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Ryan Learns to Golf

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Everything posted by Ryan Learns to Golf

  1. I’m going up to Edmonton for a trip in 2 weeks. Do any Edmontonians have any must-try course recommendations in the area?
  2. Hey everyone, I was curious to see if anyone here measures their putts and ask how they do it. I’d like to start tracking my putting stats, and I think I can track total strokes gained putting just by measuring my first putt. Anybody here have a tool they recommend?
  3. Here's the first hole where I used both clubs! The first hole at Los Verdes Golf Course is a par 5 that dog legs 90 degrees left. From the white tees, a well-placed long-iron can get you into the fairway with about 220 yards to the green. I hit my 4-hybrid off the tee 220 yards down the hill with a big hop down the fairway. Second shot was my 3 wood which went about 195 yards uphill to the bottom of the hill by the green. I got up onto the green with a 56 degree pitch and two-putted for par. I felt pretty good about the clubs after that, but the rest of the round didn't go so well 2058440739_TemporaryWithAudio2.MOV TemporaryWithAudio.MOV
  4. Thanks for the feedback! We actually increased the loft by two degrees on the 4-hybrid to dial it back a bit. I forgot to mention that during the fitting I tried the hybrid marked as a 5 to see if that would better fit my yardages, but it only reached the distance that I wanted (185 yards) on my really good strikes, so we decided to take the 4-hybrid and add loft. I'm actually going to go back and try the TSi2 3w as you suggested because I just found out they have a 16.5* as well. I'll report back with what I find. I'm not completely sold on the SIM 2 Max yet, although it's performed fairly well on the course so far. It just doesn't feel 100% comfortable yet.
  5. When I started golfing 3 years ago, my wife bought me a box set to get started, but I quickly got fitted for a driver, irons, wedges, and 3 hybrid. I decided to stop there until I got better and kept the 4-hybrid and 3-wood from the box set in the bag. I've mainly used my 3-hybrid as my longest club other than driver, and the gap between my 3-hybrid and 5-iron has always been filled with me trying to smash the 5 or hit a smooth 3-hybrid. I'd randomly hit the 3-wood and 4-hybrid when the situation really called for it, but results were not always promising so I've never trusted them completely. My mother-in-law, in support of my golf addiction, decided to buy me a 4-hybrid as a birthday present. I went to Roger Dunn in Seal Beach (highly recommended! The staff there are super friendly and helpful) and went through a "fitting". I used the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer, and my fitter Jennifer recommended some shafts for me to try out. I was set on getting an adjustable hybrid so she had me test out the PING G425 and the Titleist TS2. I hit both solidly. Performance-wise, they were nearly identical with the TS2 having slightly smaller left-right dispersion. My decision came down to feel, and I settled on the TS2 with a Tensei Blue 70 shaft as it felt nearly automatic when swinging. I felt like I had to do little to no manipulation with my swing, and the weight helped me feel in control throughout the swing. In my excitement in the moment, I decided to ask for a 3-wood fitting as well since we didn't take much time with the 4-hybrid. I told my fitter I was ok with trying something with a bit more loft like 16.5*. She handed me a few clubs, and I decided to test them blind. I knew one of that they were a Callaway, a Taylormade, and a PING but I didn't know which head and what loft. As I tested, I felt that the Callaway felt light, and I could swing fast, but the result was not as good as I felt that the strike was. I did not get good hits often with the PING, and I felt that I was struggling to swing properly and square the face. The Taylormade produced the best results with consistent carry and rollout numbers. The Callaway had a couple of longer carry distances, but they were few and far between. The Taylormade was the winner, and to my surprise it was a 16.5* while the Callaway and PING were both 15*. I wasn't completely convinced it was the wood for my, but I decided to buy it and try it out on the course given Roger Dunn's very generous return policy. I've only tested the new clubs on the range (where the felt fantastic) and will do a 9-hole test today to see if these clubs plug the distance gaps I need them to. My main concern is that the TS2 goes too far, but with adjustability I should be able to dial it back a bit. I also need to see how comfortable I am with the 3-wood (*ahem* 4-wood) and see if I can build confidence standing over the ball with it.
  6. Quick update on my purchase. I decided to spend less money and go with the faster option by purchasing the box set. I purchased the Wilson Profile Teen set. Length-wise, these clubs are perfect for my height. They sit nicely at address, and I think the lie angle is actually perfect for me. I produce some pretty straight shots with them. Not sure if it's a change in my technique or anything like that. I have a feeling that my irons back home might be a degree or two flatter than these as I tend to produce a more noticeable fade with my Callaway Rogues. I have to say, I'm pretty confident when I'm holding a six iron or lower into a green. Story isn't the same with my Rogues, but I've been practicing a lot more in quarantine, so I'm excited to go back and give them a go. I have difficulty swinging the wedges (PW, SW) with full swings. They seem to launch higher than I want, and not as far. I did get the closest I've been to a hole-in-one by hitting a PW from 105 yards to 2 feet. However, I feel like I struggle launching them lower and with more zip. Pitching and chipping with the wedges is actually really good. My feel with the SW from 40 yards and in is pretty on point. I can get the ball to the green on the landing spot I want. One of the previous posters here mentioned that he thought that the flex would be too soft for my swing speed, and he was 100% correct regarding the driver and fairway wood. They have a significant amount of give when I swing, which makes timing my swing feel a bit awkward. Hopefully it doesn't mess my with my swing when I go back home and use my M4. I feel like I only carry the driver 180-210 depending on strike. Not sure how much to attribute to myself or the club. I do struggle hitting the center of the face. I mostly hit towards the heel and produce SWOOPING slice...ehm...power fade.... I absolutely hate hitting the fairway wood. Back home I use a 3-wood I got in a different box set, and that one I hit wonderfully. I actually took this fairway wood out of play. So my long options are Driver and five hybrid. The five hybrid can be hit or miss - usually a hit, but I can at times hit an awkward, spinny ball that launches but then just takes a dive straight down. I think I only hit it about 5 to 8 yards beyond my 6 iron carry. I usually stick to 6 iron when I can because I feel more consistent with it. So far, nothing has broken, and I don't think anything will. The clubs feel very sturdy. The paint job on them is not the best. They actually look they were painted by hand by a 10-year-old because there are occasional spots where the paint bleeds over to another section of the club where it's not supposed to be. Doesn't really matter to me though, the clubs themselves work fine. Overall, the box set has accomplished what I needed it to: I'm able to go out and play golf. No regrets thus far.
  7. Great info. Appreicate the feedback. In more normal set I use a regular flex, but I got fitted for my clubs in late 2018 just as I was getting into the game. I was between regular and stiff and my fitter recommended sticking with regular. I'm going to look at the options at that golfworks site. Thanks! My main concern with the box set is durability. I don't want anything snapping on me mid swing and potentially injuring someone. Or breaking if I somehow hit the ground with the driver lol. I've seen a couple of videos of clubheads coming off at impact from a shank, but I don't know if those were box set clubs or custom-built or off the rack. I'm really looking at this as just a last resort option to get some golf in while I'm in Canada.
  8. Hi everyone! I’m in Canada right now during all of this coronavirus madness, but I’m itching to get out on the course. My clubs are in LA, so I’m looking to buy a package set rather than getting fit for a whole new set. I was debating between the Wilson Profile SGI Teen vs the Wilson Profile SGI men’s sets. I’m only looking at the teen because I’m fairy short, but worried about how it handles faster swing speeds. I’m no tony finau, but my driver swing speed can push 105, so I just want to make sure these won’t break on me. Anyone have experience with either?
  9. I don't know if there's already a forum for this, but I've found a couple of great deals for Amazon's Prime Day specials. I picked up the Cobra Ultralight Cart Bag which was the runner up in this year's best cart bag buyer's guide for 30% off (not sure if it's still available). It's funny that I picked it up for a lot cheaper than the choice for Best Value cart bag (although I really wanted that one because I thought it looked nicer). I also bought MGS's choice for best spikeless shoe and the Puma runner up to compare - both for 30% off. The Puma runner-up this year was last year's choice for best spikeless shoe so I'm curious to see the difference. Use the MGS links to support them and see if these deals are still available. https://mygolfspy.com/the-best-cart-bag-of-2019/ https://mygolfspy.com/best-spikeless-shoe-of-2019/ Post any other deals you find!
  10. I’ll give that a try. Just put a thin layer of water on the face before each hit? Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy
  11. So... I did a bit of practice in my backyard hitting my driver and seven iron into my golf net. I sprayed Dr. Scholl's on the club faces to get some strike location feedback. It appears that I let my practice session run a bit too long as there is some spray caked on to the toe area of my driver (where I tend not to hit), and high on the iron face and in the toe (again, where I tend not to hit). I usually wipe the faces with a wet towel when I change clubs at the range, but I just did a cursory wipe when changing clubs this time. This didn't happen to me the first five or six times I used the spray. Has anyone else had this happen to them? Any tips on what to use to clean the faces without damaging them? I tried some soap and water and rubbed them with a towel but to no avail. Any help would be appreciated. As an aside, this is one of the best feedback mechanisms for understanding how you can improve your strike, and I feel like most golfers should try it out. But learn from my experience and wipe your club face with a wet towel every five shots or so!
  12. How much was did you pay for the set at the time? Is it holding up well?
  13. You're definitely onto something. I played a round the other week and my ball striking was better than it ever has been, but I lost a lot at least 5 strokes around and on the greens. Chunked chips, a bladed chip, and not understanding the speed of the green really hurt the round. But I was still pleased with how well I was doing off the tee and on the approach. Gotta keep working at it!
  14. Thanks! I actually got fitted for clubs a few months after I started. And now I feel like a gearhead always looking for new thinks to buy. How did you find these much better golfers to play with? Did you join leagues or tournaments?
  15. Well done! 76 feels like a long ways off for me but looking forward to getting there
  16. That's exactly how I've been feeling with these two steps forward one step back progress I've been making. Golf can feel really brutal sometimes haha. I really like your story of when you started feeling confident because I feel like that's the type of confidence I'm looking for. I can get pretty competitive in just about anything, and I want to be able to play with better, more experienced golfers without slowing down pace of play.
  17. Thanks for the great feedback everyone! It's awesome to see how there are so many humble golfers out there even though they're at levels I'm looking to reach. I enjoy the hard work it's taking to see that incremental improvement (although my wallet isn't enjoying the cost). Yes, my question was intentionally phrased to be subjective. I'm a finance quant and data geek, but I also like hearing about people's subjective feelings towards the sport and their own games so I was asking more for the mental side of the game. I often find that when I'm standing at that first tee, I feel unsure about where my game is at that day and don't feel all that confident that I'm going to play well. Then after a few holes I feel like everything is ok, and I get into a flow. Does anyone find that goes away with experience, or do you all still find yourselves feeling nervous as well?
  18. This is my first topic on the forum! I started golfing last August with a box set from Amazon and learning from Youtube videos. I first took a series of group lessons, tried out a few coaches, and then I started working weekly with a coach that I felt I clicked with. We've been making some great progress with my ball striking, but sometimes I feel like when we build in more feels or improve something else in the swing, some of the wheels start falling off again and I feel like I'm regressing. It can get quite frustrating. I just wanted to find out from some of the more experienced members of the forum how long it took them before they felt "good" at the game. I put "good" in quotes because I'm not really using an objective metric - more wondering about what your own opinions of "good" are and when did you all start feeling confident on the course. Was there an "Aha!" moment that lead to that confidence?
  19. Thanks for this! I actually bought a gooseneck product because I figured I can use it in more situations including attaching it to my bag. Cheers!
  20. I think that your ability to play off the rack clubs depends on your physical characteristics as Hardcore Looper mentioned. I'm 5'3" with shortish arms so custom-fitting was helpful to me (I think) even though I just started playing last year. As for the learning on your own vs. getting coaching, I think there's a place for both. I started out just learning on my own by watching YouTube videos and subscribing to RotarySwing. I wasn't completely satisfied with my progress with Rotary Swing, so I went in for lessons with three different coaches. All of them said that my set-up and overall swing looked great, but there were small tweaks that needed to be made. Basically, I was doing some movements that made getting solid contact difficult (swaying too far away from the target and towards the ball in the downswing). There were also some sequencing issues. Rotary Swing mentioned these issues, but it was hard to know on my own that I was doing them, which is what made getting coaching so valuable. I'm now getting lessons from one of those instructors consistently and my confidence is skyrocketing. Overall, I think that the feedback you get from coaching is so valuable, but finding the right coach is paramount. You can know what you're supposed to do in your golf swing, but it's easier for a third party to tell you if you're actually doing it and what you're doing wrong. Perhaps other people are better at self-organizing, but I think a coach just helps to expedite the process.
  21. Thanks! I'll give it a try. I had seen that before on Amazon, but for some reason I'll trust 1 recommendation on this forum over the 200 reviews that SelfieGolf has on Amazon.
  22. Anybody have a product recommendation to mount my phone to my stand bag to record my swing? I see a lot on Amazon, but need something reliable so my phone doesn't break.
  23. That's why he switched to Honma
  24. I totally agree that par 3 courses are great for adult beginners. I just picked up the game (maybe even have become obsessed with it ) last year, and I'm in my late 20's. My local par 3 course has boosted my confidence a lot as I've been able to get a lot of repetitions on an actual course every week, especially with my short irons and wedges. The course is pretty dead around 11 o'clock on Sundays so I actually can play two or three balls without slowing the pace of play. I find it a very efficient way of practicing. Best of all, I'm not breaking the bank. The condition of the course I play is not great. The greens are not well kept, specifically around the edges. All the tee boxes are mats, but I just hit off the grass next to or in front of the mat. What's important to me is that I practice getting solid contact off of the turf, so I'm very pro par 3's.
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