guywoof

I've been incredibly lucky. I've worked for years, full time as a painter, sculptor, and printmaker. I've had over 200 one man shows around the world. Because of my poster company(not mine but the company that represents me) I believe I have some work in every country. Sometimes do a painting about golf, which are fun to do. Most interesting show was at the American Consulate in Leipzig, in conjunction with Gallery Sud. Older guy now and more interested in playing golf with friends than painting 8 hrs a day. Looking back, wouldn't change anything.

I am mathematically baffled by all numbers. If I didn't have an accountant I'd be in a fed pen. But I started playing some heavy clubs, irons, some kind of stiff, heavy three step shaft(Raven forged irons), loaned to me by a friend, and I'm hitting the ball way better. Almost always perfect contact.....no increase in distance just far better striking and accuracy. Knocked about five strokes of my handicap and looks like it's coming down more.

Need some help. I am now hitting the callaway razr fit extreme and don't quite understand the adjustments. My error is a hook with other drivers. I would like to set it up for a fade so when I plan a draw it doesn't become a raging hook. How would I adjust the face, and then the weights? Thanks.

I should probably post my real average distances: D 250 3W 220 11W 170 4i 180 5i 170 6i 160 7i 150 8i 140 9i 120 pw 110 sw 75 Have trouble with distance on my sand wedge

I believe you. I've just never seen it. I wish I could hit irons that far, but does it mean you have to carry a bunch of high lofted wedges for short shots? I think it would be tough trying to judge a sand or pitching wedge if you were powering irons that far. See why pros are loaded with wedges..........Kuchar carries a bunch and nothing above a five iron.

This is getting way complicated. And if you need google is it worth it? Being "long enough" is important. After that it only leads to trouble unless you're on the pro tour.

I think he's talking about carry as in air time. I'm up and down from 15, play with similar players. Some guys can really tag it. 250 total. But never 250 air time. Nobody I have ever played with in 20 years has ever sent a 7i 170, and that includes club pros.

You are, of course, absolutely right. But I don't have the same mindset about golf. I just think of it as a game that's fun. I play with old friends, on old public courses, and have a great time trying out different shots, clubs, etc. Belonged to a private club once and never saw more unhappy golfers, all with the newest equipment money could buy. Nothing wrong with that, just not for me.

I'm getting more retro than might be rational. Inherited two old Wilson sets.....Sam Snead blue ridge, and Arnold Palmer Autograph. More rusty than a Tiger Woods chip shot. Actually the same exact irons with different names. Sold mostly in hardware stores, etc. Maybe from the fifties. The worst shafts EVER put in any golf clubs. They have to be hit exactly right or it's a bad feel. Thinking about reshafting the least rusty set with a good steel shaft but will talk to a dealer about it. The crazy thing is, bouncing around with these old clubs has not bothered my scoring. In fact my handicap is dropping. Worst round I shot this year was with graphite shafted, modern big berthas. But this is making golf way more fun. .....Remember the Portland Mavericks.

I play with a large group, all of us ex jocks and some of us as tall as you. I know the problem. First, don't know where you play but if it's in the north your handicap isn't all that bad. We post all our scores and some days pros would be shooting in the 100's due to weather and mud and crusty rough. I sometimes think the whole handicap system should be looked at. You might have your lofts weakened by a pro shop.......on your scoring clubs....and add some kind of wedge that will help. A couple of us have gone to the Azinger type of 3/4 swing and that helps a lot.

This a great post. Carry can differ so much in making different shots. Fading to drawing can be a great difference. I also found, after using the G15 for years, that I got more distance with callaway.

I've done the same thing, just because I like retro golf stuff. Got a set of ping zing berylliums and hit them better than most irons I've hit. I also like the old callaway big berthas. Great feel. I've found, at least for myself, that the irons don't really make much difference in my scoring, but that all have a different feel to them.

I'm going to keep two handicaps, one on a hickory only site. For the record I never play tournaments. Just with our group of six or seven guys. Does anyone else find tournaments annoying and incredibly time consuming? We all stopped playing them years ago.

Yeah. Didn't mean to. Always thought you were supposed to post everything. I think I'll have two handicaps, just post the hickory at a hickory site I found.

I always post everything, but I'm thinking I've been wrong. On good, summer days I play with an all hickory set, some of the clubs with bent shafts and rusty blades from 1900. My score is always higher so my handicap is higher than when I play with my modern set. Can somebody help me on this? Should I just not post those hickory days?

I use a callaway 11 and love it. Still carry long irons anyway. The 11 isn't, for me, much different than a 7 wood, just higher launch and softer landing. I can vary the carry anywhere from 140 to 170. So easy to hit, especially in the winter cold and wet. I would be skeptical of anyone berating the high lofted woods. I understand tradition and play with blades, but nothing beats these high numbered woods. Someday pros will carry them. Think how long it took them to finally admit to perimeter weighting.. Go for it. I would even go higher, in fact looking for something now.

I play in the northwest and sometimes have the same conditions. Our foursome was out this week, 45-50, with heavy, wet air. Our distances were greatly affected. With good summer roll I can sometimes tag a driver 270, but on this day 190 was good. Irons always way shorter. So much so I've gone to an eleven callaway wood for the winter. It makes up for all the bad temps and dampness. And if you're like us you can't swing freely with all the sweaters and sweatshirts. It's a different game sometimes for us in the north.

I've been playing Wilson fg51's off and on for ten years. Always score better with them than game improvement clubs. I'm not a low handicapper, but I don't have many really bad mishits. Play with a group that just has a good time. Blades have a great feel, and some iron Byron studies have shown them to be more accurate on square hit than GI irons. Also have a set of heavy, netforged Raven blades that are almost as good. On a good day I'd take the blades anytime.

One of my playing partners has this trouble. His swing is very flat yet he slices the ball. His drives dive just like a forehand tennis shot. I don't ever try to give anyone advice so I've never said anything, but it's driving him crazy. I'm going to refer him here because there seems to be some good answers.

It's starting to get a little strange when Tiger doing "well" is just making the cut. Do I see a future where Tiger doing "well" is being able to walk to the first tee. It may be time for a reality check.

I play at sea level also and think you've hit the nail on the head. Big hitters at this altitude hit it about 220-230 on an average day. Summertime, dry and hot, they can hit it out there 290-310 sometimes, but that's just the luck of the conditions. Heavy air here. The low scorers here are the great putters on wet greens..

It would be interesting to know where players played......dry, high altitude, or Pacific Coast rain belt, etc. I think heavy or light air, heat or cold has a great deal to do with distances. I don't know the exact effect they have, but just from experience I'm thinking sometimes 20 yards with a driver, and if the fairways are wet maybe much more. Don't know of any research. Does anyone?

We are starting to live in a world where almost anything can be offensive to somebody somewhere. I don't think his comments were bright or good, but it wasn't the end of the world. No need for the board to get their panties in a knot.

This is the flaw of bothering to use social media. Everybody involved looks like a pinhead, even those who complain about it. Everyone, at one time or another, talks like this, but NOT to millions of strangers........some of whom are PC insane, have axes to grind, or are basically trying to make something out of their blank lives by jumping on assassination bandwagons. Makes me yearn for saner times, instead of having to deal with a media, and websites living lives of "quiet desperation". Play golf.

I didn't see how old this thread was, but I noticed the tennis comparison and I agree, being a former tennis player. Heavy racquets hit the ball harder and it should be the same for golf clubs. Even more so. I have sensed, when hitting light drivers, the head stopping slightly at impact. In other words, losing speed. Heavier drivers don't give me that feel, just a power through the ball. Heavier irons, whether heavier in shaft or head will not give that slight slow down when hitting slightly fat, or just hitting the ball. It will transfer the force better. Now this is from a guy who knows absolutely nothing about science.