Golf Megathread 2017-24: LIV, Laugh, Love

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Golf Megathread 2017-24: LIV, Laugh, Love

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Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Does this thread deal with playing golf or just watching it? Because I need a new driver

# ¿ Apr 15, 2017 07:08

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# ¿ Apr 24, 2024 12:07

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Furnaceface posted:

Its an all things golf thread. Do you know what youre looking for in a driver? Brand? New? Used? Are you freakishly tall or a midget like me? If so you might need to get it fitted after you find one. Grips are important too!

Oh good, I hunted around a bit yesterday for such a thread as this and am glad its an all-in-one.

I golfed competitively through high school but have largely been away from the sport for the past number of years and, like skiing, I am looking to take it back up. So, I'm knowledgeable about the sport but not current tech.

My kit reflects this, dating back to maybe the 80s? Irons are forged Ping wannabes by Par Ace, woods are Wilson metals, and my last driver that I loved was a Taylormade--one of the first generation with graphite shafts. This shaft failed on me a couple of years ago at the driving range--the ball went about 20 yards, but the club head went 50+. Sadly the driving range failed to notify the person who drove the ball collecting cart to save that head for me to get reshafted. For the short term I got a cheapo to cover me for my immediate needs, but one round with it proved 1) I need a much stiffer shaft than it has, and 2) I managed to flake off all of the metal plating on its face in one round. Turns out the real cheapos are plastic dipped in metal (and whippy like a noodle).

I'm average height (5'10"), need a stiff flex, and probably a lower loft angle. I'm going to take a couple of lessons to get my swing back under control, but currently have a slice when I swing with power, so a compensatory thing on the club probably isn't needed as its a swing mechanics issue. Not sure what else to say other than I'd prefer not to spend $500 on a single club?

e. also are all drivers these huge-headed monstrosities? So ugly

# ¿ Apr 15, 2017 16:10

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

I'll ignore the fugly factor if I can consistently land over 300 yards with one for sure

# ¿ Apr 15, 2017 16:25

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

mattfl posted:

Well I'm nothing if not consistent lol

Remember how I said shots that no one would believe. That eagle on 5 was a chip in from 25 yards away, behind a hill, into a blind green. I didn't believe it myself until I saw it in the cup lol.

And I'm done, 72 in 2 days is quite enough for this weekend!

Could you break down your lower scoring? F/P--P stands for putts I assume. F is...reaching the green in regulation? Hitting the fairway after a drive?

Never seen this before.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2017 15:47

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Thanks for the clarification.

Found a very cool shop that sells last years models and used clubs in town, nearly got a 2009ish Taylormade Burner to replace my 80s version of the same until better sense got a hold of me to wait, get some swings in, and have my swing evaluated for the right driver. But still for $40 to replace the POS in my bag it might be a decent stop gap measure.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2017 01:10

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

I remember the first time I walked onto the fairway of a private country club for a tournament thinking it was smoother than the greens I normally played on. Amazing.

So on my way into work I stopped back into that shop and swung some clubs. My POS driver, an Alien it turns out, wasn't in nearly as bad a shape as I remembered but still way way too whippy. On their simulator, having not swung for a few years, I had a head speed of 90-100 and surprisingly high ball spin, so they fed me a few drivers in my preferred price range (low, since I need to work on mechanics before fussing over the minimal gains of precisely tuned gear), including (unrequested) that Taylormade. I settled on both it (10.5 loft) and a Ping (9 loft). The Ping felt great, the ball off the face was like off a pillow it was so soft, but it was consistently shorter and with a slightly greater fade than the Taylormade. The latter wasn't nearly as forgiving but when struck true was dead on. I hit a lot a balls, hemmed and hawed, and went with it. It should be a good enough gamer for where I am right now.

The owner of the place was pretty surprised by what irons I had, and I have a standing offer to come down and see how the technology has progressed since the 80s

# ¿ Apr 18, 2017 19:32

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Thing is I got that Alien driver only 3 or so years ago. Who knows how long it was in the remainder bin. Still looks brand new other than the grooving on the lower side of the face from the *1* time I used it at the range.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2017 02:25

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Speaking of buying clubs...It seems most sets of irons at the local big box store are 4-A, with no 3 iron. Is this current standard? P is presumably a pitching wedge, is A a higher lofted, sand wedge sort of thing?

I also noticed some sets had hybrid wood, low iron things, again is this the new normal?

(Have to say I really liked the low-center weighting and rounded leading edge most of these irons seemed to have)

# ¿ Apr 20, 2017 03:47

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Shrapnig posted:

A is a gap wedge, so around 50*, sand wedges are usually between 54*-58* depending on how you gap your wedges and 9001 other things.

2 and 3 irons are slowly disappearing, especially in the game improvement sets, and a lot of better players are replacing them with either driving irons or hybrids these days as well as they're generally more forgiving. My most recent set was 3-PW but they're getting harder to find, with 4-PW or 4-A/GW being much more common.

The hybrid combo sets are usually a pretty good deal if they work for you. Generally $100 more than a normal iron set but you get one or two hybrids that would probably cost $1-150 each if bought separately.

Interesting. So with the rise of the hybrids are people still bagging 3-5 woods?

# ¿ Apr 20, 2017 13:26

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Crazy. And my vintage early 80s clubs are presumably more lofted than current sets. I know from hitting in the simulator that I was getting crazy ball rotation until I upped the stiffness and dropped the loft. I bet I can really increase distance with some newer sticks.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2017 16:12

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

torgeaux posted:

As someone noted, if you used the old sets of 3-PW, your lofts wouldn't be that different, but they wouldn't be on the same clubs.

That's becoming apparent. But seeing the considerable interest in all aspects of the technical side of golf is really interesting to me. I'm going to not worry about immediately buying new irons until I play some more, get some lessons, see how things settle out.

I appreciate hearing how you all are filling your bags, its enlightening. The range in wedges is something I should try--never carried anything other than my PW previously.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2017 01:42

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Holy lol do people really use laser range finders to judge distance to pin?

# ¿ Apr 22, 2017 02:27

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

# ¿ Apr 22, 2017 02:38

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Josh Lyman posted:

What else would you use laser range finders for?

Targeting ordinance at the enemy?

# ¿ Apr 22, 2017 03:13

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

BCRock posted:

You're right. I can't think of any other scenario where knowing the exact distance to something would be helpful besides that one.

Point being that deciding on which club to use next during the walk up to your ball by estimating distance, knowing course tendencies in marker placement, judging wind speed and direction, are skills of the game. Using a range finder would be useful for practice at the range I guess but if its used when playing it seems to me like you are intentionally leaving an important part of the game undeveloped.

:corsair:

# ¿ Apr 22, 2017 15:49

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

mattfl posted:

I find it hard to believe this is the fist time you are hearing about range finders being used in golf...

Why?

Having caddies using them to make notes in their notebooks seems appropriate, but I have visions of weekend hackers hauling one out with each shot and slowing down their play even more. Hopefully this is jus tmy overactive imagination though. Just seems like a crutch and another thing to spend ones money on that isn't really needed.

But who knows perhaps in a year I won't be able to imagine playing without one.

# ¿ Apr 22, 2017 18:52

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

I could have used one at the range today to calculate the lateral displacement on a few of my slices.

Hit a jumbo bucket, and was really pleased with the distance, consistency, and direction of my irons, although I noted that the shafts were regular not stiff. The grips are shot though--the rubber has dried and they are slick and brittle. Eh, they are non conforming silhouettes so best replaced at some point.

My "new" driver had nice distance, but my 3 and 5 woods really bent strongly to the right. Check the shafts and they are "lights" What madness is that? Not going to say they are responsible for my at times poor play, but no way am I going to be fighting my gear in the future. Those get replaced soonest.

# ¿ Apr 22, 2017 23:24

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Shrapnig posted:

I came very close to walking off of the golf course leaving my clubs behind today.

I can't hit my driver, at all. It's a 150 yard duck hook every time. I'm hitting every other club in my bag better than I ever have but I can't hit my driver.

I hit 5 iron off the tee on almost every hole after the sixth today and scored better.

I'm so goddamn frustrated right now.

I can relate with your sentiment Shrapnig.

# ¿ Apr 22, 2017 23:42

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Oh god I only have 1 sleeve of fresh balls. What do I even buy these days? I used to game whatever coach gave us (was Maxifly iirc), but had settled on Titleist Tour 100 compression from pure feel. What does that mean in today's game?

# ¿ Apr 26, 2017 14:51

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Josh Lyman posted:

There's no "Titleist Tour" ball. There was the Titleist Professional, played by pretty much everyone, the Tour Prestige, played by Karrie Webb but was only around for a few years before the Pro V1 appeared, and the Tour Balata. They all came in 90 and 100 compressions.

IDK man it was like 30 years ago and I didn't :spergin:

about things other than "did it hit straight and feel good" back then before we had access to literally the entirety of human knowledge at our fingertips. As I recall the sleeves were black.

Thanks for this though, guess I'll give the ProV1s a try then.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2017 15:19

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Thanks for the ball suggestions, will give them all a try. I recall when younger playing the Titleist DT 90s but then taking the step up in compression. Memory is a hell of a thing.

Got a couple of my irons regripped this morning, in anticipation for lessons. I would have done all of my irons but at like $100 for the set it kind of feels like throwing good money after bad given I plan to get an entirely new set more to my specs. I did notice that the face of my commonly hit irons (esp W, 9, 7, 5) the grooves in the sweet spot are getting pretty badly worn so its probably time.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2017 18:16

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

OK golf thread. Not to stir up a hornet's nest of controversy, but I am trying to get a decent handle on the factors that would help one decide between good old fashioned forged blades and GI clubs. I see a lot of posturing by both sides over on Golf WRX but little substantive discussion of pros and cons.

My old clubs are I guess old GI clubs--clones of Ping Karstens--and hitting them I have absolutely no problem getting them up high off the ground with what turns out to be very high spin. Part of me thinks I should be heading to get my dad's old Wilson Staffs instead of getting new GI irons. Anyway, I'll be getting fit after a few lessons and will be asking my instructor about these variables in selecting new irons, but to kick things off and to aid my further research, what should I be considering?

(FWIW, grip changes own and I wish I had done this years ago--midsized Crosslines are almost perfect for my hands. Going to get the rest of the set done now I think.)

# ¿ May 2, 2017 18:53

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

OK cool. After posting I started digging in further and found how companies like Mizuno were basically combining the two technologies too so welp

Soooo many models to choose from it makes my head hurt. Was really hoping to narrow the field some

# ¿ May 2, 2017 19:23

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

DoctaFun posted:

Depends what you mean by GI club. Take Ping's lineup for instance, they have:

GMax - super GI
G series - GI
I series - GI / 'player'
iBlade - 'player'

I think you'll find similar setups across manufacturers. Honestly, that one step down from blades is such a great compromise in both directions it's hard to argue with it. Pretty thin topline, small to moderate offset, medium clubhead size. I play Ping S56 irons, which were their old 'blade'(although they are much less of a blade than like Titleist MBs) mainly because it has minimal offset and that's something I care about.

There's a very good chance I'd be better off playing the I series though. If you don't strike the ball very consistently then it's tough to recommend blades, mishits are punished much more than on a GI club. Slight mishit on a GI club might mean front of the green or just short as opposed to middle. Mishit on blade could be 10-20 yards short.

Workability get's brought up a lot and it's a fair point, not sure how relevant it is for 98% of golfers though. So you hit your drive behind a tree, a blade might help you hook it around it more than a cavity back, but do you have that shot in your bag?

The other distinguishing factor from blades to the next level down is trajectory, blades will likely hit the ball on a lower trajectory, which might be important for you or might not.

This is a great post, thanks! Really explains why there are so many different club numbers. I guess the biggest question I will have to answer is whether the high spin I am getting is due to my swing or the clubs I am swinging currently, then optimize. I like the idea of the iseries though because I'm probably (when in my groove) about a 8 or 9 of 10 consistent hitter. That last one or two however are round determining in total.

# ¿ May 2, 2017 23:36

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Had a work function at a local country club, so at lunch I went out and hit a bucket of balls. As I came back many of my coworkers were like "you brought your clubs? What a great idea, why didn't I think of it?"

Checked out the pro shop, which carries Callaway irons primarily (but all the major driver brands). They (Apex and Steelheads) sit funny, with their really rounded soles. And they are massive things. Is this typical of modern irons or just a brand characteristic? I did like having the club weighted at the head, the shafts seemed to contribute little to the rotational mass.

Bilirubin fucked around with this message at 03:41 on May 4, 2017

# ¿ May 4, 2017 03:34

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

RCarr posted:

Not getting lessons ruined golf for me. I randomly picked up the game, taught myself all the worst possible habits. Can't play for poo poo. I've broke 100 maybe a handful of times. I just made golf miserable for myself. Now I would have to undo a decade of bad habits, so I just quit.

Post--gangtag combo

e. agree, 5 lessons for $99 is a really low price compared to what I have to pay where I am

Bilirubin fucked around with this message at 21:05 on May 4, 2017

# ¿ May 4, 2017 21:03

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

mattfl posted:

Sergio at 17! Holy poo poo!

Just saw that highlight, was very impressive!

Torqued something in my middle back last week while swinging at the driving range, and its not going away. Medical tech even managed to tweek it worse today. gently caress muscles that haven't been used in too long.

# ¿ May 11, 2017 23:48

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Le Saboteur posted:

In some WITB news picked up a set of Taylormade Burner 2.0 irons for $90 CDN today which for you Americans is probably like $50 USD. Set is just missing the 9 iron, but has an A Wedge as well as the P Wedge.

Wow great deal!

I love my "new" Burner driver fwiw

# ¿ May 13, 2017 05:04

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

mattfl posted:

Here's my pics from yesterday

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattfl/albums/72157683669258176

What a beautiful course. Very envious of your day!

e. went into a Golf Town and checked out a huge variety of clubs. Loved standing over the Ping iBlades, iSeries, i200, and most of the blades. Titleist blades are sexy. Mizuno cavity backs looked weird. Confirmed my hatred for how Calloway irons lie. So many great options out there!

Bilirubin fucked around with this message at 02:14 on May 14, 2017

# ¿ May 14, 2017 02:09

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Finally have the compressed work schedule finished and my back sorted. Lesson set for next week! The city is finally looking nice and green and I am mucho excited to get out there again!

# ¿ May 18, 2017 14:26

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Kameh posted:

Your Byron Nelson winner, everybody.

Who?

I mean, I've not followed pro golf closely ever really, but what a tourney this guy had!

e. and now I read this about him and feel like an rear end in a top hat! Yay!

Bilirubin fucked around with this message at 01:29 on May 24, 2017

# ¿ May 24, 2017 01:26

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Lesson tomorrow, got the clubs looking reasonably clean.

For those who would like to see an early 80s era vintage budget bag (driver excepted of course):

(That is a Northwestern putter fwiw)

# ¿ May 25, 2017 20:13

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Probably drunk in that video

Just had lesson, very happy that my swing isn't complete poo poo. I have a few things to work on as my takeaway is too low and need to transition my hips faster--all easily doable. Now to tear up some sod, and it appears our weather will be ideal for the next week!

# ¿ May 26, 2017 18:14

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Summit posted:

Warning: Stupid post by a stupid bad golfer who doesn't take lessons. Do not follow, see an instructor instead.

---

I feel like I just unlocked the secret to swinging a golf club (for me and how my body/mind works) and it's amazing. For a younger guy I've always had below average distance because I could not swing a club with my full strength and expect good results. I've always struggled with being over the top. I just could not figure out how to get my swing more inside. Usually I would have the sensation of running out of room. My "fix" was to slow things down immensely, which really didn't solve anything but made my awful slices less dramatic. A lot of the advice about being over the top describes shifting your weight solidly and letting your arms just "drop". I have a pretty active lower body, never struggled with committing to the weight shift. The drop was interesting and a good thought but I always struggled to commit to it. It felt like I had no sense of where the clubhead was if I let my arms get that noodly and my mind had difficulty letting go to that degree.

I was fortunate enough to come across a few videos that seemed to hit on a lot my problems that described trying to go the other way: speed up the arms. This really works! (again, it works for me and my issues) The drill/feel I've been using is to imagine chopping a log outside your rear foot i.e. chop straight down after completing the backswing and then turn HARD. This seemed absolutely ridiculous but I can swing hard now - really hard - and just crush the ball with a light fade. I've discovered "the slot" (never understood wtf that meant til now) and it's so liberating to finally figure out how to get into a position where I can actually freely swing the club without fear of a ridiculous banana slice.

In before "where did this wicked snap hook come from"

Seriously though, happy you made a breakthrough!

# ¿ May 27, 2017 21:08

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

I miss Ross.

I got a pair of Nike's recently. They fit so well and have these serrations on the inside of the big toe for grip as you roll your foot over during weight shifts that is just awesome.

Heading out to finally play tomorrow, is there a preferred score/stats tracking app you all use or are they more course specific?

# ¿ May 29, 2017 04:21

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

That pic makes him look like he had had a few over the preceding several days. Not a flattering shot.

Shot a 101 today from the white tees. This was my first round in 12-13 or so years. I have hit a few baskets of balls, and had a lesson a few days ago and saw some positives from that on the course today.

Issues: still rushing drives. Fairway woods not consistent. Short game, esp. from the sand terrible but improved over the day

Positives: Club distance estimation mostly good. Some really nice shots and surprise GIRs. Putting was ON, with only 2 3-putts, and lots of 1-putts including a 45 footer that had eyes. When I took a good practice swing the following shot generally went solidly.

Mostly, will try this again.

# ¿ May 30, 2017 04:32

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

mattfl posted:

More details keep coming out about Tiger

http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/19496396/tiger-woods-found-asleep-car-arrest-dui-charge

No alcohol at all in his system.

He looked pretty wrecked in his mug shot.

Seems it might have been a prescription interaction like he said. Then again, why is he on vicodin if he is "finally pain-free"?

# ¿ May 30, 2017 17:21

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Or maybe he meant "feeling no pain"?

# ¿ May 30, 2017 21:14

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

DJExile posted:

For those still picking the game up, this is a nice little welcome/intro guide

lol

# ¿ May 31, 2017 21:33

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# ¿ Apr 24, 2024 12:07

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Nice round!

# ¿ Jun 2, 2017 04:49

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Golf Megathread 2017-24: LIV, Laugh, Love

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