The Golf Thread - 2018!
Discussion
What do we think is the hardest shot in golf? Forgetting my own bunker problem which I know is fixable. Thinking about shots that are tough even with a good technique.
My nomination would be the short greenside chip from long grass and/or a bad lie. So tough to get a clean hit and not stop on it.
My nomination would be the short greenside chip from long grass and/or a bad lie. So tough to get a clean hit and not stop on it.
Blackpuddin said:
What do we think is the hardest shot in golf? Forgetting my own bunker problem which I know is fixable. Thinking about shots that are tough even with a good technique.
My nomination would be the short greenside chip from long grass and/or a bad lie. So tough to get a clean hit and not stop on it.
Anything from the middle of the fairway with a short iron after hitting perfect drive.My nomination would be the short greenside chip from long grass and/or a bad lie. So tough to get a clean hit and not stop on it.
Blue62 said:
I'd say any bunker shot into the green from around 35-50yards. Tough as old boots.
I'd say this, especially if it's like the 18th at The Mere where you have a lake which starts 10 yards after the green......Failing that, I'd say Driver off the deck. Used to be OK back in the day with the Big Bertha and smaller drivers, with the new 460cc Deep Face efforts we have it's a struggle to get it more than 10 feet in the air.
bodhi said:
Blue62 said:
I'd say any bunker shot into the green from around 35-50yards. Tough as old boots.
I'd say this, especially if it's like the 18th at The Mere where you have a lake which starts 10 yards after the green......Failing that, I'd say Driver off the deck. Used to be OK back in the day with the Big Bertha and smaller drivers, with the new 460cc Deep Face efforts we have it's a struggle to get it more than 10 feet in the air.
How about a high draw with a bladed 1 iron? 
On a similar note, I went down to The Chase on Saturday for an iron fitting - not as I'm looking for new sticks, but more to get the lofts and lies checked and make any adjustments for me if needed. I was slightly apprehensive, as every time I have tried this in the past the fitter has tried to sell me new irons, however this time round that wasn't even discussed - if anything, I thought he was going to try to buy mine off me the amount he was bigging them up (he used to have a set).
I hit a few balls to warm up then a few 7 irons with the impact tape applied. My swing must have got out of bed on Saturday as all 5 were right out the middle, with no real adjustments necessary. He then got me on the lie board and I hit a few more (a lot further than before - I got to get myself a lie board
), which indicated that I could maybe do with them being knocked half a degree upright, but as my usual miss is left making them more upright will exacerbate that, so best to leave them as they are.
He's away this week, but has asked me to drop them off next Sunday and he will make sure the rest are all consistent, and fit a couple of new grips to my wedges.
We had a bit of time left over so decided to look at the "trouble" area of my bag, which is between 3 wood and 4 iron. I've effectively got two options at the moment, my 2 iron which is great for 230 yards + off the tee, but sketchy off the deck, or my 5 wood which is great off the deck but useless off the tee as it goes far too high. I'd carry both but that would put me on 15 clubs with my 4 wedges. Told him I was looking for something that could do both tee and deck for around 200 yards, so he got out a 19 degree Titleist 818 H2 with a Aldila Rogue Max X Flex fitted. Never been a fan of hybrids as they go far too high for me, but this thing was a revelation. Long, low and straight, and very easy to get out there around 22 - 230 yards. I shall be ordering one in March
On a similar note, I went down to The Chase on Saturday for an iron fitting - not as I'm looking for new sticks, but more to get the lofts and lies checked and make any adjustments for me if needed. I was slightly apprehensive, as every time I have tried this in the past the fitter has tried to sell me new irons, however this time round that wasn't even discussed - if anything, I thought he was going to try to buy mine off me the amount he was bigging them up (he used to have a set).
I hit a few balls to warm up then a few 7 irons with the impact tape applied. My swing must have got out of bed on Saturday as all 5 were right out the middle, with no real adjustments necessary. He then got me on the lie board and I hit a few more (a lot further than before - I got to get myself a lie board
), which indicated that I could maybe do with them being knocked half a degree upright, but as my usual miss is left making them more upright will exacerbate that, so best to leave them as they are. He's away this week, but has asked me to drop them off next Sunday and he will make sure the rest are all consistent, and fit a couple of new grips to my wedges.
We had a bit of time left over so decided to look at the "trouble" area of my bag, which is between 3 wood and 4 iron. I've effectively got two options at the moment, my 2 iron which is great for 230 yards + off the tee, but sketchy off the deck, or my 5 wood which is great off the deck but useless off the tee as it goes far too high. I'd carry both but that would put me on 15 clubs with my 4 wedges. Told him I was looking for something that could do both tee and deck for around 200 yards, so he got out a 19 degree Titleist 818 H2 with a Aldila Rogue Max X Flex fitted. Never been a fan of hybrids as they go far too high for me, but this thing was a revelation. Long, low and straight, and very easy to get out there around 22 - 230 yards. I shall be ordering one in March
SpeckledJim said:
Something that requires aiming into deep trouble and requiring a combination of shot shape and wind to bring it back where it's supposed to be.
I find it very difficult mid-swing not to 'steer' the ball in the desired direction and mess it up.
That's an interesting one for me as it describes an exact situation at my place where the tee shot is over an immediate and enormous OB ravine with OB beyond that on the left all the way along the right to left sloping fairway to the (par 4) green, with two big bunkers on the right waiting to catch any slice. In the past I've duffed many a ball into the ravine in an effort to hammer it in a straight line to safety. Over time I've reduced the tee club down to a 5 iron just to make sure I get over the gulch but even that was getting bad as I was tensing up more and more on the tee. I find it very difficult mid-swing not to 'steer' the ball in the desired direction and mess it up.
Thankfully I have recently realised that my standard bad-swing driver slice off the tee (or power fade as I now call it) is actually perfect for this hole and haven't looked back since. It does require aiming way left over the OB rubbish but if there's one result I can pretty much guarantee it's a cut-across slice with the driver!
The Cobra One Lengths turned up this morning and as i'm on my extended xmas break what better way to spend it than a day down the golf club.
First impressions......blue grips! I like them. They make a nice change from the usual black.
I went with the 5iron - Gap Wedge. I'm glad i didn't go with the 4-PW because straight away on the driving range i noticed very close gapping between the 6 and 5. I was half expecting this as it had come up in a lot of reviews.
Anyway, not to worry. Off to the chipping area i went.
The wedges were the hardest to get my head around regarding the length but after a few minutes chipping and pitching it soon became evident that these were performing better and were easier to use than my current Cleveland wedges. I'm putting this down to the extra length as i'm 6ft3 and normal wedges can feel like kids clubs to me. The gap wedge has quickly become my favourite club. From opened up club face for flop shots, bunker shots to your run of the mill pitching and chipping....this club is ridiculously easy.
The course had become fairly quiet so off i went to tee off. I played the holes as i usually would with my other clubs. So where id pick a 7 iron previously i'd choose a 7 from the new ones. Distances pretty much matched my current distances for each club. The gapping between the 5 and 6 was definitely too close so will be dropping the 5 and putting my 22deg Hybrid in the bag which is my go to club for 175yrds - 190yrds. The One Length 6 iron was coming in at 165yrds so the step from that to the hybrid shouldn't cause any problems at all.
The GW, PW, 9, 8 performed brilliantly. I thought id see the biggest benefits of one length with the 5 and 6 irons but it was the shorter clubs where the one length concept excelled. Again, i have to praise the Gap Wedge. I was always a bit weary with full shots with my current GW but the one length GW is just so easy to hit. And the height it gets truly is comical. You might as well go and make a cup of tea after you play your shot while you wait for the ball to come back down. I noticed huge benefits with left and right dispersion from all the clubs too.
I'm no where near an excellent ball striker but can hit a draw or fade when needed and this clubs seemed to manage that easily.
Overall very pleased with them. Now on the hunt for a One Length sand wedge to complete the set. I've always played a lob wedge but dont think im going to bother with the one length lob wedge as i feel the sand wedge will be versatile enough if the gap wedge is anything to go buy.
First impressions......blue grips! I like them. They make a nice change from the usual black.
I went with the 5iron - Gap Wedge. I'm glad i didn't go with the 4-PW because straight away on the driving range i noticed very close gapping between the 6 and 5. I was half expecting this as it had come up in a lot of reviews.
Anyway, not to worry. Off to the chipping area i went.
The wedges were the hardest to get my head around regarding the length but after a few minutes chipping and pitching it soon became evident that these were performing better and were easier to use than my current Cleveland wedges. I'm putting this down to the extra length as i'm 6ft3 and normal wedges can feel like kids clubs to me. The gap wedge has quickly become my favourite club. From opened up club face for flop shots, bunker shots to your run of the mill pitching and chipping....this club is ridiculously easy.
The course had become fairly quiet so off i went to tee off. I played the holes as i usually would with my other clubs. So where id pick a 7 iron previously i'd choose a 7 from the new ones. Distances pretty much matched my current distances for each club. The gapping between the 5 and 6 was definitely too close so will be dropping the 5 and putting my 22deg Hybrid in the bag which is my go to club for 175yrds - 190yrds. The One Length 6 iron was coming in at 165yrds so the step from that to the hybrid shouldn't cause any problems at all.
The GW, PW, 9, 8 performed brilliantly. I thought id see the biggest benefits of one length with the 5 and 6 irons but it was the shorter clubs where the one length concept excelled. Again, i have to praise the Gap Wedge. I was always a bit weary with full shots with my current GW but the one length GW is just so easy to hit. And the height it gets truly is comical. You might as well go and make a cup of tea after you play your shot while you wait for the ball to come back down. I noticed huge benefits with left and right dispersion from all the clubs too.
I'm no where near an excellent ball striker but can hit a draw or fade when needed and this clubs seemed to manage that easily.
Overall very pleased with them. Now on the hunt for a One Length sand wedge to complete the set. I've always played a lob wedge but dont think im going to bother with the one length lob wedge as i feel the sand wedge will be versatile enough if the gap wedge is anything to go buy.
Noodle1982 said:
Why not have lessons and use a range finder?
I bet you check the distance on every par 3 tee box and then use that to help you make a decision on which club to use. Why not enable yourself to do that on every hole with the use of a range finder or GPS?
180yrds to a green on a flat fairway with no hazards in the way looks a lot different distance wise than 180yrds to a green with a water hazard, undulating fairways and hazards in the way.
Golf is hard enough as it is. Knowing accurate distances makes it that little bit easier.
Well, knowing the distance is all. I have grown up looking at the 150 yds marker, looking at the terrain, watching the tops of the trees to understand the wind direction and force, understanding if the greens are receptive or hard, and so on. So, am I 10 yds in front of the 150 or 10 yds behind? Is the flag front middle or central? The brain computes and the club is chosen. Is that so different to a modern day computer? I am old technology and you are new technology, Today I played a match with someone and there was a tree between us and the flag. He tried to cut a 7-iron and failed, ending in the bunker. I was more or less in the same place, so I closed the face of a 6-iron and punched a ball under the branches. I was on the green and he in the bunker.
There is a way of playing every hole if you use your head. If you think the par is doable, try, but if not then take the penalty and reduce the potentially horrible score. Play with your brain in gear.
I bet you check the distance on every par 3 tee box and then use that to help you make a decision on which club to use. Why not enable yourself to do that on every hole with the use of a range finder or GPS?
180yrds to a green on a flat fairway with no hazards in the way looks a lot different distance wise than 180yrds to a green with a water hazard, undulating fairways and hazards in the way.
Golf is hard enough as it is. Knowing accurate distances makes it that little bit easier.
Well, knowing the distance is all. I have grown up looking at the 150 yds marker, looking at the terrain, watching the tops of the trees to understand the wind direction and force, understanding if the greens are receptive or hard, and so on. So, am I 10 yds in front of the 150 or 10 yds behind? Is the flag front middle or central? The brain computes and the club is chosen. Is that so different to a modern day computer? I am old technology and you are new technology, Today I played a match with someone and there was a tree between us and the flag. He tried to cut a 7-iron and failed, ending in the bunker. I was more or less in the same place, so I closed the face of a 6-iron and punched a ball under the branches. I was on the green and he in the bunker.
There is a way of playing every hole if you use your head. If you think the par is doable, try, but if not then take the penalty and reduce the potentially horrible score. Play with your brain in gear.
Edited by lowdrag on Monday 14th January 17:09
Edited by lowdrag on Monday 14th January 17:10
Noodle1982 said:
The Cobra One Lengths turned up this morning and as i'm on my extended xmas break what better way to spend it than a day down the golf club.
First impressions......blue grips! I like them. They make a nice change from the usual black.
I went with the 5iron - Gap Wedge. I'm glad i didn't go with the 4-PW because straight away on the driving range i noticed very close gapping between the 6 and 5. I was half expecting this as it had come up in a lot of reviews.
Anyway, not to worry. Off to the chipping area i went.
The wedges were the hardest to get my head around regarding the length but after a few minutes chipping and pitching it soon became evident that these were performing better and were easier to use than my current Cleveland wedges. I'm putting this down to the extra length as i'm 6ft3 and normal wedges can feel like kids clubs to me. The gap wedge has quickly become my favourite club. From opened up club face for flop shots, bunker shots to your run of the mill pitching and chipping....this club is ridiculously easy.
The course had become fairly quiet so off i went to tee off. I played the holes as i usually would with my other clubs. So where id pick a 7 iron previously i'd choose a 7 from the new ones. Distances pretty much matched my current distances for each club. The gapping between the 5 and 6 was definitely too close so will be dropping the 5 and putting my 22deg Hybrid in the bag which is my go to club for 175yrds - 190yrds. The One Length 6 iron was coming in at 165yrds so the step from that to the hybrid shouldn't cause any problems at all.
The GW, PW, 9, 8 performed brilliantly. I thought id see the biggest benefits of one length with the 5 and 6 irons but it was the shorter clubs where the one length concept excelled. Again, i have to praise the Gap Wedge. I was always a bit weary with full shots with my current GW but the one length GW is just so easy to hit. And the height it gets truly is comical. You might as well go and make a cup of tea after you play your shot while you wait for the ball to come back down. I noticed huge benefits with left and right dispersion from all the clubs too.
I'm no where near an excellent ball striker but can hit a draw or fade when needed and this clubs seemed to manage that easily.
Overall very pleased with them. Now on the hunt for a One Length sand wedge to complete the set. I've always played a lob wedge but dont think im going to bother with the one length lob wedge as i feel the sand wedge will be versatile enough if the gap wedge is anything to go buy.
Will be interested to see how you get on with these. Always been interested in the one length concept, and if I get out playing more this year I might treat myself to a set. First impressions......blue grips! I like them. They make a nice change from the usual black.
I went with the 5iron - Gap Wedge. I'm glad i didn't go with the 4-PW because straight away on the driving range i noticed very close gapping between the 6 and 5. I was half expecting this as it had come up in a lot of reviews.
Anyway, not to worry. Off to the chipping area i went.
The wedges were the hardest to get my head around regarding the length but after a few minutes chipping and pitching it soon became evident that these were performing better and were easier to use than my current Cleveland wedges. I'm putting this down to the extra length as i'm 6ft3 and normal wedges can feel like kids clubs to me. The gap wedge has quickly become my favourite club. From opened up club face for flop shots, bunker shots to your run of the mill pitching and chipping....this club is ridiculously easy.
The course had become fairly quiet so off i went to tee off. I played the holes as i usually would with my other clubs. So where id pick a 7 iron previously i'd choose a 7 from the new ones. Distances pretty much matched my current distances for each club. The gapping between the 5 and 6 was definitely too close so will be dropping the 5 and putting my 22deg Hybrid in the bag which is my go to club for 175yrds - 190yrds. The One Length 6 iron was coming in at 165yrds so the step from that to the hybrid shouldn't cause any problems at all.
The GW, PW, 9, 8 performed brilliantly. I thought id see the biggest benefits of one length with the 5 and 6 irons but it was the shorter clubs where the one length concept excelled. Again, i have to praise the Gap Wedge. I was always a bit weary with full shots with my current GW but the one length GW is just so easy to hit. And the height it gets truly is comical. You might as well go and make a cup of tea after you play your shot while you wait for the ball to come back down. I noticed huge benefits with left and right dispersion from all the clubs too.
I'm no where near an excellent ball striker but can hit a draw or fade when needed and this clubs seemed to manage that easily.
Overall very pleased with them. Now on the hunt for a One Length sand wedge to complete the set. I've always played a lob wedge but dont think im going to bother with the one length lob wedge as i feel the sand wedge will be versatile enough if the gap wedge is anything to go buy.
What made you switch to the one length?
Challo said:
Will be interested to see how you get on with these. Always been interested in the one length concept, and if I get out playing more this year I might treat myself to a set.
What made you switch to the one length?
I popped into an American Golf store when cobra first released them to try them out. Loved them then but couldn't justify spending £600+ on a set of irons considering I was still pretty new to golf. I ended up buying a second hand set of Wilson C200's which i have found brilliant but the single length concept was always in the back of my mind. Then a few weeks ago clubhouse golf had an offer on the one lengths (7 clubs) with custom fit options for £270 iirc, next thing I knew the order was placed What made you switch to the one length?
I'm hoping to get a full round in on either Wednesday or Thursday, will report back with my findings.
Blue62 said:
Has anyone invested in a SkyTrack monitor? Full set up for £3k seems good value when compared to other systems but be interested to know if anyone out there has first hand experience?
My golf partner recently bought one and seems to be quite impressed with it - I've not been round yet to give it a try.He has two young kids 1 and 3ish so is only typically allowed out to play golf once a week.
I'm lucky in having no kids so I can get out 3, 4 or sometimes 5 times a week during the summer.
As he was struggling to improve, he bought the Skytrack and all the accessories to go with it and converted one half of his double garage into a golf sim area with net, projector etc.
His game has definitely improved with being able to practice through the week once he puts the kids to bed.
He did say the putting part of the monitor was utterly hopeless and he was 3+ putting but there's ways you can programme in auto 2 putts if you are within X distance of the hole.
Check your headroom where you plan to install though as he currently cannot swing his driver - clubehad contacts the garage roof on his follow through.
I doubt I would invest that sort of cash into a Launch monitor - that can pay for a few years worth of course membership as well as a few new clubs and attire.
Depends on your circumstances though - I'd rather be out on the course playing for real but as I said, its because I can.
A launch monitor was the next best thing for him - and its working.
Pib1978 said:
My golf partner recently bought one and seems to be quite impressed with it - I've not been round yet to give it a try.
He has two young kids 1 and 3ish so is only typically allowed out to play golf once a week.
I'm lucky in having no kids so I can get out 3, 4 or sometimes 5 times a week during the summer.
As he was struggling to improve, he bought the Skytrack and all the accessories to go with it and converted one half of his double garage into a golf sim area with net, projector etc.
His game has definitely improved with being able to practice through the week once he puts the kids to bed.
He did say the putting part of the monitor was utterly hopeless and he was 3+ putting but there's ways you can programme in auto 2 putts if you are within X distance of the hole.
Check your headroom where you plan to install though as he currently cannot swing his driver - clubehad contacts the garage roof on his follow through.
I doubt I would invest that sort of cash into a Launch monitor - that can pay for a few years worth of course membership as well as a few new clubs and attire.
Depends on your circumstances though - I'd rather be out on the course playing for real but as I said, its because I can.
A launch monitor was the next best thing for him - and its working.
Thanks, a guy at my club has just bought one and I had a play at the weekend, for the money it's impressive. He has set up in the garden and the net and mat cost around a grand, so all in it's quite an investment. I liked the data and tracking, it looks like a great practice aid but I'm not sure I can justify the cost, garage would be the only place for it and i probably won't be able to hit anything more than a long iron due to height. He has two young kids 1 and 3ish so is only typically allowed out to play golf once a week.
I'm lucky in having no kids so I can get out 3, 4 or sometimes 5 times a week during the summer.
As he was struggling to improve, he bought the Skytrack and all the accessories to go with it and converted one half of his double garage into a golf sim area with net, projector etc.
His game has definitely improved with being able to practice through the week once he puts the kids to bed.
He did say the putting part of the monitor was utterly hopeless and he was 3+ putting but there's ways you can programme in auto 2 putts if you are within X distance of the hole.
Check your headroom where you plan to install though as he currently cannot swing his driver - clubehad contacts the garage roof on his follow through.
I doubt I would invest that sort of cash into a Launch monitor - that can pay for a few years worth of course membership as well as a few new clubs and attire.
Depends on your circumstances though - I'd rather be out on the course playing for real but as I said, its because I can.
A launch monitor was the next best thing for him - and its working.
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff