Gusset

Yesterday I was playing 18 at Tri-Mountain in SW Washington. Front nine I was playing alone. Pace was about average for what I experience during the afternoon/early evening on this course, about 2:10 for the front nine. I was playing very well for me: 4 over for the side, no blow-ups. Though I had the occasional pull or slightly fat iron contact, my swing was in a nice groove, especially off the tee (everything long and either in the fairway or first cut). For whatever reason, there was a delay making the turn; approaching the #10 tee, the group in front of me had obviously been waiting. I teed off 15-20 minutes after finishing hole #9, having been joined by another single from behind me. The entire back nine, my swing seemed nothing like what it had been. I started off double-double-double, played from trouble off the tee on five holes, lots of thin/fat irons, etc. I managed to scramble my way to four pars out of the last six holes, but the groove I'd been in just seemed to have evaporated. Golf is 18 holes, and perhaps the greatest challenge is maintaining consistency and focus to get through all of them with the fewest blow-ups. But this isn't the first time a brief layover has derailed me when starting up again (maybe weather, maybe stopping for a hot dog, or just a log jam like I describe here). What have folks found to be helpful for maintaining consistency after a stop-start in play?

I got a Garmin R10 late last year. To date, I've only used it hitting into a net in my yard. I use it probably every 3 or 4 practice sessions to check progress on clubhead speed and carry distance. Every so often I'll play a round with one of the free E6 courses, which helps scratch the itch if I can't get out on the course for one reason or another. I have 11 RCT balls that I use sometimes if I want maximum spin accuracy, such as the day before a round to get a current baseline for iron carry distances or when playing E6, but most of the time I'm using regular balls. I started with 12 RCT balls, but hit a wedge over the net into the woodsy/brushy stuff. Now I limit RCT shots to 8 iron and longer. I thought I would care about the potential inaccuracies in side spin directionality, but for various reasons, it turns out that I don't really need that to benefit from the device.

Until recently I had a decent idea, but isolating carry was a bit of guesswork. I recently picked up a used Garmin R10, and it's helped me dial things in more accurately. Adds a bit of confidence to club selection.

I like watching all sorts of golf- PGA, LIV, LPGA...heck, I wouldn't mind if junior events were there for the watching, also. Having said that, LPGA has more draw for me at the moment. More relatable.

My 7-iron carries 150, +/- 3 yards (or is that +/- 10 yards???). Old school loft, 37 degrees (Tommy Armour 845Ti).

Update...the leftover tacky grip tape didn't seem to hinder installation. However a few minutes later I tried removing it, and it was more difficult. It seems a reasonable expectation that the degree of increased difficulty will go up with time. So I threw some frog tape over the tacky stuff before re-installing. As was mentioned earlier by at least one other poster, the air tool makes installing/removing so easy it's almost a joke. 10, perhaps 15 seconds. All you really need to pay attention to is that you keep your pushing hand behind the shaft, as the instructions say, to minimize potential friction. I wish I'd have known about Star Grips before now. Haven't played them yet, and I'm not a reviewer here, so I'm limiting my thoughts to the installation side of things. But I will say these seem to be about 1/4 - 1/2" shorter than the grips I'm replacing. I could probably get them to stretch to the same length, but I don't really see a point. Thanks to everyone who replied to my original post.

I've got a dozen mid-sized Star Grips that are supposed to show up tomorrow, including the installation gun. I removed the grips off a few clubs in preparation, and it brought up a question: does anyone know how the air installation works when the leftover tape from the previous traditional grip installation is still somewhat tacky? How about removing a Star Grip after installing over tacky tape? I had been hoping to avoid the mess and raw skin that in my experience is always an after-effect of cleaning off the old tape. I suppose I could just put a layer of masking tape over the leftover tacky grip tape. Anyone have any experience to provide answers to this one?

Thanks for going to the trouble of posting your video, very useful. General grip question...I'm no stranger to installing my own grips, but I've never layered up tape to reduce the taper. A number of folks in this topic have either tested with it, such as LV here, or had questions indicating they prioritize the ability to manually impact the taper. Is this what the majority of folks do? Or does it just seem that way (because the people that don't do it...wouldn't be asking about it)?

Interesting video, potentially useful for judging one's ball striking. Unfortunately, it could also be just a bit misleading. He mentioned at the outset that loft is going to play a role...the 1.9 factor is applicable to the 7-iron he was hitting, but I believe he also stated that someone hitting a stronger lofted 7-iron wouldn't see the same relationship. Seems pretty obvious. So what was the loft on his 7-iron? I watched to the end, and I don't recall him saying anything attaching a loft number to either his club or what's out there. I currently play 90s vintage clubs (TA-845Ti), and I suspect my 7-iron's 36* loft probably would not match up with the 1.9 factor. My R10 numbers with a 6-iron (32*) seem to meet the 1.9 relationship on a good strike, and I've seen loft numbers for some modern 7-irons that are even stronger than my 6. Any guesses as to what he was hitting?

Per one of Garmin's tech support articles, the radar needs enough flight distance to permit two full revolutions of the ball in order to get a measurement. Judging by the chart they provide, 8 feet doesn't look like enough to get an actual measurement at your ball speed unless you're spinning it pretty high, so it's likely estimated. https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=COFCXdRAJv2m8r9MBtLrf8 (on this link, click on "Determining Distance From Tee to Net" for the chart) The shot data should tell you whether the spin number is measured or estimated.

You might consider the Fiberbuilt Flight Deck style of mat. Several weeks ago, I put up a YT video summary of my thoughts after having one for 2.5 years, for what it's worth. I've got the mat-only version that I built a platform to use with, but they sell it coupled with a nice standing mat as well. As with other options in this thread, it's very joint friendly, among other qualities. https://www.amazon.com/Fiberbuilt-Golf-Practice-Station-Training/dp/B07DQJRJWB/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?crid=VYA9BAHREUBI&keywords=fiberbuilt+golf+mat&qid=1699990436&sprefix=fiberbuilt+%2Caps%2C186&sr=8-4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1 Whatever you decide to go with, good luck!

I'd love to have room for a 15-20' mat, but my experience suggests there are still benefits to be had with something shorter. I've been using a smallish mat, max putt distance ~7.5', most of this season. It's one of those kidney bean shaped surfaces with three holes, so you can come at things from different angles. I walk past it multiple times/day, and I often stop for a minute or two and hit a few putts. My main goals have been to 1) build a consistent smooth stroke with quiet wrists and a good follow through, 2) get so I can better hit my intended line, and 3) mix in some non-block practice benefits with the sporadic mini-sessions. It definitely has paid off. I'm missing a lot less from 5 feet and in, and making more in the 5-12 foot range and beyond. It clearly can't help me read greens better , but a smoother stroke/follow through, and less pulling/pushing, have paid dividends. I also think a more consistent stroke and follow through help at least a little on the distance control, but I wouldn't argue that one too vigorously.

I've never seen one in use at a driving range, but for home practice the Fiberboard Flight Deck is a great "mat" for reducing injury potential and for not concealing fat contact like a flat mat. Needs an elevated surface to stand on is about the only negative.

Looking forward to hearing people's thoughts on this one. I do both, mainly as a method to regulate distance, with both chipping and pitching clubs. For carrying it up to 20 yards, I use no wrist break. Beyond that it's gradually more wrist break (with a longer swing).

If you decide that the balanced/zero torque potential is most important to you, you might also have a look at Axis1. They've been making "torque free" putters for 10 or 15 years now, with the shaft axis passing through the CG/impact point of the head. The look bothers some players, but their more recent offerings have gotten less weird to look down at. Their latest designs are usually available to try out in larger golf stores or pro shops. Their web site also has most of their historical offerings. Not common on tour, if that matters to you, but they are out there in the hands of a few players (Justin Rose is the most well known). I play an Umbra. Whatever you decide, good luck!