Originally Posted By DVC_dad I played Football, Baseball, and wrestled in High School. I was certainly good enough to play baseball at a small 4 year or small junior college around here. I had 4 invites to try out at small colleges. High school (4 year) batting average .430, 22 Home Runs, and played center field fairly well. However, I wanted to go to school near geographically close to where my girlfriend (now my wife) was going. So I told myself, and it was certainly true, that not matter how hard I work I would never be able to play in the lowest levels of professional ball. So, I opted to leave baseball in the past. I realized even back then just how many great athletes there are out there and what a tiny percentage make it to the next level. Not only that, but the real stars of baseball in my day, (early 80's) were getting deals to go into AA and AAA right out of high school. I am convinced that I made the right choice. I would rather have gone to the University of Georgia and NOT play ball, than to have gone to East Bumble Community College and ride the bench, only to pinch hit and switch hit when necessary. I was a running back for one year, and quarterback for 3 years at the Varsity level in Football. We were an Option offense, passed less than average. We were always close to the bottom in our region, but I would have started at some position at most any other school in the Metro Atlanta area...which is saying a lot considering high school ball is very strong here. Wrestling was tough but I was average. I never got into the weight loss side of it and I never took it that serious. It was just something to do in the offseasons of baseball and football. I have always been better at finesse type activities than pure physical activities. For example, I could run an option offense well, keeping the ball hidden. I can play pool fairly well. Bowling is a good example of finesse though I am not a good bowler. I was an excellent Batter and hit the long ball well, without trying. It (like golf) I think is far more technique than power. Wrestling was technique over strength as well, but I only ever threw half my heart into the sports I played.
Originally Posted By officerminnie Okay, you golf guys - I know someone touched on this a while back, but can't seem to find it. Graphite shafts vs. steel? I have very old clubs and have kept them pretty much for nostalgic reasons. Great memories from my younger golfing years with these clubs . That, and the fact that I took about a 20 year hiatus from golf and wasn't really doing any club shopping. My woods are the ones I played junior golf with in the 1970's, beautiful persimmon 1956 Power-Bilts. I hit them pretty well but know I can get much more distance from the newer clubs. My irons are my dad's old Pings, maybe made in the mid-70's. I think they were called Black Dot or something. I hit them high and straight, but would like more distance and a better "feel". Although these old clubs worked well enough to get me to a 9 handicap on a tough course back in the day, I think I like the new stuff out there. I played in a scramble yesterday and borrowed a friend's Titleist driver and man, did I hit that well! And it felt great, sounded great, went straight. So I am seriously considering buying new clubs. I have always hit men's clubs because I like the bigger grip, I hit the ball relatively hard, and they are a bit heavier than women's, which feels better to me. Maybe something to do with a stiffer shaft, too? I probably make no techinical sense. So, any input?
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<Graphite shafts vs. steel?>>> Yes you are right Minnie, in fact it was the subject of much discussion between a few of us. As I am prone to do sometimes, I spent way more time on the subject that I should have and poured myself into finding out the answer that best suits me. Here is what I concluded. The Answer: "Light Metal II" found on many irons such as my personal favs the TaylorMade - RAC Irons. It is a type of steel that gives MORE strength than old school steel (like you love on your "vintage" clubs) while weighing a LOT less than your current steel. In my humble opinion, graphite has no place whatsoever on irons as it can splinter and break, but not only that, it flexes. On most pure iron shots you make contact with the turf, and sometimes you may make a LOT of contact hitting the ball FAT...in which case you don't want a shaft that will break. You don't want flex on your iron shots. It can easily throw off your accuracy unless you swing with the exact same head speed with every shot, and no one does that 100% of the time. The purpose for graphite and other carbon fiber / titantium filled fiber and all those things on the WOODS is simply that it is a lot lighter, and therefore (in theory) will make you able to swing a lot "harder." Why then are there different flex strengths for shafts? Well basically, the more flexible shaft, the lighter the club. SO, if I can explain this properly... you are trying to strike a balance between a lighter club and the proper amount of flexibility. So: More Flexibility = Lighter Club Less Felxible = Heavier Club In all honesty, you don't want a lot of flex or if you swing really really hard you will actually lose accuracy because the club face will not be aligned, AND OR you will actually lose distance. I went two levels up to a more ridgid shaft on my driver, and it not only made me incredibly more accurate, but it added 30 to 40 yards to my average drive. Bottom line: Irons, Lite Metal II or some other brand of low weight steel Woods, ridgid non-metal (graphite) but if you wiggle it, it shouldn't flex like a noodle in your hands. Also, it was pointed out to me to watch the PGA players and note how many of them use steel. So I did. That sealed the argument for me.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<beautiful persimmon 1956 Power-Bilts>>> WOW!!! I'd hang on to these!!! Nothing wrong with the old clubs, but the new stuff (like the driver you tried) is incredible. The new irons will give you a lot more forgiveness, which you may not need. My irons have a nice large cavity on the back, which increases the "sweet spot" on the club. Also, there are leaded weights embedded in the bottom edge of the club to help me have a more natural and stronger follow-thru. I am really big on the TaylorMade irons so I am probably not the person to ask about brands. I have hit almost every new driver out there, and although I have a TaylorMade r5 Neutral, I actually think the best driver is the Men's Ping G5 non-offset driver, or the Nike SasQuach (non-tour) 460. The reason I don't have one of these is cost. I paid a pretty penny for the r5 and have gotten used to it. But if money was not object, I would probably get the Nike one. The sweet spot on the club is huge. <<<I have always hit men's clubs because I like the bigger grip, I hit the ball relatively hard, and they are a bit heavier than women's, which feels better to me. Maybe something to do with a stiffer shaft, too?>>> Yes the head on the Nike (non-tour SQ) club is larger and the shaft will be more stiff. You probably swing too hard (fast) to use a standard women's shaft. Again all of this is my own personal opinion. If there is a large golf store such as GOlfSmith or PGA Superstore in your city, go there and try out all the demos. Speak to them about shaft ridgidity too, and if you want a men's club, don't let them talk you into a women's club. I mean, there is nothing wrong with a women's club, but it's YOUR money you are spending so get what you want.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Oh and officerminnie I am sorry to get so long winded but hey,,, its Sunday. lol jk... Anyway one more thing I thgouth of is, if you get a men's club you may need to have the shaft shortened, unless you are say 5'10" or taller. Just a final throught.
Originally Posted By officerminnie Thanks for all the info, DVC_dad! You saved me alot of research. No problem with being long winded - I'm really enjoying reading all the golf talk. I forgot to mention that I do have a Taylor Made three wood with a graphite shaft, I think it is called a Burner and has one of those bubble shaft things(I bought it used last summer from the same guy with the Titleist driver). My Power Bilt driver had broken, so I just decided to use the Taylor Made 3 wood as a driver for now, since could I hit it farther than the old driver. I do need to go to a golf shop and just start trying out clubs, but I feel about as enthused for that outing as I do for buying a car. Not thrilled at the prospect of dealing with sales people. >Anyway one more thing I thgouth of is, if you get a men's club you may need to have the shaft shortened, unless you are say 5'10" or taller. Just a final throught.< Yep, I am 5'6" and I noticed the Titleist driver was a bit long. For some reason the Power Bilts are markedly shorter. Maybe once upon a time a previous owner had them cut down. The Ping irons are perfect length for me, but my dad may have had them made a special length-he was about 5'9"-10". I remember that was a huge purchase for him back then, as Pings were about the most expensive club you could buy. So if he had a choice to have custom shafts, I'm sure he opted for that. By the way - at the tournament yesterday, I won ladies KP. I hit a 6 iron on a 139 yard hole and put it 6'4" from the pin. Pure luck. And thank goodness I made the birdie putt on the incredibly fast green (someone said it was like putting on linoleum)!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <>Anyway one more thing I thgouth of is, if you get a men's club you may need to have the shaft shortened, unless you are say 5'10" or taller. Just a final throught.< Yep, I am 5'6" and I noticed the Titleist driver was a bit long. For some reason the Power Bilts are markedly shorter. Maybe once upon a time a previous owner had them cut down. The Ping irons are perfect length for me, but my dad may have had them made a special length-he was about 5'9"-10". I remember that was a huge purchase for him back then, as Pings were about the most expensive club you could buy. So if he had a choice to have custom shafts, I'm sure he opted for that. < DVC dad covered this in very good detail - i will only add one thing, if you shorten the club, depending on how much ( and undertand that 1/2 inch is a lot in a golf club ) - you may have to consider slightly more flex in your club as the focal point of the flex changes..... I am 6'3" and I play 1/2 inch extra long clubs and that extra 1/2 inch adds a lot in 'getting around' on all shots so as not to leave the ball out to the right ( I am righthanded )- As far as the Pings, if they are black dots -- it is not the name of the club, it is a fitting size. The color of the dots in Ping irons indicates the custom fit - which involved not only height, but distance of hand to the ground etc to compensate for the lie of the clubhead. It really is an accurate system. some simple measures you can do yourself can tell you if the black dots will work -- here is a link <a href="http://www.ping.com/flash/webfit.html" target="_blank">http://www.ping.com/flash/webf it.html</a> I play white dots ( Ping Eye 2's) -as well as Ping Eye 5's -( I am breaking inmy 5's and having a hard time giving up my 2's) - welcome to the golf talk, some really nice people here
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <I am convinced that I made the right choice. I would rather have gone to the University of Georgia and NOT play ball, than to have gone to East Bumble Community College and ride the bench, only to pinch hit and switch hit when necessary. < I am sure you knew the right choice..it's different for everyone --and baseball sounds like you were all over it....!!!! The most important thing to me on scholarships is that you go to a school you would go to anyway --as the commercial for the NCAA says, most of us go pro in something other than sports
Originally Posted By officerminnie Ohhhhhhhh....interesting stuff about the black dot. Thanks for the link to the Ping site. I entered my measurements, and the black dot was the proper iron size. But my grip size should be aqua, which is one step smaller than standard. I always thought I had kinda big hands. Hmmm... My neighbor is 6'9" and I swear his driver comes up to my chin! (yes, he played college basketball on a scholarship at Gonzaga. Everyone always asks if he played ball when they hear 6'9").
Originally Posted By DVC_dad I had my TaylorMade RAC's adjusted for a custom fit when I bought them. The PING webfit site tells me that I am a Ping Iron RED, which makes some sense as to what was done with my RAC's. I kept the factory grips as I love the hand placement guides on the grips, and they feel great to me too. They adjusted the length but left the angle to standard. (They based this on putting friction tape on the bottom of the clubs to see how I impact the turf, and me hitting them several times on the 9,7,5,3 irons.) I had this done at the new PGA Superstore in our area, and I am pretty comfortable with the adjustments that were made. And...the price was far less than the PING's. BUT that being said, I still think PING has the best system for custom fit out there. Why? Let me tell you... I have heard so many stories about PING clubs. Usually it goes something like this: "When I was growing up, my dad had a custom set of PING irons. After several years he got some new ones and gave me that old set when I was 20-something and they were the best clubs. Later in life I wanted new technology and I switched to (not PING clubs) and I never could hit the ball nearly as well. So after a few years I got my dad's old clubs out and you would not believe how well those OLD PING clubs hit the ball for me!" Well if you think about it, most guys grow up to be a lot like dad as for height and grip and inseam...so it makes sense that dad's PING irons would be perfect for son.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<By the way - at the tournament yesterday, I won ladies KP. I hit a 6 iron on a 139 yard hole and put it 6'4" from the pin. Pure luck. And thank goodness I made the birdie putt on the incredibly fast green (someone said it was like putting on linoleum)!>>> YAY!!! and WOW!!! Congrats!!! That is awesome, you must be quite a golfer! I'm not sure, but I seem to remember a similar line about linoleum in the movie Caddyshack. LOL Awesome!
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Hey anyone remember Molitor golf balls? Wasn't there some sort of hoopla over them several years ago? I seem to recall something about them being "unfair" but can't remember. The reason I ask is I found a Molitor ball the other day, and it reminded me of when I played golf as a teen. I used to buy them because they were CHEAP and I used to lose a lot of balls. Funny, I don't remember seeing them anyway lately. I have gotten hooked on Callaway balls for some reason. What do you all prefer to play with?
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Also to vbdad55... My reading has continued. I find it easy to read with one hand and hold and walk around with the baby in the other. So its something I can do while the baby gets spoiled. Anyway, I thought of you today. I read this quote and laughed so loud. "Never be too proud to take lessons. I do." - Jack Nicklaus Now read that and then re-read it a few times and think about it. At first it sounded good, but the more I thought about it... I think it is the most conceited thing I have ever read.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad ^^^ It might as well say: "Never be too proud to take lessons. I do, and afterall if I do, everyone should, because no one is better than me."
Originally Posted By officerminnie >>Congrats!!! That is awesome, you must be quite a golfer! << Well, not really. I can hit the ball pretty well, and sometimes I putt well. My short game stinks. I am very inconsistent. That's why I like the scramble format - if I chunk or skull a chip shot (which I do with some regularity) my partner can come to the rescue. I played alot of junior golf. I was never very serious, just really enjoyed the game and the friendships. I played summer tournaments here in WA (Fred Couples land) and OR. I had a 9 handicap, but if I had practiced alot like some of the other kids, it could have been lower . Never had a private lesson, just the group ones for a week every summer given by the pro at the club we belonged to. I still really love this game...
Originally Posted By berol Nicklaus' books tend to be not so great cuz they teach how he plays golf instead of teaching from the general case. "Golf My Way" is exactly what the title says. If your mechanics fit his, then they're must reads.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Hey anyone remember Molitor golf balls? Wasn't there some sort of hoopla over them several years ago? I seem to recall something about them being "unfair" but can't remember< had to do with the softness of the center on the originals and spin rate -- ( but they cut if you looked at them worng) - but this was only the originals, the Molitors out the last 15 years or so are regulation
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^ finf an original Molitor Balata and a set of square groove Pings and you can make the ball dance
