2176 replies to this topic

[Smack Daddy]

The Tour Striker as a tempo aid?

Gave my original TS away last year as I didn't find it hard to hit. In the late fall I bought a 7X Pro model which I used a very small amount before the ranges closed. This year, I waited until my swing was decent before pulling the TS out.

The first few sessions have gone like this....a few so-so hits on the TS which seems to make me want to swing faster and harder leading to very poor strikes. The natural internal desire to wail at the ball when it isn't going just takes over when I used the X. As soon as I realized why my TS hits degraded quickly it forced me to gravitate towards a much better tempo. With a good tempo I hit the 7X Pro 5 iron distance....when I lose tempo and wail I can't hit it at all.

bamboobender, on 10 June 2011 - 06:44 PM, said:

Was also wondering if it's the reg flex shaft in the TS that's throwing me off by getting used to new swing "feels" with it then trying to hit with my clubs. Wondering if I should put a stiff shaft in it, because I can hit my wedges that have reg flex shafts in them just fine.

Funny thing reading this now. I was always practicing with my previous set of irons which is the same brand, loft, lie and length as my gamers. Hit great on the range but high toe on my gamers when playing. The only difference was the model of stiff shafts. One practice session with my gamers and the high toe hit was gone. Little things can matter.

[bamboobender]

Cmartingolf, on 11 June 2011 - 01:04 AM, said:

bamboobender, on 10 June 2011 - 06:44 PM, said:

Picked up a TS at my local gc pro shop last Thursday, and wish I'd seen this thread first. I hit the 56 degree pretty well after making some adjustments, the shots were very high and about 125 avg carry. Then I tried the regular TS (which I bought) and had pretty good success with it also. I liked the feeling of hitting very high shots around 150-170 with such a nice trajectory, with what seemed like a half effort 3/4 swing. I was even able to hit some like that off hard pan and out of divots. About every third shot was a line drive or a skull because the urge to throw the clubface at the ball is a strong one (which I'm sure everyone who flips the clubs knows all too well). Anyway, the wheels fell off when I tried to hit my irons (FG 51's\TT dynamic stiff) after hitting nothing but the TS and my driver for three days. I had scheduled a fitting session with the titleist rep, and the guy probably thought I was a complete idiot. lol I felt like I had never hit a ball in my life. I know we all have bad days, but that was getting pretty embarrassing, he finally said that I just needed to practice more before trying to get fit. Couldn't blame for that from he saw, there was really no point in trying to explain that I normally hit my irons very high and string straight, the only real problem I have is trying to stop the flip. I was wondering if anyone else has had any trouble hitting their usual clubs after hitting hundreds of  balls with the TS only. Maybe I'm the only one dumb enough to do that? lol Was also wondering if it's the reg flex shaft in the TS that's throwing me off by getting used to new swing "feels" with it then trying to hit with my clubs. Wondering if I should put a stiff shaft in it, because I can hit my wedges that have reg flex shafts in them just fine.

What do you mean by the wheels falling off?? Top, thin, shanks, chunky?? Let me know, I can likely help you. You might be a perfect picker and all the work with the TS had you touching the ground. As I've said many times in this thread. The learning is two part; one to touch the ground with some forward lean and then to be able to do it consistently.

I had to smile a little reading this. I appreciate you good humor.

Thanks for the reply, Pretty much all the above is what I meant by "the wheels falling off" fats, thins, tops, whiffs even. Just like I said it was if I had never hit a golf ball in my life. lol Just reading through this thread and seeing how others had better  results with there own clubs after getting used to hitting the TS caused  me wonder why I wasn't, at least not yet.
I did go to the practice hole later and hit a bunch of  60 -75 yd "Trevino spinning wedge" pitches with 55* wedge, that's always been a favorite of mine, and those went well, even started making little scrapes in front of the ball.  I think you are right about the hitting the ground thing and me being just an educated picker, when I think about it now a lot of the shots, hit with the TS that seemed pretty good, I was likely hitting the ground behind the ball and it was just skidding through. At any rate I think this club is a wonderful teaching aid because of the immediate feedback that is needed to change neuronal patterns. I think you have a winner here, not to mention the time you spend on here genuinely trying to help others get better, that is way above and beyond just good customer service--kudos to you and I hope you are enjoying your well deserved success with this training aid.
Oh btw I don't play conventional golf, I play single axis (grip in the lifeline of the palm of my right hand), but I don't think that  makes any difference when it comes to the TS, impact position is impact position. Moe Norman looked very much like every other good player at impact, except for having both his feet still flat on the ground, and his hips only slightly open.

[Cmartingolf]

I had the privilege of spending a lot of time around Moe when I was a young man. Wow, what a striker. He had superior low point control, the main reason why he was the best Striker of his time. Keep using the TS and monitor where you are touching the ground. It takes rhythm and patience, but the TS will help speed your progress and "have the feeling of greatness," like Moe described.

[bamboobender]

Smack Daddy, on 11 June 2011 - 09:24 AM, said:

The Tour Striker as a tempo aid?

Gave my original TS away last year as I didn't find it hard to hit. In the late fall I bought a 7X Pro model which I used a very small amount before the ranges closed. This year, I waited until my swing was decent before pulling the TS out.

The first few sessions have gone like this....a few so-so hits on the TS which seems to make me want to swing faster and harder leading to very poor strikes. The natural internal desire to wail at the ball when it isn't going just takes over when I used the X. As soon as I realized why my TS hits degraded quickly it forced me to gravitate towards a much better tempo. With a good tempo I hit the 7X Pro 5 iron distance....when I lose tempo and wail I can't hit it at all.

bamboobender, on 10 June 2011 - 06:44 PM, said:

Was also wondering if it's the reg flex shaft in the TS that's throwing me off by getting used to new swing "feels" with it then trying to hit with my clubs. Wondering if I should put a stiff shaft in it, because I can hit my wedges that have reg flex shafts in them just fine.

Funny thing reading this now. I was always practicing with my previous set of irons which is the same brand, loft, lie and length as my gamers. Hit great on the range but high toe on my gamers when playing. The only difference was the model of stiff shafts. One practice session with my gamers and the high toe hit was gone. Little things can matter.

Thats exactly what I have found over the last two years. I wish I had had the TS back then. I was for many years what, I would call now a, happy flipper. I din't know that I was scooping the ball and throwing away a lot of power. I figured I was mostly doing things right based on the fact that I could hit pretty much everything dead straight, my miss was a straight right push or taking about an eight inch "bacon strip" that started six inches behind the ball, but even that would go straight bntu come up a little short.. I did wonder why I hit everything so darn high, and any headwind would just eat my lunch. lol Then I made the mistake of looking at single axis golf instruction online and taking videos of myself hitting balls. And there was that ugly broken down left wrist that looked exactly like every "no" picture that was used to illustrate impact positions. Anyway I have been working on trying to get that hands ahead position at impact for the last few years with limited success. I did pick up a lot of distance, but I just don't know when its coming. lol  I used to hit my 50* pw 100 yds now its 100-140 with a normal (for me) high trajectory. Approach shots have become quite the guessing game from 100 yds and back lol

[bamboobender]

Cmartingolf, on 11 June 2011 - 12:33 PM, said:

I had the privilege of spending a lot of time around Moe when I was a young man. Wow, what a striker. He had superior low point control, the main reason why he was the best Striker of his time. Keep using the TS and monitor where you are touching the ground. It takes rhythm and patience, but the TS will help speed your progress and "have the feeling of greatness," like Moe described.

That must have been a fantastic experience! I would have loved to have been able to see him hit balls in person. I didn't know about him until that article came out about him in Golf Digest in '95.
I think I actually have had that "feeling" a few times in the last year, and a quite a few times lately when I hit the TS well. The trajectory is really nice, it looks much like the shots I used to watch my Dad hit (he was a scratch golfer) My trajectory always looked more like the St. Louis arch.
I thought I was "hittin em like Moe" for years (self taught based  on the DG article) based on how straight they flew, but the stupid video camera burst that bubble. lol I will continue to work with the TS since it wont let me get away with that hit impulse and won't let me pick the ball from a tight lie no matter how hard I try, and believe me I've tried! :-) I wish I had known about the TS a few years ago. And again thanks for your help.

[Smack Daddy]

Cmartingolf, on 11 June 2011 - 12:33 PM, said:

I had the privilege of spending a lot of time around Moe when I was a young man.

The course I am a member at (Brantford) is a course where Moe spent much of his time playing and practicing. We have so many guys who not only have great stories but are also great imitators. Love hearing the stories.

[Cmartingolf]

Smack Daddy, on 11 June 2011 - 03:15 PM, said:

Cmartingolf, on 11 June 2011 - 12:33 PM, said:

I had the privilege of spending a lot of time around Moe when I was a young man.

The course I am a member at (Brantford) is a course where Moe spent much of his time playing and practicing. We have so many guys who not only have great stories but are also great imitators. Love hearing the stories.

Smack, I've played there many times. Brantford always had a very good junior tourney (Moe hit balls for us there a couple of times) and I played in the Ontario/Nebraska Junior Matches and Brantford hosted. Loved it.

[Noreaster71]

I can hit my 7X Pro fairly consistant but when I'M on the course I leave next to no divot. I'M a picker of the ball and my Pro has said as much so my question is can one be a picker of the ball and still be able to hit the 7X Pro? I'M trying real hard to hit down on the ball more but a picker I be.......

Edited by Noreaster71, 12 June 2011 - 05:34 PM.

[Cmartingolf]

Noreaster71, on 12 June 2011 - 04:54 PM, said:

I can hit my 7X Pro fairly consistant but when I'M on the course I leave next to no divot. I'M a picker of the ball and my Pro has said as much so my question is can one be a picker of the ball and still be able to hit the 7X Pro? I'M trying real hard to hit down on the ball more but a picker I be.......

Tom Watson is a picker.

He's a picker with forward lean. That is a big difference than a picker that scoops it. Sounds to me like you are more like Tom W than a typical picker.

Make sure the turf you hit from is pretty tight at .500 or better. Anything higher will not give you the feedback you want. Take care and keep me posted on your progress. Post a video if you can and I'll take a peek.

Edited by Cmartingolf, 12 June 2011 - 11:00 PM.

[pinkie]

Big flipper here - I have no forward shaft lean at impact.

So...I brought one a month ago and to my surprise I hit it fine straight out of the box (off a hard range mat)

But I still flip it.

So not used it since.

[Cmartingolf]

pinkie, on 13 June 2011 - 05:52 AM, said:

Big flipper here - I have no forward shaft lean at impact.

So...I brought one a month ago and to my surprise I hit it fine straight out of the box (off a hard range mat)

But I still flip it.

So not used it since.

Pinkie, which model did you get? The "regular" version allows some tolerance between the leading edge height and the equator. The Pro model has very little tolerance. "Hard" range mats, while better than fluffy mats, still allow the club to sink into the surface and artificially get under the equator.

Take the club out to the turf and give it a try.

Thanks for posting.

[pinkie]

Cmartingolf, on 13 June 2011 - 06:06 AM, said:

pinkie, on 13 June 2011 - 05:52 AM, said:

Big flipper here - I have no forward shaft lean at impact.

So...I brought one a month ago and to my surprise I hit it fine straight out of the box (off a hard range mat)

But I still flip it.

So not used it since.

Pinkie, which model did you get? The "regular" version allows some tolerance between the leading edge height and the equator. The Pro model has very little tolerance. "Hard" range mats, while better than fluffy mats, still allow the club to sink into the surface and artificially get under the equator.

Take the club out to the turf and give it a try.

Thanks for posting.

I got the Pro version (6 handicap). Hope that's right?

I purchased it through Ebay via a US seller (I am in the UK and couldn't get it over here at the time) and he posted it without any instructions.

I will certainly take it to the turf and let you know how I get on.

Thanks for the tip!

[golfdu]

Hey Martin, today I discovered something bad in my posture: my upper body isn't bent enough. Apparently, when instructors say bend your upper body, I thought bend your upper back... My upper body posture was too stiff, it wasn't a relaxed upper back. So I figured it out by reading this http://www.perfectgo...ddressSetup.htm Apparently, my lower back did not match 30 degrees foward, that would explain why I toe a lot of shots (I would have to reach my arms in, making it over the top). So I will be doing the match lower back to 30 degrees while still maintaining the relaxed roundness (as it is supposed to be) of the upper back. Is this right, Martin?

[mostlyharmless]

Just had my first session with the tour striker (pro X 7 model). At first it was REALLY strange looking down at this club. A quarter size sweet spot looks really very small and it is hard to believe you could actually hit sold shots with this club.

The first 8 shots were not pretty I was happy though that it didn't feel overly harsh when mishit. Of the next 50 balls with the club I probably hit 30 solid and very high shots. I clearly need some more practice to get consistent.

The main thing I noticed is that it reinforces a really good image of how to hit the ball really high. Not by hitting up but by hitting down. I can always hit my ping i3 irons a decent hight but after hitting the tour striker on the range today I hit some of the most solid and highest 7 irons i can remember. Very nice!

The only thing i didn't like was the shaft. It only comes in regular or stiff. I play DG X100 (extra stiff) shafts and when I timed the TS to hit a nice high draw my own clubs would play a shot that started right but wouldn't curve back. This is an easy fix as I just have to put an X100 shaft in the tour striker but it would have been nice to have that as on option when purchasing from the website.

If you are wondering about the pro X 7 model I can confirm it is a challenging club to hit for me (7 handicap). However, if you don't mind hitting a few ugly shots on the range now and then I think you can really improve your swing and ball striking with this club.

[bamboobender]

Well, I have found the "secret" to hitting the TS consistently! Amazingly, it's exactly like Martin described in the video--feeling the lag pressure in the index finger of the trail hand, and keeping that feeling way longer than what "seems" right. Lol (Read the manual right?)

[Cmartingolf]

golfdu, on 13 June 2011 - 06:55 PM, said:

Hey Martin, today I discovered something bad in my posture: my upper body isn't bent enough. Apparently, when instructors say bend your upper body, I thought bend your upper back... My upper body posture was too stiff, it wasn't a relaxed upper back. So I figured it out by reading this http://www.perfectgo...ddressSetup.htm Apparently, my lower back did not match 30 degrees foward, that would explain why I toe a lot of shots (I would have to reach my arms in, making it over the top). So I will be doing the match lower back to 30 degrees while still maintaining the relaxed roundness (as it is supposed to be) of the upper back. Is this right, Martin?

Frankie, why don't you post a swing so I can take a look. That is a lot of text to get through:) If you make a mistake with posture, bend too much from the hips. Too straight has more issues.

[Cmartingolf]

mostlyharmless, on 13 June 2011 - 11:11 PM, said:

Just had my first session with the tour striker (pro X 7 model). At first it was REALLY strange looking down at this club. A quarter size sweet spot looks really very small and it is hard to believe you could actually hit sold shots with this club.

The first 8 shots were not pretty I was happy though that it didn't feel overly harsh when mishit. Of the next 50 balls with the club I probably hit 30 solid and very high shots. I clearly need some more practice to get consistent.

The main thing I noticed is that it reinforces a really good image of how to hit the ball really high. Not by hitting up but by hitting down. I can always hit my ping i3 irons a decent hight but after hitting the tour striker on the range today I hit some of the most solid and highest 7 irons i can remember. Very nice!

The only thing i didn't like was the shaft. It only comes in regular or stiff. I play DG X100 (extra stiff) shafts and when I timed the TS to hit a nice high draw my own clubs would play a shot that started right but wouldn't curve back. This is an easy fix as I just have to put an X100 shaft in the tour striker but it would have been nice to have that as on option when purchasing from the website.

If you are wondering about the pro X 7 model I can confirm it is a challenging club to hit for me (7 handicap). However, if you don't mind hitting a few ugly shots on the range now and then I think you can really improve your swing and ball striking with this club.

Thanks Mostly. Glad you dig it. Some guys have said that and swapped out the shaft. I have X shafts in my play set and use the stock S in the TSX.

bamboobender, on 14 June 2011 - 12:52 AM, said:

Well, I have found the "secret" to hitting the TS consistently! Amazingly, it's exactly like Martin described in the video--feeling the lag pressure in the index finger of the trail hand, and keeping that feeling way longer than what "seems" right. Lol (Read the manual right?)

Read the manual?

Soft wrists and strong fingers is a really hard thing for a grown man to learn. We try and overpower things. I love it when some of my HS Girls can bomb it by the men on the range...cause they have REALLY strong wrists:)

[mshills]

Hi Martin.

Just picked up a TS Pro 7.  I am in my mid-30s, reasonably athletic, hit the ball slightly longer and slightly higher than "average" I suppose.  Grew up caddying, never had a golf lesson.  I have fought an OTT move for years, and you can probably guess how I have learned to compensate for it.    Index has been as low as a 7, primary issue is consistency.  I'm not looking to get to scratch or anything, not right now.  Between business and family commitments I just don't have the time I need to put in.  But I'm after consistency above all else.

On good days I will drive it where I can find it and hit pretty decent iron shots.  On bad days I will drive it crooked and I will have two or more iron shots.  I finally picked up the TS today because I've had it with the wild variation in scoring.  My last four rounds on pretty tough golf courses:

82
83
79
92  (this is the round that made me turn to the TS for help.  52-40 is just not acceptable, and I cannot even claim to have been hung over for that 52.)

I typically don't take divots except with PW and SW, and even many of my good shots with those clubs are divotless.  Since I'm not Tom Watson, I know this is a flip move!    So here I have the TS Pro 7 to set me straight.  Can't wait to get it to the range (hopefully after the office tomorrow) to get humbled and then get better.

Will report back.

[bamboobender]

"Read the manual?" I meant I had a "DUH!" moment because I had been trying very hard to do exactly what you said not to do in the video (force the impact position) then I remembered the grape illustration...took some practice swings getting the feel of keeping my right hand soft and letting the club "lag" behind my hands... then I put down a ball, made my normal swing but allowed that feeling of letting the club lag behind, and there it was, that nice high penetrating ball flight. It actually felt like I was going to drag the clubhead over the top of the ball and whiff, but instead I got a nice solid strike. The next dozen shots or so were all over the white pin at the range, one even hopped up and hit the stick. Hoping it wasn't a fluke I pulled out my driver and hit some balls with that same feeling, and they were mostly right down the middle, started hitting some pretty far too.  Couple of "pop flys" at first till I moved the ball forward in my stance, adjusting for the different motion. Talk about the light bulb going on! lol I started hitting my clubs with similar results. I was flabbergasted, I couldn't stop saying to myself  Really!! Really!! That's it!! Now I know better than to think "I got this all figured out now" because I've been there too many times, but I do believe that this is exactly what I was missing. Again, thanks a million for such an ingenious product and great instruction!  

"Soft wrists and strong fingers is a really hard thing for a grown man to  learn. We try and overpower things. I love it when some of my HS Girls  can bomb it by the men on the range...cause they have REALLY strong  wrists:)" -- So true! Didn't Moe use to say "this little guy (the golf ball) is controlling 50 million people" ? Or something like that.

[Cmartingolf]

msh0146, on 14 June 2011 - 12:04 PM, said:

Hi Martin.

Just picked up a TS Pro 7.  I am in my mid-30s, reasonably athletic, hit the ball slightly longer and slightly higher than "average" I suppose.  Grew up caddying, never had a golf lesson.  I have fought an OTT move for years, and you can probably guess how I have learned to compensate for it.    Index has been as low as a 7, primary issue is consistency.  I'm not looking to get to scratch or anything, not right now.  Between business and family commitments I just don't have the time I need to put in.  But I'm after consistency above all else.

On good days I will drive it where I can find it and hit pretty decent iron shots.  On bad days I will drive it crooked and I will have two or more iron shots.  I finally picked up the TS today because I've had it with the wild variation in scoring.  My last four rounds on pretty tough golf courses:

82
83
79
92  (this is the round that made me turn to the TS for help.  52-40 is just not acceptable, and I cannot even claim to have been hung over for that 52.)

I typically don't take divots except with PW and SW, and even many of my good shots with those clubs are divotless.  Since I'm not Tom Watson, I know this is a flip move!    So here I have the TS Pro 7 to set me straight.  Can't wait to get it to the range (hopefully after the office tomorrow) to get humbled and then get better.

Will report back.

You'll do great. I think you'll find that the TS is more of a rhythm tool for you that allows you to have slightly better, more dependable impact alignments. The best thing you can do is forget about those anomaly rounds and focus on great play.

[Cmartingolf]

bamboobender, on 14 June 2011 - 12:54 PM, said:

"Read the manual?" I meant I had a "DUH!" moment because I had been trying very hard to do exactly what you said not to do in the video (force the impact position) then I remembered the grape illustration...took some practice swings getting the feel of keeping my right hand soft and letting the club "lag" behind my hands... then I put down a ball, made my normal swing but allowed that feeling of letting the club lag behind, and there it was, that nice high penetrating ball flight. It actually felt like I was going to drag the clubhead over the top of the ball and whiff, but instead I got a nice solid strike. The next dozen shots or so were all over the white pin at the range, one even hopped up and hit the stick. Hoping it wasn't a fluke I pulled out my driver and hit some balls with that same feeling, and they were mostly right down the middle, started hitting some pretty far too.  Couple of "pop flys" at first till I moved the ball forward in my stance, adjusting for the different motion. Talk about the light bulb going on! lol I started hitting my clubs with similar results. I was flabbergasted, I couldn't stop saying to myself  Really!! Really!! That's it!! Now I know better than to think "I got this all figured out now" because I've been there too many times, but I do believe that this is exactly what I was missing. Again, thanks a million for such an ingenious product and great instruction!  

"Soft wrists and strong fingers is a really hard thing for a grown man to  learn. We try and overpower things. I love it when some of my HS Girls  can bomb it by the men on the range...cause they have REALLY strong  wrists:)" -- So true! Didn't Moe use to say "this little guy (the golf ball) is controlling 50 million people" ? Or something like that.

Cool, glad you had an epiphany! That is awesome. Yes, Moe did say something like that!

[Noreaster71]

Is there such a thing as having too tight a lie for the TS?  Yesterday I placed a piece of cardboard on a concrete floor and began hitting balls with the TS wedge. I was able to hit a variety of shots from this extremly bare lie. Today, I went to a range where the mats might as well be cardboard over concrete. I whipped out the 7xPro and was able to hit 5  decent shots. The rest of my shots either were worm burners or were dead right. Until today I never hit anything to the right. The lie was very, very thin. I have hit the 7xPro before with very good contact in the past so IM somewhat confused. Is there such a thing as having to thin a lie for the 7xPro, or maybe the mats I was hitting off before were not firm enough. I now say again is there such a thing as having too tight a lie for the TS in particular the 7xPro? If not then maybe I need more work off of these very tight lies. What say you?

[bamboobender]

only had time to hit a few plastic practice balls in the yard this morning, the first few shots were topped, but I settled down worked on getting that same feeling, and the rest were high and straight. The practice balls, cant remember what they're called, fly a lot like a real ball and make a whizzing sound if you put a lot of backspin on them. They were "whizzing'" pretty loud this morning.

BTW i figured out that direction problems stemmed from letting my grip start to come around too much on top of the club and into my fingers(creating the worst possible two axis style of grip), the right hand palm grip is the crux of the single axis system. This was probably due to the narrow grip on the TS, I'll put a larger grip on it later. At any rate when i said you filled in the missing piece, I meant that many people, apparently, who try to learn single axis golf, because the strong right hand position(IMO), start to struggle with casting because its so easy to do. basically the single axis grip cured my horrible slice, pretty much instantly. I used to hit a slice you wouldn't believe, I often though that if I could keep the ball in the air long enough it would come right back at me. The sad thing is I'm not exaggerating all that much. If I aimed 45* left off the fairway and there was no headwind or left to right wind, it might find the fairway. lol Or I might hit a straight pull that went even farther left--it usually went downhill from there--I mean i had to aim left of the green with my pitching wedge so I wouldn't miss to the green to the right. I'm thinking  this new "epiphany" about achieving a better impact position will be just as significant as the palm grip was for me.

[mshills]

Cmartingolf, on 14 June 2011 - 04:32 PM, said:

You'll do great. I think you'll find that the TS is more of a rhythm tool for you that allows you to have slightly better, more dependable impact alignments. The best thing you can do is forget about those anomaly rounds and focus on great play.

Thanks Martin.  Unfortunately those rounds happen often enough now where I can no longer call them anomalies.    I think this device will help cure a fair amount of what ails me.  I'll report back after my first session tonight, and will get some video up if I can.

[mostlyharmless]

I want to replace the shaft in my TS pro x 7. My tempo is just too quick for the stiff shaft and I keep hooking it. I should probably slow my tempo but ... well ... that just doesn't seem possible for me

I ordered a KBS c-taper X-flex shaft (.335 taper tip). Will that fit in the TS head?

I know it will fit in my Ping i3 7-iron where I want to try this shaft anyway but not sure about the TS.

Edited by mostlyharmless, 15 June 2011 - 07:26 PM.

[RandomSwing]

mostlyharmless, on 15 June 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:

I want to replace the shaft in my TS pro x 7. My tempo is just too quick for the stiff shaft and I keep hooking it. I should probably slow my tempo but ... well ... that just doesn't seem possible for me

I ordered a KBS c-taper X-flex shaft (.335 taper tip). Will that fit in the TS head?

I know it will fit in my Ping i3 7-iron where I want to try this shaft anyway but not sure about the TS.

Martin said in an earlier post that the head takes a 0.370 parallel-tip shaft.

[DaveLeeNC]

I'm guessing that the correct answer to my question is 'you'll just have to try it".

I am a 5-6 handicapper with a 'marginal' impact position. It isn't what I wish it was, however my shaft at impact is definitely not leaning backwards. But even with the short irons it is barely  leaning forward.  IOW, I am a little bit flippy (but hardly the poster child for a 'bad flip').

The TS seems like it might be a useful tool for me (and I am a practice hound). However, I am guessing that, with my swing, what I will naturally tend to do with the TS is simply learn to better time my flip. IMHO (have never tried it) I can hit the ball with my swing using a TS - I just have to get the timing EXACTLY right. While it probably would be a useful tool for finding a better impact position, I'm not sure that it will 'force that issue'.

I've attached a pic of a 3i (hybrid) impact position to give folks a feel for what I am talking about.

What do folks think here? If I go the TS route wihich club should I chose?

Thanks.

dave
 FaceOn.jpg   57.99K   33 downloads

Edited by DaveLeeNC, 16 June 2011 - 11:04 AM.

[Cmartingolf]

Noreaster71, on 14 June 2011 - 05:30 PM, said:

Is there such a thing as having too tight a lie for the TS?  Yesterday I placed a piece of cardboard on a concrete floor and began hitting balls with the TS wedge. I was able to hit a variety of shots from this extremly bare lie. Today, I went to a range where the mats might as well be cardboard over concrete. I whipped out the 7xPro and was able to hit 5  decent shots. The rest of my shots either were worm burners or were dead right. Until today I never hit anything to the right. The lie was very, very thin. I have hit the 7xPro before with very good contact in the past so IM somewhat confused. Is there such a thing as having to thin a lie for the 7xPro, or maybe the mats I was hitting off before were not firm enough. I now say again is there such a thing as having too tight a lie for the TS in particular the 7xPro? If not then maybe I need more work off of these very tight lies. What say you?

Yes, concrete won't work. You need a little "give." The key is not to have enough to where you don't get the right feedback. Ideally, the club will help you gain a feel that will transfer to your play set. Not magic, but a feel that should help you get better. Cheers, MC

[Cmartingolf]

mostlyharmless, on 15 June 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:

I want to replace the shaft in my TS pro x 7. My tempo is just too quick for the stiff shaft and I keep hooking it. I should probably slow my tempo but ... well ... that just doesn't seem possible for me

I ordered a KBS c-taper X-flex shaft (.335 taper tip). Will that fit in the TS head?

I know it will fit in my Ping i3 7-iron where I want to try this shaft anyway but not sure about the TS.

Yes, it is a .370 parallel tip. Sorry. I want to try those C-taper shafts!

[mshills]

Martin:  You've got a great idea  here.  Bought a medium bucket yesterday and was DETERMINED not to cheat.  I stomped down the turf for a good few minutes so as not to be tempted to fluff my lie and fool myself into hitting good shots.  Hit a few out of the bare dirt after I'd cleaned out a nice square.

Out of that medium bucket, I probably hit good shots with 1 out of every 4 or 5 swings.  Enough where I wasn't completely discouraged and I can't wait to get back at it.  My consistency sucks - I know for sure that I did not make 2 good full swings in a row, but the 9-to-3 action produced a few good ones back to back.

One thing that was readily apparent that you said on your DVD is that when I make the correct motion and hit a good shot with this club, I am hitting the ball pretty hard, but it does not feel that way.  Balance -- what a concept...    There is no way to hit good shots with this club by coming OTT, so with some concentrated effort, I will rid myself of that move once and for all.  I am also pretty flexible and I have a tendency to get way too long with my backswing.  This club did not permit that.  When I get long, I can see the clubhead out of the corner of my left eye, and at least on this first session, the worms and snakes in front of me were quaking with fear every time I saw the clubhead out of my left eye.  Impossible for me to hit a good shot from an over-long backswing.

Another point I noticed - I could not really draw or fade this club very much.  I did not try that hard, but at least in the first session, it was either good contact and a straight ball, a worm-burner / snake-killer, or close to a shank.  I do not think that's good or bad, and I will certainly take a straight ball , but just an observation.

2011 will be the summer to end picking and flipping.  Now, do you have any ideas for a Tour Striker driver?    That is where my real issues are...