loonsailor

Camera, for sure. Because: (1) I can put a camera behind me (actually to my right, I guess), pointing down the line of the shot, which is what I need to see if my swing is on-plane. I can only see a mirror if it's in front of me. (2) It's hard to look at a mirror while I swing because, well, I'm busy swinging a frigging club. Anyway, how do I simultaneously keep my head down and look at a mirror? (3) I can carry a camera and tripod to a range, but carrying a big mirror, along with my bag, just seems ridiculous. (4) I can use a camera on the course occasionally, in addition to on the range. (5) I can also use a 240fps camera to video cool stuff like water splashing and balloons bursting ;-)

Going back to the original post... You talk about playing, and about your swing, but you don't talk about practice. Playing a par 3 course is fun, but it's not practice. I'm in sort of a similar place to you, except that I don't feel discouraged by it at all. I started playing about 2.5 years ago, when my sons got me out for my 60th birthday and I found that I enjoyed the game much more than I expected to. I've taken a few lessons from a TPI level 3 instructor, and they've helped. But they weren't going to help all by themselves. Personally, I really enjoy practice. I go out a few times a week for an hour or so, and work on chipping, 20-50 yd. pitches, putting etc. What the lessons have done is to give me a better idea of how to practice, and what to work on. Like most people, I began by spending time on the range and trying to it it far, but I found that it wasn't helping. The reality for me is that I'm never likely to drive the ball 300, or even 250. That means I'm not gonna reach many greens in regulation (except par 3's) and my usual path to par is going to be getting the ball up and down. So, I work on those skills - pitching, chipping and putting. The funny thing is that now that my pitching is becoming reliable and accurate, my confidence is growing, and my drives and long irons are getting better, either because I'm less stressed about it or because the work I do on my short game is improving my stroke. So, my suggestion is to stop worrying about your scores for a while, and spend little or no time with your driver. Go out and get some focused practice. I find that I enjoy it al least as much as I enjoy playing, and I can do it when I don't have time even for nine holes. Start near the green on short chips, then back up to 20 yd. pitches, 30 yd. pitches, etc. It'll clear your mind, give you some great time outdoors, and build your confidence. Practice from the green out, rather than from the tee in. If you do that, my guess is that you'll enjoy your playing time more and, coincidentally, your scores will start to drop. BTW, my index is down to 23.0, which ain't great but it is falling and I'm pretty sure I'll get it below 20 before too long. I usually play on a difficult course, slope 131, and usually break 100. Having started only at age 60 my goals are realistic. I'm improving and having fun and I don't worry about it much beyond that.

Looks like I'm the lone dissenter. I haven't paid any attention to this in a long time, and I'm sure the research has improved, but... Back when I was an active pilot about 15 years ago, a study was published in one of the pilot mags about how long pot had an effect. They measured both blood level and performance, and found that it was about 72 hours. Since one of the effects include time and distance distortion (stoned drivers drive too slow), and it also can effect your coordination, it doesn't surprise me at all that it screwed up your game the next day. So, enjoy the weed, but probably not the night before a tourney or a money game. Save it for skiing! On the other hand, if Dock Ellis could pitch a major league no-hitter while tripping on acid (look it up), maybe we should be able to play through it.

I'm also a beginner, age 60 and just flirting with breaking 100. After trying a few sets of clubs, and on advice both from my teacher (a local country club pro) and a couple of knowledgeable golf store guys (using a swing monitor) I got a set of Cleveland HB3's. All the irons are hybrids, with the 3 being a full hybrid, gradually stepping down to the 9 which has just a bit of added hybrid-ness. I'm very happy with them. I find that the 4 has become my favorite club, and I suspect that if it was an iron instead of a hybrid, at my stage of development that would not be the case. But I like all of them. My opinion is, if you're a beginner, get some clubs that make it easier on you. The hybrids will do that. The game is hard enough to learn, even with the most forgiving gear. In a few years, you may want something different, or you may not.