Novice to Not So Bad

[sirchunksalot]

10 minutes ago, mynerds said:

Will do! Do you have any experience with foot spray versus impact tape? I don't really care what happens with the soon-to-be-old clubs, but I'll try to be as kind to the new clubs once they arrive. I'm not sure how well the foot spray cleans up or any goo that impact tape adhesive might leave behind.

I've never used impact tape, but I can say that foot spray cleans up pretty easily. I'll either spray it down and scrub it with a towel or clean them in the sink using dishwasher liquid, rinsing them off, and drying them. 

I think I've also seen somewhere that you can use masking or painter's tape as an alternative to impact tape. Can't say I've tried that. I have a feeling it would potentially leave less residue and be a bit more economical. 

[THEZIPR23]

5 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

I've never used impact tape, but I can say that foot spray cleans up pretty easily. I'll either spray it down and scrub it with a towel or clean them in the sink using dishwasher liquid, rinsing them off, and drying them. 

I think I've also seen somewhere that you can use masking or painter's tape as an alternative to impact tape. Can't say I've tried that. I have a feeling it would potentially leave less residue and be a bit more economical. 

 

24 minutes ago, mynerds said:

Fine by me! Maybe I'll request it as a new forum badge for future members

Will do! Do you have any experience with foot spray versus impact tape? I don't really care what happens with the soon-to-be-old clubs, but I'll try to be as kind to the new clubs once they arrive. I'm not sure how well the foot spray cleans up or any goo that impact tape adhesive might leave behind.

Thanks! I've said before, I'm a scramble team's best friend if I can be carried (no pun intended) to within 100 yards of the hole . Putting is my favorite part of the game, and it's less "I need to improve on putting" and more "if I'm going to be playing with my putting mat anyways, let's work on 7 feet and out." I'm also going to move the pressure putter around on the mat and confirm whether the baseline misses are legit or if I really do have a groove in the last foot of the mat.

Dry erase markers work well also. I use footspray for the most part and as @sirchunksalot said it is an easy cleanup. 

[mynerds]

39 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Dry erase markers work well also. I use footspray for the most part and as @sirchunksalot said it is an easy cleanup. 

Fun fact: I generally play matte finish balls and the dry erase marker ends up being absorbed into the ball cover and not imprint on the club. On a related note, I have a single golf ball with a big black cross on it that will not scrub off . I may switch from matte balls to gloss specifically for this reason, despite how much more I like the look of the matte finish.

[MyWifesSwingCoach]

1 hour ago, mynerds said:

On 5/24/2022 at 1:43 PM, MyWifesSwingCoach said:

P.S. May I join the over 9000 gang as I also do not know my handicap? haha

Fine by me! Maybe I'll request it as a new forum badge for future members

Is it bad that I am now looking into custom bag tags for this? 

 

 

[THEZIPR23]

44 minutes ago, mynerds said:

Fun fact: I generally play matte finish balls and the dry erase marker ends up being absorbed into the ball cover and not imprint on the club. On a related note, I have a single golf ball with a big black cross on it that will not scrub off . I may switch from matte balls to gloss specifically for this reason, despite how much more I like the look of the matte finish.

Bad news. MGS hates matte golf balls. Tony says they are about worthless. So the switch could be warranted for performance issues as well. 

[drb1956]

I know all club mfgs. have something to offer, but to keep the confusion down to a minimum, kind of have an idea what brand you would like to play before you get there. This gives the fitter, if they are an accomplished, schooled fitter, a good idea where you would like to be. They should know the characteristics of each mfgs. clubs. Gives them a good starting point. Or, bring your old set with you, so they can see where you are at with them as a baseline. And be honest about your game. Then, they can make recommendations for you to try. And you should never feel like you are being rushed. You will be spending a lot of money on a set of irons, and or woods, as the case may be. If they can't take the time for you, leave. I have had 2 fittings, once for a set of irons(Golfsmith), and one for a driver(Dicks). The irons are 2 years gone out of my bag, but the driver will be in for a long time. Also, when you fit for clubs, use your game ball. They can also make a recommendation for this also, based on what they see. And no, everyone does not play a ProV, or any tour ball for that matter. I play a 2 piece distance ball, that has nice manners around the green. Have tried 3 piece balls, but the layer that helps spin the ball around the green can rear its head on the tee, and does not help me in the slightest. I do not have a conventional iron in my bag at this time. I have a set of hybrids, from 24*, to 46*. Still a little learning curve, but I feel fairly comfortable with them, and I don't feel the need to swing out of my shoes with them. A well struck shot goes where I need it to go, and the distance is good. These are followed by 3 wedges, 50*, 54*, 58*, and these have the micro grooves to compliment the grooves, as most of us can use a little help to spin the the ball around the green. You are local to the western suburbs of Chicago, as I live in Streamwood, and know of the courses you speak of, but have never played them. Again, I will say if you feel rushed, or just not comfortable with the way the fitting is going, leave. If they are not 100% paying attention to what you are doing, it's not worth your effort. Good Luck...

[mynerds]

I ordered close to a full bag from Fairway Jockey based on my fitting at Club Champion. I'll do a full review of FJ once all of my clubs arrive, but a quick update today as I (sort of) received the LTDx Max driver, LTDx Max 3W, Milled Grind Wedge 3 54 degree (bent to 56) and Milled Grind Wedge 3 60 degree.

I happily received the package today and found the clubs to have been pack pretty well. Some of the styrofoam supporting the larger clubs had shifted around but nothing that seems to have damaged the clubs. All of the shafts and grips looked great and the Cobra head covers feel extremely high quality. After taking the head cover off the 3W, I noticed I received an LTDx, not an LTDx Max. I confirmed that it showed LTDx on the packing slip, but LTDx Max on the original order. I called customer support, provided my order number and the packing slip number, and they confirmed the same. They'll send me out a new club head as a warranty claim (since it is adjustable and not permanently attached) and a shipping label for me to return the incorrect clubhead. An inconvenience, but nothing unreasonable in my book and overall a great customer support experience.

Aside from a little glue residue on the MW3's from the plastic protectors for the raw wedge face, I saw no issues with the wedges. The driver, however, seemed to be dirtier than I would expect from a new club. First, there were a few scuffs on the crown:

There was also weird glue on the loft sticker (which peeled off with the sticker no big deal) and a darker glue-like substance near the red weight (easier to see in the full size photo).

Overall, nothing that seems to impact performance but not what I would have expected from a brand new club. Perhaps my expectations are too high though.

Happy to have at least part of my order, and looking forward to the replacement 3W head and iron set. I've introduced these new clubs to my unmowed yard, as they'll be learning to spend lots of time in the rough with me

 

[sirchunksalot]

36 minutes ago, mynerds said:

I ordered close to a full bag from Fairway Jockey based on my fitting at Club Champion. I'll do a full review of FJ once all of my clubs arrive, but a quick update today as I (sort of) received the LTDx Max driver, LTDx Max 3W, Milled Grind Wedge 3 54 degree (bent to 56) and Milled Grind Wedge 3 60 degree.

I happily received the package today and found the clubs to have been pack pretty well. Some of the styrofoam supporting the larger clubs had shifted around but nothing that seems to have damaged the clubs. All of the shafts and grips looked great and the Cobra head covers feel extremely high quality. After taking the head cover off the 3W, I noticed I received an LTDx, not an LTDx Max. I confirmed that it showed LTDx on the packing slip, but LTDx Max on the original order. I called customer support, provided my order number and the packing slip number, and they confirmed the same. They'll send me out a new club head as a warranty claim (since it is adjustable and not permanently attached) and a shipping label for me to return the incorrect clubhead. An inconvenience, but nothing unreasonable in my book and overall a great customer support experience.

Aside from a little glue residue on the MW3's from the plastic protectors for the raw wedge face, I saw no issues with the wedges. The driver, however, seemed to be dirtier than I would expect from a new club. First, there were a few scuffs on the crown:

There was also weird glue on the loft sticker (which peeled off with the sticker no big deal) and a darker glue-like substance near the red weight (easier to see in the full size photo).

Overall, nothing that seems to impact performance but not what I would have expected from a brand new club. Perhaps my expectations are too high though.

Happy to have at least part of my order, and looking forward to the replacement 3W head and iron set. I've introduced these new clubs to my unmowed yard, as they'll be learning to spend lots of time in the rough with me

 

It's good to hear your new clubs arrived, even if you're having to wait on the replacement head for your 3W. I'm looking forward to hearing your review once the irons arrive. 

[fixyurdivot]

On 6/24/2022 at 11:09 AM, mynerds said:

I ended up purchasing the clubs I was fit to during my Club Champion Fitting from Fairway Jockey at the beginning of the month. Honestly, I only gave them a shot because of @fixyurdivot's posts. Given that they're owned by True Spec, I'd figure more people on the forum would have posted about them. Guess I'll break up the monopoly on Fairway Jockey info . I reached out with my engineering specs from Club Champion and had to follow up to get any response. They gave me a 10% off coupon for sending the spec sheet from a competitor on top of being substantially cheaper in the first place. After discount, tax, and shipping, the same build from Fairway Jockey was ~22% cheaper than Club Champion. The build time was estimated at 4-5 week and we're just finishing up week 3 of waiting. I'm hoping to have the new clubs in hand sometime in July.

This is awesome... and, even with my commission, you're still saving 15% over CC .  Glad to hear that went well and hope the new sticks arrive ahead of schedule.  Thanks for sharing all the great info and your progress.

***Edit***

Oops... missed your "they arrived" post.  Bummer about the 3w mix-up but as you're seeing, they have excellent customer service.  

[mynerds]

As a quick update on the Fairway Jockey order: I sent back the LTDx head I recieved for the correct LTDx Max replacement. Customer service was helpful and understanding. They sent me a prepaid return label and I shipped just the clubhead back. It took a few days to return back to AZ where I assume it was inspected before a replacement was shipped. The replacement came the following week right before my planned tee time and it was indeed an LTDx Max!

Unfortunately, it was a right handed orientation.

I called back and think I got the same customer service rep. He filed a new replacement and even sent a screenshot to confirm everything was correct for the third clubhead. Again, I returned via prepaid label, it arrived and a replacement was sent. Third time was indeed the charm and the 3 wood has joined the bag.

As for the irons...well...

The order was originally made on May 31. I heard from Fairway Jockey on July 14th that the Vista Pro 50I R shafts were still missing with an eta of 8/20 from Fujikura. I have been waiting patiently since then and followed up on Monday. Fairway Jockey just let me know that they're waiting to hear back from Fujikura and will let me know when they hear back.

On the one hand, Fairway Jockey support has been very kind and nice to work with on top of being significantly less expensive than club champion's quote. I also can't fault them (or really anyone) for the industry-wide shortages. On the other hand, I feel like I'm left without a good resolution. I'm sure I could find different shafts that appear similar on paper but if there's anything I've learned from this community it's that written specs mean nothing. Alas, I am resigned to wait and see.

[ChuckZ]

When I took up this crazy game in 1985, at the age of 38, I made a lot of mistakes.  I thought because I had played sports it would be a piece of cake and read books, went out and bought good equipment from a golf shop and listened to my friends about how to play the game.  YES, the game plan for failure.  Did I go for a lesson first then a fitting to get the correct clubs, NO.  I am still paying for my mistakes.  At my current age, 75, I can putt fairly well and hit the driver better that 98% of those my age.  But you cannot score with those two clubs.  I did not develop a good foundation with a good iron game and  that is where I constantly have to go to a coach/instructor to work on.  When playing, if one part of my iron game goes array, it seems to affect my whole iron game for the whole round.  I know my faults, and it all began from my beginning and my hardheadedness in not starting the game correctly.  I hope those who are new to the game will learn from what I have learned and will do it correctly.  Oh, when I hit my irons properly they are a thing of beauty, but if they were only consistently.  At my age I am still learning and working on problems they could have been avoided way back in 1985, with a good coach who could have helped with importance of a solid iron game.  Just sayin.         

[David Leighton Reid]

I too took up golf in my late 30's.  Absolutely the hardest game I ever tried to get decent at.  

[Donn lost in San Diego]

I have just skimmed some of the entries so I may be repeating others.  Take some lessons is my first bullheaded mistake I put off.  I have physical issues so I waited but I realized I should have found a good teacher for me many years earlier.  Take a lesson, an intro 1/2 hour, the freebie 15 minute, whatever, and if you don't feel good about the match, try another  teacher.  I took about 4 or 5  one-time lessons over several years before I found a person I was willing to pay for a 6 lesson package.   Should have done it way sooner.  And FWIW, use urethane not surlyn/ionomer balls.  Yea they cost more.  You can afford to play?  Buy clubs?  Buy range buckets?  You can afford to play a $30 or even $40 per-dozen ball.  Putt cross handed.  Takes a bit of practice but the sooner, the better.    If you can find it go back to the January 2015 Golf magazine, Go Low 5 secrets by Jordan Spieth.   If there are any pro events near you, sign up to volunteer or go as a spectator.  even if just on Wednesday practice pro-am day.  It's a gas.  I vol at LPGA tourney in San Diego on the Arnold Palmer designed Aviara course.  And attended the U.S. Open practice day at Olympic Club in SF back in 1998.

[mynerds]

Chatted with Fairway Jockey again and the last of the iron shafts arrive Friday morning. It sounds like they've been moving their build facilities around so there is a chance they could be built by late this week or early next week. It's been a long wait but I'm happy that at least all of the components are in. If nothing else, I'll be well set to at the start of next season to get as many rounds as possible in for the year.

I appreciate all the advice advocating for lessons. It's something I agree with and will be posting updates on closer to the end of the season, as well as longer reviews of all the various services (like FJ) and equipment purchases. Even the equipment that didn't live up to expectations taught me things about my game and my preferences I didn't anticipate.

Onward and upward!

[mynerds]

Well it's been a long 16 month(!) hiatus since the last update. A new job and the chaos that is *gestures broadly*.... made it tough to keep on the update bandwagon. Have no fear, I'm back and ready to share my shenanigans with my fellow not-so-bad'ers!

Some quick notes: I've cleared out some old clubs (shoutout SidelineSwap - can't imagine I'll trade clubs in to DSG or PlayItAgain going forward), got some new toys for the garage, kept some things that were far too reliable to abandon, and am playing far more consistently than I ever have. I have an official handicap (though the site is down, thanks CDGA! /s), though I typically play an adjusted score of 95-100. Treating each hole as if +1 was my par really helped set realistic expectations for myself and celebrate good-enough shots. I had a few legitimate birdies on par 4's this year, and I suspect they felt to me like eagles feel to my scratch-golfer buddies.

More to come after the holiday season and family times are behind us, but I'm excited to be poking around here again!