GambyGolfGuy
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Posts posted by GambyGolfGuy
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Prepping for a myrtle beach trip. First time going. 12 dudes end of August. For those that have been before, or are locals....
1. Am I really going to be regretting it with the weather? Or the bugs? What should I expect from the weather.
2. Mostly going to stay at the barefoot resort. Would love some feedback on it, but if you had to give a must play course or two in all of myrtle, what course should I be adding?
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using MyGolfSpy mobile app
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Thanks dude. I hadn't looked too much into the puttup option because of the significant price jump. I hope my review can be helpful for anyone considering the basic mat, but it looks like you can't go wrong.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using MyGolfSpy mobile app -
A little backstory
I'm ~12 handicap with MANY inconsistencies and weaknesses in my game. Starting last year I decided to really focus in on specific parts of my game for improvement. Last year was short chips and driver consistency.
This year's focus is driver consistency (last year's goal was not met - any tips would be helpful) and short putts. For putting this year, I set a specific goal: to meet or exceed the tour average from 5-6 feet (~75%). The Grint has me at 34.0 putts per round, and while I do not have the data to say how many of those putts were missed at 6 feet, I'll tell you it sure felt like a hell of a lot. I would estimate I make about 40-50% from that range, with zero confidence as I stand over them. This is classic "tester" range, and if you are like me, those failed tests then linger in your brain for the next few holes, which can end up costing you a few more shots. Conversely, banging one of those home is a great momentum builder for me.
So I purchased the BirdieBall mat a month ago, and have rolled at least 15-20 putts daily from about 6 feet. Now I have played a couple rounds. Here are some of the observations and results.
Physical Quality - 9/10
This thing legit feels like a green. One review I read somewhere (probably on MGS) compared it to flat pool noodle with a grained texture on top. I can't say it better. You step on it, and it slightly sinks for a minute, then returns to it's original quality. I feel like I'm actually on a green when I step on it (I will return to this thought in a second). The only thing I wish is that it was a bit heavier. But that's nitpicking.
This grain is quality...
Ground level view. Super flat, no wrinkling or creases...
Love that it will actually drop in the hole. Which brings me to a little mini-detour in my review...
Some additional thoughts (skip down if you want to get back to the actual review) - I read a really interesting book a month ago, which is guiding all of the practice I'm doing. It's Every Shot Must Have a Purpose by Pia Nillson. One of the main ideas of the book is to simulate real golf as much as possible when practicing. For example - don't hit your driver a bunch of times in a row at the range - you would never do that during an actual round of golf. Back to this putting mat - I bought it looking to simulate "real" putting as much as possible. When deciding on what to purchase, it was important to me to not want to look at lines down the putting mat when I'm putting. The Perfect Practice Mat that DJ endorses looks cool, but when I stand over the ball on a course I will not have 10 feet of lines on the green in front of me. Similarly, being able to stand on top of the mat allows me to zone out everything outside the mat. I am in it. Which is why I selected 4 feet wide, even though birdieball does offer more narrow options. End detour rant.
Performance Quality - 9/10
Simply put - the thing rolls straight. I'm pretty certain that I have some imperfections in my basement floor, and I still can't get it to roll anywhere except straight. Terrific performance is all I can say.
Two tiny notes: The speed is mostly good, but I would say just a touch too quick. I ordered the middle tier option (10-11 stimpmeter) and it feels quick. Supposedly one side is with grain and one is against grain. I don't notice much of a difference. Two: The mat is a total of 8'. So expect to hit 5-6' putts. The hole is about a foot from the edge. I somewhat wish I had gone a little longer, but that's obviously no fault of Birdieball.
Impact on the Course (so far) - 10/10
Obviously this is going to depend on the individual, but through two rounds the putting mat has adjusted my mentality and consistency, which has helped my performance. I can drop myself mentally onto the mat when I'm standing over a putt within 6 feet. And I know the straight puts at home will translate to the course. As a practice tool I think that is as good as you can ask for.
But I will also add: The opportunity to practice putting daily is a huge change to my golf routine. Prior to purchasing this, my practice consisted of going out 15-30 minutes before the round and rolling a few. Then I stand on the green with unfamiliarity and uncertainty from my grip, to my rhythm, to where I'm aiming, etc. etc. Being able to hit putts frequently has allowed me to test out a variety of grips. Figure out a rhythm. Develop consistency. I am so much more comfortable over putts at the moment. Over the last two rounds I have made 7 out of 11 from the roughly 5-6' range. 63%. Baby steps.
Overall - 28/30
Thanks for reading. As you can tell - I highly recommend. A huge help if this is a weakness in your game, like it is in mine. I'm going to continue to track putts in the 5-6 foot range. Will report back.
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I'd like to provide a follow up to my initial (mostly negative) post on the arccos system.
Since my initial post I have played 5 more rounds with the system. I decided to take a very hands-off approach to the system based on the recommendation in this thread and have been mostly pleased with the results. Here are some strategies and observations:
- at the start of each round I turned on the system and put my phone in my pocket. I then did not open the system until the end of the round.
- the putts were of course a hopeless mess. Not worth further comment. Still terrible. But that was a given.
- on average 3-4 shots per round were not picked up. I was able to take about 5-10 minutes after the round or later that night to easily update this based on memory. Not perfect but also much better than trying to pay attention to it on the course. I was surprised how much better the sensors worked since the first two rounds.
- prior to getting the arccos my golf app of choice is the grint. So I went back to doing what I was doing - using the grint gps and scoring system. I was pleasantly surprised that running both the grint and arccos simultaneously did not significantly drain the phone battery more than just running arccos.
- the post round arccos data is really helpful and impressive. I am honing in on my on course club distances and feeling more confident as I strategize.
- I looked over the caddy features that kick in after 90 holes played and I love the course preview feature even if some recommendations look a little strange. Haven't yet played a round with using this feature to strategize, but I can't wait to do so.
In sum- would I recommend someone pay $150 for the system and then $100 subscription fee? That answer is probably still no, but maybe because I'm a cheap-o. But since the arccos was free with the cobra connect I'm feeling like I might pay the subscription fee to keep going with it for a year longer. Luckily have two more months to decide on the free trial.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using MyGolfSpy mobile app- GregGarner and MaxEntropy
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I like some of the suggestions here. I am going to take a very hands off approach the next couple rounds and just let it run. Will check at the end of the round how it turns out without worrying about it.
Maybe it's the phone. I have a google pixel 2, but read all the tips and made sure I was following the steps for recognition. Not sure how some users can go hundreds of rounds with only a handful of issues. I genuinely hope it is something I'm doing wrong and I can figure out a solution.
Thanks for this feedback. Going to play a couple times within the next week. Will update how it goes.
- MaxEntropy and HeathS16
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- Popular Post
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I thought I would weigh in with an unofficial review on my recent Arccos experience over the last two weeks. A little backstory: I purchased an F9 driver and Arccos sent the completed set of sensors for the three month trial a couple weeks ago. Since then, I have played two rounds so far (actually 1.5 rounds, as I'll explain in a moment). I fully realize everyone's experience is different, but If you have any interest in the system -- and especially if you are considering buying the sensors and not getting them for free through cobra connect -- I would recommend you buckle your seatbelt for a bumpy Arccos experience breakdown.
Pros:
- The data feedback after the round was kind of cool. Even after a single round there were a couple nice insights.
- I also like the feature of breaking down individual components of the game for separate handicaps.
Cons:
- Upon reflection, I have never felt so disengaged from the actual sport of golf as these past two rounds. And full disclosure: I truly love golf data and analysis and all that. What I didn't love was that as I played I couldn't help but feel that fun was being sucked out of the sport. I can't really say it was because I was confused or getting used to it. I watched and read up on the system, as I was excited to use it. Watched all the tutorials. Researched what to do. But it simply became a chore throughout the round to maintain the system. I realize this may just be a personal thing, but it truly had me questioning why I was playing golf this way.
- The killer flaw: the recognition of the sensors was absolutely horrendous and so damn frustrating. Did I get a bad batch of sensors or something? I was making sure to check the system constantly because almost every hole, and definitely every other hole, something had not been recognized. I was following all the tips: practice swing, etc., etc. Still too often nothing registering. And then it started sitting in the back of my mind: an underlying kind of mistrust in what was going on. And every time a shot was not picked up I just became angry. Now, instead of thinking about my next shot, I'm rushing around and annoyed as I'm trying to click to diagnose if a shot registered, or if I need to click around in the app to fix things.
- When a shot is not picked up by the sensor, zooming in to properly place a marker where an unrecognized shot was brutal, especially if I had already started moving to the next shot. Again, I know to each his own - but I felt like a fool immediately checking my phone after every single shot, squinting at the screen, then vigorously dragging and clicking buttons.
- BY FAR the worst part of the system is the putting setup. Simply useless. Back to the drawing board with this Arccos. When you get to the green you have to designate where the pin is and then drag it with your finger. Or walk to the stick and tap your phone while at the stick. Literally stand next to the pin with your phone open and out tapping away. Crazy. I ended up just inputting the number of putts after the hole. I'm still not exactly sure what it was doing there.
That's about enough I guess. In sum - it was midway through the second round, when I was on the 5th or 6th straight hole where something hadn't registered that I said enough is enough. Finished the round on the trusty Grint app. As I reflect right now, I find I'm actually kind of insulted by Arccos. They bill themselves as THE premium product in this space. $150 to buy the set on amazon if you don't get the free set with a driver. Then the kicker: $100 subscription a year. The product is simply nowhere near any sort of premium quality in my opinion.
I have heard some mixed things in the forums (which I actually really appreciate because it kept me from purchasing the standalone Arccos system earlier). Will probably give it one or two more rounds, and if things improve I'll be the first to be back on here telling about it. I'd love to hear if anyone has any special tips or tricks. I would also absolutely take any recommendations for similar products that have helped you track your game with data.
- Zen Snake, Kansas King, MaxEntropy and 7 others
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this is some great feedback. unfortunately at this time it looks like the pxg fitting location near me isn't doing any fittings in person. i just don't feel comfortable doing it through a questionnaire.
fittings are really tough to find/schedule right now in nj. my driver search is honing in on 3 clubs: the cobra king f9 speedback, pxg 0811 gen2, and ping g410 plus. With the cobra prices creeping down to the low $200s online I'm very tempted to just pull the trigger on it. seen and heard nothing but raves.
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So I'm seeing the PXG 0811 Gen 2 Driver available on their site for $295 (marked down from $595) until June 1st. I'm anxious to purchase a new driver and planned on testing out a different models (Ping, Cobra, etc., in the sub $400 price range) and getting fitted at my local range once it opens back up. But here's my thought at the moment:
If I go and get the fitting for the PXG and that is then included in the purchase price at $295 am I fool to be looking elsewhere. This seems like a spectacular deal for their most current driver and their fitting process on top of that. My questions for the forum are:
- PXG owners out there, how happy are you with the 0811? Was the fitting experience good?
- Are there better clubs on the market at this $300 range when including a fitting cost on top of that? I know lots of places don't include this in the purchase price.
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Hi team, I absent-mindedly clicked on this "ad" that appeared on the forum site today. See front and center in the picture below. The ad made me think I had been signed out and just needed to get back in. Just wanted to give you a heads-up. Luckily I quickly realized my error. But I hate predatory ads like this, and can absolutely see some scammers being able to take advantage of people if someone put in their username and password after clicking.
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On 4/1/2019 at 11:03 PM, gboo2004 said:
I'll do one better. All you need is an old phone and 3 free apps from the google play store.
Apps required
1. Screen Draw Screenshot Pro. This is for drawing lines
2. Wifi-Display (miracast) sink. This is installed on the phone receiving the video
3. Open camera. This camera app allows me to view the full screen.
Phone 1: taking the video
Phone 2: Receiving the video
Once installed.....
What to do next
- start the screen draw app on phone 2. disable the pencil. it will allow you to navigate around your phone.
- Still on phone 2. start up the wifi display app.
- On phone 1 share your screen to phone 2. I have a samsung so i use smart view. or you can download miracast
- enable the pencil on phone 2 to start drawing lines.
This is an android solution. Enjoy.
this is really cool. will give it a shot. thanks for sharing.
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3 hours ago, jlukes said:
Doesn't the net return cost about 4x as much as the rukket. $150 vs $550 is a substantial difference
it better be the best on the market for that price. seems really high.
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using the MGS reviews they put up yesterday, researched a couple of the options like the amazon basics net. many sold out. looking at some of these that have been suggested though.
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5 minutes ago, Lacassem said:
Agreed it’s been tough not playing yet but has allowed me to really analyze and try to correct issues as well as set realistic goals
And if the courses aren't re-opened by summer I'm setting a new goal of building a simulator. Hope it doesn't get to that point.
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Decide on a perfect driver upgrade then break 80! With all the course closed around here it's been an opportunity for stronger goal setting and analysis.
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gregb thanks for these updates, i'm interested in the PXG with the discounts I have seen lately on their site. you have a lot of good info here, and it seems like it is performing well.
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This is perfect thread for being stuck indoors every day.
This past weekend my newspaper ran the Associated Press selections for top 25 sports movies of all time. They polled 70 sports writers. One golf movie: Caddyshack at #4 overall. Actually thought that was high when considering every sports movie, but I would probably have it in my personal top 5.
I think Caddyshack, Happy Gilmore, and Tin Cup are the holy trinity of golf flicks. Haven't seen The Greatest Game Ever Played. Will give that a look based on these suggestions.
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This is only kind of related but I also think we are extremely close to taking a lot of these things onto the VR headsets coming out.
If you have had a chance to put on a VR headset like the oculus its impossible (for me at least) to not think about the incredible golf VR possibilities. That technology is far less than $1000. Just need one piece of decent golf software to come out for it.
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15 hours ago, pozzit said:
Well there are a host of options depending on what your really looking for. If you want to play courses or just get numbers that can make a big difference. MGS did a budget Launch Monitor test https://mygolfspy.com/the-best-personal-launch-monitor-2019/
So do some research in these but if your looking for playing courses your main options are: R-Motion or Optishot which have less then reliable numbers but your get courses (I have used both they are fun and can help give you a ball park but not the most accurate)
If your just looking for numbers there's more options (most covered in MGS Article): VoiceCaddy products, Rapsodo, Mevo, Garmin G80, PRGR, and some have tested a Free mobile app Shot Vision.
If you have an expectation that this will not be a GCQuad or Trackman, and you remember you are likely paying under $500, you should enjoy.
Good luck finding what is best.
Using MyGolfSpy mobile app
I'm most intrigued by the app possibilities like shot vision. These other $500 trackers feel really overpriced at the moment, but would expect them to come down in the next couple years, kind of like how GPS was when it first came out. Next thing you know it was on every phone.
Feels like our phones already have these capabilities, just need to the right app to come out.
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Thanks for sharing. Hoping Cleveland doesn't flood my inbox, but it would be worth it for some wedges!
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9 hours ago, Hotdocta said:
I think the best deal going right now is pxg gen2 0811x or xf. 295.00 ordered straight from pxg. Brand new.
i gamed the x all last year and it was phenomenal. The club ho in me made me change, nothing to do with performance
Wow, this is great info. I just checked their site and they have knocked close to $300 off their drivers (which makes me think maybe GEN3 are coming soon and they are moving inventory).
Has anyone else played their drivers or went for a fitting with them? Normally these clubs would never be considered in a discussion of drivers under $300.
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This discussion is exactly what I joined the forums for.
Times have changed. When I bought my first real driver a decade ago the only knowledge I was working with was this commercial and maybe a paid for golf digest review. I mean who says no to "the power of a Lamborghini in their golf bag."
Just walked up to the rack and said I'll take that one. It has worked ok in my bag all those years, but I think I'll give this next one a little more intelligent consideration.
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Hi everyone, I'm very excited to join the community. I've been reading the site religiously since an article appeared on ESPN last year. I immediately loved what the site's mission is: calling out the bought and paid for "hot list" garbage where everyone gets a medal. I'm addicted to the data driven articles and suggestions on this site.
I'm from Central Jersey, have been a 12 handicapper for about 6 years and I'm determined to get better by putting some real thought into my equipment and game.
My username is taken from the laid back course in Central Jersey where I fell in love with the game playing with my buddies post college: Gambler Ridge.
Looking forward to engaging in this community!
Myrtle Beach in August
in Golf Courses & Travel
Posted
Appreciate all the info. Going to look into caledonia.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using MyGolfSpy mobile app