Happy Dragon

Any drills you recommend?

Not the best videos, but hopefully good enough for some good feedback. I'm looking to identify any power leaks. Also, I'd like to become a more consistent ball-striker. Want to avoid the really bad misses that kill a decent round.

I'm playing here soon. Has anyone ever played here as a guest. What should I expect? What was the experience like? Golf carts? Caddies? Atmosphere? Courses? Thanks!

Good for you man, as a beginner, you swing better than most of my friends. Must be a decent athlete. Don't listen to anyone on the internet about swing dynamics, especially those not listed close to scratch and that includes me, as we are not qualified to analyze our own swings, let along yours. Kind of a pet peeve of mine around here. I think this may have been mentioned in earlier posts, but it helps to get an instructor. Early on, a good instructor will key in on the things you can do correctly before you even swing. This includes posture, ball position, stance, grip, etc. Good luck and most importantly, have fun with your buddies and play fast!

You may have a functional tear in your shoulder which is not uncommon. You can have these and have good range of motion, but with a little discomfort. I have a torn labrum in my left and right shoulders from football and rugby contact and weight lifting. A few weeks rest, when it get too uncomfortable, usually does the trick.

What's your driver carry? Can you work the ball with that "Moe" swing? I'm just super curious.

That looks like the same club Old Tom Morris used to putt with. Intimidating!

Also, if you're serious about getting driver-fitted, use a Trackman launch monitor at about $100 per hour. It's done outside with real conditions and it tracks your actually flight from impact to rest. You can bring your driver and see how it compares to the Titleist. Titleist has the SureFit system that allows the fitter to quickly change shafts with head combinations. Obviously, you won't have that feature with your old club, so it's still only a best-guess if you swap shafts but at least you can see if there is a significant difference between your old club setup and the optimum Titleist setup for you. In the end, you'll find that you just spent a lot of money to confirm your two most sensible options: (1) stay with your old club because you're not going to get much longer or (2) upgrade to an entirely new driver, which is always nice, but probably not going to make you much longer either. You're a 3, so f*ck it, you probably already drop a lot of cash on your game, as both options are expensive.

Speaking from experience, if you're considering reshafting an old driver with a premium shaft, you might as well get a new driver. You say you swing 105 which, please don't take offense, but it's probably more like 100 mph due to inaccuracies, lack of equipment calibration, etc. 250 yards is about right. People think fitting is a miracle answer, but you're probably not going to increase your carry that much to justify reshafting an old driver.

I agree that the V2 is a good shaft. I'd move to a stiff shaft as your swing speed is on the border for stiff. Since it's still on the low side, I'd select a lighter shaft in the line. http://www.ustmamiya.com/shaft_model...uct.aspx?id=77

You seem to have "member-knowledge" of the course.

I concur. This one is a gem!

I love it, no Fat Phil love. Thanks for that!

The more thought and effort you put into this matter, the worse it gets. I would even give these people a second thought. If they call and leave a message, I won't call back. If they write me a letter, I won't read it. If I see them at the market, I won't acknowledge them. In this case, unless they hire an attorney, I wouldn't even acknowledge their existence. Just let it go, dude.

Off the tee, I carry both a 13* and a 15* 250 yards. The difference is the 13* runs 10 yards further. This is definitely problematic when hitting a 13* off the deck because it's very hard for me to hold greens. If you're long off the tee, I'd shy away from the 13*, since distance isn't the objective. Next season, I'm switching to a 15*. I want my 3W to land softly so I can hit more fairways and greens in firm, fast conditions. Just be mindful if you make the switch to the 13*. Bombing your 3W 280+ yards is fun, but you have a driver for that. You need a more refined strategy on short (410 yards and less) par four's, especially with your game. You want to be more precise with the distances you leave yourself into greens.

Waste of time post. You already know the answer to your question.

Not worth much. It has very little marketable playing value and really no display or decorative interest. Just keep it. It's a personal treasure.

When I pick up a Golf Digest or watch the golf channel, I get in more trouble when I try too many swing tips and tricks. I agree with the OP, I crave more course management lessons as they will bring down scores much more dramatically. You need to play more and have experience to get what these guys are really talking about.

That's not course management, that's exactly the opposite. You don't trust your 60* shot, so don't do it.

In your bag, the 3H and the 3I are not redundant. I'm very familiar with your 3H as I have one in my bag and it adequately covers the distance between my 3I and 3W. The 3H is more like a 2I. To be frank, at your playing level, gaps of 10-15 yards between your longer clubs doesn't really make a difference. Even with my game, the longer clubs aren't hit with a ton of consistency. This yardage differential becomes significant when you can trust that you'll flush your 3I 8 out of 10 strikes. At an 18.8, you're probably not hitting a lot of GIR's when you're outside 150 yards. You're probably not hitting a lot of GIR's, period. Your set looks fine, go out and have fun.

I'm learning to be more conservative/crafty. It goes against my nature, but the two best players ever are more conservative than their peers and only aggressive when they can or when they have to be- Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. It's actually hard work being conservative/crafty because it requires superior course management and discipline. Examples: *If I'm pitching over a hazard to the green, my mindset is to get it on the green first, try to give myself a flat or right to left putt second, and knock it stiff last. *If my tee ball places me off the fairway and I'm forced to pitch out, I try not to bite off too much. As long as I can leave myself around 150 in, I should have a good chance at getting my 3rd near or on the green. *I play for my misses and I pull clubs according to how I'm striking it that day not how I strike it when I hit it nut flush. Off the tee, if I'm slicing it, I play it by teeing up on the far right hand side of the box, aiming left, and bringing it back in. If I'm hooking it, I know I'm f*cked so I pull 3 wood. I don't try to fix my swing mid round. As I said, this is much easier said than done. My scoring could be better if I did this with more discipline.

PX is a lighter shaft that launches the ball higher. DG is a heavier shaft at 130g and has a flatter trajectory. I personally like the DG better because you feel the weight of the club and easier for me to "drop it in the slot." People say the PX has a longer carry, but I haven't noticed a difference.

We're 5 handicappers, but we're not qualified to do shit. The only things we do differently is we strike the ball only slightly better and manage our games around the course with a little more savvy. Let's not make ourselves more than what we really are. To the Andy Samberg fan, do what you want. For your area, $100 is not outrageous and you did the right thing by getting recommendations. Peace!

"I'm on a Boat" on my phone wakes me up every morning in time for work. The stuff is pure genius!