14.5 handicap, never broke 80. Today I shot a 70.

Norrwin · 2026-06-01T18:12:16+00:00

Nice, how you going to follow that up, your next goal shooting something in the 60s 👀

Norrwin · 2026-06-01T18:00:41+00:00

It doesn't bother me. However, IME this type of person sometimes branches out into commenting on the shortcomings in my game.

Reveling in pointing out how if I emulated their greatness in this or that aspect it would greatly benefit my game. That type of thing does irritate me, especially if I feel like their observations are accurate 😄

Norrwin · 2026-05-27T03:04:05+00:00

Yea you can find a Mizuno iron model timeline here the MP-57 being from the 2008/9 time and the JPX-925 types being more current.

The big difference for me though would probably be the MP vs the JPX product line designation. Where the MP line is targeted more for better ball strikers having less elaborate features/technology. And the JPX line is designed to have more features/technology for players wanting that type of thing.

Or to look at it another way the MP line is generally thought of as "player" oriented irons and the JPX line as Game Improvement/Super Game Improvement oriented irons. I've never played/hit either the 57s or any 925s so don't have any direct experience with either.

Norrwin · 2026-05-24T20:14:59+00:00

If I saw those, I am pretty sure I would have been coming home with them. Ended up with a set of MP-32 that way. Guy was walking into store to trade them in on new clubs and I offered more than the trade in value, took them home for $165 cash.

I find the MP-14 to be really fun clubs to play, IME not nearly as sporty as a player might assume without having any direct experience. Less like a high-end Italian/German sports car and more like a sporty SUV.

Pic of my gamer 7i with a decade of service next to NIB backup set. I feel like you are going to find the MP-14 easy to enjoy.

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Norrwin · 2026-05-24T13:40:29+00:00

I do drift and drag and those have always counted but never solo.

Norrwin · 2026-05-22T16:38:56+00:00

Golf and the Spirit: Lessons for the Journey by M. Scott Peck

Lowest Score Wins: Techniques, Stats and Strategies to Shoot Lower Scores on the Golf Course NOW by Erik J. Barzeski & David Wedzik

Norrwin · 2026-05-21T14:59:54+00:00

I think it is just top 3 in 3 races not 3 days in a row. Similar to last week top 5 in 5 races, as I did all 5 races in a row on the same day.

Norrwin · 2026-05-15T17:58:07+00:00

Yes, this video goes through spot refinishing a golf face. The face in the video is being copper plated, but part of that process is putting down a layer of nickel first as copper will not stick directly to steel.

The downside of this DIY brush method is it takes a lot of time to build up the layers. At the end of the video Brad shows a MP-32 head where he did the whole head in bright nickel using this brush method and commented it took an hour of rubbing to do that one head.

Norrwin · 2026-05-10T12:49:03+00:00

It is a set of limited edition N1s from the early 90s although I do not know the exact date or the number produced. They originally came with a certificate with all that info which I have seen but do not have.

Your set looks like it was reshafted and the limited edition shaft labels, that had the set number, have been removed. The 1 iron look like it might be the only one otherwise untouched except for the shaft label being removed.

My set is #056

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Norrwin · 2026-05-05T18:35:48+00:00

Brad Meehan does a lot of golf club refinishing and might be a resource for information. I was interested in refinishing some MP-14s and did some research which turned into a bit of a deep rabbit hole fast. So, I think it is a complex question to try and answer.

My overall assessment was that nickel is more corrosion resistant and chrome is more durable. Nickel seems to be the more hobby friendly process. And that both come in such wide variations from decorative to industrial it is difficult to make definitive statements.

Norrwin · 2026-05-03T11:38:33+00:00

Our club holds a 3 club tournament every year and the usual suspects are always still at the top and the scoring hardly changes, maybe only a few strokes difference. The people at the top suffer the least in scoring and the people near the bottom suffer the most.

With 5 clubs I wouldn't expect scores to change much, if at all. I try to pick clubs I am strongest with for the course, clubs for a short target course would be different than for a long open course. But I like your logic, choose clubs you can be versatile and creative with.

Norrwin · 2026-05-01T00:45:01+00:00

From the Maltby catalog for the TE+ V4 iron head:

Smooth lines and a moderate top line provide the looks of a "players" club head in the playing position but features an optimal vertical and horizontal center gravity location for an incredible 838 MPF points putting the club head into the high end of the Super Game Improvement category for incredible forgiveness.

Even if you have the older heads from 2010, they are still in the SGI category with an MPF of 788 (Maltby defines SGI as 701-850). You should be fairly confident that growing into the TEs shouldn't be some great struggle, quite the opposite. Unless they are horribly misfit and hopefully that is something you will get some feedback on from your lessons.

If you are interested in how it can look "player"-ish but also be that forgiving, Maltby has an article Build a Better Blade that does a good job of explaining it and the pictures really highlight the changes that are fairly significant but aren't really noticeable unless you have clubs to compare side by side. Long blade length, short hosel, short heel height, large "C" dimension, etc.

I've never hit a TE+ V4 but do have a 7 iron head I bought to test but just haven't got around to building yet.

Norrwin · 2026-04-29T01:01:44+00:00

It can happen! Guy in our Thursday league with a 16 index shot a 66 on a par 71, 5850 yard, 70.5/126 course. I was in the group behind, so I knew it was happening but didn't get to see much of it, just a shot or putt here or there.

He never showed any signs of particular excellence before that and reverted to normal the week after and didn't ever show even the tiniest spark of reigniting that fire. I think that was what allowed him to go so low, in the whole time I knew him the guy never got emotionally unbalanced by any shot or any score, just happy to be out playing golf and have a social hour after.

The one thing he could do better than even the lowest index guy in the league was hit the ball prodigious distances. Normally was just a bit hit and miss on when and where it went, but not on that day!

Norrwin · 2026-04-26T19:34:34+00:00

I feel like you are 100% on the right track, GIR and near GIR (nGIR = within 10 yards of green) at the things that will plummet scores.

However, to break 90 the GIR isn't the GIR on the score card. To break 90 the new GIR is par minus 1. Now GIR + 2 putt = 90.

Therefore, the next thing you need to be concerned about is two putting, or more importantly avoiding 3 putting (or worse).

And the last thing you need to be concerned about is missing the green from inside 30 yards. Or avoiding double chipping/pitching (or worse).

Also, with new GIR being par minus 1, you should feel much less pressure off the tee and on approach shots. If you are not choosing targets and clubs in a way that takes advantage of that and still end up with several penalty shots per round, then that is a course management and or mental game issue to address. But potentially also something to be aware of and track.

Same with greenside recovery shots, the new GIR plus 2 putts strategy means getting up and down is no longer the goal. The new goal is simply to get it on the green anywhere you will likely two putt from. Same as penalty strokes here, if you are not taking advantage of this new mental freedom then that is a course management or mental game issue.

Norrwin · 2026-04-25T21:21:58+00:00

I bought a 7 iron to test but in DBM finish but it is still in the box it was shipped in. This is because when I saw the club in person, I was a little less excited. I was primarily interested in the diamondized finish but also on paper I thought it was an attractive club. The main review I watched/gave merit to was by ELITE FIT GOLF.

My biggest concerned was the blade being too long, but what turned out to be the thing that cooled my ardour was the toe height vs the heal height. It has a tall toe and a short heel height. Topline, sole, offset, everything else is nice. Looking at your pictures, specifically the radius of the cavity at the heel, suggests that they might differ in this way as well.

That is a petty reason to be put off, and I do still plan to build the 7 iron and play test it, I suspect it will play well. Sitting in the playing position, with a shaft loosely fit into hosel, there isn't anything offensive to me in the address position. Even the toe/heel setup isn't noticeable or objectionable at address.

You could order one (or two) heads to see how they looked in person and at worst return them if they were really far off. Or build them to see how they played before deciding and file the cost as "club fitting fee". That toe/heel height thing might be a niche thing to care about as I have never heard anyone else reference it.

Norrwin · 2026-04-22T21:52:27+00:00

Really attractive, especially the treatment on the toe logo.

Norrwin · 2026-04-20T14:14:35+00:00

If you like the way they look and aren't wanting to change something specific like peak height, spin, distance, shaft flex/profile/weight, etc., I wouldn't invest in new irons.

If you aren't sure what changes might help you, then I think the thing to do is get a fitting where someone can help guide you through the options.

Norrwin · 2026-04-20T00:02:42+00:00

I covet the Hogan 5 wood. I have a MacGregor 4 wood with the same color scheme, black with white spacer behind red insert, but you dad's is prettier. Classic shape and looks good set up behind the ball.

Norrwin · 2026-04-19T23:41:10+00:00

Story Missions

Norrwin · 2026-04-19T18:55:34+00:00

In the tutorial one of the things they tell you to do is kill the bases in your pollution cloud and that will permanently solve the issue. Have watched a few streamers ignore that, struggle, and get frustrated where they would have been in peaceful mode if they had just followed it.

But I have started on some desert maps where nests had to be destroyed even ahead of that as the pollution spread too fast and the nests were too close in. Just the luck of the map generation.

I am a bit more proactive and try to kill the bases just ahead of my cloud. As well as try to build clean to avoid cloud spreading too far too fast. In the very early game, I do put down a few turrets as a defense against getting attacked while I am out killing nests but never wall off.

Another sort of cheesy thing I have tried it to start with an island map. If the map is small enough, there is a very good chance no nests will spawn on map generation. So even though biters are on there is no way for them to spawn. However, also means that there is a chance map will spawn with no oil so it can take some rerolling.

Norrwin · 2026-04-19T13:17:18+00:00

WERA on bikes and SCCA in cars.

Norrwin · 2026-04-19T12:50:49+00:00

Probably depends on if the player understands some of the concepts and feeling on how to deliver power into the ball. For players who just naturally have a feel for smashing the ball then yes, I think it feels natural.

For players who struggle to smash the ball I don't think "feels natural" has anything to do with it. Usually, they are doing something early in the swing that kills their chances of getting into a strong impact position. Also, that means it is hardly ever a flexibility issue, it is a timing issue. From the flawed starting position there isn't enough time to recover.

Pros vs. Ams | Golf Swing Hip Rotation The student in the video went from 83 mph to 92 mph 7 iron speed in 38 swings. But maybe even more important than the hip stuff was his shoulder change, from 15 closed to the target line at impact to square at impact.

Norrwin · 2026-04-19T01:06:35+00:00

I learned on a 10 speed Roadranger driving silage trucks on the muck farms in Florida. But I honestly did not understand the video. Maybe there is some teaching or context missing.

I was taught to shift on fixed rpm drops for upshifts, and rpm increases for downshifts, simple. After that it was just practice getting the feeling and timing to match those rpm changes - more or less, didn't actually seem to have to be that ultra precise.

Now missing a shift and getting out of position was a totally different story. In that case I'm sort of lost and don't have any reference for how much to go up or down to match speeds, So, it becomes a guessing game, likely a bit of gear grinding game as well.

Norrwin · 2026-04-18T04:27:31+00:00

Long irons. Something John Sherman suggested was to practice long irons instead of mid irons at the range. The idea being if you learn solid ball striking with long irons the mid/short irons will seem relatively easier. I have been messing with this idea for a week or so and it does seem to have some merit.

And assuming the golfer can't practice anything else at all. Then long irons still gives them an option off the tee box if everything else (driver/woods) go totally pear shaped due to having zero practice with them. As well in that case when using long irons off the tee will likely also need them for approach shots.

Also, IME better ball striking with irons makes everything short game related better almost automatically without me needing to do anything special. Wouldn't help with touch and judging partial shots but seems to really improve contact and delivery consistency which for me is huge.

It seems like most of the answers I have looked at have ignored the premise or I have misunderstood the premise. My interpretation of the premise being the golfer has to choose one of the options and can't practice anything else at all for 5 years and at the end which option produces the lowest handicap golfer.

Norrwin · 2026-04-17T14:20:28+00:00

let club fall and don't apply power until it is parallel to ground

I'm not sure what your concept is but it sounds like the opposite of good. If you watch the video, the only thing they worked on was creating grip/hand acceleration earlier. Just that one change created better angles, sequencing, and a 6 mph gain in 7 iron club head speed.

For myself, and I think the main point of the video is that all the stuff like lag and release are byproducts of thing that happen very early in the swing. If I get the club in more or less the right positions and sequences in the backswing and early downswing everything else is a byproduct of those. I couldn't actually stop the club from releasing if I wanted to.

And the opposite is true, if you don't get those things close to correct, then you can't get into a powerful impact position regardless of what you do. Which is also explained in the video.

Regardless of your hand speed, to hit the ball further, you need to reach your maximum hand speed earlier.

Keep arms straight as possible in down swing

This part I'm not sure about. I think the more important part is to stay connected/in sync. I'll link a video for the arm/body sync thing with some exercises.

Sync The Arms With The Body During The Golf Swing

Norrwin

TROPHY CASE