RichL85

Worked on wedges again today. Feel is starting to come back now that I've dedicated more time to it. I'd be lying if I said that being picked for the Indi wedge test didn't add some extra motivation to working on that part of my game. I'm not a fan of taking full swings with my 58 degree wedge, so I'm mostly working with a lot of partial swings on the wedges, and full swings really only being used with the 50 degree.

Well that was quick...

I cannot even explain this one, but the sound makes me happy.

Have any of the other testers started to pre-shop and look at the grind options yet? Based on the information, I have a guess which one fits my swing better, but I'm intrigued to see how a virtual fitting will determine if my assumption is correct.

This whole thought honestly reminds me of how I felt about exams back in school. So many of my classmates would cram up to the last minute to take an exam and then stress over it while awaiting the results. I always wondered if I was weird because I would usually hit a point, hours before the exam where I accepted that I was as prepared as I was going to be. I had done all the preparation I could before, and once the test was over, everything I could do the affect my grade was done. Time to move on and wait for the results. Now, I never once said I could translate that same acceptance to the golf course... I should probably work on that.

I don't know about indie music, but I definitely listen to some... Let's call it unique stuff. But that's just because I like what I like. This is going to be fun.

Greetings from the heat of central California. I would like to start by thanking MGS and the guys at Indi Golf for making this testing opportunity available to us. For a little about me, I am a chemical engineer by day with an amazing (and stubborn) wife and two kids that keep me extremely busy. I have struggled in the past with figuring out who I am, but I’ve learned to be ok with being a bit of an “Otaku”. That means sarcastic gif’s are my go-to responses in text or forums, I can often be found reading manga, cooking/baking, especially Japanese food, or playing the occasional video game. I started golfing in college, but took an extended break for about 13 years due to life, until I picked it back up in 2021, around the time I joined MGS. I also started trying to take better care of what I eat and going to the gym regularly. As a result, I have dropped about 60 pounds in the past two years and feel so much better on a daily basis. In terms of my game, I’m always going to be a work in progress. I’m currently sitting around a 15 handicap, partially from not playing enough, and partially from throwing a grenade or two (or the occasional handful) at my scorecard each round. I’ve made it no secret that I don’t particularly enjoy the necessary parts of practice to get better. This includes the short game. At one point, I played courses specifically to leave myself a 7-9 iron into the green rather than try to get closer and risk having to hit a wedge. I’m working on it regularly now, but I can get in my own head pretty badly. I was fit for my current wedges last year, and while there is nothing wrong with them, the best way I can describe them is, “They are ok…” I have days where I hit them well, and other days I just can’t seem to figure them out. OF course that is mostly on me, but when the opportunity came up to test the Indi wedges, I was excited, especially with the redistribution of weight to move the CG towards the center of the face. My miss tendency is towards the toe, and with my current PXG wedges, that means I’m coming up well short. Looking at my Shotscope data recently, My distance to the hole after a wedge shot needs some serious improvement. I am, on average, 25 feet away when hitting a wedge from the 25-50 yard range, which I obviously want to drop. That’s what I mean by needing improvement. Longer approaches have not been much better with the wedges honestly, with my average distances being 61, 48, and 34 feet away for my wedges. I feel that these kinds of stats are adding a number of strokes to my score, so I’m hoping to drop these numbers and taken some of the pressure off my lag putting. As you can clearly see, approach has not been my specialty over the last year. I don’t feel that I am a huge spinner of the ball with wedges. During the Titleist ProV1 testing, I was seeing 8500-9000 rpm with my 58 degree wedge. So with testing the Indi wedges, I’m looking at two aspects during the testing. The first is whether or not they spin more and launch lower than my current wedges as Indi states they are designed to do. I don’t play in a ton of wind often, but I would like to hit a flatter trajectory and have more spin to hold greens with the wedges. The second part of the testing is simply whether or not they perform to get me closer to the hole and hopefully lower my scores. We experienced what Indi golf calls a “virtual fitting” which is essentially a questionnaire to answer the basic things like what wedges we currently play, what shaft we play in irons, distance, course conditions and divot type. In my case, I play in pretty intermediate conditions and take a small or no divot. I’m definitely classified as a “picker”. To give an idea, this is the divot from a full wedge shot and a ball next to it for size comparison. This is about as large of a divot as I’m typically going to take. Overall, most of the decisions were pretty straightforward. We stuck with the same lofts I’m currently playing (50, 54, and 58), 1/2" long, 1 degree upright. To match up with my irons, we also stuck with the KBS wedge shaft option. One interesting thing of note is that the Indi Golf website actually does not show the KBS wedge shaft as an option for the FLX head, but it does show for the ATK head. This seems to be just a programming oversight and my wedges will be coming with the KBS shaft. Since I don’t have a particularly steep attack angle, we are going with the FLX head in the 50 and 54, but the ATK head for the 58 degree. My hope is that this will give me more options around the green and in bunkers. It also reminds me a lot of my old Callaway X-forged 58 degree that I loved. Most of testing will be done outdoors on the course and in the short game areas of the courses local to me, with probably one or two launch monitor sessions to get spin numbers to check the claims by Indi. To earn a spot in the bag, these wedges will have to get my average distance from the hole down, and give me consistent reactions around the green. The last thing I need with an already shaky wedge game is to not know how much reaction to expect when the ball hits the green. As requested, we will see if I can get rip one or two off the green. And as we all know, if it’s not on video, it didn’t happen! First Impressions (16 of 20) With Indi located close, the clubs were built and arrived only a few days after the virtual fitting. The clubs arrived with the Indi box showing no damage or mishandling and everything was in good shape with some additional swag items. First glance of the clubs, they are what I would call minimalistic, especially compared to my PXG irons. This isn’t a bad thing, as the PXG wedges are fairly minimal in appearance as well. The first thing you notice with the Indi wedges are the grooves. It’s a unique look as most companies have gone to large grooves, whereas the Indi wedges have a lot more grooves, but they are thinner. The next visual aspect that jumps out is just the sheer thickness of the topline at the toe of the clubhead. This part is beveled off well so it’s not noticeable at address, but when you look at the clubs, there is a significant difference in the width of the clubhead at the toe when comparing near the hosel. The claim is that adds weight to the toe, and moves the CG away from the hosel similar to how many companies use tungsten toe weights. It seems effective enough, but it’s not exactly groundbreaking technology, as even the PXG wedges have a similar design but to less of an extreme. The Indi wedges did lose a few points for some build concerns. I can’t be sure as to why, perhaps different measuring techniques or something different entirely, but all three of the Indi wedges came 3/8 – 1/2 inch longer than expected. My PXG wedges had been originally built at standard length so I expected the Indi wedges to be 1/2 inch longer than my current clubs, but they came in closer to an inch longer, giving me a 50 degree wedge that was the same length as my PW. I worked in the club repair/building area of a golf shop back in college so I can do some basic work on the clubs and made the necessary changes to get both wedge sets to the same length to compare. Another small concern was the standard size grip rather than the midsize that was discussed during the phone call. Obviously the entire process of making these corrections took maybe 15 minutes tops for the Indi wedges, but it is worth mentioning. Aesthetics (9 of 10) If I had to describe the appearance of my PXG wedges, I would say, “Eh, it’s a wedge.” The Indi wedges are similar, but have a little more flare to my eye with the “Sloth” design on the FLX heads and the three black dots on the ATK head. The more brushed finish of the Indi wedges looks better in the bag to me compared to the shiny chrome of my PXG wedges. One thing I found interesting was that despite being more of a brushed finish, the Indi wedge actually seemed to reflect the glare of the sun off the face a bit more than the PXG. The glare did cause the Indi wedge to lose a point here, but overall they are good looking, minimalist clubs. They don’t draw much attention in the bag, but that could be that they are overshadowed by the PXG irons in terms of appearance, but other players did ask quite a few questions when they saw the clubs up close. It was mentioned in the community call that the Indi wedges are cast compared to the forged heads that PXG uses for their wedges. Does that make a difference? Kind of. I didn’t notice any particular difference in “feel”, but I draw a comparison like I did between the ProV1 and ProV1x during the Titleist ball testing. The sound is different. There is a little more of a click sound to the Indi wedge, almost like snapping your fingers. I’ve mentioned before that I’m annoyingly sensitive to certain sounds, but did not have any issues with the sound of the wedges, but it was a noticeable difference. I definitely got a more aggressive note when hit out towards the toe, but it’s subtle. Overall, no complaints on the sound or look of the wedge other than some potential issues with glare. The Numbers (8 of 10) I’m almost certain that I’m going to get some flak for this score, but hear me out first. I took these clubs to the launch monitor and used various clubs going at targets at 60 yards and 75 yards, as well as full swings to compare some numbers against my PXG wedges. On paper, everything about the Indi wedges beats the PXG wedges in this situation. Looking at the 60 yard and 75 yard target results, much smaller dispersion, much closer to target for the Indi wedges on both. Looking at launch angle and spin, Indi wins outright with lower launch angle as promised, and quite a bit more spin. The 58 degree had slightly more variance when compared to my PXG 58 degree, whereas the FLX heads won over the PXG wedges all around. These spin numbers are pretty low, even for me, and I don’t know the particular ball being used at this location. I was told it was a Bridgestone ball, but there were no markings to indicate which type. So of course the question is, why only 8 of 10? It’s very difficult to describe, but I had an obnoxious amount of trouble dialing in those 1/2 – 3/4 shots with the 54 and 58 degree wedges. There were a number of times in the short game area that I would take these swings and hit the same distances with varying length swings. Trajectory and spin would change, but overall distance would be the same. It was, weird, to describe it. The 50 degree wedge I have not had this issue with and it has become my go to wedge under 100 yards. The 54 and 58 degree wedges have left me short quite a bit with shots that just did not seem to go the distance I was expecting for the swing that was made. On Course (17 of 20) At the end of the day, what really matters is whether these clubs perform on the course when the pressure is on. Looking at my Strokes Gained numbers from the PXG wedges, you can see I’m gaining a little bit with my short game, but I still consider it a weakness of my game. Since putting the Indi wedges in play, my Strokes Gained has skyrocketed all around compared to a 15 handicap, especially the short game. If we just look at the straight numbers comparing the PXG wedges against the Indi wedges, we see that all around, the Indi wedges are getting me closer to the hole, and that’s never a bad thing. On average, I’m 3 feet closer when I’m inside 50 yards, which has been a huge help to take some pressure off my putting. More important than all of these numbers, in the same round I had these two great shots. A 14 yard chip in with the 50 degree and this one out of the sand from 25 yards to save par with the 54. I would say I’m still far more comfortable with the 50 degree than either of the other wedges, but they are coming around. The 58 degree with the ATK head has been especially interesting as by the description from Indi, it really doesn’t fit my swing. I don’t take deep divots, and the area I live in is pretty much in a perpetual drought, so things tend to be pretty dry, but I do like having the sole relief of the ATK. I think the right call was made to go with the FLX head in the other two as I use them for full swings a decent amount of the time, but the 58 degree is almost never hit with a full swing. The good, the bad, and the in-between (17 of 20) So a few things were noticeable during the testing period with the Indi wedges. One thing that was noticed both in testing and on the launch monitor was that I had a tendency to hit left of target just slightly with the Indi wedges while my PXG wedges tended to go a little right of target. Both sets are at a degree upright, but on closer inspection, it seems, at least to my eye, that the Indi wedges sit slightly closed compared to my current set. After paying a little more attention to this and adjusting the face angle, the performance has been better. As far as to whether the Indi wedges create more spin than competitors as they claim. I can’t say for sure. According to the launch monitor, they do spin more, and it seems to show on the course, with some examples like these. Basically a one hop and stop from the 50 degree wedge. More impressive, but not exactly the best result for accuracy, this rip from the 58 degree. Not the easiest thing to see, but the repair tool is sitting at the pitch mark, a good 8 steps away from where my ball ended up. This made for a very long first putt. This kind of reaction is something I will need more time to adjust to. Play it or trade it (18 of 20) At the end of the day, am I going to keep the Indi wedges in my bag? Realistically, based on recent rounds, I would be crazy not to play them right? Closer to the pin when inside 50 yards, personal best score, increase in Strokes Gained compared to the PXG wedges. As mentioned, there have been some issues with partial shot distance control with the wedges that pops up randomly sometimes, which is frustrating. Is Indi going to replace Vokey as probably the standard when it comes to wedges? Probably not, but they are solid performers and I’m enjoying the little bit of extra forgiveness they seem to have. It does seem that contacting Indi directly is the best way to go through ordering as it appears that there are a lot more options available than what is shown in their website, plus the guys are great to discuss things with to make sure the makeup is right. If a player wants to be able to spin a wedge, then Indi is definitely worth a look, but be prepared for an adjustment period if you used to seeing the ball roll out. Conclusion Whew, that’s a lot to digest I know. Long story short, Indi makes quality wedges that perform. They aren’t exactly the most tech-heavy clubs, but realistically wedges typically aren’t, but they do have subtle tweaks to perform for the common person. My strike pattern is larger than a dime, so I appreciate the forgiveness that comes with these clubs. The spin is fun and sometimes frustrating, but such is golf. I wouldn’t be completely honest if I didn’t mention being slightly disappointed with the build issues, but I’m confident that was a one-off as the other testers received things as expected, and we all received the clubs very quickly. If you happen to be in the Carlsbad area, I would definitely recommend going by to get a true fitting, as the sole patterns definitely react differently, and sometimes what makes sense logically doesn’t work in the real world. I’m sure there will be players that want more bounce options and even more sole grind options, but that’s not me, and those people have Vokey and other competitors to shop from. While the court is still out on whether Indi is the undisputed King of Spin, they are putting out a very good offering that is making a serious attempt at that claim. Overall Score: 85 of 100

Spent an hour just working with the wedges in the 20-60 yard range. It's still an area where I frequently struggle with consistency. Whether it's practice or on the course, I have seen I'm capable from that range, but it can also go sideways real quick. As much as the logical part of me wants some kind of system to deal with the partial yardages, I don't think I'm built for it. I get in my head too much and think about too many things and end up ignoring basic stuff. I seem to do better just letting things flow and relying on feel. Unfortunately that means I'm going to have to dedicate more time in that area to develop that feel.

I cna think of two annoying tasks on my old 2008 Honda Accord. One was the headlamp just like many others. Oddly enough, only the low and turn signal bulbs. The high bulb and running lamp you could access from the under the hood, but the ones that frequently needed replacement required to turn the wheel out of the way and remove the wheel liner. The other was replacing the windshield washer fluid reservoir. It snaked up the passenger side so had to remove the front passenger wheel, wheel liner, manage to remove the 3 bolts holding it in and then snake the neck through all the rest of the stuff blind to pull it out. Reverse snake it up to put the new one in. I was even more angry when I found out I didn't have to actually replace the original. The gasket had just moved out of its slot and was leaking from around the gasket instead of being cracked like I was told... By the time I found out, I had already taken the old one out and decided screw it and put the replacement in.

Japanese curry with pork, carrots, onions, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. Overall easy and tasty but it takes awhile. Next time I'll probably use a pressure cooker to do the majority of the work. It's just not really a weeknight recipe to make after work. I'm definitely not salty about my wife who was off work today, not making dinner or even helping or anything like that...

First attempt at making Shokupan. Didn't have the proper pan for it, so it looks a little different, but hopefully it will still taste good. Is it worth four hours of time to make a loaf of bread? Who knows, but it was fun.

How to ensure that people don't eat my desserts in the house? Make it green! Matcha creme brulee and the vultures leave it alone because of the color. Now I really need to get a blowtorch to get the top right.

Cut Line: +1 Highest Round: 83

Noticed that the first time doing speed training too, so you aren't alone on that one. It seems to be that there is a period of time where one aspect improves faster than the others, usually the case being speed increases, but it throws the rhythm out of sync and the body starts compensating for being out of positions. It's a bit frustrating to try to resync to the faster speed, especially if you are trying to see on course results at the same time. I haven't gone back to speed training consistently after that first attempt just because it was so frustrating. I went about the speed challenge a different way over the winter and so far like those results better, not sure if I will bother trying to gain any additional speed in the future, or just be fine with what I've got now.

Was only responsible for 2 things at today's get together. Didn't get a picture of the first which was elote mac and cheese. For dessert, managed to make these last minute. Mini cheesecakes with orange chocolate ganache.

Miso soup, salad, rice and nikujaga. No idea why I chose to make a stew when it's 106 degrees outside. People in the house want something else... Cook it yourselves!

Blast from the past for me. One of my roommates in college introduced me to Rise Against. Haven't heard it in awhile but it popped up randomly so...

Interesting. Saw a ton of good responses on this topic so far. As usual, I'm going to be completely random on this one and say that one I personally enjoy is definitely Miyavi.

What's a "diet"?

Japanese Pan Pudding for dessert tonight. Had to make the Shokupan bread a few nights ago since we don't have a place nearby to buy it. I'm either going to have to get some different dishes to bake these or adjust the ratios a little. The caramel went a little too far, but it's a learning process.

Is that question reversed? For a normal right-handed player the left side would be the lead side correct? On the other hand, my dominate side is my lead side. Opposite of Phil, I guess. I'm left-handed but golf right-handed. Only other thing I've ever done right-handed was that I was a switch hitter back when I played baseball. It seems to make for an interesting dynamic when it comes to feel. I legitimately don't have a solid sense of what my right side is doing most of the time, so any time I've had someone try to explain right arm positions, it's basically Latin to me. I just don't have a solid connection with things like right-wrist positions. As a result, my swing kind of grew out of a weird Frankenstein concept of a right-handed baseball swing and a left-handed two-handed backhand tennis swing. Not the ideal swing, but it is what I've got to work with. In my mind, the golf swing is practically 100% a pull motion from my left side and the right side is just along for the right. Obviously this isn't what's actually happening, but that's how my brain translates the motion. It would be interesting to see if the swing translates the same way if I were to swing left handed.

Vegetable fried rice with grilled tuna steaks and mango salsa.

You would be surprised the amount of things that can be cleaned with citrus. It's why a lot of cleaners and degreasers use citric acid from some source. One of our client plants has a major problem with high mineral content in their water, and they were wracking their brains trying to figure out how to clean the deposits off the outside of the equipment. I "politely" reminded them that the mineral deposits only show on the outside of the equipment, do you want to know why? Because the inside of the equipment is constantly flushed with lemon juice during production. 20 seconds with some lemon juice and completely shiny once again. Unfortunately, that same citrus juice and oil is a nightmare on bearings and grease and can cause some serious problems if it gets where it doesn't belong.

When your pastry chef of a wife wants dessert and you are an idiot when it comes to desserts. All hail Pave de Genèva. Four ingredients, 15 minutes of work, time to chill and you end up with delicious squares of chocolate that melt in your mouth. This was actually Nama Chocolate since I used that recipe. Apparently there is some debate on the Pave recipes use for the main liquid component. These are basically just cubes of chocolate ganache dusted with cocoa powder.