TopWalker

I'm heading to The Heritage for the first time and am looking forward to it. Any recommendations on certain holes or best places to watch the action? (The 18th is a gimme obviously). I'll be there just one round so would like to maximize the day. I like Luke Donald to win: shorter course and he's a terrific iron player. Looks like a solid field overall. TW

I developed the shanks with my irons this past fall and they are still with me. I hit some range balls today and with wedges I either hit grounders or weak snap slices. I hit my hybrids and driver pretty well, however I noticed today that most of them were on the hozel side of the face. With the irons they were severely hozel-side or right off the hozel itself. I'm going to get another lesson here shortly, but first I need some swing thoughts so as to understand why this is happening and how it can be corrected. The only way I could hit a few wedges properly up in the air was if I made a conscious effort to hit from the inside, but then they ended up being left pulls. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. TW

I've seen the commercial as well, but I haven't been able to pull the trigger on the club. My iron play is weak, but I'm going to try puting something behind the ball a few inches and see if I can improve hitting down on the ball better. Tall tees, a shoebox top could work. I think I saw on The Haney Project where Rush had to hit and avoid a lie board behind the ball. Just a few ideas. TW

I think any of the popular soft balls in the $15-25 range will work just fine. The only thing I'd recommend is that you see how the ball reacts around the green on chips and pitches. Understanding the spin or lack thereof will help you figure out where to land the ball so it can roll out the right distance. That's where you can save shots. TW

NXT Tour is my current ball. Great soft feel off irons and putter. Good durability and consistent flight for me. I was playing the ProV1 for a bit, but I like a bit more roll out on my chips and the spin was working against me. Better roll out with the NXT Tour. Also like playing the AD333, e5, Wilson FG Tour, and Penta. I'd like to try the Callaway i(s). TW

I would take a different approach. I'd focus on how a ball reacts around the green with your wedges and putter because that's where you can shave the most strokes from your game. I've played most of the well known brand balls and haven't noticed a real difference off the tee, but definitely have seen how they react 50 yards and in. Just using Titleist as an example, I'd buy a sleeve of three different kinds, like the SoLo (soft 2 piece), NXT Tour (soft 3 piece with a bit more spin), and a ProV1 (3 piece with a urethane cover for the most spin). See what you like about each of them. The same thing could be done with another brand if desired. TW

Thanks for the course and restaurant recommendations. The price of my flight just dropped significantly so I booked it. Looking forward to seeing this part of the country for the first time. Will read up on the courses and establishments. Keep the ideas coming... TW

Hey folks, Hoping to head down to the HH/Savannah area in April to see The Heritage tournament. Would also like to experience playing a couple of rounds while I'm there. Looking for a couple of nice courses, ideally: public,

Another option is to look at the MX-200. Similar to the 300, just a bit of a larger clubface. Still has that famous Mizuno feel to them and with the new models coming out, perhaps you can find a deal on the 200s. TW

Yep, find a 11.5-13* driver and cut it down a couple of inches. TW

Just a quick correction: the AD333 has an ionomer cover, not urethane. TW

Played 18 with the NXT Tour today for the first time and was really impressed. Nice soft feel off the clubs. Distance was comparable to other balls I've played, including the e5. Good trajectory. I've also played the e5 a bit and was just as impressed. Did not notice much of a spin difference between the two even though the e5 has a urethane cover. I'd suggest going to a pro shop where you can buy a sleeve of the NXT Tour, e5, and Vapor and play each ball six holes on your next round. I'd also look at the Wilson C:25 ball if you want to expand your search a bit more. $25/dozen. TW

I've played the Tour and Tour LC balls and found that they don't have the durability of a ProV. If you're going to pay $40 or more for a dozen golf balls I'd personally buy the Pentas or ProV1s. Slightly better balls and more durable in my opinion. Another option, and granted they are a bit harder to find, is the Wilson FG Tour. Retail is $38/dozen. Very impressed by this ball and I think it really flies under the radar of golfers. TW

If you want to stay in the Titleist family and want just a bit less spin I'd check out the NXT or NXT Tour. Neither has a urethane cover so they might do the 'hop n stop' for you as opposed to spinning back like the ProV does. TW

Perhaps you're already aware of this, but there is also the MX-200. They are also forged, are $100 cheaper (at the retail level), and have a slightly bigger clubface. Perhaps worth the time to hit those as well. You might like them more or they might reinforce that the 300s are best for you. TW

As someone who is playing both the X-20 and the MX-200 sets , ask yourself if your iron play is a strength or weakness in your game. I had been playing the X-20s and got the MX-200s just because I wanted to play with something different and because it's true - you hit a Mizuno forged club flush and the feeling is incredible. It really is different and better! That being said, my iron play is atrocious right now so that sweet feeling isn't happening too much. (Which makes me wonder why I bothered to get new sticks, but I digress...) So, getting back to your question I'd say if your iron play is solid and a strength go for a forged/game improvement iron like the MX-200. But if your iron play isn't so great then I'd look at an X-series from Callaway, maybe a set of R7s from TM, G15, etc. Something that is a touch more forgiving. TW

Find a ball that you like around the green. That's where most golfers can cut the most strokes. I've played a good share of all the balls out there and there's a negligible distance difference, whether it's a premium ball or a more basic 2-piece. TW

Everyone loves a sleeper pick so I'll throw one out: Wilson FG Tour. 3 piece urethane. Long, soft, sticks and it's cheaper than either the ProV or the RX. A little tougher to find in stores though. TW

If one were to buy irons "off the rack" and they come with a Standard grip size, I imagine it's easy to make the grips bigger by adding tape. However, what does one do if one want to make the grips smaller, i.e. -1/64th? Are you stuck with standard grips that came with the clubs or are there actual "smaller" grips that can be swapped? Other ways to make the grips smaller? Thanks for your comments. TW

I'd look at a couple of options: Get a 21 or a 22 depending on what club you like best. Perfect scenario would be to get a 21 and then drop your 19 for an 18. Then your slotted 3* thru those three clubs. TGW.com is worth a look. They have some nice clubs in that range for $89 (Ping/TM/Callaway). I just got the Diablo 24* and used it to make birdie today on a par 3 in fact. Good luck. TW

I'd take a different approach to this and find out which ball you like most around the greens. That's where you take most of your shots and the area where you can save the most strokes. As many experts say, start with how a ball performs around the greens and work your way back to the tee. TW

The USGA created a great test of golf. The winner should be around Even and that's where GM finished up. At the U.S. Open pars = birdies. If you want low scores then watch pretty much every other tournament out there. Sorry, but one week a year I want to see them suffer a bit! Now they know how I feel every time I go out and play! It was a war of attrition and that's what the U.S. Open should be about. For those who disagree I present to you the Travelers Championship where the winner will be -18 to -22. Yawn. TW

The Mizuno mx-200 and mx-300 are worth a look. Many reviews have them right between a player's club and a GI club, which could be a nice fit based on your hcp. TW

Congrats to McDowell. A very classy winner and a well-earned victory. And also congrats to the USGA. The U.S. Open winner should be right around even par and McDowell won at Even. A great test of golf. (The boys can go back to shooting -20 next week at the Travelers). TW

I'll politely disagree with the "swing speed" theory. I've played everything from supersoft to firm balls and distance-wise I've found any difference to be negligible at best. If one goes "longer" it was because it was simply a better shot. Based on your handicap, on average, I figure about 40% of your shots will be on or around the green. I'd select a ball that you like for that part of your game. If you're dead set on Titleist, then I'd go with the ProV1. TW