umpiremark

I'm going to apologize before I get going here, because my intent is NOT to make anyone angry with my response, NOR am I being a wise-guy. My first impression in reading this thread is, "What are you thinking?" In that, here's what I mean: What clubs (that you've paid $200, $300 even $500 for) did you get "fitted" for? How good is your swing right now or your current game? Before I'd spend a nickle on any club, I would want to make sure it fits me, my swing and my game. I have been making my own clubs (i.e. Golfsmith, Golfworks) for years and wouldn't think of buying a club off the rack - if I didn't know it was good for my game/swing/style. As an example: If you buy an off the rack Nike (say), it has what, a 45" shaft? 45.5" or even maybe 46" shaft? Is it stiff, x-stiff, regular, senior shaft? You can look but you can't tell. Is the Bend Point high, mid, low? What's the playing loft of the club in your hands (not the loft that's inscribed on the back)? In other words do you want the ball to go higher, lower? Do you - can you - work the ball or do you just want it to go straight? What's the overall swingweight and MOI of this new club compared to your favorite "feel" club, like a 7-iron or 8-iron? My point - again, not to anger or incite critisism of these posts - is, get fitted for a your clubs before you buy. Head to a Golf Galaxy or a place like that that fits clubs for swingweight, length, feel, overall weight, loft and lie AND especially your swing. Buying a 45.5" driver (because Tiger hits his 45.5") does you no good unless you can put the center of the head on the center of the ball, consistently. To do that - which is what golf is all about - you need a club that fits your game/style/feel. I'm a big proponent for getting fitted for clubs before buying them Or for me, making them). Now that they run 2, 3, even 5 hundred bucks each, I wanna know before I buy. Sorry for the very long, long post. I hope no one gets mad at my thoughts, here. Thanks!

Here is something I read somewhere, that helped me with both the inside backswing and the over the top move. I hope it helps you: At the range, tee your ball (driver, obviously) like normal. Place a foot directly behind the tee/ball and down the intended swing path. Place one tee behind your heel, in-line with the swing-line and one tee off your ankle inside that first tee (closer to your set-up, feet). Take the club back over the heel tee and swing 7'oclock to 1'oclock over the ankle tee. Also, do the entire drill at 75-80% until you feel you can consistently swing over the first tee and inside the second tee. It helped me; I hope it can help you.

I was struggling mightily with my swing; even took lessons and had the opportunity to have a free swing analysis at Golf-Tec. I still struggled with weight shift, rotation, hands, feet, ears, hat, angle of the sun, moon phase, everything ... always something out of sinc. I read the Golf Digest articles (2) on Stack and Tilt and decided to try. If I didn't have to shift and time that shift, hey! What the heck. So I worked on it, referring often to the article for the basics. Like everywhere else you read on the web, I too had quick success. If anything, the more accurate shots boosted my confidence. Like everything else you've also read on the web, my swing slowly deteriorated. I attributed my decline - like any other swing - to a deviation from the basics. I got the article out again and went to the range and started over. The success I felt earlier came back. That was last summer. Fast forward to this year - after a long winter off in WI - and I've started out just pathetic. Again, pulled out the article, went back to basics and it's slowly coming back again. I just feel comfortable with loading up the front side and not shifting back and forth and timing all of that. I'm 53 and not the most athletic person in the world. Like's been said on here ... to each his/her own. This S&T; or one plane swing or whatever, seems to work for me , if I stick to the basics. Which, I believe, can be said for any swing. Hope that helps, sorry for the long diatribe!!!

I too changed from a 15* 3-wood to a 16* 1-hybrid. Mostly psychological, I was not hitting my 3-wood for diddley. The difference of a few inches in shaft length and the smaller head just helped me swing smoother and more in control; for whatever reasons. Golf is a weird game filled with eighty million swing thoughts at one time. Setting the 3-wood aside and building my 1-hybrid has eliminated a few of those negative swing thoughts!! Again, to each his/her own, but since changing to a 1-hybrid, I'm more confident. Perhaps too ... a few more buckets on the range would help!! HAHAHA Enjoy!