Bad Things Happen to Lent Clubs

[KickerOfElves]

Last spring I made a terrible mistake...I let someone I didn't know very well hit one of my clubs.

Buddy and I are at a range hitting some balls with this other guy that I didn't know that well. Golfing season is just starting, grass tees are open at the range, time to go hit some balls and try and resuscitate the dormant game. I finish hitting some "directional" shots with the driver; suddenly I stop using any of my braincells and hand the other guy my just-built-it-a-month-and-a-half ago big shiny new titanium howitzer.

Started hitting iron shots, and...I realize I can hear...this horrible repeated series of whumps coming from a couple spaces down the range. Someone is trying to hit driver with much vigor. And failing miserably.

I turn around and look and see this other guy just tomahawking the club over the top in a frightening manner. A tee pretty much shatters and the ball dribbles 25 yards far left of centre. I wince and hit a couple more iron shots, switch clubs just as the other guy is returning my club. Then, about 10 minutes later, I return to my bag and grab the driver again. The fence at the back of the range, it taunts me from afar--rotten ***. Set the club down and take a couple of waggles--what the f---? Flip the club over, there's a big ball mark on the heel of the club right at the hosel. Go to rub it with my thumb and almost slice myself wide open. Wha--?

The other guy has basically punched a golf ball through the very heel of the once very new howitzer! There is a vicious dent and metal is actually shorn with the force of the mighty hack.

I utter something quite unelegant and probably illegal about someone and one or more of their parents "...my driver is broken!"

Buddy and the other guy gather around, buddy says something about someone's mother. Other guy looks at me very serious, "Oh man, how could that have happened?"

I'm almost in shock and trying to figure out if this would be justifiable; would the legal system pronounce me guilty because of one alleged homicide? But where would I dispose of the body?

Here are some pictures of what resulted from my sudden blind stupidity, and from the swing that could build a freaking railroad. This was a brand new 10*Bang 450 fused to an Accuflex VS339 x-stiff shaft. The club face sat dead square and was triumphantly (those 450s are plenty loud) the longest driver I have ever hit. Club looked kinda of dramatic, with the shaft's deep red bleeding onto a white final third. If you missed a fairway the ball was forever lost, just gone.

Be careful when letting some other hacker hit your clubs!

[Big Johnny69]

So there's the pics of the Bang. Brutal, just brutal man. Enjoy the new one.

[fireice]

Sorry for your loss, good lesson for all.

[Golfpeasant]

How the hell do you make a hole like that? I'd feel for you bud...

[DavidY]

What was the guy trying to do....hammer the ball into the mat/ground with the driver's heel or what?

I am hacker, but that's just so wrong!

Personally, I would watch someone drive some balls (to ensure that he knows how to swing half decently) before lending him or her my driver or any of my clubs.

Dave

[KickerOfElves]

I wish I could have had Minolta SwingVision footage of the incident... I'd like to see, in slow motion, just how the hell you come that far over the top.

Fortunately the Bang will rise again, as Geoff's 10* Bang 450 should arrive today, and I just ordered a new shaft.

[covanant]

So the guy tried to put it back in your bag without you noticing?
I would have kicked his car door in!

[KickerOfElves]

So the guy tried to put it back in your bag without you noticing?
I would have kicked his car door in!

He did put it back in the bag without my noticing, I didn't see the damage for 15mins or so.

It's my own damn fault for letting him even touch the driver in the first place. I would let my buddy hit it anytime, I even lent it to him before that day for a charity tournament...

As for kicking his door in, maybe if he was standing in front of it.

[laxgolf]

I have a rule....you can try my clubs out all you want, but if there's a single scratch on anything other than the clubface (within reason), you're reaching into your wallet and paying me the full value of the club. After that the club is yours to keep, dummy mark and all. If you make that perfectly clear, they won't touch your clubs.

[dbleber]

First of all, that was a very well written post. I thought I was reading a Penthouse letter without the good stuff. I never let anyone hit my clubs unless I know them extremely well and I have dummy tape on the top. I even put dummy tape on there for myself when I hit off matts with those rubber tees. It has saved my driver from time to time.

[KickerOfElves]

First of all, that was a very well written post. I thought I was reading a Penthouse letter without the good stuff. I never let anyone hit my clubs unless I know them extremely well and I have dummy tape on the top. I even put dummy tape on there for myself when I hit off matts with those rubber tees. It has saved my driver from time to time.

Thanks dbleber.

Although if a Penthouse letter can be considered an example of "well written" I somehow feel slighted

I know better now, I had just started building clubs around the time this had happened and was pretty naive about letting people hit them. Not anymore of course.

[dbleber]

Thanks dbleber.

Although if a Penthouse letter can be considered an example of "well written" I somehow feel slighted

LOL! That's true, but they still have that cheesy, you won't believe what happens next thing about them. Goood Stuff!

[covanant]

LOL! That's true, but they still have that cheesy, you won't believe what happens next thing about them. Goood Stuff!

At least he didnt start off with"I dont usually write to these things,but"
This one time,at band camp....

[KickerOfElves]

At least he didnt start off with"I dont usually write to these things,but"
This one time,at band camp....

Well, the driver did almost end up in a body orfice, but not mine and not pleasantly.