RussUK

I just hear a lot of people saying events shouldn't be held in places like this and if they are not to compete which is hard on many of the comeptitors. I watch the Dakar every year so it will be interesting to watch in regards to whether many competitors pull out or not. In regards to security it'll be the safest in years. Back to Phil, it does have the whiff of greed to it. Often the case with some people, the more money they have the more money they "need".

Now, i neither agree or like whats been going on in Saudi at the moment but here's a question. If Phil is supporting the regime by playing in a tournament, does the same stand for the 600+ competitors taking part in January's Dakar Rally (Saudi have a 3 year deal)? 90% of those guys do it for the love of the sport and the challenge and stand to make nothing from it money wise. I know OP was in regards to Golf but im sure its relevant for all sporting events taking place in Saudi?

I use wood tee's, however i may switch to bamboo tee's. They are more expensive but if they are more sustainable then i suppose that offsets the higher price. Very rarely use plastic unless i find one on the tee box.

I'm pretty confident that the 3* upright is correct for me as the pro was very thorough during the fitting (i actually only went to see if graphite shafts would be right for me) and he checked pretty much everything about my swing. I think its swing or (more specifically) setup related as when you see something that doesnt look right such as the toe being higher than before there is a real urge to "correct" it. It's annoying as i finished the year hitting very well but i'll be happy if its just a setup issue. I know @mvmacposted a topic about the sharpie pen lie check a while back but i can see that it's best used as a "guidline" check to help decide whether to get it checked profesionally.

No golf happening over here. We had a months worth of rain in about 48hrs. Parts of yorkshire still under water including the aptly named Fishlake. Really feel for those people affected by the floods. I'm very glad i live high up and nowhere near a river, stream or canal.

I can trump that. Still playing the G5!!. May look at finally replacing it next year if i can be arsed to

Most definately not the clubs. I think @billchao may have hit the nail on the head with compensating for seeting up with the sole flat. When i first starting using the clubs i was making a concious effort to ground the club correctly with the toe up a bit. Now it's as if my brain is now looking at it and telling me as it looks a little too much to up to correct it. May be worth checking this as part of my pre shot routine till it's second nature?

Sounds about right. Even on practice swings if the club is flat on the floor and i swing I struggle to hit the turf and if i do it's often more like skimming it. It's amazing how much of this game is in your head.

@nevets88, what are you making next week? Tracey Island out of toilet roll tubes and sticky back plastic?. Blue Peter badge on its way

This summer I got fitted for new irons and the session showed I needed irons 3 degrees upright. I vaguely remember the fitter saying I showed address the ball normally and the toe of the club would sit a little higher of the ground than before but this would correct during the downswing and deliver the sole correctly to the turf (my swing permitting of course) due to the flexing/bending of the shaft and to fight the urge to set the sole flat. For the first few times i was hitting really good, solid shots however recently i have been hitting some very thin shots and shots off the toe. I think i may be addressing the ball with the sole flat on the turf. My question therefore is, if an upright lie angle is set flat at address what effect would this have at impact and what bad shots could this cause (thin toey shots perhaps?). When I swing with the club at address as it was designed/altered (i.e toe up) i can hit the ground in a consistent place each time. As you can tell when it comes to equipment i'm not what you would call "educated" . Many thanks, as always, for your advice.

I take it you'll be trying skateboarding next instead? Wishing you a speedy recovery. Hopefully American daytime TV isn't as bad as ours in the UK (Loose women, it's not how it sounds ), cos' i'm sure you'll end up an expert on it.

I've experienced the mystery of the vanishing golf ball. The shot is struck sweet and then, like a phantom in the night, they disappear into thin air (or trees, long grass, water, car parks, peoples gardens). Either way it must be paranormal so let's get Zak Bagan on the case.

This is a great comment. As a High hcp player myself it's often unerving to play alongside a decent player because you just dont want to embarrass yourself. It's worse if you dont know the person you are playing with. However, all it takes is for the low capper to say something like "Dont worry about a bad shot, lets just have fun". On the plus side playing with a good golfer often rubs off on you and can actually help you to play better. Also good to see good players cock it up too (really puts you at ease ), hence the reason i watch Mark Crossfield!

voted yes, but the technology would have to be viable, reliable and cost effective. I't doesn't matter how many people are killed through drink driving it will always be too many simply because drink driving is easily avoidable. If you want to drink dont use your car, get a taxi, a bus or walk home, it's not rocket science. Maybe punishments should be harsher and the blood alcohol limits stricter. I know guys who can drink for England and not get affected and others who have one drink, be legally under the limit, and cant walk straight. Personally, i'm all for zero tolerance on drink driving. If you go to the pub for a beer and want to drive then drink alcohol free beer. Most pubs sell it and its actually not bad these days. I'll step down of my soap box now guys

Sure does Erik, but i find blaming the kids for lack of playing opportunities works wonders