ragontona

I decide to stop in to The Trap and this argument's STILL going on. It's been going on for years. Awesome.

Nice to see that I can drop off the site for a year and we're still arguing this

380, downhill, downwind. Flat surface longest drive was 315. Average drive is about 270...

They're an introduced species with absolutely NO natural controls in the United States. Their numbers far outweigh any potential predators, so they pretty much go unfettered in their life cycles. They eat vegetation as beetles, but also worth remembering is that in their larvae form (grubs) they can be devastating to turf grasses like your lawn, fairways, and greens. I blow 'em away any chance I get. They're not harmless little bugs. Tell a fruit farmer that they're harmless and see what happens.

They rehab'd it. It used to have a MAJOR ding in the topline (bag chatter after a three-putt). Can't even tell it was ever there now. By the way, took it out this morning for its first round with the new finish. It rolled just as true as ever, and the difference in feel was negligible (at least for me).

I'll keep an eye on it. Worst case scenario -- I don't like it and send it to Scotty's studio after the season to get it restored to its original state.

The actual service itself ended up around $60 ($46 for the finish, $13 to pull/replace the shaft). I paid an extra $30 for the express service... I believe the normal turnaround time is 3-4 weeks, and I got mine back in two. So it ended up around $90 plus shipping. Less if you're patient and can be without your gamer for about a month. Not too bad, considering it's essentially a brand new putter now. Oh, and the custom paintfill was free with the refinish.

I didn't inquire about a warranty or anything, but the Black Oxide finish will last for as long as you take care of it. I used to have a black Studio Design that needed to be wiped dry after every round with a silicon cloth, and the finish was quite durable when cared for correctly. I plan on taking care of this putter in the same way. The customer service reps are very helpful, and quite responsive with their emails, I found.

Sent my Newport into Black Oxide Services in California a couple of weeks ago. Got it back today, and I'm pleased with the results. Unfortunately, I don't have any "before" pics, but it's a Studio Stainless Newport, was pretty well-worn, and had a major ding on the topline. BOS worked out the dings and applied a triple black finish for me. I believe that Scotty used to use their services for his putters.

Short answer: You have to wait for them to wave you through. Never hit into the group ahead of you intentionally.

Scorpion tattoo picked up in Japan in 1995.

Though I'm an inadvertent stack-n-tilter, I agree with you. It took many years of refinement to make my flukey swing work for me. It wasn't until this article came out that I realized what I'd been doing, and why it was able to work for me. I'd hope that others don't honestly think this is a cure-all for all that ails them.

Funny thing with this whole "Stack and Tilt" phenomenon is that it turns out I've been doing this exact move for the past five years. Because of a history of back problems, I've always addressed the ball with my spine lined up directly over it. Regular playing partners have always commented on my "reverse pivot" backswing, which again was a result of me trying to create torque while limiting stress on my back. Pushing down with my left leg in the downswing created compression/explosion through impact, straightening out my left leg to an upright finish. I've always considered my swing a little flukey. Funny that it's now the new "big thing."

You and your buddy finish up a hole, and he's hacked it to death. You: "So, what'd you take on that?" Buddy: "Bogey."

For two-footers and in, I make sure to make an agressive stroke and pretty much take the break out of the equation. I line it up with the cup and accelerate through the ball crisply and confidently. Three-footers are pretty much the same, though I pay a little more respect to the break. Unless it's a really tricky pin location though, I rarely give the hole away completely. I still make sure I make a confident stroke. At worst, I'll lip it out -- but more often than not, it goes in. Being tentative about any aspect of the putt inevitably leads to a decelerating stroke, which (in my case) leads to either my hands becoming too active through impact to compensate, or a weak push to the right that won't get the job done. Just spend time on the practice green. Hammer putt after putt into the back of the cup. Do the same for every hole location on the practice green.