What a Difference in a Decade

One of the more popular trends as the 20-teens ended on December 31, was to compare pictures of yourself from the start of the decade in 2010 to those at the end in 2019. Although I didn't do it, I suspect I kook a little older and little more gray. I decided that instead on comparing pictures of myself, I would compare what was in my golf bag at the start of the decade with what was in it at the end. Here is the comparison.

Driver: 2010 was split between a TaylorMade Tour Burner and a Wilson Staff Smooth. The Smooth Driver remained almost a constant in my bag throughout the decade until it was replaced last year with a Ping G400 Max.


Fairway Woods: In 2010, I started the season with a TaylorMade Tour Burner 3- and 5-wood and finished with an Adams Redline RPM 4-wood. In 2019, I used a TaylorMade M2 4- and 7-wood, before moving to a Ping G 4-wood for most of the season.

Hybrids: I used numerous hybrids in 2010, including Nickent, Elevon Tour and TaylorMade. My 2019 bag was home to a Wilson Staff FG Tour 3-hybrid and Wilson Staff V4 utility iron.

Irons: TaylorMade Tour Burners ruled my bag in 2010, while I mostly used Wilson Staff Ci7s in 2019.

Wedges: Solus 53- and 56-degree wedges were a constant in the 2010 golf bag. 2019 saw a combo of Cleveland (48-degree) and Wilson Staff (52- and 56-degree) wedges in the bag throughout the season.

Putter: The putter is the one area that stayed basically the same. I alternated frequently between an Odyssey or Snake Eyes putter throughout most of the season.

Golf Ball: In 2010 I used a Wilson Staff golf ball through most of the season. 2019 saw Titleist as the only golf ball in my bag.

So there you have it. While I began the decade as a loyal TaylorMade equipment user, I ended the decade with a number of brands in my bag: Ping, TaylorMade, Wilson Staff, Cleveland, and Titleist.

Pre-Season Prep Continues

Practice Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa.
215/639-5556

What a difference a day makes. From Saturday's sunny, warm day to today's cloudy, windy and cold conditions. But I need the practice, so I headed to the practice range at Bensalem Township Country Club late this afternoon. I ordered a small bucket, which had 45 balls, and took a spot on the sparsely populated range.

Due to the conditions and the lateness, I only brought two clubs and a putter with me. I started my session with some light stretching, then placed an alignment stick on the mat. I hit 20 lob wedges and 20 9-woods, before finishing off that part of my practice with five more wedges. I hit the ball okay, but not as well as I did yesterday. I experimented with the 9-wood to see if it is something I want to put in my bag this season. The jury is still out on that decision.

From the range I walked down to the practice putting green, where I spent about 45 minutes hitting putts using The Big Putt (see video below), which is an oversized ball that has the same weight as a regular golf ball. The theory is after putting with the larger ball, the hole will seem much bigger when putting with a regulation golf ball. I wasn't as worried about making my putts as I was about just getting a feel for putting a golf ball.

I am hoping to get at least one more practice session in this week. If I can do that, I feel at least I will ready to play in the golf outing on Friday.

The Season is in Sight!

Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of six more weeks of winter turned out to be nearly double as the calendar approaches May. The calendar says it is late April and spring-like weather is finally here, which means golf is finally an option in the Northeastern part of the U.S.

Punxsutawney Phil

So far, my golf has been limited to watching the professional tours on TV. But that all changed this afternoon when I was invited to play in a golf outing May 4th at Paxon Hollow Golf Club. My golf season now has an official starting date. It also means that I have to get in some practice in the next eight days. Practice range here I come!

The Par 5 18th Hole at Paxon Hollow

Because I face a short time to prepare, I will draw up a practice plan in which I will focus on hitting wedges and short irons, as well as putting, since the short game constitutes nearly two-thirds of all strokes during a round. I will hit a few drivers and fairway woods, of course, to stretch out my swing, but mostly I want to establish a swing rhythm.

The practice range

So May 4th is circled on the calendar. The start of the season is finally here. I can hardly wait to put that first tee into the ground!

Adding Flexibility to My Arsenal

Today in the mail I received a  Wilson Staff FG Tour F5 20-degree hybrid that I ordered last week during a 2018 "Clean-out Sale" from BudgetGolf.com. I wanted to add this hybrid to my arsenal of golf clubs to provide flexibility on a variety of courses. On shorter courses that don't feature long Par 4s or Par 5s, like The Fairways or Juniata Golf Club, I can swap this hybrid in for my Wilson Staff D200 7-Wood.

The F5 hybrid, which debuted in 2016, comes with a Mitsubishi Fubuki Z 80 shaft in regular flex. The clubhead feels a bit heavier than most hybrids and the club received good very good reviews, particularly for those of us that have slower swing speeds. And although the club plays normally at 20-degrees loft, the head can be adjusted up or down to either 19- or 21-degrees. Since my 7-Wood is 21-degrees, I will play the hybrid at 20.

In the very near future, I will do a post on the full arsenal of clubs I will use in 2018, plus the other equipment and accessories I carry in my golf bag. In the meantime, my newest addition to the bag, along with the Wilson Staff PMP wedges I picked up at the Philly Golf Show, just adds to the anticipation of getting on the practice range sometime within the next few weeks--weather permitting--to begin the 2018 season!

The Golf Show: Unofficial Start to the Season

The Super Bowl has been played, which means the calendar has officially turned to February. The focus of us that are golfers now turns to first early signs of spring. Nothing gets us more focused on that fact than the Philadelphia Golf Show, held this past weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa.

To me, the Golf Show represents the unofficial start to our golf season. It provides us with the opportunity to dream about warm summer days, manicured golf courses, and the camaraderie of our golf buddies. The Golf Show gives us golfers a chance to shake off winter's rust and experience a cornucopia of golf equipment, courses and travel possibilities.

This year's Golf Show featured much of the usual: retailers such as RockBottomGolf.com, Dallas Golf, and Greater Golf Express; golf getaways to locales both far and near, such as Lancaster, Pa., Atlantic City, N.J., the Poconos, Ocean City, MD, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Florida; free lessons from local PGA professionals and a chance to demo the latest equipment from TaylorMade, Callaway, Cobra and others.

For me personally, the Golf Show is a chance to seek out that elusive bargain on a new club or clubs that is going make my golf season one to remember. Or maybe just stock up of essentials like golf gloves.

This year, I was able to find a really good deal on Wilson Staff wedges from Greater Golf Express. Most of the clubs in my golf bag are Wilson Staff and even though they make top equipment that is used on the professional golf tours, it is difficult to find at golf retailers. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a Wilson Staff 52- and 58-degree FG Tour PMP wedge. They have already replaced the wedges I had in my golf bag.

The calendar may still read February and the weather may still be cold, but thanks to the Golf Show, my mind is ready to hit that first bucket of practice balls of the season.

Making Up For A Lost Weekend

Practice Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, PA
215/639-5556

Due to reasons both seen and unforeseen, last weekend was a total loss for playing golf. My golf on Saturday and Sunday was limited to watching the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour and the European Tour from my recliner. Knowing that this coming Labor Day weekend will also be busy and exclude any chance of making onto the links, I decided to hit the practice range at Bensalem Township Country Club tonight to try as best I can to keep my swing in a groove.

The practice range at Bensalem

Armed with a small bucket of balls, I warmed up with my Orange Whip, then hit 10 wedges to loosen up. Then, as I did in my last practice session, I used a method called random practice where you try to simulate playing actual golf bu not hitting the same club twice in a row and hitting at different targets across the range. In hitting the 34 balls that were left after the 10 warm-up wedges, I hit A Driver, 4-Wood, Fybrid or iron off the tee, then a fairway wood, hybrid or iron off the mat. I would also practice chipping and pitching to certain targets.

A four-legged gallery watched practice in the twilight

My swing wasn't too bad tonight, and overall, I was pretty pleased with how I did. I am hoping to get back on the course shortly after Labor Day as I prepare to take my game into the fall.

Welcome Back Mr. Wilson!

I have made some changes to the arsenal of clubs in my golf bag over the past few weeks. These changes have coincided with two of the better rounds I've played this year. After making a switch to TaylorMade/Adams Golf equipment earlier this season, I have decided to go back to the Wilson Staff clubs I have used with success the past few years. These clubs are mainly the driver and irons, and I've added in a Fybrid--a cross between a fairway wood and a hybrid--as well.

Although Wilson Staff doesn't get the love and respect it deserves, mainly because it only has five players on its PGA Tour staff, the company makes golf clubs as good or better than the major equipment manufacturers that over-populate the Tours. But Wilson Staff does have a rich history in the game. Their irons have won more majors that any other brand. Wilson Staff clubs have been used by some of the game's all-time greats, including Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Cary Middlecoff, Billy Casper, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin, Ben Crenshaw, Payne Stewart, Bernhard Langer, John Daly and Vijay Singh.

So here is what I currently carry in my golf bag:

Driver: Wilson Staff Smooth. 10.5 degrees. This driver was introduced in 2007/8. While it is one of the oldest club's in my bag, it remains one of the best drivers I have ever hit.

Wilson Staff Smooth Driver

4-Wood: Callaway X2 Hot. 17 degrees. I have carried a 4-wood for several years now. Research has shown that most amateurs get more distance from hitting a higher lofted 4-wood that a traditional 15 degree 3-wood. It is also easier to hit off the fairway.

Callaway X2 Hot 4-wood

Hybrid: Wilson Staff Fybrid. 19.5 degrees. A cross between a fairway wood and hybrid, Wilson's research has shown that the Fybrid's loft and length (41-in.) makes it easier to hit from the fairway that a traditional 2-iron, 3-iron, or 7-wood.

Wilson Staff Fybrid

Irons: Wilson Staff Ci7s, 4-iron through Gap Wedge. These irons were also introduced in 2008 and have mostly been in bag since 2010. A cavity-back iron, they give me better control, but also the distance I need. I may swap out the 4-iron for a Wilson Staff 4-hybrid.

Wilson Staff Ci7s

Wedges: Solus 4.1, 53 degrees and Solus 420, 56 degrees. These wedges have a cavity-back design, allowing for better forgiveness and helping to get the ball in the air. The crescent cut on the sole of the club allows you to open the clubface to hit from a variety of conditions. These are the best wedges I have ever played.

Solus 4.1 Wedge

Putter: Odyssey XG #9, 34-in., with a WinnPro X 1.32 over-sized grip. The putter is a toe-weighted, heel-shafted, flanged blade with a soft white insert.

Odyssey XG #9 Putter

I hope this arsenal, which includes 10 Wilson Staff clubs, will continue to produce the consistent golf I've played over the past few weeks. In any case, I plan to stick with Wilson Staff for the forseeable future.

A Change for (Hopefully) the Better

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.

Range of Confusion

Driving Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa
215/639-5556

After my mediocre first round to start the season, I headed back to the practice range at Bensalem Country Club late yesterday afternoon. I ordered a large bucket of balls and set about working on the one part of my game that gave me the most trouble during the opening round--driving off the tee on Par 4s.

After some stretching and swinging my Sklz Gold Flex swinger trainer, I warmed up by hitting 10 sand wedges. After another 10 swings with the Gold Flex, I hit 10 4-hybrids off the tee. These shots were slight draws with decent yardage. After a few more swings with the GF, I hit 10 5-woods off the tee. These were some of the worst shots I've hit this year--low slices. They were so bad, I didn't even try to hit my 3-wood, but moved instead to the driver, another club that gave me problems in my opening round. Yesterday was no better. I hit some duck hooks, but mostly fades to the right. It got so bad that I began trying to hit a fade off the tee instead of my normal draw. No matter what I tried--changing my stance, grip, etc.--I couldn't hit the ball right-to-left. After hitting confusing and frustrating shots with my driver, I put it back in the bag.

I finished up by hitting 10 chips and pitches with my pitching and gap wedges, followed by six 7-irons to finish off a very disappointing practice session. Because of the time, I skipped going to the putting green. I may go back to a shorter TaylorMade Burner instead of my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver for my next round this weekend in the hopes that it will get my swing back on track. I think that playing on a course, no matter how bad I play, may be the only thing that will get me back into the groove I had through most of last season.

What's in My Bag

Since it's "Labor Day," I though this would be a good time to write about the clubs I labor with on the golf course. In the right hand column of this blog, you will see a listing of the clubs that I typically have in golf bag. I though I would finally take this opportunity to actually show you "what's in my bag." Although I typically walk and carry  my clubs in a Sun Mountain Swift X stand bag, I put the clubs in a larger staff-type golf bag for the above photo. The clubs are:

* Driver: TaylorMade R9, 10.5 degrees, Fujikura Motore 65 shaft, 44.5-in, R-flex. I have the shaft set in the neutral upright position and 4-6-4 gram weighs in the toe, back and front respectively.

* 3-Wood: TaylorMade Burner, 15 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 49 shaft, 42.5-in, R-flex.

* 5-Wood: TaylorMade Burner, 18 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 49 shaft, 42-in, R-flex.

* 2-Hyrbid: Nickent 3DX DC Utility, 17degrees, Aldila NV 75 hybrid shaft, 41.5-in, R-flex. This club plays as a 2-iron and I alternate between this and the 5-Wood.

* 4-Hybrid: TaylorMade Raylor, 22 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 65 shaft, 39-in, R-flex.

* Irons: TaylorMade Tour Burner, 5-Iron through GapWedge, TaylorMade Burner 105 steel shafts, R-flex.

*Sand Wedge: Solus 4.1, 56 degrees, True Temper supplied Solus proprietary USGW-38 shaft, R-flex.

* Lob Wedge: Solus 4.1, 59 degrees, True Temper supplied Solus proprietary USGW-38 shaft, R-flex.

* Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG #9, 3 degrees loft, 34-in.

  My Sun Mountain Swift X Bag

 Photos by The Muni Golfer

A Sunday Round at Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa.
Yards: 4805, Par: 66
Score: 46/44 = 90
Date: July 1, 2007

It was a grind-it-out type of round this afternoon at Juniata Golf Club, my fourth round of golf in the past nine days. I never really felt comfortable with my swing and for most of the round, I was never quite confident of where the ball was going. After putting on very fast greens the previous three rounds, the slow greens at Juniata had me leaving most of my putts short all day long, including several par attempts. Still, I managed to get around in 90, which I will gladly take. One interesting note, however, was the 18th hole. I left my tee shot right of the green and had a huge bunker between my ball and the green. With my Solus 59 degree lob wedge in my bag I can honestly say that for the first time I felt very confident standing over such a lob shot...even with the wind at my back! I hit it to 9 feet...but of course, I left the par putt short.