2019 golfertrb WITB

[golfertrb]

First, a little bit of background:

I started in golf later in life ( I was 20 years old; I'm almost 48 now) but I had a strong aptitude for it and I was a scratch within about 13 months. I was living in Florida at the time and I really considered trying my hand in professional golf but I just wasn't good enough and part of what held me back was that I would trade clubs constantly; if it was new, I had to have it! After about 10 years of having some of the greatest clubs ever, I finally got fitted for a set of clubs and promised to stick with them and in the last 18 years, I've only had 3 sets of irons, the third being what's in my bag currently. My first set of irons were Ping and I have always have a strong affinity for the brand. It's funny because I have either played Ping irons of some sort or blades, which have always been on opposite ends of the playing spectrum but I digress. On December 18, 2014 I was in a pretty serious car accident that required me to have two back surgeries; a microdiscectomy and spinal fusion. I did pretty well after the first surgery; it didn't have that much of an impact on my golf game but the fusion was a totally different story. We typically take an annual family trip to Scottsdale and after a year hiatus we returned last year and as always I played some of my favorite courses. I was shocked at how much distance I had lost and how "hard" my clubs were to hit. At the time I was playing a set of forged Japanese blades and a Tour Issue SLDR 430. I told my wife I needed some lighter and friendlier clubs and so I returned to Ping  

What I ended up with is a mostly new bag with a few trusted clubs mixed in. Without further ado, here's a group shot and then I'll do individual clubs:

Putter: Odyssey Black Series Tour Designs 9

I have been through many, many putters through the years but when the Odyssey Black Series Tour Design 9 was introduced it was perfect. I have always liked heel shafted putters, I have a Strong Arc putting stroke and I have found putts breaking from left to right are easier for me to get on line with the #9 design. I did recently toy with the Stroke Lab 9 but I am sticking with old faithful. 35" 340 grams with Super Stroke Flatso 1.0

Driver: Ping G400 LST

I have played 4 sets of Ping irons through the years but this is my first metal wood from Ping. I played Ping Eye 2 and Ping Zing woods but this is my first foray into modern Ping drivers and my goodness - this driver is amazing. The SLDR was the longest driver I ever hit but overall the G400 is far superior. The specs for mine: 8.5 with Graphite Design DI 6 stiff at 45" D5. I also have an Oban Kiyoshi Tour Limited 60 04 that plays at 44.5 but I have always played really well with the Deep Impact. 

Fairway Wood: Taylormade RBZ Tour 3 Tour Proto

This club is an absolute beauty! Finding a 3 metal that works is an extremely difficult club to find and I have no desire to even look at anything else. This particular club is a Tour Only club Taylormade built based on the success of 07 Burner fairways. The story goes that there were staffers who preferred the size and shape of the 07 Burners but wanted the technology of the RBZ line. It's a fair amount smaller than the retail and tour RBZ and the size and shape are just perfect for me; it's listed at 14.5 but it's actually 15.3. It has a 85 gram Oban Kiyoshi Purple tipped 1.5" and plays at 42.5" D4. I absolutely trust this club - it's great from the deck and the tee and always inspires confidence.

Hybrid/Driving Iron: Ping G410 Crossover

This is the newest club in my bag and so far I absolutely love it. I have always liked long irons (back in the day I carried 1-Pw Mizuno MP 14 - I can still hit the 1 iron on a good day ) but the forgiveness of a hybrid is hard to pass up. I have always enjoyed Adams hybrids but last year I was looking for more of iron-type club to replace my old Adams Boxer. I tried the original Taylormade UDI but I didn't love it and I was very close to getting the p790 UDI but I wanted something a hair more forgiving. I couldn't stand the look of the G400 Crossover so I waited and I was so glad I did! When the G410 was introduced it was like the G400 Crossover and the p790 got together and the G410 Crossover was their love child . The G410 Crossover is a great blend of the workability of an iron with the friendliness of a hybrid. Mine is 40" long at 18* Blue Dot with a ProjectX Even Flow Blue 85 6.0 D4

Irons: Ping i500 4-PW

As soon as I saw these I was intrigued; the clean look, the lack of offset and when I hit them I was sold. I know people have talked about the lack of spin but I have had no problem working the ball and stopping on greens. The more I play them, the more I enjoy them. Mine are standard loft and length at Blue Dot with Modus Tour 105 stiff 4-9 D3, PW D5. My previous shafts were the Modus 130 which I played for the previous 5 years. There was a bit of a transition but the Modus feel is unprecedented and their commitment to correct specs is amazing.

Wedges: Ping Glide Stealth 2.0, Fourteen RM-12

Due to the stronger lofts of the i500, I needed a strong Gap wedge so I have the 50* bent 1 degree strong (49*) with the same Modus Tour105 shaft, 1/4" long Blue Dot D5.

The Fourteen's are just amazing - I need to replace them next year (these are my last heads) but I really don't want to. The 52* is bent to 53* 1* up, 1/4" long, the 58* is 1/2" long, 1 degree up and both have Dynamic Gold Black Onyx s400 and both are D7. 

Grips: WinnPro Wrap Midsize with 2 extra wraps RH

Bag/Rangefinder/Ball: 2018 Ping Hoofer and Bushnell TourV4 Slope Edition. I have played the Taylormade TP5x the last several years and towards the end of last year I played the Titleist AVX. Because of the MGS Ball study, I have tried the Snell MTB Black and X and the 2019 ProV1. The ProV1 is really great. I played ProV1/x from 2000-2007 and then went to Taylormade but the 2019 version is stellar. I shot 68 with it Thursday and I was fortunate enough to be chosen to review the Srixon z star the same day! I am really excited to try the Srixon as I have zero experience with them.

I guess that about does it - if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask and thanks for taking a look at what's in my bag!

 

Edited May 18, 2019 by golfertrb

[bens197]

Really great bag.

The LST is really a lethal weapon, I love mine. What led you pick the GD DI 6 over any of the other options for your driver?


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[golfertrb]

Thanks bens and good question. I was originally put in the Oban Tour Limited and I liked it but I have a long history with the DI. I had an R11s with DI7 and SLDR with DI7 so the last 8 years I have hit the DI so my comfort level is extremely high. I found the DI6 with a Ping tip for an extremely good price so I thought I would try it. My driving has markedly improved - I'm hitting more fairways and longer. I just really think the bend profile fits me and my confidence level with it is so high. 

[bens197]

Thanks bens and good question. I was originally put in the Oban Tour Limited and I liked it but I have a long history with the DI. I had an R11s with DI7 and SLDR with DI7 so the last 8 years I have hit the DI so my comfort level is extremely high. I found the DI6 with a Ping tip for an extremely good price so I thought I would try it. My driving has markedly improved - I'm hitting more fairways and longer. I just really think the bend profile fits me and my confidence level with it is so high. 

Makes good sense. I haven’t played a GD since their YS7 series. Play well with that great bag!

[golfertrb]

I thought I would update my WITB - I've made a few changes; some cosmetic, some substantive. I had a new headcover done by JuJu - she does really great work.

I replaced the 9 and Pw from the i500's with Blueprints.

Because of the Blueprint wedge, I was able to remove the 50* and put my 5 wood back in the bag. The 5 wood is the Adams 4555 with Matrix Ozik Altus 80 in Strong Flex.

I also included some pics of some of my putter covers.

[golfertrb]

I've also failed to mention the Orange Whip - it is extremely helpful in warming up my back. I have found it extremely helpful in getting loose, as well as, getting my sequencing in order. Well worth the money for me. 

[BIG STU]

Nice stuff sorta a combo of old and new with the Blueprint irons----- Will let you in on a little secret I do have and play from time to time a set of Eye2s with Apollo shafts bent up for me and a set of S-56 heads in the box. I did a trade deal for the 56s for the shafts. Like the vintage bag in the background too. 

[golfertrb]

16 hours ago, BIG STU said:

Nice stuff sorta a combo of old and new with the Blueprint irons----- Will let you in on a little secret I do have and play from time to time a set of Eye2s with Apollo shafts bent up for me and a set of S-56 heads in the box. I did a trade deal for the 56s for the shafts. Like the vintage bag in the background too. 

It's been years since I hit Apollo shafts - I recently just found out they still make them. I don't know if they are actually the same or just the same name but those shafts were always great. Specs were always on point. The vintage bag was my father-in-laws. He and I were as close as any father and son could ever be and I have kept it in a place of honor in my office. It's full of clubs I bought him in the early 90's - Original Big Bertha Driver and  War Bird Strong 3, Cleveland Tour Action 588P 2-PW, Cleveland Tour Action 485 56* and 60* and Acushnet Bulls Eye. Still a fantastic set of clubs I would play right now. I thought about doing a WITB for that bag too  

I want to put together vintage bag. I have Woods Bro's Driver and 3 wood that was made for me in the 90's and I would like to rebuild a set I had back in the day: Woods Bro's woods, Founders Club 200 Series or MP 14 irons, Titleist BF 56 wedge or Cleveland 588 wedges and Wilson 8813 putter. That would bring back a lot of memories - those were the clubs I used when I really started to learn to golf my ball. Brings back good memories. I've had so many great clubs through the years. One wedge I wish I had never got rid of - Beryllium copper Ping Eye2 L wedge. I bought it for 15 bucks and that clubs was money from the day I bought it. One quick story - I was playing at a little par 3 course with my father-in-law Jimmy 25 years ago. I don't remember the yardage but I was hitting my lob wedge and I hit it close - inside 6ft or so. Jimmy says "Well sure - of course you can hit it close with that fancy club" so I grab his 485 60* and proceed to hit it inside of my first ball to which he walks off the tee in silence until I hear "Smart aleck" 

I miss that man WAY more than I miss that wedge - and I still have the 485 so life is good.