Trying to Break 100

I’ve heard about that technique before, but I think I need to start with something more basic than that. My biggest issue is when I’m putting across a break. I’m not sure if that really is how you’d word it though. The specific putt I have in mind from yesterday was on a two tiered green. I was putting from the upper tier to the lower, and it dropped about a foot in elevation halfway between my ball and the hole running at about a 45 degree angle. It was significant and apparent. I knew it was going to move my ball a long way, but I didn’t know which way.

I’ve been burned before when I picked the direction I thought it would go and was wrong, essentially doubling how far the break took my ball. I’ve gotten to where, rather than risk that, I just putt straight at it and deal with the result.

Truthfully, a lot of this could be remedied by spending just a little time on a practice green. I have no excuse for this level of stupidity other than that I find putting incredibly boring.

Two-tiered greens are difficult for everybody, including pros. I wouldn’t get too hung up on a bad putt when a tier is involved.
 
Been laid up for a few weeks. Travelled up north last month, came back and got sick. Tested positive for covid. I guess the vaccine didn't help me with this one. Luckily it didn't hit me too hard. Just a fever for a couple days and sinus congestion a few more days. But I thought I'd better stay home for a couple weeks to quarantine. I don't want to pass it on to someone else.

After the self quarantine I thought I'd hit the range. Maybe I'm not quite recovered. Maybe it was the heat. Maybe I'm just old and can't lay off for too long. But I sure had a hard time with my energy. I was getting worn out halfway through the bucket. Muscles started to ache. I think I might have to hit the range a couple more times before I hit the course.

They have a decent chipping green to chip 40 yards and under. I usually take my ball shagger and bucket and hit some from different distances for a bit. But since I was getting so worn out I just hit the last 30 or 40 balls in the bucket with the wedge and didn't bother picking them up.

I'm going to spend extra time with the 6 iron. The course I play on has three par 3's that are 6 iron distance for me. In the 160ish range. There always seems to be a couple more holes where a decent 6 iron shot would put me in good position. I don't know why the 7 iron is usually not a problem but the 6 iron is so inconsistent.

Welcome to the club, brother! I was vaccinated in Feb/March, and tested positive last week. Very disappointing, but since I'm a teacher & the kids started out without masks, I wasn't totally surprised (I should've worn mine 100% of the time, but got a bit lazy. Crap.)

I was able to walk 9 with my symptoms - but it was tough!
 
He does make sense on the idea of simplifying things to reach our goals. I've often wondered if I could score better if I use nothing longer than a 7 iron after the tee shot. But it takes some discipline to stick to that. If I hit a good drive on a par 5 leaving me 250 or less to the green, a good 7 iron would leave me a wedge on the 3rd shot. Even if I miss the green I wouldn't be too far off and would likely get on the next shot.

But here is the problem. You're playing with some better golfers. They've got their fairway woods and hybrids ready for the second shot. You think to yourself "If I can hit this wood/hybrid nice and clean I could be a chip shot from green and have a birdie putt". The temptation has been too great for me so far to come up with a good shot and a par or better. Of course, too many times I didn't hit a good shot and now I have a difficult lie on the 3rd shot. Having the discipline to stick to a lesser game plan has been hard for me.

I suppose its an ego thing because I can almost keep up with my younger playing partners with the driver. So I think why I can't I keep up with them on the longer fairway shots? And it doesn't help every time I hit a drive that matches theirs they compliment me on how long I can hit at my age. Really feeds that ego when they do that. And screws up the next shot.
I know what you mean because I struggle with the exact same thing. It's hard to put the ego aside sometimes and take the safe shot, when the hero shot is so much more fun and such a rush if you pull it off. That's why I often recommend watching Matt's videos - he talks a lot about strategy and course management, how to think your way around a course, which is something that makes a lot of golfers their own worst enemies.
 
He does make sense on the idea of simplifying things to reach our goals. I've often wondered if I could score better if I use nothing longer than a 7 iron after the tee shot. But it takes some discipline to stick to that. If I hit a good drive on a par 5 leaving me 250 or less to the green, a good 7 iron would leave me a wedge on the 3rd shot. Even if I miss the green I wouldn't be too far off and would likely get on the next shot.

But here is the problem. You're playing with some better golfers. They've got their fairway woods and hybrids ready for the second shot. You think to yourself "If I can hit this wood/hybrid nice and clean I could be a chip shot from green and have a birdie putt". The temptation has been too great for me so far to come up with a good shot and a par or better. Of course, too many times I didn't hit a good shot and now I have a difficult lie on the 3rd shot. Having the discipline to stick to a lesser game plan has been hard for me.

I suppose its an ego thing because I can almost keep up with my younger playing partners with the driver
. So I think why I can't I keep up with them on the longer fairway shots? And it doesn't help every time I hit a drive that matches theirs they compliment me on how long I can hit at my age. Really feeds that ego when they do that. And screws up the next shot.
I would say forget about ego and ignore what other golfers are hitting for second shots on long holes and focus on your own game, and it isn't a lesser game plan either, it is playing to your ability. Better players might have those fairway wood shots in their array of shots, but if they have any sense, they have made the decision based on their ability and what lies in the target area

We have a couple of par 5's that I can potentially reach from the back tees, but it requires 2 perfect shots, as one green has a narrow entrance protected by bunkers and the other has water in front of the green that you have to carry, so more often than not I will lay up and leave myself with a wedge as that likely means nothing worse than a par, but if I hit a good wedge I could walk off with a birdie rather than having a tough bunker shot or putting a ball in the water if I go for the green with my second shot

Unless it is matchplay, it doesn't matter what your playing partner hits, it is you against the course, so play to your strengths - it is the same as standing on a par 3 with a 7i in your hand when your playing partner is hitting a 9i, it just doesn't matter, you play your shot with the club you need to hit
 
It will be hard to do but I agree the safer shot is the right choice for high handicappers. But there is one problem with that. Is there really such a thing as a safe shot for a high handicapper? I suppose you can play the odds with a club that is safer more often. But I can shank a 7 or 8 iron too. Just not as often as a fairway wood or hybrid.

I think I might simulate a round at the driving range using that strategy. Nothing longer than a 7 iron after the tee shot. And 7 iron only on the par 3's. Which are not reachable at my home course for me. The shortest par 3 is listed at 158 yards. The longest is over 190. That approach would require I be good with the wedge. But even if I miss a few wedges and settle for double bogey a few times I should avoid triples and easily stay under 100.
 
It will be hard to do but I agree the safer shot is the right choice for high handicappers. But there is one problem with that. Is there really such a thing as a safe shot for a high handicapper? I suppose you can play the odds with a club that is safer more often. But I can shank a 7 or 8 iron too. Just not as often as a fairway wood or hybrid.

I think I might simulate a round at the driving range using that strategy. Nothing longer than a 7 iron after the tee shot. And 7 iron only on the par 3's. Which are not reachable at my home course for me. The shortest par 3 is listed at 158 yards. The longest is over 190. That approach would require I be good with the wedge. But even if I miss a few wedges and settle for double bogey a few times I should avoid triples and easily stay under 100.

I have two schools of thought.

Generally, absolutely, you are doing yourself a favor by taking the shorter club because the odds of hitting it well are so much better. Yes, you can chunk a 7-iron, but the odds are FAR greater you can hit two passable 7-irons than a 3-wood and a wedge. Furthermore, if you hit a bad shot with the 3-wood, it's likely either going in the woods or will be topped about 10 feet. Your bad shots with a 7-iron are likely to be far more playable.

However, I also think there's value in playing a club that you're confident with. If you just feel good about taking a swing with a 4-iron, step up and do it. But examine the situation. If it's a fairly open hole with no trouble around, that's the time to feel confident about that 4-iron, not when it's a tight hole with water down the right.
 
Been playing for about 3 months and getting pretty close to 100. Decided to just play a quick 9 today with no expectations as I had an hour spare - went and shot 45 - doh. Only wish I'd booked in for 18
 
It will be hard to do but I agree the safer shot is the right choice for high handicappers. But there is one problem with that. Is there really such a thing as a safe shot for a high handicapper? I suppose you can play the odds with a club that is safer more often. But I can shank a 7 or 8 iron too. Just not as often as a fairway wood or hybrid.

It's tough for me to know if one way is better than another. For several years now, I've experimented with different levels of risk vs reward and conservative vs aggressive. I play a nine hole course and will often choose different strategies each time through. Sometimes the goal will be the lowest score possible. Other times I'm out there to work on a weakness. Some instances, playing conservatively blows up in my face, other times playing almost recklessly turns out great.

Over the years (very large sample sizes) the intent or game plan rarely has an impact on the result. It is almost entirely how well I'm swinging the clubs on that day.
 
Generally, absolutely, you are doing yourself a favor by taking the shorter club because the odds of hitting it well are so much better. Yes, you can chunk a 7-iron, but the odds are FAR greater you can hit two passable 7-irons than a 3-wood and a wedge. Furthermore, if you hit a bad shot with the 3-wood, it's likely either going in the woods or will be topped about 10 feet. Your bad shots with a 7-iron are likely to be far more playable.

I am going to put it to the test at the range tomorrow. I know my home course like the back of my hand playing it so much the past couple years. I'm probably familiar with just about every bad situation there because I've been in so many. So simulating a round there is easy. I'm going to hit nothing longer than a 7 iron after the tee shot. And on the par 3's. They have some nets at the range to practice chipping so I can simulate what type of chips I might need. If I feel like I would be in the trees I will try to hit a straight, low runner. They only thing I can't simulate is the uphill or downhill lie.
 
Welcome to the club, brother! I was vaccinated in Feb/March, and tested positive last week. Very disappointing, but since I'm a teacher & the kids started out without masks, I wasn't totally surprised (I should've worn mine 100% of the time, but got a bit lazy. Crap.)

I was able to walk 9 with my symptoms - but it was tough!

I'm much better now. I thought I was when I hit the range. But I got worn out pretty quick. Coulda been the heat though. Before today the temps have been 102-105 the past couple weeks. The golf range is out away from town and its wide open out there. There is almost always a breeze. But that day there was absolutely nothing by way of wind. So I'm gonna chalk it up to a combo of the heat and not being out there in a few weeks. Its a lot cooler now. In the low 90's. I'll be out there a couple more times before I go back to the course.

I still think I might have gotten covid a month before they started the lockdowns. The symptoms I had a few weeks ago were identical to the symptoms I had in Feb. 2020. You would think by now I've got some immunity to it. Fortunately both times didn't really hit me that hard. Just feeling a little under the weather for a few days.
 
So, my last couple of rounds have been 100 and 101, so I'm joining this thread for some accountability and track progress. I've never been terribly good, but my best round was in the high 80's, so I feel like I am capable of much better than I've been doing. I've always struggled with consistency. Part of that has been my weight and being out of shape. I've been working on that, and also working through practicing what I've been told at past lessons.

My struggle has always been getting off the tee, and that has been worst the last couple of rounds. Getting out to the range, I have a couple bad things I've realized I've been doing that I'm working to remedy. If I can get those in check, I think I'll be able to get back into the 90's pretty quickly. We'll see how it goes, but I'm determined to play more again and get better.
 
According to my handicap, i should be working to break 90, i guess.
In reality, still working on consistency.

Played a leisurely 9 holes stuck behind a couple of groups with 2 separate balls.
The best scores add up to 41, the worst to 54. Quite the spread :unsure:
 
So this morning I thought I would do what I said I would do. Go out to the driving range and simulate a round of golf using nothing longer than a 7 iron from the fairways and par 3's. You can never be sure because you can't simulate uneven lies. But I really felt like I would not have any triple bogeys over 9 holes. The driver was very straight as I choked down hit a punch shot that I can hit 200 yards straight most the time. I mighta been off the fairway on the first hole but not by a lot. The rest were right where I was aiming.

I did feel like I coulda had a couple double bogeys. And a couple pars. Assuming I 2 putt each hole. But taking that approach really felt like I made the game more simple. I tried not to overswing on the clubs and hit them pretty clean. The 7 iron is definitely easier than the longer ones.

I'll be headed out to the course on Tuesday morning. That is the senior league day. Its open to anyone who wants to play but a single would likely be paired with a senior group that has 3 or less. If I can discipline myself to play like the simulated round today I think I could score better than I have in a while. And it definitely takes less toll on the body swinging easier. I like to say "I need to swing like the old man I am".
 
After two rounds in a row at the same course resulted in a 92 and a 110, I went back for another crack at it yesterday. I split the difference with a 101.

I made myself hit driver, and it didn’t go horribly. I only had one really bad one, a few really good ones, and mostly manageable results with the big dog.

My iron play wasn’t as good as it has been lately, but it wasn’t that bad either. What killed me, though, was chipping and putting. It was another round with 40 putts. I had 4 three putts and no one putts. I also only seemed to be able to chip the ball half the distance I needed to or twice as far as I needed to.

I managed to avoid anything higher than a 7 on the card, but I only had one par. I’m interested in hitting up a different course to see how things go. I just don’t get along with the fast, difficult greens at this joint.
 
Played an easy course this morning and shot a 90 (46/44, 23.9 Diff, 5600 yards). Nothing spectacular, nothing horrible... the kind of golf I really enjoy. I did chip in for a birdie and the only lost ball was a 7i tee shot in the water. Driver was somewhat under control. Hybrids were solid including a 172 yard 4h approach to the center of the green on the first hole. There were plenty of shots I could have played better but the results were easy to accept.

One of the nicest mornings you could ask for weather-wise. It was barely light out for the 7:25 tee time but the early start allowed me to walk the course in 2.5 hours and was never very close to anyone the entire round.
 
Well, I put it to the test yesterday afternoon. Went to the range and paid the hourly fee using the Top Tracer monitors. Chose Pebble Beach. Picked the white tees at over 6000 yards. About 300 yards shorter than my home course from the whites.

I disciplined myself to use nothing longer than the 7 from the fairways and par 3's. Was actually pretty good. I ran out of time so I couldn't get 18 holes in. Ended after 15. But I was 13 over par. The 7 iron is starting to get really good. No shanks. Had some misses but still in decent chipping range.

I'll be at the course tomorrow. Its easy to discipline yourself and stick to that game plan when you're playing alone. Will my ego get the better of me when I need longer than 7? I hope not.

This is what it looked like before they put in the monitors. Its a really big range. That pic isn't even half of it. Playing famous courses is fun. Don't have to travel. Don't have to walk four miles.

348s.jpg
 
My golf game is….bad. Quite bad to be frank.
 
I've been taking lessons since last Summer, so my swing has basically been completely revamped. For me to break 100, it's all about swinging with consistency and not reverting back to bad habits and making bad mistakes. I know I'm capable of breaking 100, but consistency is still my issue.

As a prime example, I played 9 holes last Thursday. For 5 of the holes, I shot 3 over. For the other 4 holes I shot 13 over. 😬
 
Will my ego get the better of me when I need longer than 7?
Maybe your ego will get the better of you as you're shooting your lowest score ever with the 7i.

I hope you go through with it and you find out one way or the other. It's not the same, but I played with just 4 clubs a couple years back and shot my average. It was a lot of fun to play a round completely different than what I was accustomed to.
 
O golf, how I hate thee.
 
On a happier note, my brother-in-law got a new Ping G425 3-wood and was just destroying the ball with it. (In the "ooohhh, that went really far" kind of way.)
 
Will my ego get the better of me when I need longer than 7? I hope not.

So, last night I tried the "no higher than a 7i" theory. On the range beforehand, I was sending the 7i's straight and anywhere from 130 to 150 (which is about right for me). We started on #2 which is a long par 3 (200yds) and I stupidly forgot and used my 7W which I pulled and sent right into a creek. Ended up taking a 6 so not a great start. Next came our hardest hole, par 5 but the creek crosses twice and a lake. Drive was short but the 7i would play safe. Slight pull and unfortunately just hit the edge of the cart path and took a nasty bounce to the woods!

However, persevered. Overall, the concept worked. I bogeyed a few holes that I normally can get into trouble. We had a lot of rain recently so that ground was soft as anything, so some shots threw up a load of mud and not that much ball flight. Still need to grasp the soft muddy ground concepts! Our 1st hole (which was our 9th last night in the evening league), the fairway narrows a lot near the hole. I always end up left or right of the green and lose strokes digging out the mounds. The drive was good, I flubbed the first 7i (muddy, see earlier) but still in the fairway and so my second 7i shot lands me right on the edge of the green.

I have some new (Kirkland) wedges so got to get used to them. Still being too timid with the 52 right now and lost strokes onto the green

For me, I like this. Going to keep this 7i max on fairways and Par 3's for a while. Don't know why I didn't think of this before! Thanks all.
 
Playing with the man, myth legend @Hamfist tomorrow. Might even adjust my driver in the middle of the round and not tuck the shirt in.
 
Went on a camping trip the day after golfing. Got back yesterday. So I didn't quite discipline myself to stick with 7 iron the whole round. But I did use it a lot more than normally. I bogeyed the holes I left it short within 20 yards. I did try the long par 3 and left it about 50 yards. A poor shot from that range ended with a triple. After that I used the hybrid on the shots 200 yards plus. I actually had a decent hybrid day. But I can't count on that every time.

So the round was pretty much like before. A 96. 50 on the front and 46 on the back. Can't complain. But my driver wasn't its usual self. Missed more fairways than hit this time. Kinda makes using the 7 iron a little less practical. I did have a 500 yard par 5 that it worked perfect. I hit a good driver. Was about 250 to the green. Hit a solid 7. Then a gap wedge and two putt for par.

I'm thinking I might soften my driver swing. I have this shot I use for a par 5 on the front. A creek runs across about 210-215 yards. My normal driver swing is typically lower. I get distance from the rollout. I can't carry that anymore. And I can't count on the hybrid every time. So I choke way down on the driver, and hit something of a punch shot that goes straight pretty much every time a little under 200 yards. That is a fairway I haven't missed in a long time with that method.

So I'm thinking of experimenting at the range on the monitor with that approach using the 7 iron or less on the second shot. If it works well I might try it at the course. Today's football day. So it will have to wait till the middle of the week. Got a few things going on the next couple days. I also have to do better with those longer pitches from 50 plus yards. Maybe approaching it like a pitch shot isn't the way to go. Might work on a bump and run at the range.
 
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