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Do any of you have pro-like distance and trajectory, but shoot to a 35 handicap?

It's all in the short game. If I didnt have my distance, I could easily be 120+score for 18 holes.
You hit a shot that is in the rough, and recover somewhat, make a double bogey.

Then hit 2 on a long par 5. You're 25 foot from green, hit it fat, still off of green. Try to hit solid avoid, fat shot. Skull it, or fly over green. Laying 4 not on green. Chip it back on or over green. Finally get on green 2 or 3 putt. Walk away with 8 or 9 on hole.

My plan is practicing at home on 50 yard in. Drop 10 balls at 50 from flag, 10 balls 40 from flag, 10 balls at 20, and so on.
Start at 50 away and chip/pitch to flag.

After hitting all 50 balls, go to the ones that are at random distances, and shoot for flag with those.

Repeat distances that give more trouble.

1 hour a day, should do wonders.

The course we play has an alternate green. The owner might let us practice putting there 1 evening a week.

Everyone tells me to play more. It's hard to get in more than 2 rounds a week of 9 holes per round.

I'm self employeed, and about the time you get going good, someone calls.

Usually, I can stall them long enough to finish a 9 hole round.

My goal is to get in 4 rounds of 9 holes per week.

My Father in Law and his group play 27 holes a day every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then they play an 18 hole round during the weekend.

He told me that playing 81 holes plus/minus, a week keeps his game sharp.

That's hard to compete with.

Jack
 
The only thing I do like the pros is put my pants on one leg at a time
 
Jackal said:
My plan is practicing at home on 50 yard in. Drop 10 balls at 50 from flag, 10 balls 40 from flag, 10 balls at 20, and so on.
***
Jack
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No offense intended here, but are you sure your technique is correct? I might suggest you level set on that before you start amping up the repetitions. If you can't (or don't want to) start lessons you could always post a video or a request for help in the swing tip section with Freddie.
 
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I hit my irons far enough. Longer than many, shorter that others. 175 for a good 7i. My short game and putting save me a ton and allow me to shoot 70's consistently. If I have a weakness, it's consistency off the tee and keeping a snap hook out of my bag. If chipping and putting are your issue, I think you're doing the right thing working those shots over and over.
 
I would like to find one of those short game clinics, if they come around local.

Maybe I can get a video up here.

Jack
 
AZRhode,

My 7 iron is around 170 also. It's the short game that kicks my butt.

I recently started working on short game, but we've had heavy rain and storms every day almost , for the last 2 weeks.

About a week ago we played 9 holes and I shot a 43. A few day later shot a 49 on the same 9 holes.

If the weather will stay nice for a little while, I can try out this new practice method.

Jack
 
When one part of my game is on, another part is able to compensate. Take my last round. I was bombing it off the tee, leaving myself good lies (FW or first cut) and hitting my second shots either short or into the woods. I think subconsciously I felt the need to practice recovery shots so that when we have that tournament this summer, I can be ready to hit that pitch out onto the green from the food area on 18 with confidence.
 
I've got a friend who hits the ball better than I do, but can't pitch, chip, or putt to save his life. He plays to a 16 handicap right now and it's just ridiculous.
 
This weekend I starting using a 56* sand wedge for short game. Not sure of the bounce, though.

With my gap wedge that matches my set, it is easy to hit it fat. That club will dig in and throw a shovel full of junk. Then on the next shot to avoid that, I top it real bad.

This sand wedge gets it up in the air, 7 or 8 times out of 10. I can hit it off of plain dirt and get it airborne.

We'll see what it does.

Jack
 
I am a longer hitter and my index is an 18.1 right now. Putting and short game are what kill me. I also have a couple duffs a round with my irons. Putting is my real downfall. I 3 putt way more often than I should. I really struggle with putting the ball down the line I pick and my distance control. Hoping that working with 1 putter for a while will help me get better.
 
Mango,

If I could get into your handicap index, +/- 5, it would show me enough success to please me for the time being.

I know every wants lower score and no one's satisfied with their score. Always wanting better.

Usually I carry an extra ball that is yellow. When I duff a shot, I'll ask my playing partner(s), if I can hit another one that doesn't count.

Then hit the yellow one and see what happens. Sometimes it goes great. They will suggest that I play the yellow ball, but I never do.

That yellow ball was just to see if I could have done better.

Thanks to all of you for the comments.

It lets me know that this isn't that uncommon of a situation.

Thanks,
Jack
 
Jackal - maybe consider this game my teaching pro gave me to see what you are capable of. Play 2 or 3 balls. Always play your best shot of the group. Tally up the score.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jman said:
I have absolutely nothing pro-like in my arsenal, besides the name "pro" on my XRP irons hahaha
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I was going to say the exact same thing James, some of my clubs or shafts might say Pro, but that's all I got!
 
Tequila4cap,

When I'm out there and its not crowded, I'll have to try that. Mark the balls 1,2,3. Keep scores for each.

Do you play safer shots with a certain ball, normal with another , and gamble with the last?

Jack
 
I often wonder if anyone has actually hit balls with a pga tour pro to actually compare their ball flights. It's a nice thing to complement peeps on a good shot but I have yet to play with anyone with a high cap that I would say has a pro like trajectory or even impact. This is not to say you don't hit some good shots but pro like, it a stretch of uour carrying a high cap
 
I've played with pros over the years and as well as I play and hit the ball, it's nothing like the sounds those guys make hitting irons in particular. To me it's kinda like someone shooting hoops and hearing nothing but SWISH, and then hearing another guy bouncing it in off the rim, the back board etc. Sure both guys are getting the ball in but I know which sounds and looks better to me.
 
SaffaClint said:
I've played with pros over the years and as well as I play and hit the ball, it's nothing like the sounds those guys make hitting irons in particular. To me it's kinda like someone shooting hoops and hearing nothing but SWISH, and then hearing another guy bouncing it in off the rim, the back board etc. Sure both guys are getting the ball in but I know which sounds and looks better to me.
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Even a guy struggling on the Florida mini tours was impressive the hit next too . The ground would actually vibrate with the impact he made. The divot pattern and sound were just mind blowing. Can't even compare with anyone who plays handicap golf.
 
I'm just going by yardage per club, and high ball flight. Probably my idea was more influenced by others remarks of how high the ball flight is. We went and Watched the local Nike Tour a few years. My shots were nothing like that.

I just get really aggravated when I hit a 5 iron 200 yards that goes a gazillion feet in the air, lands 15 foot left or right of the green, then it takes 4 or 5 strokes to get in the hole.

We played 9 holes yesterday. I shot a 48 in strong winds. Made a 7 on (2) par 4s, and an 8 on a par 5.

So compared to last month , I'm dropping down to 95-100.

Shooting that 43 a week and a half ago made me feel a lot better.

I guess if I can't break 90 consistently by the end of summer, I'll use my clubs for tomatoes stakes in next years garden.LOL

Jack
 
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Tadashi70 said:
I often wonder if anyone has actually hit balls with a pga tour pro to actually compare their ball flights. It's a nice thing to complement peeps on a good shot but I have yet to play with anyone with a high cap that I would say has a pro like trajectory or even impact. This is not to say you don't hit some good shots but pro like, it a stretch of uour carrying a high cap
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Most people also think they hit farther than they do on drives because they use the scorecard to measure. I'll hit a decent drive and my brothers will say, "that has to be 3 bills" and GPS will read it at 250 ish.
 
I use a Callaway laser range finder to check yardage. Most of the time the score card and fairway markers are 20 -30 yards off.

On another note, maybe I'm expecting too much.

Ive played on and off for around 20 years.

This spring I've played 10 -12 rounds of 9 holes.This is the first time I've picked my clubs back up in about 18 months.

Jack
 
Most people have to practice almost daily to have a really good short game. My brother on the other hand is a savant who barely practices. The pros can do things around the greens that most people can only dream of. Try focusing more on where you want the chip/pitch to land instead of using the flag as your target. Unless your trying to dunk it.
 
I think most golfers don't have any idea how good the PGA Tour pro's hit it. I've never seen a golfer who had anything resembling pro like trajectory who had anything worse than a 6 or 7 index. Back when I carried a + index for more than a decade straight I had hundreds of golfers ask me why I don't/didn't try to play professionally and I always told them because I absolutely suck compared to the guys on tour. I try to explain it to people by comparing golf to other sports. There are 2,200 Americans playing NFL football but only about 100 that get their PGA Tour card every year.
 
I don't have any pro-like aspects of my game, nor will I ever have any. I don't know if people realize how incredibly good the tour players are, whether it be PGA, WEB.com, European or European Challenge Tour). You might think you have a killer 8-iron or a pinpoint accurate 52*, it will likely be not nearly as good as the pro’s hit it.

I was on a range in Spain last year, and there were two Challenge Tour players practicing. The way they hit the ball is amazing; the trajectory, the accuracy, the consistency, everything about it. One of the guys I was with is a scratch player, and even though he can play some brilliant golf, his play wasn’t nearly as solid as theirs. On the course we were playing behind them, and seeing how they work the ball is a thing of beauty… And these guys are nowhere near the top 1.000 of the world!
 
there is no pro anything in my swing. unless you consider propensity for bad shots to be pro.
 
I guess I should have re-phrased my original question to " Who hits a real high 5 iron 205 yards, but really sucks at golf" LOL.

Then again someone would chime it with "The pros hit in that range".

I'll try to get on a launch monitor ( with video) soon and maybe you guys can help me with my swing and what to work on.

I have really come to the conclusion that:

For someone 49 years old, it's good that I can hit it as strong as I am able to do.

I'll never be scratch, 90 will probably be my hopeful average.

Handicaps were created to equal out the playing field.

If I want my distance to be a benefit, play in scrambles, as a 20??? whatever handicap. Let the older men whom envy my distance, make birdie and eagles with it.

Continue to play, have fun, and if it gets better so be it.

I can't practice everyday, for long periods.

If I were to trade careers with a PGA pro for a day:

I would be better at golf than Tiger would be at Machining and welding Titanium.

Thanks for the good and funny comments.

Jack
 
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