I know...like that on a lot of forums. Seems like there's just nothing "cutting edge". Used to be more chatter when Alpha, SMT and components were big....I dunno.
Here's what I've been wondering....what's the latest and greatest in driver shafts? Rogue is not affordable, so what is?. I used to always be on the ust, aldila or House of Forged websites. Now I can't remember the last time I looked.
Typhoon is right, all that's left interesting were the shafts and most of them are priced so high and out of reach for the average Joe.
Club making is a dying art. Seldom any one seemed to care about tinkering with the golf equipment. Wait a few years then the OEM will dump the warehoused new old model back on the market. Why bother to fix anything when you could get a brand new OEM for a little more and sometimes less than the components could put together.
The Buzz on the component side had gradually quiet down since I discovered the wonderful world of club tinkering and the OEM had exploded and exploit the present AND the future feed for the market.
It's like a buffet with the dishes up on the table all at once instead of once dish at a time.
I used to wait patiently for the new golf club design every 2-3 years , in the meantime grooving with the current set of golf clubs. The rapid release of golf club design not only achieved the original goal of killing off the competition but also killed off all the interest and curiosity from the end users.
I don't know many golfers whom change their whole set of golf clubs every 2- 3 years. A few pieces here and there, maybe.
Tweaking clubs used to be a fun hobby for me and the golf and golf talk that goes along with it. For me its just changes in my personal life that has taken me away. Kids are entering and approaching the teen years and all of the associated athletic and academic events they are involved in has tied up my time and money. I haven't played a round in over two years - not due to health or lack of interest, just can't really justify the money and time right now in my life. Still hang out here hoping to learn what I can from y'all for when I can pick the game back up again. Great thing about golf is that even geezers can play if blessed with average health.
The good things in life and the obligations that come with them.....
I have two kids in higher education at the present time one will start a 4 year graduate program this Fall. Although there are scholarship and grant ..... the cost is more than my mortgage each month. Kid will get a student loan, however, we have to help out so they won't come out of the school with a $300 K debt.
Golf had become a luxury.
One of the guy I know had free ranged his kids when they got out of high school. He did gave them everything before they turned 18 but.... how could you not helping your kids in today's economic climate. He said he loved them, and that could be a tactical move to use the public help.
Release One of the guy I know had free ranged his kids when they got out of high school. He did gave them everything before they turned 18 but.... how could you not helping your kids in today's economic climate.
Gee, just from reading these 2 sentences, I just cannot figure why the over 18 yrs. old ADULTS can't make it on their own.
There is a great oversight/untruth in the 2nd sentence though.......he DID NOT give them everything before they became adults!! The one thing I can see he DID give them is a sorryassed way to raise their own(future) children.
I thought it'll be a mistake to compare the situation with my time.
Back in my days, I could work for 3 months full time in the Summer and get enough to pay for the next years college tuition. Good jobs were not plentiful yet available. My wife worked 2 jobs while going through her graduate degree. Sometimes we had to supplement the living cost by working part time all year round while going through school full time. Not entirely easy but doable.
I don't know any Summer job today could pay for next year's college tuition. I don't even know a college grade could find a job to pay for the next year's grade school cost after the living expenses.
Rental cost of a 2 bedroom apartment in a 1960 building cost more than my current mortgage around college town. That's 5 blocks away from the edge of the campus. One of the less expensive units we could find in the Bay area.
I honestly don't believe it's possible to tough it through the higher education without help from family. It's not totally impossible, however, I don't have the heart to have my kids supporting themselves through school.
I really don't think I want to be a kid today to start all over again. It's much tougher than my time.
As for that guy I mentioned, whom free ranged his kids after high school. I must be fair to clarify that he did "everything" for his kids . I don't agree with his method but hey, It's not my kids.
He granted and supported his kids by sending them to their choice of after school activities. Volley ball club, baseball club.... these are not school team clubs. These are private clubs which have their own coaching and activities and competition. Cost a lot of money. Monthly dues, practice rounds, traveling and lodging to compete with other teams......but the kids were never good enough to be drafted by the collegiate team.
His family resides within the number one public school district in our City according to the annual school ranking by the U.S.A Today with other publications , but he sent his kids to private schools. It costs more than the State University for tuition for the private schools. His kids got all the newest gadgets when available, Nintendo in the older days and laptops and smart phones. The newest and the best , whatever it was. His kids became arrogant and slipped away from the reality of how competitive the real world is. My kids were looked down upon by his kids because my kids did not have their toys , did not travel like them , .........
In other words, he did "do everything" for his kids. We disagree with the method of caring for the kids, but how could I tell him not to spoil his own kids ? I hinted to him several times then STOPPED right there. I don't think his oldest graduate from college yet , 7 years after the high school.
Release he did "do everything" for his kids.
I think Rex is trying to say he did not do everything for his kids.
It is obvious the man provided material things and entertainment outlets.
He failed to instill the value of hard work and the resulting reward of self esteem, self worth and self sufficiency, for a job well done and reaching a goal.
Those kids are lacking the most important thing (after basic needs) parents can "do" for their kids.
Teach them Life skills.
jmo
I understood what Rex was saying.
And you're right, by explaining it more in detail , expressing it better than I was able to.
In this guy's own mind He did everything for his kids , but he did not in the way of preparing them for the future.
He did expressed his intention of let go of his kids after they turned 18 to me at least once or twice. I thought he was joking because a father whom spoiled his kids could not let them loose in the street at such young age.
Not in his position.
My wife had different opinion. Thought the cost of raising a child before they turned 18 was dwarfed comparing to the cost of between 18- 22 and beyond. In her mind he was not doing everything he could as a parent, by taking the easy way out.
I see some of my other friends whom have younger kids are treading in the same mistake by giving their kids "everything" in the wrong way. Can't talk them out of it, tried and they won't listen.
Parents always want to give their children what themselves did not have when they were young. Like to re-live their own childhood in their children's.
Anyway, at least I tried to help those around me, however, some do not need nor want advice. Until years later they realized there was no other motivation beside friendship.
Ok, so like release was saying, it used to be that oems didn't put out new crap every few months and then discount everything or make it so u. oils buy used stuff dirt cheap. Why mess with components
Don't kill off the components.
Some of us still take pride in putting our sticks together. I still tinker, just on a much smaller scale.
OEM must revert back to the pre-mayhem state to maintain reasonable profit margin for the industry. Golf is a different industry than say automobile or fashion industry. People in the industry knew, hence many had got out when they saw this messing around by the pencil pusher coming a few years ago. Hopefully some of these will get back into the business when the dust settled.
I honestly haven't hit a club made after 2010 that was any better than one before then. I think the gap has closed between manufacturers and there is no one clear line that is superior. Also, the same with balls, now, most every manufacturer have really good models.
I still LOVE to tinker. It's my other hobby after playing the game (and playing music, kayaking, spoiling grandbabies, etc.)
I just reshafted 2 sets of PING irons recently, built 2 sets of component irons for another member here and just placed an order with Value Golf. Getting ready to refinish some TMAG hybrids and a FW that I snatched from Play It Again. I'll keep the component industry going a bit...... 
Finally got around to buying some shafts and grips from DiamondTour for the Alpha C1 Pro Forged heads I've had laying around for 6 or 7 years. Also bought an Aldila DVS 60S for an old SMT Indio head I had laying around. I chickened out and went with my favorite shaft from the past for the irons - DiamondTour put the Tru-Temper DG R400 shafts on sale for $14 a piece, so I went with them instead of experimenting. I'm not exactly reaching out for the new stuff. Got them all put together this week and hope to have pictures and a range review out before the weekend ends.
JD-I feel your pain, after putting 2 kids thru 7 yrs of Ivy League and 4 yrs of private college, with a 2 yr over-lap, then paying off my accumulated debt and saving for retirement, I finally got to play all the golf I can,and:
I'm in my 70's, with a 200 yard drive, and more body pains you can shake a stick at. The moral of the story is to go play now, because tomorrow is not so much fun. Muni's are not that expensive, go play 9,at least.
I found a Pro V1 at a golf course in the rough, It has a number 58 printed on it with the custom script on the side said " Chasing Life".
If 58 was the age of the previous owner, he had more time to chase life than a lot of golfers I know. Most of them didn't have the time nor the money to play golf until they retired at 62 or 65..... but that's life.
Sunset is beautiful, just too close to the darkness.
Just now starting to want to tinker with components and thought I'd start playing with different shafts in my G15. I lost about 20 yd on it in last 2 yrs so thought lighter shaft like the GD AD 40 in my Exotics 4 wood might be a good first shot since I like the 4 wood . Looked for one but way too expensive for this retiree. I saw the Integra ulta light 12* head 175 gram and thought that might be better than reshafting my G15 and maybe find an affordable 45 g ish shaft pull I could afford .
Instead , bought Cleveland UL 270 new for $80 with Miyazaki C Kua 39r shaft. I couldn't put together the experimental club for that $. So that went out the window . Still honeymooning with the Cleveland but either my swing suddenly improved or it works for me. Think I can move back to the members tees now thanks to the extra yd . The dispersion isn't any worse than my usual military golf only lost one ball in my usual 9 hole outing. Lost on v narrow hole, should have hit a hybrid , but wanted to try new toy instead.
The Felon balls were okay too, btw,
, but my soft Callaway chrome were same length for me .
Handicap dropping a little , finally
