[$10 Make You Holler!!!!]

OK... so I wanted to be sure you guys took a look at my question. My golf league has an annual end-of-season banquet where everyone has to bring a golf gift worth no more than $10 to use as prizes. (I suppose "gag" gifts are OK; but after my topic title, I'd rather not go there!! ) Most of us already have sleeves of inexpensive golf balls (that we mostly re-gift), tees/ball markers/divot tool packages and assorted trinkets. I'd like to come up with something different than the usual. Considering how vast the MGS community, I thought for sure there'd be some great suggestions. BTW, I have NO objections going over $10, but the league president wants to keep a lid if costs so no one gets embarrassed. But a little over isn't a big deal.

So, what about it? Anything different come to mind??

[Do Graphite shafts help elbow and wrist pain?]

I've left questions for Tony after his Q&As that happen to involve graphite shafts, but I guess it wasn't of sufficient relevance to be included in other Q&As. I asked whether there was still a (supposed) joint benefit of going graphite as the shafts become more stable as indicated by the fact that so many are now more accurate providing less dispersion than their steel counterparts. In my addled mind, if graphite is more accurate because they've become more stable, could they also still be less jarring on your joints? I literally don't know and would love to see some sort of test to demonstrate either way.

[Anyone completely ditched fairway woods in their bags?]

23 hours ago, jbsap said:

As the title would suggest, I am toying with the idea of ditching my 3 wood and adding an additional long iron.  Distance is one of my strengths, and I play my 3 hybrid 19.5 deg. to 240 carry.  My next iron is a P770 4 iron that I play to about 210 carry.  I am horrendous with my fairway wood, but when it does stay remotely straight it is a 270 club and is rarely used for one reason or another.  Thinking about getting a p790 3 iron and adjusting my hybrid to 18 degrees in the hopes of filling that 225 range and having the hybrid jump a few more yards.

Anyone else done something similar?  My gapping towards the bottom of the bag is pretty good so an additional wedge wouldn't help me.  

Well, at your swing speed your needs are very different from mine. But from what I understand from a recent article about the proliferation of 7 woods on tour (for the life of me, I can't remember whether it was a MGS, Golf Digest or Golf Mag article... sorry), if your goal/need is to hit greens from a distance, then a fairway wood is a far better choice than either a long iron or a hybrid. Neither of those impart enough spin, at least at an amateur level, to stop on a green; a fairway wood does. The article goes on to say that most struggle with the 3 wood, but 5/7 woods are easier to hit, provide substantially better height (for a steeper decent angle) and spin more for stopping power. They said that Pro's often shorten the shaft length on their 7 wood for gapping purposes.

They surprisingly said that many (alluded to most) people struggle hitting hybrids. I've always struggled with that myself and have given away 3 different hybrids that frustrated the crap out of me. But my 7 wood, in particular, is relatively easy. 

Oh! And you may notice that I also carry a 4 iron hybrid. I generally use that for hitting into the wind instead of my 7 wood, but I still don't hit it as well.

[Draw a Line on the Ball or No Line?]

I've line up the ball for many years as I, too, have trouble aligning myself otherwise. I tried over-writing the mfg model designation but found little difference from just using the printed line/model designation. I loaded up on Maxfli balls last winter that has a distinctive line (parallel lines above & below the model designation) that also matches the direction of the spin balanced equator, so they make it easy. But I try to go one step farther by picking out a small divot/grass clump/dirt patch to align behind the ball to provide a longer and easier to see line. To no one's surprise, that doesn't always work! 

[Driver shaft length thoughts???]

2 hours ago, McGolf said:

we found after several fittings that most golfers will do better with a shorter club. 

the quality of hit goes up resulting in longer drives and tighter dispersion

As a club builder, you can cut the shaft to the appropriate length from a raw shaft and glue the proper adapter in place. But is it reasonable to cut down a shaft that it already tipped and fitted with a shaft adapter? I guess I'm asking where you make the cut; the butt section so only a new grip is needed, or the tip end where a new adapter needs to be installed? I have a spare Motore X F3 65R shaft that I'd like to experiment with, but I don't want to hose it by doing something stupid  Thanks!

[Shot Scope Users Group]

4 minutes ago, tony@CIC said:

"reactivate bluetooth"  a quirk easily solved by the standby fix - hard reboot of the watch. Their version of the PC fix of CTL-ALT-Del. 

He is dead on with this suggestion, although I think it was PhilM75072 who 1st convinced me to give it a try. It is eerily similar to the Windows restarting trick to clear up various performance issues. Hopefully it won't have to be done periodically; it's a bit of a pain. You'll have to reinstall the latest firmware update and set up the X5 again as if it were new. But it worked wonders for me!

[Driving iron or Hybrid ??]

On 7/27/2023 at 8:47 AM, cnosil said:

The better option is what meets your needs.  That option could be a utility, hybrid, or fairway wood.   Typically, utility is lower ball flight and fairway is highest ball flight.  Does the utility iron do what you want?  If so, no other option needed.  

I couldn't agree more! I've not found a wood style hybrid that I can hit consistently, but I use my Srixon 23 deg Hybrid Iron when I need to keep the flight down, whether in the fairway or on the tee, and fairway woods (5 or 7) when I want it elevated. 

[Tee Time on the Green]

4 minutes ago, tony@CIC said:

I'll use a tee on occasion - no issue with it. 

Whether I'm being quick and efficient or just plain lazy, I often use the narrow end of my blade putter for a mark when I'm just realigning the ball. Since I never move it and I'm replacing the ball at that moment, no one has ever challenged me. But I always wondered whether it was technically legal. Then a few months ago, one of the many email newsletters I receive linked to an article addressing that very issue. According to them, it is legal (sorry, I really don't remember, but it was probably either Golf Digest or Golf magazine). Again, assuming you're not moving the putter head before replacing the ball.

[Shot Scope Users Group]

20 hours ago, PhilM75072 said:

....They had to be as frustrated with the problems as we as users were. My X5, since the 2.1.13 firmware update, and after doing a "factory reset", has been rock solid....

 

Agree! My only remaining disappointment is battery life. I commented a couple of pages back that I thought with some careful planning, one could get 36 holes of battery life. Today, I don't think that's easily done. My last round was played in 1 hr 50 mins on the front nine, a 45-minute period between where the X5 was on watch mode only, then the back nine taking 2hrs 10 minutes. The battery was at 44%. The course is heavily wooded and there were occasional thick clouds which, I think, causes the X5 to work harder to maintain a connection. But those aren't conditions over which I have any control and the X5 should be better at performing in those kinds of routine conditions. I think they need to take their statement, "Long battery life in golf mode lasting over 2 rounds" out of the product description as I'm willing to bet that 2 rounds of life is the exception rather than the rule. They have enough challenges without setting up unreasonable expectations for prospective buyers.

[Shot Scope Users Group]

On 7/12/2023 at 5:43 AM, CudaKota66 said:

Were we just guinea pigs who plunked down $200+ for uncompensated product development??? 

I would love to have @Gavin_Shot_Scope be an actual responder 

 

I wake up to get this from my YouTube feed 

 

 

 

Golf Business News:
https://golfbusinessnews.com/news/new-products/shot-scope-launches-g5-gps-watch/

 

The Hackers Paradise

https://www.thehackersparadise.com/shot-scope-g5-gps-watch/

Should anyone have a lot of time to waste, they'd find that I've said the same thing while in the throes of X5 frustration. And I still believe that to be true even though my X5 has settled down to a very solid performing device. We ALL had a hand in making that happen! I'm also sure that the G5 directly benefited from our experiences, but I don't deny SS the ability to launch new products. Heck, you could say the same thing about any product; improvements on newly launched products always benefit from the previous generation. 

So, I would have felt much better if SS had asked for beta testers (there'd have been a lot from this forum alone!) even if we still paid for the device, new products only help us in the long run, IMHO of course.

[Shot Scope Users Group]

2 minutes ago, PhilM75072 said:

Hard to say what might have happened. I would suggest doing a factory reset, though you will have to go through setup on the app just like it came out of the box (except for Bluetooth pairing). Hold the crown button in, and you will see a message about resetting and a countdown at the bottom. CONTINUE TO HOLD THE CROWN BUTTON IN, even after the countdown has ended. You will see the X5 logo screen and eventually three options will appear on the watch. At this point, release the crown button, then tap it twice to move the arrow to the bottom, third, option. Push the bottom button on the watch to confirm. IIRC, you then need to connect to the app, the firmware will be reinstalled, and then you go through the setup process on the app. I and many others have had very few issues after doing this as opposed to the "hard reset" which stops at the end of the countdown on the watch.

I echo his comments regarding performing a factory reset vs hard reset. After doing so just over 2 weeks ago, my X5 has settled down to a excellent performing device; and I had all sorts of goofy things occurring prior to doing that. My battery life still isn't the greatest, but I think with a little careful attention and reasonable time per round, I could get 36 holes out of one charge.

[Shot Scope Users Group]

2 hours ago, tony@CIC said:

Does this make sense? 

We're back in Ohio for a couple of months  and I'm playing with my old clubs here plus the new Zebra putter that I was picked for. I'm thinking of setting up a separate account so I can track and compare data points between the two bags - more specifically the putter performance. Since it'll be for only 2 months as we're selling our place here, I didn't want to 'clutter' up the performance data on my account. Also there's quite a big difference between the 2 sets: C300's up here with KBS 90g steel shafts, no hybrids and a 5 wood + 410 driver, Cleveland wedges &  Zebra AIT4 putter. In Florida Speedzones with graphite shafts, 410 hybrids, 3 Wood, SIM 2 driver + Volkey wedges + Odyssey O Works Black putter. 

I have a separate email address I use to sell stuff and was thinking of using that but setting it up on the same phone.  Again, while the primary purpose is to track the Zebra performance, it would also give me the differences between steel vs. graphite shafts and between Cleveland vs Volkey wedges. Oh and I do have a complete set of new sensors. 

What do you think? 

I ended up not doing it because I ran out of time, but that's exactly the method I was going to try when I was back home for a longer time than expected and wanted to play but left my regular set up north. Seems fairly easy to set up and use. I'll be interested to hear your experience!

[Handicap and Distance]

40 minutes ago, MGoBlue100 said:

Again, I didn't come up with the formula.  I don't know if Dean Knuth (The "Pope of Slope") developed it or not, but that would be my guess.  I think the basic premise is that length is not always a good determinate of course difficulty.  That's what the Slope Rating is for.  I've always agreed with the idea that you should play the tees that match your skill level, not simply how far you hit any random club, whether Driver, five iron or seven iron.  Some courses that are easy you should probably play from farther back.  Some courses that are extremely difficult, you might need to move way up.  Playing relatively the same overall distance each and every time you play doesn't mean you're at the proper tees.

I'm so sorry, I wasn't debating the rationale for the formula or questioning its validity. I literally couldn't come up with a number that came close to a slope for any tees on the course. (And I had a math minor in college!!! ). I even checked Knuth's site but couldn't come up with it. Would you mind running the calculation for perhaps your course as an example? Thanks!

Update: BTW, I really like the idea of determining the proper tee box based on the course slope/difficulty, not average driver/5 iron distance. 

[Handicap and Distance]

19 hours ago, MGoBlue100 said:

I think you've hit the nail, Rev.  I have this stored in my notes from a LONG time ago.  I "think" it came from somebody at the USGA, which normally means I would disregard it completely, but here I am...

It's based on the course slope rating, which takes into account those hazards, etc etc.  Take the number 142 and subtract your course handicap from that number.  The remainder corresponds to the slope of the tee boxes you should play on that course.  I have always found this to be more accurate than "How far do you hit your seven iron?", etc etc etc.

Like KennyB, I need some help understanding this. I'm not saying it's wrong, I just can't come up with any numbers that make sense. Can you elaborate? Thanks,

[MGS Headcovers - another idea...Score book]

40 minutes ago, cnosil said:

I think the answer that has been published/communicated by @GolfSpy_APH is that the MGS HQ team has merchandise on their list of this to do but the specific items have not been decided.   

Thanks! Now that you've reminded me, though, I seem to remember something about that seemingly quite a while ago. I also seem to remember that bag tags and more hats came out a bit afterward making me think headcovers weren't in the offing. Thanks again!  (I also seem to say seem a lot!!! )

[MGS Headcovers - another idea...Score book]

I did do some searching but couldn't find the answer, so I apologize if it's already been covered. But does My Golf Spy plan on ever selling MGS themed driver head covers again? I bought the putter cover a couple of years ago and really wanted to add the driver cover. But it looks like years since it's been offered so I'm guessing it's a dead issue. Any know? Thanks,

[Shot Scope Users Group]

I had a strange but predictable issue yesterday for which SS can't or shouldn't have to do anything about. Played my usual early 9, and then league 9 at Huron Breeze on the eastern coast of mid-Michigan. Like most of the Great Lakes states area, we had considerable smoke from the Canadian wildfires along with cloudy skies. My X5 couldn't lock onto a GPS signal at all until the cloudy part of the problem cleared a bit. Once it got a signal (I tried in preparation for the league 9), it didn't miss a shot. 

[Shot Scope Users Group]

OMG, they finally fixed it!!!!!! With today's app update, my complaint dating back from last November regarding how the app renders text on my Samsung Android 13/OneUI 5 phone has finally been fixed!! Awesome!!

I can't wait for Android 14/OneUI 6 coming out this fall. It'll probably get hosed all over again 

 

[Shot Scope Users Group]

Played this morning at a course 50 miles away from my league course. The X5 found it within a minute, and it didn't miss a shot! We played pretty quickly for us (3 hrs, 40 mins) and the battery was at 59%. 

I know I performed another factory reset before my most recent uses, but I wonder whether the scorecard feature uses a lot of battery. Now that I have a couple of rounds showing pretty decent battery life and excellent shot capture, I may try using the scorecard again to see whether it changes anything. 

[Shot Scope Users Group]

18 minutes ago, PhilM75072 said:

Today, a new course for me. It got found almost immediately. NO MISSED SHOTS - not one! Editing was a breeze as I only had to move a few putts around to reflect realities.

OK, so you're just finding a sneaky way to brag about not having any penalty shots, right???  

[Shot Scope Users Group]

22 hours ago, tony@CIC said:

Played 18 yesterday and ended up with 52% battery life. So after several rounds, I'm averaging between 47% and 52% remaining after 18. 

On 6/17/2023 at 1:28 PM, PhilM75072 said:

Mine has pretty much been flawless since the last firmware update (.13). I do play with it unlocked, do NOT use scoring, nor the Pin Collect reminder. I also use manual putting. I have done an occasional "hard reset" (not the "factory reset") between some rounds, but I just have to remember to check all the settings to make sure they are set to all my preferences.

I swear that I've performed a factory reset before, but as an experiment I did it again (had to reinstall firmware updates and everything), set up my X5 to PhilM75072's suggestions, and played 18 yesterday. BIG difference! No shots were missed. I also never detected any time that the X5 seemed lost on a green. Rather than take time working through screens to add penalty strokes (yes, I had 2.... get over it!!! ) I added them post round, but that was the only edit needed. A few of us play an early 9 before the league 9 so I sync that round immediately after, and then sync the league 9 once completed. After all that, battery life was at 51%... the best it's been by at least 15%! We did get through both 9s quicker than normal, about 4-1/4 hours vs. 5-1/4, so I'm reserving final judgement until I get another round or two in, but it seems to be much better battery life as well as solid tracking. 

The one anomaly I had involved starting up tracking for the 2nd nine. The 1st nine started up quickly without incident. But the 2nd nine wouldn't work correctly. It initially found the course, then immediately reverted back to the clock face. Then it took about 3 or 4 minutes of searching before it finally found the course again. Everything worked fine from there. 

I'm playing 18 tomorrow at a different course and I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs. 

[Shot Scope Users Group]

11 hours ago, JerryB said:

Played a round yesterday and when I finished, the battery on the X5 was still at 67%.  I don't think anything's changed recently but it was good to see.  Cautiously optimistic, but it feels like things are trending in the right direction after a rocky start.  

Whoa! I don't think my battery life is that good when only using it as a watch for 4 or 5 hours. Seriously! Since I messed up and gave away my V3, I'll factory reset my X5, set my options on those suggested by PhilM75072 and give it a try today.

[Shot Scope Users Group]

20 hours ago, PhilM75072 said:

Mine has pretty much been flawless since the last firmware update (.13). I do play with it unlocked, do NOT use scoring, nor the Pin Collect reminder. I also use manual putting. I have done an occasional "hard reset" (not the "factory reset") between some rounds, but I just have to remember to check all the settings to make sure they are set to all my preferences.

I have been using pretty much the opposite settings. I'll give them a try and see if it makes a difference. Thanks!

[Shot Scope Users Group]

On 6/16/2023 at 12:01 AM, sellemental said:

....It's been a few weeks since I checked the firmware version, but I'm willing to bet my fellow V3 user hasn't checked his firmware version since he first put it on....

So... it turns out that I was a bit overly optimistic about the X5 several weeks ago. I was so pleased at the time that I gave away my V3. It took me about a half hour of searching around the house before it dawned on me; CRS disease at its best!!! 

I still have the H4 so I'll put that into play to see if any of the same issues crop up. 

[Shot Scope Users Group]

1 hour ago, PhilM75072 said:

I do that with a 3rd party app on courses I'm not familiar with, such as the Tag Heuer or Precision Pro apps, while using the Shot scope watch for shot tracking and data collection.

Well... you are a substantially better golfer than I am but that seems like a lot of devices to deal with while playing. I also seem to remember that you play really quick rounds so it isn't like you're taking a lot of time with them.  I consider myself, as does my family, a bit of techno nerd... at least for a guy of my generation . So maybe I just need to stop complaining about the lack of perfection and learn to work more efficiently with what's available.