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Looks like an interesting aid. One of my favorite drills is the "whoosh drill" (where you turn the club upside-down and swing listening for the whosh sound at impact) so this product is intriguing to me. I watched the video on the site and they show some examples of what you're not supposed to do but this doesn't seem to be a clear example of what it's supposed to sound like at impact? Maybe I missed it in the video?

I have the video and will say it did nothing but screw me up. After watching the video several times and trying it for a few days I can't say I ever came close to mastering "the move" or even really understanding it. If distance is not an issue for you then I wouldn't even bother investigating this any more. The best description I can give is "the move" is mostly about getting your right hand/wrist/arm in a torqued position at the top of your back swing so that you have to unleash all of that power into the ball on the down swing. I'd be happy to trade my copy for some other golf instructional video as I have no use for it. Feel free to PM me.

What club do you use out of the sand currently? If you don't have a sand wedge I''d suggest you start there. A good sand wedge will help you not only out of bunkers but will give you lots of chipping options around the green as well pitches from about 85 yards and in. Read this article about wedge bounce and grind. http://thesandtrap.com/b/bag_drop/wedge_bounce_and_grind_what_it_is_and_why_it_matters I'd also go through Cleveland Golf's wedge fitting system which will give you some ideas based upon your style of play and course conditions. http://www.clevelandgolf.com/US_wedge_fitting_system.html

Where are you planning on setting it up? Inside, outside, in a garage? The biggest thing you need to worry about is missing/breaking the net and the resulting ricochet. Don't ask me how I know this . Nothing like a golf ball coming back at you at 100mph to put the fear of God into you. I've played with a few different setups but finally ditched the real golf balls in favor of using "Almost Golf" balls. The balls are plastic and lightweight but still feel similar to hitting a real ball. I have my setup inside the house as the garage is just too cold in the Chicago winters. Now I don't worry about the occasional shank as the ball just bounces around harmlessly if I do miss the net. As for netting, you can find some good deals on ebay. Since I use the plastic balls I don't bother with a net and just hit into a cloth painters tarp. I built a frame out of PVC and just hung the tarp like a shower curtain. If you're looking for the ultimate cheap setup just take two high-backed chairs and set them 6 feet apart. Drape with a heavy quilt and you can hit everything from driver to about 7 iron into the quilt. I did this for a few months last year and had no problems.

I've built a few sets of graphite shafted irons. Like others have said, you can build them to standard length and and use tip weights to get a swing weight you like. Graphite shafts are generally going to be quite a bit lighter than steel so your total club weight is going to go down.Do not get to hung up on swing weight as a D3 steel shafted club is going to feel different than a D3 graphite shafted club. I would suggest that you build just one club in the set without any tip weights and then test with various amounts of lead tape to zero in on a swing weight. Try a swing weight of around C9. You will probably find that a lighter swing weight than "standard" will work better for you.

I think the more you can simulate "playing golf" with your practice, the better off you'll be. Don't mindlessly hit putt after putt or chip after chip as all you're practicing is *that* shot. You also want to put some pressure on yourself to simulate the pressure during a game Up & Downs Chip a ball to a hole and then putt out. Chip from a different location/length/lie/hole on the next chip. You should not have two similar chips in a row. Your goal is to get up & down at least 50% of the time. I'll chip 10 balls with the goal of getting at least 5 up & down. If I don't make my goal I have to start all over again and can't move on until I do. Putting Circle Take 10 balls and make a circle around a hole 3/4/5/6ft away. Go around the circle and make all 10 in a row. If you miss you have to start over again. Try to find a practice hole that has a little slant to it so you get to practice a variety of breaks.

I got tired of hitting into a blanket so I picked up an Optishot a few months ago. Overall I really like It. Every simulator has it's pluses and minuses but for $400 I think it does a good job.

You can create a makeshift hitting net with two chairs and a comforter. Setup two chairs about five feet apart and drape the comforter over both chairs. You can hit a real golf ball into the comforter but for safety I would use a foam ball (I like the Almost Golf Balls). Hit off a golf mat or a scrap piece of carpet and you've got a decent hitting net you can setup anywhere you have room to swing a club. You won't be able to hit wedges with this setup but it's great for working on your swing with a six iron.

I ditched the 3wood & 5wood for a 16.5* 4 wood. Best of both worlds as the 4 wood is a lot easier to hit off the deck than the 3 wood and I can choke down an inch or so if I need to take something off it. .

Glad to hear you are hitting the driver better. You are definitely on the right track. Part of the difference in distance between your driver and 3w is the 2.5° difference in loft. Also remember that your 3w is probably 42"-43" long and your driver is 45"-46" long. Those extra couple of inches make a big difference in swing speed. Teeing up the ball to the correct height for your swing is important. Remember, your objective is to hit the ball with the sweet spot of the driver (somewhere between dead center on the face and center on the face but a bit higher than center on the face). Teeing the ball a little higher may help you AoA a bit but it is not going to change it by 5°. To hit the ball more on the upswing you can experiment with moving the ball more forward in your stance - if you have the ball even with your left heel in your swing trying moving it 1-2" toward the target. Your swing will bottom out behind the ball and should hit it on the upswing giving you a positive AoA. When you say you have "no weight shift" what I think you are saying is that you do not shift your weight to your back foot. From your descriptions I'd say you do have a weight shift, it's just your weight stays centered during your backswing and then moves forward in your downswing when you slide your hips. If the majority of your weight ends up on your front foot at the end of your swing then you do have a weight shift through the ball. This is exactly what Stack and Tilt advocates. Many people, myself included, have a really hard time getting the timing correct when trying to shift their weight to the back foot to get behind the ball and then shift it to the front foot. Keep on doing what you're doing. You've made huge strides in the right direction. Here's another video for you.

I think I would get the book now and wait for the new DVD's to come out. Between the book and all the information here and on youtube there is enough to get you started.

What you are describing - ball forward and tee'd low, no weight shift, and downward strike - is a pretty standard Stack and Tilt driver setup. Absolutely nothing wrong with hitting the ball this way and it sounds like you already do this with other clubs like the three wood. Take a look at Troy Matteson, a Stack and Tilt guy that hits it about 300 yards. - Ball forward - Tee'd low - Very little weight shift back - centered pivot - Downward strike.

Picked up a used Wishon 949 MC 4wood shafted with a stiff UST V2 65g shaft for $40. Had never hit the 949MC before but heard good things about it and I generally prefer a low profile head in my fairway woods. Something about the V2 shaft just fits my swing and I crush this club. Always dead straight or a baby draw.

Quick question: Was this by any chance filmed at the Ditka dome in Bolingbrook, IL? That dome looks awfully familiar to me. Swing looks fairly good but I'll let the experts give you swing advice as I don't feel qualified.

Thanks to Martin Hall and The Sand Trap for putting on this contest. I've been working on my game diligently but somehow I can't get rid of the dreaded flip. I've tried numerous aids and drills to get rid of it but it keeps coming back. I've got a long Chicago winter coming up and with the help of the Tour Striker I know I can finally kill "the flip". Good luck everyone!

Old1964 has given you some excellent advice. If it was me I would dust off those Pings and get my swing back in shape before doing anything else. You might find the Pings are fine. Definitely put in a couple of range sessions with the Pings and see how your ball flight and distance is. If you do need to go more upright you can send them back to Ping and they will bend them and redo the color code. Shaft stiffness is all about clubhead speed, not age. If your driver speed is 100+ then you are probably ok for stiff shafts in your irons.

1. Remove the old paint fill with acetone and q-tips. You might have to use a toothpick to get out stubborn paint. 2. Fill with enamel paint of your choice - model paints work well or you can use nail polish. Fill the indented area right up to the top. 3. Use a paper towel dipped in acetone to lightly wipe away the excess. 4. Let dry. You can cover with clear nail polish for a more resilient finish. For alternating colors like the Scotty pic, do one color first, cover with blue painter tape, then do the next color. Hope this helps. Have fun!!

Is the ball starting at the target and then hooking or doest it start left of the target and then hook more? Can you post a video?

I like the aimpoint stuff that I've seen on youtube and think the overall system has a lot of merit. That said I haven't gone to a clinic yet but hope to in the spring. You might want to check out the Reality of Putting video with Steve Elkington ang Geoff Mangum. Lots of good info about green reading, distance control, etc.. I got a lot out of it for the $35. http://www.therealityofputting.com/ I have no commercial interest, just a satisfied customer.

I agree, site is very busy and not well laid out. BUT, tons of good info if you can dig it out. Start Here : http://puttingzone.com/puttmanual.html This is almost a book in itself and will definitley get you started in the right direction The main tips page is here: http://www.puttingzone.com/ziptips.html#GRE

Don't try to work on too many things at the same time at the range. You can only work on one thing at a time. Try the 32 ball drill: Hit four balls in a row focusing on the one change you are trying to make. Then hit four balls in a row without any swing thoughts. Repeat for a total of 32 balls. This helps to quickly ingrain the change you are trying to make into your subconscious.

Hi Piers, Great playing! Can't image being a 4 hcp at 15. The best advice I can give you is to play in as many tournaments as you can. Ideally you'd like to play for a Division 1 college. Here's a list of the top 50 schools: http://www.golfweekrankings.com/ellington/default.asp?t=mt Check out this site: http://collegegolf.com/collegegolf/ Here is some additional info http://3jack.blogspot.com/2011/07/3jacks-quick-guide-to-college-golf.html Good luck to you!

I'm a big fan of Geoff Mangum. More than you ever wanted to know about putting on his website. http://puttingzone.com He did a video with Steve Elkington recently that I highly recommend as well http://www.therealityofputting.com/

Nick Clearwater is now in the Chicago Area. You should be able to get a hold of him at nickstackandtilt@gmail.com

You can make a practice rig out of a boot tray (one of those 2' x 4' plastic trays that you put shoes on in the winter) and some sand. The tray is usually only a couple of inches deep, so fill with sand, stand outside the tray and hit balls out of it. An added benefit is that the tray will help the club slide under the ball which is the feeling you want to ingrain. I have set this up in my backyard and it's a quick way to practice when I can't get to the course. I use "almost golf" balls so I don't have to worry about hitting a flyer into the neighbor's house. This would be simple enough to take to a public park and get a little practice in.