Marinemike

I think I can learn something here (without paying any money at least). I typically put the ball about one hand behind the center of my stance with short irons and the grip is pointing at my front hip on my trousers where the crease ends. This is my surefire way of putting the clubface on the ball before it gets to the turf. Is there anything wrong with this. It's consistent, but about ten to fifteen yards shorter than what most people say an iron should hit. Thoughts?

I totally feel your pain! I usually go by myself, and at the beginning it was really hard to show up at the starter on Saturday morning and be paired with another group. Now I expect it, and it bothers me not in the least. I learned some things from that though. 1) A lot of golfers are as bad as you even though they've been doing it way longer. 2) It's all about forward progress . If you hit the ball and it goes forward, you are winning. This was a nugget that was given to me in my third ever round of golf by a Sergeant Major in Quantico who I got paired with and he knew I was apprehensive. I'll never forget it, and it is something I echo now to guys who get paired with me who I can tell have performance anxiety. 3) If it's really a problem for you, go to the course about an hour and a half before dark and play nine or twilight. Very seldom will you get paired with anybody. You won't even catch anybody if its a Monday or Tuesday. I hope this helps. It's an embarrasing thing that a lot of new adult golfers have but dont talk about. You are certainly not alone.

I'm not saying it'll work for you, but I have the same model Burner TP with S shaft as you, and I tee the ball so almost all of it is above the clubhead. I tend to get exactly the launch I want and I sky about 1 in 150ish. I think you might be surprised by what you get.

Hitting a 6 iron into a really big green and the clubhead hits the green but the ball goes into a bunker. My eyes automatically locked to the clubhead because of surprise and the relative size of the clubhead to the ball so it took me damn forever to find the ball.

I'm not arguing with you at all, because I don't really know, but isn't a 9 iron 45*? So your first wedge is about the same as your 9. What are the major differences between them that compel you to carry two clubs that are 1 degree different?

What happens if you come off the tee with your 3W? If you have the distance, you'll definitely have the loft, right? And with some pretty sweet roll down the other side you should be in pretty good shape.

It's coming from manufacturers for sure! They get to make average people think their PW hits further than their old one (because it has less loft) AND sell another club. How can any manufacturer pass that up? Still a win for the people who care enough to figure out what works for them because there are a thousand different lofts/bounces to choose from.

Ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one! I got my Burner TP from a reliable vendor on eBay, and I have no reason not to believe it's real, but one just has to wonder how identical someone can make a knock-off look.

I have just recently come down (plummeted really, epiphany style) out of the 20s, and I could tell a difference. I acquired the ability to discern by hitting my pile of shag balls into the net in my yard. It wasnt a goal of mine, just an observation. That's not the big issue for me though. Holding the green on the approach shots and pitches is. I bought a box of the Callaway HX Hot Bites today. Good balls. Never pulled the string, but had some nasty looking ball marks where the ball sputtered the grass out from under it. My Cleveland CG12 56* also found them quite tasty as they look a little chewed on. I wish I knew how the Vapor would perform, but I'd rather spend my money on greens fees!

Here in the FL panhandle I am a big fan of The Moors . I admit there is better in FL, and being I'm from GA (and having just come from VA)I couldn't figure out what had happened to all the trees and hills. However, it is just down the street from me and it made Golf Digests "Best Course You Can Play." I thought that list was good because they set the greens fee limit at something like no more than $50 at least 4 days of the week. Now THAT'S what I mean by a course I can play.

I quite honestly don't know anybody who didnt get their club back after they left it on the course. I dont want to stereotype, but I would put a days greens fees that the golf population has more integrity than the general populace. Keep checking back with the course. For a few more days anyway. I'll leave the technical stuff to the mush more informed, but it's interesting to see how the gap wedge evolved. Somebody correct me if this sounds wrong, and please don't take it as judging or pontificating. The PW used to be the 52* but manufacturers crept it down to more like a 9 iron loft to get people excited about the distance off their wedges leaving a void between the PW and SW (can't deloft a sand wedge much), thusly the gap/approach/attack wedge is born. Another side effect is that the irons also got delofted. I wonder if I would be able to actually hit a 1960s 4 iron instead of cutting the ball in half like I do with my 2008 model.

When I saw the thread title I immediately thought "what driver sounds best" but I definitely believe a well stroked iron (the one you know is going exactly where you wanted it without looking up) sounds great. After that its the pure putt. I disagree fully with the Sumo sounding good. That thing sounds like a beercan on a stick.

I havent read all 3 million posts, but I see where people put a lower handicap as their goal. I suppose a lower handicap is a good terminal goal, but I'm going to list my enabling goals. If I fulfill these, the handicap takes care of itself! In order of importance... 1. Three letters...G I R. 2. Drives are consistently 15 yards longer (plays directly into number 1). 3. Make putts inside 6-8 feet routine. 4. Get pitch and chip distances under control. My ballstriking is good here, but I'm like a blind dude when it comes to distance.

Been in the Marine Corps for 9 years and am in the flight training pipeline.

Hey guys...First post here. I was going to start a thread that is exactly this question, but its already here. I'm in the same boat. I want distance, and I want control around the green and I swing about 100. I've read up on the Golf Digest reviews and I've narrowed my next choices down to 3. The Top Flite Gamer ($20), Callaway HX Hot Bite ($30), and Nike One Vapor ($30). I've had quite an aversion to the rock hard Flites of the past so now I'm trying hard to decide between the Hot Bite and the Vapor. They're clearly at the same price point and aim to fill the same niche. Sooooo...Has anybody played one or both of these balls? Your thoughts? Thanks much ahead of time, and I hope to learn much more than I post here. Cheers.