Golf Talk Tuesdays 2015-2020

[Huston55]

Well, I signed up for a short series of lessons @ my local course. I concluded that I just couldn't fix my swing by myself. So, I'm giving up a playing day every other week for this lesson series. But, I actually like to practice so, it's not a big sacrifice.

I've done the first lesson (short 30 mins) and it's helping; at least it's helping on the range. I was taking the club back way too open & my shoulders were open in my setup. Correcting those two things is helping; the ball is going straight or has a baby draw. Now, I just need to ingrain that so it comes naturally.

[Midpack]

So two weeks playing after a 15+ year hiatus, and I am all over the place but having a ball playing again. I bought a 1-3-5 wood (still in the stiff shaft clubhead speed range to my surprise) and it'll take a while to get used to the huge heads (to me), but coming along. Irons I'm on the fence.

Everything I've read or heard lately says most players buy new irons every 2-5 years, mine are forged cavity backs in excellent condition about 20 years old (W/S RM Midsize w stiff shafts). So I was planning on new irons too. I expected my old irons would be impossible at my age after such a long layoff and almost bought new irons without trying my old ones, but about half my iron shots so far have felt great with my old forged cavity backs. And I've lost less than a club in distance if that - also totally unexpected. Yes if I catch the ball thin or on the toe it stings a little and comes up short on yardage, but that seems as it should be to me. I never liked the feel of cast cavity backed irons back in my day (Ping was the leader then), they never looked, felt or sounded "right" to me. Maybe they're markedly better now? I learned golf with blade irons, that's all there was when I started. So I'm going to play with my old irons for a few weeks at least.

So other than the stronger lofts (a sad development to me), are new irons really worth it? Are they that much more forgiving - if I want that? Being able to say I hit a modern 8 iron as far as my old 6 iron seems like a dumb reason to me when I know the lofts are about the same despite the number on the club -e.g. I'm not hitting longer at all. Seems to me distance is only valuable with a driver.

Other than getting some consistency back, my biggest problem remains how to play with (or without) glasses now that I can't see well without them. I think it's going to come down to plain single vision glasses or none at all. Progressives throw off my depth perception too much, maybe my progressives aren't well made.

And I do acknowledge some habit/superstitions still guide me. I bought TaylorMade woods because I liked my last set 20 years ago. I still won't buy anything but Titleist balls and FootJoy shoes, even though I don't doubt other brands are as good. And the irons I have looked at are only a couple of brands, others I just won't consider even though I know my bias is probably out of date and unfounded. Golf always has been more mental than physical, that I remember...

[gcgang]

Progressives are like playing underwater. I've got a pair of really old regular glasses, but almost always wear non-pro sunglasses.

Need to have cataract surgery soon. Might do away with need for glasses, I think.

[Dawg52]

Woke up this morning with my left thumb sore......again. Must have a little arthritis. But popped a couple of ibuprofen and didn't bother me at all during my morning round. Had one of my better days too as I shot a 77. Last week on the coast I forgot to take my pain med's and shot an 85 with the darn thumb hurting on every swing. Hell to get old......

[zinger1457]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack So other than the stronger lofts (a sad development to me), are new irons really worth it? Are they that much more forgiving - if I want that? Being able to say I hit a modern 8 iron as far as my old 6 iron seems like a dumb reason to me when I know the lofts are about the same despite the number on the club -e.g. I'm not hitting longer at all. Seems to me distance is only valuable with a driver.

In my opinion irons haven't improved as much as some of the other clubs (drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, and even balls). I play regularly with a guy who's a scratch golfer and he still uses Ping i2 irons that are ~30 years old.

[Huston55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huston55 Well, I signed up for a short series of lessons @ my local course. I concluded that I just couldn't fix my swing by myself. So, I'm giving up a playing day every other week for this lesson series. But, I actually like to practice so, it's not a big sacrifice. I've done the first lesson (short 30 mins) and it's helping; at least it's helping on the range. I was taking the club back way too open & my shoulders were open in my setup. Correcting those two things is helping; the ball is going straight or has a baby draw. Now, I just need to ingrain that so it comes naturally.

Second lesson today; worked on club path & face rotation.

It's interesting with lessons; for me, I don't always get it right away. So, the pro explains it several different ways until it resonates, then he reinforces it when I give him what he's looking for.

One step back, two steps forward. [emoji849]

[gcgang]

Shot my course record, 70, closing -5 last11 holes with lifetime low 32 on back!

At another course, Into the semifinals after winning three matches in net match play tournament.

Index now 3.3, and if my chipping keeps up, comfortable at it.

[zinger1457]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huston55 Second lesson today; worked on club path & face rotation. It's interesting with lessons; for me, I don't always get it right away. So, the pro explains it several different ways until it resonates, then he reinforces it when I give him what he's looking for. One step back, two steps forward. [emoji849]

Do you take a video of your lessons? Oftentimes what you feel you're doing and what you're actually doing is very different. The video helps to see that.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcgang Shot my course record, 70, closing -5 last11 holes with lifetime low 32 on back! At another course, Into the semifinals after winning three matches in net match play tournament. Index now 3.3, and if my chipping keeps up, comfortable at it.

Excellent!

[Jerry1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huston55 Second lesson today; worked on club path & face rotation. It's interesting with lessons; for me, I don't always get it right away. So, the pro explains it several different ways until it resonates, then he reinforces it when I give him what he's looking for. One step back, two steps forward. [emoji849]

I took some lessons and the club had an analyzer called Trackman. When you swing, it told you everything about your swing (coming from the inside or outside, face open or closed, angle of attack, club head speed and much more). It worked very well to help me feel the correct swing. Very similar to your coach reinforcing. Ask your coach if he has something like Trackman.

[Huston55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcgang Shot my course record, 70, closing -5 last11 holes with lifetime low 32 on back! At another course, Into the semifinals after winning three matches in net match play tournament. Index now 3.3, and if my chipping keeps up, comfortable at it.

Congrats! Very well done.

Which course?

[Huston55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinger1457 Do you take a video of your lessons? Oftentimes what you feel you're doing and what you're actually doing is very different. The video helps to see that.

My coach takes video & we review it during my lesson.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry1 I took some lessons and the club had an analyzer called Trackman. When you swing, it told you everything about your swing (coming from the inside or outside, face open or closed, angle of attack, club head speed and much more). It worked very well to help me feel the correct swing. Very similar to your coach reinforcing. Ask your coach if he has something like Trackman.

He uses Trackman but, we've not used it yet. He says he plans to use it in future lessons. Although he's not said so, I'm guessing the corrections I need to make are major enough that his eyeball & a bit of video is enough at this stage.

Unfortunately, that would also mean my swing needs such major repair that I have lots of work ahead of me.

[gcgang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huston55 Congrats! Very well done. Which course?

The 70 was at Maui CC.

Matches at King K. First match I'm a 5, opponent a 6. I had 72, he 73, and it went 19 holes w each of us making 3 birdies in last five holes, capped birdies on 14 & 18. Fun. Next match had to give stroke a hole. Guy never made a par, won 4-3.

[zinger1457]

Anyone else surprised by the new FedEx Cup 10 year contract extension with the PGA Tour? Apparently a clause was added to the new contract that any PGA Tour player that has an endorsement deal with a competitor of FedEx won't be allowed to participate in the end of year FedEx Cup playoffs. Never heard of anything like that in professional sports. They did mention that a couple players that currently have endorsement deals with UPS will be grandfathered in. FedEx must have paid a good chunk of money for the extension to get the PGA Tour to agree to have that included.

[jcretire77]

I think that is pretty crappy. Seems like there it would cause more negative press vs whatever benefit they think it will achieve.

[Music Lover]

The shortcomings in my long game were painfully exposed yesterday. I played with 2 friends...one of them scores the same as me (anywhere from low-80's to 100) and the other is a 2 handicap. Both of them outdrove me 70 - 80 yards on every tee shot, and I'd be left with 4-hybrid to the green while they were hitting 8-irons.

I ended up shooting 84 with an 8 on a par 3, so I played fairly well, but that was only because my short game was on. I finally realized that I'm never going to score well with 210 yard tee shots unless all the planets align or I only play 5,000 yard courses, lol.

The 2-handicap looked at my 30-year old knock-off 3-wood (what I use off the tee) and after he stopped laughing he recommended a local club fitter. For basically the same price as buying a new driver and fairway wood, I could have my swing professionally analyzed and clubs built that fit my swing speed, launch angle, etc. After I got home I booked an appt. for next week. I'm not expecting to go from hitting it 210 to 280, but another 30 or so yards would be nice.

[Huston55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover The 2-handicap looked at my 30-year old knock-off 3-wood (what I use off the tee) and after he stopped laughing he recommended a local club fitter. For basically the same price as buying a new driver and fairway wood, I could have my swing professionally analyzed and clubs built that fit my swing speed, launch angle, etc. After I got home I booked an appt. for next week. I'm not expecting to go from hitting it 210 to 280, but another 30 or so yards would be nice.

Music-

Let us know how it goes with the new clubs.

[Midpack]

I am still relearning golf and today's etiquette. I'm playing in a senior league on a local public course. Seems there are many staunch old school types in the league. I have no problem with being polite, courteous and considerate with others in my foursomes. But it appears I may be ruffling some feathers when it comes to "proper attire?" Reading between the lines it appears cargo shorts are a no-no as is leaving your shirt tail out

I wear dress shorts, but I have some cargo shorts too. Same fabric, length, etc, - they just have two extra flap pockets. Maybe they object to the baggy oversized below the knees cargo shorts that young bucks wear with waistbands around their knees?

And I do wear golf polos (though a nice T shirt wouldn't bother me), but I haven't tucked in a polo in decades. I'd probably have to tuck it in again after many full swings. Hopefully my FJ shoes and hats are acceptable, no complaints so far.

So what's the golf "dress code" these days since I've been out of touch with golf for about 15 years. Is it proper dress shorts only, with a belt, and a tucked in collared shirts only?

[Big_Hitter]

there a a bunch of guys at the club that don't tuck in their shirts

one of my buddies plays in a bowling shirt but almost everyone else wears a golf shirt

yeah ditch the cargo shirts and pick up some clothes on the cheap at tgw.com or something similar

[Dawg52]

My club was private up to about 2 years ago and we had a somewhat loose dress code then. Now we are semi private and you see most anything. I don't wear T shirts but even that is allowed now. Cargo shorts has never been a problem. With our club needing revenue, someone would have to show up naked before they are turned away.