GOLF - 2022

Author
Discussion

kiethton

13,949 posts

182 months

Friday 28th January 2022
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Challo said:
Have you looked at PXG kit? Normally you can spec on the website and they will deliver.
I haven't, although have heard a few good things about them. Only issue is I know nobody that plays them so can't try them out anywhere and from my understanding they're geared toward forgiveness and tend to be a little higher-launching whereas I need the opposite and have lower launching/heavier shafts as a result

Challo

10,330 posts

157 months

Friday 28th January 2022
quotequote all
kiethton said:
Challo said:
Have you looked at PXG kit? Normally you can spec on the website and they will deliver.
I haven't, although have heard a few good things about them. Only issue is I know nobody that plays them so can't try them out anywhere and from my understanding they're geared toward forgiveness and tend to be a little higher-launching whereas I need the opposite and have lower launching/heavier shafts as a result
Might be somewhere local to you https://www.pxg.com/en-gb/get-fitted/location-map

kiethton

13,949 posts

182 months

Friday 28th January 2022
quotequote all
Challo said:
kiethton said:
Challo said:
Have you looked at PXG kit? Normally you can spec on the website and they will deliver.
I haven't, although have heard a few good things about them. Only issue is I know nobody that plays them so can't try them out anywhere and from my understanding they're geared toward forgiveness and tend to be a little higher-launching whereas I need the opposite and have lower launching/heavier shafts as a result
Might be somewhere local to you https://www.pxg.com/en-gb/get-fitted/location-map
Thanks - I did go and hit a few balls on my lunch break.

Think I've made my mind up...

U505 utility bent to 21* if necessary to replace my 4i (the 20* went well but was marginally too strong, also need a slightly heavier shaft vs. their demo although it was consistent)

I think I'll have to go for a stealth plus, 3i, set down to 18.5*, and hope I can get the same shaft put in it....if not the diamana thump seems to be within 2g weight/0.1 torque of my atmos pro black so may go with that

JamesNotJim

755 posts

188 months

Friday 28th January 2022
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kiethton said:
After putting in a order for a new Sim2 hybrid to fix a gap in the bag I've just been told that TM are unable to build it in my desired specification (custom shaft/grip - Tour spec atmos black/mid-size new decade) and will not supply a head separately - rather annoying!

Its now got me looking at how I fix this gapping issue at the top of the bag.

I've currently got:

Driver 9* - Maverik
3 wood 15* but set to 17* - TM Sim2
Old titliest hybrid at 21* - (816 H1)
4i which is also 21* - (JPX 921)

The hybrid is a lot more consistent (and c10 yards longer) than the 4i of the same loft.

Intention had been to drop the 4i from the bag, add a hybrid of ~21/22* to keep the gapping, set the 3W to 15/16* and add-in a low spin, long running utility iron of 18* to use off the tee/chase up a fairway. Plans sound sensible?
Not always so easy to fit gaps off numbers.
If your a better player, a driving iron is always a good choice. Safe, easy play on the shorter par4’s.
If your set on the hybrid. Find a good condition 2nd hand one, you should be able to locate your shaft of choice and make it up yourself. Fairly easy if your not a complete spanner.

HaplessBoyLard

1,550 posts

190 months

Saturday 29th January 2022
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Blackpuddin said:
Had two 2s yesterday, which I think is a first for me, so I'm hitting balls pretty well off the tees but I'm struggling for good contact off the ground. Doing the old fat followed by a thin routine, or vice versa. Any tips for getting decent contact off a thin layer of wet, flattened grass with clayey mud easily visible beneath?
Without going for a lesson with a decent instructor and asking that question, and probably seeing your numbers on a launch monitor, it’s impossible to say why you’re struggling with strike.

I have had similar issues with my irons so had some lessons and it turned out I had a very shallow angle of attack with my irons and the club head got ahead of my hands at impact. I was mostly 0 deg AoA, occasionally hitting slightly up with my irons. Easy to see why I used to catch it thin a lot. I was thinning it to avoid fatting it. It’s possible to play good golf with a shallow AoA, but I wasn’t doing it in a way that led to good ball striking.

My instructor, a young tech savvy guy using a launch monitor and pressure plates, got me hitting down by 3-5 deg with my irons and in practice at least my strike is much better and I’ve picked up the distance I was losing.

fourstardan

4,427 posts

146 months

Saturday 29th January 2022
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HaplessBoyLard said:
Without going for a lesson with a decent instructor and asking that question, and probably seeing your numbers on a launch monitor, it’s impossible to say why you’re struggling with strike.

I have had similar issues with my irons so had some lessons and it turned out I had a very shallow angle of attack with my irons and the club head got ahead of my hands at impact. I was mostly 0 deg AoA, occasionally hitting slightly up with my irons. Easy to see why I used to catch it thin a lot. I was thinning it to avoid fatting it. It’s possible to play good golf with a shallow AoA, but I wasn’t doing it in a way that led to good ball striking.

My instructor, a young tech savvy guy using a launch monitor and pressure plates, got me hitting down by 3-5 deg with my irons and in practice at least my strike is much better and I’ve picked up the distance I was losing.
Ground force is all im working on at the moment.

Who was the guy you saw out of interest?

HaplessBoyLard

1,550 posts

190 months

Saturday 29th January 2022
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fourstardan said:
Ground force is all im working on at the moment.

Who was the guy you saw out of interest?
Rob Wilkinson at Peter Field Golf in Norwich.

andyA700

2,834 posts

39 months

Sunday 30th January 2022
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Blackpuddin said:
bodhi said:
chap at our course who has the putting yips so bad
Guy at our place had that, he was told to try putting left-handed and that cured him.
Or place the left hand below the right hand, to eliminate wrist action, as you literally pull the clubhead through the ball.
For those people who are struggling to improve, maybe lack confidence despite being good ball strikers, you could try "Eclectic scoring" This works if you mainly play the same course each time.
Set up a spreadsheet or notebook and record your score on each hole every time you play. You can then see your potential, by adding up your best scores on each holes to see what a theoretical round could look like.
Back in the eighties I did this and combined with two or three range sessions a week, I went from high nineties (on a par 72 course) to regularly shooting in the mid seventies, in around six months.
I never joined a club or had an official handicap, but played in a works tournament at Princes club in Kent off a handicap of 11 and won the morning and afternoon rounds (only received one prize though).
Golf is about knowledge, practice (the right kind), developing a good swing and not giving up.

I also read this book several times.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Days-Better-Golf-Harry-Ob...

sc0tt

18,058 posts

203 months

Sunday 30th January 2022
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First round of the year. 36 pts from 28 hcp. Would like to see 20 by summer!

kiethton

13,949 posts

182 months

Monday 31st January 2022
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kiethton said:
Signed up for our club's 4-club challenge this Sunday and am debating what I'm going to take/got me thinking....

As the course is playing so long my current thoughts are:

Putter (mandatory)
50* gap wedge - should see me 125 if I go at it, sufficient for 2 of the 6 par-3's
22* hybrid - course is playing very long and its the club I hit for 9/18 second shots last week, it's perfect for one of the par-4's off the tee and is the club for 2 of the 6 par-3's
Driver - my go-to off the tee club, strangely straighter than my 4-wood and should leave me the 50* for the rest of the par-4's as long as I hit the driver well!
Played the above yesterday and did ok - 33 points which included 3 blobs playing off 7, placed me 4th of 45 or so.

Blobs caused by: a de-greened putt on 5, a hooked drive on 7 (and a reluctance to take medicine) and a topped hybrid (into a ravine) on 9.... not too bad all considered. Thankfully it was only on 1 par4 (and 2 par-3's) where I found myself in the big hybrid-GW gap so could have been far worse!

theguvernor15

945 posts

105 months

Monday 31st January 2022
quotequote all
Played only for the second time this year.

Only a social round, but managed a respectable 8 over gross, playing off an index of 13.3 (14 HC on my home course).

A couple of holes were shorter due to playing off the winter mats, but overall i felt i played well.
A few poor/duffed shots, but didn't really do anything stupid, driving wasn't overly long & my putting was abysmal, i reckon i left another 3 shots out there (2 missed pars from inside 3 ft).
But my recovery from poor positions was a lot better than it usually is, i have a lot of confidence from 110-160 yards, so was leaving myself those sorts of distances rather than inside 100 yards.


Hobo

5,779 posts

248 months

Monday 31st January 2022
quotequote all
kiethton said:
After putting in a order for a new Sim2 hybrid to fix a gap in the bag I've just been told that TM are unable to build it in my desired specification (custom shaft/grip - Tour spec atmos black/mid-size new decade) and will not supply a head separately - rather annoying!

Its now got me looking at how I fix this gapping issue at the top of the bag.

I've currently got:

Driver 9* - Maverik
3 wood 15* but set to 17* - TM Sim2
Old titliest hybrid at 21* - (816 H1)
4i which is also 21* - (JPX 921)

The hybrid is a lot more consistent (and c10 yards longer) than the 4i of the same loft.

Intention had been to drop the 4i from the bag, add a hybrid of ~21/22* to keep the gapping, set the 3W to 15/16* and add-in a low spin, long running utility iron of 18* to use off the tee/chase up a fairway. Plans sound sensible?
Surely a decent golf stockist could get you the spec you need ? Alternatively, can't Taylormade do you the same but with the new 'Stealth' hybrid. Let's be honest, its probably the same as the Sim2 hybrid (which I think are really good and have two of the adjustable ones myself).

Blackpuddin

16,694 posts

207 months

Monday 31st January 2022
quotequote all
HaplessBoyLard said:
Blackpuddin said:
Had two 2s yesterday, which I think is a first for me, so I'm hitting balls pretty well off the tees but I'm struggling for good contact off the ground. Doing the old fat followed by a thin routine, or vice versa. Any tips for getting decent contact off a thin layer of wet, flattened grass with clayey mud easily visible beneath?
Without going for a lesson with a decent instructor and asking that question, and probably seeing your numbers on a launch monitor, it’s impossible to say why you’re struggling with strike.

I have had similar issues with my irons so had some lessons and it turned out I had a very shallow angle of attack with my irons and the club head got ahead of my hands at impact. I was mostly 0 deg AoA, occasionally hitting slightly up with my irons. Easy to see why I used to catch it thin a lot. I was thinning it to avoid fatting it. It’s possible to play good golf with a shallow AoA, but I wasn’t doing it in a way that led to good ball striking.
Feels exactly like what I'm doing. Being an idiot I have tried to rectify this in the past by putting the ball back in my stance in an attempt to generate a downward blow but I have now realised this is not the answer. Focusing on a strike area ahead of the ball and keeping the club low and long through the ball seems to be fooling my brain (in a good way) into producing decent shots more often than not (at the moment anyway!), even though it feels counter-intuitive from a ball-compression point of view. Thanks for the insight, which I found helpful.

kiethton

13,949 posts

182 months

Monday 31st January 2022
quotequote all
Hobo said:
Surely a decent golf stockist could get you the spec you need ? Alternatively, can't Taylormade do you the same but with the new 'Stealth' hybrid. Let's be honest, its probably the same as the Sim2 hybrid (which I think are really good and have two of the adjustable ones myself).
Indeed - that's the plan, plus a U505 it should be spot on

Blackpuddin

16,694 posts

207 months

Tuesday 1st February 2022
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Just an aside really but since I started wearing a pair of wet weather gloves about three weeks ago my game has improved quite noticeably. Not just when it's wet either, I'm wearing them all the time now.

PaulWoof

1,624 posts

157 months

Tuesday 1st February 2022
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On a similar theme, does anybody have any recommendations for a decent mid layer?

I have a weird thing about playing with long sleeves, I dont like things loose around my wrist etc, same with I cant use GPS watches etc. but its a bit cold to brave it out in a polo.

Idealy something light, warm and non restrictive.

Blackpuddin

16,694 posts

207 months

Tuesday 1st February 2022
quotequote all
Merino wool gear isn't golf-specific but it's pretty decent at insulating and wicking.

kiethton

13,949 posts

182 months

Tuesday 1st February 2022
quotequote all
PaulWoof said:
On a similar theme, does anybody have any recommendations for a decent mid layer?

I have a weird thing about playing with long sleeves, I dont like things loose around my wrist etc, same with I cant use GPS watches etc. but its a bit cold to brave it out in a polo.

Idealy something light, warm and non restrictive.
I'm exactly the same and normally brave a polo only until it gets to c5* and its just too cold to do so

Only thing I've found which works is either a tight underarmour top, or a cheap long-sleeved (light) t-shirt (sainsburys/tesco/primarni) but even then I try to get it off asap

Stan the Bat

8,985 posts

214 months

Tuesday 1st February 2022
quotequote all
PaulWoof said:
On a similar theme, does anybody have any recommendations for a decent mid layer?

I have a weird thing about playing with long sleeves, I dont like things loose around my wrist etc, same with I cant use GPS watches etc. but its a bit cold to brave it out in a polo.

Idealy something light, warm and non restrictive.
Thin jacket with gilet.

Gilet either over or under the jacket to suit preference.

Rojibo

1,736 posts

79 months

Tuesday 1st February 2022
quotequote all
kiethton said:
Yes - my old club (Sundridge Park, Bromley) made us use mats over winter.

It was awful, ruins ball striking and generally makes the game awful - its a case of putting up with it for a month or 2 more, or changing clubs unfortunately (we did the latter and went to a better-draining course thats not closed for each day of rain and is dry/playable year-round).
The Spurk mat caused the untimely death of my six iron on Sunday. Well, that’s not entirely fair I did bring it down rather heavy, not taking the fact the ball was above my feet into account. 6 iron head separated clean at the hosel and went a good 60 yards down the fairway. Jarred my shoulder and wrist, oh and it happened after the best drive of the day too.

Sadly had to stop after that, I’ve got a bad shoulder and that really gave me some grief. Have sent the club back to Cobra who are going to fix it for free for me, which is nice. I just cannot stand these mats, back to the DivotEnd one now I guess.