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Date: 18 Feb 2007 18:58:52
From: Dave Lee
Subject: Well Crap-I'm an Equipment Snob
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I don't think that I've purchased a non-used assembled golf club since my
return to golf in 2001. And I've bought precious few brand new components as
well. Heck, even a driver (purchased used) typically lasts me a couple of
years.
Several years ago I did some informal, not well-controlled, experiments with
blades and cavity backs. I came to the conclusion that there was little, if
any, improvement in off-center hits with the cavity backs. So I ended up
playing 12 year old Hogan Apex blades.
I've literally worn out my PW (E club in the Hogan vernacular) and I've
started to seriously question my relatively weak flex iron shafts. I just
don't see any downside to stiffer shafts unless you are the type of golfer
that responds poorly (like overswinging) to stiffer shafts. Time for more
experiments and maybe more changes - both re-explore my earlier cavity back
forgiveness conclusion and also play around with stiffer shafts.
I'll be going to stiffer shafts, not because I observed any advantage but I
didn't observe a disadvantage and I can see a few downsides to more flex.
But in addition to the double handful of clubs (5i and/or 6i - differing
shafts) that I was playing with earlier (Titleist DCI, S and A flex Hogan
Apex, KZG forged blade, KZG forged cavity back, Armour Silver Scot,
Cleveland TA-3, 1970's Titleist cavity back, old Wilson piece of crap, and
maybe a few others I forgot) I added two additional clubs.
1) The first true game improvement iron that I've ever seriously tried out.
It was a Golfsmith Jetstream that was in the clearance section and actually
had a small offset that I could live with as well as lofts that fit with my
other clubs.
2) A Golfsmith P2 - a darn cheap and good looking club. Kind of a "TM RAC"
like club. Very moderate cavity back.
Both of these new clubs were shafted with stiff shafts, tipped to play about
halfway between stiff and regular.
Swing/hitting the Jetstream really was different - than the irons anyway.
Actually it was a lot like hitting my hybrids (23* and 26* Alpha RX in my
case). And when you look at the design that isn't really surprising.
It was a horrible day to evaluate forgiveness on clubs for two reasons.
1) Despite having played the day before shooting 10 strokes over my index
(about 6 right now), I couldn't miss the sweetspot on a bet with any club
today. Practice days like this are rare - why today :-)
2) Gusty winds were blowing all over the place - 20+ mph. Plus it was cold
for that much wind (40'ish)
But I would be surprised if this Jetstream was not at least somewhat more
forgiving on off-center hits than any of the other clubs. And on the courses
that I play the difference between "14 yards short" and "16 yards short" is
often the difference between a long birdie putt and a tough, uphill, 40 yard
pitch. So a little bit of extra forgiveness can be most helpful at times.
Then I realized - I'm just not going to play one of those ugly things. Just
not going to do it.
So I'll do something about my PW and stick with my Hogan Channelbacks.
Heck - you can buy a used set of these things for less than $150 on ebay
almost any time. Maybe I'll just get a back-up/'practice on the mats' set.
But yes - I'm an equipment snob. Despite my $19 worth of components putter,
my $5/head Golfsmith wedges (cast - I wear out forged ones WAY too fast),
etc. I just didn't know :-)
dave
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Date: 20 Feb 2007 11:17:38
From: Thor
Subject: Re: Well Crap-I'm an Equipment Snob
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On Feb 20, 12:24 pm, "Skyhawk XP" <wpdes...@GOBOSOX.yahoo.com > wrote:
> "Carbon" <nob...@nospam.tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
>
> news:pan.2007.02.19.03.07.13.793191@nospam.tampabay.rr.com...
>
> > I just don't think the equipment matters as much as people think. So why
> > not use decent looking sticks?
>
> Well, there are lies like this where a fugly club comes in handy...
>
> http://rsgohio.netfirms.com/rsgohiopics/nfpicturepro/displayimage.php...
>
> http://tinyurl.com/2ho4wp
He not only had to hit off the parking lot - he got a BAD LIE in the
parking lot!!
-- Thor
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Date: 19 Feb 2007 02:11:14
From: bill-o
Subject: Re: Well Crap-I'm an Equipment Snob
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On 18-Feb-2007, "Dave Lee" <DaveLeeNC@ix.netcom.RemovE.com > wrote:
> Then I realized - I'm just not going to play one of those ugly things.
> Just not going to do it.
Words to live by: life's too short to play Fugly clubs (or woods that sound
like crap) !
--
bill-o
A "gimme" can best be defined as an agreement between
two golfers neither of whom can putt very well.
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