LWD

I've never heard of these, so thanks for posting, and I'm very interested in your follow up. More spin from my wedges is a never ending quest. Looking forward to hearing more!

Two words: aging joints! I'm older and some days, my shoulder (severely torn labrum 15 years ago) kills me. When I'm swinging with fluidity, my game is pretty good. When I'm not, my game suffers. Sometimes, it suffers a lot. It's quite possible that I can (and have) occasionally shoot a "career score".

I've played with partners that were constantly fiddling with their iron covers. "Do you see my cover?" No. "Heck, I put my 8 cover on my 7, and vice versa", etc. My irons are about four years old, and they great. Maybe a few signs of wear on the heels and toes, but the sweet spot is untouched in several of them! Golf can be, and should be, played quickly. I've played 18 in under 2 hours (barely) when playing on a deserted course as a single. Don't be the guy holding your foursome back. Skip the covers!

My bag changes fairly regularly, as there's always something that needs tweaking. As I've aged, my needs have changed. But I'm hitting more fairways than ever, and that's a huge advantage. Playing the forward combo at least some of the time is also helpful. I'm one of those guys who prefers that my foursome plays from the same tee box if at all possible, in the interest of time. If it's not possible, and I'm the "short knocker" of the group then I have my driver, ball and tee in my hand and walk to my tee box after the guys on the back tees have hit. I can be in the fairway by the time they put their clubs in their bags and pull forward. Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Fairways: Ping G400 SFT 3-wood and 5-wood. I hit these long and straight. I tried a Stealth 3+ to see about a little more distance, but it's now resting in the garage. I'm thinking about upgrading to G430 SFT's before too long, but may wait for one more generation as these are still a game-changer for me. Hybrids: All of my hybrids are PXG 317 XF's, and I carry a 4, 5 and 6 hybrid. I added the 6 hybrid last, and that was a real game changer for me. I hit it long and straight, but can work the club a bit. I can get a nice punch shot with it (grip 2" down, lean club 2" forward, short back swing and short follow thru and the ball stays low.) Irons: Mizuno Hot Metal 921's, 7-PW Great irons. PW is a 46* Wedges: My newest additions. PXG Sugar Daddy 2, in 50*, 56* and 60*. So far, these have been great clubs. I traded in my Callaway Jaws 50* and PM2's (56* and 60*) on these, and have been very pleased. Putter: Another PXG, with the Blackjack putter. Admittedly, it was on sale and I was able to get fitted for it, so it helped my game. It can be a bit fickle at times, but it's still a nice tool to have in your bag. I have a "collection" in my back up bag, including two Scotty's, a Ping and an Odyssey. Always looking for "the solution"!

Tee height definitely affects my ball flight. I have a rather shallow AoA, so using a "4 more yards" tee, has helped me to gain consistency. I insert the tee so that the collar on the tee shaft is barely touching the ground, or even up 1/16" for normal shots. I get good height and better carry. For strong headwinds, I push the tee down so that the collar is i/16" to 1/8" below the surface. The ball has a more penetrating flight.