LIVE UPDATE THREAD Shaft Up #1 Contest with UST Mamiya

[shanewu]

Driver setup is just a great combo and has made a huge difference for me. The putter cover I just love so much. I was eyeing it every time I went in the pro shop and finally decided I had to have it.

Good decision. I think you’d be regretting it if you hadn’t bought it.

 

[will]

Day 3: The Match!

After day 2 which consisted of hitting at the range, driver fitting, 27 holes of golf, and lots of good food, day 3 was going to be exciting and bittersweet at the same time. I was looking forward to me and @hackitup playing a match against @JB and @DannyLe, but also a little sad that this incredible experience would be coming to an end. Everyone got their stuff packed up and loaded in their vehicles and then it was time to really get the day started. We had an 8:00am tee time, so we all pretty well skipped breakfast for some range time before going out. I did grab a Clif bar and a drink on the way out. After a short warmup, we were off to the first tee.

I'm going hole by hole as best I can remember it. We were playing the Ballyhack tees for the match, so I'm listing the yardage on the scorecard, though some played longer/shorter and I'm including the results/score below.

Hole 1: Par 4 - 349 yards

First tee nerves are still a thing and I ended up just in the right rough off the tee. Hackitup was in good position, so we played from there. Hackitup hit his 2nd shot OB. I hit a nice wedge into the green, but couldn't make a putt to capitalize on it. Good good to halve the hole and move to #2.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 5/4
AS

Hole 2: Par 5 - 514 yards

On hole 2, I hit a low line drive off the tee and I saw it heading for the junk. I assumed it was gone, but we ended up finding it while playing hole 5 as it had bounced out and into the connecting area between hole 2 and 5. Hackitup hit another great drive and had us in great position. I hit an 8 iron to lay up and then 54* into the green. Hackitup's approach was right rough. I though my approach was going to be really good, but it bounced right and left me a short chip onto the green. 2 putts later and another bogey to halve the hole.

JB/Danny - 5
hackitup/will - 6/5
AS

Hole 3: Par 3 - 211 yards

This was playing longer than the scorecard indicated, so I went with my 3 hybrid that I had not hit in a few rounds. Needless to say, I failed miserably. Hackitup hit a good shot to the front edge of the green and we managed a par net birdie to win the hole.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 3/2
1UP

Hole 4: Par 4 - 447 yards

Neither of us hit great tee shots here and Danny Le was doing Danny Le things, like hitting all the fairways. We were hitting from the rough and, at Ballyhack, that made life more difficult. I hit my approach and it somehow managed to stay out of the greenside bunker. I was able to chip from there and two putt for a bogey to halve the hole.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 5/4
1UP

Hole 5: Par 4 - 378 yards

I finally hit a decent drive, but Hackitup was in prime position after another great drive. Since his drive was closer and had a better angle at the flag, we played from there. If I remember correctly, I think Hackitup went a little long on the approach. I hit GW and thought it was going to be really good, but it landed on the false front and I had to watch as my ball rolled a solid 20 yards or more back down the hill into the fairway. I hit a decent pitch from there and we both finished with a bogey to halve the hole.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 5/4
1UP

Hole 6: Par 4 - 334 yards

I topped my tee shot here and I'm still not sure how the ball managed to travel almost 200 yards and end up in the rough on the right side of the fairway. It was a bad shot and I got lucky. Hackitup took an aggressive line at the green, but came up just a bit short. We played my tee shot from the rough, which made a short par 4 more difficult than it should have been. We both missed on our approach and then 3 putted for double bogey. Danny of course was playing fairways and greens and made par to get back to AS.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 6/5
AS

Hole 7: Par 3 - 188 yards

I hit my tee shot into the left bunker here. Hackitup hit a great shot to get on the green. I think we all 3-putted this one for bogeys, but that was enough for us to win the hole and get back to 1UP.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 4/3
1UP

Hole 8: Par 4 - 350 yards

Another topped tee shot for me. I had pretty well lost my swing off the tee on the front 9 and was about to get frustrated. I really appreciated the encouragement from Hackitup and even when we weren't hitting our best shots, we were able to focus our attention on what a stunning course we were playing and what an amazing experience we were getting to participate in. I can't thank Hackitup enough for being such a great cartner. He hit another great drive here and left us a wedge into the green. I hit my 54* into the green and 2-putted for par. Hackitup and Danny were in some trouble after their approaches and I can't remember exactly if JB finished at par or bogey on this hole. In any case, we were up 2.

JB/Danny - 5 (or 4?)
hackitup/will - 4/3
2UP

Hole 9: Par 5 - 530 yards

I finally hit a solid drive was lined up a little right. That's not gonna work out on this hole. Again, Hackitup hits a solid drive and we were in good position in the fairway. Hackitup went after the green on the second shot, but ended up in the junk on the left. I hit a 7-iron to lay up and then hit my 54* and stuck it pretty close. I was feeling pretty good about my irons and wedges at this point. 2 putts and a par net birdie to win the hole. 3UP through 9!

JB/Danny - 5
hackitup/will - 5/4
3UP



Back 9 in second post...

 

[will]

Back 9

Hole 10: Par 5 - 569 yards

Found my swing on hole 10 and hit a really nice drive. Hackitup went left and got into some trouble on the second shot. I copied my strategy from hole 9 and hit 7 iron to lay up. This hole was longer, so had a GW in this time. Pulled it a little left, but everything that lands left on this green gets a good bounce back right. Ended up about 12 feet or so behind the hole for birdie. 2 putted for another par net birdie to win the hole.

JB/Danny - 5
hackitup/will - 5/4
4UP

Hole 11: Par 4 - 322 yards

I hit another good drive here and ended up in the fairway to the right of the bunker in the middle that guards the approach to the green. Hackitup had the green light to bomb it at that point and hammered his tee shot, but it went a little right. We got down there to play from my tee shot and I was ready to go, so I grabbed my 58* and picked my target. I knew I needed to just get it onto the green and let it release towards the hole. The swing felt good and the ball landed where I was aiming and I'm thinking we might have a makeable birdie putt. The ball just kept tracking and tracking towards the hole and next thing I know it hits the flagstick and drops! EAGLE! My first ever eagle and it happens at a THP event! How freaking awesome is that?! With the Eagle net Ace, we were 5UP through 11!

JB/Danny - X
hackitup/will - 2/1
5UP

Hole 12: Par 4 - 427 yards

We were pretty pumped up after the eagle and I hit my drive too far right. Hackitup went left, while JB and Danny were in prime position in the fairway. After their approaches, there was no chance of halving the hole with a drop from where we were. We talked about it, but thought it was better to just move onto the next hole.

JB/Danny - X
hackitup/will - X
4UP

Hole 13: Par 3 - 214 yards

JB hit a phenomenal shot with his hybrid to about 6 feet on this hole. Talk about putting on the pressure. I hit hybrid and pulled it left into the bunker. We played my tee shot here and the bunker was firmer than I expected. The club bounced up into the ball and went way across the green. Hackitup, seeing what I did, tried to avoid that, but ended up short in another bunker. Couldn't get close enough with my par putt, so ended up with a 3-putt double bogey.

JB/Danny - 3
hackitup/will - 5/4
3UP

Hole 14: Par 4 - 361 yards

Hackitup went left on this one and I went right, but managed to stay in the fairway. Left a lengthy approach shot and I hit mine heavy and in the junk. Took a drop and hit another shot heavy, so that pretty much took me out of the hole. Hackitup saved us here and hit a good approach and made bogey to halve the hole.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 5/4
3UP

Hole 15: Par 5 - 544 yards

I hit a solid drive on this hole and we played from there. We went the safe route and hit layups to give us both a wedge into the green. I hit what I thought was a good shot, but the ball released and it was off the green just far enough to make for a tough chip. Neither of us could get up and down for par, which is what we would've needed to halve the hole, as Danny made a nice birdie to get one back.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 6/5
2UP

Hole 16: Par 4 - 461 yards

We both pulled our drives left on this one. Hackitup crushed it and was too far into the junk to find. My tee shot hit the hill and rolled down into a relatively flat area. We had a really long approach and hitting from the junk, so I knew I had little chance of reaching the green and would probably end up in trouble. We both decided the smart move was to lay up and try to wedge it close. Everything seemed to come up short on this hole, as both JB and Danny were short on their approaches. Danny was in an impossible spot in the junk and JB was in the bunker. JB got in with a bogey and my first putt came up woefully short. In effort to not make the same mistake twice, I blew the next one 4 feet or so by the hole. Not sure of the exact length, but definitely not a gimme. It was mostly straight, so I made a confident stroke and watched the ball hit the left edge of the cup and proceed to make a full lap and then some around the cup, before falling in. Push to the next hole.

JB/Danny - 5
hackitup/will - 6/5
2UP

Hole 17: Par 3 - 126 yards

Trying to close out the match, but JB and Danny refused to take of the rally caps. Me and Hackitup both hit our tee shots heavy and came up short. Mine was in a playable spot, so we climbed down and tried to get on the green. JB and Danny went long, but were much closer to the hole. That actually left them in a tough spot as well. I came up short on my pitch shot and then again on my putt. Finally got the ball in the hole for a triple bogey. Hackitup hit a putt for bogey that was dead on-line and hit the flagstick and bounced back out. I honestly thought it was in, because it wasn't moving that fast. So double bogey net bogey. That left Danny with a putt for par to win the hole. It looked like it would have a little left to right break. Danny hit it on what looked like the perfect line, but it just never broke. It stayed dead straight and burned the edge of the cup. A half inch to the right and it would have lipped in. So we halved the hole, which ended the match 2&1.

JB/Danny - 4
hackitup/will - 5/4
2&1

Hole 18: Par 4 - 428 yards

We played 18 for fun because it's just an awesome finishing hole. Hit my drive just barely in the left rough and then hit a nice 7-iron into the green. The 18th green is absolutely massive, so I was pretty happy to make 2 good putts and end the round with a par.



Day 3 Goodbyes and Travel Home

After the round, JB and Danny needed to get on the road. After saying goodbye to JB and Danny and thanking them profusely for such an amazing experience, Hackitup and I went to the clubhouse for lunch. Both of us tried the burger and shake and, like the rest of the food we had here, it was excellent. We got the shakes to go and they came in plastic Dormie cups to keep. After lunch, we parted ways and headed home. My trip home was uneventful. Picked a random exit to stop for dinner and ended up at Wendy's. After the last couple of days of such amazing food, it felt kind of like paying $8 for a bag of disappointment. I made it home safely and immediately began telling my wife about everything. I'm still talking about this experience and will be for some time.

 

[hackitup]

Hole 11: Par 4 - 322 yards

I hit another good drive here and ended up in the fairway to the right of the bunker in the middle that guards the approach to the green. Hackitup had the green light to bomb it at that point and hammered his tee shot, but it went a little right. We got down there to play from my tee shot and I was ready to go, so I grabbed my 58* and picked my target. I knew I needed to just get it onto the green and let it release towards the hole. The swing felt good and the ball landed where I was aiming and I'm thinking we might have a makeable birdie putt. The ball just kept tracking and tracking towards the hole and next thing I know it hits the flagstick and drops! EAGLE! My first ever eagle and it happens at a THP event! How freaking awesome is that?! With the Eagle net Ace, we were 5UP through 11!

That was an awesome shot. It landed and started rolling like a putt, immediately tracking for the hole with perfect pace. And that wasn’t an easy chip to the elevated green. The stoke-meter was off the charts after that shot.

Hole 17: Par 3 - 126 yards

Trying to close out the match, but JB and Danny refused to take of the rally caps. Me and Hackitup both hit our tee shots heavy and came up short. Mine was in a playable spot, so we climbed down and tried to get on the green. JB and Danny went long, but were much closer to the hole. That actually left them in a tough spot as well. I came up short on my pitch shot and then again on my putt. Finally got the ball in the hole for a triple bogey. Hackitup hit a putt for bogey that was dead on-line and hit the flagstick and bounced back out. I honestly thought it was in, because it wasn't moving that fast. So double bogey net bogey. That left Danny with a putt for par to win the hole. It looked like it would have a little left to right break. Danny hit it on what looked like the perfect line, but it just never broke. It stayed dead straight and burned the edge of the cup. A half inch to the right and it would have lipped in. So we halved the hole, which ended the match 2&1.

That flag stick was brutal. I swear it hit dead center at pour in speed and just deflected left to the low side. I was mid fist clench when it happened. That’s one of my shots I’ll remember though. I thought I read it perfectly and made a good stroke but it just didn’t pan out. Can’t do much more than that.

 

[will]

That was an awesome shot. It landed and started rolling like a putt, immediately tracking for the hole with perfect pace. And that wasn’t an easy chip to the elevated green. The stoke-meter was off the charts after that shot.

Getting my first eagle at a THP experience is something I will never forget!

That flag stick was brutal. I swear it hit dead center at pour in speed and just deflected left to the low side. I was mid fist clench when it happened. That’s one of my shots I’ll remember though. I thought I read it perfectly and made a good stroke but it just didn’t pan out. Can’t do much more than that.

This one sticks out to me too and I was ready to celebrate. I think if the flagstick was out, it might've hit the back of the hole and fell in. It just didn't seem to have enough pace on it to bounce like it did.

 

[will]

I just wanted to take the opportunity to do a separate post to say thank you for everyone involved in Shaft Up #1.

@JB and @GolferGal, you've created the most welcoming and fun community that I've ever been a part of. Not only that, you two put in so much time and effort to give back to the forum members here and it just continues to amaze me. Shaft Up was such an incredible experience and something that I will never forget. So, thank you for the awesome community you've created and for allowing me to be a part of it and having the opportunity to participate in a THP experience. I'm truly grateful.

@DannyLe, you really opened my eyes to just how much impact getting fitted for the proper golf shaft can be. I'm still astonished at the change that new driver/shaft combo has made and I appreciate you putting in the time and energy to do something like this for THPers. It was really great to be able to ask questions and learn from someone so knowledgeable, so thank you again for everything.

@hackitup, you were a great partner for this event and I really enjoyed getting to battle JB and Danny with you. You stayed relaxed and calm the entire time and that helped me keep it together. I think we made a pretty good team. Thank you for all of the encouragement when I struggled and for just being a great cartner that I could geek out with about how insane this whole experience was. It was a lot of fun and I hope that's not the last time we tee it up together.

Also want to give a shout out to all the THPers who participated in this thread. You all are awesome! It was too cool to hop on THP, even for a few seconds, and see how many people were posting and responding to what we were doing. This is especially true of the match. Seeing all of the encouragement and support was incredible. And getting my first eagle and happening during a live thread was crazy! Not only do I have the memories of that shot on the course, I'll also always remember all of the responses and congrats from the forum.

Shaft Up #1 was such an incredible experience and I'm grateful that I was able to be a part of it. I can't wait to follow along for Shaft Up #2 and #3. Those guys are going to have an absolute blast!

 

[JB]

I just wanted to take the opportunity to do a separate post to say thank you for everyone involved in Shaft Up #1.

@JB and @GolferGal, you've created the most welcoming and fun community that I've ever been a part of. Not only that, you two put in so much time and effort to give back to the forum members here and it just continues to amaze me. Shaft Up was such an incredible experience and something that I will never forget. So, thank you for the awesome community you've created and for allowing me to be a part of it and having the opportunity to participate in a THP experience. I'm truly grateful.

@DannyLe, you really opened my eyes to just how much impact getting fitted for the proper golf shaft can be. I'm still astonished at the change that new driver/shaft combo has made and I appreciate you putting in the time and energy to do something like this for THPers. It was really great to be able to ask questions and learn from someone so knowledgeable, so thank you again for everything.

@hackitup, you were a great partner for this event and I really enjoyed getting to battle JB and Danny with you. You stayed relaxed and calm the entire time and that helped me keep it together. I think we made a pretty good team. Thank you for all of the encouragement when I struggled and for just being a great cartner that I could geek out with about how insane this whole experience was. It was a lot of fun and I hope that's not the last time we tee it up together.

Also want to give a shout out to all the THPers who participated in this thread. You all are awesome! It was too cool to hop on THP, even for a few seconds, and see how many people were posting and responding to what we were doing. This is especially true of the match. Seeing all of the encouragement and support was incredible. And getting my first eagle and happening during a live thread was crazy! Not only do I have the memories of that shot on the course, I'll also always remember all of the responses and congrats from the forum.

Shaft Up #1 was such an incredible experience and I'm grateful that I was able to be a part of it. I can't wait to follow along for Shaft Up #2 and #3. Those guys are going to have an absolute blast!

Thank you so much, that is not necessary but incredibly humbling.

 

[hackitup]

I just wanted to take the opportunity to do a separate post to say thank you for everyone involved in Shaft Up #1.

@JB and @GolferGal, you've created the most welcoming and fun community that I've ever been a part of. Not only that, you two put in so much time and effort to give back to the forum members here and it just continues to amaze me. Shaft Up was such an incredible experience and something that I will never forget. So, thank you for the awesome community you've created and for allowing me to be a part of it and having the opportunity to participate in a THP experience. I'm truly grateful.

@DannyLe, you really opened my eyes to just how much impact getting fitted for the proper golf shaft can be. I'm still astonished at the change that new driver/shaft combo has made and I appreciate you putting in the time and energy to do something like this for THPers. It was really great to be able to ask questions and learn from someone so knowledgeable, so thank you again for everything.

@hackitup, you were a great partner for this event and I really enjoyed getting to battle JB and Danny with you. You stayed relaxed and calm the entire time and that helped me keep it together. I think we made a pretty good team. Thank you for all of the encouragement when I struggled and for just being a great cartner that I could geek out with about how insane this whole experience was. It was a lot of fun and I hope that's not the last time we tee it up together.

Also want to give a shout out to all the THPers who participated in this thread. You all are awesome! It was too cool to hop on THP, even for a few seconds, and see how many people were posting and responding to what we were doing. This is especially true of the match. Seeing all of the encouragement and support was incredible. And getting my first eagle and happening during a live thread was crazy! Not only do I have the memories of that shot on the course, I'll also always remember all of the responses and congrats from the forum.

Shaft Up #1 was such an incredible experience and I'm grateful that I was able to be a part of it. I can't wait to follow along for Shaft Up #2 and #3. Those guys are going to have an absolute blast!

The same could be said about you. Regardless what happened you just stayed present in the moment. You never let a bad shot visibly get to you and you recovered and played some great golf. But win, lose, or draw we were going to enjoy our last day there. We’ll have to find a way to tee it up again. I’m anxious to see how well you play with even more confidence in your tee game.

 

[hackitup]

I wasn’t sure where this fit best, but seeing as we were fit for a head and shaft combo I figured this is as good a place as any. After getting to know the new combo and whittle away some of my scar tissue from previous driver issues this was the result. And to top it off I wasn’t trying to swing hard. That @DannyLe guy might know a thing or two. Yellow is the Rogue ST Max with UST Mamiya LinQ M40X Black 6F4.

PAvg, Avg, and Longest.

 

[Duffer Waldorf]

That is an incredible improvement.

 

[Golfers Anonymous]

I wasn’t sure where this fit best, but seeing as we were fit for a head and shaft combo I figured this is as good a place as any. After getting to know the new combo and whittle away some of my scar tissue from previous driver issues this was the result. And to top it off I wasn’t trying to swing hard. That @DannyLe guy might know a thing or two. Yellow is the Rogue ST Max with UST Mamiya LinQ M40X Black 6F4.

PAvg, Avg, and Longest.
View attachment 9084971

That’s something to get excited about.

 

[The Dave]

I wasn’t sure where this fit best, but seeing as we were fit for a head and shaft combo I figured this is as good a place as any. After getting to know the new combo and whittle away some of my scar tissue from previous driver issues this was the result. And to top it off I wasn’t trying to swing hard. That @DannyLe guy might know a thing or two. Yellow is the Rogue ST Max with UST Mamiya LinQ M40X Black 6F4.

PAvg, Avg, and Longest.
View attachment 9084971

Great improvement...what's the previous driver?

 

[hackitup]

Great improvement...what's the previous driver?

It’s a Mizuno ST-Z. It’s not a bad driver. It was very consistent distance wise which is what I wanted. I think it got there with spin. The shaft I had was more of a mid-spin shaft. So spin + spin + my delivery was a recipe for mid-high to high spin. I knew all this but I used in stock clubs to pick my combo.

 

[93civiccpe]

It’s a Mizuno ST-Z. It’s not a bad driver. It was very consistent distance wise which is what I wanted. I think it got there with spin. The shaft I had was more of a mid-spin shaft. So spin + spin + my delivery was a recipe for mid-high to high spin. I knew all this but I used in stock clubs to pick my combo.

That's a really solid improvement!

 

[will]

I wasn’t sure where this fit best, but seeing as we were fit for a head and shaft combo I figured this is as good a place as any. After getting to know the new combo and whittle away some of my scar tissue from previous driver issues this was the result. And to top it off I wasn’t trying to swing hard. That @DannyLe guy might know a thing or two. Yellow is the Rogue ST Max with UST Mamiya LinQ M40X Black 6F4.

PAvg, Avg, and Longest.
View attachment 9084971

That's some solid gains! Sounds like you are starting to get more comfortable with the new setup.

 

[hackitup]

That's some solid gains! Sounds like you are starting to get more comfortable with the new setup.

I’m getting there. I should be focusing my driving range time on my driver setup but my irons are killing my scores right now. The fairway layouts were weird so I’m hoping I can eke out a few more yards in a regular fairway instead of the Tetris block fairways I was running through. Either way, it’s a big step up from where I was and a pretty good improvement on my best driver setup where I averaged 272 on decently struck drives.

 

[will]

I’m getting there. I should be focusing my driving range time on my driver setup but my irons are killing my scores right now. The fairway layouts were weird so I’m hoping I can eke out a few more yards in a regular fairway instead of the Tetris block fairways I was running through. Either way, it’s a big step up from where I was and a pretty good improvement on my best driver setup where I averaged 272 on decently struck drives.

Definitely a nice improvement over the old driver. I'm looking forward to seeing how it works out for you as you get more time with it and start to trust it more. I think you'll see even more improvement as you go and get adjusted to it.

 

[will]

I was looking through my pics and realized one of them was a video I had taken of Danny’s putt across the double green. Can’t believe I forgot about that. In any case, here’s a crazy putt for your Sunday afternoon viewing.

View attachment trim.5B95B7E7-5B1D-46DE-AD55-59091E5A5DDE.MOV

 

[JB]

I was looking through my pics and realized one of them was a video I had taken of Danny’s putt across the double green. Can’t believe I forgot about that. In any case, here’s a crazy putt for your Sunday afternoon viewing.

View attachment 9086583

That was crazy

 

[will]

That was crazy

Didn’t you try to bet Danny something crazy right before that, if he made it? lol

 

[JB]

Didn’t you try to bet Danny something crazy right before that, if he made it? lol

Yes sir I did. He did not make it haha

 

[will]

Yes sir I did. He did not make it haha

I just remember you saying that was almost expensive. lol

 

[JB]

I just remember you saying that was almost expensive. lol

Yeah that could have been costly for sure. And then right after that putt, the members there almost holed out an even longer

 

[will]

Yeah that could have been costly for sure. And then right after that putt, the members there almost holed out an even longer

That was bonkers to have two in a row get that close to going in from that far away. I would’ve needed 4 putts to get there.

 

[will]

Finally got around to putting this together. It’ll be going in my home office. I got the idea from someone on here, but I saw it way back and haven’t been able to find it again. If anyone knows what I’m talking about, feel free to tag them so I can say thanks for the awesome idea. Pretty excited to hang this up!