[MLB Thread]

4 minutes ago, Shankster said:

With what I’m seeing, we need a MLB thread.  We have college football, NFL, and College hoops covered… quite a few MLB fans.

Me personally, I grew up a legacy Tigers fan.  Although, in my travels I’ve really just been a baseball fan in general.  If the Tigers are in the hunt I’ll root for them, but other than that just show me some good plays.

I actually think it would be pretty cool to see a Yankees vs. Mets WS.

How about those Tigers?!?

[edingc's Work In Progress]

Not quite the offseason yet, but they are talking frost next week. The range closes on Oct. 19, weather permitting, so realistically I have maybe two rounds this weekend left, plus a small handful of range days.

Calling my offseason plan "20/20/20." Trying to lose "20-ish" pounds and hit "120-ish" with driver in "20-ish" weeks . We have a "Walktober" challenge going on at work at the moment so I've been easing into some light jogging and will add weights once the range closes for good. Stack System won't be far behind - two years ago I was right around 120 MPH coming out of winter, I think I can do it again.

If you've followed along, you'd know my coach of a few years moved to another state at the end of last summer. I took an online lesson last fall, that helped a lot, but really I've been my own instructor for the past year or so. That basically involves going through old lesson video, figuring out what bad habits I've slipped back into, and then correcting (and over correcting). Rinse, repeat.

I'm feeling better about where I'm at than I have in a while, so while it is certainly against my better judgement, I took some video at the range the other day and will comment on what I've been focusing on lately:

My online lesson focused on balance. It's something I've struggled with all year despite that lesson, and I finally just purchased an Eyeline Balance Rod which has been helping a lot.

At setup I'm really trying to feel my pressure almost following the angle of my spine down into the center of my feet. The Balance Rod really helped with this. It made me realize my pressure was too far in either direction. Lately, it had been too much in my heels, which was causing me to kind of fall forward and lose my balance on the backswing.

My hips naturally sit left/open to target. A long while ago my coach had suggested I pull my right foot back. This is something I've revisited lately as it helps square my hips more to target and makes getting my right hip to move back in the backswing a little easier.

I tend to play the ball a little forward which gets my shoulders slightly open at address. After years of hitting pretty big draws I now play a fade. It has helped my scores but cost me some distance - I need to add back some speed and reassess this.

 

On the backswing I'm working to get a more centered pivot. I have a tendency to sway back and get stuck back there, so I've been trying to feel more down into the ground (straight line) than rotation back (squiggly line). A helpful feel has been "keep right shoulder pointed at ball."

Impact as improved immensely over the years. Below is a 9 iron from a little over four years ago. I don't have the rest of the videos clipped out, but the club path after impact is significantly less "flippy" now.

I'm hoping to check in more this offseason (hopefully with continued progress!).

[MPR: The Single Digit Project]

On 9/25/2024 at 12:05 PM, mpatrickriley said:

It's funny: I was just thinking I hadn't updated this thread in a long time. I went to go find it, and noticed that @edingc had an update to his golf journey thread, and it looks like we're on similar update schedules

Few and far between still better than nothing! Glad to see an update.

I think we're quite similar, my best golf this year has been when the driver as cooperated, but ultimately my scores are the best when my short game is solid and I hit lots of putts 6 feet and in. I have larger greens than you, but I have some of the same "weird" holes that demand incredible amounts of accuracy (and a lot of times a good amount of luck). Take #4, where you have next to no where to hit a tee shot that leads to a "stock" wedge into the green. Right trees are too tall to clear, left immediate trees are a ravine, go too far, too short, too left and you're blocked up by trees that over hang the fairway. C'est la vie!

It sounds like you're still making progress. A big part of my improvement this year has been limiting penalties as well, so if you can do that you are golden!

(Side note, jealous of Threetops trip.)

[edingc's Work In Progress]

On 9/25/2024 at 3:15 PM, ejgaudette said:

I always love reading your updates to your game and how everything is going. It is clear you have put in a lot of work, and that you have played a lot of golf which is awesome. The consistency you have this year is something we all would love to have. Keep up the hard work and I agree on the speed front this is something I need to get back to. Just picked back up some Fit For Golf work, and general fitness work and dedication so getting into that before I dive full in on Stack training so doing some return to form workouts to get back into it and hit the ground running.

Thanks! I appreciate you reading and the comment. I haven't been around here as much as I'd like as life has just gotten generally really busy over the past 18 months, but I'm hoping to really focus more on putting in the work this offseason for next year to be even better.

[Green Aeration Issue?]

On 9/21/2024 at 4:03 PM, B_R_A_D_Y said:

All you need to start a heated debate at this club I play, is to bring up the aeration technique they use. SOME Members have been complaining for 4 years or more … the top dressing is not consistent or sufficient to actually fill all the aeration holes. 
 

When aeration is done in the spring, you can see all the aeration dimples for several months. They don’t knock the ball off line, but it does mean they are not as fast as they could be. Some members guess they roll at an 8. 

These pics are from the approx centers of the greens. I must add, that this technique renders soft greens that hold really well, tho some claim the ball doesn’t have an opportunity to release properly. 
 

What do yall think? These pics are of greens done 5 days ago  

How old is the course/greens? This sounds like my course where aeration marks from the fall can last until mid-July. But the greens are OLD -- original to the course in the 1960s. On a few of the holes with some light/tree issues, you can still see remnants of the aeration almost a year later. It's one of the reasons they've gone to aerating every other year - last year the greens we in pretty great shape right from the get go without aeration the year prior.

My practice facility, built in the 1990s with true USGA greens, aerates 2-4 times per year and they are fully healed in a couple of weeks. Completely different grass/conditions, however.

I also have noticed whatever sand my course uses is pretty course and it seems to stick around longer than the slightly finer stuff they have at the practice facility.

 

[edingc's Work In Progress]

I'm probably not quite done for the year, weather permitting, but tonight felt like a good time to recap my season. Through today, my season stands as follows:

• 110 total rounds of golf
  • 71 9-Hole Rounds, all 71 at home
  • 35 18-Hole Rounds, 33 at home
  • 3 18-Hole Scramble Events
  • 1 Practice 9-Hole Round

This was a much more enjoyable and rewarding season than last. For the most part, my swing cooperated with me all season. I had a few rough stretches (including one now), where hooks have come back into play, but it has been minimal and not to the extent of last season.

I finally broke par this year, shooting a -2 70 in late July at home. The two rounds I played away from home were also good indicators of my progress as my play traveled better than ever before (though my scores did not - couple of blow up holes hurt me both rounds).

At my best, my handicap dropped to the low 3s, it now sits just under 5. More importantly, my anti-cap has dropped below 10, which is a good indicator of my overall consistency.

• 18-hole average score: 77.4 ( -3.3 from 2023)
  • Best round: -2 70
  • Worst round: +20 90 (away from home, two triples and a quad bogey), +13 85 at home
• 9-hole average score: 38.9 ( -0.9 from 2023)
  • Best round: -2 34
  • Worst round: +9 45 (First round of year)
• 54.5% GIR ( +7.8% from 2023)
  • Best: 14/18
  • Worst: 7/18
• 31.2 putts per round ( -1.5 from 2023)
• 36.3% Fairway Accuracy ( +4.2% from 2023)
• Birdied 18/18 holes at home. I birdied No. 11 once, for the first time in six years as a member.
• Final Estimated Handicap: 4.9 ( -2.6 from end of 2023)

So I've made big strides in all of my measured statistics. That's promising.

The offseason officially begins soon. I need to get back into better shape, I've dropped a few pounds over the summer but am still 15-20 pounds heavier than I'd like to be. Most of my free time away from golf this summer has been spent renovating a room in our home, so I have done next to no weight lifting or speed training. I've lost 4-6 miles per hour from my best swings during the winter of 2022, so that's an area that needs improvement too.

 

 

[What Have You Bought Lately? (CHA - Club Ho's Anonymous)]

Been a while since I've gotten a new club. I think two seasons? That's crazy when I think about it.

Had been keeping an eye out for a Cobra KING LTDx 3 wood. I've been getting better with my wood this year, especially off the deck. I have the Radspeed Big Tour, which is a great club but wanted something with a little shallower face that I could leave at the stamped loft instead of turning it up. I already have the shaft I want in the Radspeed, so just needed an LTDx head.

New LTDx on eBay still going for $120-$150 plus shipping, checked out Maple Hill Golf online and they had a "lite" shafted 3 wood for $79.99 with free shipping so I snapped that up.

Hopefully it gets here within the next few days, I'd love to have some time with it before the season is over!

[GolfSpy AFG’s Speed & Swing Odyssey]

On 9/6/2024 at 5:10 PM, GolfSpy BOS said:

keep grinding Hayes.  Remember progress isn't linear. 

And to quote my former coach from a text a few weeks ago:

"The beauty of golf is you will continue to get better but so will your expectations, so it never feels great."

Hayes, I applaud your dedication. I'm sure you'll start to see more progress, frustration is a natural part of that process.

[How'd you play?]

Been a minute since I've checked in here - a month after shooting my first sub-par 18 holes, my good play has for the most part kept it up. More 9s than 18s now that the days are getting shorter, but still 13 rounds in August highlighted by a 2-under 34 last weekend.

Today's nine is a great example of what need's improvement. Two early bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11, offset by birdies on No. 12 and 14. A bad bogey missing a 3 footer on 16 for par and I headed to 18 one-over. And then out comes the snap hook and I walk away with a bad quad on the final hole. Aaargh!

Handicap has dropped into the 3s for the first time ever. Really awesome to see some progress and a lot of practice pay off.

[How'd you play?]

Finally broke par. I have been playing pretty well lately and today the right combination of shots and luck happened.

Got off to a rocky start this morning as my opening hybrid faded a little too much and ended up underneath a pine tree. Took an unplayable and then promptly skulled my wedge over the green, leading to a pretty ugly double. But on No. 2 I hit a good iron from the tee and stuck my gap wedge to five feet for birdie. Tallied a second birdie on No. 3 by sticking a cut down 9 iron to five feet to erase the double and then a full 9 iron on No. 8 to five feet for birdie there to get back to under par.

The rest of the round was mostly scrambling, though I did have a few good looks from five feet for birdie on No. 9 and No. 12. I nearly chipped in for birdie on No. 13, nearly put a ball in the water on 14 but chunked out of some thick water-side rough and then nearly chipped in for birdie again. No. 15 is the easiest hole on the course and I hit a good 3 wood to right in front of the green and chipped to 2 feet for birdie.

The last three holes were... ahem... squirrely but I saved two two-putts from over 50 feet on 16 and 17, before hitting a pretty awful high right drive on 18 (OB left - was not going there!). Hit a chunky 8 iron from 150-something to hole high and then nearly chipped in for birdie again, leaving me with a nice little tap in for the 70.

[How'd you play?]

2 hours ago, cburins said:

I finally broke 80!!!!!

This was my goal for the year and am extremely happy to achieve it. 

Congrats! Breaking 80 is a huge deal, I remember the grind it was for me, still have the ball behind me in my office on a shelf.

Now that you've done it once, it will come easier and easier .

[How'd you play?]

1 hour ago, ejgaudette said:

This is great progress and glad to hear it knowing how hard you have been working on you game, great to read that it is paying off. It sounds like a lot like my year last year. Lots of mid 70s at my home course which puts  one around a 4 to 5 given its a bit on the easy side. Keep up the hard work!

Thanks! Yup, given the rating of my course, a -2 70 is roughly scratch differential with it increasing 1 per stroke over that. Unfortunately had a couple of dumb bogies on the back this morning else I played really well, could have easily been a +1 or +2 kind of day.

I do need to get back on speed training though as I'm definitely shorter than I was a year ago after we did the offseason challenge. 

[How'd you play?]

Been on a decent little groove since the 4th of July and looking at my spreadsheet and Grint differentials I'm unofficially under a 5 - just barely - at 4.5, for what I think is the first time ever.

Been working really hard on a few swing keys/thoughts and four of my last six 18s at home have been 75s or 76s - that has certainly helped bring down the index a bit. 

My putting has been a little rough at times, and I'm still susceptible to a blow up hole or two, but I finally feel like I'm making progress again.

 

[How'd you play?]

Blow up holes killing me lately. Feels like I'll string together 10-12 pars, a birdie or two that offset a couple bogies and then a terrible double or triple or two. Managed a couple 75s at home this past week with a double each round. 

All came to a head yesterday playing The Mines in Grand Rapids, which absolutely killed me on four holes. Two triples and two quads ruined the score on an otherwise really solid round for me there. Didn't even lose a ball but got stuck in some tall grass/brush on multiple occasions. Frustrating to say the least.

Unfortunately continued on to this morning's 9 where I carded six pars and three doubles. I at least pull hooked the second one of those OB so I deserved that one!

[How'd you play?]

One of those weeks. Over my last three 18s, I've had 10 birdies but unfortunately have paired them with five double bogies . 

Did play in a scramble yesterday and had several natural pars and two natural birdies, so that was fun.

It's a good reminder of how much progress I've made in my game when I shoot 77, 79, 79 and feel like I should have been 3-5 shots better each round. I was two under making the turn during the 77, so to go 7 over on the back hurt a bit!

It will be nice when the heat subsides a little as it's been HOT even playing in the mornings.

[What/How Did You Practice Today?]

Great lunch range session today focusing on two things:

1. Swinging as fast as I can.
2. Keeping the club head in front of me.

The two go along hand-in-hand because if I keep the club in front of me, I can stay in balance on my downswing and swing fast while hitting good shots. If the club gets behind me (probably from me rolling arms open in the backswing) I can't swing all that fast, and if I try, I lose my balance and hit terrible shots.

Was a pretty successful session and hope to continue to see more improvement in both areas. 

[9 or 18 ?]

Last couple of seasons it's been running closer to a 2:1 9-to-18 hole ratio. I can squeeze 9 in before work from May-August so I take advantage of that as often as I can. But I do take some vacation time two days a week to fit in 18, and I usually try to fit in 18 on Sundays as well.

[Vice Golf Balls - 2024 Forum Review]

12 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

I found a Vice Pro Plus on the first hole yeaterday and after reading about it here decided to try it the rest of the round.  It looked brand new and was in a spot i assume was lost on the first drive of the day.  I usually play Snell MTBX balls. 

The carry distance played about the same as the snell balls.  I did notice a lot more approach shot roll out with the pro plus than what i get with the snell.  After a few holes where it ran off the back i adjusted the necessary shot yardage to landing the ball about 7 yards short of the pin yardage. 

It seemed a little clickier when putting but i did not have any issues controlling distance when lagging putts.

Similar experience here - as a long time MTB-X (the original) user, I've really enjoyed my time with the Pro Plus this spring. Definitely a solid ball at the price. 

[edingc's Work In Progress]

Worth posting a quick update. It has been a good start to my season with lots of rounds in the 30s/70s.

We've had excellent weather for golf (though I've played through some rain, too) and my swing has come a long ways since the mess that was last season. I'm still not hitting the ball as great as I'd like too, but overall I'm keeping things in play and my short game has improved quite a bit.

My unofficial handicap has fallen to 5, which I believe is the lowest it's ever been, and my anti-cap (the other 12/20 rounds) is down to 8.8. I missed a five-footer for par this morning on 18 that would have gotten me to below 5... bummer!

I've stopped using ShotScope, both because it's somewhat time consuming to plug in all of my rounds, but also because I was getting a little too wrapped up in total distance and statistics instead of playing golf. While it is very nice to know I can hit a club up to a certain distance, I've really been trying to hit the right shot regardless of what number is on the club. I know my distances are down somewhat this year, and I still want to work on that, but overall I am happy with my results.

[How'd you play?]

I'm starting to get into some unfamiliar territory flirting with even par more often than once a season or so.

Last six 18s: 75, 77, 76, 79, 76, 77

Last six 9s: 40, 36, 38, 38, 38, 39

Was even par through 15 yesterday in some awful driving drizzle and wind before wheels fell off on 16, 17 and 18. Started slow this morning +4 on the front in some rain but was one-under on the back in better weather before making a mess of 18 with an ugly double.

Grint has my estimated handicap down to a 5.7 which I believe is the lowest it has ever been, but more importantly my anti-cap (the other 12/20 rounds) is down to 10.6. That's huge for me because it means I'm getting more consistent.

Still a lot of work to do - my driver gets very squirrely on me at times and I'm still struggling with weak fades with my irons too. But I'm doing a better job of keeping my mind in check during rounds and recovering well when I need to.

EDIT: Oh and I forgot to mention! After 5+ years of being a member I finally, finally birdied No. 11 this morning. I have birdied every other hole multiple times but 11, a very tight par 4 dogleg right, has always eluded me.

I didn't even hit a great tee shot (hit a tree on the edge of the dog leg), but I had enough room to punch a 5 iron from about 200 out up onto the green and sank a 30 foot putt. 

[Show us your Maltby!!!]

36 minutes ago, Shrek74 said:

I'll be curious to hear how those dampers work, if they do. I have some new SM9's with the base steel shafts, and I'd prefer not to reshaft them in graphite if possible. This is my other option, as you are doing.

FWIW, I put the dampeners in both my Nippon steel wedge shafts and my Aerotech SteelFibers. I could easily tell a difference in the wedges and could even tell there was less feedback through the SteelFibers despite being graphite.

I've fought various levels of tendon pain in my shoulders, wrists and elbow over the past couple of years so I like any help I can get.

[What Have You Bought Lately? (CHA - Club Ho's Anonymous)]

After three seasons my original LAB cover has started to look a little ragged. I think they've also improved the design - my original has issues with the magnets moving around. Anyway, this was a little pricey but I like it:

[How'd you play?]

Last several rounds continue to build upon my earlier successes. Had a couple of low-mid 80s last week with some terrible luck (seemed like everything that missed the fairway went behind a tree!). Rebounded Monday for a 38 on the back, a +3 75 yesterday despite a pretty shaky front, and a 39 this morning on the back. Putting and chipping were great yesterday, not so much today as it caused two of the three bogies. 

Having a lot of fun out there right now. Excited for the summer to start.

[How'd you play?]

22 hours ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

Personal best and milestone. Broke 90

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/64582-mgs-vct-season-3-week-4/?do=findComment&comment=1069642
 

Congratulations. I know you've put a ton of work into it!

[How'd you play?]

20 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

It's good to see you in such great form this early in the season Cody! Hopefully we'll hear about some under par rounds from you soon. 

Thanks! Yeah, honestly Thursday was a very good chance as I made the turn at even par. Had a tough luck bogey due to an overhanging tree branch on No. 12 tee box and missed a few other chances at birdies. But the wedge I hit into the water was CHUNKY and went basically no where...

Really have been trying to just enjoy my time out there. Work has been crazy busy for the past few months so getting out and spending some time on the course has been a much needed distraction.