Leftygolfer

I guess I'm odd. I don't feel like I recover the way I did when I was 25. I ice my knees a bunch and can feel it in my joints. I thought aches and pains were normal for active people. I've had one knee scoped for a tear in the cardilage. My shoulder hurts if I lift heavy, my knees are crunchy at times from scar tissue. Maybe being 30 pounds overweight and run alot of miles doesn't help.

What man in his 30s that is active doesn't have some knee pain?

You can just wipe it off with steel wool if you don't like it. It isn't very tough to remove.

Just completed week 7 of my marathon training. http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51137/Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program The runs were 3 mile Tuesday,3 TM 32 minutes, 6 TM 1:05, missed Thurs, 3 OS 33, 12 OS 2:29. No cross training today. That 12 mile was a real challenge. At some point during the whole run something hurt. First it was one knee, then the other, then my acheles, then just a pure ache in my muscles. The last 2 were hard. Lots of down hill which is challenging because my legs are so tired I'm afraid of falling. Overall, pace was a consistant not run and not walk. When I got home my legs were throbbing. Feel fine today. Just sore. On my first short, I worked on form. I'm a habitual heel striker and tried to land in my mid foot. To me it seemed much more energy intensive at my 11 minute miles. But when I went fast at the end you have no choice but to use good form. For now I'll stick with the way I run. I feel like I'm floating and my exertion is very low.

I think the right wedge is important. I played a 64 with the MD grooves for a couple of years. I could hit the meanest little 60 yard shots with it, particularly when it was brand new. To my eyes, it looked like a mini-pitching wedge but when it hit the green is had so much spin it reacted nothing like the same trajectory. I don't remember doing anything too special. Just a a very contolled small swing but has enough speed.

Of course luck or good chance exist. But the better your choices and in the case of golf shots, the less you depend on it. I think with putting particularly. You can hit the exact same putt the same way and one go in the other lip out. Look at that putt sergio hit on the 72nd hole to win the open. I thought he hit a perfect putt that didn't go in. But earlier in that round he putted like a dog and putt himself in the position to get unlucky.

Yeah typo. Thanks for pointing it out.

I think the difference why they make more. The same reason they hit better shots. They hit it in the center of the putter all the time. If your all over the face it is impossible to control distance and direction. The difference between good speed and bad isn't much and you need the consistancy of contact to judge speed well. I think in putting and the short game pure contact is overlooked. I'm not sure if more important is accurate, but just as important as of ever other swing in golf.

Someone steps in and plays better than you did, you lose your spot. Not saying he is going to be a great MBA player but kind of reminds me of ol Tom Brady. He wasn't highly drafted then comes in and plays lights out. It is odd though that he went under the radar. Winning a CA state title. That has to be a tough state to do it in. I'm not an MBA fan but that was fun to watch.

You can't buy them that way. I'm sure you could special order with any shafts you want. If your looking for just heads I'd check out KZG. They have some really quality forged heads and see them on ebay all the time. It is hard to find heads only, particularly in the latest models.

Even with air brushing its not that impressive. She doesn't have a freakishly rockin body like some of the gym rat girls I see. I wish I could take pics, because it is just impressive. They work hard at it for sure.

O well. You run a tight ship.

Last week in review. I am on week 6 of my program. Here it is: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51137/Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program Yet to miss a run It was 3,5,3,7 (miles) and then cross training. Went well overall. Weather turned into winter so only did the last 3 mile outside. Times (guessing) 29:30, 55ish, 40 (but did mapmyrun and it was 3.47 miles), then 1:18 for the 7. For the cross training lifted. Warmed up on a bike for 10 minutes. Did squats, pull ups, bench, curls, dead lifts, calf raises, reverse bench (row), tri extensions. Amazing how weak my legs were from the run the day before. But overall felt good. Diet is less than great. Just can't help but overeat. This week is a killer. 3,6,3,12. I'm going to think about my form a little. I've always been a heal striker and been doing a little research and all they say is that proper form is to strike the ground not on the toe but mid foot, all at the same time. My question is about pace. I run (well I'd hardly call it that) around 11:30 mile on my long runs, maybe even a little slower. When you go at that pace it is almost an extension of walking which by design is heal striking. I'm not looking to speed up, I'm just going for distance. So I guess I'm unsure if you can't heal strike at low speeds. Anyway, I'm going to focus on form on my short runs this week. My knees have been hurting me so it can't hurt.

I've always preferred the 5 and 7 wood to hybrids. I have a ping g5 7 wood (I think its 20 degrees). I've owned hybrids and just don't get the same hieght and seem to be very hook prone. But it is all preferance.

Not playing. I'm training for a maraton in May so I'm running and stretching alot. Hopefully I forget some bad habits I developed last year.

What are the differences between stack and tilt and Foley. I can't see any. Maybe some big made up words and the lack of stigma.

Well I missed my post on Sunday. I'm trying to do a weekly post since my workouts are pretty boring and my plan is a week by week plan for 18 weeks. So last week my milage was 3 5 3 10. Overall felt pretty good. I tryed slowing down my pace during the week since the week before my long run (the saturday or sunday run) was horrid. It destroyed me. So I went to the running store and bought a water belt which I like and some of the energy gue things. I was told for runs of length you have to take in calories during the run regardless if your fat or not (which I am). Pace wise, my 3 miles are hard to remember probably in my standard 33 minute range. The 5 mile on Wednesday felt good, right at an hour. Then the 10 mile took 2 hours 10 minutes including stopping at my moms house on the way out and back. I felt good, finished strong, weather was perfect for running. The gue was really helped at my turn around point. The wierd thing about how my training is that I can't diet the way I have always. I have to eat like I'm training and not to loose weight. I can't cut down on carbs and sugar to loose weight. I get to drink regular sports drink on my long run which I have never done. It is also strange to me how I don't feel like i'm "hitting it hard". I've always had intensity working out and now it is more peaceful and less strenuous. But I am for sure tired at the end of my long run. Going down hills I have to be careful or I could fall b/c my legs are so tired. But one thing is really sucking. My knees are really not feeling well. It isn't terrible but concerning. I've had my knee operated on before (scoped torn cartilage) and it aches bad. Last night I had a short 3 mile and it hurt. I'm already signed up for a marathon so I'm hoping it will get better. I haven't missed a run yet and want to keep it rolling. I might have to take a break but I'll keep pushing.

Great work Erik. I finished my 4th week of higdon's novice marathon training. Anyone not familar, 18 week program, run tues, wednes, thurs, long run Sat, Sunday cross train. Your runs get progressively longer. So this week it was 3,4,3,9. I felt really good on Tuesday. Did 3 in 29.10. That is a personal best. Then 42 for the 4, then 34 for the second, then the 9 miles in 1:47. I really lost it around mile 8. My legs felt terrible. I think I'm pushing too hard during the week. I need to save my legs for the long run. But I want to get faster, so I run faster. Also signed up for a full marathon in may, the flying pig. If I can get done in 5 I'll be happy. That is just under 12 minute miles. This week is 3,5,3,10.

It doesn't take much fitness to play golf well. Have you seen some of the guys on tour? They are by no means fit but can compete against the best. Then the champions tour. Talk about some people in not great shape. Except being reasonably strong it takes very little fitness to play well. It takes cordination, some athleticism, but not fitness. I think the whole belief in maintaining knee flex in the back knee, not turning your hips, is a bunch of BS. When you tell people that is how to swing then yeah you better be a freak in the gym. I'm not saying it hurts or isn't great for life, but it isn't going to make anyone good at golf.

I do a routine at the gym. It has a cage with diagrams. I just follow it. The goal of flexability is to be able to turn your shoulders more up and down. The front should turns down under the chin. If you can do that and maintain your inclination to the ground you will have more consistancy. This isn't a S&T; thing, just a good ball striker thing.

Great thread and idea. For humans (most) this is a really hard thing to do. It is hard not to see or care where the ball goes. Most of us don't have this inate confidence (what does that mean) that we can not hit those horrid shots when we are playing. It isn't violin where we have a concert in 3 months. We have a show in front of friends this weekend. No one wants to be imbarassed when they are playing. If I are working on something and hitting it really bad, just not finding the ball, my confidence is going. Then taking that mental state to the course that week is not going to be good. My idea with this isn't so much slow but about what club to practice with. Let say (this is true for me) this year I want to have two things improve. First I want to have my hips move forward to get the bottom of my swing in front of the ball and consistant divots to help consistancy. I can do this right now with a sand wedge, but start losing that with a pitching wedge. So I go to the range to work on this one thing. I go, hit sand wedges, 3/4 hitting it the way I want. Then I move to pitching wedge, I loose the consistant contact I had, move back or take a more abriated swing until I have the same result I want, then move on. Lets say one week I can only get to the 9 iron, then the next the 8, then the next the 7. For me that is a big deal and seems like a smart way to go about. I've never been able to take a divot with anything longer than a 9 iron. So pretty much the idea is you perfect one part until you move on. Seems very smart and a way to actually improve instead of just hitting the same old loosy shots.

I think I'm married to her!! But seriously thanks for the feedback. I was hoping it could be a do it yourself job. It is nothing more than liking the oil can look and having an old worn wedge.

Cut me down in my prime!!!

Hello, I have an old vokey 56 that is quite worn on the sole and face. I have an oil can 60 and was thinking of removing the chrome completely. I know I can send it away to have the wedge redone but was wanting to do it myself without removing the shaft. Any ideas? Paint remover might work but not sure. Thanks in advance.

entered. Thanks