Tat14

Thanks for the pictures! It's been awhile since I've been back home and had time to include golf. The last time I was at Cog Hill was 1996, the Monday after Billy Mayfair won the Motorola Western Open.

What did we do to deserve this? C'mon now.

Good times!

Frozen, eh? Perhaps you should just Let it go... Anyway, I humbly suggest shaving down all of that thought and save it for the practice tee. Pre-shot routine is important, but once you've addressed the ball, swing thoughts should be short and simple; i.e. shoulder under chin.

Iowa.

If you know your specs already, I suggest looking at 300yards.com and perusing their large inventory. For every expensive option there is a less expensive one; previous models, etc. They ship quick and will answer email within a day. They also have adapters for all of the major brands; a variety of grip options as well. I've enjoyed every purchase.

Are you married to that 60*? You could always keep that, and add a SW with high bounce to fit your new environment. Or ditch it, and take this new SW and open the face for tight shots/lies, etc.

Chennai (sp), India. First nine was rather typical of any golf outing except we had caddies and spotters. Constant tipping though... Back nine was "unfinished" to put it mildly. Just a series of mowed areas with cups and flags. I took a 9I over a three-story apartment building to cut the corner on a ill-thought out par three. Got chased out of the place - literally a mob running after our van - when we ran out of rupee to tip the locals. Good times.

I chose "something else" because the anger/frustration option wasn't a perfect fit. For openers - if you're not having fun, call it a sunk cost and move on. Way back in the day I would sit out a hole if I was getting seriously pissed. Happily that is way in the past - because of both game improvement and maturity. In recent years I've only bailed twice. Once, during an early evening nine hole match play event, the wind got way out of hand (45k+) and our opponents included a kid who was super slow. At the next pass of the clubhouse, my partner wanted to leave and I agreed. Stuck the kid with a marker and just called it a night. I don't think I'd repeat this again, but it was miserable in a special way. The other time included these factors: partner in his pocket and losing his temper, partner's girl in the cart crying because of family tragedy, and I just hooked one OB. Left for the bar...

Was that his Tall & Fat store in Back To School? Try DXL! Works well for me (or so I'm told).

Pants aren't baggy enough. I'm talkin' Hammer-time, Can't Touch This, etc.

Welcome, you've picked a great Internet source for golf discussion. I'm sure one of the moderators or site bosses will be along to post the standard "hello, check these threads out" post, or you could expect a message. Good luck!

Does anyone know of companies similar to Scratch? Or are they coming back one day? I was giving them a look because I am enamored with the idea of custom irons - stamping, colors, etc. It's pretty easy to find wedge offerings among the major brands and boutiques, but irons have proven difficult to discover with Google.

I play a lot of nine-hole rounds, so this is easy for me. I review every shot in my head afterwards and critique it a little bit. For some odd reason, I enjoy that process over a nice whiskey. Come to think of it, I should reflect more on putting...

Should be no surprise to anyone that I have them. 17 though, not 14. I found them quite addictive back in my twenties, and got them all within a two-three year period. Chest, calf, and arms.

I had this issue as well. Typically with a mid-iron, but not with anything shorter. Nor with woods, just a couple of key middle clubs. Look for the ball flight law discussions in here, and study the push draw which gets your ball starting to the right. I also recommend reading the flighted iron/wedge threads here too.

OP says the invitation is there free of charge. The club is either impressed with your play or your attitude around the course or 19th hole. Or, they realize the club dies without new blood. Above all else, have fun. I've been in three clubs and they all have/had the same "fun first" attitude. There will be a super-rules guy, a loose-rules guy, a club thrower, and a guy who leaves right away after losing. Everyone else will be cool. Just make sure the handicaps are kept well - then any club guy could play any other club guy.

Grip has been mentioned already, so... Every new player I've been around has one club that he or she takes too more easily. Build some fundamentals around that club - grip (again), address, etc. The rest of the clubs can work their way into the bag as progress is achieved.

Off the top of my head I say Scotty Cameron (Titleist). I cruise eBay for golf items. A Scotty putter, even used, is still fetching a couple hundred bucks.

I agree; there is definitely a mental facet in any kind of performance. Fighter pilots call it the "man in the box" theory/concept. It's the thing that set Jordan apart from other NBA Stars. It's the abstract edge that long-time successful closers in baseball had over most others in that role - Hoffman, Rivera. Great physical talent is present, obviously. But that little difference that sets the elite apart from other stars; it's in the head. As it applies to Joe Weekend, it can keep a solid round going or cause it to fall apart.

This is a good point. Golf at large desires more accessibility and there has been a concern about the average-Joe market for awhile. People don't have as much disposable income, time for 18, etc. I think any idea that even appears exclusionary is a non-starter. Golf has always had hackers (like me). The numerous starters, marshals, playing partners, and course loudmouths all help move the game along. Sometimes a bit slower than you'd like. There are some really cool ideas in this thread though; anything teaching the fundamentals of the game at a cost or not. Proud to say my local track offers clinics that for a meager fee include a meal or drink, etc. The idea is to bring the next generation in so course(s) don't die.

SLDR came with a book; I think all of these adjustable clubs do. If you got yours 2nd hand then I would Google it. Take a look at your adapter, it should show three settings - standard for the loft you bought, and then lower or higher, +/- 1.5* Other companies have more complex adapters that do loft, lie, and face angle. TM's adapters are relatively simple. I would try that 12* with a little fade bias. More loft could help; typically does.

There is one good benefit re: TM introducing product lines every other Monday: they discount the previous lines rather quickly. I gave the SLDR and the SLDR mini a try after the R-15 came out, and I saved a bunch of money. Didn't like the mini, but the regular 460cc driver was ok. Not as good as my R11s though. I suppose that speaks to the whole weight low, back, front, outside, inside, speed pocket, hot pocket, mumbo jumbo. I don't think a lot of that really matters, unless you want it to for the sake of your own psyche.

I can reach the lower end of that with a 9 or an 8. And I still play the mid-irons; better with a push draw. I would just rather avoid them whilst I continue along with this strong lofted set of SpeedBlades - done with the whole "strongest mid-iron with an insert" marketing philosophy (OT).

OP, good post! I enjoy these quasi-philosophical discussions. In a nutshell; I think my current index reflects an amateur, recreational approach to the game multiplied by time. Today (as compared to years ago) I feel confident that I can hit any shot that I can think of. Thinking that I can and whether or not I do is a different story. But, I'll take a miss over a lack of confidence. In other words, I no longer worry about fat/thin, s-word, etc. Now I focus on Key 5, shot selection, the easiest way to get that GIR, etc.