RickRevue

So knockdown...it's got a little less loft than a 3 hybrid (usually 19)...what kind of shaft to you have? That's cool that you can hit it high or low. 200 yards out of the rough...must be coming out hot. Or is that carry with some height?

Has anyone tried or know about the differences between the Sky Caddie and the iGolf GPS yardage units? I know the iGolf is a lot cheaper.

So knock-down, what is the Ironwood a hybrid. What number and do you hit it high? I have a 2 hybrid that goes a long way but it is a very low, boring flight. Is that unusual?

How about 7 woods. I want a club that goes about 200-210 yards and high enough to hit a tight green or on a par 3. I've been thinking about getting a 7 wood (never had one before). I have a 2 and a 3 hybrid but the 2 goes too far and too low and the 3 won't go far enough. Any suggestions all? Thanks

Great thread guys and gals. This is the meat of the whole game. We worry and talk about equipment and technique most of the time and the real key is the "attitude" that it takes to swing within yourself and trust your swing. Always easier said than done, but it's the "secret" that's worth 5-10 strokes a round. I've read some good books on the subject. The Inner Game of Golf by Timothy Gallwey is a good one and Depak Chopra has a book called Golf for Enlightenment . There's a new website that I saw and the guy has some good ideas too. The site is Golf Mental Game Coach www.golf-mental-game-coach.com . I'd love to hear any other keys or tools people have found for "playing within yourself." I still struggle with it after 30 years of playing.

Lessons are a good idea, especially in the beginning. It's easy to start learning bad habits. On the other hand, don't take the details too seriously. Everyone has their own swing based around certain fundamentals. Grip, setup, alignment are things to concentrate on in terms of "technique" type stuff. After that it's mostly the mental stuff like target visualization, tempo, course management, and attitude. Learn about how clubhead path and position makes the ball go in various directions and you can start to figure out a lot on your own. You'll never master it, so learning how to "fix it when it goes bad" is the name of the game. You didn't say how old you were, but if you're young you'll have your whole life to "figure it out." Good luck and hit 'em straight.

Haven't seen too many threads about putters but boy the new high-tech mallet putters are very cool. I'm guess I'm a little late...but I finally put a new putter in my bag. I've been playing the same Ping Anser 4 for almost 20 years. It's always been great...and putting is the best part of my game...so I figured why change. But I had a chance to buy a clone version of the TM Tri-Ball and man I love it. It just keeps moving down the line and puts a great roll on the ball. Only had it a couple of weeks so...we'll see how long it lasts but so far, so GREAT! Anyone, else love their mallet?

Not sure if someone mentioned this, but unless you are a pretty good golfer (under 10) you might want to steer clear of a LOB wedge. I'm a 5 and I still find it difficult to judge what it will do...especially off the fairway. It's great around the green when you need to stop the ball quickly, but a 56 wedge opened up does about the same thing. Tom Watson, one of the best wedge players in the game, doesn't carry a LOB wedge. Of course in your case you're just looking for the next step up from a PW so your idea of a 56 is a good way to go.

Hi Norm, That would be a great idea. How are you suppose to know what to do unless someone helps you learn. It probably is something that should be available at most golf courses. Here's a little article I wrote. It just scratches the surface but it's a start. http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Beginner...urse&id;=284224 Good Luck and hang in there. It will get better.

So what you're looking for is something between your 4 irons' distance (180-185) and your 2 hybrid which is about 220. Is that right? Well the 3 hybrid should do the trick. I guess my point was that you can do some things to make that 3 hybrid more versitile. A regular steel shaft would make it a straight replacement for your 3 iron, where if you add a graphite with a bit more length you could get up to 210-220 with a nice high ball flight. Just choke up when you need less. I can recommend the weight ports too. That would give you even more ball flight options. I guess I'm belaboring this point because I like my 3 hybrid so much. It has become my workhorse. Great off the tee on tight holes. Great out of the rough and traps. And a wide range of ball flights and distances. It became my go-to club mostly because I've developed so much confidence in it. I'll hit it anytime, anywhere. Give it some thought and you may have that kind of club too!

Maybe we should post a poll to determine the best rangefinder. I don't know enough to choose which one's to poll. Anyone game?

Shafts are one of those adjustments that if you could ever find a way to "try out" a bunch of different shafts on the same head we would all be amazed. I have a dream...someday...when the world is better...we will be able to try out shafts like trying on clothes. You know...like the pros do now.

Not to complicate the issue, but what kind of ball flight are you looking for? Sounds like you need to fill in a gap in your distances but maybe it's about more than just distance. I have a 2 hybrid (16*) that given the shaft I have, I hit it low and long. It has an adjustable weights so I added some weight to hit it higher but it's still low and long. My 3 hybrid (19*) goes much higher but I can work it much better. A high cut goes about 190-200 and when I put a draw on it it goes at least another 10 or 15 yards. I love that club. I guess what I'm saying is it's not just about loft. It's about head design, shaft, and your typical ball flight too.

Well Tiger did it again. No I'm not talking about winning. He managed to play another round without being friendly...no human to his playing partner. I didn't watch every second, but I didn't see them exchange any "pleasantries" through the entire round. Come on, man. You don't have to be a jerk to win. Anyone who has played any golf realizes you are mostly playing the course anyways...so why not be friendly. Why not acknowledge that it us against the golf gods...us against fate. I think it smacks of gamesmanship. Can you imagine Jack and Arnie, or Jack and Tom Watson acting like he did yesterday. Man, it used to be the best part of their matches to see how they enjoyed each other AND the competition. They just didn't seem to take it all so seriously. Sure, Tiger has been more human lately, and his reaction after the Open was pretty special...But...stop taking yourself so damn seriously. People dying is suppose to help you realize this stuff.

Isn't it really about distances not clubs? I didn't hear you say how far you hit your driver and your hybrid, but if you're like me, your driver goes a lot farther than your hybrid. There's maybe 40-50 yards difference for me. How do you fill that distance gap? Say you're on a medium length sharp dogleg par 4, maybe 380 to 400 yards. Your driver would go too far and put you past the corner and in the rough, but your hybrid would not go far enough to get you around the corner so you could see the green. What club would you use then?

Well sao123 you're at a crossroads that all us golfers must face. How do I improve? Do I buy a better game with equipment, lessons or what? Do I study the game by reading books and watching the golf channel? I suspect what you really want is to play better and have more fun. In that case, then a new $400 driver is not likely to change that 110 score to even a 105 score. After all you can only hit driver on 14 holes anyway. You didn't say how old your were or how long you have been playing so I can't really put that 175 yard drive into perspective. If you are a normal, young, reasonably strong male, and you've been playing for more than a year then your current driver is not your problem...no matter what the TV commercials want to make you think. Too stiff of a shaft can be a problem and would make your shots go low and short and to the right...usually. If that's what you see with your shots then you might consider that. Personnally, I think you need professional help...OK maybe not a shrink but at least have a pro look at your swing and look at your equipment and help you decide what your priorities are. For $50 and in a half an hour a smart pro could get you heading on the right track and that could make a big difference in your game and your enjoyment. Maybe as others have suggested you should have a good fitting session on a launch monitor and really have your game figured out. Remember...it's the first day of the rest of your golfing life. Making the right choice could mean enjoying the game much more and probably save you a ton of money too. Good Luck!

Graphite will someday replace steel and here's why I think that is. With advancements in nano technology, soon we will be able to cutomize graphite shafts in a way that can't be done with steel. Not only will overall flex be much more precise ...and varied, but flex point will be able to be fine tuned based on ball flight requirements. High, mid, low and all flex points in between. Stiffer for accuracy clubs and flexible in just the right way to launch the ball for more distance... much like a pole vaulter is launched. We do it now with weight ports and drivers. Soon shafts will be able to be chosen to fit our games precisely. It's gonna be fun, as long as you understand your own game.

I agree with Shortgame. If you really want to know what is "optimum" for you, and if you're gonna spend a bunch of money on a driver, why not make sure it's right. All the techies are saying that at slower swing speeds like yours (under 90MPH) you should have more loft to optimize launch angle and spin rate. I can't say I've actually done it myself, but that is the latest word. Here's what Frank Thomas had to say to someone with a 90 mph swing speed on his website when they asked about maximizing distance: "Your ball speed should be close to 130 mph with a launch angle of about 13 to 14 degrees and a spin rate of about 3,000 rpm. If you don't have these launch conditions then see what a different head design would do for you. Trying an 11 or 12-degree loft would be a good place to start." Good Luck!

This is a tough one. If we want to grow the game (and maybe some of us don't) we have to make it comfortable for people to play and learn the game. I think a question about ability level is a fair question to be asked before you play. It probably comes down to playing partners giving appropirate guidance and direction. I think everyone should understand basic courtesy when it comes to etiquette and moving along and fixing marks and raking bunkers. Sometimes people just don't know this stuff. It's up to playing partners or roving marshalls to manage appropriate behavior and teach if neccessary. That's where a booklet would come in handy. Public courses are where beginners tend to learn the game so it just makes sense for them to offer, for their own benefit, a way for folks to learn how to play on a course with other people. If they do it right, that person will be back and become a regular customer. However, just because a course is "public" doesn't mean that a player owns the course. If someone gets loud in a movie theatre the usher or other patrons have every right to get that person to get in line. Same for golfers who don't "get it" yet.

Does it really matter whether you are making birdies and eagles or not? The game is about putting down the lowest number. Your conservative approach lets you do that. Eliminating the bad numbers is job #1 in making that happen. It's fun to make birdies but adding it all up at the end and beating your lowest score (and your playing partners) is much better. However, if you take a look at your strengths, maybe you can find situations where you can be more aggressive. i.e. If you know you are a good wedge player and feel you can get it close when you have that club in your hand, try going for more pins in those situations. If you analyze the courses you play, I bet you can find certain holes that are more "birdie-able" than others and then develop a game plan around those. One thing I think helps, is having really accurate yardage. When I know I have 110 to the pin instead of just guessing, I think that helps you hit it tighter. When I get in a situation where I'm sure of the yardage or on a GPS system, I seem to make more birdies.

Believe me I know there are bad clones out there. And their are crummy manufacturers (assemblers) of those clubs. TaylorMade may have found one of those. But if you find a name brand clone; Acer, Turbo Power, Power Play, or many others... AND the manufacturer assembles that head with a name brand shaft and a name brand grip AND fits that club to your height, arm length, hand size, swing speed AND gives you a one year warranty AND gives you 30 days to find out if you like it or if it fits (or to check the lofts and lies if you want) and you pay 30% of what the name brand club was sold for... Chances are you will have a club that is a good value. I'm not even saying it's 100% as good as a name brand...but what about 95% as good for 30% of the price. Unless you are better than a 5 handicap, I bet you won't be able to tell the difference. I can't tell the difference. I may still buy the brand, (I did) but it won't be because that brand is "better for me" than the clone. It's because I "wanted" the brand more. Like I said before, I went from a 20 handicap to a 5 with my old clone clubs. Honestly, I'm probably scoring worse now with my new branded irons, but it's not because of them (I wish), but ...well let's blame old age for this one. Anway, please, not to argue or be-labor the point... my OPINION is, after using them and studying the market...a good clone golf club is just as good as a name brand club for me. That's all. Why not go buy a clone hybrid club for $35 or a single iron for $25 and decide for yourself. If you're honest I bet you will agree.

It's all good RAFCIN...I'd do the same thing myself...at least if I wasn't taking food out of my kids mouths...or iPods. hmmm...OK maybe I would.

I think you're getting to the real point RAFCIN...why do we buy a certain club...or anything for that matter? Why do people feel that clones are "bad" even though they may never have tried them? I was just thinking about why I bought my used set of TM RAC OS. I could have bought clones...or Pings...or whatever. Was it because I tested all available clubs and found they were the best? No Was it because the price was right? maybe Was it because I had my heart set on those clubs and "believed" that they were going to make me happy? Probably The classic marketing axiom is... "People buy on emotion and justify it with logic"

My favorite club in my bag is my Select 5000 hybrid. Not a big name brand but it sure does the job. Anytime I need maximum distance with maximum confidence that's the one I go to.

Way to go DSH...you seem to be going about it the right way. I think Gigagolf will let you return the clubs or change them if you don't like them. Use them a lot in the first 30 days and show them to as many good players as you can to see what they think. If you don't hear good things or if they don't feel right just change them or send them back. Hard to go wrong with that scenario. Good luck!