Beakbryce

So here I am 26 years after I was gifted an 11 degree Big Bertha Warbird. It replaced my wooden driver and it felt a lot different. While many clubs since then have come and gone, that one has made every move in the intervening years. Yesterday, decided to take it out after 20 years and hit it. It was replaced so many years ago because I hooked it. Not anymore. I didn't try it on every hole, but all but one was dead straight and that one was a little baby draw. So here's the scoop. I used TP5 and Chrome Softs. My gamer right now is an 9 degree Epic. Given that it has a longer shaft and better technology, it was no surprise the Epic was roughly 20 yards longer except for one that was 40 yards and I thought I hit both well. Gust of wind, sprinkler head? who knows? The trajectory on the Warbird was a little flatter but it still hit a pretty good window. The other surprising thing was it was virtually silent. No loud crack when hitting the ball. And boy is that clubhead small with virtually no feel whatsoever. Still, I can see me once or twice a month moving up a tee and whacking that baby around the course. Now, if I can just find the guy to whom I sold those ping eye 2 clubs. New shafts and who knows? Beak

Having had both, my preference is an albatross. I have seen plenty of lucky holes in one, and there probably are lucky albatrosses, but at least one shot of an albatross has to be pretty good.

I carried until I was 50. Then for ten years I pushed. Now for the last seven I use a remote control motorized cart. I have converted a lot of the older guys I play with, all except the cheap ones that is. My wife uses a motorized cart that follows her. Not ready to go there yet. Have fun pushing.

I also look at the ball except for short putts when I look at the hole. No need to come up out of a long putt from longer range but so many people come up on the shorter ones and tend to miss then. I also change from a standard putting grip to reverse overlap in close. I have never tried looking at the putter. Not sure how that would affect distance control. Since you look at the ball for long swings it would seem to help consistency to do the same for putting.

For the past few years I used my 58. However, this year I have attempted to divide yardages up among my three Vokey wedges and my putter from 10 - 70 yards. From 70 yards and longer, I use full swings, choking up for intermediate yardage. It is a work in progress but my short game is improving. I think Tom Kite was the first person to catalog different swing lengths with different wedges to dial in his short game. My short game is slowly improving.

Howdy Since 1981. I normally shoot in the 70's with an occasional foray into the low 80's. Being outside and attempting to master more shots. Equipment reviews and general golf news. I get most of my clubs from the Callaway pre-owned site. Currently Epic woods and Steelhead irons. Vokey wedges. Phoenix area, live in a retired community. Best thing is ability to walk in the winter. Golf all year. There are no bad things about golf in AZ other than the expense in the winter during the snowbird season. NOTHING! Retired Beak was my call sign in the Marines. Bryce was a 3d computer program I learned while teaching computers.

I still have my original Big Bertha driver circa 1994 or so. I should try it out. I sold my Ping red dots in 2005. I am pretty sure the Pings would benefit from new shafts. I should call the guy I sold them to and see if he still has them. Fun clubs.

I live in Arizona so we walk in the winter and ride in the summer and this is still our plan going forward. While I guess you could walk when it's 115, it might just take some of the fun out of play. Just saying.

Maybe the USGA should first start out by saying what the ideal length of a golf course should be. They haven’t even delved into that process. Haven't mentioned it, talked about it, no indication whatsoever. I agree, grow the grass and so much more. The USGA is talking about returning the decision process to the game. So, not only grow the grass, but insert pot bunkers as they have in the U.K. How about a meandering creek. It doesn't even need water in it or be very wide, just high banks and stones. How about grass bunkers that never get mowed? How about just one tree strategically placed. If they are worried about costs, how about no grass from the "Championship tee" to say 40 yards in front of the most forward tee. The problem is the USGA and course designers have deemed the only solution is to make the courses longer rather than quit being lazy and actually design a bloody golf course. You can't tell me that you want to play the holes strategically and then add no hazards other than distance. Augusta is threatening to lengthen #13 and yet last year there were a bunch of balls in the little creek that fronts the hole and/or balls to the back or over the green avoiding the creek. All they need is one freaking tall bushy tree 10-20 yards right of the creek at the dogleg, or 2-3 pot bunkers strategically placed, or slant the fairway more towards the creek. If they roll the ball back, how hard are #11 and #12 at Augusta going to get? The US Open setup is another prime example. Does it seem to you the USGA loses their collective panties if the score breaches 10 under? The USGA says a hard and fast course will reveal the best golfer. WHAT? Uh, maybe a wet and sloppy course with long grass and lots of obstacles reveals the best golfer. Just saying. They have caused their own problem. The Brits are so much better. If there is gorgeous weather and the score gets run up, so what? There will be weather next year bubba, count on it. I can't imagine the run on premium golf balls if they enact a golf ball rule limiting potential. Let me ask this, if they roll the ball back 20% and an amateur hits the ball 220 now, the rollback drive is now 176, what 6000 yard course has tees that would regularly accommodate that driver yardage? It's absurd. Even a 10% rollback would be a problem because every par 4 over 400 yards would virtually require new tees and then the hazards aren’t in the right spot. And instead of citing some British yardage for amateurs that is really suspect, how about digesting the thousands of shots recorded by Shotlink. This doesn’t solve the problem of course conditions and weather although the outliers could be thrown out, but at least holes where less than a driver is hit off the tee would not be counted in driver yardage. This whole hoopla reminds me of the NRA thing, I’m 67. They can pry my PRO V1 and Epic driver from my cold dead hands and until then, leave me alone. BTW, how much was that MAVRIK?

Get around slow play at my home course by being first or second off in the winter or playing in the afternoon when it is 105 in the summer... It's really fast in the summer. I am not bothered by the pros and slow time. I DVR golf and watch in 2x most of the time. This cuts out the annoying announcers and it is kinda fun to watch the players "Charlie Chaplin" around the course. Course now that Azinger has a permanent gig, may have to watch at a slower pace once in awhile.