MikeBuch

This might help: http://golfpride.com/Tips/RegrippingTips.aspx . On that page is an instructional video on how to regrip clubs. I think it's pretty easy for most people.

Bounce is the angle between the leading edge of the club, trailing edge of the club, and the ground in front of the clubface. A decent diagram can be found here: http://www.scratchgolf.com/tech-talk/bounce/ As you can see from the bottom diagram on that page, bounce angle is only part of the story and not the only factor that determines how the sole interacts with the ground. All else being equal, a higher bounce (greater angle) will reduce the club's tendency to dig and a lower bounce will increase this tendency. http://thesandtrap.com/bag_drop/wedg...why_it_matters a relevant quote: "Bounce is the angle of the sole measured against a horizontal line (the ground) when the club is in the address position and the shaft is vertical. The more bounce there is, the higher the leading edge is off the ground when the club is held in its square position. It's expressed in degrees . . . Gap and lob wedges generally carry six to eight degrees of bounce while sand wedges usually have somewhere between 12 and 14 degrees of bounce. That's because the more bounce there is, the more the bottom of the club acts like the bow of a boat to prevent the club from digging into the ground or the sand."

These look very similar, if not the identical model.

My experiences are limited to the Sun Mountain Four 5. I like the carrying system. It works as well as any I've used and the bag is light. I haven't had any problems with the dividers. The bag fits well in the carts I've ridden as long as the bag is sideways (so the leg activator system is pointed to the middle of the cart). I've fit two Four 5s on a cart this way.

Sun Mountain Four 5 . I really like mine.

How do you know this? I can't personally attest to his research methods or personal integrity, but Dave Pelz, in his Putting Bible presented some (what appeared to be) scientific data proving it possible for an imbalanced ball, when aligned properly, and with the right putting green and putt length, that a stroke could hole a balanced ball in the center of the cup and have the imbalanced one miss entirely. It's not going to make high handicappers go pro, but it could, very conceivably save a shot once in a while on well stroked putts. I would think we could agree that saving a shot is material. I also agree that there is more than likely a mental effect, but to say that this method will never help otherwise without anything to discredit current research seems unfounded, so where did you get this information from?

Great grip. I use the standard size.

I think the point for most people is enjoyment. If someone can have more enjoyment playing by non-USGA or no rules, and isn't deceiving anyone about it, then why not do it?

For the orthodox USGA rules followers: Rule "4-1. Form and Make of Clubs a. General The player's clubs must conform with this Rule and the provisions, specifications and interpretations set forth in Appendix II . [. . .] b. Wear and Alteration A club that conforms with the Rules when new is deemed to conform after wear through normal use. Any part of a club that has been purposely altered is regarded as new and must, in its altered state, conform with the Rules . [. . .] PENALTY FOR making stroke with club in BREACH OF RULE 4-1 or 4-2: Disqualification" Section 5 of Appendix II is the relevant part. Also see Decision " 4-1/1 Condition Requiring Clubs Conforming with Groove and Punch Mark Specifications Effective January 1, 2010 " Also: Rule "1-3. Agreement to Waive Rules Players must not agree to exclude the operation of any Rule or to waive any penalty incurred. Penalty for Breach of Rule 1-3: Match play — Disqualification of both sides; Stroke play — Disqualification of competitors concerned." I'm not a rules expert, and maybe someone can clarify, but I think this means if you sharpen your grooves in conformance with Appendix II Section 5 and Decision 4-1/1 you should be ok with the USGA. I don't know how closely you follow, or if you follow USGA rules, but I hope that helps.

I like the Sun Mountain Four 5. It's high quality, light, and has 14 way dividers. When looking at Ogio bags I was disappointed by the stability of their legs, but otherwise good bags.

If you lengthen the club, all else remaining the same, you will increase the swingweight.

You may make more putts, but some of your misses will be amplified. All putts can be effected (even close ones that you usually make), just some less than others. The feedback you get on the practice green won't be as good, which I imagine would be the biggest problem. Compared to everything else a golfer can do to lower his or her score, this may be at the bottom of a very very long list. However, it shouldn't hurt your score and may actually help your score. I agree with the confidence sentiments. If it makes you feel more confident then go for it.

The idea is that most golf balls have a center of gravity that is slightly different than the geometrical center of the golf ball. When the line between these points is not in line with the putt, this can prevent the ball from rolling true. I have not read much about how this ball imperfection affects fully airborne shots. If, however, the line between the two points is on the plane of rotation of the ball, then this effect can be minimized. There are ball spinners you can buy to help you mark them (e.g. http://www.technasonic.com/ ). You can also drop your ball in water and add salt until a small spot of it penetrates the surface (the heavy side will be pointing down (see http://www.thegolfchannel.com/golf-l...all-balancing/ ). On long, slow putts (fast greens) where the ball is perfectly misaligned, the misalignment could be the difference between the ball dropping in the center of the cup and missing the cup. That is to say, when all the stars are (mis)aligned a balanced ball could make a difference. Some may point out that this will help as much as it will hurt. That is actually not true. If you miss most putts then misalignment would help to sink more putts by moving the ball off the wrong line (but make some of your misses worse of course). If you make most putts, then misalignment would hurt more than help. Another thing to think about is that improvement is much faster accurate feedback--you can see the results of your actions, rather than think the ball's imperfect movement had something to do with your stroke. All this of course is very technical, and I would be very surprised if anybody could tell the difference while playing. However, it can make a difference, albeit small and only when misaligned. My thought is that if you're playing for fun and it makes the game more fun, then go for it. When I personally tried it I found it distracting, so I don't do it. However, I might try it again at some point in the future.

This might be the sort of thing you are looking for: http://thesandtrap.com/accessories/t...racelet_review I wouldn't dig too deep into the technology. That would totally destroy the placebo effect. While I don't claim to know everything, I would be shocked if there was any other benefit.

Agree and disagree. The big OEMs don't want to have that label associated with them; and making these clubs, in my opinion, unfairly gives them that label. However, cheating has more to do with dishonesty, deception, and gaining an unfair advantage. Alone, manufacturing these clubs is not cheating. Representing that they are something different than they are (i.e. conforming) is dishonest. Golf exists without the USGA--but the vast majority of golfers here follow their guidelines to some extent while playing golf (perhaps even impliedly). If the non-conforming wedges add to your enjoyment and you're not deceiving anybody, why not play them? Integrity is an important part of the game, but within the constraints of fair play isn't it all about enjoyment (at least for amateurs)?

A rule is only as good as the consequences for breaking it. USGA provides the consequence that non-conforming clubs won't be USGA approved. Because the market for non-USGA clubs is so thin and these companies so big, USGA effectively has control over what these companies can manufacture.

Why worry about brand for consistency in feel? Is a putter supposed to feel like a wedge? Or a driver like an iron?

I think what many of the forum members don't like is TaylorMade's corporate and marketing strategy, while they like the clubs. While the brand is associated with the club, they can be looked at as two different things. While marketing should increase profits, this doesn't necessarily mean that they plow this money into R&D.; From a mechanical business standpoint, a project (e.g. R&D; department) needs to bring in more value then it costs in order to be a worthwhile. R&D; spending has a lot to do with perceived benefit. There is a ton of pressure on the major golf companies to come up with some new perceived benefit in order to generate excitement for their newest models. If they can't communicate the value to the customers (either through ads, the product itself, or otherwise) then it doesn't bring them money. Likewise, a perceived value (real or imaginary) can be of value to a company. I'm not saying they don't produce quality clubs; and there are other consideration that go into R&D; spending and strategy decisions. It would also be a big mistake for a company to flat out lie to its customers. There are also a lot of companies that, by reasons of their own values and business purposes, back up their claims with a product that delivers. I'm also not saying that Taylormade isn't one of those companies. However, I believe there is more to think about than in the above quote.

Essentially, and this effect will be more pronounced in clubs with more loft.

From my understanding. . . Bounce angle is the angle formed by your wedge's leading edge, trailing edge, and the ground. Scratch golf has a simple diagram explaining this (see top diagram here) A greater bounce angle is usually best for softer courses and players with a steeper attack angles. A smaller bounce angle is usually better for firmer courses and players with a shallower attack angles. Greater bounce generally decreases the likelihood you will hit it fat and increases the likelihood you will hit it thin. The reverse is true for smaller bounce angles.