Rounds with a Vintage Bag

[TimV]

You appear to be missing the 6 wood. ;)

[Nomad Golfer]

You appear to be missing the 6 wood. ;)

Damn! must have left it on the 20th hole along with the #8

[Swingingk]

You appear to be missing the 6 wood. ;)

 

Haha! I was thinking exactly the same thing. Lol

[NRJyzr]

Well, just got home from playing a mid-week round. Took the TW801 and Golden Ram 3w along for the ride. Maxfli HT-100s in use for 16 of the 18 holes; I used a Duo Urethane for two holes because I was curious.

 

Started on #10. Fought the swing on that back nine, hitting a crowd pleasing one GIR. I made two doubles, and one birdie (#18), which did not come on the GIR hole. Short game kept me in it at five over.

 

Off to the front nine, fought the swing a little less, hit seven GIR on the front. Birdied #2, missed my other birdie chances. Couldn't get up and down on the 9th hole after an ugly hook into trees, wound up with a bogey for an even par front nine/second nine, for a +5, 76. Which happens to be a low score for me this season.

 

I felt that was a reasonable effort.

 

Even fighting my swing, and hitting a couple hooks off the tee, I was considerably straighter with my Ram woods than I generally am with my assortment of metal woods. And, not all that much shorter, despite using a wound ball.

 

'Twas great fun.

[baloo]

The Opening Hole at Beaver Dam CC where we played.

 

 

[1ironcharlie]

Finally starting to get the feel for the Spalding TPM 12 I've been playing the last several rounds. No 3 putts today at all and did put in a 10 footer and several 6 to 8 footers. Haven't dropped a real long one yet but left several real close.

Still enjoying the 67/68 Spalding Top Flite Professionals and am finding them very playable although I have to make sure my draw doesn't start turning into a hook. Did accidently snap hook a 3 iron shot today which surprised me as I've never hooked. I've sliced, although that's been exceedingly rare for years, but never really hooked. Wonder if it has anything to do with the jumbo grips I put on them?

Naaw the jumbo grips if anything will make you slice the ball. Naw a snap hook is caused by getting your hands too fast through the ball and turning the right hand over. Trust me I am an expert on the snap hook. This is just mere speculation mind you but I think by you hitting the 3 iron you may have went at it too hard. the snap hook is and always has been my dreaded miss. No joke I would rather shank one than snap hook one

Completely agree on the jumbo grips, this is a subject I've had to get deep on in the last year. I always faded/sliced the ball for years, literally couldn't have hit a draw if you had a gun to my head. Then, last year while breaking up a fight between my black and tan and my daughter's Golden retriever, I was bitten pretty badly on the right hand. When it healed, (or at least, healed enough to hit balls) I amazingly, seemingly inexplicably, started hitting a draw. At the time I had moved away from a 100% vintage set, and was playing some KZG ZOs that I had regripped with midsize tacki Macs. I put three wraps of build up underneath them wanting a firmer feel, but not noticing how much it reduced the taper. A draw became my stock shot, my miss became a hook or push, and it was happening more and more often. About this same time I was getting heavy into club building. Being the cheapest man I know, I was using materials that I could scrounge, or get ridiculously cheap, and had recently aquired a case of standard size golf pride tour wraps. I put these, again, three wraps, on a set of MP-33s that I had been working on, and the problem exploded. My shots were all over the place and I went from usually hitting 13-15 gir with my ws fg-17s to 3 or 4 gir, and got to where I couldn't move the ball left to right at all. I was defeated, frustrated. Then I was playing my Wilson's one day and noticed how much less my left hand was sore at the end of the day than it usually was with the no wrap tacki Mac Jumbo's. I pulled the midsize off the KZG s and put them on the 33s, with two wraps under the left hand only. Instant improvement, less fatigue in my left hand, more accuracy, and felt I could play again. My srixon pro 100s now wear tacki Mac Jumbo's with one under the left hand, and I'm playing the golf I'm used to, thank the flying spaghetti monster. Long story to say this: never underestimate the importance of getting your grips exactly right for you. The harder your left grips, the more the club face gets shut. The harder your right grips, the more open it becomes. Everyone will have their own sweet spot, or perfect grip configuration, but I believe it too be if not the most important thing, the second most important factor affecting accuracy, and something I think is largely ignored. Everyone gets whatever grip some pro plays, or cool color configurations, or whatever, and I don't think they even consider that it may hurt thier game more than any other factor.

[NRJyzr]

Just back from playing nine holes, stopping at nine because my playing partner had to head back into the office, and the course was stacked and packed ahead of me, with little option to join another group.

 

I took my TW805 driver with me, with Precision 6.5. It's the Golden Ram persimmon from the 80s with the graphite insert. It came originally at 43.5", I'd cut it down to just over 43", and kind of regretted it, so hadn't been using it much at all since. I thought it might be better to use a 6.5 Precision shaft in my driver since that's what's in my 3w.

 

It worked *really* well. I hit this stick better than the other drivers I've been using, since putting lumber back in the bag. Straight, straight, and more straight, and with quality length. To say I was pleased is understating the point.

 

I'd also put my Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1 back in the bag, also on a bit of a lark. This is the 8802 analogue, black finish, with the mild waffle-milling on the face. Just as with the driver above, I putted rather well with it. Speed control was better than it's been for a month or more, directional control was quite good. Wound up with an even par 9 holes.

 

Yes, I think we have a winning combination :)

[NRJyzr]

After all the fun of the last few rounds, I've been waiting for a smite from the golf gods. It came in yesterday's round. :)

 

I was even par thru six, made two bogeys and a double to finish the front, and four doubles on the back. The woods were still lovely, but tee game success can be overcome by any number of ills, including the affliction known as "hoselus lateralis."

 

Oh well. LOL

[TimV]

Sometimes the Golf Gods smile.

More often they simply point and laugh.

[Dr. Block]

Played a vintage round today with the Bridgestone BXS (the Tiger ball). Fantastic feel off the old gear, reminiscent of the wound ball days.

[DavePelz4]

Played with a vintage bag today.

 

Mrs. Pelz hates when I call her that.

[TimV]

Played with a vintage bag today.

 

Mrs. Pelz hates when I call her that.

 

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Played a persimmon and blades round a couple of days ago. I was going for a (mostly) late Eighties bag, so I had my Mizuno driver, Toney Penna PW1 4w, which is much older, funky Mizuno 6w, VIP 2i (eighties reissue), Spinal Tap Honma PP737 irons 4i-11i, BeCu EYE2 lob wedge, and a Wilson TPA XVIII putter.

I was hitting the irons well at all, or the 4w for that matter, but the driver was working really well, and the 6w worked really well as a rescue from the thick rough. I was hoping it would be good for that, and I wasn't disappointed.

The thing that continues to amaze me is just how good the EYE2 wedge is from sand. I mean, it's great from other lies as well, but from the sand it just makes everything so easy. Hats off to Karsten Solheim.

[baloo]

Hadn't hit a ball in 2 weeks, so was happy to get out today and shoot 75. The painful thing is I was 1 under after 12 and then I bogeyed 5 of the last 6.

The clubs and ball are performing great though, I think this setup will be around for a while.

[Jiggered]

Hadn't hit a ball in 2 weeks, so was happy to get out today and shoot 75. The painful thing is I was 1 under after 12 and then I bogeyed 5 of the last 6.

The clubs and ball are performing great though, I think this setup will be around for a while.

 

Nice play.

 

And I like your YouTube stuff.

[oldschoolrocker]

Hadn't hit a ball in 2 weeks, so was happy to get out today and shoot 75. The painful thing is I was 1 under after 12 and then I bogeyed 5 of the last 6.

The clubs and ball are performing great though, I think this setup will be around for a while.

 

Nice play.

 

And I like your YouTube stuff.

 

^^^ +1

[BIG STU]

Played a persimmon and blades round a couple of days ago. I was going for a (mostly) late Eighties bag, so I had my Mizuno driver, Toney Penna PW1 4w, which is much older, funky Mizuno 6w, VIP 2i (eighties reissue), Spinal Tap Honma PP737 irons 4i-11i, BeCu EYE2 lob wedge, and a Wilson TPA XVIII putter.

I was hitting the irons well at all, or the 4w for that matter, but the driver was working really well, and the 6w worked really well as a rescue from the thick rough. I was hoping it would be good for that, and I wasn't disappointed.

The thing that continues to amaze me is just how good the EYE2 wedge is from sand. I mean, it's great from other lies as well, but from the sand it just makes everything so easy. Hats off to Karsten Solheim.

I have my funky Spalding Executive 6 wood in the bag for a practice session this morning. I was hooking the snot out of my hybrid yesterday. Glad you mentioned your funky Mizuno 6 wood the other week made me remember I had that Executive. Anyhow dug it out last night and examined it air shot a new grip on and will try it early this AM.

 

Funny you mention the Eye2 SW. I was watching GC last night and they had a TM commercial with their new high toe wedges. Some stuffed shirt engineer acting like he had found the holy grail was talking about the Cg being higher etc. He was acting like they invented that. I laughed my butt off. Mr Engineer you and TM did not figure that out Karsten Solheim figured that out 35 years ago. That man was a genius way ahead of his time. I would like to call that TM stuffed shirt out on that face to face. Besides if you want to get really technical Callaway had a high toe wedge out 2 years before TM thought of it. Yep the PM grinds are high toe and anyone that keeps up with golf knows what a PM wedge is a copy of and who had it copied and why

[BIG STU]

Finally starting to get the feel for the Spalding TPM 12 I've been playing the last several rounds. No 3 putts today at all and did put in a 10 footer and several 6 to 8 footers. Haven't dropped a real long one yet but left several real close.

Still enjoying the 67/68 Spalding Top Flite Professionals and am finding them very playable although I have to make sure my draw doesn't start turning into a hook. Did accidently snap hook a 3 iron shot today which surprised me as I've never hooked. I've sliced, although that's been exceedingly rare for years, but never really hooked. Wonder if it has anything to do with the jumbo grips I put on them?

Naaw the jumbo grips if anything will make you slice the ball. Naw a snap hook is caused by getting your hands too fast through the ball and turning the right hand over. Trust me I am an expert on the snap hook. This is just mere speculation mind you but I think by you hitting the 3 iron you may have went at it too hard. the snap hook is and always has been my dreaded miss. No joke I would rather shank one than snap hook one

Completely agree on the jumbo grips, this is a subject I've had to get deep on in the last year. I always faded/sliced the ball for years, literally couldn't have hit a draw if you had a gun to my head. Then, last year while breaking up a fight between my black and tan and my daughter's Golden retriever, I was bitten pretty badly on the right hand. When it healed, (or at least, healed enough to hit balls) I amazingly, seemingly inexplicably, started hitting a draw. At the time I had moved away from a 100% vintage set, and was playing some KZG ZOs that I had regripped with midsize tacki Macs. I put three wraps of build up underneath them wanting a firmer feel, but not noticing how much it reduced the taper. A draw became my stock shot, my miss became a hook or push, and it was happening more and more often. About this same time I was getting heavy into club building. Being the cheapest man I know, I was using materials that I could scrounge, or get ridiculously cheap, and had recently aquired a case of standard size golf pride tour wraps. I put these, again, three wraps, on a set of MP-33s that I had been working on, and the problem exploded. My shots were all over the place and I went from usually hitting 13-15 gir with my ws fg-17s to 3 or 4 gir, and got to where I couldn't move the ball left to right at all. I was defeated, frustrated. Then I was playing my Wilson's one day and noticed how much less my left hand was sore at the end of the day than it usually was with the no wrap tacki Mac Jumbo's. I pulled the midsize off the KZG s and put them on the 33s, with two wraps under the left hand only. Instant improvement, less fatigue in my left hand, more accuracy, and felt I could play again. My srixon pro 100s now wear tacki Mac Jumbo's with one under the left hand, and I'm playing the golf I'm used to, thank the flying spaghetti monster. Long story to say this: never underestimate the importance of getting your grips exactly right for you. The harder your left grips, the more the club face gets shut. The harder your right grips, the more open it becomes. Everyone will have their own sweet spot, or perfect grip configuration, but I believe it too be if not the most important thing, the second most important factor affecting accuracy, and something I think is largely ignored. Everyone gets whatever grip some pro plays, or cool color configurations, or whatever, and I don't think they even consider that it may hurt thier game more than any other factor.

You are dead on it in the grip department. Grips do make a difference. I even go as far as sometimes when tuning a club for me have different grip types on different clubs within a set. On most of my drivers I have a cord grip where on my irons I use either GP Tour Wraps or Tacki Mac Wraps. On my wedges I use either GP wraps or a firmer grip depends on the wedge. BTW I will note you mentioned 2 timeless sets of blades in your post --- the KZG ZOs and of course MP-33s respectfully both great sets of irons

[BIG STU]

Just back from playing nine holes, stopping at nine because my playing partner had to head back into the office, and the course was stacked and packed ahead of me, with little option to join another group.

 

I took my TW805 driver with me, with Precision 6.5. It's the Golden Ram persimmon from the 80s with the graphite insert. It came originally at 43.5", I'd cut it down to just over 43", and kind of regretted it, so hadn't been using it much at all since. I thought it might be better to use a 6.5 Precision shaft in my driver since that's what's in my 3w.

 

It worked *really* well. I hit this stick better than the other drivers I've been using, since putting lumber back in the bag. Straight, straight, and more straight, and with quality length. To say I was pleased is understating the point.

 

I'd also put my Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1 back in the bag, also on a bit of a lark. This is the 8802 analogue, black finish, with the mild waffle-milling on the face. Just as with the driver above, I putted rather well with it. Speed control was better than it's been for a month or more, directional control was quite good. Wound up with an even par 9 holes.

 

Yes, I think we have a winning combination :)

Don't you just love the looks you get from some of the mainstream golfers when you pure that persimmon? Yep that solid whack instead of tink! Bet you get some looks too on the putting green with that 8802 Snake Eyes. I know the other week in a charity scramble (which is a big one) I was getting some looks from the Scotty/ Odyssey crowd with my 85 Ironmaster complete with gauze taped grip. Yesterday I got some curious looks on the putting green from some tourist golfers because I was putting with my latest creation a lead taped Little David 8802 with a 3.0 Superstroke grip ( well Master Grips version of it anyhow).

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Played a persimmon and blades round a couple of days ago. I was going for a (mostly) late Eighties bag, so I had my Mizuno driver, Toney Penna PW1 4w, which is much older, funky Mizuno 6w, VIP 2i (eighties reissue), Spinal Tap Honma PP737 irons 4i-11i, BeCu EYE2 lob wedge, and a Wilson TPA XVIII putter.

I was hitting the irons well at all, or the 4w for that matter, but the driver was working really well, and the 6w worked really well as a rescue from the thick rough. I was hoping it would be good for that, and I wasn't disappointed.

The thing that continues to amaze me is just how good the EYE2 wedge is from sand. I mean, it's great from other lies as well, but from the sand it just makes everything so easy. Hats off to Karsten Solheim.

I have my funky Spalding Executive 6 wood in the bag for a practice session this morning. I was hooking the snot out of my hybrid yesterday. Glad you mentioned your funky Mizuno 6 wood the other week made me remember I had that Executive. Anyhow dug it out last night and examined it air shot a new grip on and will try it early this AM.

 

Funny you mention the Eye2 SW. I was watching GC last night and they had a TM commercial with their new high toe wedges. Some stuffed shirt engineer acting like he had found the holy grail was talking about the Cg being higher etc. He was acting like they invented that. I laughed my butt off. Mr Engineer you and TM did not figure that out Karsten Solheim figured that out 35 years ago. That man was a genius way ahead of his time. I would like to call that TM stuffed shirt out on that face to face. Besides if you want to get really technical Callaway had a high toe wedge out 2 years before TM thought of it. Yep the PM grinds are high toe and anyone that keeps up with golf knows what a PM wedge is a copy of and who had it copied and why

 

The 6w is a useful club to have around in a persimmon bag. Really a hybrid before its time, except without the hooks!

 

As for everything you said about Karsten Solheim and the new Hi-Toe and PM grinds, absolutely spot on! Mr. Solheim was a genius of industrial design. His putters, perimeter weighted irons, and wedges are still being copied today.

[Tumbleweed_1968]

Hadn't hit a ball in 2 weeks, so was happy to get out today and shoot 75. The painful thing is I was 1 under after 12 and then I bogeyed 5 of the last 6.

The clubs and ball are performing great though, I think this setup will be around for a while.

If I may add, on the 10th hole the group ahead let us play thru. Kyle hit a very nice drive and the other group took note. One of them said, "Nice shot! More importantly, nice clubs!" Thats when they noticed the persimmon and blades. Glad I got to sneek out and play. We had fun, the weather was perfect, the company was even better.

[wkuo3]

Went out yesterday with a mixed bag of golf clubs from the late 70's to the 80's.

Had some nice moments but made me thinking of what it'll be like with a bag of more recent golf clubs.

 

Especially with the driver, I had hit some nice tee shots but felt like I had left some distance unclaimed.

[SteveNZ]

The thing that continues to amaze me is just how good the EYE2 wedge is from sand. I mean, it's great from other lies as well, but from the sand it just makes everything so easy. Hats off to Karsten Solheim.

 

Eye2 or Eye2+? I'm assuming the former...

[TimV]

Hadn't hit a ball in 2 weeks, so was happy to get out today and shoot 75. The painful thing is I was 1 under after 12 and then I bogeyed 5 of the last 6.

The clubs and ball are performing great though, I think this setup will be around for a while.

 

Thinking that if I am EVER 1 under at any point after 9 holes I'll be heading to the Bar.

Great shooting my friend!

 

On a side note the Misses is rather unhappy with me at the moment. I told her I planned to play tomorrow, weather permitting, and she asked which set I was going out with. When I told her I was thinking about playing the K1's I picked up last week and had just finished regripping today I got the stink eye. She reminded me that I had purchased them to resell. My plea that I had never had a set of 1 iron thru the Sand Wedge feel on deaf ears.

I plan on playing them tomorrow with an Eye 2 Driver and 4 Wood and a Brass Zing Putter.

She better pray I don't play well with them.

Wish me Luck.

;)

[baloo]

Hadn't hit a ball in 2 weeks, so was happy to get out today and shoot 75. The painful thing is I was 1 under after 12 and then I bogeyed 5 of the last 6.

The clubs and ball are performing great though, I think this setup will be around for a while.

 

Nice play.

 

And I like your YouTube stuff.

 

^^^ +1

 

Thank you both, I want to get a few videos done before end of summer. It's been busy lately, especially with a young one at home. I'm playing 1-2 times per month. And if I play with others, I don't want to film as it seems intrusive. So not too much opportunity right now.

 

Zero complaints, but my place in life doesn't afford me too much time.

[scomac2002]

Hadn't hit a ball in 2 weeks, so was happy to get out today and shoot 75. The painful thing is I was 1 under after 12 and then I bogeyed 5 of the last 6.

The clubs and ball are performing great though, I think this setup will be around for a while.

 

Thinking that if I am EVER 1 under at any point after 9 holes I'll be heading to the Bar.

Great shooting my friend!

 

On a side note the Misses is rather unhappy with me at the moment. I told her I planned to play tomorrow, weather permitting, and she asked which set I was going out with. When I told her I was thinking about playing the K1's I picked up last week and had just finished regripping today I got the stink eye. She reminded me that I had purchased them to resell. My plea that I had never had a set of 1 iron thru the Sand Wedge feel on deaf ears.

I plan on playing them tomorrow with an Eye 2 Driver and 4 Wood and a Brass Zing Putter.

She better pray I don't play well with them.

Wish me Luck.

;)

 

As long as you sell something it won't matter. If the Karstens work out famously for you just tell her that you've decided to keep the Ping bag intact and will be selling one of your other sets of players instead. Of course, you have to follow through...

;)

[TimV]

As long as you sell something it won't matter. If the Karstens work out famously for you just tell her that you've decided to keep the Ping bag intact and will be selling one of your other sets of players instead. Of course, you have to follow through...

;)

 

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You're Hilarious!

Oh, You meant that!?!

Honestly the only set I have that I would be willing to part with is my 60/61 W/S set, and no one would give me anything for them. I can make good money on those Pings. Fortunately I also got a set of Ping Eye 1's at the same time which I have no interest in (3-SW) so she may be mollified if I get those sold. It's all academic at this point as I won't be playing today due to the weather and I have an All Day Golf Outing tomorrow with my W/S FG Tours. Thursday or Friday will now be soonest I try them.

Maybe they won't perform for me. Maybe I'll sell the other set fast and she won't care. Maybe they will perform but I'll still be willing to let them go.

“You cannot end a theology class without hearing these recurrent words "maybe", "it seems to me", "perhaps", "the unique reason may be that", "my belief on this subject is that", "there are many interpretations to how", etc. All of which indicate a lack of certainty. It's not surprising in a class with the task to study the invisible god”

― Bangambiki Habyarimana, Pearls Of Eternity

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

The thing that continues to amaze me is just how good the EYE2 wedge is from sand. I mean, it's great from other lies as well, but from the sand it just makes everything so easy. Hats off to Karsten Solheim.

 

Eye2 or Eye2+? I'm assuming the former...

 

Former. 61* of loft, I think?

[aleph]

Broke in my Northwestern Classic irons (3-PW) with 18 holes. They were great- I love the way they look over the ball, especially the squared toe. I have hit them a fair bit into the farmers field over the last year, but it took 9 holes for it to really kick in they're at least a club shorter than my MP57s. I was worried about the sharp leading edges since I get pretty steep and it had just rained all morning. There were no problems but some monster divots. Especially with the short irons I would see my ball seem to jump up in midair - not sure if this was the wind or the clubs. Highlight was a 190y 6 iron downwind to a back pin that landed on the back tier and only released a few feet.

 

I could get along with the 5-9 irons easily. I hit what I thought were 2 decent shots from the fairway into the wind with the 3 iron that just ballooned like crazy on me and came up miles short. The PW has a super flat sole with no bounce so would be terrible for me alright for full shots but pretty useless for anything around the green. Will definitely use them again.

 

Also used my Northwestern zebra style putter for the first time in almost 15 years which I have very good memories with. The head is very light and super upright. Distance control was great which has been a huge problem for me this year blasting putts downhill. After a series of putts that seemed to squirt off the face in weird ways I took a credit card to it- unfortunately the face is actually slightly concave from heel to toe.

[oldschoolrocker]

Our Friday afternoon group was finally able to get together again, now that Yeamans is back up and running and we are once again on something of a regular schedule.

A quick side note, I no longer work with the course maintenance crew. Moved into an inside job working directly for the GM and membership.

Played as a five some, took out the lone remaining intern that hadn’t started back to school, and gave the poor lad a baptism into the world of cutthroat needling.

He handled it admirably, so, there’s hope for his generation.

Anyway, I bagged 1,3,5 Mahogany Citations, 1-PW Buttonbacks, Dynapower SW( not my normal ‘74,) will post pic of it later, so hopefully Rex, or someone, can help me identify the year, and the recently acquired Shamrock.

Unfortunately for me I had a case of lead poisoning. Had recently found a proper roll of lead tape and had just finished a cut and paste project that would have made my granddaughter’s kindergarten class set up and take notice. The rub was, I hadn’t been to the range to tweak any theory to practice and fine tune. I was spot on with the swing weight and trajectory on the woods, long irons, and putter, but, woefully missed the mark on the mid and short irons and wedges.

All in all a great day of golf and fellowship.

I marvel at the game of my old boss, he’s in the turf management side of the house now, but, he still keeps his professional status. To watch him dissect a round, hole by hole, shot by shot, and then execute, is truly like watching an artist paint on a canvas. He’s late 50ish now, not in the best of health, but still you get a glimpse into how the game can be played. Approach shots, wedges, out of the sand, putting...The man flat out knows how to score.

Enough of my man crush, lol, my takeaway from my own game is that I truly enjoy playing the vintage more than the modern.