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mr.hicksta's path to a single digit handicap!


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If I can get to single digits, anyone can! #noodlearms

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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@mr.hicksta work on your short game, THAT is the key to lower scores and lower handicap.

I don't mean master using a 56/60* wedge, I mean master using whatever it takes to get the ball nearer the hole from around the green, if that means skulling a wedge at the balls equator, or using a hybrid to 'chip' then sobeit.

Secondly take the fear away from any putt under 8 feet, if any of them miss it's because it lips out, not because you missed the hole or came up short!

Do this young padewan and you'll be knocking on Mr Single figures door sooner than you think.

Good Luck.

Driver     Awaiting NEW Driver (after 10 yrs)  
4 Wood   Callaway Big Bertha Steelhead plus 4+  :callaway-small: Callaway shaft in 'Firm' flex

Hybrid     Titleist 910H 19*    :titelist-small:   Diamana ahina 'flower' shaft in 'S'

Irons         Mizuno MP18SC 4-PW   :mizuno-small:  N.S Pro Modus3 Tour 105 in 'S'

Wedges    Callaway Mack Daddy forged in black 50* and 54*  :callaway-small:   KBS Tour in 'R'

Putter        'YES' Tracy 11 C groove 34.5"

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1 minute ago, perseveringgolfer said:

@mr.hicksta work on your short game, THAT is the key to lower scores and lower handicap.

I don't mean master using a 56/60* wedge, I mean master using whatever it takes to get the ball nearer the hole from around the green, if that means skulling a wedge at the balls equator, or using a hybrid to 'chip' then sobeit.

Secondly take the fear away from any putt under 8 feet, if any of them miss it's because it lips out, not because you missed the hole or came up short!

Do this young padewan and you'll be knocking on Mr Single figures door sooner than you think.

Good Luck.

Funny you mention that, because I was listening to the Golf Science Lab podcast with Scott Stallings the other day and he specifically mentioned getting deadly from inside 50-100 yards being a major key to his improvement!

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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1 hour ago, mr.hicksta said:

I mention this because I know that I'll need to maximize my practice time to start posting lower scores, so that's definitely an area I'm focused on. 

Alright you got this!!

The above in bold is not necessarily true. Some people love it and it works for them. I too hate hitting range balls and almost never practice, I play a lot, but for me any type of sustain practice on the range not only gets me bored out of my mind but at times has been detrimental to my game. Results are all that matters.

Pick your weakest area and devote time to that. Then make sure you are seeing those results on the course in a real round. There is a balance between keeping you physically improving as well as mentally fresh. In my experience it has been picking one thing at a time, adding 10-15 minutes of practice and then doing it on the course. It helps my mental state more than anything and keeps me driving to improve rather than getting bored and not wanting to devote time and energy towards my goals.

Good Luck!

 

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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Seeing how I have a little under 8 months left in Hawaii, here are some of courses and associated course ratings I'll be rotating through. 

Navy Marine Golf Course (home course, right down the street from my house) - 6413 yards, 71.6/118

Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course - 6528 yards, 72.5/130

Ewa Beach Golf Course - 6541 yards, 71/131

Waikele Golf Club - 6663 yards, 72.9/130

Of course I'll be playing some other courses aside from those, but for the most part these will be my default courses when I'm at home. They layouts are all different so there will be plenty of variety, which will help keep my game sharp!

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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2 hours ago, mr.hicksta said:

Seeing how I have a little under 8 months left in Hawaii, here are some of courses and associated course ratings I'll be rotating through. 

Navy Marine Golf Course (home course, right down the street from my house) - 6413 yards, 71.6/118

Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course - 6528 yards, 72.5/130

Waikele Golf Club - 6663 yards, 72.9/130

Of course I'll be playing some other courses aside from those, but for the most part these will be my default courses when I'm at home. They layouts are all different so there will be plenty of variety, which will help keep my game sharp!

edited that list for you buddy

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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I've got similar goals and am at a similar starting point. I was just looking at Mike's stuff earlier today after a visit to the TPI website. I also just ordered SuperSpeed Golf and scheduled a lesson for Friday. I'll be following this thread closely! 😉 

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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2 minutes ago, yungkory said:

edited that list for you buddy

Hahaha, I KNEW this was coming 🤣

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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I was a single digit handicapper for 16 of the last 20 years.  My handicap index now is hovering between 9.8 to 10.8 for the last couple of years.  I'm also trying to get back to where I was prior to surgeries and aging.  In my case, I know it's my wedge game that's hurting my score most.  My putting is okay, but not stellar.  Recently, my driver has become an issue, but I'm making progress there.

Best of luck to you in your quest to improve.  You can do this!

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max (10.5* set at -1 and neutral) -- Mitsubishi Tensai Blue 55g R shaft

Fairway: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max 3 wood (16.5*) and Heaven Wood (20*)-- Tensai Blue 55g R shaft

Hybrids: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max 5H (23*)--Tensai Blue 55g R shaft

Irons:  :callaway-small: Apex CF19 6-9, PW, AW -- KBS Tour Graphite  TGI 70 shafts R +1/2 inch 3* upright

Wedges: Edison 53* and  57* KBS PGI 80 Graphite +1/2 inch 2* upright

Putter: L.A.B. DF 2.1 -- BGT Stability shaft

Ball:  Maxfli TourX...Golf Bag: :ping-small: Pioneer...Shoes: :footjoy-small: Hyperflex... Glove: Red Rooster Feather

 

My Photography can be seen at Smugmug

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1 minute ago, TR1PTIK said:

I've got similar goals and am at a similar starting point. I was just looking at Mike's stuff earlier today after a visit to the TPI website. I also just ordered SuperSpeed Golf and scheduled a lesson for Friday. I'll be following this thread closely! 😉 

Mike's training is 100% worth it IMO and I'm prefer it over Super Speed Golf. Certainly nothing wrong with SSG at all, but I'm a gym rat so any excuse for me to spend more time in the gym works for me!

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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2 hours ago, mr.hicksta said:

 

Navy Marine Golf Course (home course, right down the street from my house) - 6413 yards, 71.6/118

 

When I lived in Hawaii while in the Navy, I lived in base housing with the course right at the end of our street.  Not sure if that's still base housing.  This was in the late 70's when I was there.  Didn't play golf then, so never played the course.

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max (10.5* set at -1 and neutral) -- Mitsubishi Tensai Blue 55g R shaft

Fairway: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max 3 wood (16.5*) and Heaven Wood (20*)-- Tensai Blue 55g R shaft

Hybrids: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max 5H (23*)--Tensai Blue 55g R shaft

Irons:  :callaway-small: Apex CF19 6-9, PW, AW -- KBS Tour Graphite  TGI 70 shafts R +1/2 inch 3* upright

Wedges: Edison 53* and  57* KBS PGI 80 Graphite +1/2 inch 2* upright

Putter: L.A.B. DF 2.1 -- BGT Stability shaft

Ball:  Maxfli TourX...Golf Bag: :ping-small: Pioneer...Shoes: :footjoy-small: Hyperflex... Glove: Red Rooster Feather

 

My Photography can be seen at Smugmug

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1 minute ago, CarlH said:

When I lived in Hawaii while in the Navy, I lived in base housing with the course right at the end of our street.  Not sure if that's still base housing.  This was in the late 70's when I was there.  Didn't play golf then, so never played the course.

Yeah there's still a ton of 'base' housing around there, but it's all been contracted out now. I was here from 02-06 and played the course all the time and if memory serves, the course was torn up for irrigation upgrades around 2005. They changed some bunkers around as well, but overall the course isn't crazy difficult. Like most courses though, if you don't keep it in or near the fairways it can get dicey. It's always in good shape though, and it has a decent practice area so that's why it's my go to course!

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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18 minutes ago, TR1PTIK said:

I've got similar goals and am at a similar starting point. I was just looking at Mike's stuff earlier today after a visit to the TPI website. I also just ordered SuperSpeed Golf and scheduled a lesson for Friday. I'll be following this thread closely! 😉 

Mike is putting together a program that integrates Super Speed. FYI

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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Play play play. Need to play 2 to 3 times a week.
I was down to a 7 a few years back. Played a bunch. And played with a low capper. No lessons just figured out how to get it in the hole. Good luck


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Rocketballz 3+
Callaway Apex 3 Hybrid

Taylormade p790 4-pw

vokey 56&60

cameron Newport 1.5

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Agree with Hackster, get on a course preferably first thing in the morning or end of the day when it is less busy. Try to play 2 balls often or at least drop a couple extra around the green and try to get up and down. 

:ping-small: G425 MAX 9* Driver

:cobra-small: Baffler Rail-H 3H-4H

:touredgeexotics: CBX 119 16* 2 hyb

:callaway-small: APEX CF19 6-AW

INDI Wedges 52, 56, 60 

:odyssey-small: Stroke Lab Tuttle / :edel-golf-1: EAS 2.0

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21 hours ago, mr.hicksta said:

Mike's training is 100% worth it IMO and I'm prefer it over Super Speed Golf. Certainly nothing wrong with SSG at all, but I'm a gym rat so any excuse for me to spend more time in the gym works for me!

SSG on it's own is not really sufficient to be a better golfer IMO. You might be able to pick up some speed, but I'll be hitting the gym regularly in addition to their protocols.

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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... Pay close attention to both ends of your game. If you diligently work on your short game it will help you go low when hitting the ball well and save your a$$ when you aren't. In my experience most golfers put much more emphasis on hitting the ball long than hitting the ball straight. If you hit fairways, the rest of the game is so much easier. A friend of mine asked me for 10 shots, how often I expect to get up and down from 50 yards and in. My answer was 10 shots. I expect to get up and down every single time. And some days I do but more often I don't, but rarely less than 8 out of 10. If I were playing a PGA caliber course with the kind of speed and mounding their greens have that number would be lower, but most public golf courses are player friendly. 

... Of course the final piece of the single digit puzzle is accurate irons. They can save a bad drive and give you a shot at birdie with a good drive. It has been my experience that if you concentrate on making your short game the best it can be and begin hitting accurate  tee shots, it takes a lot of pressure off your irons. Swinging within yourself using your driver also translates to your irons. When it comes to irons for mid to high index players, my advice is use one more club every singe shot. If you start flying greens or find your ball constantly at the back of the green, you can start selectively using less club. But most are surprised at how often they are closer to pin high using more club because they are swinging within themselves and their mishits are longer. 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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Some really great advice here and much of it are things I might have said though some of you guys are more knowledgeable and eloquent than I. Perhaps the only things I would add are having a "go-to" shot when you simply must hit a fairway or green. There are times when the wheels are falling off and just have to get the ball in the hole. I have shots that I know will work off the tee, into greens and around the greens that are reliable. They aren't always pretty and certainly aren't the longest but they work and I know they work. The other thing is the mental side. I used to get way ahead of myself when things were going well and really down on myself when things were going poorly but it's important to stay in the moment. The next shot is the one that matters - that attitude will help you bounce back after a bad hole and keep the ball rolling after a good one. I've heard lots of players through the years say things like "I was playing way out of my depth for a while" and before long they bogey or double a few and they are back where they are comfortable. Start working on getting comfortable going lower than you ever have - it's amazing how much of a difference that makes.

I look forward to seeing you achieve your goals and it's nice to be able to share it with you. Good luck!


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Ping G400 LST 8.5* Graphite Design DI 6 stiff 45"

Taylormade RBZ Proto 14.5* Oban Kiyoshi 85 04 42.5"

Adams 4555 19* Matrix Ozik Altus 80 S/X 42"

Ping G410 Crossover 2 Project X Even Flow Blue 85 6.0 40"

Ping i500 4-8 Modus 105 Stiff

Ping Blueprint 9-P Modus 105 Stiff

Fourteen RM-12 53* and 58* Tour Issue Black Onyx s400 

Odyssey Tour Black Series 9 35" Flatso 1.0 

Srixon Z Star XV

2018 Ping Hoofer 

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2 hours ago, golfertrb said:

Some really great advice here and much of it are things I might have said though some of you guys are more knowledgeable and eloquent than I. Perhaps the only things I would add are having a "go-to" shot when you simply must hit a fairway or green. There are times when the wheels are falling off and just have to get the ball in the hole. I have shots that I know will work off the tee, into greens and around the greens that are reliable. They aren't always pretty and certainly aren't the longest but they work and I know they work. The other thing is the mental side. I used to get way ahead of myself when things were going well and really down on myself when things were going poorly but it's important to stay in the moment. The next shot is the one that matters - that attitude will help you bounce back after a bad hole and keep the ball rolling after a good one. I've heard lots of players through the years say things like "I was playing way out of my depth for a while" and before long they bogey or double a few and they are back where they are comfortable. Start working on getting comfortable going lower than you ever have - it's amazing how much of a difference that makes.

I look forward to seeing you achieve your goals and it's nice to be able to share it with you. Good luck!


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Love the point about the mental side, because I tend to get down on myself from time to time. As a matter of fact, I've really focused on just taking things in stride these last few months because my game hasn't been very good. I'm pretty good about it for the most part, but it's definitely something I have to remind myself of when a round isn't going that well. And that's also a very good point about getting comfortable going low. Birdie putts or the occasional eagle look are always uncomfortable so I need treat them like any other putt and not do anything out of the ordinary! 

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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3 hours ago, golfertrb said:

Some really great advice here and much of it are things I might have said though some of you guys are more knowledgeable and eloquent than I. Perhaps the only things I would add are having a "go-to" shot when you simply must hit a fairway or green. There are times when the wheels are falling off and just have to get the ball in the hole. I have shots that I know will work off the tee, into greens and around the greens that are reliable. They aren't always pretty and certainly aren't the longest but they work and I know they work. The other thing is the mental side. I used to get way ahead of myself when things were going well and really down on myself when things were going poorly but it's important to stay in the moment. The next shot is the one that matters - that attitude will help you bounce back after a bad hole and keep the ball rolling after a good one. I've heard lots of players through the years say things like "I was playing way out of my depth for a while" and before long they bogey or double a few and they are back where they are comfortable. Start working on getting comfortable going lower than you ever have - it's amazing how much of a difference that makes.

I look forward to seeing you achieve your goals and it's nice to be able to share it with you. Good luck!


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I feel like this will really help me with what you've said about the mental aspect of keeping level and getting comfortable.

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So I made a couple decisions this weekend related to my efforts. First, I decided to make Fit For Golf my primary training. That move saves me $150 a month, and frees up my schedule so I have more time to practice or play. The other thing I decided on was getting a couple short game/putting lessons from a certain pro at Kapolei Golf Club who I’ve heard is legit. I really think if I can clean up that area it’ll help me drop strokes quick. Of course everything else is a work in progress and I continue to be excited about taking steps towards achieving this goal!

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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Love the point about the mental side, because I tend to get down on myself from time to time. As a matter of fact, I've really focused on just taking things in stride these last few months because my game hasn't been very good. I'm pretty good about it for the most part, but it's definitely something I have to remind myself of when a round isn't going that well. And that's also a very good point about getting comfortable going low. Birdie putts or the occasional eagle look are always uncomfortable so I need treat them like any other putt and not do anything out of the ordinary! 
Glad to hear about your training refocus and imminent lessons, best of luck!

As for the anxiety that a birdie or eagle putt may invite, I battle the same. What works best for me is to treat them as putts to save par.

If left to my own devices, I hope to make that birdie and hope ever more for that eagle.

But a putt to save par? Man... I'm so often pissed that I missed the prior putt that I REALLY hone in and demand of myself to make THIS one.

When I manage to fool myself and treat the birdie/eagle similarly? Good things happen.

You and I have the skills. Sometimes we just need to manipulate a key to unlock our ability and potential.

Whatever works!!!
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On 8/21/2019 at 2:36 PM, mr.hicksta said:

Funny you mention that, because I was listening to the Golf Science Lab podcast with Scott Stallings the other day and he specifically mentioned getting deadly from inside 50-100 yards being a major key to his improvement!

Deadly from a scoring or making birdie perspective.  The best in the business average 50% with a few a bit above.  When they win they can average north of 75 or 80%!  Why?  Because when they win they hit a bunch of greens.  Pretty easy to get up and down 2 of 3 times when you hit 15 greens.  You want to lower the handicap, learn to hit a ton of greens.  Lower the score  more by learning to birdie a couple of holes inside 100 yards.  

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12.1 as of the 9/1 revision. I'll be getting my weekly 18 along with 9 during the week from here on out. That instructor is on Maui now so those short game lessons aren't happening as I'm skeptical about online golf lessons now. Either way, I'm pressing forward and will figure out the lessons part when I can find a coach to work with in person. 

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On 8/21/2019 at 2:36 PM, mr.hicksta said:

..Scott Stallings .. specifically mentioned getting deadly from inside 50-100 yards being a major key to his improvement!

Still have to listen to that...

But wanted to mention I've been playing Par 3s a bunch this season; the courses are more than pitch & putts so you still have to make good golf shots to hit the greens, or else to get up and down.

It's great practice - even while you're playing golf - and has definitely helped me get better with the irons and wedges. 

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16 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Still have to listen to that...

But wanted to mention I've been playing Par 3s a bunch this season; the courses are more than pitch & putts so you still have to make good golf shots to hit the greens, or else to get up and down.

It's great practice - even while you're playing golf - and has definitely helped me get better with the irons and wedges. 

That's a good point, and there's an exec course here in Virginia Beach that I used to practice at regularly so I'll be getting out there a couple times while I'm out this way!

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As of the 9/15 revision my index is 12.6. While my index is creeping up, I have seen some positives in my game. Just gotta keep at it! 

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
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14 minutes ago, mr.hicksta said:

As of the 9/15 revision my index is 12.6. While my index is creeping up, I have seen some positives in my game. Just gotta keep at it! 

Having seen you play,  I know hit the ball well enough to be single digit you just need to get all aspects of game working together consistently. 

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