OT: The Avalounge: No Politics in the Lounge

[BrickNHL]

I can finally post in the Avalounge again.

Its over for you bitches

 

[The Shermanator]

@The Shermanator will know why this is good. The rest of you should watch and find out.

I watched this when it premiered last night. So tight. Excited for new music in a few days/weeks.

 

[BrickNHL]

what is everyone up to these days?

 

[Foppa2118]

I don’t know if I should feel sorry or not for anyone who got caught up in the GME craze last week. I’m sure there were many who lost 80% of their retirement because of a bunch of internet memes.

I think they were fighting for a righteous cause, but nobody should be gambling anywhere near as much as 80% of their retirement on such a volatile, easily manipulated market.

It's understandable to root for David in a David vs Goliath wall street battle, but no one should be under the impression that Goliath can't bring the hammer down and crush them at any moment. The resources and power they have won't go down that easily.

 

[henchman21]

Golfers of HFAvs... looking to get back into golf this spring. Been a solid 8-9 years since I played heavily (have a huge plate in my elbow that may or may not get removed soon... depends how much it hurts this year), looking for some good equipment suggestions. I don’t want to spend a ton and look like a complete poser with my 20+ handicap to start. Years ago I was a very low single digit handicap, but it will take years for me to get that serious and good again (maybe never). I don’t want to start back up with blade irons with steel shafts nor the $1000 driver. Just solid, fairly forgivable sticks to pick the game back up.

 

[MaKarter]

Golfers of HFAvs... looking to get back into golf this spring. Been a solid 8-9 years since I played heavily (have a huge plate in my elbow that may or may not get removed soon... depends how much it hurts this year), looking for some good equipment suggestions. I don’t want to spend a ton and look like a complete poser with my 20+ handicap to start. Years ago I was a very low single digit handicap, but it will take years for me to get that serious and good again (maybe never). I don’t want to start back up with blade irons with steel shafts nor the $1000 driver. Just solid, fairly forgivable sticks to pick the game back up.

Global Golf is my go to online store. I have bough all of my clubs as "used" and all have been great quality. I suggest you do some research into what you really want and try to buy some used sets.

Of coarse it is always better to get fit for clubs, especially if you are tall or weird body type ha. But I have been successful doing research on what I like and finding great deals for that equipment. As far as going blade irons, there is no need for the average golfer to do so these days. There are some great quality cavity irons that even pros use.

 

[henchman21]

Global Golf is my go to online store. I have bough all of my clubs as "used" and all have been great quality. I suggest you do some research into what you really want and try to buy some used sets.

Of coarse it is always better to get fit for clubs, especially if you are tall or weird body type ha. But I have been successful doing research on what I like and finding great deals for that equipment. As far as going blade irons, there is no need for the average golfer to do so these days. There are some great quality cavity irons that even pros use.

Yeah I plan on going used. I'll have to check out global golf! I'm a pretty normal sized human... 5'10"ish so I shouldn't have any trouble with club sizing to start. Whatever clubs I get here won't be the clubs I hopefully have in 2-3 years, so I won't be really going crazy trying to perfect them for an extra stroke or two. When (if) I get back under a 8-10 handicap, I can start worrying shaving a few strokes here and there or tailoring the club to my swing. Back when I played heavily (early 2000s) I had moved to blades to shape shots and was pretty good. I know now I'll be extremely rusty and will have to change up my swing from my younger days. I'll need the forgiveness in cavity irons! Plus I know I will mishit quite a bit and don't need that sting for a blade/steel shaft combo. Hell, I probably won't even carry a 2-4 (maybe 5) iron to avoid that for a bit and work with hybrids.

My reading seems to point to Wilson D7s (not forged) as a solid value iron. The lofts are stronger than when I played by a few degrees, but I'm sure that is in the new tech lowering CoG. I have almost no experience with Wilson. When I played they weren't really known as a high end brand. TaylorMade SimMax also seem to be held favorably.

 

[MaKarter]

Yeah I plan on going used. I'll have to check out global golf! I'm a pretty normal sized human... 5'10"ish so I shouldn't have any trouble with club sizing to start. Whatever clubs I get here won't be the clubs I hopefully have in 2-3 years, so I won't be really going crazy trying to perfect them for an extra stroke or two. When (if) I get back under a 8-10 handicap, I can start worrying shaving a few strokes here and there or tailoring the club to my swing. Back when I played heavily (early 2000s) I had moved to blades to shape shots and was pretty good. I know now I'll be extremely rusty and will have to change up my swing from my younger days. I'll need the forgiveness in cavity irons! Plus I know I will mishit quite a bit and don't need that sting for a blade/steel shaft combo. Hell, I probably won't even carry a 2-4 (maybe 5) iron to avoid that for a bit and work with hybrids.

My reading seems to point to Wilson D7s (not forged) as a solid value iron. The lofts are stronger than when I played by a few degrees, but I'm sure that is in the new tech lowering CoG. I have almost no experience with Wilson. When I played they weren't really known as a high end brand. TaylorMade SimMax also seem to be held favorably.

I am definitely on the TaylorMade SIM train. I picked up D, 3w, Utility all SIM last year. I bought them in used "very good" condition and saved hundreds of dollars, while also spending hundreds of dollars.

I have some Titleist AP2 716 irons (4-PW) that I got for under $400 dollars online 3 years ago, also used. I love them.

Glad for you to start playing again. It is a tough sport but there isnt a place that I am happier on than a golf course.

 

[Richard88]

I was told by @henchman24 to come here for the golf. Greetings!

 

[henchman21]

I am definitely on the TaylorMade SIM train. I picked up D, 3w, Utility all SIM last year. I bought them in used "very good" condition and saved hundreds of dollars, while also spending hundreds of dollars.

I have some Titleist AP2 716 irons (4-PW) that I got for under $400 dollars online 3 years ago, also used. I love them.

Glad for you to start playing again. It is a tough sport but there isnt a place that I am happier on than a golf course.

I'll keep the Sim in mind for woods. Seems people like TaylorMade and Callaway the best for woods.

Are your 716s forged? Seems like that is the good compromise area between cavity backs and shot shaping. Might get another year out of the clubs if I go forged (or might not).

I'm pretty excited for it. I've played a handful of rounds over the last 10 years, but it has been a long time since I played more than once or twice in a year. Hopefully the elbow holds up.

 

[Richard88]

Golfers of HFAvs... looking to get back into golf this spring. Been a solid 8-9 years since I played heavily (have a huge plate in my elbow that may or may not get removed soon... depends how much it hurts this year), looking for some good equipment suggestions. I don’t want to spend a ton and look like a complete poser with my 20+ handicap to start. Years ago I was a very low single digit handicap, but it will take years for me to get that serious and good again (maybe never). I don’t want to start back up with blade irons with steel shafts nor the $1000 driver. Just solid, fairly forgivable sticks to pick the game back up.

Lol, I know that feeling well. My dad was a handicap 3-5 and my older brother played off scratch at a near-professional level. They obviously bought the best clubs they could, and whenever they got a new set the clubs got passed down to me...

So there I'd be, strutting around with my professional-looking Callaway steelhead irons and big Callaway ELC driver, flush with a proper serious-golfers-golfbag and bunch of Pro-V1 balls. At least I looked the part when explaining to the starter that I was good enough to play on "20 handicap limit" golf courses, despite not actually having a green card or handicap yet haha (and naturally shanking or topping the first drive right in front of the starter and clubhouse). Good times!

 

[MaKarter]

I'll keep the Sim in mind for woods. Seems people like TaylorMade and Callaway the best for woods.

Are your 716s forged? Seems like that is the good compromise area between cavity backs and shot shaping. Might get another year out of the clubs if I go forged (or might not).

I'm pretty excited for it. I've played a handful of rounds over the last 10 years, but it has been a long time since I played more than once or twice in a year. Hopefully the elbow holds up.

Yeah they are forged. "During the forging process high density tungsten weights are placed low and in the perimeter for increase feel and forgiveness".

I am a teacher so summers off means golf season I play league with a couple of buddies at a local city course. Its a bar league so fun and drinking > good golf haha. But my partner and I did get 1st place this last summer so that was exciting.

 

[henchman21]

Lol, I know that feeling well. My dad was a handicap 3-5 and my older brother played off scratch at a near-professional level. They obviously bought the best clubs they could, and whenever they got a new set the clubs got passed down to me...

So there I'd be, strutting around with my professional-looking Callaway steelhead irons and big Callaway ELC driver, flush with a proper serious-golfers-golfbag and bunch of Pro-V1 balls. At least I looked the part when explaining to the starter that I was good enough to play on "20 handicap limit" golf courses, despite not actually having a green card or handicap yet haha (and naturally shanking or topping the first drive right in front of the starter and clubhouse). Good times!

There was a point in my early 20s where I was pretty good. I was a 2 handicap, might have flirted with a 1, and played with Hogan Apex blades... even a damn 2 iron. Which was about as unforgivable of a club as you could hit. I slowed down playing for a few years and busted up my elbow real good at 26. I know damn well that the first time I line up a tee shot, I'm going to shank or hit a slice 40 yards off the fairway. The last thing I want to be doing that with is a $1000 driver.

 

[Richard88]

There was a point in my early 20s where I was pretty good. I was a 2 handicap, might have flirted with a 1, and played with Hogan Apex blades... even a damn 2 iron. Which was about as unforgivable of a club as you could hit. I slowed down playing for a few years and busted up my elbow real good at 26. I know damn well that the first time I line up a tee shot, I'm going to shank or hit a slice 40 yards off the fairway. The last thing I want to be doing that with is a $1000 driver.

Haha yeah, best look casual when you first tee up next time!

I don't think I ever used a 2-iron, I just always left it out of the set and went with a 1 iron instead... I guess I figured I might as well go all the way if I was playing long irons haha. I actually made an eagle with help of a 1-iron by hitting the green of a very long and narrow par 4 and sinking the putt. My go-to club off the tee for a very long time was a 3-iron though, as I had this uncomfortably strong draw on my spoons and an unreliable driver, but with a 3-iron I'd usually hit up to where others' drives would reach anyways, albeit with much more accuracy. Of course it helps that I'm 6'3'' and got taught how to swing a golf club at a young age so my ballstroke is as smooth as any when I've been playing a lot. I never really played enough to flirt with lower handicaps but I went off 9 for a while, shooting a 76 (+4) as my best round (after starting +3 after 4 holes).

 

[The Shermanator]

@Ceremony 1st single rips.

 

[Ceremony]

@Ceremony 1st single rips.

100% certain I'm going to play this album about 4000 times this year

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Looks like my Colts have a new QB.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. Hopefully Reich can turn Wentz back into the player he was earlier in his career.

 

[Pokecheque]

Looks like my Colts have a new QB.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. Hopefully Reich can turn Wentz back into the player he was earlier in his career.

He won’t.

 

[LieutenantDangle]

Golfers of HFAvs... looking to get back into golf this spring. Been a solid 8-9 years since I played heavily (have a huge plate in my elbow that may or may not get removed soon... depends how much it hurts this year), looking for some good equipment suggestions. I don’t want to spend a ton and look like a complete poser with my 20+ handicap to start. Years ago I was a very low single digit handicap, but it will take years for me to get that serious and good again (maybe never). I don’t want to start back up with blade irons with steel shafts nor the $1000 driver. Just solid, fairly forgivable sticks to pick the game back up.

I’m a golf pro and I’ll tell ya my thoughts as this is in my realm of work. Obviously advise from someone who has never seen you swing or even seen you period isn’t guaranteed to be great but I’ll give you a nudge in the right direction. getting a fitting from an accredited pga professional is always a great idea, but in your case not mandatory.

Wilson staff irons are fine. Wilson without the staff are trash. Inferior in almost every fashion. You can’t go wrong with the big 5 or so companies: Callaway, Ping, Cobra, Taylormade, and Titleist and I’d rank them in about that order. You’d be best served getting oversized game improvement or “game enjoyment” irons with lightweight steel shafts. Any iron set like that produced within in the last 6 years would be excellent from the aforementioned brands and definitely try and buy used or close out, just make sure the lengths and lie angles aren’t weird if you buy used. Your height being 5’10” means standard length would do just fine.

as far as drivers go try and get something as current as possible. Maybe last years model or the year before. More loft= more forgiving and easier to hit straighter. Aim For 10-11 degrees. Each company makes different driver heads targeted towards different skill sets. Always go for the highest moi driver as higher moi equates to more forgiveness(avoid the low spin models). It’s probably easiest to grab a 4 or 5 wood and a 3 or 4 hybrid and then run your iron set as a sw-5iron. 4 irons are becoming obsolete especially for higher handicap players. Hybrids are just way easier to hit well and more versatile. Grab a putter that looks good sounds and feels good. They vary usually between 33-35 inches in length. This comes down to personal preference but you want to get one that gets your eyes lined up right on top of the ball (not outside the target line, slightly inside the target line is ok).

If this doesn’t make sense or you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Congrats on making the plunge back into the game. It’s truly an amazing pastime.

In response to titleist ap2’s. Don’t be fooled they are very much an elite amateur/ pro golfer iron. Ap3’s/TS3’s are the real game improvement iron offering from titleist.

Edit: Other variables to consider are grip size and shaft flex. If you care to fine tune your fit without getting fit check out the ping fitting charts. You can get base readings from static measurements such as finger length, distance from ground to palm, and height.
What club would you hit from 150 yards if there was water in front of the green?

 

[henchman21]

I’m a golf pro and I’ll tell ya my thoughts as this is in my realm of work. Obviously advise from someone who has never seen you swing or even seen you period isn’t guaranteed to be great but I’ll give you a nudge in the right direction. getting a fitting from an accredited pga professional is always a great idea, but in your case not mandatory.

Wilson staff irons are fine. Wilson without the staff are trash. Inferior in almost every fashion. You can’t go wrong with the big 5 or so companies: Callaway, Ping, Cobra, Taylormade, and Titleist and I’d rank them in about that order. You’d be best served getting oversized game improvement or “game enjoyment” irons with lightweight steel shafts. Any iron set like that produced within in the last 6 years would be excellent from the aforementioned brands and definitely try and buy used or close out, just make sure the lengths and lie angles aren’t weird if you buy used. Your height being 5’10” means standard length would do just fine.

as far as drivers go try and get something as current as possible. Maybe last years model or the year before. More loft= more forgiving and easier to hit straighter. Aim For 10-11 degrees. Each company makes different driver heads targeted towards different skill sets. Always go for the highest moi driver as higher moi equates to more forgiveness(avoid the low spin models). It’s probably easiest to grab a 4 or 5 wood and a 3 or 4 hybrid and then run your iron set as a sw-5iron. 4 irons are becoming obsolete especially for higher handicap players. Hybrids are just way easier to hit well and more versatile. Grab a putter that looks good sounds and feels good. They vary usually between 33-35 inches in length. This comes down to personal preference but you want to get one that gets your eyes lined up right on top of the ball (not outside the target line, slightly inside the target line is ok).

If this doesn’t make sense or you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Congrats on making the plunge back into the game. It’s truly an amazing pastime.

In response to titleist ap2’s. Don’t be fooled they are very much an elite amateur/ pro golfer iron. Ap3’s/TS3’s are the real game improvement iron offering from titleist.

Edit: Other variables to consider are grip size and shaft flex. If you care to fine tune your fit without getting fit check out the ping fitting charts. You can get base readings from static measurements such as finger length, distance from ground to palm, and height.
What club would you hit from 150 yards if there was water in front of the green?

Thanks! This is very helpful!

I'm pretty sure my swing is going to be complete trash to start again. Just not playing much and my elbow being a cyborg will definitely have an impact. I want to make sure it can hold up before going too crazy. If I have it get it re-worked, I'm sure that would change my swing again. I want to get that settled and get a feel for it before going all out on things. On top of all of that, I really doubt whatever equipment I pick up is the equipment I have in 2023.

I really plan on finding a nice set of forgivable irons to start. I know I'm not going to be consistent enough with my swing and mishits will be a pretty frequent occurrence. I'm thinking my bag will be a D, 3W, 4/5H, 6-SW, P. I don't know if the methodology still sticks anymore, but when I was first starting in my early teens I remember being told to limit the amount of clubs and choices. Worry more about the swing and shot than having a full 14 club bag. Then when you got better, add to the bag.

I'll admit the driver is probably the club I'm worried most about. I was always a pretty solid short game guy. My low irons were a real strength of my game and I could putt. Even when I was a 'good' golfer, I was a hesitant user of a driver. I mostly defaulted to a 3W or 2I as I just felt more confident in it. My research so far seems to show that the drivers of today are much better and more forgiving. Would it be worth it to potentially invest in a better driver with adjustability to start?

When I played, that 150 play was the sweet spot of my 7 iron. I could take a touch off the swing and really worry about the shape of the shot. I think my 7 iron back then was a 36/37 degree loft. Seems those are pushing low 30s nowadays with a lower CoG. Right now, I'd probably shank it right into the water!

 

[Richard88]

Thanks! This is very helpful!

I'm pretty sure my swing is going to be complete trash to start again. Just not playing much and my elbow being a cyborg will definitely have an impact. I want to make sure it can hold up before going too crazy. If I have it get it re-worked, I'm sure that would change my swing again. I want to get that settled and get a feel for it before going all out on things. On top of all of that, I really doubt whatever equipment I pick up is the equipment I have in 2023.

I really plan on finding a nice set of forgivable irons to start. I know I'm not going to be consistent enough with my swing and mishits will be a pretty frequent occurrence. I'm thinking my bag will be a D, 3W, 4/5H, 6-SW, P. I don't know if the methodology still sticks anymore, but when I was first starting in my early teens I remember being told to limit the amount of clubs and choices. Worry more about the swing and shot than having a full 14 club bag. Then when you got better, add to the bag.

I'll admit the driver is probably the club I'm worried most about. I was always a pretty solid short game guy. My low irons were a real strength of my game and I could putt. Even when I was a 'good' golfer, I was a hesitant user of a driver. I mostly defaulted to a 3W or 2I as I just felt more confident in it. My research so far seems to show that the drivers of today are much better and more forgiving. Would it be worth it to potentially invest in a better driver with adjustability to start?

When I played, that 150 play was the sweet spot of my 7 iron. I could take a touch off the swing and really worry about the shape of the shot. I think my 7 iron back then was a 36/37 degree loft. Seems those are pushing low 30s nowadays with a lower CoG. Right now, I'd probably shank it right into the water!

One of the best learning experiences I had as a young golfer was going out and playing 9 holes with only a 6 iron in hand. Learning how to use any club to hit any distance is super useful. If you can hit a 6 iron anywhere from 100 yards to 180 yards you've got a skill that can bail you out of any situation no matter the weather, lie, or distance.

Another trick that has worked for me in the past has been when my playing partner and I only had one golf set between us when travelling or whatnot, where we'd split the bag with one guy getting the odd clubs, the other one getting the even clubs. It's funny how shortening your bag like that can have an effect on your shot management and teach you to use clubs you otherwise wouldn't. We get so fixated on always hitting a 7-iron 150 yards; 8 iron 135 yards, etc that we often forget that you can hit a 7 iron 135 yards as well by either shaping the shot or managing our swing or grip. When you start to play with distances like that and play with the length of swing and how high you're gripping the club up the shaft you really start to get a good "feel" for your game.

 

[LieutenantDangle]

Thanks! This is very helpful!

I'm pretty sure my swing is going to be complete trash to start again. Just not playing much and my elbow being a cyborg will definitely have an impact. I want to make sure it can hold up before going too crazy. If I have it get it re-worked, I'm sure that would change my swing again. I want to get that settled and get a feel for it before going all out on things. On top of all of that, I really doubt whatever equipment I pick up is the equipment I have in 2023.

I really plan on finding a nice set of forgivable irons to start. I know I'm not going to be consistent enough with my swing and mishits will be a pretty frequent occurrence. I'm thinking my bag will be a D, 3W, 4/5H, 6-SW, P. I don't know if the methodology still sticks anymore, but when I was first starting in my early teens I remember being told to limit the amount of clubs and choices. Worry more about the swing and shot than having a full 14 club bag. Then when you got better, add to the bag.

I'll admit the driver is probably the club I'm worried most about. I was always a pretty solid short game guy. My low irons were a real strength of my game and I could putt. Even when I was a 'good' golfer, I was a hesitant user of a driver. I mostly defaulted to a 3W or 2I as I just felt more confident in it. My research so far seems to show that the drivers of today are much better and more forgiving. Would it be worth it to potentially invest in a better driver with adjustability to start?

When I played, that 150 play was the sweet spot of my 7 iron. I could take a touch off the swing and really worry about the shape of the shot. I think my 7 iron back then was a 36/37 degree loft. Seems those are pushing low 30s nowadays with a lower CoG. Right now, I'd probably shank it right into the water!

most drivers produced in the last 5+ years are adjustable to some extent. Adjustable drivers allow people to fine tune the club to their preferences and the shops that sell them don’t have to carry a million different variants of one club. You should definitely buy a driver that you can adjust the loft and face angle on (these adjustments are usually accomplished by changing how the shaft sets into the hosel of the driver head). And again you probably want to grab one with like a 10.5 to 12 degree stamped on it. From there you can add or subtract loft to taste with the adjustable hosel. One of the main factors that fairway woods are easier to hit than drivers is due to them handing more loft.
I ask about your 150 yard choice to identify what flex of shaft id lean you towards. If 7 iron is your comfortable club for that distance you’d most likely benefit from a ‘r’ or regular flex. You’ll save some scratch buying steel shafted irons. Just look for ones that are light weight.
I don’t see any issues with using 12 or 13 clubs to start. Down the road that will give you flexibility to fill in gaps that you find in your game. Maybe there’s a huge distance gap between your 6 iron and hybrid. Or your sand wedge and pitching wedge. Or maybe you decide you want to add another sand wedge that has more loft like a lob wedge

 

[ASmileyFace]

Turbotax is a f***ing scam. That is all.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Turbotax is a f***ing scam. That is all.

Did you pay or use the free version?

 

[ASmileyFace]

Did you pay or use the free version?

I have to pay this year. I had a strange year work wise and despite being a w-2 employee of the construction company I used to work for, they paid me $776 as a independent contractor at some point. I received a 1099-NEC from them that I wasn't expecting and when you have self employed income like that Turbo Tax forces you to pay for the $40 version.

My taxes were way more complicated than normal this year. Lots of w-2s from different states, unemployment, actually having health insurance, on top of the self employed stuff. This stuff seems like it shouldn't be this complicated, but here I am, having to pay back money to the feds and drop $120 just to file my taxes.

I'm just bitter right now. I know this stuff can be easy for some. But for low income, with no investments and no dependents why is this so difficult?