whit53

Isn't a contemporary 3-iron, in fact, a traditional 2-iron. Historically, 2-irons were most commonly lofted at 20 degrees. That's only 1-degree stronger than a contemporary blade/muscle back.

What a coincidence indeed........... a Circa 62 and car window all in the same week . Hope you enjoy them both.

How many amanteur tournaments do you plan in each year? Usually from 9 to 11... How far would you travel to play in a golf tournament? Up to 500 miles... If you do travel, do you play the course in the month prior to the tournament? No, will usually try to arrive 3 or 4 days in advance... - If no, would a 2 for 1 coupon encourage you to do so? No... What golf item do you purchase most often besides balls? Tees and grips... Which product do you purchase most often with your tournament earnings(money that can only be used in a proshop, not cash)? Clothing... What is the driving factor for your golf purchases? Looks? Cost? Performance? Performance... What brand of clubs do you play? Driver? Woods? Irons? Wedges? Putter?What ball do you play? Ttitleist driver, Adams Idea Pro Hybrids, Mizuno irons, Bridgestone WC wedges, TP Mills putter and ProV1 ball Does the kind of ball you play matter to you? Or do you play whatever ball you find? I play a soft Srixon during the winter months, but only ProV1's during tournament play. [Always the same 2 balls] How often do you purchase new equipment? Balls, clubs, drivers, putters? 2+ dozen balls per month; several years between puchases of irons or drivers; the utility clubs haven't changed since they went into the bag; wedges are replaced every 12 or so months; putter... very rarely.

"Offset" allows fractionally more time to "square up" the club face at (and through) impact......... Snce most higher handicappers have trouble w/ this aspect of ball striking, offset is beneficial. However, if one already squares up the face at impact, a club w/ too much offset would tend to be "shut" at the moment of truth, prompting either a pull or a pull hook. Most of the posts on this and other forums that drone on about this or that club having too much offset, simply reflect personal preference (regardless of ability) and should be taken w/ more than a grain of salt. Hope this helps

My guess is that your presumption about the use of X-Stiff shafts, has been influenced by the many posts of "internet idex players"....... Factually, x-stiff iron shafts are not as common among the "better players" you reference, as you have been lead to believe. Good players don't necessarily swing faster that poor players, they swing "better". While it certanly influences some aspect of shaft choice, swing speed is not the most determinant factor. How a player's swing "loads" the shaft, as well as the amount of "sag" (downward deflection) throught the impact area, are far more significant factors in finding the right shaft. There is an old saying that continues to hold a great deal of merit........ "Play the softest shaft that you can control." In other words, hitting it out of the middle of the face, time after time, has little [if anything] to do with the speed with which one swings a club, but everything to do with where the clubhead is, at the moment of impact. Just my thoughts

Given proper swing mechanics..... the most common errant shots caused by a shaft that is too weak, would be high left (for a right handed player). Conversely, a shaft that was too firm would low right..... not slicing to the right, but simply blocked low and right of the target. Sounds like you problem is in your mechanics...... most likely trying to muscle the ball using your shoulders and arms. Good luck,

I believe that the only thing that can be said with any certainty, is that Mizuno used the 33's as the template for their 100th anniversary release........

For all practical purposes, the two terms are "interchangable".......... The terms musclebacks and blades, simply reference that the club has a solid back, rather than any portion of it being hollowed out, so as to redistribute weight to the perimeter of the clubhead.

Since some have used Geoff Mangum as their primary grounds for calling the practice "B.S.", here a portion of that same article that was left out.... along w/ two lesser excerpts from other sources. Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone™ Instruction As plumb bobbing is actually used, with upright posture and biased sighting alignment, the technique nonetheless provides a reference of true vertical. The brain is doubtless thankful for small favors. The visual system and the balance system in effect get calibrated by the true vertical shaft. The golfer is then more accurately able to assess slope and break just using his eyes, feet, and sense of balance -- so this limited sort of plumb bobbing helps here. And if you want to know where the baseline runs along a straight line from the ball to the hole, plumb bobbing helps, but it is just as well to use the shaft as a "ruler" in visually aligning the two targets (ball and hole). This sense of the actual location of the baseline can then be used in judging the SHAPE and LOCATION of the breaking path of the putt all along its route, as this the total putt combines the read of slope and contour with the envisioned speed or energy pattern of the putt. And this is what you really need to get down to. 2008 Study Putting isn’t just about feel. It’s also about information processing. In other words, the better you are at reading greens, the more likely you are to sink a putt. You don’t need a golf tip to tell you that. Plumb-bobbing is an old-school technique for generating information that’s useful in putting. Some players swear by it. Others disregard it. The question is can it help you sink a putt. The biggest knock against plumb-bobbing is that it tells you how a putt breaks but not how much. But a computer model developed by Fredrick Haney, Ph.D., a few years ago, is changing the way golfers think about plumb-bobbing. Haney’s model suggests that there’s more to it than meets the eye and that with a little effort you can use it to help determine how much a putt breaks. GolfLink.com Plumb-bobbing can be used to determine the slope of the ground around the hole; in addition, it's quite helpful in allowing you to better visualize the target line of your putt. Many people also use plumb-bobbing to determine how much a putt will break.

I'm going to respectfully disagree...... Physics, as it is defined, is "the science of matter and energy and their interactions" and has nothing to do w/ the practice of plumb-bobbing. Plumb-bobbing is intended as a use of a reference point to determine the geometric relationship between lines, slopes and degrees of deflection. In much the same way as an inclinometer offers the "elevation or inclination of an object with respect to gravity".... Plumb-bobbing can, in fact, provide some insight as to lateral effects of slope and gravity for a given hole's position........... relative to a straight line. The suggestion that it does not work for everyone, does not preclude geometry's net value.

I liked the color..........

Just read in Golf Digest that the Pro V1 was the only contemporary ball to receive their Gold rating. Looking at the data, I must admit that I don't quite get it..... it doesn't feel any better than several of the other OEMs' offerings; it doesn't spin anymore; and it doesn't fly any further. In fact, the only thing it does seem to do better [or at least quicker], is shrinking your wallet. The justification for its ....top of the heap.... designation seems to rest almost singularly, with what GD terms the "demand" factor. Call me curious, but what exactly is the "demand factor" in Golfing terms. Maybe it means that when you ask (or demand) the in-flight ball to either fade... draw... get up... or get down, it complies like a well trained pet. Maybe it imply the amount of priority Titleist demands of Golf Digest, for its advertising dollars. I'm not sure. I am sure, however, that it has nothing to do with the tangible performance of the ball itself........ and therefore has not place in the comparative evaluation of equipment. Fun's over..... and yes, I feel much better.

Srixon Z Star............ Played Titleist for the past 10 years, but Srixon has come up w/ "a better mouse trap." For me, the Star Z seems more resistant to the effects of wind shear; is a touch longer; the cover is more durable; and has not shown any down side, when compared to the ProV lines. JMO, but a solid performance ball.

Typically get in 72 to 90 hole per week during the spring, summer and fall months. Usually spend an additional 3+ hrs a week around the practice green and bunkers. Winter months are primarily limited to range time.

It would suggest, to a great degree, that this later notion is the correct one........ As far as finding the "bottom" of your own swing, your divots should give you a pretty good idea. Relative to those divots, your ball position should be about an inch or so behind the divot's starting point. Good luck,

Nice to see that someone got it right......... Most players, myself included, that play with a "stronger grip", will tend to close the club-face slight at address. A little bump of the hands [aka: forward press], can serve as both a trigger and effective means of opening the face for impact. Definitely a "trappers" move..... IMO

My impressions following a few rounds w/ the Star z, for what they are worth......... a) 8 to 12 yards shorter off the driver than the Pro V1; b) 1/2 to 3/4 club shorter off mid and short irons, vs. Pro V1; c) 3/4+ club shorter off long irons, vs. Pro V1; d) Much more susceptible to side spin and wind shear than the Pro V1; e) Not the "drop and stop" performance offered by the Pro V1; and f) Almost too soft off of the putter........ very difficult to find good distance control on longer putts, especially up-hillers. For me, not a viable replacement. JMO

www.Cameroncollector.com You'll need to be patient, alot of over-pricing at times. Good luck,

Yes mats do mask poor impact...... both fat and thin shots. The best way to practice on mats, it to roll up a small towel lengthwise and place it under the mat, about 12-inches from the outer edge. Place and hit balls positioned between where the towel is positioned and the outer edge of the mat.... This allows the mat to depress slightly at impact and gives you a better facsimile of true turf interaction. Hope this helps.

The ones that are currently available are the 25 "Makers Proofs" that were milled from 303 stainless and PVD coated. These are priced around $400, but Byron has indicated that he is going to run a second batch mid-spring. I would bet that they will market at a lower price point. You can reach him at www.ByronPutters.com . Cheers,

The Bettinardi 8802 look alike, is being released in spring of 09' to retail sales. A wonderful alternative, that is currently available in limited supply, has been released by Byron Morgan. Well worth a look, IMO

A diverse, every other day, regimen of Push-ups, done in the mornings......... along w/ daily routine of abdominal crunches, while I watch the evening news.

46... 50... 56... 60 Degrees. 56 has 14 degrees of bounce, as (for me) that equals the greatest versatility. 60 has 4 degrees of bounce and a wide flange, as those specs are best suited to the manner in which I play this "specialty club". 6 & 4 degrees of separation in my strong, medium and weak wedges..... is about right for me.

Yes, I plumb-bob virtually every put outside of 3-feet............ As has probably already been noted, the side of the shaft on which the hole appears will give you a read as to the general "break" of the putt. However, the distance between the shaft and hole, will also provide you with insight as to ... How much the putt will break, at a given pace. I would note, that it is something that can and should be done while awaiting your turn to putt..... so as to not slow up the pace of play.

I've found that nothing tastes better then a Rueben and a cold Guinness..........