hip slide. Going to drop my arms into slot on downswing and we will see what happens. I will probably also put a box outside the line to help me understand my swing path. We'll see what happens.

And still one more (you should be able to tell that this has always been a problem for me; I've listened to every witchdoctor out there!) I used to compensate for the slice by just aiming more to the left of the fairway. Makes sense right - fix a banana ball right by aiming more to the left? The problem I had was that I started the swing out of alignment- Standing at the tee box and aiming left, I had a habit of having my shoulders aiming aligned to left (open), and when I went through my swing I was even more open than before, and really was OTT. The morale of the story is make sure your shoulders are aligned right

One other recommendation to fix the slice - read the post in this forum "The Biggest secret- Slide your Hips". If you read and try that, you have a good chance of fixing your slicing ills! It has worked for me, but it is a constant battle!

Sliza - you are pretty much right on. I think the hip slide is the key. If you start your downswing by rotating and not by sliding forward somewhat, your hips will open too fast, and it will be hard as "Heck" to keep your shoulders closed. Actually, I think if you forget to slide hips, the early rotation of the hips will actually throw the arms out and you will come down to the ball "over the top" (OTT). If you have kept a square face, the OTT move will cause you to hit a pull-slice or a dead pull. The only other thing I would add is that at impact your hips really shouldn't be too open. Maybe a little, but the closer they are to parallel the target line the better. Again, in my experience, throwing the hips open too early has only made me throw the arms out more and come OTT. gary

I have joint problems, with arthritis in the middle joints of my hands. I use to play Ping G5s with AWT steel shafts and cushin inserts. I have to say I never felt much compensation/relief from the inserts (they didn't feel much different from clubs without inserts). I also have played clubs with Graphite shafts, which help a little. Unfortunately I just don;t hit graphite shafts that well. I just concentrate on lowering grip pressure and swing easier to reduce stress at impact.

Got a set of "Like New" Cally RAZR X (4-SW) from Cally Pre-owned back in february, then when the price fell out of the barrel on the Burner 2.0, I just couldn't afford to pass them up. I've spent a little time practicing/comparing the two sets, and was looking forward to seeing how the Burners worked out, because they feel so good. Well - the Cally's up to this point are "points above" the Burners, at least for me. I have really experienced solid, piercing ball-striking with these clubs, and all the clubs fell like they belong in the same set (they all hit about the same, in terms of ball flight. They have the True Temper "Uniflex" type shafts, which feel to me like they are in between a reg and stiff flex. The burners feel great in the practice swings, but I just can't seem to get a solid ballstrike out of them yet. It may be because of the shaft (reg TM Graphite) and the lighter overall weight. I'm sure I'll get used to them eventually, if I ever decide to put the RAZR X's down. For now, the Burner 2.0's are in the backup/guest bag. I also picked up a couple Adams V-tech hybrids to replace the A7's I sold with a set of irons. Very Easy to hit, but I am "yankin" them a little. They have the Bassara Reg flex shafts, and may be a little loose for me. But I'll get used to them.

We live about 35 miles due west of Milwaukee, on the way to Madison. Ohio natives, have lived here going on 7 years. Hate the long winters, but summers are nice!

With my partially "re-kitted" bag (existing Ping G15 Driver, new G15 Fairway, new Burner 2.0 irons: Get back under 90 and stay there (eluded me last year) Stick with a swing pattern (S&T;) and get consistent with it Try to achieve 75% Drives in Fairway (50% last year) Stay consistent during round (nothing more than bogey) Play within myself (Don't try shots I have no chance in making or can't make anymore Call my wife for a ride when I stay too long at 19th hole!