The Wager...

[PeanutsDaddy]

Pigs,

Enjoy your round this evening. Tear it up for the Wager(ers).

I may have a 'smart bag', but I need to become a 'smarter player'.

As for equipment options, I've got a few : )

[Gauchograd99]

[quote name='PeanutsDaddy' timestamp='1426378411' post='11144271']
[quote name='Gauchograd99' timestamp='1426376513' post='11144143']
Congrats on the Sim-Ace! I've hit 6 pins in real life and 3 in the simulator during club demos (they use greens and pins on the screen for trying clubs) and NOT ONE HAS DROPPED!! Oh well, such is life... not jealous or anything (yes, I am).
Went to the Mizuno demo day in Signal Hill today (98 degrees out... in March ... SERIOUSLY??) and had a blast with the rep (Dave). Hit probably 100 shots without pain and I have to say the new hybrids are really nice.

I have a club suggestion for anyone looking for new sticks in the future. Surprised the heck out of me, but the JPX 850 are seriously LONG! Hit the 8 iron today and it was going my 7 iron distance with the MP-4 or my Apex MB's. 165 from an 8 iron with 36 degree loft (MP-4 7 iron is 34 degrees) with a seriously high flight. Yeah, it was the wrong shaft (XP110 in regular) which explains the height, but wow. Nice work from a "Miz-ovel" (Mizuno Shovel) I must say.

Only a few weeks to go... SOMEONE CRACK ALREADY!!!
[/quote]

Gaucho,

when the ball found the bottom of the cup I turned to my playing partner and apologized. He couldn't buy a break today and I fleeced him for quarters. On that hole he hit a beautiful iron shot to gimmie distance for a birdie and I surprisingly went lower. We laughed together. The instructor in the next booth had indicated that he'd never seen an indoor ace. I just hope the well hasn't run dry, because I'd rather experience the real thing (drinks and all) : )

On the equipment front . . . so many solid offerings on the market today. I've always liked the look and feel of Mizuno's irons, but they were always beat out by another club. Their forgings feel soft on center strikes.

The distances you speak of are foreign to me (if in the simulated world). PD is but a wee little man.
[/quote]

PD: The JPX 850 is soft, but nowhere near as soft as their other offerings. The heads are HUGE (to me) and I don't think I "missed" a shot with them the whole time I hit them (about 10 shots). They have a bit of offset and are the club that incorporates BORON into the club head for some reason or another. If I was looking at GI type (I think they rate them 8-18 handicap range), I would give them a shot... and for the lefties out there I believe they DO come in southpaw.

I was seriously surprised by that distance. The loft is basically a 7.5 iron (right between my 7 and 8) and it flew the 7 iron distance, so I can see them being longer without really being a full club stronger through the set. I would have hit a long iron after that test but ... I was stupid. I felt something rubbing on the inside of my right hand and peeled off a chunk of skin. I guess it was a blister in the making (not hitting for weeks can do that) and I did the most idiotic thing and pulled it off. Oh well... it will heal.

I have actually seen an ace on the computer before and that hurt as it was by a guy 3 swings after I hit the pin with a hybrid at 220 out and it bounced away. He hit a 4 hybrid and jarred it at 190. Stupid lack of luck like casinos. I hear the royal flushes, but I sure don't get them.

[Pigems]

Well, the Spaldings are staying for at least a little while. I played my best all around round of golf ever in my life tonight. What a night lol, it was awesome. I shot a 70(-2) in a head to head match with the Owner of Golfzon with an audience of about a dozen people.

So here's how it went down, I'm still buzzing on adrenaline right now lol. When i got there there was a large groups or 10-12 guys using up three bays, so I had to wait for them to finish. When my bay opened up I immediately starting going thru my irons on the range(I've got some interesting data to upload after on that subject ) while the other group finished up on the other two bays and had some drinks. Then Su(the owner) started playing in the empty bay beside me, after a few minutes he asked if wanted to play a round??. Of course I said yes, we've played before and he's a good shot and a really nice guy. So we start our round, the other guys are finishing up and having a few last drinks at this point so we were the only ones still playing.

It turned out to be a great match where we both shot our new personal bests. Butthe other guys ended up waiting for cabs and stayed until the 15th holes I think, so we had a drunken cheering audience the entire time almost putting pressure on us haha. It was a blast to say the least and I hit the ball really well tonight. But it was back and forth a couple times, I went ob off the tee on the 8th or it could have been even closer and the 18th hole featured a tee shot to a landing area 158ft below the tee box, I crushed one 299y I think lol. What a fun night, I got the scorecard for the match with both our rounds ill get uploaded in a minute.

So yeah, I guess I need more forgiving irons lol.

[Pigems]

He ended up beating me by 4 strokes but it was a really good match. He shot a new personal best as well so it was a great night for both of us

[Pigems]

Spalding TE range data for P, 9, 8 and 7.

[Pigems]

And the 6, 5 and 4.

[PeanutsDaddy]

Congratulations on the fine round of golf Pigs. Obviously you are a competitor who simply needs a Su or two to bring out the best in your game. I too enjoy a good competitive match.

As for the Spalding data . . .

The numbers look similar to the CB's (give or take a handful of yards). The yardage gaps still look off to me. Are you hitting a bunch (lets say 10) shots with each iron and throwing out the highs and lows OR is this what you produced on a limited number of shots?

[Pigems]

[quote name='PeanutsDaddy' timestamp='1426421304' post='11146205']
Congratulations on the fine round of golf Pigs. Obviously you are a competitor who simply needs a Su or two to bring out the best in your game. I too enjoy a good competitive match.

As for the Spalding data . . .

The numbers look similar to the CB's (give or take a handful of yards). The yardage gaps still look off to me. Are you hitting a bunch (lets say 10) shots with each iron and throwing out the highs and lows OR is this what you produced on a limited number of shots?
[/quote]

Ty sir, I do enjoy a good competition. It always brings out the best in me, I was able to get into the zone last night and just focus on nothing but the ball and the shot at hand, it was pretty cool and I thoroughly enjoyed the match.

As for the data, the computer doesn't allow you to delete individual swings so is just 5/6 swings in a row with all the bad/good shots mixed together. So the distance gaps are just me miss hitting that particular club I think. Like the 8 iron for example, I don't think I got a good shot in with it again blast night on the range. I'll need to get a bigger batch of data with more good shots included I guess. 5 shots just isn't enough it seems.

[Pigems]

It's a good thing I had a good round last night, it will lost likely be my last for a while. We got 20/30cm of fresh snow last night and it's now freezing raining out there. I was about 10 scoops in and I heard a pop in my lower back and down I went like a sack of potatoes. I had to literally crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees, this ****ing sucks!!! ****ing snow!!!

[Pigems]

Now my poor wife is out there with a bad shoulder trying to shovel the driveway, I feel so bad for her and I can't even stand up straight, let alone help right now.

[myspinonit]

[quote name='Pigems' timestamp='1426426499' post='11146455']
It's a good thing I had a good round last night, it will lost likely be my last for a while. We got 20/30cm of fresh snow last night and it's now freezing raining out there. I was about 10 scoops in and I heard a pop in my lower back and down I went like a sack of potatoes. I had to literally crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees, this ****ing sucks!!! ****ing snow!!!
[/quote]
Oh, man .......ouch and double ouch....I saw the next post about your wife shoveling with the bad shoulder.......

Fingers crossed it doesn't amount to long-term serious.

[Pigems]

[quote name='myspinonit' timestamp='1426427375' post='11146489']
[quote name='Pigems' timestamp='1426426499' post='11146455']
It's a good thing I had a good round last night, it will lost likely be my last for a while. We got 20/30cm of fresh snow last night and it's now freezing raining out there. I was about 10 scoops in and I heard a pop in my lower back and down I went like a sack of potatoes. I had to literally crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees, this ****ing sucks!!! ****ing snow!!!
[/quote]
Oh, man .......ouch and double ouch....I saw the next post about your wife shoveling with the bad shoulder.......

Fingers crossed it doesn't amount to long-term serious.
[/quote]

Thanks for the top sir, it's feeling a little better now but still can't do anything. She's almost done now, I've got a full set of clothes warming in the dryer and a hot cup nod coffee ready for her. I just feel so bad, shoveling the driveway is my job.

I don't think it will be serious/long term. This has happened before doing other things, though not this bad, but I'm sure it will heal with time

[myspinonit]

[quote name='Pigems' timestamp='1426428553' post='11146567']
[quote name='myspinonit' timestamp='1426427375' post='11146489']
[quote name='Pigems' timestamp='1426426499' post='11146455']
It's a good thing I had a good round last night, it will lost likely be my last for a while. We got 20/30cm of fresh snow last night and it's now freezing raining out there. I was about 10 scoops in and I heard a pop in my lower back and down I went like a sack of potatoes. I had to literally crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees, this ****ing sucks!!! ****ing snow!!!
[/quote]
Oh, man .......ouch and double ouch....I saw the next post about your wife shoveling with the bad shoulder.......

Fingers crossed it doesn't amount to long-term serious.
[/quote]

Thanks for the top sir, it's feeling a little better now but still can't do anything. She's almost done now, I've got a full set of clothes warming in the dryer and a hot cup nod coffee ready for her. I just feel so bad, shoveling the driveway is my job.

I don't think it will be serious/long term. This has happened before doing other things, though not this bad, but I'm sure it will heal with time
[/quote]
Ice now, heat later?

I had back problems for a long time... stopped me playing golf for quite a few years too. IMS, a form of accupuncture, seemed to be the cure, though I still need chiro tune-ups etc. I've been trying to get daily stretching going again recently both for prevention and golf performance. And stretching better before golf or practice. Missed yesterday and lower back complained after clearing out the locker...dumb and dumber.

Your post got me doing that again and some light weights before breakfast and I feel better already. So thanks for that FWIW.

[Pigems]

Glad I could be of service sir

I always stretch thoroughly before golf, I guess I should stretch before shoveling too lol. It does make sense.

[Pigems]

Here is the front 9, I really enjoyed the course we played.

[Pigems]

And the back 9. This round dropped my sim average down to 6.6 now, the lowest its ever been. It must take course difficulty into consideration some how though because it's not an actual average of my past 5 rounds. My past 5 rounds have been -2, +2, +5, +9, +9 for an average of 4.6(23÷5) not 6.6, but whatever, I'll take it lol.














.

[Pigems]

This is 15, I somehow missed it and ended up with to 16's in the other post lol.

[Reasonability]

Guys -

Great read of late. You may not appreciate the value or what you fellas pump out here. I hear that back in the day, the tour traveled by caravan from city to city. Their wives helped each other - cars full of nasty diapers with no air conditioning - sleeping in dive motels. The players HAD to help each other and were usually very good friends. No one had a swing coach on the road with them. There were no sports psychologists, no trackman, no sponsor trailers at every stop bending/building clubs.... just golfers helping golfers and teaming up to help each other through. This thread puts me in that same mindset. Its been great fellas.

Hey just to toss one more doo-dad out there. Sometimes when examining the operator error, and the equipment specs and such.... its a good idea to look at your glove. How it wears out and where it wears out first can be a slight clue as to the need to just keep a nice consistent grip pressure from setup to the finish. No one can make a glove last forever any more than the handle itself won't eventually need replacement. BUT - every now and then that glove can tell you a little something to just be a little more aware of.

Not something worth changing your whole game about necessarily of course. But its so often overlooked that I thought your traveling caravan could use a fun little thought in the mix.

April fools day fast approaches. Will that day on this year mark a few wiser golfers playing and less fools? This thread says, YES!

[DeNinny]

[quote name='PeanutsDaddy' timestamp='1426380647' post='11144467']
[quote name='DeNinny' timestamp='1426380196' post='11144419']
PD it is cool reading the basis of your bag set up. You play a wise man's bag.

Onset is a good thing. It is much better for controlling the clubface. And it looks better to the eye. There's no reason not to dig it.
[/quote]

The past 8 months of the Wager I've given a great deal of thought to my wants and likes (lord knows I don't 'need' anything). I'd grown so accustomed to SGI/GI irons, that offset became a part of the equation. As my swing has evolved I believe my equipment desires have changed ever so slightly. I'm definitely ready for the start of the outdoor season.
[/quote]

There is so much to be said about simply getting used to your own set and becoming one with it. I think there are more strokes at stake with respect to this than any technology "advancement". I can completely understand where you come from, but it is really nice to hear that you are open to change as well. Like a wise man yet again, you make small changes and I think when you do that, you learn the impact of just that one change. Also after hundreds and thousands of shots with the same clubs you start to get used to their subtleties and nuances and learn to play to their benefits. And lastly, when you get better using the same exact set, then you [i]know[/i] that it is really you that is getting better and the clubs have nothing to do with it. When you are both improving and changing clubs you can get lost about all their cause and effect relationships.

[PeanutsDaddy]

[quote name='Reasonability' timestamp='1426446714' post='11147939']
Guys -

Great read of late. You may not appreciate the value or what you fellas pump out here. I hear that back in the day, the tour traveled by caravan from city to city. Their wives helped each other - cars full of nasty diapers with no air conditioning - sleeping in dive motels. The players HAD to help each other and were usually very good friends. No one had a swing coach on the road with them. There were no sports psychologists, no trackman, no sponsor trailers at every stop bending/building clubs.... just golfers helping golfers and teaming up to help each other through. This thread puts me in that same mindset. Its been great fellas.

Hey just to toss one more doo-dad out there. Sometimes when examining the operator error, and the equipment specs and such.... its a good idea to look at your glove. How it wears out and where it wears out first can be a slight clue as to the need to just keep a nice consistent grip pressure from setup to the finish. No one can make a glove last forever any more than the handle itself won't eventually need replacement. BUT - every now and then that glove can tell you a little something to just be a little more aware of.

Not something worth changing your whole game about necessarily of course. But its so often overlooked that I thought your traveling caravan could use a fun little thought in the mix.

April fools day fast approaches. Will that day on this year mark a few wiser golfers playing and less fools? This thread says, YES!
[/quote]

Still a fool Reason, but a fool with a bit more money in his pocket to spend on April fools.

The glove comment is a real good one. When I was battling the shanks my hands hurt. The more fearful I became the tighter I gripped the club. I usually put a little bit of athletic tape around three of my fingers (two of which are covered by my glove). Today at the range I forgot to apply the tape, but didn't notice until the session ended. My grip pressure was light today and the results showed it. Few poorly struck shots, and even the mishits would have been playable.

[PeanutsDaddy]

[quote name='DeNinny' timestamp='1426447838' post='11148011']
[quote name='PeanutsDaddy' timestamp='1426380647' post='11144467']
[quote name='DeNinny' timestamp='1426380196' post='11144419']
PD it is cool reading the basis of your bag set up. You play a wise man's bag.

Onset is a good thing. It is much better for controlling the clubface. And it looks better to the eye. There's no reason not to dig it.
[/quote]

The past 8 months of the Wager I've given a great deal of thought to my wants and likes (lord knows I don't 'need' anything). I'd grown so accustomed to SGI/GI irons, that offset became a part of the equation. As my swing has evolved I believe my equipment desires have changed ever so slightly. I'm definitely ready for the start of the outdoor season.
[/quote]

There is so much to be said about simply getting used to your own set and becoming one with it. I think there are more strokes at stake with respect to this than any technology "advancement". I can completely understand where you come from, but it is really nice to hear that you are open to change as well. Like a wise man yet again, you make small changes and I think when you do that, you learn the impact of just that one change. Also after hundreds and thousands of shots with the same clubs you start to get used to their subtleties and nuances and learn to play to their benefits. And lastly, when you get better using the same exact set, then you [i]know[/i] that it is really you that is getting better and the clubs have nothing to do with it. When you are both improving and changing clubs you can get lost about all their cause and effect relationships.
[/quote]

I've learned a great deal about equipment by riding the 'club carousel', but I'm more than ready to settle down. My game has definitely benefited from committing to a set of clubs.

I like shiny new things like many others, but I think I'm going to stick with a set and see where my game (and these clubs) take me. If I want something shiny I'll send my heads to Continental Golf and they can restore the clubs to like-new condition.

I spoke with Kadin today about the addition of some 560 mid irons and need to 'loft up' my driver head, but other than that I'm ready to go.

[DeNinny]

[quote name='Reasonability' timestamp='1426446714' post='11147939']
Guys -

Great read of late. You may not appreciate the value or what you fellas pump out here. I hear that back in the day, the tour traveled by caravan from city to city. Their wives helped each other - cars full of nasty diapers with no air conditioning - sleeping in dive motels. The players HAD to help each other and were usually very good friends. No one had a swing coach on the road with them. There were no sports psychologists, no trackman, no sponsor trailers at every stop bending/building clubs.... just golfers helping golfers and teaming up to help each other through. This thread puts me in that same mindset. Its been great fellas.

Hey just to toss one more doo-dad out there. Sometimes when examining the operator error, and the equipment specs and such.... its a good idea to look at your glove. How it wears out and where it wears out first can be a slight clue as to the need to just keep a nice consistent grip pressure from setup to the finish. No one can make a glove last forever any more than the handle itself won't eventually need replacement. BUT - every now and then that glove can tell you a little something to just be a little more aware of.

Not something worth changing your whole game about necessarily of course. But its so often overlooked that I thought your traveling caravan could use a fun little thought in the mix.

April fools day fast approaches. Will that day on this year mark a few wiser golfers playing and less fools? This thread says, YES!
[/quote]

I think you need to look at the glove and the hand itself in combination. For example here are my gloves in use right now and I have put ovals where my actual callouses are too. The gloves tell me my thumbs have a lot of pressure but in reality they don't. My left thumb gets squeezed by my right hand and so that is why there is more wear on my left thumb glove. The lower palm wear on the left glove also tells me I am gripping it tightly with the last three fingers (a la Hogan). Both callouses below my middle fingers tell me I'm gripping it in the fingers more than the palms. Thoughts?

Edit: I also have a big callous on my left hand exactly where the hole is in the leather palm pad of my left glove. I forgot to put an oval around this.

[attachment=2664685:20150315_124759.jpg]

[Reasonability]

Its interesting. I don't wear a right hand glove and its nearly callous-free. But there is one on the thumbside of the pointer where the 'trigger finger' wraps around the handle. My grips show wear there over time indicating (to me) I can fall guilty of applying a little too much pressure there sometimes.

The left hand's biggest callous is at the base of the pinky, next biggest on the ring finger, and smallest is on the middle finger. For me I don't show what you show by way of wear in those lowest circles down near the mid-palm. BUT my swing isn't as long as yours. If it were I my glove and hands may just look more like yours.

The wear in the heal pad of the left hand is going to happen over time. BUT (IMO) when its excessive AND coupled with wear on the thumb -- that signals an opening and regripping of the last three fingers in transition which is a false way of setting the wrists and just LETTING them unhinge at the bottom of the swing. All sorts of semi-casting and clubhead speed losses then occur.... and the harder you swing the worse that one gets meaning the clubhead speed doesn't actually happen when/where it counts (through the ball).

Two really cool drills about this whole consistent grip pressure I've come to LOVE.

a) From Hogan - take your grip and with the trail hand - lift the thumb off the handle and point the pointer finger. Its like making a pretend pistol with your trail hand. The only thing left in control is the last three fingers of the trail hand. Then make half swings with the shaft never standing up to fully vertical. Back halfway and through. YOU ARE FORCED to use your turn and lower body.
Then you can do the same drill with both hands in the 'pistol' mode at the same time. Still just making little half swings.

Now if you do this drill and don't feel how the wrists just unhinge naturally THROUGH the ball - then something isn't being done right inside the drill because there is literally nothing left inside of the grip left to manipulate things. IT HAS to be a turn and wrist-hinge little swing because there are virtually no hand manipulations that can happen. Now - when you take your normal grip and transfer that feeling into longer swings - you just turned yourself into Iron Byron. Your wrists unhinge and your hands are quieter.

b) From Michael Breed - get a sheet of cellophane or similar type loud and crinkly paper. Wrap it loosely around the handle and make swings trying to keep the paper from making a single sound. You can get to full speed swings in short order doing this. What it does is FORCE a consistent grip pressure throughout your swing while making both hands work like a single unit. I personally LOVE this little drill and it was using this one when I noticed my gloves started to last twice as long as the number of callouses reducing. The grips themselves were lasting longer as well.

A glove is going to eventually fail for sure and the grips themselves will need replacing now and then. But I was a golfer who used to chew through a glove in less than three rounds and had to replace grips every couple of months. It wasn't because I was gripping it too tight or too loose. It was because both hands weren't working together as one - inconsistent pressure - and a bad case of opening those last three fingers of the lead hand just fraction at the top. A little had become a lot and one day I tossed a glove in the trash can - looked at my over calloused hands and the chewed up grips and decided time had come. That's when (for me) the two drills above got me tuned up. Took a few weeks to get there but it represents one of those true "Ah-ha" moments for me.

[LittlePoison1980]

[quote name='Pigems' timestamp='1426428553' post='11146567']
[quote name='myspinonit' timestamp='1426427375' post='11146489']
[quote name='Pigems' timestamp='1426426499' post='11146455']
It's a good thing I had a good round last night, it will lost likely be my last for a while. We got 20/30cm of fresh snow last night and it's now freezing raining out there. I was about 10 scoops in and I heard a pop in my lower back and down I went like a sack of potatoes. I had to literally crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees, this ****ing sucks!!! ****ing snow!!!
[/quote]
Oh, man .......ouch and double ouch....I saw the next post about your wife shoveling with the bad shoulder.......

Fingers crossed it doesn't amount to long-term serious.
[/quote]

Thanks for the top sir, it's feeling a little better now but still can't do anything. She's almost done now, I've got a full set of clothes warming in the dryer and a hot cup nod coffee ready for her. I just feel so bad, shoveling the driveway is my job.

I don't think it will be serious/long term. This has happened before doing other things, though not this bad, but I'm sure it will heal with time
[/quote]

Pigems, I hope the back is treating you more mercifully today!

[BicknellCC]

Hope your back gets better Pige.

Reason,
The only calloses I have are on my left hand and are at the base of the ring and pinky. None on the middle, or on my right, non gloved hand. My glove wears out where Ninja's does, but it takes time. I go through 2-3 gloves per year. Sound normal?

[beretta5spd]

hey guys I haven't checked up on this thread in a while...

you all still in on the wager????

I've been putting in the basement, hitting balls at work into my hitting net, rebuilding the engines in my harley golf carts, and scouring for deals online to get me through this dang Canadian winter. One month until the range opens!!

[LittlePoison1980]

I'm an observer. As soon as I come to my senses and my bag is "set" I may be a participant in the 2016 season.

[DeNinny]

I'm just a heckler in here. When the wager gets to 5 years I'll play.

[LittlePoison1980]

[quote name='DeNinny' timestamp='1426474686' post='11150827']
I'm just a heckler in here. When the wager gets to 5 years I'll play.
[/quote]

Don't worry. By next winter, I'll be pushing my way to the front of the line when Montreal Jeff revives the "convince me not to buy this" thread. And probably in need of less caffeine.

[DeNinny]

[quote name='LittlePoison1980' timestamp='1426475072' post='11150857']
[quote name='DeNinny' timestamp='1426474686' post='11150827']
I'm just a heckler in here. When the wager gets to 5 years I'll play.
[/quote]

Don't worry. By next winter, I'll be pushing my way to the front of the line when Montreal Jeff revives the "convince me not to buy this" thread. And probably in need of less caffeine.
[/quote]

This is me right now, every time I see a set of blades that I want. I haven't bought irons in 8 years. My last club purchased was my CB4 driver. I've definitely got an itch.

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:2597313]