chisag

... No golf questions are stupid and consistency in almost every phase of the game is the key. Same for your grip. Some will grip a little weaker for a fade and a little stronger for a draw and if that works, good for them. But most just change the angle of the face, open for a fade and closed for a draw and take your normal grip and swing. I never change my grip for any shot other than playing out of the sand. A green side bunker shot is a specialty shot unlike any other and both the swing and the grip are different. I won't get into that here but it is the only time I change my grip.

... Jason this is part of the journey and as I have said more than a few times, golf is as much mental as it is physical. Lee Trevino was a little more emphatic "Golf is 80% mental. The other 20% is mental" But now that you are starting to understand course management ALWAYS play the smartest shot. It gives you confidence with the shots you are hitting and that builds the confidence to attempt more aggressive shots when you feel you can pull them off. ... My pard that went back to Chicago was just killing his 5 wood. So he wanted to buy a matching 3 wood and he always asks my advice so I told him I don't think he is ready for a 3 wood but if he really wants one go ahead but only use it at the range until if/when you are hitting it well. So he bought it on Callaways Pre Owned site for a great price. After several range sessions with marginal results at best he decided to take it on the course. Paul usually shoots around the mid to lower 90's and on a good day can get in the upper 80's. He topped his first attempt. Waited to the back 9 to try again and hit a very thin pull hook that left the course. I said "I am sure you notice I rarely carry a 3 wood" and he replied "I know but I wanted to beat you at something!" ... After exactly 2 more attempts with poor results the next round and hitting his 5 wood well he took the 3 wood out of his bag. The swing for a 5 wood is virtually identical to a 3 wood but slight misses are more penal and of course thinking he can hit it farther changes his mental approach to his swing. But the biggest difference is mental because he knows he can hit his 5 wood well but only has a poor mental performance reference with his 3 wood. I can almost guarantee you if I were able to Harry Potter his 3 wood head on his 5 wood in the middle of his swing without him knowing it, he would hit a good shot. ... So it's up to you and now that you know, you really have no excuse for not playing smart and building your confidence one swing at a time. You will still over swing because that's part of the learning process but if/when you do don't beat yourself up and just focus on making a good swing with the next shot. Like you said this challenge has really helped you and you are getting there amigo!!!

... When the Fly Z was introduced almost all the engineers played it a little shorter with a heavier weight in the back. It increased the MOI substantially along with a little more spin making it more forgiving and they called it the "fairway finder". I had been struggling with my driver at that time and with the Fly Z and heavier back weight I had my best driving season ever. When I started playing the new Cobra for review my son commandeered my Fly Z and I put an ultra stiff Nunchuk shaft in it for him and when I wanted it back he said "not a chance" LOL. It is still in his bag.

... I bought a lighter aftermarket 2gm heel weight for my Stealth2 HD that only cost $10 and then added some lead tape to the toe to balance it out. Since I normally play a straight to soft draw with my driver, I didn't want any draw enhancements but needed the extra spin from the HD head.

... That is strange that the weight in the rear made you uncomfortable. But I am gonna go out on a limb here and suggest but not imply that for some reason and it is always hard to quantify but in your case that may or may not apply to others and since this is a new driver and you are under the pressure of a competition that maybe and it is a big MAYBE ... it is just your swing?

... If it is as easy as unscrewing a weight and screwing it back in, why not? As Ben said ya never know til you try. That said I would first move the 12gm weight to the rear with the 3gm weight in the heel. The more weight in the rear, the more forgiving the head is twisting less on slight mishits while providing a little more height and spin for control. I actually put a 16gm weight in the rear since my driver is 1/2" shorter for more control. ... The second part of the equation is the fairway wood weights are smaller than the driver weights. They can fit in your driver but you'll get dirt and grass surrounding it and of course the driver weight will not fit in the 7 wood. But I like your thinking!

... This is a golf forum where members have 2 or more and sometimes many more sets of irons. I have multiple sets but only 2 I actually play. My gamers and a set of Z Forged MB's I pull out 3 or 4 times a year because they are fun and always confirm I should be playing something a little more forgiving. But I doubt many switch between two sets and have better results. ... I have always believed consistency is the key to playing well. In your case I see two options. 1. If you truly love your 921 Tour short irons, you can combo with some Mizuno mid/long irons and make the break anywhere you think works best for you. 2. Buy another set of more forgiving irons that better suit your play. Golf isn't a game of how good are your best shots but how bad are your worst shots. The formula is simple, play the most forgiving irons you can effectively play. For a 3 index those are most likely Players Irons but I have played with scratch or even plus index golfers that use GI's. Most modern Players Irons are basically combo sets built into their design with more weight low producing higher flying long irons and higher weighting producing lower flying short irons so old fashioned combo sets are not usually necessary. Using Rickie Fowler as an example, he has played MB's for as long as I can remember and he switched to King Tour Players Irons this year and is scoring better (winning a few weeks ago). He is using 4-pw and would be an ideal candidate for a mixed set of MB short irons or at least a MB pw but evidently found the Players short irons give him all the control he wants/needs.

... Thank you and looking forward to your thoughts. I was considering ordering one of the exact same grip but with shipping costs it came to $30 so I hoped another MGS member would do a review since I am happy with my ST Hybrid +2's.

... A unique experience for me. I went to the PGA Show every year and reviewed what I thought were the best clubs in every category. Obviously they were glowing reviews because I picked the best driver/fw wood/hybrid/irons/wedges/putters for my swing. So posting a negative review is new for me but as you stated and we all know, MGS reviews are just regular golfers that get a chance to play and review an entire spectrum of clubs. The chances of getting a full bag of clubs (including the bag) from any OEM and being in love with all of them is pretty low. ... One of the things I love about MGS reviews is the Trade or Keep part of the review. Because the truth is nobody makes a bad club these days and much of it comes down to personal preference. I don't care for a longer length from front to rear on my driver. It looks unwieldy and distracting to me eye. But someone else may absolutely love a larger looking head because it gives them added confidence. And I do not like a loud or explosive metallic sound with my driver, preferring a dense and muted sound. Conversely many young players find a dense and muted driver face feels "dead" to them. So the same driver producing very similar performance for 2 different players can be in ones bag and out of the others based primarily on simple personal preference. ... Just so much to learn and enjoy from any regular ole MGS members review.

... Wow, what an awesome experience!! Closest I have come is a one day Finger Picker convention in Milwaukee. Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Preston Reed and about 10 others. About 75% of the audience had attended seminars earlier in the day and they all had the guitar cases with them siting in the audience, maybe 150 seats. But just one at a time playing a couple finger pickin' tunes, nothing like Crossroads! * I had 3 Crossroad Festivals on my DVR and lost them all when I moved to Phoenix.

... Thanks Tom. I was playing horse with my son and a couple friends and I rarely lost at 65 while they were in their 20's. One said "I think your Dad is addicted to competition" and my son replied "No, he is addicted to wining." LOL, out of the mouth of babes. But the first sign of being over heated let alone a heat stroke and I left the course after 11 holes. And I never do that. But this heat is no joke. (I'll still take it over my days in the south with excessive sweating and gnats/mosquitoes )

... I was determined to beat my last score as I hate being in a tie. I hit a great 4 iron and a nice 8 iron to 10 feet and I see ... verticut aerated greens. I managed to stick one about 2 feet on the 4th hole and made a birdie, but several putts in the 7-10 ft range just had no chance hopping around like the Easter Bunny. Added a bogie on the 7th and the rest pars so it wasn't gonna happen today. I decided to get ready for the next challenge but after 2 holes on the back 9 I was standing on the tee and felt a little dizzy and flushed. Sat back down in the cart in the shade and it went away but I was not taking any chances and called it a day after 11 holes. Never enjoyed cooling seats in my car so much. I think 111* is my new limit because the 113* temperature today got the best of me.

... I hear ya Jerry and you are 100% correct, it is really tough on the high index players. I think Tom will tell you it was difficult for us and we have the skills to pull off partial shots, but not every time and it still takes laser like focus. Sitting 80yds from the green we are thinking birdie but hitting a 9 iron and not being able to get it close or even on the green is not a lot of fun. My guess is the mid index guys are somewhere in-between. And while you can't completely escape the frustration, you can minimize it knowing you aren't ready for this kind of challenge so all you can do is your best. Or your worst. But just know we are all pulling for you!

... Ravens are even better cart raiders and very smart birds. I play all Summer at a course called The Raven and don't put food in my bag, because these sneaky Ravens have a better chance at eating it than I do.

... Homa takin' part in the EV Only challenge at the Scottish Open and providing the answer to "Dude, Where's My Car?"

... Knowing the science, I just don't take any chances with my golf ball. Wedge cut, bunker/tree rash or any other disruption to the surface and I take it out of play. I certainly understand those that keep them in play but I start every round with a new ball and if it gets any cover damage, no matter how small, it goes in my donate to First Tee box. Although I have never done any testing, again I trust the science. The entire article is an interesting read but I quoted a key statement: "Most golf balls have between 300 and 500 dimples, which have an average depth of about 0.010 inch. The lift and drag forces on a golf ball are very sensitive to dimple depth: a depth change of 0.001 inch can produce a radical change to the ball's trajectory and the overall distance it can fly." https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-dimples-in-golf-ba/

.... Set your oven for 118* and stick your head in there and let me know how the dry heat works for you. It's kinda interesting because at 94* and single digit humidity it is very pleasant. But once you get to 110* it's just hot. 118* is too hot to be outside. I have leaned the heat is exponential over 110*. the difference between 107* and 110* is barely noticeable. The difference between 110* and 113* is very noticeable. And the difference between 113* and 116* is off the charts.

... 94*!?!?

Date 07/13/2023 Course Name #CobraMemberSpecial Gross Score 70 Course Handicap 0 Gross Strokes over/under par -2 Net Score to Par -2 Net Score 70 Net Birdies or better 2 Longest Drive 0

... Not by many the love guitarists. Watching Clapton's Guitar Specials every year Mayer was always included.

... The desert is calling you!

... I am so spoiled by desert courses. Doglegs you can't fly the ball over are really rare and double doglegs are non existent. At least the tees provided you some shade!

... Good point! You REALLY have to keep your eye on ole CFredo. He uses every trick in the book! Here he is at Disneyworld measuring for a ride where you have to be 47" tall.

... It would just be a ton of fun to play Irons Only from the Golds at 5181! Two of the par 5's measure 362 and 348 which is shorter than most of the par 4's I played. But with a 65.7 rating I would have to shoot my career low just to break even.

... CFredo wants to know which tees you played from. Here is CFredo teeing off from the girls forward tees in his Irons Only challenge. Crazy he swings so hard the rubber tee went as far as his ball but a nice follow through!