RoverRick

Date 12/23/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 79 Course Handicap 7 Gross Strokes over/under par 7 Net Score to Par 0 Net Score 72 Net Birdies or better 8 Longest Drive 223 SIM Round? My par 3 scoring is atrocious. That’s because my iron play is erratic. Luckily Santa (specifically Mrs. Santa) gave me a Precision Mpact Wrist Training Aid for Christmas. She gave it to me early so I could get started, but this will be my last round without it. Right now, it is painfully obvious that my distance off the tee and poor iron play, make that full swings, are hurting me. If it wasn’t for my short game I’d be shooting in the 90’s everyday. I decided I didn’t need to spend 15 minutes on the range and take my “new swing” to the course (for a change). Instead I tried to focus on making good shots with the old swing and give me a baseline. She also gave me a Swing Speed Radar. Unsurprisingly, I learned I have lost about 16 mph off the driver and my Swat Factor (not good enough to be an actual Smash Factor) is in the 1.32 area. I have plenty of data with the old swing and have started chipping and up to half swings with the new swing today. But just a few. It’s raining all day so I’ll get started in earnest tomorrow - Tuesday. I’ll probably post a thread documenting it and reviewing this product.

Date 12/20/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 81 Course Handicap 9 Gross Strokes over/under par 9 Net Score to Par 0 Net Score 72 Net Birdies or better 6 Longest Drive 237 SIM Round? I moved back a set of tees today so while my course handicap went down, it also went back up. My problem today was I made some horrible swings today and cost myself strokes needlessly. 4 times I went from an easy par opportunity to a really tough bogey putt and only made 1.

I don’t remember what the head was, but several years ago I got a deal on SteelFiber i95 Stiff shafts, 5-9. I hated them. Then earlier this year, I stuck them in Cobra ForgedTec Black heads. I loved them so much I bought a 4 and 2 wedge shafts. They are probably my favorite shafts right now. So as always, the shaft is a timing mechanism and depending on the head and the swing (that day) they may be good or bad. Likewise, I hated the VENTUS Blue in the SIM2 head, but love it in the G430 LST. I don’t like the Hzrdus RDX Red Smoke in the G430 LST but liked it in the Stealth Plus. I preferred the Kai’li White in the SIM2 but not in the Stealth Plus.

Date 12/17/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 74 Course Handicap 8 Gross Strokes over/under par 2 Net Score to Par -6 Net Score 66 Net Birdies or better 9 Longest Drive 241 SIM Round? The handicap in dropping, but so are the putts. It was a beautiful day with very little wind consequently there were a lot of birdies. We had 13 guys play in our group and there were 39 birdies, 2 eagles and 2 net eagles. I burned the lip 4 times with putts and chips. We also had a net 66 and 2 net 67’s today, but an 89 and a 95 in the group also. It looks like I’ll be a 7 next time I post I thought I would add my strokes gained numbers. I traded my TM Hi Toe 58° for a Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind 58° today. The logic was that the different sole would be better in the muddy conditions. It was very awesome, but I didn’t practice any bunker shots with it and consequently I cost myself a stroke there on short game. And another with a poor chip on 9 that almost rolled back into the hazard that would have been two drops. I also made a poor decision on 6 that cost me a stroke. In total I made just 3 bad swings all day.

I watched an interesting video yesterday on YouTube. Eric Cogorno had Sam Hahn from LAB Golf on his channel, and they were talking about Broomstick putters. Sam talked about how the broomstick was actually controlled by 1 hand, much like throwing darts or shooting free throws. I found this very interesting. I have a standard length LAB DF2.1 that I love. At the end of July I changed my stroke to a split grip where I hold my left arm rigid but allow my wrist to hinge. With my entire left side semi rigid and left hand and putter face square, I use my right hand to power the putter. I ensure my left hand is perfectly square with the putter face. Read the putt. Pick my start line. A very regimented set up. At this point I know I’m set up on line and won’t make a poor stroke. Now all I have to do is focus on the speed. In my Golf Shot App, I have just 6 out of 50 rounds with more than 30 putts and none over 33. During the month of August, approximately 20 rounds, I had just 2 Three Putts. I quit tracking it in September after a FourPutt and a Three Putt in the same day. I have in no way made every putt, but I have not walked off the green thinking I didn’t make a good strike or pulled or pushed the putt. While I have no intention to use a broomstick putter, I believe there are inherent advantages to that type of stroke.

Speaking from personal experience, a weak long game and a strong short game will have me hovering in the low 80’s score-wise. A weak short game and a strong long game will get me in the high 70’s. It takes both to shoot in the low 70’s. And I’m sure we all know what happens when both are weak. We buy new clubs.

@Javs @Golf2Much I didn’t mean to turn this into the injury thread. I’ll probably get my knee replaced, but the ankle is a different matter. It has a cyst that retains fluids and now arthritis. Had 2 surgeries to fix it, but it comes back within a couple of months. An ankle replacement is called a peg. My solution has been to wear hiking boots to play golf that gives me more stability. Doesn’t affect my swing on level lies. That’s also a key to when I have good scoring days. If I miss to a level spot I can get up and down. If I miss to a severe slope, well that usually doesn’t turn out too great. But no golf today. Other than some at home practice. It’s cart path only and a tournament. I decided I didn’t want to spend an extra hundred dollars to walk in the mud.

I was a 0.2 handicap index at one point. Then injured my shoulder and arm. Then knee surgery. Then arthritis. Then ankle surgery. Then more knee injuries. Then more ankle problems. For some reason my swing changed during that period. In strokes gained, I am often -8 to 10 off the tee, -3 to 4 approach, +1 to 3 short game, and +3 to 5 putting. If I can make decent full swings I can score well. But my full swing changes daily because of I’ve been trying to find something that allows me to have the same swing 2 days in a row. And often I change once or twice during the round. I play at least 4 times a week. I play well maybe once a week. I have fluctuated between 6 and 12 in the last year. I’m usually scrambling to make bogey because poor full swings. On one hand, today was an aberration. No pressure or bets and knew I wasn’t going to get in a full round of golf before the weather. I was just practicing. On the other, if I can do it for 8 holes, or 14 holes, I should be able to do it for 18. I think I found a swing I can use and still walk afterwards. This is a test to see if I can play 6 days in a row relatively pain free. So far so good.

I shot a -4 today. Only problem was I only played 8 holes before the rain and wind came. I intentionally didn’t play the 9th hole. 135 to an island green in the rain and 25 mph wind isn’t a recipe for a birdie, and I wanted to feel great about the state of my game. 7/7 Fairways and 5/8 GIR and just 9 putts is a lot to feel great about. It's amazing how much difference just a little change in the right hand position has made. I hadn’t been doing it with partial swings. Just the full swings, and it was resulting in 30-40 yard pulls. Under-rotating and flipping. Looks like I will have decent golf weather 12 of the next 14 days.

I’m much more in favor of reducing the amount of my money I give to the USGA than I am reducing the distance my golf ball travels.

Date 12/14/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 77 Course Handicap 10 Gross Strokes over/under par 5 Net Score to Par -5 Net Score 67 Net Birdies or better 9 Longest Drive 262 SIM Round? I played 3 days in a row so far this week. Tuesday, I shot a 91 and that was with a great putting round. Wednesday, I decided to weaken my right hand grip, and while I struck the ball much better, I was not particularly comfortable and still shot an 84. Today, the grip change felt great. I did hit my opening drive behind a tree and had to cut a 3/4 driver-off-the-deck around it, then nearly drained a 35’ birdie putt, but had a tap in. Chipped to a foot on 2. Chipped in for pars on 3 & 4. Lipped out birdie putts on 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 14. Chipped to within tap-in range 6 & 12. Came up a foot short of a hole-in-one on 13. I was 10 yards from the pin on 15, 1 under par, and blew up. Made double. Came up short on 16 and made another double. Then bogeyed 17, and then hit the flag on 18 and caromed off the green into the lake. Pitched it to a foot for a tap-in bogey. I simply cruised through the first 14 holes and overall it was the best ball striking day in years. I shouldn’t be disappointed with a net 67, but I feel like I really blew it at the end of the round. There will be more golf this week, so we will see if I have turned the corner.

I need to start playing better. JAVs is gaining on me. (And I lost $120 last week because of poor play.)

Date 12/10/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 83 Course Handicap 10 Gross Strokes over/under par 11 Net Score to Par 1 Net Score 73 Net Birdies or better 6 Longest Drive 262 SIM Round? This entire week it has been very windy. 25 mph like windy. The good news was Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, I drove the ball better than I have in many moons. The bad news was, I didn’t do anything else well. I had 2 rounds in the 90’s. I can’t really blame the wind. I simply struck the ball like crap all week Today, I didn’t drive the ball particularly well, or even hit most of my iron shots well, but what I did do was hit the wedges well and made some putts. I was really surprised by my score because I had 5 pars that were looking like bogies at best.

The LAB Golf DF2.1 is safe unless I spring for the LINK1. The only problem I have with the DF2.1 is the space in the bag. I don’t expect the LINK1 to outperform the Directed Force which is why nothing has been done about it. I have no real loyalty to any other club in the bag. Just the shafts.

Date 11/29/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 79 Course Handicap 7 Gross Strokes over/under par 7 Net Score to Par 0 Net Score 72 Net Birdies or better 5 Longest Drive 237 SIM Round? We started the round as 5 foursomes, but we were behind a very slow group, and the 3 faster groups reorganized into 2 sixsomes so we didn’t have to wait every shot. Instead we just had to wait occasionally. I moved up a tee so my handicap was a 7 not a 9, but I had already set my handicap in the app. I played a pretty solid round except for misjudging the wind on 7 blowing over the green and then not focusing and made a double from 122 in the fairway. I also went for 18 in two and hitting into the water. Them dropped 66 yards out and hit the wedge to 1 foot.

LAB has sold 4 putters to people I play with regularly since I have been gaming mine. More and more talk is being generated by these guys playing with them also.

I think it was course management and coming to the realization that this is not 2017, and I can’t move the same way I did when I was a 0.2 handicap. What I can do is putt and pitch as well as I did then. So I spent time on that yesterday after the round. I’m also switching from the “clock-method” to using different body parts as a reference. I also went to wedges with more bounce and a wider sole for the softer conditions.

I certainly didn’t expect it. Wednesday, I shot 47-35, which was my best round of the week. That day my wedges heated up on the back 9. Today my whole philosophy was different. I knew there would be no roll to speak of, that a high ball would blow all over the course, so take more club but play for the “safe miss” and wedge it close. My 2 bogies were from 8’ par putts that the wind blew just enough to miss the hole. I was far from perfect ball striking but my mishits were in good places.

Date 11/26/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 72 Course Handicap 9 Gross Strokes over/under par 0 Net Score to Par -9 Net Score 63 Net Birdies or better 10 Longest Drive 223 SIM Round Wow. I didn’t expect to post a good round this week. Today was the fifth time I played this week, alternated between mildly embarrassing to absolutely sucked. I had a good back 9 (37) once this week but all others have been mid to hig 40’s. The weather has been perfect all week, but today it was low 40’s and 27 mph wind and rained last night. I did work on my 10-50 yard wedges before the round. This came in handy 10 times and I had all but 2 inside 5’ par putts and all of them were inside 10’. Our hole 9 is an island similar to TPC Sawgrass 17. Except the tee shot is on the dam and very exposed to the wind. Today it was playing 127 and I had to remove my hat to keep it from blowing off. I crushed an 8 iron (2 more clubs) that went directly over the flag and rolled back to about a foot. It missed the hole by 4-6”. It was very exciting. I kept waiting for the wheels to fall off my great round but it never happened. I was certain disaster would strike on 18 which is another island green into the wind. I was 40 yards shorter than yesterday and instead of a 7 or 8 iron, I hit a hybrid. It miraculously found the green and a 2 putt par for a 72. That’s 25 strokes better than my worst round this week. I parred 14 hitting Driver, Driver, Hybrid and 52’ putt and 2’ tap in.

I normally play the AVX. When I played these balls side-by-side, I couldn’t see any real world difference in them. However, the Test Ball felt softer off the putter. I loved the feel of this ball and the performance was a few feet either way. My strike could account for the difference. I could definitely see and feel a difference in the performance between the Test ball and the ProV1, ProV1x, and the left dash ProV1X, but as I said, this felt like perhaps a new version of the AVX. One thing I absolutely loved about this, aside from the feel off the putter, was the durability of this ball. The ball on the left has been played for 45 holes. Granted I didn’t bang it off trees or down cart paths, but I took this picture and then played another 18 holes and it still looked fine. Sadly, it doesn’t float any better than any other ball. All-in-all, I like this ball a lot.

Date 11/14/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 74 Course Handicap 9 Gross Strokes over/under par 2 Net Score to Par -7 Net Score 65 Net Birdies or better 10 Longest Drive 240 It was a beautiful day and I went out to do some Titleist White Box testing I had already compared it to ProV1, ProV1X, AVX, and -ProV1X but that’s in another thread. I wanted to play 18 holes with it for a durability test. That was my goal. My distance was down about 15% because cooler temperatures and gimpy legs. But once I decided to add more club, I began to hit lots of greens. I also aimed away from trouble because I didn’t want to lose one of my 3 Test balls. I chipped in on 2 for a net eagle, hit my approach on 15 to 6’ amd made another net eagle and punched out of the woods and ended up with a 4’ birdie putt. Sank a couple of 20+’ers to save par. I only hope to play like this tomorrow. Also, the ball looks brand new still.

Date 11/12/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 80 Course Handicap 9 Gross Strokes over/under par 8 Net Score to Par -1 Net Score 71 Net Birdies or better 7 Longest Drive 234 Only got to play once this week. Started off slowly and blew up on hole 6 and then parred all but 1 of the rest. I had a shank, chunk, and blade on the same hole from 120 in the fairway. Thankfully the shank hit a tree and kept it from going into the lake it was headed for.

Date 11/04/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 76 Course Handicap 6 Gross Strokes over/under par 4 Net Score to Par -2 Net Score 70 Net Birdies or better 8 Longest Drive 239 SIM Round What a shocking turn of events! I’ve been banged up for 3 weeks. During that time I have had 5 times that I either got to the course or didn’t finish the round, and a couple of times I didn’t even go. I finally went Wednesday and didn’t have much pain, but I also didn’t have any leg strength. Honestly, I didn’t have much today but I’ve been doing exercises the last few days and gaining it back. This morning we were the last tee times before a tournament and only six players so we all went off together as a six-some and since all the others were playing the forward tees, I got to move up. Of course this lowered my handicap by 5 strokes but as I told them, when you shoot 15 over, those 5 strokes done matter. I shot 96 on Wednesday and 88 on Friday. I really didn’t think it would matter today. Expectations were low. A perfect drive on #1 had me excited, but a near whiff on the approach shot brought me to reality. But then I settled down and focused. I didn’t all hit great shots and was still considerably shorter than normal but hit the ball fairly well and was drastically better than the past few weeks.

Date 11/02/2023 Course Name Sulphur Springs Country Club Gross Score 96 Course Handicap 9 Gross Strokes over/under par 24 Net Score to Par 15 Net Score 87 Net Birdies or better 0 Longest Drive 218 SIM Round Some days you have it. But not today. The weather was almost perfect. The course was awesome for November. My swing…. No one was injured.

Epic Disaster. No doubt I hit these better that day, but in terms of forgiveness, it’s not even close.