saz0418

I considered starting a fresh thread on this topic, but I did a search-- and maybe this content fits alright, here. So, how do you hit in-between yardages? I have a number of methods that I have used, and I will elaborate on them here to give you some ideas to try. Maybe you used one or more already. Choke down on your club: Gripping about an inch down on a specific club with the same swing will usually result in a 3 -5 yard shorter shot-- all else being equal. My issue with this method is that with my wedges, I can get too short and catch the shot thin. Too thin, and you are over the green. Not good. I played single-length irons for about 6 years so I could choke down on anything and still be comfortable. If you can adjust your stance and trust getting good contact, this is still a viable option. Shorten your swing: I carry a yardage card. It generally has 4 yardages for all my irons (7i through 60 degree wedge). I think of them as half swing, 3/4 swing, full swing, and Max distance. The Max distance I keep in case I have a back pin and happen to catch one flush. I will never hit a shot where my MAX puts me long. The half swing you can think of as left arm parallel. My 3/4 swing feels like my hands get shoulder height. Full swing is the full extension of my backswing. This creates a lot of overlap in your shot-matrix, but that is actually a good thing. Generally, my 1/2 swing with one club goes the same distance as my 3/4 swing of the next higher loft-- like a 1/2 9-iron goes as far as a 3/4 PW. A 3/4 ,9-iron goes as far as a full PW, and so on. So I have really 3 clubs that I can hit any given distance, subject to what flight I want to hit. I used to use an even shorter swing, where the club head only made it to about knee height. I had trouble hitting that position so I sort of scrapped that strategy. The general idea is to keep your tempo and swing speed the same with the varying length of (back) swing. I will note that I generally swing 3/4 with ALL of my approach shots. My 3/4 (shoulder high) swing is very dependable. I find I get better contact, better tempo, and more predicable results. So, I will it a 3/4 9i instead of a full PW pretty much every time. Adjust the width of your stance: If you have a standard stance width on each of your iron shots, narrowing that by about 4-6 inches will produce less swing arc... less clubhead speed... less distance. My difference is about 3-5 yards. You can go about 6 inches wider and hit it farther, too. This is currently my go-to for hitting a little more or less distance, because only the set up changes, but everything else stays the same. Credit to Coach Lockey and his Youtube channel. He did a whole segment on exactly this topic back during the pandemic shutdown. A light went on for me because I had never really considered that method. It's my go-to, now. Open or close the face: Adding loft or taking loft off will affect how far the ball flies (and with that trajectory and spin. I have generally avoided this method because opening or closing the face means I have to adjust my aim as well. The adjustments are small, but I have always felt like it affects my accuracy. I will occasionally close a short iron a bit and aim left. Its usually when I want a little more carry and roll out with the same club. It's not common, but I do use it. Change your shot shape: Assuming you can fade or draw the ball when you want, this method works to control distance. Its similar to opening or closing the face (and then adjusting your aim). I fade the ball way more easily than I draw it. If I have a right pin, I will often add one club (for the given distance), and then hit a fade off the right or right-middle. Likewise a draw will generally go about a club longer, so I take 1 less club and start the ball to the left of the target. THIS will be the year I can hit the draw when I want to! No, really! 50 years of playing golf, and a whole off-season on my indoor simulator, and I just know that draw will be there! Change the tempo of your swing: I have heard some players (especially tour pros) say they keep the length of the swing the same, but change the speed (tempo, energy) of their through swing. I have not tried this method enough to comment on it. I will 'go hard' after a certain club if I need a little more distance or carry. But I find it's more effective (for me) to change my club and length or swing, or my stance width to get a little extra. Change ball position: This is an easy change. A ball back goes a little lower and farther, and a ball forward goes a little higher and shorter (all else being equal). Michael Breed just did an entire segment on flighting your wedges for distance, trajectory and spin, and ball position was one of the factors he included in the changes ( though he liked a back ball position as a default). Like with opening or closing the face, you need to adjust your aim a bit to account for the (small) change in path. I also know players that keep the ball position the same, but just change their weight distribution (at set up or dynamically) and/or shaft-lean. Same result. Again, myself, if I need a different flight or more/less rollout, I will just select a different club and adjust the length of swing to hit the same carry distance. Those are the methods I know of to hit specific target yardages, or yardages that are in between your standard yardage gaps. Disclosure: I am 65 years old, 2 years retired. I have been playing golf since my teens, but not seriously until I was in my 40's. I play to an 8/9 HDCP. I played about 130 rounds in 2023. I have a Sky-Trak simulator in the garage. Some people would call me a golf-nerd. I seriously considered going to PGA teaching school about 10 years ago. I wasn't sure I could pass the playing test, then. I'm even less certain, now. But I love the game. Hope you enjoyed my post.

If I added up *ALL* of my golf purchases in 2023, it would be an embarrassment. I will stick to the high points. I broke the shaft on my gamer driver (Srixon ZX7) and had to find a replacement. Ended up with the Ping G425 SFT. I purchased a new Odyssey White Hot Double Wide putter in April. I found a smoking hot deal on shoes from a major on-line retailer and purchased 2 pairs of Cobra Ignite Solelace spikeless shoes ($30 plus shipping!). Love the comfort and traction. I played about 130 rounds last year so comfortable shoes that grip are important. I purchased a used 7W (Titleist 915F, $85). It may be the best value in my bag. It could literally replace everything I use (or could use) between my 3W and 7i. What a versatile and dependable club! I tested Vice Pro, Cut Red and Cut Gray DTC balls. None have replaced my go-to (Callaway ERC). I want to test the Snell Get Sum, but I need to wait for warmer weather. I purchased a Mizuno JPX21 6-hybrid to test as a 7-iron replacement. I liked it, but I am back to my standard 7i in the bag, presently (Mizuno JPX21 Hot Metal). Last purchase of the year was golf course software for my SkyTrak. I went with Creative Golf 3D-- the perpetual license. I purchased the 1-year license, first. But after about 10 days (and 20 simulator rounds), I realized I would definitely use the software. The retailer refunded my original purchase, and I spent the extra $300 on the lifetime license. The next thing I want to test is a 5-wood (replacing my Ping G425 3w). I think I need the extra loft. I rarely buy brand new equipment. But I "test" the he#@ out of anything used (lol). That was my 2023 year in review.

I purchased 2 boxes of Cut Red from Amazon. Exactly the same issue. First one split off the 10th tee in the first round of use. A second one split-- but I don't know when-- I noticed it chipping around before a round a few days later. I reached out to Cut and they were going to send me a box of Cut Gray. That was 8 weeks and 3 follow-ups later. No replacement balls. Such a disappointment. I cracked a 3rd one on my launch monitor after about 10 hits. I threw the rest away. My CUT DTC journey is over -- but I really wanted to like these balls.

I have used both carry/stand bags and cart bags. I have 3 or 4 in the garage, right now. I do sometimes throw a half-set into my light, carry bag and walk. I have had really nice cart bags that have a ton of pockets-- but without the stand they are impractical. They don't stand at the range. The wind blows them over easily. They are large and bulky to handle. My go-to bag, currently (the one I use 90% of the time) is an OGIO Woode Hybrid 8 Stand Bag. It is the only bag I have found with the (unique) 8-way divider. I use mid-size grips-- but even without those I just don't like the 14 way top. So this 8-way arrangement is a nice compromise. I would love a cart bag with a stand that does NOT have a 14-way top. I don't think they make one, so this is the closest I have found. I found mine on a smoking-hot online deal-- $249, but $100 off. That made it sort of a no-brainer. This one also has magnetic-snap closures for the valuables pocket, and on the front of the ball pocket (for easy entry). If I was going to replace mine, today, this is absolutely the bag I would go with. Nice in-between size, more than enough pockets, love the 8-way top, fold out stand, not too heavy, easy carry handles and grips, nice color options. The only thing I would add is a full length pocket for the umbrella and a separate external tube for the putter. But this is the closest to perfect (for me) that I have found.

I have done a lot of experimenting at the top end of my bag and I have some thoughts. I also struggle with a 3W to the point where I rarely carry it anymore. I keep saying I just need to "learn to hit it", but it is rarely good-- and when it is bad it's really, really bad. Like, 50 yard rollers, bad. I am thinking about a strong 3 wood (4 wood -- something like 16.5 degree, more on that in a minute). My inspiration is my 7W. I purchased it 2nd hand off the rack from one of the national used sporting goods stores. It's a Titleist 917F, 21 degree. I have it set down 1 degree. Essentially, it is the same loft as my 4h-- a Callaway XR (circa 2012), which might be MY favorite club. They really cover the same distance in my bag (175-180 yards), but the flight is completely different. The 4h carries about 160 and rolls to 175. The 7W carries to 165 and basically stops (maybe 5 yards of rollout). And I can deloft and draw the 7W and get it out to about 190, which makes it a very versatile club. Since I do better with some draw-bias, my thought is the 16.5 degree (strong) 3W. Then, I would adjust that up 1.5 or 2 degrees to get to 18(ish). That would also close the face slightly and give me a bit of draw bias. That fits perfectly in my loft set and should give me a higher launching and longer club than my current 3h (17 degree Callaway XR; I carry both 3h and 4h in my current gaming set). I had a Tour Edition 4w (16.5 degree) for about 6 months. Liked it, but it wasn't adjustable, and really didn't fit my need. It was basically 190 - 210 depending on how well I hit it, and I can get that (or a bit less) out of my 3h with better consistency and way fewer miss-hits. For context, I am 64 years old and an 8/9 index. I shoot in the mid- to high-70's when I am playing well. My driver SS is generally in the low 90s. All that equates to a 3W (for me) that goes about 195 to 205. I would just like a bit more carry and a bit more consistency. So, your experience might be different from mine. But I would suggest a little more loft with (definitely) adjustability. And/Or, just go get fitted. I have a launch monitor (SkyTrak), so I can experiment a little easier than many players.

64 years old and an 8/9 index. I carry 7,8,9,PW, GW from my Mizuno JPX 921 HM set. I carry a 3h, 4h and 5h-- and have even experimented with a 6h instead of my 7i. Haven't adopted it yet, but I haven't ruled it out, either. I also realize that I can hit my 7w (Titleist) anywhere from 155 to 200+ depending on conditions and loft. Stock yardage is about 175-180. So there is a good chance I could reduce the number of clubs in the top part of my bag and maybe add another wedge. I currently carry 52, 56, 59. I am considering adding a 5w under my driver. Its a pain-point in my setup in that I don't have great confidence in my 3W. I have both a 17 degree 3H and also a Cleveland Hy-wood (18 degree head on a 5w shaft). My 3W is a Ping G425. I thing a 16.5 (strong) 3W lofted up to 18.5 (so the face points left) would be a good option-- or a stock 17/18 degree 5W. I don't think any set I purchase from now on will go above 7i. And I could make a case for specialty irons for PW and GW to match the rest of my wedge set, instead of matching my irons. All things to think about when I replace my current irons-- although they are only a couple of years old and are a great match for my game, so that's not on the horizon, soon.

Here is what I can offer from my perspective, and then you need to do some exploration... go to a fitting, or at least hit a few different clubs. I am 65 years old. I play off an 8/9 index. My driver speed is 88 mph to 93 mph with occasional swings up to 95 or 96. That give me a carry distance of 210 to 215 and total of 220 - 245 depending on conditions. My flight is maybe a little lower than optimum. I have a Skytrak, so I can give you all my numbers. I know I hit a 9 or 9.5 (edit: Reg flex Alta CB slate, 55 gram shaft, standard ). loft farther than 10 or 10.5 on a normal, dry, Summer day. Probably 10 to 15 yards difference. My flight is straight-ish-- a soft fade or a soft draw. I *can* hit a fade when I want to, and I have been working on hitting a draw more consistently when that drive is called for or advantageous. My current driver is a Ping G425 SFT. I was hitting a Mizuno ST200 and a Srixon ZX7 before that. Both of those produced a more left-to-right bias than I wanted. The SFT has been straight or left-of-center pretty much from the first swing I took with it. Straight or a small draw unless I make adjustments to hit a fade (or do something wrong). Having worked on my driver (distance) for more than a year now, I can confidently say it's way more about the archer than the arrow. All the new drivers have forgiveness-- and they all max out at 1.5 allowable smash factor. Your distance is all about evening out the (upward) angle of attack and presented dynamic loft to minimize spin. This last week on my launch monitor, I hit these numbers: 234 carry / 260 total distance; 16 degree launch, 2256 backspin, 93 mph swing speed, 137 ball speed, 2 degrees right launch with no sidespin. Peak height was 81 feet. It ended 2 yards right of center. I hit one 258 the next day when I played (55 degrees) (a little downhill landing), and another 252 (essentially flat). So those numbers from the Sim correlate with outdoor numbers. I generally struggle to keep my spin below 3000 -- understanding that at 90 mph, you need *some* spin to keep the ball in the air and maximize carry/distance. My jump from 225/230 up to 250+ is my closing the clubface (bowing the left wrist... lagging the COG... doing the "motor cycle rev" move with my left hand as some instructors suggest. The 500-600 less rpms equates to more distance and more roll. Note the Skytrak is set to firm fairways at the moment -- although the courses in Ohio are nowhere near firm this time of year. But, I was doing all my testing with that setting since August (when I broke the $300 shaft on my Srixon ZX7 and had to find a new driver--sigh). Good luck in your quest.

I am pretty sure That MyGolfSpy *did* include refurbished (reconditioned) balls in their last test (or the one, prior). They found all sorts of physical defects that had been "polished over. " They put some filler into defects/scuffs, and re-coat the balls to make them look good. But the balls were the worst performing of the 30 or 40 that they tested (as I recall). The review (from the tests) was pretty uncomplimentary. I bought a box of 50 5-star balls (Bridgestone) from Amazon a few years back. My experience was that I would hit a shot (short) and not know if it was MY mis-hit or if the ball was dead. I didn't like the uncertainty and not having confidence in what I was hitting. Wasn't worth the worry.

I put a registration dot on the top of my grip. Its sort of the same concept as ALL your iron and hybrid grips have where there is a line or an indentation or some other mark on the top of the grip that, when centered, indicates the face is square. On your driver (or other adjustable clubs), the registration mark is not all that helpful once you adjust the loft sleeve because its only on the top at the neutral setting. On my driver (Ping G425 SFT), I actually set my grip with my face about 15 degrees closed. With it closed, the registration mark I applied is on the top of the grip (12:00 looking at me, if you will). Then I set up and swing. Even when closed, I know that if I aim up the right middle with the ball in the right position, the face will come in square and my drives will go straight (ish) -- center of the fairway. I then use the mark (I put a dot with a silver sharpie) to control my shape and flight. If I want a fade (or a drive I can start left and know it won't go more left), I rotate the mark on the grip to about 12:30 -- not quite in the middle of the grip but slightly to the right. That opens the face at impact about maybe 2 -3 degrees-- enough to produce a left to right flight. Obviously, I can rotate it more to the right (clockwise) and get a more pronounced curve. I do this with my 3W, 7W, and all my hybrids. Works pretty well. I just takes setting your grip on the club with the face in the orientation that you know (or find through testing) produces the line and flight you want. On my Ping, I can also close the face so that the shaft intersects about 1/2 of the turbulators on the toe of the club (about 15 degrees, as I noted). That is sort of my reference, but then I make a mark because it's easier to just put that on the top of the grip and know it's correct. I just soften my arms and hands once I set up so that the face looks square behind the ball at address. I know based on how I have set my grip that when the club delivers under speed and load, it will return to the ball in the correct orientation, even though I have it set noticeably closed when I take my grip. You may find a part of the logo on your shaft that can serve the same purpose. If not, get yourself a silver sharpie.

Go to a practice green and set up some balls on the collar and in the rough. Chip with your wedges and find the club that goes 50/50... 1:1... flies half and rolls half. Mine is usually my 52, but it might be 56 or GW depending on conditions. Once you have your 50/50 club, skip a club going down in loft, and the next club is 1/3 : 2/3-- meaning it flies 1/3 of the way, and rolls the other 2/3rds. So, if my 52 degree is my 50/50 club, then I skip GW (49 degree)-- and my PW (45 degree) is my 1/3 carry chip club. In a simple world, that will cover about 90% of what you encounter around the green. So, find your 50/50 club when you get to the practice green, and you are good to go for the day. Grab the 2 appropriate wedges and your putter when you get to the green and off you go. If you are interested, there is quite a bit more to this whole story. Oh, and I set up narrow, ball center, slightly open, weight forward, and often use the chip/putt motion where the wedge is more vertical, you are close to the ball, and the toe of the club contacts the ball. You can look it up online. It's a very popular chipping method that many, many players use. The "find your 50/50 club" is based on the rule of 12 (or rule of 9, or however you want to call it). The best description I have found is that every chipping club is approximately 10% of the fly:roll ratio. So, if your GW is 50%, then your PW is 40% and your 9i is 30%, etc. Same going the other way where your GW would be 50%, then your next wedge up in loft (maybe 52 or 54 degree) would be 60%, and so on. You can see that my simple example is my 52 is my 50/50 club (so, 50% fly), and then skip GW (40%) and my PW is 1:3 (30%). So it all works. You can use this framework anywhere. Generally gets me close to the hole assuming I have read the break correctly. Some easy mods: - uphill lie, add one club. - uphill chip, add one club. So, if you are chipping from an uphill apron to an uphill, back pin, you would add 2 clubs of loft, but hit the same aim/landing spot. In my example, instead of 52 degree, half way there-- I would hit PW. - if you need (or want) to land in the apron or collar (closely mowed), add a club for that. - uphill and downhill: I always pace my distance when I enter the green as I walk to my ball. You can add or subtract paces to account for uphill and down hill chips pretty easy. If I know I want to hit it firm uphill (say, 2 paces past the hole), then I add 2 to my distance. I work in paces and not feet because its easy. 9 paces to my ball (level), I will it 3 paces on (1/3) and let it roll out. If there is not room for 3 paces, then I go to the next club up. - likewise, you can go UP one club in loft if you are chipping from a downhill lie and/or chipping to a downhill roll. Might be more depending on the severity of the slope. General 2 -5 % slopes around the green, one club is often adequate. - another caveat: the "mulitplier" gets bigger the less loft you use to chip. My 52 degree wedge (typically) flies 1/2 and rolls half. The ration is 1:1. Meaning, if I miss my landing spot by 1 yard long or short, then I will be 1 yard long or short of the pin. If you chip with a 7 iron (example), it flies 1/4, rolls 3/4. So, if you miss your landing spot by 1 yard, you miss the pin by 3 YARDS! So your misses are magnified. In theory, this is balanced by the idea that its easier to hit a spot closer to you with a 7 iron (say, maybe 3 paces away ) than one farther away with your 50/50 wedge. But, I say you need to do some practice and see what you are good at. If you can land a ball with your 50/50 wedge within, say, an area the size of a kids swimming pool from 10, 20 or 30 paces away, you will always be within 5 or 6 feet of the flag. Some people just seem to have that knack. If not, employ as many clubs as you need. The simple 50/50 and 1/3, 2/3rds model is pretty easy to work with. I am almost 65 and play to an 8/9 HDCP. I am not a long hitter, so I spend a good bit of focus on my wedges (inside 100 yards) and chipping and pitching around the green. Sorry if this is too long-winded or technical. I was an Engineer in my career. Some would say I still am. LOL Good Luck.

Drivers: Ping, Srixon, Mizuno, Callaway Fairway Woods: Ping, Callaway, Titleist, Cleveland Hybrids: Tour Edge, Ping, Callaway, Taylormade Irons: Mizuno, Cobra, Cleveland Wedges: Tommy Armour, Mizuno Putters: Odyssey, Cleveland, Ping Balls: Callaway, Vice, Taylormade, Cut

The drill I see most often is to place a ball about 4 - 6 inches in front of your normal ball position, then hit shots from that position. In order to strike the ball that far forward, you need to emphasize rotation and getting your low point in front of the ball. If you lag your hands behind or early release, you will thin it or miss it. If you can hit the ball solidly from that far in front of your normal ball position, it will improve your impact position and strike when you move the ball back. I hit 2 from the up-front position, then go back and hit one from my normal position. Another drill you can use is to hit 1/2 or 3/4 punch shots and see how low you can flight the ball. You have to keep the hands forward in order to flight the ball down. Think hitting out from under low branches on a tree. Practice hitting low, low punches with a 7-iron. That feeling of keeping the hands ahead to flight the ball low can work over into your full shots.

I just switched to the Odyssey 5K Double Wide. True confession: I putted for 5 years with a $49 Tour Edge putter I pulled off a rack at a course in South Carolina during a rain delay. I purchased 3 of them in total. You can still find it on Amazon for $49.99. I had a round with 22 putts using that same $50 putter a few years back! I putt best with a face balanced putter, and I like a soft(er) insert. The new Odyssey has the insert and minimal toe-hang (about 1/4). Prior, I was using a TaylorMade Hydroblast Chaska. My challenge is I am left-eye dominant and putt right handed. What I see as "straight" is actually amost 5/8 of an inch left of straight. So I line up the ball-line on almost everything. But this new Odyssey seems to help my aim. So far, so good for the first couple of weeks. It had better be for the nearly $400 price tag (lol).

There is a You Tube channel named "Golf Ball Addict"; the guy specializes in testing different golf balls. His swing speed is in the mid-90's, so all of his results should be useful for you. He tests performance and feel on chipping and putting, and then tests PW, 7i, 5h and Driver and shares the ball speed, spin and distances (as they relate to his averages). I have enjoyed most of his reviews (although, I admit I sometimes jump forward and get to the results). Otherwise, the Callaway ERC Soft was one of the best performing balls in the last full MGS testing. It was the longest off the driver (mid swing speed)... like, 3rd in distance for a 7i, and decent spin for wedges. I have played it almost exclusively for 2 years now (8 hdcp, 64 yrs old w/ 90 - 95 mph driver swing). It is not crazy spinny around the greens, but I tend to not rely on spin for my chips and pitches, so that aspect doesn't bother me. I would suggest you try the ERC Soft out. Or (as others have mentioned), see what comes out of this year's ball testing.

I purchased a new oversize SuperStroke Grip, and regripped my putter. I have been putting with a pistol/claw grip for the last 5 or 6 years, primarily. But when I practice with a prayer grip, I feel like my feel, my line and my speed are all much better. I think I am a better than average putter-- but always looking to improve. The new grip makes the roll off the putter very soft. It feels pure. I need to take it to a course and practice outside 20 feet. But I think it will be a better combination. Also, I have been shunning my 7i for the last few rounds. 7i should be a stock 150 yard shot for me. But I keep grabbing my 5h instead, and then hitting a small fade, or hitting a 3/4 punch, or some other manufactured shot. I don't seem to have the confidence. It dawned on me today, "maybe you should just buy a 6h." So, a used, Mizuno JPX Hi-Fli hybrid is on the way. It's from, like, 2011/2012. But, it was $70. A worthy test. I feel like the forgiveness of a hybrid will be a better option. I can catch my mid-irons off the toe, and they go about 15 yards short. Not a good plan. I will update on the experiment. Oh, and I will keep working on the new putter grip and prayer grip.

Had 3 of these yesterday during a match-play on the 2nd 9. I managed to shoot even-par for the 2nd 9 and won 2 and 1. My choice for this shot is usually a 9i. My caveat (which I have mentioned in some other forums) is that I carry a Cleveland Launcher HB 9i, which I use for a whole bunch of specialty shots. one of which is as a "chipper" although I usually just think "putt" and putt it from collars or fringes where I have maybe less than 10 ft of "stuff" to carry. On typical summer greens (stimp 9 -11), the 9i is a 1:2 or 1:3 club (carry:rollout). My experience is that landing in the fringe (or tightly mowed apron) reduces the rollout by about 10%. I usually add one club of loft (say, 9i instead of PW) and then hit the same shot to the same spot. All seems to work. So the shot you describe is a 9i... hit it 1/3 of the way to the hole. With the lower loft, the collar has minimal effect and the shot just releases. If I have to roll it uphill once it is on the green, I add another club (or hit it about 10% farther). I also use the Cleveland HB 9 iron from 70 or 80 yards out-- hit it about 5- 10 yards short of the green and let it release on. Its maybe half a swing and pretty safe when I NEED to get on a green. Certainly a safer choice than a full 56 or 60. It is also great out of deep rough, and out of cross bunkers that are within 100 yards of the green. Because it is constructed like a hybrid, the ground interaction with the wide, rounded sole is really clean and simple. You pretty much can't stick it in the ground. And for chip and pitch shots, it doesn't have the really hot face like a hybrid, so there is less adjustment. It feels like I am hitting my regular 9i (Mizuno JPX 921 HM), but it handles tight collars, fairways (bare lies, deep rough, firm sand) really well. Its like having a "chipper" without having a chipper (and all the giggles and whispers that might come with that). In fact, its like a super-chipper because it does all these other things so well. I would urge you to try it. You can find one used for about $75 - $85 used (I just checked).

My bag right now is a hot mess-- but I am in the 70's most rounds, so I am keeping it for the time being. Ping G410 Driver; Ping g425 3W; Titleist 915 7w; Callaway XR 3h and 4h; Tour Edition 5h; Cobra King F8 1-length 7i, 8i; Cleveland HiBore 9i (9i, chipper, short utility, bunker magic, etc); Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal PW, GW; Tommy Armor 52, 56 Wedges; New TaylorMade Chaska Putter. No Brand loyalty, here, LOL. I am all about results. That whole mess (above) actually gaps pretty well. I have full sets of all the Cobra and Mizuno irons, but I have them blended to play each to their strengths. I am playing this weekend in my first club event of the year as a 7 HDCP. 64 years young.

I can't recommend these gloves enough: (Amazon) New Improved 2X Long Lasting Bionic RelaxGrip Golf Glove with Patented Double-Row Finger Grip System . $17.99. They last-- I don't know-- 6 to 8 months or more. And I play 4 to 6 times a week. I would guess 50 rounds on a pair, but it may be more because I have some on my driving range/launch monitor in the garage that are probably more than a year old and still working. They feel good-- not synthetic (to me). You can actually throw them in the washing machine if they get too soiled. They just wear like IRON. And then there is the grip system with little channels and pads built into the grip that improve the grip on the club and let you relax your hands. This helps to release the club and also decreases the joint pain. I will never use any other glove.

I always say it's best to have both a laser and GPS -- but the GPS is the most useful. I have shot a pin (and not payed attention to the placements), gotten a yardage and then hit it pure (or a groove thin) and you are over a green and into trouble: somebody's yard or a thicket or a bunker or a double-waiting-to-happen downhill chip. I never chase a back pin no matter how good I am playing. It's an automatic red light no matter what. But it's another reason why I go with more loft and a small swing. If you hit a PW with a full swing and catch it thin you are likely WAY over the green. If you are hitting half an 8 iron, you probably are long, but playable. And a heavy miss hit will usually roll a little farther, too. It just make the percentages better. With my tenant (smallest swing with the least loft), I will often bump a 9 iron or more onto the apron and let it run on. I realize carrying it all the way onto the putting surface is the most predictable bounce and release. But so far, the LIV tour hasn't made me an offer :-).

My gaps in the lower half of my bag are less important because I have basically a short, medium and long distance for all my wedges (and actually 9i, 8i and 7i, too). I vary my stance width to produce in between shots, and also can choke down on my mid-irons to make even more refinements. My nominal gap is 10 yards, with stance adjustments making a 5 yard plus/minus. I also have a tenant I play with which is the lowest loft and smallest swing needed to produce a result. So, I am more likely to hit a small 8 iron or 9 iron even if my stock PW is the same distance. In my experience, the smaller swing is more consistent, more accurate and more dependable. It applies (for me) to pitching and chipping, too. I just think there is less that can go wrong with a shorter, more controlled swing. I don't really care what the actual yardage is because I usually have 2 or 3 clubs that cover the same yardage. So it's easier for me to adjust to temperature, wind, front/back pins, elevation, and other factors. I have 3 or 4 sets of irons that I have played in the last year or two, and I have tried blending sets to see if it improves my performance. For example, I have Cobra 1-length irons (6i-GW), Mizuno JPX 921 HM (7i-GW), and an older set of Titleist DCI Black Diamond (4i - PW). I also have options at the longer end: 3w, 4w, 5w, 3h, 4h, 5h, 7w, and an odd Titleist t-400 5i. All of these have been in and out of my bag in the last year or two depending on conditions and the state of confidence in my swing. For example, I played most of last year without a 3 wood, but used a 4 hybrid/wood (hy-wood, 18 degree) instead. I think if you go play practice rounds with half sets (evens, odds, or come other combination), you will become more comfortable manufacturing shots that are not *perfect* for a particular yardage. And there are a lot of external factors (not to mention your own daily variations in execution and confidence) that will influence your shot. I rarely get a *perfect* yardage. Its up hill or down wind or below/above my feet or cold or wet or... you fill in the blank. That's why I think versatility is so important. Last week I played a 140 yard par 3 into about a 25 mph wind on a 50 degree day. My 3/4 punch 4-hybrid (22 degree) ended up about pin high (though sadly, about 10 yards right). It would normally be an 8 iron. I have played full rounds where my swing went wonky, but I scraped it around hitting plus 2 club, 1/2 swing knock downs just to try to find greens and hold my score together. I also did a test on my launch monitor. When I hit to a yardage that was 5 less than the back of the green (regardless of where the pin is), my GIR went up about 30 percentage points. That, alone, makes the actual gaps less important because I rarely hit a club a stock yardage. So, I play for an extra club or 2, plan for 5 yards off the back and then play the shot. Those are my thoughts.

I would say less than 50 yards, I play by feel-- identify a landing spot/trajectory/roll-out (club), and then execute. For longer approach shots and pitches, I started using a tip from Coach Lockey (Mark Crossfield's buddy) where you vary your stance width to control yardage. I have only been doing this for about 3 weeks, and we are still in the midst of Winter in Ohio (USA). But, a waist high swing with 3 different stance widths (6, 12, and 18 inches, for me) is very, very effective. For example, I hit a 9i (in this cold weather) 100 yards with my standard, waist high swing. A little wider goes 110 and a little more narrow goes 90. The last 2 times I have played I have had 6 - 8 legit birdie putts (inside 20 feet). I carry a cheat-sheet in my yardage book, but I think I could do it from memory if I needed to. For me the gaps are about 10 yards per club-- and then plus/minus 10 for the wider/narrower. Not too hard to remember. I really like the results of this method so far. One swing (consistent). I think you could dial it in to 5 yard increments using stance width and choking up on the club and get very, very precise. One of my tenants for playing is to use the least amount of swing and the least amount of loft to accomplish the task. So I will chip a 9i or 8i rather than rip at a SW degree wedge (from, say, 100 or so yards) . And I will usually play a bump-and-run around the green where it is practical. For chipping, I have posted this before in other forums, but I will do the short version, here. If you have a 50/50 club for chipping (say, GW), and you hit 1 yard long of your target spot, you will be 1 yard long of the pin (that's the theory, anyway). The 50/50 club rolls as far as it flies, so your miss is 1:1. If you chip with a 7 iron, it might be 1:3 or 1:4 fly to roll. So, if you your target by 1 yard, you miss the hole by 3 or 4. With that in mind, it comes down to your ability and practice. If you are good at hitting a spot with your 50/50 club, you should never be too far from the pin. A bump-and-run target spot (for an 8 iron or 7 iron) is closer to YOU, so in theory easier to hit. But your misses are magnified because the roll out is 1:3 or 1:4. So there are trade-offs that you need to understand, and then practice to learn what works best for you. Another advantage of the 50/50 club is you can stand 90 degrees to the flight and pretty easily pick out the landing spot half way to the hole. If you go with a 1/3rd or 1/4 club, its not as easy to visualize. You can always pace to your ball on your way past the flag, and I DO if I have a longer chip. I generally grab my 50/50 club and my 1-third/2-thirds club. That covers most of what I will encounter around the green unless I have something out of the ordinary (say, giant green with the pin 80 or 90 feet away). I also have learned I need to add 1 club for an uphill lie-- and/or 1 club for an uphill roll. So, if I am chipping to a back pin up-slope (2 or 3 percent) from an uphill lie on the apron, my 50/50 club is a 9 iron rather than GW, and then I hit the same 50/50 target half way to the hole. That concept works out pretty well. There is also a method where each club is about 10% more or less on the fly/role scale, Meaning GW would fly 50% of the way to the hole, PW 40%, 9i 30%, etc. I have used this and it is pretty close on greens that stimp 9 or 10. For context, I am about an 8 to 9 HDCP currently, and 63 years old. I had a 69 (-2) and a 71 (E) late last fall, and I have shot a couple of 77's already this Spring in less than ideal conditions. I think my short game is better than average for the courses I play and the guys I try to take money from Like Tiger says, Father Time is undefeated. But I am trying to keep up.

My current driver matched the 2023 Most Wanted! I wanted to share a recent result from my own testing. I tested all the settings on my current Ping driver to see how they compared to the MGS 2023 most wanted driver. After trying all the settings, my best result is below (see attached from my Skytrak). 96 mph swing speed; 241/257 carry/total distance. 2229 spin, 28 peak height, 36 descent angle. This one had 386 draw spin and launched at zero-- ended up 19 yards left, so probably left rough. My numbers matched the BEST 2023 results (go to the 'data' link provided with the review (data obviously, averaged) for everything: ball speed, spin, peak height, descent angle, and carry distance. That means that my current Ping G410 driver is capable of producing the same numbers as the current, new-for-2023 drivers! It's down to technique. 96 mph is about as fast as I can swing it, for now. Hoping to add a few mph this Spring. Disclaimer: I am almost 64 and about an 8 to 9 HDCP. 5 ft. 11 in. and about 210 lbs. For reference: my driver is a Ping G410 10.5 degree (set at 9 degree and Draw adjustments). Standard Ping ALTA CB Red, 55 gram, regular shaft. There is certainly a chance that something new for 2023 could improve my overall distance/accuracy numbers -- maybe more forgiving so I hit closer to my best more frequently. But I am going to focus on technique and training, for now, and not chase new equipment.

I just watched a recent YouTube video by Coach Lockey (Mark Crossfield's partner in crime). He demonstrated using the width of stance to control distance on wedge shots. But, the ball doesn't know what club you are hitting and the concept works just as well for short irons as it does for wedges. I have used the clock-face concept for a few years, but I was not always confident hitting the right position in my backswing. With adjusting the stance width, I can make the same controlled (3/4) swing and vary the yardage standard, plus or minus. My gaps are just about 10 yards-- so plus 5 or minus 5 yards just by standing more narrow or wider. I took me literally 2 times trying this to get it down, and I hit about 75 or 80% of my greens on my SkyTrak app (random 60 to 125 yards varying each shot). Its my go-to now for controlling distance-- and hitting in between yardages. I get to try it on the course for the first time today -- first round of the season in Ohio, USA.

I colorized this iconic pen and ink image from Ben Hogan's Five Lessons - The Modern Fundamentals book. Then, I ordered online from a place that will put any picture you want on a head-cover. The back is like a leather fabric and the front (print side) is a woven cloth. I have the same image in miniature on my "golf cards" - the cards with my information on them that I carry for when I meet someone new that I want to play with, again. I would probably make this my first tattoo, as well... if I could convince myself that I *really* want a tattoo. But I love the head cover and get a few compliments when other players notice.

Generally, hitting harder just creates more spin and not (for me) much difference in distance. I can clearly remember a practice round in the Spring a few years back where I had, like, 155 to a green (uphill slightly and into the wind). I hit 7i and fell 20 yards short. So I proceeded to drop additional balls and keep hitting. 7i NEVER got there. Even the 6i barely made it on with my 6th or 7th try. I learned that the ChromeSoft is not a good choice on windy days--AND hitting it harder is not a good strategy for me. I practice half shots and 3/4 shots, so I am pretty comfortable with those options. For me, generally a shoulder high swing (as opposed to full) will be about 1 less club of distance-- all things being equal. So my 3/4 9i is a good choice for a PW distance. Also, you can play with ball position and shape (draw or fade). It is pretty easy to hood a PW about 10 degrees and aim 5 yards right, or so, to pick up another 5 yards of carry. Best to experiment when you play a practice round-- and then find out what you are most comfortable with and what is most effective. I will often drop down a club and go 3/4 smooth as a first choice all the time. My general rule-of-thumb for most shots is the least amount of loft and the least amount of swing to accomplish the task. That means hitting less than full approach shots, and using less loft around the green for pitches and chips. For me, a shorter, controlled swing will just be more consistent and predictable and less prone to errors.