Jump to content
Testers Wanted! Toura Golf Irons Build Test! ×

GolfSpy SAM

Moderator
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,427

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by GolfSpy SAM

    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    Happy Birthday thread

    in The 19th Hole

    Posted

    1 hour ago, StrokerAce said:

    it's this guy's birthday? happy b d @GolfSpy SAM !

    image.png.474dd6c4d59558301faa5a7127470581.png

    Where the hell did you find that picture? Lolololol. 

    Thanks, all! No golf today for me - playing tomorrow at Rustic Canyon (with none other than @Syks7 and @Billy The Kid Rogers) and then again on Monday at Soule Park in Ojai on Monday.  I'm a lucky man to have this community to brighten my day every day, but especially on a birthday spent working 😉

     

    Attaining a single digit handicap

    in Articles of Interest

    Posted

    12 minutes ago, GolfSpy AFG said:

    True, but distance is a huge enabler to lower scores.  The closer you are on approach, and with increased speed in general, you can put shorter clubs in your hand.  Proximity to hole in turn goes up, meaning more makeable putts. 
    Not disagreeing with you, you can absolutely play to a scratch driving it 250, but it’s easier to do it driving it 270.  It’s why I feel speed training is almost a must-do if your really want to lower your score to the fullest extent possible.

    Having played with guys who I outdrive by 40-50 yards (driving it 270-ish), but who beat me by 10 strokes, I can attest that distance isn't everything, lol.  While I personally wouldn't want to give up 30 yards, for most of the courses I play, hitting the middle of the fairway 240-250 out is going to lead to WAY better scores than hitting it 275 in the rough behind a tree.  I'm clearly in the "lesson" camp on this one, lol, as I tend to lose SO many strokes off the tee - one of the reasons I've had to work so hard at my chipping/putting over the past few years, as my driver woes seem to plague me week to week.  On the bright side, I've gotten shockingly good at punching out with a 5-iron/5-wood. That's a skill I wish I didn't have to have, though.

    Tell Us Your Best Golf Story

    in The Daily

    Posted

    On 4/15/2024 at 11:54 AM, pete1276 said:

    This is a good thread.  I like a good story.  Mine is rather simple, but it will remain one of my top golf memories of all time.  My wife and I took a trip to Scotland 6 years ago.  I somehow convinced her for us to stay a night in St. Andrews.  I didn't have a tee time, I really just wanted to see the property.  I knew about the standby line from research, and I was going to give it a shot, but I wasn't keeping my hopes up.  

    We got to St. Andrews on a Sunday and walked the property of the Old Course since it's closed on Sundays and is basically just a big park.  It was great seeing all the landmarks, where all the greats stood.  I got a picture on the Swilcan Bridge and Hell Bunker.  It was a good day.  

    My plan was to go to bed early and head out to see if I could get in the standby line around 4:00 AM, but I couldn't sleep that night.  I was still a little jet-lagged, so I decided to get up, get dressed, and take a walk down the standby line around 1:45 AM.  When I arrived, there was already one person waiting, I was a bit surprised that I wasn't the first that early in the morning, but I was still happy that I was only the second in line.

    It was a long night, and I spent time reading and trying to sneak in a nap here and there on the uncomfortable bench.  Meanwhile, people would show up from time to time.  The next person after me didn't show up until around 3:30, but it started to pick up after that.  Eventually, the doors opened at a little after 7:00 AM and the line had significantly grown.  I imagined there were about 40-50 people in line hoping to get to play the Old Course.  We were informed that there were currently only 2 guaranteed spots for the day and 2 projected spots.  I was really glad I had shown up early.  

    I gave them my name and GHIN card to prove I was worthy to play the course.  At the time, I was a 13 handicap, which was still well within their requirements, but I was still nervous that I could be turned away.  They gave me a 10:30 tee time and I had time to freshen up and grab breakfast with my wife before heading back to the course.  I got there to check in about 45 minutes prior to my tee time hoping to warm up, but I did not realize that the driving range was not close to where I was and was accessed by shuttle.  Not knowing how long it would take to get there and back, and not wanting to risk missing my tee time, I decided to stay around the first tee.  I was able to chip and putt before my group was called to the tee. 

    Everyone in my group hired their own caddie, my caddie's name was Christopher and we got along nicely.   I was nervous as could be when Christopher recommending that I hit my 5-wood of the first tee.  I took the club and favored the left side since OB loomed right.  Off we went and I started to get into the groove.  Christopher was an excellent greens reader and I didn't question his reads even when I read it differently.  This payed off early in the round on the second hole where I went with his read rather than my own and sunk an 8 foot birdie putt.  It was a dream start going par-birdie-par-par-birdie through 5 holes.  I had a few bumps on the front 9 but I still managed to hold it together for the most part. 

    The front nine was almost all downwind...then we turned into it.  The wind was blowing a constant 15 mph.  The only things we had working for us was there weren't a lot of gusts, it stayed relatively dry, it wasn't too cold, and the sun even peaked out from time to time.  

    The back nine was pretty uneventful, except for one par 5 on the back where my caddie handed me a three wood to hit into the green on my second shot and just told me to keep it low.  I struck it pure with a low draw.  It rolled up to the front corner of the green.  My caddie looked at me and said, "now that's a golf shot."  I had a hint of pride on that shot that carried me through the rest of the round.  The road hole was interesting, and I was able to keep the ball in play down the stretch. 

    I eventually made it onto the 18th green and had a 12 footer left to save par.  I noticed a small crowd watching around the green, and my wife was there filming my finishing hole as well.  I drained the putt and gave a fist pump.  I finished with a 78, which was my personal best at the time.  As a 13 handicap, I had never broken 80 before that day.

    I got to play one of the most iconic golf courses in the world and break 80 for the first time all at once.  It was a dream, and I was floating on air for the rest of the trip.  

    Even though it was a simple story, I didn't really realize how much there was to tell until I started writing.  If you managed to make it through, thank you for taking the time to read it.  I hope I was able to share a little joy with you from my favorite golf memory.

    Thanks so much for sharing - what an incredible story to have!  Thanks again! 

    L.A.B. Putters - 2023 Forum Review

    in Forum Testing Reviews

    Posted

    11 hours ago, Canadoc said:

    Just recently got a good deal on stock 2.1 in my specs.
    Wasn't ready to pull the cord on a super expensive putter. Figure I like the black and the stock sightlines.
    The length and lie that I fit into were stock. Truthfully don't feel I can spend a ton extra for a shaft.
    Figure most putts are going sub 8mph. So I think it is more a feel thing and I am fine with the stock feel.

    Was contemplating the DF3 but to get my 33 inch I would need custom and it felt lighter than the DF2.1.
    Truth is I actually like the spacy look of the 2.1 and while yes the DF3 is smaller since I don't mind the looks I figure might as go for the most forgiving one. Also was able to get it next day rather than 6 weeks later.

    I really liked the link as well but I had zero feel or control with the Mezz.1 Max couldn't align it and was short or long on every roll.

    So far basement practice has been great. Out performing my gamer from 8 feet easily.
    Still figuring out how to grip it lightly given the weight and swing it as smooth as possible. Thumbs nearly off and on sides and both palms almost facing the ball seemed best.

    Think for anybody in market who want max forgiveness the 2.1 is way to go. If you can't stomach the size then df3.
    If you need conventional mallet look Mezz and blade link.
    To me I might get a link as well and perhaps if an outlet in my specs comes up at good price. As I really loved look and feel bit I want max forgiveness.

    Sent from my SM-S918W using Tapatalk
     

    As a DF2.1 user, I'm SO pleased you went that way  🙂 Big is beautiful, baby! 

      A friend of mine has the Link, and I've only putted a few times with it, but I've never been a blade-type player, so the only real temptation for me was the Mezz - but given my (frankly) insane results with the 2.1 over the last nearly-two-years, there's not really been a pull anywhere else other than the 3.0, and honestly, that's just to have a shiny new thing (which, you know, is a HUGE draw, don't get me wrong).  

      My practical side says to just not mess with what's not broken (please forgive my butchering of that phrase), so for now, the 2.1 is proudly in the bag.  Someday when money's no object, I'm confident the 3.0 will find it's way to me and then I'll have a good old fashioned putt-off and probably keep the smaller, sleeker 3.0 no matter the results 🙂

      Welcome to the L.A.B. club!

    2024 Masters Pool Sponsored by Titleist and Vokey Wedges

    in Deals & Contests

    Posted

    @Golfspy_CG2 absolutely CRUSHING it with this Pool! Holy smokes!

      

    Cut Number:  +2

    Low Amateur: Matt Swanson.  (Wait. I see - "low am actually playing THIS year, and not on special "MGS Forum Staff Exemption in 2032"...my bad.)
                             Lamprecht.

     Fun side note: I'll be 53 in 2032. I'll be called the "Old Am". I'm writing the movie now. 

    L.A.B Golf Putters

    in Golf Clubs

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, RangerGrey said:

    I just bought my 1st LAB putter and I have not regretted it one bit. I came very close to pulling the trigger on the MEZZ MAX but so glad I wait as I'm already practicing my fist pump. It is now my go to putter for 2024

    IMG_1379.jpeg.6772606492bfeb9c116b097aedf72c64.jpegIMG_1380.jpeg.53e7ba9f2dc1f6b1521f6232f770a746.jpegIMG_1379.jpeg.6772606492bfeb9c116b097aedf72c64.jpeg

    I'm really, REALLY loving on that green.  Next time you get a chance, any way you could take some pictures of it on the actual green with a ball at address? I'm SO curious to see how well the white stands out against the green of the grass.  

    Congrats on the purchase, and welcome to the L.A.B. club!

    TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers - 2024 Forum Member Review

    in Forum Testing Reviews

    Posted

    12 minutes ago, Jeff in the Mitten said:

    Whelp!  I made the switch to Qi10!  I was honestly pretty happy with my Stealth Plus, however these Qi10 drivers just have another gear in speed off the face.  I gained almost 10 yards with pretty much identical CHS...so whatever TM figured out with this line got it right!

    HOWEVER...I wasn't in love with the "infinity crown" look and always loved the "framing" that the Stealth gave me at address.  Plus, I wasn't loving the bright TM logo on the Qi10 LS that I was gaming.  

    So here's one for the community...what do you think of the custom leading edge I added to my Qi10 LS???  I know some will hate it, and that's fine since I'm the one playing it.  I'm just curious what others think about the overall look.  Should the "players" version of drivers and fairways would come with a top logo or clean and simple?  That goes for ALL brands?  I love the clean "blank" look, but what do you think???

    IMG_9447.jpg.b588effdd61fdcbfaefcd6ac4cabc239.jpgIMG_9448.jpg.2fb455c9223aa6ef5dda62012f5d1dd2.jpg

    It's kind of fascinating just how much it actually changes the look.  I'm not sure I have a preference, but can you share how you did it? It's VERY cleanly done, however you did it.  Nice work.

    Show us your Maltby!!!

    in The 19th Hole

    Posted

    57 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

    I guess I might as well post this here too since there are diff readers on both forums. Sorry if it's a repeat for readers of both. 

    Confession time: so for the past couple of years I hadn't really given much thought or consideration to the Maltby Max milled wedges. Being somewhat of a "wedge snob" and having put a load of time into dialing a decent wedge game, these just appeared to be too "game improvementy" for my taste. Mind you I'd never seen one in person, let alone the picture like what I'm posting below. 

    So my dad on the other hand has a rather atrocious wedge game. Frightening really. He's mortified by the thought of even picking up a wedge. In most instances it's like giving a katana sword to a child. It just doesn't turn out well and people can get hurt. I figured I'd make him a more friendly playing wedge and the Max 54° 1.05" wide sole seemed like a decent idea for him. 

    I ordered it and built it. It's about 1" longer than standard to help him not have to bend over so much and allow to just brush the grass with his arms mostly straight. At first I was actually pretty shocked at how nice the profile is. Not an overly large head at all. He has a new TM Hi-toe and this is a MUCH better looking shape. Yes the sole is wide.. but not gimmicky infomercial magic club wide. It looks appropriate. The standout features are the sole milling, adjustable weights,and full-faced grooves. 

    We played 18 last week. I won't say much about whether or not this helped fix his wedge game.. but throughout the round I took a few shots from various lies, including some full 115 yd shots and WOW! This has to be the easiest, most precise wedge I have ever played. Distance control from various lengths to the hole was bonkers! I'll get into spin here in a minute. 

    Well all week I've been thinking about how much fun I had with those few shots and how much extra control and execution I seemed to have. Today we played one of our favorite courses. The Duke in Maricopa. It's really a fun course that demands a good short game. I made a point to use the Max 54° as much as I possibly could. Well the last round wasn't a fluke. This thing is just so darn easy to hit from all lies. I was even able to open up the face and pull off some nice high flop shots no problem. 

    The one thing that I just couldn't get over was how generous the spin seemed to be. TBH, it probably outperformed my TM MG3's. I'd say that spin might have been neck and neck, but the ability to put the ball exactly where I wanted it every single time and with full reliability have the ball skip once and then dead stop.. that was something! Another note is that I could do this from just off the green on tight or fluffy lies. 

    Well I had a chance to look at the wedge face in good sunlight. I was curious about how these things were putting so much spin on the ball. Well if anybody has any questions about Maltbys milling game.. here's what I discovered

    20240402_203955.jpg.84367b87a01caa6adae53fad4574a6b6.jpg

    Not only are there more regular grooves than most wedges, but they've got some nearly microscopic micro-grooves at a nice 45° angle. These are almost unnoticeable unless you look really closely. 

    I don't remember when I had so much fun with a wedge. Today after the round I immediately came home and ordered a 54 and 58°, both with the 1.05° sole and actually listed and sold my MG3's right away. Yes I'm that confident in how much these wedges will do for my game.

    Everybody knows about the bottom sole milling but it's just really tight!

    20240402_204023.jpg.7e2cc5a5df069f727e5306ab6c49f92c.jpg

    @Billy The Kid Rogers - you should read this post and let's discuss on Friday 🙂

    New Clubs

    in General Equipment Talk

    Posted

    Tons of options here, but my best suggestion would be to try a whole bunch of different places and see who gives you the best quote.  Most places (global golf, Callaway Pre Owned, 2nd Swing, etc. etc.) will give you a quote for free and then you can go with whoever gives you the best deal. 

    Also, since they're Cobra clubs, you might actually get a great deal directly from Cobra's website - I just recently traded in an older Cobra driver and a driving iron and got a better deal direct through them than I got other places.  While you won't be able to put that directly towards the Pings, they may cut you a check directly, in which case it's kinda/sorta the same thing 🙂

    As always, you could try the Ebay route (or FB Marketplace), but you'd end up having to pay some fees which could cut into your bottom line.

    Good luck, and let us know what you end up deciding!

    Show us your Maltby!!!

    in The 19th Hole

    Posted

    So, I've mentioned this before, but I'm building up a demo 6-iron for @Billy The Kid Rogers, so he can do a direct comparison against the P790s he was recently fit into. His prescription from TrueSpec was the P790, $Taper 120, oversize Winn Dri-Tac grips, at a cost of approx $300/club (including their upcharges). 

    This arrived today. 

    IMG_9056.jpegIMG_9057.jpegIMG_9058.jpeg

    Along with the Nippon 115s and Oversize Winn, and a little surprise from me for indulging my "please don't buy the P790s before trying these" insistence 😉 

    IMG_8934.jpeg

    Total cost of this build: right around $135 (he also got a Dallas Cowboy Super Stroke grip so that we can cut his putter down an inch and re-grip), which would be the most expensive club in the set should he take the Maltby plunge, as I also added some glass beads in case there were any issues (I'm a big believer in better safe than sorry) 🙂

    I'm a little stunned at just how good this thing looks. Just did a quick comparison against the TS3 6-iron I built up last summer, and 100% prefer the sightly thinner topline of the TS1. 

    Fingers crossed he's in love. I'll also have him hit the TS3 (with Score TT shaft tipped to R+), so he can have a fuller comparison. 

    Fun times!

    Haywood CB/MB Irons - 2024 Forum Review

    in Forum Testing Reviews

    Posted

    On 3/30/2024 at 12:30 PM, frazzman80 said:

    I really appreciate the responses here…

    The “misspelling” isn’t a deal breaker and at this point in my life is more of a joke that a slight.

    I was truly curious about the 7 iron, and given that they needed to be bent that makes total sense now. Glad it wasn’t a voodoo hex on the 7!!!

    Wait - isn't your name spelled "Cory"?  That's how it's spelled on the box - it's just a capital "R".  Sing the praises of Haywood - they got it right! 😉

    But from now on, I'm 100% calling you Koree.  You're welcome. 

    Virtual Reality Golf

    in Breaking News and Debate

    Posted

    1 hour ago, PrismFlopper said:

    We play randomly when i have  my friends over. Its pretty fun graphics have definitely improved slightly with each update. Only thing to remember is to keep it updated. Often i wont use it for months and end up having to wait an hour for it to update which can be a little annoying. We mostly use it during winter just entertain ourselves. Granted i havent bought the other courses, ive just use the ones that come with the game so i cant answer for those. I wouldnt buy it thinking your going to improve in your actual game but i have used it somewhat to get better with my fade vs draw. The mechanics of it can very slightly help with that aspect

    This is a great point and I'm going to go update it right now, as it's been far too long! 

    @GolfSpy MPR - 100% let's get a Walkabout game some night! I would love that - I actually played a random guy a while back and it was one of those "oh my god we're such nerds but this is embarrassingly fun" kinds of things, and we've played a couple times since. Lol. 

    And I gotta say, the way you just described the "third leg" syndrome, I wonder if I'm guilty of that as well.  I definitely find that days where I'm putting GREAT, my balance is easy. There are other days where I never feel comfortable and I'm wondering if I'm using the putter as a point of balance instead of my feet.  I'll have to look at that.

    My only gripe about the Walkabout is that I can't look down on my beloved Frying Pan DF 2.1 when playing 😉

    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    The Good Morning Thread

    in The 19th Hole

    Posted

    1 hour ago, StrokerAce said:

    cool video! drone and gimbal? do you use your phone or a DSLR?

    47 minutes ago, Cfhandyman said:

    Matt, @GolfSpy SAM fabulous video and well done. Do share the details of how you did it.  

     

    Thanks! The whole thing was shot using the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 that I got right at the end of last year (Merry Christmas to me).  The more I use it and get comfortable with it, the more incredible I find it to be.  It's an all-in-one camera system, using a 1" sensor (significantly larger than a typical cell phone) and a fixed 20mm lens.  I bought the "Creator Combo" which came bundled with a wide-angle (magnetic snap-on - unbelievably cool) lens as well, but I find that 20mm is plenty wide for 99% of everything I need.  The things I love about the set-up are many, but the 2" rotating screen is seriously amazing - it was BRIGHT outside when I shot this, and I was able to see it in essentially every scenario (and the one time I couldn't, i just raised my other hand over the screen to be able to help see and it was totally fine).  It connects wirelessly and quickly to my iPhone, which means I can control it via that if I wanted to put it on a tripod and do a demo or something.  It's a crazy cool piece of tech.

    The other reason I think it's particularly incredible is that you're able to capture footage (as I did in this one) in 10-bit D-Log M, which if you don't know, is effectively a very flat color profile that allows you to tweak all of your color/saturation/contrast settings later in your editing software.  So the original footage of this was all a little washed out (on purpose), and I dropped a LUT on top (that I downloaded from DJI's website, free of charge, mind you) and BAM all the colors totally popped.  It's shockingly easy to do - and as someone who'd used LUTs VERY sporadically up to this point, that's saying something.

    I bought a few extras to make it work better for my needs, including an extendable selfie-stick that has a tripod base, as well as a set of ND filters that I use whenever I'm outside to be able to control my shutter speed - this is all very nerdy talk for saying you can make this thing whatever you want it to be without having to spend thousands of dollars on DLSRs and gimbals.  In my (admittedly amateur) opinion, this thing does 99% of what a $3,000 set-up would do at a fraction of the price and size.

    Big fan, if you couldn't already tell 😉

    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    The Good Morning Thread

    in The 19th Hole

    Posted

    Morning all! My kids are DYING to pull any kind of "prank" on me and my wife, and thank god they're only 4 and 8, so I can see most of it coming 😉 Not a huge fand of pranks - though the main article on MGS HQ this morning was BRILLIANT.  https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/masters-gives-talor-gooch-special-invitation/

    Also, I made a little video of my kids and my brother and nephew at a place we love by us called Vasquez Rocks (truly incredible rock formations that look super other-worldly).  I'm trying to up my filming/editing game, and will be attempting to produce some more content like this (not as "sappy" as this, though 😉 - so don't worry, all you hardened men who never cry and say "grrr football" whenever anything sentimental happens 😉 ). 

    Give it a look if you have a few minutes (it's about 2:30, so won't take long)

     

    Golf Partner Cobra LTD woods (3 and 5) order

    in General Equipment Talk

    Posted

    That's amazing! I just got the 3/5 (in the blue colorway, which I LOVE), brand new with the Hzrdus Smoke Green, and I'm finding I LOVE the feel/hotness off the face.  I'm a little shocked at how easy they're turning over for me - so much so that I'm having to adjust grip a little bit in order to not have them snap left, but in doing that, I'm CRUSHING them, and loving the ball flight.  I've only had them a little over a week, so I'll be sure to follow along with your journey with them, too.  I'll also have to keep an eye on Golf Partner's offerings going forward - that's a CRAZY good deal.  I got mine through Cobra directly, and with a trade in I was able to get both for $150 (which is stupid, no matter how you look at it).  

    Good luck!


Create

Inbox

Home

Feed

Tests

Search
×
×
  • Create New...