New to the LD addiction

[mcmski]

lots of "well, duh!" type statements, you were warned!

So I had a good couple hours on a Flight Scope Launch Monitor with Pat Dempsey today and I'm totally hooked. I thought I would be, but I have the bug bad now. He set me up with a Krank Golf Rage 6* max length pro force V2 LD-3 which I'm loving so far.

Numbers on the Launch Monitor (with all the drivers I tried, they were a little disappointing for me. The best I put up with my current gamer was 125 CHS, 172 ball speed 16* LA and (here's the killer) 3800 Back Spin. Max carry was 305 on one of my best swings. I didn't gain much as much as I was hoping in CHS by gaining 3 inches of shaft length and my LA and Spin rate didn't come down as much as I had hoped with the 6* head. He had me try at least 5 or 6 different heads and 2 different shafts in 3 different flexes and we settled on the Krank. It felt really good and was the most consistent for me at putting up halfway decent numbers. Pat said it would be good for me now and provide some room to grow into as I get better.

CHS topped out at 132 (which was rare for me to repeat, and I ran out of gas pretty quick trying to swing that hard--most were 124-128. I'm used to more of a fairway finder, Big Easy tempo) Ball speed topped out at 182 (WTB 20 more mph lol) and Spin was still really high some as high as 5200 RPM on a really bad swing, one of the guys in the shop jokingly(?) made a comment that he didn't think that was even possible with a 6* driver head. Max Carry one one of my best swings was 332 (again all according to flight scope).

I knew I had a slight OTT move with the driver (I tend to hit slight pull power fades with my gamer) but the 48" driver really exaggerated it. Pat gave me some stuff to work on to help with that and said once I get that down, my spin rate should drop quite a bit. We also worker on some drills to get my temp up a bit and really lead with my lower body. Previously, I had been working on quieting my lower body to help find the fairway more so this is definitely different for me, but fun!

So now I'm getting to my question to those of you with competition experience. There are some local qualifiers coming up for LDA that are a reasonable drive for me. One is April 3rd and one is May 29th. Now I am by no means delusional--I know I have no shot at winning the open division, I'm not expecting to. But this early on in my experience with long drive, is it worth making the drive, and paying the entry fee (basically making a donation to LDA I'm sure) and hitting 6 balls and just hanging out.

Is it too over whelming an experience? Would it be the equivalent of Trying to Monday qualify for a PGA event when you are probably going to shoot 75? Pat said he wouldn't go to a contest with just 1 driver you need backups. I could see that being very true if I thought I was in contention, but if I just wanted to build experience would my gamer and my new Long Driver be ok? I guess I'm just curious as to what kind of numbers I would put up under competition conditions and go from there. Maybe see if I can improve from the April event to the May event.

I don't know. Just thought I would share my experience and thoughts and see what others had to say.

Thanks for reading my looong post :)

Micah

[sanderslongdrive]

Micah,

A pleasure to read such an articulate post, and welcome to Longdrive!

Pat Dempsey is a Longdrive patriach, and an expert. Whatever he charged you I am sure that you received several times that value in sound advice.

My view is that there is little point in buying several specialist drivers before you are commited to the sport. If your driver breaks in your first comp. simply cry out "Anyone lend me a driver - quick?" I am sure that several drivers will fly your way if you are on the tee! If you are hitting well you will hit well with almost anything.

Is it worth going to any event?

If you bought a racing car would you simply leave it in the garage and polish it from time to time?

Local qualifiers are extremely low key events (I have attended several) where you hit six rental balls at your own personally chosen start time. If you do not hit well then buy six more. It's extremely informal and leisurely, and as stressful as eating an ice cream.

Do not hit too many balls on the practice ground, which is the mistake most beginners make.

When it's your time to play do not try to hit the ball harder than you normally do. Find your rhythm, and hit a few great balls, before really going for it.

Good luck.

[mcmski]

Thanks for the advice Sanders. Reading your posts has been very helpful to me thus far in LD. You've reinforced what I was already thinking. The reason I'm doing this is for fun, I'm not trying to make a living at it. Even with the first qualifier that I can attend being just over a month away, why not go? It will be fun.

[Bombinbrian]

I will start by agreeing, that if you spent time with Pat, you did yourself alot of good. He is a very bright man when it comes to Long Drive equipment. I agree with him, according to your post, that if you really work on getting the club on the inside and not over the top, your SR will drop.

If you want to see if it is for you, go to a Local. THey are VERY low key events, for the most part. When you kill one you will see where you stand. You seem to be realistic about the sport, which is unusual anymore. Everyone thinks that they can beat Jason or Jamie. I would suggest going to events, watch and learn. Most of the guys will do whatever they can to help someone getting started in the sport. Good luck to you in your entrance into the sport.

[mcmski]

if I could get a Fake ID I bet I could kill it in the Super Senior division. Damn this baby face of mine!

 

seriously though, after re-watching the event on youtube even the SS guys absolutely kill it!

 

If I can keep working with Pat and get my fitness up (my abs are KILLING me today which made me a little sad but it was a good wake up call) and practice practice practice I think I could have fun competing and not feel like I'm just making a donation.

 

The community seems to be really supportive and just in general a really great group of guys. I can't wait to get more involved.

 

Can you guys recommend any good drills to get the club coming more from the inside? I was trying a little bit today and I was having trouble feeling it. (If I wasn't so sore I would have tried with my heavy club some but I'm wondering if that would even do it as it is so much shorter than the LD) I was however hitting some very pretty slight draws with my Gamer so I don't know. I'm gonna take a day or 2 off and try it again.