Stenson snaps his offending wedge over his knee. You ever break one?

[Kalen Braley]

Dave,

Hilarious, very considerate indeed.   

PS.  I guess Tom D is the only one not on the naughty list.  But then again, sometimes you just gotta let off some steam.  Been Nearly 15+ years since my last chuck, hopefully i'm done with that nonsense....

[Dave McCollum]

Another one didn't happen to me, but one of my pros.  He grew up at our course and was a very competitive young golfer, one of the best in the state.  He was playing in a tournament, got pissed off about hitting a bad shot and gave his golf bag a few whacks.  Soon discovered he'd broken 5 shafts.  Had to play on with what he had left. 


I made an interesting discovery when I accidentally thew a club in a pond.  I didn't accidentally throw the club; I just missed the golf course.  I was a little embarrassed I couldn't hit a fairway.  The water wasn't deep and the grip was floating on the surface.  Who knew they floated?  On the next tee one of my fish farmers drove by and was kind enough to put on his waders and rescue it before it sank.  Stenson should learn to aim for the shallow parts.     

[Brad Payne]

I was playing in a tournament in high school and broke the head off my driver, but not in anger!  Was on the 2nd hole of a long course and didn't end up being one of my best rounds...unfortunately, I didn't have the equipment trailer nearby to get me a replacement. 


I'm too poor to replace shafts, so no broken shafts for me.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I made an interesting discovery when I accidentally thew a club in a pond.  I didn't accidentally throw the club; I just missed the golf course.  I was a little embarrassed I couldn't hit a fairway.  The water wasn't deep and the grip was floating on the surface.  Who knew they floated?  On the next tee one of my fish farmers drove by and was kind enough to put on his waders and rescue it before it sank.  Stenson should learn to aim for the shallow parts.     

Dave, my son saw this thread and mentioned a thrown one iron in the lake. He and I were playing a quick nine before we picked up my wife and daughter at the airport. This is 30 years ago so it is before cell phones. When we got to nine I wanted to play the back tee on the par three over water. It was about 210 yards and a perfect one iron for me. I hooked into the water. Erik was one a forward tee. I said, "Here son, take this stinking club." As I tossed it I hooked it as well and it went ten yards into the lake. I thought, "Well if you gonna be stupid I need to show Erik that there are consequences."
I waded into the mucky bottom of the shallow lake and felt around. I was in the lake for a good twenty minutes and forgot all about the airport. All of a sudden I realized it. But of course I needed to shower and change clothes. We got to the airport one hour late. On the way I told Erik, "Don't tell Mom about the one iron." My wife and daughter were sitting on their luggage fuming. As soon as we got there the first words were, "Dad threw a club into the lake." There are some stories you never outlive.


My club did not float.

[Peter Pallotta]

I'd forgotten, probably on purpose.
An old steel-shafted 2 iron is a lot easier to snap over your knee than a modern hybrid.
But it's not the forced required -- it's the razor-like shard of graphite that's the problem.
It can tear a hole right through the knee of a new pair of chinos.
Don't ask me how I know.

[Bill Seitz]

I don't think I've ever intentionally broken a club, but I've taken intentional actions that led to one or two broken clubs.  Like slamming a three wood into the ground, which caused it break.  My intention was not to break the club, like Stenson snapping one over his knee, but I also can't say I was overly concerned with the outcome.  I also lightly tapped my bag once after with a three iron after a shot on the ninth at Cog #4.  Found out about three holes later that I had apparently caught the driver shaft in exactly the right/wrong spot.  Again, no intent, but the result was the same. 


Last time I broke any club was at Broadmoor in Indianapolis before the Midwest Mashie.  I hit 8 iron from about 145.  The shaft broke inside the grip, which remained intact.  Pretty crazy.  Put the ball on the back right of green and two putts later had par, but no 8 iron for the weekend.

[Sean_A]

I was just speaking to someone about this on the weekend!  I have never broken a club in anger.  I have, however, been hit by a helicoptered club.  That was a bit harsh.  Almost always, at least from my PoV, its people that aren't as good as they think they are who throw/break clubs.  Maybe they do so because deep down they know they this. 

Ciao

[Brian Potash]

Guilty as charged.  One toss of the putter into the woods.  Caddy made an attempt to retrieve it but I called him off.  More recently, a snapping of the driver over the knee.  Over a 32 year playing career, I feel like that's not too bad.  It can get frustrating at times.....


Brian


p.s. - almost forgot, swung my sand wedge into my bag and accidentally snapped my driver shaft when it hit it.  I count that as 1/2 of an incident.

[Anthony Butler]

I have never broken one of my own clubs in anger, although the airlines have broken three of them over the years.


I'm not counting when the heads started flying off my old Ping Eye-2 irons after 15-20 years of poor care, rust, etc.

I've seen you throw a club, but it struck me not as anger, but an ironic commentary on the fact you never hit a decent tee shot on that particular hole.

[Jason Thurman]

Last time I broke any club was at Broadmoor in Indianapolis before the Midwest Mashie.  I hit 8 iron from about 145.  The shaft broke inside the grip, which remained intact.  Pretty crazy.  Put the ball on the back right of green and two putts later had par, but no 8 iron for the weekend.

Pretty crazy indeed! I remember that one.


I also broke a driver shaft at Broadmoor once, similar to your story about tapping the 3 iron shaft on the bag and finding out you'd done unexpected damage. On the third hole, I yanked a tee shot into the grove of trees left. I tapped the shaft on the top of the bag as I went to put the club back, and it split in two. I broke my handicap every round while I waited for the shaft to get replaced. There's probably a lesson there somewhere...


I did snap a wedge over my knee once, on the 8th hole at Wolf Run. But in fairness, I already had a new one ordered and en route and knew I had no more than 11 holes left with it. It felt REALLY good.


I've broken a few others that just felt embarrassing.

[Ken Moum]

My brother has told a story on himself about a chunked pitch shot, followed by raising the club to break it over his knee and pausing to think, (Do I have an X100 shaft at home?)


When he decided he did, he went ahead and broke it...in cold blood.


K

[Tommy Williamsen]

I was just speaking to someone about this on the weekend!  I have never broken a club in anger.  I have, however, been hit by a helicoptered club.  That was a bit harsh.  Almost always, at least from my PoV, its people that aren't as good as they think they are who throw/break clubs.  Maybe they do so because deep down they know they this. 

Ciao

Only a little self righteous my friend.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Snapped a putter when I was 13 and my father made me pay for a new one. Expensive lesson learned--I haven't broken a club in anger since.

Sounds like we had the same Dad!  I had the exact same experience.

[Ira Fishman]

I threw my putter in a high school match into a tree, and it snapped.  When I got to the last green and my Coach saw me putting with my three iron, I thought he was so angry that he was going to leave me off of the bus back.  Lesson learned....although I have tossed a club or two since then.


Ira

[JLahrman]

I threw my putter in a high school match into a tree, and it snapped.  When I got to the last green and my Coach saw me putting with my three iron, I thought he was so angry that he was going to leave me off of the bus back.  Lesson learned....although I have tossed a club or two since then.

Ira

Did he break you over his knee?


I have never broken a club. Although I did take a 3-wood and whack my back with it after a wayward shot, leaving a gash in the bag. I used the bag for another 10 years or so to remind me not to do that again. I heaved a club or two back in my younger days. I don't do anything more than flip a club to the ground anymore. Invariably it will be a wedge if I've flubbed the same type of pitch shot several times in the same round. I'm not good enough and don't practice enough to allow myself to get legitimately mad at bad shots anymore.

[Mark Smolens]

There’s a great Peanuts cartoon where Snoopy breaks a club, and when Charlie Brown asks if he’s happy, responds something like “yes, every once in a while you’ve got to show the rest of them who’s boss.”

[Jeff_Brauer]

I was just speaking to someone about this on the weekend!  I have never broken a club in anger.  I have, however, been hit by a helicoptered club.  That was a bit harsh.  Almost always, at least from my PoV, its people that aren't as good as they think they are who throw/break clubs.  Maybe they do so because deep down they know they this. 

Ciao

Sean,


I accidentally helicoptered one at age 14.  MY brand new McGregor MT Tourney (because Jack played them, I guess)  Aluminum shafts and all, but it was not in anger.  I was in my back yard trying to warm up, and swinging harder and harder to stretch my turn at the top when my driver just flew right out of my hands and over some trees.  Went down the next street peeking into back yards.  Turns out it landed right in a swimming pool and right in the middle of a pool party, much to the amusement of the guests.  At least no one was hurt.


I also have bent clubs, by jamming them too hard into the bag or ground, and in the case of a putter, by allowing it to drag on the ground as the cart moved down the path, and it caught on something.


I have also had friends try my driver, only to have it shatter in their hands (not sure why, guess my swing speed is just too slow).

[Pete_Pittock]

I was in a group when a player helicoptered a club. Hit another player about 40 yards away in the face who lost about 75% vision in one eye. Don't blindly throw a club, ever!

[Sean_A]

I was in a group when a player helicoptered a club. Hit another player about 40 yards away in the face who lost about 75% vision in one eye. Don't blindly throw a club, ever!

I was lucky in that I was hit first by the shaft of the club then the head.  To me, its more about the bad vibe set by club throwers/breakers.  Temper tantrums have a way of killing fun. 

Tommy...I swear a few times a round.  Call it club throwing prevention.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

Time for some Tommy Bolt stories?
Atb

[Dan Smoot]

I have never broken or thrown one.  I did a kick out of finding a snapped wedge left in the front bunker on Pacific Dunes #11.  I have watched a few epic struggles in those bunkers from people who I classified as having a very good game. 


Occasionally, you hear people asked a question about which popular golfers they would like to play a round with.  I always reserve a spot for Tommy Bolt.  I don't know what is truth or legend but this guy must have been a hoot to be with.   Ben Hogan would not be a choice.

[JLahrman]

To me, its more about the bad vibe set by club throwers/breakers.  Temper tantrums have a way of killing fun.

I agree, if you want to get mad or frustrated that's your business, but when it reaches the point that you're making others in your group uncomfortable then you're either selfish or need some self-awareness. We're really just using stick to whack a ball around a field.

[Thomas Dai]

Ky Laffoon stories?
atb

[David_Tepper]

From Eddie Pepperell's golf blog:

TPC Sawgrass  Posted on March 18, 2019               by eddiepepperell 

I hadn’t snapped a club all year until the Tuesday of Sawgrass during a practice round. I was hitting a 5 iron into the 7th hole and after hitting what was ironically one of my better shots that day, though still not good, I smashed the club into my bag, bending it severely, and then proceeded to throw it Rory McIlroy style into the lake for the alligators to feast on. It was an act of petulance, borne out of frustration. I walked in after my third shot into the par five 9th, waving goodbye to Alex Noren from a distance who I was playing with. I went straight back to my hotel room for a nap.https://eddiepepperell.wordpress.com/

[Tom Bacsanyi]

^^^^Thanks for highlighting Pepperell's blog, nice to know the tour guys aren't all mindless trackman robots.


As for me I flung a two iron against a tree once and bent the shaft at Rackham as a teenager.  I actually hit it better afterwards.  Why I was even trying to game a 2 is a very good question.  Never outright broken a club, a minor miracle given the explosive temper of my youth.