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For starters your ball position is way too far back. Try positioning the ball just inside your left foot.

This comment makes no sense! Of course its harder to hit a wedge when the loft gets that high. The contact area decreases (with the margin for error) as the loft increases. Why not go and buy a 90 degree wedge then? I bet you'll be fantastic with that so long you keep your hands ahead of the ball...

I think this depends too on the shape of the face and the loft. Some drivers don't offer much room to hit a ball off the deck (think game improvement styles). Also, too much loft makes it difficult not to hit it thin, while too little loft makes it hard to get the ball in the air. My favorite driver for the short grass was a 9.5 degree Nike 350 from way back when. Shaped almost like a 3 wood but meaner. What kind of distance are you getting relative to off the tee?

I play a 15.5 degree hybrid and really like it. I use it as a replacement 3-wood and while I don't quite get the same distance, I'm much more consistent with it.

I would go hit some and find out for yourself. Do you have access to a shop that will let you demo clubs? Or better yet, a shop with an outdoor range? I personally play a 2 hybrid, but I don't carry a 3 wood. Mine is actually a 15.5 degree I believe. I like the versatility of the hybrid very much - I can hit it high and low, from the rough or off the tee. For me it is a 230-240 club. For long approach shots (generally long par 5s), I sometimes wish I carried a 3 wood because I'm often out of reach. However, the odds of me puring a 3 wood off the deck from 260+ aren't good, so I keep the hybrid for the versatility and accuracy.

I'm pretty sure, with enough practice, that any 5'9" person could win the NBA dunk contest like Nate Robinson. Or with enough time in the gym, any Joe Schmo can win the World Strong-Man competition. Face it: athletic prowess in any context is partially genetic. Practice allows you to maximize the potential you have, but won't change who you are.

To the OP, I fail to see how bending the clubs more upright will fix your problem with the left side of the course. In fact, I would think doing so would accomplish exactly the opposite effect. Also, I'm not sure that the lie angle is what has you playing off the toe. The length on the other hand could be the culprit. Playing clubs that are too short could be causing you to compensate during the swing. How did you come to +.25? Were you fitted for this measurement with these clubs or is that just 'your' specification? I've found that since OEMs have differing stock lengths, its often better to know your global specs versus a relative spec. For instance, Mizuno MP-52s, Nike VR Blades, and Taylormade Burners have stock 6-iron lengths of 37.25", 37.5", and 37.625" respectively. If you show up with an "I need +.25" and standard lie" attitude, you can see how your results will vary from set to set. Its better to find a certain club length you like and tailor the set from there.

Should I be looking to rank/pair people or am I better off allowing players to form their own teams? I have a few courses that have affiliations with the university. Aside from previous engagements, I see no reason why they wouldn't be willing to host. In what ways are local businesses best compensated for donations? Typical examples are event T-shirts, banners, etc... These don't seem applicable for a golf atmosphere. Any other ideas?

At a meeting last night, I proposed organizing a graduate school golf tournament to raise money for our MBA program. Long story short, I was appointed to organize it and have no idea where to begin. I've not personally played in many tournaments, but I figured this was the best atmosphere to gain some insight. Likely entrants would be students, faculty, and alumni, but the event certainly could be open to the public to increase fundraising potential. As we have no way of accurately ranking/handicapping players (and most of those who jumped on board at last night's meeting don't golf), I figure a best ball or even scramble format would be the best. Any suggestions for where to begin? Thanks!

The website indicates that the FT Tour has a 1.5 degree open face. The FT iZ has between a square and 1 degree closed face (depending on the loft). The FT iZ is also a bit heavier in terms of swing weight.

While on a small scale it probably is best that the tee is level, I can't imagine that this would do anything in terms of accuracy for a new golfer. If the ball sits on it, the tee drag will be insignificant.

Really? Are your grips made of razorwire? I wear FJ weathersoft gloves and I can usually get 30 rounds out of one plus the range sessions in between. This translates to about 4 months. Even then I can't remember the last time I tore one... They just get nasty and thin so I replace them.

I agree. When I bought mine, I went to demo a bunch of clubs and Mizunos weren't even on my radar. Looking back, I can't imagine purchasing anything else.

Maybe Srixon should introduce camo-colored or green golf balls to further encourage hitting fairways off the tee...

I played a course in cancun and rented clubs from the clubhouse. I chipped in on 1 and on the second green realized they'd given me a lefty putter. I played the 9 out with the back of a blade (karsten style) putter. Shot a 43 if memory serves. Even lagged a 50+ footer to about 8 inches.

I don't believe I ever said relative to the feet. Open/closed are terms relative to the swing path. No, I meant 13 degrees. This would be the (approximate, as Erik corrected) resultant vector assuming the ~85% contribution of the face angle versus the swing path given the parameters I suggested.

While I agree that the face must be angled left of the tree, I feel that this debate is inherently flawed. For instance, the only purely scientific contribution we have thus far is the Trackman article Erik posted (interesting by the way). Additionally, there has been some constructive commentary on the physics of the golf swing and the theory behind what happens when a two-plane system in motion contacts a static object. We've instead had several people post their personal conception of where they 'feel' their clubface is pointed at impact. No doubt the merit in understanding the golf swing is immeasurable. I think it is foolish to ignore the contributions of modern technology when discussing physics. Sure, certain theories have been commonly accepted for decades, but challenging these theories is how we gain an understanding of the science behind the sport. Erik, if your ~85% rule applies, then isn't it possible that with a square clubface and an attack angle of 80 degrees that one could bend a ball around a tree in front of them? That would theoretically yield an initial flight of ~13 degrees off the club face, and a ton of spin. So depending on the distance to the tree and conceding that this is an awful way to hit a golf ball, it seems as if it were in fact possible. Again, I agree with the basic message you're sending--my engineering mind is just curious.

The day I shoot an 18 will be day I hang up my spikes...

Lol. 30 yards for a few millimeters? ouch...

Thank you!!! I had a long discussion with a salesman at my local who tried to tell me that by hitting up on the ball I'd decrease my spin. I'm looking at my ball position thinking, "WTF guy, should I cast the clubhead through or what?" I think my numbers were about -3 degrees at impact or something similar... While I realize that decreasing spin is key to maximizing distance (to a point), I have always wondered about how to truly "hit up" on the ball with any reliability...

My buddy shanked his tee shot on the first hole of our local 9-hole muni. His ball hit the left tee box marker of the forward tees and bounced back and to our left, bounced off the roof of the clubhouse about 40 yards directly to our left, and ended up in the parking lot about 6 spaces from where we parked. The total ball displacement would have been about 80 yards away, roughly 8 o'clock from where he was aiming. We picked his ball up after we finished our nine

They look like golf Crocs...

Dang, beat me to it. :)

Bending the 4-iron to 22* will decrease the effective bounce of the club by 2*. This will make that particular club dig easier than your other long irons. It may not be a big deal considering the club, but that's really the only thing you'll change.

If nothing else, you and I can snowboard together.