Stuka44

In my opinion this is the biggest key. Most of the time even with average to above average players, and maybe one good player you are going to hit many greens in regulation. Scrambles come down to making those 8-20 footers you end up with for birdie. The worst putter can learn much from how hard a put is struck that comes close, and an actual visual reference of how much break to play. The worst putter going first most of the time will provide almost nothing in terms of speed and break.

Norm49 I have no experience with the golf forever. Getting older (I'm almost 58) was taking its toll and making me inflexible. I just looked up "stretching workouts", and put in ones that cover all of the bases; back, hamstrings, quads, calves, shoulders. I also have one adjustable weight dumbbell, that I use for some lower weight 8-12 lbs., curls, triceps, and shoulder strengthening. I'm not sure if I'm helping, but performing basic stretches, has helped me the most. I have some other "stuff" in my basement, an elastic band machine thing, stationary bikes, a treadmill, stair climber. For my golf game right now at my age (now I admittedly have not suffered any serious back injury) that basic stretching to increase flexibility, does the most for me now. I can do it all in about 15-20 minutes.

Just watched it. That was great. Makes one wonder about spending a lot of money on equipment.

I use the Garmin S40, or S42, its one of those two. First like others have said, I have found when I start to believe, and that is what having an "exact" number to the pin, prompts in me, that I can hit a golf ball an exact number, especially if the distance to the flag is the exact number I think I fly one of my clubs, then bad things happen. I immediately begin to have wholly unrealistic expectations of where this shot is going to end up, and most of the time the results are not good AT ALL. I am entirely comfortable with I got 140 to the middle, my 9 iron goes 135, the front is 130, don't want to risk 145 yard 8 iron, because over the green is NEVER GOOD, at any of the places I play. C'mon baby hit the putting surface!! Is good enough for me!! I will say I NEVER thought of what someone said earlier. All groups should be required to have one range finder, for the sole purpose OF LASERING THE GROUP IN FRONT, to prevent undue waiting when, AS OFTEN HAPPENS, the group in which nobody has hit a drive 225 yards, is waiting to tee off, even though the group in front of them is at 285 already. P.S. And as Tom mentioned I am freaking terrible at leaving, or almost leaving things behind, haven't left anything behind YET, that is attached to my wrist.

Ok.... Now I am a little confused. Is everyone(like me) waiting to see if we can recover the original one. Or have people re-entered some of what we had before, and I'm just not seeing it. I'd hate to see this be the end of this thread.....

Seth. My advice which differs almost always from most on this forum would be this. There is only one thing in this game that will lead to poor play, quicker than thinking to little, and that is thinking too much. I don't believe there is anything in this game that is a "should", or is "necessary". I use a grip with both thumbs, straight down the shaft, I can't interlock my fingers. This is what feels good to me. I have never had a formal lesson either. Sure on occasion I have utilized written material, and or a video here or there to adjust my chipping stance a little, or when I went to left hand low putting because I realized that I couldn't keep my wrists from snapping all over the place putting. I'm not sure how many rounds you play in a year, but to believe you should come to a course in your first couple of years playing, and again depending on how many times you are playing , and hit more straight drives, and crisply struck iron shots, than average to poor ones is unrealistic. Many will disagree, make no mistake. The only thing in terms of equipment I would say is this. I once played regularly with a guy who was 6'6", but actually needed shorter than standard clubs because his arms were so damn long. So I would check into club length for your height as something to address at some point, if necessary. Other than this, find a swing that works for you, and go with it. If you were losing 9 strokes hitting driver off the tee....No need to sell your driver! Just don't hit it off the tee...There is NO RULE that says you must. Hit something you can keep in play, 3W, Hybrid, 4 iron(crap 7 Iron). You say you are topping your irons. I'm wondering if you are topping 7, 8, and 9 regularly or are you topping 4,5,6, and perhaps 3 woods on par 5's. Flatter clubs, and the 3w, are harder for EVERYONE to get off the ground initially, and make good contact with. This doesn't necessarily mean there is anything wrong with your swing, if you can get a 7 or 8 iron off the ground, but not a 4 or 5 iron at the present time. A more consistent, and repeatable swing will come with playing. THERE IS NOTHING YOU MUST ABSOLUTELY GET RIGHT....There is no such thing. This forum has many examples of people caught in the "black hole" of seeking to find the perfect, or ideal swing they saw on a video, only to change to the next one they saw, and then the next, and the next. I would urge caution on this. I would play more, and practice more, and make sure your expectations are in line with how much you play.

Maybe I am wrong, but I believe courses are looking to the future and it potentially is not good. So they are making their money now, while the hype is good. Using catch phrases like Dynamic Pricing, because of "demand" and all of the hype about "new golfers". Make no mistake it is the core, and not new golfers who are paying *****The golfer base increased by 4 percent in 2023, from 21.9 million players to 22.8 million. That's a net increase of 2.3 million people since 2019, and is the highest number of golfers in the game since 26 million in 2010. *****According to the National Golf Foundation's definition, avid golfers play over twenty-five rounds a season and core golfers play at least eight rounds. *****The approximately 13 million Core Golfers in the U.S. represent about half of on-course participants but account for over 90% of annual play and spend. These are the consumers really move the needle in the golf business when it comes to play, spend and overall engagement. *****The number of Boomers in the game increased 4.8 percent to 4.9 million players. (65+ years of age). I didn't want to attach a whole page, but trust me, it says that those 65+ accounted for 29% of all rounds played in 2022, and 1 in 6 or (16.66%) played 50+ rounds(the most recent I could find without paying for the data from NGF) ***** We haven't done a very good job of attracting the generation behind us. So part of our challenge as an industry is we're starting to age out. . . . We have a big gap in that next generation behind us that didn't take up golf like I did at (age) 24. ** Generation X, or those aged 55-64, however, decreased by 3 percent to 3.7 million players. It doesn't matter how many new people try the game , it only matters to courses how many of those people turn into core golfers, now and in the future, for long-term success. And 29% of a courses income is presently from golfers 65+ years of age, and they are they are going to decline over the next 5-10 years, through inability to play, or death. And think about core golfers (8+ rounds) of all ages, who play 90% of all golf(remember it's less than 50% of ALL PEOPLE WHO PLAY). Think about how many golfers play 24+ times a year, my two brothers and I all play 40+ times a year. That's the equivalent of 15, 8 times a year players. So think about how much of this 90% of play is played by relatively few individuals, when you think about individuals playing 100 times a year, or the listed 833,000 individuals over 65 who play 50 + times a year. Calculated at only 50 rounds a year for these 833,000 players, it will require 5.2 million golfers to replace their rounds at 8 per year. Those 65+ are still carrying this game. Now obviously the hope for the game and courses is that there are enough people "trying" the game who as they age will replace the number of rounds these individuals play. It doesn't matter they are a body, they must replace all the rounds being played by these individuals.

Cost is going to keep going up likely steadily.. The reason is that a majority of golf is played by a minority of golfers. So if golfers especially those 65+, 17% of which play 50+ times a year are not readily replaced by others willing to take up the 50, or 30, or 20 times a year, then more must be squeezed from those left in the core of 15+ times a year golfers.

Gigagolf is a "knockoff" place in Florida. For someone just starting out you can get these clubs, custom fit for well under $1000, and they were just fine. I used a set for 10 years, and still use a 3 wood I bought from them going on 17 years now.

I've putted left hand low for 10+ years. It took my wrists out of the equation, which was a real problem for me. My mallet is a face balanced Ping Scottsdale Wolverine. I hold a full grip, thumb straight down the grip, and I anchor my right hand index finger, on the pinky of my left hand. Love left hand low. I've found a medium sized grip good. Super Stroke 3.0. It feels INCREDIBLY WEIRD at first, but I don't think I could use a "regular" stroke again.

I'm afraid to look if .... "Golf Bag Exorcism" is an actual thing on the internet. Because I may be inclined to pay for one!!

A LITTLE MORING GOLF STORY.......FOR YOUR READING ENJOYMENT! The day dawned chilly in N/E Ohio, then the wind blew even colder off Lake Erie. Powderhorn Golf Club, rough around the edges, but the fairways were in great shape, and the greens, were quite fast compared to previously. The cooler temperatures were not really a concern to me, as my brother and I play all winter long, if someone will let us out, often teeing off with air temps below 40 degrees. Hopes were high, it was a change of course(finally dry enough to risk it), but a place we play multiple times a year, and I know well. APPARENTLY on this Saturday morning, my number CAME UP, for the inescapable, unseen being(IT), VOODOO CURSE!!! I didn't suspect anything because I took a bogie on #1, the #1 handicap hole(OK), and then a par on a short par 4 #2. This is what "IT" does, so you don't suspect what is coming!! Holes 3&4, were allowed to proceed normally, not well, but without any exterior, malevolent force, that I could detect at this point it time. THEN THE ASSAULT BEGAN! On hole #5 a short par 3, I apparently was subjected to a VOODOO needle though the head, of my doll, because for about 6 holes, my mind was completely USELESS to recall, even though I have done it 100,000 times at least, HOW TO SWING A GOLF CLUB. For 6 holes every attempt to swing an iron, resulted in a shot projected off to the right at a 45 degree angle. Once this was over, the torture was a little more subtle. Apparently AT THIS POINT restrictive rubber bands were placed around the torso. No matter how carefully I planned out where I needed to land my chips/and pitch shots, I physically could not move my arms, enough to generate the needed momentum to carry the ball the planned distance, EVER. About this time the doll was apparently given to a VOODOO child, to play with. As would be expected with small children, VIOLENT SHAKING, AND DROPPING, ensued. The result was that apparently my head was unable to be maintained in a relatively still position, and was SNAPPING all over the place, and I hit about 9 balls off the tee, that barely made it to the forward tees...(I believe the last 4 years, I average 1 topped drive about every 3.5-5 rounds). And apparently after hole 2, the hands were pulled off. Because they were completely disjointed from my body. At no point was I able to communicate visual observation to them, NO ADJUSTMENT was able to be made, alternating between leaving putts, 6 feet short, or blowing them 6 feet past, with 40 putts overall (average is 33. something) . That my fellow Spies, is WHY you shoot 103, on a course your average 18 is 85. There was a sinister force at work, and nobody is going to tell me any different. I don't care if you blame me, but I sold my soul to have somebody else's doll pulled out of the bin next weekend! I DO IN FACT hope its "you", because I can't take the abuse again!!! Not really I hope nobody has to experience this.

Ooooops!! yeah there was already one going.

I agree 100%. My response is the same every time. New equipment costs, what it does...BECAUSE OF THE CONSUMER. They charge what they do, BECASUE THEY CAN. To be clear. No equipment manufacturer is LOSING money on any club it produces. ANOTHER TRUTH is this. There are not enough beginners, or people just taking up this game, who are running out and paying $700 for a driver, and $1500 for irons, because they are going out to a course for the first time. The club industry is supported, because there are enough people who purchase new equipment every year, or every other year is probably enough, to keep them going. I put it on one of two reasons. Either they purchase it because the price has not gotten to the point that they will choose to stop purchasing, or they likely believe the "advertising pitch", that each and every year for the last 25 years they have been able to come out with something "better", that will actually make the golfer better. Remember unless clubs are bought used off of a 2nd hand store, When the price is reduced by $150-200 because it was last years model, that it only done because enough were purchased at the higher price to have assured a profit. More than likely this 150-200 dollar reduction is still more than Dick's Sporting goods paid for them per piece. The only way prices are going to come down is when the club manufacturers begin to make A LOT LESS MONEY, because people stop buying all the new stuff every year it comes out. As long as they can MAKE MORE money, they are going to CHARGE MORE, until they don't make more.

Of course more rain this morning here in NE Ohio. Don't care! I am getting in my first 18 at my 2nd course Powderhorn tomorrow. I need a change, last 11 of 12 local rounds since October of last year have been at Erie Shores, hoping for a couple mud ball birdies!