rebby

I'm seriously considering changing out all my gear to Cobra based solely on an [url=http://www.blaironeal.com/runway/si-swimsuit-issue-blair-cobra-puma-ad/]advertisement[/url]. I guess that it just goes to prove that sometimes advertisements are effective... Who could blame me though???

I bought my Miura's before hitting them, both sets (the TB's and the 1957's). When I got my Scratch SB-1's, I'd only hit the 7-iron (I had 3 of these made w/different shafts and grinds). When I ordered my Miura Tournament Blades, I went through the same builder that I got my SB-1's from. We made a few tweaks to my shafts (to adjust ball flight and better fit the Miura muscle) but left all other variables alone. When I got my 1957's, we left everything alone (basically just swapped heads). Like the Tournament Blades though, I'd never hit the 1957 before buying them. [quote]You can hit them them well,[/quote] I can, I actually hit them extremely well. I honestly believe that at a given level of skill, a golfer can hit any club well, perhaps not optimal, but well. I mean look at the equipment that guys played 100 years ago, heck, 15 years ago. There was no such thing as a dynamic fitting, guys adjusted to their equipment. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm a huge believer in fitting your equipment to your game rather than the other way around but, at the same time, once you reach a given level of skill, you can adapt to the nuances of a given club design if you have to. [quote]and based on your index and your commitment to the brand(s)[/quote] My index shows that I have a shred of talent and am willing to working hard. As for a commitment to a brand, I'm not brand loyal by any means. I'm more than willing to move from brand to brand to play what fits my game the best. My iron shuffle over the past few years should prove that beyond any measure of doubt. I do, however, believe in the products that I game. Right now my bag contains sticks from Callaway, Titleist, Miura and Scratch (backups) and I honestly believe that every one of these clubs are a fantastic product. If I didn't believe in them, I wouldn't be gaming them. I'm also willing to look outside of my comfort zone, my golf ball is an indication of that (currently gaming a Penta and I've never liked TM products in the past, go figure). [quote]you're anything but a poser.[/quote] I sure hope not. I vigorously test and retest the equipment that I use on a golf course. Probably to the point of absurd. The bottom line is that I want to have the utmost of confidence in the equipment that I use. The more confidence that I have in my clubs/ball/whatever, the more focus that I can dedicate to my game instead of my equipment. Confidence is the exact reason that I put so much effort into assuring that I'm comfortable with every piece of equipment that I use. If I am not confident in a club, it will not survive in my bag. On that note, I believe that everybody should be willing to do the same thing and I do find it somewhat of a poser move to show up to the course with equipment that just hit the retail shelves earlier that same day. I saw I guy gaming a 910 driver earlier this year [b]in a tournament[/b] just minutes after walking out of the pro-shop with it. I couldn't believe it. Truth be told, I was very tempted to game my tournament blades in a tournament just a week after getting them but, in fairness, I had spent no less than 12 hours on the range and 3 hours in on course practice with them. I had an expectation for how they would perform by then. The guy with the 910 hadn't even hit balls into a net with his new stick. His new 910 headcover did look sharp next to his AP2's though, much better than that old Cleveland headcover anyway. :roll: [quote]Brands don't become poser brands because they're junk or because in the right hands they aren't fantastic. If they weren't, then they'd have to do a lot of marketing to fool people into thinking they were the top. I haven't seen too many print ads for Scratch or Miura, but I haven't seen too many for Ferrari automobiles either. Ferrari's sponsorship of F1 etc is probably more expensive than an ad campaign anyway, but would you consider a Ferrari a poser car? I sure would. Is it a great automobile? Of course it is and every reputable review of them confirms that. I'm not a good enough driver to refute the reviews either way and to say that every person who purchased one is poser would be wrong. But still, many Ferrari owners are posers. It is what it is. Remember when Nissan 300 zx twin turbos hit the market in ~ 1990? The best sports car value maybe ever. Nissan offered driving lessons with the purchase because there were so many people buying it who had no business taking it on the road. It was/is a great car. In the right hands, it rocked. A lot of people bought it virtually sight unseen because having the monniker "twin turbo" was cool. I could go on, but I think you know I wasn't referring to you or anyone who's got game and did their homework. Unless you had decided to buy Miura or Scratch products based on tips from random forum posters . . . [/quote] Personally I think that "tips from random forum posters" are a decent way to get some basic information. Without those tips, I may not have ever tried Scratch or Miura. Hearing positive buzz about a product can open your eyes to a possible alternative that you may not have considered otherwise. The simple fact is though, you have to take these comments with a grain of salt. I mean, of course I'm going to say great things about Miura irons. If I didn't have great things to say about them then what in the hell are they doing in my bag? It doesn't make sense. I'd expect similar comments to from just about anybody about their current irons whether they're gaming Titleist, Scratch, Mizuno or heck, even Cleveland VAS (I wonder if anybody is still gaming these? After all, they do have a major under their belt).

As I read through a few more posts here I also realize that I'm very impressed with LPGA golfers as well. Especially when watching them in person. Unlike their PGA counterparts, there is nothing unreal about their games. They don't hit the ball a mile, hit unbelievable recovery shots (with seemingly boring regularity), etc, etc. They're just rock solid consistent. Hole in, hole out, round to round. That is unreal. They don't make many mistakes and, when they do, they usually find a way to get down in par. I find that "boring" consistency highly impressive.

I must be a poser. Not only do I play blades and carry a, gasp, 2-iron but I also went down both the Scratch and Miura rat holes w/out hitting them first (unless you count demo irons, I did have a few Scratch demos put together). Sometimes trying a given club, especially an exotic blade, requires a little up front investment. The beauty of these brands is, unlike the vast majority of OEM sticks, they actually hold their value. Thus far I've sold a set of Scratch blades and a set of Miura blades costing me a whopping $46 (total, between the 2 sets) in the end. Try that with an OEM iron.

10,000 ft overview on who I am... I go by rebby on various forums including this one, that came from a high school nickname that I even got a domain name (rebby.com) for. It's been my "internet identity" ever since then. Anyway, I grew up in southern MN and have been golfing since I was a little kid. I started with various junior sets and when the time came to actually buy my first set of irons cavity backs were all the rage. I bought into the hype, thinking that I didn't have the game for blades, and got a set of square groove PING Eye 2's (that I still own). I gamed these throughout high school. After I graduated from high school I treated myself to a new set of irons as a "personal gift" for getting my handicap under 2. I liked the Eye 2's enough that I went with the PING i3 Blades (in name only). For the first time since I had a junior set assembled, I had a fitted set of clubs (albeit a static fitting). The new i3's were great clubs but, with the regularity that I was hitting balls on the range, I wanted something to push me to the next level. So, I made the jump and purchased a set of FG-17's with hard stepped X100's from a used-club bin at the local golf course. At first the FG-17's seemed punishing but once I got the feel for them, the i3's (my "gamers") never did seem to make their way back into my bag after a range session or practice round with the FG-17's. All of a sudden I really started knocking down pins and my iron play became extremely consistent. My handicap kept dropping week after week until I found myself at a rock solid +3.8! I was playing the best golf of my life with a 20+ year-old set of rebar shafted unforgiving forged blades, a driver that spun way to much, wedges with no grooves and a putter that didn't fit either. At some point in college, I let a friend take the FG-17's for a weekend and ended up leaving them behind when I moved. Boneheaded move on my part for sure. I'd love another set but just can't justify the cost (even though they can be had pretty cheap). With my beloved FG-17's gone, the i3's made their way back to my bag and I continued to play solid golf. I wasn't as consistent with my irons but my game was still pretty solid. I eventually made my way back to the "dark side" via an array of Titleist offerings (681, 695 MB, ZM's and others). The 681's were, by far, the best of that bunch but I was never completely happy with any of those. In the meantime I'd gotten married and had kids and just didn't believe that my game was up to a forged blade any longer and kept going back to the i3's. I bought the ZM's new and went through a self fitting on what I wanted for L/L/L and settled on a shaft. At this point, I knew that I wanted a forged blade back in my bag for good. Unfortunately, the ZM just wasn't doing it for me. In fact, I liked the beat up set of 695 MB's better. In all fairness though, the 695's had S400's (which I prefer over the S300). At this point I decided to dump every set of irons that I still had in the garage and get something that I'd truly enjoy (in the end, I did decide to keep my PING Eye 2's that I gamed in HS for sentimental reasons). I went through a number of additional fittings and read every iron review that I could fine. I hit iron after iron after iron. Even having custom boutique irons shipped to me to demo. After "hitting them all" (or so I thought), I settled on the Scratch SB-1 with S300's. I loved everything about them and was sure that they would be in my bag for many years to come. For whatever reason though, I continued to research irons, primarily "exotic" custom irons. For the most part, I was looking for a low cost set of backups. At the same time however, I did wonder if the grass was greener on another side... My builder suggested a set of Miura irons, Tournament Blades to be exact. It just so happened that he had a set of heads that he was motivated to move and I jumped on them. Wanting to get the ballflight down and static weight up as compared to my SB-1's, I made the move to hard stepped S400's. The Miura's arrived a few weeks later and that was the end of the SB-1's rein in my bag. During my first round w/the TB's, I hit 17 greens and never looked back. A week or so later, the SB-1's were for sale and I was lusting for a set of 1957's on the word of my club builder that they were even better than the TB's. I had to hit them, I simply didn't believe him. Less than a month later a set of 1957's arrived on my doorstep. I started with the 9-iron and my first thought was, "these are TINY! I'll never be able to hit the ball w/out shanking it." And shank it, I nearly did. I hit the first ball so close to the heel that if the ball were any bigger, it would have grabbed the hosle and headed straight right. The next shot was a little better, the next shot, better yet. By then, my anxiety cleared and I caught the next one flush. What a feeling! The Miura TB was fantastic but this was leaps and bounds better. The feel of this iron was unreal! Once I got comfortable I started trying to "play" with the ball. Fade, draw, high, low, etc, etc. After about a week of range time, the 1957's took over my bag, permanently. I kept the TB's as backups thinking that I may prefer to game those in the spring or at times when I just wasn't playing very often but it never did happen. So, just a few weeks ago, I sold the TB's and ordered a second set of 1957's to serve as my backups. For the first time since being separated from my FG-17's, I've finally found an iron that I can't bear to part with. Details on my bag can be found [url=http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/16789/witb-photo-edition/486#post_609260]in the WITB Photo thread[/url]. The TB's are still listed there but, with any luck, my second set of 1957's will be here any day. As for all the threads bashing blades and explaining why, in a 100 different ways, perimeter weighting is a must for anybody's game; bah! I still carry a 2-iron too! Just like my 1911, you'll have to pry my 1957's from my "cold dead hands!"

Oh yeah, your swingweight just went WAY WAY down. For every inch I cut off of a putter, I generally add about 10-15g of headweight. At 4" you're looking at a minimum of 40g just to get the feel of your flatstick back to where it was when you started.

I think what impresses me most on a golf course is when guys are automatic when it comes to getting up and down, from anywhere. I played with an older guy last week (70's, 80's maybe?), he could get up and down from anywhere. He didn't play a fancy spin ball and hit every chip with his PW yet everything was inside of 4 feet which he proceeded to make time and time again with his dented up putter that was older than me. Now THAT's impressive! I have no idea what his score was at the end of the day (likely right around 90) but the regularity of his short game was absurd.

This has been a minor annoyance for me as well. More of a temporary confusion than annoyance but you see what I'm getting at. Anyway, thanks for working on this one. Default avatars a tough one. I saw a thread earlier in the week where a member was talking about how useless his 4-iron was. At the same time, his avatar was the one above with the shallow focus on a 4-iron. Hmm??? LOL

I don't see the problem w/any type of logo gear, especially for an amateur. For example; Titleist makes a quality hat (very likely somebody makes it for them but that's beside the point) and has what I believe is an aesthetically appealing logo. Furthermore, Titleist makes other quality products that also support and would like to see around for long time to come. I don't see any reason not to wear a Titleist hat or have the script across the side of my bag even though I'm not being compensated for it. The bottom line is that I value the products that they bring to market and, by extension, the company. I have no problem promoting brands that I believe in. The profits for that hat go right back into the company and further support the development of the products that I believe in and want to see continued development on. I am not a tour player, my wearing a Titleist logo is not an advertisement for the brand in the same way that Rory wearing a Titleist logo is. I don't believe that my wearing a Titleist hat persuades anybody to game a Pro V1 or a Scotty Cameron Putter. Rory doing so however, does persuade quite a few. That is why Rory is compensated for wearing the logo and I am not. For "smaller" brands however, it's a means of brand recognition just like the stamps on your clubs. I can't even count how many times I've been asked about Miura and Scratch just based on the stamps that adorn my clubs. Brand recognition is a good thing, especially for these smaller companies, and in the same way as their larger counterparts this recognition helps them build a better product when all is said and done. The donning of a given company's brand is simply a sign of support. Sure it shows others that you support a given brand but so does "becoming a Facebook fan of blah, blah" and people do that all day long every day without giving it a second thought. Difference is, purchasing the hat/towel/whatever also supports the company in a financial manner which leads to additional funds for R&D;, which leads to potential innovation, which leads to better products. Hmm, what was the downside again?

I think Ebay is your best bet. The market will tell you what these are worth. Toss them up there and see what they bring.

That's how I'd do it as well. Depending on how feature rich you want this development would be quick as well. Basic LAMP server on a home internet connection would be plenty to run it too.

I seldom wear hats but I just ordered a new Miura hat because of this thread. :-D

My wedges are 4-5' apart as well. Really like this combo w/the new CC grooves. PW - 48' GW - 52' SW - 57' LW - 62'

I'd agree with that statement. Unless you're looking to do some sort of dual wedge setup that you can change from time to time. Like having a 50, 56, 60 combo one day then 52, 58 the next. That's a lot of wedges to learn though. Unless you play a LOT, sticking with one setup is probably the way to go.

I've still got the PING Eye 2's that I gamed as a kid. Great irons. As much as I love my blades, I'll always keep my Eye 2's. I try to game them at least once every year.

That's a great deal. I'd be temped to get a set of 710's at that price myself. They're a great set of clubs. I wouldn't worry about not being able to hit the Miura before buying. I bought my first set sight unseen. Sure, it was a little nerve racking but I knew that I'd be able to turn them over if needed so I took the gamble. It turned out great though. I totally love Miura now. :-)

I do the same with the Scorecard app on my iPhone. I knew that I was right around par that day (see my post above) but didn't realize that I was under par until somebody pointed it out to me on the way to my ball. It wasn't a career round or anything that day but still, I'd rather that the guys in my group had treated me like a pitcher going into the 9th with a no-hitter on the line. I did learn from it though so, in the end, I suppose it was good that they pointed it out. Funny thing is, I've been acutely aware of far better rounds in the past and never let it get to me. Of course, I was playing a lot more back then so an individual round or two didn't get me to excited like it does now.

Yep, stay in the moment, one shot at a time. It's easy to let things get to you though. I had a similar experience earlier this year as well. With only 2 holes left I realized that I was under par. I was sitting in the middle of the fairway with only about 70 yards to the stick. I had a thought about how nice it would be to break par on my second round of the year. That did it. I over cooked the wedge right into the woods off the the back of the green (pin was back, thick woods are only a pace or two off the back of that green). Lost ball = double bogey = +1 for the day. Sigh... Oh well, I realize where I went wrong so that I could correct it for the next round. That's what's really important. Sounds like you may have learned your lesson as well. Disappointing though, due to the medical issues that I've been dealing with this year I haven't been able to play or practice nearly as much as I like to. Breaking par that day (despite a poor putting performance) would have felt real good.

Sure why not? I've always worn white shoes with a brown saddle. When I got married my wife informed me that sometimes I really should have a black saddle. It sounded like an excuse to get a second pair so I bought one. Now I get a new pair every year or two and alternate between black and brown always keeping 2 pair of shoes in rotation. For golf shoes, I don't really think it matters. I'm not all that concerned if they match my attire but some are anal about it.

I'm with you 100%. I haven't find a hybrid that I can even hit much less like enough to carry. I'm still gaming a 2-iron, and not a massive oversize cavity back 2-iron either...

Are you totally sure about the 710's? I've gamed a number of Titleist blades over the years and made the jump to Scratch a couple years back and never looked back. I then had the opportunity to snag a set of Miura Tournament Blades and immediately sold my Scratch SB-1's. With the SB-1's out the door, I got some Miura LE Baby Blades. Wow! Talk about taking a step up the ladder with each change. I've always liked Titleist blades. In fact, other than my FG-17's, the only set of irons that I really regret selling were my 681's. I'd still love to get a set of those back. Anyway, Titleist blades have that distinctive Titleist feel, the click at impact. Even though I prefer a soft feel, there is something about that click that feels right. Interestingly enough that click seems to be pretty consistent throughout pretty much all Titleist irons that I've gamed over the years. I've never gamed the 710's but I have hit them a few times. They seem like a solid set of irons that I wouldn't mind gaming. The Scratch SB-1's are a step up from any Titleist blade if you ask me. The feel of the SB-1 is quite a bit softer than any Titleist that I've hit. They are a very fluid iron and an absolute pleasure to game. The topline is slightly thinner than what you'll get with a Titleist and the offset is (at least visually) slightly reduced as well. The SB-1 is very pleasing to the eye. Wanna take another step up? Get yourself a set of Miura Tournament blades. Playing with Miura irons is like golfing with fine jewellery. The feel of a Miura blade is unlike anything else in golf and is somewhat difficult to explain, it really is something that you need to experience, not read about. In making this step from the SB-1, you'll again see a slightly thinner topline and (visually) reduced offset. These are also very pleasing to the eye. One thing to note with the Miura blades however is that the sweet spot is slightly heel bias. This is due to the long hosel and the toe grind. If you've gamed Titleist irons over the years this is a look that can take a little time to get used to. Once you're used to it though an iron that does not have heel bias just looks wrong. If your primary miss is way out on the toe, the Miura iron probably isn't for you. In that case, get yourself a set of SB-1's, they're much more forgiving out on the toe. Since you're a lefty I won't even start talking about the Miura 1957 LE irons. Let's just say that it's a shame lefties can't experience the ultimate orgasm in golf and leave it at that. Every set of these irons are definitely player's irons. Workability is fantastic, trajectory is easy to manipulate, etc, etc. Fit any one of these heads with the correct shaft and you should be good to go. If feel is something that you value however, you're going to be much happier with the SB-1, even more so w/the Miura TB.

How old is your daughter? Sounds like a fun afternoon... Congrats on the eagle!

As I said before... [quote name="rebby" url="/forum/thread/7089/if-you-could-change-one-rule-what-would-it-be/54#post_609824"]... I've also found walkers to be more likely to replace divots and fix ball marks. Not sure why that is but the pattern seems to stick year after year...[/quote]

This. I've also found walkers to be more likely to replace divots and fix ball marks. Not sure why that is but the pattern seems to stick year after year. I highly doubt that I'd be willing to carry a bottle of mix with me either. When I take a divot, I replace it. If the divot that I take shreds and can't be replaced, so be it. Chances are, there's a great deal of grass left in the divot and it will fill in quickly anyway. On another note... Hasn't this thread gone a bit off topic?

I guess that I liked the old one better. Ah well, doesn't make much difference. How about a rotating background? Keep things fresh? :-)