HardcoreLooper

So I need to hang out more with @GolfSpy_THV. My only invite to Kinloch came with too many strings, so I had to turn it down. The coolest thing I can remember is the guided tour of the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse a buddy and I received after playing there (BTW - we played Dye's Valley; the Stadium Course was closed to prep for The Players). Some pretty cool memorabilia and stories.

Let's cut him some slack. I remember how it was when my kids were born.

I swear it's addicting, isn't it?

So sorry to hear this. I hope you and your mother had lots of good memories in those last six years. We're keeping you in our prayers.

I had my three-year checkup with my urologist yesterday. Cancer free for three years now. Please get your PSA checked annually. It saved my life.

I had a pretty good year with the Srixon XVs last year, but after @chisag posted the TP5X Pix Practice ball deal, I had to give them a try. And wouldn't you know it, I love them. I didn't think I'd like the Pix design, but it's really great for putting. I'll pick up some "real" ones for tournaments.

What led you to pick the JB's over the 286's? Was it the bounce, heel/toe relief, or something else? I'm thinking about new wedges, and I'm loving the looks of the Sub 70 wedges.

Completed. Good luck! Please do share your results with us.

Just goes to show that like every other aspect of the game, there's no one right way to do things. How many thoughts does he have when he's getting over the ball? I'd be surprised if it's more than one.

So many good ideas here. How about one where you give us components and instructions, and we assemble a club ourselves. Then we play it. And @Golfspy_CG2 - I picked up your reference. But I was little when AB was on, I swear!

For me, it depends. If I'm swinging reasonably well, my focus is totally external. I'm thinking about the shot I'm going to hit and where I want it to go. I really like the "think box/play box" from Nilsson and Marriott. Their books are really, really good. When I'm hitting it left of left, I'm trying to "recall the feeling" of hitting a slice (thanks Adam Young). I'm probably playing like garbage, and I'm trying to keep from killing people in neighboring fairways. Once every few years, I don't think about anything when I play. Those are pretty special rounds, but they're super-rare. Most of the time, it's tough to turn off the voices in my head, so I'm trying to keep them from being too damaging.

1. Launch monitors are a tool in an instructor's tool box. Just like video, still images, alignment rods, etc. 2. A really good instructor will learn how an individual learns best and tailor their instruction to it. Some people might benefit from knowing their path is 5* out to in, others need to be told to hit the inside of the golf ball, still others need to hit balls with a headcover to the right of the ball. Your best method of learning might be awful for someone else. 3. All this being said, the whole point of instruction is to play better golf on the golf course. You can't bring a launch monitor with you, and you can't lay something on the ground to guide you out there. So a really good instructor should also give you a feel that you can go back to when things are going horribly wrong on the golf course. Even if you're not a "feel" player - that's all you can bring with you on the course.

My daughter's instructor taught her something similar. He had her lean to the right and touch her right knee. It's an over-exaggeration, but it works.

As a beagle owner, this made me laugh pretty hard! Another plus for the eWheels. The axle unit weighs less than 25 lbs., and it's compact. It's not much trouble to get it in and out of the car. And the wheels are wide; it doesn't mess up the course.

I'm a strong adherent of getting the ball on the ground and rolling as soon as I can around the green. But when you short side yourself behind a bunker, that's not going to work. At some point, you're going to need to hit the high one. Several years ago, my dad and I were defending champs in his member-guest and got to the final hole in the shootout. After halving it, I lost the tournament for us in a chip-off by going right under the ball with a lob wedge out of the rough. One of the better players in the club came up to me in the bar afterward to console me, and he told me that he hits that shot with an open pitching wedge, so if he catches it off the top of the club, there's more mass up there and you're not going to completely fluff it. Is it a true flop shot? Probably not. But it's handy to have in your arsenal if you play courses with fluffy lies around greens. I still have nightmares about that shot.

OG - I've pretty much wrecked my back from all the bag-carrying I've done in my life (both caddying and playing). I pushed for ages, and I'd be OK while playing, but I'd be really stiff after driving home from the course. Earlier this year I actually paid attention to the position you get yourself into when pushing a cart up a hill, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I picked up a Rovic RV1S with the original Alphard eWheels, and I love it. @chisag is spot on about the pros getting to walk all 18 holes with a great posture. I feel so much better after the round, especially if I need to get in another nine (or more).

Doesn't TrueGolfFit basically do this? You pay the fee, enter some data, and they compare it against their DB of shots to find you the best driver for your stats. If nothing else, it's a $9 donation to keep MGS up and running.

All good suggestions. If you're looking for something more budget-friendly, Southern Pines isn't bad. It will probably be a little scruffy. I can't wait to see it after the renovation. I wouldn't bother with Pinehurst #9. Played it a few times because I didn't have to pay much for it. I'm not a fan of Nicklaus courses.

If you're in it to play a golf course you wouldn't otherwise play (or might not otherwise have access to), it's worth it.

I thought there was a way to play in them without GHIN, but it looks like that's not the case. Bummer.

I probably went out and played some kind of golf about the same amount. But a fair amount of it was par 3 courses with the girls. Only 44 rounds in GHIN for 2020; I'm usually well over 50. This year will be interesting. Only three rounds in so far this year, and another crappy weather week. Gonna have to make up for it when the weather warms up.

The Wilson D7 Forged irons are safe. The wedges will most certainly be replaced. It's time. Driver is on thin ice, as always. Three wood is fine. Four wood will undoubtedly be in and out of the bag repeatedly over the course of the year, as it is every year. The putter is interesting. It's ancient, and I'm sure there's something better out there, but I can't imagine getting rid of it.

DMV spies - The VSGA One Day schedule went up last week. What do you guys think about using a One Day event as a meetup? I'm signed up for the Royal New Kent event on Tuesday, May 25. https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/2850970

That's unfortunate about Toptracer Range. A few Mevo + units might be more realistic.

How about ranges loaning/renting LMs? Or ranges installing Toptracer Range? There's ways to make this kind of thing happen and provide additional revenue streams for range owners. A fitting package for the LM and premium balls. People seem to be giving quite a bit of weight to look and feel. Ranking your favorite looking clubs would help train an AI model to pick clubs that will look good to you. And if you believe that feel is really sound, you can do the same thing with feel as well. Why not build that into the model? It's easy to say that an AI model isn't as good as the world's best fitters. It doesn't need to be. If it's better than the average employee in a big box store, it's providing value. Elite fitters will still have full schedules because (as Tony said), people want that experience. This isn't really for them. Dick's/Golf Galaxy should be all over this.