Harry SasQuatch

I turned 30 a week ago and I got a push cart for being over the hill. I have always carried my bag without any problems doing 18 (I carried for 64 holes in a day two years ago) but I like how it holds everything and keeps it out of your pockets. I've never had any back problems but don't want any in the future. The push cart took some adjusting but it's definitely easier on the shoulders over a the course of a round. I'd recommend one to anyone, why take a power cart when you can walk?

The pros generate more spin than you or I do. Even using the same high spinning ball they usually have a higher swing speed and make better contact. Put that on a speedy yet receptive green and the palls will zip back. When they play on firmer greens they have trouble stopping them, much less zipping shots back. The "skipper" is one of my go to shots from about 40-100 yards. You can play it with any wedge but it's going to come in low and check. I can control my distance a lot better with the low shot, especially in the wind. The main thing you have to remember is to hit the ball first and the best way to do that is create a steep attack angle by putting 90% of your weight on your front foot and the ball way back in your stance. Don't shift much weight during the swing, keep forward and swing almost entirely with your arms. You definitely want to hold off on releasing your wrists too, it's kind of played like a really hard chip. The ball doesn't zip back much using this shot since it's coming in so low but it will take a hop or two and stop dead. On fast yet receptive greens you can get it to come back a few feet but usually not all the way to your ball mark. Try it next time you're out on the course, it's a fun shot to play.

Perfect solution is the MP FLI-HI . They look like long irons and play like them too, with slightly more forgiveness. It's geared towards the better player and you can customize the specs as well as order the shaft you want already installed. I have a set of Mizuno irons and kept the 3 iron for the times I need to hit a low shot. I carry a 19 degree hybrid that does have a higher trajectory but that's usually a good thing for the instances I use it. Out of the rough anyone can benefit from a higher trajectory. Even most pros have ditched their 2 irons because they're hard to hit consistent, it's hard to expect amateurs to carry them with success.

You could call it either depending on your criteria. Golfers tend to blow the physical aspect out of proportion, it's really not very taxing on a person's body compared to most other sports. I've played many sports and don't consider myself a great athlete but walking and carrying for 18 holes on a mountainous course doesn't take any more strength or endurance compared to most sports. Just look at the pros, you can compete at a high level well into your 40's or 50's. How many baseball/hockey/football/track/tennis/swimming participants do you see able to compete with people 20 years younger? Archery, pool, golf, etc. require some athleticism but it's mainly about coordination. Cheerleading requires more athletic ability than golf. All that said I do consider golf a sport and I can see why some people would argue against it.

Charlotte courses are open year round as long as there isn't snow on the ground. It doesn't snow much in Charlotte and when it does it usually doesn't stick around for very long. Last winter was an exception, there was snow on the ground for weeks at a time. I love the Charlotte area, and the northern suburbs (Mooresville, Huntersville) are really growing. There are some good courses and most of them are very cheap to play, but Charlotte isn't really known as a golf destination. There are plenty of amateur tournaments around the area to play in though. It's a great place to live with many amenities of a larger city with a small city feel.

I would have played as fast as I can and outran him. Nothing would piss him off more than trying as hard as he can to catch you and only falling farther behind. I walk all the time and play very fast but there's no way I can catch a single in a cart who can play fast.

Walked 64 in a day last year for no other reason to see how many we could walk in one day. We couldn't start until 7:24, which kept us from playing 72. Like you, I played better each round.

The only time I have ever been hit was on a par 3 in Radford. I saw it coming and did my little hip move to try to avoid it. It grazed my side and didn't hurt.

The people arguing that a 59 on a par 71 are internet message board losers who have nothing better to do than try and start controversy on a topic they'll never even come close to knowing anything about. Twelve birdies are easier to get than 13. I swear, some people need to hit their computer with a sledgehammer. A little sunlight and real-world interaction would be beneficial. The flourescent lighting in their parent's basement has gotten them quite delusional.

Whatever you do, don't mention anything about a clone since the TST forum police will only let you play clubs from a certain manufacturer list. According to some you should be ashamed to be an American for supporting companies other than Taylor Made, Calloway, Titliest, Mizuno, etc. I'd echo what others have said about getting some to match your set. You can get a UW, SW, or LW in a G10. Check out the specs here . Whatever you do, don't purchase the below club since you will face the wrath of a TST member with nothing better to do than have an e-aneurysm when someone mentions a club not on the approved list.

Seems like we have a few moralists in here. Some of you don't understand it's business, there is no morality in business. There are a lot of things you don't know about business ethics be it in golf or otherwise. A company that copies a mold and tries to market them as equal to the real club looks like Jesus compared to some other industry practices. Do you get angry enough to have an e-debate every time you walk into the grocery store and see Dr. Thunder placed next to the Dr. Pepper but at half the price? Ultimately it's up to the consumer to do the research and decide if the money saved is worth the differences (if any) in quality. Judging by my clubs I'm obviously a person that pays more for the brand name and the added quality whatever percentage it may be. I do know that a lot of the brand names are all marketing and are really making an inferior product. Bose and Grey Goose are good examples of that, the marketing team at those companies are top notch. You can't fault the company for trying to get their share of the pie, they wouldn't be in business if customers weren't buying the product. Trying to be a moralist on an internet forum isn't getting you anywhere in the real world either.

Another lifetime Hokie here. I'm definitely worried about the Boise State game, as well as the whole ACC schedule. In the past we've always found a way to underperform 1-2 games a year and lose. Sure we have a lot returning on offense, but the key returning person doesn't even play. That's right, Stiney is still in the press box. I have yet to see anything out of him that would convince me that we're in line to put up a lot of points. He's had offensive talent in the past and hasn't gotten the job done. I'm hoping Tyrod will be able to put a consistent season together, otherwise it will be another GT-NC strech. Boise returns a lot of starters and have shown in recent years they can win the big one. It will be a good game either way, I'm just glad the game is a lot closer to me than Idaho. How funny to see a Nole weighing in on a fellow ACC team, most of the Noles fans keep their opinions to themselves after other teams come into the conference and provide a little competition. It could be worse though, at least you're not a Miami fan.

This is the type of guy who thinks everyone who crosses a U.S. border must learn to speak American English first. Let me guess, you dip your fries in ranch dressing too? Hillary Clinton on a golf course is what everyone would consider women respecting "the game". Have fun watching FOX news!

The main reason the handicaps aren't lower today is that the courses have kept up with the changing technology. The courses are much longer and tougher now and it's reflected in the course ratings. As is with pretty much anyone that has played golf for a long period of time, I'm better now than I was ten of fifteen years ago. I only played off and on for 8-10 years after high school and the technology today allows me to hit the ball 10% further. Of course if the place you're playing is 10% longer it's a wash. With the technology today it's easier to play well but you still have to put the time in just as you did 50 years ago.

Last year at age 28 I walked 64 in a day. We started at about 7:30 that morning and didn't finish until after dark. The whole intent was to see how many we could walk in one day. The first two rounds were pretty slow but the third and fourth went pretty fast. Surprisingly the first round was my worst of the day and the third was the best. I was pretty tired after the whole ordeal too.

I played from 95-98 and was the number 1 player my last three years. I am actually slightly better now after a long break but I'd say the equipment changes are the biggest contributor to that. My short game in high school was much better than it is now but I still manage to score better since I hit the ball longer. Our team was competitive sometimes but usually in the middle of the pack at regionals. I have no clue how the team is now but I'd say I'd still be able to make the team. I don't play at the same course I did then, but now I play at the rival's home course. Back then we usually beat the rival but now I doubt I'd even make their team since they are a golf power in the state now. They won three straight state championships and keep reloading every year. I've played with some of the kids on the team and some of them have handicaps as low as a +3.

I've played in charity scrambles in which I got a similar certificate in my "goodie" bag. It's the same concept as those ads in magazine years ago selling "$209" sungless for "free". All you had to do was pay a measly 30 bucks to ship them and you get free glasses. Sadly some people buy into these clubs and get whole sets at a time. If you want a club that performs like a $29.99 club just fill out the form and pay, you'll get what you pay for.

Actually the old tour wound balls launched lower with more spin than today's multi-layer balls. Balata was the softest cover created and much softer than today's urethane. You think you scuff a ball with a well struck spin milled wedge? Hitting a balata with worn V grooves tore it to shreds. Blade technology hasn't changed much in the last 15 years (at least center of gravity wise) and it's easier to get a pro V1 in the air than an old balata. If you remember when the pro V1 first came out it included "drop and stop technology" since the ball didn't spin as much as the softer covered wound balls. They just made them launch higher so they would descend steeper and hold the greens with less spin.

I'd take the caddy. Walking 36 is a lot of holes but definitely not impossible. I carried a bag 64 mountainous holes in one day last year and I actually played better as the day went on. After the first or second round you take a lot of pressure off yourself and don't focus as much energy on the practice swings and everything else that doesn't matter. My distance and swing didn't suffer at all from fatigue. If you carry 18 a lot 36 with a caddy on a flat course won't be a problem at all.

I'm looking at buying a new Machspeed or VR driver and am trying to figure out the shaft options for it. I liked hitting them both and really don't have a clear cut favorite right now. I'd say I like the VR a touch more as of right now because of the styling. My question is what to do to get the ball up higher with it? I can git a 9.5 Machspeed plenty high with a stiff shaft in it but can't get the VR up to where I want it with the standard stiff voodoo shaft in it. I've thought about going with a regular voodoo shaft or another shaft altogether. I've also considered going to a 10.5 degree but that alone with the voodoo in stiff isn't enough. I probably average 250 yards of carry with the driver with a 103mph swing speed. I've thought about ordering the regular shaft a little shorter since I wouldn't want to lose control or going with a heavier one. Any ideas or comments on these drivers/shafts would be appreciated.

As you can see from my signature I have a Mizuno mixed set. I don't have any issues with favoring one set more, yardages, or any other differences in feel. Play the ones you feel most confident with, if that's a mixed set then go for it.

The average high temperature in Williamsburg for late February is 55 degrees. You get into mid march and it's averaging 60. Of course it could be much higher or lower but the average is all you can go on for long term planning. I've played golf in January and February in shorts but it's a crap shoot this time of year. In March it usually starts to get consistently warm.

Mizuno is forged and will let you customize your order any way you want. I went with four MP52's and four MP62's. You could do something along those lines

Fade with the driver more often than not and a pretty consistent draw with the irons. I can't fade an iron for the life of me.

I think you proved my point, in 1994 the house and senate both went republican. Our biggest economic boom was from after World War 2 until about ten years ago. If you noticed the democrats controlled the Senate and House for the vast majority of that time. Then all of a sudden in 94 the republicans get control and use "Reganomics" for 13 years and look where we are today. Two wars and eight years of blindly following Bush later we wonder how we got here today. Too many Americans can't look at it over a long period of time and start blaming today's problems on a president that hasn't been in the office a year. 4.2% unemployment isn't bad and I'm all for people having ambition to move up in society. If everyone got paid the same nobody would have any incentive to work hard. That being said, the C.E.O pay has increased 298% from 1995-2005 and the average worker's pay has increased 4.3%. Right smack in the middle of the republicans term of control in the Senate and House the C.E.O's are making a killing and we're still waiting for a "trickle down". Add in labor unions wanting $50 bucks an hour for a guy to screw lug nuts on a car all day at the GM factory (an example of course) and this country's industrial boom has all but gone away. If I had all the answers I'd be running for office, I just know something needs to be done. If we do nothing it will continue it's course and spiral downward. We need to follow some other countries and be a little more progressive. Until the last 20 years or so we were the most progressive country on earth with industry, technology, and leadership. These days the majority of Americans are stupid and need government to tell them what to do. We're not the same America as we were when the constitution was written, those guys could easily think for themselves and be a step ahead of everyone else all the time. I wish we could count on all Americans to make the right choices and do what's best for the country but you know that's not happening. See above: this country was great when we weren't so greedy and the people did what was best for the country. I can't hate on someone flaunting their wealth, they did earn it. But don't come asking questions as to why the American economy is going down the crapper after you took all the jobs and sent them overseas. Again a 298% increase in CEO pay is just inexcusable. It's pure greed, that same CEO would do fine with only a two million dollar yacht and a six million dollar house. This country is running too inefficiently with the amount of funds coming in. Of course going to war doesn't help that. Part two there is all good in theory until you make too much money and find ways to make more by outsourcing. The republican way of catering to the rich was great until everyone abused it. We have since gone from a industrial oriented country to a service and entertainment one. As I stated before; in this era there are too many stupid Americans that really need government to hold their hand and hope we get back in the right direction. We all really need to stop trying to do what hasn't been working the last 20 years, swallow our pride, and follow models other countries have set. China's economy is booming because of us. If you're a republican with an agenda I get that, I want the government to do what suits me and my lifestyle the best but I don't want the country to suffer because of it. If you're a republican who is only a republican because your dad, grandfather, great grandfather, and so on were then it's time to wake up. These are the people who think this country is the exact same great country as it was 250 years ago and start quoting the constitution when the topic of gun control, religion, or abortion comes up. The Romans were arrogant and resistant to change and you see where it got them.