We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Trying to Break 100

So, a little recap of the weekend.
Played the same course twice. Good course for weekenders like me.
Played with Mark on Saturday, and my brother on Sunday.
Saturday was a cheat-filled 101, Sunday a cheat-filled 95.
Couldn't putt worth a damn, as has been the issue this year.
(But, I haven't done my usual practicing with the putter, so that's to be expected.)
The Mizuno irons are in the shop, for a little lie angle bending, (more up) so I gamed the Ping G20 irons.
Driver was not bad. Hit some nice pokes, and some shite pokes.
My experiment with the driver shaft has me back with the EvenFlow, and I'm liking the shots I'm hitting. Might be seeing a hint more distance from the below grip change.
My oddball FW is becoming a hook/pull machine, not sure why.
The Mizzy hybrid 5 & 6 irons are very good clubs for me. Feel great, and work well most of the time. I've ripped some really good shots with these. Better than the Cobra OLs I had. I think the Ye Olde Man shafts in "A" flex are really the main reason.

Made a change to my right hand thumb position, from hanging off the left side of the grip, it's now straight down the shaft on top of the grip. ("High noon" if you will.)
We'll see how this affects the game. Seems to be doing alright now, maybe steadying the club a bit through the swing. Really hard to quantify, since this is purely a "feel" thing.

Playing tomorrow at a nice course, will report in after the cheat-filled questionable truth score has been tallied.
 
Dartgod said:
I hadn't planned on playing today, but my wife encouraged me to do so since the humidity was down quite a bit today and the next week + is likely to be unbearable.

Rough start with a double bogey followed by a triple, but settled down and had 3 pars on the front finishing with a 47. I had two really bad blowup holes on the back (5 lost balls) but still played well enough on the other seven for a 51 and 98 total. I've continued my "not great, but tons better than before" iron play. It feels nice to actually have some confidence with them. I was +3 on the four par 3's today which is huge for me. On the downside, I no longer have any idea how to hit my fairway woods off the deck. My stubbornness with my 3W cost me a few strokes for sure. And I've been struggling with my driver but I did see "some" improvement in that area. My chipping around the green needs some work too.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with the result today. I have one more lesson leftover from last year, thinking I need to get with him on my driver and FW wood woes.
Click to expand...
It's definitely been hot....looks like you chose wisely playing as this coming week/weekend looks super hot.

Where you taking lessons?
 
bobellis75 said:
It's definitely been hot....looks like you chose wisely playing as this coming week/weekend looks super hot.

Where you taking lessons?
Click to expand...
In Martin City, whatever that place is called now. The instructor's name is Darrick. I really connected with him. I just never got that from the guy I was with a couple of years ago.
 
Was kind of half asleep last night and googling some various golf stuff...tips, etc. Went down a youtube rabbit hole from one thing to another to another and hit upon some interviews at some point (I'll have to see if I can find them again) with Tiger and Koepka in particular that I recall watching (again...I was in and out of sleep) but goes to what we have discussed in this thread about over thinking, etc.

It seems like Koepka in particular was saying he sometimes feels like he just "blacks out" when he steps up to hit in a competition. Lets his body take over...nature take its course...what have you. Tiger also said some similar things (it was a younger Tiger) and related to his dad in the military...where he said his dad tells him "sometimes in those situations your training would just take over and you're on autopilot...you're not thinking, you're just doing what it takes to complete a mission/objective". And Tiger said that he related that to his swing...again saying something similar to Koepka's "black out" comments...like he was saying "I don't even remember anything about the swing, etc, I just step up and it all goes blank and then I see the ball in flight". Like he remembers the results...but not the swings.

Anyway...if only we could all figure out a way to do that, right??? It has to be locked in there...some kind of athletic muscle memory brought on by reps. I can think back to other sports...basketball...I would play/practice every day growing up...and it became automatic. I was doing it all on feel. I knew if I was 15 feet out, how to release the ball, etc, at the top of the jumper...to get the right touch on a layup...free throws became an automatic process where I'd squat down low, dribble three times hard, size up the rim, shoot. I just knew...this is the routine, the touch on the ball, here's where I release, follow thru, etc.

Same with soccer...I played it for years (and still play off and on, as well as coach). I just know how much weight to put on a pass to get it to the destination. I know what kind of touch to put on the ball...how to control it, pass, shoot, dribble, when I need a soft touch or a something with more oomph. I don't think I just do it.

Golf has many of the same athletic properties....how much touch on a chip or a putt. Aiming, setup, grip, backswing....how do we stop over analyzing and let things just happen???? Shut off the noisy brain that's analyzing and talking to us...and just turn on the part of the brain that controls your body and tells your hands and arms and legs what they need to do in a more "primal" way.

I guess it's just a matter of practice.....practice....practice....until you just know I bring the club back this far and play it off this part of my stance and this chip shot will go right here and roll to here. If you miss your mark - big deal. I missed shots in basketball all the time...yeah I want to make 'em all...but you can't. You just go for the rebound, or get back on D, and take another shot next time you get the chance. Soccer has a very low success rate of shots on goal...(hence the scores of 1-0, 1-1, 2-1)….but you just go "well...that was the best shot I had" and move on. Baseball - you're a great hitter if you succeed 33% of the time. But you accept it and move on.

Golf is a little different, don't get me wrong..but...it's also not THAT different. Do we all just try to make it too hard...harder than it needs to be? I get some people have to work harder (I am one of them) but at what point do we just "go for it"?

Anyway...just some ramblings from on a tired Monday morning as I get myself psyched up to do actual work.... (and things that came to me half asleep...so if none if this makes sense...let's chalk it up to me needing a mental health day) :)
 
Dartgod said:
In Martin City, whatever that place is called now. The instructor's name is Darrick. I really connected with him. I just never got that from the guy I was with a couple of years ago.
Click to expand...
I haven't been out there in years...seems like that used to be about the only spot in town to go hit balls. Waaaay back. I need to go check it out again one of these days.
 
Dartgod said:
I hadn't planned on playing today, but my wife encouraged me to do so since the humidity was down quite a bit today and the next week + is likely to be unbearable.

Rough start with a double bogey followed by a triple, but settled down and had 3 pars on the front finishing with a 47. I had two really bad blowup holes on the back (5 lost balls) but still played well enough on the other seven for a 51 and 98 total. I've continued my "not great, but tons better than before" iron play. It feels nice to actually have some confidence with them. I was +3 on the four par 3's today which is huge for me. On the downside, I no longer have any idea how to hit my fairway woods off the deck. My stubbornness with my 3W cost me a few strokes for sure. And I've been struggling with my driver but I did see "some" improvement in that area. My chipping around the green needs some work too.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with the result today. I have one more lesson leftover from last year, thinking I need to get with him on my driver and FW wood woes.
Click to expand...

I gave up on the 3 wood. Or any fairway wood for that matter. The longest club I can hit off the deck is a 3 hybrid. And I have to hit it flush to get 200 yards out of it. Most times its around 180. Not always straight. I might take the 3 wood out to the range. But until I feel more comfortable using it I won't be taking it to the course.
 
Played a good bit of golf this weekend to work on making the swing changes from my lesson permanent. I hit some good shots Saturday at a course I haven’t played for a long time but didn’t score very well.

Sunday I played at my home course, 56 on the front hitting more good shots but not putting it together, 47 on the back as I got into a bit of a groove. Man that felt good. Best part is the head pro I had my lesson with was walking by as I teed off on 10 and seeing my drive he started clapping and said that was exactly what we are working for. Many miles to go but now that I feel like I’ve got some direction I think I’ll be moving forward more than back, that’s pretty exciting compared to where my swing has been for about the last year.
 
I mentioned Koepka and Tiger in my above rant...here's an article on Brooks' mental game...I'll need to see if I can find those youtube clips again.

golfstateofmind.com

The 7 Keys To Brooks Koepka's Mental Game

Why has Brooks Koepka won 4 out of the last 8 majors? Here are the 7 keys to Brooks Koepka's mental game and how you can work on them.
golfstateofmind.com golfstateofmind.com

I think these two points kind of go along with what I was getting at, to a degree....

2. Brooks Has No Expectations For Each Round

Before each round, Brooks doesn’t set any expectations for his score or the end result. He knows from experience what usually happens when he does. When asked what he’s thinking before rounds, he said: “Well I won’t be thinking about winning, I’ll just be focusing on playing, hitting each shot, one at a time. When you think about winning, that’s when you get nervous”.


Key takeaway: Expectations serve no purpose in golf, they only add pressure. It’s one thing to believe you can win, but it another to think about that end result when you are playing. One of the great things about this game is that you never know what’s going to happen and you have to embrace that as something positive. All you can do is stay in your process (certainty) for each individual shot, and have that as the only expectation, instead of an outcome out there in the future (uncertainty).

3. Brooks Stays In The Present

Another key to Brooks Koepka’s mental game is being able to stay in the present moment. He says (source inc.com):


“I just stay in the moment…I never think one hole ahead. I’m not thinking about tomorrow. I’m not thinking about the next shot. I’m just thinking about what I’ve got to do right then and there.” It’s “very simple.”


His coach, Claude Harmon III, says you’d be surprised about what he and his caddie Ricky Elliot talk about in between shots, as most of the time it has nothing to do with golf. Instead they use the time in between shots to relax and and lighten the intensity that comes with playing in a major or on the PGA Tour. They’re in the present moment, not worrying about what might happen next.


Key takeaway: When you’re in the present moment, you’re a lot calmer as there’s no fear of what might happen next (future), and frustration from mistakes (past). There’s less emotional ups and downs. But keeping yourself there isn’t easy and requires practice. Instead of letting your mind wander to every thought that pops into your head, try to get into “sensing mode” by paying attention to what you see, hear and feel. See how long you can do it for. Either that or just chat to your playing partners about something light. Use the time in between shots to conserve valuable mental energy for your shot routines.
 
my first round under 100 in probably a year!!! Shot a 99 which included such incredible shots as a 20 foot putt for birdie, a 215 yard approach for a 5 foot par save, and driver off the deck 220 yards (missed the green) for a chip on and 2 putt bogey.
 
Nicegy525 said:
my first round under 100 in probably a year!!! Shot a 99 which included such incredible shots as a 20 foot putt for birdie, a 215 yard approach for a 5 foot par save, and driver off the deck 220 yards (missed the green) for a chip on and 2 putt bogey.
Click to expand...

That's some good work right there! Congrats!
 
Nicegy525 said:
my first round under 100 in probably a year!!! Shot a 99 which included such incredible shots as a 20 foot putt for birdie, a 215 yard approach for a 5 foot par save, and driver off the deck 220 yards (missed the green) for a chip on and 2 putt bogey.
Click to expand...
Right on!! A 220 driver off the deck is damn impressive.
 
This is a big golf week for me, on top of normal league tonight this is our invitational week. Thursday thru Saturday we'll have a practice round with a shoot out and 5 9 hole matches. 12 flights of 6 teams each, food and beer included, as well as a band Friday night should make for a great time. Also, in looking at my flight, there is only one team that aren't already good friends so it is going to be epic this year.
 
Hoosiermess said:
This is a big golf week for me, on top of normal league tonight this is our invitational week. Thursday thru Saturday we'll have a practice round with a shoot out and 5 9 hole matches. 12 flights of 6 teams each, food and beer included, as well as a band Friday night should make for a great time. Also, in looking at my flight, there is only one team that aren't already good friends so it is going to be epic this year.
Click to expand...
Are you going the crush them mercilessly and eat their souls?
 
Took the day off to have a medical procedure performed and afterwards stopped to play a quick 9 at a course I hadn't played. Best $10 I've ever spent. Lol.

Shot a 44 which included 2 birdies, one of which came from a 45' putt. When the putt dropped, I literally looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed it... but nothing. With a few exceptions, I had issues keeping my driver and hybrid straight. I think I hit like 4 trees with all but one staying in play. Those 2 penalty strokes caused the only triple bogey of the day.

It wasn't the best golf I've played this year, but it may have been the luckiest. Still, the game felt easy and stress-free. That's something you won't see me post very often.
 
bobellis75 said:
Golf is a little different, don't get me wrong..but...it's also not THAT different. Do we all just try to make it too hard...harder than it needs to be? I get some people have to work harder (I am one of them) but at what point do we just "go for it"?
Click to expand...

I hit my F it point a few weeks ago. Lessons, fittings, nothing helped. I told myself “you can hit them damn ball so just do it”. Right off the bat I shot the best score of the year. Next round was lower. I took a little step backwards at a tough course and then went out and shot a sub-90 round this past weekend.

I’m playing clubs that shouldn’t work according to a professional fitter with a swing that would probably make most teaching pros puke. But who gives a sh!t. Scores are coming down and I’m having more fun.
 
LLIB said:
I hit my F it point a few weeks ago. Lessons, fittings, nothing helped. I told myself “you can hit them damn ball so just do it”. Right off the bat I shot the best score of the year. Next round was lower. I took a little step backwards at a tough course and then went out and shot a sub-90 round this past weekend.

I’m playing clubs that shouldn’t work according to a professional fitter with a swing that would probably make most teaching pros puke. But who gives a sh!t. Scores are coming down and I’m having more fun.
Click to expand...

Great post!
 
dthrog00 said:
What in particular in your bag does the fitter object to?

Dave
Click to expand...

I was fit into 70g regular flex shafts in my irons and a 12* driver with a 50g regular flex shaft at Club Champion. Couldn’t hit them at all in the real world. Had another driver fitting at another place and couldn’t hit that driver either. Fit myself based on trial and error, hitting playing partners clubs, etc and am hitting the ball really well. I’d be hard pressed to trust fittings or numbers at this point no matter what the internet tells me
 
I continued to play some really good golf tonight, shooting a 45 with 3 pars, 5 bogeys, and a quad. The pars came on 2 GIR holes and 2-putts (7 iron, 8 iron) and a hole where I missed the green pin high, but hit a really good chipper and 1-putt. The quad came on a hole I really made a mess out of, the low point was a thinned wedge that went OB.

I continued to use the 3 wood off the tee tonight. I only hit 2/7 fairways, but every shot was in play. My average hit was ~ 190 with 3 of them 207 or longer and a short of 151 that was pulled left and stopped dead in its tracks by the rough.

Combined with the 43 last week this is the first time I've broken 90 this year.

The irons are really shining for me lately.

Dave
 
LLIB said:
I was fit into 70g regular flex shafts in my irons and a 12* driver with a 50g regular flex shaft at Club Champion. Couldn’t hit them at all in the real world. Had another driver fitting at another place and couldn’t hit that driver either. Fit myself based on trial and error, hitting playing partners clubs, etc and am hitting the ball really well. I’d be hard pressed to trust fittings or numbers at this point no matter what the internet tells me
Click to expand...

70 gram iron shafts are SOOOOO light. I don't swing fast at only ~ 75 mph with an iron, but I really like good ole taper tip Dynamic Gold R300 soft stepped one time. They're heavy, but they work and they feel fantastic.

I see you're using Dynamic Gold 120, presumably in stiff. That shaft couldn't be more different than 70g shafts.

Dave
 
dthrog00 said:
70 gram iron shafts are SOOOOO light. I don't swing fast at only ~ 75 mph with an iron, but I really like good ole taper tip Dynamic Gold R300 soft stepped one time. They're heavy, but they work and they feel fantastic.

I see you're using Dynamic Gold 120, presumably in stiff. That shaft couldn't be more different than 70g shafts.

Dave
Click to expand...

Yep, I should’ve known better too. But I kept hearing trust the fitter and I did. It was an expensive and frustrating lesson. It’s all good though. I found stuff that works
 
LLIB said:
I was fit into 70g regular flex shafts in my irons and a 12* driver with a 50g regular flex shaft at Club Champion. Couldn’t hit them at all in the real world. Had another driver fitting at another place and couldn’t hit that driver either. Fit myself based on trial and error, hitting playing partners clubs, etc and am hitting the ball really well. I’d be hard pressed to trust fittings or numbers at this point no matter what the internet tells me
Click to expand...

Kind of the opposite in terms of suggestions and what I discovered worked, but the same conclusion... there is very little trust in the industry.

I was fitted for TT XP 105s that were ok. A couple years later, I was fitted for a slightly heavier shaft that I struggled to hit. The same local shop that sold me the iron set also sold me a Titleist driver with a very light shaft. Went back a couple years later and they replaced that light shaft with a very heavy shaft.

This past winter, I experimented with building my own with different shafts and heads. Finally said $#%# it and gave everything away... the Mizuno irons, the Titleist Driver, and my trusty cheap-ass 5w I'd had for several years. The only thing I kept was the Maltby 3h, a SW and a putter.

Instead of just walking away from the game, I decided to order the set of irons @dthrog00 suggested but with that same graphite shafts as the 3h. Slowed my swing down and am now enjoying the game more than I ever have in the 9 years I've been playing. My swing probably looks ridiculous and my clubs are not going to make any golf magazine's top 10 list... and I don't give either of those things a second thought. I'm hitting greens, getting more distance and, for the most part, there's just more trust when addressing the ball.

I hate to be this way because I know there are very dedicated professionals out there who help people improve, but my experience with PGA fitters and teaching professionals hasn't been very positive.
 
LLIB said:
I hit my F it point a few weeks ago. Lessons, fittings, nothing helped. I told myself “you can hit them damn ball so just do it”. Right off the bat I shot the best score of the year. Next round was lower. I took a little step backwards at a tough course and then went out and shot a sub-90 round this past weekend.

I’m playing clubs that shouldn’t work according to a professional fitter with a swing that would probably make most teaching pros puke. But who gives a sh!t. Scores are coming down and I’m having more fun.
Click to expand...

giphy.gif



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
So I had been talking about upgrading wedges and potentially going graphite - but I found someone selling two Ping Glide 2.0 wedges (54 and 58 - which is what I would be replacing) so jumped on em for a solid deal. Not graphite - but nice wedges for sure.

Of course went right to the range. Bought a small bucket and took a few fuller swings with them just to get a feel for them. Liked the feel. Then pulled driver and 3W and swung away. Crushed. I tried to go with the “stop thinking” mentality I brought up this morning. Once I got set up and started the backswing - just went for it. Hit every single drive a total of 240 plus with several 260 or a little more and one crushed that I really don’t know...but looked like it carried past the 260. 3W was crushing as well with total distance going 215-225.

Took my last 8 balls to the chipping green to knock them around for another 30 minutes or so. Worked with the new wedges. They have a little different feel but like em. Especially liking the 54. 58 was really nice up close to green 54 was good all over. 58 was not bad out of sand (I need to work on the sand game...)

Regarding the shutting off of the brain - I think I have just put in so many reps lately it’s becoming automatic movements for me right now....it’s a good feeling. Going to knock on wood now.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top