I was lucky enough to score a good payout from last month's tournie's. So, like a cashed up submariner on shore leave, I hit the pro shop with a "what the hell" attitude - and bought a set of i15's.
In retrospect the next 3 hours were a lot of fun...in retrospect.
I had thought that shanking was impossible on WGT. Ohhhh nooo it isn't! Taking one of my brand spanking irons off the tee, afterall that's why I was at Bethpage for practice, I discovered a part of the 1st hole off to the right...of the tee...that must've been in the bottom left corner of the nearest HD photo. Determined to "hang in there" and "practice" I kept swinging - until I started going places even the photograher mustn't have thought feasible. Those tree's along the right are bad! I emerged 8 or so "shots" later and nonchalantly rolled in an 18 footer for a well played 9.
Deciding to head to the fridge for another to calm the right finger - or something - I set out to conquer the 2nd. I cured the shank! I duck hooked it into another unphotographed part of the course. 3 later I found fairway and the caddy begged me to use a well tested wedge - ANY of them! I made 6 with another 1 putt. Thinking like a third person, I said "try using your putter off the next tee!"
On the 3rd I did something I've never done before. not on the 3rd. Not on Bethpage. I hit my 4 iron so shockingly bad that the neither the WGT interface, photographer, or programme knew what to do. There was a pause, the sound of a few far away bumps and clunks, and then appeared a little box saying "ball lost".............................. I've reflected on it a lot - I don't even know which direction it got lost in!
2 hours later I came to a conclusion I felt I must share with my fellow WGT'ers. Beer, or anything possibly "calming" is absolutely a NO GO when using i-15 irons! In the absence of anything stronger, I ditched the beer and starting making double shot after double shots of coffee.
It worked! By the 2 hour 45 minute mark I was getting them in the forgiveness range and even fluking the odd ding. By the end of the 3 hour mark my eyes and head hurt - a combination of squinting, heightened blood pressure, and a caffeine induced heart rate that was dangerously high. With shaking hands I gently removed them from my bag and put my G10's back in for an RG. I gotta a lot of coffee and practice in front of me before I can tame those beasts...