realdealblues

I do the same practice routine pretty much every time I go to the range. I always start with the Sand Wedge. I hit about 10 pitches, then move up to full swings for about 10 more balls. I then hit probably 30 balls with a 7 Iron. I then hit probably 30 balls with a Driver. Then I cool down with the Sand Wedge again doing some more pitches and a few more chips with 20 or so balls left. I find that if I can hit those 3 clubs consistently well then I can hit everything in my bag well and right now it's working pretty good for me.

Personally, I would go to the local shop and hit a few new drivers and get your swing speed measured and fitted for the right shaft. I had clubs that were 16 years old and I finally upgraded and it made a lot of difference for me. I went from an old Cobra .350 to a new Cobra S3 and I hit the ball probably 40-50 yards further than my old club.

I'm just curious how many of you use an S-flex on Driver and/or Fairway Wood but R-flex irons? Also, what you do about Hybrids? Do you use the same flex as your irons, or the flex of your Driver and Woods?

I don't believe Taylormade will change it out for you. You also can't change the flex without changing the entire shaft. The closest shop near me charges $75 for labor. The shafts themselves vary in price. You can probably find a decent shaft for $20-30. Usually you also need to buy a new grip to put on the new shaft, which will usually run you $5-10 because many places won't put the old one back on or can't save it when trying to remove it. So basically, yeah, it's going to cost you around a $100 to change it out. You can always try to find another shop and see if someone will do it for you for less. The only other option is (if you're fairly handy and mechanically inclined) watch a bunch of videos on youtube or something and see how you might change it yourself. Sorry...I know it's not the answer you want to hear.

I don't know what my actually handicap is. I put 20 when I signed up on here but I can be anywhere from 80's to 100's. So, I consider myself a high handicapper. I bought some Cobra S3 Max clubs at the start of the season because they were designed for Mid-High Handicappers. I really like them and I hit them well. But I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should have gotten the plain Cobra S3's which I guess are designed more for Mid-Handicappers. Here's the deal, I will probably never be a scratch golfer and I will probably always be just a weekend warrior, but I work a lot on my swing and it has gotten much much better over the last few months. I used to slice every shot. I worked very hard on correcting my outside to inside swing and now I don't slice anymore. I also have very good tempo now and actually "look" like I have a "real" golf swing instead of a baseball player swinging at a ball as hard as he can. A pro told me the other day that I should get rid of my driver because the Cobra S3 Max is Offset and that if I wanted to really work on improving my game and become a better player and be able to "work" the ball, I should switch to the plain Cobra S3 which isn't Offset but does have the adjustable option of the Neutral, Closed or Open face. I bought the Offset to help with my slice, but since I no longer slice, maybe I don't need an offset driver anymore? I'm just curious what some other folks might think. The Cobra S3 Max clubs have more offset on the irons than the plain S3 series and I do feel I am becoming a better golfer. Should I consider changing to a Non-Offset driver? And if so, should I keep my irons or upgrade them as well? Anyone have any thoughts on this one?

So, I broke down and bought a new set of Cobra S3 Max clubs a month or 2 ago. I really like them. I had "Stiff Steel Shafts" in my 16 year old Cobras, but I broke my wrist last year and now I don't swing near as hard and my new clubs are all Regular Graphite shafts which feel much better to my wrist. I've been reading a lot lately and I see so many recommendations to get fitted for clubs. A lot of people say it's the biggest positive change you can make, of course just as many seem to say it's just marketing BS unless you're really tall or really short. I kind of have a 2 part question I guess. #1. Since I've already bought my clubs can they be adjusted if I were to have a fitting session? #2. I like the grips, I like the shafts. I'm average height I guess 5'9" and they don't seem too long or too short and seem to lay right at address. I found a place nearby that wants $150 for a fitting. That doesn't include modifying clubs or anything. That's just checking your Lie, Length, etc. I guess I hate to spend $150 and have them tell me your clubs are fine for you since they seem fine to me. Or the reverse, you need new shafts, new grips, new clubs, etc, after I've already dropped quite a bit on these clubs. So I guess I don't really know what to think. What are the criteria to get a fitting? Should I get a fitting even though everything seems fine with the clubs? I guess I'm just wondering if this is one of those cases where if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

I've been looking at these and the newer models say 2 slots for Hybrids and 7 slots for Irons. All I want to know is if regular irons will still fit into the 2 slots for Hybrid Clubs or if they are slotted really wide so that they would rattle around? Thanks for any help.

Maybe I am the only one thinking "commands" to myself... But I guess that's why I asked the question. It's interesting to see what others think about sometimes.

You can kind of test that by trying a new putter or by borrowing a friends. If it's mental probably usually you'll play better for a few weeks because your thinking about how different it feels, how heavy it is, how bright and shiny it is etc, instead thinking about the actual putt.

I don't know anything about AimPoint but over the past 2 weeks my putting has improved dramatically and I haven't had a 3 putt in the last few rounds I've been out. A month or 2 ago I was 3-6 putting all the time. I hadn't played much in years so I have been going back and really starting over and learning how to do everything over again from scratch over the past few months. I'm only a beginner/intermediate, but I'll tell you what has helped me tremendously. Just 2 things: When I putt I think about "throwing the ball" with my right hand and how hard I would have to throw/roll it to get it to the hole. I then mimic that same feeling when I am actually putting. I pretend or visualize that I'm actually throwing the ball. Take a ball and actually throw it like your putting stroke and see how it close you get to the hole. "Feel" how hard you have to throw it and then do the same thing with the putter in hand. That made all the difference in the world in judgement of speed and direction for me. The other thing I do is when I practice putting, I only do it from only 2 distances. 40-60ft away and 3-4ft away. Your chances of making a 12-15ft putt are like 25%. But you should be able to knock it within 3ft 90% of the time to have a 2 putt from that distance. I take 3 balls and putt from a long distance 40-60ft and try to get them at least within 3ft of the hole. If you make one great. Take it out and then put it about 3ft away and putt all 3 balls from that distance. If I can get a put within 3ft I will make it almost every time and usually the only time you don't get within 3ft are really long putts. So that's why I only putt 2 distances when I "practice". Don't know if that will help, but I wish you the best of luck.

Just something I was thinking about today. I consider myself beginner/intermediate. I used to play a lot then I didn't for many years and now I'm trying to pick it back up. I've been really working on fundamentals. My swing is really starting to come together though. I finally figured out some things that I have been doing wrong and am feeling good and very confident. In my quest to better my swing, I've been constantly thinking about different things I need to do to hit a good shot. I can't just go up, clear my mind and hit (I'm not sure that anybody really does). So, I talk to myself like I'm sure a lot of other people do. Not out loud, but in my head of course I used to have about 6 things that went through my head. Reminders of things I needed to do. I had a bunch of things I was trying to concentrate on but now I've really got it down to saying "2" commands to myself. #1 - Hands! One of the things that was really limiting my swing and my consistency was that I was not what I call "cocking" my hands. I was keeping my wrists pretty straight during my backswing. Now about half way back I cock my wrists back. I'm not sure of the correct terminology but I'm sure most of you know what I mean. #2 - Hips! The second thing I wasn't doing was starting my lower body movement before I started my swing forward. I was usually starting my shoulders at the same time as my lower body. Now at the top of my backswing my arms stop dead, I start shifting the weight in my lower body and then bring my arms through. Those two things are what I've found were really keeping me from squaring the face at impact and are the only things that go through my mind now during my swing. I start the backswing and yell "hands" to myself and then when I get to the top and stop, I yell "hips" and start my lower body movement and then swing through. So, now I'm curious if any of you have similar things that you say to yourself during your swing?

I've really liked Dufner for a while. Part of the reason I first liked him was because of the Waggle. I've done the same thing for years. I do it to get my arms to relax and keep from tensing up as well as shifting my weight around to get my feet where I feel good and balanced. I don't sit the driver down and swing right away like he does though. I wish I could have a fast tempo like that. I usually have to set it down take a deep breath or two and then start my backswing.

I posted yesterday about maybe updating my clubs from my old King Cobra Oversize set I bought many years ago to something newer. My old Cobra's are steel shaft w/ Stiff or Firm flex which I think has been hindering me a bit since I started playing again. I was able to hit demo a few different clubs today. They were a few "older" model clubs, but I hit some Taylor Made, Adams and Cobra. Nothing felt good until I hit the Cobra UFI. It was graphite YS-55+ shaft regular flex and they felt absolutely wonderful. I hit them easily 20-40 yards further than my old Cobras and 9 out of 10 shots were straight down the middle. Nice high shots with no sting in my hands. I really, really dug them. So came home and did a little research and I see the Cobra UFI's are an older set from like 2007 and thus harder to find in a nice new set. I have been looking at the Cobra S3 Max set with Regular Graphite shafts and I'm curious if anyone could tell me if they might hit similar? I don't know much about shafts so I'm not sure how the YS-55+ might compare to the UST-IHS that the S3 Max's have. I'd like to assume the technology has gotten better and that the S3 Max's would hit as good but I don't have a way to find out without ordering a set. Maybe someone here has hit both? Thanks for any help.

I've been out and played a couple rounds with them in the last couple weeks. I'm hitting better after spending some time at the driving range and working on my grip, balance, setup, etc, but I do have a tendency to go right, and I don't hit very high either so I'm thinking maybe the stiff shafts are working against me. They also "sting" pretty good unless I hit it dead perfect. The Pro Shop at the course I usually go too is pretty sparse. They have like maybe 3 or 4 drivers and maybe 2 sets of clubs. It's pretty sad but it's in the middle of nowhere, they still have to hand water the course, etc, but I like the layout of the course. There's another course I occasionally go to that's a little further away, but it's really about the same for a pro shop. I still haven't hit a hybrid yet, although I've never really had a hard time per say hitting my 3 or 4 irons either. I've heard that they are pretty easy to hit and generally go further than the irons which is appealing. I did order a new putter. The only cheap club in the bag was an Accu-line or Accu-tek or something that I bought for like $20 at Walmart when I was 14 or 15. I always wanted to try a Mallet putter and I always wanted an Odyssey so I just ordered a White Ice 330 yesterday. I got it on discount and I figured worse comes to worse I can always sell it on ebay and probably get 90-100% of my money back on it. But it got me thinking about just updating my whole set.

Quick background: I started Golfing in high school. I played quite a bit back then because I had a junior membership that was really inexpensive. When I turned 18 the membership price Quadrupled and I couldn't afford to play anymore. I didn't golf again for probably 10 years. I've played maybe once or twice a year over the last 5 years but now I'm trying to get out and play at least once a week. I'm getting older and an hour and a half or three hour walk out on the golf course is good exercise and I have fun and enjoy myself. I have no intentions of being a "great" player, I am just concentrating on being consistent. I could drive 300+ yards in high school but I never knew where it would land. Now I swing easy and drive maybe 220-250 but I can hit the fairway or the 1st cut 6/9 times on 9 holes. I'm hoping I can get closer to 9/9 this year in the fairway or 1st cut. Ok, enough babble...here's the deal: Right before I quit golfing I bought a brand new set of King Cobra Oversized Clubs. They came out in 1994 I think and I bought them in 1996 on a discount just before the King Cobra II's came out. To be honest I bet my clubs have maybe 30 rounds on them. They are really like new. They are all "firm" steel shaft, including the Driver (a King Cobra .350 Oversize Offset). That said, I don't swing near as hard as I used to too and I'm not sure I really need the "firm or stiff" shafts anymore. I see there are all these new hybrids out there and lots of graphite shafts and massive size driver heads that look like they belong in a cartoon . Technology has obviously changed over the last 16 years and even though my old set of clubs are like new I'm thinking about upgrading to something newer. The newer clubs are more forgiving, lighter, etc, but my old set of clubs are still in great shape and they aren't just a cheap Walmart set. They were very high quality clubs back in the day and should last a long time and they have, especially since I didn't play at all for about 10 years. So, I guess my question is would it be to my advantage to update to some newer clubs? Would the newer technology help me shave strokes off my game and help me be more consistent by at least putting the ball in the fairway more often. I know a good deal of having a "good golf game" is in the mechanics, your swing, your grip, etc, but I've also heard lots of people say that some of these new irons and large drivers, even when you mis-hit, still land the ball in the fairway instead of in the woods and perhaps the newer clubs would help with that. What do some of you think?