Leaderboard

The Gap Wedge. As I continue to prep my Stage 2, I've been sprinkling in some tidbits of information about the clubs. In this edition, I'll be speaking to the Gap Wedge ("U Wedge" in Ping's nomenclature) and, by extension, the 3 iron because the standard decision for 8-piece iron sets is between a 3 iron at the top or a Gap Wedge at the bottom. Coming into this test, a big hole in my game was the +-125 yard shot. The PW played 135 and I just couldn't accurately hit the 52* longer than 115. Compounding this was the fact that I also couldn't accurately hit partial shots. The added distance across the set was only going to create a wider gap so this was basically a no-brainer to go with gap wedge and it was honestly one of the things I was most excited about with this set before placing the order. The irons-only rounds really highlighted what this club can do: The bump-and-run shot was an obvious use and it performed admirably. This wasn't without a learning period because you must hit downnn on the ball to get the right reaction. Any attempt to sweep or pop too high was met with an unpleasant-feeling skull across the green. For height, the adjustment needed to be in ball position, not the strike. Moving away from the green, the flop shot was my most pleasant surprise. Obviously, you're not flopping a ball over someone's head a la Phil but there is a nice medium-pitch to be had out of think-ish rough. That dastardly Bermuda rough surrounds the greens on the courses near me and the extra body to this wedge makes it much more useful than any traditional wedge has been for me in the past. Below are 2 great examples of times this wedge has gotten me out of a jam. Shot 1 was a beaut that actually stopped right where it landed and Shot 2 was a time where the gap wedge bailed me out for par. (both were nestled down in Bermuda rough) As we continue to move away from the green, the partial shots also wowed me. The full shot can be 120 but this club can easily be choked to take varying degrees of distance off. Recently, there's been a lot of buzz regarding target layup distances and this is perfect club for that portion of the game. It removes the need for excessive risk when you can play to a safe part of the fairway and still have a reasonable chance at up-and-down. Simplicity is key when you're trying to improve and I love the fact that I've now got a club that can be used anywhere between 50 and 120 yards with decent stopping power to boot. As expected, the set gap wedge filled the.....gap nicely on full shots. The increased forgiveness and launch designed into the i500s carries true all the way down for even spacing. According to Arccos, I'm finding the green safely 68% of the time with the gap wedge with an average distance to the pin of 22ft. That's a lot of birdie opportunities and I'll take that. In case you can't tell, the Gap Wedge is my favorite part of this set. It definitely takes practice to grow accustomed to the feel but I think that's a worthwhile investment. I got the chance to play a round with @Kanoito and he let me give his 3iron a few hits to see what I thought. That is also a very good club with plenty of useful applications but I think the extreme versatility of the Gap Wedge makes it the easy decision. If I ever find myself with a new set of irons (unlikely), I think the Gap Wedge will come with me to play with the next set.... I just like it THAT much

Just gonna leave this here. You guys are famous!

It’s so nice to see that even when you need to step away from the forum, some things just keep moving along as normal. Like the fact that this thread still receives applications. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Free stuff!!!?!?!?! Why didn't anyone tell me? I thought this was a golf forum Sent from my XT1635-01 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

I feel left out! Where's my tag for being a very average middle aged golfer? Sent from my SM-G965U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

A while back, I wrote a post about my bud's grandson's effort as a freshman member of his high school golf team and how much I enjoyed watching him play as well as his fellow young golfers. There is a local magazine, "Eastern Shore Golf", its about 80% advertising for eastern shore businesses with local golf topics spread throughout. The cover of the Nov/Dec issue has a group picture of the top 20 high school golfers on the Eastern Shore. I am happy to report that my bud's grandson is in the picture, mind you that he is a freshman. I also took pleasure that I recognized many of the other faces and names as well knowing that they are all good kids. It was truly a pleasure to support them. Additionally, a good friend and retired pro from a couple of the clubs in which I was a member has been inducted into the Eastern Shore Hall of Fame. Obviously, I am happy about that as well. Perhaps, his only failure was getting me out of a sand bunker.

More good musical news - my daughter made senior districts this year. That’s pretty good given how many flute players audition throughout the region, and she had very little practice time due to her marching band schedule. She’s sitting second chair which she is 100% OK with. I’m very happy for her. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

I've always wanted to be "Subject 3"! Better get the pen out to start signing autographs!

Saw that last night. That’s pretty cool to be social media famous.

Best sand wedge is the one that gives you the most confidence to hit the shot. The wand must match the wizard.

Unfortunately Tommy many are looking for the promise of FREE STUFF. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Time to start filtering what I read on here even more. There is snow on the ground and courses are closed so I'm going to have to stop reading certain things to avoid jealousy.

And that’s NOT “Fake News”[emoji106] Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

IDK maybe Prune juice [emoji2957] Sent from my XT1635-01 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Tempo is certainly important for each individual player. However, each player does need to find the best tempo that will work for them to produce consistent results. We have found that by increasing the overall athleticism and efficiency of the golf swing, a player will fall into a much more consistent and repeatable tempo. This happens as a result of proper sequencing in the golf swing.

So I finally found a blade styled anser/ Newport putter that suits me well and it's the evnroll er 1.2 ,I played it one round and I just seemed to make more Birdie's with it than anything I had 3 Birdie's that were over 10 feet ,one was 20 that I usually miss or come close but then i made many par putts within that dreaded 5 ft range, now to my quest to make it black lol I played two rounds before u sent it off,lol So I've always gravitated towards the black putters at the stores, they just look better to my eye but the evnroll didn't come in black so being a I go all in guy I had to find a black finish that would not change the feel and last and not wear off, something like that cobra forged black dbm finish So I looked into black oxide, torching, Caswell blackener and they all have something I did not like about them whether it was too thick or wore off fast etc. I'm a watchsmith and I have done pvd and dlc coatings to make watches like panerai and quite a few Rolex subs/gmt look like tool watches, but back then pvd would wear easily which is the look that many of my customers wanted and it didn't change anything enough in the metal so I could put it back together easily but the dlc was much stronger but also thicker so tighter bezels in watches would not go back on so we didn't use it that much so i contacted the company and discussed options for my putter and I was wowed that they actually have a "layered dlc" that was stronger than what I've seen before which was really tough and it is also now thinner than what I've used in the past here is what I was told Layered DLC is as hard and even harder in some cases than natural diamond The dlc problems in the past was how it would stick to the metal but this problem was solved by the use of multilayer coating, it is also used alot in camshafts in high powered engines So I was like when can I send it to you, lol he said send it now and check it out I was like how much? He said just pay the shipping you have always been a good customer to us consider it a favor, but I had to do the other work which was removed the shaft and remove the paint fill So it began last week and I got it back today, it looks awesome,I will send after pictures when I take them later on Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Hey MGS Community! I’ve lurked the site for years and always check out the tests and yearly Most Wanted lists, but never registered for some odd reason. My passion is golf and all things golf, and I’ve been playing or associated with the business for nearly 35 years. I recently relocated to Denver from Houston and absolutely love the golf in Colorado. I do miss true year round golf, but can’t say that I miss losing 5 lbs during a summer round.....[emoji15]. Anyway, it’s great to be here and look forward to contributing to this awesome site! Michael Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Congratulations man. I had my Evnroll finished with a DLC and it looks incredible. I gamed it all season and the finish still looks brand NEW. Incredibly durable.

Got a metal yard stick with a small hole drilled in it from Lowe’s for $2-3, working on starting ball straight on line. Getting better with my 38” Elevado CB by gripping up higher Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

You NEED to get a Lefty tag!

Finished my first training session with the new Stability Pro mat that the fine folks at SuperSpeed were so gracious to provide to us. Previously I had used a folded up towel for one kneeling swing session, and then bought a 18" x 11" x 1.5" garden mat to use for a few more. For comparison the Stability Pro measures approximately 20" x 16" x 2.5". Here's a pic of the new Stability Pro mat versus my $12 garden mat. Was the Stability Pro better for my kneeling swings? Definitely. Is it worth $50 versus a $10-$15 mat you can find online? Probably not. The bigger mat definitely made me feel more stable and didn't move around as much during my kneeling swings, but it didn't seem $40 better if that makes any sense. Maybe that will change if I find more uses for the Stability Pro other than the 18 kneeling swings we take per training session.

Man I gotta brush up on my "Caddyshack" lines ... Kenny always has the right one ready to go! Easy to do when you've watched Caddyshack as much as Martha and I have. We live for stupid movies.

Received my kneeling pad yesterday. Thank you SuperSpeed!!! But, like RevKev said, my swing speeds have been down, all across the board. Must be old man winter creeping up on these old bones. One things I'll say... it's a workout. Really gets the heart rate up.

For the past few months, my wife has been tracking her food in her Fitbit app, with great success - she lost around 20 lbs since July (and she didn't really need to lose as much as me). My old phone would not pair with my Fitbit, no matter what I did (even getting a replacement through their support). I finally got a new phone a week and a half ago and have been tracking my food too, which has been a great help in addition to us joining a gym a month, or so, ago. In mid May I was around 235, as of this morning I am 215.7. The Fitbit app seems like a good thing for me - it has really helped me avoid my after work snack that I really didn't need. I haven't really changed what I eat, just making sure to have reasonable amounts so I end up eating around 500 calories less than I burn.

I’ll smoke a ham and a turkey for Thanksgiving, they always come out great on my Traeger Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

I wasn't born yet, but it could still be...

2016 when did it get there??? I thought this was 1996 lol

Pretty sure we're dealing with the same crowd here who keeps writing "2018" on things well into May of the following year. What? It isn't still 2016?

Storm King Imperial Stout. 9.1 ABV.

Not a Budweiser drinker (unless it's Budvar in Europe), but...

Of course they’ll enter as long as it says “FREE”!! Nationwide curse. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

So as we go into 2019, it'll be interesting if there will be entries for a 2018 putter. Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

I just can't read the news anymore. None of it. Our world is nothing but massive chaos and fear. It does nothing but raise my negative emotions to the point where it affects my attitude. None of this can be good for anyone's psyche. I just need to tune it all out and focus on golf and other positive things.

That type of Scramble can be fun once in a while. War Department and I played in one very similar couple years and you had to play Par 3 with Putter off the tee and driver remainder of the hole. We used War Dept drive with the putter then she drained the driver shot for a birdie. No living with her for s couple days. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Nooooo, now I need new wedges!!! That is a seriously good idea. I always struggle opening my wedges up really far without hitting the heel into the ground and twisting the face closed. This will solve that problem.

There is an Edel fifty 6 in the most wanted wedge testing. I was impressed when I tested this club. I am not sure what grid it has, but it did sit flat on the ground. Very noticeable compared to the others and it also had more of a rounded leading edge.

An old geezer, who had been a retired farmer for a long time, became very bored and decided to open a medical clinic. He put a sign up outside that said: Dr. Geezer’s clinic. “Get your treatment for $500, if not cured get back $1,000.” Doctor “Young,” who was positive that this old geezer didn’t know anything about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get an easy $1,000. So he went to Dr. Geezer’s clinic This is what happened. Dr. Young: “Dr. Geezer, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me?” Dr. Geezer: “Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young’s mouth.” Dr. Young: “Aagh! This is gasoline!” Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You’ve got your taste back. That will be $500.” Dr. Young gets annoyed and leaves in a haste. He’s angry now, and spends the next few days trying to figure out a way to recover his money. He returns to Dr. Geezer’s office once he thinks of a clever plan… Dr. Young: “I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything.” Dr. Geezer: “Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient’s mouth.” Dr. Young: “Oh no you don’t. That is Gasoline!” Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You’ve got your memory back. That will be $500.” Dr. Young, after having lost $1000 total, leaves angrily and comes back after several more days. Dr. Young: “My eyesight has become weak. I can hardly see!” Dr. Geezer: “Well, I don’t have any medicine for that so… Here’s your $1000 back.” Dr. Young: “But this is only $500…” Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You got your vision back! That will be $500.” Moral of story — Just because you’re “Young” doesn’t mean that you can outsmart an old “Geezer “

135 guests and 50 members on right now. Yet I read all the unread topics and it is the same 20 people. Folks I promise we do not bite. You're here for a reason join into the community and you will be surprised how easy it is to talk here.

... That is just awesome and I am gonna steal that line Shankster!

Ha I used to never try Callaway because I never felt comfortable with their clubs...then came the XR16 Pro Driver and CF16 irons. Have since moved on from the XR16 Pro but still love the irons, Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

I’m sure enjoying it! My UCONN team is horrible so UCF my backup[emoji16] Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Being the meat man is a blessing and a curse isn't it? Making people happy = good... People expecting delicious meat for every occasion = not good I'll see if I can dig up the bacon-wrapped turkey that I smoked a couple years back. It was a thing of beauty.. Felt like I was eating a Rembrandt.. :-P Sent from my VS985 4G using MyGolfSpy mobile app

this must be a mistake.... maybe she's looking for another strokerAce ???

That's the same for me too. I find anything over 35" too long for me to handle well. I feel like there is too much shaft and I can't control it as well. I generally play 33" or 34". 33" in heavier putters and 34" in lighter putters. Keep in mind, I am 6' 2" and play my irons 1" over standard.

Week 7 has not gone as planned. The California wildfires have made the air borderline un-breathable. The air quality index this week reached "hazardous" levels in my area. Due to this, and also being plagued with Asthma, I was only able to complete one SuperSpeed training session. I reached out to SuperSpeed and asked how they wanted me to proceed. I wanted to know if I should use my 1 session as my entire Week 7, or put my training on hold until the air quality improved. Their advice was to hold off on the training and continue when I'm able. With this being said, I will not have an update for this week, and moving forward with the testing, I will be at least 1 week behind the rest of the group. There is rain in the weather forecast this coming week, so I am hoping air quality will improve and I will be able to get back to training.

Negra Modelo, in the Charlotte Airport. On my way back from the Marine ball Sent from my XT1635-01 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Thanks Tony and yea, he's done with basic and did well. Now he is in black phase (AIT) for three weeks of intense training and then gold phase for two weeks of cool down. The last two weeks are less stressful and physical demanding. They turn in equipment, practice graduation parade, and give the body time to heal up from the rigorous demands that were placed on it. He has a turning blue ceremony on December 13th. I get to put his blue cord on him which is a symbol of becoming Infantry. He graduates the next day with a parade, honor awards, etc. then we get to seem him briefly before he is shipped off to Ft Polk for further training. I can tell ya this. After nine weeks of basic training, my son looks like a lean mean fighting machine. He's my hero! I appreciate ya asking Tony

This is the garage. I haven't bought a detector, though I might look into that. For now, I'm not out there terribly long, and the garage has lots of air leaks (it's detached). I think there might be enough breeze *in* the garage to keep the air fresh :-)

Absolutely!.. I have a few buddies with connections to a couple country clubs around me, hopefully they can help point me in the right direction if I decide to get lessons. And I just put that DST Compressor 8i on my Christmas list haha. My wife is just gonna kill me [emoji23]

I figured if it's on the card then it must be cool. When I logged the round for NCGA, the app had the combo tees listed for HCP so all's good. Also played a "cheap" ball. The Callaway Superhot matte orange. Bought one at check in on a whim, and bought a box at the turn. Really fun ball to play, and definitely longer for me. No problem finding it in the leaves either. Now the one that I pulled with ferocity OB with the 3W, that one was not going to be found without a machete.