Big Don

I recently had the lie of my clubs tested and it was recommended that I flatten the lie by 2 degrees. I can't see this is going to make such a difference. Surely 2 degrees is within manufacturing tolerances? At most the incorrect lie would lead to a ball being hit of 1-2 degrees off line. Which would result in less than 5 yards off centreline on a typical 5 iron shot. Doesn't sound like such a big deal for the average amateur, who has a pretty inconsistent swing anyway. Any comments?

I'm not mad on the aesthetics of the burner. The flame logo on the sole looks a bit naff in my opinion. The moment of inertia of an object about a given axis is a measure of how difficult it is to induce an angular rotation of the object about that axis. In a golf club head there are three axis of rotation. Therefore there are actually three MOI values not just one. Moment of inertia is increased by moving mass away from the axis of rotation which increases the resistance to twisting. Golf club designers obviously seek to maximise the resistance to twisting whilst also remaining within the USGA geometry and COR limits. Given this situation, depending on the design objective, the designer can maximise the MOI relative to one axis at the expense of the MOI around another axis. There are likely many potential designs, apart from the square headed designs, that will produce a very stable head that is resistant to twisting. It's therefore perfectly possible that the burner will perform comparably to any of the square drivers out there.

How far do you hit a 5 iron (carry plus roll)?

Laura Davies? I'm sure she's a nice lady, but if you think she's hot you need a trip to the optometrist!

I am a VP at an Engineering firm in the oil and gas industry. Wish I was a banker.........more money........more opportunities to play business golf!!!!!!

Got Leadbetter interactive. Pricey but very comprehensive and clear presentation. The swing analysis software included is great too.

How about a nice lamb madras and nann bread? Washed down with a few cold pints of lager. Hard to beat.

Yes I find the same thing.

And? What's so revolutionary about that? Just about every instructor on the planet uses the baseball analogy. Cash for old rope!!!

Ever watched the "Big 3" golf series? The young Nicklaus was some machine. With today's equipment in his hands he would have been a match for anybody, Tiger included.

I recently received a set of Nike forged blades as a present. As a high handicap player I wondered whether I'd be able to hit them at all. Much to my surprise I have found them to be relatively easy to hit and certainly no less forgiving than my old cavity backs. Sure hits of the toe and heel are not too pretty but the cavity backs weren't really any better in that respect. My ball trajectory is much higher leading to softer landings. This together with better accuracy and length has been most satisfying. However, what I really like is the lighter softer feel of the club face when striking balls; my old cavity backs feel very hard and nasty by comparison. I am really enjoying my Nike's and my confidence with my irons is growing. My conclusion is that the so called forgiveness of cavity backs is way overrated as is the difficulty in hitting blades.

I think a lot of guys claiming the 300 yard bombs might be surprised if they started measuring using A GPS too.

Beckham is a vain plonker!!!!! He epitomises the worst side of the UK's vulgar bling obsessed chav culture. A good player in his day, but not even in the same league as Pele, Maradona or Cruyff. He seems to be more interested in poncy fashion acessories these days than football.

I was given a set of Nike Blades as a present. Initially I was very sceptical about whether they would really suit me given the fact that I am a high handicap player. I took them to the driving range with a sense of trepidation and nervously teed up a ball and swung my three iron. The ball leapt of the club face and carried out straight for about 180 yards. Slightly surprised, I teed up another and got the same result. This happened again and again and I went home delighted. I've now had the clubs for about 4 weeks and must say that I haven't found them to be any more difficult to hit or less consistent than my cavity backs. Strikes on the ball do feel much lighter and softer; my cavity backs feel very hard and nasty now by comparison. My conclusion is that the "easier hitting" reputation of cavity backs is largely marketing hype that is pushed by the big manufacturers so that they can sell lots of cheap to produce cast products. Any other experiences\opinions out there?

I don't see Howell as a journeyman, he just needs a few breaks to go his way. He's been pushed into second place numerous times by miracle shots. If he gets on a winning streak look out!!!!

Tadd seems like a normal, modest kid too. How refreshing; Most of these golf/tennis brats have been turned in to "space cadets" by their ambitious parents by the time they've reached 16. Time will tell if he can crack it consistently. Felt sorry for poor old Charlie Howell. If he ever gets on a winning streak then he'll be one of the game's monsters I'm sure.

Great golfer but not the greatest behind the microphone. Don't know if you've ever heard Peter Allis? He was the best UK commentator by far.

Anybody out there bought AJ Bonner's "The Truth About Golf"? I purchased a copy but have to say that it didn't really live up to the infomercial hype. Although AJ is an engaging presenter, ultimately in a long winded way he really ends up stating the obvious, i.e. you have to control the club face properly through the impact zone to hit good shots. Big deal whats so revolutionary about that!!! Did I miss something? Anybody else got an opinion?

They are obviously all great, but for me its got to be The Open. The true original.

During The Open Championship the top American players are treated like Kings when they come to the UK. Look at the support for Tiger this year. I can't imagine British golf fans ever heckling that guy. In honour of his fantastic contribution to The Open, Jack Nicklaus' image will appear on the back of a special run of Royal Bank of Scotland £5 notes. That is a measure of the high regard for his achievements in golf in Scotland. He is a legend who will always be highly regarded here due to his high standard of play but more importantly because of his exceptional sportsmanship. We'd love to see a Scotsman win The Open, but that doesn't mean that we can't appreciate and enthusiastically applaud good play from overseas players.

Although there are a few clubs that have a minority of moronic supporters that set out to cause trouble, crowd violence in european football is relatively rare. I've personally never witnessesed any violent incidents like those in your pictures during my 30 years as a spectator. The atmosphere in stadiums in the UK is totally different than in the USA. For a start large numbers of supporters of both teams are in the stadium, unlike America where the great majority of the supporters in a stadium are supporting the home team. Allegiance to teams in the UK is largely regional and is based primarily on family background although in some cases religion and\or ethnicity can play a part. Fans rarely change their allegiance from their original home team even if they relocate to a different region of the country; you are a fan of a particular team for life. Additionally the game moves quickly and lasts only 90 mins. All of these factors lead to a much more tribal, charged and volatile atmosphere in UK football stadiums and soccer stadiums in general. In contrast when I've been to stadiums in the USA most of the spectators appear to be relatively disinterested in the sports event itself, at least during some parts of the game. The main focus seems to be enjoying the company of friends and consuming copious quantities of food and drink. Americans make sports events major celebrations. No bad thing; A more friendly family atmosphere in European football stadiums would be a major improvement. I think the comments by Paul Casey and Luke Donald refer to the rather obvious bias shown towards American golfers by American golf fans during the US majors rather than American sports fans in general. For example, the treatment of Monty in America over the years has been nothing short of disgraceful.

If you get your swing right then you should take a divot after the ball, not before it. The club should drive down through the ball. That way you should contact the ball not the Tee. Saying that my swing isn't so consistent and I probably do break my fair share of Tees.

Rangers FC. Check out the beautiful grass below!!!

I Tee it down so that the Tee is sitting about 1/4" above the turf. Whether you sweep depends on what your hitting. If you have a long iron the ball position will be similar to a fairway wood, just inside your left heel, and you should sweep the ball of the Tee. If you have a medium or short iron the ball should be positioned about 4"-6" inside your left heel and you should hit down through the ball taking a divot.

I meant "Pull-Slice" not "Pull-Hook" in the above reply.