Architect's WITB

[shortgame85]

Excellent post and bag of gear. Laudable goals. Good luck, neighbor!

[Architect]

[quote name='shortgame85' timestamp='1394594134' post='8852857']
Excellent post and bag of gear. Laudable goals. Good luck, neighbor!
[/quote]

Thank you. I've been working on short game drills most days since my last round. Lots of putting and 75-100 yard shots!

Take it easy on us this coming fall on the football field!

[shortgame85]

[quote name='Architect' timestamp='1394669360' post='8859073']
[quote name='shortgame85' timestamp='1394594134' post='8852857']
Excellent post and bag of gear. Laudable goals. Good luck, neighbor!
[/quote]

Thank you. I've been working on short game drills most days since my last round. Lots of putting and 75-100 yard shots!

Take it easy on us this coming fall on the football field!
[/quote]

Short game drills will certainly lower your scores faster than most anything else. And really there is little else more satisfying in golf, after a poor drive or a foozled second shot, than saving par with a magnificent chip and putt.

As for football, I am truly Mississippi's anomaly: it is a game about which I could care less and, perhaps more importantly, I attended no university located within the state's boundaries. For these verities alone, I would be considered an outcast in my community were it not for the fact that my wife is an alumnus of the University of Mississippi and was a member of Chi Omega. Because of her alone, I am considered passable.

[ptrck2184]

What made you go with the gorge 54* instead of the i25 sw?

[Architect]

[quote name='ptrck2184' timestamp='1394729020' post='8863433']
What made you go with the gorge 54* instead of the i25 sw?
[/quote]

While I really like how they modified the wedges for the i25, for my needs the bounce on both the SW (14°) and LW (13°) is a little too high. The Gorge 54SS (13°) and 58SS (10°) are a better fit.

[calc61]

Great bag!!

[Architect]

Since purchasing these Gorge wedges I've dedicated two practice sessions (lots more to follow) to work on the feel and dial in my 75 and 100 yard distances. I should first say that I am coming from a set of G10s 4-LW. Shot after shot felt like using fine surgical instruments. Each time I gave a good swing by the end of my session today the ball would land within a yard of the target. Every miss I knew how long/short/off line I would end up. Why didn't I bag these sooner?!?!

[Architect]

Here's a photo showing the grips on the irons and wedges. Golf Pride New Decade MultiCompound black/white standard size grip with +2 wrap:
[attachment=2122543:140306_WITB_005-812.jpg]

[Architect]

I just sent my Gorge 58 SS in to Ping for a Lob Grind, as I've been having difficulty opening the face up around the green. Anyone else have this issue with these wedges?

[Architect]

My 58° came back from Ping just in time for my round Saturday morning. I elected to go with the Lob Combo Grind which added some relief to the back and heel to help get under the ball for lob shots. Let me tell you it works just as promised!

Even better during my round with this club I had a 7-yard chip lip out of the cup, a 25-yard pitch stop 18-inches from an eagle, and a 33-yard pitch-in for birdie. I can expect this type of (lucky) performance every round now, right?!?!!

[attachment=2175565:140416_WITB_001.jpg]

[Sidetracked]

Who makes that leather driver head cover?

[Sean2]

Nice presentation...well done!

[Architect]

[quote name='Sidetracked' timestamp='1397531318' post='9093503']
Who makes that leather driver head cover?
[/quote]

Iliac Golf. You'll have no regrets if you purchase one:
http://www.iliacgolf.com/

[skylargolf]

Looks like a WITB from a tour player in golf digest! Nice work!

[Architect]

[quote name='skylargolf' timestamp='1397607234' post='9100405']
Looks like a WITB from a tour player in golf digest! Nice work!
[/quote]

Thanks skylargolf! I really enjoy practicing and playing with these clubs.

If, however, my set could talk back it certainly wouldn't have the same sentiments. They're expecting a pure tour striker every round, not 7 GIR and shooting 80!

[Korndog]

How are you liking the i25s now that you have had a little time with them? I really like the way they look and I'm thinking about going with an i25/S55 combo set.

[Architect]

[quote name='Korndog' timestamp='1397661207' post='9104083']
How are you liking the i25s now that you have had a little time with them? I really like the way they look and I'm thinking about going with an i25/S55 combo set.
[/quote]

I absolutely love them. It all started with an expert fitting from Baker's Custom Golf in Tulsa. The lie/loft is correct, and the shafts fit my swing well.

The turf interaction is right where it should be. Solid contact shots feel effortless like cutting through butter. Off center strikes aren't too penalizing but you'll get the feedback to know where you were off. This iron provides all the workability to shape shots left/right and high/low. The S55 is very sexy, but I would recommend assembling a full set of i25s before looking to combo.

[Korndog]

Awesome! Thanks for the info. I think I may go straight i25s. I've always been a huge Ping fan and I really like the way the 25's look at address.

[Tjbrendan5]

Sick bag! Ping stuff is really looking better and better to me… I got to stop looking at it… Its calling my name! lol

[Architect]

[quote name='Tjbrendan5' timestamp='1398217932' post='9148175']
Sick bag! Ping stuff is really looking better and better to me… I got to stop looking at it… Its calling my name! lol
[/quote]

Thanks Tjbrendan5. If I wasn't a PING head I'd probably bag Titleist like you. Doesn't that G25 20-hybrid feel great?!?! Much improved (for me) over my old Rapture V2.

[Architect]

[size=4]
In order to squeeze another fairway in per round, I cut my R1 down from 45.5" to 45.0". To keep the D1 to D1.5 swing weight I added 6-grams to the tune ports on the club head (so easy to shift weights around with this club head design). I kept the Tour Lock 30-gram on the butt end, as it helps me drop into the slot on the way down.[/size]
[size=4]
My first test on the course was supposed to be tomorrow in a two-man scramble, but the threat of a nasty thunderstorm is setting the event back one week. I had a practice session on an indoor launch monitor the other day. Dispersion and feel seemed to be alright. One thing that has been bothering me with this club though is my launch angle. On the course I get good roll out that comes with low spin, but my launch angle is at 11 to 11.5 degrees and max height at 60 feet. This is with cranking the loft on the head up to 12 and a high launching shaft! I'm thinking I need to get away from a front-weighted head and go with something like the G25 with more weight towards the rear to help me get my launch up to +14-degrees.[/size]
[size=4]
[attachment=2194071:140416_WITB_002.jpg][/size]

[Tjbrendan5]

[quote name='Architect' timestamp='1398462478' post='9171481']
[quote name='Tjbrendan5' timestamp='1398217932' post='9148175']
Sick bag! Ping stuff is really looking better and better to me… I got to stop looking at it… Its calling my name! lol
[/quote]

Thanks Tjbrendan5. If I wasn't a PING head I'd probably bag Titleist like you. Doesn't that G25 20-hybrid feel great?!?! Much improved (for me) over my old Rapture V2.
[/quote]

Its the most crisp hybrid Ive ever hit, its hot and lands soft… What more could you ask?! My high school golf coach is a Ping rep and I could get some sweet deals… But I can't seem to stray away from Titleist… Maybe I will bag a G25 FW and/or Driver….?

[Qqq123xx]

How goes the battle to 5? Have you gotten the new driver changes on the course yet. Good luck.

[Architect]

[quote name='Qqq123xx' timestamp='1398903146' post='9207599']
How goes the battle to 5? Have you gotten the new driver changes on the course yet. Good luck.
[/quote]

Thanks Q. It took a few holes getting used to the shorter driver shaft, but worked it out towards the end of the first nine last weekend.

I'm still finding my groove this season. Last rounds were 83, 80, and 82. I'll focus throughout the week on two aspects of my game, then a third will bite me in the a** on the course.

Take last weekend for instance: focused on my driving/irons which led to hitting 75% FIR and 67% GIR, but then my normally strong short game let me down.

My swing coach is having me report back on my stats, finding weaknesses, and helping me identify specific areas to work on. Averaging 78 on this course is my goal, and it will be a battle to get there!

[Architect]

[quote name='Tjbrendan5' timestamp='1398889442' post='9205987']
[quote name='Architect' timestamp='1398462478' post='9171481']
[quote name='Tjbrendan5' timestamp='1398217932' post='9148175']
Sick bag! Ping stuff is really looking better and better to me… I got to stop looking at it… Its calling my name! lol
[/quote]

Thanks Tjbrendan5. If I wasn't a PING head I'd probably bag Titleist like you. Doesn't that G25 20-hybrid feel great?!?! Much improved (for me) over my old Rapture V2.
[/quote]

Its the most crisp hybrid Ive ever hit, its hot and lands soft… What more could you ask?! My high school golf coach is a Ping rep and I could get some sweet deals… But I can't seem to stray away from Titleist… Maybe I will bag a G25 FW and/or Driver….?
[/quote]

The G25 fairway is a bomber! I'm eyeballing a G25 driver myself. After going through im_Rob's WITB I'm looking at getting one...trying to hold off until late in the year for a proper fitting. I'm thinking a 12-degree head with a low/mid-launch low-spin shaft could be a winner.

[Architect]

Some WRX swag arrived! I'm keeping the red bag tag for myself. The black one is going to mtander15, playing partner and fellow WRXer.
[attachment=2205573:140501 golfwrx 001.jpg]

[Altiman94]

Really nice & I like that bag a lot. I looked really hard at i20's last year but ultimately stayed with my eye 2's. The only reason was that I didn't want to have to buy a bunch of wedges (gap, sand, lob) to fit in & I'm really weird about having all my stuff match. The i25's are very tempting to me at the moment. I'd go rapture 2, 4-UW, 52/56/60 in the PING wedges. Cool set up.

I am also working on getting my HC lower. I signed up for GHIN this year and it seems like I'll come in around a 6 so far. I haven't been able to control my wedges or chipping as good as I'd like but I think I can get to around a 2 by the end of the summer if I keep practicing hard. I have been keeping my scores on 'golf shot' for android app and I've been around a 3.4-3.6HC for the last year or so. I have some good rounds in at the latter part of last year that didn't get to be put into GHIN.

[Architect]

[quote name='Altiman94' timestamp='1399649504' post='9263483']
Really nice & I like that bag a lot. I looked really hard at i20's last year but ultimately stayed with my eye 2's. The only reason was that I didn't want to have to buy a bunch of wedges (gap, sand, lob) to fit in & I'm really weird about having all my stuff match. The i25's are very tempting to me at the moment. I'd go rapture 2, 4-UW, 52/56/60 in the PING wedges. Cool set up.

I am also working on getting my HC lower. I signed up for GHIN this year and it seems like I'll come in around a 6 so far. I haven't been able to control my wedges or chipping as good as I'd like but I think I can get to around a 2 by the end of the summer if I keep practicing hard. I have been keeping my scores on 'golf shot' for android app and I've been around a 3.4-3.6HC for the last year or so. I have some good rounds in at the latter part of last year that didn't get to be put into GHIN.
[/quote]

Nothing wrong with your Eye 2s.....but with that said I bet you could pick up a set of lightly used i20s and wedges for a good price now that the i25s have been out for a few months. That new bag combo you are thinking of sounds like a winner. And the Rapture 2 wood just might give your 2 War Bird a run for its money!

GHIN has a great app that I use on my iPhone and it now has sorting features that I find useful. Your handicap is really low and I can't imagine getting to that point. Awesome and best of luck on your goals this year!

[Architect]

I played a two-man scramble last weekend. We only shot a 68 because we couldn't hit any putts! I kept my own stats and had a decent ball striking day: 8 FIR, 9 GIR (with a few more on the edge), longest drives were 295, 305, and 332 yards. I had some great long approach shots hitting 3 par-5 greens under regulation 4W rolled to back edge from 223 into a 15mph wind (self birdie), a 6-iron from 183 slightly uphill that stuck pin-high 4-feet from the hole (self eagle), and another 4-wood from 255 (self birdie). Not a good showing on the par 3s and my flat stick wasn't as hot as it could have been.

We also had an interesting playing partner that wore an ankle tracking monitor graciously provided by the State!

[agadawg17171]

Nice setup! Love the Golf Digest style WITB picture!