[How many brands are in your bag?]

Only 3. 

Taylor Made driver, Cleveland hybrid, and everything else MacGregor. 

[Dlow206 does away with double bogeys]

On 12/20/2019 at 8:19 PM, dlow206 said:

My Background

I consider myself an "aspiring golfer", and am finally taking golf seriously. I first started playing golf at the age of 9, and was a pretty good golfer for a kid that age. My best score at that time was 96, which I considered respectable for being 9 years old. However, I only played for about a year or so and then focused on other sports and hobbies.

I then tried to pick up golfing again in my early 20s, but that lasted only for about a year as well. At that time I was shooting in the low 100s, worse than when I was younger. 

I am now 35 and am taking golf seriously. I started taking regular lessons at Golftec since August, but to date have still struggled with certain issues. My miss is low and left (pull and pull hook) and my short game sucks.

My Goal

My long term goal is to regularly shoot below 100 and eventually break into the 90s. I believe better course management and some semblance of a short game will get me into the 90s regularly. Developing more consistency off the tee and from the fairway will get me to finally break 90 someday. I am creating this thread to share my experience and also create accountability for myself.

I see this thread is a few weeks old, so you have probably already heard this. But given that you have reasonable athletic ability and coordination, and are committed to lessons and practice, I think you are setting your goals too low. Instead of aiming to break 90 "someday," I think you should aim to break 90 THIS YEAR! 

I say this because I have a son about your age. He is athletic and played high school baseball. But he didn't start playing golf until his mid to late 20s. I took him to the range and out on the course to show him the basics, but he never took a lesson and doesn't practice much. But within a year he was shooting mid to low 90s. You can do it too! Set higher goals! 

Edit: Wow! I just realized this thread is over two YEARS old. Not a few weeks. I guess I need to read more of the thread now. Hopefully my post is extremely unnecessary and you have by now far surpassed your original goals. 

[Should Fittings be Free?]

Is this some sort of a socialism question? If you want someone to provide you with a service, why in the world would you think you shouldn't have to pay for it? Maybe I'm just ignorant and have no idea what the question even means. That was just my initial thought after reading this question. 

Nothing is truly "free." If it's someone's job to provide a service, then someone is paying for it. If the person receiving the service isn't paying for it, then someone else is, or it's built into the cost of clubs, which means people who may not want or need the service are helping to pay for it for those who do get it. 

So no. If you want someone to fit you for clubs, then YOU should pay for it. 

[Best Golf Grips and why....go!]

I may get dissed for this, but I love Champkey grips. Yup, those ultra cheap grips sold on Amazon. Around $35 for a full set of 13 grips. That means it's super cost effective to change them as often as you want to. But, and this is a big but, I haven't had to yet and they've been on my clubs for more than a year and over 30 rounds of golf. I bought them the first time because they were cheap. I'll buy them again because they're really nice grips. They're tacky, they don't wear out too fast, and the midsize is super comfortable. I see absolutely no reason to spend $6-10 per grip when I can get these for less than $3. Anyone who doesn't at least give them a try is just being stubborn. Read the Amazon reviews - over 90% 4 & 5 star. Watch one of several YouTube videos. Very few golfers have anything bad to say about them. 

Sorry, didn't mean for this to sound like an infomercial. I just really like them, and I love saving money. 

[Vintage Putter Advice]

21 minutes ago, brutal brutus said:

Think I'm gonna get this Patent Pending Zebra with an original grip off ebay. It's a bit marked up but the face still looks pretty decent.

 

Glad you recommended that NJR. I woulda never thought of it but it's really the perfect choice. Never did like the Anser style putters. The first couple years i played i used a cheap "putt-putt" style putter and i hated it. Then i got a Northwestern mallot ish putter for christmas when i was 9 or 10 and used that thing for years. It was like Mickelson's little balde(or it that a flange? I always get them confused) putter he used for years but wider.

Tried finding a pic but failed but it was simlar to this model 1700 but didn't have the line... and it was much newer lol.

 

Those types of wide body putters(I wouldn't consider that a mallot, more like a fat flange lol) just fit my eye and stroke for some reason and it didn't even have an alignment aide, just a little chevron in the middle.

I got a 2Ball knockoff at Walmart some time in my late teens and used that for a couple years... but when i saw that Craz-E for the first time in the proshop at The Vineyard, i knew that was my putter. But the Zebra is pretty similar to that NW putter i used in my teens and i think will work great.

If you like this style, another option is the Otey Crissman putters with the wood shafts. Very vintage looking - much older looking than 1970's - LOL! I bought a new one in the mid 70s and carried it for over 30 years. Mine has a head that looks very similar to the putter in your photo. I'm out of town so I can't send you a pic, but I see them for sale on ebay. 

Edit: Almost forgot. Adding to the vintage look of the Crissman is the original leather wrap grips if you can find one that is still in good shape. 

[History’s Mysteries: The Demise of MacGregor Golf]

I'm so glad I ran across this post today! I have not read the article yet, but I plan to tonight. 

Have I seen MacGregor clubs in the wild? Yeah, every single time I play or go to the range! They make up all but two clubs that I carry. I have a full set of M565 V-Foil forged irons that are as sweet and buttery today as the day I bought them over 12 years ago. I also have 52 and 56 degree V-Foil Tour wedges. Every bit as nice as anything made by Cleveland, Titleist or Mizuno. I also play a V-Foil Tourney 13 degree 3 wood, and finish off every hole with my "The Fat Lady Swings" putter. The remake, not the original. So yeah, I guess you can say I'm a MacGregor fan boi. 

Unfortunately this year I did have to retire my white leather MacGregor tour bag as it was just getting a little too ratty. But it still holds all my spare clube in the garage and I doubt i will ever get rid of it. Love MacGregor and I hope they do make a comeback. I'm retiring in 3 years, and I may want to purchase a new set of clubs as I anticipate playing a LOT more golf. 

[Custom "Scotty Cameron" putter cover]

Never mind. That's Daphne. 

[Custom "Scotty Cameron" putter cover]

11 hours ago, WaffleHouseTour said:

you should reach out to http://www.girlygolfer.com and ask.  Its all very custom work.  She made two covers for me that look like the scottish flag a few years back.  Did great work. 

Is this a different Delilah that the one that makes the Tiger head covers? And other animals? 

[Kids Clubs]

As everyone else has said, don't cut down your adult clubs for a 7 year old. Young teen, maybe, but not a very young kid. The heads are simply too heavy and will deter the development of a good swing. The kids clubs have much lighter heads. I started my granddaughter on the inexpensive Top Flite set that's been mentioned. I think it was about $120 at Dicks. You can probably find a used one on FB Marketplace or eBay for $50 or so. After a year, my granddaughter had grown 5 inches and is demonstrating a love for the game, so I just made an investment in some very nice used Callaway XJ junior clubs. I put together the set piecemeal because I couldn't find a complete set in her size. They weren't all the same size so I re-shafted most of them to fit her perfectly, and kept the longer shafts to put back in down the road when she grows some more. 

[The Poor-Man's Pro V1]

On 6/21/2021 at 12:28 PM, MrShowbiz999 said:

Given my current skill level, should I even be entertaining a Pro V1-like ball? Maybe I need to dial-back my enthusiasm and find something else like the ones I am already playing?

I was scrolling down to see who would be the first person to say this. And it was you! I believe you said you are a 59 yo beginner, and just hit a 230 yard drive as your longest ever. This alone tells me that you SHOULD NOT be even thinking about playing the ProV1. ProV1 is a high compression golf ball for players with a HIGH swing speed. It is very unlikely you have the swing speed (110+ mph) to take advantage of the ProV1. I'm about your age, have been playing for 50 years and can still pop it out there 260-280 on my best hits. My swing speed is in the 90s. Your game (and your pocketbook) will benefit from a lower compression ball. There are many VERY GOOD ones available at half or less the cost of the ProV1. Just google "best lower compression golf balls" and you will get lots of good suggestions. Now maybe you are super fit and athletic, and a year from now when you start shooting low 80s, and driving the ball 300 yards, you may revisit this question. But for now, I say save yourself some money and hit any decent lower compression ball and you will be just fine. 

[A playing partner's review of the Stewart X1O : Shoot me now]

Thanks for posting this. I am considering buying one of these, so good to know something to look for. That would really be annoying to have or play with someone with a noisy one.  

[Proper size for kids clubs?]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

My starting point for fitting is going to be the clubs from US Kids Golf. Given what you've said about your daughter, I would start with their UL51 7 iron, designed for kids from 51"-54" tall. That club is 30.5" long: https://www.uskidsgolf.com/ul51s-7-iron?quantity=1

Thanks. That makes a lot more sense as her current 7 is about 28 inches and the new one is 33.5 inches. I suppose I could cut 2-3 inches off the butt of the shaft. I kinda hate to do that, as she is getting to the age where she's likely to grow 6 or more inches in the next couple years. But best that she play now with what fits her. She is in the PGA Jr program and we have a match tomorrow, so I will show these to the pro and see what he thinks. 

[Proper size for kids clubs?]

22 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

That is a huge jump.

Fitting kid's clubs is a special challenge, I think. They're always growing, for one thing. But they don't grow in golf-OEM-approved bursts. Given what you've described, I can see why there could be such a huge difference in club length: at the extremes, the short club has to work for someone who's 3'10", and the tall one has to work for someone who is 5'. That's a pretty major difference in height.

Depending on how avidly you're daughter is into golf, you might find it to your advantage to cultivate some club-building (or at least club-tweaking) skills. There's a good chance that with a bit of grip solvent and a compressor, you could pull the grips from the new clubs and cut them down a couple of inches and re-grip them. I've basically gotten into a routine of re-shafting my son's clubs every other year.

Thanks for the reply! Yes, I have dabbled in the club building area, so that is something I'm thinking about. My real question though is "What IS the optimum length for her clubs right now?" If the old ones are really waaaaay too short, maybe the new ones are the correct length, and we just need to soldier through an adjustment period. I'm planning to take her to the range this afternoon and we'll get an idea of how awkward the new clubs might be. But I really wish I could find a table of suggested lengths for various heights. I'm having a hard time finding that even though I've been googling for a quite a while today. 

[Proper size for kids clubs?]

I started my granddaughter playing golf last year. She was 9 and about 49 inches tall then, and I bought her an inexpensive Top Flight starter set from a big box sporting goods store. The box stated that it was for kids 46 - 52 inches tall, so seemed perfect. She's still definitely a beginner and doesn't always hit the ball cleanly. We are working on her swing, but I noticed that she had a growth spurt, so I measured her a week ago, and she is now 53 inches tall, and will turn 11 in a couple weeks. So I figured maybe an upgrade to some better equipment and a little increase in the length of the shafts might help her out. 

So I hit up eBay, and found what looked like a great set of kids Callaway irons (7, 9, & SW) and a matching 3 wood. These are the XJ line, and they indicate they are for girls from 53 to 60 inches tall. So just barely above the beginner set, and right at the bottom of her current height. Should be perfect, right? Well, the three irons showed up in the mail today, and the 7 iron is fully 5 1/2 inches longer than her starter 7 iron!!! WTH? That seems like an ENORMOUS jump to make at this point in her development. So were the original clubs way too small for her? I think I would trust Callaway over the cheapies from Top Flight to know the proper size club length, but I'm worried that this jump is going to be a huge adjustment for her. 

I've attached a photo showing her current 7 iron, the new one, and mine to demonstrate the differences in length. 

[Patriot Clubs Anyone?]

On 4/30/2021 at 1:50 PM, averagehack said:

I use Hole19 for tracking my scores and started to get the B2 emails in January. In early April, I decided to bite. Called Patriot Golf and was offered a free driver if I tested their 3,4 & 5 hybrids. Just pay $150 each. Um...what? The sales rep pleasantly explained the cost protects the company and ensures participation. Not to mention helps support the company staffed by veterans. If I wasn’t satisfied, I could return the clubs for a full refund and keep the driver. I decided to go ahead. $479 and 3 weeks later the clubs showed up.

Time to test! 4th swing with the 10.5 degree B2 Bomber driver...caved the face in. To their credit, it was easy to hit until then. I don’t have the fastest swing speed 105-110mph, so I was surprised when I looked at the club face and found a ball shaped dent. Oh well, it was free right?

The hybrids all performed decently. Easy to hit straight, comparable distances to other hybrids I have hit. But nothing that made me feel like $479 was well spent. The club heads look and feel like late 1990’s tech. Heavier than you would expect and just not pretty. But performance was better than I expected.

Time to call for refund! Talked with a nice fella named Dylan who made me several offers to keep the clubs. Send me a free set of irons and they keep the $479. No thanks. Refund me $225 and I keep the hybrids. No thanks. Refund me $300 and I keep the hybrids. So I took that deal and now have 3 hybrids I might use at some point. And a driver with a dented club face. All for the low price of $179. Not the best deal I have ever made. Would I do it over again knowing what I know now? Nope. Lesson learned.

Thanks for the report. Did you ask them to replace the driver that failed? Even though it's crap, you could pass it on to a beginner.