The Golf Thread - 2018!

[DuncanM]

Blackpuddin said:

Rotten practice session in the club bunker. Two people (one of them the club pro) has demonstrated to me how easy it is – but I still can't do it. Screaming inside.

Did you try my tip?

[Blackpuddin]

Not today as I was listening to the advice of a fellow player who very kindly offered to help and it seemed rude to introduce something else. He was trying to get me to 'feel' it by taking the swing completely out of it ie just cocking and uncocking the wrists and trying to go down and through the sand. I 'felt' it a couple of times but 98% of it was rubbish. Even that crazy move for plugged balls where you hood the face so it's pointing to your lead foot was more effective than the 'proper' shot.
According to my brain, opening the face and getting under the ball are mutually exclusive. I tried the pro's technique of a normal face angle ie not open but despite watching him and my friend today effortlessly getting the ball out time after time and telling me how simple it was I'm afraid I lost patience.
I've got more lessons coming with the pro so I hope to get somewhere but next time I'm up there on my own I'll try your tip. Thanks again.

[48Valves]

Blackpuddin said:

Not today as I was listening to the advice of a fellow player who very kindly offered to help and it seemed rude to introduce something else. He was trying to get me to 'feel' it by taking the swing completely out of it ie just cocking and uncocking the wrists and trying to go down and through the sand. I 'felt' it a couple of times but 98% of it was rubbish. Even that crazy move for plugged balls where you hood the face so it's pointing to your lead foot was more effective than the 'proper' shot.
According to my brain, opening the face and getting under the ball are mutually exclusive. I tried the pro's technique of a normal face angle ie not open but despite watching him and my friend today effortlessly getting the ball out time after time and telling me how simple it was I'm afraid I lost patience.
I've got more lessons coming with the pro so I hope to get somewhere but next time I'm up there on my own I'll try your tip. Thanks again.

How much bounce has your sand wedge got?

See if you can find a wedge with a 14 or 16 degree bounce angle and try it. You can then hit more normalish chip shots.

Even something crazy like this might help.

https://www.clubhousegolf.co.uk/acatalog/Ray-Cook-...

[Blackpuddin]

Not sure how much bounce they have tbh, have been using Cleveland 56 and 60 wedges to equal lack of effect and have also tried a specific Cleveland SW. Maybe time to have a look for another club.

[swisstoni]

Blackpuddin said:

Not sure how much bounce they have tbh, have been using Cleveland 56 and 60 wedges to equal lack of effect and have also tried a specific Cleveland SW. Maybe time to have a look for another club.

I’m sure it’s just a bit of technique that needs tweaking. Have a look at a few YouTube clips maybe? It would be a waste of money to change wedges unless they are unusually low bounce.

[thebraketester]

What’s the sand like that you are trying to hit out of? Nice and dry or hard and compacted? If it’s the latter then it makes the shot 100 times harder.

[Blackpuddin]

thebraketester said:

What’s the sand like that you are trying to hit out of? Nice and dry or hard and compacted? If it’s the latter then it makes the shot 100 times harder.

It''s quite heavy to survive the wind we get up on the course but I can't really blame that as others handle it OK.

[DuncanM]

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.

Nice Review

Nice review, I love the idea of the one length clubs.

I love what Bryson is doing in the game, really need characters like him. I'm also obsessed with Mo Norman, and swing theory, so this sort of thing appeals.

I doubt I'll be buying any clubs for a long time, but if they'd been out at the time of my last purchase, I think I'd have had a serious look.

Good luck with them, it's good you're enjoying them so soon

[mikal83]

DuncanM said:

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.

Nice Review

Nice review, I love the idea of the one length clubs.

I love what Bryson is doing in the game, really need characters like him. I'm also obsessed with Mo Norman, and swing theory, so this sort of thing appeals.

I doubt I'll be buying any clubs for a long time, but if they'd been out at the time of my last purchase, I think I'd have had a serious look.

Good luck with them, it's good you're enjoying them so soon

To me he comes over as a right arrogant cock

[thebraketester]

Thinking of a good trip with my mate. Either a trip to le golf national to play 2 courses, or le touquet or somewhere in Portugal..... what do you think? Obviously France is easiest to just sling the clubs in the car and get on the tunnel

[toasty]

thebraketester said:

Thinking of a good trip with my mate. Either a trip to le golf national to play 2 courses, or le touquet or somewhere in Portugal..... what do you think? Obviously France is easiest to just sling the clubs in the car and get on the tunnel

Depends on the time of year, Portugal is normally warmer/sunnier though can get a bit hot mid summer. Plenty of good courses down there

[Blackpuddin]

Some of our lads went to Le Golf just before the RC and literally lost a bucket of balls, it is very tough.

[thebraketester]

I was planning on factoring in 2 dozen balls for the trip :-)

[Busa mav]

This game is getting a grip on me now.

I decided now that I am 64, its time to have a half day off every week and go play golf.

Ignored the game all my life, until October when I had my first lesson.

Now got to make the very important choice between my cricket and golf, it has been confirmed from HO that I cant do both

Anyone recommend a good driver for a newbie ?

I keep seeing the Great Big Bertha Epic getting good reviews, but cheapest I can find it is £270.

[SpeckledJim]

Busa mav said:

This game is getting a grip on me now.

I decided now that I am 64, its time to have a half day off every week and go play golf.

Ignored the game all my life, until October when I had my first lesson.

Now got to make the very important choice between my cricket and golf, it has been confirmed from HO that I cant do both

Anyone recommend a good driver for a newbie ?

I keep seeing the Great Big Bertha Epic getting good reviews, but cheapest I can find it is £270.

Honestly, you don't need a driver yet. I don't mean it to sound patronising, but it won't help your golf, just as a Ferrari F40 wouldn't have been a good choice for your first car.

But if you're going to get one, the shaft is more important than the head, so get a pro to recommend what sort of shaft you need, then get a driver that floats your boat on eBay from Ping or Callaway or Titleist or Mizuno and just see how it goes.

If you don't like it, you'll get 90% of your money back, and you can try another.

[Blackpuddin]

thebraketester said:

I was planning on factoring in 2 dozen balls for the trip :-)

Should be enough for one round anyway , you should do it just for an insight on what sort of tracks the pros play on, it's got to be worth a few balls.

[thebraketester]

That’s what I am thinking. :-)

[WinkleHoff]

SpeckledJim said:

Busa mav said:

This game is getting a grip on me now.

I decided now that I am 64, its time to have a half day off every week and go play golf.

Ignored the game all my life, until October when I had my first lesson.

Now got to make the very important choice between my cricket and golf, it has been confirmed from HO that I cant do both

Anyone recommend a good driver for a newbie ?

I keep seeing the Great Big Bertha Epic getting good reviews, but cheapest I can find it is £270.

Honestly, you don't need a driver yet. I don't mean it to sound patronising, but it won't help your golf, just as a Ferrari F40 wouldn't have been a good choice for your first car.

But if you're going to get one, the shaft is more important than the head, so get a pro to recommend what sort of shaft you need, then get a driver that floats your boat on eBay from Ping or Callaway or Titleist or Mizuno and just see how it goes.

If you don't like it, you'll get 90% of your money back, and you can try another.

This. Most amateurs cannot create the swing speed with a driver and the distance between driver and, say 3 wood isn't much at all, and you will get the ball in play easier with a 3 wood. I never use a driver at our club course, and most of the time I out drive people with my 3 wood. The industry is obsessed with selling us expensive drivers and, even if I did use a driver, it would probably only come out on four/five holes max. A properly fitted set of irons and wedges would be far more beneficial, correct shafts, loft and lie etc.

[Blackpuddin]

Must admit I've noticed that results with the 3 are a lot more consistent. Still using the big stick tho. Especially after this morning when I forced myself to stop swaying back from the knees on the backswing.

[yorky500]

Agree with the two posts above.

Where I play in Ghana, its 3 wood off the tee only. My caddie only allows me to use the "big stick" on one hole. However, when i go back to SA for holidays, my big stick comes out whenever it can!

Also, and please do not take offence, but at 64 y/o your swing speed is not likely to be too high. Golfers I have played with at that age (I play every week with a guy who is 64) do use driver but the shaft is like a flexible rubber pipe i.e. very whippy. Its the only way they can generate enough swing speed to hit the ball 160-180 years off the tee with their driver.