chisag

... The thing I love most about Scotty is how unique his swing is. So many cookie cutter swings developed with coaches and high speed cameras that take away personal genius compared to old school players like Nicklaus, Palmer, Floyd, Rodrigues and Trevino that all had severely flawed swings IF compared to a textbook swing. As Arnie said "Swing your swing" and these Hall of Fame players did just that. ... Amazingly when I was in the IPGA apprenticeship program they wanted us to teach a text book swing. Positions should be copied. I said Floyd had a death move for 99.99% taking the club back so far under his swing plane it is impossible for most to recover but he made it work for him. I was told if Floyd had taken lessons he would have won much more. I imagine they would say the same for Scheffler and they would "improve" his footwork completely negating the thing that makes him so successful.

... Amy Yang's swing and tempo hasn't changed from the very first time I saw her play.

... Never underestimate the ability of some to be upset about what someone else does. Especially if it doesn't affect them personally. Social media opened up a can of worms for the malcontent. There are so many that have objections to soooooo much. Mostly irrelevant to them personally but they have very strong opinions about others. Ignoring Private Clubs that have the right to have any kind of dress code they want, what someone "wears" is and should be none of my business. How they "act" is much more important. I would much rather be paired with someone in cargo shorts and an untucked tee shirt with gym shoes that enjoys the game, plays ready golf and are pleasant company than someone decked out in slick dress pants and shirts tucked in with Foot Joy classics in a bad mood for the entire round because they aren't playing to their potential and are bordering on inebriation by the back 9.

... While this is true for every level of play, it is particularly relevant to new golfers and high index players. Focus on the execution and not the results. Score at your level is irrelevant other than helping you keep track of your progress. What you should be doing is just hit some good shots. Put those in the memory bank and hopefully you start adding more good shots during your round. Even if it is only one really good shot, your goal will be to hit 2 really good shots. Then 3, etc, etc. ... 2/3 triple bogies in a row are again irrelevant unless you are making mental mistakes like trying to do too much. It is a cliche' for a reason but take it one stroke at a time. Never ever "make up for a bad shot" and instead make the best play with the shot you have. If you hit a bad drive, don't take a 3 wood and try to put it on the green. After a bad drive on a 395yd hole, just hit a solid shot back in play and that could be a hybrid or an iron to the fairway short of the green. Attempting to hit a 3 wood from your max distance when your chances of making it to the green are very slim, is how things start to snowball.

... This is why I moved to Phoenix as a semi retired golfer. I certainly remember those days in the Chicago burbs when my ball plugged or like yours, backed up a few inches. I had 4 drives over 300yds last round and that included at least 50yds of roll with a little wind. So when the rolled back ball becomes mandatory (for those following the rules of golf) don't move up a tee box, move to the desert!

... I could make the argument, that if nothing was declared about a rollback but new balls started traveling 2-3 yds less as that is the expected distance loss for average swing speeds, 99% of those that play golf wouldn't even notice. To think any Am drives the ball like a robot so they would have exact driving distance figures is just silly. I am paired with Am's all the time that can have a 50yd difference in their best and worst drives. And that isn't counting topped/thinned or way out on the heel or toe, just the difference in normal drives that hit the center compared to a typical mishits. Better Ams will still have much more than a 2-3 yd difference in driving distances when comparing drives during a round. ... If I catch a downslope and hit a 280yd drive, would I notice a rolled back ball only went 275? If my 81 yr old playing pard hit his drive 185 instead of 187 will he cry baby there is't a more forward tee he can move up and play? Or would neither of us even notice? It would be interesting to see 18 holes played by a typical Am with a 85-90mph swing speed using both a rolled back ball and a current ball off every tee. My guess is the swing and face contact will create a much wider range of distance than the different balls. I could certainly see the rolled back ball averaging longer than the current ball with slightly better contact. ... I also keep hearing some say nobody wants bifurcation and to the contrary, everyone I play with would prefer a rolled back ball for Pros but not Am's. But even that takes some serious discussion and an almost forced opinion because basically all my playing partners just don't care that much one way or the other. 3 of my 8 regular playing partners were not even aware of the ball roll back and greeted the news with shrugged shoulders.

... My hope amigo is we meet in the middle. I won't sugar coat it because I really, really disliked the Qi10 Max. Shorter and very crooked compared to my Stealth2 HD. I gave it a full 5 rounds and disliked it just as much on my last swing as I did with my first swing. It really wanted to go left for me and that never changed. I hit several pretty big slices (something I next to never do) because I was over compensating. Admittedly I did not like the look at address and found the huge spaceship shaped head quite distracting and that's never good. ... Using the 90 day playability guarantee I exchanged it for the standard Qi10 and fully expected to end up selling it and going back to my S2 HD. To be fair I loved the look at address and the ball flight was very neutral from the very first drive. Hmmmmm maybe I won't have to sell it. It just kept getting better and I won't rehash the performance because as you said I found my Holy Grail. ... It should be clear that all three of these drivers are quite different. My hope is you find the same success I did coming from the other end of the spectrum. Max was too game improvement for me and it sounds like the LS was too penal for you. I took forward to hearing how the Standard head works for you and if IndyBonzo finds improvement with the LS. ... And to be fair to the Max @Michael.Sandoval33 and @Hook DeLoft seem to be doing really well with their drivers and Nelly Korda has won her last 3 tournaments in a row using the Qi10 Max. It seems there is a driver for everyone in the Qi10 line up, so be sure and demo all 3 of them before making any decisions.

... Yup, I think the ball "settled" down on those greens and a pop stroke helped get the ball out of its resting place. Of course they were a lot slower too. There were certainly some great putters that used a wristy stroke back in the day.

... Me, Me, Me! I hate it. Or it hates me. I need to be playing and moving outdoors with a target and I can see my trajectory:

... If we all loved the same things what a crazy crowded place the world would be. But if I start playing some other irons, the T200 5 iron will still be in my bag. I may eventually play some different short irons like the Cobra King Tours but the 7-5 T200's are just silly good for my swing. I had 215yds for my second shot on a par 5, a little uphill but a 5mph wind at my back and never considered anything but my T200 5i. Came up just short of the green but I just have so much confidence in that iron I was fine with that. Just a bummer that amazing iron is giving you trouble.

... Good Ole Boy following through:

... Not so much the hands as the wrists breaking down and flipping. I use my hands for feel in my putting stroke but my wrists don't move. One of the reasons I don't like arm lock for Pro's but could not care less for Ams. It isn't an "advantage" and just like the long putter it is simply to help over come the yips. I believe that is part of the equation, over coming nerves when playing tournament golf. If you don't have the yips there is no question long putters and arm lock putters are more difficult to perfect than a conventional putter. Here is the thing, you don't see any great putters using unconventional putters. They use them to overcome a deficiency. ... An Am with a physical deficiency should be able to use what ever helps them play better. Another reason I have always been in favor of bifurcation, which seems to have pretty divided opinions. I think there is pretty much nothing about a typical Am's game that resembles a Pro's game, so wanting to play the same equipment just seems silly to me.

... I continue to be amazed by the performance of my Qi10. Pretty soon all my longest drives on every hole at my home course will be one by the Qi10. Only 2 left. Three more holes were added to that record today and it might have been the best driving day of my life. The performance is so good it has given me confidence to swing away with max effort while maintaining my balance and tempo. ... #17 is a 265yd slightly uphill par 4 guarded by a big lake with a carry of 250. My normal carry before the Qi10 was in the 225/230 range but a nice little wind at my back I thought I would go for it, something I have never done on this hole. My guess is my carry was 255yds landing just on the putting surface and ending up over the green in the back bunker. Thanks to insanely long drives, I had irons into 3 of the par 5's (5i, 9i, 5i). ... The Qi10 series may not be as long or as accurate for someone else, but I would most definitely demo one to find out.

... Comparing myself to Tiger (physically not golf ability) every round is a challenge. Seems there is almost always something nagging at me from 2 back surgeries and a stiff back to shoulder tendonitis and then a slight tear of my meniscus in my left knee. If I can find a pace and keep moving I play my best. Stopping and standing can cause me to tighten up. So adjusting my pace to the group in front is paramount to staying as loose as possible with stretching along the way. But unexpected stops that last for over 5 minutes can be a real challenge for me.

... While I certainly respect your opinion, you really can do both if desired. As I have stated many times in this thread I play my music to keep me company while walking the course. You can't hear it at all from 10 feet away. But even walking with it accompanying all 4 of us walking together we can still hear every bird chirp and the wind in the air and most definitely appreciate our surroundings. Best of both worlds for us. ... We live in a polarized world and there are extremes in everything it seems. As so many have posted here, keep your music at a respectful level and everyone can enjoy their round in the manor they prefer. LOUD music is just never an option. I played with a gentleman in a cart and when he came over to bump fists at the end of the round next to my cart he heard the music for the first time and said I should have played it the entire round. He was a little surprised when I told him I did.

... I am a little surprised that 5 pages in there are only 2 so far that mention Steelfibers. So many of the best ball strikers on the planet use Steelfibers including Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko and JY Ko who hit 63 consecutive GIR, a record that will never be broken. I originally tried to play i95's in stiff flex and they were just too stout. Talking to a rep at the pga show, he had me hit regular i95's and I fell in love. I can't imagine playing anything else.

... I usually don't post average rounds or below average rounds. Nobody wants to read "I played OK but struggled and shot a 74-76". Nor do they want to hear "My shoulder or knee or back was an issue today". Lately I have had lots and lots of those kind of rounds. But yesterday was a fun day and I felt pretty good physically to start the round, temps were in the mid 80's and very little wind so ideal for scoring. ... Crazy round as all my birdies came back to back. I pushed a drive that took a really bad bounce on #12 and had to take a drop from under a tree for one bogie, then pulled an iron shot on the short par 3 with a pin just over a tier and no chance of getting it close for 2 bogies in a row. I also got greedy on #18 because I was swinging well and tried to hit a big drive (does that ever work?) wanting a birdie/par to shoot in the 60's. Too much effort and my body got in front and I blocked the drive under a tree. I could hit a shot but had to keep it under limbs and was able to get a hybrid in the green side bunker from 205yds. Hit a nice sand shot that left me a 6 footer to a pin perched on the edge of a hogback. Hit the putt we all hate where it broke around the hole and finished 3 inches around the hole on the other side but even with it. Seemingly impossible to finish there without going in the hole but of course it did.

... I wish it were that cut and dried. At Pro Tournaments divots are repaired or filled by the player/caddie and certainly the staff following the last group. Your local muni may have deep unprepared divots in typical landing areas and the chances of being in one is exponentially higher than tournament play. Same for sand where tournament golf has raked bunkers while many munis have a track walking into a bunker, deep foot prints were they dug in as well as the gouge their swing produced and then footprints leaving the bunker on a different path. There is a rule I would like to see, legally raking a bunker if you end up in a deep footprint from a selfish individual that couldn't be bothered to rake after playing from a bunker. ... That said, I like hitting out of divots as it is a unique challenge both physically and mentally. I have to execute the shot and the mentally over come the bad break of hitting a great drive and having a bad lie in the middle of the fairway.

... I have worked for quite a few corporate entities in my 45yrs in the commercial world as well as interviewing many Marketing Directors at the PGA Show and I am always amazed at how they ignore the ole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule of business. ProV1 the exception while Taylor Made named the same 5 piece balls: Penta Penta TP Penta TP3 Penta TP5 Lethal TP Red and Black TP5 and TP5x

... Ain't individual equipment experiences always fun? I think the T200 5 iron just might be my favorite club. I use it off the tee on short par 4's and it is so much fun to hit from fairway bunkers and decent lies in the fairway or light rough. Having played the T150's it certainly isn't a night and day difference but still noticeable.

... So what I get from all that is you are a better ball striker than Justin Thomas? My admiration for your golf swing grows daily...

... The two times we were paired up with golfers wearing ear buds, they were both basically anti social. They kept to themselves and as I said, we couldn't talk to them without them removing their ear buds and seemingly annoyed at the intrusion into their private world. After several holes, ignoring them as that seemed like their wish, was not a problem but still just a little awkward.

... Yup, I think more and more better players are moving to more forgiving irons they can still work if needed. Especially long irons. I know it is a Hot Take but I see no reason anyone (other than just for the joy of it) should be playing MB's when many Players Irons offer everything a MB can do but with added forgiveness on slight mishits. Grand those that grew up with MB's, especially at the highest level might be reluctant to change but even Rory the last player to need more distance, is playing more forgiving long iron with a Stealth Uni and a P760 4 iron.

... In the "OK, OK Sam I get it!" concerning T200 4 iron, here is the Justin Thomas latest edition to his bag at the Master: “This is the evolution of trajectory for JT,” Van Wezenbeeck said. “When he turned pro, he played a blade 4-iron. Then we moved him into a [cavity-back]. When we went from AP2 to T100, he went to the T100. Now he’s in the T200. He’s slowly moving up the ladder."