umpiremark

I don't hit my CLUBS very far, but I can hit a golf ball WITH a club, like this: My drives, about 225, 230 on average; 3-wood about 80 feet, dead push right (thus the 1-Hybrid in my bag) I hit a 3-hybrid about 193-195 and every club below that is ABOUT 10-11 yards less - plus or minus a few yards. I think it's more of taking into consideration the slope, the wind, the lie, etc. then exactly how far I can hit a specific club. At 14 hndcp, close is about all I'll get without tons and tons of practice in all conditions.

Thanks DezNutts ... and I'm sorry ... I have putted with the Craz-E putter in the stores. I like it, it feels more weighty than the blade, good pendelum feel. But I was soliciting opinions from players (such as yourself) who have used it in actual play.

Not to hijack this thread at all ... but I'm thinking of new wedges as well, but wanted to know how often low handicappers change wedges. I've had mine three years now and although I cannot spin the ball, I notice the "bite" on the greens lessening. I know my grooves aren't as sharp as brand new. Do you guys change wedges every so often or do you just re-finish the grooves?. Thanks and sorry for the hi-jacked thread.

Anyone use the Craz-E putter from Ping? Like it? Hate it? Anyone use the putter and stop? Why? Looking at this putter, I have an Odessey 'knock-off type' blade putter now and was thinking more of the "mass" with a mallet-style. Thoughts, observations, etc.? THANKS. .

A goooood cigar per side ........

You wouldn't quit if that's all there was out there. Slow play seems to be the pandemic of golf courses around here (thus the article in the Milwaukee paper). In the Madison area where I live, there are a handful of "posh" Country Clubs that cost you your first mortagage and first born to join, and a number of city, county or local muni-courses where all the hold-ups occur. I don't want to give the impression that 4.5 hours is an ALL THE TIME pace, but it happens more to our Saturday group then the odd 3.5 hour round. As an aside, we rarely go off in our foursome AFTER 8:00 a.m. so you'd think we'd have quicker rounds. But that's not the case.

Two things my friend ... I HOPE that I am conservative and that you knock off 10 points from your handicap before August and stay engaged while learning the love/hate dance every golfer has for this sport!!! It can eat you up one day and you can chip in for birdie the next and cannot wait to get back out! Two, I hope your improvement is only dwarfed by your enthusiasm to continue to improve. Have fun, enjoy and never stop looking for that "next" extra five yards!!!

The Keys to the Effortless Golf Swing: Curing Your Hit Impulse in Seven Simple Lessons by Michael Tiegue http://www.amazon.com/Keys-Effortles...5964455&sr;=8-1 Amazon.com Stop trying to HIT the golf ball (baseball swing) and swing the golf club - the ball doesn't move. Read the book, do the drills and DO the 'lighthouse' drills untill you can repeat it in your sleep. 30 hndcp down to 25 by summer's end. That's my prediction.

Tom Wishon used to design clubs for Calloway (I think) or one of the big guns. He's designed clubs for Golfsmith/Snake Eyes and then started his own company. His clubs are top quality; I've built and used a three fairway of his; I get all his catologs and read most all his clubfitting books. Just FYI off the topic ...

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be critical here ... one, start, two, three, four downswing, five impact is a 4:1 ratio. The third tone is ahead 1/5th of a second for normal human reaction time to a stimulus. When you hear the tone, react (set your wrists) and swing. It was all explained in the book and quite clearly as well. I found the instructions easy to follow. Just mho ....

I highly reccommend these two books because you are a 36 hndcp and you are trying so very hard to improve (nice job). The swing book is great, gives you a foundation for an effortless swing. Do and practice the 'lighthouse swing' (in the book) until you can do it in your sleep. Read the tempo book and do everything he says, exactly the way he says it. For 40 bucks, (amazon.com) these books are priceless for a great foundation to the swing and for swing tempo. I cannot reccommend these enough. Turned my game around this summer, so far. Tour Tempo: Golf's Last Secret Finally Revealed http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038...pf_rd_i=507846 The Keys to the Effortless Golf Swing: Curing Your Hit Impulse in Seven Simple Lessons http://www.amazon.com/Keys-Effortles...5946547&sr;=1-1 Stay motivated ... good luck!!

I guess I'll qualify the 4.5 hour rounds, cause it seems that number is getting hammered here since I posted. Those of you playing under 3 hours - I'm guessing - have the course to yourselves, perhaps. Where we golf is a city-municipal course. A range of skill and handicaps abound. The course pushes off foursomes in 8-minute increments and still we back up on a 'normal' Saturday. What I see as affecting pace of play (where I golf) is this: two guys in a cart drive up to Bob's ball and they both get out; search for a sprinkler head and decide on a club. They both watch as Bob lines up, waggles, sets and duff's it 80 yards. They both admire the shot until it stops rolling - 78, 79, 80!!! - then both head for the cart, drive 60 yards to Jim's ball and the process repeats. On the green all three stand behind Bob as he lines up, putts, misses, marks then the process repeats one-by-one. When we golf (9,12,14 & 14 hndcp) riding or walking we all scatter to our shots. While one is lining up and addressing, the next guy is beginning the process. Usually before guy #1's ball stops rolling, the 2nd guy has hit - or will soon. No need for 8 eyes on one ball; get ready, go. When we have a clear course or things ahead run smooth we HAVE golfed in over 3 hours - but that's rare on this muni, rare. Last Saturday we had a 7:20 tee time. We walked off 18 at 11:55. We didn't stop at the turn and don't stop for the beer-gal, but maybe once a nine if it's hot. We shot 76,77,82 and 87. Slow play can be a function of the place and time you play, but it's also about common sense. No need to ALL watch Bob duff it 80 yards. No need for everyone to watch Jim miss a putt. As far as 'giving' putts; they're gimme's, no brainers, finito putts. They're gonna go in, pick up - let's go. Why does it sound like that 's such a bad thing on here? Pros concede putts, watch the President, the Solhiem and Rider Cup matches.

My point on 4.5 - 5 hours for 18 holes IS the pace of play on the course we play. By 'giving' short putts, I'm talking about 2-3 footers, straight, no slpoe to guys that shoot 78-82 ...

"Tour Tempo" by John Novosel ... I cannot reccomend this book enough. Read the glowing thread on this book on this site. Buy it, read it, do it. Tempo, tempo, tempo. 10 bucks at Amazon. Who can go wrong for 10-bucks?

I'm gonna guess your weight is staying on your right side. Make sure you make that PGA finish pose at the end and your belt buckle points to the target and the guy behind you can see the spikes on your right shoe.

Dick's Sporting Goods locally recently had a sale of two 2-dozen boxes of Maxfli for $35. Dick's also runs specials on Slazenger balls, 2 or 3-dozen for $25 or $35.

Here's an interesting article in today's Milwaukee Journal. My question revolves around your normal pace of play ... Do you play "ready golf?" Do you give short putts or putt everything out? What's your normal time for nine? The gang I play with on the weekends moves pretty good, we give short putts and play ready golf. We have walkers and riders. We do wait on certain tees but still play 18 in about 4.5-5 hours. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/golf/48944406.html

Anyone hazard a guess as to why Tiger tapes his lower fingers? Just curious ....

Golf pet peeve ... dumb@sses that don't/won't repair ball marks on the greens or replace divots in the fairway ... 16 years an NCAA umpire I heard the quote above enough times in my career; the best one ... when a batter gets hit by a pitch and the coach yells out, "Blue (I'm wearing a black shirt) you 'gotta' make him get out of the way ..." I don't 'gotta' do nothin' ... go take your base!!!

Talking about this dude's shanks ... shankapotamus ... that's too funny (sorry, couldn't resist). Make sure that during your practice swings and eventual contact swing, you finish with your belt towards the hole and weight on your left foot like a full shot finish. I shank the ball when my brain farts and I lean backwards expecting that high soft lob and all my weight is right and back. A shank doesn't 'go right' it SHOOTS right and then all the laughter starts from my buddies ... I need new friends .........

I think that ANY golf swing is an ever evolving chore. Stack and tilt, one plane, two plane, airplane, whatever ... each individual golfer needs to work, evolve, digest, regurgitate, experiment ... whatever it takes to improve. Not every golfer has access and/or means to take lessons; many, many golfers (myself included here) have gleened tons of useless, helpful, marginal information from golf magazines, golf instruction books, the internet etc., and tried to incorporate them into our games. Back on point to the topic ... fad or not, flash in the pan or not, trend dying or alive, the stack and tilt had/has it's place. For a very long time I struggled with consistency and ball striking. My good shots would be good; my bad shots would be horendous. Without lessons I struggled to find that "magic cure." For me, the Golf Digest article came at about the right time. What stack and tilt did for me (I know now) was keep my weight centered without shifting. What that meant in MY swing was S&T; stopped me from swaying back and forth. Consistency improved and ball striking improved and that "instant success" you read about from first timer S&T; players was there - because S&T; eliminated some of the mistakes we hackers incorporate into our swings sight unseen. My success with S&T; waned because I stopped hitting woods and long irons without a slice (you'll see on here in other places my cry for help with that). Since then, I've incorporated a more centered stance, learned to shift my weight without swaying and cut out my excessive knee bends. My consistency, tempo, ball striking and scoring has improved. Like S&T; it may be short lived, but I hope not. And like before, my swing will be ever evolving. My point in all of this rambling is simply this: S&T; had it's place or pro's like Weir and Baddely wouldn't have incorporated it. For the mid- to high- handicapper, it might be that one swing "help" that keeps them engaged and in the game and keeps them from selling their clubs on e-bay. In 1997-1998 Tiger Woods totally re-tooled his swing. Why, because he sucked? I doubt it. Because he wanted to be better than better and get better. If S&T;, one-plane, two-plane, lessons, books, videos or internet banter helps the next golfer get better than what's ever better for them, I'm all for it. Calling S&T; a fad and taking a definitive stance on either side - for or against - is just plain stupid. Any golfer that can get one, two, three shots shaved by incorporating a "fad" into their swing to stay engaged and have fun at this sport ... I'm all for that! Sorry for my long and winding RANT, but this forum was getting a little off topic and a little too "heated." ... ... my two cents worth ... ...

This shot calls for creativity ... here's how I would play it, see if you concur ... I'd call the beer gal over and buy my buddies a drink; while they were standing at the cart picking out their barly-pop of choice I'd pick up that ball and throw it towards the hole. Then I'd swing my club through the sand and as the ball approached the hole I'd yell, "Oh boy that sure felt good!" I have trusting friends! A little slow, but trusting! HAHAHAHA All kidding aside, I probably wouldn't have a clue either and a million thoughts would run through my brain with that leave. There were a lot of good options and pointers on this thread already. Thanks for the good posts guys; pay no attention to mine!! HA!

Keep me posted, okay? I'm interested in what you find out. Mark

You're currently a fifteen handicap; you're shooting 45, 44, 43 for nine, I'm guessing. If you're anything like me (a 14 hndcp), the strokes you give away on any round are mostly putts, chips, a few shanks and the once in awhile mis-directed shot off the tee ... Your comment, "I don't want new clubs ..." says a lot to me. If I was fitting you (which I could) I'd ask, "Why spend money on new clubs you don't want just 'cause some pro suggested it?" If there's a Golf Galaxy near you, go there and ask how much to get fitted for length, only. (Or lie and loft, too perhaps) ... you can cut down your irons (it'll change the swingweight and feel somewhat) and if you're disatisfied with that after re-gripping you can buy shaft extenders that glue into the butt end and then return them to original length. If it cost you 50-bucks for a quick fitting at Golf Galaxy (they use swing monitors there), that's better than $699 for a set of irons you hate. Hope that helps ...

What clubs are you playing now? Age of these clubs? How do these clubs "feel" for your swing, distance, accuracy, ball striking? Do some clubs feel better (long irons, say or short irons ...) or do they all feel the same? Do you have a "go to club" if you needed just one saving shot? This is where a clubfitter will (should) start with you. Then he'll have you swing some clubs with different shaft lengths, shaft flex, kick points, and especially different swingweights. Definately get fitted for clubs, but ask these questions of the fitter before you plunk down dollar # one ... do you use a swing monitor (ball flight, spin rate, swing speed, etc. stats)? Will I (you) swing different clubs with flex, length and swingweight taken into account? If I (you) decide to buy these "fitted clubs" can you build me a sample of my "go to club" per your specs and can I try it out for several rounds? Never get fitted for clubs without a swing monitor. Never get fitted for clubs without swinging several variations of the same club (usually a five iron). Never get fitted for clubs if the fitter won't let you try a sample club during normal play. In my opinion .... good luck!!!