slimeberry

Didn't see that last post from granitegolf. Sorry. Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a try. I've goofed around, doing it sometimes to be silly, quoting Bill Murray, etc., but never really tried it for real. Doesn't sound silly at all. And as for flipping my routine... Rotella said the same thing in the book I read yesterday, so your right on track with that advice. Thanks!

Decided not to play this weekend. Sat on the deck yesterday and read a Rotella book instead. I needed that. I had no pre shot routine what so ever. My focus was all on swing mechanics when I addressed the ball. Hopefully this will help some. I plan on playing tomorrow. We'll see. I still would like some input on some good drills to work on at the range though. All I really do is set up to a flag and fire. Can anyone share with me what they do to up the stakes on the range to add a little pressure to their session? Thanks?

Lots of good advice here. But, two very different approaches. One says to add an element of pressure to my practice routine to condition myself to react better to the "real" pressure on the course. I like that idea, because no matter how much you try to relax, that pressure will always sneak back into your game because there is that risk / reward element. Every shot "counts". It's how you deal with the pressure that controls the way you play. The other approach says to practice less, play more, relax, and learn to enjoy "the game" again. I also like this idea, as I have really not enjoyed playing golf for the last month or so. It's been more like forcing myself to work out. I leave the course exhausted and actually looking forward to getting back to the range. An ass backward way of looking at golf for sure. What is the point of practicing if you can't enjoy the thing you are practicing for?

Erik, I agree with what your saying, and I plan to take your advice, because you are 100% right about pressure. However, I do have some follow up questions. One... Besides aiming at a blue, white, or red flag at the range, which I already do to work on distance, accuracy, and alignment, can you give me some ideas, drills, etc that you feel would add pressure to my practice round? Something that will get me out of that calm, redundant, practice routine and allow me to experience and cope with pressure on the course. Because, even though I am hitting to a target when I'm at the range, I am not putting any pressure on myself at all. Two.. And this is a harder one, because you can tell yourself "only one thought on the golf course", but thats easier said than done. What should that one thought be? Narrow down all the noise in my head to one swing thought that I may be struggling with that particular day and focus on that? Or, no swing thoughts at all, and just think of the target, ball flight, etc? Maybe I need to go back and read Bob Rotella again. It's been since I first started playing golf that I read his books. And Three... When you do get to that stressful place on the track, you just hit a terrible tee shot or you plunked your ball into the water, what do you do to bring yourself down? To get to that "one shot at a time" place that I know I need to be at, but somehow can't calm down. Any tips, advice, or just telling me what you all do would be helpful. Thanks!!!

My practice post was great. Great Paragraph structures. Fluid, clean sentences. But when I finally took it to the forum to post... I CHOKED!!! Too much pressure I guess.

Is this normal, or do I need a shrink? I have been playing golf consistently since about 2004 (2 - 3 times a week / March - October). I took a few lessons, never practiced, and gradually went from shooting in the 100's to the 90's & high 80's. This year, however, I started to have a few breakthroughs. I shot a 51 / 39 and a 38 / 48. I played the back nine at my local club 2 under after 5 holes. Little victories. Not great overall scores, but little improvements. Then, it finally happened... I broke 80! I was playing great golf. 79, 82, 78, 80. I decided, at this point, to kick it into high gear and really PERFECT my golf game. I started taking lessons one to two times a week. I hit balls EVERY day at lunch. I chipped and putted after work several nights a week. I had a plan. More practice, more lessons, more books and articles, more pressure!!! Then, it all came crashing down. I can go out on the range and have a great practice session, clean, fluid strikes, nice even divots, great distance, ball flight, etc. Then I go out to play... and UGH, I CHOKE!!!. It's as if I have never swung a club in my life. I get so geared up to play well that mentally I'm a wreck out there. I have so many swing thoughts in my head that I can't even get the ball off the ground. Proper ball position, don't slide forward, pull with my left arm, turn my left wrist over when I release the club, make a good shoulder turn, focus on the back side of the ball, swing from 6:30 to 12:00 to get an inside out swing path, blah, blah, blah. 103, 100, 106, 101, 104. These have been the last few scores I have posted. But here's the thing. I go to my lesson and I'm hitting the ball great. I go to the range and I'm hitting the ball great. I go to play, CHOKE!!! It's not like I'm playing in tournaments or leagues either, this is just a day out with some clients or a little outing with friends. It was so bad yesterday that I quit on 18 and swore I would never play another round of golf again. It was horrible!!! But, of course, we all know that's no one with a golf addiction really quits. So, today at lunch, I went out to the range again, and like clockwork, I was striking the ball smooth and clean. Wedge, 8, 6, 4 irons, over and over, smooth as silk. What the hell??? I have seen ups and downs in peoples game before, but how do you go from 78 to 106 in a matter of a few weeks? How do you go from striking it great on the range to topping, shanking, slicing, and duffing it on the course THE NEXT DAY??? I know it's all between my ears, but I was wondering if anyone else has ever experienced anything like this? And if so, what did you do to correct it? Any advice would be great. Thanks!!!

I have a question about golf ball selection and how it could effect your score. I have been a mid to high handicapper, who normally shoots in the mid 80's on an average day (low 80's on a good day & high 80's on a bad one). However, starting about a month after the golfing season began here in Indiana, I have lost the ability to do much of anything on the golf course. I will have rounds filled with great shots and horrible ones. I find I play great around the greens, but have no consistence at all any where else. Normally when the round ends, I end up shooting in the mid to high 90's. Very frustrating. Now, to the golf ball issue. I have recently (this season) started playing with used Pro V1's that I buy online. I will order AAA grade used Pro V1's (not the 2007 or 2009 ones and not the Pro V1x's) off of various web sites and am very happy with the quality. But, I am beginning to wonder if these balls may not be the best choice for me. Here is what I have found. I am great around the greens. I could always get a ball to stop, but with these balls, I can get them to zip back like a maniac. Checking up with little half wedges is no trouble, even from green side rough. However, it does little good to impress your friends with how much spin you can put on a ball from 120 out if, at the end of the day, you have shot a 98. Could these used Pro V1's be causing SOME of my problems? Obviously a ball can not be responsible for everything going wrong here. The worse I shoot, the less confidence I have, and the more I try to mess with my set up, swing, etc, causing more trouble. But, I know that along with that extra green side spin comes tremendous spin off of the driver, longer irons, etc. I seem to be loosing balls left and right a lot more than usual. What should be a small pull sometimes turns into a a big one. Same right. I am not good enough to really "work" the ball. I play best when I aim straight and fire straight. If I try to fade it, I end up slicing it. If I try to draw it, I end up duck hooking it. Could this added spin be causing SOME of my scoring troubles? And if so, what ball would you all suggest for me. I love the feel of the Pro V1, and hate to give up that green side feel, but maybe this ball it isn't for me. Should I be looking at the Pro V1X, or should I be looking at balls like the NXT Tour, HX Hot Byte, Nike Vapor, various Bridgestone e balls, etc? Cost isn't the issue. I just want the best possible ball for me to play the best round possible. Can any of you give me your opinion on this issue? Thanks, and I look forward to reading your posts.

Well... Great advice all around. Thanks. I did exactly what you all suggested. I took them into Golf Galaxy to be re-gripped to standard size. Two different people there tried to talk me OUT of re-gripping them. I guess they don't need the business? No, they are all just horribly Lazy!!! Anyway, I decide to take my 5, 7, and W into the launch monitor and hit away. The feel was just as I thought it would be. A fat, dull feel at impact. I have a natural draw when I hit my irons and hybrids and a natural fade when I hit my driver and 3W. If I miss hit a shot with any club I ALWAYS pull it. I pushed every shot. Plus, my hands just didn't feel right at all. So, I took them up to the counter, handed the guy 8 Ping standard velvet grips and that was that. I just picked them up, it is 50.o today, and I am off to get in a quick 9 before the sun goes down. Thanks again!!!

Sweet Moses!!! Danny Gans is a royal douche bag. Not only that, but Chris Burman... This guy is unreal. Here is a guy who copies his personality from his idol, Bill Belichick. Berating his co workers, throwing temper tantrums off camera. I'm glad he is getting a little bit of ribbing from Nick and Kelly. Man, he is terrible. I can't stand most of the celebs (I do love Bill Murray) but just love to see golf played at such a beautiful place. I was fortunate enough to be able to go out there last year, just a week after the event. Beautiful track, beautiful place, and I am really enjoying the finer nuances of the course it's self, having been there and now seeing it again on TV. Now that I have been there, played there, you gain a whole new perspective on how difficult it really is. The wind is unrelenting, but man is it nice. Probably one of my favorite courses.

The media was the first to build them up (some saying they could go undefeated after week 3 or 4) and the media was the first to tear them down. Fitting, don't ya think. They were and are over rated cheaters. Their coach is a classless *******. They were put up on this "Dynasty" pedestal and knocked off just as quickly. Truth is, they are not the 72' Dolphins. They are not even the 85' Bears or the 84' 49rs. Maybe they could go down as the best team to ever loose a Super Bowl, maybe. Let's see... they have a woman beater, a juicer, a dead beat dad, and the biggest ass ever to coach the game leading them all. Yea, their great!!!

OK. Here is the situation. I just bought a BEAUTIFUL second set of Ping Eye 2's BeCu off of ebay for a steal. They might end up being my main set now. They are in amazing shape. Anyway, they came with BRAND NEW Ping Velvet Grips, but they are the Mid Sized (Gold) color coded grips. My hand is 7 1/2" and my longest finger is 3 1/2". Ping says I am standard (White). ALL of my other clubs are standard sized grips. We have has horrible tornados and rain this week, and now it is 20.o outside, so there is no way I can take them to a range to feel them out. It is like a frozen swamp on all of the courses around here. I have tried to swing them in my office, and even in my yard, but I just can't tell how they feel. They don't feel bad, but they do feel very different. What should I do? I can either spend about $55.00 and have them re-gripped and be done with it? Or, since they are BRAND NEW, will I really notice that much of a difference? They are, as I said, in perfect condition. What, if anything, will too big of a grip do to your ball / swing? It is, after all, only 1/32 of an inch bigger. Any advice would be great.

Found both on Callaway's web site. You can see the new version. I like it better. That's awesome about the bat boy. Once in a life time. Here is the old version... ... and then the new.

As for the Cubs thing... I am from Indiana and college basketball is king. But I love football and baseball too. As a kid, the Colts were still in Baltimore and we had no baseball team either. So, I grew up watching what was on television. My Indiana Hoosiers, Da' Cubs, and Da' Bears. Now, I love the Colts (how can I not w/ Peyton) and Da' Bears (last year was a tough Super Bowl, as I genuinely love both teams). But I also love my Cubbies. I thought about you being a Sox fan after I wrote that, but figured you had a good sense of humor either way. You clearly do, so thanks for that. As for the fairway wood... that was a bit tougher of a decision. I really believe that the Driver is the only club that should regularly rotate in your bag. The technology just changes so fast. However, just like good wedges, irons, and a great putter, it really took a lot for me to give up my old BB Steelhead III. That "a lot" was a cracked face from playing glow ball. I thought about just getting another used Steelhead, but had heard great things about the X. I hit both the 2007 and 2008 models (regular and tour), and just like the driver, I really liked the regular 2008 X better than last years model or either of the tour versions. It isn't called the Hyper, just X, but it clearly looks like the Hyper X. I love it. That "funky" X sole REALLY makes a difference on the 2008 3W. It sits up so nice in the fairway and the rough. I tried to fing a good photo, but didn't have much luck. Check out Callaway.com. Again, you can't go wrong with it. It is the best fairway wood I have ever hit (and I have hit a lot... Ping TSi, Ping G2, and old Titleist, Cobra F Speed, and my baby, the BB Steelhead III). Again, the price is right at $189.00 at Golf Galaxy or Golfsmith and under $159.00 on eBay.

It could be swing mechanics, but it could be too upright of a club. Maybe go in between. Get a Blue or Green dot. But, you are not Black.

I totally agree w/ the previous post, save one thing. I don't like boot Camp because you have to "shut down" OSX to run XP. W/ Parallels, you can run them all together seamlessly. It works very well... better than Rosetta and much better than Virtual PC. Good luck.

No, actually, best case would be to go there and get fitted first. If you don't want to do that then follow the web fitting at least a little. I am 5'11". You are 6'2" and your arm is 1 3/4" longer than mine. I was fit as either 1 or 2 degrees upright my self, depending on the company. So, unless you hit your irons like Golham from Lord of t he Rings, all hunched over, then, at the very least you would be green. The most you should ever have a club bent is 2.o. So if you get black and find out that Ping was right, you will be stuck. I would get fit first. If not, go w/ the green or white dot. I seriously doubt you are a black. (If you like the black color and white or green doesn't match your stuff, paint over it. That would be better than hitting clubs that are too down.) Good luck.

I think as far as the lie angle it is. I am 5'11" and 35" from wrist to floor. It said I was Blue (1.o up) and I was fitted by a Titleist rep at 2.o up. So, if anything, Ping was more conservative than Titleist. My worry, especially on the older Ping models, is the shaft length. The eye 2, for example, is about 1/2" shorter (standard) than most irons today. I don't know if that is still the case or not. Either way, I think that their system seems fairly accurate. But, if a club fitter will fit you for free (most will at local clubs, etc) it still is worth having a look.

Did you get your new X today? I am online and was just curious.

Beth Page Black is the toughest I have ever played. It kicked my arss!!!

Ok, I have a buddy of mine that is getting ready to buy his first set of Ping Eye 2's. He wants the Beryllimu, which is the better choice IMHO. It just looks cooler. But, he is really torn between the regular, and sometimes infamous, Eye 2's and the "conforming" + versions. I know the history of the conforming grooves, the plus / no plus issues as far as USGA regulations, etc. But he posed a question to me that I really couldn't answer. Forget being collectable. Forget being what is in at the moment. Which one of the two is the better club to play with for a guy who consistently shoots in the low 80's? I play with the originals and love them. The argument for these irons is that the "square" grooves that WERE non-conforming puts a little more bite on the ball, especially on 7 irons on in. And they are, in my opinion, very workable, but still very forgiving. However, the argument for the +'s, from what I understand, is that they not only conformed the grooves, but they redesigned slightly the sole, changing the weighting, and increasing the club head size just a tad, making them much, much easier to hit. I have let him hit mine, but the lie is a little off from what he will want to get for himself. I don't know what to tell him. Anyone out there have any experience playing with both types? Thanks in advance.

Pay no attention to tiger who. Your MacBook is a great laptop. I have the Black MacBook and love it. It sounds like something is wrong w/ an application you are trying to run. Does it do this right after it is started or only after you have been using it for a while? Without more information, I really can't help though. Did you get Apple Care? If not, and it is within 90 days of your purchase, you still can. A very worthwhile investment. But, if you just got it for Christmas, it still is w/ in the 90 day window to call customer support. Call 1-800-my-apple. They should be able to help. I have a 24" iMac at my office and a Black MacBook and a Mac Mini at home. OSX is, without a doubt, the most stable operating system out there. We also use a lot of PC's here at the office and they are always crashing. Your situation is unusual, and not the norm. Once it is resolved, I think you will be very happy. Use your MacBook for a few months, then try to use a Windows based machine. Then you will appreciate your Mac. Good luck!!!

Well, we survived the night. Unbelievable. We live on the south part of town. The north part of town was hit hard last night, buildings crushed, power still out, etc., but our neighborhood, aside from a lot of standing water and a few trees down, isn't too bad. Yea, the weather is nuts right now. You guys have snow up in Chicago (GO CUBS!!!), it's 60.o and tornados here, and then it is supposed to get down to 16.o by Sunday. I am ready for spring. I really think you will like the Hyper X. I am not a salesman for this club or that at all, but do think that too many of us, myself included, get sucked in to the hype of buying the most expensive club that we see the pro's play or what The Hot List tells us to buy. Don't get me wrong, I read over every page of The Hot List 20 times. But at the end of the day you must realize that all of these clubs are so similar as far as design, technology, etc. that it really must come down to how it performs for you. Just because the G10 got one more + than the Mizuno does not mean that the G10 is for you. That is the beauty of you being able to go out and hit these clubs and make an informed decision. I used to hit the old Ping i3 driver until the weight finally fell out of it. That was around the time one of the first Hot Lists came out and man I went nuts. I had to have the r7 because it was the best, most expensive, driver out at the time. Trouble is, I never really hit it all that well. Then I went through a Nike Sasquatch, a Cobra F Speed, and a Titleist driver that I had no business hitting at the time, until I settled on the Ping G2, which has been a great driver for me. I have always loved Callaway fairway woods, the X is the best one I have ever hit, and thought I would give the X460 a try (it was on sale) before I bought the G10 that I went in to get.... and the rest is history. I hit the G10, the BB, the X460 (regular and Tour w/ various shafts) and I think even a Cobra. The salesman kept pushing me to the Hi Bore "because Vijay plays it"? Really?!?! I LOVED the feel, the performance, the sound, and the ball flight of the Hyper X, a club that I had never really heard much about until I put it in my hand. So, you never know. I think it is great, and it sounds like, from what you have said, that you will too. You seem to be unswayed by the hype of the newest and most expensive too, which is the way to approach it. You seem to be a smart guy who knows what he wants. Hit it and go for it. The price is right and it is a fantastic stick. I love mine!!! Let me know about what you decide. I am always curious about stuff like this.

Sorry, our power just went out!!! Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to try it, but I would say no. I think you will loose some control w/ the reg flex at your speed. It's not really the stiffness as much as it is the torq and the weight. My swing speed w/ the ProForce V2 shaft was actually between 102 and 104 mph. It was about 106 w/ the Aldila NV. And it averaged about 108 to 110 w/ the Fujikura. Same flex, but a tad lighter. Amazing. I would never have thought it would flux up to 8 mph w/ different shafts. Stay away from upgrading to the Aldila NV or the ProForce V2, as they will bring down your launch angle, lower your swing speed, and hinder your ball flight. I think the stiff, stock Fujikura w/ 10.o loft, however, would be great for you. I was going to try to play this week, but my course will be a swamp after tonight

Sorry for the delay in my reply. We had a string of tornados just run through our area. And no, it is not depressed. Go to Callaway's web site and you can see it more clear.

I usually average about 270 yards (280 if I flush it) and about 110 mph swing speed. Yeah, I hit the FT-5, the new Big Bertha, the X460 and the X460 Tour, and this. I love the stiff flex Fujikura Stock shaft that comes with this club. Though the Aldila NV works great for me on my hybrids, it really hindered my ball flight on the X460 Tour that I tried. I hated the sound and the price tag of the FT-5, The Bertha had a very light 55g stiff flex Aldila shaft that I didn't care for at all, so I narrowed it down to the X460 and the Hyper (I didn't hit the Hyper Tour). I liked the shaft, the sole, and the sound better on the Hyper. It was either $199.00 for a X460 at Golf Galaxy, or about $230.00 for a new Hyper off of ebay. I chose the latter and have been very satisfied, other than I haven't been able to play enough with it.