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PRIDE - And golf equipment....

DNice26

DNice26

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Pride......it's a tough nut for some of us.

Do you swallow it or are you stubborn, as it relates to golf equipment?

Do you game X-flex or Stiff flex when you know you likely should be playing something more friendly to your swing and game?


I thought about this yesterday as a friend of mine let me try out his Hazrdus Black 6.0 shaft yesterday. I was killing it and it got me thinking about why I push myself with X-flex driver shafts. I only play X typically in my woods because I swing pretty hard at them (I'm around the 110 mark). Play stiff or stiff plus in the irons usually.
For whatever reason, I almost instinctively swing more erratically with X flex shafts. I'm guessing its because when I can't feel any load on the shaft, I instinctively pull....harder. No bueno for my consistency. I think the shaft weight and profile is much more important than the flex, for me.

Any stories you guys have in this regard? Perhaps I should enjoy a bit of humble pie and scale back the flex in my long game.
 
I recognize it's about pride for some. It's been about pride for me. But I don't think it's always about pride. Some people just really like to play a certain type of club. I can think of some examples of THP'ers playing gear I wouldn't necessarily pick for them, but they love it and by their assessment it works really well for them. And personally I have put some larger, more forgiving clubs in the bag and found some success, only to find myself lusting after smaller less forgiving clubs when the scores start to drop.

We're all hackers. None of us is doing this for a living. Might as well enjoy the hell out of what we're swinging for the handful of times we're able to get out and play, and forget about the stress of life for a few hours, even if that enjoyment is to the detriment of our scores.
 
McLovin said:
I recognize it's about pride for some. It's been about pride for me. But I don't think it's always about pride. Some people just really like to play a certain type of club. I can think of some examples of THP'ers playing gear I wouldn't necessarily pick for them, but they love it and by their assessment it works really well for them. And personally I have put some larger, more forgiving clubs in the bag and found some success, only to find myself lusting after smaller less forgiving clubs when the scores start to drop.

We're all hackers. None of us is doing this for a living. Might as well enjoy the hell out of what we're swinging for the handful of times we're able to get out and play, and forget about the stress of life for a few hours, even if that enjoyment is to the detriment of our scores.
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Totally agree. I almost typed something about blades, but thought better of it.

Pride is a poor way to describe it I suppose. Perhaps it is more about fooling oneself in terms of certain aspects of choosing the best equipment for ones game. So much of course goes into it though.....your enjoyment, your time spent working on your game, expectations etc..

My goal is pure performance and shooting lower scores. I tend to be a little closed minded at times with my equipment and yesterday just gave me a little reminder to open some windows.
 
"Oh, man you're getting old having the regular flex" Only pride I show is after beating someone down when they make fun of my clubs. Play what makes you win and enjoy the game.
 
I always played stiff or x-stiff shafts because I thought that would impress people.
But that was a very long time ago. Since coming to THP and learning more about the science behind golf equipment and getting a real fitting for clubs, I now play a stiff shaft in the driver that is really in between a regular and a stiff flex and my irons are regular flex.
Sometimes it is true that with age comes wisdom......sometimes.
 
I really don't care what shaft I have as long as it works. I hit a regular flex shaft up until about February when I took it to PGA Superstore to get regripped and the guy came out and said it broke. They put in a lighter stiff flex that would play similar. I get a better more penetrating ball flight but I could flight and work the old shaft better. Several people working at golf stores have said I need an X-stiff but swinging them feels like a board to me.
 
I used to let Pride get the best of me, but I gave that up a few years ago and started playing better golf. That was much more rewarding than trying to use equipment that didn't fit my swing, my age, or my game.

I know that someday soon the stiff shafts won't fit my game and I'm OK with that. Whatever makes the game more enjoyable is a greater reward to me personally.
 
I'm not proud, at my age and physical condition I should be able to swing a stiff shaft no problem but, due to being a newbie to golf I just don't have the technique. Regular flex for me in all my woods and I am happy. My irons, I have no problem with F4 Recoil Protos though. 😎
 
I just try to play what works - don't ride the pride train. That train left the station a long, long, time ago.
 
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I have no shame when it comes to whatever works. I used my late grandmothers clubs a few years ago thanks to a packing snafu and played one of the best rounds of my life. If it works, I will swing it!
 
Play what you love, love what you play, and eff the haters.

That said, I’ve been the opposite, at times I’ve been brow beaten into believing I need to play more forgiving irons when time and again it comes full circle and I’m just better with more demanding ones.
 
I never cared about any of that. It’s whatever works for me. I played R flex as a young man so there’s nothing for me to “dial back”.

And as a recreational golfer graphite shafts are a no brainer. Why NOT have them in all of my clubs?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I don't care what I play as long as my ball is going where I want it to, both directionally and far! I've tried playing clubs that didn't fit my game, and I was always frustrated. Now that I've learned my game a bit better, know what I fit into, and trust the process, I've been enjoying golf so much more. I love the clubs I currently have, and my game has never been better.

Play what brings you joy!
 
I'm completely shameless when it comes to golf. I won't intentionally make the game more difficult for myself - I'll take full advantage of any technology that offers more forgiveness and/or a more consistent game/better score. I'd take more pride in scoring well and consistently than I would in trying to impress anybody with the clubs, shafts, etc. I'm playing.
 
I'm going to be 50 this year. If swinging a senior flex shaft can get me more distance and better accuracy, I'll play it. If it's some obnoxious color scheme or graphic design, I'll play that too.

If someone doesn't like the clubs in my bag, they're more than welcome to replace them at their expense... although if that happens, I reserve the right to be picky. Can't turn down free clubs unless it's a Truss putter:ROFLMAO: in which case I'll have to think about it:unsure::ROFLMAO:
 
I think there’s a lot of stubbornness when it comes to brands for most.
Shafts wise though, I play stiff and if I was told you need xyz then I’d play it without thinking twice.
I’m wanting to do a fitting from club to ball and whatever comes out of it, so be it, regardless the brand.
 
As soon as I get set to buy new irons I know this will be something I will deal with. I am older and my swing speed has gone down. I am sure the fitter will suggest I go from S to R. I will do whatever is best for my game. I am hitting S now just fine but father time will win eventually.
 
I’ve always been of the opinion that you should play what works best - regardless of sport. Sometimes that means a piece of kit better suited to someone’s physical attributes, sometimes it’s skill, and often it’s because of an emotional connection.

I’m a mixed bag.


McLovin said:
We're all hackers. None of us is doing this for a living. Might as well enjoy the hell out of what we're swinging for the handful of times we're able to get out and play, and forget about the stress of life for a few hours, even if that enjoyment is to the detriment of our scores.
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Exactly!!
 
Snickerdog said:
"Oh, man you're getting old having the regular flex" Only pride I show is after beating someone down when they make fun of my clubs. Play what makes you win and enjoy the game.
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Bring it, old man!! (And spot me a pop per hole 🤣)

For me, it’s less about pride, and more about me wanting whatever I spend my money on to appeal visually. I’m an 18, so not the best ball striker, but I just can’t do chunky irons, for example. For shaft stiffness, I usually need someone to tell me to go stiffer, just because I tend to under estimate my speed and tempo. I could totally get away with R flex irons and possibly hybrids, but the longer the club the faster my tempo.
 
No golf snob here, i use old stuff because it works so why change. The newest club in my bag is my 12 year old driver, i have steel shafts in my 15 year old irons, and i play Topflite Bomb golf balls because they fit my game (good distance, decent check, putt like butter). I do me and dam everybody who thinks i should update :rockon:
 
JMB3 said:
Bring it, old man!! (And spot me a pop per hole 🤣)

For me, it’s less about pride, and more about me wanting whatever I spend my money on to appeal visually. I’m an 18, so not the best ball striker, but I just can’t do chunky irons, for example. For shaft stiffness, I usually need someone to tell me to go stiffer, just because I tend to under estimate my speed and tempo. I could totally get away with R flex irons and possibly hybrids, but the longer the club the faster my tempo.
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I'll be like: Fairway is
 
I'll play what works. For now it's a fairly sturdy x-flex in driver (Aldila Tour Green) and then stiff throughout. I guess the i95's in my irons are considered a fairly sturdy stiff.

I tried going down in flex. I'll be 53 in November and I've had repeated lower back injuries. But when I'm physically fine then I'm unencumbered and can still swing pretty fast (was at 115 mph about 6 weeks ago, lost some since, got another injection(s) yesterday).

I actually made the switch to the i95's with consideration for my back. I had no idea that they were considered to be sturdy, I just theorized that a lightweight graphite(ish) shaft would play softer. Was coming from Rifle 6.0.

I've since tried stiff flex driver shafts, and the Recoil 780(?) in the P790 along with lightweight graphite in a set of Wilsons and they feel fine, not too soft or anything, but my play becomes more erratic.

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't glad to still be able to handle a sturdier shaft here and there but I've honestly no pride attached to it. It's more like a personal barometer of sorts that my back isn't *that* bad.

At least, not yet.
 
I'll honestly play what works. I just got fit, and the best result - both numbers and consistency was a R-flex, high launching shaft. Wasn't going to argue.

Irons tend to be a bit tricky for me - I'll play R or S depending on the profile, and weirdly it doesn't match with say, lighter = S and heavier = R. At the end of the day I'd be happy if I didn't even get to know what was going in, as long as it worked.
 
I actually questioned the fitter when they said I needed a stiff shaft in my driver. I was sure I’d need a regular. I couldn’t give a toss what the label says in my golf shaft, or anywhere else. All that matters is that number at the end of 18 holes.
 
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