Big_M

Very cool... can't wait to move to Charlotte so I can sneek over and play #2 without telling the wife

I hear that... I'm 28 and 30 is fast approaching. Still in school too (finishing law degree)... man it goes by fast. Joined forum about a week ago, I'm just bored since I'm between semesters. I'm sure I will post less during the semester and probably even less than that while I study for the BAR. Also, just got some new sticks, so I'm kind of going a little nutty right now not being able to play. Can't wait to be in NC next winter

Are you a Nickent rep... "please get one" seriously though... I've never tried Nickent wedges, though they do make a nice hybrid (3DX). But, it seems that if the OP already has and loves the CG14's then why not get another one of these. I myself prefer Cleveland wedges, with Callaway a close 2nd. As for Snake Eyes, they probably are nice, most of their clubs are, but they don't have enough variations in bounce and loft. Anyway, hit the clubs, get what FEELS and LOOKS best to YOU! I know for me the looks are important, as is the feel/swingweight. for cheap prices try rockbottomgolf or get a slightly older model... CG10 or CG11, etc.

Two years ago I broke 80 for the first time. My handicap was about 16 when it happened. This year (2007) my goal was single digit handicap, and I made it for about a week then slid back up to a 10. I did break 80 several times though last year. I am 28 now, I played JV for two years in high school, shot mid 40's for 9 then, but hockey was my sport in high school. After that I played regularly on leagues for 5 years, but not much other than league day. Then I went back to school and started playing less. Played very sporadically (maybe 10 rounds a year) until I moved here and started law school in 2005. Hopefully I can still get out a bit while studdying for BAR next summer, and after July I should get out plenty. Also, will play almost year around after I move to NC to take BAR. How hard is it going to be to get down to low single digits (0-5). Going from 18ish to 10 was pretty easy. I am completely self tought (can't afford lessons) and in the last two years I have completely changed my swing (based on reading and understanding fundamentals). I practice my short game when possible and am learning to work the ball. What's the best way for me to reach my goal, and assuming I play/practice 1-3 times a week, how long should I expect.

Shaft could have something to do with it... low v. high kickpoints, S v. R, etc. tell us a little more about the old club.

how much do you usually pay to play an 18 hole round? walk or ride? how often? I myself am on a limited budget so I play most rounds at a few cheaper tracks and supplement with a few nicer courses throughout the year. I played about 60 rounds last year. I have also managed to fit golf in as part of or as THE vacation for the past three years. I also bought a bagboy cart and walk about 75% of the time. Currently I am in law school so I still pick up student rates at a lot of courses and I can play at off-peak hours. I also hunt for coupons and specials, and seek out twilight when I do play nicer courses. My wife usually plays with me about every week and a half, so that can get expensive too. Anway, I'm just curious what everyone pays and how they keep it affordable, or if they are loaded enough to not worry about it.

WOW... just looked at PGA stats for number of eagles I finished only 1 behind Jim Furyk who had 3, and he played a little over 20 rounds more than I did. Also, there were about ten guys who only had 1 and most played at least 50 rounds. I feel real good about my 2 now even though I had good looks (putts inside 15 feet) on at least 4 occaisions in which I missed.

Shindig hits many of the major points. Clevelands are a damn fine choice... TA5's where my first good clubs... loved them, but alas I have outgrown them ability wise. Titleist Vokey and Cleveland CG12 are two of the best wedges around. Callway makes a nice wedge as well... and wedges are ALL preference... as you can see I opt for Clevelands. The Vokeys will spin the MOST, the other two are comparable. The Vokeys also setup a little different that the other two. I like the Clevelands because the Vokeys spin too much for me on full shots, I prefer the the two hops and a shimmy backward. But as a 30 capper you probably won't see as much of a difference so I would go with what looks and feels best to you. Distance gaps are very important... I would avoid the 60 for now as well. A 60 is just too difficult for most beginers to hit, and some Pros still make do without. Also, keep bounce in mind... tight lies require less, while in fluffy sand it helps to have more. So think about you home course. I don't use the 60 on many full shots... I generally take some off my 53, but if I have no room I'll fire away with the 60. I use both for chipping and sand shots. two plus a PW works for me, although I constantly think about arranging my bag for 3 plus a PW. For now I would start with two plus the PW... you will get more proficient with them, and will be more consistent.

I actually think Bannana boy will win a major before Scott. He IS getting experience... remember all the talk about Phil being majorless... then just when everyone was kind of moving on he won three. Well, I think Sergio will get one in the next two years, maybe three. Scott still is yet to show any real signs of promise in the majors. But both have all the shots and skills necessary (except maybe clutch putting... but it will come). I also think Sergio will finish with more wins and majors than Scott... but both should eventually break through, unless Tiger just starts winning every single one.

My Ping Craz-e G2i does have the look of something "otherworldly", but I don't anchor it to my body. Plus, I actually would carry two putters for different types of putts if we had infinate options. My mallet is a tradeoff. Plus, when I see mallets I don't get sick to my stomache like I do when I see a putter that is five feet tall. These long putters just don't appear to be golf glubs... and just for the record I'm also in favor of banning all the odd grips (i.e. left hand low, the claw, etc.)

Basically the breakdown of how clubs are sold is something like this... OEM's (i.e. Nike, Callaway, Taylor Made, etc.) Clubs are generally sold already shafted and gripped. Depending on the manufacturer, there may be several shaft options or very few. Most good golf shops will allow you to hit the drivers in diffrent shaft options and many now have launch monitors. A fitting service is usually free if you actually buy one of the clubs. This of course will run between $200 and $600 dollars depending on which driver you want. If you look around you can probably find places to demo new clubs and when you find one that fits (gives good launch conditions) you can look for the best price. Knockoffs and Clones These are components that can purchased seperately (just the head). These components are designed to perform similarly to the OEMs. Some are good, others are not... you just have to try them to find out. Usually you can find the clones about 6 months to a year after the OEM releases the club, sometimes sooner. If you like a specific driver (i.e. r7 taylormade, sumo2, ping rapture) you can probably find a few different clones of these heads. The cost of the heads is usually betweem $50 and $100. Then you add a shaft. You can add the same one as is on the OEM, or select one you like. If you find a compenents place, they should have some made up with a variety of shafts. Shafts will range from $25 to $100, and some are much more... but a decent one can easily be found for the 25-100 range. Club assembly should run about $10-20 and they should spine the driver for this price. My driver is a clone, and I actually hit it a tiny bit better than the OEM, since I choose a shaft better suited to me and I like it's look a little better (it's blue not black... and doesn't have a two color head). I paid $65 for the head, $35 for my shaft, add a grip and assembly... it costs around $130 and plays like a dream. The key is really to find a place with enough assembled components on different shafts. Or if you really like an OEM with ___ shaft, try to find a head that "feels" the same, and put the same shaft in it. Component Makers these are much the same as knockoffs/clones, but don't necessarily try to imitate a specific model club from the OEMs. Snake Eyes and Maltby are two of the big ones, but there are several others. You can usually get these with whatever setup you want as well, and some are very good clubs that are cheaper than off the shelf OEMs. Fakes ebay and other sources may have clubs that look exactly like an OEM but are actually fakes. Decals may be slightly off, or paint may be a little different, but they can be EXTREMELY hard to spot. Some play just fine, but it is a risk when you don't know the seller.

Indeed... I looked at upgrading with the V2, but I love these shafts. Plus, at $35-40, they are a steal. They feel better that many much more expensive shafts I have tried... of course I've tried the other shafts in a wide variety of clubs, but I've tried these in three or four clubs too.

yeah... the lightness is weird at first. 3 years ago I was playing a steel driver that I would guess was about 250cc, and had a steel DG shaft, was 43 1/2 inches long, and was about 12 years old. When I upgraded I couldn't go straight to 460cc, it felt too weird. So I got a Nike Ignite 360cc clone. Just last year I swapped it out for a Sasquatch because now that I had gotten used to a bigger head and graphite shaft I could finally swing the bigger clubs. Here's my benefits breakdown... old steel McGreggor - 235yd average and less than half fairways (but wildly inconsistent) Nike Ignite 360cc - 250yd average and about 1/2 my fairways New Sasquatch 460cc - 260yd average and more than 1/2 fairways... also misses are much, much better, usually just a little offline and shorter. Also, I've hit more 300 yarders than I could ever have imagined. Even my wife notices the difference between the New 460 and the old 360, and says that it was money well spent. Of course I only paid $75 bucks for the new head and had it put on my old shaft that I liked... with a nice mid kickpoint. I tried it out on a launch monitor a few months ago and luckily (since I never was fitted for the driver) my launch conditions are near perfect for my ball speed. Bottom line... I understand EXACTLY what you're saying about weight... I felt as if I had no idea where the club was, but once you get used to it, it WILL benefit you.

Exactly... Natilie is way too "blonde bimbo" LOOKING, although in actuallity she isn't a bimbo. Paula is just plain girl next door sexy... although I can't take too much pink. Can you imagine dating a girl that could whoop your a$$ in golf?

see signature below... perfect sight lines, can't miss inside 4 feet.

yeah... why only twice a month? I recomend playing with whatever irons you hit well and like... and of course can afford. Personally I'm quite fond of the set I just picked up and I'm a 10hcp... see below

Winn wins hands down for me... but they seem to be very much a love hate type product... some people love them, others don't. I also had G8, but new clubs wil have Golf Pride Tour Velvets... which I've heard are good... we'll see what happens when I regrip next winter, may go back to Winn. just make sure you get a good fit... fingers should just touch palm on left hand when gripping club, not pinch though... just barely touch.

Adams Idea Pro forged = possibly the most beautiful players iron ever made that is not a blade / muscleback. It has a wonderfully thin topline, minimal offset, and a non-glare satin finish. Feels like butter (on solid hit), goes whichever way it's told, and lets you know how well you struck the ball. Also, can't beat the Black Gold shafts... feel better than rifle in my opinion, and look better.

usually I'd be 280 with driver, plus 230 with 3-wood for 510... leaving a 30 yard shot... BUT, if I have some space on both shots and can really lay into it... I'm on or on the left after having pulled my 3-wood.

I love it... a long putter user says the "other" long putter should be banned...both should be banned, not for traditionalist notions, but because I want to throw up when I see them, they are NOT golf clubs.

how many rounds and about how long is season. usually 9 or 18... I myself played around 60 rounds between April and November and all but 2 or 3 were 18 holers.

finished at 33.

1st and foremost... PLAY LOTS of GOLF - should be possible since moving south. break or shoot par for 18... low so far is 77. single digits... 10.5 now, want to hit 8 by next year. resist urge to buy any new clubs... But, get an igolf (GPS) help my wife improve consistency and get closer to keeping score on EVERY hole. She has only played a year and a half and she's getting close to consistently having scoreable holes (4-8ish). nice straight left arm and good release. keeping right side stable and making good turn.

How many total clubs do you carry... 14 is limit. My humble opinion is that when people carry over 14 they have changed the essence of the game. I always wonder... should I take out an iron and add another wedge. Now I play a PW, a gap 53* and a lob 60*. Would love to have another, but what to give up? People just throwing 15 or 16 clubs in bag are lying to themselves, to the integrity of the game, and to life itself.

I carry an 18 hybrid to replace old 5-wood... hit each about 215-220, but much more accurate and controlled with 2H (18*). It is also my go to club for a tight fairway.