Bart

Here's a video at normal speed (rather than super slo-mo). I'm swinging a 2-hybrid, which is what I use most often off the tee. I look a little...jumpy...or something. The ball started out straight and hooked left about 5 yards into the rough. My usual shot with that club is a very slight fade or a long hook, but I'd eventually like it to be a draw (same goal with the rest of my irons). Thanks very much to everyone who commented. I agree 100% that my shots turn out better when I have a longer takeaway. Thanks in advance for any additional comments. I hope to have a few more videos to post soon. My girlfriend has volunteered for camera duties--although she doesn't know it yet.

Ha! Yeah, I guess that looks a little weird. I don't know for sure, but it has something to do with helping the computer calibrate my height, posture, etc...The guy that gave me the lesson made me stand up straight for a few seconds so the camera/computer/whatever could get a fix. Both straps had a battery pack on the back, so I assume they served some sort of function, but I didn't ask specifically about the technology. They were practically unnoticeable, which is why I didn't think to mention them in the first place.

I think my introduction may have been lacking, or I should have explained what I'm working on. Please forgive--the former incarnation of my golf game was well before Al Gore created the Internet, and I'm still trying to feel my way around this forum. I didn't want to say what I'm working on, because I'd prefer unbiased opinions on my swing. Regardless, since I'm just getting back into the game, I'm working on so many different things that it's hard to pinpoint some one thing in particular I'm trying to improve. Basically, I just want to find a smooth, repeatable swing and go from there (as if it were that easy). Anyway, thought my post might not have been adequate or got lost in the shuffle and wanted to make one more plea. Thanks again.

Sorry if this is a little long, but I played so far above my head today that I'm still a little giddy. I was at 34 through 8 holes, when I thought about how low I was and promptly chunked one into the water. Even after the double, I was thrilled with a 40 on the front. Had several makeable birdie putts that just missed, to go along with two 3-putts. On the back, I just kept hitting fairways and greens and took advantage of the two short par 5s--had two eagle putts that missed by a combined 1 inch. So I'm on 18 and know I need a bogey to break 80. Good tee shot down the left side that decides to roll down a hill, over the cart path, and behind some trees. I still think I have a shot at the green, so I step up and proceed to make the worst swing of my round. The ball hits a tree, caroms backward and left into the adjacent fairway. So for my third shot I have 195 yards, uphill, over trees and over water. Somehow I stick a 5-iron on the green, and I'm praying I can two-putt from 40 feet for my bogey....and I f---ing hole it for a 78. It was that kind of round. I even got up-and-down four times...when I think I average about one per round, if that. I beat my previous best score by nine strokes and lowered my handicap by a full stroke. All the same, I'm sure the game will humble me the next time I'm out...maybe I should just quit. You know, go out in my prime, on my terms. Yeah, right.

I'm not qualified to give you advice, so take this for what it's worth...Have you thought about a shorter backswing on your short irons? On your second swing, you're parallel at the top, if not a smidgen past parallel. I would imagine you'd gain some control if you shortened up a little bit (like you do in the first swing). But mainly, I wanted to bump your thread and tell you that you have a really nice swing. Great tempo and awesome finish. Also, please explain how you're lucky enough to have your own private driving range!

Two swings with my 6-iron. Any thoughts/tips are appreciated.

I hit it a long way like you (6i ~ 195-200), but I'm not as good of a golfer and lose a lot of balls...so I'm always on the lookout for a ball that performs well for the limited amount of money I have to spend. In other words, I feel your pain. My advice is to buy "used" golf balls from any of a number of Internet vendors that are in "mint" or "5-star" condition. They are basically new balls (some with logos, weird numbers, etc.) at a used price. There are some good recommendations on other threads in this forum (I don't remember all the names, but my preferred seller is "Golf Ball Nut," which sells on ebay and through its own site). For the price, I've had the best success with the Bridgestone e6+ and TM Burner LDPs. I've heard and read a lot about two-piece balls (like the e6+ and LDP) not having the stopping ability of more premium balls, but at your swing speed I assume you hit your irons high enough that it wouldn't be a big disadvantage (e.g., I hit a 7i on a par 3 today that hopped maybe six inches forward, and you can spin back anything with a higher loft). I just bought 72, "mint," used TM Burner LDPs for $54, and I haven't cut one yet. If you lose a lot of balls and/or can't afford to buy balls all the time, $1 or less per golf ball is a pretty good start.

The best prices on used golf balls, with consistent quality, that I've found have been from the seller "golfballnut" on ebay (also has a website, golfballnut.com). I just bought 50 AAAAA Bridgestone e6+ for $50 (free shipping). At lostgolfballs.com, they want $60 for 48, and that seems about typical of the price difference between those two sellers. Golfballnut is also good about sending discount coupons via email, and they have frequent "sales" in their ebay store. Customer service is very good, as well.

I just got an Adams A7 2H, and my conclusion after two rounds is that it's unbelievable. Six months ago, I took up the game again after a 16-year hiatus (the equipment choices alone have been overwhelming), so I'm basically relearning how to swing a golf club. I've spent 90% of my range time hitting irons, with the result that my woods are still all over the place. Since I'm really long off the tee, poor driving (with the 1W and 3W) equals LOTS of penalties. So, I asked my instructor if a 2H might be a good driving alternative while I'm working on straightening out my woods. He agreed, and I got fitted for a 2H. It was a toss-up between the Adams and TM Raylor--the Adams is probably better off the tee and the Raylor better from the rough, so I went with the Adams. It's probably because I don't regularly hit the sweet spot with my 3W, but that Adams 2H is as long or longer than my Cleveland Launcher 3W. It's equally as good from the fairway--haven't hit it out of the rough yet, but that's not what I bought it for. It's so straight and so long, it almost makes me want to leave my driver and 3W in the bag forever.

What differences, if any, are there between any given ball and the "practice" balls of the same brand/type?

I did a little research before I bought one, and GolfShot seemed to have the highest overall reviews (as a function of price). I've been very happy with it, but then again it's the only one I've used. Very accurate--matches up with the sprinkler heads pretty much every time. Also has an auto-handicap feature, which I like since I don't play anywhere I can get an official handicap.

Coincidentally, I got fitted for a 2H today. Demoed the Ping G15, Adams A7, Adams Pro Black, and TM Raylor. The Ping was okay, with the least amount of feedback. The Pro Black was awesome-looking but the hardest to hit. It came down to the A7 and the Raylor. Roughly the same distance, maybe a few yards longer with the A7--although both are really long. I ended up going with the A7 because of two deciding factors: (1) At address, the Raylor looked a little open (even though it wasn't), which I thought was bad karma for someone still guarding against a slice; and (2) The face of the Raylor is deeper but not as wide as the A7, so ostensibly the Raylor is a better option out of the rough and the A7 maybe slightly better off the tee/fairway. I was looking for a 2H as an option to hit off the tee on narrow par 4s and didn't think I'd need to hit it 230 out of the rough often enough to prefer the Raylor.

Although the facts aren't exactly the same, I think my experience with shaft selection might help you out. I got fitted for irons about 6 months ago. My 6-iron swing speed was around 100, and my instructor/fitter recommended x-stiff shafts. For a number of reasons I still don't completely understand (apparently, x-stiff was not available with the TM Burners I purchased), I had the KBS shafts hard-stepped once to give the same feel as an x-stiff shaft. Bottom line: When I'm warmed up and swinging the way I should, my irons feel great. Otherwise, or if I want to take a little off, swing easy, etc., I feel like I'm hitting with boards. I don't know if this is right, but I feel like the consensus is that people tend to swing harder than normal during a fitting. So if you're on the border between two flexes, less stiff seems to be the best option. I'm still trying to figure out all sorts of stuff about my swing and my game, so my experience might not be typical--but that's my opinion for what it's worth.

Par 3, 189 yards, over water, slightly uphill, into a 20-mph wind. Played a 4-iron with a slight draw to about 12 feet behind the hole. Best chance at birdie through the front, and I'm really concentrating on my putt. Got the line; theoretically had the speed. Swing back, swing forward and....my ball hopped up about six inches in the air and stopped eight feet away. Two-putted for my bogey. Lesson: On a wet course, make sure your shot onto the green isn't plugged in the putting surface. Never had it happen before but, from now on, I'll make sure to mark and pick up my ball from the putting surface before I get all giggly about what I great shot I just hit. Oh, and does anyone know the rule on that situation? I assume you can replace your ball next to the indention, but I don't know for sure.

I started reading this book last night and am about halfway through it. The most interesting observation to me, so far, is that scratch is awesome--but not it's not even in the same ballpark if you're thinking about being a tour player. Pardon the length, but it's an interesting (if not enjoyable) excerpt:

Apologies if this is off-topic... I'm just getting back into the game, and I'm taking lessons. Last week, my instructor said my next lesson would focus on hip rotation. I'd been following this thread, and so I asked him about S&T; during my lesson today. Interestingly enough, he said his former college teammate is the guy who goes to all the tour stops and coaches the pros who've adopted the S&T.; Apparently, Plummer/Bennett don't like to stray too far from home. So my instructor is in the middle of teaching me what's probably the "traditional" swing (inside/out, etc.), and I've had genuinely amazing results, especially in curing my enormous slice--in less than six weeks--but I was focused on the hip issue. I asked my instructor if S&T; could help with my hip turn. He said that he liked the S&T; for some players--and even teaches it--but that it requires a serious committment and there needs to be a reason to make that committment. Basically, he said that he only recommends S&T; to players that have a disproportionately hard time shifting their weight to the front and that he sees that trait most often in kids (obviously, some players of all abilities have that same problem...but I'm pretty sure he was generalizing). Regarding my own hip turn, he demonstrated one drill and I immediately went from 19 degrees open to 45 degrees open, so I guess he was right. Bottom line though, focusing on this thread, is that my instructor is a big proponent of the system for the right player. It just doesn't happen to be me (or so he says).

A couple others have mentioned similar drills, but this makes it into more of a game, which is what I like about it. The following is from Rotella's book, The Golf of Your Dreams. It's an anecdote about a teaching pro named Bill Davis. "Once he gets a player into his program, Bill is not quick to teach putting mechanics. He believes that touch, a feel for distance, is what most average players need to learn first on the greens. To help them develop it, he has a number of practice drills. In one of them, he has players stroke putts to a hole with a club shaft set down on the grass an inch or so behind it, perpendicular to the line of the putt. They win an imaginary dollar for every putt that goes in the hole or winds up resting against the shaft. But they lose three dollars for every ball that runs over the shaft. They lose fifty dollars for every shot that doesn't either touch the shaft or go in the hole. Bill tells them that after they've won a few hundred imaginary dollars in this touch drill, they can have a lesson in putting mechanics if they still want it....Of course, not many players do."

Up from S. He said that TaylorMade does not offer X stiff in the Burners 370 tip size.

Keep in mind, I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm your height and I just got fitted for irons as well. My fitting lasted about an hour, and I also need 1" longer shafts. But I needed a two-degree upright lie angle as well. I assume it's possible that you don't need a lie adjustment, but I will say that about half my fitting was devoted to figuring out exactly what lie angle I needed. From what I understand, you can get the clubs adjusted to your appropriate lie angle after you've had them delivered. Of course, it probably won't be free.

I just got custom-fitted for a set of '09 Burners. My instructor/fitter recommended KBS x-stiff shafts, and I said ok, fine. I'm new to this, so I take his recommendations. Today, he called and said the '09 Burners can't be fitted with the KBS x-stiff shafts. He said I could switch to the Dynamic Gold x100s, but he still recommended the KBS and that the solution was to "hard-step" the shafts to achieve a stiffer flex. I've tried to research this online, but I still don't feel like I have a really good grasp of what hard-stepping entails and whether there are any potential problems/issues with doing it. I generally trust this guy, but thought you guys would be a good source of second opinions. The reason I decided to pay the money to get custom-fitted is because I expect to use these irons for a long time and feel like the investment is worth it. But I'd like to know exactly what I'm getting into before I pull the trigger. Thanks for your help.

I'm just getting back into the game, so take this for what it's worth, but... I'm getting fitted for a new set of irons, and my instructor suggested three iron sets he thought would best suit me--'09 TM Burners, Ping I-15s, and Mizuno MX-300s. I took a 6-iron of each and went to the range yesterday. Hit 30 shots with each, alternating 10 10 and 10. I kept a notebook by my bucket and recorded every shot. Based on what I've read/heard, I expected to prefer the Mizunos--being forged and all--but the results said I hit the Burner the best, based on accuracy/trajectory. The difference in distance was negligible enough not to matter. Maybe the Burner was a little longer, but length is not my problem, accuracy is. Of course, I haven't hit enough golf clubs to say, but it would make sense to me if people preferred the Mizunos and they're just too tough for me to hit right now. The Ping was fine but didn't make an incredible impression one way or the other. I'm still thinking about buying the Ping I-5s, though, because I'm pretty sure they're good irons and the discounted price is a huge incentive for me. From what I understand, you can't get the other brands' older clubs custom-fitted like you can with Ping, and I absolutely have to get custom clubs.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I put in the minimum bid ($85) on an Ogio Grom on Ebay, not expecting to win it...but I did and feel like I got a really good deal. Now I just need some clubs to put in the bag!

I just took up the game again and am buying all new equipment. For now, I can only afford one golf bag. Like every other equipment choice, I'm a little overwhelmed by the variety available and need some help. I assume I should buy a stand bag, as I'll be riding and walking about equally. I would like to spend under $100, unless I can't get a good bag for that cheap. All of the following bags are less than $100 and all look good to me--I really have no basis for comparison, so I thought I'd ask you guys' opinions. Thanks. Ogio Ozone - $100 Ogio Vaporlite - $80 Callaway XTT Xtra Lite - $90 TaylorMade Corza - $80 Mizuno GTX - $90 Sun Mountain Superlight - $90

My roommate is from Huntsville and has a little house on a deer lease. We go up there several times a year, so I might take you up on the offer. Thanks.

Hi everyone. I'm just getting back in to the game after about a 16-year hiatus, and I figured one of the best tools to improve my game would be a good internet forum. From what I can tell, this place looks like the best one out there. I played a lot of golf when I was a kid, up until I was around 15, then gave it up to pursue other sports. I'm 31 now and, after a lot of deliberation, I've decided that golf will be the sport that will be the most rewarding over the longest period of time. I haven't even played a round yet because I thought I should spend some time at the range first. Even signed up for lessons--mainly because a good golfer I know suggested I take a couple and get fitted for clubs (I'm not rich, but honestly there aren't any used irons anywhere I've found that will fit me). No idea what my handicap is--I just guessed. I shot in the 80's when I was a kid, but obviously it will take a while to get back there. I went out to Houston's Wildcat golf course today and hit at the range. I'm interested if anyone knows about good courses with cheap rates, in or around Houston. I live near the Galleria, but I'm not opposed to traveling a little to play a round. I have about a million questions, but I'll try not to ask them all at once. Thanks for hosting this forum. It's an incredible resource.