No longer a "Player"

[jjnorris2]

I have been gaming the AP2s for about 4 years. My wife and I have recently had a baby and I do not play nearly as much as I would like. This past weekend I went on a golf trip to Pinehurst and to say I played terrible is an understatement. I am thinking of making a move to a more game improvement iron since my ball striking has not been great and will probably not get better any time soon. I have been looking at the Mizuno Hot Metal irons. Has anyone made a change like this and had improvement?

[Myherobobhope]

I’ve made a change like that and it killed my golf game... assuming we are talking about having kids.

 

Everyone does it differently, but mine are now 4 and 6 and I’m about a year back into playing golf. I tried to make it work after the first, and gave up after the second.

 

Personally, i regret nothing. I wish I had had more time in the day, but I’m glad I spent my free time with my kids. I finally have time again and I am dedicating it to golf...

 

Playing easier clubs with little practice time makes sense, though. Congratulations on the baby!

[SammyShaf]

I went opposite route after my son was born. I have a 2 and 7 year old. I still use players irons for the wonderful feeling that happens when you hit them well. My major adjustment was ignoring the scorecard and trying to focus on my routine. I play less now but enjoy it more as time to recharge so I can be present with my family.

[MtlJeff]

I considered getting SGI's when I had my baby. Thankfully I was still able to play a lot.

 

I think more forgiving clubs help a bit. They won't work miracles but any help is nice

[dmeeksDC]

Game improvement irons these days are a lot more player profile than they used to be. Mizuno 919 Hot Metals would be a great choice. So would the Hot Metal Pros or the 919 Forged. All are more forgiving on mishits vs the AP2.

[rsgolfhard]

Similar but not so similar circumstance. I've been playing Ap2 710's for 8 years. Although i do ok, I've been looking at the Mizzuno HM Pro's. I'm torn on sticking with players irons and game improvement. I feel the HM Pro's might be that happy medium i need. Congrats on the baby! My little guy is 6 now and he sure enjoys hitting golf balls with me, but mostly he likes driving the cart lol.

[cgasucks]

Congratulations on your newborn. IMO feel free to play an GI or SGI it will help in the beginning but it is just about the repetitions. Once you'll have more time to play this game again, your muscle memory from the past will arise again and you'll be good enough to play those AP2s in no time.

 

It's like riding a bike after a long layoff.

[MelloYello]

> @jjnorris2 said:

> I have been gaming the AP2s for about 4 years. My wife and I have recently had a baby and I do not play nearly as much as I would like. This past weekend I went on a golf trip to Pinehurst and to say I played terrible is an understatement. I am thinking of making a move to a more game improvement iron since my ball striking has not been great and will probably not get better any time soon. I have been looking at the Mizuno Hot Metal irons. Has anyone made a change like this and had improvement?

 

Ha, well, congrats my good man. With every clunker just know that the trade was well worth it!

 

In terms of your actual game, did you just lose your swing or was it specifically the irons? I'm not an expert on the Mizuno irons but the AP2 irons are surely somewhat close. It's much more believable that you just lost your groove entirely though. Were you doing alright off the tee?

 

 

[braincramp52]

I played more golf when our kids were born. I knew they would all just grow up and ignore us so I figured I'd get a jump start on them. :D

[gbartko]

Get rid of the baby and get some Baby Blades.

[gvogel]

For a song you can probably pick up some AP1 (712) that have the same lofts as your AP2's. Reshaft with the same shafts that you are playing now and you will have clubs that you can interchange with your AP2s when you need more help.

[cjpsse]

In the same boat! 2015: I was a +1 and playing 4 times a week... Today: Two kids, maybe go to the range twice a month, and hovering around a 7. Wouldn't trade it for the world. As of this year, spending 10-20 min after the kids go to bed to swing a club out back in front of a mirror to work on positions. Come 2050 when the kids are out of the house I may actually be able to hit the ball again... Most importantly, congrats!

[drscott266]

I am in the same boat, just had a kid. Pretty much spend all my free time that have (very little) on golf. As with anything fitting related, if you can stand it then play it. I happen to play better with AP2’s than say an AP1, but everyone is different. My bad days are bad swings not the micro forgiveness the next step of iron would give me. Don’t ask me why but the confidence from AP2’s just means more to me, so perhaps a new purchase isn’t necessary at all if you just accept lack of work on the game has consequences. Sorry you played bad on a trip, that always sucks... congrats on the kid!

[RJ_MJ_JJ]

Congrats on the baby! We have three, and my game definitely saw less time. At a 2 hcp, I was playing Ping S57s. Had 2 kids and went to Cobra Bio Cell+ irons... a little clicky, but did the job of keeping my interest and scores in the 70s, at least. After our 3rd, our family situation changed (for the better) and now I can get out to the range a lot more. Back to the Ping i series irons. I think they do a great job of being forgiving, but ability to shape, but every one is different. Playing at Pinehurst is never a bad thing, but would have been nice to show up, I bet. Best of luck out there and ENJOY YOUR FAMILY!

[kiwihacker]

> @drscott266 said:

> I am in the same boat, just had a kid. Pretty much spend all my free time that have (very little) on golf. As with anything fitting related, if you can stand it then play it. I happen to play better with AP2’s than say an AP1, but everyone is different. **My bad days are bad swings not the micro forgiveness the next step of iron would give me.** Don’t ask me why but the confidence from AP2’s just means more to me, so perhaps a new purchase isn’t necessary at all if you just accept lack of work on the game has consequences. Sorry you played bad on a trip, that always sucks... congrats on the kid!

 

Well said. I think the difference in forgiveness is way overrated and when comparing irons like the AP1 vs AP2 it's more a matter of personal preference.

 

To the OP. Congratulations but ... Sounds to me like you just want some shiny new irons. Can you afford them with a new baby? What will mum think? :smiley:

[Chris_NH]

I did exactly this a couple of months ago. I was as low as a 7 a few years ago and loved my Ping S58s. But as my index has climbed up to its current 12, and my iron play became the weakest element of my game, I decided to seek more forgiveness in my irons. I swapped to the Ping G400s.

 

I was expecting a bit more forgiveness, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much better I hit these: higher trajectory, more forgiveness, and MUCH more confidence.

 

All I can say is I should’ve done it earlier.

[jsnoland]

Just enjoy the kids while they're young. They never will be again, while golf will always be there. Pre-kids, I posted 5 scores per week and was a +1 (despite being a poor putter). Once my son was a year old, I realized that I just couldn't keep my game where I wanted it to be, so I literally quit the game for 9 years to spend time with the kids and "just" be a Dad. No regrets whatsoever.

 

Then, in 2017, after a 2-day corporate outing at an amazing golf resort, I got the bug again and have been slowly rebuilding my game ever since. Some of it came back pretty quickly with a little work on my part, but those last few strokes have taken a while to shave off . Now, 2 years later, I'm hovering around a 2, and feeling like I'm very, very close to getting back to where I was. Maybe being even better than I was in 2008. Possibly even much better. Which would be cool, but....as fun as it has been to get back into the game, I gotta say nothing compares to watching my kids play sports (and they play a TON of sports), or watching my son experience the joy of a almost making a hole-in-one or having a great round. It's definitely allowed me to enjoy golf as a game and not take it so seriously. And to put a great many things into perspective...

 

Again, enjoy them while they're young. It goes so, so fast. And don't worry so much about what type of clubs to buy - figure out how to maximize your practice time, and focus on solid fundamentals. Get some training aids that can be used at home. Swing in front of a mirror to work on positions. And so forth. The one thing I've learned in getting back into the game is that with smart practice, I can accomplish twice as much (or more) in half the time. Pre-kids, I could beat balls for 8 hours a day, because I had nothing better to do, and because it was fun. But as much fun as that was (I've always been a major range rat), I really didn't improve a whole lot for the amount of time I spent practicing. Now, I need to squeeze as much as I can into a 1-hour practice session a few times per week. It's forced me to be far more efficient, and I honestly think I'm way more solid in my fundamentals than I've ever been.

 

[drscott266]

> @jsnoland said:

> Just enjoy the kids while they're young. They never will be again, while golf will always be there. Pre-kids, I posted 5 scores per week and was a +1 (despite being a poor putter). Once my son was a year old, I realized that I just couldn't keep my game where I wanted it to be, so I literally quit the game for 9 years to spend time with the kids and "just" be a Dad. No regrets whatsoever.

>

> Then, in 2017, after a 2-day corporate outing at an amazing golf resort, I got the bug again and have been slowly rebuilding my game ever since. Some of it came back pretty quickly with a little work on my part, but those last few strokes have taken a while to shave off . Now, 2 years later, I'm hovering around a 2, and feeling like I'm very, very close to getting back to where I was. Maybe being even better than I was in 2008. Possibly even much better. Which would be cool, but....as fun as it has been to get back into the game, I gotta say nothing compares to watching my kids play sports (and they play a TON of sports), or watching my son experience the joy of a almost making a hole-in-one or having a great round. It's definitely allowed me to enjoy golf as a game and not take it so seriously. And to put a great many things into perspective...

>

> Again, enjoy them while they're young. It goes so, so fast. And don't worry so much about what type of clubs to buy - figure out how to maximize your practice time, and focus on solid fundamentals. Get some training aids that can be used at home. Swing in front of a mirror to work on positions. And so forth. The one thing I've learned in getting back into the game is that with smart practice, I can accomplish twice as much (or more) in half the time. Pre-kids, I could beat balls for 8 hours a day, because I had nothing better to do, and because it was fun. But as much fun as that was (I've always been a major range rat), I really didn't improve a whole lot for the amount of time I spent practicing. Now, I need to squeeze as much as I can into a 1-hour practice session a few times per week. It's forced me to be far more efficient, and I honestly think I'm way more solid in my fundamentals than I've ever been.

>

 

Very well put, I feel much the same way about maximizing practice. Sometimes when you are forced to spend less time on golf it makes it sweeter the few times you get to truly play it. I can think of summers where I played so much it just wasn't fun, every weekend was another stroke play match for a team of some sort or another... the results started to matter more than enjoying myself. This summer I feel like its all about enjoying it again, which albeit is easier when you play semi well. I think the hardest thing for me is to accept that some days I have good feels and strike it well, others I just won't... practice with a purpose is as good advice as any.

[braincramp52]

I'm kind of amazed at the number of people that just quit golf completely when they had kids. Most everyone wants to spend a ton of time with their wife and family while they're growing but I'm surprised at the "all or nothing". Not judging , just surprised.

[Golf4lifer]

> @lawsonman said:

> I'm kind of amazed at the number of people that just quit golf completely when they had kids. Most everyone wants to spend a ton of time with their wife and family while they're growing but I'm surprised at the "all or nothing". Not judging , just surprised.

 

It’s a time thing. Instead of practicing I would play dolls with my daughter or LEGO’s with my son. Instead of playing a round I would take the kids to park, swimming, or whatever. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time for golf. Even now that my kids are older, if they ask I will spend time with them instead of golfing.

[Ashley Schaeffer]

When my first was born, I posted about 2 scores a year for five years. In the past 2+ years, the kids are both in school/sports, and I’ve found a situation where I can play at 6:30 am on weekends with a group of dads with young kids at my club. We play in about 2:45 and then go watch our kids play sports. I usually get one more round during the week while the kids are in school.

 

tl;dr: It was tougher to play when they were infants/toddlers. Easier now.

[pinestreetgolf]

> @jjnorris2 said:

> I have been gaming the AP2s for about 4 years. My wife and I have recently had a baby and I do not play nearly as much as I would like. This past weekend I went on a golf trip to Pinehurst and to say I played terrible is an understatement. I am thinking of making a move to a more game improvement iron since my ball striking has not been great and will probably not get better any time soon. I have been looking at the Mizuno Hot Metal irons. Has anyone made a change like this and had improvement?

 

Congrats on the little one!!! Its a feeling like no other. My daughter is now 18 months and I've gone from around scratch to around 5-6 probably. I don't even really keep tight score any more (I know, say it ain't so PSG, but its so).

 

Consider single length irons. Its really a great ratio of time to performance. Its also much harder to hit a truly horrendous shot with them. I'm not sure if "Get-after-it-try-to-win-the-Louisiana-State-Am" Pine would like single length but "New dad sneaking out to play literally once a week on Sat mornings while everyone else is sleeping" Pine loves them.

 

Let me say it again: CONGRATS! Like a post I liked above said my spare time is in parks, buying new clothes constantly, pizza joints (or "peezee" as my daughter calls it) for dinner at 5 pm, shuttling the kid around, swim lessons, etc... etc... and I wouldn't have it any other way. 20 years to be good at golf but only about four until she turns goth and starts hating her Mom or whatever is going to happen to ruin this lol.

 

Take a look at Single Length. I'm a convert.

[ChipNRun]

> @Myherobobhope said:

> Playing easier clubs with little practice time makes sense, though. Congratulations on the baby!

 

The past decade, I have ended up with three different scramble partners who once played small-college golf. All told the same story: Adulthood brings them a job, a wife and kids. As a result, they can't maintain the precise _blade swing_ anymore.

 

They do much better with user-friendly GI irons. And, those GI approach shots really helped our team.

[IamMarkMac]

Congrats man. I tried to accommodate golf when kids were newborn but it didn't work. I ended up playing sporadically, stopping and then only coming back once both of them were at school for the whole day.

My $.02 is that, if you're going to try and play during this stage in their lives, then yes, go ahead and pick up some GI/SGI irons. You'll likely have to adjust your swing slightly to play with the higher offset and wider sole but, for me at least, it meant the difference between chunking shots all day and at least moving the ball with every shot. When you're literally getting away for one round every month or two, that was my best case scenario.

My swing has never been the same since the kids were born and playing my old blades only ends up teasing me with the occasional shot that reminds me of the golfer I once was. I may get back to the blades eventually now but I don't regret playing something easier to swing.

[vanillafunk616]

I'm not a player, I just crush a lot.

[sdandrea]

Nobody cares what's in your bag. I play with plenty of single digit guys that game GI clubs. One of them carded a 69 on me 2 weeks ago with his PING G30 irons. Get what helps your game and looks good to you. Congrats on the baby!

[GMR]

Personally I think it depends on your starting point. If you were the kind of guy that had some serious swing flaws but was able to groove it through practice down to an 8 or 10, then moving to a GI profile may help you when your game goes downhill. However, if you are consistently controlling the low point and hitting ball first then in my experience going from something like an AP2 to an AP1 will make virtually zero difference. The benefit with the GI designs are largely in the bounce and offset, which allow you to get away with slightly turf-first contact. If it's just forgiveness for strikes on toe and heel you need, the AP2 is already most of the way there (vs a muscleback design) and you won't notice much of a difference.

[MtlJeff]

> @lawsonman said:

> I'm kind of amazed at the number of people that just quit golf completely when they had kids. Most everyone wants to spend a ton of time with their wife and family while they're growing but I'm surprised at the "all or nothing". Not judging , just surprised.

 

I played 60 rounds last year around, and my baby was born last April. My wife also rode horses a bit last summer once she was able. I played early and was home by 11:30 or so and she took the afternoons to do her stuff. We still had every night essentially.

 

It worked out fine. I definitely didn't want to give up golf. My goal is to play 50+ rounds every year.

[howellhandmade]

> @lawsonman said:

> I'm kind of amazed at the number of people that just quit golf completely when they had kids. Most everyone wants to spend a ton of time with their wife and family while they're growing but I'm surprised at the "all or nothing". Not judging , just surprised.

 

Three kids, didn’t play for 15 years, sold my clubs and thought I was done. I didn’t mean to quit; golf simply takes a certain sized chunk of time and money, and the more responsibilities and costs you have the harder it is to find those chunks. One week becomes two, becomes a month, becomes a season, becomes a few years, and eventually the clubs become clutter. With kids, the days are long but the years are short, and you don’t get a second chance. If I had had a club membership in those days it might have been different, but even if I’d thought to want it we didn’t have the money. Now, with only one left at home, I’m doing my best to catch up.

[IndyArcher]

> @lawsonman said:

> I'm kind of amazed at the number of people that just quit golf completely when they had kids. Most everyone wants to spend a ton of time with their wife and family while they're growing but I'm surprised at the "all or nothing". Not judging , just surprised.

 

Well, when you work 50-60 hours/week, have rising costs associated with a growing family, have kids in other activities for which you want to show support, it really shouldn't be a surprising thing. The needs of my family will always play first chair to my hobbies. I took 12 years off. I'm thrilled to be back on the course, but don't regret my decision to spend my time/money on my family one iota. My wife and kids are awesome and spending my quality time with them created close relationships where they as teens still love to do stuff with the family. :)