Confessions 12 --- Exploding Heads

[PapaJohick]

I'm sure it'll happen Matt, you're playing some real good golf lately.

 

For me unfortunately I don't know if I'll be able to get below 80 this year. I have a long ways in my season left, but I just can't get out as much as I was hoping to this year. Seems like I get out hen either finds go a little low or work ramps up or we go somewhere haha and before I know it it's been almost 2 weeks since I've played or even hit a ball. I haven't even been able to hit up the putting green or chipping green since April? Maybe may? It's a wonder I only had 34 putts at the ocean course the other day.

 

Which btw, I have only played there in the winter. Either December or January. Course is still always in really good condition but this round was different. Stopping balls on the green were pretty tough and caused me to shy away from trying to hit a long iron to the green in fear of bouncing off. If you haven't played there before, the greens are either mounded or very small or a combo of both haha. Shots with height had no problem stopping. Also the feeens were very quick. Spent the first 12-13 holes trying to find a stoke that gave me a reliable distance. Ended up being a short pop type stroke. I am had no trouble with line it's just I usually had too much speed for the break to happen haha.

 

Also looks like I won't be golfing this week though. One of the last times I'll be able to get out fishing where I'm trying to go for a bit so I need to check it out. With August approaching the waters are going to start cooling down in a month and inneed to find two or three decent spots where I can go for my big red fishing :)

 

Have a great one gents

 

I'm sure it'll happen Matt, you're playing some real good golf lately.

 

For me unfortunately I don't know if I'll be able to get below 80 this year. I have a long ways in my season left, but I just can't get out as much as I was hoping to this year. Seems like I get out hen either finds go a little low or work ramps up or we go somewhere haha and before I know it it's been almost 2 weeks since I've played or even hit a ball. I haven't even been able to hit up the putting green or chipping green since April? Maybe may? It's a wonder I only had 34 putts at the ocean course the other day.

 

Which btw, I have only played there in the winter. Either December or January. Course is still always in really good condition but this round was different. Stopping balls on the green were pretty tough and caused me to shy away from trying to hit a long iron to the green in fear of bouncing off. If you haven't played there before, the greens are either mounded or very small or a combo of both haha. Shots with height had no problem stopping. Also the feeens were very quick. Spent the first 12-13 holes trying to find a stoke that gave me a reliable distance. Ended up being a short pop type stroke. I am had no trouble with line it's just I usually had too much speed for the break to happen haha.

 

Also looks like I won't be golfing this week though. One of the last times I'll be able to get out fishing where I'm trying to go for a bit so I need to check it out. With August approaching the waters are going to start cooling down in a month and inneed to find two or three decent spots where I can go for my big red fishing :)

 

Have a great one gents

 

Whoops....

[dan360]

Got some putter pics....

 

[Pigems]

It's official I'm experiencing the best ball striking of my life. Almost holed another par 3 today from 165 yards. I hit a 6 iron 155 last year and 170 this year. Hit a driver in a hitting bay today and saw numbers over 100 mph of club head speed for the first time. I gotta harness the energy, get the putter on a roll and threaten par before this season ends.

 

Exciting but daunting. Much love to the confessioners that still check in on us.

 

Confession: I'm scared I'll never shoot under par.

 

Thats awesome man!! I'm experiencing something similar this year. Last year 7i was my 145/150 club, this year it's the 170/175 club, it's crazy. I'm getting more and more 300+ yard drives as well. Prime example was yesterday, 1st hole par 5. Smoked my drive and left myself a 6i/185y in for my second shot. Put it on the green but just missed the eagle putt and left myself a tap in birdie. I flew the green on the next par 5 yesterday from 180 as well, downhill shot and I should have hit 7 iron instead, but couldn't convince myself that the ball would go that far out of the rough lol.

 

You will break par Matt, you come a lot closer than me, much closer, and I feel that I'll do it some day. So you definitely will Brosef ;)

 

I did hit a 25' birdie put on 10 though, had 3 birdies on the day and wound up shooting 39/41 for an 80 on the day. Mrs P also came along for the round and drove the cart, I think she's my good luck charm. It was my best round of the year so far :)

 

Dan, Bad Arse Putter Dude!!! Love it :)

[PapaJohick]

nice putter dan!

[Matt J]

That Anser is mint! Great score, Master D!

 

Thanks for the kind words, fellas. Headed out to give it another go in a few hours. I've got a big month. Our Club Championship is August 11, 12th, and 13th, three days of stroke play and then the big match play is over Labor Day week with a Qualifying Round that awards low medal player and two elimination rounds before the semis and finals, so if all goes right I'll play 4 rounds of Match and a round of stroke for that tournament. Really focused on peaking for those two events. I'll probably stop playing week after next and start practicing more. Actually went ahead and played a quick 9 on our inside track to get ready yesterday. It's the toughest nine and the one that decides most of the matches in the match play tournament. One day I'd love to see all of you come out here for that tournament. It's the coolest amateur event I've ever witnessed.

 

http://www.rvcc.com/Golf/Southern_Oregon_Golf_Championships.aspx

[Pigems]

I picked up a Callaway Alpha 815 14* 3 wood head this morning on eBay. It was a brand new leftover, so got a good deal on it. Been wanting one since I got my driver 2 summer ago and the price has finally come down to a reasonable amount. Can't wait to try it out in the Trinity F-75 shaft I've got waiting for it. Should be a high launching straight flying club, that can also be hitnoff the deck. An area where the Big Bertha Mini falls short. Stoked for the new toy to get here :)

[Halebopp]

I confess I'd like my irons to come in a box like this: (if someone's looking for a set, I know where to get one :D )

 

 

[Pigems]

Of course the Canadian Dollor shoots up minutes after I buy something from the states, was 77 on the dollor this morning, now it's at 80. Figures haha

[dan360]

The face milling on this thing is making me feel warm and tingly each time I stroke it...:..

 

 

 

[dan360]

I confess I'd like my irons to come in a box like this: (if someone's looking for a set, I know where to get one :D )

 

 

Quoted just in case Ninja feels the urge to post. :)

 

Those are dead sexy Mr. Bopp

[Halebopp]

I confess I'd like my irons to come in a box like this: (if someone's looking for a set, I know where to get one :D )

 

 

Quoted just in case Ninja feels the urge to post. :)

 

Those are dead sexy Mr. Bopp

 

Too bad they're in quite a bad condition as the previous owner didn't buy them just for showing off. But even so they're still rather expensive. :D

 

I have a bit of an identity crisis, I tried my friend's Titleist hybrid last week and it worked well after I got that one massive hook out of the way. Then on Sunday I went to the range to work on my short game and they had a W/S demo day there. After spending a bit of time trying to figure out whether or not I need my lob wedge to have the tour grind, I ended up trying the F5 hybrid and hit that one amazingly well. I've never been able to hit hybrids and have bagged the long irons. Could I actually use hybrids now?

 

This time around I'm not going to try and replace a long iron but to see if one could be a fairway wood replacement. I got this majestic idea after I got home from our round today after hitting some good fairway wood shots and some terrible ones. Luckily there's a fair share of used, low-lofted hybrids like a 16-degree JPX-850 and the 17-degree F5 at my club for next to nothing. I can't wait for Friday to try them. Maybe I'll just buy the one that works the best and keep it around.

 

Maybe my perception will change when I won't try it on a tight hole as a club off the tee but on wider par 5s for my second shots etc. There's also a voice in my head telling me to pick up the F5 3 wood (and adjust it to be a 4 wood) as it worked really well for me at the demo. It was fantastic to have a good swing and then hit my 650 and the F5 side by side as it really showed how fade biased the 650 woods are. Nice little draws with the F5 and fades, slight leaks to the right with the 650.

 

Oh yeah, the tour grind lob wedge was fantastic off tight lies but I'm not sure how it would behave in thicker, deeper rough (there was none at the range).

 

Also, thanks to the Spieth incident on Sunday, I figured out the range at our club is actually on the other course (no OB stakes because it's almost impossible to hit a ball there if you're trying to play a hole accordingly). There's no local rule allowing practice on the range before a competition round on that course either. I did tell about it to the course staff today but I also got this great idea of how to ensure the club championships this year, just not go to the range myself and get everyone else disqualified. I also began to think of other courses nearby where the range isn't OB. Maybe now would be a good time to enter some tournaments and sweep the prizes. Of course, I'd need a one-way ticket to Australia or some other, remote place afterwards as I wouldn't be welcomed at any club after such a stunt. :D

[PapaJohick]

All the courses around here have the range marked OB unfortunately haha. Although, hitting on the range and most of these places would not be in any way shape or form an advantage haha.

 

In other news, I am a member on another golf forum that is know for trips and being a Callaway/Wilson homers site for the most part (nothing wrong with it haha as that's a reason why I go there pretty often) and they posted a trip last week to test out new Wilson clubs for 2018. I entered and wouldn't you know I was picked for it! Super excited. Their oem trips are a little different than here though. Biggest difference is that you do have to pay to go to most of them (there are a few all expenses paid trips) but that is mostly because you tend to get a lot of swag/meals/clubs so while you do pay some money, you end up with more than what you pay IMO. The trips are also usually competitions between teams in match play or some other baseball type deal.

Anyways, I am super excited. Never going to Vegas before, and we are playing at TPC Las Vegas. Looking forward to see some new irons from Wilson

[glk]

Cool deal. Hope it's during the "cool" season. Was in Vegas in 2001 in late June. Egg frying hot.

[PapaJohick]

Cool deal. Hope it's during the "cool" season. Was in Vegas in 2001 in late June. Egg frying hot.

 

last weekend of september

[glk]

Cool deal. Hope it's during the "cool" season. Was in Vegas in 2001 in late June. Egg frying hot.

 

last weekend of september

So just very hot, like 90s. Perfect, it's a dry heat though. Hopefully the golf is am not pm.

[PapaJohick]

I do believe the golf is in the morning. The course looks really nice though and it'll certainly be different as I have never played "desert" golf before.

[dan360]

Awesome, papa!!

[Pigems]

Playing another new course this afternoon with my son and FAther in law, this will make 9 courses I've played this season so far. The most ever for me :)

[Pigems]

Wound up shooting 40/41 on the day for an 81. No penalty strokes allll day until I got to the 18th tee par 5, tried to cut too my off the corner and over did the cut shot. Managed to save bogey on the hole though. But there were zero double bogeys or worse on the round!! So all in all a great day at a very nice course :)

[dan360]

I'm so sick and freakin tired of hunting for a driver.

 

Haven't felt "it" with a driver since the Titanium Burner Bubble in 1996.

 

Closest was a brief honeymoon with the 300 Tour and a fling with the R510DF proto, but otherwise....nothin.

 

Have had a bunch. I've lost that lovin feelin with the 1W.

 

 

Hitting persimmons feels nice, but they aren't marriage material. I need a heroine. A driver girl I can lust after and want to play with.

 

So so tired of shopping for one. What to do, what to do.

[Halebopp]

Papa, that sounds like a fantastic trip! I'd love to make one one day.

 

dan, have you tried Ping i15 or Mizuno MP-650 drivers? They're my two favourite drivers and their feel truly separates them from the rest.

 

I personally found a pot of gold and then some in the 16-degree JPX-850 2 hybrid.It's long, flies high, is easy off the deck and I can't miss right with it. The blue head also looks fantastic and once I had a blue tour wrap grip installed on it, the whole club is simply gorgeous.

 

Today I did my second gig of the year as a rules official in a regional senior tour event. I have to say I much prefer junior events. If they don't know something, the juniors tend to have an open mind and they'll ask for help. Some adults think they know the Rules and play by them and once they bring it up with me, there's a chance they've done something that leads to disqualification. The second option is they start lecturing me about the Rules (I'm not saying I know everything about the Rules but so far all of the on-course lecturers have been wrong). Being the only rules official and marshall out on the course, it's pretty much all about trying to herd the groups through the course in a somewhat decent time. It's like running around trying to put out fires and once you get one fire sorted out, there's a new one on the other side of the course. Oh well...

[PapaJohick]

It certainly does seem it's going to be a blast. Just trying to save up for it haha.

 

I saw an interesting tweet today from a branch of Wilson possibly showing what some of the new clubs will look like. Not too shabby

[Pigems]

I confess, I'm back to being a ho again. Second club purchase in as many weeks lol. Heck my 3 wood hasn't even arrived yet haha. Scored a 58 M grind(my fav grind) TVD wedge last night on eBay for a good deal. Couldn't pass it up for the price. It's such a clean looking wedge, now I just need a matching 54 to go with it :)

[Halebopp]

Another confession. I'm struggling to hit the H5 3 iron off the deck. I have no trouble hitting the MP-4 4 iron onto a green (2 out of 3 today, GIRs from fairway and light rough, missed two feet long off the tee on a par 3) but then I struggle to make good contact with the "easier" H5 off the deck and I'm feeling insecure even before the swing (no need to point out the obvious).

 

If I have a chance to hit the range this weekend, I'll take the MP-32 3 iron with me to see what happens. With the JPX hybrid, the MP-57 "driving iron" is now obsolete unless I bend it back to 20+ degrees.

[Matt J]

In a perfect cyclone of WRX, the Confessions thread, and my own personal Confessions, I popped out of my slump today and threatened par.

 

Something about the added distance in those Titleist CB's and the low swingweight, I felt my misses had gotten too big and so took the old C Taper Miura CB's out to warm up this morning. Hitting them back to back with the Titleists the dispersion was clearly better with the Miuras. I have been working on a new PSR and it was just clicking. I started out 3 under after four holes. Had some nice up and downs and kicked another bird in on the par 5 eighth to sit at 4 under. I promptly made back to back doubles followed by a 3-putt bogey, but got the wheels back on the tracks to finish with a 73. Needless to say the Miuras are staying around awhile longer. I think I'm going to take the Titleists apart and add heavier tip weights to try and get the swingweight up before giving them another go.

 

I had 11 putts on the front nine. Not something I'll probably ever repeat. 18 putts on the back with two 3-putts, to end with 29. I didn't have any penalty strokes and hit 12 greens in regulation. I birdied 3 of the par 5's although I didn't reach any in regulation. Driver was pretty well in play all day, but I did hit a fairway bunker and also sliced one and nearly lost it OB resulting in punching out sideways. That's my best round to date, so hopefully I can build on it and keep up the progress. I'm real excited about the new PSR change.

 

Congrats on winning that trip, Pappa! Look forward to the write up come September!

[Pigems]

In a perfect cyclone of WRX, the Confessions thread, and my own personal Confessions, I popped out of my slump today and threatened par.

 

Something about the added distance in those Titleist CB's and the low swingweight, I felt my misses had gotten too big and so took the old C Taper Miura CB's out to warm up this morning. Hitting them back to back with the Titleists the dispersion was clearly better with the Miuras. I have been working on a new PSR and it was just clicking. I started out 3 under after four holes. Had some nice up and downs and kicked another bird in on the par 5 eighth to sit at 4 under. I promptly made back to back doubles followed by a 3-putt bogey, but got the wheels back on the tracks to finish with a 73. Needless to say the Miuras are staying around awhile longer. I think I'm going to take the Titleists apart and add heavier tip weights to try and get the swingweight up before giving them another go.

 

I had 11 putts on the front nine. Not something I'll probably ever repeat. 18 putts on the back with two 3-putts, to end with 29. I didn't have any penalty strokes and hit 12 greens in regulation. I birdied 3 of the par 5's although I didn't reach any in regulation. Driver was pretty well in play all day, but I did hit a fairway bunker and also sliced one and nearly lost it OB resulting in punching out sideways. That's my best round to date, so hopefully I can build on it and keep up the progress. I'm real excited about the new PSR change.

 

Congrats on winning that trip, Pappa! Look forward to the write up come September!

 

Congrats on the 73 Brosef!! That's an effin awesome round man!! What's is your new PSR compared to your old one?

[PapaJohick]

Hale I would have to say it's because of the shape and fat sole of the h5. Myself, I have a hard time hitting those. One thing I'm sort of worried about going on this trip to vegas is we will be testing wilsons new irons, but I'm not so sure they are bringing the blades haha. I mean I know I can hit other irons but I tend to hit those wider soled clubs a little thinner and really really high haha. Going to be a blast though.

 

Matt! Impressive round dude. 11 putts on the front nine? That's insane. Especially when there were some birdies on that front. Wow. Keep it up man! You can do it again!

 

 

[Matt J]

Thanks Papa! Thanks Pigems!

 

I thought I posted this yesterday, but it didn't work...

 

Pigems, I played a ProAm with my swing coach and he observed that I stand over the ball stationary for too long. He's right and I know it. I wait for the right swing thought as a trigger and I'm always changing the swing thought for the shot I want. So, I'm settling on the swing thoughts and feels before I get over the ball then waggling while I focus on my breathing. I'm using a full breath and the beginning of an exhale as my takeaway trigger, so I never stop moving.

 

Papa, I hit about a 12 or 14 footer for birdie on one, then sunk a longer maybe 25 to 30 footer for another one on 2. Missed the green bad on 3 and needed an 8 footer for par. Had a 2 inch birdie on 4, 2 putt par on 5. Hit my drive right under the lip of a bunker on 6, needed another mid-range putt for par, got it. Missed the 7th green but close and pretty easy up and down, another kick in 3 or 4 inch birdie on 8 and a 2-putt double bogey on 9. I was really 2 three putts away from breaking par, but I also had some good breaks, so I'm happy.

 

 

[dan360]

 

dan, have you tried Ping i15 or Mizuno MP-650 drivers? They're my two favourite drivers and their feel truly separates them from the rest

 

 

Funny you mention those. No, I haven't BUT....The MP-650 has been on my list to check out and a close friend swears the i15 will fix all my issues. Even my emotional ones.

[BIG STU]

Ok guys check out the signature---- I am back from the dark side-- Went back to the way I do it best with a few changes mostly on the top end but hell fire the hybrids are OLD. De Ninja did predict that I would come back to the blades from the MAWBBs and as usual he was spot on. Of course honestly I never went all the way dark because i still played my vintage golf on Sunday afternoons with my 53 Mac Toski blades or hickory Macs or the combination of both