-
Posts
293 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Articles
FAQ
Tests
Classifieds
Store
Group Buys
Everything posted by MNUte
-
For you, what is the most difficult thing in golf ?
MNUte replied to Nibblick Golf's topic in General Q&A
For the sake of conversation, let's talk about this. And apologies for my counter-rant Acknowledging the most difficult aspect of the game for yourself by no means prevents a golfer from simultaneously talking about the fun and what works. It's far from a one or the other, black and white system. In fact, talking about both can be significantly beneficial. Case in point, the easiest part of the game for me is putting and adapting to different greens. The reason for that is that I have a fairly straightforward, simple and repeatable approach to putting. Looking at that strength has helped me work on trying to find ways to overcome my endurance deficiencies, i.e., finding how I can create as many simple and repeatable approaches: clubbing up as the round goes on, forcing myself to talk through every shot, even the simple ones, etc. Overly simplifying the game to the point where you're saying it is as simple as moving the ball in a forward direction and that the source of failure is just ego or expectations is far more detrimental than acknowledging difficulties. In creating that black and white summary that "it's not your game, it's your ego and expectations" without acknowledging the unique WHY for each individual golfer's struggles, you're potentially blocking off so many ways for golfers to improve and the chance for them to find what works best for them. The reason I struggle with endurance is because I have bad ankles and knees. So just saying I need to reduce my ego or lower my expectations doesn't do anything for the fact that I deal with more pain as a round goes on, making it harder to concentrate or keep my swing consistent. Indeed, the argument could be made that the assertion that golf is not difficult fosters a focus on ego and expectation ("if the game is so easy, why did I fat that chip? If the game is so easy, how come I couldn't hit the ball in a forward direction on that shot?"). I'd say if your premise was tweaked to be "acknowledging and working on reducing ego and expectations can help people make significant improvement in their game," I'd be 100% on board. That's been a significant source of my game becoming more consistent. Similarly, if your premise was tweaked to be "golf is a lot easier than we think and tend to make it," I'd be 100% on board. And if your premise was tweaked to be "ONLY focusing on the difficulties in your game and wallowing in them is detrimental to golfers," I'd be 100% on board. But as they stand, I'd say your assertions that "the game in and of itself is not difficult" and its just our expectations and ego getting in the way is far more detrimental than people acknowledging what they find to be the most difficult part of their game. -
-
For you, what is the most difficult thing in golf ?
MNUte replied to Nibblick Golf's topic in General Q&A
Endurance, both mental and physical. I can have 9 hole stretches of very good play, but tend to wear down as the round goes on. -
Hey everyone! I mentioned this in another thread, but realized it might be a nice reminder for some in this thread as well. When you're working on your swing, make sure you're not neglecting the stuff that comes before you actually start swinging. I've traditionally had issues with a slice. I spent most of this past year trying to figure out how to fix it, mostly looking online at tips and drills. Nothing was working. Recently, I was given the tip to widen my stance by about 4 inches. Within a week, I was comfortably and consistently hitting nice little draws for the most part (still occasionally over-rotate and hook my driver). So definitely put the time into your stance and alignment, it's just as important as the swing itself.
-
I'd also add onto this by a arguing that because your putting motion involves such a shorter and more controlled kinetic chain than your iron/driver swing, you can work/fight through a poorly fit putter than a poorly fit iron or driver. Even with the Happy Gilmore slapstick or a mini golf putter, you can generally hit a putt in a forward direction. And with enough practice, you can figure out how far back and how far forward your motion will have to be to move the ball a certain amount in that direction. Would it be as easy as if you had a fitted putter? Absolutely not. But would it be doable? Yup. In contrast, TXG and many other youtube channels has shown us just how much a poorly fit driver or iron can affect the results. Having the weight out to the toe instead of in the heel can significantly increase the numbers of hooks you have. Having the club in an open versus closed configuration can also have dramatic results. Having too spinny or too low launching of a driver can completely tank your ability to go for the green in 2 on a par 5. Just like with a putter, you can work/fight through it. But: 1) most of us aren't Matt and Ian with enough experience to know HOW to work/fight through it: 2) iron and driver swings have much longer motions and incorporate much more complex kinetic chains, so it's much harder tweaking everything in that chain to compensate; and 3) if your concentration slips for even one tee shot, the repercussions can be a 50 yard slice OB rather than a bad putt where you're still on the green but 10 yards past the flag.
-
Exactly. Spend some time at a store figuring out what appeals to you at address. And then spend some time hitting them and seeing what you like. Also, OP, what are you looking to get out of your hybrid? Based on your two choices, I'm guessing you're looking for more of a player's distance hybrid with a bit of forgiveness still in there? However, that's a guess. Are you wanting something workable? Something that you can use as a consistent tee club as well? Something that gets the ball up in the air? Or just something that makes the ball go brrrr and goes for miles?
-
Advocating for the instructor/lesson route as well. Because there are so many possible reasons that could be causing this, without actually seeing what you're doing, nobody on here can give you a precise tip or drill that will focus on your precise issue. So spending the money to get a lesson or two will save you about a year's worth of trial and error scouring the internet, testing things out, etc. Case in point, for my slice, I looked everywhere for opinions and spent forever on my own trying to fix my backswing... ended up fixing it in less than a week because of a single tip that my stance was too narrow. Now, literally because of an extra 4-5 inches of space between my feet, I comfortably hit straight shots or baby draws. I would never have figured that out without someone's help and would have kept blindly focusing on my upper body.
-
All in all, a very fun course. Facilities: 8/10. While it's certainly not the Ritz, the facilities are very nice and definitely above average. There's the formal dining room and restaurant with very good food, very accommodating staff, and a lot of good variety. The snack bar is literally 20 feet from the 10th hole's teebox, so perfect location for a back-nine snack. Food: 9/10. The snack bar has enough to keep you going for the back 9, including hot dog, chili cheese dog, drinks, alcohol, chips, etc. The formal restaurant has even more, ranging from stereotypical golf course food up to actually quite nice fare. I went quick with the hot dog and wasn't disappointed. Filling, not too large or too small, perfect for a quick refresh. Food/Drink Cart. 5/10 Of course needs to be its own category. Has several different types of beers available, several different types of chips and snacks. The downside is that the cart appears to just be driving the course in reverse and therefore has the chance to show up at the strangest times and locations, i.e. middle of the 14th hole. I think a lot of these issues could be mitigated with a second cart and dedicating one to the front nine and one to the back nine. Rental Clubs: 8/10. The rentals were all Cleveland. Cleveland HB launcher driver, 3 wood and 19 degree hybrid. Cleveland CBX launcher irons with steel shafts, Cleveland CBX 56 degree wedge and a Cleveland Huntington Beach putter (I had the blade, wife's stepdad had the mallet). Overall great rental clubs in great condition that nearly anyone can use. Since I normally play CBX's, it was an easy transition for me, but for my step-FIL with a faster swing, he loved that he had clubs that were so downright easy to hit high and straight despite them being a bit too spinny for him. The only reason I'm giving clubs an 8 is the gap from the 44 degree PW to the 56 degree SW. Unfortunately, the lack of a 48, 50 or 52 meant I was in some rough distances and had to manufacture some shots I wasn't comfortable with. Unfortunately cost me about 3 strokes for sure. Course layout: 10/10. Some people are going to strongly disagree with this, but I absolutely loved the layout. I had to think on absolutely every hole and even when I was complaining, I was smiling. The course has some massive upslopes and downslopes and multiple blind hard doglegs that force you to layup and actually break the course apart. E.g., on one hole it was a blind, uphill 230 yard max shot and then a 70 yard shot into the green 90 degrees to the left where I couldn't cut the corner because of a massive hill in the way. Additionally, the course is designed into the hills and has several incredible panoramas and views. I just appreciated the variety that the course had, where I can genuinely say every whole was significantly different than the others. Course difficulty: 5/10. For anyone near a bogey golfer, this isn't a difficult course. Playing the course sight unseen with rental clubs after two days of Disney walking, I shot a 95, which is only a few strokes above my normal. And several of those strokes could be attributed to lack of a wedge between 44 and 56 degrees. It's not a long course at all and emphasizes consistency over distance off the tee. Course conditions: 7/10. It was actually frustrating because it was hard to find consistency between tee box, fairway and greens. Some of the tee boxes and fairways were over-watered and so I had several soggy shots. Yet, the course was overall in great condition. The greens are fairly well maintained and run incredibly quickly. Not pro levels, but definitely quick. Bunkers were a little firm but overall it was still a fairly smooth and easily smooth swing to get the ball out of them.
-
Hey there! So my wife's stepdad and I will be playing Anaheim Hills Golf Club tomorrow for the first time while the wives are at Disney. Let me know if there are any recommendations for handling the course. Similarly, let me know if there are any questions. I'll provide an update and review either tomorrow or Monday.
-
Also, now that MGS has done their ball report on the Kirkland Performance V2's, I'd definitely say throw them back into the mix as a cheap fall/winter ball. OP was previously concerned about consistency/reliability issues with kirkland. From the ball test, those seem to be gone and being the 9th ranked ball with a 97% score is more than respectable, especially at its price. Yes, MGS noted that, as a mid-launch high-spin ball, they're normally relegated to a particular niche of player. But a consistent, 3 piece urethane ball for less than $13 per dozen is a really good blend of value and quality for a ball you just want to have fun with while still getting some performance from.
-
On a slight tangent, I think the best part about MGS is how interconnected its main website is with this forum. So not only do they provide unbiased reviews and opinions, but the forum discussions about those articles and opinions then add an additional layer of corroboration and/or accountability from all of us who contribute. I think the fact that MGS being so encouraging of these discussion rather than trying to suppress all but select opinions is a good example of what they're about.
-
How would you play this hole?
MNUte replied to RickyBobby_PR's topic in Lessons, Drills, Mental Game, and Fitness Tips
Back left of green is above the green. So you'd be hitting onto a downslope below you. If you're comfortable chipping, you can definitely do it that way. But if you go too far back, it slopes away into a trench (the light green patch on the snapshot). And going left definitely is the safer/smarter play, but it makes the hole longer, puts the ball on more slope the further left you go, and brings the bunkers into play if you don't have a club you're consistent hitting over 225 with on a slope. I am a shorter hitter so I work around and take the par. But for longer hitters, there are plenty of benefits to keeping the ball as right as possible. -
Or the Wilson Ultras at target where 15 balls are about $10.
-
How would you play this hole?
MNUte replied to RickyBobby_PR's topic in Lessons, Drills, Mental Game, and Fitness Tips
Here's my entry: Hole 13 at The Ridge Golf Club in West Valley, Utah. Flyover View of the Hole: Details: Hole 13 is a Par 5 that is fairly short but offers some interesting risk-reward challenges. It's a very easy par hole if you want to play it that way. The reason I'm proposing it is because the more aggressive you play it, the more you have swings between birdie/eagle and bogey/double. Tee Shot & fairway: from the Tips it is 538 yards, from the Blues 507, from the Whites 474. However, it's a blind uphill tee shot, and the further back you play, the more uphill your tee shot is and the further down the hole you go, the tighter it gets. There's water on the right starting about 250 yards down from the blues that extends all the way up to the green, and there are bunkers right in front of the green. The entire hole slopes left to right, and the left side of the hole is hill that slopes down into the fairway. Greens: There's maybe 2 to 3 yards of cut between the water and the front right of the green. The right side of the green funnels down and out. Otherwise, the green slopes mostly back to front. You have about 25 yards from bunker side to back and about 30 yards from the water side to back. The pin tends to be tucked towards the front. -
And that's the important factor. If she's not one of the types of parents where it's "My kids are angels" and she's aware that they do this kind of stuff not on a golf course, then the diplomatic answers suggested earlier are perfect. If she loves the country club, she's not going to want to jeopardize her membership or her relationships with the staff and people there. And suggesting the middle ground of a few rounds on public courses first is perfect for presenting a solution, not just the problem.
-
That's what I noticed from the reviews as well, especially since there are several other quality golf balls at better price points with somewhat even or better track records. For example, Kirkland signatures at about a dollar a ball vs. the piper golds at $2.92 a ball.
-
Three Top Game Changing Tips To Improve Your Putting Game?
MNUte replied to Feelthestretch's topic in Golf Clubs
1. Putt the ball into the hole. 2. Complete number 1 in as few strokes as possible. 3. Don't snap your putter over your knee when you miss a putt. There. Simple.- 2 replies
-
- indoor golf
- putter buzz
- (and 5 more)
-
Yep. In salt lake, some courses stay open all winter and only say no play if there's snow on the ground. Which is fun because the cold and wet present different challenges than Utah summers.
-
Probably cheating by giving a series, but the Empire of Man series by David Weber and John Ringo. Really fun way to combine a futuristic sci-fi and military fiction book while still having fun dropping easter eggs throughout.
-
For background nose while doing other things, Ink Master. For my current actual show, I'm watching Season 2 of the Mandalorian. After that, I'm deciding whether to rewatch The Last Kingdom from the beginning or Leverage.
-
Wait a second, Clint Eastwood is a 15 handicap. So either you've improved significantly over Covid or you might be lying to us about being Mr. Eastwood.
-
As to what's my routine, it's a bit complicated, but there's a process: Stand behind the ball to guage slope and find a marker on my desired line at most a few feet out from the ball (easier to aim a few feet out than a long way). I normally do this while others are putting so I don't slow up pace of play. Stand next to the ball and line up my putter towards the marker. Line up my back foot parallel to the putter. Check my line while before setting my left foot. Once my left foot is set, I'm committed to my line no matter what, no second guessing or doubts, just commitment to my putt. Set my left foot. Check my distance one last time. Putt. Purpose: Confidence, commitment and speed. I give myself two opportunities to guage my line, one behind the ball and one to the side. So I am able to force myself to take a smooth comfortable stroke that just focuses on pace. And it's a routine that from stepping up next to the ball to my putt takes less than 15 seconds.
-
To add on to this, a common aspect of a routine in any sport that people tend to forget or not focus on is purpose. What is the purpose of your routine? Is it to calm yourself down? To get a feel for what you need to do? To merge the plan in your head with where you're at on the putting green? A lot of people I've talked to with inconsistent routines are inconsistent because they're just doing a routine they picked it up from a friend or saw from a pro. In that case, they're doing the routine without the thoughts of the friend/pro to effectively utilize the plan. Action without purpose/intent can be as harmful as inaction simply because you're adding more thoughts and feelings to your plate. So adding a second question to @GolfSpy_APH's one, what would be the purpose/intent of a routine for you? If you can answer that, it flows well into APH's question of what routine would best help you visualize the putt going in, i.e. what routine would best help you execute the purpose. E.g., if it's to calm yourself down, it might be helpful to close your eyes for a practice stroke or two.
-
Because Whistling Straits is absolutely GORGEOUS and because Wisconsin deserves love too.