WRX Forum Buzzz
Forum Thread of the Day: “Why are people walking away from the game?”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from dedicated2journey, who shared with fellow GolfWRX members his reasons for why some people are walking away from the game. The entire thread is a fascinating read, which developed into a broad debate about the growth of the sport, with plenty of excellent arguments and counter-arguments made. If you have some free time over the weekend, you’ll want to get stuck into this discussion.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire debate and have your say at the link below.
- mark174ace: “I will also say taking lessons from a good teacher who will give you good swing habits can pay dividends for a long, long time. People would spend far less on clubs if they spent more money on lessons and understood their own swing. Their scores would improve, and their mishits would not be as bad so there would be no b.s. psychological need for a new club that will make your problems go away.”
- DDG61: “Am I one of the few that cares very little about the overall “growth” of the game? Other than my seven-year-old daughter I couldn’t care less how many people are exposed to, interested in or committed to golf. Presuming the Tiger era was the large growth what difference does it make if we go back to pre Tiger levels? The game will still be around, ready for all those willing and able.”
- Swisstrader98: “New generation of youth view golf and golfers as stodgy and rigid. Proper dress codes, no music allowed on most courses, having to wear polo collared shirts, a rulebook that even the pros can’t quite decipher and on and on. If we don’t change or at least greatly simplify the rules and make golf exciting or cool, we will continue to see less interest.”
- Lancj1: “I honestly think we need to introduce the availability of playing 3, 4, 5, 9 holes. I’m a club member and live very close to my course. I have a lot of fun in summer taking a carry bag out and playing “my” 5 hole loop. To enable me to do that I have to be a full member on 7-day membership. If my son comes for a walk with me, he’s not allowed to hit a ball.”
- wrmiller: “I wouldn’t say golf is dying. More like it is on a diet and needs to lose a few pounds.”
In our forums, our members have been reacting to a cheap iron experiment that is working wonders for one WRXer. ‘Golfpractictioner5’ explained his experiment in our forums, saying:
“So, I bought a cheap set of Orlimar Single Length irons for $175 off of Amazon in December because I’d always liked the idea but never actually tested it. I played with them for a month on my simulator and course and absolutely hated them. I could not hit them consistently for some reason. Flights and distances were all over the place. I was gonna sell them but decided to change them up instead. I cut off an inch in length down to 36 inches on every club from 5-GW and put on some cheap Amazon Champkey regular sized grips.
The last 4 months have been ridiculous. I only lost about 5 yards per club on the 5-7 and everything else stayed the same. Distances march down perfectly 10 yards ever club starting with 5 iron being 170 yards down to GW being 110 yards. The crazy part is the flight patterns on all the clubs. I’m hitting 5-GW in perfect flight windows and spin actually improved most likely due to strike consistency. The dispersion has been the biggest change with my distances tightening up to the +/- of 5 yards with every club and them landing dead center or at most 5 yards to the right of target.
The reason I tried this out is because 9 iron has always been my go to iron and it is 36 inches on my other sets or irons. I always played to that club distance when laying up because it has always been automatic for me. I plan on carrying out this experiment the rest of the year and looking at my numbers at the end of season. So far, scores are staying in low 80s whereas I have mostly been mid to high 80s the last couple of years. I do not keep an official handicap at this time due to no need for it as I have limited time to actually get on the course and no time for tournaments. Maybe, I’ll start keeping one again once my kids are older.
I am mostly interested in seeing what people think about this and if other people have done this as well.”
And our members have been weighing in with their thoughts in response.
Here are a couple of posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- JAM01: “I tinkered with a sub $200 Snake eyes set from Bock Rottom. They actually were ok at that price.”
- Ghostwedge: “This just shows how individual golf is for each of us, I couldn’t jettison my Cobra Forged Tec OL 4\5 irons fast enough for Ping regular length Crossover’s and my 7-gw one lengths drop dimes all day. Somebody playing well with a $175 set of Orlimar One lengths doesn’t surprise me because the shaft probably fits them really well and the swing will get consistent with the same set up all round long.”
Entire Thread: “Cheap iron experiment working out well – GolfWRXers discuss”
In our forums, our members have been pitting a Srixon ZXi combo against a TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo. WRXer ‘edutch22’ is on the hunt for a new set of irons and kicks off the thread saying:
“Looking at picking up a new set of irons and think I’ve narrowed it down to Srixon ZXi combo or Taylormade P7CB/770 combo. I am currently a 5 cap and allbeit I feel irons are my weakness. My miss is a little to the toe side. I am decently steep at 4-5 down. Always thought I am high spin but recently on trackman my 7 was spinning at 5800 roughly.
My question or looking for thoughts on which one would benefit me more from a forgiveness standpoint? Or is there another iron is should be looking at entirely? I only get to play about once or twice a week, if I am not playing a 2-3 day event. Thanks in advance.”
And our members have been sharing their thoughts and suggestions in response.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- manima1: “You just can’t go wrong with Srixon ZXi7.”
- MattM97: “You have to hit them to know, the V-Sole on the Srixon can be make or break for many.”
- dmeeksDC: “P7CB is more forgiving for me than ZXi7 because my main miss is low middle and the P7CB still flies and spins great on that miss. These are both really nice irons but I like the P7CB more than the Zxi7 and the P770 (or P790) more than the Zxi5. The Srixons are larger so if that gives you confidence that is the way to go. I don’t feel like I get any benefit from the V-sole and the P7CBs live up to their high Maltby forgiveness rating so the TaylorMades have been great for me.”
Entire Thread: “Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”
In our forums, our members have been reacting to a fitting session involving Mizuno’s Pro M13 and Callaway’s X Forged irons. WRXer ‘careergolfer’ recently went through a full fitting session and shared his numbers and commentary, saying:
“After playing Callaway Apex Pros for the pats 5 years, just went through a full iron fitting and thought the data was interesting enough to share. I’ve seen a lot of posts talking about fittings but not many with actual numbers, so here’s mine.
All 7-iron, same ball, same session. Final two were the ones I was choosing between:
| Club | Ball Speed | Launch | Spin | Side Angle | Carry | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current irons | 121.1 mph | 18.3° | 6,691 rpm | 0.7L | 170 | 178 |
| Callaway X Forged | 125.8 mph | 15.9° | 6,144 rpm | 2.2L | 180 | 185 |
| Mizuno M-13 | 125.8 mph | 17.9° | 6,638 rpm | 2.2L | 177 | 182 |
The consistency numbers are what actually made the decision:
| Club | Ball Speed SD | Spin SD | Total Yards SD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current irons | 3.3 | 294 | 5 |
| Callaway X Forged | 2.0 | 211 | 3 |
| Mizuno M-13 | 1.1 | 150 | 2 |
Callaway won on distance by 3 yards but got there with a much lower ball flight (15.9° launch, 6,144 spin). The Mizuno matched my existing flight profile with nearly 3x tighter ball speed consistency.
Fitter also noted I’ve been setting up with a closed face at address to compensate for a heel-heavy dynamic lie. Ordered the M-13s 1° flat to bring impact back to neutral: the theory being if I can set up square, I can actually commit to the release. I’m not sure if this was the right call TBH but took the fitter’s guidance. I’ll see what happens.
Went with the Mizuno. Clubs aren’t in hand yet. Happy to share follow-up data once I’ve played them!”
And our members have been sharing their thoughts in response.
Here are a couple of posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- PowerCobra98: “M13 certainly performed well. Enjoy the new irons once you get them!”
- dmeeksDC: “Two completely different irons. The X Forged is a tour-type iron and would match up with the S3 in the Mizuno lineup. Not going to see a lot of M-13 on pro tours. It’s a crossover iron, three different types of construction in the same set. The M-13 would be more like the AI 150 as the M-13 7 iron is a half-hollow club versus X Forged, which is a straight up forged iron. M-13 middle irons have very thin faces, not holding up well for some buyers if you read through the M-13 thread. Hopefully Mizuno has corrected it. Given the differences in construction, that is surprising ball speed with the X Forged. To me the numbers are quite an endorsement of the X Forged considering it has no ‘tech.'”
Entire Thread: “Mizuno Pro M13 vs Callaway X Forged: My actual fitting numbers – GolfWRXers discuss”
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Tony
Nov 19, 2018 at 8:02 pm
I have been playing for over 20 years. It is very expensive, even for the serious golfer. I for one have had all my golf partners move too far away in our area, or some of the guys I play with are terrible and really slow the round up. I really enjoy just going out to play alone, but that often means later in the afternoon. P.S. I made a equipment change this summer with PXG clubs purchased through the PXG for Heros Program. Best clubs I have ever played.
Speedy
Nov 17, 2018 at 7:38 pm
For newbies, golf’s frustrating, expensive, and time consuming. Fewer audition golf.
For oldies, golf’s evolved beyond their acceptable price point. More are leaving earlier.
For those who remain at some level, driving ranges are the most obvious option.
8thehardway
Nov 17, 2018 at 8:05 am
Prep – Golf laundry, clean clubs & shoes — 1 hour
Change into/out of golf clothes — 30 minutes
Commute to/from course — 1 hour
arrive an hour early (pay, load up cart, warm up) — 1 hour
PLAY — 5 hours
post-round bragging, taunting, settle bets — 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME — 9 hours
da judge
Nov 17, 2018 at 6:21 pm
…. versus staying home with yer nagging wife and nasty kids… watching TV in the basement rec room and drinking beer and eating popcorn… watching football… burp
da judge
Nov 16, 2018 at 12:00 pm
Most of the world’s 50 million ‘golfers’ can’t break 100…. they only play for ‘fun’…. and now the fun is gone because they can’t buy instant gratification. Also most of them are non-athletic failures with pot bellies. They can’t even walk. Golf, the sport of last resort.
James
Nov 16, 2018 at 9:38 pm
Sounds like you are not golfer. How’s your belly looking these days?
da judge
Nov 17, 2018 at 6:18 pm
My belly is 6-pack slim…. I musta hit a nerve with you and your fat pregnant belly.
MT
Nov 17, 2018 at 11:31 pm
What do you mean by “ they can’t buy instant gratification”
da judge
Nov 18, 2018 at 7:31 pm
Instant results and gratification from their new set of PXGs, P790s, etc., … without realizing that to master a golfswing takes many years, decades, of dedicated conditioning, practice and playing. Most who play golf are non-athletic dweebs who have more money than physical ability.