5footslider107

I took a lesson for the first time ever about a month before COVID-19 hit and I was thrown all out of wack. I have never had any formal coaching and all my swing tips have either come from my dad or YouTube. Fortunately for me, I was still able to play in the single digits and manage a pretty good feel for the swing. My best part of my game will be my approach shots mainly because I don't get in my own head as much with these shots. The most frustrating (and highest expectation I have for myself) is my chipping. I always felt that a good chip will save any hole and for someone who has never played a round under par, these are the little victories I need to keep my head in the game. I also didn't put putting down, even though I just spent 45 minutes practicing, because if the ball doesn't go in, I could've been better! lol ***I need that PuttOut trainer ASAP!!!***

Have you thought about changing your ball for the weather/playing conditions?

I love playing the Srixon Z star series for the pure fact they play so well in the wind. I am a cheaper golfer typically and find myself playing in the afternoon where the winds play a bigger factor. One thing I have noticed (and it could just be me), is that they almost cut through the wind too well when I anticipated the ball flight changing. I totally agree with you on the spin/grab on the greens. One thing I've noticed is the covering tends to fade quickly and even if I don't hit it off the cart path or a tree branch, the cover seems to wear out quicker than other balls. Have you noticed this too?

The best thing that helped me was stabilizing my core/back and limiting the movement in my swing. If you've played enough golf you know what a good swing should feels like in your body and when you hit the sweet spot on your clubs. If you watch pro golfers they generally don't have much movement in their core and have outstanding balance. This way, when you have an issue, you can recognize/address the issue right away and get back to that nice swing with solid contact!

Is that an app you are using or how did you get that line on your photo?

YES! Exactly what I'm working on. Very difficult since I was on the lowest of those three planes.

When I first picked up this putter I knew it was the one (sound familiar). I'm guessing we've all had that "ah ha!" moment with a putter and if you haven't, you really need to get on it. I've been gaming this putter for about a year now and I cannot say better things about it. As a blade, it has the sleek design and all the ball alignment I would want. I generally will take multiple trips to the store and try out the same club or putter so I know when I buy it, it's the one I really want. I absolutely had to make sure I did it with this one because I could see it having so much potential. After testing it out a few times, the biggest takeaway I had was the balance. When I made my full stroke, I never felt like the putter was controlling me nor I was controlling it. There was harmony. I think in everyone's search for a putter, you should always try to find the one that gives you that same feeling. I also really liked the grip-to-putter weight distribution. In my experience, I noticed a well balanced putter, of any kind, is one I could roll. I also look for feedback from the club head. Although these Scotty Camerons have immaculate feel off of the club face, I actually felt like I lost a sense of where on the face I was hitting it. The feedback I received was more important to improving my stroke and consistency. I knew right away if I didn't hit it square but I also knew when I hit it well. This isn't to say the face felt clunky or hard at all. For example, I felt like Bettinardi putters had a hard face and the sweet spot was too small. With all these things combined, I found this putter worked for me. For the price (and it should have dropped as the seasons go on), I believe it was ~$170 (but it was a gift so idk), it was super reasonable. It felt like a very reasonable price for a very well built putter. Lets talk look. The sleek matte black design with a red face insert along with a white line on top all gave me butterflies. Barring you keep the head cover on, this putter has held up really well and it doesn't show much wear and tear. I have done some unforgivable things (forgive me Father for I have sinned) on the course with the putter but because of the black design, it has really held up. The copper tint is a classy look as well. So if you're lucky enough to have a golf course or shop open, I'd highly suggest giving it a try or at least take into consideration all the things I mentioned! Happy shopping!

Do you mean at point of contact or in general?

I've had those struggles and often still do. One thing I found helped me flatten my swing was to think about my hands' first motion to the floor after the top of my swing instead of the at the ball. It might be a commonality for most golfers but for me, it helped me get out of my baseball swing the fastest and flatten out my swing. I noticed an immediate increase in distance as well.

I was really pleased to see this kind of thread/topic listed on MGS because this is what I am truly passionate about! I hope everyone gets to keep updated on the conditions of courses before going to play one. I know I'd love to see someone's review of a course the day before I play it! Here is my first one and certainly the easiest I will do. We all know this home municipal course that we've slammed so many 7 irons into the fairway after a bad shot or felt like you could get your pro card after a round. Poplar Creek Golf Course: Centrally located in the San Francisco Bay Area region, this course is in San Mateo, CA and certainly get a ton of play all year round. This has had it's ups and downs for sure! Although, as I write this course we are caved in by the COVID-19, this is still the latest course I played and I know this place like the back of my hand (literally). I could go into so much more depth about this course but I will give you the short and sweet (which still won't be that short but hopefully still sweet). At face value this course is probably one of the highest quality municipal courses around! Golfers of all levels come out to play and it hosts many high school and middle school tournaments. It is the go-to place to get a casual round in on a Thursday afternoon or hack it around if you're just starting out! It is very flat and short but that makes it very easy to just walk-on (terrible joke). It is fairly reasonable to walk (~$35) and (in my opinion) taking a cart (~$47) puts it out of my price range for this course. Some of my friends refuse to walk and to them, I say no. Conditions: It definitely has it's ups and downs depending on the time of the year. Just after the winter (and rainy season here) the course is in it's best condition. It has gotten all the moisture it needs and the amount of play it gets is still minimal. The greens have a reputation for being, might I say, moody. I have had many puts that I was just about to walk in and they somehow took a right turn and missed the cup. I call these "Poplar Specials" as this doesn't tend to happen to me as often at other courses. Recently though, their greens have been really consistent and I'd have to say they were in the best shape they've ever been in. Maybe due to the rain and lack of play. As for tee box to green, I have to give them an average. Nothing special about them and if you hit it right, you'll always have a good lie. They don't have the "wow" factor that some fairways do. Many of their fairways dry out or the grass dies in some areas but they are definitely serviceable. There are many more things I could say about this course so if you have any questions or have played it before and want to give your thoughts, please shoot it in the comments or post one of your own! I look forward to hearing from everyone. Thanks!

Yea and on top of that my buddy's clubs *should* be with them. I'm thinking of pressing the issue and going to the facility I believe they're at and see what they can do for me, especially now that i've got the time!

And usually the first thing to fix is that slice! I have new issues now that I actually took a lesson with a real pro but that's a different story lol. I was a little reluctant to switch my grip/swing but I've been watching many of the tour guys and it looks similar. Fingers crossed!

So funny story. I will write about it more in depth in a different post in a little bit but my clubs are currently in purgatory and I don't have any pictures of them or remember the shaft I put in my 3 wood. Just before the COVID-19 virus really took shape, I was planning a golf/spring training trip to AZ. I had shipped my clubs on a Thursday and by Monday most everything had been shut down. I called to have my clubs shipped directly back to the golf shop I shipped them from. Between that time, the golf shop had shut down and they were no longer receiving packages. I wasn't able to get a tracking number as I had thought they would come back to me in time. I am assuming they are in some FedEx store somewhere but without a tracking number they won't give me any information on their whereabouts. Once I get them back I will certainly be sharing all the details!

Hello all, I am new to the forum but I have been thinking about blogging about golf related topics for a while now and I finally found a great place to do it! I love testing out different clubs and shafts to find my best personal fit. I used to work at a golf superstore in the San Francisco Bay Area and I have had some experience with fittings. I have been playing golf (full-time) for approximately three years and I have loved every second of it. As an ex-baseball player, the golf swing came with natural power but very little control. I have corrected that now and I got my handicap down to single digits. While working at the golf shop, I was able to carefully pick and choose what was in my bag. Right now these are the details. Driver: Srixon Z785 9.5° Hazardous Black Smoke X-stiff 3 Wood: Callaway Epic Flash 15° X-stiff Callaway Epic Pro 3-P KBS Tour Lite X-stiff Cleveland RTX-4 50°, 56° (bent to 55°), and 60° Taylormade Juno with Super Stroke Pistol GT 2.0 grip Feel free to throw any questions my way if you want to talk feel or performance! Thanks!