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Should also give Kirke's final check in. Here are his baseline/progress check numbers at the beginning, after his first program, and today with the completion of his second program: Really nice overall progress from Kirke, who continues to have a higher swing speed (in mph) than weight (in lbs). Really solid work by him.

First step here: after choosing where I want the green, clear off all of the accumulated snow. I'm a bit jealous, but also eager to follow your progress here.

[the loop isn't for your wrist. it's for the silver knobby thing, so you don't have to keep the case zipped during the round.]

So, in order, here is my first baseline, the progress check after my Foundations program, and the progress check today after completing Neural Driver: So you can mark me down for a final total of 110, down 2mph from my last check-in. Why was I slower in just about everything today? Likely a few factors. I had drifts of two+ feet of snow to clear from my driveway this morning. But the biggest one is that I was more diligent to follow The Stack protocols for this baseline. When speed training, I don't do a great job making a distinction between "Max" and "Full" effort swings (the former is all-out; the latter is the most aggressively you would realistically swing during a round). The Baseline/Progress check asks for Full, not Max, Intent. What's my next move? I already checked-in for my next program, Full Speed Spectrum. And the biggest thing is that I'm going to start devoting more time to transference work. I have my driver here at the church now, and I'm going to start smashing foam balls with a radar (and likely some foot spray), to work on swinging faster while also needing to make reasonable contact with a ball.

Just finished Neural Drive yesterday; I'll do my Progress Check Friday (if I can dig out of the snow we're supposed to get). Also, related to my last posts, Sasho MacKenzie pointed me to this video he did on transferring speed training to actually hitting balls:

Some useful context for this discussion: EDIT, in summary: more PGA Tour rounds have been played since 2021 at less than 7200 yards than have been at 7200 or longer.

Duration: 00:43:55 In this episode, Chris and Tony discuss the choice of two prominent Taylormade staff players ditching their newest drivers this past weekend at the Players Championship. So it begs the question, does new always equate to better? In addition, are there too many DTC golf brands? It's great to have options but c'mon! There's a lot on deck so kick back, watch, listen, or do both! This is No Putts Given. Be sure to hit #Subscribe and #HitTheBell so you can stay up-to-date and not miss any new videos! #golf 00:00 NPG - Chris is Back 02:26 Should You Care about What Tour Players Use? 30:32 Are there too many DTC golf ball brands? 37:34 Mailbag --------------------------------------------------------------------- Used by over 19 million forward-thinking golfers! --------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR MISSION: https://mygolfspy.com/our-mission/ --------------------------------------------- Check out MyGolfSpy's other channels! -------------------------------------------- REVIEWS: http://bit.ly/MGSreviews BUYERS GUIDES: https://mygolfspy.com/category/golf-b... NEW RELEASES: http://bit.ly/MGSnewgear PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... DRIVER FITTING TOOL: https://truegolffit.com/ ------------------------------------ MYGOLFSPY SOCIAL ------------------------------------ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyGolfSpy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygolfspycom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mygolfspyListen Here

Duration: 00:49:55 In this episode, Chris and Tony make sense of the proposed "ball rollback" that the USGA and R&A unveiled. The USGA and R&A announced the proposal of a MLR (model local rule) that would allow tournaments and organizers to require use of a ball that conforms to the new ODS. Listen in for everything you need to know and what it could mean moving forward. There's a lot on deck so kick back, watch, listen, or do both! This is No Putts Given. Be sure to hit #Subscribe and #HitTheBell so you can stay up-to-date and not miss any new videos! #golf --------------------------------------------------------------------- Used by over 19 million forward-thinking golfers! --------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR MISSION: https://mygolfspy.com/our-mission/ --------------------------------------------- Check out MyGolfSpy's other channels! -------------------------------------------- REVIEWS: http://bit.ly/MGSreviews BUYERS GUIDES: https://mygolfspy.com/category/golf-b... NEW RELEASES: http://bit.ly/MGSnewgear PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... DRIVER FITTING TOOL: https://truegolffit.com/ ------------------------------------ MYGOLFSPY SOCIAL ------------------------------------ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyGolfSpy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygolfspycom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mygolfspyListen Here

My hottest take on all this rollback stuff: the panic response to longer hitters was stupid and created the problem. When guys hit it longer, you should respond by making courses *shorter*. "Tiger-proofing," lengthening the course, just gives longer hitters even more of an advantage over the shorter hitters. I can (potentially) hang with Scottie Scheffler in a putting contest inside 5'. Every single yard we move away from the hole, his distance and skill advantage over me is exponentially magnified. The classic courses made "obsolete" by distance gains leaned into their obsolescence by lengthening. Don't roll back the ball. If you want to "balance" the game by making power less of a factor, shorten the courses.

Definitely considered setting up outside, but I have a profound fear of the sky-ball that goes over the net and finds a neighbor's house, window, head, etc. I do most of my Stacking at the church that I pastor (I'm in the only one in the building most days); I may set up my Mevo+ there with foam balls to work on transferring the speed I'm gaining to actual driver swings with contact (with something). On the "insult to injury" front: came back to Stacking today for the first time in over a week (because of the trip) and tied my second highest Stack number:

Oh, no doubt this is needed. But this is a long issue for me (one familiar to some of the Forum veterans here): my garage ceiling is too low for me to practice driver (I have a Mevo+), and the nearest range is over 45 minutes away. It needs to be done. But doing it is a challenge.

I have one more session in Neural Drive (to be done today) and then my closing baseline. For reference, here's my current Stack home screen: Those are big, big numbers (for me). I finished last year with an Arccos driver "Smart Distance" right around 240 yards. So you can imagine that my hopes have been pretty high going into this season. I'm obviously not expecting to see anything like 337 on the course, but I thought 250+, maybe creeping out toward 270, could be a realistic hope. As I've mentioned in a couple of other posts here, last week my two oldest (including Kirke) and I traveled to South Carolina, where I was invited to speak at a church. That allowed Kirke and I to get in a couple of unusually early rounds of golf for us. And I have Arccos data for one of them (the other was played as a scramble). [drum roll] The numbers are, to be honest, totally deflating: To be sure, there are some total clunkers in there: a couple of tops, at least one that was knocked down by a tree. But even the "good" drives are as short as ever. Clearly (among other things): I have to do a lot more intentional work at transferring my physical capabilities (which are quantifiably there) to actually hitting the golf ball. I can swing fast, but in my mind, it's abundantly clear that my speed training swing has an entirely different intent than my "hit the ball" swing. There is, in that regard, almost no connection between the two tasks.

Similar for me this year. Just got back on Friday from a trip to SC: so I went Eastern Time Friday morning, into Central until last night, and (functionally) back to Eastern today. So I'm just floating an hour right now. Always fun to be a pastor on time change Sunday. Curiously, the pattern is that no one forgets to set their clocks back in the fall...

Did some (limited) practice with the Pro Package and the new Face Impact feature today. The Face Impact is incredibly impressive, especially with irons and wedges. With those, there were no obvious "well, that was wrong!" readings. Kirke was objecting to some of the readings with his driver (I can't swing driver in our garage); when it's warmer (it was literally freezing in there this afternoon), we'll go out with the foot spray and do some calibration on the driver. Obviously, there are much cheaper ways of knowing where you hit it on the face. But having that information available this way is really convenient, and I'm definitely going to be incorporating it into my practice.

Just got back from a week trip to South Carolina. In addition to getting in some golf much earlier in the year than I'm used to, which was awesome, Kirke and I hit a golf store as well (there are none here where we live). We intended only to get Kirke a glove, but I looked at some used clubs and... Picked up a snazzy new driver with and RDX Smoke Blue shaft for $165. Figured that even if it doesn't kick my Titleist TS3 out of my bag, I'm likely to be able to recoup that cost.

Yeah, I'm definitely fine with having crossover points in my bag, where I go draw/neutral at the bottom of my bag and move to a fade at the top. So I don't think I'm going to be chasing "sameness" with every club. I'm still working with Jayson Nickol on Skillest, so I have him for direction on this. I can say, without fear that Jayson would push back: I need to tone down the closed face with the wedges and short irons, getting more neutral or even slightly open to path.

Most dedicated sim setups run on a PC; you really need to be to use the best sim software (TGC/E6/GSPro). So being able to run FS on the same system is a plus. In addition, the PC version (I believe) lets you have more info on the screen at once and better incorporates multiple fixed cameras. Again, all in all, probably a better setup if you are a teacher with a permanent studio; for me, I'm not planning to purchase the PC edition software.

As best I understand: there are no accuracy/performance differences between the devices. The 2023 version has a better battery and kickstand, and includes a couple of software upgrades (the PC version of the FS software) that the users of the older edition have to pay for.

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/03/01/pga-tour-approves-radical-schedule-changes-elevated-events/ Thought we should get discussion of the Tour's plans for next year: the designated events are now limited to 75ish players with no cut.

Duration: 00:40:36 Does golf have a "furniture problem?" Tony seems to think so. In this episode, Chris and Tony discuss the cost of new drivers and whether or not it's too high. Are we getting better performance based on how much we spend? Plus, Fujikura Axiom graphite iron shafts–a niche product with a high price tag. However, with VeloCore technology incorporated, you may find the 'sweet spot' more consistently. There's a lot on deck so kick back, watch, listen, or do both! This is No Putts Given. Ask MyGolfSpy Volume 22 = https://bit.ly/3ktcljL Read more about Fujikura Axiom Graphite Iron Shafts = https://bit.ly/3J0x6wt Be sure to hit #Subscribe and #HitTheBell so you can stay up-to-date and not miss any new videos! #golf #bestgolfdrivers2023 00:00 NPG_130_Something Fuji Axiom and Driver Prices 00:24 How ya livin? 01:56 Fujikura Axiom Shafts 19:08 Are golfers balking at $600 drivers? 25:54 A day of reckoning is coming 29:53 Mailbag 35:15 High prices pushing the elitism of golf --------------------------------------------------------------------- Used by over 19 million forward-thinking golfers! --------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR MISSION: https://mygolfspy.com/our-mission/ --------------------------------------------- Check out MyGolfSpy's other channels! -------------------------------------------- REVIEWS: http://bit.ly/MGSreviews BUYERS GUIDES: https://mygolfspy.com/category/golf-b... NEW RELEASES: http://bit.ly/MGSnewgear PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... DRIVER FITTING TOOL: https://truegolffit.com/ ------------------------------------ MYGOLFSPY SOCIAL ------------------------------------ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyGolfSpy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygolfspycom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mygolfspyListen Here

I now have the Mevo+ Pro Package. My golf nerdy heart fluttered a bit. For those who are unfamiliar with the Mevo+ and its Pro Package, here's the short summary: the Mevo+ is a radar-based LM that measures a host of data points. The Pro Package does not make the Mevo+ "see" anything new or give more accurate data: instead, on the user end, it allows the user to see a bunch more data points that the Mevo+ is capable of tracking. The big additions are 1) club path, 2) face angle (relative to target and relative to path), and 3) low point. These are all swing-centric data points: that is to say, they are not data about the ball and its flight but about the club and its movement. Depending on what you're trying to accomplish in your practice (and how well you can interpret numbers) then, that can be incredibly helpful information (or info you don't need). For me, I love to have the numbers. I love objective feedback. And I love learning. OK, on to specifics. It's been really cold here, so since getting the Pro Package, I've had little opportunity to test in our garage. But yesterday, I did a brief assessment in the FlightScope Skills app. The setup: 10 targets, from 100-190 yards in 10 yard increments Carry distance Randomized What I wanted to see is, even with randomizing shots, if certain patterns emerge in the data. SPOILER: THERE WERE PATTERNS. VERY DEFINITE PATTERNS. This was absolutely fascinating to me. I would certainly expect that, if I just hit a dozen 9-irons in a row, I'd find a "groove" and the data might start looking predictable. But having to switch clubs before (almost) every shot, I thought there'd be a lot more noise in the data. If you want to look at the full data, here's the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VaBga27n4vP3l9D9RhkzbKEO4kISUgimYa_U6PenQBg/edit#gid=1183855278 Otherwise, here's the summary. PATH This, to me, is wild. With every wedge, my path is in-to-out. From 9 iron and up, it's out-to-in. To be sure, with the 9 and 8 irons there were shots that were hardly left, but there's a clear pattern of my path switching directions at that point in my bag. FACE TO PATH Once again, the cleanness of the data was frightening. My face is closed to my path. With the shorter clubs especially, it is closed way too much. But that tapers off, and when I get to my "5 iron" (it's actually a second, stronger-lofted 6), the face starts staying open to the path. LOW POINT The data here isn't as pristine as the previous examples, but the pattern is still pretty obvious: as the club gets longer, I increasingly hit it fat. (Positive numbers here mean the low point of the swing is in front of the ball; negative numbers means my low point is behind the ball). One thing I'm going to look at here: I may experiment with not moving my mid-iron ball position as far forward as I know I tend to do.

So I'll weigh in with this caveat: while I have owned an Optishot, I've never owned a Mevo, only the Mevo+. But my thought is that, for indoor practice, using both the Optishot and the Mevo simultaneously could be very interesting and potentially very fruitful. Optishot sees the club path and face but records nothing about the ball. Mevo sees the ball launch, speed, etc., but nothing about the club or ball flight shape. Using them at the same time would kinda sorta be a very low-end rigged-up Mevo+.

Speaking at a church in Easley. Should be in and around the Greenville area.

I still own two: a 21° and a 24°. The Tour Edge driving iron/hybrid took that 21° slot; it's a little bigger and (for me) a lot easier to use effectively. The 24° is the first off the bench if the strong 6 from Callaway misbehaves.

An update? Two years after the initial post? Sure! So at the end of this week, I'm taking a little drive from Michigan's UP to South Carolina. That means...early season golf! So here's the setup that I'm starting my 2023 season with: Driver: Titleist TS3 Went in for a fitting at 2nd Swing last spring and came out with this guy. Many of you know, my garage doesn't allow me to swing driver. I'm thinking (hoping?) that with my off-season Stack progress, this club might need some tweaking/replacing. Fairway wood: Tour Edge CBX T3 15° My home course is very short, even from the back tees. Unless I messed up badly on my tee shot—and that does happen—I rarely need a fairway wood. I keep this guy in the bag because, as a deep-faced 3, it makes a useful backup option off the tee. 3 Hybrid: Callaway SuperHybrid 19° A new addition to my bag this year, clearance from Callaway Pre-Owned, and the club I'm most excited to see on the course. By all accounts, this is a very hot club. My hope is that, with a shorter shaft than a typical 5 wood (but with a head basically the size of a 5 wood), it will allow me more consistent contact and especially be a reliable club off the tee on the shorter holes. 4 Hybrid: Tour Edge CBX Iron-Wood 22° A club I added last year and simply love. Strong 6: Callaway Rogue X 24° This is the most unsettled slot of my bag. I have the 5 iron in the 699 Pro set (more on these next), but find that a little more help is, well, helpful. This Rogue X is a rocket launcher. 6-PW: Sub 70 699 Pro 27°-45° Put these in the bag for a Forum review a few years bag, and have no reason to move along. Still a nice great-looking set that reliably hits the distances I want to see. GW: Cleveland CBX 48° Last year, I put the Mizuno T22 wedges in my bag (more below). But what I was finding is that the gap between the 699 Pro PW and the 50° Mizuno was just a bit too big, especially since I typically use my PW and GW as essential a 10 and 11 iron, respectively. So back into the bag goes the stronger, helpier Cleveland. SW/LW: Mizuno T22 54° and 60° Beautiful wedges and up to the task of all the partial shots. Putter: Odyssey 2-ball Ten A tough one. My last Forum review was for an Edel for which I was fitted. It may well still get some action this season, but last year was not a good putting year and I spent a lot of time this off-season reshaping my putting stroke (with help from an online instructor). I used 2-ball type alignment in the past with good effect, and I love the Ten's shape.