Since the longest iron I carry is a 5-iron, I have long searched for a club to fill the gap between my fairway woods and my irons. This club has ranged from a 4-hybrid to a 4 utility iron.
This season alone, in the five rounds I have played thus far, I have carried a TaylorMade hybrid three
times and a Wilson Staff utility iron twice. Now, a new club is auditioning for the opportunity to fill that critical spot in my golf arsenal.
On Sunday, I picked up a Top-Flite Gamer Tour 4-hybrid at Dick's Sporting Goods. Top-Flite, which used to be owned by the Spalding Company and had a major presence on the PGA Tour, is now a brand that is exclusive to Dick's and Golf Galaxy. During the first 10 years or so of my golfing career, I used Top-Flite golf balls exclusively, so I feel some good karma having this brand return to my bag.
The new hybrid, which I purchased on sale for $40, has 22 degrees of loft a heavy head which features a low center of gravity to aid in getting the ball in the air. It also features an Aldila NV 75 shaft, which retails for more than I paid for the club.
The new hybrid will get its first audition in the bag when I play my next round this weekend. I look forward to seeing if it will earn a permanent place among my golfing arsenal.
Again, because of commitments both foreseen and unforeseen, there will be no rounds of golf this weekend. But last Thursday, I did get a chance to go shopping at Golf Galaxy. Thanks to my GG Scorecard, I earned a $10 gift certificate. When you use your Scorecard when making purchases, you earn points, and for every 300 points you earn a $10 gift certificate. My latest customer loyalty certificate expired on Saturday, so I made my trip to Golf Galaxy.
I looked around to see there were any good sales on clubs, either new or used, but found nothing I would consider a bargain, even with $10 off. So I opted to pick up a box of Titleist DT Solo optic yellow golf balls, three Golf Pride VDR golf grips and a role of high density lead tape. Nothing very exciting, but all necessary items. I had lost four balls during my last round, so it is good to restock. I also like to have extra grips in case I need or decide to re-grip a club. And I often use lead tape to help correct my shots when I am fighting a hook or slice, or want to get a lower center of gravity on my irons.
The great news that recently came out is Golf Galaxy is combining its rewards card with Dick's Sporting Goods' Scorecard. Dick's has owned Golf Galaxy for several years now, and while both had customer loyalty cards that earned points, they couldn't be used at the each other's stores. Now, points earned at GG and Dick's will be combined and earned rewards gift certificates will be honored at either store, although I understand you only be able to use a GG rewards certificate at Dick's to purchase golf merchandise. Either way, it is a win-win for us GG and Dick's shoppers and something that was long overdue.
There is a saying in golf that goes, "It's not the arrows, it's the Indian." That means that it's not the golf clubs' fault when a golfer is playing poorly, it the fault of the player, himself. And while much of that rings true during this slump I am experiencing, I still feel it's time to shake up my golf bag and the mix of clubs I carry.
TaylorMade Aero Burner Driver
So over the six days, I have examined the clubs in my golf bag and made a few changes. Some clubs have remained, while the majority have been replaced--at least for now. So here is new composition of the 14 clubs currently in my golf bag: Driver: I am sticking with the TaylorMade Aero Burner that has been in my bag since the end of May. Even though I have wildly inconsistent with it--even shortening by a half-inch to gain better control--I feel confident that will soon begin to yield better results for me off the tee.
4-Wood: I have upgraded the Adams Redline RPM 4-Wood that was in my bag with a newer Adams Tight Lies 4-Wood I purchased at Golf Galaxy last Saturday. The Tight Lies is one
Adams Tight Lies
degree stronger, but both are the same length. I used it in my round last Saturday at The Fairways Golf Club and was impressed with the results. I expect to be as good off the turf as it is off the tee.
Hybrids: I have replaced my steel-shafted 3- and 4-hybrids with new TaylorMade Jetspeed hybrids. I purchased the new hybrids last night from Golf Galaxy, which had them on sale for about 40 percent of their original retail price. Combined with an e-mail coupon that I received and I got them for practically cost. These new Jetspeed hybrids have a Matrix graphite shaft and match my old hybrids almost exactly, except the new 3-hybrid is one
TaylorMade Jetspeed Hybrid
degree stronger. It will play as a 5-Wood/2-iron in my bag, while the 4-
hybrid replaces my 4-iron.
Irons: I have replaced my Wilson Staff Ci7 irons, 5-through Gap Wedge, with an old set of TaylorMade 200 irons, also 5 through Gap Wedge. The 200s, which came out around 2002, are a cavity back iron that looks and feels more like a blade iron. I have had very good success with them in the past and I hope they will instill some needed success in my current game.
Wedges: I am sticking with the Solus 53- and 56-degree gap and
TaylorMade 200 Irons
sand wedges that have been the bag for several years. These wedges are the best I have ever played. They are extremely versatile and I like the fact that they are more of a cavity back than a blade, which helps with forgiveness.
Putter: I have played a great deal with a Snake Eyes MCS2 putter through most of this year, but I have been horrible on short putts all
Odyssey XG9 Putter
year long. My last two rounds, however, I have played with an Odyssey XG9 putter and I have been much better on both my long and
short putts. It has a WinnPro X over-sized grip, which has helped my with my feel. This putter is staying in the bag.
So there you have it. Only four of the 14 clubs in my bag last week have survived. Ten new clubs have entered the bag and will comprise my arsenal when I tee up this weekend and the forseebale future. I will keep you apprised of now they work out.
Last weekend was the annual Greater Philadelphia Golf Show. Despite all the snow, ice and freezing temperatures we've had, the Golf Show is a time to let our minds, bodies and souls begin to focus on the fact that in another 4-6 weeks, we will be able to again roam the fairways and greens of our favorite courses.
I have not been to the Golf Show in a few years for various reasons, but I was determined to make it this year. I usually attend on Sunday, which is a time when vendors begin discounting what is already significantly discounted deals on clubs and equipment. But this year, Saturday was the only free time available, so off I went. Admission is only $10 and with that you get a year's subscription to Golf magazine. So even if you don't buy anything, you still come ahead.
Shoppers at RockBottomGolf.com's booth
The Golf Show attracts a wide variety of vendors offering everything from discounted clubs, apparel and accessories, to golf vacations, to golf courses, to golf memorabilia, to financial services, to even home improvement services. Some of this year's vendors included Golfsmith; RockBottomGolf.com; Golf Galaxy; Tee Time Golf Pass; Ocean City, Md.; Myrtle Beach; Mad Golfer; and the Greater Atlantic City Golf Association. The show also features a Demo Range, which offers the opportunity to try some of the latest clubs from TaylorMade, Callaway, Cleveland and Ping. Plus there are always golfing celebrities that make appearance, and this show was no different with the likes of golfing legend Chi Chi Rodriguez, The Golf Channel's Michael Breed, "The Putting Doctor" Joe Bermel, Jr., and PGA Nathional Teacher of the Year Lou Guzzi.
Golfing legend Chi Chi Rodriguez delighted with stories
My strategy for the Golf Show is to pick up information about interesting courses that I might be able to play and potential travel destinations, while also shopping for a specific thing, whether it be a golf club or accessory. This year, I had my eye open for anything from Wilson Staff. To that end, I picked up information about golfing trips in Ocean City, the Lehigh Valley, and Atlantic City, and yardage books for Fox Hollow Golf Club and Skippack Golf Club.
As for golfing equipment, my favorite online golfing retailer RockBottomGolf had Wilson Staff Fybrib RS's on sale, so I picked a 24-degree hybrid to replace my Wilson Staff Ci-7 4-iron. I also wanted to get a 21-degree, but all they had were models with a stiff shaft, which would not suit my particular swing.
Golfers could try the newest clubs at the Demo Range
My other purchase was an Orange Whip Trainer, a golf swing trainer designed to create rhythm, tempo and balance in your swing, as well as you with flexibility. The Orange Whip consists of a weighed orange ball on the end of a very flexible golf shaft, with a counter weight that looks similar to a golf ball attached to the shaft. The Orange Whip comes in three sizes and I chose the 44-in model, which is the equivalent to the long iron. The Orange Whip's inventor Jim Hackenberg a PGA Teaching Professional was at the show selling the trainers. Here is a video which demonstrates how the Orange Whip works:
Numerous PGA Tour golfers use the Orange Whip and if you ever see pictures of their bags on the driving range at various tournaments, you will see the distinctive orange ball protruding from their golf bags. One of the main reasons I picked up an Orange Whip was so few courses have driving ranges anymore, I thought this would be an ideal device to use to warm up and establish a a swing tempo prior to teeing off. I think will also complement any practice session on the driving range.
So now I have my new golf toys, my course information...c'mon Mother Nature, lighten up, get rid of this snow and give us that golf playing weather.
I've made my list and hopefully Santa has checked it twice. Hopefully tonight that Jolly Old Elf will leave a few of my golf-related Christmas list items under my tree. This year I asked Santa for a gift card to Dicks Sporting Goods or Golf Galaxy, some Titleist NXT golf balls and some Clif Bars for my golf bag. Although my golf game was more naughty than nice this past year, I think Santa might leave a couple of these items. As the Chipmunks sing: "We can hardly stand the wait, please Christmas don't be late!"
The Wilson Staff experiment is dead. I will be going to Delaware armed with some new irons. Tonight I traded in some 22 old clubs--including the set of Wilson Staff Di7 irons that I had been playing since the end of last season--at Golf Galaxy for a new set of TaylorMade Tour Burner irons. I really like Golf Galaxy because they give you good value for your trade-ins. Because of the return I got for my trade-ins, I was able to get the Tour Burners over the slightly cheaper TaylorMade r7s. I will be putting these new sticks right into my bag and using them for play during my golf vacation at the Delaware Shore. TaylorMade again becomes the dominant equipment company in my bag with 10 clubs, including the Driver, 3-wood and irons.
Like everyone else this time of year, The Muni Golfer has made out his list for jolly Old St. Nick. Among the golf items that I've asked Santa for is a gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods or Golf Galaxy, some Wilson Staff 50/50 or Zip golf balls, a box of Nature Valley Granola Bars (The Muni Golfer's favorite on-course snack) and a DVD of either Legend of Bagger Vance or Tin Cup. The Muni Golfer has been especially good this year--hitting the driving range, counting all my shots, and taking appropriate penalty strokes--so Santa should deliver at least a couple of the things on my list. I can hardly wait until Christmas morning!
I have had very good experiences doing trades with Golf Galaxy to upgrade my clubs. In fact, the RAC OS2s that I traded in yesterday were acquired during a previous trade-in at Golf Galaxy. And, they made the process of trading in your clubs even easier. You can go to their Web site and click on the Global Golf Price Book Web site, which allows you find out the value of the clubs you want to trade in. The Global Golf Price Book quotes you the purchase value of the clubs, not just the marketplace value.
After Golf Galaxy agreed on the price stated by the Global Golf Price Book, I had a decision to make on what to get. I was going back and forth between a set of TaylorMade's r7 irons or Tour Burner irons. The sales associate at Golf Galaxy allowed me to hit both into a net and on the golf simulator. Both irons felt really solid, but I settled on the r7 irons, getting a set of 4-iron through gap wedge. According to TM's Web site, the r7 irons are "Engineered for a wide range players who prefer an iron that's easier to launch high and straight while also offering excellent workability. Inverted Cone Technology provides higher COR and increased average ball speed for greater distance. Exceptionally deep cavity design creates a low and deep CG, making it easier to launch the ball higher for the optimum combination of carry and control." The specs are almost identical to the irons I've been playing, and I like the fact that the irons have a medium sole width and moderate offset. I have put them in my bag and relegated the TaylorMade 200 irons into a backup set. I look forward to trying the new irons out tomorrow on the course.
Also yesterday, my wife and I went to the Oxford Valley Mall, where we shopped for our mutual birthday presents. I settled on adding to my golf wardrobe with four new golf shirts from the PGA Tour collection, which I picked out at J C Penney. I also bought myself three additional PGA Tour shirts at Boscov's and two from the Champions Tour line they sell at Macy's.
Juniata Golf Club Philadelphia, Pa Yards: 4805, Par: 66 Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106 Score: Practice Round Date: April 19, 2008
I finally got out to the course for my first practice round of the season. The weather was beautiful; a warm, sunny day with a bit of wind. I played the front nine only since I didn't want to overdo the first time out. I carried 16 clubs in my bag since I picked up some new ones over the winter and wanted to test them out. I carried my two new Nickent hybrids which I picked up at the Victory Golf Show, a Solus sand wedge I bought at Golf Galaxy's TaylorMade-adidas night and a Dunlop Loco 7-Wood I bought at Walmart. I also played the new Bridgestone e6+ golf ball that I was sent to test as part of my membership in the PGA Tour Partners Club.
This was the first time I had played at Juniata Golf Club since it became independent from the Fairmount Park Commission. The conditions were surprisingly good and you could see visible evidence that they are working hard on making the course attractive. A new, larger office has been built in the clubhouse and you could see that further renovations were underway. The bridge over the Frankford Creek between holes 9 and 17 had been painted and a path of astroturf had been placed in the middle of the bridge to make it easier for walkers. Some tee boxes had been closed off to allow grass to regrow and the bunkers were filled with playable sand.
As for my game, I tended to strike the ball better than I thought I would, although I did tend to slightly thin some early tee shots. Those turned into pulls or hooks later in the round. My short game was fair, but touch around the green is always one of the last things to round into shape, and my putting was pretty consistent. I made two pars and only had one really bad hole--the uphill 6th, where I thinned a wedge well over the green on my third shot and ended up making a 7.
Overall, I was satisfied. It was good to once again be out walking the fairways, swinging my golf clubs, although my body is feeling it a bit today. I met up with three guys on the first tee--Mark, Ruben and Ken--and we all had a great time playing as a foursome. A couple of more practice rounds and a trips to the practice range and I'll be ready to go.
Thursday I attended a special TaylorMade-adidas night at the Golf Galaxy store in Mount Laurel, NJ. It was by special invitation-only event for members of Golf Galaxy's Advantage Club. It was the first such event I had attended and it was a blast. Upon entering, each Club member was given a goodie back with a small sleeve of TaylorMade's new Burner TP golf balls, as well as coupons with could be redeemed for Golf Galaxy gift cards based on the amount of TaylorMade-adidas golf equipment or apparel you purchased that evening. You also received a ticket and drawings were held throughout the two-hour event for TaylorMade-adidas gift cards and the grand prize, a golf ball signed by two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw. They also were offering free swing analysis, the opportunity to demo some of TaylorMade's newest clubs, free putter fittings and the chance to buy some TaylorMade clubs--such as the new Burner Tour Irons--that have yet to hit retail stores. While I passed on getting my swing analyzed and didn't try any of the new clubs, I did pick up a "slightly" used Solus 4.1 sand wedge, a TaylorMade Tour Visor, a TaylorMade and adidas golf glove, a sleeve of the new TaylorMade Burner golf balls, two TaylorMade Arrow golf grips and two Golf Pride DD2 grips.
