Michael Jacobs Golf Channel Audition Video

[birdie_man]

Hi Birdie,
I read some dribble on here recently about US golf , it's athletes , lack of upcoming stars, etc. etc. I think it was more related to womens golf . Anyway.....
Golf has always been a hard enough sport to get into \ play if you're a beginner , especially if you're poor. And now we have these new Drivers that are very expensive and require SO MUCH effort to get the right one.
Most amateurs are never gonna get a Driver that suites them.
I remember when I first started playing the game walking into the pro shop first time ever and seeing all these fantastically made \ crafted woods and irons. (Well most the woods were metals) , and you could be pretty safe buying anything . Lie angle , and shaft was about as extreme as it got.
The clubs are more like toys these days . Commercialism sucks.
Now you need a machine , (and alot of them don't work) , loads of time, and effort just to get one club right.
And then if the game isn't hard enough for a beginner \ hacker, you need two different 'full shot swings' .
What hope is there, it just alienates the game more for hackers and beginners.
I sound like an old fuddy duddy , I know. I am 35 years old and was 18 when I first started playing the game. I can play a bit now , but I do feel sorry for those wanting to turn to the game.
It's taken a turn for the worse if you ask me, more so for poor people, hackers and beginners.

Ya but if you buy a club off the shelf today it's about the same as it ever was buying a club off the shelf, no?

I haven't been around so long, but the way I look at it, all that "other stuff" (shaft options, club tuning) is bonus, and optional.

What I mean is...if you want it...it is there. They couldn't make em as precise years ago. Those who want to and are able to take advantage of it will, no?

I agree on the poor BTW. There is something to respect in finiancial success no doubt but work ethic is just work ethic it doesn't guarantee you are a good person. I respect effort but do not like mass excess and eletism. Effort must mean little without good intentions.

If you ask me there are too many perfect golf courses, for starters. My usual (in the past anyway) home course just installed a new sprinkler system. Before that, it was a bunch of bricks and flower gardens and stuff that went in. Some of that kind of stuff is OK...but overall I really don't care much. Greefees are gonna go through the roof!

Unfortunately it must be driven by some kind of demand. (probably 1. people who don't care about fees 2. people who don't like this and that and then will also complain when fees increase) My course needs to "know it's role" if you ask me. ("Know your role..." -The Rock)

Trying not to get too political or philosophical BTW...

 

[birly-shirly]

Hi Birdie,
I read some dribble on here recently about US golf , it's athletes , lack of upcoming stars, etc. etc. I think it was more related to womens golf . Anyway.....
Golf has always been a hard enough sport to get into \ play if you're a beginner , especially if you're poor. And now we have these new Drivers that are very expensive and require SO MUCH effort to get the right one.
Most amateurs are never gonna get a Driver that suites them.
I remember when I first started playing the game walking into the pro shop first time ever and seeing all these fantastically made \ crafted woods and irons. (Well most the woods were metals) , and you could be pretty safe buying anything . Lie angle , and shaft was about as extreme as it got.
The clubs are more like toys these days . Commercialism sucks.
Now you need a machine , (and alot of them don't work) , loads of time, and effort just to get one club right.
And then if the game isn't hard enough for a beginner \ hacker, you need two different 'full shot swings' .
What hope is there, it just alienates the game more for hackers and beginners.
I sound like an old fuddy duddy , I know. I am 35 years old and was 18 when I first started playing the game. I can play a bit now , but I do feel sorry for those wanting to turn to the game.
It's taken a turn for the worse if you ask me, more so for poor people, hackers and beginners.

I'm no great fan of the worst excesses of commercialism (controversial statement, huh?) - but I don't agree that golf is moving out of reach financially. If anything, I think that the marketing focus and constant turnover of product line means that there is great stuff going very cheaply second-hand just because it's not the latest colour. It's not for me to worry if someone out there feels the need to change their clubs like they change their socks - I'll pick up the cast-offs. A great set of blades might set you back £50 now. Buy 2 sets and see whether you really need stiff shafts. Pings hold their value probably better than anything, but you wouldn't need to spend over £150 for a great, playable set of cavity-backs (even if they are Satan's sticks, eh Danny?)

Drivers are ridiculous - but in a good way. I was a bit late coming to the whole oversized ti party, but when I finally splashed out £35 on a 975D, I have to admit I was amazed. I do think that there's a legitimate question about whether these more forgiving clubheads are just sending your bad shots farther into trouble, but the difference in the quality of your average ballflight between a persimmon driver and anything quality from the last 10 years is outrageous. I think that diminishing returns have definitely set in and there's going to be far less difference in playability between that 975 and MJ's Diablo (although I've only just caught up with the 983K) than there was between persimmon and early ti, so the imperative for me to invest in an even more recent driver is pretty weak.

I don't think driver fitting is BS - but I do think it's probably overrated for an average player willing to work on his swing. Very good, very consistent ball strikers will probably optimise and get some real benefits in distance. Congenital hackers might benefit from some anti-slice band aid design. Most people in the middle will probably do fine with off the shelf specs and plenty of loft.

One thing clinches it for me in favour of modern-ish (like 21st century) drivers. Whilst the blades vers GI debate continues to rage, there can't be 1 retrohead in 100 who would seriously game a persimmon driver.

Lastly, even club membership seems to be more accessible now. Round my way anyway, the distractions of mountain kiting and adventure skating seems to have lured so many people away from traditional golf club membership that places that 15 years ago wouldn't even put you on their waiting list are inviting you in.

Isn't modern life great?

 

[DOCW3]

I think it's my own misunderstanding, but every time I hear Michael say "lie angle" I'm thinking/getting it confused with vertical swing plane (angle)...is that just me or...?

I viewed it several times because I trust him and wanted to understand the instruction.

What I heard.

*Better players with irons:
-Through out the stroke, the club moves "to the ground" on an angle that is equivalent to the lie angle designed into the club.
*Better players with drivers:
-Through impact (downstroke??) the club moves "to the ground" on an angle that is flatter than the lie angle designed into the club and flatter than how it "moves to the ground"from setup into the backstroke.
-The setup angle is too steep for consistent ball contact

He could be measuring (with Trackman) your " vertical swing plane (angle)" and comparing to the club design specs. My confusion was with the suggestion that the address angle with the driver is the lie angle designed into the club. Several modern drivers like the FTiZ and R9 have soles that will accommodate many address angles.

I hope Michael will comment.

DRW

 

[Phil Rosenbaum]

vsp and lie angle are not the same thing.

Michael uses flightscope.

Damon and I noticed a similar trend on his flightscope with my irons. vsp and lie angle were fairly close. It raised some questions....

but, the tracking machines are measuring the sweetpot (vsp) not the shaft.

Michael did a great job of complimenting the 2 measurements, without confusing them. I always thought of the shaft for swing plane, but as late......not so much.

 

[DOCW3]

How do the "tracking machines" measure the sweetspot?

BTW, I miss the crab and the smell of the air!

vsp and lie angle are not the same thing.

Michael uses flightscope.

Damon and I noticed a similar trend on his flightscope with my irons. vsp and lie angle were fairly close. It raised some questions....

but, the tracking machines are measuring the sweetpot (vsp) not the shaft.

Michael did a great job of complimenting the 2 measurements, without confusing them. I always thought of the shaft for swing plane, but as late......not so much.

 

[lia41985]

Lia,

The topic of the video about the driver was a simple explanation of the Vertical Swing Plane Angle with a driver. I discussed the measurement of the club head relative to the ground, most mainstream golfers are familiar with the lie angle of the club so I tied the 2 together for a point of comparison

Michael,
Thanks for clearing that up. I thought it was a great video, I just needed some clarification.

I always thought of the shaft for swing plane, but as late......not so much.

Just curious--why not?

 

[Kevin Shields]

Lean left? what are you getting at? I did notice your slow motion swing, pretty good...you got your shirt buttons and left shoulder over your right foot and got loaded well into your right side and maintained alot of right sidebend...did you notice your eyes looking for the ball again on the downswing thought that was intresting, would also say you sorta hung back on that one a little maybe and your hips backed up into the follow through and stayed in flexion a lil? looked like a solid strike though. Shouldve wore some puma shoes or foot joy icons . they go great with the white belt and JL wear!

Good video though you have great camera presence and you deliever your info clear and you make it simple to understand.

Was this a serious analysis?

 

[jake2]

How do the "tracking machines" measure the sweetspot?

I think the point is that the numbers, like VSP, is based on tracking the head, not shaf. The spot used in the head propably isn't exact sweetspot (how would the machine know where exact COG is?), but for the purpose of getting the numbers is does not matter. My guess anyway.

 

[joeunc]

i actually loved the tip at the end on the grip. I always thought my left heel pad was on top, but now I know it wasn't and have since corrected used Michael's tip and strike it better now.

 

[WoodbridgeGolf37]

i actually loved the tip at the end on the grip. I always thought my left heel pad was on top, but now I know it wasn't and have since corrected used Michael's tip and strike it better now.

^ +1

Taking my grip by my side has made it much easier to get a "Manzella Neutral Grip".

 

[birdie_man]

i actually loved the tip at the end on the grip.

Me too. Very good- thanks for an 'original' Mike.

 

[Michael Jacobs]

Me too. Very good- thanks for an 'original' Mike.

Thanks Birdie, sometimes an original is still good for everyone. On a side note, I got some puma golf shoes and I sent my white belt to the cleaners... should be shiny for future filming

 

[birdie_man]

Ya those white belts are deadly.....but they get really dirty easy!...............that's why I never wear em...............................................

...

 

[TaylorMadeAP25]

Thanks Birdie, sometimes an original is still good for everyone. On a side note, I got some puma golf shoes and I sent my white belt to the cleaners... should be shiny for future filming

lol! solid