The Questions in My Mind?

[stickfish]

Glad you are able to get out, appreciate your comment RE: persimmon and range balls.  Located a Titleist Tour model from my youth and had a rough go with elevation at times.  Your comment reminded me that I was hitting mostly Tour Edition balls (the same played by the Shark) and how that those spun like crazy off the tee.  Good luck today and tommorow.

cheers,

<><

[BIG STU]

12 hours ago, stickfish said:

Glad you are able to get out, appreciate your comment RE: persimmon and range balls.  Located a Titleist Tour model from my youth and had a rough go with elevation at times.  Your comment reminded me that I was hitting mostly Tour Edition balls (the same played by the Shark) and how that those spun like crazy off the tee.  Good luck today and tommorow.

cheers,

<><

Yep those Tour Editions spun like crazy. I was playing the HT-100 when those came out. I have always been able to spin any ball for some reason. Some gurus have told me it is because of my wrists flicking through the ball at impact produces a lot of spin and club head speed. It can be a blessing and a curse. A few years back I was hitting one of the Titleist D series metal drivers. Sorta liked it. One of my Pro friends who is very well versed said the last thing I needed was a Titleist driver. First time I ever was on a simulator he put me on it. Showed me the uncanny side spin I was putting on the ball with that driver. Went to the less spinning Homna on a whim. I remember my friend telling some of the other guys I was the only one he saw that could elevate that Homna driver at 9*. The M-6 I am playing now is a fluke and goes against all logical thinking. I bomb that thing even though I am not supposed to be able to hit it. My Bud Bear had that thing and he is a excellent ball striker he said he was not a good enough ball striker to hit that thing. All joking aside I am not that good of a ball striker. Go look at my first set of VIPs the short irons are worn all over the face no joke. For some reason I flat crank that thing with its Twisted Sister Face. Sometimes I get some funky flights with the ball twisting in mid air but it still turns out decent. All of my swing is natural and honestly I can not tell you how I do some things. My swing is all timing and if my timing is off I can get some nasty rope hooks. Persimmon I have no trouble elevating as of now- BTW I NEVER hit range rocks with persimmon. Balls are so plentiful here I have a plethera of old Precepts and beat up Soft Feels. I have my initials on them and the range guys will cull them out for me

Edited September 18, 2021 by BIG STU

[NRJyzr]

2 hours ago, BIG STU said:

Yep those Tour Editions spun like crazy. I was playing the HT-100 when those came out. I have always been able to spin any ball for some reason. Some gurus have told me it is because of my wrists flicking through the ball at impact produces a lot of spin and club head speed. It can be a blessing and a curse. A few years back I was hitting one of the Titleist D series metal drivers. Sorta liked it. One of my Pro friends who is very well versed said the last thing I needed was a Titleist driver. First time I ever was on a simulator he put me on it. Showed me the uncanny side spin I was putting on the ball with that driver. Went to the less spinning Homna on a whim. I remember my friend telling some of the other guys I was the only one he saw that could elevate that Homna driver at 9*. The M-6 I am playing now is a fluke and goes against all logical thinking. I bomb that thing even though I am not supposed to be able to hit it. My Bud Bear had that thing and he is a excellent ball striker he said he was not a good enough ball striker to hit that thing. All joking aside I am not that good of a ball striker. Go look at my first set of VIPs the short irons are worn all over the face no joke. For some reason I flat crank that thing with its Twisted Sister Face. Sometimes I get some funky flights with the ball twisting in mid air but it still turns out decent. All of my swing is natural and honestly I can not tell you how I do some things. My swing is all timing and if my timing is off I can get some nasty rope hooks. Persimmon I have no trouble elevating as of now- BTW I NEVER hit range rocks with persimmon. Balls are so plentiful here I have a plethera of old Precepts and beat up Soft Feels. I have my initials on them and the range guys will cull them out for me

 

Stu, your post strikes a note with me.  I'm 100% self taught and have a baseball background.  I was also a big pull hitter for much of my time playing baseball and softball, which has given me a bit of trouble in golf; thank God I learned how to hit the ball to right field my last few years, or I'd be completely in golf hell.

 

Anyway, somehow I've developed a Daly-like backswing, going way past parallel.  Playing in Men's Club this year, I've gotten a lot of comments about it, "you've got an interesting swing."  LOL.  Can't seem to get away with it, though.  It's a timing thing, if I shorten it, I start to hit left and more left.

 

I've also spun the ball a fair amount, and used to hit it stupid high.  It's one reason I played Eye2+ for a year, they spun so much less, I could finally play in wind.  It's also why I quit playing the KBZ Tour shaft.  I could back up a 4 iron, and the final straw was backing off the green a babied partial 9 iron from 100 yds.  Ugh.

 

Reminds me...  the Maxfli Elite ball.  When I first played them, I found I gained distance with the short irons.  Reason for that, they flattened out, likely due to dimple pattern (my assumption).  It brought my shots into a more realistic overall trajectory.  The HT was the same way.

 

I'm really all over the place this morning.  LOL

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by NRJyzr

[BIG STU]

On 8/25/2021 at 4:05 PM, Tumbleweed_1968 said:

At the risk of sounding ethereal, I think that how we feel about the game has a lot more to do with how we play than we like to think. We are not computers or machines, so the iron byron numbers and stats are fine, as far as they go. But they don't explain the feel part of golf.

 

It may be that you love to play the older stuff, and that triggers something in the mental side of your game that allows you to play better and hit higher quality shots. I just don't think we give enough credit to the feel or feelings that go into golf.

 

There are a lot of us that are left cold by modern equipment. I know I am supposed to hit my modern driver better, but I don't. I'm supposed to hit my modern irons better, but I don't. How much of that is a "feel" thing? The older I get the more important nostalgia is to me. I feel better about myself and my game, and can retreat into my own little world and feel young again. Maybe it's the same for you, maybe not. But I think we can't discount how much "feel" enters into the equation. For me, golf is very much a feel sport, and I'd much rather experience that quail high 4 wood approach and a bump an run up to the hole than the bombed 6 iron and gouged wedge that never seem to end up as close anyway. It may be that you play better simply because you feel better about it.

Golf is all feel for me--- My late friend Big John used to say that I was a all feel and instinct player

[BIG STU]

22 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

 

Stu, your post strikes a note with me.  I'm 100% self taught and have a baseball background.  I was also a big pull hitter for much of my time playing baseball and softball, which has given me a bit of trouble in golf; thank God I learned how to hit the ball to right field my last few years, or I'd be completely in golf hell.

 

Anyway, somehow I've developed a Daly-like backswing, going way past parallel.  Playing in Men's Club this year, I've gotten a lot of comments about it, "you've got an interesting swing."  LOL.  Can't seem to get away with it, though.  It's a timing thing, if I shorten it, I start to hit left and more left.

 

I've also spun the ball a fair amount, and used to hit it stupid high.  It's one reason I played Eye2+ for a year, they spun so much less, I could finally play in wind.  It's also why I quit playing the KBZ Tour shaft.  I could back up a 4 iron, and the final straw was backing off the green a babied partial 9 iron from 100 yds.  Ugh.

 

Reminds me...  the Maxfli Elite ball.  When I first played them, I found I gained distance with the short irons.  Reason for that, they flattened out, likely due to dimple pattern (my assumption).  It brought my shots into a more realistic overall trajectory.  The HT was the same way.

 

I'm really all over the place this morning.  LOL

 

Yesterday was a mixed day for me in the Shootout---- Had a pick up team as usual but some of my regular playing cronies were out of town but did have one of my original team players with me. We did so so shot -8 but that did not get us crap had 2 teams one at -14 and one at -12. The -14 team I did not know anyting about the -12 team I could see it. Has some younger guys and all of them long hitters and good guys too. I told my guys it was very possible they shot -12 I know those guys do not cheat. They had 2 eagles on the Par 5s and birdied the other 2.

 

Far as me and the FCs it is mixed--- Toward the last 5 holes they seemed heavy to swing might be because I played them all week--- I did find something out-- I was getting out of sorts. My old team member who has played a lot of golf with me the last 2 years remarked I was pulling the club back further than even pre accident. I took note and shortened my swing back. See now days if I get back too far I get off balance at the top because I do not balance like I used to. So the last few holes I shortened the swing some and hit it ok. What has happened with my swing trainer I have gotten looser and looser and it has gotten me to where i can pull it back far. Yeah I think I played too much golf last week and pushed it too hard. I was just tired. I will practice the shorter backswing with the trainer this week. Yep I had been using a shorter Tony Finau or John Rahm type swing and doing good. I must have been exhausted because I went to take a "nap" about 3 PM yesterday and did not get up until around 4 this morning. No pain but usual stiffness that I have already worked out. 

 

May revamp plans next week--- Supposed to play a Hickory event this Friday night on a lighted Par 3 course then the Shootout on Saturday morning and then the 9 and dine Saturday night with my wife. May as bad as I hate it  drop the Hickory event because the Hickory clubs are heavy and stiff and I have to walk that 18. I will see on that

[sevenfourate]

19 minutes ago, BIG STU said:

Yesterday was a mixed day for me in the Shootout---- Had a pick up team as usual but some of my regular playing cronies were out of town but did have one of my original team players with me. We did so so shot -8 but that did not get us crap had 2 teams one at -14 and one at -12. The -14 team I did not know anyting about the -12 team I could see it. Has some younger guys and all of them long hitters and good guys too. I told my guys it was very possible they shot -12 I know those guys do not cheat. They had 2 eagles on the Par 5s and birdied the other 2.

 

Far as me and the FCs it is mixed--- Toward the last 5 holes they seemed heavy to swing might be because I played them all week--- I did find something out-- I was getting out of sorts. My old team member who has played a lot of golf with me the last 2 years remarked I was pulling the club back further than even pre accident. I took note and shortened my swing back. See now days if I get back too far I get off balance at the top because I do not balance like I used to. So the last few holes I shortened the swing some and hit it ok. What has happened with my swing trainer I have gotten looser and looser and it has gotten me to where i can pull it back far. Yeah I think I played too much golf last week and pushed it too hard. I was just tired. I will practice the shorter backswing with the trainer this week. Yep I had been using a shorter Tony Finau or John Rahm type swing and doing good. I must have been exhausted because I went to take a "nap" about 3 PM yesterday and did not get up until around 4 this morning. No pain but usual stiffness that I have already worked out. 

 

May revamp plans next week--- Supposed to play a Hickory event this Friday night on a lighted Par 3 course then the Shootout on Saturday morning and then the 9 and dine Saturday night with my wife. May as bad as I hate it  drop the Hickory event because the Hickory clubs are heavy and stiff and I have to walk that 18. I will see on that

‘Good’ 🤦‍♂️ to see some of the supposed scores that side of the pond are as dubious as they are here in Sunny England. Never fails to amaze me the depths people will sink too if you stick prizes up for grabs…..

 

Two questions for you Stu:

 

1./ What trainer are you using ? (Would love to get something here to help increase my swing-speed). I’m now taking my health / diet a bit more seriously. A 5mph increase 🤷‍♂️ would just be so helpful - if that’s possible / realistic. Or is yours some type of actual swing plane / path device ?

 

2./ Do you ever sleep ? 😂🤣😉

[BIG STU]

20 hours ago, sevenfourate said:

‘Good’ 🤦‍♂️ to see some of the supposed scores that side of the pond are as dubious as they are here in Sunny England. Never fails to amaze me the depths people will sink too if you stick prizes up for grabs…..

 

Two questions for you Stu:

 

1./ What trainer are you using ? (Would love to get something here to help increase my swing-speed). I’m now taking my health / diet a bit more seriously. A 5mph increase 🤷‍♂️ would just be so helpful - if that’s possible / realistic. Or is yours some type of actual swing plane / path device ?

 

2./ Do you ever sleep ? 😂🤣😉

I use a Skilz Ball trainer which is another version of the Orange Whip in principle. A good friend of mine gave it to me to help me rehab. I never have been one for gagets but this one really helped me

 

LOL I do sleep but sorta odd hours---- I am usually in bed around 7 or 8 o clock and up by 3 or 4---- Have always been early to bed early to rise except in my truck driving road days. I have been sleeping on a CPAT machine the last 15 years or so and sleep solid. Honestly I am up a little early even for me this AM but being retired I can go back to bed or take a Nap around 11 or so. Really relishing being retired for now no real obligations except for Sunday when I have to be at Church to set up and run the sound system and that is because I want to. 

 

As far as scramble type events the one at my course is a good deal especially as a member. For $30 I get a small breakfast the ones who drink get free Bloddy Marys. Lunch snack thing at the turn and then a good lunch. Some of us regulars do small bets like $5 or so side team bet. Sometimes we do a little over under on either our score or the winning score. Now as far as regular scrambles at other courses I may do a couple a year when I am invited and paid for. Usually around here charity scrambles go for around $75 per player and there is rampart cheating so a lot of us do not participate. In fact the cheating has gotten so bad that it has hurt several charities. The only real charity I support on my own with no reservations is anything put on by the Shriners. I remember there was a certain group of old farts about 12 or so that were going around to events and they got the cheating reputation and were caught several times. In fact they are banned from our weekly event and from what I heard several others. 

Edited September 20, 2021 by BIG STU

[BigDivotEnergy]

It could be due to multiple factors such as shaft flex and profile, head design (offset, cavity back), material composition, or personal preference in playability. Steel shafts can sometimes feel more solid than graphites and provide better feedback which might result better contact from the user even with less modern technological assistance. Vintage clubs do have a unique appeal that some players find endearingly simple to understand and enjoy playing with. The club is simply an extension of one's natural motions rather than being guided by highly engineered technological advancements like some newer clubs aim for.