Golf - 2020

Author
Discussion

thebraketester

14,249 posts

139 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Who’s better a ball lands on a path/some gravel on your first round.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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SpeckledJim said:
Now, they are handsome indeed!
Thanks Jim. they certainly are! First new irons/wedges for nearly 6 years, during which time handicap has almost halved. Hopefully these will push me down further!

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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thebraketester said:
Who’s better a ball lands on a path/some gravel on your first round.
I'll take a drop and a penalty!!

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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SpeckledJim said:
milkround said:
Well I'm two lessons into my starting out on the golf. And it's about the most frustrating game I've ever tried playing. When you get one thing working the other goes to bits. I was working with the pro on my irons. And he slowed my swing right down. Pointed out I was using mainly my arms and got me using me shoulders and hips. And I got some traction with that. Then I couldn't hit the fairway woods... Then I get the fairway woods going okay but the irons are not working again. Let's not even think or talk about chipping and pitching... I'm actually looking at getting a chipper as it's soul-destroying being 20 yards away on a par 5 after two good shots and then scoring an 8 because you bladed the chip over the green into a bunker, then take 2 or 3 to get out. Then 2 or 3 put. The pro says to not buy anymore clubs but just practise and get confident... Easy for him to say when he can hit all his clubs properly.
Yeah, but he only got there via lots of good quality practice. You're doing the right thing. Keep doing it. There are no short-cuts.

milkround said:
Out of interest how far is everyone else hitting their clubs? When it's working my 7 iron is consistently going about 150 yards. But I met a lad on the range who's 7 iron goes 165... Now I know it doesn't matter as I could just use a 5 iron. But he was telling me more modern clubs go much further because they have taken the loft down, and if you want to put any sort of decent score up you need some of these new clubs. My 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft according to google and he said that is far too much. I will discuss this with the pro but I wanted to get a feel for what everyone else is doing. I can't be making this game any harder for myself.
That guy is talking absolute, absolute rubbish. There's no mention on a scorecard about the number embossed on the club you used.

Iron loft-drift has been going on since manufacturers realised that if a new set of irons goes further than the old set, then they're an easier sell. So a very simple thing to do is just make them all steeper. So they do. Extra bonus for the manufacturer: now you need a gap wedge at the top!

He's boasting that his lower-lofted club goes further than a higher-loft club? Well, duh, it will, won't it!

But if his 6 iron is the same loft as your 5 iron, then they're effectively the same club. He's effectively hitting a 5 iron, and getting the results of a 5 iron, but getting to call it a '6 iron'. Johnny Large-Potatoes.

The flip side of the argument, if we're getting into the weeds, is that he'll be getting the dispersion of a 5 iron from his '6 iron', which is a bad thing.

Edited by SpeckledJim on Wednesday 8th July 09:02
Listen to Jim!

SpeckledJim

31,608 posts

254 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Rosscow said:
Listen to Jim!
Listen to Ross!

Blackpuddin

16,567 posts

206 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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SpeckledJim said:
Rosscow said:
Listen to Jim!
Listen to Ross!
Listen to both of them!
After looking at the pic of your new clubs Rosscow I need something to wipe up the dribble on my keyboard.

thebraketester

14,249 posts

139 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Rosscow said:
thebraketester said:
Who’s better a ball lands on a path/some gravel on your first round.
I'll take a drop and a penalty!!
I think I would too. Enjoy them, They look lovely.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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They are very lovely. And the grips feel fanatstic! I used to have 3 wraps of tape under my grips. This time I've gone for Tour Velvet Mid Size, and they just feel perfect.

I was a bit apprehensive going from a stock Ping CFS stiff shaft (110g I believe) into a KBS X-Stiff 130g but they felt great on the range earlier and I didn't even think about the shaft after hitting a few. I'm hoping my dispersion will be tighter now, as my club face should in theory be more stable!

Pieman68

4,264 posts

235 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Treated myself to a trolley a trolley bag to try and negate some of my back issues and help on the way around and have to say my last round was much more fun as a consequence

Went around Pine Valley and felt better but score was still around the same

https://www.wvgc.co.uk/hole-description-pine-valle...

Just booked 18 on Friday evening. A reasonably short par 9 that we can go around twice on a twilight tee

https://www.longleyparkgc.co.uk/

See if I can break the 100

bodhi

10,549 posts

230 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Rosscow said:
They are very lovely. And the grips feel fanatstic! I used to have 3 wraps of tape under my grips. This time I've gone for Tour Velvet Mid Size, and they just feel perfect.

I was a bit apprehensive going from a stock Ping CFS stiff shaft (110g I believe) into a KBS X-Stiff 130g but they felt great on the range earlier and I didn't even think about the shaft after hitting a few. I'm hoping my dispersion will be tighter now, as my club face should in theory be more stable!
They're that pretty I'm willing to overlook the chunks of metal missing out of the back wink

To your shaft point I think that's a sign that they've been well fitted. I've always had S400's in my irons as long as I can remember, so ever so lightly heavier (132g) but more like an S+ in KBS, but I really do struggle with anything lighter. As you say the club is more stable on the way through, but the extra weight helps me slow things down at the top of the swing as well. Anything lighter and I tend to start hooking the ball, which is no fun.

Enjoy the sticks tho sir, they look stunning.

danneth

994 posts

188 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Quick treck round in the drizzle


danneth

994 posts

188 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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thebraketester said:
So you are 55 yards out... what club do you hit? Soft 52* or a hard punchy putter?
Duff a 52 everytime lol

danneth

994 posts

188 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Rosscow said:
Look great

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
bodhi said:
Rosscow said:
They are very lovely. And the grips feel fanatstic! I used to have 3 wraps of tape under my grips. This time I've gone for Tour Velvet Mid Size, and they just feel perfect.

I was a bit apprehensive going from a stock Ping CFS stiff shaft (110g I believe) into a KBS X-Stiff 130g but they felt great on the range earlier and I didn't even think about the shaft after hitting a few. I'm hoping my dispersion will be tighter now, as my club face should in theory be more stable!
They're that pretty I'm willing to overlook the chunks of metal missing out of the back wink

To your shaft point I think that's a sign that they've been well fitted. I've always had S400's in my irons as long as I can remember, so ever so lightly heavier (132g) but more like an S+ in KBS, but I really do struggle with anything lighter. As you say the club is more stable on the way through, but the extra weight helps me slow things down at the top of the swing as well. Anything lighter and I tend to start hooking the ball, which is no fun.

Enjoy the sticks tho sir, they look stunning.
Cheers Bodhi, they look even better in the flesh!

Funny you should mention the hooks as that has become my bad shot over the last 18 months or so. Hopefully these should help!

The shafts are $-Taper's. They look great as well, the steps are so slight that with a quick glance you'd think they were rifle shafts.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
thebraketester said:
So you are 55 yards out... what club do you hit? Soft 52* or a hard punchy putter?
My choice would be a nice smooth half swing with a slightly open 54 degree wedge, one bounce and stop cool

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
danneth said:
Look great
beer

milkround

1,122 posts

80 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Well I just wanted to thank those who said to ignore the guy on the range. Today I got to play with a very very good golfer from the competition tees. I booked in to play and was put with him because he entered a competition and needed to play. So I decided to play from the big boy tees. He was in the club first team and has to give strokes when playing as he has a handicap which means he is better than scratch! But he was great to play with. Felt more like a 4.5 hour playing lesson tbh as he was happy to give little bits of advice and never got annoyed with me. And he agreed with everyone that I don't need to change any clubs.

The most annoying thing was that we got stuck behind 2 ladies... Not being rude but they were truly shocking (worst than me) and wouldn't let us play through. In the end, fortunately, they only played 9 holes. But I can't understand how they think it's acceptable to take 15 shots on a hole and not to think to let anyone play through. I'm not talking 15 shots losing 4 balls and being daft - but 15 20ft duffs. Surely it can't be right. Took us nearly 3 hours to play the front 9 and then 1.5 hours for the back 9. I think there should be a rule about this... I have the decency to get on with it at least.

On the plus side - the guy I played with got me hitting the driver much better. And sorted out my hybrid. He said nearly the same stuff as the pro about my irons which was good to hear. But he was a total gent. Most amazing thing was hearing him say what he was going to do and it happening... Like when he hit a 5 iron very low and curved it around a tree. Like a magician. I enjoyed it a lot.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Sounds like a great guy and a decent advert for golf!

Glad you finally had a really enjoyable experience on the course.

HaplessBoyLard

1,549 posts

189 months

Thursday 9th July 2020
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milkround said:
Well I just wanted to thank those who said to ignore the guy on the range. Today I got to play with a very very good golfer from the competition tees. I booked in to play and was put with him because he entered a competition and needed to play. So I decided to play from the big boy tees. He was in the club first team and has to give strokes when playing as he has a handicap which means he is better than scratch! But he was great to play with. Felt more like a 4.5 hour playing lesson tbh as he was happy to give little bits of advice and never got annoyed with me. And he agreed with everyone that I don't need to change any clubs.

The most annoying thing was that we got stuck behind 2 ladies... Not being rude but they were truly shocking (worst than me) and wouldn't let us play through. In the end, fortunately, they only played 9 holes. But I can't understand how they think it's acceptable to take 15 shots on a hole and not to think to let anyone play through. I'm not talking 15 shots losing 4 balls and being daft - but 15 20ft duffs. Surely it can't be right. Took us nearly 3 hours to play the front 9 and then 1.5 hours for the back 9. I think there should be a rule about this... I have the decency to get on with it at least.

On the plus side - the guy I played with got me hitting the driver much better. And sorted out my hybrid. He said nearly the same stuff as the pro about my irons which was good to hear. But he was a total gent. Most amazing thing was hearing him say what he was going to do and it happening... Like when he hit a 5 iron very low and curved it around a tree. Like a magician. I enjoyed it a lot.
Playing with better players, especially those that are willing to share their experience, is one of the fastest ways to get better. You’ll pick up so
Much about course management that will save you shots.

One of the biggest mistakes newer players make is compounding errors by trying to make up for them, instead of taking their medicine and accepting that the error they just made has cost them a shot.

Just going back to your chat with the guy at the range, it’s hardly surprising his ‘7 iron’ was going further than yours. If he was using Mavrik irons (the standard model, not the pro) then his 7 iron is 27 degrees. That’s only one degree more than your 5 iron. If you gave him your 7 iron he’d hit it about 145.

Some people think that by stamping a 7 on the bottom of a club with the loft of a 5 iron that they’re gaining distance for free. What manufacturers won’t tell you is that a club with 27 degrees off loft (his “7 iron”) is far harder to keep on line than one with 34 degrees (your 7 iron). The less loft a club has, the more spin axis tilt it imparts on the ball when you don’t strike the ball square ie. club path and face marrying up at impact. The more spin axis tilt the ball has the further it curves off line. That’s why it’s so easy to wildly slice and hook your driver...it’s got very little loft, giving lots of axis tilt on shots struck with a club face open or closed to the club path at impact.

His 7 iron has the loft of a 5 iron, and curves in the air like one. In some ways it’s paradoxical to call them game improvement irons. They’re harder to control. But like Jim (I think) said before, manufacturers love it because now you’ve got a gap at the bottom of your bag...that’ll be a gap wedge at £120+ you’ll need then.

It’s all marketing BS.

bodhi

10,549 posts

230 months

Monday 13th July 2020
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Just wondering, is anyone else having a mental block on short putts with the pin in? Played in a comp yesterday, and missed 3 or 4 little tiddlers (as in 2 foot or less), as I couldn't convince myself to push the putter through properly without hitting the pin.