he was rippin' ciggies like they were going out of style....

Lookin' to start a Fantasy Golf league on Yahoo! this year. PGA season kicks off in about 17 days. Check the Fantasy Sports sub-forum if you're interested.

Thanks

going to a golf simulator for a couple hours later today. anything i should know before i start using this thing?

I had no idea the golf section here at 2p2 had such highly talented golfers. I have a few questions, but didn't want to make a new thread for them. Any help/answers would be greatly appreciated.


1. A close "friend" qualified for a major recently. Since it had qschool implications, we thought about that route, but when found out it was only an exemption through pre-q school and not 1st stage, decided it wasn't worth it (obv didn't make the cut). Question is: I see its $4,500 to enter the 1st stage. If you qualify for 2nd stage, do you then have to pay another $4,000 for that and $3500 more for final stage? Its worded kind of weird, but I am under the assumption whichever stage you exempt into is a 1 time fee?

Also, pre-q school is $2500, does that go to the 1st stage and you owe $2000 more, or is it 2500 for pre q and $4500 for the rest if you qualify?

2. Does anyone have any drills to make my wrists ahead more at impact? Also, what are the benefits/drawbacks of an early wristcock on the backswing?

3. Some people think the head should sway back a bit on the backswing, others think it should be centered over the ball the whole time. What is your take on this?

Thanks for any input you might add.

1) I have no idea.
3) Centered. Zero drawbacks to a centered pivot.

2) Much tougher question. And without seeing video of your swing it's tough to say what the right answer is. Some thoughts though; make sure you are getting 90% of your weight on your front side at impact, buy Clampetts "The Impact Zone" or at least google Clampett + Aim Point, youtube "flying wedge drill" and hit a bunch of balls doing that.

1. It is $4500 for the whole thing. If you get through pre-Q it is 2k more.
2. I don't know/I don't think that is something worth thinking about.
3. Centered

Thanks for your answers.

Ship, have you read the Clampett book? There is some pretty interesting data about how low point correlates to handicap. Hands ahead at impact is the most important concept in golf IMO.

Feel centered but the head should move ever so slightly back

I played with Clampett once and he beat me into submission with God talk so I can't read it now....

But don't you think the head moves back from face on only because of optical illusion? Head is typically in front of shoulders at address and then if you simply turn your shoulders your head will appear to move off the ball but in reality your center hasn't moved....better illustrated in a video I think, but I know the "slice fixer" really shows this well. TrueFloridaGator where ya been for the last few months? Ready for the "TOUR" yet?

Huh, didn't know that about him.

The book is really good, lots of Golf Machine stuff in it, but in layman's terms. But in the introduction he talks about some research he did. It's a little lolsamplesizeaments probably, but I think it probably holds pretty close to true. He measured average swing bottom and matched it to handicap.

The bottom on Tour players divots with a 7 iron was 4 inches in front of the ball. Single digits was 1.6 inches in front. 10-19 was 1.92 behind. And 20-32 was 4.2 behind. Those are all averages obviously. But it really speaks to the fact that bad players don't control their low point well at all. Its something that really drove me to being a big proponent of S&T, and of a centered pivot in general.

That brings up a really good question ship. How many pro golfers are the "beat you over the head with the bible talk" type? I have seen a couple golfers say some reeeeally bizarre over the top religious stuff and I feel like there could be a lot of religious psychos on the tour. Is this true/any good stories?

Lots of players seem to be religious. I have an issue with religion because I HATE hypocrites. I grew up in the evangelist Robert Tilton and Jim and Tammy Faye Baker era. That is where I come from and thus I have a trust issue with true motivation. I see lots of players preech religion but then fall short of preechings. I don't get that.

Should have put this in the "famous people" thread but didn't think of it....I used to play every year with Gary McCord and Peter Kostis when they would come in town for the Colonial. They were buddies with a Gleneagles member, that is the connection. One year we went to Mira Vista to play on Saturday early and then I sat in the booth with McCord after for the telecast (really cool experience). When we pulled in the parking lot the bag boy grabbed my bag and I wound up on the cart with Clampett. On the first tee we set the bets, hit our shots and off we went. I was a mini-tour grinder at the time so I had no life at all. On the way down the first fairway Clampett says to me "so Scott, what are your hobbies?" I respond with "I really don't have any, I guess chasing *** and having fun, how about you?" He says "I like talking to people about their relationship with God."....."Oh."

We get on the first green and McCord says "now Bobby don't wear Scott out with God talk all day, help him be a better player." Bobby: "Gary, that is how I help people get better." Scott: deer in head lights caught in the middle!

It was the most awkward round of golf ever. Not to get religious, but I don't know what I believe. I think there is a God, but I am just not sure what I believe in. He would not let the subject die all day even after I said point blank "Bobby I don't know what I believe and right now it really is the last thing on my mind. Whether that is good or not, it is honest and I hope you can respect that." That was in one ear and out the other. And that is one reason I don't know what to think on religion. If you are religious and somebody shuts down the conversation, respect that. It will get you more ears in the long run.

oh....wow

Damn it....it's preach. Told you I suck at spelling.

I know very little about golf history other than names.

What is the consensus on Gary Player? As a player, as a person, as a teacher?

I've been watching those Golf Channel on-demand episodes of "Playing Lessons: (pro golfer)".

They have 2 episodes of Player's from 2003 that I watched last night and, having never seen him before (lol), I had to say he was really engaging and seemed like a great teacher of the game. Even though I'm a novice I learned more in 5 minutes of his video than 30 minutes in most of the other guys'.

Is he as likeable as he came off in the video? As knowledgeable? etc. Pretty wild that he's 5'6" 150 and still doing squats at the gym into his 70s.

No. He's more likable. He's awesome in a variety of ways.

Little tidbit, when he won the 1965 U.S. Open at Bellerive, he was the shortest person to ever win that event and Bellerive was the longest U.S. Open course ever.

He also claims to have flown more miles than anyone on the planet.

BO

Gary Player is one of my favorites

the energy that dude has is crazy, must do a sick amount of blow

Thanks again for all the answers.

Along the lines of everything being centered, do you think weight distribution should be 50-50 or more of a "reverse K"-- (say 60% of lower body on left side for a right hander, and 60% of upper body on right side) set up? All my life I have been centered completely but my swing is just really steep at impact. I'm thinking a reverse K might help me "pick the ball" so to speak, but I really don't want to spend all this time practicing it if it won't help.

NYS highest Court ruled today that you don't have to yell 'Fore after you hit an errand shot lol and dimissed some dudes personal injury case against another guy after he was smashed in the head and blinded in one eye.

god talk on the course would tilt me into leaving. I had one guy that opened up on me similar to the Clampett story and I just put up the hand and politely asked him to stop.

Didn't these people ever learn that you don't discuss religion or politics in polite company? I'm not going to force my beliefs on anyone else--certainly not on the golf course--and I don't want anyone forcing theirs on me.

On a related note, at least twice I've played part of my round with pastors, neither of whom felt compelled to talk about God on the course. (Well, I take that back. One of them said, at a muni with crappy greens, "Only God knows where your putts are gonna end up on these greens.")

Yeah that reminds me I walked torrey pines with a group and one of the guys turned out to be a minister. He asked what I did for a living (you get this a lot golfing weekday afternoons) and I said "poker playing" he thought it was really cool. I was sort of hoping for a funny reaction but he was just super nice instead

Just looking for some opinions here guys,

This past summer was the first I've been out more than 20 times. I'm looking to purchase an iron set that will help me improve my game (High teens handicap). I'm between:

http://www.golftown.com/TaylorMade-B...eel-P1025.aspx

and

http://www.golftown.com/Nike-Victory...eel-P1498.aspx

I'm going in tomorrow to get fitted. I'm 6'4'' so expecting a bit of an extension and have been recommended stiff shafts by a fellow 2p2er. I will try out both in store on the simulator but was looking to see if anyone had considerable experience with either set.

I like the Burner better, but it really is a lot more money and you probably won't be able to tell the difference.