This happened for me in a big way just a few days ago and I owe much of it to THP. This forum is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Literally the last thing I did before heading to the course Weds was to post a simple reply to a flyover video weeicemon linked of hole #2 at Troy Burne in a thread about the USGA and evolving handicap ratings. I noted that with the stupid hooks I'm prone to hit that I'd probably lose several balls to all that water on that hole.
Such a beautiful and challenging hole that I must've been playing it in my head because before I had driven two blocks from the house, boom - light bulb: 'Despite playing golf right to left my whole life, I DIDN'T HAVE TO RISK THOSE STUPID HOOKS.' I knew how to setup for and to play fades. Most courses I play have a hole or two I purposely do it on anyway. Also, I'd always been such an anemically short hitter that I always felt I had to draw the ball for the added distance. But over the past couple years, I'd added speed and was now getting at least somewhat close to average distance. So right then and there I decided I'd play the round trying for deliberate fades instead of draws. The course I was headed to, Rivercut, is one I play somewhat frequently, and I had almost 40 rounds on it over the past 3.5 seasons. Per GHIN, my all-time PB there was an '83' but that had the benefit of an ESC stroke. I had a couple of legit 84s on it too.
I expected to hit a small bucket to groove the feel for the day's swing change but I ran into a couple buds when I got there so it was rush straight to the first tee so I could join them. I setup completely opposite to my norm and just hammered one dead straight down #1 to a spot in that fairway I'd never been before. Four holes in and I'd hit every fairway and green and I'm one under par. Hit one dead straight (but too good) on #5 that caught the wrong side of a hump on the left edge of the fairway and kicked sideways into a lateral hazard; penalty stroke bogey. I made the turn at 37. 6 for 7 FIR, 7 of 9 GIR and hitting it further on average than I ever have, (wait? wut!? me?!?). Started the back with a double bogey 7 and didn't play nearly as well but still finished with 42 for a 79 (+7). 11/14 fairways (10/12 with driver) and one of those misses was pretty much on purpose as I was hitting everything so good that I went for #16 green (a short par 4 that would only be remotely possible to hit and hold with a fade, and impossible coming in from the other way). Missed that one in the right rough but still birdied it.
So 5 strokes better than I'd ever legitimately played Rivercut, (with 3 penalty strokes). 10 GIR (I average about 6.5), 11 FIR (I average 55%), and 2 birdies. I did not hook, draw, or even baby draw a single tee ball. None faded more than 5-10 yards either, just hammered solid strikes that were on average much longer than my typical off the tee.
I was so stoked that I moved some things around to be back at the same course first thing the following morning and it was basically rinse & repeat. 39/40 for another 79 (with 2 penalty strokes). 11 GIR including a par 5 in two, 10 FIR (9/12 with driver) including missing the same short par 4 green from off the tee. And 3 more birdies this time. I was even longer, on average, than the day before.
I couldn’t play over the weekend but today I took my new 'fade mojo' to the course I play most often, Bill & Payne Stewart. It normally plays about 4 strokes easier than Rivercut for me due to being a par 70 and fewer hazards etc... It does have significantly smaller greens and much narrower fairways though. I shot another very good round, 39/38, 77, (+7). I have a couple legit 75s on this track so it was not a course PB this time, but still a good handful+ lower than my norm there. Everything about the round was similar to the pair of rounds at Rivercut except I didn’t suffer any penalty strokes. I hit 9 GIR, went 9/13 FIR (all drivers), and carded 2 more birdies. I did have one drive turn slightly left this time but it was on a dog leg left hole and remained in the short grass. Again I was longer and straighter than normal.
What absolutely floors me is how consistent and easy this all seems to be right now. Just 1 of 41 tee balls turned a 'smidge' left. That’s just incomprehensible for a hack who typically hooks or draws 3/4 of his tee shots, many of those into trouble. Oh and SEVEN birdies in 3 rounds?? I'm normally a single birdie every two or three rounds kinda hack.
I’m sure playing this way won’t always be so easy and automatic. Whenever I find a ‘fix’ I’m notorious for eventually exaggerating it until it becomes a new flaw. I saw some evidence of this in round two. I overcooked two fades (30 yarders) and each found lateral hazards costing me penalty strokes. Had another big fade today but it wasn't into serious trouble.
So has something similar happened to any of you? Making a big spur of the moment change and having it provide tangible and immediate benefits on the golf course? I've tried things before, but most go badly, this one has been FUN, I doubt it lasts.
Such a beautiful and challenging hole that I must've been playing it in my head because before I had driven two blocks from the house, boom - light bulb: 'Despite playing golf right to left my whole life, I DIDN'T HAVE TO RISK THOSE STUPID HOOKS.' I knew how to setup for and to play fades. Most courses I play have a hole or two I purposely do it on anyway. Also, I'd always been such an anemically short hitter that I always felt I had to draw the ball for the added distance. But over the past couple years, I'd added speed and was now getting at least somewhat close to average distance. So right then and there I decided I'd play the round trying for deliberate fades instead of draws. The course I was headed to, Rivercut, is one I play somewhat frequently, and I had almost 40 rounds on it over the past 3.5 seasons. Per GHIN, my all-time PB there was an '83' but that had the benefit of an ESC stroke. I had a couple of legit 84s on it too.
I expected to hit a small bucket to groove the feel for the day's swing change but I ran into a couple buds when I got there so it was rush straight to the first tee so I could join them. I setup completely opposite to my norm and just hammered one dead straight down #1 to a spot in that fairway I'd never been before. Four holes in and I'd hit every fairway and green and I'm one under par. Hit one dead straight (but too good) on #5 that caught the wrong side of a hump on the left edge of the fairway and kicked sideways into a lateral hazard; penalty stroke bogey. I made the turn at 37. 6 for 7 FIR, 7 of 9 GIR and hitting it further on average than I ever have, (wait? wut!? me?!?). Started the back with a double bogey 7 and didn't play nearly as well but still finished with 42 for a 79 (+7). 11/14 fairways (10/12 with driver) and one of those misses was pretty much on purpose as I was hitting everything so good that I went for #16 green (a short par 4 that would only be remotely possible to hit and hold with a fade, and impossible coming in from the other way). Missed that one in the right rough but still birdied it.
So 5 strokes better than I'd ever legitimately played Rivercut, (with 3 penalty strokes). 10 GIR (I average about 6.5), 11 FIR (I average 55%), and 2 birdies. I did not hook, draw, or even baby draw a single tee ball. None faded more than 5-10 yards either, just hammered solid strikes that were on average much longer than my typical off the tee.
I was so stoked that I moved some things around to be back at the same course first thing the following morning and it was basically rinse & repeat. 39/40 for another 79 (with 2 penalty strokes). 11 GIR including a par 5 in two, 10 FIR (9/12 with driver) including missing the same short par 4 green from off the tee. And 3 more birdies this time. I was even longer, on average, than the day before.
I couldn’t play over the weekend but today I took my new 'fade mojo' to the course I play most often, Bill & Payne Stewart. It normally plays about 4 strokes easier than Rivercut for me due to being a par 70 and fewer hazards etc... It does have significantly smaller greens and much narrower fairways though. I shot another very good round, 39/38, 77, (+7). I have a couple legit 75s on this track so it was not a course PB this time, but still a good handful+ lower than my norm there. Everything about the round was similar to the pair of rounds at Rivercut except I didn’t suffer any penalty strokes. I hit 9 GIR, went 9/13 FIR (all drivers), and carded 2 more birdies. I did have one drive turn slightly left this time but it was on a dog leg left hole and remained in the short grass. Again I was longer and straighter than normal.
What absolutely floors me is how consistent and easy this all seems to be right now. Just 1 of 41 tee balls turned a 'smidge' left. That’s just incomprehensible for a hack who typically hooks or draws 3/4 of his tee shots, many of those into trouble. Oh and SEVEN birdies in 3 rounds?? I'm normally a single birdie every two or three rounds kinda hack.
I’m sure playing this way won’t always be so easy and automatic. Whenever I find a ‘fix’ I’m notorious for eventually exaggerating it until it becomes a new flaw. I saw some evidence of this in round two. I overcooked two fades (30 yarders) and each found lateral hazards costing me penalty strokes. Had another big fade today but it wasn't into serious trouble.
So has something similar happened to any of you? Making a big spur of the moment change and having it provide tangible and immediate benefits on the golf course? I've tried things before, but most go badly, this one has been FUN, I doubt it lasts.
edit - sorry I'm gloating, but dang I'm pumped!
