My Quest to Break 90.

[Jonny_Crash]

I picked up golf in earnest last summer during the covid lockdown.  It seemed like good way to get outside and still keep some social distance.  I'd played off and on for years, but never more than a round or two a summer.  I decided to hit the range a bunch and start playing weekly.  It's been a great outlet, but I just cannot get a decent score on the card.  So I figured I'd make a journal of the process here. 

About me.  I'm 42 grew up skiing and playing soccer in Utah.  I've always been very athletic, most sports come relatively easy for me (except hitting a f@#*!&g baseball).  So, I'm approaching this from a decent athletic base, but not a great technical base.  I was playing with some old Taylormade RAC OS2 clubs from '05.  They were fine, but I wanted to get something new to juice the system. I bought the Sub70 699 Pros around Christmas 2020 and just love them.  They are plenty far and give me enough workability/control for my level. 

I did the typical youtube, internet hunting for a while to figure out my swing last year (found this forum though, so that was nice).  I thought it was going pretty well, but really fought a slice all of last summer and couldn't get a driver in play to save my life.  As a result I was losing shots off the tee left and right.  Scores were all over the place and generally not low.

My mom got me a swing analysis at Golftec for Christmas in 2020. I had the analysis in late Feb.  This really helped to get me on a better swing path and I worked into a baby draw.  Here are my swing at the swing eval: 

Before swing: https://gt.golf/LVTMle

After Swing:  https://gt.golf/Vwlu9A (not sure what is up with that follow through) 

I was able to groove a draw in the ensuing months. I shot my best ever round in Early April (a 42 (+6).  However, I ended up with a torn Achilles in April  at a soccer game.... which stalled out this summer's golf.  I've been back at it since July and have quite a few rounds in and lots of range hours.  

My current yardages are as follows (carry) (obviously mostly good shots):

• DR: 275
• 3W: 240
• 3U: 230
• 5I: 204
• 6I: 193
• 7I: 180
•  8I: 168
• 9I: 156
• PW: 147
• GW: 125
• SW: 115
• LW: 105

My biggest problem right now is the complete and utter inconsistency with my club face/path.  After my lesson I was working a slight draw, which felt good. However, I think my swing has gotten to steep in the interim and I now fight a push to push/slice. I have a hard time releasing the club to the right through the ball.  I don't trust it and end up yanking the club head inside causing the club-face to open and slice.  I'll try to get a better /more current video this evening. 

It's obviously time for a lesson again. So I'll be setting that up and will update accordingly.  Thanks for following along.  Golf sure is a fun (frustrating) puzzle.  

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by Jonny_Crash

[dlow206]

I am on a similar quest (to break 90). I am by no means a swing expert, but see in the After swing that you are taking the club back way inside. I have been fighting and working on getting rid of the inside takeaway for a while. With the inside takeaway, I lack consistency. I can play decently with it, but then I can go and OB a short iron 45 degrees to the right and then hit a snap hook with the driver. The inside takeaway causes path to much from the inside so I hit either the big push or flip it to try to save it and snap one. Or sometimes, my mind knows whats going to happen, so then i compensate with a bit out to in. 

[Jonny_Crash]

28 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

I am on a similar quest (to break 90). I am by no means a swing expert, but see in the After swing that you are taking the club back way inside. I have been fighting and working on getting rid of the inside takeaway for a while. With the inside takeaway, I lack consistency. I can play decently with it, but then I can go and OB a short iron 45 degrees to the right and then hit a snap hook with the driver. The inside takeaway causes path to much from the inside so I hit either the big push or flip it to try to save it and snap one. Or sometimes, my mind knows whats going to happen, so then i compensate with a bit out to in. 

That is almost the exact same swing issue I have.  I push or try to save it and pull inside across the ball (instead of closing the clubface)

I've tried to keep it more on plane (less inside), but now I don't think I'm getting shallow enough.   I'll try to get a more current video up today after some range time.  

Edited September 21, 2021 by Jonny_Crash

[dlow206]

21 minutes ago, Jonny_Crash said:

That is almost the exact same swing issue I have.  I push or try to save it and pull inside across the ball (instead of closing the clubface)

I've tried to keep it more on plane (less inside), but now I don't think I'm getting shallow enough.   I'll try to get a more current video up today after some range time.  

The other thing, from my experience, is that I did lessons at Golftec as well and I think I got the same drill as in your after swing, swing right with a pool noodle. I get what Golftec was trying to do, but it just led me to grooving a swing that did all the wrong things to swing to the right. "swing to the right" wrecked my swing for a long time. 

[Jonny_Crash]

6 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

The other thing, from my experience, is that I did lessons at Golftec as well and I think I got the same drill as in your after swing, swing right with a pool noodle. I get what Golftec was trying to do, but it just led me to grooving a swing that did all the wrong things to swing to the right. "swing to the right" wrecked my swing for a long time. 

 

  I totally see how it it can screw things up.  

 

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, Jonny_Crash said:

I've always been very athletic, most sports come relatively easy for me (except hitting a f@#*!&g baseball).

Well then... since the ball is just sitting there, it's much easier!!  

Yep!  You and Derrick take the club away from the ball to the inside.  The Before video is very flat at the top, and the only thing you can do is OTT on the downswing.  The After video is much better so the lesson seems to work.  Although the club still goes inside, you lifted the club up to a more vertical position at the top.  That's why you can come more from the inside on the downswing.  If you can get the club to be down the target line when the club is parallel, then lift to the top, you will have more consistency because you will be making fewer compensations in the rest of the swing to hit the ball square.

[Jonny_Crash]

Thanks for the insight.   Golf seems to be all about limiting your compensation movements by getting into good spots to begin with. easier said then done of course    

[MNUte]

20 hours ago, Jonny_Crash said:

I picked up golf in earnest last summer during the covid lockdown.  It seemed like good way to get outside and still keep some social distance.  I'd played off and on for years, but never more than a round or two a summer.  I decided to hit the range a bunch and start playing weekly.  It's been a great outlet, but I just cannot get a decent score on the card.  So I figured I'd make a journal of the process here. 

About me.  I'm 42 grew up skiing and playing soccer in Utah.  I've always been very athletic, most sports come relatively easy for me (except hitting a f@#*!&g baseball).  So, I'm approaching this from a decent athletic base, but not a great technical base.  I was playing with some old Taylormade RAC OS2 clubs from '05.  They were fine, but I wanted to get something new to juice the system. I bought the Sub70 699 Pros around Christmas 2020 and just love them.  They are plenty far and give me enough workability/control for my level. 

I did the typical youtube, internet hunting for a while to figure out my swing last year (found this forum though, so that was nice).  I thought it was going pretty well, but really fought a slice all of last summer and couldn't get a driver in play to save my life.  As a result I was losing shots off the tee left and right.  Scores were all over the place and generally not low.

My mom got me a swing analysis at Golftec for Christmas in 2020. I had the analysis in late Feb.  This really helped to get me on a better swing path and I worked into a baby draw.  Here are my swing at the swing eval: 

Before swing: https://gt.golf/LVTMle

After Swing:  https://gt.golf/Vwlu9A (not sure what is up with that follow through) 

I was able to groove a draw in the ensuing months. I shot my best ever round in Early April (a 42 (+6).  However, I ended up with a torn Achilles in April  at a soccer game.... which stalled out this summer's golf.  I've been back at it since July and have quite a few rounds in and lots of range hours.  

My current yardages are as follows (carry) (obviously mostly good shots):

• DR: 275
• 3W: 240
• 3U: 230
• 5I: 204
• 6I: 193
• 7I: 180
•  8I: 168
• 9I: 156
• PW: 147
• GW: 125
• SW: 115
• LW: 105

My biggest problem right now is the complete and utter inconsistency with my club face/path.  After my lesson I was working a slight draw, which felt good. However, I think my swing has gotten to steep in the interim and I now fight a push to push/slice. I have a hard time releasing the club to the right through the ball.  I don't trust it and end up yanking the club head inside causing the club-face to open and slice.  I'll try to get a better /more current video this evening. 

It's obviously time for a lesson again. So I'll be setting that up and will update accordingly.  Thanks for following along.  Golf sure is a fun (frustrating) puzzle.  

 

Hey fellow Salt Laker! Where is this teebox? I'm trying to rack my brain and I can't figure it out for the life of me. 

[Jonny_Crash]

3 hours ago, MNUte said:

Hey fellow Salt Laker! Where is this teebox? I'm trying to rack my brain and I can't figure it out for the life of me. 

Howdy!  It's #1 at Bonneville (right side tee).  

[dlow206]

One thing I would recommend, and not saying you are doing anything wrong, is to make sure all the setup aspects are correct, especially grip. I made a big jump in improvement just by improving my grip. When I mean improving grip, i don't necessarily mean strong vs. neutral vs. weak, but more about where exactly in the left hand the club should sit and where exactly in the right hand the grip should sit. I have had instructors say it looks fine, but recently had an instructor that physically placed my hands on the grip for me to show me exactly how it should be held. Sometimes I get sloppy with my grip and then things go downhill from there including swing plane getting messed up. 

[Jonny_Crash]

10 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

One thing I would recommend, and not saying you are doing anything wrong, is to make sure all the setup aspects are correct, especially grip. I made a big jump in improvement just by improving my grip. When I mean improving grip, i don't necessarily mean strong vs. neutral vs. weak, but more about where exactly in the left hand the club should sit and where exactly in the right hand the grip should sit. I have had instructors say it looks fine, but recently had an instructor that physically placed my hands on the grip for me to show me exactly how it should be held. Sometimes I get sloppy with my grip and then things go downhill from there including swing plane getting messed up. 

 

At golftec they did this and put me in a very strong grip.  It seemed okay, not sure if it is ideal or not, but I'll keep working on it. 

[Jonny_Crash]

I went to the range last night and worked on keeping the club from going too far inside.  Looks better, felt weird.... but that always takes time. 

I did notice that I before I was shallow going up and then steep going down.  I tried hard to reverse this loop so to speak, so I can shallow going back down.  Looking at the video, I still clearly above plane and need to work on laying the club flatter on the downswing. 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2021 by Jonny_Crash

[TR1PTIK]

Looking forward to reading more about your journey.

I'm probably not much help for the swing itself, but I highly recommend Hogan's 5 Fundamentals for developing a good posture, setup, and grip. I'm not a believer in the idea that every golfer should do everything the same, but as far as creating a foundation upon which you can tweak things to fit your physical abilities and playing style that book was the biggest help for me personally. There is not a golfer looking for improvement that I have not recommended that book to. I'm also a huge fan of developing a pre-shot routine. Be specific, and stick with it for a while. You'd be surprised at how much it will help you.

Best of luck!

[korsmot]

Three things I believe you need to look at when trying to break 90:

1) three putts.  You can't ever make up a missed putt.  I can drive it in the trees and still sometimes hit in on the green and it is like the bad drive never happened.  Putting is less forgiving.  Take a look at your total putts (I count using the putter just off the green as a putt cause it tells me more than the PGA stat way of counting).  On your three putts, were they a lag putting issue, did you get it inside 3 feet?  Or are you missing most 6 footers?  PGA percentage of makes from 6 ft is about 65%.  As an recreational player, you will be doing very well at 50% (though many people think they should make more).  I am not saying you will never three putt, but if you are having 3 or 4 each round, something to work on.

2) Duffs.  Another thrown away shot.  You have plenty of power but sometimes that leads to overswinging.  Also on pitch shots.  If you only hit the ball two feet/two yards when you meant to hit it much farther, that is a wasted shot.  Hard to get that back.  So count those up.  See if you have 2 or 3 of those each round.

3) Penalties.  If you don't have more than 1-2 around, that is probably okay, but I really noticed guys shooting in the low 80s and 70s don't have hardly any penalties.  It is related to ball striking and decision making.  So is your wayward driving causing the OB/lost ball?  Are you going for the green in two, too often?  Some of this is strategy.  And such a great thing to have the power you do, but you must use it wisely.  I almost never pull out driver on a par 4 less than 350 yards (I hit 3W 230).  I might hit 3 wood on a par 5 tee shot, that I don't want to try and reach in two because of danger near the green (water = penalty).  Even with a wedge in my hand, I might not attack a flag tucked behind a bunker and the green sloping down steeply on that side.  Putting for birdie is always a good thing, even from 35 feet and the center of the green.  Just making the right decisions can save you 3-5 shots a round if you are smart. (Pros call it "being patient" and "Missing it in the correct spot")

Really analyze you game.  Take a blank scorecard and on each hole, write down the shot that cost you (or may have cost you).  Drive in the woods put you behind trees.  Three putt. hit it in the water, etc.  

Example.  Drive in the fairway, PW to 4 feet off the green but in a little rough.  Chipped it only 12 feet (PGA make 30% from 12 feet. you will make 10%) 2 putt for bogey,  so it was the chip that cost you, not the PW shot.  (pros only hit about 12 greens each round)  However, if you chipped it to 3 feet and missed that putt, the 3 foot putt cost you.  

Everyone wants to be a great ball striker and spend a lot of time on it.  Spend more time on short game and putting.  Most people don't practice or take enough lessons on it.

cheers

Tigger

[Jonny_Crash]

Thanks a ton for taking the time to right this @korsmot.  I definitely have course management issues and have some just plain mental errors that cost me a lot of strokes.   I’ll try to pay attention as I go about my next rounds. As you mentioned hitting far is nice, but it sure makes for some big misses.

[Jonny_Crash]

4 hours ago, TR1PTIK said:

Looking forward to reading more about your journey.

I'm probably not much help for the swing itself, but I highly recommend Hogan's 5 Fundamentals for developing a good posture, setup, and grip. I'm not a believer in the idea that every golfer should do everything the same, but as far as creating a foundation upon which you can tweak things to fit your physical abilities and playing style that book was the biggest help for me personally. There is not a golfer looking for improvement that I have not recommended that book to. I'm also a huge fan of developing a pre-shot routine. Be specific, and stick with it for a while. You'd be surprised at how much it will help you.

Best of luck!

Thanks for the book suggestion. I’ll pick it up. 
 

I’m not much of a pre-shot routine person. I’m sure it’s costing me strokes

[elvis14]

What a great thread!  Lots of similarities between your golf journey and mine.  I started playing weekly last year for the first time in over a decade.  I used to get about 6 rounds a year in.  I used to play a lot of softball, volleyball, football and soccer so there just wasn't time for much golf (plus I coach youth soccer).  Playing softball didn't go my golf swing any favors either.  As I've gotten older, I've aged out of most of the sports I play.  Last year I started golfing weekly.  I slowly got better and was starting to break 90 pretty consistently.  Then some stuff happened and I didn't play for about 5 months.  This spring I played in a weekly league and it's better than the past but not where I was at last year.  I just can't put a round together right now.  At one point, I shot 49 4 weeks in a row (when you can't get rid of a pull/hook it's hard to score well).

Lots of good advice on here already.  korsmot is so right....3 putts, duffs and chips/pitches that leave a 2 putt are always places where we lose strokes.   Someone mentioned grip...wow what a difference it can make.  I hurt my left thumb last year and had to start playing about with my grip and quickly discovered how much of a difference maker it was.  I'm still experimenting on that front. 

Jonny_Crash, I need to follow some of what you have done and get a lesson and learn more about the swing.  Right now, I can get in the high 80's on a decent day but I'm really just falling back on athleticism.  I wish I had anywhere near the distance you do.  If I could hit the ball that far, I could break 90 from the whites just by taking the 3U off the tee and taking a short iron in...

 

[MNUte]

21 hours ago, Jonny_Crash said:

Howdy!  It's #1 at Bonneville (right side tee).  

Makes sense! Haven't played Bonny in years. 

And as for breaking 90, as others have mentioned, course management and minimizing mistakes tends to be the most critical detail. Golf Sidekick has been doing a series of videos on his Youtube Channel centered on his friend and getting him from hovering around 90 to breaking 80. And Rick Shiels just did a video a few days ago as well. The most common trends tend to be:

1. Double check your alignment. Most people aren't actually aimed where they think they are, even taking their shot shape into account. 

2. Get locked in around the greens. So keeping your three putts to an absolute minimum, learning how to bump and run consistently, etc. Which leads to the next one:

3. Don't use too much loft around the greens unless you're comfortable and confident that more than 3/4 of your shots will be correctly executed. So instead of using a 58 degree from the front of the green, just use an 8 iron or your putter. 

4. Shift your perspective. If you're playing bogey golf, you can add on a stroke to each hole. So the par 4 is actually a par 5 and GIR for you is 3 shots. Similarly, a regulation par is a birdy in regards to your break 90 goal, which is both achievable and confidence boosting. Takes a lot of pressure off your game. 

5. Don't play hero ball. If there's plenty of green to the left but the pin is tucked behind a bunker back right with not much green behind, get it on the green. Far easier trying to get a long put close to the pin than a short sided bunker flop. Similarly, learn what shots you're comfortable with and play for those shots. As GS puts it, at the high handicapper level, focus on strokes shaved (i.e. cutting down on dumb avoidable mistakes), not strokes gained. You might not get a birdy every round, but if you all but eliminate the double bogeys and blow up holes in most of your rounds, your scores will be not only better, but more consistent. 

[Jonny_Crash]

1 hour ago, elvis14 said:

What a great thread!  Lots of similarities between your golf journey and mine.  I started playing weekly last year for the first time in over a decade.  I used to get about 6 rounds a year in.  I used to play a lot of softball, volleyball, football and soccer so there just wasn't time for much golf (plus I coach youth soccer).  Playing softball didn't go my golf swing any favors either.  As I've gotten older, I've aged out of most of the sports I play.  Last year I started golfing weekly.  I slowly got better and was starting to break 90 pretty consistently.  Then some stuff happened and I didn't play for about 5 months.  This spring I played in a weekly league and it's better than the past but not where I was at last year.  I just can't put a round together right now.  At one point, I shot 49 4 weeks in a row (when you can't get rid of a pull/hook it's hard to score well).

Lots of good advice on here already.  korsmot is so right....3 putts, duffs and chips/pitches that leave a 2 putt are always places where we lose strokes.   Someone mentioned grip...wow what a difference it can make.  I hurt my left thumb last year and had to start playing about with my grip and quickly discovered how much of a difference maker it was.  I'm still experimenting on that front. 

Jonny_Crash, I need to follow some of what you have done and get a lesson and learn more about the swing.  Right now, I can get in the high 80's on a decent day but I'm really just falling back on athleticism.  I wish I had anywhere near the distance you do.  If I could hit the ball that far, I could break 90 from the whites just by taking the 3U off the tee and taking a short iron in...

 

Thanks for following along! 

I do need to take a round and just try to play as smart as possible (i.e. leave the driver and 3W home). I know I'm capable of a good score, it's just a matter of putting it together in the right way.  

[Jonny_Crash]

12 minutes ago, MNUte said:

4. Shift your perspective. If you're playing bogey golf, you can add on a stroke to each hole. So the par 4 is actually a par 5 and GIR for you is 3 shots. Similarly, a regulation par is a birdy in regards to your break 90 goal, which is both achievable and confidence boosting. Takes a lot of pressure off your game. 

5. Don't play hero ball. If there's plenty of green to the left but the pin is tucked behind a bunker back right with not much green behind, get it on the green. Far easier trying to get a long put close to the pin than a short sided bunker flop. Similarly, learn what shots you're comfortable with and play for those shots. As GS puts it, at the high handicapper level, focus on strokes shaved (i.e. cutting down on dumb avoidable mistakes), not strokes gained. You might not get a birdy every round, but if you all but eliminate the double bogeys and blow up holes in most of your rounds, your scores will be not only better, but more consistent. 

I love watching Golfsidekick, its a funny channel for sure.   I love point 4 and think that would be valuable for simply breaking 90. 

As for point 5.  I love how GS says "at your level there are no hero shots, just stupid shots."  It's so true.  On Sunday I missed right into another fairway and tried to hoist a 6I 190 back at the green over a hazard and left of a pond...  I smoked the shot, but it tailed off into the pond.  There is three shots lost.  A simple pitch or 9 back into the fairway would have been the "smart" play.