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Trying to Break 100

I stumbled out the gate and never recovered today. To make matters worse it was a “backwards” round for me. By that I mean normally I can’t hit my fwy and hybrids. But I make up for it with my play inside of 150. Today was the opposite. I hit my 4w well almost the entire round and my hybrids were better than usual. But I was brutal inside 120.

This was a tough, hilly course for sure. But I just didn’t have it.


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Fellow THP "Trying to Break 100"-ers... hope to get some advice from you all. And thanks in advance for reading.

Lately my game has been trending in the wrong direction and I'm sort of at a wits' end on how to fix things as so many things seem to be going wrong at the same time.

Off the tee is great around 50% of the time. The other 50% it generally goes straight left or hooks left, excluding the occasional fat shot where the club brushes the ground first and the drive goes 100 yards. Because the driver has no ground interaction I at least can somewhat self adjust / correct throughout a ground to tweak the ball flight.

What's really maddening lately is my hybrids and irons. It seems like I'm hitting it fat like 40% of the time to varying degrees -- sometimes laying sod over the ball, sometimes taking a divot along with the ball, and other times noticeably brushing the ground before the ball. Same issue with wedge on full shots. The weird thing is I do take 1 or 2 practice swings before hitting and I am brushing the ground after the ball like I should be, but when I actually hit the ball my body just doesn't replicate the practice swing.

On top of that, my hybrids have been very inconsistent -- half the time it goes where it's supposed to, and the other half, either duck hooks or just straight launch into the trees to the right. And to a lesser degree, also hit these fat too.

It's also affected my putting, due to lack of confidence from other aspects of my game. By the time I get to the greens I'm already dejected and not motivated to take my time and concentrate. I guess you aren't gonna invest the time reading the greens if a bogey or double bogey is the best you can do even if you one putt... LOL

With the hybrids/irons/wedges, I don't really have feedback as to why I'm doing what I'm doing. I cannot "feel" doing something wrong. Maybe swing path, maybe face squaring issues, and definitely ground interaction issues. So multiple issues...

Any recommendations on how to tackle the above? I rarely go to the range -- and my local ranges are mostly mat so my fat shots aren't really manifesting on plastic mats. So should I pause going to the course and just park myself at the range and place the ball forward to get the feel down? Go back to taking lessons for a few weeks? Or maybe meditate because it's mostly mental? Take a break and get a new hobby?
 
Frank559 said:
Fellow THP "Trying to Break 100"-ers... hope to get some advice from you all. And thanks in advance for reading.

Lately my game has been trending in the wrong direction and I'm sort of at a wits' end on how to fix things as so many things seem to be going wrong at the same time.

Off the tee is great around 50% of the time. The other 50% it generally goes straight left or hooks left, excluding the occasional fat shot where the club brushes the ground first and the drive goes 100 yards. Because the driver has no ground interaction I at least can somewhat self adjust / correct throughout a ground to tweak the ball flight.

What's really maddening lately is my hybrids and irons. It seems like I'm hitting it fat like 40% of the time to varying degrees -- sometimes laying sod over the ball, sometimes taking a divot along with the ball, and other times noticeably brushing the ground before the ball. Same issue with wedge on full shots. The weird thing is I do take 1 or 2 practice swings before hitting and I am brushing the ground after the ball like I should be, but when I actually hit the ball my body just doesn't replicate the practice swing.

On top of that, my hybrids have been very inconsistent -- half the time it goes where it's supposed to, and the other half, either duck hooks or just straight launch into the trees to the right. And to a lesser degree, also hit these fat too.

It's also affected my putting, due to lack of confidence from other aspects of my game. By the time I get to the greens I'm already dejected and not motivated to take my time and concentrate. I guess you aren't gonna invest the time reading the greens if a bogey or double bogey is the best you can do even if you one putt... LOL

With the hybrids/irons/wedges, I don't really have feedback as to why I'm doing what I'm doing. I cannot "feel" doing something wrong. Maybe swing path, maybe face squaring issues, and definitely ground interaction issues. So multiple issues...

Any recommendations on how to tackle the above? I rarely go to the range -- and my local ranges are mostly mat so my fat shots aren't really manifesting on plastic mats. So should I pause going to the course and just park myself at the range and place the ball forward to get the feel down? Go back to taking lessons for a few weeks? Or maybe meditate because it's mostly mental? Take a break and get a new hobby?
Click to expand...

First thing I'd look at is whether or not I've developed a sway. Beyond that, I'd probably consult a pro.
 
Frank559 said:
Any recommendations on how to tackle the above? I rarely go to the range -- and my local ranges are mostly mat so my fat shots aren't really manifesting on plastic mats. So should I pause going to the course and just park myself at the range and place the ball forward to get the feel down? Go back to taking lessons for a few weeks? Or maybe meditate because it's mostly mental? Take a break and get a new hobby?
Click to expand...

Sounded like me not long ago. My technique was to try and relax more on the backswing/downswing, not take it as far (try and feel a 3/4 or ½ swing, if you record it, it's further than you think/feel) and also mentally not give as big a s%^t anymore. I'm not the best, will not be the best but I'm not good enough to get angry, and for me, a bad day on the course is still better than a reasonable day at work!

Use a swing app to see if you film yourself and see anything obvious and lessons won't hurt in the long run. So, in short, meditate and enjoy it. If I skull a chip across the green, switch to bump & runs, but don't get mad. We aint good enough to.

Have fun.
 
Voltore said:
Sounded like me not long ago. My technique was to try and relax more on the backswing/downswing, not take it as far (try and feel a 3/4 or ½ swing, if you record it, it's further than you think/feel) and also mentally not give as big a s%^t anymore. I'm not the best, will not be the best but I'm not good enough to get angry, and for me, a bad day on the course is still better than a reasonable day at work!

Use a swing app to see if you film yourself and see anything obvious and lessons won't hurt in the long run. So, in short, meditate and enjoy it. If I skull a chip across the green, switch to bump & runs, but don't get mad. We aint good enough to.

Have fun.
Click to expand...

This has been my approach when I'm struggling with contact as well. It's kind of amazing how small feeling of a swing you can take and still get very close to your expected distance with irons. When my contact gets spotty, it's almost always because I've let my backswing get too long.

It's something I've been working on with an instructor (although I haven't been in a while), and on my own. I've gotten to starting off ever range session with some very small swings with a gap wedge. I try to go "knee to knee" with my swing. Then I switch to the same thing with a 7 iron, and gradually increase the length of the backswing and follow through. I hit my irons best when I'm taking what feels like a half swing. "Hip to hip" is the feeling I go for, but it looks much more like a full swing when seen on video.

For me, hitting behind the ball is almost always caused by not getting my weight forward during the swing. When I'm doing those abbreviated swings, that is my other focus. Before each shot I tell myself, "Finish the swing". If I'm not getting my weight shifted and taking the swing all the way through, I don't have a chance.

Of course, all of this is coming from a guy in a "Trying to Break 100" thread, so I'm obviously no expert. Who knows if what works for me will work for anybody else. I'm just throwing ideas out there.
 
The "L to L" swing is a friend. AKA the "9 to 3" swing.
 
After a couple of low-90's scores, I pooped a 108 on Saturday.
 
Hamfist said:
After a couple of low-90's scores, I pooped a 108 on Saturday.
Click to expand...

I’m at the 2/3 mark of that cycle myself fully expecting to complete it my next time out.
 
I actually hit a good amount of quality shots, but found a lot of sand and the greens were pretty fast setting up a lot of 3-jacks.
 
Hamfist said:
I actually hit a good amount of quality shots, but found a lot of sand and the greens were pretty fast setting up a lot of 3-jacks.
Click to expand...

That sounds like my last round. I had six of them. If I could have just cut that number in half I would have broken 90.
 
Annhl8rX said:
That sounds like my last round. I had six of them. If I could have just cut that number in half I would have broken 90.
Click to expand...
I'm playing Friday and Saturday on a couple of courses I haven't played, but, will keep my focus laser-like, and try not too get too loaded.
 
After shooting under 100 in 16 of 20 rounds and thinking I could escape this thread, I am firmly back in it. I've been back over 100 in 11 of my last 18, which is worse than it sounds because I had 4 in a row under 100 in there. Some of them weren't close either, trending closer to 110. I'm having a huge mental/confidence block.
 
I shot 52 in league last night, the biggest reason for not breaking 50 was short game issues. If you haven't seen my posts elsewhere, I was fitted for a new driver Saturday and ended up in a Taylormade Sim2 Max-D. The draw bias seems to be helping my right miss in a small sample size. I missed two fairways in five attempts and those were just pulled far left. Pitching, chipping and putting have been an issue lately that have cost me a couple of sub-50 rounds in league.
 
Frank559 said:
Fellow THP "Trying to Break 100"-ers... hope to get some advice from you all. And thanks in advance for reading.

Lately my game has been trending in the wrong direction and I'm sort of at a wits' end on how to fix things as so many things seem to be going wrong at the same time.

Off the tee is great around 50% of the time. The other 50% it generally goes straight left or hooks left, excluding the occasional fat shot where the club brushes the ground first and the drive goes 100 yards. Because the driver has no ground interaction I at least can somewhat self adjust / correct throughout a ground to tweak the ball flight.

What's really maddening lately is my hybrids and irons. It seems like I'm hitting it fat like 40% of the time to varying degrees -- sometimes laying sod over the ball, sometimes taking a divot along with the ball, and other times noticeably brushing the ground before the ball. Same issue with wedge on full shots. The weird thing is I do take 1 or 2 practice swings before hitting and I am brushing the ground after the ball like I should be, but when I actually hit the ball my body just doesn't replicate the practice swing.

On top of that, my hybrids have been very inconsistent -- half the time it goes where it's supposed to, and the other half, either duck hooks or just straight launch into the trees to the right. And to a lesser degree, also hit these fat too.

It's also affected my putting, due to lack of confidence from other aspects of my game. By the time I get to the greens I'm already dejected and not motivated to take my time and concentrate. I guess you aren't gonna invest the time reading the greens if a bogey or double bogey is the best you can do even if you one putt... LOL

With the hybrids/irons/wedges, I don't really have feedback as to why I'm doing what I'm doing. I cannot "feel" doing something wrong. Maybe swing path, maybe face squaring issues, and definitely ground interaction issues. So multiple issues...

Any recommendations on how to tackle the above? I rarely go to the range -- and my local ranges are mostly mat so my fat shots aren't really manifesting on plastic mats. So should I pause going to the course and just park myself at the range and place the ball forward to get the feel down? Go back to taking lessons for a few weeks? Or maybe meditate because it's mostly mental? Take a break and get a new hobby?
Click to expand...

Wadesworld's suggestion might be the right one. I find if I can keep my eyes steady over the ball and not move my head back and forth during the swing I usually make better contact. Range time really helps. If you can find the right ball position for each club and keep your head from moving, that might help. But you need to work on that at the range to find the right ball position for you.

I find if I stay behind the ball on the driver I can hit further but its inconsistent. Sometimes I clip the grass behind the ball. I would guess that I'm probably swaying or leaning back. So I just try and keep the eyes and head steady in one spot not trying to get behind the ball. Its been working for me. My accuracy is easily better than 50 percent. And distance is ok. 230 average with an occasional 260. The ball flight is typically lower. If I can figure out how the be more consistent staying behind the ball without the sway or lean I could hit further. But for now I have to stay with what works.
 
wazzubrew said:
After shooting under 100 in 16 of 20 rounds and thinking I could escape this thread, I am firmly back in it. I've been back over 100 in 11 of my last 18, which is worse than it sounds because I had 4 in a row under 100 in there. Some of them weren't close either, trending closer to 110. I'm having a huge mental/confidence block.
Click to expand...
Deep breath. Slowly exhale. Do what you do well, don't try anything you're not 100% sure of. It will come.
 
Dartgod said:
I shot 52 in league last night, the biggest reason for not breaking 50 was short game issues. If you haven't seen my posts elsewhere, I was fitted for a new driver Saturday and ended up in a Taylormade Sim2 Max-D. The draw bias seems to be helping my right miss in a small sample size. I missed two fairways in five attempts and those were just pulled far left. Pitching, chipping and putting have been an issue lately that have cost me a couple of sub-50 rounds in league.
Click to expand...
See the post above.
Also, are you getting to the course in time to hit the putting/chipping area pre-round? That could definitely help.
 
Hamfist said:
See the post above.
Also, are you getting to the course in time to hit the putting/chipping area pre-round? That could definitely help.
Click to expand...
No, we start pretty much as soon as I can get there after work.

Admittedly though, it's not an area I practice much anyway. Which is a shame, because I have a very deep back yard that I could easily practice those 50 yard and in shots.
 
I haven't been to the course in a few weeks. But I'm doing the next best thing. I'm playing on the Top Tracer monitors at the range. For 20 bucks an hour I can play on some famous golf courses. I've played Torrey Pines, Bethpage, Pebble Beach and St Andrews. Pebble Beach and St Andrews are the easiest. Torrey Pines was the toughest.

The tracer does a good job of following the ball wherever you hit it. Gives you launch angle and spin rate. But not clubhead speed. The one thing though, since there is no putting we have to chip to a 50 yard pole. How close you need to get a birdie depends on how close you get to the hole on your approach shot. If its a long putt you have to get within a few feet. If its a short putt you can get within 10 or 15 feet for a birdie.

I was close to 100 at Torrey Pines. But under 90 at St Andrews. One thing I learned though, if you're in a fairway pot bunker you want to use a wedge and not a long iron. You can't hit out of them with a longer iron. The guy next to me thought there was something wrong with the system when he hit an iron cleanly and it charged him a stroke with the ball still in the bunker. The manager said he has to hit high enough to clear the wall. I was glad I saw that. I hit a fairway bunker and used a wedge to lay up. Got out cleanly with that.

What I like about these games are you aren't hitting into a screen. You're actually hitting out into the full range so you can see your ball flight. They have the cameras close and some poles at different distances helping to follow the flight. Its pretty cool to sit under the canopy in the shade on a hot day and hit balls. Doesn't wear you out like the golf course. If its a rainy day you stay dry.
 
Dartgod said:
No, we start pretty much as soon as I can get there after work.

Admittedly though, it's not an area I practice much anyway. Which is a shame, because I have a very deep back yard that I could easily practice those 50 yard and in shots.
Click to expand...
Well, time to get that chipping net out!
 
Played in some brutal heat this weekend. Had some good shots, hit some bad ones.
 
Feeling more confident lately. But that certainly did not manifest the first 15 min of my round on Saturday.

Hooo boy, for the first 2 holes I literally forgot how to play golf. 160 yard Par 3 first hole - pushed my iron to the right under the trees. Next shot hit some branches and fell about 20 yards ahead. Then chipped it past the greens. Then chip back on and 2 putted for 6. On the Par 5 No. 2, hooked my driver under more trees. Then spent the next 4 shots alternating between the trees on either sides of the fairway. When I finally got it onto the green, I 3 putted my way to a 10. That's a wonderful +8 after the first 15 minutes :ROFLMAO:

So at this point I just wanted to find a groundhog hole to crawl into. Then something suddenly clicked and I striped my drive on hole No. 3. The rest of the golf outing went great and everything was more or less working except some inconsistent chipping. Finished a surprising +23 for a 95.

Strange how volatile golf can be...
 
I had a typical up and down 9 today. Gave away a few putts, gave away a few pitch shots. Good news is I parred 4 holes including 7-9. And I hit my hybrids and 4w really well.


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Had a much better outing than I've been having recently, even though I massively fell apart on the back 9 off the tee. 43/50 for a 93. Got to keep this momentum moving forward.
 
I play golf better when I'm not half in the bag. Who would have thought?
 
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