NoRebound

Have purchased a Red Rooster glove to give it a try after its high ratings in last year's test. Also gamed a dozen Maxfli Tour balls late last season after the recommendation. I haven't made the big golf purchase that I anticipated this year just yet but have ruled out some considerations after reading tests.

My ball flight is on the higher side and I don't play many courses with really deep rough so my fitter suggested the 3 hybrid. It's one of the easiest clubs in my bag to hit and I've learned to control my ball flight much better than before. I've considered a 5 wood or even a 7 wood for my next set but I might only use those on courses with deeper rough.

I've been using a Pro V1 for most of the last three seasons but last fall bought a dozen Maxfli Tour balls. I had heard good things about them and wanted to see if they played up to the hype. I also didn't want to be losing $50 a dozen balls in the leaves. The Maxfli Tour completely exceeded my expectations. It's not quite as long as the Pro V1 and compresses slightly differently but it's amazing how close to a Pro V1 it is at that price point. If I hadn't had an inventory of Pro V1 in the closet for this season I might have made the switch permanently.

Go to a high-end course sometime and play with a caddy. If they are experienced what is the first thing they do? Take off all head covers except the driver and 3 wood and off you go. Irons were designed to clank together in your bag. They can take the beating even. I don't trade clubs in until they are shot so I don't care about cosmetics and thus no iron covers.

45 minutes to an hour. At my age I need to get loose so I have time to stretch, hit the range, hit the practice green and get my brain ready to play. If I show up 10 minutes before a tee time the round is a wreck.

Yes, I'm one of those golfers who can't just walk up to the first tee and go. I need to get loose and get my brain ready to go. I stretch, I use a full-size Orange Whip weighted club to warm up and I hit the practice green to get an idea of the green speeds before putts start costing me strokes. I've invested the time and money in playing. There is no sense in cheating myself out of the possibility of a great round (or at my age doing something dumb like pulling a hamstring getting out of the cart).

Have been carrying an Ogio Golf Fuse Stand Bag 4 in the Neon Tropics pattern for the last couple of years. Nice lightweight bag that carries everything I need. It's also loud and fun. I friend of mine spied it my garage last winter and said "I love that. It doesn't look like you think you're on Tour."

I'm the guy who doesn't switch. I won a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 at an outing around 10 years ago and have never put it down. I've regripped it twice and played around with lead tape on it from time to time but I just love the feel and balance of it so much that I've never even seriously considered moving on from it. I'm playing fairly well this year (averaging 1.8 putts).

I play a ball until I either lose it or damage the cover so badly that it's obvious that its aerodynamic properties have been damaged (cart path scuff, solid tree strike, etc). Right now I am gaming a Maxfli Tour into its fourth round of the season. Its previous twin was taken out of play after I misjudged a short iron and slammed it into the metal bracket that holds the flag to the pin. The impact cut through the cover of the ball like a razor.

Still looking forward to replacing everything in my bag save my Newport 2 putter this season. The driver is in its 8th season, and everything else in its 7th. It's well past time. Need to find a reputable fitter in the PIttsburgh area. Mine moved several years ago and haven't found one that's any good. Have options that include Golftec, Club Champion, Golf Galaxy, and Five Iron.

I'm still using the stock shaft on the Newport 2 that I've had in the bag for a decade. I've never even talked to a fitter about those options. Would they help, or is the shaft I already have the best option for that head and my stroke? All good questions.

I'm strictly a spiked guy. I just bought two pairs of Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 2 shoes from Carl's Golfland for less than $200 including shipping and I love them. They are a little tighter than the Nikes they replaced but they grip WAY better than the old models did, I tried the 270s last year and they lasted a round. Sure, they were more comfortable than spiked shoes but even on a slightly damp course I was slipping all over the place (actually fell trying to hit a shot below my feet). I lost 10 yards off of my drives because I couldn't dig in and pivot. I gave the shoes to someone who works at a local course and needed something more waterproof than anything else. Look beyond Dick's or Golf Galaxy. Their shoe selection is poor for spiked shoes and their prices are on the higher side.

My grandfather taught me to play. As a child of the depression, he used stuff until it was completely worn out. I do that with most of my golf equipment, especially gloves. I've largely been using Nike gloves since Tiger arrived on the scene and I use them until I wear a hole in them. I play about 25 rounds a year and toss in once-a-week range sessions and I can get through an entire season on three gloves.

I'm one of those guys who plays a set of clubs until I wear them out. My grandfather taught me how to play and I only remember him having one set of clubs his entire life. They were some non-descript set my grandmother bought him at Kaufman's in the late 50s. He was still using them well into the late 70s with the original leather grips. So I come about my use of clubs genetically. Anyway here's what I remember: Wilson K-28 junior clubs Northwestern Pro Built (bought one club at a time through a local grocery store chain), Wilson Arnold Palmer 8802 putter Wilson 1200 Gear Effect--full set, Palmer putter still in the bag. Callaway X-14--Big Bertha Driver and woods--Slotline Intertial Putter Mizuno 823s--Callaway Razr Fit Pro driver--Callaway X2 Hot 3 wood, 3-4 hybrid, Scotty Cameron Newport 2. Changes coming in 2023.

I wish more courses around me allowed/tolerated walking. Granted two of the courses on my normal rota wind through a housing development and simply can't be walked (unless you're into a 15 mile hike) but I do miss the pace of walking and the time it gives my brain to digest my surroundings and the next shot.