The Tinkerman..

[Orikoru]

Anyone using these winter hackarounds to tinker and experiment for the forthcoming year? Or are you completely set in your ways?

I have three elements of tinkering in mind for tomorrow...

1. New 7 wood arrived yesterday. Tried it on the range and it was nice, easy to hit, consistent fade. Couldn't really tell what the distance was like, but I'm hoping it's just a fraction longer than the previous one. I've set it at 20° whereas the old one was 21°, albeit the shaft is half an inch shorter because my old one had a 5 wood shaft in it.
2. Dialed my 3 wood from 16 to 15° last night. Hoping for a slightly lower launch off the tee and maybe eke out a couple of extra yards just to make sure it is still 12-14 yards longer than the new 7W - provided I can still hit it well enough off the deck. If I can't get it off the ground it'll be going back to 16.
3. Using ChatGPT as my analysis coach, it suggests my putting is only good enough for a 15 handicap at the moment*. Tomorrow I'm going to try the pencil grip on makeable putts in the hope that it frees me up a little bit - last week my putting was awful and I made almost nothing. I have dabbled on the practice green with pencil grip before, but never tried it on the course with my current putter. (For any long distance ones that are unlikely to hole, I think I'll be sticking with normal grip.)

Will any of it work? Tune in in a couple of days to find out.


*worse than that, it reckons my up-and-down percentage is only at around 20 hcap so lots of work to be done there!

 

[Mandofred]

I haven't carried a 3 wood in years, just had too many issues with getting in up in the air. Went driver straight to 5w....not enough distance difference to care about and a LOT more consistent strikes. Going 16 to 15 shouldn't make enough difference to really care about....and at this time of the year the ball is just sticking in the mud and stopping anyway.....more air time is better.

 

[MACM85]

Anyone using these winter hackarounds to tinker and experiment for the forthcoming year? Or are you completely set in your ways?

I have three elements of tinkering in mind for tomorrow...

1. New 7 wood arrived yesterday. Tried it on the range and it was nice, easy to hit, consistent fade. Couldn't really tell what the distance was like, but I'm hoping it's just a fraction longer than the previous one. I've set it at 20° whereas the old one was 21°, albeit the shaft is half an inch shorter because my old one had a 5 wood shaft in it.
2. Dialed my 3 wood from 16 to 15° last night. Hoping for a slightly lower launch off the tee and maybe eke out a couple of extra yards just to make sure it is still 12-14 yards longer than the new 7W - provided I can still hit it well enough off the deck. If I can't get it off the ground it'll be going back to 16.
3. Using ChatGPT as my analysis coach, it suggests my putting is only good enough for a 15 handicap at the moment*. Tomorrow I'm going to try the pencil grip on makeable putts in the hope that it frees me up a little bit - last week my putting was awful and I made almost nothing. I have dabbled on the practice green with pencil grip before, but never tried it on the course with my current putter. (For any long distance ones that are unlikely to hole, I think I'll be sticking with normal grip.)

Will any of it work? Tune in in a couple of days to find out.


*worse than that, it reckons my up-and-down percentage is only at around 20 hcap so lots of work to be done there!

You may find with the shorter shaft in the 7 wood it will go shorter than what you had before. The increase/decrease in loft I wouldn't expect to see a hugh amount of difference.

 

[Orikoru]

You may find with the shorter shaft in the 7 wood it will go shorter than what you had before. The increase/decrease in loft I wouldn't expect to see a hugh amount of difference.

But it's also Ping G430 vs Cobra F9 so about five years newer I think. It may simply be a better club that launches a bit further. I don't think it'll be shorter than the F9. If it's roughly the same I don't mind that.

I haven't carried a 3 wood in years, just had too many issues with getting in up in the air. Went driver straight to 5w....not enough distance difference to care about and a LOT more consistent strikes. Going 16 to 15 shouldn't make enough difference to really care about....and at this time of the year the ball is just sticking in the mud and stopping anyway.....more air time is better.

Funny, that's what ChatGPT said as well, haha. I might be putting it back after one round, but no harm in trying.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I was hoping to see a write up about Claudio Ranieri taking up golf. Little disappointed if I'm honest .

I did my tinkering last spring. No harm every so often. There is a fair whack of trial and error in golf, so many clubs to choose from........

 

[MACM85]

But it's also Ping G430 vs Cobra F9 so about five years newer I think. It may simply be a better club that launches a bit further. I don't think it'll be shorter than the F9. If it's roughly the same I don't mind that.


Funny, that's what ChatGPT said as well, haha. I might be putting it back after one round, but no harm in trying.

The newer version won't automatically further distance. It just means the face won't be as damaging if you don't strike it out of the middle all the time. You'll have changed shafts so the new one might not perform as well as the old one. You might even see a massive improvement due to the new 7 wood just working better, Until you take it out and put it to the test on the course it will be hard to comment.

 

[Orikoru]

The newer version won't automatically further distance. It just means the face won't be as damaging if you don't strike it out of the middle all the time. You'll have changed shafts so the new one might not perform as well as the old one. You might even see a massive improvement due to the new 7 wood just working better, Until you take it out and put it to the test on the course it will be hard to comment.

One thing that was weird with the F9 was that occasionally I'd get a random draw out of nowhere - not ideal when aiming slightly left for a fade. So if the new one doesn't do that, I'll be happy as well.

 

[Neilds]

One thing that was weird with the F9 was that occasionally I'd get a random draw out of nowhere - not ideal when aiming slightly left for a fade. So if the new one doesn't do that, I'll be happy as well.

It wasn't the club......

 

[Orikoru]

It wasn't the club......

I don't draw any other club, least of all the longer ones! I don't normally have a draw in the locker and couldn't hit one if my life depended on it. Except, by accident with that 7 wood.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I don't see any problems with tweaking club settings, the only thing I would say is if youre going to try a different putting grip, use it for all putts.

 

[AAC]

I have tinkered and bought a Callaway Elyte Mini driver, two sessions at the range have left me really looking forward to trying it in the course, at the range it was soooooooo straight

 

[Orikoru]

I don't see any problems with tweaking club settings, the only thing I would say is if youre going to try a different putting grip, use it for all putts.

A lot of people say they struggle with pace control with the pencil/claw grip from longer distances though. For me it's just for the ones I'm looking to hole, I think I've been a bit tentative lately and I need to let the putter go a bit more.

 

[Slab]

Well not winter but I have been working through a different putting stance for short putts (8ft and under) which is giving good results so far (couple of months) you know the ones you expect to make as frequently as Pros do
Previously I could get a bit tentative on the shorter distances and pull them left. It was a bit like the hardest chips are the short ones, well I was sometimes finding that for my short putts

For long putts I have a static but loose frame with my arms but for the shorter ones where putter head is only moving back/forth a minimal amount, I now flare left elbow out towards the hole and tense the frame up a lot & hands hold the grip tighter too and this tighter frame/grip helps me cut out movement in putter head and also gives a committed stroke

I’ve tried & can’t use this tight/tense style on long putts because the pace is off but 8ft and under its been good… so far

 

[clubchamp98]

Pencil grip is ok on fast greens .
It’s not so good on slow winter greens in the UK.

 

[timd77]

I’m always tinkering! However, I’m now happy with my irons (titleist t200s) and so I’ve sold my other 2 sets, I’m ready to commit! I’m happy with my taylormade stealth 2 hybrid and 5 wood, that’s after a couple of years of trying different makes and models, I’m not brilliant with them but good enough.

I think I’m happy with my wedges (vokeys) although I do wonder if I’d benefit from something more forgiving, and so im using the gap wedge from the t200 set, and may also buy a ping glide or Cleveland wedge if I see one cheap on marketplace that I can try out.

Driver - hmmm, ping g430 10k. I guess I’m settled on it but I do change the loft quite often if I have a couple of poor driving rounds. I’ve got a stiff shaft in it despite a slowish swing speed, I find it keeps me straight. However, I think I lose distance and so if I see a good priced regular flex shaft that fits I’ll give it a go.

Final and main tinkering is putter. I’ve been using the Cleveland Huntington beach mallet style for a couple of years and generally putt well with it. Went through a spell of not holing anything and so started to research what else I could try. Saw that the Wilson staff infinite Buckingham had rave reviews, won various categories on mygolfspy over the years and so I bought one second hand. I love how it lines up, it really suits my eye better than anything else I’ve had in the past. However, I’ve found that I’ve pulled a few putts with it. It has a slight toe hang and my putting stroke is a slight arc, which apparently isn’t really A1 for a toe hang putter, this may be making the pulls worse. So, I’m trying both. When the weather gets better I’ll spend some more time on the practice putting green, at the minute it’s too cold to be stood still for an hour!

 

[Bunkermagnet]

A lot of people say they struggle with pace control with the pencil/claw grip from longer distances though. For me it's just for the ones I'm looking to hole, I think I've been a bit tentative lately and I need to let the putter go a bit more.

I get that, but whilst I haven't looked at the different putter grips, I don't think having 2 putter grips "on the go" can ever work. How or when would you decide 1 grip should be swapped for the second?
My putting grip is mine and nothing I have copied or followed from anywhere. I basically overlap the left hand with the right, bar the index finger. As I know my grip is constant, I dont worry about it and if tweaking is wanted it's down to follow through of the club or ball placement between my stance.
That can be rather eye opening if the mind is open to playing from the fringe with the putter ALA Texas wedge.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Pencil grip is ok on fast greens .
It’s not so good on slow winter greens in the UK.

You can see why pro's use it on the greens they play on. I tried it briefly, dropped it quickly for the reason you give.

 

[Orikoru]

Well not winter but I have been working through a different putting stance for short putts (8ft and under) which is giving good results so far (couple of months) you know the ones you expect to make as frequently as Pros do
Previously I could get a bit tentative on the shorter distances and pull them left. It was a bit like the hardest chips are the short ones, well I was sometimes finding that for my short putts

For long putts I have a static but loose frame with my arms but for the shorter ones where putter head is only moving back/forth a minimal amount, I now flare left elbow out towards the hole and tense the frame up a lot & hands hold the grip tighter too and this tighter frame/grip helps me cut out movement in putter head and also gives a committed stroke

I’ve tried & can’t use this tight/tense style on long putts because the pace is off but 8ft and under its been good… so far

So funny to read what other people are trying - horses for courses and all that. With my putting I try to keep both elbows as tucked into my sides as possible. That's one of the reasons I quite like the feel with pencil grip, as the right elbow is tucked in automatically so then I only have to worry about the left one.

 

[nickjdavis]

I'm going through an entire process of analysing my bag and balls in order to optimise my old man swing.

Off down my local range in a minute to have a swing with the new 9-wood.

Sunday will be proper golf

Monday will see me back in an indoor Trackman range properly analysing the 9-wood to see how it exactly fits in yardage wise. If it doesnt, then it will be sent back to Callaway Pre-owned.

In the coming three or four weeks I will also be taking a selection of different balls into the trackman range to see how they perform differently....for a bit of fun i might "borrow" a range ball from the range this afternoon and throw that into the mix as well.

I also plan to grab a couple of irons from my previous set (Ai Paradym Smoke) which still lurk in the cellar, just to compare them to the current Ai 200's

Once the bag is all sorted then all I need is to purchase some new wedges and i'll be set for 1st March when we start playing competitions in earnest.

 

[Orikoru]

Pencil grip is ok on fast greens .
It’s not so good on slow winter greens in the UK.

I know why you would say that. But I think there's also a case for saying the normal grip + having to hit it harder = more pushes and pulls. Whereas going pencil but taking a longer pendulum-type swing? Worth a go anyway. You never know, I might even abandon it on the practice green before I even go to the 1st hole.