follyforhire

That's some tough luck, but at least you know it's not really your fault. I've really been thinking about building a set of irons. I'm scared to death something like this will happen. Thanks for posting about it and the update.

I've ordered a few things from GPP, through their site and on eBay. All my experiences with them have been great.

I get that. A little sententiousness never hurt anybody, but why is it that "prick" and "Milton Friedman" so often share conversational space?

And one more item (goodness, this workday is slow): she's going to have to make more birdies today. The online leaderboard has the projected cut at E, but you gotta think that's going to get a little lower. I'd bet she's in for sure if she shoots 69, probably if she shoots 70, and gonna need some help if she shoots 71.

Well, it's not the all-star team or anything, but consider this: among the players on that list there are at least 24 PGA Tour wins, 326 PGA Tour top tens, and 17 Nationwide Tour Wins. And a major champion. Of course, guys like Duval Williamson, and Maggert skew this rather silly stat (and I didn't count everyone, just fairly noticeable names), but it's not like this field is just a bunch of pretty good players from around Nevada.

For obvious reasons, we tend to focus discussions about Michelle Wie on issues of gender and/or hype. But Iacas's insistence (in the other Wie thread) that the haters wait ten years or so before making ultimate judgments about her decisions and career trajectory reminded me - SHE'S 18! I guess it seems like she's been around for so long (and she has), she ought to be older. Anyway, if she were to make the cut or really even be around the cut line this evening, that's quite an accomplishment for an 18 year-old. Certainly there have been teenagers do that before, but it is still an impressive accomplishment for a kid, male or female. I hope she does it.

Not sure of this, but I don't think she qualified for the British Open, that's why she's playing in Nevada. +1 and T77 after the first round. Solid, I think. I hope she does it again tomorrow and makes the cut. How sad/ridiculous/funny would it be if she makes the cut but doesn't get to play on the weekend because of the new rule? Also, I wonder what the response will be from the LPGA players and personnel if she makes the cut.

OK, friends, I need some help. I've never been fitted for a driver or driver shaft, and I'm going to get on a launch monitor this weekend. I don't want a new driver, but I am curious about my launch monitor numbers and am considering a heavier shaft. What sorts of numbers or launch characteristics do I look for? Based on a launch monitor "fitting" (quotation marks because it wasn't so much a fitting as having a kid at the PGA TOUR Superstore track results) I did for a hybrid about eight months ago and my own understanding of the way I hit my driver, I am estimating my driver swing speed at around 105-110 mph. I came up with that estimate because the best results with the hybrid were in the 99-101 mph range, with a launch angle of around 15*-17*. I don't know the ball speed or spin rate numbers. I think I swing my driver somewhat less aggressively than I did that hybrid, so my driver SS is probably not as incrementally faster than the hybrid as it could be. With a driver SS of 105-110, what kind of ball speed, spin rate, and launch angle should I be looking for? Is there any consensus on what optimal numbers are with a swing at this rate? What if I'm more in the 100-105 range? Or in the 110-112 range? I've got guesses, but I don't know that they're worth much. My current driver set-up is below, but I'll list it up here: Callaway FT-3, 8.5, Aldila NV 65-S, 45", don't know the swingweight. (I've got several inches of Golfsmith brand high density .5" lead tape wrapped around the shaft above the ferrule, and slightly less wrapped just below the grip.) My best drives have a mid-high trajectory with a, say, 10-20 yard draw that starts right and bends back just left of my aiming line. My regular misses are a push and a big, hard, sweeping hook. My good total distance is usually in the 260 yard range (250-270). As I write this, I'm thinking, "What the hell's wrong with that?!" Nothing at all, of course, but I'm working on being more consistent and am curious about my numbers. I also think I might be able to maximize consistency and distance with a heavier shaft. So, I apologize if this post is a bit disorganized. Thanks, in advance, for any comments.

I nearly fell out of my cubicle laughing at this... but I don't think it's gonna work! I read that quote this morning. The guy plays a lot of golf. With apologies to the fourteen year-olds on the forum, why must he so often sound like a fourteen year-old? Supposedly, the presidential handicap is around 15. One article I read also noted that he takes very few mulligans and is mildly fastidious about keeping an accurate score! Also, he's possibly a fan of that crazy speed golf - I've seen it on a couple of retirement development courses - where every player has his/her own cart and roars around the course playing as fast as possible. Did you see Fahrenheit 9/11 ? (I'm not endorsing the film or Michael Moore and have no interest in starting a discussion about it.) There's a clip somewhere in there of the Prez giving a war on terror soundbyte to a bunch of reporters and cameras. When he finishes the line he makes some remark about hitting a shot, turns, addresses his ball and drills one. Not a terrible swing, really, if memory serves.

I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered a number of times. I couldn't find a thread on it. I guess I've always assumed that a person playing from back-most tees always has the (tacit) honor, but I'm starting to wonder if that's the case. By (tacit) honor, I think I mean that the round is generally informal and a sort of modified/courteous/attentive version of ready golf pertains - low score off the tee, no quibbling about who plays first on approach or a greenside chip/pitch, farthest out on the green. (In the case of a foursome where two are playing back and two are playing more forward tees, my assumption has been that the two on the back-most tees play first and follow the low score order, followed by the two on the more forward tees who also play accordingly.) When I last played with my father-in-law, we played from different sets of tees. (We have roughly similar skills, but I'm probably 30 or so yards longer with most clubs. We decided on the tee difference instead of having our usual "argument" about how many strokes he gets. He wants way too many... ) He made par on the third; I bogeyed. When we got to the fourth, a short par three over water with tees staggered around the lake, say, 30 yards apart. He parked the cart at my tee box. I knew what I wanted to hit, got out, and hit it. He had walked over to his tees, club and ball in hand, and after my shot landed and stopped, he hit. We both made par. On the next hole (5), a short par 4, our tees were set on the same teeing area, and as I was going to put my tee in the ground, he walked up to his tees, set his ball, and hit. We never really said anything about it. Did I play out of turn on the fourth? It doesn't really matter to me (or him, presumably) rule-wise; it was a casual game, and we always play the sort of abbreviated version of ready golf I described above. But I have been wondering whether he thought I was being impolite. Neither of us would care much, and I don't mean to suggest we have some sort of strained or tense or ultra-competitive relationship. But I had beaten him fairly handily the previous day (which doesn't always happen and is why we went with the different tees - I literally wore him out, walking the front nine on a fairly undulating course!), and I know he didn't want to lose like that again. I could see how, you know, losing to a smart-ass son-in-law who plays out of turn would grate. Any thoughts?

The high density lead tape I purchased at Golfsmith was $6 or $7, something like that. I got the .5" size and ran two strips side-by-side along the sole of my putter. It fit perfectly; the sole on my studio design is about 1" wide.

I'll be a homer as well. The Mizuno F-60 is fantastic. Great from the tee and off the deck. I don't really use it in a lot of rough (the rough where I usually play isn't thick grass so much as it is unmowed, patchy natural grasses and weeds), but it can handle odd lies and is heavy enough to go get a ball. I love the smaller-ish head on it and the smooth, all black crown (no alignment mark). But it is quite forgiving for a small/mid-sized fairway wood. Several months ago we had a thread on the F-60, and several commenters noted that it is very similar to the 906F2 but much more forgiving. I've only hit the 906 in a shop and can't really offer an informed opinion on that, except to say that the comparison sounds about right. Good luck.

I use Golf Pride Tour Wraps on every club. I've thought about trying a Winn like that one in the original post. It looks great, but I've normally found those Winn wraps a little soft for me.

My 08 setup is in my signature. The wedges are on the way. I ordered them with some lie adjustments, extra length in some heavier shafts, a built-up grip, extra swingweight, and all lofts bent +1*. I am committing to this bag for 12 months. And, yes, I know I have 15 clubs listed. I'll usually drop the 4-iron, but depending on the course, I might leave the driver, 3-wood, 56*, or 60* at home.

And you might consider giving those Ping bags a good look. The Hoofer really is nice and rides in a cart fairly well for a carry bag. It might not have as much storage space as the others you're thinking about, but their popularity is justified.

Shindig, Great idea - new irons, new bag. I am sorry that I can't offer any specific comments on the bags you listed. I love my Titleist stand bag (the X81 Sunday Stand Bag) and know a lot of people who use them, but I've never seen the one you're considering. I have an older Callaway hybrid bag (I think it was called the Hybrid 45, but I'm not sure) that is quite nice. It's a whole lot like the Ogio Edge, but without the ball silo thing. It's heavier than my Titleist, but I really like a lot of the features: the zipperless pocket, the lift handle, and, especially, the "torq strap" that really does a great job of keeping the bag from twisting and sliding in the cart (like seemingly all the stand bags, hybrid and otherwise, I've ever had seem to do). I think that Mizuno bag is very cool and coveted it before I decided to buy the smaller and lighter Titleist. That thing looks fantastic. As with your new clubs, you really can't make a bad decision. Congrats.

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I have one of these (Titleist X81 Sunday Stand Bag) . I love it. I don't use it all the time (if I know I'll be riding, I don't), but I couldn't be happier with it as a carry bag. I think it's basically this bag (Sun Mountain Swift) with a different (and much better designed) top divider and Titleist splashed all over it. When I bought it, I also looked at this bag (Ogio Sticks) . The older version was quite inexpensive on eBay when I looked several months ago. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Congratulations, and I'd say good choice. The open face isn't going to cause a shot to go right, and when you groove it, it's going to be great. Good luck.

An apparent Ben Hogan fan and an equipment connoisseur...

And, for what it's worth coming from me, welcome - both to the game and to the forum. I think you'll find this forum and the main Sand Trap website to be excellent resources for learning about the game. Good luck.

where are you in the natural state, razorhog?

Hey shindig, I'll echo what seems to be the general sense of the other replies. It depends on how you want to use it. On full shots, the 57 PW would probably be a better bet, slightly more forgiveness with the more perimeter-weighted cut muscle and the extra bit of offset (though I expect it's marginal in the PW). It'll be more of a short iron. The T series wedge, though, with that great C-grind sole, would be more versatile around the greens if you plan to use it in many bump-and-run, chip, and soft pitch situations. The grooves on the T series might initially be able to produce a bit more spin. (There also may be a head weight and swingweight difference, but I don't know.) The cosmetic/aesthetic issue, though obviously less important than performance, is one you might give at least a little consideration. Are you going to purchase the MP-T wedges with the black nickel or chrome finish? I don't think the 47 comes in a black nickel finish. If you were going for the chrome, there's no issue here, of course. But if you were thinking black nickel, it's at least worth mentioning that it won't "match" your other wedges. For what it's worth, I'm going to do some regearing in the next few weeks, and I've been debating this same question. I'm going to bag some older Callaway X-14 Pro Series irons, and I just ordered some Vokey wedges. With the distance I'm going to get out of a 46.5* (or 47 or 48 for that matter) PW, it really is more of a short iron. I decided I'd just think of it like that (I'll probably drop my hybrid or 4 iron, depending on the course), and play the GW/SW/LW like a more traditional PW/SW/LW. I apologize for cluttering your thread with my own bag chatter; I only mean to say that depending on your intended use for and distance with the 47* club, you could go with either. I made a joke in your other thread (about your decision on the other end of the iron set) about just getting both. I didn't really mean it for that club, but depending on your funds situation, you might really consider getting both here. If the numbers don't work, you've got to pick one and go with it (and with these clubs, you really can't make a wrong decision). But if you could make an extra hundred available... Goodness I am the wrong person to give advice on stuff like this. Again, congratulations and good luck with the clubs.

I am fed up with the graphite shaft in my 17* hybrid. It's too light, and I swing it like it's a fairway wood. I've wrapped quite a bit of lead tape under the grip and above the hosel, but it's just not enough. Too many of my well struck shots are big, diving hooks. Gotta be the shaft, right? Anyway, there are a couple of threads on this, but I wonder if anybody's got new insight on putting a steel shaft in a hybrid. I know I'll lose some distance, but I couldn't possibly care less. I want to control it my shots better and be more consistent. Mizuno's stock steel for the CLK is some kind of proprietary superlight, so I could do that. I've played DG S300s enough to know what I might expect from those. I'm getting Rifle 6.0 shafts put in a set of Callaway X-14 PS irons, so I could match those. Any advice is certainly welcome.

Shindig, with the way you seem to work on and think about your game, I bet you'd figure out pretty quickly how to hit the mp-57 3-iron well. You already have a 3 hybrid, why not get the 57 3-iron, and continue to use the hybrid until you get comfortable with the 3-iron? That said, the MP Fli-Hi is a great club. I carried both a 2 and a 3 for a while last year (while I was chopping away with a set of MP-29s, goodness that was a dumb experiment - the 29s, not the Fli-Hi!). I absolutely loved them and found them every bit as easy to hit as my old Eye2+ long irons (the clubs I went back to after the MP-29 debacle). They're weighted well, feel great, and are reasonably forgiving - all the normal good things we say about clubs we like. I'm not much of a worker of the ball, but my pathetic attempts to hit normal shots like a highish fade, and slightly lower draws and cuts met with reasonable success. I would think that you'd have no real problems integrating the fli-hi into your set. It's not going to give you any drastically different trajectory or distance; it's just going to give you some help. I would think you should match it, for fitting purposes, to the rest of your irons (consistent shaft, length, and lie). You're in good shape whichever way you go here. You'll probably really like the fli-hi, but you also might learn to really like the 57 3-iron. I would say something like, "hell, sell your hybrid and get both," but I think I've read before that you're a grad student. Having recently spent several years there myself, well, let's say I know what a credit card bill looks like! Congratulations on the new clubs. I hope you enjoy them and will look forward to hearing about your game with them.

I certainly do not wish to start (or wade into the middle of) an argument that's maybe slightly off the thread topic. And I agree with your general sentiments. I also wish "the field" would at least appear to push Tiger more. For an interesting discussion of Tiger's effect on a tournament field, check out this recent article at Slate . But... Never spoken about?! If Tiger isn't in the lead after Saturday, announcers mention this before, during, and after nearly every shot the guy takes on Sunday. It's the dominant narrative of every major Sunday if Tiger isn't at the top of the leaderboard. It's also fairly silly, I think, rather like Phil can't win in a major or Peyton Manning can't win the big game. Tiger's the most accomplished player in the sport right now, maybe the most talented ever, and his competitive drive and ability to focus are incredible. At some point, he's probably going to win a major when trailing after Saturday. If he doesn't, it will be a completely meaningless fluke. I remember him getting killed for this the week following the tournament. I can't remember whether it was mentioned on the broadcast, but he was roundly criticized for it elsewhere. (Or maybe I listened to too much talk radio!) Oddly, in all the talk of this (I think reckless) episode, no one ever suggests that Tiger showed Phil an enormous amount of respect by leaving Sunday night. He knew Mickelson would pull it out. And he was right. But I still cannot believe Woods actually left.