Stacey_E

Thanks for any input folks! I have a 20* DWS Baffler that I'd like to game and a spare V2 shaft. They are both 335 tip, and the 65 gram weight would match the OEM shaft weight in the DWS better than the 75+ Proforce options for hybrids. My two questions are #1 have any of you added a fairway shaft to a hybrid head with any success? #2 Would soft stepping it an inch bring it from stiff to regular flex? (those terms of course being relative to each manufacturers specs). I'm looking for more of a mid trajectory than I'm currently getting with this club. I'd like to have it punch out there 190-200 and hit with a hard forward kick. That's the type of trajectory I want on some tee shots where tight fairways and/or wind come into play. The stock regular shaft on the 20* just spins too much for me, and it goes virtually the same distance as my 23* hybrid. As a brief background, I carry a 23* DWS in the same model with stock regular shaft. I love the way it launches smooth and high with little effort. It goes about 190 on the fly and stops on a dime on the green. For lay up shots in the fairway add about 10 yards of roll with a draw, and off the tee it goes about 210 total. All these figures are about 5-10 yards farther than with my 24* 4 iron but on a higher trajectory. I still carry both the 4 iron and 4 hybrid because of the variations in shots I can play between the two.....plus I have the bag space. Thanks again for any advice!

I personally prefer a little more bounce in moist conditions. How much bounce you can get away with depends a lot on your swing. If you are a "slider" and pick the ball clean, you can get away with less bounce. That is not to say that you couldn't use more bounce, but on a hard lie you might be risking a bounced in thin shot. I don't think 11* is too much for a Vokey as I find their bounces and grinds to be pretty versatile. Although I am a digger with my wedges, I rarely had trouble with my old low bounce 60.04 except in the slop. Other factors in the bounce of a wedge are the grind shape and the thickness of the sole. My 58.12 with a "C" grind, according to the website, has an effective bounce of 10*. I have also had cavity backed wedges with 8* of bounce that could pop it out of the wettest sand with a clean pick. This was because the sole was so thick from front to back, even though the bounce angle was minimal. With a Vokey however, I'd say use as much bounce as you possibly can.

You would definitely improve on your mishits, as already stated. All things being equal, those dead solid perfect shots should be about the same distance. The fitting process now is greatly improved. You may even find that you need less loft or a stiffer/higher flexing shaft with a new driver, since so many of them have a lower and deeper center of gravity. You can also add the adjustability factor (which can be a double edged sword) to fine tune your ball flight. Lighter shafts and clubheads may even increase your clubhead and ball speed, though I'm not convinced that lighter is always better. The choice of shaft flexes, flex profiles, weights, tip sizes, etc....are much greater than 10 years ago as well. I'm sure you could find a more constant flight with a good, modern shaft without breaking the $100 shaft barrier. Many of the modern shafts will come as OEM in the newer heads with no or minimal additional charge.

I never choke down on the driver or chop the length any more (all things being equal). But alas, all things are not equal (namely clubhead speed) between a shorter and longer shaft. I have both butt and tip cut driver shafts before. My results were a clubhead that I couldn't feel during the swing and thus hit all over the face (with the later scenario resulting in something that felt like a 2x4 during the swing). My personal advice from someone that has been there, done that and ultimately ruined the trade in value on a driver is this......find a dedicated fitter that is willing to adjust the swing weight loss when shortening the shaft, as opposed to selling you a NEW club (good luck with that). OR just trade around until you find a driver that fits you better. As a brief aside, I don't really think a 1" longer shaft is that much of a difference for today's drivers. Suppose you miss the center by a 1/2" inch, you may only loose 20 yard with high MOI heads and high swing speed shafts. But your dead, solid, perfect shots will be monster long. JMHO, good luck! YMMV

My advice is to go shred some range balls, at least 100 or so, then play either the Pro V1 practice, X-outs or NXT Tours. Those Vokeys really need a break in period anyway, although I find my red logo SMs bite nothing like my black logos did. But that's probably due to a swing change on my part.

I did a google image search, just as I suspected from memory of my MX-23s the serials are on the hosel. It was tough to find an image of the S/Ns since they are placed on the bottom side of the shaft. Here is a link to one image I found. http://www.cassettesandrecords.com/Golf/Clubs/Mizuno_MP30/MizunoMP-30_3-PW_VGExcellen.jpg You can google images and find lots of MP30 images where at least the ferrules are shown. Maybe you can make a comparison to your ferrules to see if they look to be non-original. Hope this helped

I have both a 21* 7 wood that stays in my bag and a 20* hybrid that does not. The 7 wood hits a high softer shot and will carry right at 200 yards. The 20* hybrid (even with it's shorter shaft) will go 200 total - but that's with anywhere from 10-20 yards of run added on to 180-190 carry. I went with the 7 wood because I can duplicate the 20* hybrid shot with my 23* by putting it back in my stance a tad and really hitting from the inside. That being said, I've been keeping track of my club usage for about 10 rounds. I've hit lots of drivers, wedges and putters. Ive also seen an even distribution in my irons that i hit. I've only hit that 7 wood twice in the last 10 rounds.

I agree that you need a larger loft gap. A rule of thumb for Tom Wishon's book was that about 20% of your length gaps comes from the length change in the shaft and about 80% from the loft (based on 1/2" shaft and 4* loft increments in the irons). I believe Tommy Armour Golf did a set like this some 10+ years ago and I'm sure they weren't the first nor the last. Interestingly, I was just talking about this subject with my girlfriend who just took up golf about a year ago. She had no clue, even after playing 10 or 20 rounds that the shaft lengths were different between the irons. It just came natural for her to set up closer and swing more upright with a wedge than with her 7 iron. I do have to ask how you plan on matching the swingweights, OR if you would just take a standard set of iron heads an let the swing weights become progressively heavier as you move from the top to the bottom of the set. Interesting stuff!

Quote: So my question are: how often does anyone switch back and forth between putters? Would you switch knowing you may never be content? How do you know when you have found the "right" or "perfect" putter? would you switch to your back up for the last round of the year? Should I give up golf and just take up chess? 1. I played the same putter for 5 years, then went through a spell for about 2 years where I used about 4 or 5 different putters. Ultimately, I have my old putter back in the bag. 2. I have, and switched back. 3. It just wont go away from your rotation in the bag. 4. No I would not switch back for the last round. I would come more near switching on the first round of the year. 5. NO I'd personally say that if you don't have much time to practice, use the most forgiving putter that you have. But I'd also go with the one which you are better at lagging the long distance putts. You probably won't miss a ton of putts by more than 3 feet offline. But leaving them 3 feet long or short can make for some knee knocking par bogie or par putts.

There could be a lot of factors involved. Sometime, not always though, cheaper clubs are cheaper for a reason. True we are all guilty at times of buying a brand as opposed to what is best for us. But many times cheaper clubs have cheaper steel and construction in the face which makes them less "hot". They also don't have the same level of QC, so a club labeled 18* might be 15-21*. The shafts are usually made of cheaper materials or at the least with a simpler production method. You can, and I have before, luck out with a cheaper club. But I personal think a used club from a major and respected manufacturer is a better bang for your buck. They tend to hold their value much better as well.

You have a leg up in that you know what head shape you like. I think if you concentrate on the right shaft length (and maybe even the lie angle) you should be set regardless of what you buy. You do want a putter that setups up into your natural putting posture (which will probably change the more you play) as opposed to you setting up to it. If you find one that feels good in your hands, and one you can build confidence with, you should be good for a while. That being said, it is true that a used Cameron probably will hold its value within $25 or so, if you keep it in the same condition you bought it in.

Quote: That sounds spot on. If you kept the same grip/tape weight, the 20 gram shaft weight should have added roughly 2 or 3 swing weights (but 20 grams of overall weight). BUT the 1 1/2" shorter shaft should make the swing weight roughly 8 or 9 swing weights lighter. Mind you, that's just a quick estimate. There about has to be a larger amount of weight toward the tip of your new shaft to make it that close to the original swing weight. That is, if you didn't have weight added to the head/hosel. It usually takes about 10 or 12 grams of added head weight to compensate for a 1" shorter shaft. So my guess is the club feels head heavy because you have much more weight lower in the shaft than before.

Just remeber that a shot that is dead left from the jump is a pull. A ball that curves too much left is a hook. I know this seems elemantary, but a lot of golfers confuse the two. And the opposite of course is true...dead right from the jump is a push and curving right is a slice. The two former problems are swing path issues and the two later problems are grip issues. But from what I have researched, offset gives you a millisecond longer to square the face, with the face trailing the hands (as it should-usually). Also, offset can help you hit a higher shot as well. I am not sure of the scientific explanation of this....but I know that it does, or has with me in the past. For a hooker, tons of offset is salt on a sore wound. My GUESS is that it makes the situation worse for a "puller" too. Usually a pull-fade ends up in the fairway or near the green. But a pull-hook ends up with a dropped ball at BEST. JMHO. I haven't posted on here in months!!! Good luck!

IMHO all of those are good starting points. But if I may, I'd like to suggest a couple of tweaks. As for the Callys, maybe consider the "Tour" lines of those models. They are forgiving but with less offset and slightly smaller heads. The same can be said of the "I" series of the Ping line versus the "G" series. I really don't think that either of these "pro" models are too much for a bogey golfer to game. My personal experience is that both the I series and X pros are forgiving enough. I think they'd probably fit a scratch golfer ok as well, once you get to that point. I also think the Cobra SZ would be better replaced by a S9 or FP simply because they are quite forgiving as well but offer a little more room for growth. The R7s are classics and would probably fit you quite well. They always received great reviews from several sources. And of course, my biased opinion would say go for the Mizzy 25s. I love my 23s, even if they are somewhat antiquated. They have helped me improve my swing while learning to work the ball to some extent. Great feel with those clubs as well. They are forgiving enough, we're talking about 1 club less on toe hits. But the feedback is amazing for a cavity! Good luck, and don't forget that properly fitted shafts are almost as important as the heads.

I too have been recently fascinated with Stricker's swing. Honestly, I'm kinda a feel player myself. I don't like a lot of swing thoughts (although it might help my handicap). As a result, I've always been on the lookout for a pro that swings like me. Well hopefully much better than me! Then I hoped I could incorporate some of their moves, swing dynamics, setup, etc...to improve my "natural" swing. I'm not very good at evaluating a pro's swing. It all just happens too damn fast for me to analyze. But with the help of television announcers, I've been able to see two things that Stricker has in his swing that matches my own. (1) a controled back swing, especially with the irons and (2) little to no wrist hinge. If anybody else has input or good articles on Stricker's swing, I'd love to see it. I think he is the best scorer who hasn't been necesarilly blessed with an ungodly amount of natural talent. He seems to have a real working man's swing/game. He might be my new second favorite player behind Couples. But I can NEVER be as smooth as Freddie.

A: the E series of Bridgestone are pretty good for the prize and come in a wide range based on your trajectory need. But I have a friend that swears by the much cheaper Top Flite D2 feel. Q: Do you have a lucky pre-round meal, and if so, what is it?

I believe I'd just tweak the lofts on the wedges you have now. You could change them to 46, 51, 56, 60, 64 (my current makeup) or 45, 50, 55, 60, 64. I'd just go with whatever works with your particular wedges. Remember that adding loft degrees adds bounce in the same amount of degrees, and removing loft removes bounce. Its probabaly not a big issue when only changing 1 or 2 degrees anyway. Good luck!

To the OP...do you have a consistant miss with your driver. Is it a pull, push, hook or slice? If so, consider setting up for that shot on the tee box. Example for a fade/slice/ push would be teeing on the right and aiming down the left. Reverse that for a draw/hook/pull. And if I may ask, how is your trajectory? Sometimes a ball that hangs too long can get in more trouble than a peircing trajaectory. That's what I'm overcoming now. With that being said, I'm only hitting 240 to 260 max but my club has never gotten to parallel at the top. Haha. Good luck!

Another vote here for thin layers. You don't have to break the bank to do so. Walmart is a fine place to start. Look for poly blends that will keep you warm and wick away any sweat that might develop. Avoid cotton at all cost, especially next to the skin. I was able to drop my minimum temperature of play from 50* to almost 40* (sunny no wind) by throwing the cottons out of the rotation. Add a tight outer shell with a tight weave and you are good for windy conditions as well. I would recomend going a size smaller than you think you need. This seems uncomfotable at first. My first insticts was to look for something that gave me a huge range of motion. Loose clothes actual restricted me in the long run. Jmho, if my layers fit tighter, they actually feel like a second skin. Good luck, and once again stay away from bulky cottons.

I can't help but laugh at and agree with Iacas's x,y,v...comment. Regardless of your own personal approach to pumping up distance, my advice is this. When I really need extra yards, and for me that means 260 instead of 240, I grip the club extra loose in my fingers. Then I focus on releasing all the tension from my upper body. I may not get the extra yardage I want every time. But for me, to really pump up a drive with my muscles makes me miss either high and right with a hold off move, or low and left with an over the top/hook move.

Alice Cooper. He took up golf as an outlet after quitting drinking. He's somewhere in the low single digits, when last I checked. He is so the anti-stereotypical looking golfer, but he was always one of my favorite musicians as well. While being a pioneer in the world of shock rock, many of his shows and songs were heavily influenced by Vaudeville and popular music. He is such an enigma both on and of the course, I have to pull for him in any pro-am.

Well that's 2 votes for the Avocet. Upon further review, it has definately moved up the list. I see they start airation (sp?) On Tuesday. We are getting to the beach Saturday at noonish. If I go with the Avocet, I may go for Sunday or Monday evening. This is all dependant on whether the Avocet allows onesomes. I'm sooo stoked about my first trip to the beach in 22 years. I wasn't even old enough to drive on my last trip, and I hadn't even considered hitting my first golf ball. This should be fun. As for gator stories at the Witch...The GF really wants to ride along just for the photo ops. I will gladly pay her cart fee to get some great pics. Hopefully I'll break 80 and not get attacked. Being from Tennessee, we are especially leary of gators. I KNOW you guys will get the football reference. Thanks again for all the input!

One more tidbit of advice if I may. Before buying any wedge I'd do two things. 1. Check the Ping website under their vintage club specs. You should be able to go to their irons page, where you can then find a link to vintage club specs. 2. Have your wedges (and irons for that matter) measured and lofted to, or near, the factory specs. After doing these two things, you should have little confusion in which wedge to buy next. But I wouldn't be too quick to go greater that 58* of loft just yet.

If my memory serves me right, there is only one bounce option in the 56*. I don't think 14* is too much bounce for a beginer, unless your course conditions are extremely dry. Bounce will equal forgivness for a steep swing. Low bounce wedges, if not hit pure, are very demoralizing. There is nothing like being on the fringe and hitting a fat chip that moves 1 foot! Low bounce wedges are way more apt to dig on mishits. Also, you probably will need more bounce in the bunkers than a scratch player. You can always grind a little bounce off later if need be. The 56/14 is a classic design that should serve you well for some time. Plus the extra bounce will prevent you from playing the unecessary (at this point in your game) flop shot. Instead you can work on a slightly delofted hop and stop pitch and probably save more strokes than you would loose on average with an open faced shot. Just my $.02. Good luck!

Actually Golf_Junkie, I had my eye on World Tour from the jump. I'm finding out that the regular rates at the Witch may make me decide to pass on the passes after all. My reason being, I can probably only fit two rounds in anyway. The owner of the tickets is currently checking to see if cart fee is included. If it is not, and I only play twice in the evenings, I haven't really saved anything. From what all you guys have said, I definately want to make a trip to the Witch for one round. Thanks for the heads up on the no rainchecks in the evening, though I'll probably risk it anyway. Then I think I may try to get on at World Tour or just another value course like the Witch. One evening/night I may run down to the Midway Par 3 where they have "situational" holes. Its only 5 blocks or so from where we are staying at Compass Cove.