prutkows

This may be irrelevant as you are a 1.8 handicap and likely would have already solved the problem if this indeed was your problem but here goes. I was having an issue with loss of distance as well and I just figured out a couple of days ago that my hands/club werent flat enough at the top of my backswing. worked on it and got all my distance back (and then some)

Depending on the rough (first cut, deep stuff, etc) i'd use a 5iron to run it up to the pin. If you are a 26 handicap though I don't think you are a player who is carrying a 5 iron 185+ yards consistently (no offense, neither was i when i was a 26 handicap) so i'd suggest getting a 25*-27* hybrid or an 11 wood? (i think thats the correct 5i replacement wood). I know you didn't ask for advice on this matter, but personally I think (and i'm sure many others will agree) the best way for high handicappers like yourself to lower their scores is to play a little less aggressive and try to get rid of all the doubles/triples/others. 20+ handicappers have a good chance of topping/duffing the ball from the rough (even low and mid handicappers do it from time to time) which might leave you still 170+ from the pin for your 3rd shot. So my advice to you would be to take a short or mid iron you're comfortable with - 8i, 7i, maybe a 6i - and just advance the ball as far as you can while being confident you'll put it somewhere in the fairway. Again, no offense but what are the odds you're going to stick it close from the rough 200 yards away (even pro's dont do it all the time)? So take an extra shot and give yourself a higher probability of putting it close to the pin and having a tap in par or 2 putt bogey and also reduce your chances of blowing up the hole and getting a snowman (or worse!)

So is it safe to play it something like a fairway chip shot but open up the face a bit (leave a divot in front of the ball)? Or should I be trying to pick it clean like a fairway bunker shot? Everytime I'm on a course with compacted bunkers i either forget that i need to take some time to practice out of them or i'm playing a round that doesnt allow me to take practice shots.

correcting my grip once and for all and then continuing to work on short game.

How do you play from a bunker with compacted sand?

^thanks guys.

What is the rule regarding a ball resting in standing water in a sand bunker?

I've had my eye on those X callaways as well :) Just trying to compile a list of clubs to demo before i actually pull the trigger. Thats exactly what i was thinking, but i was a little hesitant to "blame" the ballooning on the shafts because I didn't want to get flamed here. Let me know how that works out :) I may end up checking them out as well. Thanks for the tips guys.

did you use 906's before you picked up your 909's? If so, what did you think about them?

Blade. Scotty newport2

150 usually. can squeeze out up to 160 or so if i really need it.

Does anyone use steel shaft fairway woods?

I made direct transition from a 10.5* 975 J-VS to a 9.5* 905R.. i realize its not exactly the same change you would be making, but i think its very similar. the 975 was a 312CC clubhead. 905R is 460 of course.

most nfl teams have a criminal on their team...

Golfsmith outlet has vokey sm for $109.99.

an additional 15 yards is a ton for a single digit handicapper. You say your friend hooks it a lot? Maybe when he was testing/getting fitted he was hooking the Str8 fit more and thus the computer was recording him as hitting it farther...? If i hit a 20 yard pull with my 5 iron i can get an additional 15+ yards out of it too...

whats the difference between s200 shafts and PX shafts?

any difference between a hybrid and a rescue? or just the same club by different names? I thought a 20*-21* is supposed to replace a 3iron?

pretty sure the Ping Rapture is much more forgiving. Personally I play a titleist 905R which is an older model but I enjoy it :) it's not as forgiving as the rapture or the r9 but i like it :)

I made the transition to my 905R (460CC) from a 975 J-VS which had a 312CC head. I bought a new driver because i cracked the face on my 975 at the range one night (don't know how since I didn't hit the ball very hard back then) and it was not the easiest club to hit at first. I hit everything from a banana slice to a huge pull hook. I don't remember how long it took me to adjust, but now i hit it pretty straight almost everytime.

$5.25 for 91-99 balls.

Basically just trying to get my hands to release more consistently to ensure a square face at impact. My ball striking has been pretty good lately and all the ball marks are right near the sweet spot.

Haha, I met a girl at school from Elgin this past year. She says she teaches golf lessons for children there. I knew it was a small town so the poor golf course makes a lot of sense.

I too hit the longest drive of my golfing carreer a few days ago - 361 yards. The fairway is slightly uphill from the teebox for about 15 yards and then it plateaus. Like you I measured pretty much with yardage markers. It was a 522 yard par 5. The ball was stopped behind a 150 yard marker so I paced it outt and determined I was 11 yards behind the marker and 161 from the front of the green. 522-161 = 361! I'm by no stretch of the imagination a long driver - usually only carry about 260 (i think) and get whatever roll the fairways will give me - so needless to say I was very excited. When I hit the shot I knew it was a good one but as I walked down the fairway I initially didnt see the ball so i figured I must have hooked or sliced it without noticing. The guys in the group ahead of me actually alerted me to where my ball actually was because they were yelling at me for hitting my second shot too soon. I informed them that it had been my drive that nearly hit their group and apologized :)

ahh i know the feeling. Hawaii has no golf galaxy, dicks, golf warehouse, edwin watts, or any other golf chain stores. I'll be back in St. Louis in 8 days where i go to school about 10 minutes from a golf galaxy :) To be honest, i've never even swung a wedge other than Vokey wedges. My first golf coach had some older models which he gave to me and i've stuck with them since then. The next time i'm in the market for a wedge i'll definitely look at all the options though :)