IndyBonzo

I finished the tinkers to the Cleveland putter tonight. New Garsen Max grip and an extra 20g of weight in the head, which is my preference and I hope will help with the absurdly fast greens at my home course. So, to stay on topic, I guess I bought the new grip and some Tungsten putty! BTW exactly 10g of putty will fit in each of the Frontline Elite 1.0 weights, in case you wondered!

Hey @KOG! Let me get back to you on that, please. I will have both out on the course this weekend and will compare side-by-side.

Also, just FYI, the discontinued UST Mamiya MP5 shaft is available on eBay from Tour Ready Golf Store. I just bought one for my friend's driver build. (It's not my store, which I hope is obvious.)

Love it @cksurfdude! Well done, and welcome back to the fold! Did you know that an OP shaft, no matter how perfect, will not cure an over the top swing that leaves the face open? I do. Very well I do. I plan to again try a couple shorter OP shafts (43.5 - 44) this weekend to see if that helps accuracy before I cut down my Shogun gamer a bit more. (It's currently at 45.5, which I think is just too much for me, and contributes a bit to my OTT swing for some reason.) One OP will go in the Smoke Para TD Max (43.5), and the other is already in the Ke4 TC Pro (44 I think), which will get its first on-course play this weekend. I could just fix the OTT again. LOL. I think that will be a priority to ensure it is needed before cutting the Shogun shaft. It's an easy fix if I remember to keep it fixed! *Almost* this entire game is mental, isn't it?

So glad this is here. I have been working through lower back ailments, probably caused by protecting my deteriorating right hip, with chiro help and such. Back is much better thanks to treatment and exercises. Hip is just in preservation/extension mode until the inevitable replacement down the road. Due to the injuries and other reasons, I have not worked out much in the last year. My hip at present really won't even let me walk the course. That must be fixed. I am committing to a flexibility/mobility/strength regime for the winter, with golf improvement as the focus. I just don't know what route to go. @Josh Parker I am very curious to hear your thoughts on the golf forever product. Of course, fitforgolf is also under consideration. I have also heard good things about movementvault for flexibility. Query whether a flexibility program is needed in addition to a general golf-focused fitness program? Is there a clear winner among such programs?

Good morning Spies! No golf today. The Q4 crush is already starting at work. I don’t mind. It’s been a fun summer. Sending prayers @rkj427. Best wishes on your trip @Northern Monkey! My brother and I had an absolute blast at the member/guest last weekend. It would have been nice to play better. C’est la vie. The greens, which are already incredibly difficult, were rolling at 14+! Insane. I have stories. . .. I appreciate all the well wishes for FABWIFE. The people here are wonderful. We still have no certainty, but no confirmatory bad news either. Just a mix of indicators and a need to reevaluate in early October. Super Tuesdays for all!

Just unboxed the new Cleveland Frontline Elite 1.0 blade putter at the office. Rolled a few on the practice mat and really enjoyed the feel. I’m not sold on a pistol grip for me, and I will likely put a Garsen Max on it, but I like the weight and feel of the face on initial impressions. This club will hit the course this week for real testing.

Thanks to all the Mods for all the hard work you do. The testing opportunities have been truly wonderful. And you provide excellent support to the testers in the background. i for one fully support initiatives to ensure review quality.

Good morning Spies! I have not posted much for a bit, spending time with FABWIFE as we wait for the next step in her diagnosis and treatment. We still don’t know even if she is sick and may not know until a biopsy is done. Imaging is inconclusive. Next appointment is not until 9/30 and a biopsy would follow that. Topping it off, she had a fall and broke her finger and knocked out a filling. Hand surgeon appointment today, as she is likely to need surgery on the tendon. Dentist tomorrow. So, yeah, she fully deserves and has been getting my attention and care as much as possible. Going through the ringer. Catching up: Huge congrats to @Cfhandyman on the birth of your grandchild! Very glad the pup is improving @Northern Monkey. Belated HBD @Fongle! Excellent post @Rob Person. Thank you. Member-guest starts tomorrow. My brother is coming in from Florida. Practice round Wednesday, and 2x 9 hole matches Th and F, final Sat. Wish us luck, please! I will be safeguarding my back, and hope you are able to do the same @cksurfdude! I wish you all fantastic days! Fairways and greens!

Date 09/07/2024 Course Name Harrison Lake CC Gross Score 83 Course Rating 70.5 Course Slope 131 Gross Strokes over/under par 12 Birdies or better 0 Longest Drive 0 Couldn’t get off the bogey train today. Fun time and a beautiful day.

That looks super sharp @KOG. If the Cleveland disappoints I may do just that!

I accept your very kind offer @Indy_Oz! Let’s chat via DM.

I don’t kiss and tell or speak ill of old flames, but yes I did have a fling with a LAB DF 2.1 stock putter, and after much soul-searching and reflection, we have mutually and amicably separated. We both ask that the public respect our privacy during this difficult time.

My summer romance with a technologically advanced putter, like most summer romances, flamed out when the novelty wore off, performance became less and less frequent, and the frustration built to a breaking point. Ha. Yeah, distance control on fast and undulating greens was a huge problem. And I learned I do not handle lighter putters well. I have been flirting again with several blades, all similar looking Newport/Anser designs with a plumber’s neck. I even dragged this haggard old lady onto the course with me today and she performed well. That settled it I am a blade man (For now?) The last couple days I went to the local shop and hit all the blades - LAB, Bettinardi, Scotty, Evenroll, Wilson, Ping, TM, Odyssey, Cleveland, etc. (I know one should not hit a lady, but this is different.) MGS blasphemy alert: I am pretty certain that the tech in all of these top-line blade putters renders them equal for me. Differences in performance seemed to boil down to personal preference for a soft face. I found great results with the MGS #1 Evenroll blade. And with Ping, and Odyssey, and Cleveland, etc. Conclusion? Spending a fortune is unlikely to make a difference in my putting right now. Long-winded me got lucky and scored a brand new Cleveland Frontline Elite 1.0 with the All-In graphite shaft on the Bay for $100 under retail. MGS reviewers raved about its HB Soft cousin in the ‘24 blade test, and I like the All-In graphite shaft, so … check! If she cannot outperform the Odyssey Metal-X, then I will give the Old Dame Odyssey a facelift and put her semi-permanently back at my side, while hoping to recoup my investment in the new girl from Cleveland. Man I hope this new relationship works out Will report back!

@azstu324 what shafts did you choose?

Date 09/01/2024 Course Name Harrison Lake CC Gross Score 85 Course Rating 70.5 Course Slope 131 Gross Strokes over/under par 14 Birdies or better 0 Longest Drive 0 Rough day but much fun.

A friend and I have started playing more golf together. He is mid 60s and has lost some flexibility and distance, but still hits the ball pretty well. That is, on everything but driver. He used an older Callaway BB with a generic-ish shaft. So I let him hit my OP driver. Loved it and gained 20 yards instantly. Then I insisted he play a round with the driver I stashed for when FABWIFE starts playing again. (I hope very soon.) It’s a G425 SFT with the MP5 shaft. He offered to buy it after the second swing. He also said post-round that his score was five strokes lower due to the added distance from the OP driver. So, I sourced all the parts and plan to build him a copy today. It was so very cool to see him so excited about the driver. Like a little kid. Awesome. I think I am also going to experiment with the TC Pro on a shortened ACCRA FX Blue M1 shaft. Planning to build that up today too. I was directly inspired by @azstu324 on that one. Thanks friend! Will post pics a bit later. I have to go clear a dead tree first!

Good morning Spies! Love the scrap pile story @BIG STU! Enjoy the race @Byrnzee! I want to thank all who sent birthday wishes yesterday and for all the well wishes and prayers for FABWIFE. I appreciate you all very much, friends. We got some very good news on her cancer screen blood test yesterday. That lifted both our spirits a ton and was almost the best bday present I could have asked for. She has a CT scan next week that will be more revealing. May the good reports keep rolling in. I am trying to stick around home to support Sarah as much as possible. Today will be some yard work, then golf club tinkering and she insists I go to the course to practice before dinner with friends tonight. I need to turn the ferrules on my new iron build this morning. (I could not wait for that to put them in play. Lol.) I will share pics when they are finished. And I am building a couple drivers for some friends, one of whom I have quietly converted to an Otto-Phlex player. I will put more info in that thread for anyone interested. Sorry for the looong post. Wishing you all fantastic Saturdays and for those in the US an enjoyable Labor Day weekend.

Hey thanks guys!

Good morning Spies. Congrats on the PB @Northern Monkey. Hope your cat is ok @sirchunksalot. We don’t know nearly enough yet for me to really talk about this. But we got some very troubling health news on FABWIFE pretty much out of the blue yesterday. No diagnoses yet. And it could very well be nothing at all. We are both shocked, scared, realistic about not overreacting, and figuring out what to do next. Very fortunately, we have family in health care with relevant expertise who are guiding us to specialists to get this figured out. So now, we get up, go to work, wait, act normal, and tackle this too. Surreal. Thanks for “listening” friends. If you have a quiet moment to do so today, please send a prayer her way. And don’t let me bring you down. Embrace your day! May it be a good one.

TBH I watched as many reviews as I could find on YT (although not many available) and found a good price and knowledgeable seller/ fitter on the Bay and jumped. It helps I have built up tons of faith in ACCRA. I’m so glad I did. This launch seems very UTR for ACCRA. I am so impressed too. I think it can be a godsend for lots of folks like me. Still having great success with it!

Apex 99 with Apex 4 shafts and Hogan 53 wedge! So much fun.

Good morning spies!! Had a great weekend, and got to play 36 holes. A good scoring round Friday while playing hooky, and a less good scoring but very fun round yesterday having a “vintage iron” day with friends. A slow start and bad putting doomed me but the Apex 99 irons were money. Welcome to the nicest corner of the net @Jeremy1999 and @Bogey Train Conductor! I am benching my LAB DF 2.1 putter. I have used it all summer, other than Friday, and have practiced and tried to dial it in. It just is too light for me and I have no distance control. I putted with Scotty on Friday and got much better results. Used the.LAB yesterday and was back to missing. I borrowed my friends Scotty for two 15 foot birdie putts and made them both center of the cup. I think a heavier weighted model would probably work for me, but alas, this putter fling is over. Don’t get me wrong, it always goes where I pointed, but I have trouble lining up the large head and distance control is a failure. Just not for me. SAD! lol. I wish you all super days!!

Oh yeah. Price! I thought the mods got full tour van service for free? (I am so kidding.)