[Fold Pattern -- What are your thoughts?]

Have been researching a lot lately regarding correlations (if any) to full swing grip and putting grip/stroke. Many of us do what feels natural and I have always wondered the cause/effect in my golf swing/putting choices.  I read/research a lot regarding golf swing methodologies. Thought I would ping the SPY audience for thoughts regarding what Edell is discussing in this video. Appreciate any comments/information shared. 

 

[Hiro Matsumoto]

Instagram link for more information/research: https://www.instagram.com/hiromatsumoto_official/

website: https://hiromatsumoto-golf.com/

[Affordable Grips for Classic Clubs]

Pretty cheap: https://www.hirekogolf.com/karma-revolution-golf-grips.html  

 

[Do you score better on a nicer course?]

For a long time I convinced myself the nicer/more immaculate the course the better I played. What I learned is I score better on courses I am familiar with (course mgmt is better) but in reasonable condition, not necessarily immaculate conditions. I play a lot of well maintained courses and experience consistent scores. The few bad ones well I lost total focus, gained frustration and while some rounds were low most were higher. Bad greens are my kryptonite.

we play an older course that was converted from a cow pasture, to a golf course.
The layout isn't hard, but the natural stuff is.
Lack of grass, rocks everywhere, just neglect.
A few years ago my Son joined the school team, and has been playing at nicer courses.
  He can shoot +\- 2 on a lot of the good courses.
On this old course he can usually shoot 3 or 4 under per 9 holes.
Sometimes, he'll go +5, and it's because of the ( trouble???).
Large rocks close to the green, big spots of hard dirt with no grass.
I thought I hit a sprinkler head the other day on a pitch shot.
After going up to the spot, it was some kind of metal linkage that had fallen off of a mower.
Some of the people drive right up to the greens, and others drag their feet so bad that you can't even putt.
Another course is opening back up, and we are going to join it.
We have started to treat this old course as a 'walking driving range'.
We wondered what kind of scores a pro would shoot here.
It's had to say.
If they hit a nice shot on the green, and then got up there and their ball was embedded in a dead rabbit or something that would change it.
There is always new stuff everyday.
Just wondered if y'all score better on a nicer course ( other than speed of greens)
 

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[Grip Survey: Strong, Neutral, or Weak?]

Have Brandel Chamblee book, read it several times. Actually enjoy his comments regarding golf swing. However I partially disagree with strong grip for all. Each person has their own unique hand size, shape, etc. The world of golf is full of examples in which many grip styles are used successfully. I prefer whatever is comfortable with caveat that a golfer has to return club square at impact. If a strong grip does this then fine but I would rather see a golfer invest some time learning ball flight laws and how club face at impact affects flight of the golf ball. I personally prefer neutral grip and alter ball/feet position to execute my desired shot. I love how the strong grip feels, I just cannot control clubface through impact. Maybe you can. Each golfer is unique.

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[Do You have a different grip position for your driver?]

(Right handed) I always play with a strong left hand, and neutral right hand grip on my irons & wedges.
For the last 3 or 4 months my driver and 3 wood have been shaping from a cut, to a fade\ strong fade.
My Son said it was my grip.
A few days ago, I started turning my right hand strong so that it's aligned with my left.
( The 2 clapping palms position)
 
Now my driver and 3 wood are going from straight to slight draws.
 
Do any of you have a different grip for your driver?
Other clubs?
 
Thanks 

I experimented years ago manipulating grip positions. While I had initial success I also could not make consistent swings. Instead I researched ball flight and club face impact to learn how the ball flight occurs from path/clubface angles(i.e open/close). Then I took lessons and learned how to maintain neutral grip but change foot position/ball positions depending on desired shot needed. I get it why some just simply alter grip as it does/can work i just couldn't achieve consistency by only adjusting my grip.

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[Smooth Face vs Grooved/Milled Faced Putters]

On 9/18/2020 at 1:00 PM, cnosil said:

Not saying those aren’t great putters or knowledgeable guys. I could add names like Guerin Rife and Bobby Grace who would say face is important. According to Dean Snell; feedback on this provided in another thread, same putter and different ball will show little difference.

 

Do you have to have grooves? Definitely not but if it helps you control speed a little bit then why not?

 

Find the putter that lets you control speed then you have the right putter regardless of whether it has grooves or not.

Agree with this post.^^^

My experience with both types: I have a very nice TP Mills #12 custom made by David Mills and it does not have grooves. My favorite all time putter design. On "near perfect" greens/freshly mowed greens I can not tell the difference between it and my more recent TT #10 Callaway Odyssey that has insert/face that produces  very tight roll on off center strikes.

Where I personally find a a difference is on "less than perfect" condition greens and/or putts outside 20 ft. I am not going to attempt to argue the science or definitively pick one side over the other as I see benefits for both. My TP Mills feels better to me, looks better and rolls very tight on certain greens/<15 ft putts -- for me. But I will be the first to admit, on certain greens give me the TT #10 or one of my Bobby Grace higher MOI designed putters with grooves. Just wanted to share my experience. Glad we all have options. 

[Recently upgraded my complete golf set up!]

4 hours ago, guy566 said:

I bought my Spider X putter used and it came with the head cover but damn, why does Taylormade have to use Velcro. The headcover wouldn't stick as well as it should so I ordered a new one that has a magnetic closure and its a beauty, check this out.

Yeah I am not a fan of velcro covers, prefer magnetic. I bought a Callaway TT #10 (has a good magnetic cover functional wise, just did not like the look) awhile back and decided to show MGS some love in my bag.

I ordered this one: https://store.mygolfspy.com/products/mgs-mallet-headcover and can not say enough good things about it. Receive many questions/comments also.

Understand you have a new magnetic one but want to share the MGS one (you can always have extra putter of two  down the road). Don't know if it would fit your Spider but maybe some others will chime in if they know. Good luck on your clubs and play. 

[Ping Glide 3.0 SS vs. Eye2]

Agree 100% regarding 3.0 Glide SS 54. I game it. Extremely versatile wedge. Also love the new version Eye2 grind but for me was not as versatile regarding extreme tight lies or hard pan. May have just been my swing and/or confidence due to the way the Eye2 appeared looking down in my setup. But no problems with any type shots with SS Glide 3.0 wedge. Everything is near perfect. Sure others have great experiences w/Eye2.

I've recently acquired a Ping Glide 3.0 SS 54 sand wedge to replace my TM High-toe 54 and it is a huge improvement.  It maybe the best wedge I have ever owned.  It seems very easy to hit pitch and chip shots with it.  Now I am thinking about replacing my TM High-toe 60 degree wedge which is my primary wedge for bunkers.  I like the Eye2 design but the SS 54 really impresses me.  Have any of you played both the Eye2 grind and the SS grind and give me some idea about how they compare?  I know the old 1980's eye2 wedge was great out of bunkers.  Which is better from bunkers and which is more versatile for lob shots and heavy rough?  Thoughts?

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[New shiny stuff!!!]

Looks like early Christmas to me . Awesome clubs, look amazing.

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[Biggest Mistake Average Golfers Make?]

A toss up IMO between golf knowledge (the rules, ball flight laws:[what causes slices/hooks,etc] & basic golf swing fundamentals, etc) and  golf equipment not suited to the golfers abilities and/or current swing characteristics. 

 

[Shaft length and Lie Angle]

A question for my fitting friends. I am thinking of maybe getting a 2I driving iron (PXG). I want it to match my iron set shaft but for the 2I they don't offer my KBS tour shaft. Want i was hoping to do was talk to them on the phone and see if they can hardstep it (put in 3I shaft i believe, so 1/2" shorter than a normal 2I shaft) so then i can have the same shafts as my irons. I know this may change the profile a little bit. My bigger question is, how would i have them adjust the Lie angle? While i can talk to a fitting expert, i figured i would ask here. My fitting of my 0211 showed i was 2.5* upright from PXG std and +1/4" in length. Any help would be appreciated. If you don't want to spend time on this, i also understand as i am still on the fence on this club.
 
 

So have to believe you could call PXG to discuss further. You may even could contact KBS directly to discuss options and/or connect KBS w/PXG.
Other comments posted in this thread are good as well.

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[Why do some struggle with a 3 wood so much?]

Longer club which like driver requires good swing mechanics for hitting sweet spot properly, swing speed, more shallow face design does not have off center forgiveness of larger club head like a driver are some of the challenges many golfers face with a #3 wood. But for me personally this was the club that most influenced me to get fitted and learn my numbers that contribute to carry distance from my swing. I lofted up to 4/5/7 wood lofts, shorter length woods to get best carry/total distances from my FW's. Hats off to those of that can hit #3woods!

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[What is a club you regret selling/wish you still had?]

Great forum topic. This is interesting for me as I have several clubs over the years I have played that I regret parting with.

But the one club that I wish I could go back in time and not have gotten rid of was a cheap seven wood. It was a  early 90's model Tour Tech ( I think GolfSmith component head / had like a graphite insert) with an Apollo Shadow steel wood shaft. Was my automatic 180-210 yard arrow straight club. Have never ever hit a long hybrid or FW with consistency I hit with that one little cheap club.

I have bought name brand, built components with much better technology/shaft combo's since then but nothing matched that one club for me. In a future post I will tell about a putter I wish I had back. 

[Lengthen Stroke Lab Shaft]

Did you have a normal grip initially or an oversized? I'm weirdly anal about checking the loft/lie on my putter, so I always respect when someone makes that a point. Appreciate it!

Stock Odyssey TT Oversize (Blue in color)grip. Bought club brand new.

https://www.odysseygolf.com/triple-track/putters-2020-triple-track-ten-slant.html

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[US Open inspired: what clubs are better out of the rough?]

Watching the US Open players struggle out of the rough makes me wonder what clubs are better suited for more control out of the rough?
Are players like Tiger and Rory, who play blades, putting themselves at a disadvantage based on club choice? 
Would a wider sole design, like a super game improvement club G410, give the players a better chance?
In my experience, hybrids and fairway woods have better reliability out of the rough than long irons. Does anyone have any personal, anecdotal experience in the matter?
What would be an ideal, rough cutting bag setup for deep rough like our 2020 US Open?
Driver, 3w, 4/5w or 3h, 4h, 5h, 6i-9i G410, Wedges Ping Glide 3.0?? 
Building a set designed more for trouble than fairways: advantage or disadvantage?
Any player already changing equipment better suited to this US Open Course?

"Building a set designed more for trouble than fairways: advantage or disadvantage"

Advantage is my answer:
I learned a long time ago that if I was going to play certain courses or courses that present me with a certain challenge then I needed to have not only a repeatable/consistent swing but an additional club or two to rotate in my bag pending the challenge.

To me regarding the rough, its how much longer is the shot into the green? How thick is the rough? Makes a difference regarding how much run out I expect. Additionally its about shot height (for me big difference between my long hybrids & fairway woods).

Regarding pro's, it may be as simple as can they strike the ball relatively clean or is there too much grass between club face & ball? The pros have the swing speed to advance the ball vs a lot of amateurs.

Tiger is from an area where you had to learn how to account for spin regardless of whether the ball was in the FW or rough. He probably is a little more diverse regarding his clubs in his bag week to week due to era he learned to play in and also the fact, he is Tiger Woods .

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[The 120th U.S. Open]

So very nice tournament and great win for BAD. I wonder deep down which one piece of information/swing thought/strategy tweak, etc contributed the most to his success this weekend? Was it his chat w/Phil M. regarding the short game or his Sat late evening driver - driving range session? I know there were several things that contributed to his success and win but regarding this past week I just wonder what one thing/piece of advice, etc. had the most impact?

[Lengthen Stroke Lab Shaft]

I have the TT #10. The weight under my original grip was not epoxied, it popped right out. I  replaced it with a larger Super Stroke grip with a heavier counter core weight. The butt end of the shaft should just be measured and a the correct size extension put in. My only concern might would be the lie angle change (probably greater risk pending how much extension you add) and if that affects anything for you (i.e your setup position, ball coming off the face/directional, etc). 

[Vintage Golf???]

4 hours ago, nofives said:

Raises hand. My current gamers are AP 2's but I sometimes play with MP 14s. Come to think of it, are they even vintage? 

Well I think the AP2's came out around 2008... and MP 14's (1994-1998). Maybe the MP 14's?  Call me antique  but my idea of vintage is 70's/80's (when I learned to play).............. I guess it shows my age. I can see how some would call AP2's vintage. Wow, I am am old. 

[The 120th U.S. Open]

55 minutes ago, revkev said:

 

You have no idea how happy this post makes me. There are always two sides to a story. It’s why I don’t root based on so-called character - we can’t know these guys for real unless we happen too.

I love the way Reed plays - for me that’s enough


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"I love the way Reed plays - for me that’s enough" 

That quote is good for me as well. He may not be my choice for a casual Saturday round at my course but in a best ball/scramble type tournament, he is one I would want on my team. He goes after it. 

[My Golf Spy Ball Lab Report-ProV 1]

10 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Who else would like to see the Maxfli Tour or Tour X tested in the first 10 grouping?  I just sent Tony a message requesting one of these be included.

I would be interested in the Maxfli Tour/TourX review sooner than later. Good ball for me, would not have believed it had a friend not given me a couple to try. Very interested in comparing Maxfli results to others I game (ProV1, Snell MTB-X, Chromesoft). I just appreciate these Ball Report testing results. Absolutely love the format/content. Think nearly everyone serious about golf ball tech can benefit from these reports. 

[Favorite Putter Design]

On 5/31/2019 at 6:56 AM, ole gray said:

What is your all time favorite putter head design?   For me I may change now and then however I always go back to the #7 design.  Feels good, looks comfortable to my eye, and provides confidence.

#7 for me

ALL TIME: #12 TP Mills is my all time favorite design for a blade followed closely by a copper Ping Anser. So many of the other more popular/famous companies have copied those designs. Kinda like the Anser/Ping has been copied by just about everyone. Not intended to be negative just pointing out a couple of classic, timeless designs that are well respected that serve as a design template if you will for many of the putters available since those were created. 

Other all time designs based on type:

Odyssey #9 and Bobby Grace 18 Blade, Ping Shea, and Scotty Cameron Go-Lo #3 are my favorite "mid mallet" styles all time. 

Odyssey #7 for  my full size mallet all time.

And 8802 in its own category, just love a classic 8802 (Wilson) and Bobby Grace has his version, Macgregor Iron Masters. This is my favorite style for fast hard breaking bent grass greens. 

[Golf digest Tiger's series]

I had not seen this. Thanks for posting. Pretty nice layout with quality videos/information. 

[Speeding up the game, one player at a time]

On 9/3/2020 at 10:20 AM, MFred1283 said:

Any thoughts on what time of day I (a beginner) should play? I've been at this for about 2 years now with a ton of range time and only about 7/8 full rounds under my belt (working on breaking 100). I've had great experiences so far with the first tee time of the day, but would it benefit me to play twilight? I always keep pace, understand etiquette and I've been lucky to play with understanding golfers thus far. 

Great question. When my sons were learning to play full rounds for their junior golf tournaments (PGAJL and USKIDS) I would always call the pro-shop and inquire. Would explain my situation that we were walking and I was caddying/teaching. Just about always was able to get on course and play/have time to teach as we went. I emphasized pace of play with my boys but still was able to teach due to planning ahead.  Maybe you could reach out and inquire when are some good times that you can play without fear of being rushed. Learning requires some time/thought with your shots, approach to learning course management, etc. I would try to play when the course is not too crowded. And you can always let people play through. Good luck. 

[Is this impact good or bad?]

17 hours ago, Buffly said:

The image below is a typical impact for me with my wedges. 

Is that a good or bad impact location?

That was my 54* Maltby M+ Sand wedge. That swing felt good and had a good amount of forward shaft lean and a descending blow. It launched high and went about 105 yards. 

As you can see, it peels the cover off the balls pretty well. 

Any armchair advice is welcome. Again, I am looking for any and all advice without fear of scrutiny. 

I think you are pretty close to where you should be. That model has the optimum mass placement weighting (i.e. weight positioned toward toe area). I use to have this exact model wedge, loved it. Your angle down (AOA) plus the turf affect where on  the grooves (like 3rd groove up, 4th, etc) your strikes are, which imo affects the feel as well.

Here's a process I use when establishing a wedge pattern marking on the face. I measure or find the balance point with this : https://www.golfworks.com/golf-mechanix-club-head-cg-locator/p/gm1024/ . Helps me understand what I am feeling and where my strikes are in reference to the balance / center of the face.

With that model  Maltby wedge, if some of the ball marks are a little toward the toe but still some right in the middle of the club head then I would say that model is good for you since the optimum weight placement mass is part of the area you are striking the ball. Of course lie angle adjustments can also dial in more center face contact. But short answer I would say it looks good.