painter33

Andrew 75 congratulations on your recovery - hope it extends for many decades! I tried a 3-wheeled push cart but found I was spending way too much time dealing with parking it: the brake, the little inclines, etc. - a total pain - instead of thinking about golf. My little Ping Moonlite bag, my third, has been the lightest, most comfortable bag I’ve ever owned, AND, it’s lousy on motorized carts. Ha!

Until I was diagnosed with a fourth level lumbar stenosis (3 previous fusions) last year and forced into a cart, I always walked - from 8 years old to 74. I walked 12 weeks post bi-lateral total knee replacements at age 53. Same with a hip replacement. Carts are an anathema to golf - walking allows one to enjoy the course, plan the next shot by seeing /feeling the topography and judging the wind and ground conditions, and walkers rarely leave clubs behind as their bags are with them. Plus, walkers can cover shorter distances by taking shortcuts where carts cannot go. I’ve often played 18 in 2½ hrs and enjoyed every second! BTW - I have always carried my bag; love the feel of it on my shoulder. Carts - ugh!

Last year I read about then tried the new Maxfli Tour, mostly because of the very close tolerances of the center weighting and no internal voids (hello Callaway). I had been exclusively playing Pro V1s and was impressed by the ball’s response on drives and around the greens. The lower price had nothing to do with my ultimate switch, BTW. The durability is the same as the Pro V1s, and much better than any Bridgestone ball I’ve ever played. Old Maxflis were like knuckleballs, but these fly straight with no fluttering.

I’m wearing old but look new (well taken care of and always rotated) four pairs of Nike Zoom Trophy. No break-in required, perfect fit, and maybe Nike’s best design ever. Waterproof leather, lightweight, and solid-as-a-rock base. One all white, one each brown/black saddles, and all black. Perfect!

Most SUVs have less trunk space than a sedan. Just observe the distance from the back seat to the rear end…I’ll keep my Audi A4 SEDAN!

So, I bought a used set of Ping i500 irons and about the third time out the 5 iron head flew off as I hit the ball (not the ground). No problem, I thought, easy fix. Then I got home and was about to mix the epoxy when dry-fitting the ferrule, I was shocked to find that the inside diameter of the hosel was a whopping .400, obviously much larger than the .355 shaft tip. There was very little epoxy left in there so a whole chunk of it must have flown out as well. I contacted Ping to ask if they could repair (add) the hosel to properly fit the shaft but they said they can’t do that. I contacted the people from whom I bought the irons on eBay thinking they might be able to ask the previous owner if he also butchered the rest of the set. They were nice, but alas, unhelpful. I don’t really want to remove the heads to measure the rest of the set at this point but eventually probably will as now I have a useful set of shafts but untrustworthy 4-W heads. My question is what kind of idiot has hosels bored out to lower swingweight(?) because I can’t think of any good reason to do this. The shafts, or at least one of them, is a standard tapered .355, so it’s not as if someone wanted to put in their favorite .370 shaft. Why not trade in the clubs for those with a lower SW? As they are, because of the Recoil shafts (yuck), I’ve added lead tape to get some head feel. They left the Ping factory at D2, not *that* heavy. What was he thinking!? I’m likely going to eat the cost of the irons, salvage the shafts, and find another set to play. My other option is to replace the 5 iron head (no shaft) via Ping and wait for other heads to come loose to see if they too have been murdered...

Hdcp: 12 Current irons: Ping S55 (4-W) 7 iron distance: 155 yds I have played Ping irons since 1986... would love an opportunity to play a contemporary set.

Having worked at a golf course as a ranger, I can only cite my first-hand observations that motorized carts are a primary factor to a slow pace of play. First and foremost, two people going to one ball is illogical. Watching the number of times people go into their bags for clubs, balls, tees, and mystery items is astounding. Instead of hitting a shot and holding onto the club until reaching the next shot's location, riders unfailingly take time to return the club to the back of the cart, and then go to the front empty-handed. This happens with both players adding to the total time of the enterprise. This doesn't include the other trips when pulling the wrong club or changing his/her mind on club selection. Taking two clubs and leaving one behind also adds to the round's time. Riders also miss the opportunity to "see" the next shot - distance, potential wind and topography factors, and type of shot necessary because they are either driving a cart or looking at someone else driving a cart. Walkers are usually in better physical condition and can play more efficiently and thus more quickly. Not to mention the old adage, "Miss it quick" for poorer golfers. The J.B. Holmes reference is apt.

Been a Ping guy, not THE Ping guy ( he’s awfully small) since wooden “woods” and Eye2s. Been through many models and changes in irons and woods and have been “stuck” on my G30 driver as the newer models haven’t given me flight upgrades to warrant changing, but those days might be over with the 410 Plus from what I’ve read. Hdcp: 10 CHS: 104-108 Current: Ping G30 Test: Ping 410 Plus

Now playing Ping S55 irons - wouldn't mind hitting irons farther! Stuart Delaware Ping S55 4-P, Aerotech Steelfiber 80, stiff 160 yds - Your 7-iron distance

Stuart Delaware (no one from Delaware ever seems to win these things!) Ping G30, Graphite Design Purple Ice 65, Stiff SS 103/247 carry 7.9 index handicap Love to try the new Launcher with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI-6, Stiff Still have (in the basement) my original 330 Launcher - great sound and distance, just used to hit it right too often!

Stuart, Delaware Hdcp index 7.9/110.3 SS Ping G30 10.5, Stiff G400 LST 10, Stiff Been a "Ping" guy (not the Ping guy) since 1986 Current set in addition to G30 driver: Ping G fairway 14.5* Project X Stiff Ping S55 4-PW Areotech SteelFiber S Glide wedges: 54, 58, all grips/all woods and irons: Golf Pride MMC Plus 4 Ping Sigma G Tyne, SuperStroke 2.0 slim

I've tested (on my own) Vice, Bridgestone RBX, Laddie, Callaway Soft Chrome, and all have paled in comparison to my usual Pro V1s. All have been short on iron feel, overall distance, and control around and on the greens. Why not try Snell? PING G30 Driver, Stultz Nano Arrow Try Edge graphite stiff, GP MCC+4 standard grips on all clubs ADAMS Tight Lies 16* 3-wood Project X graphite stiff PING G25 19*, 23 Hybrids, Ping TFC-189 graphite stiff PING S55 Irons, Red Dot, 4-PW, TT XP90 R steel shafts Ping Gorge Tour wedges 54*, 58* Ping CFS stiff PING Sigma Tyne 33", Superstroke 2.0 Slim Titleist Pro V1

Yesterday was my first practice experience with the Vice ball - Pro Soft. The matte finish was very disconcerting and even putting caused grass stains on the balls. I've never been bothered in the least with glare from balls or from my chrome forged irons, so I'm not inclined to appreciate the dull ball finish. Feel: Comparing the balls to my usual Pro V1, they felt as soft in short chips but seemed a little harsher on pitches. They did seem as soft or even softer off the putter face, as I saw a need to hit a bit harder on longer putts. I can't yet speak to distance from full shots yet but hope to address that later in the week. Of course, price is a difference, but performance outweighs that element for me, so I'm willing to keep the test going. If they made these in a gloss finish, I'd be happier - just to see a cleaner ball shot after shot. A matte finish is not a great idea, to my eye and in my mind.