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Honest Opinion of Your Golf Game/New Outlook

Some of you have read my intro, but here's a quick recap:

Played at a pretty high level as a youngster (regional events, AJGA, state championships, big class conference champion, etc). Gave up the game after my first semester of college and didn't hardly look at a club more than 3-4 times per year. For some reason, got the fire again, and have been having a ball.

Onto this year: First year back playing consistent golf, joined my local club, got to play in pressure scenarios again. Started out the year playing in the weekly league, had a lot of fun. Started playing with some friends/guests for fun, practiced more than I have in years. One league night we had a "ringer" event, where we played 7 holes where you got to play a hole over again if you didn't play it well. I was paired with a 1 hcp. I made 3-4 birdies on the first 7 and he said "you oughta come play in our weekly money game on Saturday/Sunday if you can make birdies like that" (which I can't every time lol). This is when my game took a big turn this year.

Instead of playing with 18-20hcp players (nothing against them), I was playing with 1s and +'s. I felt very out of place playing at a 7-8 at that time. They were very encouraging and I was able to learn a lot about competitive play again with these guys.

My big realization is that my mental game is much better than when I was younger. My ego is not as big as it once was in regards to distance, shot selection, and course management. I found that keeping the ball in play is what will lead to better scores (obviously). I went from hitting several out of play and shooting 84 to hitting one out of play and shooting 75. Most of this came down to course management for me.

My biggest realization is that I'm not at my peak, I can still get better. Getting back into the game after a long break, I assumed I would be a 10-12 hcp for the rest of my life because I was older, fatter, and much less flexible :ROFLMAO:. I re-tooled my thought process and the love is back. I set a goal in the beginning of the season to have fun with golf again, meet some people, and be more active. I achieved that goal. My long-term goal is to play to a 3hcp or below again, not sure if I'll ever be scratch like I was, but I'll try like hell. I truly believe with some practice around the greens and bit more consistency off the tee, I will get there by the end of next season. My next season's goal is to be competitive in the club championship and 2-ball bracket tourney.

Reflection is therapeutic. I hope everyone does this after a season or even during a season. It may help all of us to do this more often.
 
The current reality is that my body can’t handle as much golf as my mind/spirit want to play. I am trying to change that reality in a variety of ways:

I will play nine holes more often than 18 for now. I am working on some swing changes with a teacher. I am trying to lose some weight. I have been to a few docs to make adjustments and reduce the pain.

I know that there are people that play more golf and better golf than me that have much more severe physical limitations than I do, so it isn’t that I feel I can’t continue to play golf with my minor issues. It is just a matter of matching my golf score expectations to my current physical abilities and also learning to adjust my swing to what my body can do.
 
Smiter said:
So how was your season? Are you better/worse? Is there something you know you aren’t doing right that you need to fix? Is there a secret area of your game that is exceptional OR an area that needs work?
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Well, my season is still going--I think. Was supposed to play, yesterday, but those plans fell through. If the forecast holds I plan to play this coming Wednesday. Can't hit the golf course range I prefer, because it's closed for the season, so I've been visiting the range at the LGS where we're limited to hitting off mats. But the semi-enclosed part is heated, so there's that.

As for how I'm playing/hitting? Nothing exceptional save the occasional times I get the driver right. Across the board I'm still doing more wrong than I am right--other than perhaps chipping. My putting isn't crazy bad and not half bad on full swings with irons at under, say, 100 yards or so. So I guess my short game is kinda sorta ok-ish for the time I've had playing. My long game sometimes clicks, but is more often a disaster or near-disaster.

So, while at the range, today, after warming up with my 7i I'll be spending most of my time with my driver, and then the longer irons.

I've decided to leave the woods in the bag for now. I had thought, at one point, I was getting them, but I'm just way, way too inconsistent with them and feel it's wiser to nail-down the driver and longer irons, first.
 
I'm having more fun than ever and mostly like where my game is right now. I am at a point where I like to keep pushing my comfort zone and exploring golf as a foundational part of my lifestyle. My biggest improvement this year was mental game. I am far more calm and consistent under different situations, including competition. Next up for me is continuing to refine the skills and put them together as a resilient package. And I can't seriously talk about my game without mentioning putting. That's a big key to improving my game. Armlock may be part of that effort.

One last item. I love golf equipment. I groove on geeking and pondering. I have also started to become an equipment knowledge resource for local golf buddies. No dishonor in saying I enjoy that. :cool:
 
If this thread proves anything, it's that it's all relative. I've been around here a while, but it really was driven home for me in the last month that THP is unique in large part because here, it's more important to love the game and appreciate and cultivate that passion in others than it is to have a certain handicap.

Scorpion12 said:
My golf game sucks. It's always sucked. I'm hoping it will improve to something like mediocre... but I'm not holding out hope.:confused2::ROFLMAO:
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There is always hope. I had four goals this year:
  1. Play more - check. I played more this year than in the last three years combined. It was only ten rounds, but it was more - and the first round was July 31.
  2. No triple digit scores - miss. I shot 101 twice, and I'm not counting a 100 on a Par 73 layout. But I had more sub-100 rounds this year than in all my previous years combined.
  3. Set a new PB - miss. But I tied it.
  4. Shave three strokes off the cap - check. I took five off.
It's a lot easier to go from a 27 to a 22 than it is to go from a 5 to a 4, because there are so many more opportunities for the high capper to fix something, but it's certainly at least as satisfying. I worked on my mental game and course management, and the fundamentals of my swing and putting stroke. It was amazing how far off the rails I'd wandered. I also played like I had confidence in my short game - sort of a "fake it 'til you make it" strategy, with surprisingly good results. Far fewer chunked chips and pitches.

I saw progress, and a path to make more. All in all, one of my better golfing years.
 
Couple years ago, I got down to 1.2 and my game was trending even better than that number may indicate. Scratch was my goal and I had no reason to think that I wouldn't achieve it.

I was just in complete control and, although accomplished a handful of times, consistently going under par was more of a mental challenge than anything to do with my game.

No excuse because I've had numerous back injuries prior and eventually came back to re-find my way. But in October of 2018 I hurt my back and then maybe 6-8 weeks later in December, I blew it out pretty bad.

Although I received epidural shots for the 1st time ever in early 2019 (and they worked!), my game never fully returned.

I've theorized that maybe, strangely enough, the shots have played a part. So happy and relieved that they've alleviated my pain but prior, a forever sketchy back forced a shorter and more controlled swing. Since the shots, my swing has gotten very unintentionally longer and sloppier.

I think my HC is at 5.5 now and that's fine. Only, it doesn't speak to what some may assume to be a consistent golf game. I'll often shoot high but I'll throw in enough good scores that will keep the index down. I think I've ranged from 73 to 91 or 92 this year.

1.2 to 5.5 doesn't seem as far as my average difference in scoring. Perhaps that's due to the new system, not sure, but my average score per round is nearly 7 strokes higher now than just 2 years ago.

It's just so much harder for me to shoot in the 70s with any consistency. Not just the back, this year has also realized an arthritic issue in my hands and fingers.

So longer, sloppier swing plus losing sensation in the hands along with a lack of confidence in my grip, has led to many a scrambling round.

I'm disappointed about it all but not upset. Just happy to be playing.
 
Reframmellator said:
If this thread proves anything, it's that it's all relative. I've been around here a while, but it really was driven home for me in the last month that THP is unique in large part because here, it's more important to love the game and appreciate and cultivate that passion in others than it is to have a certain handicap.



There is always hope. I had four goals this year:
  1. Play more - check. I played more this year than in the last three years combined. It was only ten rounds, but it was more - and the first round was July 31.
  2. No triple digit scores - miss. I shot 101 twice, and I'm not counting a 100 on a Par 73 layout. But I had more sub-100 rounds this year than in all my previous years combined.
  3. Set a new PB - miss. But I tied it.
  4. Shave three strokes off the cap - check. I took five off.
It's a lot easier to go from a 27 to a 22 than it is to go from a 5 to a 4, because there are so many more opportunities for the high capper to fix something, but it's certainly at least as satisfying. I worked on my mental game and course management, and the fundamentals of my swing and putting stroke. It was amazing how far off the rails I'd wandered. I also played like I had confidence in my short game - sort of a "fake it 'til you make it" strategy, with surprisingly good results. Far fewer chunked chips and pitches.

I saw progress, and a path to make more. All in all, one of my better golfing years.
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Thanks for the pep talk!:)

My issue stems back awhile. Part is my putting. There was a mental block and some terrible thinking. I think I've got that conquered so on to other things.

Lack of confidence.

Feb 2020 I was in my LGS and jumped on their launch monitor. I wanted to see what my drive SS was and how far I'd hit the ball. Low 80's for my driver. Carry of maybe 185 yards. 6i was low 70's. The guy helping me out suggested a bit of spine angle, a tweak to my grip, and less forward press of my hands when addressing the ball. I took these to the range and, what HAD been a power fade/slice turned into a draw/hook.:oops::rolleyes::( And my irons looked like they lost some distance too.

So, I lost all confidence in my swing because I truly didn't know where the ball was going to go. Left, right, or straight. So I just let everything sit. It was Covid time anyway so I didn't miss much.

Anyway, I won that contest a few months later and got some new clubs. They came in and I went back to the range. I untweaked my grip, kept the spine angle, and found what worked for me. So, with the ball going mostly straight, I'm more confident and willing to hit the links and see what's what. Maybe.:D After another range session.
 
Love this thread! Been a crazy good year golf-wise but also the lowest amount of rounds I’ve played in a long time. Here’s a few reasons why.

First, I finally dove into the Decade app and course management philosophy. I feel like I’m now actually playing golf and not golf swing. I noticed immediate improvement in my scores, enjoyment and energy levels.

Second, I bought a mat, net and the Garmin G80 launch monitor. Being able to hit balls whenever I want/have time has been amazing. Getting basic feedback from the G80 has been huge too.

Third, I was randomly hitting balls one day and switched up my feel at address to a much more dynamic setup position. Based on the G80 I immediately saw a 5mph jump in swing speed. I’ve continued to work on this and getting a bit more length in my swing and am now pushing 113-115 at the top end but cruising speed of 110.

Fourth, I worked with the great team at TXG to narrow down a list of irons and shafts to try and took that info into a fit with Club Champion. In the end, I now have irons that are point and shoot.

Now I just need to work out driver and putter to give me 100% confidence in my bag. I’ve also got SuperSpeed coming to see how far I can go with the speed gains I’ve made this year or to at least not lose any speed.
 
WMac19 said:
Couple years ago, I got down to 1.2 and my game was trending even better than that number may indicate. Scratch was my goal and I had no reason to think that I wouldn't achieve it.

I was just in complete control and, although accomplished a handful of times, consistently going under par was more of a mental challenge than anything to do with my game.

No excuse because I've had numerous back injuries prior and eventually came back to re-find my way. But in October of 2018 I hurt my back and then maybe 6-8 weeks later in December, I blew it out pretty bad.

Although I received epidural shots for the 1st time ever in early 2019 (and they worked!), my game never fully returned.

I've theorized that maybe, strangely enough, the shots have played a part. So happy and relieved that they've alleviated my pain but prior, a forever sketchy back forced a shorter and more controlled swing. Since the shots, my swing has gotten very unintentionally longer and sloppier.

I think my HC is at 5.5 now and that's fine. Only, it doesn't speak to what some may assume to be a consistent golf game. I'll often shoot high but I'll throw in enough good scores that will keep the index down. I think I've ranged from 73 to 91 or 92 this year.

1.2 to 5.5 doesn't seem as far as my average difference in scoring. Perhaps that's due to the new system, not sure, but my average score per round is nearly 7 strokes higher now than just 2 years ago.

It's just so much harder for me to shoot in the 70s with any consistency. Not just the back, this year has also realized an arthritic issue in my hands and fingers.

So longer, sloppier swing plus losing sensation in the hands along with a lack of confidence in my grip, has led to many a scrambling round.

I'm disappointed about it all but not upset. Just happy to be playing.
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I feel you there for sure. I was what I would consider a competent golfer prior to illness and later, my car crash. Generally in the mid 70’s but I could have a GREAT day (in early summer of 2018 I shot -6 from 6600 on an easy local course) but always a blowup round available due to my lack of consistency. Two weeks later I was over 100 on the same course. 🤷‍♂️

Hell now I’m happy to make decent contact. I’m even happier if I’m playing either with my kids or a group of THP’ers. I may get a sideways glance from playing the tips when I top my first drive 100 yards but I’ll generally hit enough decent shots that I don’t look 100% incompetent.

At any rate it’s not so much about score, although if I’m on that day I will get competitive with myself, it’s about enjoyment. I enjoy being on the course with people that I like. I don’t care if they’re good at golf or not and no ones ever told me they won’t play with me anymore because I suck at golf.

I enjoy sharing my experiences with THP. I’m really digging that part. I love the Live Round thread. Watching @OldandStiff just annihilate a course over and over makes me wish I could play to that level. I was close a LONG time ago but it still would have taken my best day and his worst for me to have a prayer. I love all the other posts in it as well.

Following THP events rates pretty highly too although I’m perpetually 20 pages behind so I almost never comment as it may not even be relevant anymore.

Anyways, I enjoy the hell out of this place. I spend 99% of my Internet time here. Believe it or not, I read WAY more than I post. If I have something to say, I’ll say it, but most of the time I’m just reading. So keep that awesome dialog going THP! It means a lot to many of us I’m sure, but it really means a lot to me.
 
I'm happy with my golf game. I used to play/practice multiple times a week and was about an 8. Now with no time to practice and playing 1-2 times a month, I'm about a 10. I'm pretty consistently shooting 80-83 and have 2-3 blow up holes that jack up a good round. Considering the amount of time spent on the game, I am very pleased. I even revamped my swing and have started hitting a baby fade with most clubs and love the consistency. I still want to score well but don't really grind on the game any longer, the game is fun again and I like it that way.
 
ButterPutter said:
Love this thread! Now I just need to work out driver and putter to give me 100% confidence in my bag. I’ve also got SuperSpeed coming to see how far I can go with the speed gains I’ve made this year or to at least not lose any speed.
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From personal experience I gained about 10mph CHS, maybe a touch more-the winter I religiously followed the SuperSpeed program. That translates into about 25 more yards. For me that was the difference of 2 clubs in. So instead of a 6i I would be hitting an 8i.

My life has been screwed to heck and back since then and I now swing 25mph less. I can still poke it out a respectable length on occasion but 25mph less is about a 60 yard reduction from the tee. It sucks but it is what it is. I could gain some back but I don’t have the energy to work hard on it. I’m hoping that by spring I’ll be rid of my medical issues and that by losing a ton of weight I’ll gain back some golf game.

But I think I need to lose the medicines to treat me before I’ll ever feel right over a golf ball again. I’m just too damn wobbly. I had a muscle spasm over a 4ft putt that made @Hamfist lol when I backed off of it. My putter went at least 6” off of the path I intended it to take. Let’s just say it was set for a full power fade.
 
Started the year with a whole new bag of clubs pretty much with the hope that my game would improve as I got used to them. During the year my game has steadily improved with more consistent scoring but always a couple of 7’s or worse on the card which has really hurt my scorecard. The last couple of weeks I have had a step change whereby my putting has improved and more importantly my driving has improved. This has enabled me to shoot consistently under 100 and subsequently below by handicap. Over the winter I really need to work on consolidating this as long as the UK weather (& COVID) allows.
 
I untweaked my grip, kept the spine angle, and found what worked for me. So, with the ball going mostly straight, I'm more confident and willing to hit the links and see what's what. Maybe.:D After another range session.
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Fixing your swing should be easy, because it's easy for me.

I've done it thousands of times.
 
In all honesty it's been a rough couple of years for me. There haven't been many rounds I've been proud of. I think too much & try to get too technical, instead of just letting it happen. I also need lessons. After the passing of my father, I haven't played worth a damn. He was the only one who knew my swing & could tell me exactly what I was doing wrong in an instant. I don't have the time to dedicate to my game that I would like, so I don't know what I'm expecting. But I've always been competitive and would rather not play at all if I'm going to play poorly.
I find that as I've gotten older, even with all of the technology out there, I'm playing worse than when I was younger. Back in my day, we didn't have range finders, GPS on carts, etc. I had to judge distance by feel & sight, along with colored dots in the fairway or cartpath. You would think it would be easier now but not for me. I play worse now than I have in all my 45+ years playing this damn game.
So I'm kinda glad when rough winter weather is upon us. It gives me time to be away from the game for a while & reflect on everything to see what I want out of it. Do I want to commit more time to it? Do I want to get lessons from a Pro for the first time in my life? Or do I just want to play & not worry about how good or bad I play? Not be so hard on myself. I have a few months to decide. Maybe it's the company I keep :eek: right @JohnSinVA :ROFLMAO:
 
My game is better this year, despite less rounds played and less practice.

I've spent money on lessons and some equipment, but the equipment is only part of it.

I finally have a swing that I would call regularly repeatable, which has allowed me to swing freer and increase distance. Increased distance has really enable dme to look at play a lot differently. Now I am usually looking at a 7 or 8 to get on, rather than a 6 or hybrid.

My handicap has gone down and my confidence has gone up.

I no longer dread the idea I might get paired up with a Stick when I play, for fear of slowing up their game.

Still on the quest for single digits.
 
I played more rounds this year than I have in previous years. I hit a better percentage of greens in regulation this year. That improvement was aided by Cobra Speedzone Fairways and T-Rail Irons. However, as the year went on, my short game got worse. I had zero confidence in my ability to hit any greenside shot other than with a putter.
 
Eh, it was my goal to shoot Par this year. Still have a chance but its not very likely unless the planets align with the stars.

Been down in the lower 70's a few times but managed to choke it away with the putter. Who knows maybe it will be tomorrow...golf is a mystery
 
I'm pretty fortunate I live in an area where golf is year round. Rarely snows here and when it does it doesn't stick to the ground. Just melts. Their might be some frost delays during a two month period in the winter. Rarely later than 9 AM though.

My game was up and down all year. In the late winter I was starting to improve. Scores were starting to drop from low 100's/upper 90's to low 90's. Thought I was ready to be that bogey golfer I've been trying to be for so long. Then covid hits. No course or ranges for weeks. When I finally can play it was without warmup balls as they shut down the range and practice greens for a few more weeks. Wasn't terrible the first couple rounds. Upper 90's. But when things were getting back to normal as far as the range and practice greens I couldn't find that groove I was getting into before covid. Pretty much stayed in the upper 90's and even a couple 101's.

But the last couple months have been better. Topped out at 91 a couple days ago. Still hopeful I can be that bogey golfer on the course. I'm going out to try 9 holes in a little bit. My grandson called. He's got us set up for 3 o'clock tee time. He's got the connection where we only have to pay the walking rate and we ride carts. Doubt we can do 18. It gets dark not much after 6 these days. But its really nice weather. High of 79. Love this time of year for golf. Weather is normally mid 70's to low 80's with very little rain if any. I think I will be taking advantage and playing more for the next month or so. Now if only this old body can handle it. :cool:
 
golfinnut said:
In all honesty it's been a rough couple of years for me. There haven't been many rounds I've been proud of. I think too much & try to get too technical, instead of just letting it happen. I also need lessons. After the passing of my father, I haven't played worth a damn. He was the only one who knew my swing & could tell me exactly what I was doing wrong in an instant. I don't have the time to dedicate to my game that I would like, so I don't know what I'm expecting. But I've always been competitive and would rather not play at all if I'm going to play poorly.
I find that as I've gotten older, even with all of the technology out there, I'm playing worse than when I was younger. Back in my day, we didn't have range finders, GPS on carts, etc. I had to judge distance by feel & sight, along with colored dots in the fairway or cartpath. You would think it would be easier now but not for me. I play worse now than I have in all my 45+ years playing this damn game.
So I'm kinda glad when rough winter weather is upon us. It gives me time to be away from the game for a while & reflect on everything to see what I want out of it. Do I want to commit more time to it? Do I want to get lessons from a Pro for the first time in my life? Or do I just want to play & not worry about how good or bad I play? Not be so hard on myself. I have a few months to decide. Maybe it's the company I keep :eek: right @JohnSinVA :ROFLMAO:
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Lots of great posts in here but I’ll respond to this one as I can relate. I was a 5.2HC heading into the fall of 2018. Earlier that year (with a credible witness) I stood on the 18th tee at -9. 18 is 375 uphill. Course record is -8. I promptly block one OB, made a triple and still posted the best round of my life. The main difference? I made every single putt under 20ft that day. I know that course well so it’s easy for me to read the putts.

I haven’t played well since fall of 2018 due to illness/injury. I’d rather play and have a great time with my kids and fellow THP’ers than not play because I embarrass myself. Hell I get that out of the way on the first tee with THP’ers and top it 100 yards or so. After that there are no expectations of a good round, lol. But I’ll hit enough shots that someone could see how I could play decent once upon a time.

Play. Golfers (and I feel I can speak for many other THP’ers on this) don’t care if you post a 70 or a 110. So long as pace is kept and you’re not a Richard, who cares?

Play. Every THP’er I’ve met cares more about having fun in the course than they do about poking at someone’s game. I may have played the worst ever relative to HC in any THP event. So there’s a floor that’ll be tough to beat.

Play. It’ll sort itself out.
 
Well, I used to be a lot better. Now the best I could say about my game is: " I is a has been that never was". Every once in awhile a shot reminiscent of past victories creeps in, but like a ghost, it quickly vanishes in to the nether land. Short game is decent, but definitely not stellar, just acceptable. (I have lower standards). Putting? meh...

"I wish I didn't know now, what I didn't know then". OTOH, turned 78 this year fwiw.
 
My first 3 years of golf I would see massive improvements month to month. Lots of lessons, practice and more practice. This year the improvements are harder to see. My course management is getting better , but I'm not seeing the big increases in distance and accuracy I saw before. I have lots of excuses for this (extremely hot summer, minor health issues and surgery), but the real issue I think is that most of my really bad habits have been corrected and now everything I need to work on is more nuanced. Doesn't make me want to play less, and I still have a great time playing. I think I need to get to the range more often and work on the "little thing".
 
thinking back to the very beginning, I had a self taught swing very much like Nicklaus as far as flying elbow went. I really did not know any better, I felt like I was reaching for the sky and pulling hard from the top. Sure, I sliced a lot, but game was not all that bad. As time went on, I "learned" I was doing things all wrong. Ya' know...I wished I had continued doing things that were wrong. The more I learn, the harder the game is. It is getting better now that I have started to remember that "Conventional Wisdom" is an oxymoron.
 
The overall quality of my game has gotten better, but my lack of consistency still hurts me. I can have a potentially decent round in progress, only to ruin it with 2 or 3 doubles/triples where I just suddenly and inexplicably forget how to play golf. I've had fewer total disaster blowup rounds, but not many really great rounds either.
 
I practiced on the range only about 20% of a normal year and my index stayed the same so the year was a success. I switched to a blade sytle putter the last 8 rounds of the year after decades of mostly mallets and I'm excited about that change and potential for improved putting next spring.

Update 10/30 - I got out today in 40* weather for a round and putted really well with the Toulon Chicago and shot -2 at my home course. I have enough data points now to believe in my switch to a blade style putter which will motivate me to work on it inside over the winter.
 
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This season has been the first where I have really committed to playing and improving at golf and have fallen in love with the game this season. I was playing competitive rugby for most of my adult life and never had much time for golf but having recently retired I can finally commit to this sport.

I would say I have made some huge improvements this season. My goal was to break 90 this year (previous low score was 96) and I shot an 89 last month and have shot 90 twice. I'm still pretty inconsistent and have days where I feel like I can't hit the ball but overall my ball striking has improved immensely and the game gets more enjoyable every time out. My putting and chipping are improving as well and touch shots with my lob wedge have become a strength for me. My plan for next season is to get a coach and start taking lessons and try to really improve my scores. I'm currently a 20 handicap and I think my goal for next season will be to get below 15.
 
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