aerospace_ray

An uneventful or inspiring morning. Beautiful weather @ 7:30 but course in terrible shape, greens terrible.
Not sure what I shot probably 6 over for 9 holes.
Switching irons tomorrow, got the Mizzies packed and loaded. Gotta be better.


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Shot a sloppy 4 over 76; I say "sloppy" because I would expect even par or maybe -1 on a round with 30 putts. But 2 penalty strokes for hitting driver OB put the brakes on that. Had the new Pxg 0211 in play today, but only hit 4/14 fairways and 8/18 greens. 5/8 getting up and down plus a hot putter kept me in the game. But damn, the face is hot...

Sorry to hear that.  The wedding is more important than golf, so take it easy!
Actually, my wedding wasn't any more important than golf.  We rented the golf course for the day; said our vows on the first tee; turned around and teed off; had carts, food and drinks for everyone!!!  Played until we dropped!

First full round since the snow finally melted. Took on a well thought of course nearby that I usually overlook because it can be pricey.

It was windy and cold but sunny. Good day out working on think box/play box. Also first course I went into with a plan ahead of time after gps flyovering the holes.


High score but proud of some good shots out there. Hit 67 percent fairways and had 5 one putts on the back 9.

Score was still crazy high @ 121 but I left 19 strokes in bunkers and lost balls. Trusting the process....

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Early morning Tee Time for Bacon Boyz. Kinda cool 48* and little breeze but warmed up quickly.
Hit the ball really well, +5 in a tough 9 holes with lots of water. Only 1 ball decided to commit suicide in an overcooked 7 iron.


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Beautiful day for golf today, mid 70's, no wind and fairly dry for Florida. Ended up playing ok, drives were a bit off in distance and my 5 wood is struggling a bit. Then there was the par 3 over the water and my ball decided it wanted to go for a swim.   Ended up with an 89, at least the short game ( not counting the putter)was a tad better. 

 

Hey, everyone!
I wanted to offer up an unofficial review for the L.A.B. Golf Directed Force 2.1 putter and an overview of the L.A.B. fitting process. I recently purchased this putter after scouring the web for reviews, and I hope that my thoughts here might help out anyone else who has an interest in this putter.
The DF 2.1 is a lie-angled balanced putter, and besides the balance technology, the putter is perhaps best known for its interesting shape.
If you followed along during #CobraConnect this summer, you’ll know I’m a very streaky putter. There will be weeks where I putt extremely well followed by stretches of some of the worst putting possible. When I first seriously got back into golf in 2018, I had a 36” Odyssey Tank blade I purchased on a whim. A putter “fitting” at a local shop revealed that I performed better (at the time) with a shorter putter, so I traded the Tank for a 33” TaylorMade Spider Tour Red, which was replaced with a navy 33” Spider X for this past year.
I had a significant number of blown birdie opportunities this year. Certainly some were outside of what would be considered a “makeable” distance, but I had many opportunities inside of 10 feet that didn’t sniff the cup. I tend to struggle with distance control consistently, but I will go through bouts of start line problems as well.
Additionally, as I have gotten older my back no longer tolerates the 33” length as it requires me to bend over a little more than I’d like (I’m just shy of six feet tall).
I went into this offseason researching different putters. I landed on the DF 2.1, and after learning more about the lie-angle balance technology, decided I wanted to go through with a purchase.
The Fitting and Ordering Process
I placed my order on Oct. 5, and it shipped on Oct. 13. The specifications of my putter are as follows:
36” Length 68 Degree Lie Angle Black Finish (red and blue are also available for no charge, and nickel for an upcharge) Press II 3* Grip (upcharge) BGT Stability Tour Shaft (one of three upcharge options - BGT Stability and LAGP being the other two - KBS steel is the stock option) Combination of No. 18 and No. 19 sightlines (a custom option not on the website, also an upcharge) I had a very positive first impression when researching the DF 2.1. The L.A.B. website has a dealer locator, and much to my surprise a local shop I had never visited before was an authorized fitter. I scheduled a fitting for a Saturday morning, and I had a great experience as I had multiple people working with me for almost an hour at no cost (this may vary by dealer). 
L.A.B. provides their dealers with a specialized fitting putter. The fitting putter features both an adjustable lie angle and adjustable length shaft. We tried several different variations of length and lie until we found something that was very comfortable for me. I left the shop with a recommended length of 36” and lie of 66.5 degrees.
TXG has a video about the DF 2.1 in which Matt Blois is shown briefly using the fitting putter: 
I had several additional questions about grip and shaft choices, so I reached out to L.A.B. through their website following the fitting. I was contacted by Matt Schuth, who was extremely helpful in answering my questions about grip and shaft choice. Matt also expressed some concern about my fitting results, saying the lie angle seemed a little flat, so he recommended a “remote” fitting. The remote fitting consists of taking a video with a comfortable length putter and sending it to the L.A.B. team for analysis.
I actually had to purchase a 35” putter to complete the remote fitting because I did not have easy access to one locally. After sending my video to Matt, he came back with the recommended 68 degree lie angle. He said it was common for the in person fittings to come out a little too flat.
I ended up placing an order through my local shop because they deserved the business after spending an hour fitting me. This was not a cheap purchase - with all of the upcharge options and Michigan sales tax the putter cost $736.70. I plan to keep this putter around for a long time.
The golf season in Michigan is sadly pretty much over at this point of the year. I can’t wait to get out and give this a go when spring rolls around! In the meantime, my new Exputt putting simulator will be getting a lot of work over the winter months.
I will try to keep this thread updated heading into next year with thoughts about and results from using this putter. In the meantime, here's some pictures and a brief video from my first practice session today.




One thing I notice immediately is that I'm a little toe up in this video. I have a tendency to let my hands drop a little too much and pull the putter inside. Will be something to work on. The putter sole should be completely flat both heel-to-toe and front-to-back at address with the lie angle technology.
Looks - 4/5 Stars

There is no doubt the DF 2.1 is funky looking. Bottle-opener shape aside, the biggest thing you notice is the size of the head. The DF 2.1 makes my Spider X look tiny in comparison. After a few rolls, however, the head’s size feels more and more natural. 
The combination of the black grip, black Stability Tour shaft and black head is very pleasing. The head finish is matte, and L.A.B.’s updated branding on the sole of the club looks better compared to previous iterations of the putter. Since the finish is matte, there is no issue with sun glare or reflection.
I’m very happy L.A.B. was able to accommodate my request to combine sightline options. I like having lines both parallel and perpendicular to my aim line. I also like that the outer lines frame the golf ball at address. I have a tendency to set the face too open and put the ball toeside, and these lines provide a nice reference for me to address the golf ball.
Sound and Feel - 4/5 Stars

The adjustment period has been relatively painless, with the biggest change being how light the head feels throughout the swing compared to my previous gamers. 
The sound of a putter is strongly correlated with feel for me. Having played the Spider line of putters, this is my first non-insert putter in some time. The DF 2.1 has horizontally milled lines on the aluminum face. Keep in mind I am gaming the DF 2.1 with the BGT Stability Tour shaft. I chose this shaft specifically because L.A.B. recommended it to achieve a “softer” feel. 
Putts struck out of the middle have a soft, muted sound and feel. As you move more to the heel and toe of the putter face (of which there is a lot to hit!), the sound becomes more metallic and pingy. This leads to those putts feeling firmer than ones out of the middle. 
I’m thoroughly enjoying the sound/feel of this putter.
Basic Characteristics - 5/5 Stars

The strength of this putter is its outstanding distance control. Given a few minutes to get a feel for the greens, I’m confident I will leave almost all of my putts within a 2-3 foot circle of the hole (that is, if they don’t go in!). It does not seem to matter if I don’t hit a putt just right - distances are repeatable and insulate against my stroke being imperfect.
There is definitely something to the lie-angle balance technology, but you have to be careful not to manipulate the club with your hands. Coming from a standard putter, it took a few practice sessions to eliminate my hands from causing rotation of the face.
I went up to a 36 inch putter to alleviate some of the stress on my lower back. This has been a resounding success. I have practiced a lot since receiving the putter (much more than I had all season up to that point) and have no back pain whatsoever. I am more upright in my stance and my eyes now rest about one-to-two inches inside the ball at address.
Miscellaneous - 5/5 Stars

The included leather headcover is very high quality. It has very strong closure magnets but is still easy to put on and take off, appears to be made from quality materials and the embroidered L.A.B. logo is top notch. 
To attach my Arccos putter sensor to the Press II grip, I had to take a small drill bit and deepen the hole at the end of the grip. I’ll admit it was a little unnerving to take a power tool to a brand new $700 putter.
On Course Performance - 5/5 Stars

With the nice fall weather holding on as long as it has this year, I’ve had more opportunities to play than I anticipated when starting this post. I ended up squeezing in a total of four rounds (54 tracked holes) with the L.A.B. The results were very promising.
 
The four rounds were the best putting performances of my season! And that was despite playing courses I hadn’t previously played more than once during the year.
In 54 holes I tallied only two three-putts, for a three-putt percentage of 3.7 percent. In comparison, my final 54 holes with the Spider X yielded five three putts, and I recorded 11 three-putts over 36 holes at one point during the last week of the #CobraConnect challenge.
Although I have no on course data to support this claim, my second putts are also of much more makeable distance. It would have not been uncommon in the past for my second putt to be four feet or longer. With the L.A.B. so many of my second putts are tap-ins.
“Early” Overall Score - 4.5/5 Stars

Yeah, the L.A.B. DF 2.1 is an expensive piece of golf equipment. However, if current trends hold, the L.A.B. will be a major reason for me finally staying in the single digits. I have not tried/tested/purchased another piece of equipment that has made such a dramatic change to my game in such a short period of time.

Had some surgery on my neck yesterday.  All went well but the doctor said no golf (except putting) for about 3 weeks.   Gonna be a long 3 weeks with the warm weather starting.   

Can’t knock it if you haven’t tried them.. just like you can’t dismiss a rolls if you haven’t driven one. 
Miura irons have the best playability out of all the 30 sets I’ve had. If you’re a good ball striker, the turf interaction is second to none. I’m not comparing domestic brand either because they all can’t hold a candle light to the eastern companies. 
Miura beats out fujimoto, epon, kyoei, mizuno, etc...
 
I play the km-008 and switched from a toulon odyssey. Scotty didn’t compare from a blade putter stand point. 
 
Everything is subjective though, some may disagree. One thing is certain though, writing Miura or RR off as a status quo is a tell tale sign of someone who hasn’t the experience to make a proper judgement. 
 
to answer OP- the Miura putters are made scarcely and not marketed to the west. To get one means that you won’t be able to test it out before shelling 1,600$ out. 
 
it’s worth the price if it puts the ball in the cup...

So first off y’all have zero idea what I have been through. 
 
the ice storm in Fort Worth hit my area the hardest. I live 6 miles from where the 150 car accident was and the water treatment plant main line burst and trapped me and my 31 week pregnant wife for 5 days with out power water gas and I went days with out food so my wife and unborn child could eat. Had to build a fire in my house so my wife could stay warm... there tons more that’s happened, but the maltby challenge is the least of my concern... from 2/11 my last post, it’s been a non stop bursting of pipes weekly visits to the doctor for my wife and o yah we had a hail storm 4 days later after the ice storm that shattered the windows of my home and cars... I’m leading 2 companies working round the clock and I can’t even get a little rest let alone test a “Maltby”.... the only golf things I have done are raise money for charity to cover cancer bills for families and the rest of the time is spent keeping my wife safe and picking up the pieces that’s going to take months to make right... on top of all that out crazy governor decided to just let people not wear mask anymore and covid numbers have never been higher... when I go dark from posting there is usually a good reason and people who have sent me messages I have responded to.... I am still waiting on a replacement birdieball putt up from my testing since mine was defective and that was 9 months ago.... 
also if I say I am going to do something I am going to do it and do it right I will but I am on my schedule nobody else’s...  if you can’t wait for a post DM with your cell and I am happy to give you a call

Career change?:
 
Yes... unemployed for almost a year. If I was closer to retirement age, it would be a no brainer. Unfortunately, I have another 4 years at the minimum to work. If I say more, it will get political, so..............................................

If you have a job that you love you will not work a day in your life. Life is too short to work at a job you are not happy doing. If you have the ability to work at a job that does not pay as much but brings you great enjoyment doing what you want to do I would do it in a NY minute. I spent 30 years working at jobs I was not happy with and as soon as I had enough money I retired and that was 30 years ago. 

... I have a playing pard this winter from Chicago. He is 49 and seriously long. I am giving up about 20 years and considerable length. One of the biggest differences between us is when I hit a bad tee shot I am usually in play. His bad tee shots are so long they bring stuff into play I can't reach. We play a short uphill par 4 that requires a 280yd carry over water to drive the green OR a long iron over the right side of the water that is a 220 carry for a LW in OR lay up short of the water leaving 110-120yds to the flag. He hits driver occasionally, 2 iron quite often and hit some spectacular shots as well as some marginal shots that have ended up in bogie or higher. Depending on the wind I hit an 8 or 7 iron short of the water which he always yells "BORING" as soon as I make contact. I have probably birdied it 10 times with 1 bogie and the rest pars and I have not found any of those boring. For 18 holes we have tied several times but his exciting has not beat my boring yet. 🤑

We had a break in the weather today. 74 degrees and sunny. Golf course was going to open at 11:00. I didnt warm up due to some larger groups looking like they were going to head over to the first tee. Just went for it.  Missed the first fairway by about 2 yards but still in OK position. 6 out of 7 faiways today. Aimed for all the bunkers to try out my new sand wedge. The Sub-70 JB wedge worked out very well even in the wet bunkers. Couple of sand saves. Unfortunately the black finish is already showing marks. Played well considering not playing for two months. Quit after 9 holes due to the high winds picking up just after I got off of hole 9. A lift clean and place round due to all the soft soil and mud. Greens were slow.
Three bogies, five pars, and one birdie for a 38.

I'll try to follow up on collecting that commission. For Kirke's college fund, of course 🙂
Like I said, I cannot begin to compare to @Kirke in the "call it in the backswing" drill, but I did a little work this afternoon just intentionally, from the same stance, purposefully hitting different spots on the board, or even getting a swing that just touches the board while barely disturbing any sequins. After several minutes of those kinds of drills, I found my success going back to hitting the "correct" spot on the board increasing significantly (as Adam Young would predict).

The back seat or the fabric


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So if you think about the price, that’s about ten large buckets of range balls for the ability to practice at home with no net. I may just pull the trigger

I have one as well... Initial impressions:
- the rubber base is thick and sturdy, almost 1" all in unless used on a surface where the rubber spikes can dig in. Given how much Adam Young talks about arc depth (I've bought all 3 three of his subscriptions) I feel you need a stance mat to go along with the Divot Board. 
- I've began using it for a "9 Box" drill mentioned by Lou Stagner on a podcast: hitting inside/outside edge and center of board in front of, behind, and in line with the ball mark to add some differential practice on ground contact.
- getting ground impact location and path direction feedback without a ball is valuable 
- compact and portable, I throw it on my living room floor and take full swings barefoot in the house. The thick rubber base eliminates any worry of damage to my hardwood floors or hard feedback on the joints. 
Mine has about 100 swings on it, I was initially concerned as there is visible wear and tear after the first few solid strikes. But after some minor damage it hasn't changed much over the last few sessions. I can see it being useful for thousands of hits even if a few sequins fall off. They all appear to be individually stitched to the board. 

Check out the USGA website for a number of options
https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/education.html
Including both beginner and advanced workshops.
Your state golf association may also have resources, I know that the VSGA (Virginia) just announced some virtual seminars, free for members.

Nice. I love Byron Morgan putters. Salty grip looks good too. TheRollAbides :)

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My Vessel Player III Bag came today! It has been out of stock for quite a while so I was excited to grab one when they came back in stock! I have not had the chance to put any of my clubs in the bag yet but I will update you all when I do! Initial impressions of the bag are "WOW". The quality is what initially blew me away. The leather is perfect, the zippers are smooth, a pretty good amount of space, and they included a free cart strap protector. Some initial concerns are about pockets for small items like tees, ball marks, etc. It does have a magnetic range finder pocket however it isn't as deep as you probably would want to keep tees and other accessories along with your rangefinder. That is my only complaint so far and I am excited to get my clubs in the bag and see how I like it out on the course!
 
Pros - Great quality, removable straps are in great locations on the bag, comes with a cart strap cover to help protect the bag from cart straps (obviously), relatively lightweight, free shipping...
Cons - Expensive, magnetic cover for a rangefinder is nice but does not have an exterior pocket like most bags for tees, not enough small pockets for tees/ball marks/divot repair tools, bags sell out extremely quickly, worried about how well the leather will hold up to everyday wear and tear...
 
Vessel Player III Stand Bag - 14 Way - Black
Price: $375.00
Link to the website: https://vesselbags.com/products/player-iii-stand
The bags on their site do sell out very fast but they have a nice feature where you can enter your email and they will send you an email when they are back in stock.

Here's a few pictures of my Byron Morgan Epic Day putter.  This one has been in my bag since September 2014 with no end in sight.  The head weight is 350 grams (or close to it).  It still felt a bit light so I added a couple strips of lead tape on the leading edge of the sole.  I finally put this on my swing weight scale today and it came in at E3.75.  That's a bit heavier than I thought it would be but that makes sense since the Salty Mid-Plus putter grip is 37g.  Adding the weight of the tape buildup it's probably 45g so about 10g lighter than what I had on it originally.  It is 34" in length.  It simply works and performs so well that I will not touch anything on it.  All I can say is I love this putter.
 
 
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Some sim2 magic with some pvd and purple stuff to go in it

I spoke with the Srixon rep about the v-sole thing and the love or hate talk on the street.  He said they offer little to no advantage or disadvantage to pickers and scalpers and lots of advantage for diggers.  This makes lots of sense.  I'm sure I'll notice more distinct attributes with on course play conditions, but during the tests on the range, they felt really good.

I've always played Cleveland wedges, before I knew the V-sole was a thing. Once I got into golfing more (and got fit), I wound up wit some Srixons as well. A lot of that is because of the V-sole. I'm fairly steep and play a lot in the midwest where we can get damp/soggy conditions in certain areas and it definitely helps get the club through the turf.