[Clubs to recover from a 'bad shot']

Hitting shots low is a technique that takes practice.  By low, I mean lower than normal than a full swing.  I can hit most any club from driver to lob wedge low, depending on the lie and how far I want to hit the ball. At the old course I used to play, I needed to play a low punch driver because a normal drive would slice too much and the low shot with rollout gave me better control and the distance I needed off the tee.  On my current course from the fairway on the par 5 #18, I need to get the ball around a tree at the dogleg without going too high and catching that #&@* limb.  My club of choice is my Callaway Heavenwood, but normal trajectory catches that limb every time.  I can get good yardage with it by keeping the ball low and have a wedge to the green.

As stated by @RickyBobby_PR and @cnosil, analyze the situations you are in, choose the club that you can consistently hit the required shot, and spend time learning how to flight the ball.

[The Good Morning Thread]

Good Morning everyone!  Hope your Wednesday is off to a wonderful start.  Not much going on here; have a massage, then off to shop for an anniversary gift and make plans for our anniversary dinner (after our round of golf on Sunday, of course!!).  Details of our wedding later this week… don’t miss it!!!

[What/How Did You Practice Today?]

9 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Geez that looks like an awfully narrow driving range. But at least it’s good practice for the course.

@cksurfdude Chuck is just showing off before Kingsmill.  

[Pacific Northwest: AK, WA, ID, MT, OR, WY]

49 minutes ago, Jdemarco28 said:

You guys know of a good practice area on the west side where I can hit off grass? I know the reserve has a nice practice area but I think it’s over $20 to use for non members and is a little far away

Not really west side, but Stone Creek near Lake Oswego had a grass range, but it’s been a long time since I played it and I have no idea what the cost is.

[The Good Morning Thread]

Good Morning everyone!!  Hope y'all are off to a terrific Tuesday!  I can’t seem to get caught up reading the new posts in this thread; I read a few and more get posted… I need to read faster I guess.

Got a few chores around the house after my morning exercises; two sprinkler valves need work, one is leaking and one has a bad solenoid.  Then I’m headed to the course for some Release 2 short game work. Wife is playing this morning with some of her lady friends.

[Happy Birthday thread]

Happy Birthday @FightingScot82, @cthoma11, and @Invader Zim 315!!  Have a great day… play well!!

[The Good Morning Thread]

40 minutes ago, cnosil said:

If we get there before you, we’ll try to save y’all a seat.

If y’all is plural, that's gonna be one crowded seat.  

[Swing Weights]

5 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said:

OK @Shrek74, I went for it.

My best club in my bag is my Gap wedge, which plays at a swingweight of D2-ish.

So, I needed to regrip anyway, and I counterweighted my irons (which are 1/2" long) down from swingweights of D6-8 to D2 territory.  I did not use the plugs b/c I have the ShotScope tags in my grip ends.  So, in a move sure to appall the purists among us, I made candy canes with lead tape, hung them on the butt end (sticky-side on the shafts), and put grips over the top of them.  Some of the butts are not so pretty now with the lumps under the grips, but in my first round yesterday I really loved the feel, had some extra distance, and my buddy said he saw me hit a few of the best iron shots he has seen me hit.  The do feel lighter, smoother, and I don't notice the added gross weight at all.

Based on early returns it seems your suggestion about counterweights was spot on.  Thank you!
 

How much weight did you add?  Could you achieve the same with a heavier grip?

[The Mental Snowball]

Welcome to the forums Max!  Great points above by Sam and Chris.  It’s hard to not focus on score in the game, but not doing so helps you improve.  My best rounds are when I don’t record my score; my wife does that for me!!  Chris mentioned expectation management; it is not expected that a 28 hcp would make a bunch of pars.  We tend to focus on par because that is what’s listed on the scorecard; and when we make a bad shot, we naturally want to “get that stroke back”.  Sometimes pros pull it off, but we don’t have their skills to improve our chances.  

Rather than focusing on par on the scorecard, focus on what your NET par is on each hole.  As a 28 you get a stroke on every hole + another stroke on the 10 hardest holes listed on the scorecard.  So, par for you is Bogey on 8 easiest holes and Double Bogey on 10 hardest holes.  Before you begin a round, change the “Par” for each hole on the scorecard to your NET par.  Now when you make a bad shot, get the ball back into a good position where you have a chance at Bogey or Double.  Your focus should be on a quality shot and let the score just happen; don’t force it.  Do this and your scores will come down; don’t forget to adjust your NET pars when they do!!  Good luck!

[The Good Morning Thread]

3 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

Kenny, I tend to suffer from white coat syndrome whenever I get my pressure taken, I was sitting in the waiting room at the clinic for at least 20 minutes and I'm the room for another 10 and it still came back as high. It's currently sitting at 131/85 as I'm sitting here with the dogs on my lap. 

I'm glad to hear it doesn't go up much for you when you're exercising, I was told it would raise it quite a bit and I'm really wanting to get out and start walking or something to get some exercise. I mean, we have a pretty big golf trip coming up and it's bad enough y'all are going to see my limping around after getting off my feet for a while. I want to be in decent enough shape to not be breathing to heavily walking up hills. 

I think that white coat syndrome is what I have.  I’ve never really had much of a problem before my heart attack; my primary care visits were always around 130/80.  It was high while I was in the hospital, and it never really came down to pre-hospital levels.  My heart doc is still trying to find a suitable cocktail.  My BP is 120/75 in the morning when I get up and when I go to bed.  Mid-morning it goes up to a high of 140/90.  

Getting out and walking after meals is the best time for BP and blood sugar.  I hear you about getting in shape; well, better shape… round is a shape, but not the one I prefer.  Lost a bunch of weight a couple of years ago, but I have plateaued and can’t seem to get the rest off me!  Don’t wait!!  It gets harder the longer you put it off and older you get.  I need to change up a few things before our trip to Kingsmill.  Not sure if I’ll survive hot and humid; I like hot and dry!!

[The Good Morning Thread]

6 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

I just went to the doctor now I'm in medical trying to get my return to work settled. My BP was still elevated at the doctor and my wife had to advocate for some meds to help with it. It's crazy they don't seem to take this seriously. I realize every time I've been to the doctor it's been good, but c'mon. 

Hopefully it'll all get settled before to long. 

Hope you get it worked out Jason.

My BP is high every time I go to Cadiac Rehab therapy.  They don’t let anyone participate if BP is 170 or higher.  I take my BP at home before I go to therapy… normal-ish.  Get there, sit waiting for 20 minutes and it’s 170+.  So I have to sit for 10 minutes; they retake my BP and it’s 151.  During the cardio exercise, it goes up to 162; after the cardio and cool-down stretching, it’s 120.  Funny… it never gets above 145 until my next Rehab visit, and we go through the same routine all over again.  Doc put me on another heart med… amlodipine.  I’m already on COREG.

[Happy Birthday thread]

Happy Birthday @Henri-Martin HORN and @aerospace_ray!!  Make your day special!

[The Good Morning Thread]

Good after Masters Monday Morning everyone!!  Hope you day is off to a nice start.  Great golf this weekend; The Masters and mine!  Temps are dropping back into the more normal range of 60-70º and the wind is picking up again.  Dang!  Irrigation water was turned on this weekend, so today will be spent fixing and adjusting sprinklers; always seems to be a few that don’t work quite right.  No coffee until after cardiac rehab at 0800, so I’m a little grumpy.

[The Good Morning Thread]

7 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Happy day people!!

Very nice!! Next time go out with a clear, focused, "present" mind and look out course record!!

 

Thanks, but I guess I wasn’t focused enough.  You need to give me lessons on that.  I did birdie the first two holes and quoted Bishop Pickering… “I could break the course record… theoretically.”   Wiped out the birdies on the third hole with a double!!   Had two more birdies in a row on 14 and 15, but wiped them out with a double on the 16th.  Shot 76.  Can’t complain though; first time I've had 4 birdies in one round!!

Two days with temps around 80º; loving warmer weather...  and I shoot 74-76 on the weekend

[How'd you play?]

18 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Love reading about everyone's low rounds!  Feels.good when it happens!!!

OK, I want you to feel good… I feel pretty good too!

My wife and I played with a guy playing from the tips; first time I’ve ever played with someone playing from there.  Good player, but didn’t have any luck all day.  Fun to watch him hit the ball though.

Today was a special day.  Shot 76, but a worse score than yesterday's 74.  I birdied the first two holes and jokingly quoted Bishop Pickering: “I could break the course record… theoretically.”  Big mistake!!    Got a double on #3.   Finished the front nine at +2 for a 39.  Not the first time I’ve had back 2 back birdies, but really hated to follow them up with a double.

The back nine was going along pretty well… played 10-13 in one over par.  Then I had back 2 back birdies again on 14 and 15.  Followed those up with… you guessed it… another double!!   My back nine score was 37… another nine holes at +2

Today was the first time I’ve had 4 birdies in a round.  Dang!  It could have been a really great round!!  The holes that I doubled today were pars yesterday.  Feeling good because I still Shot My Age and I know that I didn’t hit the ball as well as I can; need more practice this week!

[Happy Birthday thread]

Happy Birthday @Golfdots, @patrickosullivan88, and @Brutus14!!  Enjoy your day!!!!

[The Good Morning Thread]

Good Morning everyone!!  Haven’t been on the past few days; watching The Masters and playing golf.  I managed the best round of the year for me yesterday… 74 with a couple of birdies on par 3’s.  I had a couple of brain f@rts on two par 5’s that cost me a chance and at an even par round.  Beautiful day today with temps in the low 80’s, but only in the 50’s when we tee off.. layers will be peeling off fast!!

Have a great Masters Sunday, and hope your picks are doing better than mine!!  

[How'd you play?]

Today was the best golf day of the year; 75º a few clouds and no wind.  I haven’t played well this year with scores around 80, and I was beginning to think that I wasn’t going to have any low rounds.  Well, now I’m happy again!!

My wife and I played later this morning after the Men’s Club 4 nines tournament.  It was slow, but being a nice day, I was OK with it.  I was +1 on the front nine; one birdie and 2 bogeys for a 38.  The back nine was the same… +1; one birdie and 2 bogeys for a 36.  Shot under my age again!!!  74.  

Driving was just OK and short game was still there.  Better iron shots; hit 10 GIR and the two birdies were on par 3 holes; both about 7 foot putts.  Tomorrow is supposed to be the same temps, but we tee off very early so it will be colder.  

[How'd you play?]

5 hours ago, ParFore74x said:

Only the fourth 18 hole round of the year for me and already a new PR with a 40/42 for an 82. I sure hope that wasn’t a fluke and it is a sign of things to come. Biggest thing for me today was keeping the doubles off the card. Tee shots were not great but they never were terrible and the short game really helped me out today including 29 putts. Stats for the round were two birds, four pars, and twelve bogeys with four fairways and three GIR. 

Congratulations on your PR!!  Nicely done… do it again.  

[The Good Morning Thread]

Good Morning everyone!  A little cooler than yesterday, but still sunny and thankfully no wind!!!  Wife has left for her Ladies League; I will head to the course for much needed short game work.  Spent yesterday pruning evergreens and even got on a ladder!!    Arms and shoulders are sore.  

Best wishes for a wonderful Wednesday!

[The Good Morning Thread]

45 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Top of the pot spies!   Slept like a mummy last night after making and eating this dish.

My wife, who's not big on certain seafoods, couldn't resist and stole a few . Simple, quick and tasty is my cuisine motto.  0852 tee time at Cimarron this morning. Men's league individual low net, with gross & net skins.  This afternoon, our Grand Fishing Club is having our annual BBQ at the lake pavilion.  Lot's of fish stories... some real, most a stretch .

Have a great hump day everyone!

Wow!  Game changer!!  I didn’t know that this came with the casita offer.  Yum!  

[How'd you play?]

2 hours ago, barney_bogey said:

Shot the best 9 holes of my life with a whistle clean 40! Back wasn't as pretty. But through the lackluster eclipse, I carded an 86 which is the lowest round I have on record. Only one 3 putt and that was a doozy of a first putt TBF.

Only stat that I really cared about was FIRs and it landed at 69%. A 19% improvement over the previous attempt.

Chuffed

B

Congrats on the PB!!  Low rounds come much easier now, because you know you can do it!!

[Pacific Northwest: AK, WA, ID, MT, OR, WY]

3 hours ago, Jdemarco28 said:

Hey all, Portland golfer here. I used to play when I was younger and my father was a coach at a local high school but didn’t play from 6th grade through until college and have been trying to play a lot since then so have been on and off playing for the past 7 years. Last year was my most active golf year and finally felt like I was able to work on my game weekly and play weekly and loved every second of it. Since then I have run into some back issues so trying to rehab that if anyone has tips and trying to find a local practice area I can go to regularly. My local courses I go to most often include Redtail, heron lakes, and wildwood but enjoy playing at all different courses! Currently been shooting in the high 80s with a few 90s sprinkled in at my 18 handicap, end of last summer was playing my best golf before my back injury so looking to get back. I have long been a follower of my golf spy but have never contributed so excited to participate in the community moving forward!

Welcome to the forums!  Glad you joined us.  I grew up in Corvallis, so many trips over the years through Portland.  Played mostly in the Corvallis, Albany, Salem area, but have played a little around Portland.  You should give Randy @Vegan_Golfer_PNW a shout to play sometime.  Great guy!  We played at Redtail once.  Maybe he can help you out on practice areas.

[Music on the Golf Course?]

The Forefathers of Golf probably didn’t have music on the course.  If they did, it could have been bagpipes and it’s probably why music on the golf course was banned until the age of the transistor.  

[Happy Birthday thread]

Happy Birthday @Wakit300, @Crossroads Golf, @11Scooby71, and @JRDuck40!!  

Best wishes for a great day!!