I beg to differ. It may not reflect it on the card, but, it does push you and it does make you better. Maybe in small increments, but it does sharpen your game.
Playing back to back days probably didn’t help.
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I beg to differ. It may not reflect it on the card, but, it does push you and it does make you better. Maybe in small increments, but it does sharpen your game.
Play where you have the most fun. Period. That said, do you enjoy the challenge of this course? Do you enjoy trying to shoot sub-100 on this course more than a better score somewhere else? It’s all, and only, about the pleasure a round brings you.
The mental game plays some role for me as well - but not that much. There are some who might feel a lack of confidence is part of the problem.... kind of self-fulfilling prophecy thing. But that's really not an issue. I know exactly where my game is. It's as crystal clear to me what needs to happen as it is crystal clear that I cannot make that happen.
So the answer (for me) is to stop beating my head against the wall to try and improve or hoping something will one day "click". Instead, I need to just get out there to enjoy the good shots and the time spent out on the course. Easier said than done, but still do-able.
Awesome! To me, this is such good, valuable practice. Without looking at your swing, I'd guess that you have a bit of OTT in it. The next time you practice, try to really sling a ball out to the right and have it hook. To do this, you have to approach the ball from the inside - one way to simply and effectively do this is to drop your right elbow into your right hip in your transition. You don't need to overthink it, just feel like your right elbow is getting right down into that hip as you start your downswing. That really allows you to approach the ball from the inside and your hands will automatically react by rolling and releasing.So I went to the range today and tried out the tips from this video. I started off with the intermediate version using my 7 iron. The first swing was a nice draw (the first time I’ve seen that shape come off my club face) right down the target line. I messed around with my other irons for a bit with varying degrees of success drawing the ball. The slices were way down, though. I had to really screw it up to lose one to the right.
When I moved to hitting woods I found that I had to get much more extreme with my foot position. Even then there wasn’t much draw action going on. The ball was going straight, though, and staying much closer to my target line than I’m accustomed to.
When I pulled out the driver I had to get really extreme. I’d say I was lining up more than 30* right of the target line. I was hitting it better than I ever have though. Mostly straight with a couple of little draws mixed in.
I took two things from this experiment:
1. My swing must be really jacked up if I had to compensate that much to get the ball going straight.
2. I don’t think I know how to involve my hands in the swing. I was trying my best to do what the guy did in the video that got the ball to hook 60 yards or so, and the most I got was a small draw back to center. When I try to get my hands involved I make terrible contact.
I think one of the main things people do not think about when trying to score low, is setting themselves up for the shots they know they can execute.
Stop thinking about smashing your driver (if you are inconsistent with it) IN HOPES its a good swing and you end up with a flip wedge in.
I see this WAY to often on par 5's. Hit your drive, if you can go for it in 2 go for it, but if not lay up to a distance you know you and go pin seeking.
Easy. Leave the longer clubs at home.I've been wanting to try a round where I use nothing longer than the 7 iron for fairway shots. For some reason, there is a big difference in consistent contact with anything longer. I don't mishit the 7 or shorter club very often. But the 6 and longer is a different story. I'm lucky to hit a decent contact on the longer clubs half the time. By limiting myself to the 7 iron from the fairway there will be some holes I can't reach in regulation, but I might avoid the breakdown holes. And hopefully have enough pars to offset the doubles. The biggest question, can I be disciplined enough to not try the long hybrid on the longer holes? There are so many times I hook or slice it into trouble. Then comes the triple bogey, or worse.
Easy. Leave the longer clubs at home.
Well did it all over again today..... I've been really trying to focus on getting better. Had a couple of good range days. Felt like I understood my swing....
Went out today and nope!!!! Hit a Standard 109. Worst part is I'm all over the place right now on distances. Was pretty consistent with my new Irons about 2 months old now. Probably 5 rounds in. But I was short compared to my old ones when it came down to it. I went from a 3/4 swing to more of a full swing and saw about a 15yd improvement. But then weird things happen like a club I've never hit further than 170 will go about 190. And a club I always used to hit 100... Not even a new club it's my 52 I can't hit 90 yds. lol. Top it off with a driver that when I got it was long and straight an now is well not... lol I hit 47% of Fairways. The problem is the ones I miss aren't playable... So it's penalty strokes. Well I'm about ready to take my first lesson. It's time if I really am serious about wanting to play better and not just go out and have fun. I think I'm past the I just enjoy going out and knocking it around. Still better than work but it's time I should be playing better.
Nice! Love to see this!Just shot my PB 92. Couple more under 95 and I might be graduating to the breaking 90 thread.
Agreed..... I always used to say I prefer being in the first cut than on the fairway. My point was that when I missed it was so bad it didn't even matter. Looked back at my stats and I with that FIR % I hit 0 Greens. **** all over them. But only had 32 putts. Which looks like it kept me from getting to that 120 mark...lolFairways hit is a misleading stat. I miss a lot of fairways, but many of them are only missing by a few yards and are in very manageable "rough" if you'd ever call it that. I'm
actually better out of the first cut than I am the fairway! It's like the ball is teed up!
Agreed..... I always used to say I prefer being in the first cut than on the fairway. My point was that when I missed it was so bad it didn't even matter. Looked back at my stats and I with that FIR % I hit 0 Greens. **** all over them. But only had 32 putts. Which looks like it kept me from getting to that 120 mark...lol
Frustration just setting in. I'm a very instant grad type of person and it just seems like there should be more improvement than I'm seeing. I know it doesn't work that way and that people put hours and hours and years into the game to see minimal improvement. Just never really been the way things work for me. So some real commitment to the game looks like the only way. Not just a Summer after not playing for 5 yrs...lol Glad I found this site though. Nice to be able to talk the game and frustrations.
Lol, that would do it. I usually play with my grandson and son in law. And I know they would tell me I need to use the longer clubs if I ever want to get better. If I don't have them I can't use them. The temptation to think this is the one time I'm gonna hit a beautiful long hybrid can be too much.
Ignore that. If you (we) want to be in those Big Boy threads (Breaking 90/80), we have to stop reliving that one beautiful shot, and remember the 12 fair-to-lousy ones we hit with that club.Lol, that would do it. I usually play with my grandson and son in law. And I know they would tell me I need to use the longer clubs if I ever want to get better. If I don't have them I can't use them. The temptation to think this is the one time I'm gonna hit a beautiful long hybrid can be too much.
Still going with the HMs. I’ve told myself the only way I’m ever going to get past the gnawing buyers remorse is to get good with them. Trust me, I’ve wanted to dump them a hundred times, but, I’ll never recoup the money, so I’m going to just commit to them. Fortunately, my last round with them was pretty satisfying, so the good feelings will continue.
When he frustration sets in, a good long pull of Doctor Hamfist’s Miracle Elixir helps the pain. (In case you were wondering it’s alcohol.)Agreed..... I always used to say I prefer being in the first cut than on the fairway. My point was that when I missed it was so bad it didn't even matter. Looked back at my stats and I with that FIR % I hit 0 Greens. **** all over them. But only had 32 putts. Which looks like it kept me from getting to that 120 mark...lol
Frustration just setting in. I'm a very instant grad type of person and it just seems like there should be more improvement than I'm seeing. I know it doesn't work that way and that people put hours and hours and years into the game to see minimal improvement. Just never really been the way things work for me. So some real commitment to the game looks like the only way. Not just a Summer after not playing for 5 yrs...lol Glad I found this site though. Nice to be able to talk the game and frustrations.
I used to play regularly with a guy who was a 6 cap, and he never used a driver. A 2-iron off the tee, that sounded like a “crack”. Never mis-hit it, never saw anything but the middle of the fairway, could work it both ways, and up and down.I played with an A player from my league today. Last week some of the guys played using 4 clubs, so he teed off with a 4 iron and shot his league average. If you can keep the ball out of trouble, you can still score.
He used driver today and we both shot 45's. It's a frustrating game - even for better players.
Yeah. Me and my buddy were discussing that today. Being athletic helps. But it's more of a skill game than and athletic sport. To me sports and athleticism are running jumping and catching. You can slide kicking and throwing or shooting in for soccer and baseball or basketball. But shooting a basketball is a skill. Throwing strikes skill. Kicking a ball high corner skill. Anyways.... Got to hone my skills.I don't know many sports that are harder than golf! So we have that going for us
Agreed. Could have used a few cold ones and a cigar today. Started at 7am with a new partner. Didn't feel like the first round out on Monday morning was the time to show exactly all the glory of my personality....lolWhen he frustration sets in, a good long pull of Doctor Hamfist’s Miracle Elixir helps the pain. (In case you were wondering it’s alcohol.)
Try it. You'll be amazed how much it will help your score if you're not amassing penalty strokes and wasting strokes on mishits. If you haven't already, watch Golf Sidekick's "Way of the Playa" videos (Part 1 here and Part 2 here) - they're worth their weight in gold. Break your long shots into two shorter, manageable shots and shoot for GIR +1 instead of GIR. If you have 180 to the green after your tee shot, hit two 90 yard shots - or a 130 yard shot and a 50 yard pitch, or whatever you're most comfortable with. I can almost guarantee you'll score better hitting two easy shots you feel good about than wailing away with that long club you already know you only hit well 40% of the time. Ben Hogan is quoted as saying "Golf is a game of misses. The guy who misses best is going to win".I've been wanting to try a round where I use nothing longer than the 7 iron for fairway shots. For some reason, there is a big difference in consistent contact with anything longer. I don't mishit the 7 or shorter club very often. But the 6 and longer is a different story. I'm lucky to hit a decent contact on the longer clubs half the time. By limiting myself to the 7 iron from the fairway there will be some holes I can't reach in regulation, but I might avoid the breakdown holes. And hopefully have enough pars to offset the doubles. The biggest question, can I be disciplined enough to not try the long hybrid on the longer holes? There are so many times I hook or slice it into trouble. Then comes the triple bogey, or worse.
Come to Cleveland, you can show your glory as early as you want.Agreed. Could have used a few cold ones and a cigar today. Started at 7am with a new partner. Didn't feel like the first round out on Monday morning was the time to show exactly all the glory of my personality....lol