Posted on 05/28/2015 12:30:39 PM PDT by FlJoePa
How often do you buy new golf clubs? Every year, three years?
Would you use the same club for 37 years? No, you wouldn't, but Jack Nicklaus did and it helped him to 18 major titles.
Nicklaus used a 1958 MacGregor 693 3-wood to win all of his major championships and 73 PGA Tour titles. He stopped using it in 1995. It's now on display in the new Jack Nicklaus Room at the USGA's museum at its Far Hills, N.J. headquarters.
While the 3-wood is out of his bag now, he still uses what he called "small-headed" irons. Fans ask him why he hasn't upgraded to modern irons that are much more forgiving than the sticks he used so masterfully. His answer is a window into why he stuck with the 3-wood for so long.
He said, "I say, what do you mean how do I hit it? I hit it all my life, why would I have any problem with it?"
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
Jack was practicing some chips and putts with his young son, Jack on a Sunday morning.
Ya know, I've just spent some time on the internet trying to find the facts of that event but I can't find any............
Can you help out a brother?
Jack was notorious for always blaming something other than himself whenever he hit a bad shot or was playing poorly. One exception was a time when he double bogeyed a hole in the US Open after using the port-a-potty. A reporter asked him if that had anything to do with the double bogey. He said no, he really had to go.
I had an interesting conversation with Ernie Els last year. I asked him if he would take part in a small series of events that required the use of persimmon, forged blade irons, and balata balls if it existed.
He immediately told me he’d be the first to sign up. Then he put his beer to his lips, took a swig and winked at me while saying “...and I’d win every one.”
Back in the ‘80s Sam Snead told of some study that tested all the different clubs. He said the longest, truest shots were with the old hickory shafts!
I had heard of that happening to Johnny Miller, and it cost him 4 strokes since he found out before he signed his card.
Actually that was Johnny Miller. And his son’s Bullseye putter.
Not wishing to hijack this thread or get into any arguments, Woods' problems are mental and compounded by physical ailments........That's a tough combination to overcome.
My advice to Woods would be to adopt a life of celibacy and hook up with your old coach Butch Harmon..........
Yeah, I didn’t word that properly. But he was dominant when he was the last of the steel shafts.
I think Tiger just wore out. Playing every day from the age of three is a lot of wear and tear. His swing was a lot smoother when he came up. I wish he’d kept that. That’s one reason why Snead and Boros were competitive into their ‘60s, while Palmer was pretty much done by 45.
I was wondering when the PGA would have a throwback match, like football or baseball, but instead of old looking uniforms, they could all shoot with a Wilson K28 set or something comparable. Would Tiger still be able to hit a 180 yard sand wedge out of a freeway bunker?
I’ll try to help HT. I have Jack’s instructional books dating back to the 1960’s.....His auto biographies....books written about him....An extensive collection of old SPORT magazines and Sports Illustrated magazines with countless articles on Jack.....Arnold Palmer’s books, where among other Jack topics, he talks of Jack’s great character as a man. I have never heard or read about this story. The poster mentioned Paul Harvey. I just went thru a bit of the internet also looking at/for this story with PH and Jack.....nothing. I can see Jack DQ himself if he found out he had violated a rule. That is the great character and respect for Golf that is Jack Nicklaus! If I’m wrong on this Jack Nicklaus/to many clubs in the bag story, I will stand humbly corrected. I just do not remember it.
Not the PGA, but these guys are doing it:
http://golf.heraldtribune.com/hickory-golfers-throwback-to-golfs-past/
I’m not sold on “game improvement” irons (though I use them) but a modern driver or fairway wood is a lot more forgiving than actual woods and there is no denying the lighter weights give you a faster club speed.
Hi T-Bird45,
I hope you are well and staying dry with all the rain and run-off.
I like your comment about the hardware and skills.
It reminds me of my Dad’s, “Son, maybe it is the Indian and not the arrows!” I say that with the heritage of having a bit of Indian blood.
Gwjack
Lee Trevino carried a 1 iron and held it over his head in thunderstorms. Because even God can’t hit a 1 iron.
I might still have one of his irons somewhere. They were all 5 irons that Wulkotte (misspelled his name last time) ground and he didn’t like.
I want to say the swing weights were high because of the lack of underlisting. Total weights probably weren’t different. The irons were head-heavy.
Not sure, but I think the story may have been that Jack discovered Jackie’s putter right on the first tee of a tournament before play. He took it out, and the lesson was basically to always count your clubs on the first tee.
I play Hogan Apex forged. I love the feel on a good shot, and can't stand cavity backs.
I still have some balata kicking around, but I don't use them. I loved the feel of those, too. :)
I wish I played enough to go back to blades. I used to be on Hogan staff and probably have 5 or 6 sets of old Apex irons. Most w/ Neuman leather.
I only play 6-8 rounds/year anymore so I need all the help I can get. I will say that while I would be totally uncomfortable playing competitively right now, the equipment would allow me a good chance to post a score that I probably wouldn’t deserve - based on the lack of preparation going in. Back in the day, you had to play a LOT of golf if you wanted to play well. Just my opinion of course.
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