ZenGolfer
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Posts posted by ZenGolfer
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Bobby Jones. Neither Tiger nor Jack can say that they worked a regular job (Jones worked as a lawyer)in addition to being a golf pro, Tiger and Jack cant claim a true grand slam (career grand slams or Tiger Slams dont count) and Jones won 13 majors and retired at the age of 28.
- MGoBlue100 and Golf2Much
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On 6/27/2023 at 8:10 AM, hbetts said:
Do you match your woods and/or hybrids to your driver or try out multiple and go for what works?
I have a Ping G410 driver, no 3 wood, and a TM R15 Rescue. I would like to add a 3 Wood between those and was wondering if I would be pretty safe to get a Ping G410 with the same shaft as my driver or if I should put more work into it than that. I would rather not get a fitting as my local fitter left a lot to be desired last time I went there.
Totally play the field. Just because you like your driver, that goesnt mean that you will like the matching 3-wood.
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I got most of mine off of Ebay, with the exception of my putter cover, which is a Seemore.
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My meditation teacher always gets annoyed at me when I tell him that a round of golf is a far better test of my meditation practice and my headspace than any meditation retreat.I love discussing the mental aspect of this great game! My Dad used to say you can see a man’s make up and character during a round of golf.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
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Ive always been a fan of Dr Joseph Parent's idea of, "your par". The concept is that the par thats listed on a hole is for a pro and you arent a pro, so why go by that? Maybe whats a par 4 or par 5 is really more like a par 6 or par 7 if youre a 20 handicap.
Its something Ive adopted and it has made me a happier golfer. Im now to the point where my par is actually bogey golf. If I play bogey golf all day long, thats a great round. Theres no sense in trying to live up to the standards of a professional golfer when Im no pro.
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On 6/16/2021 at 12:52 PM, ColoradoFife said:
I picked up golf a few years ago as a hobby after the birth of my first child. Before I started playing, I was an avid fly angler and spent most of my free time on the water. However, after my children were born I had less time to spend a day in the mountains fishing Colorado's amazing clear waters. As a result, I decided to find an activity that still got me outside but didn't require a long drive and I can be home within a few hours. Thank you to the golf gods for showing me this amazing game. My first set of clubs were the Callaway Strata. I spent many hours at the range learning how to develop my swing through countless YouTube videos. After a year, I bought a iron set from an estate sale and bought a new driver, wedges and a putter. Within three years, I have been able to hit my irons straight and pure and drive the ball a good distance. My shortfall is my short game and course management. Because I never grew up playing golf and only picked up the game recently, I play a lot of rounds as a single. I know this was a long intro to my question, but I am curious about everyone's experience playing as a single or playing with a single. I am always conscious about not ruining my playing partners game. I try to be friendly without trying to be there new best friend, help look for lost balls, and keep up the pace of play (I am a relatively fast golfer that probably needs to slow down).
Recently, I played with a single and a group of two. From the start of the round, the single was a jerk to the golf shop employees by being upset about the increase in cost. During the round, he always seemed to try to show off but failed miserably. He decided to play from the tips when everyone else was playing one tee up. His drives were all over the place and always wanted to tee up another ball. He loved to offer unsolicited swing advice and get incredibly mad at his own poor club selection or bad swings.
With that said, I wanted to check with the forum about their good and bad experiences as a single or playing with a single. This will help me become a better playing partners for all those groups of three that see the dreaded single walking up to the first tee.
I play as a single 99% of the time. Ive always had good experiences. Everyone I play with is nice, polite, respectful and just wants to have a good time.
It sounds to me like you just got put with a bad apple.
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For me, its just the majors. The majors are all that matters, the rest is just filler. I may still watch if its a venue that I find interesting, such as Pebble Beach or the Sony in Hawaii but I dont really care.
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10 hours ago, Fenix said:
Once upon a time, I was a club fitter/builder, then left the game, and recently had back surgery. So now with getting back into the game, recovering from back surgery, and selling off most of my equipment, I'm left with 3 sets of clubs, down from 10 , so I'm making progress haha. I built so many to try out and experiment with different heads, shafts, etc but I was always very picky about which clubs would stay in my primary set. So now that I have a different profession, I want to get down to 1 set of clubs.
I'm going through a similar approach to how I would choose clubs to be in my primary set.. Here's a snapshot of yesterdays session.
The Srixon and KZG sets I build back in 2006ish The HMB's I traded for recently. Lofts were checked prior to hitting, All the other specs were recorded as well and will need to be dialed in a little more once the final set is chosen. I just finished PT and started fitness training again so I'm not as consistent as I used to be but it's a start and a process.
As someone who plays irons that are 10-20 years old (depending upon if Im playing the Mizunos or the Cobras), I can tell you that older clubs absolutely can compete. Ive said many times in the past that Im not really a fan of loft jacking because it kills spin, which isnt always a good thing.
A well struck shot isnt going to me much different with any iron, although you could argue that the newer clubs are better on mishits.
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22 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:
We've heard many times that at least 90% of our game is played between our ears. When one stops to think about the myriad of conscious and subconscious things we do preparing for and executing a shot or putt, it's a wonder we're not all in rooms with padded walls. Since arriving in AZ last month for our winter season, I have been playing the best golf I can recall. Now I do have the new irons, new putter, and new driver shaft, and it could be that it just took a few months for those to hit full stride - but I'm thinking it's more my recent decision to try not to over-think, over analyze my shots.
I cannot recall which pro interview it was where he discussed "freeing his mind of the clutter" and allowing the more "natural, free swinging" part of his skills back onto the course... but it resonated with me. Since retiring in 2016, finding MGS in 2018, and playing lots more golf, I have read lots of tips and advice aimed at improving our game. Some have really been helpful and others not so much. But this particular comment really got me thinking that perhaps I've fallen too far into the over-thinking side of the balance. Rather than step into a shot/putt worrying about not executing it correctly, I'm now expecting that I will. Instead of thinking through a long pre-shot checklist, just trying to think less and trust your ingrained memory and muscle/moto skills will be there.
My last three rounds have all been sub 80 and yesterday's 76 my best of the season and near lifetime best. I'm hoping this level of play continues and that my effort not to let all the conscious and subconscious swing things get in the way.
What are your thoughts on this?
I certainly used to but I dont anymore. I think that much of it has to do with me starting a daily Buddhist practice, daily meditation and learning the way that my mind works. Im able to tune out much more of the negative self talk, overanalysis, worrying and other mental clutter and just believe in myself and swing the freaking club.
I often remember the line in the movie, "The Legend Of Bagger Vance", where he says something along the lines of how playing good golf is all about being able to stop thinking without falling asleep. I like that and its a mantra that Ive tried to emulate.
I dont care about new equipment (its cool and all but its not something that I feel that I need any more), I dont care what the pros are playing and I dont care about swing tips. I mean, the best swing tip that you could ever get is to stop listening to swing tips. LOL
I just show up at the course with whatever swing I have that day, play with what Ive got that day and I let the rest go.
I would say that for anyone who struggles with the mental side of the game, meditating can be hugely beneficial. Its not all that difficult either and theres really nothing spiritual or mystical about it. Meditation is little more than learning how to notice your thoughts and let them go without clinging to them. You certainly may have spritual or mystical experiences while meditation but even those arent something that you should seek out or cling to and those too you simply let go. Meditation is all about learning how to accept the present moment with no clinging or judgement.
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On 11/17/2021 at 10:51 PM, ChitownM2 said:
If that is the criteria you're measuring by then none of the DTC brands are actually DTC. There isn't a single one of the "mainstream" DTC companies that manufactures their own balls. Even Taylormade doesn't yet manufacture their own balls completely as they just bought the factory that makes them for them....
True but there is a big difference in that DSG/GG have actual brick and morter stores that add to the cost vs companies like Vice, Snell, Cut, etc that are strictly virtual. Having physical stores is something that should be built into the pricing model for Maxfli, which is kind of what makes them so amazing that they can compete on price with the DTC brands but arent truly DTC.
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I would say yes...and no. I would say yes in that they are DTC because they dont have the markup that some of the more mainstream brands do and they are truly DTC in the sense that they are a DSG/GG exclusive and are a house brand.
I would say no because they arent a true DTC because the balls are manufactured for DSG/GG, then sold to DSG/GG and then sold to consumers. Its not truly direct to consumer but its certainly far better than a lot of other brands.
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On 10/19/2021 at 11:01 PM, Stuthedog said:
The rough around here is left very long in the fall/winter and it's easy to lose balls out there so I'm looking for relatively cheap balls I don't mind losing (about a buck a ball or less ideally)
My main concern is reliability which makes me hesitant of kirkland balls. 2 pc balls are okay in the fall and winter since greens are soft.
Top Flites are very cheap but I've used some XLs that have done some weird stuff in the air, the cheap vice balls are also in that range, any other thoughts?
Nitro. Theyre so cheap if you lose one you wont even care.
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On 7/3/2021 at 2:16 PM, fixyurdivot said:
I'm now on my second foray using the LHL putting grip. This technique was first proposed to me at the 2018 PNW Meet-up. I liked it at first but it always felt awkward and I soon abandoned it. My putting prowess has never been terrible but it's never been stellar either. Watching Chris @Thin2winput on a putting show at our recent meet-up, and using that grip, I once again made the switch.
Now having used it for about 20 rounds, I'm committed to making it my standard. I most definitely have better aim point to intended target and have seen an improvement in putts made inside of 5 feet. Even more, those pesky 1 to 2 foot score eating putts feel much less pensive to me. I'm still playing around a bit with hand positions and have tried extending my index finger (lead and trail) down shaft and also slightly wrapped. I've been looking at numerous on-line videos/articles and see there are many permutations being used. Establishing something that feels natural is my current task.
Contrary to what this article suggests, this putting grip seems not to have taken the golfing world by storm.
Left Hand Low: Why the Future of Putting is Cross-Handed - The Golf Academy
This recent study shows 85% of the best tour putters use a conventional grip (reverse overlap).
The Best Putters on Tour: What Grip-Style Do They Use? (waddengolfacademy.com)
But what about the amateur populous? Have you tried it or are you using it?
Ive used it in the past but didnt really like it. I do think that LHL can be beneficial if you are a bit flippy with the club and release it too much. I dont think its, "the future of putting" though.
- cksurfdude and fixyurdivot
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On 10/28/2021 at 9:31 AM, MonsterDrive385 said:
This is a great site. But I'd like to know if the site is unbiased and isn't influenced by outside $$$$. My initial thoughts that this site with reviews and testing is unbiased.
I dont know if I would say its unbiased. Everyone has bias. I would say though that its one of the least biased sites out there and that much of the claims and reviews give you hard numbers and science to back up what they are saying.
As for $$$, it is my understanding that they do not accept money from golf companies for favorable reviews. Many other sites out there cannot say the same thing. A lot of reviews in everything, golf included, are a pay for a good review kind of deal.
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On 10/27/2021 at 10:11 PM, BostonSal said:
I like the idea of a chipper in another form.
The standard chippfer is a shorter club with a longer club's loft, but it's got a very upright lie angle for a bent-elbow stroke.
I'd like to try that sort of a club, not for chipping [because I like to foolishly lob to the stick instead ],
but for hitting under limbs and hitting low line drives into the wind from the fairway.
Thus, the club would be essentially like a chipper but with a normal lie angle for a club of that length.
A chipper is a far more versatile club than people give it credit for. Depending on the conditions, I use mine up to 75 yards out and its a great club for hitting a punch shot with. Not to mention the classic use: greenside chips. Its pretty much an automatic club around the green. I can almost always bump and run it to at least 10 feet.
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No changes for me for next year, other than adding a Top Flite chipper to the bag.
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Golf Pride Tour Wrap for me. I love the way they look and love the way that they feel. They may not have the best performance in the wet but I dont play in the rain much anyways.
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Ive been thinking about pulling the trigger on a set of Tommy Armour 845s. Im basically just waiting for them to go on sale for the end of the season. Im hoping to wait until they are marked down to $350-$400. Right now I see that they are at $450 but I feel like I can do better.
Just like a few years ago when I picked up my TA Atomic driver for $250.
- Kenny B, Hobert and sirchunksalot
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Really, theres so many choices that its probably easier to say what cars ARENT great.
Having said that, my '15 Honda Accord does well. You can put a golf bag in sideways and I could probably get 4 bags in the trunk pretty easily. Really though, any SUV or car that is midsize or bigger is going to be pretty ideal for carrying golf clubs.
- GolfSpy_SHARK, tony@CIC, TR1PTIK and 1 other
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On 10/3/2021 at 3:41 AM, brutal brutus said:
To make a long story short, I've got an old set of Acushnet Titleist AC108 irons that i got 20yrs ago so a friend could play an outing. I recently dug them out of the pile in the garage and decided i was going to have some fun and do some 1v1s with my T200s. I have the 3-pw with original grips in decent shape and i just ordered the SW off ebay with an OG grip. I will likely get the 2i at some point but its not really needed for this contest.(though i guess i could put my hybrid in the bag to go up against the 2i)
But, i have no idea what putter i should get. Something from the early 70s like a Acushnet Titleist Bullseye maybe? There seems to be different models of the Bullseye so i would need one made from '72-'75/'76.
I also saw a listing for one called Acushnet Gold Boy but couldn't find any other info about when it was made.
A Bullseye would be a good choice if you want a period correct putter. Like some of the others have said though, dating Bullseyes can be a tricky thing to do.
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You basically need 2 gap wedges with modern irons lofts. Thats one of the many reasons why I reject modern iron lofts and instead play older irons. Especially if you are playing expensive wedges like Vokeys, you are basically looking at spending $500+ just on wedges. To me, thats just crazy.
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On 9/27/2021 at 6:33 PM, pulledabill said:
What would give you more satisfaction a a pro golfer. Be a part of a winning Ryder Cup team or win a major? I love team sports but love the challenge and fulfillment of winning as an individual.
When I watch the Ryder Cup and the sheer emotions of a winning team, Id have to go with a Ryder Cup team followed by winning the Masters.
Its a major for me simply because the Ryder Cup is a team even vs a major being something that you do all on your own. Win a Ryder Cup and its just another Ryder Cup team, win a major and your name goes down in history and you live forever in the history of golf.
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On 8/2/2021 at 9:21 PM, Jcosta said:
If they changed the rules tomorrow to allow 15 clubs in your bag verses the currently allowed 14, which club (if any) would you add as your 15th?
I wouldnt add any clubs. IMO, you dont need any more than 7 clubs.
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19 hours ago, BostonSal said:
I think that the marketers do their job and the engineers do theirs.
The human is the most variable thing in the golf swing, so in all likelihood, the engineered product, this year's or that from ten years ago, is capable of better shots than the player. The MP-52s that I bought in, if memory serves, 2009, are still capable of better shots than the player swinging them. If the current model is minutely superior from an engineering standpoint, is mine the swing that will confirm that? Hardly.
I have clubs in my bag dating from a then unique face-balanced putter from 1978
to a smaller volume head, higher lofted driver that I bought this year.
I also have a newer five wood, set at 18º, as my long fairway wood,
and a late nineties five wood, set at 21º, as my lofted fairway wood.
The newer five wood clearly flies longer and the older one easily leaps tall trees when I load up trying to reach a short par 5
and put my drive on an adjacent fairway.
I could be 100% wrong, not being the typical internet golf forum member,
but I basically buy new gear when I've got a jones for something new.
It's almost NEVER to fill a real need. Almost never.
As for ZenGolfers non-conforming grooves, my cart nag is designed to hold fifteen clubs.
Hey, Im with you for buying new clubs because you want new clubs. I can respect that. The issue that I have and the one that gets an eye roll from me is when people buy new clubs thinking that its going to improve their golf game or who think that new clubs have all this revolution club technology as compared to their 2 year old clubs.
Not Chasing Scratch...Just Chasing a Semi Decent Reliable Game...How Do I Get There
in Lessons, Drills, Mental Game, and Fitness Tips
Posted
Hows your mental game? It sounds to me like you are hard on yourself and maybe put far too much emphasis on how well you play and how it relates to your enjoyment of the game.
I used to be much like you, was more athetlic when I was younger and now that Im getting older and losing some distance, Ive had to learn to rely on my mental game to get me through.