Got out for a few holes...

[limpalong]

... with the new R1 driver. Been below freezing since last Friday. This morning, was a little warmer. We teed off at 31 degrees. Was 38 when we finished. Heater in the cart... and doors... so wasn't too bad.

Wanted so bad to hit the R1. Fairways are hard. Temps cold. Can't really compare what the "real" driver will act like when temps are more seasonal. But, did get some whacks to get a feel for the thing.

The negatives I had read were sound, feel, and lack of distance. Was a little worried, since I got the TP shaft in "S" flex. Probably too much shaft for an old man. If I do have driver troubles, it's when I don't wait for the shaft. Certainly no "lag" in this piece of galvanized pipe!!!!

I've got it set at 11.25 degrees loft, neutral on the bottom face angle plate, and the weights in the draw position. I'd read too many reviews where folks said they couldn't get the R1 off the ground. This thing just wants to go straight. It's almost point and shoot. I attempted to judge distance from where the ball landed in the fairway, compared to where my current driver(s) typically land. If anything, the R1 is just a tad bit longer in the air. That may be relative to the higher loft setting.

#10 is a par 5. Hard dogleg left about 190 out. Tall cottonwood trees guard the corner. I usually hit a 3h or a 5-wood around the corner. That leaves a long second shot, impossible to reach the green in two. The "big boys" go over the top of the trees, landing the ball around 200 to 225 out. Today, it's cold. The ball isn't carrying. But... what the heck. Teed up an old Wilson ball from the cart basket. Teed it high. Swung through the ball and watched it climb up over the top of the trees and land in the fairway, 220 out from the green. If there'd been leaves on the trees... the ball cleared by what appeard to be fractions of an inch. If I can do this in 'real' golf weather........

Every club goes through a honeymoon. Most are female in nature and somewhere around the 28th hole played, it'll mess up for the next 5 to 7. Will be interested to see if this one acts that way. The positives I took away were the shaft appears to be okay for this old geezer's swing. The ball gets up and seems to stay airborne a significant amount of time. I did not have the shaft lag once.

Have to work tomorrow and kids coming in for Wednesday and Thursday. However, we're supposed to be back in the 50's by the weekend. Hopefully, I'm as stoked after a couple more rounds.

 

[J.P.C.]

i enjoy my R1, yes after the 'honeymoon' i had difficulties with it, sorted it out on the range and on the course, there were no players behind me, and now we are good to go again. figured i had to pick up the loft ot 12 but all good now.

hitting them fairways and playing it nice and long, well, long for me!

 

[limpalong]

i enjoy my R1, yes after the 'honeymoon' i had difficulties with it, sorted it out on the range and on the course, there were no players behind me, and now we are good to go again. figured i had to pick up the loft ot 12 but all good now.

hitting them fairways and playing it nice and long, well, long for me!

"Long" for me is anything beyond the lady's tee box!! True story!! My best golfing buddy and cart partner only carries 7 clubs... two of them drivers. He carrys a Bazooka driver which is his "straight" driver. He also carrys a Snake Eyes driver and that's his "slicing" driver. He has Callaway head covers on both and get them mixed up, which is my fault for him pulling the wrong driver!!??!!?? He hits driver from anywhere from the tee to the 150 yard range. One of the best any of us have ever seen hitting driver off the fairway. But... he's done it hundreds of times. He also doesn't like to chip. He'll putt from 5 yards off the green and in. More than once, over the years, we've seen him hit driver, driver, putter, putter for a par 4 or driver, driver, driver, putter, putter for a par 5. His scores hover in the upper 80's to low 90's. Now and then he'll be in the lower 80's. He just laughs at us who carry a bag full of clubs and vacillate over whether to hit a 5 wood or a 3h. He doesn't have either so has no anquish over what to hit. As I've indicated, we have lots of fun playing this dastardly game!!!!!

 

[J.P.C.]

"Long" for me is anything beyond the lady's tee box!! True story!! My best golfing buddy and cart partner only carries 7 clubs... two of them drivers. He carrys a Bazooka driver which is his "straight" driver. He also carrys a Snake Eyes driver and that's his "slicing" driver. He has Callaway head covers on both and get them mixed up, which is my fault for him pulling the wrong driver!!??!!?? He hits driver from anywhere from the tee to the 150 yard range. One of the best any of us have ever seen hitting driver off the fairway. But... he's done it hundreds of times. He also doesn't like to chip. He'll putt from 5 yards off the green and in. More than once, over the years, we've seen him hit driver, driver, putter, putter for a par 4 or driver, driver, driver, putter, putter for a par 5. His scores hover in the upper 80's to low 90's. Now and then he'll be in the lower 80's. He just laughs at us who carry a bag full of clubs and vacillate over whether to hit a 5 wood or a 3h. He doesn't have either so has no anquish over what to hit. As I've indicated, we have lots of fun playing this dastardly game!!!!!

sounds like you buddy knows how to enjoy the game while we struggle with the game because of all the choices we have on selcting the next club - i hate chipping as well, i'll rather bump & run or put if possible.

my chipping is really bad, specially if i have a bunker between me and the green. i'll put in smack bang in the middle of the bunker. if there was water between me and the green, no problem, i'll chip over, but sand......no way??

 

[limpalong]

That golf buddy also putts out of sand traps. The son-in-law plays in the mid-70's most of the time. He picked up my buddy's "trick" of putting out of the sand traps. He's won some good pocket change this past season doing just that. Twice, I've seen him walking towards a sand bunker letting everyone know he's going to putt. As a "newbie" suggests it can't be done, he tells them to toss a ball in the same bunker and bring their sand wedge. He bets them $5 that he'll putt his ball closer to the pin than they will get it with their wedge. He's never lost that bet!!!!

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

sounds like you buddy knows how to enjoy the game while we struggle with the game because of all the choices we have on selcting the next club - i hate chipping as well, i'll rather bump & run or put if possible.

my chipping is really bad, specially if i have a bunker between me and the green. i'll put in smack bang in the middle of the bunker. if there was water between me and the green, no problem, i'll chip over, but sand......no way??

You need some backyard time with your sand wedge. If you would just goof off in your yard with a wedge for 15-20 minutes a day your handicap would nose dive. It's such a cheap and easy way to shoot lower scores.

 

[TrickyPutt]

Cheap and easy. Thats me.

 

[limpalong]

Waiting for kids and grandkids to arrive, this morning. Was polishing up the BeCu Pings and drooling over the predicted 50 and 60 degree temps for this weekend. Noted my "interesting" bag. The BeCu Ping Eye 2+ irons are ancient, as compared to more "modern" equipment. There are a vast number of youngsters playing the game today who can't even remember when BeCu irons were cast. Literally, thousands of rounds on these irons. They still play well and are still in the bag.
I've put one of the Anser 4 putters back in the bag. Putted well with it the last time out. Love the White Ice #7, but looking hard at leaving one of the Pings in the bag during the off season to see if it can earn a place in the bag.

OTOH, the R1 is about as technologically advanced as one can find. What? Four different screws that can be used to tweak the club. When the Pings were manufactured, graphite shafts were in their infancy. The TP shaft in the R1 is an example of how far graphite shaft technology has come.

In between are the R9 fairway woods. They are old, by Taylor Made standards. They are "brand spanking new", compared to the old Pings. The 3h Callaway is probably a 10 year old model and is a mainstay in the bag. The Adams A7 4h and 5h spend most of their time in the basement, but do find their way to the course now and then. They are quite a few generations of Adams hybrids removed.

Seems most bags I see are filled with either "modern" technology or "old school". There are some players who will keep a tried and true putter in the bag for decades. However, the remainder of the bag will be updated often. I already feel next year will be a good one for golf!!!!!

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

Waiting for kids and grandkids to arrive, this morning. Was polishing up the BeCu Pings and drooling over the predicted 50 and 60 degree temps for this weekend. Noted my "interesting" bag. The BeCu Ping Eye 2+ irons are ancient, as compared to more "modern" equipment. There are a vast number of youngsters playing the game today who can't even remember when BeCu irons were cast. Literally, thousands of rounds on these irons. They still play well and are still in the bag.
I've put one of the Anser 4 putters back in the bag. Putted well with it the last time out. Love the White Ice #7, but looking hard at leaving one of the Pings in the bag during the off season to see if it can earn a place in the bag.

OTOH, the R1 is about as technologically advanced as one can find. What? Four different screws that can be used to tweak the club. When the Pings were manufactured, graphite shafts were in their infancy. The TP shaft in the R1 is an example of how far graphite shaft technology has come.

In between are the R9 fairway woods. They are old, by Taylor Made standards. They are "brand spanking new", compared to the old Pings. The 3h Callaway is probably a 10 year old model and is a mainstay in the bag. The Adams A7 4h and 5h spend most of their time in the basement, but do find their way to the course now and then. They are quite a few generations of Adams hybrids removed.

Seems most bags I see are filled with either "modern" technology or "old school". There are some players who will keep a tried and true putter in the bag for decades. However, the remainder of the bag will be updated often. I already feel next year will be a good one for golf!!!!!

My bag is set...save the putter, I have the four I will be rotating through the bag until I find the one. The FrankenPutter is is my go to right now but I will be spending time with the new (to me) Scotty Circa '62 #7, Ping J-Blade and B1 Heavy Putter. I love this freaking game!!!

 

[azgreg]

I know what you mean limp. I enjoy taking out my old Taylor Mades, Clevelands, and Nickents in an old broken down bag in an old 2 wheel push cart and let my playing partners raise their noses at my setup. Then promptly stomp them by 10 strokes.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

Waiting for kids and grandkids to arrive, this morning. Was polishing up the BeCu Pings and drooling over the predicted 50 and 60 degree temps for this weekend. Noted my "interesting" bag. The BeCu Ping Eye 2+ irons are ancient, as compared to more "modern" equipment. There are a vast number of youngsters playing the game today who can't even remember when BeCu irons were cast. Literally, thousands of rounds on these irons. They still play well and are still in the bag.
I've put one of the Anser 4 putters back in the bag. Putted well with it the last time out. Love the White Ice #7, but looking hard at leaving one of the Pings in the bag during the off season to see if it can earn a place in the bag.

It amazes me how well those BeCu irons hold up. I have a friend that has a set. They were given to him by his dad. Those irons saw a ton of play and they still looked great. I guess the beryllium makes for a really strong alloy. Still, the BeCu Anser putter that I've been working on sure sands down easily.

BTW, should I be using a cheap respirator when I sand on this putter? I heard that beryllium is carcinogenic.

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

It amazes me how well those BeCu irons hold up. I have a friend that has a set. They were given to him by his dad. Those irons saw a ton of play and they still looked great. I guess the beryllium makes for a really strong alloy. Still, the BeCu Anser putter that I've been working on sure sands down easily.

BTW, should I be using a cheap respirator when I sand on this putter? I heard that beryllium is carcinogenic.

I think I read somewhere its poisonous...

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

Beryllium poisoning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wear a mask.

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

Chronic Beryllium Disease

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) primarily affects the lungs. CBD may occur among people who are exposed to the dust or fumes from beryllium metal, metal oxides, alloys, ceramics or salts. It occurs when people inhale beryllium in these forms. CBD usually has a very slow onset, and even very small amounts of exposure to beryllium can cause the disease in some people. In some cases, CBD develops while workers are still on the job, but in others it may not develop until many years after a person has stopped working in the beryllium industry, or has been transferred to a job that does not involve beryllium exposure. The amount or length of exposure to beryllium necessary to cause a specific individual to develop CBD is not known, but recent information suggests that exposure below OSHA's 2 micrograms/m3 TWA PEL over a very short time (weeks or months) can lead to CBD in some workers.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

That's why I had a headache the other day!