[amcquay]

So, I found a decent deal on some VR Splits and the ho in me couldn't pass it up. So, I got rid of the CCIs and the new clubs landed today. I also received a Unitized Mako putter as a gift and surprisingly like it. My first full round with it is tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.

I've also put a new shaft in the driver (Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue) and picked up a cheapie Tour Edge cart bag to use when I ride. I prefer walking and love my SQ Tour carry bag for that purpose, but it just doesn't sit that well on a cart. Anyways, here are the updated photos.

[NCJaguar5]

Very solid setup, though I'm quite surprised a Ping fan such as yourself doesn't have a Hoofer! What's the deal?

[amcquay]

NCJaguar5, on Jul 15 2009, 10:28 AM, said:

Very solid setup, though I'm quite surprised a Ping fan such as yourself doesn't have a Hoofer! What's the deal?

Well, I didn't go with the Pings because of any brand loyalty, I got them because of how they perform and how I play with them. I got the Ogio because it has an awesome collection of features that I couldn't find in other bags.

[ERZEN80]

the driver looks pretty scratched up though.....but good stuff man.

[amcquay]

ERZEN80, on Jul 15 2009, 10:43 AM, said:

the driver looks pretty scratched up though.....but good stuff man.

There are some tee marks on it, but the flash on the chrome makes it looks a lot worse than it is. It seems to be cosmetic though, as it performs just fine.

[funkyfedora]

No ping bang and no ping putter? Whats the deal? Haha. Nice set up.

[rymail00]

amcquay, on Jul 15 2009, 12:46 PM, said:

ERZEN80, on Jul 15 2009, 10:43 AM, said:

the driver looks pretty scratched up though.....but good stuff man.

There are some tee marks on it, but the flash on the chrome makes it looks a lot worse than it is. It seems to be cosmetic though, as it performs just fine.

I agree. Its very easy to see the tee marks. You have a great set up there. I currently have my i10s in the bag, I forgot how good Pings look new.

funkyfedora, on Jul 15 2009, 12:51 PM, said:

No ping bang and no ping putter? Whats the deal? Haha. Nice set up.

Haha, I guess you didnt read his post. In the last sentence it said he has a Karsten Anser 2 on the way.

Its a great looking set-up you have. Ogio makes great bags, and Ping makes great no-nonsence clubs.

[funkyfedora]

rymail00, on Jul 15 2009, 01:42 PM, said:

amcquay, on Jul 15 2009, 12:46 PM, said:

ERZEN80, on Jul 15 2009, 10:43 AM, said:

the driver looks pretty scratched up though.....but good stuff man.

There are some tee marks on it, but the flash on the chrome makes it looks a lot worse than it is. It seems to be cosmetic though, as it performs just fine.

I agree. Its very easy to see the tee marks. You have a great set up there. I currently have my i10s in the bag, I forgot how good Pings look new.

funkyfedora, on Jul 15 2009, 12:51 PM, said:

No ping bang and no ping putter? Whats the deal? Haha. Nice set up.

Haha, I guess you didnt read his post. In the last sentence it said he has a Karsten Anser 2 on the way.

Its a great looking set-up you have. Ogio makes great bags, and Ping makes great no-nonsence clubs.

I guess I didn't haha. I was just giving him crap. All the ping clubs and not one from what made ping what it is today. Haha. I do like ogio bags. A few friends have them. I need to get a hoofer myself tho. I have a staff bag and a moon lite carry bag.

[dr12]

Very nice setup you have,good luck with the anser2,I love my B60

[grizzlyblades]

good setup. I love the bag too. makes me want to get a ogio!

[amcquay]

Thanks all, I've really enjoyed these clubs the few times I've been able to get out with them. Hopefully I can play a bit more often over the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to the Ping putter, I think it will fit my putting stroke better and the fact that it doesn't have an insert on the face makes me happy.

[kauaigolf]

holy crap...you actually had a callaway C4? i'm surprised they even allow you to trade that in! after 5 years away, what ball did you play back then and what ball you playing now?

[RoscoeCoaltrain]

A man after my own heart. See my bag.

[amcquay]

kauaigolf, on Jul 15 2009, 04:07 PM, said:

holy crap...you actually had a callaway C4? i'm surprised they even allow you to trade that in! after 5 years away, what ball did you play back then and what ball you playing now?

Yeah I used to hit the C4 very well, but it was the funkiest sounding club I've ever hit. I honestly don't remember what ball I used back then, but I've been loving the Nike One Vapor and just picked up a few Tour D's to try out.

[rymail00]

funkyfedora, on Jul 15 2009, 03:05 PM, said:

rymail00, on Jul 15 2009, 01:42 PM, said:

amcquay, on Jul 15 2009, 12:46 PM, said:

ERZEN80, on Jul 15 2009, 10:43 AM, said:

the driver looks pretty scratched up though.....but good stuff man.

There are some tee marks on it, but the flash on the chrome makes it looks a lot worse than it is. It seems to be cosmetic though, as it performs just fine.

I agree. Its very easy to see the tee marks. You have a great set up there. I currently have my i10s in the bag, I forgot how good Pings look new.

funkyfedora, on Jul 15 2009, 12:51 PM, said:

No ping bang and no ping putter? Whats the deal? Haha. Nice set up.

Haha, I guess you didnt read his post. In the last sentence it said he has a Karsten Anser 2 on the way.

Its a great looking set-up you have. Ogio makes great bags, and Ping makes great no-nonsence clubs.

I guess I didn't haha. I was just giving him crap. All the ping clubs and not one from what made ping what it is today. Haha. I do like ogio bags. A few friends have them. I need to get a hoofer myself tho. I have a staff bag and a moon lite carry bag.

LOL, I am just busting your balls. I dont know anyone that really is playing the clubs that "made Ping what they are today". Sure some people still play the eye2 but thats probably it.

I see you are a jr. memeber. LOL, were you even alive when the eye2 came out? Haha, I am 28 and I dont even think I was alive then.

Like I said, just busting your balls.

[shawnee]

nice set up

[tbowles411]

SUCKER! j/k

Nice bag indeed!

[SpinMill75]

You'd better ditch that Nike towel before your clubs revolt.....

Nice set up man!

[amcquay]

SpinMill75, on Jul 15 2009, 09:18 PM, said:

You'd better ditch that Nike towel before your clubs revolt.....

Nice set up man!

Hey, I play Nike balls! I'd love to find one of the black argyle Ogio towels, but they're hard to track down.

[Sean2]

nice bag!

please see mine in the sig section. :-)

[JayLefty]

Nice set up. I used to have a set up close to that but I had the i10's.

[ddec0418]

I am actually in the market for a new bag...my old one wore out. I love the look of the new sasquatch tour bag, but I like the ogio's as well. Which bag do you like better? Is the sasquatch heavy to carry?

[amcquay]

ddec0418, on Jul 30 2009, 02:23 PM, said:

I am actually in the market for a new bag...my old one wore out. I love the look of the new sasquatch tour bag, but I like the ogio's as well. Which bag do you like better? Is the sasquatch heavy to carry?

The Nike is a little lighter than the Ogio, but both are around the 6 pound ballpark. The Nike also has a couple more pockets so you might be encouraged to fill it with more junk . Both are great bags, the Ogio Grom had some very slick features that I'll definitely miss... but I have been converted by the 14-way divider system. I'll never own another bag without it.

[j-rob]

Sweet bag man, I personally think that Nike makes some awesome bags.

[amcquay]

Updated OP as I've changed a few things recently.

[Señor Rafa]

Very nice.

Just like me you've got the SV wedges albeit a different combination to mine. I love my wedges and would not swap them for anything else. How are you liking yours?

Also, interesting comparison regarding the G10 and your new DYMO driver. I haven't tried the DYMO before but now I'd be interested in doing so comparing it to my G10. I don't think anything can better my G10 but we'll see.

[amcquay]

Señor Rafa, on Aug 27 2009, 02:17 PM, said:

Very nice.

Just like me you've got the SV wedges albeit a different combination to mine. I love my wedges and would not swap them for anything else. How are you liking yours?

Also, interesting comparison regarding the G10 and your new DYMO driver. I haven't tried the DYMO before but now I'd be interested in doing so comparing it to my G10. I don't think anything can better my G10 but we'll see.

I've only practiced with the wedges so far (first round with them tomorrow) but I find them more responsive than the Mizunos they replaced. Granted, the Mizzys were older and slightly worn, and maybe I just prefer these lofts. I like the weight of the Nikes better though, feels like they are more head-heavy which I like in a wedge.

As for the driver, I'm sure a big part of the improvement I'm seeing is due to finally using the shaft flex and face loft that better fits my swing. The Ping is a great club but I have been much, much more consistent with the Nike. It's ugly and sounds a little weird but it gets the job done.

[amcquay]

Updated the OP again, Nike continues its attack on my bag and I'm surprisingly OK with it.

[amcquay]

Ah FedEx just dropped off the new toy, looking forward to hitting the range after work!

[shane0mac1234]

Thats a sweet driver, I really wanted to try out one of the dymo drivers but the golfsmith by me didnt have any in lefty and I absolutely killed the r9 on the screws every time. How do you like your Karsten series putter? I have been looking into a steel faced putter and at like 90 bucks they look intriguing. How do they stack up against the Scotties and redwoods? I assume you'll be tring out a Method putter when they are released as well to finish off the Nike bag? haha

[kekoa]

amcquay, on Oct 13 2009, 12:08 PM, said:

Ah FedEx just dropped off the new toy, looking forward to hitting the range after work!

best driver ever. Had two and sold them both regrettingly

[amcquay]

shane0mac1234, on Oct 15 2009, 11:02 PM, said:

Thats a sweet driver, I really wanted to try out one of the dymo drivers but the golfsmith by me didnt have any in lefty and I absolutely killed the r9 on the screws every time. How do you like your Karsten series putter? I have been looking into a steel faced putter and at like 90 bucks they look intriguing. How do they stack up against the Scotties and redwoods? I assume you'll be tring out a Method putter when they are released as well to finish off the Nike bag? haha

The Dymo has been pretty good to me, but the SQ Tour may just knock it out of the bag. It's been impressive in my testing this week, and I'll be playing another 27 holes over the next two days. If it continues to perform the way it has so far I just might be bagging a different driver.

I really like the Karsten Anser, it replaced an Odyssey White Hot XG9. I just couldn't get any consistency distance-wise with the Odyssey's insert. The Karsten doesn't feel quite as smooth as a Redwood or Scotty, but they are admittedly a different class of putter. IMO these are still great putters and a good deal at under $100.

I'll definitely be trying out the Method line when they come out, but they'll have to feel great to knock the Anser out of the bag. If the insert material in the grooves is too soft for my liking I'll pass on them. All the Nike clubs in my bag have beat out others to earn a spot, they aren't there because of the swoosh and they're certainly not there to look pretty LOL.

[shane0mac1234]

amcquay, on Oct 16 2009, 01:59 AM, said:

shane0mac1234, on Oct 15 2009, 11:02 PM, said:

Thats a sweet driver, I really wanted to try out one of the dymo drivers but the golfsmith by me didnt have any in lefty and I absolutely killed the r9 on the screws every time. How do you like your Karsten series putter? I have been looking into a steel faced putter and at like 90 bucks they look intriguing. How do they stack up against the Scotties and redwoods? I assume you'll be tring out a Method putter when they are released as well to finish off the Nike bag? haha

The Dymo has been pretty good to me, but the SQ Tour may just knock it out of the bag. It's been impressive in my testing this week, and I'll be playing another 27 holes over the next two days. If it continues to perform the way it has so far I just might be bagging a different driver.

I really like the Karsten Anser, it replaced an Odyssey White Hot XG9. I just couldn't get any consistency distance-wise with the Odyssey's insert. The Karsten doesn't feel quite as smooth as a Redwood or Scotty, but they are admittedly a different class of putter. IMO these are still great putters and a good deal at under $100.

I'll definitely be trying out the Method line when they come out, but they'll have to feel great to knock the Anser out of the bag. If the insert material in the grooves is too soft for my liking I'll pass on them. All the Nike clubs in my bag have beat out others to earn a spot, they aren't there because of the swoosh and they're certainly not there to look pretty LOL.

Great to hear about the Karsten, I hit one today at Dicks they had one, but not the Anser I hit another model, although I would be getting the Anser (cant go wrong with that classic design!) it felt pretty solid and seems to be a great value putter. I am gonna wait and see what the method has to bring and my finances at the time, but the Karsten is def very high on my radar. I will 100% agree it is much easier to get great distance control over the insert putters.

As far as the driver, nothing too crazy lookin on it and looks clean at address, cant go wrong there

[Kyle_Bourgeois]

How do you like the CCI's??

[amcquay]

KyleB05, on Oct 20 2009, 06:21 AM, said:

How do you like the CCI's??

A lot, actually. These are the cast version, but they feel much nicer than the G10s they replaced. I'm a sweeper, so the wide sole on the Pings kept getting me into trouble. I was constantly bouncing off the ground and hitting the ball thin. I found these Nikes on consignment at a local shop, and picked them up on a whim as I'd read some great reviews. They were in the bag permanently within a couple of weeks.

They are still pretty forgiving, but they provide nice feedback on mishits. That is the biggest difference for me over the Pings, as everything felt the same with them. Now I immediately know if I made pure contact or not, and that has helped improve my ball striking over the past few weeks. My scores have been steadily lowering and my GIR percentage has been steadily increasing since the switch.

I am curious to try some forged goodness though, and may look at a set of the VR Splits next season if they come down in price.

[VanillaEps]

Interesting observation about your club placement in the bag: I have the same bag and never thought about using the top center divider for the putter. I have the same putter and my putter head cover is mangled and destroyed from being placed in the bottom center divider. What a great place for the putter as its shielded from the irons and Driver and wood are long enough to not make contact with the putter.

Thanks for the enlightenment!

[amcquay]

VanillaEps, on Oct 20 2009, 09:25 AM, said:

Interesting observation about your club placement in the bag: I have the same bag and never thought about using the top center divider for the putter. I have the same putter and my putter head cover is mangled and destroyed from being placed in the bottom center divider. What a great place for the putter as its shielded from the irons and Driver and wood are long enough to not make contact with the putter.

Thanks for the enlightenment!

No problem! I've spent more time than I care to admit trying different configurations and keep coming back to this one. The solitary bad thing I have to say about this bag is that there's no dedicated putter well. If it had that, it would be the perfect bag for me. I do wish I could keep a cover on my putter, but at least the dividers keep everything but the sole protected this way.

[Kyle_Bourgeois]

Thanks, I'm currently using slingshots, and I plan on revamping my bag this spring with some new nike gear. and are the CCI's considered as blades, or split cavity??

Thanks, KB

[amcquay]

KyleB05, on Oct 20 2009, 05:51 PM, said:

Thanks, I'm currently using slingshots, and I plan on revamping my bag this spring with some new nike gear. and are the CCI's considered as blades, or split cavity??

Thanks, KB

I would call them a player's cavity, definitely not blades. The CCi forged are more blade-like, but I play the cast version which have a bit more offset and a slightly thicker sole and topline than the forged do.

[The Miz]

seeing that tour 460 brings a tear to my eye, loved that thing but passed it off to my cousin back in Cali...I'll hunt one down though