Been waiting for this to get bumped. It's soul searching time.

Almost 30, been playing for over 20 years, married, kids, 4 rounds in a summer is a lot of golf for me anymore. However, even though I rarely play, I can still go out and shoot mid 90s like it's my job. Not like that's an accomplishment, but let me break it down.

12 or 13 bogeys
1 or 2 doubles
3 or 4 pars/birdies
2 or 3 abominations (8+)

That's been my average round for the past 7 or so years, I'm going tomorrow morning for the first time this year, and I will bet money that's what it will look like. So I get it, I'm not real good, but I don't embarrass myself either, mostly because I don't take it seriously, and I play with guys like me.

That said, I'd love to break 90 once, and then do it consistently.

How?

I'm playing with 11 year old knock off Callaways, and an 11 year old Taylor Made driver. I am tempted to get some new clubs, because I need them, my 6 iron has about a dime sized divot on the bottom, they're just old. But I'm also not foolish enough to think that new clubs are going to shave 6 or 7 strokes off my game.

If I can just turn my abomination holes into doubles that's 6 or 7 strokes right there. But how?

New clubs?
More consistency with my approach to each swing?
More concentration (i.e. take it a little more seriously)?
Buck up and find the time to play 3 or 4 rounds a month for the next few months and see how it goes?
New shoes?
Take a lesson?

Have you been here before and improved? Or should I accept my lot in life and be happy with the fact that I can go out and not completely embarrass myself?
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I'm playing a Cleveland Classic Driver with the C. Kua 59x shaft and a set of MP-14 Irons with true temper Dynamic Gold S300 shafts, with fairly new grips. T-Zoid fairway woods with the same shafts as the irons. They're the same year as the MP-14s. Old. I hit a 5 wood off the ground and there's a 3 wood I use as a driving club. It has minimal loft for a 3 wood but I can't tell you the degree. 13 degrees? And a Rosa Putter or an old Ping Zing 2.

I badly need to find some new fairway clubs I like.
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Phil,

Try the Exotics line from Tour Edge. They are insanely long. The XCG model is more forgiving. The head is a little large, but you can still elevate the ball from a tight lie with them. The CB models are far more workable, with smaller heads, but tougher to hit.

They all have Ti faces, so they're super hot and they come with really nice stock shafts.

You should be able to find good deals for the XCG-5s now that they've been discontinued.

Ping's I series of fairway woods are really easy to get off the deck. The i15 was almost too shallow though, and as a result, wasn't a very good driving club. The i20, G20, and G15 were all solid, all-purpose fairways.

The Adams XTD line are preposterously long, but expensive, and they've had some quality control issues with a weight flying out of the sole.

A hidden gem: Mizuno's MP Titanium or MP 650. The MP 650 actually sits a little open, has a compact, all-Ti head, and is a workable rocket launcher.
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The bottom line, is you have to play more to get the feel especially for chipping/putting. If you can consistently play in the mid 90's for someone who plays 4-5 times per year, I consider that pretty good.

I have been there and pretty much still am at mid 40's. I play with younger guys who are less consistent and it's basically because they havent played much.

I have had many sub 90 rounds, low to mid 80's and I consider that to be the best I can play given the number of times I play per year.

New clubs help but I have found it's more mental than anything else. The *one* thing I found to really help was to chip around in my back yard and just get used to the short shots 5-10 or so yards and get a good feel for your short iron be it sand wedge or pitching wedge and get confident. If you can chip close to the pin, it saves you several strokes putting less.

I look at it this way...on a par 72 course, if you shoot bogey golf, that's 90...or shoot a 5 on each hole, that's 90. Bogey golf for a 'duffer' or someone who plays as infrequently as you or I do, is pretty good.
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If you want to shoot bogey golf the best thing you can do is work on your short game. In the winter months or on rainy days try the following:

Find the shortest, smoothest carpet in your house and place a dime on the floor. Practice rolling putts over the dime. If it doesn't hit the dime, it's a miss. Practice straight putts inside of five feet and when you hit them have another club parallel to the line formed by your feet.

If you groove a consistent set-up where you are square to the target and become nearly automatic inside of five feet you'll shave more strokes off your score than with any swing tip.
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Awesome, two solid advice posts in a row, both highlighting short game. I know that's where you save strokes, and I do probably 3 putt more than I 2 putt, so it could use some work.

I never take the time to work on it at home, either inside or out in the back yard. I'll try to do that and maybe try to play a little more this year and see what happens.

I've been checking out those Tour Edge XCG 5 drivers, they're going for $160 on Amazon right now. Do you like those as well as the fairway woods?
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Masters coming up soon.... who ya got?

I have to go with Tiger. He's been on fire so far this season.
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I hope so, I've always been a "Tiger" guy, since he came on the scene. I hope he can get back to winning majors and really challenge Jack's record. It does suck that he can win 3 or 4 lesser tournaments per year and no one really cares anymore. If he doesn't get that major monkey off his back soon, I fear he won't really challenge for the record.
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I guess I should surf that stuff up. The Pings are the White ones? LOL
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the short game is where you really save stokes...If you think a driver will help your approach or putting it in the fairway, it cannot hurt. Get a driver that you feel confident in and grip and rip. If your in the fairway and have a good approach, you are ahead of the game. If you miss the green consistently, work on a mid iron at the range to get consistent.

Short of that, work the short game...remember... if you can do no more than 5 strokes per hole, you're shooting 90.

Bottom line, though, have fun...nothing better than golf and friends on a good day on the course regardless of score.
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The TEE drivers never receive quite as much love as the fairways. I've never hit one, so I can't give a first-hand account, but the consensus is that they are a solid club.

I can't say enough good things about my G20; it's long and forgiving, and you should be able to find new ones on eBay for $150 by now. You'd pay $199 in shop due to Ping's pricing requirements w/ retailers.

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If you ever have time to work on your putting at the course, try the following drill:

Find a cup on a flat spot. Take six balls and space them around the cup evenly at three feet. Since your putter is almost always 34-36", you've got a measuring stick. Practice going around the clock, sinking every ball. If you miss one, pull all the balls out and start again.

As you get better you can add additional layers of difficulty to the drill. Make yourself complete it twice, three times, and so on.

Once you become really good at it, add a second circle of balls at 5-6 feet.
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Another thing; All golfers should have a club they feel confident in from the fairway. Whether it's a five wood or hybrid, find something that you can use as a security blanket, develop an intimate relationship with it, and lean on it whenever you're in trouble.
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Drivers: TM R11s with RIP Alpha 60 shaft. Nike VR-s driver with Diamana 'Ahina 70. Course testing these both for the next month or so.

3W: Rocketballz 14.5 with RIP Beta.

3H/4H: TM Rescue 11 - 18* and 21* both with RIP Alpha hybrid shafts.

5-PW: Mizuno JPX 800 Pro with Dynamic Gold X100's soft stepped once.

Wedges: Vokey spin milled in 50-55-60.

Putter: 2012 Scotty Cameron California Monterrey.

Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV.
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Driver: Titleist 983 E
Driver2: Titleist 983 K
3wood: Titleist 980f
5wood: Titleist 980f
Irons: Hogan Apex Edge 2-P
Wedge: Titleist vokey 56 degree
Putter: Odessy white hot Rossie
Putter2: ping model 1 A
Gap wedge is Cleveland but gets no play because I can't hit that thing for shit

My gear is waaay outdated lol
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I had thought they were banning anchoring of putters but apparently not yet.
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