Trying to Break 100

[charley48]

I'm with you...I'm done tinkering with gear...In fact I'm at a point where I'm figuring out what I want to carry, to a degree, due to having a couple too many clubs (nice to have options to swap out from time to time, but need to set the bag up and quit mucking around and go play....)

I was doing a lot of tinkering too. I still have this set of all hybrids from the 3 through the sand wedge. I also tried more fairway woods. In my garage next to that hybrid set I have fairway woods up to an 11 wood. At some point I realized I just need to get back to basics. So I've been using irons for a couple years now. Hybrids are the longer ones. My game hasn't improved much but at least I can hit some of the irons without feeling so awkward. Those hybrids felt different.

 

[charley48]

Played 18 today. Front nine 48, not bad. Back nine, unbelievably dissapointing 68. My game fell apart totally. Only good thing about this round was the new 3W, which was smoking. Other than that, duffs, tops, shanks, missed 3 foot putts. I just lost my mojo. I will take few days off, gather myself and forget this round

I've contemplated backing off from golf after a bad round. Its so frustrating when you put so much time and effort into it and its not showing on the course. My range game isn't bad. My course game isn't good. Its gotta be something mental if I can hit good shots on the range and can't on the course.

 

[charley48]

knocking on wood...but THINK I may have got the swing back a bit. With my round yesterday morning getting rained out...did a short range session yesterday evening and again today. Just hitting wedges and irons, pretty much. Working on "feel" and rhythm more than thinking about all the various things I need to do. Only thing I'm thinking about is where I play the ball in stance...then just trying to wipe my brain and feel a good practice swing and then repeat it. Also worked today with the 58 degree on the chipping green....it took me a sec to remember I need to swing thru the ball and not bail out on the swing...but then started hitting a lot of nice shots around the green. Pretty pleased overall. I need to get back out with the driver and fairway woods a bit. But feeling like whatever it was I was going thru is MAYBE over....knocking on wood as I type this. Hoping to get out for a round soon...but looks like a lot of rain chances this week.

We don't get any rain for months in my area. Remember the bible story when it rained for 40 days and 40 nights? We got an inch.

But try to get a morning tee time before the heat comes. Its so busy in the mornings that also takes an act of God. So I have to settle for golfing in triple digit temps. Ball goes further but I sure wear down fast.

 

[Hamfist]

Hammy, I think you are onto something. I made the most progress last summer when I just played and skipped the range. This year I have been going to the range a lot, and hitting it well. Only to throw up all over myself when I actually play.


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I used to be a range rat, and shot the same scores. Now, I protect my back a bit more, and try to play 18 on Saturday & Sunday. I haven't noticed it really hurting me. Now, if I have the hankering, I'll go to the range and hit a big bucket, but it hasn't been very frequently.

 

[charley48]

I used to be a range rat, and shot the same scores. Now, I protect my back a bit more, and try to play 18 on Saturday & Sunday. I haven't noticed it really hurting me. Now, if I have the hankering, I'll go to the range and hit a big bucket, but it hasn't been very frequently.

My thing is, I enjoy going out to the range almost as much as golfing on the course. I just like being out there hitting golf balls.

For 30 years I played men's fast pitch softball. I was a pitcher. I remember the young guys over the years hated going to practice. They thought it was too tedious. They didn't always show up for practice. But when the games came they were right there ready to play. Then wondered why they were making so many errors or weren't hitting good.

I've always loved going to practice. Been that way my whole life. Hanging out with the guys. Throwing batting practice. Getting into some good battles with the hitters. Having fun talking trash.

I don't talk trash with the golf. But I like going to the range and striking up a conversation with guys I see out there all the time. The owner and other golfers. Just something I like to do. My wife is ok for conversation but sometimes I just need some guy talk.

 

[Hamfist]

My thing is, I enjoy going out to the range almost as much as golfing on the course. I just like being out there hitting golf balls.

For 30 years I played men's fast pitch softball. I was a pitcher. I remember the young guys over the years hated going to practice. They thought it was too tedious. They didn't always show up for practice. But when the games came they were right there ready to play. Then wondered why they were making so many errors or weren't hitting good.

I've always loved going to practice. Been that way my whole life. Hanging out with the guys. Throwing batting practice. Getting into some good battles with the hitters. Having fun talking trash.

I don't talk trash with the golf. But I like going to the range and striking up a conversation with guys I see out there all the time. The owner and other golfers. Just something I like to do. My wife is ok for conversation but sometimes I just need some guy talk.

Well, if one is causing the other to not work, then you gotta pick your poison, as they say.

 

[BigMac]

I used to be a range rat, and shot the same scores. Now, I protect my back a bit more, and try to play 18 on Saturday & Sunday. I haven't noticed it really hurting me. Now, if I have the hankering, I'll go to the range and hit a big bucket, but it hasn't been very frequently.

Honestly, I've reaped much bigger benefits in my game from taking a few balls to the practice green and spending the majority of my time practicing chipping and pitching than I do from pounding balls on the range. I notice the difference in my game if I go a couple weeks without doing some short game practice to keep it sharp, even when I'm consistently playing 3 times a week.

 

[tehuti]

Honestly, I've reaped much bigger benefits in my game from taking a few balls to the practice green and spending the majority of my time practicing chipping and pitching than I do from pounding balls on the range. I notice the difference in my game if I go a couple weeks without doing some short game practice to keep it sharp, even when I'm consistently playing 3 times a week.

The main courses I play are a 9 hole course with 7 par 3s and 2 par 4s, and an executive 18 with mostly par 3s. So when I play them a lot my short game improves but my long game suffers.


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[barrelMOnkey]

I feel like I've been here before so I'm not going to count my chickens, but I made some real good progress with my ball striking at the range last night.

I dusted off my Zepp and it immediately picked up that I was coming slightly over the top on my downswing. If I ever needed confirmation that "feel isn't real" then this was it! It gave me some visualisation drills to place the ball logo on the inside rather than centre, and focus on hitting that, which in turn helped me focus on getting a more neutral or negative swing plane. The difference was almost immediate, no more scalped balls!

I even transferred the drill over to my driver and most of them went straight, so gradually regaining my confidence in the big stick.

What I like about this latest development is that it's not just about muscle memory or getting the right feel. It actually gives me a visual reference which is helping massively with consistency, which in turn will help me burn it into memory.

Let's hope I can carry it over to the course this weekend.

The other thing it identifies was my backswing rotation, or lack of. I already knew this because I just can't get the hinged right wrist without it completely messing up my downswing, but that will be for a later time once I have mastered the plane!

Anyway, just a quick update thanks to a gadget I've had in my bag for 12 months and barely paid attention to until now. Wish I thought about it sooner.

 

[charley48]

Well, if one is causing the other to not work, then you gotta pick your poison, as they say.

I'm not so sure the range game is causing the course problems. I've had stretches where I just go golfing and no range. During the lockdowns the golf course was close for 3 weeks. But the ranges there and elsewhere were closed for two months. I went golfing without any range time in between during that time. Pretty much the same. Still a struggle with or without the range.

The one thing the steady range time does for me is keep my muscles stretched for that particular movement. I don't get sore from a range session or a round of golf. That is why I don't think fatigue is causing the problems. I believe its mental. But I also feel like if I just get back to basics maybe I can find something repeatable. I'll admit, my set up was not ideal but felt like it was working better for me. I'm just going to try and go back to the standard fundamentals like the set up, the back swing, grip, trying to stay on the right swing plane, etc. Maybe the temporary fix on changing those things set me back. I never got a chance to develop a repeatable swing the right way.

 

[tkpeterson12]

I'm teaching myself to ask "How did I play?' not "What did I score?"
I've come to realize I'm an OK player, just a terrible scorer.

I often walk away feeling like I’m a better player than the score says, so I empathize with you. I have too many blow up holes where the mistakes and bad shots are often things that I did fine elsewhere in the round. It’s not a matter of being able to make a shot but being able to do it consistently.


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[Dartgod]

How is the B100 crew doing today? It's been awhile since I posted here, but I haven't played or been to the range lately. Did my fitting a week ago, and I'm still a couple of weeks away (hopefully less) from receiving my new clubs. Once I get them, I'll be moving over to the Breaking 80 thread, I'm sure.

Anyway, I hope to get in another round or range session before they arrive just to stay somewhat fresh.

 

[Hamfist]

I feel like I've been here before so I'm not going to count my chickens, but I made some real good progress with my ball striking at the range last night.

I dusted off my Zepp and it immediately picked up that I was coming slightly over the top on my downswing. If I ever needed confirmation that "feel isn't real" then this was it! It gave me some visualisation drills to place the ball logo on the inside rather than centre, and focus on hitting that, which in turn helped me focus on getting a more neutral or negative swing plane. The difference was almost immediate, no more scalped balls!

I even transferred the drill over to my driver and most of them went straight, so gradually regaining my confidence in the big stick.

What I like about this latest development is that it's not just about muscle memory or getting the right feel. It actually gives me a visual reference which is helping massively with consistency, which in turn will help me burn it into memory.

Let's hope I can carry it over to the course this weekend.

The other thing it identifies was my backswing rotation, or lack of. I already knew this because I just can't get the hinged right wrist without it completely messing up my downswing, but that will be for a later time once I have mastered the plane!

Anyway, just a quick update thanks to a gadget I've had in my bag for 12 months and barely paid attention to until now. Wish I thought about it sooner.

Go to TXG Golf on Youtube and watch Matt hit the ball. Then look up Steve Stricker. Then Inbee Park. Nothing says you have to have a big hinge.

 

[Hamfist]

How is the B100 crew doing today? It's been awhile since I posted here, but I haven't played or been to the range lately. Did my fitting a week ago, and I'm still a couple of weeks away (hopefully less) from receiving my new clubs. Once I get them, I'll be moving over to the Breaking 80 thread, I'm sure.

Anyway, I hope to get in another round or range session before they arrive just to stay somewhat fresh.

I read your fitting post. Did the Callaways perform exceptionally better than the TM stuff?

 

[Dartgod]

I read your fitting post. Did the Callaways perform exceptionally better than the TM stuff?

Yes, I did not get near the ball speed off the SIM irons as I did the Mavriks. I suspect though, given more time, I might have done better with the TM's. It's not like us high handicappers are able to repeat the same swing consistently.

 

[Hamfist]

Yes, I did not get near the ball speed off the SIM irons as I did the Mavriks. I suspect though, given more time, I might have done better with the TM's. It's not like us high handicappers are able to repeat the same swing consistently.

#sayitain'tso!!

 

[tehuti]

I often walk away feeling like I’m a better player than the score says, so I empathize with you. I have too many blow up holes where the mistakes and bad shots are often things that I did fine elsewhere in the round. It’s not a matter of being able to make a shot but being able to do it consistently.


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That pretty much sums it up for me.

 

[bobellis75]

Still disappointed with my scoring, still above 100. But I think I am close.

On Saturday I just couldn’t quit fading and slicing my driver with a big loss of distance. I only played this course once before, but most of the holes were pretty straight with plenty of room on the right. So even though my second shots were usually safe, they were not at a good approach angle. Between that and my recent chipping struggles it was a long day.

Good news - no 3 putts. If my short game had been working I probably would have dropped 3-4 strokes.


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If you're putting good habits and better swing thoughts in place - don't sweat the scores...focus on how effective you feel changes you're making are to your swing and focus on how many good balls you hit due to the work you're putting in....Worry about the strategy and playing better golf once you're a little more comfortable with whatever you're doing.

 

[bobellis75]

I have gone to the range two nights in a row. I noticed last weekend at the range, while my swing with the irons seemed to be getting back on track after a hiccup or three...my woods/driver were garbage. I am fighting the driver still, but last night, decided I'd hit the 3W and 7W off the tee more, and just see how they flew. After ironing out something that saw me hitting some wicked hooks....was getting nice flight from both. I am debating - at least maybe for a couple rounds - leaving the driver at home so Im not tempted to pull it, and trying to go 3W pretty much all day and just see how it goes for a few rounds...see how many fairways are hit, what kind of distance I get, and so on. Just curious....and keep the driver as something I'm working on at the range until I find that groove again.

I would use the 7W or 5W as needed off the teeon long par 3's and some holes where maybe I need to just hit it x amount of yards into a dogleg, etc.....(and use these two off the turf a bit more...I don't think I'd mess with the 3W off the turf unless I just had a perfect lie...I just seem to struggle with FW's on the turf more, but the 5 and 7 not as much).

I hate to leave the driver totally out of the picture...especially if a longer par 5 is in play...but...if I can hit the 3W more consistent and get to a point where I'm getting some solid distance...I'm not sure how much I'd miss it, at least in the short term.

 

[bobellis75]

Hammy, I think you are onto something. I made the most progress last summer when I just played and skipped the range. This year I have been going to the range a lot, and hitting it well. Only to throw up all over myself when I actually play.


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That's been a thing for me this year, to a degree. I have put some nice scores...but more recently had a real turd of a nine-hole round and previous to that had a goofy round as well.

On the one hand...I was doing a lot of needed work - as my swing has evolved, new equipment's come into play, and so on - and I think I HAD to get out to the range where I could just hit and work on things without being in a live round.

On the other hand...you're going to learn more - I think - by putting yourself in real golf situations, where you have to figure out what to do with which type of lie and which club you're going to hit from which distance and so on and so on....that's the only way you're going to apply things to "real world" scenarios and learn how to manage a round of golf mentally and physically and so on.

I think where I got was going to the range so much that I felt like I had to keep tinkering, even when I probably didn't. And it may have sent me down a crazy spiral of frustration...but I'm getting it back. I think/hope!!!

EDIT: I also think, frankly, getting super busy at work recently has kept me from going "I wonder if there's any good videos and tips about xyz that can get me on track" and trying to implement too many ideas from too many sources that probably all conflict with each other. I have to trust that I know how to swing a golf a club and just go do it...and trust that when the swing feels off, I can identify what's wrong - because I know my swing. I think a big thing for guys like us, struggling to break 100, is in the unsureness of things, and the confidence (or lack of)....at some point we need a momma bird to shove us out of the nest because we do have the instincts we need to go play some halfway decent golf.....

 

[Hamfist]

I have gone to the range two nights in a row. I noticed last weekend at the range, while my swing with the irons seemed to be getting back on track after a hiccup or three...my woods/driver were garbage. I am fighting the driver still, but last night, decided I'd hit the 3W and 7W off the tee more, and just see how they flew. After ironing out something that saw me hitting some wicked hooks....was getting nice flight from both. I am debating - at least maybe for a couple rounds - leaving the driver at home so Im not tempted to pull it, and trying to go 3W pretty much all day and just see how it goes for a few rounds...see how many fairways are hit, what kind of distance I get, and so on. Just curious....and keep the driver as something I'm working on at the range until I find that groove again.

I would use the 7W or 5W as needed off the teeon long par 3's and some holes where maybe I need to just hit it x amount of yards into a dogleg, etc.....(and use these two off the turf a bit more...I don't think I'd mess with the 3W off the turf unless I just had a perfect lie...I just seem to struggle with FW's on the turf more, but the 5 and 7 not as much).

I hate to leave the driver totally out of the picture...especially if a longer par 5 is in play...but...if I can hit the 3W more consistent and get to a point where I'm getting some solid distance...I'm not sure how much I'd miss it, at least in the short term.

 

[dthrog00]

I went back to the course today and played solo after Monday's debacle. The most important thing is that I had fun. I also played a lot better today. I shot 44. I hit 4/7 fairways with 3 of the drives 225+ and 4 GIR.

I played the 5th hole par 5 really well: drive in the first cut, hybrid to about 54 yards, then a partial swing gap wedge to about 3 feet away and made the birdie putt.

I've mentioned before that I'm a Strokes Gained guy and believe in the methodology. Data from today is below.

Thoughts:

• A pro playing from the tees I was playing would be expected to shoot 33.83. This is the base line. Given I shot a 44, I lost 10.17 strokes to the pro.
• Tee game and shots around the green were both pretty good today
• Approach shots while losing 4 strokes is still quite good, hitting 4/8 greens at my level this is what I can expect on a good day. The 9th GIR wasn't possible because I was 207 yards away, and especially given the terrible lie I found myself in, I just don't have that shot in the bag.
• Putting sucked, worst effort since I started tracking this. It isn't just that I had 19 putts, it's that I wasn't getting makeable distance putts in the hole. There's a difference.

Shot Type	# of Shots	Sum of Pro Strokes Gained	GIR	GIR Chances (Don't include "no chance" shots due to distance, blocked out, etc...)
Approach shot	13	-4.09	4	8
Around the Green	5	-0.36
Putting	19	-4.61
Tee shot	7	-1.11
Grand Total	44	-10.17	4	8

Dave

 

[tehuti]

Nine holes in 100° weather. It was brutal. 3 putts on 5 holes did me in. I kind of knew what was coming when I went 2-1-1 putts for the first 3 holes with a birdie on #2. It could only go down hill from there. However, I still should have putted better.


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[barrelMOnkey]

Nine holes in 100° weather. It was brutal. 3 putts on 5 holes did me in. I kind of knew what was coming when I went 2-1-1 putts for the first 3 holes with a birdie on #2. It could only go down hill from there. However, I still should have putted better.


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I know the feeling. As much as I love a good start, generally when I manage par on the first hole of the day it means I'm going to struggle on the day! Probably a mental thing, the pressure of a good start with all the thoughts of a new PB.

 

[barrelMOnkey]

Broke 100 for the 3rd successive round, and the 2nd in a row for the fearsome Costessey course. This is the course that I played the first time a couple weeks ago and shot 107, followed by 116.

Much much happier on the course today. With just one major blow out on the 4th after my drive found a bunker on the next fairway, with a steep slope recovery surrounded by trees back onto my own hole.

Following my range sessions this week and the feedback from my Zepp, my iron shots were much better, with missed greens being more due to bad club choices rather than scalped or shanked balls.