Howie

He had a huge bump the size of....wait for it....wait for it....a golf ball on his forehead after that incident.

I've got a good one for you guys. Not directly related, but results are the same. About 2 years ago, I was playing a foursome with friends. A buddy of mine was playing because his wife was into golf and he's the type that has to accompany his wife everywhere. So you could clearly call him the hacker type - wild swings, too much strength, bad form, etc. We were on the fairway of a hole and he was setting up for his second shot. The shot had to carry over a creek and go uphill towards the green. He sets up and then unleashes a mighty swing. Not only does the shot go askew, but down he goes, spread eagled on the fairway. Now he has a terrible temper and is one of those guys that has to be perfect in everything that he does, so the fact that he is not good at golf leads to many tantrums. So we walk over thinking this is just another tantrum and ask him why all the theatrics when he gets up. He looks at us and asks us what are we talking about. We look at him weird and tell him that he flopped after the shot. He has no idea what we are talking about. Turns out that my buddy managed to crack himself on the forehead on his follow through with the iron shaft of the club. So he had knocked himself out for about 2 seconds on that swing. It was hilarious, something that we'll always remember forever.

Glad to hear it. It was very sparse this year. I am enrolled in Golf Tec and spoke to one of the trainers I know briefly and he mentioned how slow it was. I think the nice weather deterred many people from coming in. I went with some friends and was there for roughly 3 hours. The majority of the booths are big on vacation packages. The long drive demonstration kept having their drivers broken. It was pretty funny.

Yes I went to it last year, and I'm going again this year with some friends. It is what you expect it to be - a trade show more or less. There are a lot of different vendors exhibiting different things - golf vacation get aways, clothing, clubs, product demos, etc. The big golf companies are there showcasing their wares, but there are long lines for people waiting to try them. They have different areas where you can do long drive contests, putting, etc. There is also a small food court there for snacks. It seems a lot of people go to this throughout the weekend. In general I think most folks can see everything in about 2 hours if you partake in one or two things and spend most of the other time just walking around and browsing.

So depending on the face of the putter, "feel" allows you to have an idea of how far the ball will travel dependent on the strength of your stroke. Does that sound right to you guys?

I'm using the Odyssey Sabertooth, which I believe is a mallet with an insert. The past few years I was taught to use a pendulum type of stroke, which I believe is suited to the mallet. I am willing to try other styles if it can increase my consistency or allow me to learn feel.

Can you clarify a little more on what you mean on this? Thanks!

Hey guys, As my game improves, I want to take a closer look at possibly improving my most important scoring club, the putter. I've used mallets since I've started, and I am curious about taking a look at the other alternatives. I feel a mallet helps me keep in line on my stroke, but lacks any sort of feel. Also, a mallet has the surface that allows a more exact setup. A blade seems to be a best bet for feel, which I am still learning. But I am not sure if I fully grasp what that feel should be. I will test some blades as the golf season begins. Some advice or opinions on this and other thoughts? Thanks for the info.

Lessons and practice, my friend. These things above all else, equipment included. As most of the guys have said, start with a low cost set and upgrade as your skills improve. You can get fitted once you have gotten a fairly steady game.

I have both of these hybrids. I would say get the 4 hybrid, as that is closest to the iron you are replacing. That way the distance gap isn't quite so large. Your 5 wood should generally cover the distance areas you would want for a 3H anyway.

Thanks for the feedback so far guys. I just picked up the 4 wood (as it was back ordered) to complete the 14 clubs in my set. I went with 2 hybrids instead of 1 because I felt that there would be more shorter yardage scenarios that required them than 2 fairway woods. And as we all know, they are easier to swing. My only concern is that I may be restricting myself distance in the long run. I am going to be honest, I am not a long hitter. I am lucky to hit the driver 200+ yards, but only this year (after 4 years) have I started using it regularly. I assume I will only get better at it. That is also why I went with 1 wood, since I'm better at the irons and hybrids.

Hey guys, I saw a similar posting in the past, but I thought I would revisit the topic. After getting custom fitted, I thought it was best to carry a few extra wedges rather than 2 fairway woods, as for me the key to lowering your score is improving the short game. In my older set, I carried the standard 3 and 5, but rarely used the 3. Now in my new set, I've gone for what I consider a combo wood, the 4. Easier to swing but more distance than the 5. For those of you carrying a single fairway wood, how is it working out for you? Do you find much of a gap between your driver and long irons? I figure if it's wide open, I can use the driver. For tight fairways, the wood is a better option, and the variable loss in distance can be made up by hitting the fairway. Just gathering information to see if I made the right selections. Thanks!

I started 4 years ago when I was 31. I took 2 small groups of lessons from a local pro, which was good enough to get me going. For those first couple of years, I'd average about a 57 over 9 holes, with a high of 45 or 47...can't remember. This year, at 35, I went to Golf-Tec and used their video analyzers to the full advantage. I got custom fitted and worked through several months of lessons and practice. I average about a 52 now over 9, which I think is a decent improvement. I don't think age matters too much, as long as you put your time in. I don't think athletic backgrounds matter much, as it really depends on the fluidity of your swing. You could swing at half strength and drive the ball a mile. I am in pretty good shape, but can't hit the distance yet because I haven't learned lag power and my swing isn't right yet. Just make sure you know your limits and don't get hurt, and you'll enjoy this game quite a bit.

Thank you for the advice guys. Too many times I would try to full swing out with a mid iron. A short iron would make more sense, as the loft would help bring the ball out of such high grass. So you are saying use a short iron for most types of rough? I imagine I could use longer irons or hybrids if the ball was still visible above the grassline correct? If it's under that line, use a short iron. Is that a reasonable game plan?

Hey guys, I am interested in getting your perspective on some simple course management. Obviously we all hit into the rough more times than we want. My question for you is when your ball gets stuck in very high/long grass. This is obviously different than standard fairway rough, where if the grass gets as high as a little bit over the ball, you would still make a full swing. For the long weedy grass that is a few inches long, do most of you take a full swing or do you chip it back onto the fairway? If you are offering advice, please take into account that I am lingering between a mid to high handicapper. Thanks!

Any chance you have a pic of how you made it fit? I have the same problem. I have a Bag Boy SC-250 and a Callaway FT stand bag. The rounded upper neck of the push cart meets the upper part of the stand legs, thus the bag won't fit in correctly. I have to turn it on its side for it to fit correctly. Does anyone know if the height is adjustable on the Bag Boy carts?

No no, no offense taken. Your point is well taken and hey, debate is what boards are for. :) Like the poster I commented on above, his habits and pace of play were the pain in the ass. The fact that he was trying to emulate Tiger Woods all around didn't make it any better. Someone trying to copy their favorite athlete isn't a big deal, you see that all the time in basketball. Perhaps a pro style or routine may work for them. It's when what they are doing affects you, other people, or the game, that's the problem.

On this last point, I guess if you're playing because you are hardcore and/or play others for money, you shouldn't be heading out to public courses and seeking out available openings on a foursome. You'll end up with that father/son combo types of players you described and should expect that. That's what you do with 3 other good friends in your own group.

I hear you on this, very annoying, but this is different than the point I was trying to counter. It was their habits and pace of play that were annoying you. You shouldn't tie that in with what equipment they were using. I like Callaway for the way they look, how they feel, and because when I was researching, it was one of the more popular brands for golf. I buy the same brand in things like shirts and hats because I like to match. How I play is a different thing. I play like a pro, meaning I will count every shot, be professional, and make sure I keep up with pace of play. Again, what I wear or carry hopefully shouldn't have weight on someone's annoyance.

So you're saying high handicappers have no right to be attached to brands or shouldn't follow how pro players play on TV? Is it because they have money to spend? Should they act or dress a certain way to indicate they are not good? Just trying to get the reasoning. The way I see it, plenty of people buy gear and clothing and emulate ways their favorite pro players of any sport they see on TV. If a pro is using or wearing it, it must be a good endorsement. The issue shouldn't be if people play a certain way or buy certain equipment, it's if they believe they SHOULD be better because of said items. That's a legitimate annoyance. I obviously favor Callaway as a brand for clubs and apparel, but I don't think it will make me significantly better. That's what lessons and practice are for. I know as a high handicapper it takes time to get better but I don't think if I prefer a brand or follow a routine that it should annoy anyone. I can agree that yelling silly things like the one you mentioned is irritating.

See my sig below. I am carrying the full amount because it's better to have the club you need than be playing and be without it. Take full advantage of the rule!

Go for the stiff graphite. You're trying to learn control, not swinging as hard as you can. All the instructors I've talked to, both country club and Golf-tec, mention that you can really launch the ball without swinging for the fences. Ultimately you'll want to try both multiple times some place where you can see trajectory and accuracy. Unless you have a terrible swing and need lots of help, stay away from the ibrids and look at the regular FT irons. You'll want something you can grow into, not irons that look like training wheels when you become accomplished.

Tiger Woods has changed the face of golf like no other person. There is no denying Jack's talent, but Tiger has advanced the sport in the last 12 years so much further than anyone could have imagined.

Technically my home course is here: Billerica Country Club I've played there quite a bit!

Hey all! I'm a Sr. Systems Administrator at a print marketing company in Massachusetts.