Pablo68

The Op isn't half the golfer Kiradech is................ literally and figuratively.

Is it true that once a driver has been used it might not conform anymore to USGA Standards? I heard something about some Pros seeking out heads that had been used (demos).

I've been working on developing a shot for that range by limiting my weight shift while varying the length of my backswing (sort of like a very extended chip shot) I'm getting better at it however I try to play to my strength which is the 80-100 yard wedge shots.

I buy used golf balls (TP5) off Ebay but am seriously reconsidering this after reading this article (lifted from another forum). Potentially losing 10+ yards off the tee might be worth just buying new. The downside is I'll be less apt to just write off a ball as lost than I am now.

There are much worse breaches of etiquette out there than cussing. I'd rather listen to someone cuss than: the abhorrently slow play by some people out there. the teenagers playing music on their phones. the guy talking on his cellphone on the driving range. the guy laying 8 already and hasn't touched the surface of the green yet.

On par 5s, if I can't get it within 10 yards of the green with my 2nd shot, I'll lay back to 80-100 yards where my GW or SW can usually stick it close. I try to avoid the 30-50 yard shots when at all possible.

I would say I'm more knowledgeable therefore yes, I'm a better golfer now. I'm sold on concentrating on setting up correctly will cure quite a bit of one's woes. Weight distribution, alignment, ball position, etc....finding a feel for being setup correctly will help me much better than any swing key.

It looked to me like the Op's shoulders are a little open at address and his head drops a little on the back swing. On down swing some early extension where the right elbow trapped behind as hips have already cleared out. I can't tell if he's shifted ahead of the ball or not.

Exactly what I was referring to with the smash factor. Solid contact is the quickest way to pick up yardage. During my driver fitting my swing speed was low 90s and when connecting solidly with the ball, I was at 260-265 total yards with the Ping G Series.

I can't imagine going without my 60 (I have 48, 52, 56 & 60). Pitching, short chips, etc...... On the average round, you'll use a 60 degree wedge a heck of a lot more than a 3 iron or a hybrid.

They look like a work of art man. I have Mizuno T-11 ones and love them (kept the spinner shafts in them). I'm sure you'll get used to not having the loft on the sole.

I voted Lob wedge. The courses I play on have smallish greens and tricky pin placements. Was tempted to go with Gap wedge (holed one out a few weeks ago for eagle 2) but I score more with LW.

+1 I am currently hitting MP-59s and love them but they're worn pretty good. I went through a launch monitor a couple weeks ago, hitting MP-18 SC and liked them. There was a good amount of drop off on mishits which I have with my MP-59s. The guy handed me a Cleveland CBX and at first glance the top line threw me off. After seeing a substantial decrease in drop offs for the mishits and there basically being no difference feel wise when near the sweet spot, the top line became inconsequential to me. I ordered the Clevelands and saved $500. There was a pickup of yardage but that's because it's basically a 6 iron length with a 5 iron loft.

4 iron typically. I take my short pitching stance (open with feet close together) and just concentrate on face aim and solid contact. Good for 120+ yards

Dunno. I would imagine it depends on the club too. Point being; increasing swing speed may not increase your distance.

Pay more attention to smash factor when on a launch monitor. How effective are you hitting the ball? Swing speed versus ball speed. A guy with a swing speed of 100 and ball speed of 150 has a smash factor of 1.5 Average golfers are like 1.3 or there abouts. A good exercise to increase your speed is taking practice swings and 'hearing' the swoosh of the clubhead occurring AFTER it passes where the ball would be placed.

The AVERAGE amateur doesn't break a 100, do they? I would think that a great deal of their score is the inability to get off the tee box consistently. If you gave them 300 yards for 14 holes (disregarding 4 Par 3s) how could their scores not be lower? Sure they'd still screw up around the greens but no question it'd result in lower scores.

Well, of course this thread is about averages. In the movie 'Tin Cup' Don Johnson's character hits his 7 iron down the street and I'm guessing it went a good ways. If someone asked him how far he hit his 7 iron, is that shot the one he's going to point to and say 'I hit my 7 iron 300 yards'? No.......... And as far as hitting a club well; even blind hogs find acorns. Do you hit it well often enough to call that your stock shot yardage?

I recently took a lesson and have been working on not letting the club get stuck behind me. I've been working for the last week on what he showed me with good results on partial swings but mixed results on the full swing. I adjusted the timing of my downswing and saw dramatic results with my driver. I shot the best round of my life today; a 73 (36/37) with 3 birdies (all on par 5s) and 4 bogeys. I hit 9 fairways and was in the first cut of the other 5. I was on the fringe or on 12 greens and had no three putts. Just played smart, took an extra look at each green before I putted to pay more attention to the break. Coming down the stretch I stayed in the moment and kept my mind off the score. I'm trying to temper my expectations but can't help feeling I've turned the corner and am on my way to shooting scratch.

Okay, let me assist you in factoring your average. You have to count all those that you don't hit straight as well. Those hooks, pull hooks and vicious slices count towards your average. For each of your 220 yard banana ball slice or 240 yard left of left hook mean to hit your 280 average you have to blister one 340-360 down the middle. Starting to get the picture on what your ACTUAL average is? No offense meant but people don't seem to fathom reality when posting their averages.

Went Saturday and shot 78. 37 on front and 41 on the back. Only hit 6 fairways and 6 greens but had no doubles, 2 birdies and 28 putts. Wish my driver would behave itself.........could have been near scratch.

My club has Gold/Blue/White/Green/Red tees. My handicap is from the Blue tees at my club(s). Most are 6,300-6,500 yds with slopes of 120+. I can hit some drives 280 when I nut it but my average is 250-270 but I have rounds where I'm all over the place. Should people play the tees according their average drives in the fairway or according to their ability to score? I've played rounds where I've hit 12 fairways, 12 greens and didn't break 80. I've also played rounds where I hit 6 fairways, 6 greens and broke 80. Point being that I never know which one of my games is going to show up, so I play the Blues as a concession. And it depends a lot on the course too. Some courses have real short Par 3s (140 yds or less) and then several long Par 4s (400+ yds). Others might have very long par 3s & 5s but shorter (less than 350 yd) par 4s. Play what you're comfortable with. We're not going Pro.

What if it's Cart Path only? Walkers will be much faster. A good player in a cart by himself will be a little faster than a good player walking. If you're playing together though, why the rush? I've yet to slow down someone playing in a cart while I'm walking. Walking gives you time to blow off a bad shot and estimate distances better.

I respect his talent. Truly, he has worked hard to achieve what he's accomplished and hard work is to be respected. That being said, I don't respect him as a person but don't label me a 'Tiger-Hater'. I used to root for him all the time but eventually grew tired of his 'Above the Law' mentality. It started well before his transgression outside his marriage and I wasn't that surprised when that all went down. Has he changed? Nope. Given his Masters debacle, it's all too apparent he's still an egotistical ahole who feels he's bigger than the game itself.

It's more of an issue with society and poor parenting than it is golf etiquette. The examples people gave here aren't isolated to golf courses. I guarantee those idiots approach all facets of life with the same self-absorbed, entitled attitude they displayed on the course. I've encountered several myself at my club (private courses) so it's not isolated to Public courses. Kid chipping on the practice putting green. I informed him that there isn't any chipping there to which he replies 'there's no sign saying not to'. My reply is 'well, it doesn't say you can't take a dump on the green either but you should know better'. There's now a sign stating 'No chipping'; feel free to take a dump though. Teenagers playing really slowly without regard to the effect they're having on the pace of play for everyone. They play a couple balls with nearly every shot and never look back to see if people are waiting. File that under 'My parents are using the golf course as a babysitter so I can do what I want'. Their parents are the ones who'll ignore their kids until someone has an issue with them; then they'll start paying attention but discipline is out of the question. Older gentlemen that also take their time on the course, moving like molasses in winter and again, never looking back to see if they should let someone play through. File that under 'I've paid my dues boy; what's the hurry, you young whippersnapper'. Then you have the John Daly types that are hammered out there or just act like it. Even Rodney Dangerfield would call them obnoxious.