Smiffy

I got fitted for some Mizuno MX200's a year or so ago, results were telling me that I needed 1 degree flat. Having spent a year not really getting on with them I recently swapped out for some new Ping i15's. The online fitting suggested I needed 2 degrees upright!! Went to my pro who had some i15's in stock and I purchased them. Black dot, regular everything. He said to try them for a month or two and if I wanted anything altering to go back and see him and he would sort it out with Ping. I've been playing them for 2 months now and won't be going back. I hit them beautifully, much better than my Mizuno's. I was pushing the Mizuno's when I got them. Everything was going right. Which indicated to me that they were too flat. But what do I know?

Played on Sunday, course I hadn't played before. Lovely 18 holer up on the top of a hill with turf to die for. Blowing a gale though! Got to the 15th, par 5 down wind. Decided I wanted to hit my 3 wood to get the ball up in the air a little and let the wind do it's work. Topped it about 100 yards.... Second shot had a good lie, decided to knock my 5 wood down the fairway, topped it again... This left me about 190 to go, and I flushed my 6 iron (first time out with my new i15's). Absolutely nailed it and it ran on to the green finishing about 3 feet from the hole for a birdie and 4 points!

Walked into the pro shop on Thursday, came out with a brand new set of Ping i15 irons 4-PW. 56/10 TOUR W on order. Hitting them for the first time this morning...

Does anybody know where you can buy Ping wood headcovers with a "sock" attached for protecting graphite shafts? The ones that come standard with Ping woods over here are next to useless as they offer no shaft protection whatsoever. Thanks in advance Rob

Not all the time. I have it on the strictest authority that a couple of them shaved

You'd love the 16th at Carnoustie. 245 yards Par 3, stroke index 13. It's great playing it as a 12 handicapper

Another thread asks the question "Jack or Tiger. Who's the greatest?" The example above gives a clue as to why I answered "Jack"....

Up until about a year ago, I always used to carry. Much preferred it. Even 36 holes. But 25 years of playing football (soccer) had not done my knees any favours and I found as I got older that my golf was suffering towards the end of the round due to them aching like mad. So about a year ago I invested in an electric trolley, and find that my golf has now taken on a new lease of life. I no longer get tired towards the end of the round and I can honestly say that it has been the best £200.00 I have ever spent on the game. Given the choice, I would still rather carry. But unfortunately, the choice has been taken away from me.

Will let you know later. Monthly medal in an hour.....

Depends what you are trying to achieve.... Reduction in handicap? If you hit the ball reasonably well, practicing and improving your chipping and putting combined with good course management will see your handicap come down fairly steadily. New clubs won't do this. New clubs will make you feel good because a) You've spent some money b) You feel that you will play better The honeymoon period will soon fade and you are back to square one within a couple of months. Shortly after I first started playing, I went through a slump with my driving and iron play. Couldn't hit toffee. Tried all different things and it made no difference. So I practiced my short game. It was the one thing I could do where I saw an improvement. And I started winning games again. My friends couldn't believe how one minute I would be out of a hole but was suddenly back in it because I had chipped very close to save par or even chipped in for birdie. And my confidence grew again. And then my long game came back! My handicap dropped from 23 to 14 in a few short months. I kept the same irons throughout. Set yourself a golf, say getting down to 15 handicap. And when you've reached it, then treat yourself to the new irons. You deserve them....

Having lessons always messes you up to start with. You stand on the tee where once upon a time you had no thoughts in your head other than to smack it up the arse and get it down the fairway. Now your thoughts are different. You've got things to think about that the pro has told you. You're not sure of where the ball is going to go, you're not even sure of your swing anymore. I guarantee it will get better. You are just experiencing the storm before the calm.

Ping G15 Driver....£210.00. Things are a bit more expensive over here

Have you checked your alignment? My address position was progressively getting more and more closed and I found my irons in particular were going nowhere compared to a few months ago, and my divots were aimed sharp left where I was having to cut across the ball to get back into an impact position (of sorts). I spent a while on my alignment and things seem to have got back on track for the time being at least. It could be any number of things as have been mentioned, but check your basics first. Rob

Look at this from another viewpoint..... You are about to tee off with some friends in a threeball. You notice there is a fourball waiting to tee off behind you. Would you worry about it? No, because you would expect to pull a hole or two ahead of them fairly early in the round. They shouldn't bother you at all. In fact, if I was playing in a threeball match and didn't pull a hole or two out on the four guys behind within about 5 or 6 holes I'd know something wasn't right. So why should this fourball be penalised or pulled up for falling behind a fourball???? Hate to say it, but if I was in a fourball and we were pulled up by a ranger for falling half a hole behind a three in front and accused of slow play, my 7 iron would likely be shoved somewhere where the sun is not going to shine.

Winter golf in the UK sucks. Soaking wet fairways and temporary greens? Horrible mats to tee off from? Frozen fairways and greens with balls bouncing 20 feet up in the air and finding bushes they have no right to find? Break out the Monopoly.