Dave40

If you are over 40, then some back soreness is to be expected. If it is really painful, then it could be a medical problem or maybe there is something in your swing that is causing too much pressure. Golfers make swing changes throughout their lives to adjust to the changes of aging.

Chipping practice will be well worth a couple of strokes per round. The time you have available for practice is a big factor in getting to the sub 80 scoring level. It sounds like your equipment is pretty up to date. I always watch the old guys who are able to consistently play around 80. Even though they can't hit 300 yards, the trick seems to be always keep the ball in the fairway and have a good short game. They don't seem to use the driver much. They will take a 5 iron off the tee and another 5 iron to get close to the green. These guys can pitch and one-putt for par with the same reliability as two putting for par. Granted, they are not playing from the back tees, but the strategy is worth noting.

Keep in mind that i'm no golf pro, but this is the way I've heard it explained: If the shaft is too flexible and is still bent at the moment of impact, the effect is like offset on a club. The face might be more open but your body has already rotated through the ball ahead of the club head. The result is usually a hook. On the other hand, when i have used drivers with a shaft too flexible, the feedback of the whippy shaft has somehow caused me to create an out to in swing path resulting in a big slice.

I don't think that the shaft flex would cause a severe push like the one you describe. My guess would be that the appearance of the club head (face angle too open or closed) is causing you to line up incorrectly or maybe the overall weight of the club is too heavy for your swing.

The only thing new in putters is that there are more varieties of mallet-style putters available now. The blade putters are basically the same designs from the 1980s or even earlier. Usually blade putters are some variation of the Pings or 8802.

Small changes in grip can have a big impact on the swing.

I haven't tried the s3, but I am pretty happy with both of the Vista series. The iV gets really good distance.

Unless the flex of your current shafts is different, and the length is not far off, then you can probably get your clubs modified

I switched to graphite and can really tell the difference - less of a backache after a round of golf. Which shaft is best? That's opening a real can of worms for club junkies. Maybe the better question is what shaft weight are you most comfortable with. You can get them from 50g to 100g.

For hitting off the deck, try a 3W that has a low profile face. That was the concept behind the original Adams tight lies woods. The tradeoff is that the low profile face woods have a smaller hitting area when used on the tee.

I saw the show on the GC. Since I like to purchase used clubs, it makes me hesitant to do so unless it is from Cally preowned or TM preowned.

After seeing the Reflex irons on the GG site, they are not bad looking. And on sale for $150.

An inexpensive brand name used driver that you can cut down is what I would do. Most drivers less than 10 years old are good.

You could probably do better than the Reflex irons. If cost is the issue, check out the Callawaypreowned and global golf websites.

I still like the old Avon Chamois. They might be softer than many golfers would like, but they keep their tackiness. I especially like them on blades to keep my hands from going numb on mishits.

Apex gets a lot of really good reviews.

If the old irons feel too heavy , then try a set with graphite shafts. Also if your old irons have old grips then that can cause swing problems.

Let us know what you think about the NXT tour s. I got some at a demo day thought they were good overall. It seemed like the trajectory is what allowed it to hold greens. It goes out straight and then drops out of the sky almost vertically, even with a long iron.

The vista iV does have a "clicky" feel. I didn't like that at first, but the clicky feel makes it sound and feel like you are crushing it on drives. I didn't think a clicky cover could stop on greens like other pro line balls but it does somehow. The Volvik iS is much less clicky than the iV and I agree is slightly more clicky than the PV1, but the overall compression seemed very similar to the PV1. The availability of colors is what made the difference in my switch from the PV1.

The Vista iS is the closest match to a Pro V1 that I have found.

My local city-owned courses have the best prices on hats. Check out your local muni.

Welcome to the site. One thing to remember is to be patient with your progress. The golf swing is something that takes time to develop. There will be times that seem like you are getting worse instead of better, but that is part of the game that happens to everyone regardless of their skill level.

44.5 is a good length for most mid or high handicap players. The advantage of a forgiving driver head is lost if the shaft length is 46 or longer.

The D100 irons will probably feel closer to your X12 irons. I have the D100s and find that I can work them left or right. I demo'd the C100s and they are a solid set too. The two sets are different enough so that you will know which feels better to you.