The Golf Thread

[cotton]

what degree is your driver?

10.5

 

[NYYVol]

Been there done that. When I was 16 I developed a god awful case of the shanks due to a quirky swing that a pro thought needed to be drastically changed. It got so bad that I wouldn't even go to the driving range unless it was deserted and nobody could see me trying to hit the ball. I probably went from being a decent Division1 prospect to barely being able to get it back together enough to be an NAIA walk on.

The 2 things that saved me were that I basically stopped practicing full shots for about 6 months and played only occasionally and eliminated all muscle memory . . . and the fact that all I did during that time was chip and putt and ended up with an above average short game that bailed me out a lot.

I honestly think it would serve him best to take some time off. Work on those half shots and just start from scratch basically.

I am of no help. Just from playing and practicing I've worked myself to scratch, but am no where near adept enough to work on another's swing.

With him I know it's a pride issue and can't blame him a bit. Game's supposed to be fun and those hosel rockets drain the fun right out.
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[golfballs]

Been there done that. When I was 16 I developed a god awful case of the shanks due to a quirky swing that a pro thought needed to be drastically changed. It got so bad that I wouldn't even go to the driving range unless it was deserted and nobody could see me trying to hit the ball. I probably went from being a decent Division1 prospect to barely being able to get it back together enough to be an NAIA walk on.

The 2 things that saved me were that I basically stopped practicing full shots for about 6 months and played only occasionally and eliminated all muscle memory . . . and the fact that all I did during that time was chip and putt and ended up with an above average short game that bailed me out a lot.

good lord.

sometimes taking a break is the best thing you can do.

did you end up playing D1 golf?

 

[GAVol]

good lord.

sometimes taking a break is the best thing you can do.

did you end up playing D1 golf?

Nope . . . I was being dead serious. I ended up walking on at an NAIA school. It literally took me about 2 years to get all the way back.

 

[GAVol]

With him I know it's a pride issue and can't blame him a bit. Game's supposed to be fun and those hosel rockets drain the fun right out.
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I feel for him. People just can't possibly know how much it sucks mentally to play at an elite level and suddenly be unable to hit it at all.

 

[BigPapaVol]

I feel for him. People just can't possibly know how much it sucks mentally to play at an elite level and suddenly be unable to hit it at all.

Sucks. Hard to appreciate how guys like Chip Beck and Ian Baker Finch feel with the driver or Watson and Johnny Miller over the putter.
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[golfballs]

Nope . . . I was being dead serious. I ended up walking on at an NAIA school. It literally took me about 2 years to get all the way back.

wow, I feel ya. I played competitively with a swing under construction for about that long. it was so damn frustrating. just when I thought I had it down, my teacher would make some tweaks and it would throw me off again

ultimately i'm glad i did it... paid off in the end

 

[GAVol]

wow, I feel ya. I played competitively with a swing under construction for about that long. it was so damn frustrating. just when I thought I had it down, my teacher would make some tweaks and it would throw me off again

ultimately i'm glad i did it... paid off in the end

My problem was the product of having a quirky swing that a pro convinced me needed to be changed so it would hold up. Maybe he was right, but it sure did derail my development.

I basically had a Sergio Garcia type lay off and drop in move at the top of my swing. The "fix" actually made it worse and it turned into a swing so flat that all I could do was get stuck so far inside that I either shanked it or flip my hands enough to hook the snot out of it. I knew exactly what was causing it, but I flat out could not swing any other way.

. . . and now my go to shot is a high fade. :crazy:

 

[golfballs]

My problem was the product of having a quirky swing that a pro convinced me needed to be changed so it would hold up. Maybe he was right, but it sure did derail my development.

I basically had a Sergio Garcia type lay off and drop in move at the top of my swing. The "fix" actually made it worse and it turned into a swing so flat that all I could do was get stuck so far inside that I either shanked it or flip my hands enough to hook the snot out of it. I knew exactly what was causing it, but I flat out could not swing any other way.

. . . and now my go to shot is a high fade. :crazy:

i went through the exact same thing. i had kind of a loopy swing. i was steep at the top and dropped it in to place on the down swing. but this is where i was getting stuck and having to flip my hands through. occasionally snap hooking one. then in trying to fix it, i got pretty flat. i wasn't dropping the club, but still sometimes getting trapped. working my way out of that was one of the most awkward phases of my swing. i had so much wrist action at the bottom that when i did get my swing on plane, i would start the ball out straight but still hook it. i pretty much had to try and cut the ball on every shot to get it straight. eventually i got it worked out, but it took a while.

 

[lylsmorr]

After 7-8 years of inconsistent swings I think I may know what I was doing wrong. I had way too much weight on the balls of my feet and that explains all the mis-hits. I stayed back, good posture, good balance, and I just smoked the ball 8/10 times with no shanks, just a few that I caught chunky(a lot better than what I used to average)

 

[NYYVol]

Sucks. Hard to appreciate how guys like Chip Beck and Ian Baker Finch feel with the driver or Watson and Johnny Miller over the putter.
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Exactly.

As I've said before, Watson's stroke in the British last year on the 72nd hole was just absolutely brutal. But his reaction told it all. Like he expected it.
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[LAVolfan]

I had the same thing happen to me last year. I had gotten down to about a 3 or 4 handicap and then I lost about 30 or 40 lbs. I never thought that would screw up my golf game, but I started shanking everything then. I was almost to the point of eating everything in sight just to put the weight back on and get my game back. That was the closest I've ever gotten to quitting the game. I spent a ton of time on the range trying to figure things out and have gotten back down to about a 7 handicap, but I still shank a few every now and then.

 

[bUTrosbUTrosVOLie]

I'm somewhere between knock it around for fun and serious.

I shoot in the mid 90s typically but don't have any real short game skills to the point where I work on controlling spin, etc. I drive relatively straight (but not long) and putt well. The rest is more inconsistent.

Amazon has decent used Titleists for about .75 apiece buying around 3 doz. I bought some for my son when he was beginning. Most of the balls are a grade above good at least. That's the cheapest place I've found them that look nearly new. Mostly corporate logo balls.

 

[cotton]

Yesterday afternoon, par 5 16th. Drive in the middle of the fairway, right beside the 200 stake, uphill to the green, bunker on the left. 4 iron hit dead flush, lands in the front fringe, hops forward, 12 feet from the pin. 3 putt par.

I *$&#!in' love golf.

 

[bamacheats]

What kind of flat stick do you guys use? I have to admit I'm a putter junkie. I've never been a fan of Scotty Cameron's work but his german stainless is ok. I've been a big fan of T.P. Mills and played one of his Mizuno's for 6 years. I'm a huge fan of Bettinardi, esp his DASS line of putters.

But my very favorite is a company called Dogleg Right. They custom make putters, you tell them what you're thinking and they make it. Mine's a double flange solid copper with no sight lines or dots with a floating face. They even make a milled handle out of aerospace aluminum that's sweet. Best putter I've ever owned and my play on the greens shows it.

 

[golfballs]

I switch putters relatively often. i just need something new to look at. I actually just switched back to my old See-more and am really putting well. I had been using the White Hot 2-ball for a while. I've also got a center shafted never comprimise that i really like

 

[cotton]

I switched from a Scotty Cameron Studio to an Odyssey Sabertooth last year, and it has helped. I have a tendency to lean the putter on its heal and then "figure 8" it a bit. The Sabertooth makes both of these things easier to notice, correct, and avoid.

And it looks like the Bat Signal.

 

[golfballs]

I switched from a Scotty Cameron Studio to an Odyssey Sabertooth last year, and it has helped. I have a tendency to lean the putter on its heal and then "figure 8" it a bit. The Sabertooth makes both of these things easier to notice, correct, and avoid.

And it looks like the Bat Signal.

what is "figure 8"?

 

[bamacheats]

I spent as much money getting fitted and having built my putter than the rest of my clubs put together and it was worth every penny.

I've been helping my younger brother learn golf and just gave him a set of old clubs but told him he needs to get fitted for a putter. He resisted at first but when I told him that on a typical par 72 half of those strokes are putts. Then the lights came on. He's now about a 19 hcap.
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[cotton]

what is "figure 8"?

Bringing the putter back inside and then correcting on the through stroke by looping around and coming over it.

 

[golfballs]

I spent as much money getting fitted and having built my putter than the rest of my clubs put together and it was worth every penny.

I've been helping my younger brother learn golf and just gave him a set of old clubs but told him he needs to get fitted for a putter. He resisted at first but when I told him that on a typical par 72 half of those strokes are putts. Then the lights came on. He's now about a 19 hcap.
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so you have the loft, lie, length, weight, and grip thickness all spec'd to you?

i've been able to find putters that i like. and i have them cut down and grips wrapped a few times. i like them pretty short - a la Phil.

But what I have spent some bucks on that really have payed off are some putting tools.

I have a putting mat with a little ball ejector that shoots it back to me, and I set all this stuff on top of it.
GOLF_PUTTING_AID_ELKS_KEY
GOLF_PUTTING_AID_PUTTING_TRACK

and clip these to the putter face
GOLF_PUTTING_AID_TEACHER_PUTTER_CLIPS

Set it up on a flat spot in my apartment, watch tv and practice my putting.

 

[bamacheats]

I got my last one from www.doglegright.com and you fill out a long menu of options where you can basically say that you have a one of a kind. I specified length, lie, loft, shaft, grip (both in shape and material), head material, face pattern, head shape, sight lines and/or dots, floating face, swing weight, toe drop, and overall weight.

I'll try to post some pics.
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[golfballs]

I got my last one from DoglegRight: Machine Golf and you fill out a long menu of options where you can basically say that you have a one of a kind. I specified length, lie, loft, shaft, grip (both in shape and material), head material, face pattern, head shape, sight lines and/or dots, floating face, swing weight, toe drop, and overall weight.

I'll try to post some pics.
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how did you know what to pick for loft? did you get measured for this?

 

[bamacheats]

Here is some of his work. Dave Billings is the designer, he used to be head design with Bob Bettinardi. Putters are called Machine.

 

[bamacheats]

how did you know what to pick for loft? did you get measured for this?

Yes. All manufacturers are different but almost all rack putters are about 6 degrees because most golfers, esp. amateurs, push the shaft forward losing about 2 degrees. I play 4 degrees even though I'm an amateur because I make contact with the club perpendicular to the ground.

Lie angle is most important, loft a very close second. Swing weight and toe drop are next and the length of the putter, which gets the most attention, is not that big of a deal really, just for comfort mostly.