MGN

I play the Titleist DCI 981 since year 2000. The irons are great. I play to a 8.8 HI currently and they've worked well for my game...if that gives you any reference. If I do change, I'll try Titleist AP1s probably.

I experienced the same challenge. Finally realized I was more comfortable with a smaller head 3-wood and landed on Tour Edge exotics CB2 (15deg) with a Fujikura shaft about 8 years ago; love it and haven't looked back since. A smaller head 3-wood makes it more comfortable for me to hit off the deck on par-5s and the ball goes a ton long. I can work it both ways off the tee. I play to a 8-9 HI; so in your case (playing to a 2.5) this 3-wood should not be a problem. Best.

I use a Ping G10 from (probably) 9 years ago (or more). It is a 460cc driver and I love it because I changed the stock Ping shaft with a UST pro-force stiff flex shaft. Moving from a TM320 (320cc head) driver to a 460cc driver required me to have a stiffer shaft than the stock shaft to handle the larger head. I subscribe to the saying that 'the shaft is the engine of the club'; do not ignore its importance. Best.

Greater Houston area.

Been working on my short game. Had a nice quick round starting at 4:45pm this evening; drove the ball well, missed some GIRs when I was in the fairway, but shot an 83. Need to work on not missing the green when I'm at 150-165 yds from the green. Had a lot of wind here in Texas today (we are famous for it); did not adjust well to the headwind as much as adjusted to the tail wind better. Anyways, happy that I shot a score that will maintain my HI.

Started keeping a GHIN handicap after many years of golf. Shot an 84 this weekend with a birdie, par, par on 16-17-18 to make a 42 on the back 9. Was very uplifting to finish well. On another note though, do others who maintain a GHIN handicap also see their handicap as a whole number only? I thought it would be a 9.x after posting about 8 rounds and even after the latest revision of handicap scores, it still shows 9.0. Just curious.

I have 4: Ping B60, Ping Anser 2, Odyssey HG mallet (white insert), and current one I like - TM Monte Carlo Ghost.

Thank you @Club Rat, @Patch, @billchao, @MrGolfguy67, @MarvChamp. Looks like you appreciate the conditions we face in the Gulf Coast of Texas where these tight fairway lies with bottom hard-packed soil feels like the ball is sitting on green spray-painted cement at times. Since I take a decent divot during my normal iron shots, these conditions are a problem for me. I will try your suggestions this long-weekend. Cheers.

Folks, I have trouble getting the ball airborne when hitting off a tightly cut fairway with a 7 to 5 iron shot (range). The soil below the tight cut fairways here in south Texas are like hard compressed clay and it poses a challenge. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Over time I had gotten accustomed to the increased release with my old 588. When I tried my playing partner's new Cleveland RTX 2.0, I found the ball holding the green much better on full shots (which I prefer), but of course releasing less on chip shots around the greens (due to more spin). I will adjust to the latter on chip shots and end up getting some new wedges.

I've enjoyed my Cleveland 588 RTG 56-deg sand wedge (14 deg bounce) with a raw finish for around 20 years. I've wondered whether I'm losing out on having sharper grooves since this club is old. Do you folks switch out a sand wedge periodically or just stick with the old trusted one? Thanks.

I had similar feelings about TM in general, but recently switched from my Odyssey XG mallet to a TM Ghost Monte Carlo which like the XG has more toe weight but not the white face-insert. I found I could roll the ball better and had better feel off the putter face. Please share which putter you ended up with.

I use a 7/8/9 depending on how much 'run' I want. However, if I have a clear shot, I'll use my 56/14 SW to float it to the flag with a small run; I personally feel that I can repeat this shot predictably compared to the bump and run from 50 yds out.

I love my Tour Edge Exotics CB2 (15*) with Fujikura R-flex shaft. The head is a little smaller and therefore I love it; I can hit it off the deck easily and work the ball both ways if I have to. Cheers.

I personally think the bounce on your wedges plays an equally if not bigger factor in how you are going to use your wedges. All else being the same, there should be little to no difference between your 58* and 60* wedge. I use a 56* with a 14-deg bounce for conditions here in TX (apart from a 52* with a smaller bounce). For increasing your options, it may be good to see what is the bounce on your other wedges have and what shots having that set-up helps you or prevents you from executing. Hope that helps.