IndyBonzo

Answering my own questions via Google, I found this: https://ralphmaltby.com/questions/question/m890-shaft-vs-autoflex/ TLDR: Britt Lindsey at Maltby says this re the Maltby M890: "We were able to get an Autoflex shaft and ran the basic profile and found it very similar to the M890. I do not know the materials the Autoflex is made from or the manufacturing process they use, but just based on our simplified testing, they seemed similar." Which flex? Dunno. For $24.99 plus shipping, surely someone will try it, right? I probably will.

Has anyone tried both the UW and the Paradym or Paradym X hybrids, and is there a meaningful difference? I heard in an online review (I think James Robinson) that they may be essentially the same? I love the Paradym X hybrids btw. Surprised they did not do better in the MGS testing, but that's why we play what works for us.

I read on another forum that a poster was told by Golfworks that the Maltby M890 shaft had an identical profile to the AutoFlex. No specifics on which flex that would be, however. (If an answer is provided I will share it.) Has anyone tried that shaft? It's a little heavier than many OttoPhlex shafts, but . . . ?

Good morning Spies! Keep up the course management @cksurfdude! It seems to work. After watching several Golf Sidekick vids on the topic, I am going to try “the way of the playah” as he calls it. Wish I had his swing tho! So I bought a used driving iron/hybrid for $40. Planning to keep the ball in play a little more certainly on tighter / shorter holes. In 45 years of golf I have never had one. Curious to learn if it will kick a hybrid out of my bag? It arrives in a few days. Sending you and your family and friends safe wishes @Rickp. Happy Tuesday to all!

A the high end of "mid" swing speed, this chart confirms that the Maxfli Tour X is probably the best DTC/"budget" option available for me, with my other preferred ball (Bridgestone RB Tour X) also a solid choice. My good friend swears by the left dash. I may need to give that a serious test. Many huge and lavish thanks to MGS for this fantastic test and results. It is immensely helpful!

Good morning, Spies! it’s a beautiful day in Indy. My parents are visiting from Florida to avoid some late summer heat (and coincidentally the hurricane) so we surely will be golfing some or a lot over the next few weeks. That will end my dry spell, which has been driving me crazy. I wish you all a wonderful Monday and week!

You have certainly had a brutal summer @chisag. So sorry. Hope it cools down.

Good morning, Spies! @Shrek74 punched greens seem like a small price to pay for the luxury of having five courses to choose from! That's great! @CSiders12 - I know back to school is crazy. One of my good buddies is a HS chemistry teacher. He texted me last week to say that only one student contributed any songs to the classroom lab time music playlist, so it was going to be all death/thrash metal until someone else made a suggestion. Thought that was pretty funny. I can only imagine what that playlist will be like in a few weeks. Wonder if I would prefer the death metal? Good luck to you this school year. I talked with my neighbor yesterday - a retired executive - when taking out the trash. He forgot what day it was, and said, "I actually have a week with six Saturdays and a Sunday." Man, I aspire to that. Golf, golf, golf! (And fly fishing too.) I hope you all have great days -- especially us working stiffs! Lol.

Good morning, Spies! No golf today on a grey Wednesday in the Circle City. Just work, and more work. The practice putting mat in my office will have to suffice. I wish you all productive and great Wednesdays. Hit em straight!

Kudos Testers!! Excited to read your reviews.

The new TEMU-ordered shoes arrived. Spikeless, BOA, under $30. It was a gamble. They were super comfortable, and I did not slip when wearing them. Color me impressed.

I just ordered an M890 combo (4-5H, 6-G irons) set for my daughter from Maltby/Golfworks, with pink grips per her request; included senior shafts, after we measured her driver speed at 84 mph maxed out, and some lie adjustments due to her petite nature. I am very excited for her to get them. She is too. Now Dad needs to build her a driver and 3W. Luckily, I am pretty sure I have all the components I need around the house for that, including senior flex shafts due to the OttoPhlex experimenting. We threw in a TS4 PW head for me, too, so I will be gaming the TS3 5-8, TS4 9-P, and TS1 GW (which is so incredibly sweet, I cannot replace it). Pondering the TS4 8i. Hmmm. Golfworks' customer service is excellent, btw. So friendly and helpful on the phone.

Good morning, Spies! A hot and busy week is on tap here! Looking forward to it, notwithstanding it's Monday. Lots to catch up on here in the forum! Played 18 yesterday. It was definitely a mixed bag, but enough good shots to keep me coming back. I just ordered a combo pak for my daughter from Maltby/Golfworks. Hoping this inspires her to play the game her whole life. She assured me last night she really wants to play a bunch. Fingers crossed! I hope you all have a great Monday and week.

Hey @richk9holes - do you mind sharing what type of paint you use for that?

Good day, Spies! Late here due to forum outage and then a pretty easy dentist appointment. It's always a relief when that goes well. It's been a busy week at the office. Other than daydreaming, no golf for me yet this week. It's a bummer. Hoping to play Sunday; fingers crossed. I wish you all excellent Fridays, and great weekends.

@Tom the Golf Nut sorry to hear that happened to you and glad you are ok now!

Congratulations @GolfSpy MPR! Following with great interest, as I hope/plan to do the same in my garage this fall/winter, and the Skytrak+ is at the top of my potential launcher list. Good luck with your buildout!

I appreciate all the recommendations. Truly. Of course a fitting and new/newer clubs would be ideal, and if she takes up the game, that is the route we will go. That said, to this point she has played only two to three times a year, and not because of a lack of opportunities. I would prefer to see if she takes up the game in earnest before springing for a fitting and new clubs. I play a Maltby set myself, and long-term DTC is an extremely viable option, but even that route is expensive by comparison to good condition, beginner-friendly, used game improvement clubs. This dad will be first in line with the dollars to kit her out if she wants to learn, take lessons, etc. But we are not there quite yet. I am hopeful though! There is certainly an argument to be made that fitted clubs will help her enjoy the game more. I may look into that to set a baseline for shopping used. Thank you all.

Good morning, Spies! Just a quiet workday for me. Daydreaming about golf. On that note, I posted over in the equipment forum looking for input on selecting a hybrid/iron set for my beginner golfer daughter. Please chime in there if you have a take. I want to stoke her love of golf and help pick the correct clubs for her. And yes, I already promised I would regrip her clubs in pink, at her request. Congratulations to all the Titleist iron testers! (BTW I am also very humbly taking 10% credit for @Ben Joest's tester selection by suggesting publicly he go buy the T150s to try. ) I wish you all super Tuesdays!

My 17 yo daughter is a beginning golfer. She is a very good athlete and trained dancer, with a strong swing. She makes good contact and can hit driver 200+ without any real instruction yet. She has been playing with pretty bad clubs. It's time for an upgrade. Her mishit is a dig/chunk or slice, so I planned to get her a hybrid/iron combo game improvement set to start with. I am looking at these options: Cleveland Launcher HB3 Nike Slingshot OSS Adams Idea (A12OS, A3, or Tech V3 or V4) Any suggestions on whether one of these is superior to the other? They are all priced about the same on eBay, all in pretty good used condition with roughly similar shafts. Thank you in advance for any recommendations!

Congratulations testers!!! This will be great to read.

Oh that is great news! Congratulations!!!

This looks so fun. Wish I could commit to being able to play enough over the next few weeks, but work and family are interfering. Thanks MGS and @GolfSpy TCB for these great contests. Good luck to all participants!

Played 27 holes Friday last. Played well overall, but just cannot seem to avoid the blowup hole that kills an otherwise good round. Shot 41-40-81 and then 39, so definitely closing in on breaking 80. I consistently shot right around my 10 hdcp, but never seem to get that stellar day where it all clicks and scores go crazy low. But getting closer. Gotta work on focus. If I eliminate the chunked chips, or improve GIR somewhat, or hit just a few more fairways, or do all three, then I think scores will go low. That’s why I love this game so much - I am not a tournament golfer, but I love competing against the course and myself while rooting for and playing with good friends. I used both trial putters - Cleveland blade and Scotty Rossie-shape (it has a silly real name IMO) and both were excellent with distance control. Only 1 3 putt over 27 holes, and several 1 putts. Just missed several more. 32 putts on the 18 holes, which is pretty good for me. Looking forward to testing these and picking one and dialing it in.

I’m a fan of the electrolyte-induced sport drinks on hot days, and also recommend eating something every three holes or so to replenish burned protein and lost nutrients. Those help me. And a hearty second on moisture-wicking clothes. Especially the shorts and undergarments, for obvi reasons. Following thread with keen interest.