WITB? mat562...

[villa]

What do they put in the water up your way mate. You look about 10 years younger than me in that picture!

 

Right, that's put me in a bad mood for the day :man_in_love:

 

As you know I love the bag (despite all the swoosh). A man after my own heart.

 

There's just as much pleasure in nailing a muscle back 3 iron off a tight lie as there is in holing a 30ft putt (especially when you can't putt for toffee :rolleyes: Just kidding).

 

Keep it old school :black eye:

 

P.S That's the closest smiley I could find to go with old school. Must've been the trilby.

[mat562]

After an exhaustive session of carpet putting at the 'mat562 Putting Academy' (a bit like the Taylor Made MATT thing, but with dozing dogs instead of high speed cameras) this evening, I've decided to go with a blast from the past for Wednesday's planned round of golf...

[mat562]

Right... Back to the old faithful - but with a secret weapon on it: A Ping Palm Lock grip.

 

And it will be the last putter change I make this year. ;)

[jebb]

Mat,

 

Great stuff as usual and look forward to seeing them in person on a day out at Sitwell Park.

 

Give us time beforehand so we can "Mat562-proof" the course!!

[mat562]

Give us time beforehand so we can "Mat562-proof" the course!!

 

Just tell the greenkeeper to cut normal-sized holes Paul. That should be enough... ;)

[mat562]

Hooray!

 

Apparently there is a golf club-sized box waiting for me when I get home tonight. Two brand new 588 RTGs for me to rust up, and a blast from the past in the form of a raw Iron A Nelson sand wedge... :D

 

Happy days. :D

[villa]

I think I'm going to cry, I can't tell you how jealous I am.

 

I'm going to say it...THE GREATEST WEDGES EVER MADE!

 

I tried for about 6 months to get my hands on some new TSC 588's but now that you've found some new RTG's, mine now seem like a big disappointment.

 

Are they going straight in to play mate? Post some pics if/when you can.

[mat562]

First job is probably going to be lengthening them and putting some proper grips on them Steve. Then they'll be cosseted in brine-soaked toilet paper for a while and I'll do away with all the horrid white paintfill in the Cleveland logo on the soles. I may also set about the back of the 60 with a grinder to get the fabled 'car park grind' like my old faithful had.

 

I'm also a big fan of the old 588 RTGs. I played a pair of them for years and played some of my best golf with them so I have a definite soft spot for that wedge. Foolishly, I gave a perfectly usable and beautifully aged 60-degree to a lad who I've since lost touch with last year which, along with selling a set of TP19s a few years back, is probably my daftest ever decision in terms of golf equipment.

 

It's a hassle getting them shipped over from the States (and I was beginning to think the parcel had been nicked by someone at Heathrow with the amount of time it's taken to get here), but for 35 quid apiece it'd be foolish not to bite really since knackered ones on eBay are fetching nearly that.

 

It doesn't quite rival the excitement of childbirth; but it's close. :D

[villa]

It doesn't quite rival the excitement of childbirth; but it's close. :D

Two brand new 588 RTG's!

 

Only the birth of the baby Jesus could compare to that.

 

 

 

 

 

Just kidding (don't tell my son :D )

[mat562]

I can picture the scene this afternoon...

 

It'll be: 'Hello sweetheart. Welcome home. Hope you had a nice day at work. Say hello to your children and then you can kiss me. We've all missed you.'

 

'Er.. Hang on love. Give me a sec and just let me unwrap this parcel and have a bit of swing in the back garden first... I'll be with you in about 15 minutes. RTGs these... Classics they are... Cor! Look at that! Beautiful... [swish] [swish]' :D

[villa]

I can picture the scene this afternoon...

 

It'll be: 'Hello sweetheart. Welcome home. Hope you had a nice day at work. Say hello to your children and then you can kiss me. We've all missed you.'

 

'Er.. Hang on love. Give me a sec and just let me unwrap this parcel and have a bit of swing in the back garden first... I'll be with you in about 15 minutes. RTGs these... Classics they are... Cor! Look at that! Beautiful... [swish] [swish]' :D

:D

 

Don't forget to push her out of the way if she tries to tell you about her day.

 

Remember your priorities...the RTG's.

[kitsoasis]

so THAT's what you look like!

not that i expected you look like anyone in particular, perhaps a young darren clarke, lol

[mat562]

A bit thinner than Clarkey mate.

 

Imagine Charles Howell after a bout of food poisoning... :D

 

I'm also clean shaven now. And the mullet's a bit Adam Scott-like.

[kitsoasis]

but now im thinking a skinny CH3 with an afro lol, kinda funny looking

[mat562]

but now im thinking a skinny CH3 with an afro lol, kinda funny looking

 

Pretty much a dead ringer for one of the Flanders kids from The Simpsons... :D

[kittart]

I echo everyone else when I say

 

1) Nice bag

 

and

 

2) So thats what you look like!

 

I had been having trouble picturing Yoda hitting Nike blades. Even though it does seem he can read puts...

[mat562]

Had a tinker for Sunday's 18 and put an old stager back in the bag. The old 681 1 iron came out of retirement and served me well in some gusty winds...

[mat562]

I put the newly-fettled Cleveland sand wedge in the bag in place of the old Vokey this week. The 60-degree is awaiting a bit of grinding so the faithful old Nike lob wedge is still in play pending a side-by-side comparison.

 

I'll take some new photos at some point since the bag's (gasp..!) got about three new clubs in it since last year now. :friends:

[JDorfler]

Even found a pic of me on the laptop.

 

The irons are better looking than their owner, methinks...

 

I'd have to agree. You are one ugly woman. Just kidding, sorta. You'd make a really ugly woman.

[mat562]

You missed 'grateful' off the end. :friends:

[mat562]

After a weekend of side-by-side testing I've now got a viable driver in the form of an old Nike 275cc Titanium with an old pull-out TT EI70 shaft in it.

 

Belter of a club, and on the baked fairways at my home club it's a fantastic tool. I get a nice flat flight with it and I'm able to turn it over and get a nice draw that maximises rollout. It's a bit odd to look down on such a small head (I can't believe I just typed that...) but once you get used to it it's a nice looking driver, aside from the blue paint scheme. It's about 10-15 yards shorter in carry than my Ignite gamer, but overall I've been hitting it a few yards further overall and shaping it nicely to hit a few baked fairways.

 

I'm still deciding between it and my old faithful Ignite, but it worked well this morning and I drove it really solidly such that I'm tempted to give it a more permanent spot.

 

Odd choice; but, as always, whatever works. :clapping:

[projamie]

Yea, i put the taylormade 200 series TP with an ion plated steel bubble shaft (japan only) into play today... :clapping:

 

If it works for you though lol.... Whenever i hit the R7 425 TP it looks rediculusly small, going that old school would be impossible! I think ill stick with the 460cc beast!

[adam1234]

wow. would that be something a little like this?

 

i think going back to a club that small would have me treating it rather like a 3+++ wood, but it goes nicely with your 1 iron(s) and that old ping pal and indeed, whatever works.

 

that said, rain is in the forecast so perhaps the fairways won't be baked for too much longer. the beloved 'occasional british heatwave' is over

[mat562]

Yes. The traditional 'Indian Summer' that lasts about as long as a typical Indian takeaway... :clapping:

 

It's exactly like that pic; the blue paint's a bid dodgy (particularly mated up with a green shaft) and the stripy sole/fake rivet thing looks like it was designed by Fisher Price, but it's very solid feeling and it gives a cracking flat flight - unlike all the modern stuff where you have to battle to keep it from ballooning up all the time.

 

The main bonus is the fact that it's so easy to turn over and get a flat, hot draw with it. It's a bit short of the modern stuff on carry alone, but the end result is generally a net gain of about 10 or 15 yards after it finishes rolling. I hit a couple of absolute corkers on Sunday that were 25 yards past solid hits with my regular driver. I'm no expert on all the launch monitor/trackman rubbish, but I reckon my 'angle of descent' or whatever it's called is being improved markedly, and that's why it's rolling out a bit.

 

Basically, it plays very similar to my old 975D - albeit the EI70 seems to be a better shaft for me than the Rhubarb and Custard ProForce that's in my old Titleist.

 

The main drawback is that it's too small for a Daphne's headcover and too big for most of the regular sized ones. At the moment it's in one of those horrible old blue vinyl/grey nylon combo Nike jobs with the zip on the side since it's the only cover that fits over it and doesn't slide off while you're walking. The beloved old Ping covers won't fit.

[venturagolfer87]

i've got one of those old nike drivers that i picked up at the local swap meet for about 20 bucks...i take it out on the range whenever i'm having trouble hitting my driver well...a little session with that, and if i can hit that driver consistently, it does WONDERS when i go back to my gamer. better than any training aid i ever saw.

[adam1234]

yep, i know the type of headcover you're referring to, i am the proud owner of one myself - the white lining down the edge actually glows in the dark as i discovered with much joy down in the basement one day. not sure what they were trying to tackle with that particular attribute.

 

also on dry fairways, as long the as adjustment isn't too difficult to make then it sounds like a very useful old weapon to have. although i feel i have to remind you, it is blue...

[mat562]

Mate, it's very blue. So blue, in fact, that Eiffel 65 were probably inspired to write their 1999 Europop hit 'Blue' after a quick 9 holes involving one of those drivers. My overriding thought as I set up over the ball is 'bloody hell; what a funny coloured club' which is probably not what's recommended by Jos Vanstiphout and Bob Rotella.

 

The headcover is hideous and cheap looking (and does indeed have a little glow-in-the-dark beading around it) but it's the only 'midsize' headcover I've got that fits it properly. Actually, that's a lie. My old Taylor Made Tour Silver 3 wood cover fits on it; but I can't even imagine the looks I'd get if I turned up on the course with that and a pink Ping cover on the 3 wood...

 

p.s. I'm actually now the proud owner of a Mk I Nike staff bag. The original black one with the Tour Accuracy logo on it and the white sections down the side, together with the Nike Golf 'Crossed Clubs' shield on the flanks. My mate finally gave in to my pestering and said 'You can have it Mat...'

[adam1234]

ha, was eiffel 65 really '99? time flies. but talk about a classic anthem.... who else would think to use the phrase 'da ba dee da ba die' in a song?

 

with those headcovers on you might just be the 'eccentric retro guy' of the club, although carrying a 1 iron and a 275cc driver probably already have you pretty close to that category.

[mat562]

Until 3 years ago I was bagging a Flex Twist-shafted Tour Spoon as a 3 wood and had a beryllium Eye 2 lob wedge that Gainsborough told me was made in 1986... :russian_roulette:

 

Honestly, if you're a blade player, anything that's made in the last 15 years is fair game. And wedge-wise I'll pitch a 588 against anything they've knocked out in the last year, fancy grooves or not.

 

I'm a bit of a throwback and, if I'm honest, I like being a bit different; but the overriding thing with me is to play whatever works. And, for whatever reason, I seem to do okay with quite antiquated kit. The old Ping headcovers are the best thing ever invented though. I pick a colour for my 3 wood based on my mood and away I go. All I need is a proper Daphne's GSD cover for the driver and I'm happy. In fairness, all my best golf was played c. 1988 to 1996, so I'm probably just generating a psychic link to my halcyon days by being a bit 'retro.'

 

If I could get away with it at work I'd resurrect my Limahl hairstyle too - memorably described by my high school physics teacher as looking like 'corn growing out of tarmac..'

 

Currently, it's a bit Joseph Williams / Toto c. 1988.

[JDorfler]

Speaking of back in time, does anyone remember the old bullseye putters you could putt left or right handed, the ones that looked like little one irons without grooves, and when the Karsten style putters came out they were considered the game improvement putters and not blades? Wow, has times changed.