photobob

Laugh at partner's flub Tee up and give mighty swing Yep, I'm still away

Best stuff I ever used on my grips is “Westley’s Bleche-White”. Been around forever and available almost anywhere automotive products are sold, it is used to clean whitewall (or even blackwall) tires. It’s made to clean dirt, grime and oily road film from tires, so it’s a natural fit for RUBBER grips. (Doubt I’d try it on leather…) Comes in a pump spray, so I just spray it liberally on my grips, let it sit for a minute, scrub lightly with a soft brush, rinse thoroughly, and towel dry. My grips come out clean, soft and tacky, like new. I recently pulled an old two-iron out of the closet to add to my bag. Was sure I’d need to re-grip since it’s been sitting 15 years , but after cleaning with the Westley’s, it came out very close to new. Amazing stuff. Can’t remember who turned me on to this tip, but it’s a good one.

Short par 4, pull a decent drive left into light rough just short of a stand of tall trees. Good line to the green, but some high overhanging limbs mean I really can't lob a wedge into the green. So I punch a 9 iron that just catches the lowest limb and sends the ball right back to me, about ten fee left of where I stand. OK, let's try that punch again with a seven. Top a little dribbler through the grass... I'm still 30 yards from the front of the two-tiered green, with the pin up on the top, about 60 feet. This time I drop to a 5 iron, hoping to drop it just short of the green, with enough left to climb to the top tier. It hit the fringe, checked up, rolled up the hill, made a gentle right turn and dropped in. My playing partners were all playing the right side and didn't see me hacking away. When the ball dropped in, they went nuts thinking I'd just eagled the hole. Yeah, I 'fessed up....

A few of the things I’ve seen/played… A club pro is positioned at one par 3 and one par 5. A $5.00 donation buys the pro to make your tee shot for you. Just for fun (no donation) games played on some of the tees. Prizes are donated “trinkets” like a bag of tees, ball mark repair tool, sleeve of balls, cap, etc. A plastic ring about 18” in diameter with a tee in the ground is placed about 10-12 feet from a line. Each player is given two tries to chip to the tee. Closest to the tee (inside the ring) wins a prize. A variation of that is where three shipping boxes are placed in a row going away from the player. Chipping a ball into one of the boxes makes you eligible to win. Winner is who chipped into the furthest box. Subsequent ties are resolved with a chip-off. Each player puts a tee into the ground normally, then lays a second tee on top of that one, either end (player’s choice) pointing downrange. Using any club he wishes, each player tries to drive the second tee as far as he can. Longest drive wins. On a short par four, each player in the foursome has to tee off wearing a pair of oven mitts. Longest drive wins.

Hey Steve! Been a while, it’s good to run across your posts again. If you remember, I started a western trip last year with a stopover in your area for a personal lesson from you. Spent most of it just getting the grip right, and I see why you kept moving my left thumb down. Time well spent, my friend. Between drilling that into my thick skull and working on your “step through” drill, I’m here to tell you that I’m finding the short grass more than I ever have. Oh, I still produce an unwanted fade during times of cranial flatulence, but the old sharp right turn into the trees is all but eliminated. I seem to remember you telling me that a slice is easy to fix, and you were right. Who’d a thunk that a small adjustment (with some work and practice) could make such a difference. You’re my hero. Lot of other stuff happened to the game since I saw you, but it doesn’t belong in this thread. If you’d like, and your old email is still valid, I’d be happy to fill you in on my adventure. Looking forward to getting back out your way (love that part of the country) and getting some tutelage on tempo and how to put a tad more pop in my swing. Best…

Here's a video drill I found helpful with keeping balance... Work out the steps as shown then build up to your full swing. See if it doesn't help...

Because of the specialized function of the putter, we'll exclude it for this discussion... Otherwise, I don't think that anyone in this, or any other online golf-related discussion forum, will be able to fault the fact that at least half of your "playing" clubs are wedges. With that ratio, we know your set make-up is indeed, proper.

Yes, I did, but a different brand. While they did help take my right hand out of the swing to a small degree, I was largely unimpressed. Your mileage may vary, but they weren't for me...

I'm trying out a few Lamkin Arthritic grips right now. They are oversized and have a "nubby" texture that is both soft and tacky. They really do help me keep a lighter pressure on the grip and are very comfortable. They're about $2.50 ea at Golf Galaxy, so if you re-grip yourself, it's fairly cheap to buy a few and try 'em out.

I can't take ibuprofin (Advil, Motrin) or naproxin (Aleve) because of kidney problems and those products are rough on the kidneys. I normally dose up with Tylenol when I'm leaving the house on the way to the course. Dosing before the round keeps me more comfortable during the round and I experience much less discomfort later...

Yeah…. Done that. Usually happens after a short tee shot and I’m really trying to kill the ball to make up for the lost yards. It’s a GOOD thing tho’. After I stop laughing at myself, I just settle down and make the shot I should have, good contact to a target area. Only happened once last year, and will probably happen again this year. I just remember to make sure I laugh (well, everyone else is!), and tell myself that the golf gods are only trying to tell me to relax and play my best game.

No contest. The sound of a prehistoric* persimmon driver hit squarely “on the screws”. *In the world of golf forums, equipment is defined as: ·Modern: ·Current: Current model year, but in the bag more than 3 months. ·Outdated: Last year's model ·Vintage: 1-3 model years old. ·Antique: 3-5 model years old. ·Ancient: 5-7 years old ·Prehistoric: > 7 years old.

I had the exact same question. So I went to several sites that had customer reviews and read all the reviews of all the drivers that had them. The answer was obvious.

I figure anytime I'm within par 3 range (tee-to-green), I should be able to hit the green. If I can't, then I need to work more on my game....

Yeah, absolutely love my 5-wood (80's vintage steel-shafted persimmon wood). Hits off the tee, fairway, rough, doesn't matter, and it's gapped perfectly behind my 3-wood. Don't think I'd ever give up any club I can hit well and gives me so much confidence, to try and learn how to hit a new type of club that I don't need. Nothing against hybrids, really. If they work for you, that's great. We should all use what works for us as individuals.

Nope, brands don’t match, neither does construction. Driver: “Solid” graphite/kevlar head / graphite shaft. 3-Wood: Stainless steel head / graphite shaft. 5-Wood: Persimmon head / steel shaft. They’re comfortable, consistent and gapped nicely as a group. With confidence like that, I could give a fig if they look alike…

None of the above. My game (and obviously, club selection) is different from yours.

I picked up a used Adams tight lies strong 3 wood mid-season this year. Fairway, rough, off the tee, doesn't matter, it's a real rocket launcher. And, it's as easy to hit as my "go to" persimmon 5w. Lovely club...

Daily driver is a Dodge Dakota SE I bought new in 1987. When I need a car: 2000 Lincoln Continental. Both cars are newer than my golf clubs. But hey, as long as all 3 get me where I want to go... y'know? OTOH, guy on the next block is selling a PRISTINE '90 'Vette with 27K miles. So far the will power is holding up.

Yes, it's the camera angle, but it is also that the cameraperson is not right there up close and personal. They are using a telephoto (long) lens from some distance back. Modern optics can correct for the distortion of the long lens better than they did years ago, but not perfectly. So, what you're seeing is due to the camera angle, exaggerated by the focal length of the lens. The camera doesn't lie, but it has been known to fib a little....

I've tried midsize and oversize grips the last few times I've regripped. The inside diameter of the grip is sized properly so you don't need to build up the difference at all.

I just retired my persimmon (real wood) 3-wood. 1984 model and it finally split from age (whimper). Anyhow, I still have the persimmon 5-wood from that set. Lovely club, hits about 190. I use it from the tees, fairway, rough, uphill, downhill, sidehill, doesn't matter. It will hit a nice fade on demand, my "go to" club. Would a steel club go further? I dunno, but would I want to try? Distance isn't everything.

I run a quick mental checklist. Feet, ball position, club face square, hand position, grip. Then a quick breath to relax hands, arms and shoulders. Takeaway... Prolly takes less time to do than to read.

I'm still using the custom-built clubs I had made in 1984, including persimmon woods (made of real wood), and cavity-back irons. Exceptions are a graphite (head) driver circa 1991, and a new two-ball style putter. I'll have to agree with Zakko that I have a lot of trouble on modern courses. What with all the new technology the courses are using like high-resistance air and always-a-headwind fairways, selective gravity, and the intelligent rough that strongly attracts balls struck with old equipment. Just a matter of time until the better courses treat equipment more than 5 years old like they do steel spikes. Fortunately, my home course is a muni, built in 1930. So far they've used their budget for old-fashioned course maintenance like watering, mowing, and taking really good care of the grounds. A little late this year, but next season I'll have to find a modern course to try, and see just how bad my stuff is.