Golf Thread

booyaka said:
nice - I did say the S400 was a "heavier" shaft but good to see a proper fitting has worked well for you. Doubt you'll loose much on reselling the P770's so no harm done.

Enjoy !!
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Cheers. Yeah, fitting totally changed it, so hopefully will not be long before they arrive!

Yeah, thats what the chap at AG said, you have Taylormade, so there is a big market there for thier stuff, so selling on shouldnt be the hartdest thing.

If I do struggle I will just trade in, if worst comes to worst. I have the 2-4 weeks to get them sold anyways, so plenty of time!
 
6 (and a bit) months ago, mid August, I played my first ever round of golf. Stockwood Vale Golf Club in south Bristol was the venue. But since the group generally plays at Woodlands we hadn't been backed so last week I put forward the idea of going back and so today was the day...

I played absolutely terribly. So bad. Like what have I been doing for 6 months :p :(

So. Bad.

Everything was bad, averaged 2.8 putts per hole and that's been a strong point until recently.

First time around I scored 128. Second time around after 6 months of learning some skillz I scored 127. w00t.

Still, weather was good bit cold but sunny and not too windy. Banter was pretty good. The course was in pretty decent condition and the views were nice.

Tough walk though, up and down hills constantly and some walking between holes, think one to use a buggy on :p
 
Can I get your thoughts on something?

The clubs I have, I got fitted year ago for them, they're good and I enjoy them, but I feel like I launch the ball to high which ends up hurting me a little bit.
I'm launching my 7i around 20-22' and it's barely ever in the high teens, which I think is a bit high. The other problem is, these irons don't spin up, so I tend to roll out a lot.

If I go for a new fitting, is this something they can help change, without changing my swing?
I'd be happy with a lower launch and more spin, if at all possible.
I know shafts can change ball flight, as well as different centre of gravity (CG) on different irons can change, I believe?

Is it possible for me to keep my distance as it is, launch lower and add spin do you think?
 
MarkA said:
Can I get your thoughts on something?

The clubs I have, I got fitted year ago for them, they're good and I enjoy them, but I feel like I launch the ball to high which ends up hurting me a little bit.
I'm launching my 7i around 20-22' and it's barely ever in the high teens, which I think is a bit high. The other problem is, these irons don't spin up, so I tend to roll out a lot.

If I go for a new fitting, is this something they can help change, without changing my swing?
I'd be happy with a lower launch and more spin, if at all possible.
I know shafts can change ball flight, as well as different centre of gravity (CG) on different irons can change, I believe?

Is it possible for me to keep my distance as it is, launch lower and add spin do you think?
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My first question would be what clubs are you currently using?

One problem you will have with lowering launch and increasing spin is it will lose you distance if club/ball speed stays the same. Without knowing what the efficiency/smash factor is and the descent angle, it is hard to definitively say you can keep your distance with the same swing, but if you can find a club that gives you better launch and ball flight with increased ball speed and a steeper angle of descent, you could keep the distance, or even gain some if the numbers are right

Don't go chasing launch and spin numbers though without looking at the descent angle - with a steeper descent angle, you don't need as much spin to prevent excessive roll-out
 
TM Sim2 Max - jacked lofts on these things, produces pretty low spin.

Looking at my launch monitor, an average shot for my 8i:
~5000RPM (+/- 500)
22 deg launch
46' decent angle

I sometimes find it difficult to hold greens, but I'll be honest, I don't know if that's just the courses I've played, perhaps I've not thought enough about how hard/soft they are..
 
MarkA said:
TM Sim2 Max - jacked lofts on these things, produces pretty low spin.

Looking at my launch monitor, an average shot for my 8i:
~5000RPM (+/- 500)
22 deg launch
46' decent angle

I sometimes find it difficult to hold greens, but I'll be honest, I don't know if that's just the courses I've played, perhaps I've not thought enough about how hard/soft they are..
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Another question I forgot to ask - what ball do you play?
A urethane ball will spin better than a surlyn ball and could be a simple way to try and gain more spin with the current clubs

A descent angle of 46° isn't great but I have seen worse, but 5-5.5K spin is quite low for an 8i, although that could also depend on the ball being used
Ideally you would want to be looking at a descent angle of at least 50° to combat a low spin ball

At the end of the day though, a lot of it will come down to how you deliver the club to the ball - flipping at the ball can create a high launch angle, and if it is too bad it can result in less spin

I can't link to them at work, but if you want to learn more about impact and launch stuff, check out the TXG (Tour Experience Golf) YouTube channel and check out the video from about a year ago called 'How A Golf Ball Can Change Your Game' to give you an example of how a different ball can give different results
 
Yeah, my 8i is 32.5° loft, so pretty much a normal 7iron from todays loft angles I guess.
I've watched loads of videos from TXG, looking through their videos, that video is highlighted with a red line at the bottom, meaning I've seen it already, but when they're testing using launch monitors just giving us figures, it never seems to stick in my brain. I'll rewatch it now.

What ball do I use? Generally Pro v1 (non-x)

I guess the question still remains, can a club fitting help reduce launch and increase spin - possibly, seems to be the answer? :)
 
MarkA said:
Yeah, my 8i is 32.5° loft, so pretty much a normal 7iron from todays loft angles I guess.
I've watched loads of videos from TXG, looking through their videos, that video is highlighted with a red line at the bottom, meaning I've seen it already, but when they're testing using launch monitors just giving us figures, it never seems to stick in my brain. I'll rewatch it now.

What ball do I use? Generally Pro v1 (non-x)

I guess the question still remains, can a club fitting help reduce launch and increase spin - possibly, seems to be the answer? :)
Click to expand...

If you are using a Pro v1, that would rule out the ball change that I might have suggested, although even amongst urethane balls there are some that spin more than others

I was suggesting the ball change as a cheaper option, but using the ball you are, a club fitting would be the main thing to look at, just make sure they use decent balls during the fitting and not cheap range balls. I might be stating the obvious here to you, apologies if so, but I have seen places use rubbish balls for a fitting in the past

A good fitter should be able to get you fitted into something that will give you better launch and spin attributes, just more expensive to buy new clubs :D
 
MarkA said:
Yeah, my 8i is 32.5° loft, so pretty much a normal 7iron from todays loft angles I guess.
I've watched loads of videos from TXG, looking through their videos, that video is highlighted with a red line at the bottom, meaning I've seen it already, but when they're testing using launch monitors just giving us figures, it never seems to stick in my brain. I'll rewatch it now.

What ball do I use? Generally Pro v1 (non-x)

I guess the question still remains, can a club fitting help reduce launch and increase spin - possibly, seems to be the answer? :)
Click to expand...
Hate to say I told you so but I remember when you was fitted for these I said that they may not be right for yourself.

A good fitter will get you into some clubs to help with spin/distance.
I remember my old Ping i25 7i was spinning around 8k RPM and with a fitting into my current T100s and trying different shafts my spin is roughly 6200/6500 and distance at av 175y. So I know when I hit my 7i into a green it'll stop pretty quickly as launch is high.

Personally I would look at changing the clubs as your control into a green will improve thus reducing your handicap.
 
SKILL said:
6 (and a bit) months ago, mid August, I played my first ever round of golf. Stockwood Vale Golf Club in south Bristol was the venue. But since the group generally plays at Woodlands we hadn't been backed so last week I put forward the idea of going back and so today was the day...

I played absolutely terribly. So bad. Like what have I been doing for 6 months :p :(

So. Bad.

Everything was bad, averaged 2.8 putts per hole and that's been a strong point until recently.

First time around I scored 128. Second time around after 6 months of learning some skillz I scored 127. w00t.

Still, weather was good bit cold but sunny and not too windy. Banter was pretty good. The course was in pretty decent condition and the views were nice.

Tough walk though, up and down hills constantly and some walking between holes, think one to use a buggy on :p
Click to expand...

Good days and bad mate - you were out, playing golf.

"Bad golf still beats a good day in the office"
 
MarkA said:
TM Sim2 Max - jacked lofts on these things, produces pretty low spin.

Looking at my launch monitor, an average shot for my 8i:
~5000RPM (+/- 500)
22 deg launch
46' decent angle

I sometimes find it difficult to hold greens, but I'll be honest, I don't know if that's just the courses I've played, perhaps I've not thought enough about how hard/soft they are..
Click to expand...

Spin "tends" to come from the club face/grooves / launch angle more so the shafts.
But also the way the club head is delivered to the ball makes a huge difference to the "numbers"

So my 2p's worth.

Spin is low for 8i - Very general number should be multiple the iron number by 1000 - Give or take a bit. So iron "should" be around 8000rpm ish (very crude numbers but works)

Descent isn't bad - 46-50 for 8 iron is decent.

https://blog.trackmangolf.com/landing-angle/ - Yes PGA/LPGA numbers but gives you a reference point.

Any of the Max "style" irons are designed to get the ball in the air/forgiving as possible (all the weighting is under the bottom of the club etc) - game improvement irons they are called a lot of the time. But certainly the lack of spin will create long flying shots, with very little stopping power.

32.5 degrees is nearly my 7 iron (31 degrees) - but again all meant to get the ball in the air, and be as forgiving as possible.

Before moving on from them - try and find a local proper setup trackman and see if you can book a gapping session. Have a look at your numbers on something other than your own setup (not sure if you have your own launch monitor etc)

I moved away from my old Ping G10 irons a couple of years ago which were similar to the TM Max etc- loads of help/forgiveness.... However as I've improved over time and handicap has come down, I've dialed in my clubs/ball to where it's now if I swing well, I know pretty much my numbers are bang on within a couple of yards of each other.

Also you don't mention the shafts in your irons (unless I missed that) - but that is just as important as the club heads themselves.

TL:DR - See if you can get a proper gapping session on Trackman - get the numbers and go from there.
 
MarkA said:
I guess the question still remains, can a club fitting help reduce launch and increase spin - possibly, seems to be the answer? :)
Click to expand...

Yes - Exactly what happened to me - Old clubs would just ballon in the wind - too much spin and too high launching.

Moved into JPX 921's - more of a "players" iron - and launch is much more "mid" launch and spin has come down a lot into a window that I'm very happy with... Even a touch low at the moment with my swing changes. Might move back away from AVX ball to Pro V to get a touch more spin.
 
Had another lesson today, after the mess that was Sunday, kinda more of the same to an extent, club path too out-to-in + club face open = terrible shots :p Did a few drills that helped, probably the biggest one was when he had my put a headcover in my right armpit and keep it there (not squeeze but also not let it fall) and actually hit some decent shots. I find it hard though cause my 'natural' is clearly wrong and I'm trying to fix that but at the same time when I'm playing or more importantly when I do practice at the range I don't get the numbers, or see a video of my backswing to see it going way too far, and 'in' e.g. the right arm especially being really bent bringing the club towards me, so I seem to fall back to what I find natural and not what I should be doing...

Anyway, I also talked about clubs/fitting, my driver I kinda know is a bad idea as it was a random/impulse cheap ebay buy but also my Hybrid. So my Driver is a Cobra King F-Speed (iirc) in 9 degrees (the major problem) with a stiff shaft, I know the loft is just making my problems worse but the reason I haven't ditched it and gone back is becuase I actually really like the stiff shaft, when I tried to put any force into the swing with the Spalding driver I got with my cheapo set it just felt like the club head went awol if that makes sense?

The Hybrid isn't as bad, it's a Taylormade Burner 3 Hybrid, my only question about that perhaps is again maybe a less lofted one would be easier to hit straight(er).

So at the end of the lesson he got me trying a new driver and a hybrid. The Driver was a Stealth2 HD 12.5 degrees with a regular shaft, the hybrid was a Stealth2 4 Hybrid, not sure on shaft/whether it was the HD tbh.

The Hybrid I was a little meh with really, didn't seem much of an upgrade really. The Driver on the other hand has me really tempted, it was still going right but that's me and at the end I did one shot with my driver after a few with the Stealth2 HD, one vaguely comparable shot (clubhead speed really) was similar distance between the two but mine was ~50 yards right whilst the Stealth2 HD was ~20 yard right. I know I can hit mine straighter but that's a decent difference really.

So probably gonna try and get a proper fitting booked, at least for the Driver, I know it's wrong to go purely on looks but I kinda want to go Paradym really but hopefully I'll try a bunch of different ones really.

After the lesson I went back to putter shopping, a bit ago I tried a bunch and came away stupidly tempted to buy a Scotty Cameron blade (Newport?) but it's silly money. Today I was prepared to buy that if it still felt the best but after trying a whole bunch I actually ended up preferring a TaylorMade Spider GT Rollback, thought I was like 99% set on a blade but actually quite liked the look of this but overall the way it felt was the main bit. Quite looking forward to trying it on the course now :)
 
SKILL said:
After the lesson I went back to putter shopping, a bit ago I tried a bunch and came away stupidly tempted to buy a Scotty Cameron blade (Newport?) but it's silly money. Today I was prepared to buy that if it still felt the best but after trying a whole bunch I actually ended up preferring a TaylorMade Spider GT Rollback, thought I was like 99% set on a blade but actually quite liked the look of this but overall the way it felt was the main bit. Quite looking forward to trying it on the course now :)
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Good choice - Taylor Made Spiders are excellent putters. Mate who plays off 28 has one for last few months and his putting has improved massively compared to his old blade putter.

SC Newport's are beautiful (I know, I've owned my SC Newport 2 Studio select for 16 years!!) - But as a higher handicapper/starting golf I would NEVER recommend one. Very "unforgiving" if you don't middle every putt - You've made a solid choice with the TM putter.
 
14 hole Saturday Stableford medal this time we were on 11 full greens and 3 winter greens.

34pts from 13 holes scored, the march continues hehe.

I've probably recuperated about two thirds of the money that I'd spent in the autumn on a block of lessons in recent medal prize money
 
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iGiDK said:
14 hole Saturday Stableford medal this time we were on 11 full greens and 3 winter greens.

34pts from 13 holes scored, the march continues hehe.

I've probably recuperated about two thirds of the money that I'd spent in the autumn on a block of lessons in recent medal prize money
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that's outrageous again - about 7 shots under handicap - lol - 100% wouldn't be playing with you over the winter time :cry: :cry:
 
Yeah it's unreal, as soon as the qualifying medals start up again my handicap will either plummet quickly, or I'll be back to bang average!
 
Finally bit the bullet - joined my local club. 18 and 9 hole courses, trackman range, reciprocal use of other courses under the same umbrella (BGL?). £101 a month, happy with that. Aim for this year is to get myself an official handicap - also to keep away from playing summer hockey and ruining my back any more than it already is :o
 
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