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Purchases that have made a difference


Plumbob

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Hi All, I have bought and sold and given away many purchases over the years, each time when buying thinking that I would take my game to the next level but in fact I found that they really didn’t make any difference to my game scoring. That is until recently where I put in my bag two new clubs. A Sirxon ZX 3wood and Ping G425 #3 Hybrid. Omg these two clubs have turned my game around. Not being a long hitter, with a tendency to pull these clubs using Cobra’s, Titliest and Muzino 3 woods and hybrids, I am hitting them longer and straighter, hitting more greens or at least close enough to get up and down. And doing it with ease. 

I cannot say how pleased I am to have these in my bag. What’s worked for you…

 

Where golf is a way of life, and work but a distraction.

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My biggest purchase has been my laser rangefinder.  Aside from the obvious assistance, it's also helped illustrate my inability to gauge distance by eye.  😉

In terms of clubs, mine have been what many would call counter-intuitive.  Buying a Louisville Smart Driver 20 years ago was my gateway to persimmons, and it was those persimmons that improved my tee game from OMG to merely not good.

My first set of Golden Rams would be not far behind  😁

Edited by NRJyzr

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35"
Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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1 minute ago, Riverboat said:

Spot on with the laser rangefinder. I can't say it makes a gigantic difference to me to know that it's 195 instead of 205, but 45 or 55 are two completely different swings, but of which I'm pretty good at. I get up and down far more often from 85 yards and in than I ever did in my whole life since the rangefinder came around. 

I have a friend who couldn't understand why I'd pull out the rangefinder in that 40 to 70 yard range.  Why didn't I just estimate it by eye?

Had to demonstrate how incapable I am at distinguishing between 45 and 55, or even 60.  

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35"
Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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2 minutes ago, Riverboat said:

Mine wouldn't believe it really made a difference, since you are just trying to "feel" those distances anyway, so I hit 3 or 4 balls 45 yards, then 3 or 4 more 55, and told them they need to go practice yardage control with their wedges. They got very quiet. 

I love it when "feel" is brought up as a counter.  It's essentially a euphemism for estimating distance, and the adjustments one needs to make for conditions present.

We're doing the same thing, except replacing estimation of distance with concrete data, because we're not good at that estimation.

Can I sound any more left-brain?  LOL

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35"
Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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On 11/29/2021 at 8:17 PM, Riverboat said:

I've always struggled a bit with straight driving. Distance was always reasonably good, but hitting fairways was always an issue, especially when family and career cut down on practice and playing time.  The Wilson Triton driver changed that. I hit it about the same distance as it's taylormade predecessor, but the forgiveness is comparatively off the charts. Recently testing it against a number of new models has shown a maximum distance pick up of just 3 yards with much worse dispersion with all the new models. It's already been in the bag longer than any other driver I've owned and doesn't look to be going anywhere anytime soon. After being in the low double digit handicap range through my 40s, this driver helped me get back to a 6. Not where I was in my younger years, but I'm older and much shorter than I was back then.  This is way more fun than 4 or 5 punch outs per round. 

Very interesting……let us know how your Triton is set up.  What sole plate, what weights and what lie position.  Also, what shaft are you using?

Driver: image.png.6ba1c8a254ad57aa05e527b74c2e04ba.png0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft

Fairways:  image.png.80321f01fc46450b6f428c7daf7b3471.png0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB  regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft

Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

IronsTitleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour

Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm).

Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or  ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707,   or Nike Method Core Drone  w/Evnroll Gravity Grip

Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). 

Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel

Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder

 

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The biggest game changer was going to my Vokey 58/4. I've been through a couple, but it's been in my bag for 12ish years. I was told I needed high bounce wedges, so I bought Cleveland's, buy did they not work. The next year I went out and bought the lowest bounce wedge on the market. Though Vokey no longer offers this grind/bounce in the 58 in the SM8. So I don't know what I'm going to do next time I need a new one.

Also getting fitted for my driver was a huge boost. I figure it'll be time to get a new one after this season so I'll be going back to the same place.

I caddied so I have a pretty good eye for yardages and stepping off distances. But I will second the rangefinder. It's so easy to just shoot and know, confidence is king.

Take Dead Aim

Driver: PXG 0211 10.5* 

Fairway: Titleist 917 F3 15*

Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro Boxer Gold 18*

Irons: MacGregor MT-86 Pro

Wedges: Vokey 50/54/58

Putter: SeeMore X2 Costa del Mar

Ball: Srixon Z-Star

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I finally found a putter that I expect to keep in the bag. That and fairway woods are the hardest for me to find acceptable results with. Like others have said, the range finder is a big plus. I also use a Bushnell Phantom in conjunction with the hand held when I have a shot where the flag is blocked by hills, trees or whatever. It doesn’t give me exact yardage but at least a general idea within a few yards. 

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My best purchase over the last few years was the Titleist TS1 (Now TSi1) driver with the Fubuki AV 45 gram senior shaft. At 77 I have lost WAY too much distance. An control was becoming an issue. I have regained control and beginning to regain distance.  So much improvement that two other golfers have bought the same driver!

Edited by Slowstriker
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13 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

I love it when "feel" is brought up as a counter.  It's essentially a euphemism for estimating distance, and the adjustments one needs to make for conditions present.

We're doing the same thing, except replacing estimation of distance with concrete data, because we're not good at that estimation.

 

... You can use both of course. One of the jobs of a good course designer is tricking the eye and brain into thinking it sees something that isn't there. Swells, dips, tiers and several other visual cues can trick you into thinking a distance is shorter/longer than it actually is, especially on an unfamiliar course. Range finders take those illusions out of play if you trust your yardage. Initially I only used mine for unfamiliar courses in that short 40-70 yd range but after getting used to knowing the exact distance I started using it for every shot over 40 yds. I still play by feel after finding the correct yardage but knowing it is 60yds with a dip in front that makes it look like 40yds I can just feel like I am hitting my pitch a little past the hole to make up for the visual illusion. 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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Easily the best purchase was made last season, a SIM2 3 wood with a Ventus Blue with velocore.  In 34 years of playing, I have never had a fairway wood I've been this confident with.  I love hitting bombs with my driver but I could easily shelf that club and play every round with this 3 wood.  Life changing.

  • Titleist TSi3 Fujikura Speeder NX Blue 60X
  • TaylorMade SIM2 3 wood Fujilkura Ventus Blue 7-X
  • Titleist U505 2 Tensei 1K Black 85 X
  • Titleist T100 4-P Nippon Modus 3 120X
  • PING S159 50-S 55-H 59-T DG X100
  • Vokey SM8 50, SM9 54 & 60  Nippon Modus 3 120s
  • L.A.B. MEZZ Max Broom Accra 47" 79.5*
  • Srixon Z-Star XV 

Currently testing the 2024 PING S159 wedges…

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63483-testers-announced-ping-s159-wedges/

Was testing, still loving the 2023 Titleist T100 Irons 4-P

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/60456-titleist-t-series-irons-2023-forum-review/

 

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3 minutes ago, bens197 said:

Easily the best purchase was made last season, a SIM2 3 wood with a Ventus Blue with velocore.  In 34 years of playing, I have never had a fairway wood I've been this confident with.  I love hitting bombs with my driver but I could easily shelf that club and play every round with this 3 wood.  Life changing.

 

... Sweet! As usual, I could not agree more. The TM woods are game changers if you have the right shaft. The Tensei Raw Blue work well for me but I have never hit a Ventus Velo with the right flex as a R-flex is tough to find in demo carts. I hope to get to a fitter soon and try the Velo Blue and Red to see if and how much it might be an improvement over what I am playing. That includes both of those in a driver where nothing has beat out my Diamana LTD but you don't know unless you keep trying! 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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3 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Sweet! As usual, I could not agree more. The TM woods are game changers if you have the right shaft. The Tensei Raw Blue work well for me but I have never hit a Ventus Velo with the right flex as a R-flex is tough to find in demo carts. I hope to get to a fitter soon and try the Velo Blue and Red to see if and how much it might be an improvement over what I am playing. That includes both of those in a driver where nothing has beat out my Diamana LTD but you don't know unless you keep trying! 

They really are Sam.  It'll be interesting to see how well it works with the TP5X next season instead of the 5.

  • Titleist TSi3 Fujikura Speeder NX Blue 60X
  • TaylorMade SIM2 3 wood Fujilkura Ventus Blue 7-X
  • Titleist U505 2 Tensei 1K Black 85 X
  • Titleist T100 4-P Nippon Modus 3 120X
  • PING S159 50-S 55-H 59-T DG X100
  • Vokey SM8 50, SM9 54 & 60  Nippon Modus 3 120s
  • L.A.B. MEZZ Max Broom Accra 47" 79.5*
  • Srixon Z-Star XV 

Currently testing the 2024 PING S159 wedges…

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63483-testers-announced-ping-s159-wedges/

Was testing, still loving the 2023 Titleist T100 Irons 4-P

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/60456-titleist-t-series-irons-2023-forum-review/

 

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I have two.  

My fitted Ping Sigma G Doon counter-balanced putter turned me from a crappy putter into a respectable putter.  Yeah, I could be better, but that would take more practice... not a different putter.

Every video put out by Monte Scheinblum... fixed a lot of my swing issues over the last few years, foremost being nearly eliminating the sh@nk.  For relatively inexpensive investment especially during his sales, they are golden information.  I am constantly re-watching them for reinforcement.  

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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Too any list, at obvious expense.

100% agree with Range finder!

But for me was switching from Cavity Black's to Players clubs primarily with narrower soles with less bounce, transformed my iron game, had same experience as one the other guys with a low bounce wedge, went to a Clevelnd 58.06° X-low Bounce. Seems I have  a -3.5 AoA with my ⁰irons so the turf interaction was poor with Wide Sole Cavities as I wasn't able to take a clean divot  totally opposite to what I was told several times in that past, or convention leads you to believe... Doesn't always follow the game improvement irons do actually 'improve your game' on that note, I would also add Trackman as it revealed swing characteristics that only the best fitters and instructors would have picked up on?

 

"They called it golf because all of the other four letter words were used" Raymond Floyd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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11 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... You can use both of course. One of the jobs of a good course designer is tricking the eye and brain into thinking it sees something that isn't there. Swells, dips, tiers and several other visual cues can trick you into thinking a distance is shorter/longer than it actually is, especially on an unfamiliar course. Range finders take those illusions out of play if you trust your yardage. Initially I only used mine for unfamiliar courses in that short 40-70 yd range but after getting used to knowing the exact distance I started using it for every shot over 40 yds. I still play by feel after finding the correct yardage but knowing it is 60yds with a dip in front that makes it look like 40yds I can just feel like I am hitting my pitch a little past the hole to make up for the visual illusion. 

Sounds very similar.  🤔😉

I like to know the distance to pin, but I'm always trying to account for the little things you're mentioning.  Short par 4 at our course, fairway is a couple feet above green, <10 short it dips down, then slopes upward through the back of green.  I play that differently than the par 4 two holes later which is gradually uphill, and has a two tier green.

Went so far as to look at Google Earth to see how large the greens are, on my usual course, try to keep that in my back pocket. 

Then there's weather...

Maybe it's a left brain thing, but I see it all as data gathering for making as informed a decision as possible.  (Just throwing all this out there for general consumption, not so much a directed response)

Added amusing irony... those various "tests" and surveys that attempt to classify left vs right brain tend to show me closer to 50/50 than I would think.  Of course, they're completely accurate and meaningful, because I've seen them on the internet...

Completely unrelated... saw you on TV again recently, in the random few seconds Dark Knight was on screen.  Smiled at the WTF vibe you were putting out.  😉 😁

Edited by NRJyzr

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35"
Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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I forgot to mention my push cart, being a former caddy ( and still younger) I resisted for too long. Getting that bag of my back I feel so much better. Huge difference in my energy at the end of the round and when I get home to play with the little one.

Take Dead Aim

Driver: PXG 0211 10.5* 

Fairway: Titleist 917 F3 15*

Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro Boxer Gold 18*

Irons: MacGregor MT-86 Pro

Wedges: Vokey 50/54/58

Putter: SeeMore X2 Costa del Mar

Ball: Srixon Z-Star

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11 hours ago, bens197 said:

Easily the best purchase was made last season, a SIM2 3 wood with a Ventus Blue with velocore.  In 34 years of playing, I have never had a fairway wood I've been this confident with.  I love hitting bombs with my driver but I could easily shelf that club and play every round with this 3 wood.  Life changing.

 

10 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Sweet! As usual, I could not agree more. The TM woods are game changers if you have the right shaft. The Tensei Raw Blue work well for me but I have never hit a Ventus Velo with the right flex as a R-flex is tough to find in demo carts. I hope to get to a fitter soon and try the Velo Blue and Red to see if and how much it might be an improvement over what I am playing. That includes both of those in a driver where nothing has beat out my Diamana LTD but you don't know unless you keep trying! 

 

Been noticing the buzz about these, it's making me have thoughts.  LOL

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35"
Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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On 12/3/2021 at 8:01 AM, NRJyzr said:

My biggest purchase has been my laser rangefinder.  Aside from the obvious assistance, it's also helped illustrate my inability to gauge distance by eye.  😉

+10, like others on this thread. I thought GPS was good enough, and it is mostly but I’ve been on several courses with some GPS approach distances off by 10-20 yards - and not due to pin position. So happens #1 on my current home course is off by 20 yards, learned that the hard way relying on GPS when we moved to this area a couple years ago. A few GPS files are wrong.

I’m another person who also can’t accurately judge by eye. I confirm that every time I play with laser rangefinder yardages that aren’t what I would have guessed. Find myself several times a round thinking ‘it looks longer/shorter than that’ but the laser is right. My laser rangefinder has saved me a couple strokes per round on average, not sure any other golf purchase has…

  • Titleist TSR2 11° HZRDUS Red CB 50 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Titleist TSR2 16.5º HZRDUS Red 60 CB 6.0 & TSR2 21º HZRDUS Black 4G 70 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Mizuno JPX923 HMP 4-GW, T22 54.12WS, T22 58.04DC w Lamkin ST+2 Hybrid Midsize
  • Evnroll EV5.3
  • Maxfli Tour & ProV1
  • Ping Pioneer - MGI Zip Navigator AT
  • Payntr X 002 LE, Ecco Biom C4, FJ DryJoys
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I would definitely agree that the rangfinder is more accurate than GPS.

I also find it infinitely more inconvenient and slower to use, however.

If I had to club myself with a rangefinder from shot to shot, the game would become tedious to me.

 

Consequently, for my purposes, GPS is accurate enough.  For those with a deeper level of commitment, perhaps,

I can see where it might not be.

 

Louisville Golf Persimmon___2, 4, 5, 7-woods;    Epon AF-906___driving iron;   Titleist T100 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-irons; 

Titleist T100S___48°;     Edison 2.0___53º;     Titleist SM-9 (T)___58º;   Tad Moore Otto Hackbarth___putter;   

Titleist Pro V1x___ball

 

 

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1 hour ago, NRJyzr said:

 

 

Been noticing the buzz about these, it's making me have thoughts.  LOL

Explore those thoughts...embrace it.  I cannot say enough good things about this club as well as the shaft / head combo.

  • Titleist TSi3 Fujikura Speeder NX Blue 60X
  • TaylorMade SIM2 3 wood Fujilkura Ventus Blue 7-X
  • Titleist U505 2 Tensei 1K Black 85 X
  • Titleist T100 4-P Nippon Modus 3 120X
  • PING S159 50-S 55-H 59-T DG X100
  • Vokey SM8 50, SM9 54 & 60  Nippon Modus 3 120s
  • L.A.B. MEZZ Max Broom Accra 47" 79.5*
  • Srixon Z-Star XV 

Currently testing the 2024 PING S159 wedges…

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63483-testers-announced-ping-s159-wedges/

Was testing, still loving the 2023 Titleist T100 Irons 4-P

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/60456-titleist-t-series-irons-2023-forum-review/

 

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There is no doubt that the Edel SMS wedges have been a game changer for me this season. The 54* has been magical on various approach shots, and the consistency of them across the board has been amazing. I have some confidence back now in my wedge game that I didn’t have the last few years. I still need to do more work, but these clubs have made the biggest difference for my game this year.

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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5 hours ago, BostonSal said:

I would definitely agree that the rangfinder is more accurate than GPS.

I also find it infinitely more inconvenient and slower to use, however.

If I had to club myself with a rangefinder from shot to shot, the game would become tedious to me.

Consequently, for my purposes, GPS is accurate enough.  For those with a deeper level of commitment, perhaps,

I can see where it might not be.

 

As much as possible you take laser sightings when you’d be waiting anyway, adding no time. Typically you only have to use a rangefinder for at most 14 approach shots, usually less. More often than not all players that want a laser sighting can do it at the same time, so it’s not straight additive. On par 3’s it really doesn’t take any extra time, the first player on the tee does a sighting (while others are arriving or getting organized) and tells everyone the distance. You don’t use a rangefinder off other tees or par 5 second shots. If you want to know distance to a hazard, GPS usually gives that. IME the amount of time laser rangefinders add is trivial. Nothing like the time most amateurs waste on and around greens, looking for lost balls or general disorganization…

My regular group (about 20 guys), who all use rangefinders and GPS, finish 18 holes in 3.5 hours or less unless we're stuck behind the worst of slow players. And of course we've had shorter rounds when the course is completely clear ahead of us.

  • Titleist TSR2 11° HZRDUS Red CB 50 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Titleist TSR2 16.5º HZRDUS Red 60 CB 6.0 & TSR2 21º HZRDUS Black 4G 70 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Mizuno JPX923 HMP 4-GW, T22 54.12WS, T22 58.04DC w Lamkin ST+2 Hybrid Midsize
  • Evnroll EV5.3
  • Maxfli Tour & ProV1
  • Ping Pioneer - MGI Zip Navigator AT
  • Payntr X 002 LE, Ecco Biom C4, FJ DryJoys
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7 minutes ago, Middler said:

As much as possible you take laser sightings when you’d be waiting anyway, adding no time. Typically you only have to use a rangefinder for at most 14 approach shots, usually less. More often than not all players that want a laser sighting can do it at the same time, so it’s not straight additive. On par 3’s it really doesn’t take any extra time, the first player on the tee does a sighting (while others are arriving or getting organized) and tells everyone the distance. You don’t use a rangefinder off other tees or par 5 second shots. If you want to know distance to a hazard, GPS usually gives that. IME the amount of time laser rangefinders add is trivial. Nothing like the time most amateurs waste and and around greens…

Interesting perspective.  Perhaps the rangefinders don't take as much time as I'd imagined.

Still satisfied with GPS, though.  

 

Louisville Golf Persimmon___2, 4, 5, 7-woods;    Epon AF-906___driving iron;   Titleist T100 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-irons; 

Titleist T100S___48°;     Edison 2.0___53º;     Titleist SM-9 (T)___58º;   Tad Moore Otto Hackbarth___putter;   

Titleist Pro V1x___ball

 

 

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31 minutes ago, Middler said:

IME the amount of time laser rangefinders add is trivial.

 

... I am always perplexed by posts that say Rangefinders take up too much time. I use my rangefinder while someone beside me uses a GPS and they always take longer. I walk and before coming to a stop already have my rangefinder in my hand, shoot the distance with my Bushnell glowing red and buzzing in less than 1 second and it's back in the case while the GPS user is calculating if the pin is front, center or back and then deducting or adding distance for the flag. Then there is the inaccuracy of many GPS and it is not unusual for them to calculate a par 3 yardage and be off by up to 10 yards, especially if it is difficult to tell exactly where the flag is on any given green. I also use it on all 18 holes with the exceptions of shorter par 5's where I am close to the green in 2. Although as you stated, on par 3's my pards may have already shot the yardage and I am not anal enough to need a double check of their distance. 🤓

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
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Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
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5 hours ago, BostonSal said:

I would definitely agree that the rangfinder is more accurate than GPS.

I also find it infinitely more inconvenient and slower to use, however.

If I had to club myself with a rangefinder from shot to shot, the game would become tedious to me.

 

Consequently, for my purposes, GPS is accurate enough.  For those with a deeper level of commitment, perhaps,

I can see where it might not be.

 

I was too, until I ran into a course that had been mapped wrong, with #1 off by 20 yards (again, not due to pin placement, verified) and a couple others off by closer to 10 yards. I had not run into that on courses I'd played before that around Chicago. Now that I play a different course every Wednesday from a 15+ course rotation, I don't want to find out which ones are right or wrong with a horrible GPS file mistake - fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I play my regular course on Mon & Fri.

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  • Titleist TSR2 16.5º HZRDUS Red 60 CB 6.0 & TSR2 21º HZRDUS Black 4G 70 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Mizuno JPX923 HMP 4-GW, T22 54.12WS, T22 58.04DC w Lamkin ST+2 Hybrid Midsize
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27 minutes ago, Middler said:

I was too, until I ran into a course that had been mapped wrong, with #1 off by 20 yards (again, not due to pin placement, verified). I had not run into that on courses I'd played before that. Now that I play a different course every Wednesday, I don't want to find out which ones are right or wrong with a horrible GPS file mistake. I play my regular course on Mon & Fri.

That's exactly why I went rangefinder, less than ideal GPS numbers.  Ran into one instance that was >30 yds off, LOL.

I'm lucky that my course is well mapped, so I can trust friends' GPS where laser isn't viable (line of sight and so on).  I know the person who mapped it, she's well beyond mere "good."  🤘

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
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Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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On 12/3/2021 at 10:19 AM, Riverboat said:

This setup may only be for my game- my miss has always been a severe hook, which is almost nonexistent with this club. 

It's 10.5*, adjusted down a degree. Red sole plate. Set up for a fade bias. Shaft is phenom rip 50,4.5, stiff. I tried all settings when I bought it, this was best, and I haven't touched it since. Oh yeah, midsized grip with 3 extra wraps. 

Mine was setup by Wilson at Edwin Watts….10.5* std, red sole(lighter weighted graphite) 2 gram weights even for straight flight, shaft is Aldila Rogue white regular.  He said throw away everything else and don’t change a thing..

Driver: image.png.6ba1c8a254ad57aa05e527b74c2e04ba.png0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft

Fairways:  image.png.80321f01fc46450b6f428c7daf7b3471.png0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB  regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft

Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

IronsTitleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour

Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm).

Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or  ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707,   or Nike Method Core Drone  w/Evnroll Gravity Grip

Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). 

Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel

Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder

 

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As much as I hate to fan the flames of hype of the Autoflex shaft, I took a leap and bought one used and it's been a game changer for me. I instantly picked up 4-6 mph of swing speed and there's NO reason a shaft that's this flexible should hit the ball as straight as it does. I'm seeing places on my course that I rarely even sniffed before. 

IMG_20211204_214503.jpg

My bag is a revolving door!

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6 hours ago, Riverboat said:

Yes. My rangefinder is usually less than 5 seconds, never more than 15. GPS is nowhere near as accurate. If you're someone who has no idea of they are hitting it 45 or 55 yards with a given shot, it's fine, but those are two very different swings for me, and I am very consistent with those distances, so gps estimates just don't cut it. I'd say the rangefinder is good for 2-3 strokes per round, and just as fast as the gps. I'm a fanatic about playing quickly, so trust me, it's just as fast. 

100% agree!

My Bushnell Shadow GPS is good if I'm playing a new course perhaps, but is inaccurate on 5 of 18 on my home course. 

Rangefinder is way better on approach shots, mainly due for me to pin placement. 📌 

Our 14th Par 3 can play 60yds different depending on which tee box, front or back, i.e. 145yds up to 205yds pin front to back... used anything from a 5 wood to a 7 iron? 

 

"They called it golf because all of the other four letter words were used" Raymond Floyd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, 03trdblack said:

As much as I hate to fan the flames of hype of the Autoflex shaft, I took a leap and bought one used and it's been a game changer for me. I instantly picked up 4-6 mph of swing speed and there's NO reason a shaft that's this flexible should hit the ball as straight as it does. I'm seeing places on my course that I rarely even sniffed before. 

IMG_20211204_214503.jpg

Second this. My AF 505x/Epic Max LS combo has made a huge difference in my driver distance/accuracy. Once I got a driver lesson at the end of last year I was hitting 300+ yard drives with a ridiculous amount of frequency.

Close second place would be my Mitsubishi MMTs. They feel great, and there's no way I could practice as much as I do off mats in the winter without graphite shafts. They help so much with eliminating joint aches and pains.

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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