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Morgan Cup - Preparation Thread

TC said:
It's ok dudes, you'd rather be struggling now than in July.
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Yep thats what I keep telling myself. I know I will bounce back, the frustration is just from the fact that I just can't seem to consistently break 80, like maybe once every few rounds, which has been my goal for a while. I know it takes a lot of patience to get to that level, but I just have been stuck where I'm at for so long. I remember a few years ago when I was excited to finally break 90 once or twice near the end of the summer, and then all of a sudden the next summer I was mid-high 80's every round. Just wish I could get over this hump...
 
Prep work yesterday was playing a round of golf ended up shooting a 93 which was improvement from the last round I played but still not where my game is going to be come July. I'm playing with irons that are not the most forgiving in order for me to concentrate on ball first-center club face striking and while I'm a full club or so shorter my accuracy has improved over the past few weeks. Prime example was on a shot I had from 162 on a par 4, stuffed the approach to within 6' of the hole but proceeded to burn the edge on the birdie putt. I'm very confident that when my XF's come in I'm going to be long and accurate which is always nice. Pulled the RAZR Fit driver 4x yesterday and was in the fairway or just off it each time. Still getting used to it and think I may try tweaking some more with the settings to try and get some better consistency with it. The RAZR Fit 3w is my favorite club in the bag right now. Aside from 2 topped tee shots yesterday, I was in the fairway every other time I pulled this out of the bag. It's set on the stock straight setting and I have no plans to change it. My best shot with it was a 230yd shot that left me a little under 160 to the pin on a short par 4. I proceeded to chunk the approach into the water but I can't complain with the distance and accuracy I've seen from it so far. It's not a 'wow' club but it sure is an accurate and consistent one. I'm really looking forward to getting the hybrids in my bag with how well I'm hitting hybrids right now too. Wedge play has been suspect for me on the course which is tough since I feel so good with them on the range. I just can't seem to relax and have too much tension in my arms when it comes to chipping and the same held true yesterday. On 3/4 or full shots the Forged wedges were really really good. There was one shot I had from 76 out where I took a really aggressive 3/4 swing with it, landed it in front of the hole, only to have the ball spin back a good 3' from where the pitch mark was on a slightly downhill lie. Putting was suspect to start yesterday with back to back 3 jack within the first 4 holes but settled in nicely as the round wore on. Finished with 33 putts and know I left a lot of putts out there I normally don't.

I need to improve on par 4 scoring as that's where my issues tend to be right now for some reason. My average scoring on par 4's yesterday was a 5.5 (included 3 triples and a quad) while my par 3 scoring was a 3.5 and my par 5 scoring was a 5. I'm not sure if I'm being too aggressive with par 4's which gets me in trouble around the greens when I miss or what but it's a trend I've seen all year so far.
 
Spent a solid 1.5 hours today at the practice area. Primarily putting and chipping. Went out today with no plan, just make good contact and have some fun. I hit some really nice shots just being loose and trying some different shots. Putting still needs some work but but at least I think I know what I am doing wrong and how to correct it.
 
Went out for my lesson today. I came away feeling MUCH better about my game. I still need to get some reps in to make it feel more natural, but it was just as I thought, it was something very simple and as soon as the pro explained it to me my shots immediately got better. He had my start by just taking a few swings as I normally would so he could see what I was doing. He knows I have been pushing it because I have talked to him quite a bit recently about my rounds. I told him I have tried a million things in my backswing to try and fix it, and he pointed out that its not my backswing at all. It was the downswing that was wrong. I wasn't clearing my hips fast enough. I thought I was doing it fine by the way I looked at the finish but it was too late. So thats all we focused on was clearing the hips and not sliding my hips forward at all. As soon as he pointed it out I'd say 8/10 shots were pure and I had no pushes at all, I was actually drawing most of them. He told me it was the easiest lesson he's had in a long time. So we spent most of the rest of the lesson talking about the Morgan Cup as I continued to take swing after swing to try and make it repetitive. Interesting thing...I was hitting the ball better after working on clearing my hips, but he asked me what shaft I was playing. I told him and he said that the Nippon shaft I am using is meant to throw the ball up in the air, and while I was getting a high launch, it was also putting a ton of backspin on the ball causing it to keep climbing. I told him about the troubles I have had hitting these irons since I got them, especially into the wind. I told him I was fit for them and I gained about 30 yards on each club but I lost so much accuracy. He told me just looking at my swing that he thinks the shaft is too soft for me. I told him I ordered the X Forged with the PX 5.5 for the Morgan Cup and before I even said anything else he said "you are going to love that shaft. I can tell you now that your accuracy will improve based on how you swing." I also told him they were 1/2" long and 1* upright. His first response was "I bet if your club was standard lie or even 1* flat your shot would be perfectly straight." So he told me to keep hitting a few balls and he went inside. He came back out with the older model of the Callaway X Forged 6-iron with a PX 5.5 shaft on it. First shot was struck pure and flew nice and long, and had a 5-yard fade on it. He asked if I liked the flight. I said I liked it if I could consistently hit a 5-yard fade. He told me to keep swinging and I kept getting the exact same flight. Then he told me it was a demo club that was actually 1* flat. He told me if he made it standard lie he would bet I have a perfectly straight shot. But for about 30 shots with that club I put it right where I wanted. Flight was down a little from my Nippon and accuracy was just spot on. I can say now that I am extremely happy I went with the 5.5 for my MC irons. He said if he would have gave me a lesson before I ordered my irons he would have recommended a PX or a KBS C-taper shaft for me. At the end of the lesson he gave me the X Forged iron to put in my bag for now and said to keep working with it. He also suggested taking the Diablos out of my bag and putting my MBs back in my bag until the Morgan Cup set comes. He told me my distance will be shorter but my accuracy will be much better. I was actually starting to lean toward taking the Diablos out of the bag already because even before I started pushing the ball last week my accuracy with them has not been good at all. I am more excited than ever to put the X Forged in my bag as soon as they get here, I know I definitely made the right decision by going with the PX shafts. The weather looks like its going to be great this week so I will be putting more reps in on the range working on clearing my hips quicker. Just the short lesson made such a huge difference but only reps will make it more natural. I'm going to continue working with the pro a few more times leading up to July.
 
Played 18 holes today and really struggled on the greens....hit everything else ok but the putter was a huge problem....granted they had just verti cut the greens and they were hard and REALLY FAST..but still...I had 4 three putts and 1 4 putt!

Its really bothering me because I used to consider myself a very good putter...I really wonder if I am using the right type of putter.
 
TripleBogieTim said:
Played 18 holes today and really struggled on the greens....hit everything else ok but the putter was a huge problem....granted they had just verti cut the greens and they were hard and REALLY FAST..but still...I had 4 three putts and 1 4 putt!

Its really bothering me because I used to consider myself a very good putter...I really wonder if I am using the right type of putter.
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My putting has been very good but based on how well I was rolling the Odyssey ProType #7 at Golfsmith recently I think my putting could get even better once I have one in the bag.
 
INgolfer said:
My putting has been very good but based on how well I was rolling the Odyssey ProType #7 at Golfsmith recently I think my putting could get even better once I have one in the bag.
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I haven't rolled the Protype #7....maybe I need too....seems weird for a #7 not to have the wings.
 
Bradd, that was a big read, but full of some really good info. Glad to hear that you have soldified your feelings on the shaft choice you made. I think you will be dialed in really quickly when they come in.
 
Well I just read through this thread as I've missed a lot this past week and a bit and congrats on all the great prep by everyone. In some ways I think this 2 week break will be very good for my golf game. The rest (from golf) will do my body good, and it has really given my shoulder a chance to heal up a little bit which will only help from now on.
I was also starting to take golf and my scores a little too seriously, and this break has really gotten my golf game back into perspective. I think being more relaxed out there and enjoying the game more will be good for me, I'm going to work as hard if not harder on my game then ever when I get home, but when I play a round of golf, that will just be for me, and just for fun.
 
coolbreeze said:
Well I just read through this thread as I've missed a lot this past week and a bit and congrats on all the great prep by everyone. In some ways I think this 2 week break will be very good for my golf game. The rest (from golf) will do my body good, and it has really given my shoulder a chance to heal up a little bit which will only help from now on.
I was also starting to take golf and my scores a little too seriously, and this break has really gotten my golf game back into perspective. I think being more relaxed out there and enjoying the game more will be good for me, I'm going to work as hard if not harder on my game then ever when I get home, but when I play a round of golf, that will just be for me, and just for fun.
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You make a very good point Breezy, I had played a couple of bad rounds in a row and I was letting every single mistake on the course get me down. What was happening was that everytime I screwed up, I got upset and then pressed even harder which made me screw up more....I wasn't having fun and my scores suffered...so when I played with Steele on Monday, I just tried to have a good time and even though I putted like crap I played alot better...not great...but lots better.

I think a couple of things I forgot during all this were, #1 I play golf for fun...not for a living, and #2 I am a 15-17 handicap...not a scratch or a single digit.....hell last week I played with Steele and had a great chance at par on all of the first 7 holes and I made 3 of them, but instead of being happy that I was 4 over after 7, I got pissed because I missed some good opportunities and ended up ruining my game and made the round not fun for Steele either....what I forgot was 6 months ago I would have been turning flips if I was only 4 over after 7 holes....but my expectations had gotten much higher.

So I had to step back and reevaluate what I was doing and why I play golf and sure enough my scores got better....now that doesnt mean I was happy with the poor putting performance I had on Monday....but what it means is I don't let a few missed putts ruin my whole afternoon. I really need to work on once I write down my score for a hole, then it's over and done and on to the next....I can't dwell on the missed 4 footer so long that it's in my head on the next tee box and causes a bad shot there.

Anyways, sorry this is so long, but it was just something I needed to get out of my system. Yes, I will still be working on my game and yes, I still expect to get better.,...but making a double or triple or a even a quad isn't the end of the world.

Thanks for letting me vent.
 
It's always a good read to see the ups and downs of everyone as you prepare for this great event. It really is a cyclical cycle and I for one can tell you that you will have ups and downs. Sometimes it's just good to take a break for a few days and you'll come back with a fresh perspective. I've found that when you do go back out there, a lot of times the things you've have been working have clicked into place...it's quite refreshing. So, keep at it and don't get frustrated.

I actually had to do that myself. The thing I left myself with was some video of some pretty awful swings. I analyzed and just replayed to see what the issue was. I went out yesterday with some good tips to work on and I struck the ball beautifully.

So, don't get frustrated, take a break from hitting clubs and gain some fresh perspective.

Nice to read all of the hard work everyone is putting in from your game to repping your sponsors. Keep it up!
 
biggsy said:
It's always a good read to see the ups and downs of everyone as you prepare for this great event. It really is a cyclical cycle and I for one can tell you that you will have ups and downs. Sometimes it's just good to take a break for a few days and you'll come back with a fresh perspective. I've found that when you do go back out there, a lot of times the things you've have been working have clicked into place...it's quite refreshing. So, keep at it and don't get frustrated.

I actually had to do that myself. The thing I left myself with was some video of some pretty awful swings. I analyzed and just replayed to see what the issue was. I went out yesterday with some good tips to work on and I struck the ball beautifully.

So, don't get frustrated, take a break from hitting clubs and gain some fresh perspective.

Nice to read all of the hard work everyone is putting in from your game to repping your sponsors. Keep it up!
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Thanks for the advice Biggsy! I have had to take a lot of days off with the rain lately. Itching to get back out there to put some work in.
 
Nice post and thoughts IN! Glad you got some things worked out and that you are even that more confident in your shaft and iron choice. Keep up the great prep work!
 
some very good thoughts and insight by CB, TBT and biggsy. we all get frustrated, it's part of the game. like TBT said, missed opportunities can be very, very frustrating and quickly ruin a round if you don't have a short memory. i try to remind myself that after a round, there will always be a missed opportunity. you could shoot a perfect round of even par...and you're still going to look back and say..."ya know, if i woulda just made that one putt or hit that one green...."

people sometimes poke fun cuz i get frustrated with a shot, that actually isn't all that bad...but truth is, i'm 99% frustrated with the flight of the ball/my swing rather than where the ball ended up. i'm looking for and working towards consistent ball flight for all my clubs. i mean for instance, i could hit every fairway during a round...but i'm not gonna be thrilled that each time i hit a big ole banana slice to get there....it's just not where my game should be.

right now though, i'm happy with my game. i'm almost able to put a complete round together and just experience the occasional miss-hit now and then, but that will happen...my prep is course-heavy and unfortunately range-lite right now, but i'm playing to my hdcp and i like that.

i got a little taste of competition last night as i went out with 2 guys from work to play a course i've only played once, but i hadn't played the back 9. the one guy was good and he jokes a lot but talks some trash. if he was focused, he coulda beat me and he said he would, lol. and of course, i'm the guy that shows up "dressed for the nines", all the new hotness in my bag, and my name on my freakin' clubs...so i take heat for that all the time...so there was a little pressure to perform, but not too much. i'm out there to have fun, enjoy golf and nice weather, hang out, etc...but i mean this year, every time i touch a club or set foot on a course/range, it's all about MC2 prep. ended up beating him by 4 strokes and was very happy with my round.
 
Thanks for the encouragement guys!
 
Got out this afternoon to play and things didn't start out very, started out with 2 doubles in the first 3 holes...I really had to stop and think about what I said about not getting down on myself...bounced back and parred the last 3 holes for a 45, then shot 39 on the back.

I really credit everything with stopping clearing my mind and slowing own. I made a conscious effort to only swing about 85% and suddenly everying was going right at the hole. It was funny I didn't even know what I shot in the back and was actually surprised when I added it up.

Cant wait to hit the course again this weekend
 
TripleBogieTim said:
Got out this afternoon to play and things didn't start out very, started out with 2 doubles in the first 3 holes...I really had to stop and think about what I said about not getting down on myself...bounced back and parred the last 3 holes for a 45, then shot 39 on the back.

I really credit everything with stopping clearing my mind and slowing own. I made a conscious effort to only swing about 85% and suddenly everying was going right at the hole. It was funny I didn't even know what I shot in the back and was actually surprised when I added it up.

Cant wait to hit the course again this weekend
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Very solid TBT. That round could have gone way south with that start. Good on you for beating it mentally.
 
biggsy said:
Very solid TBT. That round could have gone way south with that start. Good on you for beating it mentally.
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Thanks Biggsy...I really just had to clear my head and slow down...started double, bogey, double, par, triple...that's when I backed off and started swinging smooth...8 over for first 5 holes and only 4 over for text 13 holes...and actually barely missed a couple of putts that could have made it even lower.........it was really an eye opening experience.
 
TripleBogieTim said:
Thanks Biggsy...I really just had to clear my head and slow down...started double, bogey, double, par, triple...that's when I backed off and started swinging smooth...8 over for first 5 holes and only 4 over for text 13 holes...and actually barely missed a couple of putts that could have made it even lower.........it was really an eye opening experience.
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It's easier to get on a bad roll than off of it. Really takes a strong mind to break it. I bet it was very eye-opening for you! remember that moment :D
 
What are you guys nocturnal or something?.... Haha

Nice round yesterday Tim. I liked the mental fortitude to bounce back after a couple of bad shots on the front. You were hitting it great on the back. Lots of FUN !!
 
well i picked a surprisingly cold and windy night to go with the CG Black 3w from the tee...now, i didn't end up leaving the driver at home, but i was good and left it in the bag all night...
for those just tuning in...since my course time outweighs my range time, i decided to do some 3wood prep by playing whole rounds with just the 3wood off the tee. i figured it would be a good way to get accustom to using the club, especially off the tee, because every hole doesn't always permit driver.

i started off slow and took some bogeys early, but ended up parring out for a 39 (+4), so very happy with that. rolled in some nice putts, got up and down a few times, and 2 sand saves. *side note - my sand game has improved tenfold since getting the 588 wedges*
now...i only ended up hitting 3 fairways and 3 greens, with only 1 of those matching up, so not stellar stats i know, but i was more focused on hitting the 3wood consistent and getting a nice ball flight out of it.
my goto was a high, straight ball with a nice fade. sometimes i would start too far left and it just wouldn't fade enough, but nothing hurt. a couple of them launched pretty high, but still went straight. my range was 200-220, which is normal for my 3wood (i don't crush it).
my "miss" was a pull-draw, which only happened once. when i got accustomed to it though, i noticed that i was swinging faster and created a nice draw-straight ball flight.

i had 1 chance to hit it "off-the-deck" which was actually off a nice lie in some freshly cut rough. i hit it dead straight, with a nice mid ball flight that rose quickly and was pleased with that.

i will definitely be doing this prep again and would recommend it to anyone for a few reasons:
1. obvious and ultimate goal - getting accustom to your 3wood, which can be an underused club
2. consistency - tends to be more consistent than driver. will keep you out of trouble created by sometimes errant driver shots
3. and the most important - creates for an entirely different round of golf. you can get into this groove when you play the same course over and over, and even though they may move the tees and pins around, you can essentially be playing the same shots over and over. teeing off with my 3wood left me with different approach shots on almost every hole. it's a nice change of pace and really good practice.
 
I like it tyno. I reckon I've been prep'ing in similar fashion. It's funny how the more time I'm getting under my belt with the Black 3wood, the more I'm liking it. I'm starting to really crank it up as well. I still haven't hit it off the deck, as that's what the Mashie FW's are for, LOL.

That Black 3wood is just so stinking forgiving. I'm seeing very minimal lateral movement so I need to stop aiming a little right and expecting my cut to come into play.
 
TC said:
I like it tyno. I reckon I've been prep'ing in similar fashion. It's funny how the more time I'm getting under my belt with the Black 3wood, the more I'm liking it. I'm starting to really crank it up as well. I still haven't hit it off the deck, as that's what the Mashie FW's are for, LOL.

That Black 3wood is just so stinking forgiving. I'm seeing very minimal lateral movement so I need to stop aiming a little right and expecting my cut to come into play.
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ditto, except right handed.
 
Playing 9 today and tomorrow - range time sunday - maybe another 9er in there. Really hoping to get back on track this weekend.
 
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