2017 Golf Thread

TFP

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Wachusett is pretty much at the top of the hill. I expect most of it to drain well, but who knows at this time of year. I'm of no illusion that the courses will be in nice shape, and I definitely expect them to be quite soggy, I just want to get outside and swing the sticks.
Annnnnd Wachusett just canceled my tee time. Looks like they're not opening until next weekend. In scramble mode right now to find somewhere.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Wait do people pay for fittings? I thought it was free as long as youre buying stuff. Idk, anyway I like Pings drivers. I hangout at a store all the time and it looks like the Titleist, TM, and callaway drivers all have small faces.
I love my Ping driver. It's ridiculously forgiving on off-center contact. Maybe the better players would prefer to give up some of that for a few extra yards but for my game (or lack thereof) it's a good fit.

Paying for a fitting is news to me. I thought the whole point was to encourage a fitting so you could see what a few hundred dollars will do for your game off the tee.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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Amherst CC in S NH opened their front nine and few holes on the back today. Pretty much played out of my mind considering I hadn't hit a ball or made a putt since early December and it was 40 degrees with a 20 mph wind. Definitely feels good to be back out there even in tough conditions.
 

TFP

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We played at Butterbrook today. Was in surprisingly good conditions considering the weather. Shot a 92, no complaints overall.

Playing redtail on Monday.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Feb 22, 2004
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A few trips to the range over the past week suggest I'm looking at another year of solid/reliable iron play and a wildly inconsistent driver.

I'm thinking of spending some serious time on the practice green working on mid-range putts.
 

Byrdbrain

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Seems like we have the same game. I've typically backed off and used 3W or a 3 utility more than I should to make up for my inconsistent driver. A real goal this year is that I will hit driver when the hole calls for it.

I played Friday and 20 to 30 footers killed me, I think I had 4 three puts from that range. I was leaving 5 feet all day and I didn't make many of those.

League starts tomorrow and I'm going to have to stop doing that.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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My club opened the 11th and I was able to find time to get out on Friday.

Front 9 was awful - 4 out of bound tee shots, led to 4 triple bogeys. added in 3 pars, a bogey and a double to make me wonder what the hell I was doing out there.

Back 9 was what always keeps me coming back - lost a ball on 10 from the tee...made triple, and then settled in. On the next 8 holes had par or birdie putts all within 8 feet to shoot a 40 back.

Once I finish up my major orders for the year in the next two weeks, hopefully will be out there 3/4 times a week - and need to focus on keeping the ball in play.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Feb 22, 2004
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The Paris of the 80s
Seems like we have the same game. I've typically backed off and used 3W or a 3 utility more than I should to make up for my inconsistent driver. A real goal this year is that I will hit driver when the hole calls for it.

I played Friday and 20 to 30 footers killed me, I think I had 4 three puts from that range. I was leaving 5 feet all day and I didn't make many of those.

League starts tomorrow and I'm going to have to stop doing that.
I'm effectively as wild with my 3-wood, just 30 yards shorter. It's feast or famine with my woods. Either I stripe them or I'm way off the fairway. 50/50ish.

It's tough to take much away from putting this time of year. Greens are still recovering. I try not to put much into putting results the first few weeks.

Well, off to the range...
 

dhappy42

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Oct 27, 2013
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Michigan
I think most drivers are too long out of the box. I've always had the most success with it cut down an inch to between 45-44.5"
Agree. I always cut down my drivers to 44-45". Be mindful that in doing so you change the swing weight (lighter) and flex (stiffer) and you might need adjustments (lead tape or hot melt) to correct.

Here's an article from retired club fitter/builder Tom Wishon about driver length and about how nearly everyone plays a driver that's too long for them.

http://wishongolf.com/3-critical-keys-to-increasing-driver-distance/

The LENGTH of your driver is critical. If you buy into the premise that the longer the driver, the longer the drive, you have just bought into a load of malarkey and you’ll be destined to a constant fight with your #1 wood...

Standard length men’s drivers today are between 45.5 and 46.5 inches in length. Women’s drivers are but 1 inch shorter. Now think about this – the average driver length on the PGA Tour since 2005 has remained steady at 44.5”.
 

jercra

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Agree. I always cut down my drivers to 44-45". Be mindful that in doing so you change the swing weight (lighter) and flex (stiffer) and you might need adjustments (lead tape or hot melt) to correct.

Here's an article from retired club fitter/builder Tom Wishon about driver length and about how nearly everyone plays a driver that's too long for them.

http://wishongolf.com/3-critical-keys-to-increasing-driver-distance/
I was going to post something from Tom Wishon in response to Phragle but I couldn't find it online. He's done a lot of studies on clubfitting and his book on it is awesome. One of the things I remember vividly from that book is a comparison he did showing differences in distance with shaft lengths and then comparing that to slightly off-center hits. The short story is that there is a massive difference in distance from on-center to off-center hits and very little difference between on-center long-shaft and on-center shorter-shaft. Essentially, whatever shaft length lets you hit the center of the clubhead is the one that will get you the most difference. Sounds obvious, but most people don't hit the center of the face very often and could use a shorter shaft. I also think most people play shafts that aren't stiff enough, but that's a different topic.
 

Phragle

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I think I fucked up when I bought my wedges. I didn't really know enough so I bought wedges every 4 degrees off my PW. I'm going to recheck my distances but I think I should have gone with something more like 6 degree gaps. I have my PW at 44 and vokeys at 48, 52, & 56. A 50 fits perfectly in between my 44 PW and my 56 SW. I'm trying to find a cheap way to do it, then I think I can add a cheap 60-62 to help me hit some lobs. I think I got too cute and it's hard to pick the right wedge sometimes. My club builder thinks I should only carry two wedges but that seems too far in the other direction.
 

jercra

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Your PW is 44?. That's a pretty strong PW. Mine is 47.

You could get them bent but then you'll have to worry that you messed up the bounce on them. If you get them bent and like the yardages at the range you could probably have them ground to the bounce you need. If you don't want to do it to your Vokeys you could always get a set of Bombtech wedges for $97 and mess with those first. If you want to try for even cheaper I can probably dig up a whole set of old wedges I can send to you that you can mess with. I may even have a set of old Vokeys.

I played for years with 50, 56 and 60. 62 is a recent development without bending. Today I go 47 (PW), 51, 55, 58. 4* changes except the 58. The 58 I like because it's what I use from the sand and I want to be able to hit a wider range of bunker shots.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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I think I fucked up when I bought my wedges. I didn't really know enough so I bought wedges every 4 degrees off my PW. I'm going to recheck my distances but I think I should have gone with something more like 6 degree gaps. I have my PW at 44 and vokeys at 48, 52, & 56. A 50 fits perfectly in between my 44 PW and my 56 SW. I'm trying to find a cheap way to do it, then I think I can add a cheap 60-62 to help me hit some lobs. I think I got too cute and it's hard to pick the right wedge sometimes. My club builder thinks I should only carry two wedges but that seems too far in the other direction.
In the same boat - my PW is a 43 degree, and I went 48/52/56.

I have had them for a season and know my 90% max distances pretty well but I am still not sure if it was the right set up.

(for reference the PW at 43 degree's is the AP1's)
 

Phragle

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Your PW is 44?. That's a pretty strong PW. Mine is 47.

You could get them bent but then you'll have to worry that you messed up the bounce on them. If you get them bent and like the yardages at the range you could probably have them ground to the bounce you need. If you don't want to do it to your Vokeys you could always get a set of Bombtech wedges for $97 and mess with those first. If you want to try for even cheaper I can probably dig up a whole set of old wedges I can send to you that you can mess with. I may even have a set of old Vokeys.

I played for years with 50, 56 and 60. 62 is a recent development without bending. Today I go 47 (PW), 51, 55, 58. 4* changes except the 58. The 58 I like because it's what I use from the sand and I want to be able to hit a wider range of bunker shots.
Yeah I think it's 44. Seems like modern iron sets are pretty strong. I'd rather pick up a 50 for cheap somehow, but I have the option to bend the 48 back or the 52 up too. My local shop has a 60 degree vokey sm3 (I think) that's rusty but looks to be in good shape on the face.
 

TFP

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Your PW is 44?. That's a pretty strong PW. Mine is 47.

You could get them bent but then you'll have to worry that you messed up the bounce on them. If you get them bent and like the yardages at the range you could probably have them ground to the bounce you need. If you don't want to do it to your Vokeys you could always get a set of Bombtech wedges for $97 and mess with those first. If you want to try for even cheaper I can probably dig up a whole set of old wedges I can send to you that you can mess with. I may even have a set of old Vokeys.

I played for years with 50, 56 and 60. 62 is a recent development without bending. Today I go 47 (PW), 51, 55, 58. 4* changes except the 58. The 58 I like because it's what I use from the sand and I want to be able to hit a wider range of bunker shots.
Are the Bombtechs legit? I've heard them advertised on Foreplay and they seem too good to be true. Even so, grabbing them for $97 for a set is almost no lose even if they aren't great.

I mean, they feel like the equivalent of Vice golf balls, which I love. Any insight?
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Yeah I think it's 44. Seems like modern iron sets are pretty strong. I'd rather pick up a 50 for cheap somehow, but I have the option to bend the 48 back or the 52 up too. My local shop has a 60 degree vokey sm3 (I think) that's rusty but looks to be in good shape on the face.
Strong and getting stronger. Titleist's AP1 PW is down to 43, AP2 at 46. Seems like a lot of their player's irons are 47. Ping mostly 45 except their blades which are 46. Mizuno at 46. Calloway a lot of 44-45. It's easy to advertise irons being longer when you slap a PW on a 9-iron.
 

Phragle

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Yeah it's a weird thing the industry is doing and it's why I bought so many wedges in the first place. Length with irons isn't even very important
 

dhappy42

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Oct 27, 2013
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Yeah it's a weird thing the industry is doing and it's why I bought so many wedges in the first place. Length with irons isn't even very important
Loft creep.

My Ping Eye 2+ 9-iron is 44-degrees same as many modern PWs.

Club manufacturers have been making their clubs hit longer for years by making the lofts stronger (and shafts longer.) It's a marketing gimmick.

Worst thing about it is the compression of lofts between long irons -- because for most people the longest iron can be only so strong -- and the larger loft gaps between wedges -- the opposite of what you want in your scoring clubs where distance accuracy is more important. Hitting a 4-iron 5/10 yards short/long is less of a big deal than hitting your SW 5/10 yards short/long.

Hence the gap wedge... and hybrids, to replace hard-to-hit (for most) modern 3-irons. That's 2-3 more clubs a golfer has to buy. Good for golf club makers, bad for golfers.
 

4 6 3 DP

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So I am a complete club ho - tweak constantly with equipment, shafts, etc...Waste way too much money on it as well.

I'd recommend getting something used over the bombtech stuff - not because I wouldn't want to support Sully, but because there's great barely used stuff online or on global golf or callaway preowned if you spend a little time to look.

Wedges to me are really finicky - if you don't trust contact you won't go at the shot and if you don't go at it you'll chunk or blade everything.

I'd be far quicker to hit a Grenade driver than their wedges.

FYI I think the single smartest thing anyone who cares about equipment could do is not buy out of stores and make sure you use custom or fitted shafts. By doing nothing but screwing around on GolfWRX and then a little hunting online and in stores I have gone from a guy who was erratic with regular shafted woods and stiff tipped irons and gotten much straighter with different stiff shafted woods (though very smooth profiles) and soft tipped irons. Also have learned to tweak swing weights and lead tape et al - it makes a real difference.
 

Phragle

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Maybe I'll just wait for now and replace my 5 iron with a 60 degree wedge. There isn't a big difference between my 23 degree 5 iron and my 23 degree 4 hybrid. This looks good for a 20 right? ImageUploadedBySons of Sam Horn1492778185.669518.jpg
 

southshoresoxfan

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I couldnt imagine pulling a 3iron out on the course. My 3 and 4 hybrids are so incredible that my 3 and 4iron have been relegated to alignment shafts
 

southshoresoxfan

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Opening round 85 at Wentworth this am from the blues. 46 on the front 39 on the back including 2 birdies. No 3 putts. Cpl OB drives. Overall very happy
 

southshoresoxfan

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Need driver help. Anyone have a good go to video/cue? Im missing ALL over the place. My irons putting and short game are as good as they have ever been and im really struggling to get off the tee.

Pulls hooks pushes you name it except a snap hook and a big slice and its happening to me last 2 weeks. Still scrambling ok but wasting a lot of good iron shots and chips.
 

dhappy42

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Oct 27, 2013
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Need driver help. Anyone have a good go to video/cue? Im missing ALL over the place. My irons putting and short game are as good as they have ever been and im really struggling to get off the tee.

Pulls hooks pushes you name it except a snap hook and a big slice and its happening to me last 2 weeks. Still scrambling ok but wasting a lot of good iron shots and chips.
Get fitted and/or get a a shorter driver. Something less than 44" long. (If you simply cut down your current driver, you'll probably need to add some weight to head or it'll feel too stiff and too light. Try that for starters.)

Off-the-rack drivers are 45.75" long because "long" sells. Good marketing, but bad golf. The average driver length on tour is about 44.5". That's A LOT shorter.

Sergio Garcia and Ricky Fowler bag 43.5" drivers. Mickelson's driver is 44". Tiger played a 43.5" driver. Jimmy Walker cut his driver down to 42".

If they can't hit a 45-inch-plus driver consistently neither can you. Club fitter/builder Tom Wishon says that only 10% of amateur golfers should play with a driver longer than 44".
 

dhappy42

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Oct 27, 2013
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I couldnt imagine pulling a 3iron out on the course. My 3 and 4 hybrids are so incredible that my 3 and 4iron have been relegated to alignment shafts
You've just demonstrated the benefit of loft creep... for club manufacturers.

They sell a typical 4-PW iron set, but most people can't hit their 4-iron consistently, because it's almost the same loft as an old-school 2-iron. Some can't hit the 5-iron because it's the same as an old-school 3-iron.

So you need to buy two or three additional clubs. One or two hybrids to replace the long irons --because real men don't bag 7-woods and 9-woods -- and a gap wedge -- because modern-day pitching wedges are really mislabeled 9-irons and you need a club to fill the gap between a 46* "PW" and a 56* SW.

Three additional clubs, two hybrids and a wedge -- that's $400-$500 (retail) additional club cost. If you fall for the "you need new, sharp grooved wedges every 2-3 years" thing, that's another $300-$400.
 
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southshoresoxfan

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You've just demonstrated the benefit of loft creep... for club manufacturers.

They sell a typical 4-PW iron set, but most people can't hit their 4-iron consistently, because it's almost the same loft as an old-school 2-iron. Some can't hit the 5-iron because it's the same as an old-school 3-iron.

So you need to buy two or three additional clubs. One or two hybrids to replace the long irons --because real men don't bag 7-woods and 9-woods -- and a gap wedge -- because modern-day pitching wedges are really mislabeled 9-irons and you need a club to fill the gap between a 46* "PW" and a 56* SW.

Three additional clubs, two hybrids and a wedge -- that's $400-$500 (retail) additional club cost. If you fall for the "you need new, sharp grooved wedges every 2-3 years" thing, that's another $300-$400.
Oh no argument there. Had to add a 52 to my pw 56 and 60.

Would a mini driver accomplish a similar effect to the cutting of the driver shaft?
 

dhappy42

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Oct 27, 2013
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Oh no argument there. Had to add a 52 to my pw 56 and 60.

Would a mini driver accomplish a similar effect to the cutting of the driver shaft?
Maybe. I've never hit a mini-driver. The ones I've seen look like deep-faced 3-woods and have 3-wood-like lofts. Designed to hit a ball off a tee instead of off the deck. They seem like another marketing gimmick. Just make drivers shorter to begin with.

If I were you and was reluctant to mess with my current driver, I'd buy an old driver off eBay or from the discount bin -- something like a Taylormade R7 for $20. Then cut the length down to 43.5" and regrip it. If your current shaft is stiff flex, buy an R7 or whatever with a regular flex shaft. IOW, buy one flex softer. Lopping off 1 to 1-1/2 inches will make it play stiffer. The last thing I'd do is spend $100-plus for a mini.

Or buy a really old used driver -- something like an original Callaway Great Big Bertha at 44" or shorter. They're about $15.

Or, if you live near a store that lets you test-drive clubs, just do that. Hit a mini and see what you get.
 

southshoresoxfan

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Awesome. Yea i live near Joe and Leighs they have some older models listed w 43.5 inch shafts.

I normally play a stiff flex. My swing speed is around 110-111 w the driver. Would you drop to a reg on a cutdown still?
 

Phragle

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What is your driver, irons, and hybrids? I wouldn't hesitate to cut the driver down if you haven't already, but 43.5 seems extreme.

Def don't try a regular shaft. I think you could be to much for a stiff anyway (a problem big strong Americans like us have). I think 3balls is having a sale, or if you're coming up north we can meet up. I have a stiff R1 that's 44-44.5 you can hit
 

jercra

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Awesome. Yea i live near Joe and Leighs they have some older models listed w 43.5 inch shafts.

I normally play a stiff flex. My swing speed is around 110-111 w the driver. Would you drop to a reg on a cutdown still?
At a swing speed of 100 you need to try some swings with X-flex shafts. 110 is well into that range.
 

dhappy42

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Awesome. Yea i live near Joe and Leighs they have some older models listed w 43.5 inch shafts.

I normally play a stiff flex. My swing speed is around 110-111 w the driver. Would you drop to a reg on a cutdown still?
I agree with Phragle. If your swingspeed is 110, then you probably should play X-stiff flex. If you cut a stiff 45+ inch shaft down to 44 or 43.5, it'll play like X-stiff... or something in between S and X, depending on whether you add weight to the head. (Worry about that later.) Besides, stiffness flexes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. There's no industry standard.

Or just cut off an inch at first and see how that goes. As my dad used to say, you can cut some more off, but you can't cut some more on.

As for 43.5" drivers being dramatically short, tell it to Tiger and Phil. To me, the idea that most amateurs play with drivers at least a full inch longer than the average pro is nuts. (Sells clubs, I suppose, it keeps average players constantly on the hunt for a better driver.) An inch shorter than the pros makes sense.

If you can hit a 45.5" driver consistently straight and long, good for you. You're a member of an elite club. Fewer than 10% of amateurs can.
 

jercra

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I agree with Phragle. If your swingspeed is 110, then you probably should play X-stiff flex. If you cut a stiff 45+ inch shaft down to 44 or 43.5, it'll play like X-stiff... or something in between S and X, depending on whether you add weight to the head. (Worry about that later.) Besides, stiffness flexes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. There's no industry standard.

Or just cut off an inch at first and see how that goes. As my dad used to say, you can cut some more off, but you can't cut some more on.

As for 43.5" drivers being dramatically short, tell it to Tiger and Phil. To me, the idea that most amateurs play with drivers at least a full inch longer than the average pro is nuts. (Sells clubs, I suppose, it keeps average players constantly on the hunt for a better driver.) An inch shorter than the pros makes sense.

If you can hit a 45.5" driver consistently straight and long, good for you. You're a member of an elite club. Fewer than 10% of amateurs can.
You need to clarify if you mean tip cut or butt cut. Tip cutting will change the characteristics of the shaft, potentially dramatically, as the kick-point will change and the flex will do down. Butt cutting will make very little difference to the shaft characteristics. Additionally, if you tip cut, then you're dad is right. There's no going back. If you butt cut, you can most certainly get a shaft extension and add then length back. I would highly recommend blown on grips (about the easiest thing in the world to learn if you have a compressor) and butt cutting f you're going to perform this experiment.

Also, if you can find one, get yourself to a Trackman. If you have a driver with a swap-able shaft like most today, get a few of those $20-$30 shafts from ebay and see which ones give you good numbers. You'll be able to work with much more fine-grained changes once you understand the general properties that work for your swing.
 

( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)

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I agree with Phragle. If your swingspeed is 110, then you probably should play X-stiff flex. If you cut a stiff 45+ inch shaft down to 44 or 43.5, it'll play like X-stiff... or something in between S and X, depending on whether you add weight to the head. (Worry about that later.) Besides, stiffness flexes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. There's no industry standard.

Or just cut off an inch at first and see how that goes. As my dad used to say, you can cut some more off, but you can't cut some more on.

As for 43.5" drivers being dramatically short, tell it to Tiger and Phil. To me, the idea that most amateurs play with drivers at least a full inch longer than the average pro is nuts. (Sells clubs, I suppose, it keeps average players constantly on the hunt for a better driver.) An inch shorter than the pros makes sense.

If you can hit a 45.5" driver consistently straight and long, good for you. You're a member of an elite club. Fewer than 10% of amateurs can.
Crap this prompted me to look up the specs on my driver shaft and it's 46"
Stupid marketing bastards. Thanks guys for this tip I'm dying to leave work now and try some shorter options

Does anyone have a reputable site they use to buy used clubs? My 46" inch driver is a Callaway X2Hot. The head easily pops off the shaft so that you can adjust the loft and lie angle. If I find a used one in so-so condition but the shaft is intact then it'll be real cheap and easy to buy that used shaft down and attach the head from my current driver. I'm hoping it's an easy way to test this, I'm just wary of buying used clubs off the internet.
 
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Phragle

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Yeah 46 is bananaland. I like 3balls and global golf for used and new stuff. Because your club is adjustable you can buy just the shaft with the adapter and change shafts easily. It isn't as easy with the epoxy clubs. It will be more expensive than just cutting your shaft down, which can basically be free. There should be hundred of shafts with adapters on eBay, but I wouldn't hesitate to cut a 46 down an inch just to start.
 

dhappy42

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Oct 27, 2013
15,725
Michigan
You need to clarify if you mean tip cut or butt cut. Tip cutting will change the characteristics of the shaft, potentially dramatically, as the kick-point will change and the flex will do down. Butt cutting will make very little difference to the shaft characteristics. Additionally, if you tip cut, then you're dad is right. There's no going back. If you butt cut, you can most certainly get a shaft extension and add then length back. I would highly recommend blown on grips (about the easiest thing in the world to learn if you have a compressor) and butt cutting f you're going to perform this experiment.
Completely agree with the above. I was trying to keep it "simple." Easiest way to shorten a driver is to remove the grip, butt cut, put a new grip on (or the old one if you can blow it off with a compressor) and slap some lead tape on the head if necessary to maintain swing weight. Tipping requires special tools: a vise, heat gun, shaft puller and epoxy. And tipping will definitely change the shaft stiffness and general feel.
 

dhappy42

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Oct 27, 2013
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Crap this prompted me to look up the specs on my driver shaft and it's 46"
Stupid marketing bastards. ....
OEM marketers play off your ego. You can hit a 46" driver longer... one time in 20.

If you gave me a 48" (max allowable) driver and ten minutes at the the range, I'd hit it a mile... I'LL TAKE IT!!! On a real course I'd maybe hit one fairway and lose three sleeves of balls.
 

FL4WL3SS

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At a swing speed of 100 you need to try some swings with X-flex shafts. 110 is well into that range.
I have a swing speed significantly above that and still play stiff in my driver (x100s in my irons). It's not cut and dried, many fitters have been trying to get me into an X flex shaft for my driver for years. I've tried numerous X flex driver shafts and always come back to my Aldila RIP shaft.
 

jercra

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I once got a chance to hit the clubs that the long-drive drivers hit. It was a qualifier for the Remax held at Pumpkin Ridge and was open to anyone who wanted to spend $40 for five balls. I was considering trying to compete and one of the guys who does it for a living had a whole bag full of custom long drive drivers and told me to go ahead and hit some shots with one. It was nuts. The shafts were 48* and the heads we between 4 and 7 degrees of loft. I murdered a couple. Like, straight murdered well over 350 yards. But, most of them went further right or further left than I've ever seen a ball go. There's a reason those guys aren't on tour and there's a reason the guys on tour don't use those drivers. In the end, I wasn't confident I could hit one ball out of 5 within the markers to count it.
 

jercra

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Arvada, Co
I have a swing speed significantly above that and still play stiff in my driver (x100s in my irons). It's not cut and dried, many fitters have been trying to get me into an X flex shaft for my driver for years. I've tried numerous X flex driver shafts and always come back to my Aldila RIP shaft.
Funny, I had a longer post about this typed up that I deleted because I didn't want to complicate the matter. You're totally right. It's a LOT more complicated than n MPH = n Flex shaft. My point was that, if he's having issues controlling the ball flight and his swing speed is that high, he should at least take some swings with an X-flex shaft. In the end, the marked flex of the shaft is way less important than getting the right club weight, swing weight, length, kick-point and set properties for your swing. That generally takes more time and money to discover than people want to or can spend.
 

FL4WL3SS

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
14,913
Andy Brickley's potty mouth
Funny, I had a longer post about this typed up that I deleted because I didn't want to complicate the matter. You're totally right. It's a LOT more complicated than n MPH = n Flex shaft. My point was that, if he's having issues controlling the ball flight and his swing speed is that high, he should at least take some swings with an X-flex shaft. In the end, the marked flex of the shaft is way less important than getting the right club weight, swing weight, length, kick-point and set properties for your swing. That generally takes more time and money to discover than people want to or can spend.
Thank you.

I hate when canned advice is "you should be in x flex shaft due to swing speed". Then the poor guy will go get an x flex shaft and wonder why he can't hit it 10 feet off the ground and why he's exhausted at the end of the round.

He might have a 110 swing speed fresh out of the car in a swing cage, but I guarantee it's closer to 100 on # 18 on a hot summer day. Trying to flex an X shaft all round as a casual amateur is exhausting. He should at least be doing himself right by getting fit and taking those other factors into consideration.

To be fair, not many people could control my 60g stiff flex shaft with my swing speed, but it works for me. Everyone is different.
 

southshoresoxfan

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Jul 15, 2005
5,249
Canton MA
This has been a great conversation guys. Never dug into depth like this before. Looking forward to my off day Wed ti go hit a variety of length drivers on the trackman
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
Changing gears, I'm headed to Tampa (Palm Harbor) in early June for 4 days of golf with my neighbor. Doing a stay and play at Innisbrook. We're booked for golf all 4 days we're there (2 Copperhead, 1 Island, 1 South) and looking to hit the beach/dinner when not golfing. Anyone played there before? Any tips or tricks? I've never been to the Tampa area before and we'll be Uber-ing everywhere. I'm thinking Clearwater beach but that's based just on proximity and some quick internet searching. Any beach/dinner/bar recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
 

Byrdbrain

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Jul 18, 2005
8,588
I used to live in Palm Harbor, its a nice area but generally pretty quiet.
Clearwater beach is a good spot to go. There are a few places that are good, I like Frenchy's on the northern end of the beach. Crabby Bills is also a popular one, they just built a new one right near the rotary when you get to the beach. There have also been some new high end resorts built(I don't get Clearwater Beach and high end but whatever) and a couple of them look like they have nice roof bars.

There is plenty to do in St Pete and Tampa/Ybor City but you are probably about a 40 minute Uber from either of those places so I don't know if you want to do that.

Tarpon Springs is a Greek town that isn't too far away there are a few interesting places there.

16 on Copperhead is a bitch.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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Apr 26, 2008
2,224
San Fran
Looking for advice as well. Going to Montreal for my bachelor party mid June. Will play two rounds of golf with a handful of my friends and family who are golfers - money isn't an issue for cost of the round and most of us play between a 5-14 handicap with a couple who may be closer to 18-20.