Golf Blisters
Posted August 4th, 2004 @ 07:13pm by Erik J. Barzeski
I went to the driving range to hit some golf balls today. I've gotta build up my blisters (and later, calluses), after all.
I slowed down my swing a little bit and checked the massive slide forward I was making with my hips. "Turn, don't slide" got me to a nice, soft, high fade. Most people would have been very, very happy with this shot, but I am not. I play a high draw, and I'm going to keep working on my swing until I can produce it again. It's a short tweak away in one of several areas: foot position (and the angle of my feet, specifically, the front foot), lateral movement of my head, grip and/or wrist rotation, or simply the slot into which I do or don't drop my arms at the onset of the downswing.
At my prime, I played a slightly strong grip, a stance that was open by about 15 degrees, and I dropped the club vigorously to the inside on my downswing. I played nearly every shot at the middle of my stance, and the open stance led to a high ball flight while the strong grip corrected for the open stance (as did the slight inside-out swing). I had everything: the ability to work the ball, a soft, high shot that went for a very moderate and very controllable distance, and some power to respond.
I hit a few shots with my new 15-degree steel-shafted Titleist 980F and it felt very, very solid. I haven't had a dependable 3-wood for, oh, a decade. I'll have my Titleist 983K early next week (with YS-6 stiff shaft, 9.5 degrees loft, standard corded grip). Prior to now, I've been making due with an old Titleist Pro-Trajectory (PT) 9.5 (stiff steel shaft). The head on this driver is smaller than the head on the 980F 3-wood (and has the word "Titleist" scripted on top instead of a simple triangle, and it's silver, not black).
Anyway, these complement my 2-iron (a Ping Eye2, black dot, KT stiff steel shaft, Golf Pride tour wrap grip), my irons (Titleist DCI 962B, True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 stiff steel shaft, Golf Pride tour wrap grips, 1 degree strong and 3 degrees upright), and my sand wedge (Titleist DCI Black, 56 degrees, True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 stiff steel shaft, Golf Pride tour wrap grips, stock loft and lie) I play with the Titleist DT (wtf is the SoLo?) when I can find the older wound models, or the Pro V1x or the Pro V1.
I once considered attempting to become a teaching professional (PGA). I still think it might be possible at some point later in my life. And hey, Carey wants to take up the game, so perhaps I'll have my own little foursome some day.
Donate Life
Posted 05 Aug 2004 at 9:54am #
Oh how I love golf geek speak. I'm drooling a bit over your set of clubs. I have a set of Callaway X14 Steelheads 3-SW, a Big Bertha Steelhead driver and a pair of crap 1970s style fairway woods (3,5). I'm looking seriously at replacing the fairway woods with something decent since I use them quite often and even looking at these so-called recovery wood/iron clubs to replace one or two of my longer irons. That would allow me to put in another wedge which I think could be beneficial.
I've been working lately on more of an inside takeaway and trying to force myself into dropping into an inside slot to work out some of my persistent slice. I think the part of my problem is that the 10.5 degree version of my driver has a 1 degree open face, but I can't prove it and I've never bothered to have it looked at.
I've also been looking at the Titleist 983K as a driver, just haven't had any time to work with it yet. I'm scheduled on the range today and maybe the guys in the shop will let me work with one. I'm inspired now. Thanks Erik.
Posted 12 Aug 2007 at 1:10am #
Wow man, I envy your clubs. I was hitting them beautifully at the range today until a major blister started to develop and I had to stop. As for my clubs, I have a set of big bertha Irons....4-PW and A Nike 450 CC ignite driver. 2 taylorMade Rcc wedges and a odyssey white heat putter. Someday I dream of a scotty Cameron *drool*. I use the pro V1 And pro V1x too and I also consider trying to be a tour pro someday. Oh...and a taylorMade 3 wood and rescue clubs.