Scott_K

I was playing with a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago who shoots in the 100s. He's been playing for 3 or 4 years now and still makes a few silly decisions on the course. He was in knee deep fescue and trying to get out with a 3i. Naturally, he didn't score well on that hole (probably an 8). On the back nine he asked me what to do as he was in a similar position. He was able to punch out with a 7i and ended up with a bogey. Needless to say, he has not broken 100 yet. In my eyes, he's enough of a game to break 100, it's his course management that's holding him back. I picked up Pelz' Damage Control book and thumbed through it a little bit. He talks about percentage shots and decisions like my friends above. To a seasoned golfer, a lot of it is a bunch of "no kidding", but to someone relatively new to the game, it can be an interesting read. A handful of these types of decisions can determine whether you're breaking 100, 90, etc. The lower you go, the more subtle the course managment details go.

I picked up a nickent 4dx hybrid in the used rack at golfsmith recently. Lately I've been hitting 3iron off the tee and use driver 5 or 6 times per round, so I wanted to try this "hybrid" idea to see if I could squeak out a few extra yards off the tee. Also wanted to see what a UST shaft felt like since I'm probably doing that with my driver. I know that's not apples to apples, but was curious about the "boardy" aspect of the shaft. I only hit this hybrid a handful of times and the good shots were a little longer, but way too high. Looking at the GS sticker, I think it's a 15.5 degree. I'll need to hit it a few more times to see what's what, but I think I will have to get back on the hunt for a 2i with a higher kickpoint.

I watch pieces of the show from time to time. Once in a while I catch a tip or drill that touches on something I've never thought about. The show seems more aimed at your weekend warrior who doesn't really practice too often. Like most golf information blobs, you have to sift through it to find what works for you. A decent amount of topics are discussed here and taken to the next level.

I get better results when I swing "around my body". When I'm focused and I remember to start my backswing on a flatter plane, I can see the clubhead go back on the inside of the target line. It feels a little awkward as I get to the top because I'm not use to it. The downswing is more of an "effortless effort" type of swing and feels slower. I don't have any significant distance loss so I imagine that the clubhead speed is still there. This is pretty much with my driver. When I use an upright swing, I seem to take the clubhead back on the target line or on the outside of it. I tend to sway to the right more in the backswing and my weight ends up being on the outside of my right foot. I believe it also puts me in a position to go over the top and the only way to compensate is to reroute the club on the downswing. I can do this here and there, but not with any predictablity.

When hitting a full shot with my SW, I address it with my hands in front of the ball. I also have a natural foward press with all my shots as well. My SW is around a 56 and it has a lot of bounce as well. I end up catching the ball cleaner and the leading edge tends to dig for a healthy divot. If I address it with the shaft standing straight up, I tend to catch it fat. I don't think it's the leading edge, but the flange that's chunking it up. The ball ends up short. The bounce of the club reacts differently with different lies as well. I find it hardest to controll off of dried out hardpans as it tends to skip off the ground and I end up with a thin shot.

My father built a 1000cc driver for the humor factor. I almost fell over trying to swing it.

I've been using a black widow box from replacement spikes. It perfectly fits a few tees, pencil, coins and couple of divot tools. I like to be able to reach into a pocket without getting jabbed by a rouge tee or something. Also have a little pouch from an outting where I keep more tees and coins. Ball roam randomly in on of the big pockets.

First off, kudos for knowing your limitations and giving yourself time to learn your swing. When I had a 3 and 5 wood, I use to hit those off the tee because the Driver was inconsistent. Learn to get a feel of your tempo with your 7wood swing and try the same swing with the 3w and 5w. I sometimes swing my 8iron a few times and apply that tempo and feel to 3iron. Take a look at the course you're playing and pick out a handful of fairways which are a little more forgiving. If it's a little wider, then try the 3 or 5. I use this strategy to figure if I'm hitting Driver or 3iron off the tee. Don't get too hung up on your score. It will drop in the long run. Depending on where the inconsistent shots are coming from, the guys here can guide you in a better direction. Are they not getting airborne ? Are they consistently slicing, fading, or hooking with the longer clubs?

Thanks Meddle. I think I'm dumping the stock and trying a UST. How's the Prolaunch feel ? Too early to tell ? Thanks Shanks. That info is money.

The stock stiff 49g reax shaft has a relatively high torque (4.5). So if the OP goes cuts the stock 46.25" to say a 44", would it affect the torque ? Or does it only affect the feeling of the stiffness and swingweight ? FWIW, I notice when I choke up about 1" on the stock '09 burner, the swing weight feels totally different. So lopping off 2.25" would be a significant jump in feel, no ?

I think the majority of people here played the TP Reds over the TP Blacks. When they were selling 2 dozen for $55 last year, it was a great deal. I've been playing the TP Reds, but will probably try the TP Blacks since the Reds are going away. I started with the Burner LDPs (silver box), but found them too high off the tee.

I fell apart coming down the stretch my last round. 14 - Par 4 - 3i off the tee. GW to about 12feet. Left to right breaker. Bird 15 - Par 4 - Driver through a dogleg, LB. Provisional in a better position, botched approach shot. Double 16 - Par 3 - 7iron to about 20 feet. Poor 1st putt, but made the 5 footer for par. 17 - Par4 uphill dogleg. Took an agressive line and tried to hit a 3i along the left side. Ended up starting it too far left and losing the ball. Provisional was off the toe and very short. Approach shot I tried to hit a 5 iron draw into the green which I ended up hanging out into a bunker.......blahhh....Triple. 18 - Par 5 - Driver to right side of the fairway. A few paces from the 200 yard marker, great lie, no shadows and 3iron was just calling me. The shot was over a lake and over a bunker. I was over confident so I was only concerned with being able to stop a 3iron. Naturally I ended up thinning it into the lake....blam....Double I don't add up the card until the round is over, but I kind of know when I'm going to be north or south of 90. After 15th, I still felt I had a shot of clipping the 90 mark. My confidence level was really high. Even though I lost the ball, I felt ok because I didn't know the landing zone limits. Ended up with a 47 on the back with a 92 total. In this string of holes, which was the poor decision(s) ? I see the 17th tee shot as the wrong play, since I went on tilt after that shot. Can you guys offer some advice on the mental game/course mangament ? Thanks, Scott

I worked on my stroke on my carpet at home this past winter. I focused on where my eyes were and rocking the shoulders. I use to stand on top of the ball with my eyes directly over it and my elbows would get stuck from time to time. Working with the shoulders and having the triangle remain constant has helped with a consistent stroke. I also stopped choking up on the grip and the weight of the putter head has a nice feel. I can now see why an inch on a putter shaft can make a huge difference in feel. The significance of learning to hit a straight putt is underrated. My carpet allows me to putt around a 12-14 foot range. I worked on this on and off before the season and still do it every few days for only 15 minutes or so. No real set regiment. I usually pick out a spot on the carpet and work on the distance alone. I then turn to hitting the door trim on the bathroom door since it's smaller than a cup. My confidence in my putting is a lot higher and I've become more aggressive with my putts at the 10-15 foot distance. I don't make all of them, but I make a few more than I use to, so I figure I'm heading in the right direction. Working on the 3-5 foot range helps for both those putts and longer putts. I use the door trim here as well. Obviously, it's not the same thing as a real green, but I find I'm really only making adjustments to speed on the practice green before the round. Like every other part of the game, it's a perpetual pursuit. Naturally, my driving has disappeared completely. I lost 3 or 4 balls off the tee on Sunday.

Yeah, it's usually easier to get a 2some walk up than a 4. There are usually a handful of slots open. If you can't get on Black, try Red as a 2nd choice. Otherwise, call with at least 2 phones and speed dial.

What's working for me lately is David Wedzik's "tossing the bolder" video from the golf evolution site. One of my main problems with the driver is keeping my head behind the ball at impact. When I do it correctly I have a decent shot of hitting the fairway. The ball goes relativily straight or tails off a little to the right. Still a work in progress, but I'm seeing a little more predictability in my shots. Pretty sure I have an out to in swing path, but it's a lot less dramatic than it was towards the end of last year. When my head moves forward during the downswing, the ball is starting right, turning right and I'm usually teeing up a provisional.

Have a set and love 'em. When you catch it clean, hear that click it's as if a ball doesn't exist. Sometimes feel like you're hitting a wiffle ball. My 7 iron turns on me every now and then, but it's probably because I have the OEM grips on 'em. Don't know what I'm going to do when this set wears out.

I played the E and SW combo for a long time. Broke down last year and added a GW. Keep in mind the E is towards the strong side (46 degrees depending on the year), so think about what gap you're looking to cover. So far my GW is closer towards my E. I probably should have gone 52 instead of 50. If I were you, I'd look into another Vokey. I have 3 different wedges, with 3 different shafts from 3 different eras. It may be in my head, but each one has a different feel.

I am self taught from books and magazines. I was able to get close to a single at one point, hit a plateau and then gave up the game completely for a number of years. When I was younger, the cost of seeking a solid instructor seemed too high. For $50/60 per half hour, you're really just doing an "interview" to see if you can fit with a given instructor. After that, I would think you need a number of lessons to work on a few different things.

I have to do a lot of one armed swings with my left hand to get that "bow" feeling into my left hand. This is usually just from belt to belt. From there, I then put my right hand on the club and continue with the one armed drill. The right hand only has light pressure with the ring, middle finger and thumb. The right hand kind of acts as a guide. To do it consistantly takes a long time. I need a lot of time at the range for it to work. Otherwise, when I take a couple weeks off without touching a club, I'll go back to a little flippage and feel like I'm hitting flop shots with a 5i.

I don't think shafts whip back and forth. When I say whippy, it's that it has too much flex for me to control on the downswing. Maybe I should say "noodle" instead. I don't think it's limited to just the shaft flex either. I'm sure torque and weight is involved as well.

I tried one and came very close.

FWIW, I have a similar SS. I know my shaft is too "whippy" and have the occasional snap hook. My shaft is too long and is too light. I've choked up on it to compensate, but I think I have to get a heavier/stiffer shaft. Don't know anything about the fubuki shaft's weight but you may need something heavier. Lots of other variables as well.

Get a good feel for your 58 as it seems it's the club your comfortable with and have good tempo. Hit a few balls with it and then switch to and 8i or 9i and use that same 58* swing. Let the ball go where it goes (distancewise) and accept it for now. Chances are you'll hit it further because your hitting it cleaner. If you can get yourself to around 80% of your max power with your swing and hold your balance in the finish, your heading in the right direction. When I was younger and a "swinger", I use hit the ball straight, straight and straight, but I was short relative to my playing partners. They were all "hitters" and a lot longer than I was (probably 2 irons longer), but they were inconsistent, had trouble making contact and spraying the ball all over. I've gone from being a "swinger" to a "hitter" and now I'm working on melting the two together.

I control distance with the length of my backswing. With a wedge, I have a full swing. I have a 3/4 where the shaft is pointed straight up and down. I have a 1/2 where the the shaft goes parallel to the ground. I also use different types of follow throughs for different trajectories. Usually use a full follow through for a "floppier" shot. For me, choking up on wedges leads to thin shots, so I don't do it.

Your overall tempo looks pretty solid and you look balanced throughout your swing. Good shoulder turn on the backswing. That's all I can see. Tough to look at sideways.