John S

I have purchased driving irons twice in the past 5 years. They have not worked out for me as I am now a senior and these clubs require high club head speed to be effective. They launch low so with swing speeds in the mid ranges they may not be optimal. Every time I get "optimistic" I put one in the bag just to switch back to a hybrid within days. I always think they will be good for tee shots on short tight par fours but the drop off in distance compared to a 5-wood or even a hybrid negates any accuracy advantage. The same holds for long par threes. If I can get 220 or 230 out of these clubs they may provide an advantage but at 180-200 they serve little purpose and they are not advantageous off the turf. If you have the speed more power to you however for the mid-range speed or senior players be ready to trade or sell at a loss.

I love the game and enjoy watching the best in the world play at a level that is beyond the grasp of even the best elite amateur players. This being said it is getting difficult to watch in this environment of constant conflict. I blame "Commissioner" Monahan for totally mishandling the early and ongoing critical issue between the PGA and LIV. First, he takes the "my way or the highway stance" and then vilifies players like Phil stoking division and setting up opposing "camps". He uses a "dirty money" argument while he accepts all the funds possible from China. In my opinion, Monahan could not have possibly handled this situation worse. He elevated conflict in an environment where the PGA held most all the "cards" This should have been a negotiation, not a WAR between players, fans, and ideologies. The fans lost. The product is now diluted probably permanently. Remember DJ? Is he still playing?? Watching the PGA is no longer an escape from day-to-day stresses, it is like watching politics on Fox vs MSNBC. Brandel (one win) Chamblee did all he could to talk only about the LIV conflict and this has further downgraded the product the PGA offers viewers. I am hanging on by a thread, only due to my love of the game, however, I now watch routinely with the sound OFF.

I am responding as I never get tired of reflecting on these courses and the life long memories they have provided Pine Valley National Golf Links of America Bethpage Black Oak Hill Eastward Ho Kittansett Old Course St Andrews Kingsbarns Pinehurst 2 Wannamoisett

The putter- stroke- stance- face/shaft angle- is one of the most "individual and subjective areas in golf. "different strokes for different folks"/ If asked if a shaft in a putter would make any difference 10 years ago I would have laughed the question off as foolish. However, with the data now available from trackman technology the fact that the smash factor from a putter is typically higher than the smash factor of a driver, as high as 1.9 it follows that there may be advantages from a shaft matched to a desired smash factor. A player that routinely putts on fast greens may look for a shaft that reduces his smash factor for example. I am still not sold on this "benefit" but I can see where the numbers indicate that there may be something to this. Putting still remains a very individual pursuit with subjective measures such as "feel" playing a big role in success. I believe that anything that raises confidence benefits the player. If a shaft accomplishes this by all means give it a shot. I would think that if you hit a variety of putters on a trackman and determined the smash factor that "felt" best you could match up shafts /head combinations that delivered the targeted results.

You are correct on the unique weights/lofts specs for one length heads. I was attempting to get an idea of the potential benefits. I set the weights at d2 just to get some idea- It just was not something I wanted to pursue. The biggest issue I had was with the short irons. Additional length changes so many things - Set up changes if you want to maintain angle of attack ( as compared to conventional irons) I just did not see the benefits. Of course I have been playing for over 50 years so maybe it is just a case of trying to teach an old dog a new trick- I am finding great success with adapting to lighter graphite shafts in conventional irons- That is the direction I have headed in as opposed to the wholesale change to one length. Even if they work I probably do not have enough time left to learn how to master them.

You are correct, I did assume Bryson signed on with Taylormade. I could be wrong. I am using the logic for the PGA tour where virtually every prominent player that swings a club has an endorsement deal to do so.

I am using the Golf Datatech stats that show the entire one-length club market represents a 2 percent market share. 2% is not insignificant however it seems low to support the production, tooling, and unique marketing required to support this unique product line. This seemed like a somewhat hot topic when Bryson was on a bit of a "tear", winning the Open etc, however, in my opinion. the topic has seemed to have cooled off. THat is just an opinion however I would suggest that other manufacturers ( aside from Cobra) would have jumped in by now with a line of one-lenght clubs if their research indicated upside potential I actually installed a set of one-length shafts in some older iron heads to see if this would work for me. I found the distance gaps between irons to be very different from conventional irons and I could not make sense club to club- THat was just my experience but I ended up pulling the shafts in a week's time.

Cobra made a pretty big bet on one-length clubs based on Dechambeau's "theories". Dechambeau, in my opinion, has made a living off the bomb and dig approach. His one-length club "theory" has not resulted in wide appeal so Cobra has not benefited from broad market acceptance. I would assume that rolling out the one-length line has resulted in a financial loss for Cobra and they will probably drop this program at some point in the near future. This is just an assumption however I have not seen any indications that players are moving in this direction. The one-length clubs seem to have limited appeal and have failed to achieve any degree of wide-scale acceptance DeChambeau's exceptional length may be a plus in marketing drivers and that may be the reason Taylormade is interested in his endorsement.-- His length may have had an impact on the wider acceptance of Cobra drivers so that may be the rationale for Taylormade signing him. When you- combine the narrow acceptance of the "one length club" theory and the fact he is no longer a high-visibility player due to his move to LIV it is hard to understand the appeal DeChambeau has to the Taylormade brand. I actually had to look up LIV stats just to get an idea of what his recent form looks like. He dropped off the radar for me.

Revamp in the works. One bad golf trip so it must be the clubs. Adding Mizuno 225's to replace standard hot metals. New Evenroll blade ER1 New shafts for the wedges - KBS Hi Rev Driver stays- simply due to the fact I am now broke!!! I am sure the bad trip was based on the clubs presently in the bag, not the fact I have not hit a ball since Novermber and every course we played had a 130 plus slope. I know the issue I just can not resolve the mental challenges. Costly

I believe getting a qualified fitting every decade or so is probably worth the money. Basically, you are looking for "Your" numbers including swing speed, launch angle, spin rates, etc. Assuming your handicap remains relatively constant and is mid to low number, chances are your personal stats will remain constant and change more or less with your age and flexibility. In my experience, the numbers for me seemed constant in my 30s and tailed off a bit in the 40s 50s. The major changes involved swing speeds which in turn impact launch angles, spin rates, etc. The older you get the more the speed becomes a challenge. Knowing the true numbers, percentage change, etc can help in making decisions to change shaft flex, shaft weights, club designs, etc. In general, using technology to minimize the impacts of age is a good strategy. Weaker shafts at a certain point can increase swing speeds preserving some distance. There is no fighting the aging process but you may be able to delay the major impact by keeping an open mind and knowing your numbers and how they relate to club/shaft selections. Lastly, the numbers are what you want, not necessarily the $3000 custom set they will try to sell you. To some that may be worth it but for me I want to know what I should be looking for wherever I decide to buy clubs, including the used markets.

I agree with the correction that removing the weight will move the CG forward- I agree with the correction to my earlier comment. The weight is designed to serve 2 purposes- 1. by sliding the weight towards or away from the shaft you influence a draw or a cut bias. If the weight is removed it will change this adjustment unless you are presently playing the club with the weight centered 2 The weight moves mass back in the the head. Typically this will add spin - Weight forward towards the face will reduce spin. By removing the weight you may find the spin increases and the ball flight changes ( typically higher launch). Depending on club head speed this could have a positive or negative impact on the overall distance. The conventional wisdom today favors lower spin off the driver to increase distance and this holds strongly true for higher swing speeds. Not so much the case at lower speeds, the increased launch "MAY" lead to greater carry and therefor distance. Best idea may be to go to a fitter or a range with a good launch monitor, check you spin and distance numbers with and without the weight in. Lastly a fitter may recommend you leave the head design alone and reduce the weight with a lighter shaft or possibly a simple counterbalance in the grip end of the club.

The weight is designed to serve 2 purposes- 1. by sliding the weight towards or away from the shaft you influence a draw or a cut bias. If the weight is removed it will change this adjustment unless you are presently playing the club with the weight centered 2 The weight moves mass back in the head. Typically this will add spin - Weight forward toward the face will reduce spin. By removing the weight you may find the spin increases and the ball flight changes ( typically higher launch). Depending on the club head speed this could have a positive or negative impact on the overall distance. The conventional wisdom today favors lower spin off the driver to increase distance and this holds strongly true for higher swing speeds. Not so much the case at lower speeds, the increased launch "MAY" lead to greater carry and therefore distance. The best idea may be to go to a fitter or a range with a good launch monitor and check your spin and distance numbers with and without the weight in. Lastly, a fitter may recommend you leave the head design alone and reduce the weight with a lighter shaft or possibly a simple counterbalance in the grip end of the club. This is a simple way to add weight in the butt end and reduce the swing weight in the head- https://www.tourlockgolf.com/counterweight-installation/fitting-and-tips Again, the only way to tell if you are gaining any benefit is to check the numbers/results

I typically look at the condition of the ball after any given round and either return it to the bag or put it in the shagbag should there be any scuffs, marks, etc. Very unscientific and probably not best practice

5 and 7 woods are regaining popularity. Worth a test to see if this may be a fit for you Easy to hit, Solid distance, Great decent angle.

I would recommend using the 3 drill bore set from Golfworks and adjust the hosel to .370 as opposed to sanding which may or may not work depending on the shafts, the accuracy of the sanding etc etc. Boreing the hosel is a relatively simple process. You have 3 drills that are progressively wider that ultimately remove the taper in the hosel resulting in a .370 parallel hosel. All you need is the drill set and a vice

I don't think 10 bucks a dozen is a game-changer. I tried the ball and there is nothing wrong with it in my opinion. Plays like most premium balls in that it is consistent and the spin characteristics rival Pro V 1's TP 5's etc. The best question I saw in this string was the question of what plant makes these??? The plant is key to quality control and consistency. I do not see this as an "EGO" ball, more of a preference play in my opinion. Not a status thing. For the record, Ivan Lendl has become a solid player and he plays this ball. I do not think one of the world's best tennis players bases his ego on the premise that he can pay ten bucks more per dozen for this ball. More likely he just prefers it.

The 6.0 LZ is a somewhat stiff and mid/low launching shaft. I just went through the process of putting a "beefy" KBS tour in two wedges with the idea I could produce optional low flight shots when desired. Unfortunately it turned out I could only produce low flight shots and lost some "feel" at least in my opinion/mind. I pulled the shafts within 2 weeks and put conventional wedge shafts back in. I wrote this one off to a failed experiment. This being said the SM8's are tried and true wedges so the shaft has probably been well tested and fits a specific profile/player. You may want to reach out to Titleist and ask about the player profile this shaft targets. My "guess" is this is a preferred optional shaft that is targeting single digit higher swing speed players. TOTAL GUESS but Titleist can let you know.

I think you may have ended up working with a "salesman" as opposed to a true fitter. The LA Golf and Hzrdus USA 75 gram are apples and oranges in my opinion. You opted not to go with a $900 shaft/head 3 wood build and he went to the stock shaft and tried to sell you the head. That is unfortunate as Club Champion can do a very good job under the right circumstances. YOu did the right thing getting fit, maybe just got unlucky with the fitter. Make sure you get your specs from them as you may be able to get some decent results with a qualified club repair/builder in your area as long as he has your specific data. You could also call a manufacturer and talk to them about the fit options based on your specs.

I am not sure about a shaft recommendation as there are a lot of variables in play, Swing speed, tempo, how you load the shaft. A qualified fitter may be able to help with the recommendation. The Tensi Raw white is a low launching shaft that is somewhat "strong". Not the easiest shaft to hit. If you have swing speeds around 100 you should be fine, lower than that and this shaft may be a bit of a struggle. I would spend the money and get a qualified fitter to define your specifications. Typically the specs you get will be good for several years so the process is a reasonable investment. Once you have the specs from the fitter you can really dial in a shaft that will optimize your swing. You may "stumble" on a shaft that works for you ( I actually did) but it can be a long,expensive and frustrating process. Someone like Club Champions or Ture fit should be able to narrow your search and get you on the right track

Not sure I understand the issue or the debate on this matter. Virtually every manufacturer offers a "players" club, typically standard lofts, smaller profile, thin to line, forged. They then offer a Players Performance or Players distance club, this option typically has a max COR face ( usually 2 piece welded with a light thin strong face on a forged " shell". IN all cases the goal is to max distance without going to a massive head, this is accomplished with the face, jacked lofts, longer lighter shafts. The final options fall into game improvement which are the "tennis racquets", large profile, thick top line, low CG, Long shafts, all designed to get the ball in the air and optimize miss hits. If you are playing the proper club in the line, the difference from older "classic" clubs to the newest players clubs should not be extreme. The lofts are conventional, the head/ face are forged, the lengths are standard, CG is not typically exceptionally low, and the performance is consistent with 4 degree gaps between clubs yielding standard and consistent distance. The muscle back versions of the Players club options play exactly like the older versions in my opinion with the possible exception of the shaft options which are newer technology and design and could yield significant differences. If you are playing an older muscle back with a TT Dynamic Gold in the same weight as an older version, the difference should be minimal comparing your older "classic" to the new 620MB for example. They should perform very similar. Maybe there is a slight change in location of CG ( higher or lower) and overall face size, but the difference should be minimal. If you are comparing to T100s or any player distance club the difference will be significant as the player distance club design is a relatively new category and features jacked lofts, longer lighter shafts, maxed out COR faces, etc. These clubs can have "distance Gaps" and HOT spots on the face that result in inconsistent distance and performance Make sure you are focused on the "players clubs" in the line if your goal is standard lofts and a performance profile that is similar to older classic designs. Also make sure the shaft is a similar EI profile to the shaft in your older club. Newer shafts designs can have a significant performance difference. There was no such thing as a 90 gram stiff shaft 10 years ago. Just look at the KBS line of shafts to get an overview of the many and varied shaft designs. KBS was not even a company 20 years ago. They have shafts with all sorts of specific design goals and the weight range is extraordinary. Same is basically true with True Temper, Nippon, etc etc. IF you want similar results to your older "classic" clubs be sure to match up a modern shaft to the shaft in the clubs you have. Most often any fitter can do this for you. Usually is comes down to similar weight, kick point, and stiffness.

Pay for a FITTING ONLY, get your specs and shop for clubs. That is the prudent and fair way to go. You are not taking "free services" and you are letting the free market drive you buying decision. If you pay for the fitting, get a clear definition of your specs and profile, you can use several channels to get your clubs such as - Direct form the Mgf, Online reputable suppliers like Second Swing Golf, Dallas Golf and others. Since when are we obligated to buy at what we perceive to be a higher than market price for anything. Do your homework, pay for your specs and fitting and if CC is in the ballpark give them the order- just opinion

Add the Elks Club ( Southern Pines Golf Club) - Donald Ross gem now being run by the Pine Needles/ Mid Pines mgnt- Kelly Miller - Pat McGowan etc; Great track, super value.

The Ping 700's are a club that focuses on distance and in doing so the engineering goal objective keeping the club light . The stock spec for 700's is C9(4-8) which is light with the wedges set at D1-d2. Most stock irons are at least D0 with D2 a very common stock weight. You may be feeling this difference which is by design and may be noticeable depending on what you were using in the past. If you have the swing weights checked you can confirm exactly where you are presently and then determine a plan to achieve a swing weight that is desired. You could pull the existing shafts, add weight and re-insert the shaft as a possible solution. Changing shafts is another option but more costly. A rule of thumb is every 9 grams in shaft weight results in a 1 point swing weight change. The shaft option would depend on what you have now and how much weight change would result from installing an alternative shaft option A cheap "quick fix" to verify if this swing weight change will solve the issue is to swing balance the 700 club to D2, for example, using lead tape as a temporary measure. Keep in mind the tape may or will change the CG ( center of gravity) so the weight of the club may feel great but if the distribution is low the club may launch higher. This is a bit of a fishing expedition however I would recommend the following 1 Establish present weight ( probably C9) 4-8, 1/2 point heavier for 9 and a couple points added for wedges. 2. Pick a target weight - D2 possibly - I would suggest moving up more than one swing weight for testing 3. Have a club tech add lead tape to get you the desired swing weight, and test the "feel"/ result. I would adjust a single iron (7 iron) and hit it with the existing 8 ( not modified) to see if there is a big change between the two clubs. 3. IF the increased swing weight moves you in the desired direction then discuss options to get your clubs modified to a revised swing weight permanently. If you choose to do this you may want to pull the existing shafts and add weight to the tip of the shaft and reinstall. NOTE- the swing weights in the 700 set change as you progress to wedges. For this reason you may end up having to adjust 4-9 only.