skipsaw

Hi folks - Wanted to see if anybody out there had an opinion on these 2 sets of irons. I got fitted yesterday and the Pro suggested that I go with a set of Ping G10s. I also demo'ed some Cobra SZ irons which I also liked. The Pro seemed to be really be pushing the Pings, butI didn't get to hit the Cobras nearly as much as I did the Pings. Another factor is that I could save anywhere from $200-$400 if I went with the Cobras. The price difference isn't a huge factor for me, but it is a factor. I am a 19 handicap and (when the weather allows) play about 6-8 times a month. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks, - Skip S.

Posted a somewhat general question yesterday about starter sets for women and no responses yet, so I'll try to hone it in a little with this one. To recap, I'm looking for a set of hybrid irons for my wife. She needs senior flex graphite shafts. I found a set of Nickent Golf 3DX RC Hybrid Irons online for a really good price and available in Senior flex 4-SW. I think these would fit the bill nicely, and have read a couple really good reviews. Just wanted to check & see if anybody on here has these clubs, what they think, and also what folks think of Nickent clubs in general. I've never owned any Nickent stuff, so I'm curious as to what their reputation is like. Many thanks, -SS-

My wife is taking up the game and I'm looking for a starter set of clubs (or irons) that are reasonably-priced. Here's the tricky part - when we took lessons a while back, we had an informal fitting and the upshot was that a standard women's set wouldn't work well for my wife due to the length and flex. What I am looking for in terms of specs is a set that is standard men's length with A (Senior) flex shafts, preferably graphite. The closest thing I've found is a set of Adams Idea A2 OS Hybrid Irons, and I was ready to pull the trigger on them today, but alas... they were out of stock (rockbottomgolf.com). Any ideas? Much appreciated, -SS-

Thanks very much for the info. I was considering Northstar, so it's good to hear that it's an interesting course. And the greens fees there look very reasonable. Coyote Moon looks excellent, too. I will definitely let you know if we make it up towards Reno. Would be a blast to play with a TST'er, fer sure.

Last Thursday at my home course. Tricky short dog-leg right par 4, about 300 yards. Very good fading drive that rolls to about 40 yards. Pull out the lob wedge, take a couple smooth 1/3 backswings, step up and execute the swing. Smooth, crisp contact. A nice, high, soft pitch that lands about 10-15 feet from the hole, starts sliding, trickling toward the pin, and... clinks the stick and falls in for an eagle. Only the 2nd eagle of my golfing life. As my golfing buddies like to say... that shot probably cost me thousands of dollars (in future return rounds of golf).

Staying in Kings Beach, right on the lake, just west of Crystal Bay. Would prefer not to drive more than 45 minutes or so. I hear on the fly vs. drive thing, but we're not gonna do it all in one shot. Gonna spread the drive over three days/nights with stops in Yosemite NP, maybe Mammoth Lakes, and Death Valley NP.

Hi all - Staying in Lake Tahoe in late September for a few days. Need recommendations for courses in the north Tahoe area (staying in Kings Beach, CA near the CA/NV state line). Willing to spend a little money, but would like to keep around/below the $100 range if possible. Any suggestions appreciated. Also, we are driving down to Vegas from Tahoe and might be staying at a resort in Death Valley NP called Furnace Creek. The golf course is the world's lowest elevation course at 214 feet below sea level. They have a great golf package deal and I'd like to play the course for the novelty of it if nothing else. But I am curious about the quality of the course itself. Anybody else played this one?

This post isn't exactly about regional courses, but it is about golf travel, so I thought this would be the most relevant place to ask. I will be taking a trip in September to Lake Tahoe and driving from there down to Las Vegas. Insted of dealing with hauling my clubs through airports and paying the extra fees that they charge now for extra baggage, I am considering having my clubs shipped instead. Does anybody have any experience doing this, and if so, are there any recommendations for which service/company to use? Many thanks.

I also have an outside-to-in swing path that results in fades and some nasty slices from time to time. There's something about the inside-to-out approach that mystifies me, though. Perhaps you guys can help. Someone suggested earlier that to ingrain an inside/out swing path, think about hitting the ball to right field; however, this past weekend, a buddy of mine suggested that to cure my fade/slice, I should try to hit snap hooks on the range - i.e., hitting it to *left* field. In my mind, I can't seem to reconcile the "right field" approach with this "left field" approach. Am I talking apples & oranges here? (Sorry JYB - don't have any drills, but perhaps responses to my query can help out...).

I moved to Fort Collins (hour north of Denver) from Seattle about 5 1/2 years ago. I think you'll love it out here. First off, for Denver area golf deals, check out http://www.golfcolorado.com/coupons.php . They have some pretty good coupons for courses all over the state. As I mentioned above, I live in northern Colorado, so it would be a bit of a drive for you, but if you ever do want to travel north, here are a few that I'm fond of: Vista Ridge (Erie) Saddleback (Firestone) Highland Meadows (Windsor) Pelican Lakes (Windsor) Mariana Butte (Loveland) -SS-

I am shanking chips. The situation: I'm sitting just a few feet off of the green with a simple chip shot, and I hit a weak, dribbling shank low and to the right. If I hit one during a round, I can't seem to snap out of it, and repeat this shank over and over again in most chipping situations. I think I once heard this phenomenon referred to as the "chyips" (a la the putting "yips"). This malady is probably costing me 5-10 strokes per round, possibly more due to shanking chips into trouble, like bunkers, etc. Anybody else ever have this? Any tips, drills, advice, etc. are much appreciated.

Here's one from a course in my area called Mariana Butte (Loveland, CO). Great little public course that backs up the Rockies' foothills. Nice rock outcroppings and excellent views of the mountains on many holes.

Thanks all. Lots of interesting suggestions. Now I'm confused as ever. Haven't pulled the trigger on this yet, but I have to admit that the spikeless Etonics are very intriguing. Will let y'all know when I finally make the move on something.

Happens to me quite often. What I've developed over time is a little mental trigger or queue. After a blowup hole, when I'm in my pre-shot routine for the next hole (usually when I'm lining up the tee shot), I think (or depending on who I'm playing with, say aloud) "Okay, Reset". I know it sounds very simple, but that mental queue allows me to forget the last hole, "forgives" me (for lack of a better word) for hacking it up, and prepares me to move forward and get back into focus. Not sure if other players would agree with this or not, but another thing you might consider is playing a little more conservatively, in terms of club selection and strategy, on the next couple of holes. For example, if you're faced with a tight driving hole or there are hazards that could come into play with driver, hit your 3-wood (or 5-wood, or hybrid) and try to land in a relatively safe landing zone. This is not to say that you should *swing* conservatively - you should still take a confident swing - just think more in terms of "conservative strategy, aggressive swing". Do this for a couple of holes until you're in rhythm again and have rehained that all-important confidence again. Hope that helps.

I'm in the market for a new pair of golf shoes and was wondering if anybody has recommendations. I've bought Bite golf shoes for years now - just love the comfort - but am considering other brands this time. I am looking (ideally) for a combination of: 1) Comfort - I have toe and achilles pain, so a wide toe box and solid support are important. 2) Waterproof - 2 yrs. would be nice 3) Price - In the past, I've admittedly tried to go super-cheap. This time, I'm willing to pony up a bit more, but I really don't see myself paying more than $150. 4) Looks - Something that looks good on the course and instills confidence when you're standing over the ball (might sound silly, but I think there's something to it). Any help is appreciated.