Recent equipment thoughts...

Well, though I've been lurking, I haven't been a very good THP member. Just sorta lurking and digesting. My game has seemingly been improving a bunch, especially my short game. Lots of hours and practice time.

But no worries, still love the clubs and such the most Though I haven't been swapping each week as when we all started on here. I'm finally trying to dial in my bag and am pretty much there, so I figured I'd hit my pals with some random equipment thoughts of recent. From spring to present.

Balls:
I was pretty much a Nike One Platinum luva all last year, oh my heart ached when they revamped it. I actually ended up trading some club for several doz of the '08 Pro V and REALLY started to love that ball. I didn't play it enough last year to enjoy it, but I can understand why it has been a fan favorite for so long!

Golg Galxy has the One Plats at $30, so I snagged a doz...still love them, but I dunno the Pro V might be edging it out. I have yet to try the new Pro V.

Golg Galxy also has the recent sale of two of the new One Tours for $60, hey whatta bargain, so I bit....nope, don't like it. Supposed to better? Not for me.

And yes, I've tried most of the other fancy pants balls out there too, but not enough to have a valid personal opinion, which is what this thread is about.

Played about 1/2 doz of the NXT Tour, nice ball fo sho.

Putters:
Hmmm, if you recall I went through a massive must buy all putters phase, luckily it only lasted briefly.

Rife Barbados basic (not the two bar thingy) this thing brought my putting back to life...well sorta...See long before I knew how to swing a club somewhat properly I could putt the pants off of the ball, but then when I "learned" everything changed. Thing with the Rife, it was 9/10 guaranteed 2-putt from anywhere, but after a month I thought, "hey, why the heck ain't I sinking those one putts?" Literally, my one-putts dropped significantly.

So back in thr bag goes my old standby Circa 62 with gooseneck thingy putter, which was so-so for me from the beginning, but by this time I had sold off most of those other putters. Well, this this thing has been working like a machine (would love a MAchine putter though, those are sexy!). KIller long oneputts are going in more and more, and most of the time 2 putts within the gimme range easily. I really wanted to try more putters, but this thing works...so be it. In da bag.

FYI, I want to try a Seemore and SSB yet cause ya never know in ScooterGuitar World what might happen day to day

Scooter, great write up.
My only question for you is this. Having played 2 rounds with you, I think your ball choice may not be the right one. But who am I to say change, if you like it stick with it. I would just suggest trying something with significantly less spin. You had control troubles and with a spinny ball like both the Nike and the ProV, those are going to be more emphasized.

Something like an E6+ or quite a few others really will help keep the ball straighter with reduced sidespin. I suggest getting a ball fitting done. With the Bridgestone event coming soon, surely they will have the free ball fittings around town.

Seeing is believing and the stats dont lie.

Thank JB, I think so too, actually they were here last Sat, but i was out of town. Didn't are for any of the E series, they just felt heavy for some odd reason. Tried one sleeve of the RX, which would be my best bet I think, but nothing significant to make a staement about as of yet. My next doz will be them.

OK, coffee break over...onto woods!

Drivers:
Oh, my Titleist love has come to an end:crying:

Early spring I stumbled onto a used Cobra X Speed Pro. What a hot face! I started using it, swapping back and forth, winner!
SO of course I had to try this year's stuff...wozas! Ended up swapping my D3 (dang, that truly is the sexiest driver out IMO) towards the new S9 Pro wth Matrix. At first, it was a little looser on the course than the Speed, but truly easily 10 yards longer on normal drives I'd say 75% of the time. But when I was "on" the thing was/is a bomber:clapp: Steadily in the bag for several weeks. I put the old Speed in the bag for one weekend and nope, the S9 Pro is clearly the winner:clapp: In the bag

So of course I wanted to try the fwy woods. My local small shop only had one of the pro model in 3 w, he kept saying, "that isn;t for you, you're game ain;t there yet." But, what kept me wanting to hit it 9took me three weeks before I finally hit the sucka) was the smaller head and seemingly heavy weight. Reminds me of the older fwy woods I used to play when I started and before I quit up until last summer.

My testimony...Cobra S9 Pro 3w is THE hottest and most beloved club in my bag. I hit it longer and straighter than any 3w EVER...EVER
I'm almost tempted to give up a hybrid or other club and snag their 5w incarnation, we'll see.

Hyrbids:

THP's review and luck of chance local shop had some in last fall, I ended up with the Wilson FyBrids. I went through and literally tried more hybrids than any other club last year I think. Some were longer, some were straighter )at that time), and some felt better, but the Wilsons just seemed to have "it", whatever that is I dunno. They work for me and I haven't looked at any 09 hybrids:arrogant: Consistent and dependable from most any lie. Some wince when they see all this other "cool" stuff in my bag and then Wilsons, but when they hit they understand. Very solid clubs. Firmly in the bag, at least until next spring, but unless something jumps out at me I won't even try something.

Smoke break, be right back...

I'm loving the thread thus far Scooter!!! While I don't know you personally I do know from your posts in the past that you have a knack for buying and selling equipment. I think a lot of us would love to be able to have a revolving door of top notch equipment like that, but kids and houses and wives and other things seem to take all of my funds that could be better spent on the newest equipment on the market! I demo'd a Cobra S9-1 and LOVED it, I'd like to try the Pro sometime too. I can't wait to read about your iron situation next!

MY Achille's Heel....Irons:

Gosh do I love irons, they are so sleek and sexy or can be big and goofy. I've tried them all, well lots. Luckily my hometown shop likes me and treats me so well with my rapid firing acquisitions and trade-ins or I couldn't try so many sets.

Where to begin? I'll just report on ones I played for more than a few rounds.

Start with this late fall/spring...

Ping S57. Dang, I really liked those clubs. Had the cool custom paintfill, etc done at Wrx. This spring they just weren't happening for me. No clue why, but our love had faded. So I tried several sets with no luck, kept putting the S57's back in my bag.

One fateful shank-ridden week I decided to take the plunge, bite the bullet, and eat crow...I was sick of playing like poo...I traded my Ping Pongs in on Cally X22's, also highly due to THP's review. I almost got the TM 09 Burners instead, but the Cally's won out. I did take out a used set of X18's for a round before making this plunge.

No brainer, close your eyes and swing, the ball sorta goes where you want:clap: My scores went down and I was playing well, then with more time spent, I started liking them less. I hated them inside 100 yds (PW and A wedge, I am not along hitter...normal pw is 90-110) those darn big soles. I ended up using two pw, a regular Vokey 48, dang love that club (on side note, as I will forget it in wedge rant, I liked the Vokey 48 so tried the others, hmm something wasn't right, only like that 48).

So here I am with two pitching wedges, I added yet another gap wedge, dropped the Cally A wedge, ugh what a mixed up bag.

Around that time (4 weeks ago), I started hating the offset the Callys have, just started getting to me.

To be noted, I also have a love/hate fever with the 22's on mishits...I played playa's irons all last year and this spring, so my mishits were just that...the 22's, whammo...I was flying far on mishits! 50/50 of the time those mishits were in my favor, but the other times it was a nightmare becuase of the distance they went. When I mishit inside say 150, I want my ball to not go far, but oh no, these things will still fly! Good or bad, not sure, but something was amiss in my mind.

What to get? Heck, I've tried all the friggin' clubs out! Gulp, bite the bullet and rebuy, yes rebuy something I had before, sorta...

WHat did I like, what didn't I like?

Nike splitbacks, I recalled really liking the longs, but something with the shorts wasn't quite for me...

Splits in longs and TW blades in shorts...they FINALLY arrived yesterday.

Yesterday was a cold and cloudy day here, so my umph wasn't there as it should have been normally.

They came, we gripped, I hit a bucket of balls and was ready to hit the course, then a Hooter's player showed up and we talked for a few hours, so I didn't get my all day of adjusting.

Onto the course...late afternoon I went to my 9 hole goat track, as I knew no one would be out there, and there weren't too many.

As I pulled in, put my clubs on my cart, here rolls in an older guy I play with frequently. Talks yer ear off, isn;t that good (ya know, I like playing with guys who push me). He is itching for someone to play with, normally I love playing with him, but didn't want to at that time, but of course I did as I love his guts in a respectful way.

We play our 9 holes, I listen to his rampant mouth firings and just play, blah or so-so.

Off he goes, finally I can get some practice in.
Tee off, light drizzle rain begins. So I just start pushing ahead playing a few balls from iron range, trying to get adjusted. Then more and more people start getting out there and I pushed so I can't really focus as I needed to. Figured out a few of the clubs for the most, but need mucho more time with them to develop a true feeling.

Overall, golly wiz, what a nice looking combo set. Feel great. My mishit were just that, mishits:bulgy-eyes: "And this is what I wanted or missed?"

P4bird, thank a bunch man, appreciate the luv! Luckily, my wife and kids understand. I know it seems like I spend a fortune on clubs, but it isn;t as bad as you think. My local guy doesn't kill me like chain stores do on trades, so roughly I end up getting 75% back at least on trade!

Nice write up Scoot! Gave me an idea for a new thread...

scooterguitar said:

P4bird, thank a bunch man, appreciate the luv! Luckily, my wife and kids understand. I know it seems like I spend a fortune on clubs, but it isn;t as bad as you think. My local guy doesn't kill me like chain stores do on trades, so roughly I end up getting 75% back at least on trade!

Click to expand...

I hear ya, I've got a close friend who is a smart phone junkie, dude has a new $400 phone every time I see him, but since he does this so frequently he never holds on to inventory that he can't sell on eBay and recover probably 80 to 90% of his initial investment.

So the Nike irons, did you say Split long irons and TW blade shorts, is this the standard VR Split Cavity offering or is this something specially ordered?

Lastly, wedges:

Wedges are so personal, at least to me. I have tried many, with all intentions of trying more.

I was on a Scratch kick and sent in my wedges and irons (will report on random irons later on) to get reshafted and did up some. I started playing the two VR wedges I had.

First and foremost, Scratch wedges are great wedges IMO. It is KEY to get grinds of theirs for your swing type, or you will be left cold and lonely, sorta like the 80's teen stars!
They feel great and perform very well. Enuff said.

Anyways, the VR's ended up staying in my bag for some reason. Much like the recent wedge shootout THP did, they look, perform, and are overall winner wedges. Good thing I didn't say weiner wedges or Oscar Meyer would threaen me with a lawsuit I guess.

As of now, the VR sw/lw are 80% firmly in my bag, with the Scratch on backup if duty calls.

I also recently got a Bridgestone copper WC gap wedge. The thing is great, truly a nice wedge. Beats the pants off any Vokey meister anyday, imo of course...and for my shankapotamus style of game.

Thing is, I'm highly thinking of going to a 52/54 and 58 setup, yes to put the S9 Pro 5w in the bag! Key for me is having a pw I really like, as I use the pw as much as I can around the green. I need something with pretty low bounce in the gap. I'm not sure what will happen, as noted in my first post at the top, my short game is really coming around, so maybe having numerous wedges in the bag ain't bad.

I was ready to buy the Miura gap, as it has low bounce, but waited to see Sunset Beach's new wedges coming out here soon. Also on my short list to try are Yururi raws and Vega RF03.

Thanks Craig, looking forward to it!

4Bird, just standard splits in the VR line with the TW in shorts. Speaking of TW in shorts, he doesn;t look right in shorts, he's a slacks kinda guy. I realized that watching last year's Nike winner ball episodes thing on GC. Also to be noted, I am not a Tiger fan. Sure I like him, but not a fan in "must have Tiger gear"

Wanted to add...
Irons, after yearning and wondering about OnOff's Plus irons (Daiwa is a parent company) for a year now, I called and with some prodding they sent me a demo 7 iron.

I must say, that set might be the REAL set for me, but so pricey, around $1'100 for 5-pw! But, might/will save me $ in the looooong run:>)

The thing is truly the softest feeling iron I have ever hit. It combines GI with player's features, why can't American designers get that one portion of player like me who needs/yearns for it? Everyone I had hit the OnOff loved it and agreed it was/is killer.

Minimal offset, thin topline, medium sole, and pretty forgiving for the type of club, much more forgiving than US production "forgiving player's iron".

Imagine I'll eventually sell off a bunch of things and try to buy a set, but not within the next few weeks.

I think if my 22's didn't have soooo much offset, I could live with them.

Well for myself......

Driver - Geez I cannot unseat my FT-3 Tour. It has amazing ballspeeds and for the most part goes straight. I am close on either a FT-9 Tour or a Nike Str8 Dymo.

3 Wood - My search is finally over. I have been playing a Nickent 3DX 3+ since the beginning of the year. My buddy has one of the prototype Adams FW/Hybrids that I almost decided to give a try. I almost never hit 3 wood off the deck so that has never been a problem. But for right now my search is over.

Hybrid - I received and Adams PNT four months back and everything with it is great, not dreaded hooks, can hit it high, low left to right and right to left.

Irons - My Nemesis....I have tried about five sets in the last year to find something I like. The Nickent ARC Blades were close, maybe it was the shaft, but they are in the closet right now. I am hitting the Titleist AP2's with the project X shafts and so far so good. I am able to hit them with different heights and pretty good so far.

Wedges - My TRUE Nemesis...I love my SSB wedges, but they spin the ball too much. I have a used set I am gonna part with. I have a problem with too much spin with wedges already and adding these did not help. ------ However I have a new set of wedges that one of the designs is to help lower spin and they seem to be working.

Putters - Oh how I do love thee. I have demos in the back of my Tahoe and try something new everytime. I think I am settled on either a Yaupon with a Santa Fe Neck or a Southport.

Balls - I have Callaway Tour i, Nike's, and Pro V*'s. I am not sure what I will settle on but I am getting closer.

Update...
Tried the Bridgestone RX for a round, I do really like. Noticed nothing more or less than whith what I usually play.
Also tried the new ProV1 for a round, like it. It is seemingly harder than previous version.