2013 SoSH Golf Thread

jercra

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I've never hit the RBZ irons so I can't really weigh in them in particular but I will repeat the sentiment to hit other clubs.  There are lots of clubs out there these days.  Also, to repeat myself for about the 10th time in these threads, get fit by a professional fitter, no matter what clubs you get.
 
One of the bigger changes in irons since the 90s is that new irons will be delofted compared to your old ones.  That, more than technology, is what has been used to gain distance.  Your RBZ 5 is longer because it's probably closer to your 4 in your current set.  I mention this for 2 reasons.  One is so you're not fooled if you try other sets and they are not as long.  Look at the lofts before deciding one is longer than the other.  Two is because you may have bigger gaps between your new P-wedge and your next wedge (50?, 52?, 56?) so you may want to get your wedges bent too when you get new irons.
 

Dogman

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jercra said:
I've never hit the RBZ irons so I can't really weigh in them in particular but I will repeat the sentiment to hit other clubs.  There are lots of clubs out there these days.  Also, to repeat myself for about the 10th time in these threads, get fit by a professional fitter, no matter what clubs you get.
 
One of the bigger changes in irons since the 90s is that new irons will be delofted compared to your old ones.  That, more than technology, is what has been used to gain distance.  Your RBZ 5 is longer because it's probably closer to your 4 in your current set.  I mention this for 2 reasons.  One is so you're not fooled if you try other sets and they are not as long.  Look at the lofts before deciding one is longer than the other.  Two is because you may have bigger gaps between your new P-wedge and your next wedge (50?, 52?, 56?) so you may want to get your wedges bent too when you get new irons.
 
 
Can you tell me what exactly should come with a professional fitting? I was fitted before I demo'ed these RBZ's.  I hit 5 different 7's.  The standard, +1/2, -1/2, +1/4 and -1/4 length shafts.  A sticker with ground markings was placed on the bottom of the head and I hit off of a small rectangular piece.  So, each swing left a marking on the sticker to determine if the length of club was correct or off.  The standard length club was a solid, perfect strike on the ball each of the 5 times.  The others were all off on the sticker.  So, it was determined that the standard length is best for me.  Is there more to a fitting (outside of club weights)?
 
I definitely know this about the technology.  I don't care at all about the extra distance because I'm a long hitter anyway.  So, I do care about loft when shot shaping.  Are there irons out there that are not delofted that will still allow me to hit particular shots when necessary?
 

jercra

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Professional fitting these days should include sessions on something like a Trackman system that shows you not just loft, lie and length but shaft flex characteristics, impact angle, spin rate, spin direction, launch angle, face angle, face impact, etc.  You should be able to try the same head with different shafts and the same shafts with different heads.  What you did before is the fitting they do at places like golf galaxy.  That's just a lie board you tried.  It's not a coincidence that almost everyone comes out with a set they happen to have in stock while having vastly different swing characteristics.  It's entirely possible that you are standard loft/standard lie but that the shafts are causing you to hit with an open face and with a very high launch angle.  It may be that the stock shafts are perfect for you too but it's hard to know without getting really fit.  The other 2 distinguishing factors in a professional fitting will be swingweight adjustments and grip measurement.  At > 6' I'd be willing to bet your grips are too small for your hands and you'd do better with either midsize or extra wraps in your grips.  I'd also bet that your driver, irons and wedges are all different swingweights.  Some of this can be information overload but most competent places only charge about $100 for a good fitting and usually will work with you on the price of the clubs if you do the fitting and buy from them so there's generally not a reason not to do it.
 
I don't know of any manufacturers that don't make delofted irons these days.  You can get things bent however you'd like for a generally pretty small fee. "All the length of clubs from the 90's" is terrible marketing and TM isn't going to let Titleist say they have longer irons.
 

Dogman

Yukon Cornelius
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Thank you, that's the info I was looking for.  I'm currently looking for a professional fitting right now.
 

SouthernBoSox

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Jercra,
 
I have had this idea for a while and just never put it into action.  I hit a pretty high ball.  I mean it doesn't ballon, its a decent flight, but I've always wanted more sting to it.  My accuracy with my irons is the same 56-8 iron and 7-5 iron.  I've always wondered what kind of results I'd get if i delofted every iron a few degrees and shorted the shaft length 1/2 inch.
 
Honestly I don't know how the pros don't kill themselves tinkering with the resources they have.
 

Zomp

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An urban legend is Freddy Couples going to Davis Love's house and taking a 3-wood out of a garage bag and asking if he could hit it.  Davis said yeah and Freddy had it in the bag for a few years.
 
It was DL3's wife's club (yeah yeah, I know...how could he not tell  it was a woman's club.  I guess she hit men's clubs).
 

Freddy Linn

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Zomp said:
An urban legend is Freddy Couples going to Davis Love's house and taking a 3-wood out of a garage bag and asking if he could hit it.  Davis said yeah and Freddy had it in the bag for a few years.
 
It was DL3's wife's club (yeah yeah, I know...how could he not tell  it was a woman's club.  I guess she hit men's clubs).
 
He told the story at the HoF induction - it came from Tom Watson's garage.
 
“I asked Tom Watson, a long time ago, on an off week, can I go stay with you at your house and learn a little bit? He says, `Sure, come on.’ So, sure enough, I fly into Kansas City. I'm thinking, `We're going to hit balls for five hours a day for five days, and I'm going to ask him how he makes all these putts.’ First day we made bullets for rifles. The second day we fished, which I don't even know how to fish. The third day, we shot skeet. I never hit a clay pigeon, or a bird, or a rabbit, or anything. And so the last day, we're in his garage, and I didn't really need to pack my bag because I never unpacked my clubs, but I found a 3-wood, which was a ladies' driver, in his garage, and I'm looking at this thing, and I said, `Can I take this?' He goes, `Yeah, it's Linda's, go ahead and have it.’ It's not a bad thing.
 
“But I took this thing, and I played in a lot of Presidents Cups with it. I played in a lot of Ryder Cups with it. And in about an hour, or whenever I finish this, you will see it in my trophy case next door. It's the 3‑wood that I used for several years, which is like a mini‑driver. But that maybe was better than getting five hours of practice, that I got this driver, which I used for a 3‑wood.”
 

jercra

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SouthernBoSox said:
Jercra,
 
I have had this idea for a while and just never put it into action.  I hit a pretty high ball.  I mean it doesn't ballon, its a decent flight, but I've always wanted more sting to it.  My accuracy with my irons is the same 56-8 iron and 7-5 iron.  I've always wondered what kind of results I'd get if i delofted every iron a few degrees and shorted the shaft length 1/2 inch.
 
Honestly I don't know how the pros don't kill themselves tinkering with the resources they have.
Typically you don't lower ball flight by changing lofts.  You do it with different shafts,  I switched to KBS Tour C-Tapers in X-Flex and it really lowered the spin and ball flight.  I had the luxury of a Trackman system to see the results in realtime but those shafts really did the trick.  I think DG400 would have had similar results as would Project-X but I liked the feel of the C-Tapers.  Have you ever tried different shafts?
 
Also, the pros are so good that they can play with anything.  Some of them are constant tinkerers and some don't really change things very often.
 

SouthernBoSox

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jercra said:
Typically you don't lower ball flight by changing lofts.  You do it with different shafts,  I switched to KBS Tour C-Tapers in X-Flex and it really lowered the spin and ball flight.  I had the luxury of a Trackman system to see the results in realtime but those shafts really did the trick.  I think DG400 would have had similar results as would Project-X but I liked the feel of the C-Tapers.  Have you ever tried different shafts?
 
Also, the pros are so good that they can play with anything.  Some of them are constant tinkerers and some don't really change things very often.
I switched to project x about 3-4 years ago and it was a massive upgrade ball flight wise.
Doesn't Phil play with pretty delofted irons?
 

jercra

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A quick trip around GolfWRX reveals that he changes his setup pretty often and even has different lofts for different courses and conditions.  Must be nice.  Either way if you're already using PX then probably the thing for you is delofting.  You likely have an ascending strike on the ball.  Delofting would mean you're making contact at standard lofts.  Have you ever been able to measure your attack angle?
 

SouthernBoSox

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jercra said:
A quick trip around GolfWRX reveals that he changes his setup pretty often and even has different lofts for different courses and conditions.  Must be nice.  Either way if you're already using PX then probably the thing for you is delofting.  You likely have an ascending strike on the ball.  Delofting would mean you're making contact at standard lofts.  Have you ever been able to measure your attack angle?
No. But I seriously doubt I have an ascending strike. I think it's more of the fact me left hand doesnt lead as much as it should be. Like I said, I'm not hitting ballon sky scrapers. I just see these damn pro trackers on TV and my mind is blown.
 

jercra

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Maybe ascending strike is the wrong term.  I don't mean that you're not hitting down on the ball.  Just that your clubface may be at a higher loft than at setup when you make contact (which is basically what you said about your left hand).  You put up good enough scores that you probably don't want to change your swing too much.  You may be the rare candidate to actually deloft your clubs.
 
I don't understand those shot-trackers.  Is it an optical illusion because it's on TV or do they really hit the ball that high?  A lot of them are using 7-8* drivers and hit it a mile in the air.
 

Dogman

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Found a set of new Rocketbladez irons 4-PW (not tour model) steel, stiff that are standard across the board for $458 on ebay.  This is by far the cheapest I have found.  I'm thinking of pulling the trigger and then reshafting/gripping (if necessary) after my fitting. 
 
Seller has a great rating and shipping is free.
 
 
Thoughts?
 

jercra

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I've bought several iron sets on Ebay with no issue but I've always bought used.  I think the danger with new is that there are lots of knock-offs.  You should research how to detect that they are legit and then pull the trigger if there's a good way to tell.
 

Koufax

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He has an interesting logo as part of his on-line personna

 
I take "NOYFB" to mean none of your f&*^% business.
 
I would stay away, given how good a golfer you are.  The chance of these clubs being counterfeit is very high.  Most buyers won't know the difference, but you probably will.  Even if you don't, there is a good chance that the shafts will rust in a couple of years.  That happened to a pal who got a great deal on some Callaway irons from a friend who brought them back from China.
 
Put another way, what is the chance that TM authorizes this guy to sell on-line and sells their merchandise to him?  He's getting gray market goods -- or worse.
 

jercra

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This comment on his ebay page I think is this guy's key "Club received was new. However upon inspection it looked like it was a second."  I'll bet he gets factory seconds and sells them as new.  They are legit TM clubs but not ones TM deems viable for sale.  There's another comment about bubbled chrome that only strengthens that suspicion.
 

Dogman

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Yeah, that's why I decided against.  Of course, there are 2 other sellers with similar prices where their feedback is almost perfect.  I'm betting based on the sale prices, that's what these guys are selling too.
 

Koufax

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Those flaws suggest counterfeits, not seconds.  I strongly suspect that the big club makers destroy their defective products, they don't send them out into the world with their trademarks on them.   The reputational damage would be too great.
 

Dogman

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Thanks for that, PP.  Unfortunately, I'm not MA local anymore and MT isn't exactly a fitters paradise. However, after asking around for a few days, I found a reputable fitter at a private course here (you don't need to be a member to get a custom fit) and have set an appointment.   So, I'm going to do that first.  I have a feeling club prices are going to start dropping soon so I can wait until I am absolutely sure of what I want.
 
Thanks for the advice, guys.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Dogman2 said:
Yeah, that's why I decided against.  Of course, there are 2 other sellers with similar prices where their feedback is almost perfect.  I'm betting based on the sale prices, that's what these guys are selling too.
I'm not trying to be snarky, so I hope this doesn't come off wrong, but why are you trying to be cheap? You seem like you're a decent golfer and enjoy the game, what's an extra couple hundred bucks for a set that you know is legit and that is perfectly fitted for you? I don't mean to make light of a couple hundred bucks, I know it's a lot of money, but you'll probably have this set for a number of years. The upfront cost for a set that you'll keep for many years is worth it in my opinion - otherwise, you'll spend $500 now and then another $500 in a few years trying to replace the shitty set you just bought.
 

Dan Murfman

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Zomp said:
That with a cart?  Wanna pm me the link?
It is. I did a little more research. What they are doing is dynamic pricing. You can book 30 days out. And it seems Tuesday are the cheapest and Wednesday a little bit more. I booked 6/25 (a Tuesday at 7:40) and got it for the $59 rate.looking at it now (6/1 at 5:30 am) the $59 rate is available for 7:00 and 7:20. And then goes up to $74 at 7:30 and 7:50. And then varies between $71 and $89 during the rest of the day.



https://lakeofislesbest.ezlinks.com/
 

Dogman

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FL4WL3SS said:
I'm not trying to be snarky, so I hope this doesn't come off wrong, but why are you trying to be cheap? You seem like you're a decent golfer and enjoy the game, what's an extra couple hundred bucks for a set that you know is legit and that is perfectly fitted for you? I don't mean to make light of a couple hundred bucks, I know it's a lot of money, but you'll probably have this set for a number of years. The upfront cost for a set that you'll keep for many years is worth it in my opinion - otherwise, you'll spend $500 now and then another $500 in a few years trying to replace the shitty set you just bought.
 
 
I didn't take this as snarky at all. You are 100% correct and after jercra's posts I reassessed my thought process.  I was looking at it from a savings perspective and that makes no sense given the fact that a few hundred likely will make a huge difference in what I purchase now v. having to replace in a few years.  So, yeah, that investment will pay dividends. 
 
I was on the range yesterday and a guy was hitting the MP-64's. He was a Calloway loyalist (his words) and he said these Mizuno clubs are the best feel he has ever hit, his ball striking and flight are night and day better. So, I'm definitely going to demo these sticks before making a purchase. Thanks for that post SBS.
 
I sincerely appreciate all of your thoughts. 
 

inJacobyWeTrust

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I'm an admitted titleist fanboy, but if you're gonna try mizunos I'd recommend also trying some of the latest titleist irons, I think 910 cb/mb is the number. I've got a set of DCI 962s that I've been hitting for 15 years now so I can testify that titleist irons are durable.

IMO titleists are slightly easier to hit than mizunos, but I know mizuno makes great clubs.
 

thestardawg

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Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
Are you staying downtown?
 
EDIT--if you are, you should check out Harborside.  Two really good courses, and some cool views of the city.   
http://www.harborsideinternational.com/
 
Resurrecting this old question.  We played George Dunne (i believe).  Great course.  And we ended up playing Starboard at Harborside...holy shit.  Wind was blowing 35-40 MPH the whole time.  Comical.  Shot 91.  Haven't shot over 90 in three years.  On a par 3, I think it was 8.  Had 140 from the tee, took a 5 iron, aimed thirty yard left of the green, and landed center front.  Crazy day, but a lot of fun. 
 

jercra

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Dogman2 said:
So, folks, talk to me about RocketBladez irons. 
 
I demo'ed both the tour model with KBS shafts-stiff and the regular model with rocketfuel 85's X-stiff and I really liked both.  Both played a little bit longer (~2-5 yards with short irons and 5-10 with long) than my current irons (TM Burners-stiff circa 1996) and I was able to do similar things that I currently do with both sets. High draws/fades, low cuts/punches and some other basic shot shaping.  My swing is configured to play a draw if I'm not shaping other shots.
 
One of the things I was hoping for was to try the DG shafts but the rep didn't have the model set up so I couldn't.  I've heard great things about these shafts but I'm not entirely sure they are necessary especially given the price difference. 
 
Little background:  I finished last season at a 10.  This was the first season I didn't finish as a single digit since I was 25.  Most of that has to do with not playing as much towards the end of last year so I'm not worried my game is slipping.  I'd say I left 3-4 shots per round out there with my short game because my driving and greens in reg is still pretty solid.  I've worked on my chipping and putting considerably this spring to change this and so far, it's paying dividends. I'm a 6'1 and 205 version of Frat. ( I'd like to drop 10 pounds but that's neither here nor there).
 
At any rate, technology has changed so much that I figure I can only benefit from upgrading my irons. Besides, I haven't spent a cent on them in 17 years.
 
So, tell me what you think.
FYI, the RocketBladez are on sale at Dick's for $699 until June 16th.  If you can get fit before then and find out these irons are right for you then you can save $100.  I don't know how much custom stuff Dick's will do though so if you need even different grips it won't save you at.  I just thought I'd pass it along in case you just want to save $100 on a stock setup.
 

TFP

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My game could not be more inconsistent right now. Last Monday I shot a 90 with 5 penalty strokes in there. Yesterday, I got the shanks midway through the round and shot a 113 (even that was generous. For a stretch of holes I literally could not get the ball in the air, everything went straight left about 10 feet high (I'm a lefty). The other issue is that I didn't hit a fairway until the 15th hole, which will naturally make your game go to shit on its own.
 
Just maddeningly frustrating because I never know how I'm going to play and when it goes bad, it's bad. I don't know if it's because of the lessons I took of the winter or what, but I just can't get a good feel for my swing at all. It's making golf a lot less fun, that's for sure.
 

jercra

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Sometimes you get worse before you get better.  The shanks happen.  I've had it happen and seen it happen to a lot of low handicappers.  Was the 90 from last week better than your average round?  Meaning, was it progress?  If so, that's the round to focus on.  I'm the furthest thing from a rah rah, hyper-positive cheerleader but one thing I know for sure is that golf does not oblige the negative.  Tell yourself to not hit it left and you'll most likely hit it left.  You have to focus on what you want to do, not what you want not to do.  To that end, focus on what went well in your good round and try to repeat that.
 

TFP

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Yeah the 90 was more me just playing consistently and not blowing up any huge holes. I even chunked 3 different pitches into water as unforced errors, so it could have been even lower. It's how I should play all the time.
 
The biggest thing for me is hitting fairways. When I play well I am straight off the tee. Normally I would just hit my 3 wood if the driver was erratic but that's starting to go wonky too. I think there's just something off with my swing and I need to figure out what it is. I've had the shanks off and on this year, so it's definitely something mechanical (since it's repeating at different times). I just don't know quite what the cause is though.
 
I do need to work on the mental game. It had started the year well but I'm allowing frustration to set in too easily. That's my next focus, staying strong and focused mentally when I'm playing and pushing out the "here we go again" thoughts.
 

jercra

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I find drinking helps.
 
The shanks are usually caused by lunging at the ball, dropping your lead shoulder or standing too close to the ball at address.  Go to the range and find a swing thought that works to get you a swing you can rely on to not shank if it creeps up again.  I can be something like focus on a flat takeaway or square shoulders or quiet lower half or whatever.  It doesn't have to result in the perfect swing or perfect shot, it just has to never shank.  If you've got a way out the shanks won't ruin your round.
 

SouthernBoSox

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jercra said:
I find drinking helps.
 
The shanks are usually caused by lunging at the ball, dropping your lead shoulder or standing too close to the ball at address.  Go to the range and find a swing thought that works to get you a swing you can rely on to not shank if it creeps up again.  I can be something like focus on a flat takeaway or square shoulders or quiet lower half or whatever.  It doesn't have to result in the perfect swing or perfect shot, it just has to never shank.  If you've got a way out the shanks won't ruin your round.
Do not stand further away from the ball, because this will just create more lunging and make the problem worse.

Also, drinking helps. Actually the mental part of golf is something that happened naturally for me when it stopped being a sport and started being a "not at work" deal. It's relaxing now. Golf, working out, and cooking are pretty much the only times I can turn off my brain. I think there are two types of mental golfers. Those who need to put way more focus into it, and those who need to shut it off. I think most amateurs would be better seved thinking less, especially in the long game and thinking more in the short game, especially chips around the green (ie don't use a sand wedge everytime)
 

TFP

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Good advice. Part of the issue might have been that I was pretty hungover (I mean, B's playoffs were the night before) and didn't feel like drinking. Usually I'll have a bloody mary pre-round then a couple beers out on the course. Enough to relax but not enough to get too much of a buzz.
 
My natural state is to be competitive and self-motivating. I don't care about beating other people on the course, I just want to play as well as I can. So my work needs to be on actively managing my emotions and frustrations, to the point where I have to work at being relaxed, if that makes sense. I had been much better at the start of the season, but it's been creeping back into my game and I really need to be more care-free and in the moment.
 
And with regards to the short game, great tip. I've recently started using my 52 degree for a lot of pitch shots and bump and run shots and it's actually working very well. This is good because I am inconsistent with the 56 degree, especially in tight lies.
 

jercra

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When I mentioned standing too close to the ball I meant REALLY too close to the ball, not like and inch closer.  There is such a thing.  It may not be your case but I haven't ever seen you shank one so I can't say for sure and didn't want to rule it out.
 
I can be pretty hot headed on the golf course but one of the beauties of golf is that you have 5-10 minutes between shots to calm down.  I get pissed at bad shots but it lasts 30 seconds and it's gone.  By the time I get to the next shot I'm totally over the last shot.  There's nothing you can do about it so react and move on.  That's what I try to do anyway.
 
Can't agree more on the thinking less aspect.  My chipping goes from good to terrible when I start thinking.  I have a drill I do with people on the tee right after we've finished chipping/putting.  Stand across the tee from one of your playing partners and just throw a ball back and forth.  You can throw it uphill, downhill, sidehill, it doesn't matter.  You'll be able to throw the ball almost the exact distance and direction you want to throw it every time.  Not once would you be thinking about it being "22 feet, uphill, into the wind".  You just pick your target and throw it there.  That's the same mentality I try to take with chipping and putting.  See the hole, hit the hole.  Just like playing catch.
 

TFP

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Nah I definitely wasn't too close to the ball. However, I did figure them out. Managed to hit the range quickly before my golf league yesterday. Focused on taking between a 1/2 and 3/4 swing and it made all the difference in the world. Made good contact all round and was very pleased with my ball flight. I ended up not scoring great due to a combination of not playing the course correctly, some poor short game shots, then an errant tee shot on a long par 5 that I couldn't recover from. Despite that, I'm more than happy to strike the ball well even if the score doesn't follow, since I know that will come around if I keep up the good swings.
 
All that said, hitting the fairway off the tee makes all the difference in the world. That really needs to be my biggest focus going forward.
 

Freddy Linn

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Where it rains. No, seriously.
Played in a fourball match yesterday in a pretty competitive tournament - 64 teams.  In the round of 16, beat my handicap by a shot with a tidy 77.
 
Lost 2 and 1 to a team with a 22 handicapper, who shot 88.  The odds of him doing that?  According to the USGA, between 130:1 and 323:1 (closer to the latter).
 
Fuck you, sandbagger, and fuck the tournament committee for not cutting everyone to 75%.
 

redsox13

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I'm playing 9 holes after work tonight, but it is windy as hell and it's only my second round of the year.  Not expecting great results, but I hit my driver/fairway wood well off the tee on Sunday, so I hope to carry that over in the adverse conditions.
 

Dogman

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15,177
Missoula, MT
jercra said:
FYI, the RocketBladez are on sale at Dick's for $699 until June 16th.  If you can get fit before then and find out these irons are right for you then you can save $100.  I don't know how much custom stuff Dick's will do though so if you need even different grips it won't save you at.  I just thought I'd pass it along in case you just want to save $100 on a stock setup.
 
 
Thanks, I did see that sale.  I'm getting fitted this afternoon and the cost of the fitting will come off the price of clubs I buy, per the fitter.  Moreover, the Mizuno rep will be in town on Thursday so I think I can demo a set of those MP-64's on Thursday afternoon or Friday.  I'm looking forward to this today.
 

barbed wire Bob

crippled by fear
SoSH Member
The Four Peters said:
Nah I definitely wasn't too close to the ball. However, I did figure them out. Managed to hit the range quickly before my golf league yesterday. Focused on taking between a 1/2 and 3/4 swing and it made all the difference in the world. Made good contact all round and was very pleased with my ball flight. I ended up not scoring great due to a combination of not playing the course correctly, some poor short game shots, then an errant tee shot on a long par 5 that I couldn't recover from. Despite that, I'm more than happy to strike the ball well even if the score doesn't follow, since I know that will come around if I keep up the good swings.
 
All that said, hitting the fairway off the tee makes all the difference in the world. That really needs to be my biggest focus going forward.
Speaking from experience, you could be standing too upright  and/or with most of your weight on on your toes.  Try sticking your butt out a little more.  Impact tape is a great tool in situations like this.
 

Average Reds

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 24, 2007
35,330
Southwestern CT
So, I'm gearing up for my first real tournament of the year, and it's one I've been anticipating for some time - a two day member-guest at Hudson National in Westchester County NY.  Game was a disaster this spring, but I'm finally getting used to the new driver, the short game seems to be coming around and I appear to have banished the "driver yips" that tortured me last year and took me from a 5 handicap to a 10 where I am now.
 
Of course, there is a not insignificant problem: the tournament itself is Friday and Saturday, which means we'll be playing right smack in the middle of the deluge scheduled to arrive when TS Andrea passes through the area.
 
I'm thinking that I better enjoy the practice round, because it may be the only golf I play this weekend...
 

wibi

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
11,834
Picked up my clubs for the first time in 3 years for a charity tournament.
 
Shot a 91 which I will take given how rusty my first few holes were
 
Im going to hurt tomorrow which will suck since I fly all day but it felt good to pick up the clubs again
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
Fair warning, this is going to be long, but as this tournament goes on, I want to have a place to go back and read about it and figure this is as good a spot as any.  If you don't want to read a blow by blow of someone's round, quit now.  :)
 
Finally found my swing last week in time for the club's 4 ball Championship.  50 or so teams tried to qualify (one round, best ball net of two players), and 16 get in (15 actually, but the defending champs automatically qualify).  Qualifier was last week, and I'm playing at a 13 handicap and shot 83 including a stretch of triple, bogey, triple on the back nine.  Made two really good birdies along the way, including one on an uphill 200 yard par 3.  My partner is a 5, and he shot 84.  We finished the qualifier at -7, which got us the 8 seed.
 
16 teams, match play.  First round was last week, and I played pretty good again, shot 85, and we won on 17 (3 and 1).  My partner found his stroke a bit and shot 78 or so. 
 
Got rained out yesterday in the quarterfinal, so we played it today.  As the 8 seed, we had to play the defending champs (a 16 and 13 handicap, older members, that make putts and miracle shit around the green, which is how they keep winning), so they were getting a ton of shots.  My partner makes birdie on 1, which is a stroke hole for them.  On 2, I'm in the middle of the green, looking at an easy 20 footer slightly up the hill with little break and I pull it, and leave it just outside of "gimme" range.  Opponent drops a 25 footer for par, so now I have a must make par putt, and I miss it. 
 
Get to 3, long par 4, stroke hole.  My partner chips in for birdie, but I had a 2 footer for net birdie anyway.  Opponent drops another 20+ footer for net birdie and we get through 3 all even, and I could see the writing on the wall.  We'll outplay them all round, and they'll score when they need to, and we'll lose.
 
We halve 4 and 5 (both me and my partner par each hole, and one of them pars both, including a 30 footer).  Then on 6 (our number 1 stroke hole, 450 yard par 4) where we are all getting shots, I hit a great approach into the green, but I get a bad break and end up having about a 50 footer to a brutally positioned pin on a hill on the other side, front portion of the green.  I 4 putt the fucking thing.  Fortunately, my opponent 3 putts and we get out with a half. 
 
On the par 5 7th, I'm lying 3 about 40 feet from the cup, and my opponent hits a ludicrously delicate chip to about 3 feet where he's lying 4.  I thought my partner was asking if I wanted him (my partner) to putt first (I was away) because he was putting for par, and I was putting for birdie, and he actually asked if we should give them their putt, and I said yes, so we gave it to them. Fortunately, I made my two putt from about 40 feet and we halved. 
 
I made a really good 2 putt again on the 8th for par, and we halved their net par.
 
My partner birdies 9 to win that hole so we make the turn at 2 up, which kind of sucked, because we really were significantly outplaying them.  I shot a 42 with a 3 putt and a 4 putt, and my partner shot 37 with 3 birdies.
 
On the par 5 10th, my partner hits a beautiful second shot into the green from 200 out and proceeds to three putt.  I had laid up and hit a wedge to 8 feet, and made the birdie putt, which we needed because opponent hits a 15 footer for par.  3 up
 
Par 3 11th, 205 par 3, uphill.  Back left pin, tucked away behind a ridge.  Just a crazy pin.  I hit a good 5 wood onto the green almost to the back edge, setting up a 50 foot putt with about 10 feet of break that starts downhill,  flattens out, and then goes downhill again at the hole.  I was looking to get something inside of about 6 feet, and I almost made the fucking thing instead.  Kick in par, opponent lips out for his par from 20 feet, and now we're 4 up.  That was the dagger.
 
Par 4 12th, I catch a shit break, when I catch the right side of a big oak tree on the left side of the fairway.  Ball goes LEFT, and out of bounds.  My partner halves the hole with par though, so no blood.
 
Par 4, 13th, number 4 stroke hole, I fuck up the hell out of the hole, but my partner hits a great second shot in (was playing about 500 yards into the wind) and makes 4 to halve their 5/4, after they lipped out another par putt from 30 feet.
 
Par 5, 560 yard, number 2 stroke hole.  I make 5/4 and my partner makes a natural birdie and we win the match 5 and 4.
 
Really felt like early on it was going to be another one of these matches where our opponents just make everything they looked at and squeak out a win, but thankfully, it didn't work out that way and we were able to win in relatively easy fashion.  We didn't play out the remaining holes, and took  par/bogey based on the handicaps and I finished based on that with an 83 and my partner a 73. 
 
This is by far the most fun tournament of the year.  Besides the actual match play, dozens of guys come out to watch the matches.  It's been a long time since I played any sort of organized sports with spectators, so it's really nice to get that old rush again.  "Final Four" is next week.  We're playing the semi-final on Saturday against a 3 and a 7 handicap, so I'll be getting 8 shots and my partner will actually get a couple, but it's really going to be on my shoulders.  These guys are both really good and probably playing a couple shots higher handicap wise than they should be.  I think they both shot 76 today.  We do have a handicap adjustment before next week, so hopefully, those numbers adjust a bit, but I can't remember having this much fun in a long time.  Not sure if other private clubs have tournaments like we do (we actually have about 30 different tournaments a year, but this is one of the 4 "majors"), but if they do, I can't recommend them enough, especially if like me, you were once an athlete and enjoyed the hell out of the pressure of the competition.  It's so nice to get that feeling back again once in a while.