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Sarzar Takes on Lessons to Break 100

Hamfist said:
Are you having difficulty chopping the ball out of the rough? Are you trying to just get it out to the short grass, or get it out AND advance it? Just doing what it takes to get it into the short stuff, even without advancing it, is the right play. I've often racked up an extra stroke or three trying to get it out AND advance it, instead of just popping it out and going from there.
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Most of the time I'm trying to get out with the hopes of advancing... I have trouble getting the ball in the air so typically it just rolls in the rough but doesn't have enough behind it to roll out.
I could club down to a wedge since I can get better contact with them... I'm really trying to learn how to get more consistent with my long irons on before the rough and the fairway.

That's a good way to look at it. Take an extra stoke to just get it into the fairway instead of 3+ strokes trying to advance from rough.
 
Sarzar said:
Most of the time I'm trying to get out with the hopes of advancing... I have trouble getting the ball in the air so typically it just rolls in the rough but doesn't have enough behind it to roll out.
I could club down to a wedge since I can get better contact with them... I'm really trying to learn how to get more consistent with my long irons on before the rough and the fairway.

That's a good way to look at it. Take an extra stoke to just get it into the fairway instead of 3+ strokes trying to advance from rough.
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So, this may not help but it was a game changer for me because I had issues getting my ball in the air and advancing out of the rough too. Wait. Let's be honest, it wasnjust out of the rough, it was all the time 🤣 anyway, I actually changed where I look at my ball. I now look at my ball about half an inch in front of it. Once I started doing that, I was able to get everything up in the air. It was a game changer for me. Just a thought. I don't claim to know the game but only what works for me ;) Good luck!
 
Hamfist said:
Are you having difficulty chopping the ball out of the rough? Are you trying to just get it out to the short grass, or get it out AND advance it? Just doing what it takes to get it into the short stuff, even without advancing it, is the right play. I've often racked up an extra stroke or three trying to get it out AND advance it, instead of just popping it out and going from there.
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Hammy has some great advice here. One of the guys I golf with often finds the rough with his drive. He takes far too much club for the conditions/lie and proceeds to hit his next two or three shots from very similar lies, because he's trying to do too much with one shot. He's hitting the club I would be hitting from the middle of the fairway, and just cannot make clean enough contact to advance the ball decently.
Whatever courses have figured out, they all have rough that performs better than velcro. I liken it to being in the trees: job #1 is get the ball back into the short grass as quickly as possible, even if that means giving up yardage you think you can gain. 1 recovery shot vs. 3 attempted shots is a 66% reduction. Golf is all about managing the misses!
 
A shot to add to your repertoire: the low punch shot with your pitching wedge.

Next time you're at the driving range, get your pitching wedge out and practice hitting the ball 100 yds and flight the ball as low as you can with it, but it has to go 100 yds in the air.

This will be the most valuable shot you will learn. If you are in the woods with low hanging branches you'll use a shot like this and be able to advance the ball. You'll see openings you didn't see before. Also, learning this shot is the first step in learning another very fun shot: the stinger.
 
Sarzar said:
Great advice everyone! I appreciate it!
Planning on playing again on Friday so I'll keep you guys updated.
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Love your attitude! Keep after it, you’re going to kick 100’s ass this year.
 
Keep up the work! Don't worry about the high scores. The important part is being out there, and working your way out (or trying to) of situations!
 
So the past couple rounds I've shot high as I've been practicing my new swing and shooting around 110-112.
Yesterday we started on the back 9 and I played great. Unfortunately we had to skip 4 holes because we played late but I was on track to shoot about a 105.

I did a few lay ups to get out of the rough and it worked wonders.
 
Sarzar said:
So the past couple rounds I've shot high as I've been practicing my new swing and shooting around 110-112.
Yesterday we started on the back 9 and I played great. Unfortunately we had to skip 4 holes because we played late but I was on track to shoot about a 105.

I did a few lay ups to get out of the rough and it worked wonders.
Click to expand...
That's one of the hardest things for me to do - lay up and take my medicine.
Very smart. Trying to minimize the damage
 
Sarzar said:
So the past couple rounds I've shot high as I've been practicing my new swing and shooting around 110-112.
Yesterday we started on the back 9 and I played great. Unfortunately we had to skip 4 holes because we played late but I was on track to shoot about a 105.

I did a few lay ups to get out of the rough and it worked wonders.
Click to expand...
Great job. I always struggled to stick with a swing change on the course. I kept getting stuck on scores. It sounds like you have a much better approach than I did. Keep at it.
 
Sarzar said:
Most of the time I'm trying to get out with the hopes of advancing... I have trouble getting the ball in the air so typically it just rolls in the rough but doesn't have enough behind it to roll out.
I could club down to a wedge since I can get better contact with them... I'm really trying to learn how to get more consistent with my long irons on before the rough and the fairway.

That's a good way to look at it. Take an extra stoke to just get it into the fairway instead of 3+ strokes trying to advance from rough.
Click to expand...

How to advance the ball from thick rough: "They say" you can hit a hybrid from rough. True, but that's only from the first cut and maybe from the second cut if it's not too long and if it's dry. I'm talking about the 6" long stuff. Don't even think about anything less than a 9i. One par 5 has a grass fairway bunker - I'd rather be in sand because I could hit a hybrid from a sand fairway bunker. Out of this grass bunker I'd grab either a 9i or PW, play the ball a little further back because you do not want to catch it heavy, keep the weight forward, shoulders level with the slope and just chop it out. And it does hurt my shoulder. If it's wet, I'd go with my 50 degree. I just want something that will cut through that grass and make contact with the ball. And make sure you're lined up with the middle of the fairway at some point down toward the hole. You can't just chip the ball back onto the fairway from this spot.
 
Lesson number 2 today.

Definitely making improvements. I eliminated the movement of my head down in the back swing which was the goal from the first lesson but started moving lateral back too much.

Today we focused on getting in the right position to eliminate that lateral movement in the back swing.

I'm feeling pretty confident with these changes and hoping to see some big improvements in the near future.

Focus points:
  • "Straighten" back knee in back swing
  • Think about down, around, up in the swing.
  • Down to transfer pressure from back to front (top of back swing/beginning of swing)
  • Around to rotate through (rotation starts at the down movement and continues through contact)
  • Up to follow through the ball (finish the swing)
 
Sarzar said:
So I haven't really had any chances to play since my last lesson but I'm getting out today. Looking forward to seeing how this goes.
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Time to go LOW!!!
 
I'm glad I started this thread... I am at the range and came to this to reference what I learned at my last lesson because it's been a month since I played golf.
 
Last edited:
Wow I haven't been in this thread in a long time.
I didn't play much last year and so far this year I've only been out twice, once for a scramble and once in Ireland (this week).

In Ireland I finally broke 100!! (It was a short course though).

I was playing men's rental clubs...
Titleist
Driver: TSi2 10° - shaft: Tensei av55r
Irons: T200 5-W - shaft: Tru Temper AMT r300
52° 08F SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
56° 08M SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
Putter: Scotty Cameron Mallet

Course: Royal County Down, Annesley Links
Yardage 4218
I shot a 90 on a par 67... +23
Translated to a par 72... Gives me a 95.

This was a very exciting round on a beautiful course.

Now time to translate this to the states and my regular courses to see if I can keep up the momentum with my own clubs.
 
Sarzar said:
Wow I haven't been in this thread in a long time.
I didn't play much last year and so far this year I've only been out twice, once for a scramble and once in Ireland (this week).

In Ireland I finally broke 100!! (It was a short course though).

I was playing men's rental clubs...
Titleist
Driver: TSi2 10° - shaft: Tensei av55r
Irons: T200 5-W - shaft: Tru Temper AMT r300
52° 08F SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
56° 08M SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
Putter: Scotty Cameron Mallet

Course: Royal County Down, Annesley Links
Yardage 4218
I shot a 90 on a par 67... +23
Translated to a par 72... Gives me a 95.

This was a very exciting round on a beautiful course.

Now time to translate this to the states and my regular courses to see if I can keep up the momentum with my own clubs.
Click to expand...
That is awesome congrats! What a cool place to have that happen!
 
Sarzar said:
Wow I haven't been in this thread in a long time.
I didn't play much last year and so far this year I've only been out twice, once for a scramble and once in Ireland (this week).

In Ireland I finally broke 100!! (It was a short course though).

I was playing men's rental clubs...
Titleist
Driver: TSi2 10° - shaft: Tensei av55r
Irons: T200 5-W - shaft: Tru Temper AMT r300
52° 08F SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
56° 08M SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
Putter: Scotty Cameron Mallet

Course: Royal County Down, Annesley Links
Yardage 4218
I shot a 90 on a par 67... +23
Translated to a par 72... Gives me a 95.

This was a very exciting round on a beautiful course.

Now time to translate this to the states and my regular courses to see if I can keep up the momentum with my own clubs.
Click to expand...
Congrats and how cool is it that the first time was in Ireland!
 
Sarzar said:
Wow I haven't been in this thread in a long time.
I didn't play much last year and so far this year I've only been out twice, once for a scramble and once in Ireland (this week).

In Ireland I finally broke 100!! (It was a short course though).

I was playing men's rental clubs...
Titleist
Driver: TSi2 10° - shaft: Tensei av55r
Irons: T200 5-W - shaft: Tru Temper AMT r300
52° 08F SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
56° 08M SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
Putter: Scotty Cameron Mallet

Course: Royal County Down, Annesley Links
Yardage 4218
I shot a 90 on a par 67... +23
Translated to a par 72... Gives me a 95.

This was a very exciting round on a beautiful course.

Now time to translate this to the states and my regular courses to see if I can keep up the momentum with my own clubs.
Click to expand...
That's some SOLID playing. Keep it up, and congrats!
 
Sarzar said:
Wow I haven't been in this thread in a long time.
I didn't play much last year and so far this year I've only been out twice, once for a scramble and once in Ireland (this week).

In Ireland I finally broke 100!! (It was a short course though).

I was playing men's rental clubs...
Titleist
Driver: TSi2 10° - shaft: Tensei av55r
Irons: T200 5-W - shaft: Tru Temper AMT r300
52° 08F SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
56° 08M SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
Putter: Scotty Cameron Mallet

Course: Royal County Down, Annesley Links
Yardage 4218
I shot a 90 on a par 67... +23
Translated to a par 72... Gives me a 95.

This was a very exciting round on a beautiful course.

Now time to translate this to the states and my regular courses to see if I can keep up the momentum with my own clubs.
Click to expand...
Congrats, that's pretty awesome to break the 100 barrier in Ireland!
 
Sarzar said:
Wow I haven't been in this thread in a long time.
I didn't play much last year and so far this year I've only been out twice, once for a scramble and once in Ireland (this week).

In Ireland I finally broke 100!! (It was a short course though).

I was playing men's rental clubs...
Titleist
Driver: TSi2 10° - shaft: Tensei av55r
Irons: T200 5-W - shaft: Tru Temper AMT r300
52° 08F SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
56° 08M SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
Putter: Scotty Cameron Mallet

Course: Royal County Down, Annesley Links
Yardage 4218
I shot a 90 on a par 67... +23
Translated to a par 72... Gives me a 95.

This was a very exciting round on a beautiful course.

Now time to translate this to the states and my regular courses to see if I can keep up the momentum with my own clubs.
Click to expand...

Congrats! Length of course doesn't matter, a barrier smashed is a barrier smashed.
 
Sarzar said:
Wow I haven't been in this thread in a long time.
I didn't play much last year and so far this year I've only been out twice, once for a scramble and once in Ireland (this week).

In Ireland I finally broke 100!! (It was a short course though).

I was playing men's rental clubs...
Titleist
Driver: TSi2 10° - shaft: Tensei av55r
Irons: T200 5-W - shaft: Tru Temper AMT r300
52° 08F SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
56° 08M SM8 - shaft: wedge flex
Putter: Scotty Cameron Mallet

Course: Royal County Down, Annesley Links
Yardage 4218
I shot a 90 on a par 67... +23
Translated to a par 72... Gives me a 95.

This was a very exciting round on a beautiful course.

Now time to translate this to the states and my regular courses to see if I can keep up the momentum with my own clubs.
Click to expand...
From what I saw in that scramble, I knew you had it in you! That's amazing that it all finally connected in such a special place!
 
That is awesome. Keep up the good work!!!
 
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