Trying to Break 100

Got out to play a few holes yesterday with Jen and a couple other beginners - only took irons in my carry bag to give them a bit more of a workout considering I have been hitting my driver very well in the few times I have been out

Having not played for a couple of weeks I didn't keep score but there were a few pars saved with better putting than the last time out and even some birdie looks so it wasn't a bad couple of hours out in the fresh air

Based on news reports over the weekend though I wouldn't be surprised to see the government shut down golf due to the idiots that had mass congregations at beaches and parks....
 
I'm headed out later today to play 18 at a tough course. 100 would be a good score for me there. The white tees are still well over 6000 yards. But the difficulty comes from narrow landing areas off the tee more so than actual yardage. Nonetheless - there are still a number of par 4 holes that have you pulling a hybrid or fairway wood to reach in two. And most of the par 5s can't be reached in 2 unless you are 260+ off the tee and don't mind long carries over hazard with a fairway wood approach.

I'll be bringing sanitizer/disinfectant for the cart and leave the pin in today. No rakes at this course during the pandemic.
Hope you all are staying healthy out there!
 
43+42=85 including one blob. Another good general ball-striking round, never followed a bad shot with a stupid - or even average - shot. Apart from the blob.

Wind hard off the left, so I sent my sliciest of Slicey McSliceman into the woods, heard a big old "thunk", and I decided for speed to play 4 from where I went in. So I walked down, and my ball was right in the middle of the fairway, at least 45 yards from the start of the trees. "What a touch" I thought. And proceeded to hoik the next shot way OOB on the left, cutting through the wind that helped my slice go left.

I mean, really.
It's a devilish game. Devilish.

Puttered around the executive course with a 7-iron and 50 degree wedge hitting a couple balls, yesterday. My bad shots from good swings were way down, my OK shots from good swings were trending up, and my good shots from good swings were maintaining there appearances, with maybe a slight bump up. I seem to have dropped my slices waaay down (at least with these two clubs), most of the time hitting either straight or drawing it. A couple of right-ish blocks, but good from the tee/fairway.

Had a few darts drop on the stick, and am sharpening my new weapon around the green, adding the lower flight runner to my repertoire. Really working on the "low hands follow through" chip.

Baby steps.
 
Finally, some consistency. 3 rounds under 100 in a row. Went out today, bogied the first 3 holes, then the rain came. So now, I sit at home, waiting for my new irons to arrive, as my reward for the previous consistency. (already added to my signature)
Two lessons, hit down with my irons more to get better height and distance. Same with my fairways.
 
Came away with a 46/51 today. Pleased with that and even scored some upgrade wedges and a driver.
My playing partner was gifted a slew of recently retired clubs by a friend of his and I found some TM ATV wedges in 56 and 60 fitted with Nippon 95 shafts. Generous sole and bounce were kind to me around the greens:)
Also gamed a Nike Covert VR5 2.0 driver today and it was also an upgrade for me. (never thought I'd like that design)
 
I got out to play yesterday. As soon as I pulled up to the course and went to get out of my truck, I sneezed while I was twisting my way out and REALLY tweaked something in my lower back. It almost brought me to my freaking knees it hurt so bad. I almost canceled but figured I would power though (like a f***ing idiot). I stretched as much as I could and hit a few balls. It "seemed" to be loosening up so I forged forward with the other three golfers they paired me up with.

It was an absolute disaster. 55 on the front. 44 on the back for a humiliating 99. I'm not going to bore anyone with the gory details but I couldn't release a club in line to save my life. I ended up having to play a strictly L to L swing with almost zero hip or back turn to even survive the round. My back is PISSED OFF, today. I could hardly move when I woke up this morning and I threw in a full day of work to top it off. Stupid is costly, kids. :confused:
 
I got out to play yesterday. As soon as I pulled up to the course and went to get out of my truck, I sneezed while I was twisting my way out and REALLY tweaked something in my lower back. It almost brought me to my freaking knees it hurt so bad. I almost canceled but figured I would power though (like a f***ing idiot). I stretched as much as I could and hit a few balls. It "seemed" to be loosening up so I forged forward with the other three golfers they paired me up with.

It was an absolute disaster. 55 on the front. 44 on the back for a humiliating 99. I'm not going to bore anyone with the gory details but I couldn't release a club in line to save my life. I ended up having to play a strictly L to L swing with almost zero hip or back turn to even survive the round. My back is PISSED OFF, today. I could hardly move when I woke up this morning and I threw in a full day of work to top it off. Stupid is costly, kids. :confused:

Gutting out that 44 on the back is worthy of some silver lining. Pretty resilient if you ask me.
Hope the back recovers quickly for you.
 
I got out to play yesterday. As soon as I pulled up to the course and went to get out of my truck, I sneezed while I was twisting my way out and REALLY tweaked something in my lower back. It almost brought me to my freaking knees it hurt so bad. I almost canceled but figured I would power though (like a f***ing idiot). I stretched as much as I could and hit a few balls. It "seemed" to be loosening up so I forged forward with the other three golfers they paired me up with.

It was an absolute disaster. 55 on the front. 44 on the back for a humiliating 99. I'm not going to bore anyone with the gory details but I couldn't release a club in line to save my life. I ended up having to play a strictly L to L swing with almost zero hip or back turn to even survive the round. My back is PISSED OFF, today. I could hardly move when I woke up this morning and I threw in a full day of work to top it off. Stupid is costly, kids. :confused:
Welcome to the time of your life that you need a week's recovery from sneezing, laughing, or sometimes just getting out of bed!
 
I seem to have found some consistency with my driver again.

However, my playing has all but dropped off the face of the planet. What used to be 1-2 rounds a week has become 1 round in 2-3 months. As such, i struggle with stamina. By the 12th hole im getting pretty stiff. Shot a 48/58 on the last round because i was making stupid mistakes at the end.
 
I seem to have found some consistency with my driver again.

However, my playing has all but dropped off the face of the planet. What used to be 1-2 rounds a week has become 1 round in 2-3 months. As such, i struggle with stamina. By the 12th hole im getting pretty stiff. Shot a 48/58 on the last round because i was making stupid mistakes at the end.

Yeah, I tend to lose stamina on the back 9 and start falling apart. Staying focused can be tough when you’re tired.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Just thinking about golf can wind me.
 
I ran across a Kevin Kisner youtube video about chipping that was (IMHO) really worth watching.


I started a thread on it if you want to comment on it:

I might watch that later to see what he has to say and how it differs from what I currently do

Another video worth a watch is the TXG one with Gareth Raflewski that was done a few weeks ago
 
I might watch that later to see what he has to say and how it differs from what I currently do

Another video worth a watch is the TXG one with Gareth Raflewski that was done a few weeks ago
Thanks for reminding me - I saw it but forgot to check that out
 
Hope all is well out there in B100 isolation and quarantine land.

Strange days are upon us for sure.

Sanitizer and disinfectant were never staples in my golf bag before all of this - but here we are. I guess I'm lucky that most golf courses around me are still letting us play with a few precautions. (no rakes to touch, orders not to pull the flagstick, only a take-out window in lieu of a bar/snack-bar etc., and lots of sanitizer about the clubhouse areas still open to the public)
Personally i spray down the cart everywhere I might touch it and randomly sanitize my hands several times per round just to be safe.

Headed out on a record high temp day today (91F) for 18 holes.
Going to attempt to fix a little bad habit with my left hand. I have a tendency to grip too tightly right at the transition beginning my downswing. This has the effect of very slightly closing the club face and pushing shots left. Hope I can relax that today.

Stay healthy out there, folks!
 
Played the first round of the season today Beautiful weather. I wore shorts and a light jacket and had to remove the jacket after the round. Shot a 94 on an easy par 71 course for a HC differential of 27. I wasn't expecting much in the way of good golf so anything positive made the round more enjoyable. I think this is the level of golf I need to learn to enjoy.

The good: 8i through 5w full swings. Better contact with these clubs than I've had in some time. Putter was pretty good on painfully slow greens and with raised cups.

The bad: Wedges from 50 yards to 110 yards.... usually what I consider a strength. Driver was ridiculously bad. Both caused penalty strokes (which says a lot considering how easy this course plays). This was to be expected, however, since I haven't practiced either all winter.

The courses are officially closed to business in our state so the manager couldn't charge and wouldn't accept any money. There were a few others out there walking today. I think people needed to get out. As @JaxHax mentioned above, disinfectant wipes are now part of the bag for the foreseeable future, even though I wasn't within 20 feet of anyone or touched a surface anyone else had touched.
 
Yesterday's round followed my typical pattern of "tough front, better back."
The 18th was a fun finish that worked out to be Driver > Wedge to 1 foot > Kick in birdie

Fun aside: I adjusted that wacky Nike driver I was gifted and three of my drives yesterday rolled out in the 270 range:oops:
(that's a solid 20 yards on my typical "long" drive) Turns out the shaft in that thing is a fancy handcrafted ATTAS-T2 6S.
I'll never scoff at folks spending extra bucks on the high end shafts again.

I've discovered I need a better go-to club for 200-215 than my 17 degree hybrid. I'm just too inconsistent there. Many mishits and sprayed shots. It's an old club with a shaft that launches low w/ too much spin. May try to find an 18 degree 5W that I can hit well off the deck. Which brings me to asking you all for some advice:

Have any of you who tend to make better contact with hybrids than woods off the deck discovered any fairway wood designs that helped you in that way? Tips, drills, etc also eagerly accepted!

Thanks in advance, B100 crew.
 
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I've discovered I need a better go-to club for 200-215 than my 17 degree hybrid. I'm just too inconsistent there. Many mishits and sprayed shots. It's an old club with a shaft that launches low w/ too much spin. May try to find an 18 degree 5W that I can hit well off the deck. Which brings me to asking you all for some advice:

Have any of you who tend to make better contact with hybrids than woods off the deck discovered any fairway wood designs that helped you in that way? Tips, drills, etc also eagerly accepted!

Thanks in advance, B100 crew.
Serious - if you haven't already, try the Callaway Mavrik Max. The forum reviews on them are HERE, they're designed for easy launch. Definitely worth a look for you. (y)
 
Yesterday's round followed my typical pattern of "tough front, better back."
The 18th was a fun finish that worked our Driver > Wedge to 1 foot > Kick in birdie

Fun aside: I adjusted that wacky Nike driver I was gifted and three of my drives yesterday rolled out in the 270 range:oops:
(that's a solid 20 yards on my typical "long" drive) Turns out the shaft in that thing is a fancy handcrafted ATTAS-T2 6S.
I'll never scoff at folks spending extra bucks on the high end shafts again.

I've discovered I need a better go-to club for 200-215 than my 17 degree hybrid. I'm just too inconsistent there. Many mishits and sprayed shots. It's an old club with a shaft that launches low w/ too much spin. May try to find an 18 degree 5W that I can hit well off the deck. Which brings me to asking you all for some advice:

Have any of you who tend to make better contact with hybrids than woods off the deck discovered any fairway wood designs that helped you in that way? Tips, drills, etc also eagerly accepted!

Thanks in advance, B100 crew.
Just a little bit of advice - it isn't necessary to spend loads on high end shafts

It is quite possible that this shaft just works better for your swing, and with plenty of options out there you don't have to spend a lot

Enjoy the new distance 👍
 
Just a little bit of advice - it isn't necessary to spend loads on high end shafts

It is quite possible that this shaft just works better for your swing, and with plenty of options out there you don't have to spend a lot

Enjoy the new distance 👍
Serious - if you haven't already, try the Callaway Mavrik Max. The forum reviews on them are HERE, they're designed for easy launch. Definitely worth a look for you. (y)

Thanks, guys!

@TheDoctor - Yes. Agreed on the high end shafts. My budget will dictate learning what I can about this shaft's tendencies and hoping to find a more affordable (yet similar) option for my fairway woods anyway. Nonetheless, an eye opening experience for me as I've never been fitted, and it appears I lucked into something that fits well.

@Snowman - Awesome. I'll definitely browse that thread and check out the Mavrik Max. (y)
 
Three in a row under 100, then it started raining. Played Wednesday after the rain stopped and then Friday after more rain Thursday. Wet conditions do not give me a good day. Only saving grace was a beautiful hole out from 35 yards for a bird on Friday.
 
I've discovered I need a better go-to club for 200-215 than my 17 degree hybrid. I'm just too inconsistent there. Many mishits and sprayed shots. It's an old club with a shaft that launches low w/ too much spin. May try to find an 18 degree 5W that I can hit well off the deck. Which brings me to asking you all for some advice:
Have any of you who tend to make better contact with hybrids than woods off the deck discovered any fairway wood designs that helped you in that way? Tips, drills, etc also eagerly accepted!
Thanks in advance, B100 crew.
I have found that the Callaway Heaven woods to be wonderful off the deck and a great alternative to a 3 hybrid. I currently use the Epic Flash HW, adjusted to 20 degrees. It hits high and longer than my 5W used to.
 
Well no golf. Courses around here are closed due to the virus.
 
There are some open here, but we had hella rain for two days, so I’m avoiding the bog. The little course at the bottom of the hill is a lake right now.
 
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