rjdunne

Excellent stuff - clubfitting to me is a craft which (as mentioned in my earlier comment) has made my game & swing more consistent. No two golfers have the same physique, proportions, swing characteristics so its pot luck to use standard clubs *without* having them customised.

I agree with this one - Pros are getting more health conscious with each year and the mental game, or having mental fortitude, seems to be a key differentiator in some players... so its fair to say the older players will continue to be just as competitive. Also, golf can be a game of luck (weather, the course conditions, the luck of a lie, etc) so its bound to happen again.

Got a chipper as a present and couldn't get comfortable using it - reverted to using my 9i again. If its comfy then go for it

Funny - I was thinking the same thing at the range. I play a DeepRed Wilson driver which I thought was oversized at the time of purchase but the guy in the next bay had some club resembling a stop sign. That said, my 65 year old dad still uses an old driver from the 1970s - with a wooden club head - and can still outdrive me :) He reckons in the amateur game, that the smaller heavier head promotes a better swing rhythm. With the new club heads, I wonder when the oversize club head size is going to start affecting aerodynamics. After all, you're forcing a large flat club face through the down swing at a pace!

Good advice - Only YOU have to believe in your own talents to make it happen. As someone who has been doing the corporate slog for 20 years, I'd happily have dedicated my life to sport... all it needs is dedication, commitment & drive.

Lowest I'd heard of, in competition play, was a 60 by Darren Clarke 4/5 year ago.

Go with whatever you're comfortable with. I switched to Tour Edge hybrids in 2006 and haven't looked back since - their custom fitted and promote consistency and a high ball trajectory. However, prior to 06, I had gone through a few sets of irons trying to find comfortable ones.. and the more expensive ones did not necessarily improve my game. Best option - see if any friendly golf shops will let you try out the hybrids for a weekend.

Well worth getting fitted clubs - esp. if the place fitting the clubs know their stuff. One question they may ask is if you want the club fitted to your 'current' swing or to the 'ideal' swing for your physique... I was asked this on fitting my club. I realised I'll never fully adopt the pro swing (I'm too short & out of shape!) so had my clubs fitted to my current swing. It didn't improve club distance for me - happily, it did improve consistency so was money well spent.

While I enjoyed Pelz's book - and theres no doubt Dave puts in the science work for his books - i feel the book is better suited to Pros who can put in the extensive training & drills. I do now use 3 wedges (sometimes 4 if i leave out the 3 iron) but, as an amateur, I got more short game value from 1 lesson with a club pro where he just got me to use a 9 iron and a wedge then vary the ball placement to change distances.

Long time IT project manager, though am doing consulting/freelancing at the moment. I'm looking to retrain into carpentry - much rather being doing something creative :)

Baseball. Not so much playing it - but practising the swing with a bat. I'd noted Miguel Angel Jimenez used a baseball like swing in his pre-shot routine so gave it a try --- it does help set the rhythm of my swing so I've kept it in.