crawford1982

That it is indeed, being a slight newb this was all kind of new to me. For me this club works an absolute treat, now i'm thinking i may swing issues due to such a bad slice with the TM.

i had never really considered the ping being closed, but looking at it, it looks so obvious.

the driver on the left is my ping karsten 10* with a 350 series stiff shaft, i hit this straight with maybe a little movement to the right around 230+ yards. on the right is a taylor made r580 witha regular flex mid torque shaft, i hit this anything from 170-200 yards, but i slice it like you wouldnt believe. i had to use the taylor made whilst getting my ping driver head re-glued and it scared me something awful. how can i go from a sraightish 230 to all over the place?? doing slow swings in my spare room, the ping is nice and square but the taylor made is way open. the taylor made looks longer, could that be the cause? could it be the reg flex? are there alignment differences in the head?

you seemed to pop up quite quickly as you hit the ball,keeping a steady head could help with your consistency at striking the ball. its great to see a nice shot, but a steady head can help produce more good shots but i'm just an amateur bud.

moving the ball has helped quite a bit with my driving and so did the video i posted in the initial post.

i had my 30 min lesson on friday and it was amazing, as soon as the nerves wore off i settled down and wished i'd booked an hour long one instead. i told my instructor i was having problems with a slice with my driving, that i knew i was a relative beginner and didn't expect miracles. he handed me a mizuno 7iron and got me too hit about a dozen balls, he filmed my swing and we watched it back. jesus it looked ugly. then he got my video and some mcilroy footage and explained the benefits of having a 'tour' like swing and tweaking my grip. the only way i can describe my body position on set up was like a letter 'r'. i was practically vertical and hunched forward a little. my grip was 90% right, i only had my right thumb and pinky finger moved but the difference in feel and muscle movement was massive! in 30 mins i am a complete convert of having lessons and will be booking a full 1hr session asap. i played on sunday using my new grip and stance, it still felt weird to start with but i stuck it out. i wont lie and say i took up my 'tour' stance everytime i set up but i used 75-80% of the time, hands slightly infront of the ball, and i'm getting good divot action too. i'm completely sold on this new action, it looks and feels far more professional than just hacking away. as for my driving problem i only hit around 6 drives for him, he suggested breaking down my swing and slowly feeling the club square at impact as i was just off square. i found it really tough to drive with a new grip and stance, i've reverted to my old way for this and moved the ball more central in my stance. watching your swing back, talking golf about yourself and how to change things for the better is an amazing feeling. i am seeing some results straight away and i will keep working on my drive. guys this was an awesome experience.

I've let my pride go and booked a 30 min lesson tonight, my putting and iron play are coming along well simply through playing but my driver is taking a hammering with a big slice, its killing me. As i sat pondering tonight a little nervously i looked through some youtube videos and came across this video I watched this and gave it a go in my spare room, comparing it to how i setup to drive currently, it looks like its going to help me out so i thought i would share it, and also give a little feedback of how i get on tonight. hope the video helps you guys too!

i find 6i-sw a joy to hit and 5,4 very hard,3i i dont even try. its def worth sticking with it as this will increase your understanding of your own swing mechanics, i'd say there was a big difference in set up 5-3 compared to 6-sw. just what i've found, there are a load of guys on here who really know there stuff thatll probably help you a lot.

top stuff!

i just ordered one of these from the uk. any discount would be much appreciated

i'd second this heavily, makes perfect sense.

there isn't a one size fits all recipe for anything in golf, it literally is different strokes for different folks.

thanks guys, its much appreciated. that handicap is slowly starting to melt away. i'm starting to find wilson a good balance of money/performance just now.

i've asked a similar question myself, irons haven't moved on so much, drivers most definately have! i got a 2nd hand ping karsten driver and added 20+ yards to my driving. i'm sticking with my slightly older irons (wilson fat shaft) because the only reason for me too change would be cosmetic.

i can honestly say i've gained 20+ yards driving over my dad and uncle. its great! the ping karsten isn't a 'new' club, its got a couple years on it but its a good club!! the reaction of the face is far better, balls penetrate the air and i know my dad and uncle are getting left a little behind!!

Haha no wutiger, sadly we have no koalas in scotland

thanks wutiger, i'm looking into this at the minute. only 2 replies, but guys thanks a million your advice was spot on!!

I got my hands on a ping karsten 9.5 degree driver, what a huuuuuuuge difference!! i'm getting a solid hit with every hit, added 20 yards to my length, and it was only 40£ what a feeling having confidence everytime i'm at a tee.

Being a bit of a newbie to golf my knowledge is pretty limited, so i am mooching for some knowledge and advice!! Currently my driver of choice is a howson tourmaster 10.5deg 300cc, its old, i have no idea just how old, i got it with my irons, a bag, and a buggy for 70£ and i've stuck with it since. I golf with my dad and uncle, both say i should get a bigger 460cc driver as it'd be more forgiving with mis-hits, i get 250ish + with my driver, i'm only just taking the game more serious and wonder what genuine improvements i would get? My irons are pretty old too i think, wilson fat shaft tour casts, with a regular flex. Again i have no idea how old these are, 8 years plus i am guessing. sw-8iron i have started to get pretty accurate, 'dial in' accuracy if you will, so i'm finding it hard to find reasons to part with these. i have got a bit distracted looking at new iron sets layely, again, i am wondering has there really been a big jump in tech in the last 5 years? my clubs, both driver and iron sets are looking well past their best, my driving could improve a lot, iron play is getting really quite good, anyone got genuine know how that could help?

I'm a machinist in the timber trade in falkirk, scotland. I spend all day chopping trees, then my spare time in them looking for my ball at the golf course!!

bought 3 cheap dunlop black gloves, just to see if they're any good.

i went and tried some 'test' irons the other day and the shop pro offered to give me a fitting, i was a bit nervous but it was worth it. i use an older wilson fat shaft iron, i tried 4 different types of set up and found nike slingshots helped me hit 5 yards longer on average, but almost straight as a rod. they didnt have my build fitment in store for a complete set so they got ordered in and will be here in a week. itts an amazing thing and i feel it gives me a definite advantage on reducing my handicap.

i was doing this last season mate and it was very frustrating, at one point i tried just hitting balls of the deck!! i wouldnt advise that though, heres what i do now. i select my club, fire my tee in the ground holding the ball until my knuckles just touch the dirt and no more. i stand 6 feet behind my ball and make 3 practise swings until i 'feel' its a great, comfortable swing , and then i step up and go for it. i always aim at the middle of the green, maybe next year i will attack the pins more but i'm just getting good results with this. hope i helped a little.

i hit a 94 today on my home course (71par) its been 2-6degrees here and i had my windproofs on. i didnt enjoy it too much today simply because i was cold and wet. the ball wasnt travelling great in the air, i had a little bit of a hook losing me distance. i hit some great irons into the green, i've improved a lot on that, but my putting is terrible!! i three putted 3 times!! i missed a birdie putt from 5 feet, i've only had 1 birdie before. i am getting in the right places to lower my score but maybe need a putting lesson or 3?? anyway, thats me til the weather lightens up a bit!!