We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Trying To Break 90 Club

I went off at sunrise at the local executive course hoping to end up around 18 over 72; settled for 24 over 78. For not striking the ball well at all, I played ok. Putting was decent and chipping & pitching got me by. About to head out again to the home track hoping for some better results
 
Weird weekend of golf. Last week I carded a 92, with a lot of confidence I would break 90 this weekend. Saturday's round got rained out after 5 holes, and I was 4 over. Short game was dialed in early on Saturday, but I was pulling my drives a little. Sunday was a 1pm tee time on the hottest day of the year here. And the pulls off the tee continued and got worse, and created enough problems that added up to a 102. Irons, wedges and putting were all strong. But I have some driver and fairway wood issues that need swing corrections. The lesson I had scheduled for last Friday got rain-checked to this Thursday, so maybe I can get some help before Labor Day weekend golf.
 
Out on Friday...another glorious effort of 109. Took 9's on the first 3 holes. Then got it a bit under control, collected a bunch of bogies. Putting wasn't good...6 penalty strokes was worse. It's like I've completely forgotten how to play this game. Went to the range yesterday. Out of an entire bucket, hit one good shot. I have no idea what's going on.
 
99 last weekend and 96 this weekend, 49/47. Still having way too many double's with a triple slipping in mainly from either a inconsistent driver or inconsistent chipping. If one is on the other is off.
 
rickterp said:
I went off at sunrise at the local executive course hoping to end up around 18 over 72; settled for 24 over 78. For not striking the ball well at all, I played ok. Putting was decent and chipping & pitching got me by. About to head out again to the home track hoping for some better results
Click to expand...

Wasn't meant to be Saturday; carded a +30 102. 52 front / 50 back. Really played poorly aside from some decent tee shots. I had one serviceable approach shot all afternoon. 5:30 round pace certainly didn't help but I easily could have kept it below the century mark with more focus. I had two quads, a triple and seven doubles. I know I won't be able to escape the doubles every round, but the quads and triples are bad golf and really holding me back. Three pars on the back nine and decent driving off the tee give me some confidence if I clean up the iron game I can get below 90 soon. Sunlight decreasing and a busy schedule makes me think it may not happen in 2014. We'll see.
 
I'm about ready to drop back to the breaking 100 club. For a long time I had a series of compensations that just worked for my driver. I wasn't hitting long, but I was hitting straight or pulls that were playable. I've since switched my swing to come from the inside and am better than ever with my irons but the worst I've been with my driver when it comes to consistency.

I played last Thursday and shot a 115. It's a tough course for me with all tree-lined fairways. I'm hitting mostly slices that are in the right rough, and make for a real hard follow up shot. What really stinks is my first drive that day was the perfect draw that I've been spending so much time/money (lessons) working on and totalled 292 yards and landed almost dead center of the fairway with 56 to the pin. I hit the green for a GIR on the second shot, but left it long and 3 putted for bogey (par 4). I near the middle of the round I started rushing shots with my irons and had a series of mis-hits that I didn't get under control until the 14th or 15th hole. By then it was too late. I also had 5 penalties (4 from drives and 1 from a chip shot over the green into a water hazard), and 39 putts. There were several additional shots created from hitting trees during attempts to get out of the rough. I'm not going to score well with my driver being so erratic, BUT I'm continuing to focus most of my lesson time working on it and have been leaving my 3w in the bag (I hit it the same as the driver).

I played the next day, but used 2 balls to hold my own sort of scramble and went with the score from the best ball each hole. I ended up with an 83. Which was relaxing, but infuriating at the same time because I know I'm capable of playing much better if I were just more consistent. That being said, I've only been playing for a year and refuse to beat myself up. Playing this way I ended up with 1 birdie, 8 pars, hit 11 of 14 fairways, 10 of 18 GIRs, 37 putts, and 0 penalties. This tells me I also need to work on my putting and getting myself closer to the pin an approach and shortgame shots. I'm happy to be anywhere on the green with approach shots, and they usually make the green - just not always in an area close to the flag. But short pitches and chips are really a struggle for me and I leave myself with a lot of long putts that just are asking a lot out of my current skill set. I also often find myself decelerating and coming up short with the putter. I will definitely work on consistency and confidence with the putter.

I also played Sunday with a fellow THP'er and ended with a 114 on a new course for me. I did have have two complete blow up holes were I forgot how to hit my irons (10th/11th), but then got it under control and birdied 12 and par'ed 13. I had 4 bogeys, 6 doubles, and 6 triple or more holes. The overwhelming problem was my driver again, and I hit 1 out of 11 fairways. The one fairway I hit was the hole that I birdied. I had 11 slices into tree-lined fairways and lost a few balls for penalties in the woods. I tried moving the weight on my SLDR all the way over to the draw setting and hit 2 back to back pulls for penalties because I had to tee off again. I made 2 of 18 GIRs, 36 putts, and had 7 penalties. My short game was horrible on the first hole, but improved after that. I still left most of my short game shots long of the pin, making my putting difficult (so 36 isn't necessarily bad considering how many feet I had to putt during the round).

So again, the moral of the story is that I have to get my driver in order to score below 100 or switch to a 3 iron off the tee for a while. I already have my driver cut to play at 44.5", so gripping down for potentially more control is unlikely. And I can get in a groove on the range and hit it fairly well, with some really great shots thrown in here and there. I just can't get the feelings/swing thoughts down just yet. My irons are my strong point right now, but could still use consistency. I'm still adding at least 5-7 strokes a round from mis-hits with the irons.
 
saturday I went 45/45 for yet another frustrating 90. I didn't play awfully, didn't have too many major mistakes. Just didn't play well. I guess the worst part is that I struggled quite a bit in the middle of the round. I doubled 6 out of 7 holes on 7-13 with the odd one out being a bogey on 11. terrible, buried lies in the rough on one hole, bunkers on 3 others, one penalty, etc. +13 on that 7-hole stretch and +5 on the other 11 holes. I started and finished it like a single-digit handicap, but the middle was more like a 30 handicap. golf is hard.
 
baldguy said:
saturday I went 45/45 for yet another frustrating 90. I didn't play awfully, didn't have too many major mistakes. Just didn't play well. I guess the worst part is that I struggled quite a bit in the middle of the round. I doubled 6 out of 7 holes on 7-13 with the odd one out being a bogey on 11. terrible, buried lies in the rough on one hole, bunkers on 3 others, one penalty, etc. +13 on that 7-hole stretch and +5 on the other 11 holes. I started and finished it like a single-digit handicap, but the middle was more like a 30 handicap. golf is hard.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain. Shot a 90 yesterday. Had an 8 on a par 4 and 3 3-putts on GIR. 5 penalties too, yet it was the best I've hit the ball all year.
 
baldguy said:
...I started and finished it like a single-digit handicap, but the middle was more like a 30 handicap...
Click to expand...

This is how I felt during my round Sunday with my iron play. I wish I could say the same about my driver (though it worked well for 2 holes).

I had a good practice session yesterday with my driver after scouring the internet for swing thoughts/tips that might help with the driver. Path isn't the issue based on video from my lessons/instructor comments. If anything, I come too much from the inside. It's all face control that is killing me. The thoughts I used yesterday was to start my downswing like pulling the club handle down like a chain light switch, but then sort of put the brakes on the swing shortly after to allow the right forearm a chance to turn over the left at or just before impact so that I have a square to slightly closed face. I hit a lot of push-draws anywhere from 5 yards right to left to 10-15 yards right to left. I have a lesson tonight to work on it more, and hopefully it will finally stick with me.
 
baldguy said:
saturday I went 45/45 for yet another frustrating 90. I didn't play awfully, didn't have too many major mistakes. Just didn't play well. I guess the worst part is that I struggled quite a bit in the middle of the round. I doubled 6 out of 7 holes on 7-13 with the odd one out being a bogey on 11. terrible, buried lies in the rough on one hole, bunkers on 3 others, one penalty, etc. +13 on that 7-hole stretch and +5 on the other 11 holes. I started and finished it like a single-digit handicap, but the middle was more like a 30 handicap. golf is hard.
Click to expand...

This is me except add more doubles and no penalties or sand. I'd rather have the penalties and sand shots to at least have a understandable 90's score!
 
moosejaa said:
I feel your pain. Shot a 90 yesterday. Had an 8 on a par 4 and 3 3-putts on GIR. 5 penalties too, yet it was the best I've hit the ball all year.
Click to expand...

83 today on an easier track. Made a few more putts but didn't hit the ball quite as well as yesterdays 90.
 
Got my second full 18 in the 80's in this season (have had lots of sub-45 9 hole rounds), this time on a much harder course than I usually play. Couldn't follow it up with another 80's round that afternoon, but it doesn't diminish the satisfaction of putting up that number on a course I had never seen before.
 
85 today, after an 88&90 my last 2 rounds.

Did nothing great today, but didn't blow up.

Made a nice 12 footer for par, but other than that, a lot of bogies.
 
95 on Sunday. Really wasn't happy at all with how I hit the ball. The last week or so I started watching some YouTube videos on different swing concepts, just on whim or maybe boredom at night, and I think that really got in my head. I was pulling a lot of my shots which is unusual for me.

Anyways, went 50/45 with not a whole lot of highlights other than a gorgeous day here in Denver.
 
Played miserable today and shot 100 ugh..... Might be taking a little break from playing so much and really get some solid practice and some video analysis in very soon.
 
Strange well for me... 3 rounds. Thursday 53/51 104, Friday 46/46 92, This morning 42/41 83. And I feel as though I left a lot of shots out there.... at least 5. Stupid inconsistency.
 
Jrodm13 said:
Strange well for me... 3 rounds. Thursday 53/51 104, Friday 46/46 92, This morning 42/41 83. And I feel as though I left a lot of shots out there.... at least 5. Stupid inconsistency.
Click to expand...
A lot of that inconsistency for me as well some of the shots I took must have made it seem like I do not know how to play this game at all.... For me my brain was getting in the way big time sometimes it is best to just grab a club and swing.
 
Played a new course for me with a great group of THPers. My kind of course, mostly wide open. Hit the driver well but sprayed it around a little but was still able to play it. Shot 86-45/41 and didn't make a meaningful putt. Left some strokes out there.
 
Played 72 holes the past four days. Shot a pb 46/47 for a 93 today. Found my tempo with my irons and played well. Only a couple mistakes away from cracking 90.
 
My first post in here, I have had a few rounds this last month ranging from 93 - 96. Yesterday was a 94 on a course I have not played for several months. For some reason my irons have become unreliable with a few shanks. I think this is down to over exaggerating the feel I was given to stop pushing the ball left. If I forget to do that the ball is going straight when I think about that I'm pushing it right or shanking it.

Off the tee I am hitting more and more fairways and using the exact same swing thoughts as I do with my mini with a 5 wood and a 5 hybrid these are really coming into play now. The distance is now there to hit the par 4's in 2, just need to tighten up the accuracy better. Unfortunately I go back to work Monday for a month, so golf might be limited unless I can slip out for a hour or 2 at the range and a round at the weekends.
 
-CRW- said:
I'm about ready to drop back to the breaking 100 club. For a long time I had a series of compensations that just worked for my driver. I wasn't hitting long, but I was hitting straight or pulls that were playable. I've since switched my swing to come from the inside and am better than ever with my irons but the worst I've been with my driver when it comes to consistency.

I played last Thursday and shot a 115. It's a tough course for me with all tree-lined fairways. I'm hitting mostly slices that are in the right rough, and make for a real hard follow up shot. What really stinks is my first drive that day was the perfect draw that I've been spending so much time/money (lessons) working on and totalled 292 yards and landed almost dead center of the fairway with 56 to the pin. I hit the green for a GIR on the second shot, but left it long and 3 putted for bogey (par 4). I near the middle of the round I started rushing shots with my irons and had a series of mis-hits that I didn't get under control until the 14th or 15th hole. By then it was too late. I also had 5 penalties (4 from drives and 1 from a chip shot over the green into a water hazard), and 39 putts. There were several additional shots created from hitting trees during attempts to get out of the rough. I'm not going to score well with my driver being so erratic, BUT I'm continuing to focus most of my lesson time working on it and have been leaving my 3w in the bag (I hit it the same as the driver).

I played the next day, but used 2 balls to hold my own sort of scramble and went with the score from the best ball each hole. I ended up with an 83. Which was relaxing, but infuriating at the same time because I know I'm capable of playing much better if I were just more consistent. That being said, I've only been playing for a year and refuse to beat myself up. Playing this way I ended up with 1 birdie, 8 pars, hit 11 of 14 fairways, 10 of 18 GIRs, 37 putts, and 0 penalties. This tells me I also need to work on my putting and getting myself closer to the pin an approach and shortgame shots. I'm happy to be anywhere on the green with approach shots, and they usually make the green - just not always in an area close to the flag. But short pitches and chips are really a struggle for me and I leave myself with a lot of long putts that just are asking a lot out of my current skill set. I also often find myself decelerating and coming up short with the putter. I will definitely work on consistency and confidence with the putter.

I also played Sunday with a fellow THP'er and ended with a 114 on a new course for me. I did have have two complete blow up holes were I forgot how to hit my irons (10th/11th), but then got it under control and birdied 12 and par'ed 13. I had 4 bogeys, 6 doubles, and 6 triple or more holes. The overwhelming problem was my driver again, and I hit 1 out of 11 fairways. The one fairway I hit was the hole that I birdied. I had 11 slices into tree-lined fairways and lost a few balls for penalties in the woods. I tried moving the weight on my SLDR all the way over to the draw setting and hit 2 back to back pulls for penalties because I had to tee off again. I made 2 of 18 GIRs, 36 putts, and had 7 penalties. My short game was horrible on the first hole, but improved after that. I still left most of my short game shots long of the pin, making my putting difficult (so 36 isn't necessarily bad considering how many feet I had to putt during the round).

So again, the moral of the story is that I have to get my driver in order to score below 100 or switch to a 3 iron off the tee for a while. I already have my driver cut to play at 44.5", so gripping down for potentially more control is unlikely. And I can get in a groove on the range and hit it fairly well, with some really great shots thrown in here and there. I just can't get the feelings/swing thoughts down just yet. My irons are my strong point right now, but could still use consistency. I'm still adding at least 5-7 strokes a round from mis-hits with the irons.
Click to expand...

I've found since I stopped using the Driver my scores are a lot lower and more consistent. Off the tee the 16* Mini or my 5 wood are a lot straighter than the driver leaving me on the fairway, with either a hybrid or iron to somewhere on or near the green. Instead of 220 - 240 in the trees, rough, OB or water I am 180 - 210 on the fairway. I also seem to have more confidence in the hybrids and 5 wood off the deck now which is helping to lower the scores. My game seems to be better if I am confident of hitting fairways. When I am teeing up with the driver wondering where the ball will go this seems to affect all the rest of the clubs.
 
The easiest way to break 90 is with better course management. I'm not good my no means but I see too many people that I play with that lose so many strokes due to terrible management. They'll be 250yrds out, knowing that their not gonna get there even if they nutted it, they will still take a 3 wood. Which results in a duff/top and leaves 200+ left for their next shot. Instead of just laying up, they take a club that they have no chance of reaching with, and a club that they have little chance of hitting solidly straight. It's just baffling Same thing off the tees on par 5s. If I see a par 5 that I know I can't reach in 2 even with my best drive, I'm using a hybrid off the tee cause there is no point using a driver. Yet I see so many higher handicaps still go with a driver only to hit said driver out of play. It's stuff like that, which starts to add up on rounds.
 
Shot 46/42 for a 88. I've really gotten my driver locked down minus the couple miss hits that happen. Everything is feeling good and I am saving holes with some nice "up and downs."
 
Golds said:
Shot 46/42 for a 88. I've really gotten my driver locked down minus the couple miss hits that happen. Everything is feeling good and I am saving holes with some nice "up and downs."
Click to expand...

Keep it up Matt. Nice back 9.
 
garethw said:
I've found since I stopped using the Driver my scores are a lot lower and more consistent. Off the tee the 16* Mini or my 5 wood are a lot straighter than the driver leaving me on the fairway, with either a hybrid or iron to somewhere on or near the green. Instead of 220 - 240 in the trees, rough, OB or water I am 180 - 210 on the fairway. I also seem to have more confidence in the hybrids and 5 wood off the deck now which is helping to lower the scores. My game seems to be better if I am confident of hitting fairways. When I am teeing up with the driver wondering where the ball will go this seems to affect all the rest of the clubs.
Click to expand...

I agree with your thoughts, but I don't hit my 3 wood off the tee consistently either (and don't carry other woods/hybrids). I do play much better using a 3 or 4 iron off the tee and typically par short par 4's using irons.

However, I'm not really interested in lowering my handicap by playing modified golf. For me, it's not a real handicap if I'm not playing golf with all of my clubs. I'd rather continue to play like I am and work on my driver and 3 wood through lessons. If anything, I'm getting a lot of practice hitting out of the rough, especially low punch shots out from under tree lined rough. I also want to develop confidence off the tee with my driver and it's going to take practice and repetition to find that.

I also do not use my 3 wood off the deck throughout a round. Like my driver, I can get in a groove on the range and hit nice straight, long bombs. However, I have no consistency with it yet and would rather use irons to divide up the remaining distance on a hole where the 3 wood might be an option for some.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top