Trying to Break 100

[Annhl8rX]

I have found that my hips tighten up after 9 holes (causes me to sway) so I started doing the Justin Thomas thing. I take a partial swing back to make sure my hips are turning, and then a full swing. It has been working for me.

I'm just a generally stiff person, and I do the same thing. If I can make myself turn I can hit some good shots. If I don't intentionally focus on it, though, I'm toast.

 

[[snow]]

Weird day.
Windy. Had my first encounter with a marshall in 5ish months of membership. Didn't even know they had those here, whoops. So the good man sent me packing to collect my bag tag.
Having returned, i still managed to walk 16 holes, cutting 16 and 17 out to return on the last glimpses of light.

I feel like i hit the ball great. But i couldn't find it to save my life. I wasn't wild off the tee at all today, excepting the 8th hole where sidespin + wind got the better of me, but i still somehow lost 5 balls to the relatively trimmed rough, within the first few meters outside of fairways.
Someone's going to walk over all of those tomorrow and wonder what kind of idiot could have possibly lost those.
To top it all, i also lost the scorecard somewhere between 11 and 13

 

[charley48]

I'm sure this is a problem with most high handicappers. I can't seem to take my range game to the course. A couple weeks ago a guy joined me and my grandsons at the course. He was a pretty good golfer. Scored in the low 80's. He mentioned something that caught my attention. Ever notice when we take a nice, slow and smooth practice swing how fluid it looks and feels? Then when you hit the ball it ain't so fluid.

He said he had the same problem. He fixed it by not trying to swing slow during the practice swing. He focused on a smooth rhythm. He didn't think about slow, fast or anything. He focused on a swing speed that felt natural for him.

I thought about that at the range this morning. Don't think about how fast or slow I swing. Think about being fluid with some good rhythm. It definitely does make it better. I even follow through better with that. My follow through has always been inconsistent. I usually have to remind myself to follow through. I didn't even think about it today. It just happened. Now its just a matter of taking that to the course. So far its been easier said than done.

 

[camden_kid]

 

[JonMA1]

Walked 18 this morning and played from the more difficult blue tees (6,000 yards, 70.5/129). Was pleased with the first 9 holes (49), but struggled throughout much of the 2nd before finishing well with a 101 total. Experienced some poorer contact - especially with the hybrids.

Short game and lag putting were very good today. Not counting putts from off the green, I had just one 3-putt and several 1-putts. The short game continues to be a bright spot for the season.

 

[tehuti]

I walked 9 this morning. Same result as Friday. Good ball striking. Still can’t hit short putts in the clutch. I am encouraged by my ball striking, but I need to get out of my own head with the putter. Way too many pushed misses.


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[JonMA1]

I generally dislike these types of videos, but this one is pretty good.

Thank you for sharing @camden_kid.

 

[Annhl8rX]

I walked 9 this morning. Same result as Friday. Good ball striking. Still can’t hit short putts in the clutch. I am encouraged by my ball striking, but I need to get out of my own head with the putter. Way too many pushed misses.


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I’m right there with you in the short putts. I wouldn’t the least bit surprised if my stats were better from 10 feet than from 4 feet when it’s for bogey or better. I can literally feel my knees shaking when I’m standing over a short putt for par.

 

[tehuti]

I’m right there with you in the short putts. I wouldn’t the least bit surprised if my stats were better from 10 feet than from 4 feet when it’s for bogey or better. I can literally feel my knees shaking when I’m standing over a short putt for par.

Yep.


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[ULEWZ]

Played 9 holes today and hit almost every green in regulation, some bounced off, but were close. My bump and run was great, but my putting so so. I was 2 over going into the last 9, landed it on the green about 20 feet from the pin, and proceeded to 3 putt. The par putt was a Rory round the rim and popped out. Oh well, tied my best there and beat the crappy 38 I shot yesterday (irons were terrible, but figured something out at the range today). I blame the 3 putt on the high heat, 93 degrees with no wind.

 

[charley48]

I’m right there with you in the short putts. I wouldn’t the least bit surprised if my stats were better from 10 feet than from 4 feet when it’s for bogey or better. I can literally feel my knees shaking when I’m standing over a short putt for par.

When I first started golfing I developed the yips in my putting game after a few months. A friend helped me get over that by developing a system on the putts. I would count to six when I addressed the ball to hit it. One was the first look at the cup. Two was back to the ball. 3 was another look to the cup. 4 was back to the ball. 5 was the backswing. 6 was the putt. I made sure I counted in good rhythm to match seconds. 1-2-3-4-5-6. That really helped to get rid of the yips.

 

[Luchnia]

I walked 9 this morning. Same result as Friday. Good ball striking. Still can’t hit short putts in the clutch. I am encouraged by my ball striking, but I need to get out of my own head with the putter. Way too many pushed misses.


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I had this problem and still do more than I like, but what helped me the most was taking two alignment sticks to the practice green and hit the short putts over and over and over through the alignment sticks set a little wider than the width of the putter. Then come back another time and repeat that practice again another day.

Then when I get into that short clutch putt I do my best to repeat that practice that alignment stick green feeling. Just wished it would work all the time, but some improvement is still improvement which helps.

 

[charley48]

I had this problem and still do more than I like, but what helped me the most was taking two alignment sticks to the practice green and hit the short putts over and over and over through the alignment sticks set a little wider than the width of the putter. Then come back another time and repeat that practice again another day.

Then when I get into that short clutch putt I do my best to repeat that practice that alignment stick green feeling. Just wished it would work all the time, but some improvement is still improvement which helps.

A guy at the course I play is one of those scratch golfers. Really good. He told me a few months ago to practice putting from 3 and a half feet straight with no break. He said if you can hit 40 in a row you will be a very straight putter and won't miss the short ones. Then its just a matter of reading the breaks. He recommended 3 and a half feet because 3 was too easy and 4 was too hard to make 40 in a row. I still haven't gotten past 15 in a row. But 40 is the goal. I can already feel like I'm more consistent on the shorter putts.

 

[Voltore]

So I'm definitely in the "Trying to break 100" club. My home course isn't the easiest for a high handicapper, creeks that run across the fairway at angles and right now hard fairways that can roll to the creeks. Went out Fri and Sun for 9 each time, 48 on Friday but not counted today. I got stuck behind a 5-some with 3 kids and unfortunately it was backed up in front of them so no escape. I ended up doing 2 or 3 balls on each hole so not to sit on them.

I'm happy with my woods/irons and hybrids now. I'm over 2/3 of them doing what I want but got some greater distances tonight. My 7W is a blessing, normally 160-165yds, relaxed hit and my app shows 197yds. Clean. A 5H shot over a creek, normally 150, sailed 178! Still safe.

However, my driver has the yips right now. Still to tense. Try to relax. I had some good shots but some big slices! Tried to compensate and sliced it even more. If I can get that under control, I feel consistently breaking 100 is around the corner!

 

[Hamfist]

And "No Brian.™" you can not have my 5 wood!

LOL!!! That's awesome. I was hitting rlefig's 5-wood pretty well on Friday.

 

[Hamfist]

shot 96, 46/50 starting on the back 9.
1 lone par on the scorecard. Oh, yes, i got an actual scorecard to commemorate the occasion, alongside my usual ruddy notepad.
View attachment 9018607
It tried to get away from me, especially in the second half where i 3-putted three times, hit a ball into the water just quietly trying to get back into my own fairway and lost one ball to the rough as well. But i somehow dragged it back, kicking, screaming, biting, gouging and all.

Pic: last hole, par4 9th. Conservative 4i off the tee into wind, just trying to get this score home. Then 8i downhill to leave myself a nice little pitch up to the green.
... except it didn't run an inch. left a tiny crater and spun back, in the middle of a fairway going down quite a bit. Thanks for nothing. Full SW -> stalled on wind, bunker. Bunker, 3 putts from the far side of the green, SAFETY
View attachment 9018606

Still plenty of silliness in those 96, i'm sure i can do better if Hamfist keeps cheering me on.
Of course he must also accept liability for future rounds shot without the cheerleading

Where's the smug emoji? I knew you'd do it.

 

[Hamfist]

Weird day.
Windy. Had my first encounter with a marshall in 5ish months of membership. Didn't even know they had those here, whoops. So the good man sent me packing to collect my bag tag.
Having returned, i still managed to walk 16 holes, cutting 16 and 17 out to return on the last glimpses of light.

I feel like i hit the ball great. But i couldn't find it to save my life. I wasn't wild off the tee at all today, excepting the 8th hole where sidespin + wind got the better of me, but i still somehow lost 5 balls to the relatively trimmed rough, within the first few meters outside of fairways.
Someone's going to walk over all of those tomorrow and wonder what kind of idiot could have possibly lost those.
To top it all, i also lost the scorecard somewhere between 11 and 13

Man, I've lost balls that landed in the middle of the fairway before. I just chalked it up to be blind as a bat and dropped one without penalty.

 

[Annhl8rX]

Man, I've lost balls that landed in the middle of the fairway before. I just chalked it up to be blind as a bat and dropped one without penalty.

My last round involved some pretty neglected rough (as evidenced by all the shaggy grass on and around the tee boxes…they definitely weren’t just trying to make the rough penal). You could be six inches off the fairway and maybe not find the ball. We instituted that rule as well for the balls we knew were in play but were somehow lost.

 

[Hamfist]

Played with PatsFan and rlefig on Friday. The course was great, but tough. I don't even know what I scored, lol. Had some nice pokes, had some crap pokes. Lots of laughs, a great time just playing and hanging with those guys. And, it must be mentioned, we got "paired" with a single retired teacher named Betsy who was a riot to play with.

My favorite shot of the day was on #18, a 3-wood from about 170 that landed about 10 feet right of the pin. I misjudged the birdie putt, but got the par to finish like a boss.


Edit: for full transparency, I may have been a bit drunk for both of my New England rounds.

 

[JonMA1]

A pair of 55's today for a 110 (32 Hdcp Diff). Very hot and humid and I was spent after walking the 18 holes. Despite the crappy golf it was nice to get out and burn some calories.

Nothing out of the ordinary, just the normal inability to control the damage. Played from the middle tees on my home course where it's pretty easy to put up this type of score.

When I'm getting penalties from layups, it's not going well. On one of the par 5's, I hit a great drive but decided to layup with an 8i... you know, play it safe. Made great contact but it started a bit left, hit a slope and rolled into the brush. I dropped another ball, pulled out the 3 hybrid hit a rare nice shot, pitched to the green and one putted for bogey. My first thought BS on the Golf Sidekick videos..

Great contact with the short irons and in fact had to club down due to hitting over greens. But the left and right dispersion killed me at times. Struggled all round with the 6i and really struggled by topping the hybrids. My new putter - which had been almost magical for the last few rounds - apparently only needed a break-in period before I learned how to hit it as crappy as my old one. I was back to poor lag putts and a couple missed short putts. I did hit a couple out of bounds with the driver, but that wasn't the most damaging club in the bag today. Short game was once again the lone consistent bright spot.

Oh well. This is my game and there always seems to be a myriad of ways for the strokes to add up.

 

[Hamfist]

A pair of 55's today for a 110 (32 Hdcp Diff). Very hot and humid and I was spent after walking the 18 holes. Despite the crappy golf it was nice to get out and burn some calories.

Nothing out of the ordinary, just the normal inability to control the damage. Played from the middle tees on my home course where it's pretty easy to put up this type of score.

When I'm getting penalties from layups, it's not going well. On one of the par 5's, I hit a great drive but decided to layup with an 8i... you know, play it safe. Made great contact but it started a bit left, hit a slope and rolled into the brush. I dropped another ball, pulled out the 3 hybrid hit a rare nice shot, pitched to the green and one putted for bogey. My first thought BS on the Golf Sidekick videos..

Great contact with the short irons and in fact had to club down due to hitting over greens. But the left and right dispersion killed me at times. Struggled all round with the 6i and really struggled by topping the hybrids. My new putter - which had been almost magical for the last few rounds - apparently only needed a break-in period before I learned how to hit it as crappy as my old one. I was back to poor lag putts and a couple missed short putts. I did hit a couple out of bounds with the driver, but that wasn't the most damaging club in the bag today. Short game was once again the lone consistent bright spot.

Oh well. This is my game and there always seems to be a myriad of ways for the strokes to add up.

I keep telling people to dump the scorecard, it makes golf fun. I played 18 on Saturday, kept score on the front, shot kinda poopy, didn't keep score on the back. Had just as much if not more enjoyment. Just be pure "in the moment" with each shot. Hit a great one? Enjoy it. Hit a decent one? enjoy it. Hit a crap one? Drop another, and hit a great one.

I came to the realization Saturday, that the swing I have is ever-fluid. what works one day, may not the next. Hell, it changes from to swing to swing. Just settle in over the ball, get comfy, and hit it. Then, go do it again. Revel in the good shots, blow off anything else.

 

[charley48]

I skipped the course last week and went to the range. I was experimenting with the different lofts on my adjustable Cobra driver. I used to think less loft meant further but harder to keep straight and more loft meant straighter but not as far. Apparently that isn't the case. When I got to 12 degrees the ball was going further. And it wasn't going any higher than the 9.5 I normally play. So I decided to hit the range a couple more times with that.

I played 9 holes in the heat late yesterday afternoon. Didn't want to walk it so I used a cart. Still hot but doable. Wasn't so bad when the sun went over the trees and created more shade. It wasn't a bad round or a good round for me. But I did get my driver swing back. Hit a couple down the fairway well over 250 yards. Ended up shooting 48. At least I broke 50.

This time I got off to a good start. Parred the first hole and was plus two going into the 4th. My nemesis hole. A 195 yard par 3. I pulled a hybrid behind a tree from the tee box. No shot for th e green. Chipped back to the fairway. Skulled the next chip over the green and into the water. I coulda easily bumped and run a pitching wedge from 40 yards somewhere on the green and made a two putt double. But I wanted to try and bogey it by taking more loft and trying to land it in front of the flag. All the greens slope down from back to front on this course. Swung harder because of the loft and caught the middle of the ball. Needless to say my 5th shot was another chip that ran too far downhill and off the green. Ended up with an eight on a par 3.

Lately its been one of those holes that have done me in. If I double bogey that hole I shoot a solid 45. Plus 5 on that hole but plus 8 on the other 8 holes. Normally its bad execution that causes breakdown holes. This time it was a bad decision to use more loft and hit a shot I'm not proficient in. I need to learn when I'm in a bad spot like behind that tree, I need to take my medicine and just play for the double. I don't have the skill to drop a shot close to the hole with a high lofted wedge.

 

[Hamfist]

I skipped the course last week and went to the range. I was experimenting with the different lofts on my adjustable Cobra driver. I used to think less loft meant further but harder to keep straight and more loft meant straighter but not as far. Apparently that isn't the case. When I got to 12 degrees the ball was going further. And it wasn't going any higher than the 9.5 I normally play. So I decided to hit the range a couple more times with that.



I played 9 holes in the heat late yesterday afternoon. Didn't want to walk it so I used a cart. Still hot but doable. Wasn't so bad when the sun went over the trees and created more shade. It wasn't a bad round or a good round for me. But I did get my driver swing back. Hit a couple down the fairway well over 250 yards. Ended up shooting 48. At least I broke 50.

This time I got off to a good start. Parred the first hole and was plus two going into the 4th. My nemesis hole. A 195 yard par 3. I pulled a hybrid behind a tree from the tee box. No shot for th e green. Chipped back to the fairway. Skulled the next chip over the green and into the water. I coulda easily bumped and run a pitching wedge from 40 yards somewhere on the green and made a two putt double. But I wanted to try and bogey it by taking more loft and trying to land it in front of the flag. All the greens slope down from back to front on this course. Swung harder because of the loft and caught the middle of the ball. Needless to say my 5th shot was another chip that ran too far downhill and off the green. Ended up with an eight on a par 3.

Lately its been one of those holes that have done me in. If I double bogey that hole I shoot a solid 45. Plus 5 on that hole but plus 8 on the other 8 holes. Normally its bad execution that causes breakdown holes. This time it was a bad decision to use more loft and hit a shot I'm not proficient in. I need to learn when I'm in a bad spot like behind that tree, I need to take my medicine and just play for the double. I don't have the skill to drop a shot close to the hole with a high lofted wedge.

I have my Cobra F8 driver at 11.5 degrees with a draw bias.
I am VERY familiar with the bolded. I am much better at banishing these thoughts now I am older. Get out of trouble, then get back to playing golf.

 

[charley48]

I have my Cobra F8 driver at 11.5 degrees with a draw bias.
I am VERY familiar with the bolded. I am much better at banishing these thoughts now I am older. Get out of trouble, then get back to playing golf.

My Cobra is a few years old now. But I won't give it up until it falls apart. Most forgiving driver I ever used. And still plenty of distance. I don't hit the sweet spot near as much as I should. But a lot of times it still goes straight and when I walk up the ball it went just about as far as when I hit the sweet spot earlier. The sound when you hit the sweet spot is a little louder than most drivers. But I like that sound. Makes me feel like I crushed it.

 

[Hamfist]

My Cobra is a few years old now. But I won't give it up until it falls apart. Most forgiving driver I ever used. And still plenty of distance. I don't hit the sweet spot near as much as I should. But a lot of times it still goes straight and when I walk up the ball it went just about as far as when I hit the sweet spot earlier. The sound when you hit the sweet spot is a little louder than most drivers. But I like that sound. Makes me feel like I crushed it.

Even when I'm only 173 from the tee box!!