BallerNate’s WITB

[MattM97]

1 minute ago, BallerNate said:

Yeah, Real Estate is out of control in the Toronto area for sure unfortunately.

 

I bought my first condo in Toronto when I was only 23 yrs old. How many young people can say that now. Very sad.

 

The only ones I know who did either had inheritance from family and/or bank of mom and dad help. 

 

I really should have pulled up my boot straps and bought a house in the late 2000s instead of being in high school. 

[MtlJeff]

1 hour ago, BallerNate said:

Yeah, Real Estate is out of control in the Toronto area for sure unfortunately.

 

I bought my first condo in Toronto when I was only 23 yrs old. How many young people can say that now. Very sad.

 

It is very sad, it's same thing here. I bought a condo when i was 27~ , sold it for another condo etc etc etc...Blah blah. When the great market upturn happened i had a place double in value in 2 years. I wasn't smart or whatever, i was just born at the right time. I have people who work for me who will never have the same opportunities. 

 

In the last 20 years investment owned (landlord) properties in Canada have doubled, from like 11-12% to 25%+). Not that anyone is talking about that....But people way richer than me own all the property. 

[BallerNate]

5 hours ago, MattM97 said:

 

The only ones I know who did either had inheritance from family and/or bank of mom and dad help. 

 

I really should have pulled up my boot straps and bought a house in the late 2000s instead of being in high school. 

Haha...yeah, exactly!! Clearly your priorities were all wrong!! 🤣🤣

[BallerNate]

3 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

 

It is very sad, it's same thing here. I bought a condo when i was 27~ , sold it for another condo etc etc etc...Blah blah. When the great market upturn happened i had a place double in value in 2 years. I wasn't smart or whatever, i was just born at the right time. I have people who work for me who will never have the same opportunities. 

 

In the last 20 years investment owned (landlord) properties in Canada have doubled, from like 11-12% to 25%+). Not that anyone is talking about that....But people way richer than me own all the property. 

Exactly Jeff. And now on top of that we have a housing shortage and a shortage of rentals. But let's bring in Millions of Immigrants and then not give them the right to buy homes or not have anywhere to live.

 

Oh well, at least we have Golf to distract us...FORE!! 😎

 

 

[rukahs]

RIGHT.... ANYWAY..... back on track

 

What has the mail man delivered today Nate?  😂

[BallerNate]

For sure @rukahs, back on track! Lol @ the mail man delivery!! 
 

Since you asked, here’s what came in this week. Shoutout to Tees To Green which is a company who makes custom headcovers.
 

They handmade this Scottie Barnes headcover over the Winter, and when I told them that a hole had formed, they paid for the shipping both ways, fixed the hole, and sent these cool Tees and club brush with the return package.

 

And it’s ironic that @MtlJeffmentioned Tim Duncan earlier this week…just got these cool Duncan and Kobe bracelets delivered today!! 
 

And the Beer Bear speaks for itself!! 🤣🤣

[BallerNate]

So these are probably even less prestigious than the Noodle Long & Soft@SC-TX 88 , Lol!

 

My buddy gave me a sleeve of these to try yesterday though and they felt really good. They seemed very accurate and that they’ll do whatever the club face tells them to do.

 

Just picked up a box of 24, so will test them vs my go-to Noodles…we’ll see! 

[SteelieD]

Glad to see this ☝️

 

waaaaay too much much nice gear to cheat yourself with the Noodle.  The ball snobs will still get hung up on the K Sig but it’s a pretty good ball. And far better than a noodle. 
 

😉😂😂

[ChipStrokes]

1 hour ago, BallerNate said:

So these are probably even less prestigious than the Noodle Long & Soft@SC-TX 88 , Lol!

 

My buddy gave me a sleeve of these to try yesterday though and they felt really good. They seemed very accurate and that they’ll do whatever the club face tells them to do.

 

Just picked up a box of 24, so will test them vs my go-to Noodles…we’ll see! 

decent ball for around $1/ball but they’re extremely spinny. 

[BallerNate]

2 hours ago, SteelieD said:

Glad to see this ☝️

 

waaaaay too much much nice gear to cheat yourself with the Noodle.  The ball snobs will still get hung up on the K Sig but it’s a pretty good ball. And far better than a noodle. 
 

😉😂😂

Haha!! Man, it looks like you were sitting there on the sidelines waiting for the day I would use a different ball other than Noodle!! 🤣🤣🤣

 

We’ll see how it goes, time will tell!

[BallerNate]

2 hours ago, ChipStrokes said:

decent ball for around $1/ball but they’re extremely spinny. 

Good to know. We’ll see how it goes.

 

The balls that have worked the best for me so far have been the Noodle Long and Soft, TaylorMade V3 Speed (discontinued), TaylorMade Soft Select (discontinued), and the Titleist TruFeel.

 

I really don’t care about brand, price, or cool factor, all I care about is what feels good and performs best for my game.

[rukahs]

Agree with you on using whatever ball gives you the best result, could be a Top Flite or a Pro V1, we’re all different and just because a dozen doesn’t cost $60 doesn’t mean we can’t get the best out of our golf. I stumbled on the Bridgestone tour B X and I’ve been in love ever since. Gives me perfect numbers and flys through the wind so good. The k sig was also a good ball for me, I need to pick some more up. 

[BIG STU]

10 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Good to know. We’ll see how it goes.

 

The balls that have worked the best for me so far have been the Noodle Long and Soft, TaylorMade V3 Speed (discontinued), TaylorMade Soft Select (discontinued), and the Titleist TruFeel.

 

I really don’t care about brand, price, or cool factor, all I care about is what feels good and performs best for my game.

That last paragraph sums it up for me. I found 2 hidden gems off of prizes I had won in Shootouts and 9 and dines. One of them was the Srixon Marathon which is a 2 piece ball. I had won like 3 of the 15 ball packs and was playing them in my vintage rounds. Found out I like the ball and play them a lot. LOL we wone 2 15 ball packs last Wednesday in the 9 and dine. My wife only plays colored balls. So I got both of the packs. I played those balls 2 weeks ago in our League Presidents Cup which is one of the annual big events. Finished 3rd out of 42 players. Another free hidden gem I found was the Wilson Velocity and I said Wilson not Titleist. I had won like 2 of the 15 ball packs and found out they hit as good as the Srixon Marathon. Yep it is always nice to find free new balls play well too. Now I still have about 5 dozen mixed lots of Q Stars etc. Yep at this stage of life I am not a ball snob. 

[BallerNate]

6 hours ago, rukahs said:

Agree with you on using whatever ball gives you the best result, could be a Top Flite or a Pro V1, we’re all different and just because a dozen doesn’t cost $60 doesn’t mean we can’t get the best out of our golf. I stumbled on the Bridgestone tour B X and I’ve been in love ever since. Gives me perfect numbers and flys through the wind so good. The k sig was also a good ball for me, I need to pick some more up. 

Yeah man, performance is all that matters.

 

I don’t discriminate at all…I’ve tried Callaway balls, Srixon, Bridgestone, Titleist, TM, Cut Red etc. All that matters to me is how they feel, can I control them, how they spin etc.

 

Only balls I haven’t bought a box of is probably Vice, and that’s just because they’re not available in stores.

 

I didn’t care for the last version of the Kirkland, but these V 2.0’s feel much better this time around.

[BallerNate]

1 hour ago, BIG STU said:

That last paragraph sums it up for me. I found 2 hidden gems off of prizes I had won in Shootouts and 9 and dines. One of them was the Srixon Marathon which is a 2 piece ball. I had won like 3 of the 15 ball packs and was playing them in my vintage rounds. Found out I like the ball and play them a lot. LOL we wone 2 15 ball packs last Wednesday in the 9 and dine. My wife only plays colored balls. So I got both of the packs. I played those balls 2 weeks ago in our League Presidents Cup which is one of the annual big events. Finished 3rd out of 42 players. Another free hidden gem I found was the Wilson Velocity and I said Wilson not Titleist. I had won like 2 of the 15 ball packs and found out they hit as good as the Srixon Marathon. Yep it is always nice to find free new balls play well too. Now I still have about 5 dozen mixed lots of Q Stars etc. Yep at this stage of life I am not a ball snob. 

Awesome Stu!

 

Agree 100%, just like clubs, it’s all about using balls that work best for your game!

 

Balls are probably even more of an individual fit/feel item than clubs and shafts. Pro V1’s for example don’t work for me at all, whereas other people are paying a fortune for them.

 

We’ll see…going to give these Kirkland V 2.0’s a couple of weeks and see if they’ll stick.

[BIG STU]

2 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Awesome Stu!

 

Agree 100%, just like clubs, it’s all about using balls that work best for your game!

 

Balls are probably even more of an individual fit/feel item than clubs and shafts. Pro V1’s for example don’t work for me at all, whereas other people are paying a fortune for them.

 

We’ll see…going to give these Kirkland V 2.0’s a couple of weeks and see if they’ll stick.

I have played the Kirklands in the past. When they first came out and all the hype was going on we could not get them here in Coastal SC. A fellow WRXer from Florida sent me a sleeve. I was impressed and actually questioned if they were conforming. Which they were. Now I have found and played some since then and find the playability and quality good. Honestly if I did not have a trunk full of Srixons I have won and had to buy balls again it would be Kirklands or some of the Maxfli balls at DSG. Now days I do not have a lot of SS except on short irons but with short irons I can spin almost anything. Now I will say if I find a Pro V I may play it but no way I am paying $65 for a dozen balls of any kind

[MattM97]

On 6/2/2023 at 3:45 PM, BallerNate said:

For sure @rukahs, back on track! Lol @ the mail man delivery!! 
 

Since you asked, here’s what came in this week. Shoutout to Tees To Green which is a company who makes custom headcovers.
 

They handmade this Scottie Barnes headcover over the Winter, and when I told them that a hole had formed, they paid for the shipping both ways, fixed the hole, and sent these cool Tees and club brush with the return package.

 

And it’s ironic that @MtlJeffmentioned Tim Duncan earlier this week…just got these cool Duncan and Kobe bracelets delivered today!! 
 

And the Beer Bear speaks for itself!! 🤣🤣

 

Glad they made it right, I don't want to make bad suggestions for companies lol. 

[BallerNate]

3 hours ago, MattM97 said:

 

Glad they made it right, I don't want to make bad suggestions for companies lol. 

Haha...for sure!! No, Tees to Green were a great suggestion and they make some gorgeous stuff!

 

I'm glad they made it right too, because I love my custom Scottie Barnes headcover! Wish he could've had a better 2nd season, but lots of people talk about the "Sophomore jinx" for a reason. Should be a big season for Scottie next season, and I'll be rocking my custom headcover with pride! 👌

[BallerNate]

This was one of the clubs that I probably gave up on too soon last season.

 

I don’t think I was patient enough at that time to get this dialed in, and wasn’t knowledgeable enough about shafts, weight adjustments etc.

 

I’ve been hitting the Rogue ST Max well this season, but the adjustability of the Stealth Plus has always been intriguing to me. We’ll see…testing starts tomorrow!! 🚀🚀🚀 

[BallerNate]

Interesting week this week spending time on the range and the course testing a Stealth Plus again, and trying the Kirkland Signature V 2.0 balls.

 

I’m always fully open to replacing anything in my bag, but I’ve learned to also be open to accepting that what’s already in my bag could end up being the better fit for me. 
 

For the Driver spot, I officially promise not to buy another Stealth, Lol!! I’ve now owned 2 different 9* Stealth Pluses, a 9* standard Stealth, and I think I may have owned a 10.5* of one of them, but don’t even remember, Lol.

 

For whatever reason, I absolutely can’t get the Stealth line dialed in. Tried different shafts, adjusting the Draw/Fade settings, and this time I tried lead tape at the back to adjust weighting…just not a fit!

 

As far as the balls go, I know everyone would love for me to find a ball to kick the Noodle Long & Soft out of my bag, but the Noodle won again for me, Lol!!
 

The Kirkland is a really good ball, but too similar to the Pro V1 for me (which I know is why lots of people really like it.)

 

Went back to the Rogue ST Max and Noodle yesterday and hit both beautifully…gotta play what works! 🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️ 

[J_Tizzle]

17 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Interesting week this week spending time on the range and the course testing a Stealth Plus again, and trying the Kirkland Signature V 2.0 balls.

 

I’m always fully open to replacing anything in my bag, but I’ve learned to also be open to accepting that what’s already in my bag could end up being the better fit for me. 
 

For the Driver spot, I officially promise not to buy another Stealth, Lol!! I’ve now owned 2 different 9* Stealth Pluses, a 9* standard Stealth, and I think I may have owned a 10.5* of one of them, but don’t even remember, Lol.

 

For whatever reason, I absolutely can’t get the Stealth line dialed in. Tried different shafts, adjusting the Draw/Fade settings, and this time I tried lead tape at the back to adjust weighting…just not a fit!

 

As far as the balls go, I know everyone would love for me to find a ball to kick the Noodle Long & Soft out of my bag, but the Noodle won again for me, Lol!!
 

The Kirkland is a really good ball, but too similar to the Pro V1 for me (which I know is why lots of people really like it.)

 

Went back to the Rogue ST Max and Noodle yesterday and hit both beautifully…gotta play what works! 🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️ 

 

Dude, I'm that way with TM drivers.  I've had all the old ones, M series, the SIMs and the first Stealth and I cannot for the life of me ever hit them good.  The Stealth was STUPID long, but I hit it all over God's green Earth and now my driver confidence is at an all time low.

 

For whatever reason, the alignment aid on TM drivers always looks off the heel to me, and I say "oh I can just get over that" but I cannot.  When I had the Stealth I actually colored in the T on the top with a marker and it made it slightly better, but the damage was already done.

[BallerNate]

3 hours ago, J_Tizzle said:

 

Dude, I'm that way with TM drivers.  I've had all the old ones, M series, the SIMs and the first Stealth and I cannot for the life of me ever hit them good.  The Stealth was STUPID long, but I hit it all over God's green Earth and now my driver confidence is at an all time low.

 

For whatever reason, the alignment aid on TM drivers always looks off the heel to me, and I say "oh I can just get over that" but I cannot.  When I had the Stealth I actually colored in the T on the top with a marker and it made it slightly better, but the damage was already done.

Yeah man, no doubt most TM Drivers are made for a very specific demographic…high swing speed guys that need low spin Drivers and prefer a Fade bias.

 

I want them to work so bad for me also, but after owning pretty much every release since 2019 (SIM, SIM Max, SIM Max D, SIM2, SIM2 Max, Stealth, & Stealth Plus), the only one that has worked for me well was the SIM2 Max.

 

After a while you just have to be honest with yourself and just play what fits best with your game and your swing.

For me, Callaway Drivers have been the best fit. No idea why I try to fight it and run from it like I do, but eventually I just have to fully embrace it, Lol. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[J_Tizzle]

31 minutes ago, BallerNate said:

Yeah man, no doubt most TM Drivers are made for a very specific demographic…high swing speed guys that need low spin Drivers and prefer a Fade bias.

 

I want them to work so bad for me also, but after owning pretty much every release since 2019 (SIM, SIM Max, SIM Max D, SIM2, SIM2 Max, Stealth, & Stealth Plus), the only one that has worked for me well was the SIM2 Max.

 

After a while you just have to be honest with yourself and just play what fits best with your game and your swing.

For me, Callaway Drivers have been the best fit. No idea why I try to fight it and run from it like I do, but eventually I just have to fully embrace it, Lol. 🤷🏽‍♂️

 

For sure, I think TM drivers are great for longest drives, but there is so much more to it than that.

 

I had been playing Pings for years, went to the Stealth and sold everything else, finally gave up on it and got a LTDx LS and really liked it but it was too unforgiving, and currently have a TSR2 which seems to be the best of the bunch plenty long and very forgiving.

[MattM97]

Taylormade stuff is interesting, it's either absolutely perfect for someone or just OK. I've never had a TM club in my bag, their drivers have never sniffed top 3 in a fitting for me. The Stealth 2 FW was 2nd in my fitting recently, the irons not bad. 

 

I will never say they suck cause look at their tour results. 

[JA_357]

I hated the TM drivers - was my 2/3 - but I love the Stealth 3 wood (just wish I'd gone the plus to calm it down a bit in loft - damn thing has a sneaky 275 in it)? Glad to see the Rogue ST Max back in the bag - great driver, and beautifully consistent.

[BallerNate]

3 hours ago, J_Tizzle said:

 

For sure, I think TM drivers are great for longest drives, but there is so much more to it than that.

 

I had been playing Pings for years, went to the Stealth and sold everything else, finally gave up on it and got a LTDx LS and really liked it but it was too unforgiving, and currently have a TSR2 which seems to be the best of the bunch plenty long and very forgiving.

Yeah, all about playing what works best for your game…that’s all that matters at the end of the day!

[BallerNate]

1 hour ago, MattM97 said:

Taylormade stuff is interesting, it's either absolutely perfect for someone or just OK. I've never had a TM club in my bag, their drivers have never sniffed top 3 in a fitting for me. The Stealth 2 FW was 2nd in my fitting recently, the irons not bad. 

 

I will never say they suck cause look at their tour results. 

I agree 100% man, the guys that hit TM Drivers hit them reaaaaaally long and really well. And the guys that can’t hit them spray them all over the planet.

 

For me their Fairways have been the best fit because of their adjustability and their Upright setting, love their Irons, and have had good experiences with their wedges and putters.

 

I’d say the Drivers are definitely the most hit & miss (pun intended), but so much of it comes down to personal preferences and best fit.

[BallerNate]

3 hours ago, JA_357 said:

I hated the TM drivers - was my 2/3 - but I love the Stealth 3 wood (just wish I'd gone the plus to calm it down a bit in loft - damn thing has a sneaky 275 in it)? Glad to see the Rogue ST Max back in the bag - great driver, and beautifully consistent.

Yeah, the Rogue ST Max has been extremely good for me and I have no idea why I have to keep messing with a great thing, Lol.

 

The Tensei AV White 65 S shaft I had in it last season definitely wasn’t a fit, but with my Hzrdus Black Smoke 6.0 shaft it’s the best Driver I’ve ever had really.

 

Some part of me wants to bomb away with TaylorMade Drivers like Tiger, Rory, and DJ, but unfortunately they just don’t work for me and it kills me inside, Lol.

 

It only makes sense to keep the Rogue in the bag for the rest of the season though, and if I come across a good deal on a Paradym X at some point I can do another head-to-head to see if it can kick the Rogue out of the bag.

[BallerNate]

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers on WRX!!

 

Got an incredible round in right on the Ocean on Friday, and walked 18 in the rain today because it’s the one day of the year that my wife can’t say no, Lol!!

 

I’ve played enough rounds with my current setup to say that all of my clubs right now are a really good fit and I really like how every club is performing!!

 

It’s been a long and crazy journey to get to this point, but I’m really happy to finally be here.

 

The club I’ll most likely change soon though will be the M5 Ti 3-Wood. Really like how it performs, but just don’t like the cosmetic scratches on the bottom that I bought it with. Just too much of a perfectionist with the look of my clubs to be Ok with cosmetic damage that I didn’t create.

Other than that I’m going to keep as much as possible consistent until at least the end of the season and focus on enjoying Golf finally, Lol! 

[MattM97]

4 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Other than that I’m going to keep as much as possible consistent until at least the end of the season and focus on enjoying Golf finally, Lol! 

 

Bet lol