2020 Golf Thread of Disappoint Yourself

[Jhawk 1,075]

Had my driver fitting. I warmed up with the 3 wood and the guy was a little confused. Then I started hitting it and he realized that anything I might buy would be compared to that. My swing speed was around 98 mph and my ball speed was about 148. Smash factor of 1.51 which is about as efficient as you can be transferring energy to the ball. Best drives were traveling 275 but I was probably averaging 265-270. We really struggled to find something that could compare ended up going with the ping G410 head with a fujikura speeder shaft. Didn’t gain a ton of distance but added some consistency. Here is the read on how I hit that when we were dueling it with a taylormade TS2.




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[DDD Dad 14,325]

Had my driver fitting. I warmed up with the 3 wood and the guy was a little confused. Then I started hitting it and he realized that anything I might buy would be compared to that. My swing speed was around 98 mph and my ball speed was about 148. Smash factor of 1.51 which is about as efficient as you can be transferring energy to the ball. Best drives were traveling 275 but I was probably averaging 265-270. We really struggled to find something that could compare ended up going with the ping G410 head with a fujikura speeder shaft. Didn’t gain a ton of distance but added some consistency. Here is the read on how I hit that when we were dueling it with a taylormade TS2.




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TaylorMade makes a TS2?

[Lurch 5,922]

Really nice smash factor. I can never get much above 1.4.

Have you done any work on speed? You could likely get near 115mph and add 30 yards.

[Jhawk 1,075]

1 hour ago, DDD Dad said:

TaylorMade makes a TS2?

Duhhhhh... I’m an idiot. Hangover posts. 

[Jhawk 1,075]

32 minutes ago, Lurch said:

Really nice smash factor. I can never get much above 1.4.

Have you done any work on speed? You could likely get near 115mph and add 30 yards.

I used to work out a ton and was swinging my mid-irons around 114.  I’m like 26% body fat now. 5’8” 175 pounds.  I figure if I get my lazy ass in the gym I’ll add a lot of speed. But no I have not done any lessons or anything on generating speed.
 

Have any thoughts? I was hesitant to buy the driver as it only gave me 10 yards or so. But then I convinced myself I could get my speed up and I’ll get to 300 which 290+ was the only circumstance I felt would justify a driver purchase when I hit my 3 275. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Jhawk

[Lurch 5,922]

Clay Ballard (Top Speed Golf) did a series for members recently on speed. His team now does 1 day classes now that they are getting 10-20 mph increases for almost everyone that attends.

 

The method cliff notes:

 

0a) Get a radar. I’ve had this one forever. Seems like they should be cheaper by now...

 

https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Sensors-Swing-Speed-Radar/dp/B0013L68A6/ref=asc_df_B0013L68A6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312140901746&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5321570683501066417&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9057286&hvtargid=pla-435223208069&psc=1

 

0b) Warm up.

 

1) Hit 5 “normal, on the course” drives, recording the speed. Your avg is baseline. Mine is 103.

 

2) Hit 10 drives as hard as you can. Be completely indifferent about direction/quality of shot. There is generally 5-7 mph here. His belief is that swinging as hard as you can does not impact accuracy once you commit to it. Body will adjust. Record your best speed. I hit 111.

 

3) Now we work on turn. Objective is to create the most space between top of swing and ball, as space allows more time to increase club head speed before contact. To do this, we’ll exaggerate hip turn by letting front heel come all the way up, leaving foot just on toe, turning our hips back as far as possible, then shoulders. We really want to feel all of this space. Take 5 or so swings feeling this, with or without ball. Don’t worry about speed or accuracy if you do hit a ball. Finally go back to your normal swing (but still hard as you can) and recreate that feel (not necessarily with that huge heel lift) for 5 drives and record distance. You should see a few more mph here.

 

4) Now we work on weight shift. Address a ball as normal, and then pull your left foot back to your right. As soon as you start your backswing (NOT at the top of your swing), step forward to put that left foot back and make your swing. Feel that dramatic weight shift. Do this 5-10 times. Finally go back to your normal swing and recreate that feel (without the left foot movement of course) for 5 drives and record distance. You should see a few more mph here.

 

5) Now we work on accelerating. Normal setup. Swing only halfway back, but make a full aggressive swing all the way to a full finish. This forces you to accelerate through the ball, rather than wasting all of our energy at the top/beginning of our down swing. As before, 5-10 of these, then recreate feel w normal swing. Again, a small increase is expected here as well.

 

I’ve never made it all the way through in a single driving range session, but he says you should expect one of 3-5 to be more impactful than the other 2.

 

Note we never worry about accuracy here. Just speed. He says accuracy actually improves for most students over baseline, so don’t hesitate out of fear of losing it. Also, be sure to give yourself ample rest between swings.

 

 

 

[Lurch 5,922]

113 doing speed training today, from 104 avg start. Step drill worked best this time.

[Jhawk 1,075]

Thanks for sharing. I’m going to check it out

[capnamerca 571]

On 3/8/2020 at 7:14 AM, Jhawk said:

Had my driver fitting. I warmed up with the 3 wood and the guy was a little confused. Then I started hitting it and he realized that anything I might buy would be compared to that. My swing speed was around 98 mph and my ball speed was about 148. Smash factor of 1.51 which is about as efficient as you can be transferring energy to the ball. Best drives were traveling 275 but I was probably averaging 265-270. We really struggled to find something that could compare ended up going with the ping G410 head with a fujikura speeder shaft. Didn’t gain a ton of distance but added some consistency. Here is the read on how I hit that when we were dueling it with a taylormade TS2.




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Honest question ... why not just keep the 3w, and NOT carry a driver? You said that the 3w warmup / baseline swings were ~98mpg club speed, ~148 ball speed. The G410 is, at best, about a 1.5-3% improvement. Why not add another wedge instead?

[Jhawk 1,075]

8 minutes ago, capnamerca said:

Honest question ... why not just keep the 3w, and NOT carry a driver? You said that the 3w warmup / baseline swings were ~98mpg club speed, ~148 ball speed. The G410 is, at best, about a 1.5-3% improvement. Why not add another wedge instead?

I wasn’t going to buy it but for two reasons. First, my miss wasn’t as bad as my 3 wood miss. Second, I haven’t swung a driver in 10+ years. I feel that if I spend some time and really groove a swing and learn to hit it I could add 10-15 more yards. It would come in very handy on 4 holes at the club i primarily play and 7 at the secondary course I play. yesterday showed another issue, in Oklahoma the wind is brutal. I hit an extremely high 3. Played some very long holes yesterday. Having a 9 degree will be handy. 
 

finally, I have only been carrying 12 clubs. 3 wood, 4-pw, 50, 53, 57, putter. I can still add another wedge. 

[capnamerca 571]

1 hour ago, Jhawk said:

I wasn’t going to buy it but for two reasons. First, my miss wasn’t as bad as my 3 wood miss. Second, I haven’t swung a driver in 10+ years. I feel that if I spend some time and really groove a swing and learn to hit it I could add 10-15 more yards. It would come in very handy on 4 holes at the club i primarily play and 7 at the secondary course I play. yesterday showed another issue, in Oklahoma the wind is brutal. I hit an extremely high 3. Played some very long holes yesterday. Having a 9 degree will be handy. 
 

finally, I have only been carrying 12 clubs. 3 wood, 4-pw, 50, 53, 57, putter. I can still add another wedge. 

Honest question - why not leave Oklahoma?

Lol, kidding. Appreciate the insight.

[huge 3,793]

2 hours ago, Jhawk said:

my miss wasn’t as bad as my 3 wood miss.

does not compute to me

[Gen. Applewhite 226]

Saturday was the annual wacky competition where they tip it out (7100), get the greens fast (13.5), stick the pins in ludicrous places, and everything must be holed out. I played out of my mind and shot 94 with 3 birdies and 36 putts. Seven of those putts came on a single hole after hitting a 4 iron to 15 feet below the hole, and then watching a nearly perfect read/stroke putt curl just around the cup and then across the green 3X farther away than where I started from. I could have been on that green all day had I not bombed my 7th putt from 40 feet. 

I finally got to see the new handicap system's daily adjustment function in action, but it only dropped my differential on the day by 3 strokes, which tells me that most of the geezers out there must not have bothered to enter their scores. My old man, a 3.5 handicap, shot a 101 and was pretty solid from tee to green all day.

I was most excited about the 3 birdies, as I average about 1 every 3-4 rounds. I almost jarred a 7 iron on the last par 3, which is the closest I've ever come to an ace. I am ready to say that my grip change and daily range sessions are paying off.

[Gen. Applewhite 226]

12 minutes ago, huge said:

does not compute to me

Modern drivers with massive heads are way more forgiving. I am the same way. I am not comfortable with my 3 wood off the tee, and on shorter holes I'd rather lay off the driver and just poke it out there. When I played at Lost Creek last summer, I thought I was playing smart by hitting irons and woods around the front 9 because that course has lots of tight doglegs, but I was hitting them like shit. On the back I finally decided to just hit driver on aggressive lines and had much more success.

[Jhawk 1,075]

16 minutes ago, huge said:

does not compute to me

When I pulled it with my 3 wood I would be further left than when I would pull it with the driver.  Don't know why, but that's what the data showed and what I experience on the course when I miss hit my 3.

1 hour ago, capnamerca said:

Honest question - why not leave Oklahoma?

Lol, kidding. Appreciate the insight.

I will leave the minute we've got the company in a position to move.  Not a second later.  I fucking hate bermuda grass, the people, and the city of Tulsa.  I've played 14 rounds this year and I'm getting sick of hitting off dormant and matted down bermuda.  I'm putting from 20 yards off the green because the grass is basically hard pan and the greens are so fast the ball isn't stopping.  Oh yeah... Played in 30+ mph wind all weekend.  Sick of that shit too.

Fuck Oklahoma.

[Jhawk 1,075]

4 minutes ago, Gen. Applewhite said:

Modern drivers with massive heads are way more forgiving. I am the same way. I am not comfortable with my 3 wood off the tee, and on shorter holes I'd rather lay off the driver and just poke it out there. When I played at Lost Creek last summer, I thought I was playing smart by hitting irons and woods around the front 9 because that course has lots of tight doglegs, but I was hitting them like shit. On the back I finally decided to just hit driver on aggressive lines and had much more success.

I love my 3 and am very comfortable with it, but I have a 3-5 shots a round that just go awry and get me in jail.  I'm really trying to justify the driver and know I will have to put in a lot of work (and possibly time in the gym) to make it worth it.

[huge 3,793]

7 minutes ago, Gen. Applewhite said:

Modern drivers with massive heads are way more forgiving. I am the same way. I am not comfortable with my 3 wood off the tee, and on shorter holes I'd rather lay off the driver and just poke it out there. When I played at Lost Creek last summer, I thought I was playing smart by hitting irons and woods around the front 9 because that course has lots of tight doglegs, but I was hitting them like shit. On the back I finally decided to just hit driver on aggressive lines and had much more success.

My problem is that my teeball game is currently in the sewer.

[heso 2,786]

2 hours ago, Jhawk said:

I love my 3 and am very comfortable with it, but I have a 3-5 shots a round that just go awry and get me in jail.  I'm really trying to justify the driver and know I will have to put in a lot of work (and possibly time in the gym) to make it worth it.

If you put in that speed work and get your driver swing up 15 mph will that shaft still be the best option for you? Seems like the prudent thing to do would be to get your swing speed up and then get a driver fitting. 

[HouTex 1,866]

Anybody notice that their index has gone up with the new system? I thought mine would go down but it’s gone up a couple of points. My avg score is about the same.

[Lurch 5,922]

Your adjusted score can be higher on adjusted holes than it was previously, particularly the hardest by handicap. Net double bogie rather than double bogie max. If you have a lot of blowup holes, that will start to weigh in.

If you’re a 4 handi and you score an 8 on a par 5 that is the course’s #3 handicap, you’re keeping that 8. Previously it was a 7.

[Lurch 5,922]

If you put in that speed work and get your driver swing up 15 mph will that shaft still be the best option for you? Seems like the prudent thing to do would be to get your swing speed up and then get a driver fitting. 

Even if you get a fitting, you’re going to pay for the stock shaft PLUS the replacement shaft.

I’d get the stock driver now, work on speed, then go get a shat fitting later when you’re maxed.

[Jhawk 1,075]

My timing is a little weird. My 3 is a regular flex and I blast it at 100 mph. I’m sure there will be adjustment but if I can get the timing right and speed up then I’m not super worried about the shaft. If it is a problem then I’ll just get a new shaft. It’s just money. 

[HouTex 1,866]

Your adjusted score can be higher on adjusted holes than it was previously, particularly the hardest by handicap. Net double bogie rather than double bogie max. If you have a lot of blowup holes, that will start to weigh in.

If you’re a 4 handi and you score an 8 on a par 5 that is the course’s #3 handicap, you’re keeping that 8. Previously it was a 7.

Sure, I considered that. I’ve recorded one or two 8’s since 1/1/20, but I’ve also been limited to a couple of 6’s on a par 4 and to 5’s on several par 3’s when I used to be able to take 7’s on those holes. All told, I thought it would go down.

[Lurch 5,922]

Maybe you suck more?

[HouTex 1,866]

Maybe you suck more?

Hammer meet nail. I did shoot an 85 yesterday with two bad three putts, a very short missed birdie putt, and a drive in a penalty area. Cap did go down a point over night.

[hacker 184]

10 hours ago, Jhawk said:

My timing is a little weird. My 3 is a regular flex and I blast it at 100 mph. I’m sure there will be adjustment but if I can get the timing right and speed up then I’m not super worried about the shaft. If it is a problem then I’ll just get a new shaft. It’s just money. 

You need a stiff shaft - the regular flex is *probably* why your miss with the 3 wood is worse than driver.   Stiffer, lower launching will get you more consistency IMO.

[DDD Dad 14,325]

You need a stiff shaft - the regular flex is *probably* why your miss with the 3 wood is worse than driver.   Stiffer, lower launching will get you more consistency IMO.

That’s what she said.

[Jhawk 1,075]

You’d think I’d need a stiff shaft but the lack of flex is ridiculously evident when I just to a slightly stiffer shaft. I must just be in between stock stiffness. Which is why I got fitted. No doubt that could change when I add some speed but right now anything stiffer than what I have is like swinging a 2x4. 

[DDD Dad 14,325]

You’d think I’d need a stiff shaft but the lack of flex is ridiculously evident when I just to a slightly stiffer shaft. I must just be in between stock stiffness. Which is why I got fitted. No doubt that could change when I add some speed but right now anything stiffer than what I have is like swinging a 2x4. 

The location of the kick point can make a huge difference in feel. You might benefit from a stiffer shaft with a low kick point, for example.

[John Lawrence 244]

I am about to start playing on a routine basis again.  I joined a club five years ago, but have maybe played once a month.  My son is old enough and seems to have an aptitude, so I am going to get him lessons and buy him some clubs.

I played a lot of golf in high school and college.  I was around a 5-6 handicap when I played but stopped playing 20 years ago when I finished college.  Now I shoot around mid 90s since I am so rusty.  My question, I know I need to upgrade my driver and 3 wood.  But what about irons?  I have Ping Zing 2s and I've always liked them.  I feel my irons are still decent.  My short game and driving accuracy are really what sucks now.  But are irons that aren't 30 plus year old technology like mine good to play with or have there been improvements?

[Lurch 5,922]

I’d go full set, but you’re probably fine just getting a modern driver to start, which is a must, imo.

Bigger sweet spot and better forgiveness when you miss it is what you’ll get from new irons. Also, take a really good look at hybrids if you haven’t already.

Your wedges may well be better than modern ones, and putters are all feel, so whatever on both.

[Lurch 5,922]

...

[John Lawrence 244]

22 minutes ago, Lurch said:

I’d go full set, but you’re probably fine just getting a modern driver to start, which is a must, imo.

Bigger sweet spot and better forgiveness when you miss it is what you’ll get from new irons. Also, take a really good look at hybrids if you haven’t already.

Your wedges may well be better than modern ones, and putters are all feel, so whatever on both.

thanks.  I'll never change my putter.  First thing I will do is get a new driver.  My current one is 20+ year old, a Taylor Made, and is dead anyway,

[Steel Shank 9,421]

2 minutes ago, John Lawrence said:

thanks.  I'll never change my putter.  First thing I will do is get a new driver.  My current one is 20+ year old, a Taylor Made, and is dead anyway,

The new drivers will blow your mind.

[John Lawrence 244]

2 hours ago, Steel Shank said:

The new drivers will blow your mind.

Looking forward to it.  Any reccos on a driver?  

[Steel Shank 9,421]

I use a Cobra F9. Not as pricey as some of the other big names. I'm a high teens handicap, so I'm not quite as demanding out of my clubs as some of the better players here. It works for me. Try a few out, though. They all look and feel different.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Steel Shank

[HouTex 1,866]

Try the latest Ping, TM and Titleist drivers. They all have a different feel and sound. More importantly, find out which shaft works best for you. IMO, the right shaft is everything. Make sure you are tested on a Trackman or other good tracker that looks at spin rate, ball speed, distance, roll, etc.

[pops 6,980]

Zing 2's are awesome. I wouldn't get rid of them if you like them. Just know they have weaker lofts than modern irons so don't worry about not hitting your 7 iron as far as you hit your buddies new 7 iron. 

Agree with everyone else on going somewhere to get fit for a driver. Everything is good now, just depends on what looks and feels good to you. 

[Jhawk 1,075]

I'd play with what you have on irons and then when you get back into the game and see your scores start to go down because of a consistent swing then go get fitted.  You might even entertain getting a second hand driver that is newer just for the tech upgrade.  Then get fitted for that when you have yourself settled.

One thing I feel like fitting did for me was get the tech where it needed to be.  I have a friend who plays with 20 year old clubs and is staunch about "its the swing not the equipment" well that's true to an extent but my misses are a whole lot better than his comparable misses and I'm about 1.5-2 club lengths longer while he is 2 strokes better than me.  The only difference in our games is the short game.  He also refuses to spend money on his game which is baffling to me because he could be a 6-7 handicap if he would actually buy clubs that are meant for him.  The clubs he does play were given to him by a guy who is 4-5" shorted than him and swings 15 mph harder than him.

To an extent he isn't crazy, but he also thinks he can cheap his way to a low handicap and it just isn't true.  You have to work but you also have to be equipped to handle the course and weather conditions on days when your stroke doesn't show up.

[ousuxndallas 65]

Get a new driver, and take a look at new iron shafts. They have come a long way in last 10 yrs.

Also, modern drivers allow you to quickly change the shaft, so you can tinker if you want. Buy shaft, try it, sell it, rinse repeat.

[Gen. Applewhite 226]

On 3/8/2020 at 11:54 AM, Lurch said:

Clay Ballard (Top Speed Golf) did a series for members recently on speed.

 

 

 

I did these drills at the range today, but without a swing speed monitor, just gauging how the balls flew and how far they rolled out. The 10 "swing your hardest" were actually my best set of drives. I just have to remember to keep my grip pressure light all the way through the swing, otherwise the tendency is to yank it left. The exaggerated hip turn was also helpful. The left foot step was whack as hell and I felt like I was lucky to make contact.

In the end, the biggest takeaway for me was to grip it light but swing out and hard. If I do that I have a much better chance of shifting my weight and ending up in a good finish position. That is going to be my thought next time I head to the course: knock the cover off the ball.

[Lurch 5,922]

My bad... no ball for that drill. Just recreate the feel when you do go back to hitting a ball

[Gen. Applewhite 226]

Hah. No wonder. I'm not sure what drew more odd looks from others on the range, the abbreviated Happy Gilmore cold tops, or the grunts I was letting out during the ten hard swings that rolled out to past the 275 sign. 

[Rumblefishstix 97]

So I went and played. Hit a guy with a drive(a friend that was asking for it) almost hit a car driving and made a few putts. I gotta get some lessons.

[Lurch 5,922]

Sounds like your alignment is solid

[Jhawk 1,075]

Was talking with our club president tonight. He said if we have a staff member come down with corona then we’re closing the club for 3 weeks. Immediately grabbed my sticks so I can hop the fence to play. 

Edited March 16, 2020 by Jhawk

[HouTex 1,866]

Was talking with our club president tonight. He said if we have a staff member come down with corona then we’re closing the club for 3 weeks. Immediately grabbed my sticks so I can hop the fence to play. 

I heard DCC is closed for the rest of March.

[Jhawk 1,075]

Buying a push cart this afternoon before I hit the grocery store. 

[hacker 184]

anyone playing/practicing right now?  I'm awfully tempted to.

[HouTex 1,866]

Club is closed. Sucks.