RandyBobbitt

Tested the Maxfli TourS yesterday. Compared to my former ball, the Titleist AVX, I got an extra 10 yards off the driver and half a club (5-7 yards) off the irons. The combined extra yardage from the driver and fairway wood meant that on par-5s where I usually hit an 8-iron third shot, I hit a PW. It's just a smidgen softer than the AVX and seems to spin well. Some of the reviews indicated a low ball flight, but I did not notice it. I also did not observe any problems with the paint quality, which was an issue with previous Maxfli models up to and including the U series. My previous round I tested the Bridgestone E6, a two-piece ball with a different cover. It was OK; the same distance and feel as the AVX but with less spin.

There seems to be a lot of buzz around the new Maxfli Tour and TourS balls, especially with a handful of tour pros signing on to play them. My understanding is that the Tour is similar to the Titleist ProV1 and TourS is like the Titleist AVX. Has anyone played them? My main concern is that while I liked the feel and performance of the Maxfli balls of many years ago, I found the paint job on them was lousy. The finish looked a bit faded right out of the box, and after a few holes they had faded even more, and sometimes the paint was actually coming off. I'm hoping to find out if they are using a different factory or improved their paint process. Opinions, please.

All of this is helpful. Regarding the idea about keeping statistics, I would probably benefit from doing so. My assumptions above were based mostly on anecdotal evidence. Regarding comment #2 about not getting my first putt within five feet . . . that happens often. If I miss a green and chip to within 5 feet or blast it from the sand to 5 feet, I'm going to make that 5-foot par putt almost every time. But if I have a 40-foot putt and leave it 5 feet short, it's still a par putt but I'm so flustered by hitting the first putt so poorly that I over-compensate on the second putt and knock it 3 feet past. So now I'm facing a 3-foot putt for bogey. So I know a lot of this is in my head. I played nine holes today and three-putted once from 30 feet (first putt 6 feet short) and left two 15-foot putts a foot short but right on line. Assuming at least one of those would have gone in with a bit more aggressive stroke, that's two strokes lost from poor putting. I did have better results with the in-between clubs issue, however. I had two in-between shots and both times hit the longer iron but choked down a half-inch. Both ended up hole-high within 20 feet.

I've recently realized there are two things preventing me from becoming a better golfer (I'm a low-80s player but feel I should be in the high-70s): 1) Putting. I'm good with short putts (making everything within 5 feet) and long putts (mostly two-putting from 40 feet or longer). Where I struggle is from mid-range -- 10 to 30 feet. I come up short (even putting downhill) much more often than I run it past. I know it's mostly due to decelerating on the forward stroke, but I don't know how to get out of this rut. I feel like it's costing me 3 to 5 shots per round. The old "imagine a three-foot circle around the hole" drill hasn't worked. 2) Iron play with in-between yardages. I'm a good iron player when I have an exact number, but I really struggle when in between clubs. I've tried taking the longer club and either choking down an inch and/or taking a shorter swing, but haven't seen any consistent results -- I'm still either long or short. Taking the shorter club and hitting it harder? That makes it worse. This is costing me another two or three shots per round. Any suggestions?

I will be competing in a 4-club tournament in a few weeks. I'm leaning toward the following choices: 3-wood -- I usually hit it about 215 but I'm hoping to choke down and swing easier to hit it under 200 6-iron -- for all shots 90 yards to 160 sand wedge -- for all shots under 90 yards putter -- I don't think I could putt with anything else. I personally think this should be required in order to protect the greens, but that is not the case. Any thoughts on different or better choices?

I'm 65 and have been playing for 50 years. In the last three years I've slipped from a 6 to a 9 handicap even though I'm playing and practicing the same amount. I only play 9 holes at a time and am stuck on 42-43 (instead of 39-40). I am contemplating taking lessons but I wasn't sure if that would help, as I fear my issues are more related to focus and concentration. Here's a breakdown of my game: Driver -- the best I've hit it. Averaging 225 yards and hitting 90-95 percent of fairways. Irons -- slipped from hitting an average of 4 greens in regulation (per 9 holes) to 2 greens. No pattern to the misses: left, right, long, short. Greenside bunkers -- about the same: can usually get within 10 feet of the cup. Chipping -- This is where I struggle the most. I practice chipping 1-2 hours per week and from just off the green will often chip to tap-in range with 9 balls out of 10. But when I try to take it to the course, I'm usually 10 feet short or 10 feet long. Putting -- about the same as always. Usually one or two 1-putts per nine holes, but also one 3-putt from long distance. Any advice?

I've been fans of JT and Jordan Spieth for several years, at least in terms of their swings and off-course charity efforts. But the potty mouths have always been an issue for me. That being said, I'm disappointed in Polo and its knee-jerk reaction to what Thomas did. He made a mistake and apologized. What he did was a result of immaturity, not malice. He doesn't deserve the endorsement death penalty that the PC police like to hand out. As long as it's not part of a pattern, I say let it go. I draw a distinction between what JT did and what happened with Scott Piercy. While JT's was a spontaneous comment that did not single out anyone, Piercy's comment was directed a specific person (Pete Buttigieg). He took the time to compose the comment in his head, meaning it was premeditated. And the comments about Q-anon? Seriously? I've never owned any Polo products but if I did I would avoid future purchases based on this knee-jerk reaction. I certainly hope the Titleist and Foot-Joy don't follow Polo's lead on this.

I can see now how a bag mounted on a cart at a 90-degree angle might not balance as well, but I would like to give it a try. My current cart holds the bag at a 45-degree angle and even with a fairly large bag, the clubs still get tangled up.

This time of year when it's 95+ degrees I usually play only nine holes and end up with "composite scores" for handicap purposes. This question occurred to me today: if I were to play two balls for nine holes, could I count that as an 18-hole score? One factor that causes me to think "no" is the possibility of switching clubs for the second ball from a par-3 tee box (based on the results of the first ball) or the two balls being on the same line on the green, thus learning from the longer putt when lining the second putt. But to some degree that happens when playing in a twosome as well. Just stirring the pot with this question. Thoughts?

Watching the Payne Steward Award ceremony tonight prompted me to post this question: Why is Zach Johnson not on the short list to be a Ryder Cup or President's Cup captain? They mentioned that he had been an assistant captain before. And what about Justin Leonard? No offense to Steve Stricker, but it used to be customary that captains had won at least one major. Zach has two and Justin has one major plus a Players Championship. I'm just stirring the pot. Your thoughts?

The search term "upright caddy" lead to brand names RACR and RASR and the illustrations look to be exactly what I'm looking for. But all the reviews are from 2009-2010 and there are no similar products on eBay or offered by any other retailers. But I will keep looking.

I think it might be easier for clubs to come in and out of the bag if it were vertical rather than at a 45-degree angle. But I might be wrong.

My back-up irons are Golfsmith Tour Cavity, forged version. I believe Scott Verplank played this model about 20 years ago before switching to TaylorMade.

There's another thread on this forum where users discuss the merits of ClicGear, Sun Mountain, and CaddyTek push carts. I looked back through several months of posts but didn't see this detail addressed: I'm looking for a push cart in which the bag stands upright instead of at an angle. I saw one at my club last week but couldn't get close enough to ask the player about the brand name. Has anyone else seen this brand or know of something similar? I'm looking to trash my old two-wheel, thrift store model pull cart and invest in a nice 3-wheel or 4-wheel push model.

Couldn't find an answer to this question in the 2019 rule book. It's always been my understanding that if you address the ball and it "oscillates," there's no penalty as long as the ball returns to its original position. But is there a difference in the ruling if the clubhead actually makes contact with the ball as opposed to just causing it to move by addressing it? Here's a situation that never happened to me in 40+ years of playing golf but has now happened twice in the last week. I'm addressing the ball on the putting green, and due to carelessness I accidentally touch the ball with the putterhead. The ball moves about one-eighth of an inch but then rolls back to the original position. Penalty or not?

I was a sportswriter about 20 years ago and did a story on the behind-the-scenes details of running a pro golf tournament. I was told that various manufacturers each provided a few thousand balls so players using that ball in competition would have the same model to practice with. Every few hours the machines would collect the balls and volunteers would wash and sort them. At the end of the week the balls (marked "practice") would be donated to local junior golf. As far as I know, that's still how it's done. I'm guessing that today they would provide Pro V-1 and Pro V-1x, Taylormade TP5 and TP5x, Bridgestone B330, Srixon Z-Star, Callaway Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft x, etc. I've been a volunteer working the range at LPGA tournaments and have noticed that only Pro V-1s are available for practice. They are re-used for several tournaments and then replaced. Some players who don't like that ball bring their own to hit on the range but have no way to get them back.

I've been playing for almost 50 years -- walking 99.9 percent of my rounds -- and that exercise has kept me in good physical shape compared to my peers who ride (or don't play golf at all). Regarding the pushing vs. pulling issue, I've never really thought about it. Up until about 5 years ago I used good quality carry bags, carried only 11 or 12 clubs, and kept to a minimum the amount of crap in the pockets (although a good first-aid kit is essential). I never had any back or shoulder issues as a result. Most likely, that's due to good genes and pre-round stretching. Then around 5 years ago I started with a hand cart and a larger bag -- pulling rather than pushing. Having never seen anyone pushing one, I didn't realize that was an option. I do like the hand cart because it allows me to carry 14 clubs plus more "stuff" in the pockets. In hot weather it prevents the strap stains that ruin light-colored shirts while carrying. I would be interested in hearing more about pulling vs. pushing a cart in terms of the wear and tear on the back and shoulders. I can see how pulling a cart might affect the shoulder muscles, but so far I've not had any issues. Any orthopedics, chiropractors, or physical therapists out there who want to go out on a limb (pun) on this one?

I always walk -- for all the reasons already listed here. But mostly because it's better exercise and I score better (the "rhythm" thing). I understand why someone over the age of 65 might need a cart, but I'm always puzzled when I see foursomes of 20-somethings in carts. At courses where walking is allowed, they could play for half the price if they walked. When I hear kids like that complain about "how much golf costs" I want to smack them. Just my .02 worth.

I did try the Callaway Chrome Soft -- white with black or pink hexagons -- but they didn't help much. Too me, white and yellow look the same in the air, and on the ground I can't tell the difference until I'm a few feet away, so when they get into the sandy areas off the fairway that doesn't help much. I really liked the new Titleist AVX, but again, only white and yellow. I'm going to stick with Callaway SuperSoft pink until I find something better. I did buy a new sleeve of pink Volvik Vibe off eBay for which the description sounds about right (like the Bridgestone 330 RXS), but I've heard it's been discontinued. And the Volvik Vivid is out of the question based on Monday's experience.

Oh my gosh, I tested a horrible golf ball today. I'm getting to the age where I have trouble following white and yellow balls in the air, and my golf course has a lot of sandy areas where white balls disappear. I've been searching for a pink or orange ball. Overall the best ball I've found is the Bridgestone B330 RXS, but it's available only in white (so far). I also like the Titleist NXT Tour, but its available only in white and yellow. Today I played three holes with the pink Volvik Vivid and they were HORRIBLE. I lost 25 yards off the driver and a full club on the irons. Off the putter face they felt like marshmallows. Any recommendations for pink or orange balls (pink preferred)? I don't care what my golf buddies think. If they ever beat me, then they can make fun of my balls. So far the closest I've found is the Callaway Supersoft in pink, but it's still a bit too soft. I'm a 6-handicap and my average drive is around 235 with a 10.5 degree driver with an R shaft. Thanks for your suggestions.

52 degrees: 100 yards 56 degrees: 85 yards 60 degrees: 70 yards

Those are sweet putters. And based on your photos it looks like it's in great shape. I had a similar model, the TD31, and it was one of the best putters I ever owned. Great touch for fast greens. Sadly, it was lost during a move many years ago. Been searching eBay ever since but haven't found one in good condition. My advice would be to try it for 10 or 12 rounds and if it doesn' work, see what it will fetch on eBay. You might do even better in trade at a retail golf shop. Just my .02 worth.

I've been playing for 40+ years and have always had a slight forward press (only about an inch or so) just before I begin the backstroke in putting. On the advice of instructors and well-meaning playing partners, I've tried to break the habit but without success. On the positive side, I've heard that the forward press serves as a "trigger" mechanism that supposedly provides consistency. On the negative, I also know that it de-lofts the putter face (mine has about 3 degrees of loft, which I believe is standard). But looking in the mirror it appears that despite the forward press, by the time the putter face returns to the ball it has "caught up" and is no longer de-lofted. Not sure whether if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Within the past month, and not on purpose, I've began the forward press in chipping as well, usually with a 9-iron. Just as in putting, it appears that the clubhead catches up on the forward stroke so the de-lofting is not an issue. Consistency in chipping has actually improved slightly. Any additional positives and negatives that I have not thought of? If I really wanted to break the habit, how would I do it? I've tried mirror drills but they don't seem to help.

Players: Bryson DeChambeau Masters: Justin Rose PGA: Tiger Woods US Open: Dustin Johnson British Open: Rory McIlroy FedEx Cup: Justin Thomas

I tried simply choking down about 3 inches, making it the equivalent of a 35-inch putter, and that immediately solved the lie-angle problem. What am I concerned about now is what would happen if I shortened the club by 3 inches AND re-gripped it with a non-weighted grip. Would it feel lighter or heavier?