Trying to Break 100

[jlaakso]

Shot 49/44: 93 today, -4 against my playing HCP. Driving nor approaching was nothing outstanding, mainly stable or mediocre. Short game saved a lot, lot of chips to 3' from flag and total of 28 putts. So it seems that I am stabilizing to low nineties at the moment, effortless bogey golf.

 

[bobellis75]

So far I have stayed under 100 for the last four of five 18 hole rounds with two being 82 and 85. I hope I can continue and maintain this. I have worked about 5 hours a week on practice for quite a while now and I think it may be finally showing up in my game. One can hope as golf can sometimes be cruel

That's awesome. I know a couple years ago I was putting in a lot more practice and it definitely started showing as my scores went from well over 100 down into mid-upper 90's. I am hoping to get back to that this year a bit more...even a couple trips to the range and then knocking balls around the pitch/chip green for an hour a week can make a big difference. You just start to get a better feel for your swing, obviously....I mean it's a game of repetition and consistency, no doubt.

 

[dthrog00]

They were....
Putter
Hogan 56/10 SW
Hogan 9i, 7i, and 5i
Maltby 3h

I've replaced the 9i, 7i, and 5i with the new Maltby 9i, 8i, and 6i, but haven't played a round with them yet.

If or when I make another purchase, I'll go with the Maltby 7i (currently out of stock), the KE4 5h and the STw2 driver. Not yet sure how to fill in the bottom of the bag.

Minimalist golf is a getting much more common, there are many guys who normally play 6, 7, or 8 clubs. I guess the idea is to hit "golf shots" rather than just play golf swing with stock yardages for everything.

I've thought about putting the Clicgear away and just carrying a lightweight bag with limited clubs in it, but it appears even with only 8 clubs the bag ends up about 15 pounds which is more than I really want to carry. I'll keep using the Clicgear with the full bag.

Dave

 

[dthrog00]

So far I have stayed under 100 for the last four of five 18 hole rounds with two being 82 and 85. I hope I can continue and maintain this. I have worked about 5 hours a week on practice for quite a while now and I think it may be finally showing up in my game. One can hope as golf can sometimes be cruel

My best ever is a 85. The rest of that summer I never came close to triple digits. The next season after a long winter break was brutal in the spring though.

If you just scored an 82 I think it's safe to say you're probably never going to be near triple digits if you keep playing this often either. The company here is good, but your game has progressed. You've surpassed Breaking 90 with Breaking 80 on your mind.

Dave

 

[jlaakso]

Minimalist golf is a getting much more common, there are many guys who normally play 6, 7, or 8 clubs. I guess the idea is to hit "golf shots" rather than just play golf swing with stock yardages for everything.

I've thought about putting the Clicgear away and just carrying a lightweight bag with limited clubs in it, but it appears even with only 8 clubs the bag ends up about 15 pounds which is more than I really want to carry. I'll keep using the Clicgear with the full bag.

Dave

Would you be willing to test this kind of setup:

That would be something like 3w, 4-5h, 7i, Pw, Sw and putter. I'm thinking to test drive this in Cally Hyper Lite 1+ which weighs next to nothing.

 

[dthrog00]

Would you be willing to test this kind of setup:

That would be something like 3w, 4-5h, 7i, Pw, Sw and putter. I'm thinking to test drive this in Cally Hyper Lite 1+ which weighs next to nothing.

Absolutely! I think hickory golf would be fun at first. Whether it would stay fun after a while, I'm not sure.

Dave

 

[dthrog00]

In this spirit of hickory golf:



Dave

 

[Knot Right]

They were....
Putter
Hogan 56/10 SW
Hogan 9i, 7i, and 5i
Maltby 3h

I've replaced the 9i, 7i, and 5i with the new Maltby 9i, 8i, and 6i, but haven't played a round with them yet.

If or when I make another purchase, I'll go with the Maltby 7i (currently out of stock), the KE4 5h and the STw2 driver. Not yet sure how to fill in the bottom of the bag.

I went by a buddy's house last night and stole my old TM 580 driver back from him, and then I noticed he had a partial set old Titleist 962's against the wall, so I stole them too.

We are heading out shortly, and I am taking this minimalist setup.

 

[JonMA1]

Here's the thing with playing with less clubs, you just have to know how to hit a club shorter than normal - just as we do with our wedges. For me, that's normally gripping down on the club and shortening the backswing or slowing down my tempo. I did it for several years when I carried the 5w and found that it wasn't that difficult. It's also not that different than pulling a club when considering wind or elevation. You hear folks describe a specific distance for them as a "hard 7i or soft 6i", for example. I don't think it's that much different except you're dealing with 20 yard increments instead of 10 yards.

Keep in mind I do almost nothing well when it comes to golf, so when I say it wasn't difficult, that of course is relative to my crappy game. If I hit my numbers consistently with a full swing, trying to hit in-between numbers might seem more difficult because I'd have a higher level of expectation.

 

[Hamfist]

Hello, beautiful people of B100!
Shot a 117 today, but hit some really sweet shots.
I think I’m going to have to start hitting a hybrid off the tee, the 4-iron is leaving me just a bit too short. So, I think the 19 degree hybrid is going back in. I’ll eventually work the three wood and driver back in.
Great to see you getting back on the course!

 

[bobellis75]

Hello, beautiful people of B100!
Shot a 117 today, but hit some really sweet shots.
I think I’m going to have to start hitting a hybrid off the tee, the 4-iron is leaving me just a bit too short. So, I think the 19 degree hybrid is going back in. I’ll eventually work the three wood and driver back in.
Great to see you getting back on the course!

I have just recently come back to THP....what are you doing just hitting a 4 iron off tee? Just curious what you're working on, etc?

 

[bobellis75]

Played nine today....Driver was more in line with my usual fairway hits (versus the last time I played). And I ripped a couple pretty nice ones...one on a long par 5 and one on a shorter par 4 (ninth hole) that resulted in a par.

Out of curiosity, I left the Rocketbladez in the garage this morning, and gamed the old Callaway X-16 Steelhead irons....and I shot a 48. Felt a lot more comfortable swinging these irons...I have a buddy in the market for some irons...seriously considering selling him the RB's. I just don't like 'em, much, and for whatever reason...the club setup seems to not jive with me.

I missed two fairways today (barely) and had three one-putts. Wasn't quite as dialed in with my wedge distances but still hitting them pretty well overall.

all in all, probably the best all around round I've played this year (and the score reflects that). Also - left myself in a bad spot on a dogleg...managed to used the 5 iron to rip a nice punch shot thru/under a heavily treed turn in the fairway. Of course...I tried the same shot, feeling confident, on another dogleg and blew it

Anyway...progress...I hit some errant shots (just poor aim at setup) but - the good news is I struck those well. Was feeling a lot better about my overall contact today with irons. Looking forward to seeing what the next round brings. Most important - I had fun. I hope all of you enjoyed some golf activities this weekend as well!

 

[Hamfist]

My best ever is a 85. The rest of that summer I never came close to triple digits. The next season after a long winter break was brutal in the spring though.

If you just scored an 82 I think it's safe to say you're probably never going to be near triple digits if you keep playing this often either. The company here is good, but your game has progressed. You've surpassed Breaking 90 with Breaking 80 on your mind.

Dave

And well deserved, if I may add.

 

[Hamfist]

I have just recently come back to THP....what are you doing just hitting a 4 iron off tee? Just curious what you're working on, etc?

Had a couple bad episodes with all non-irons, so pulled them all and was going 4-SW for the last couple rounds. Yesterday's round was actually the outlier, the score being so high and all, but it is a lot longer, and tougher track than I usually play. On my regular-ish courses, I was shooting within 5-8 stroke of my regular scores. (As wildy varying as those may be.) Also, the rough was very wet, long and a bear to get out of.

My thinking for the 4 iron off the tee was just get it in the fairway, which I was doing about 60% of the time, with another 20% just off. The last 20% were hard hooks that found more ungood landing spots. Going with my "rule of Five", I worked out a 4, then two 5s would get me either on or darn close to it. Most of the time it was a solid theory in practice. My 19 degree hybrid is the sdame shaft length as my 4 iron, so that shouldn't throw me off too much, and its a few degrees stronger, so that may help. the big thing is to eliminate the occasional hard draw, and eliminate all the tops/s****s off the tee.

On a more positive note, my irons are all developing a nice right-to-left flight, and I absolutely smashed one 5 iron that was my "Remember THAT shot!." shot for when I'm needing a feel-good thought.

 

[Hamfist]

Played nine today....Driver was more in line with my usual fairway hits (versus the last time I played). And I ripped a couple pretty nice ones...one on a long par 5 and one on a shorter par 4 (ninth hole) that resulted in a par.

Out of curiosity, I left the Rocketbladez in the garage this morning, and gamed the old Callaway X-16 Steelhead irons....and I shot a 48. Felt a lot more comfortable swinging these irons...I have a buddy in the market for some irons...seriously considering selling him the RB's. I just don't like 'em, much, and for whatever reason...the club setup seems to not jive with me.

I missed two fairways today (barely) and had three one-putts. Wasn't quite as dialed in with my wedge distances but still hitting them pretty well overall.

all in all, probably the best all around round I've played this year (and the score reflects that). Also - left myself in a bad spot on a dogleg...managed to used the 5 iron to rip a nice punch shot thru/under a heavily treed turn in the fairway. Of course...I tried the same shot, feeling confident, on another dogleg and blew it

Anyway...progress...I hit some errant shots (just poor aim at setup) but - the good news is I struck those well. Was feeling a lot better about my overall contact today with irons. Looking forward to seeing what the next round brings. Most important - I had fun. I hope all of you enjoyed some golf activities this weekend as well!

If the RBs are not for you, then they are simply not for you, no harm no foul. Sell them to your buddy, and play the clubs you feel most comfortable using.

Comfort = low stress = the way of the playa.

 

[bobellis75]

Had a couple bad episodes with all non-irons, so pulled them all and was going 4-SW for the last couple rounds. Yesterday's round was actually the outlier, the score being so high and all, but it is a lot longer, and tougher track than I usually play. On my regular-ish courses, I was shooting within 5-8 stroke of my regular scores. (As wildy varying as those may be.) Also, the rough was very wet, long and a bear to get out of.

My thinking for the 4 iron off the tee was just get it in the fairway, which I was doing about 60% of the time, with another 20% just off. The last 20% were hard hooks that found more ungood landing spots. Going with my "rule of Five", I worked out a 4, then two 5s would get me either on or darn close to it. Most of the time it was a solid theory in practice. My 19 degree hybrid is the sdame shaft length as my 4 iron, so that shouldn't throw me off too much, and its a few degrees stronger, so that may help. the big thing is to eliminate the occasional hard draw, and eliminate all the tops/s****s off the tee.

On a more positive note, my irons are all developing a nice right-to-left flight, and I absolutely smashed one 5 iron that was my "Remember THAT shot!." shot for when I'm needing a feel-good thought.

I started playing the same way a couple years ago...(your rule of 5 theory)….I was struggling hard to hit anything but irons off the ground. So this par 5 that routinely crushed me....I told my buddy - if I hit a solid tee shot here, I'm going to hit a 5 iron next (knowing I would still not be close to the green, most likely) and see where I'm at from there. I was close to the green in three (I had come up a little short and to the right, if I recall correctly). I chipped on and had a two-putt for a 6 (this is a hole that due to horrible fairway wood/hybrid shots, I'd routinely triple bogey). The next time we played he asked if I was gonna play it the same way. I did and parred it. I think...hit your best shots and roll with it. If you hit a 5 iron better than a 5 wood - hit the 5 iron knowing you're going to get something out of it. A - you'll have more fun, and B - even with a little less distance...you'll wind up having more success due to better shots and mentally you'll be in a better place.

 

[LLIB]

Been awhile since I posted here mostly because I haven’t played much. Did a couple fittings over the winter. One didn’t pan out, jury’s still out on the second. I completely lost my swing to the point that I pondered going back to fishing as my main hobby. But I’m trying to fight through it. The few rounds I’ve played my scores have hovered right around 100 which is crazy considering I’m 3 clubs shorter than last year, can’t hit a fairway, and until the past couple rounds couldn’t get an iron in the air.

I’m hoping now that the weather is getting better I can get some practice in and figure out how to hit the ball again

 

[bobellis75]

If the RBs are not for you, then they are simply not for you, no harm no foul. Sell them to your buddy, and play the clubs you feel most comfortable using.

Comfort = low stress = the way of the playa.

Yeah...I agree. I'm moving on from them, I think. I have actually been chatting with a local club fitter and I don't know if I'm ready to invest just yet in some clubs (not sure what the cost would look like on a custom fit set...but it ain't cheap) but I think it'd be interesting to get the information from the fitting at least. Like the fitter said in his last email..."you're not obligated to purchase anything, but you'll be armed with some great knowledge about your swing/performance and know what you're looking for when you do want to purchase a set of clubs - plus, it's pretty fun."

I think the TM's are not my cup of tea, though. Oh well. Moving on!

 

[fatboy]

As I continue skirting that 100 line on the scorecard (usually just on the high side) it would seem that I have two options available on the course:

Option A: Good off the tee, terrible around the greens
or
Option B: Terrible off the tee, good around the greens

Clearly the stars, planets, moons, and tides all must align for these elements to coincide positively.
So - do any of you consult a Zodiac calendar before setting a tee time? Have a number for a good astrologist?
All suggestions outside of animal sacrifice are welcome.

I am right there with you. But i have been working to learn my limits and stay within those. Sometimes short of green is ok. Chip. Putt. I dont force things anymore. Do what you do well and play that game. Bogey golf gets you 90. That means there is room for a couple dbls, a triple. Add a few pars and you broke 100


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[Hamfist]

Yeah...I agree. I'm moving on from them, I think. I have actually been chatting with a local club fitter and I don't know if I'm ready to invest just yet in some clubs (not sure what the cost would look like on a custom fit set...but it ain't cheap) but I think it'd be interesting to get the information from the fitting at least. Like the fitter said in his last email..."you're not obligated to purchase anything, but you'll be armed with some great knowledge about your swing/performance and know what you're looking for when you do want to purchase a set of clubs - plus, it's pretty fun."

I think the TM's are not my cup of tea, though. Oh well. Moving on!

I'd book a session with him, take both sets of irons, and have him tweak the "better" one to your swing. The RBs might be a lie angle adjustment away from being deadly for you.

 

[Hamfist]

I am right there with you. But i have been working to learn my limits and stay within those. Sometimes short of green is ok. Chip. Putt. I dont force things anymore. Do what you do well and play that game. Bogey golf gets you 90. That means there is room for a couple dbls, a triple. Add a few pars and you broke 100


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Hmmm...I sense a kindred spirit. And in Medina, where I play often. And a nice high cap to make me feel at ease. We need to play some golf together.

 

[Joshnoble01]

My first two rounds post Convid quarantine have been 98 and 99. Hopefully I can keep that up and move to the breaking 90 thread. My goal this season is to break 90 and consistently shoot 95 or better. I think I can do it.

 

[Hamfist]

My first two rounds post Convid quarantine have been 98 and 99. Hopefully I can keep that up and move to the breaking 90 thread. My goal this season is to break 90 and consistently shoot 95 or better. I think I can do it.

I'm absolutely sure you can do it.

 

[Joshnoble01]

I'm absolutely sure you can do it.

Thanks. WHen I got back last year I thought it was going to be impossible. I kind of froze at 102 through the winter. With this break and little drills I felt better. Just need to keep up the practice.

 

[Hamfist]

Thanks. WHen I got back last year I thought it was going to be impossible. I kind of froze at 102 through the winter. With this break and little drills I felt better. Just need to keep up the practice.

Learn your game, know your game, play your game.