tdc1

About a year ago my home course opened a 3-bay indoor simulator space. This winter I've gone 1-2 times a week. I really enjoy going and have fun "playing" various courses. However, I struggle to hit my driver indoors. No issues with my other clubs (3-wood on down). The hitting bays are not huge but they are definitely large enough to swing a driver freely -- my friends and other users seem to have no problem doing so. I'm good for 1-2 moderately good swings before I start topping or skying the ball. Now, I'm so frustrated that I just leave driver at home. Anyone else have similar issues?

Oh, yeah, Mother Nature is a tease! Indoors it is. Maybe next week . . .

Good morning from beautiful mid-Michigan! Already up and out (7:30 appointment to get my car serviced). Mother Nature is being a tease — just warm enough to start melting snow and let my home course show its green but not able to play it yet. Play well, everyone.

I’m down (a tiny bit) for the year but wish I could have maintained my lowest number. Some of y’all have made crazy good improvements, and I can’t imagine what it must be like to be you + folks!

I didn’t play as a kid — no one in the family did. Hit a few balls as part of HS and college PE classes but that’s all. Fast forward to age 40. Took a new job at a university in Michigan. My department chair was a 5-days a week player in the summer and was looking for new people to golf with (if you read that last bit as new suckers to fleece, you aren’t wrong). He got another newer department member and me out on the course with borrowed clubs. [Aside: we asked to play an easier course than his country club so he took us a local public course where the tee shot on #1 is a carry of 125 yds. over a pond to a landing area leaving another forced carry of about 150 yds. over a river. He started us out “gently.”] I ended up taking the Intermediate Golf class (free tuition benefit) the next Spring and I haven’t looked back.

My membership includes two courses that differ significantly in style (one relatively flat and fairly open; the other more ground movement, tighter, more water). Both have 4 sets of tees: Blue, White, Gold, Red. I have recently moved up to Gold tees (5907/5563 yds.) when playing with my usual group but will go to White tees (6321/6123) or a combo of Gold/Red when alone and working on a particular shot. When I travel to other courses I will look for tees in the 5800-6000 range. Question for @Golf2Much and @Kenny B: when you say your “association” and “Men's Club” determine which tees you can play from, should I assume that is for competition only? Seems to me that the beauty of GHIN is that it produces an index that is easily converted based on the tees being used. (I was also going to say that it is portable but, as @Tom the Golf Nut has noted, what I shoot at home doesn’t necessarily travel well.)

I have/do use lost balls I find on my home course, especially the ones harvested the day after a big outing. At least I can do my own sorting/grading/assessment adn decide which to play and which to give to a friend who sells from his garage (lives two blocks from the course). I usually buy new when manufacturers offer bulk (e.g., Maxfli 4 doz. pack, Srixon 3-for-2, etc.) or my pro shop is clearing inventory (and letting me use my member discount). I have also found reasonably good deals online for logo overruns which I've used to try a new brand/model.

These look like a reasonable replacement for my Glide 3.0 wedges. Anyone had a chance to hit them? Also, MGS Testing-poobahs: I'm here for you if these (or the ZipCore XL irons) ever come up for member testing. Just sayin'.

As with so many of y’all the answer is “it depends.” Nothing on the line (no $$ or out of the hole in match play or over the stroke limit for GHIN), give whatever length your playing partners want. Give yourself the same if you want. Something on the line, the “rules” can get fuzzy. Usually, all putts to win a hole or to be under par on a hole must be struck (with exceptions of on the lip or within a putter head but we usually finish those out anyway). Difficulty usually arises when in a three-way match (“two tie, all tie”) and clear distance hasn’t been determined on the 1st tee.

Not 100% sure but I think it was referenced in an online story I read while researching new clubs. Glad I followed the link!

I'm in the set wedge through Gap (50°) which I will use for both full and bump-and-run to an unobstructed green. SW is Ping Glide 3.0 (54°) and LW is Ping Glide 3.0/Eye 2 (58°) that are for useunder 100 yards, from rough around green, bunkers, etc. Both my specialty wedges are 4+ years old and I'm actively considering new ones for 2024!

I've been using a Sun Mountain Sync for several years now with my push cart (also Sun Mountain). The bag has held up well (average 90-100 rounds/year), and has more than enough storage capacity for me. Granted, I keep a close eye on the number of balls/gloves/tees/etc. I've got onboard. Good valuables pocket, room for small first aid kit, rain hood, extra wind/rain jacket, pass through for strap if using riding cart, etc. I got mine in 2016 and, although a bit faded from the sun, all zippers still work perfectly and top is only just beginning to show some wear. As with everything in life, YMMV, but I'll shop Sun Mountain again when I need/want a new bag.

@Jnoble89 I'm curious about one aspect of the formula you describe for determining handicap index: "The formula used to determine your handicap index takes the sum of your eight lowest handicap differentials divided by eight and multiplied by 0.96." Is the 0.96 multiplier something you/your club use locally? I know it is a multiplier commonly used in the past as a kind of "equalizer" when determining handicaps for leagues and new players. However, if I apply it to my 8 lowest most recent score differentials -- try saying that 3 times fast -- I would have a handicap index 0.7 strokes lower than my current GHIN index (14 using the multiplier vs. 14.7 according to GHIN).

Completely safe: Cleveland 3+ Hy-Wood. Pretty safe: Irons, putter. Only safe due to replacement cost: Hybrids and driver (although shaft may change). Actively looking to replace: sand and lob wedges.

Not sure what info you are looking for but you can contact Ping directly and give them the serial number. There is also an Old School Ping group on Facebook (but they are more for discussion than appraisal/value if you are looking to sell).

Majority of my rounds are with a push cart, so my primary bag is a Sun Mountain Sync -- 14-way divider, no stand, single strap (used once just to make sure it worked). Off-season is a small carry stand bag that fits a half-set of clubs (Sunday Golf El Camino - my unofficial review is on the forum:

The "safe" clubs in my bag are: Irons - 6, 7, 8, 9, PW, AW (matching); 54° SW and 58° LW; and putter. Top end of the bag often in flux: Driver and Cleveland 3+ Hy-Wood (most often); mix-and-match 3W, 5W, 7W, 4Hy, and 5Hy. Off-season (November through March): Driver, Hy-Wood, 6-8-PW-54°, and putter.

@GolfSpy_APH The posting season ended for me on October 31 at which point I switch to a half set of clubs and spend more time experimenting than worrying about how I'm playing. SwingU has sent us messages about updates and changes in appearance that I have not bothered with. Frankly, I kind of gave up on the app late in the season except for tracking shot distance and, occasionally, looking at some of the instruction videos. I just got frustrated with the mechanics of entering information (as well as the inaccuracies of things like slope/rating/yardage). Having said that, I will probably return to using the app when posting season reopens next April if for no other reason than to see if I can get more proficient at using it.

In January I asked MGS Forum members about the Maxvert 1 driver that I had seen in advertising and on the USGolfTV YouTube channel. The description of the club reminded me a bit of the old Cleveland VAS clubs from the mid-1990s. As an aging (almost 73-year old) with a moderate-to-slow driver swing speed (low-to-mid 80s), I am always interested in ways to maintain/increase distance and accuracy. However, I am skeptical about being able to buy my way to those goals. About 7 weeks ago I was able to get a Maxvert 1 in hand for some on-course testing. Below are my reactions divided into 3 categories: Aesthetics/Quality (5 points), Sound/Feel (15 points), and Performance (50 points). Aesthetics/Quality — 3.5/5 Nothing about the look of Maxvert 1 struck me as offensive nor was the overall quality of the club apparently or markedly subpar. The standard headcover is certainly adequate for the task. It clearly (proudly?) states its name for all to see, is easy to put on/take off but holds securely in place, and has a soft, fleece-like lining. I’m not sure what material the exterior of the cover is, possibly a dyed/treated heavy-duty muslin. I do not know how it will repel rain. Both the grip and shaft are VLS branded. The standard-sized grip is a generic take on the Gold Pride Tour Velvet, while shaft is labeled with “Flex Regular” and “Mass 60 Grams.” There is a small sticker on the shaft that says “Designed/Engineered in USA, Made in China” — I do not know enough about shaft manufacturers to speculate about the source of the shaft. The branding on both grip and shaft face up at address so some may find this distracting. The club head is slightly under 440cc and looks it. It also where the “technology” in the club first becomes apparent. The face sits slightly closed at address, and the shafts joins the club ever-so-slightly forward of the heel. The graphic design of the club face is relatively simple although some may find the hexagonal target in the center a bit much. The bottom of the club again advertises the branding but also the 25 gram internal heel weight (or, in VLS terms, the size and location of the slice-fighting “Perimeter Payload”). If on a display rack with other OEMs I doubt the sole of the Maxvert would draw much attentions but it faces away from the user when in use so it isn’t a distraction on course. The top of the club is where things might get a little more polarizing. Rather than a simple little alignment aid (e.g., a dot or tiny logo), the Maxvert opts for a bold, 3-line pattern designed to both guide the user to the center of the face and give a reminder to swing in-to-out to square up the face. Traditionalists will probably find the top busy (at best) to garish (at worst). Overall, I found the aesthetics and quality to be average — it met my minimum expectations. Nothing about the club looked/felt like a buyer would be paying less than or more than for what they were getting. Sound/Feel — 12/15 I admit to not being sure what to expect in this category. I had visions of a tin can at the end of a piece of licorice. Neither of these were the case. The best way I know how to explain the sound of the Maxvert is as a solid thud, sort of like using a hammer to hit a 2 x 4 but through a thin pillow. The sound was consistent across the club face and, after the first few hits, was not terribly disconcerting. If you want distinct aural feedback, especially on mishits, the Maxvert will disappoint. According to VLS, the shaft is intended for those with swing speeds of 75-90 mph and/or driver distance of 200-240 yards — in am well within the swing speed range but only just into the distance range. The feel of the club was very stable throughout the swing. The same was true regardless of where I struck the ball on the face — twisting of the club head was minimal. I found the sound and feel of the Maxvert to be more than acceptable. While I would appreciate more aural feedback on the mishits if the choice is between a low-pitched thunk and a high-pitched ting, I’ll take the former. As I said, the feel of the Maxvert was consistently solid — I certainly appreciated this during the swing but I think more feedback on mishits would make it easier to determine their cause although ball flight is also another indicator. Performance — 37.5/50 I have been using the Maxvert for about 7 weeks. For me, my home course has 8 legitimate driver holes from Gold tees (5600 yds) and 12 from the White tees (6100 yds) — the Gold tees bring hazards in to play that are beyond my reach from the Whites. I have played a mixture of those tees while testing. Compared to my current Ping G425, the Maxvert has a smaller head (436cc v. 460), shorter shaft (44.5” v. 45.75”), more loft (11º v. 10.5º), sits more upright (62º v. 59º), slightly lighter head weight (204g v. 206g), and a slightly heavier shaft (60g v. 55g). The Maxvert aspires (in my words) to be a driver that would: (1) significantly reduce, if not eliminate, a slice; (2) increase distance for amateur golfers, especially those over 40-years old; (3) be as accurate, if not more so, than “mass-market” drivers; (4) forgive mishits; and (5) make lining up to the target extra simple. Here is how my 120+ on-course drives with the Maxvert stack up. (1) “Significantly reduce is not eliminate a slice.” I would say that this is generally true of the Maxvert. The few slices I have hit with it have been the result of egregious operator error — high toe, almost sky balls, struck with mostly an arms-only swing. That said, however, I should also say that it is fairly easy to block a shot out to the right or to pull a shot to the left — not fades or draws/hooks but straight blocks and pulls. (2) “Increase distance for amateur golfers, especially those over 40-years old.” My overall distance (carry+roll) increased by 3-5 yards total. The majority of this increase occurred during the first three weeks when my course was running firm and fast. As temperatures have cooled and the ground gotten softer, that distance increase has disappeared. I attribute this to an unexpectedly low launch from the 11º head — hard and firm = more roll, soft = more mud/plugs. I have what I would consider a medium ball flight with my driver but the Maxvert is significantly lower based on the eye test and what my usual golf partners have observed (I do not have any launch monitor data). (3) “Be as accurate, if not more so, than ‘mass-market’ drivers.” Setting aside for the moment the lack of definition for “mass market”, I can say that the Maxvert was more accurate my current driver. My fairways hit % was not significantly better but my misses (right and left) were more manageable. Overall, I would say that the Maxvert saved me 1-2 strokes per round. (I have been using the SwingU app to help track distance and accuracy.) (4) “Forgive mishits.” As I said in point (1), the Maxvert did turn some probable slices into straight blocks, and some probable duck hooks into straight pulls. Does this mean it was “forgiving mishits”? Maybe. Loss of distance on those blocks and pulls kept them in bounds but I don’t think that is what is meant by “forgiving mishits." (5) “Make lining up to the target extra simple.” The alignment aid on the crown of the club most certainly helps even though some might find it too busy/distracting to look at. The center line of the alignment aid is red and bracketed by two white lines so there is no mistaking it. The not-so-subtle reminder to swing in-to-out was also helpful. However, an alignment aid is only as useful as the golfer is at ball position and body alignment. Helpful — you bet; a cure for your alignment issues — not so much. Overall — 53/70 Ultimately I would call the Maxvert a respectable, average driver. Aesthetics and quality were on par with many of the box sets from big name companies that can be found online or in general sporting goods stores. Sound was not offensive and the feel was stable throughout the swing. While I think on-course performance fell short of what VLS aspires to with the Maxvert 1, I would not hesitate to recommend it as a lower cost option especially to beginning golfers or to older occasional golfers looking for a cheaper way to upgrade equipment they may have have for 10+ years. As with all equipment reviews, please remember that this is only one person’s experience — YMMV.

My course membership now includes access to simulators (not sure of brand). With winter fast approaching I’m sure I’ll be using them a couple of times a week. Yesterday we had some light snow on the ground so indoors I went. I decided to use 3 different balls with an 8 iron just for fun. Balls were Callaway Supersoft, Titleist ProV 1x, and TaylorMade Tour Response. Club was Cleveland Launcher XL (33°) with Project X R-flex graphite shaft (stock option), standard length, 2° up lie angle. Not sure what I was expecting the numbers to tell me but they were more consistent than I thought they would be (given my self-perception of on course play). For example: *the difference in carry/total length of shots was 0.2 yds between the 3 balls; *the difference in ball speed was 0.4 mph between the 3 balls; *the difference in flight time was 0.1 second; *the difference was in back spin 326 rpm (CSS = 3579; ProV = 3676; TR = 3905). (There was no quantitative description of dispersion that I could find.) This was my first time looking at numbers in this way so my question going forward is how much credence should I give to which numbers? Other available data points include: Apex, Distance to Apex, Club Head Speed, Landing Angle, Smash Factor, Launch Angle, Face Angle/Path. Are some numbers are more important than others overall or is importance club dependent? So, is this a rabbit hole I’m on the verge of falling down or just some (personally) interesting numbers or something else?

At the beginning of every round I say to myself, “Don’t play stupid.” When I whine about going out in cold weather my wife will say, “Don’t play, Stupid!”

Official posting season ended yesterday for MI and we got light snow last night (not as much as @hckymeyer but a reminder of bleak days to come). Any remaining chances to play are bonus days with little in the way of competitive expectations. As others are are saying, (1) know how to keep yourself warm -- hands, feet, core, head -- we all react differently to lower temps; (2) lower compression balls -- yes, not as fast depending on your swing speed, but much easier on the hands in 30-40º weather; (3) take more club; and, (4) lower your expectations about distance, score, how you "should be" playing, etc. Most of all, enjoy being out on the course!

The only time I don't put the ball on a tee is if I want to take a little distance off when using short irons/wedges. Then I just look for fluffy spot or the edge of an old divot -- just a tiny raised spot.

I will preface my question with this statement: what I really “know” about shafts wouldn’t fill a thimble. I’ve always trusted that a fitter would put me into the right weight, flex, length, etc. So, here’s the question: what are the differences, if any, in performance characteristics of a 46” R-flex shaft that is cut-down to 44” vs. a store bought 44” R-flex version of the same shaft make/model? I ask because I’m trying to figure out if there is a significant difference (advantage?) between simply choking down on a longer shaft vs. an actually shorter length shaft.

That is the one thing holding me back on the H4. Well that and the fact that I lost a Bushnell Phantom (similar size to H4) and to this day I don't know how I did it. The G3 on the wrist was never an inconvenience so X5 is most likely the way I'll go. Thanks.