My Quest to Break 90.

[RickyBobby_PR 9,260]

49 minutes ago, Jonny_Crash said:

I've been trying to keep my hands outside a bit more on my backswing

Can you elaborate on this? Don’t understand what you are tryin to accomplish and what outside references?

[Jonny_Crash 252]

1 hour ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Can you elaborate on this? Don’t understand what you are tryin to accomplish and what outside references?

Sure,  I have a very inside takeaway.  So I'm trying to keep the club more down the line in my backswing.  I guess I'm referring to keeping my hands "outside" as keeping the club down the line in the backswing.   I see how that was confusing.  

My issue (one of them) is I tend to look at my hands during the backswing and end up swaying as a result and get behind the ball.  

[RickyBobby_PR 9,260]

1 hour ago, Jonny_Crash said:

Sure,  I have a very inside takeaway.  So I'm trying to keep the club more down the line in my backswing.  I guess I'm referring to keeping my hands "outside" as keeping the club down the line in the backswing.   I see how that was confusing.  

My issue (one of them) is I tend to look at my hands during the backswing and end up swaying as a result and get behind the ball.  

The club shouldn’t really be going down the line that long. It’s supposed to be working on an arc. You hand path is a should be working in while the club works out. If you keep the club on the target line too long you get disconnected with the body and the club is going to more than likely end up off plane and you will have to compensate for it. Based on the video you posted at the beginning your weight at setup is too far towards the toe and combined with the swing thought you have you won’t be able to shallow it properly. In the video you posted you can see the early extension in your swing from the club being steep in transition to avoid the off balance in the swing.

here’s video of morikawa and Tiger. Two great ball strikers. Look at their hands and club going back, you will notice it not staying on the target line that long

https://youtu.be/02imCuJAZCw

 

https://youtu.be/GyRPcn0E-bc

[Jonny_Crash 252]

My thought is really just "club down the line when parallel to the ground," but what you say makes sense.  It does feel disconnected.  

I'll have to play with the balance.  I do notice I get toe heavy.  

 

 

[RickyBobby_PR 9,260]

56 minutes ago, Jonny_Crash said:

My thought is really just "club down the line when parallel to the ground," but what you say makes sense.  It does feel disconnected.  

I'll have to play with the balance.  I do notice I get toe heavy.  

 

 

For the setup keep legs straight then bend at the waist without pushing your hips back. When you feel 70% if your weight on your toes softening your knees a little. This will help with the balance.

Based on what I’ve read and see in your video you are focused on using a one piece takeaway. A couple drills to help connectivity with arms and chest and takeaway. 1) place a long towel across the the chest and under the armpits. It should stay in place til your left arm get parallel. Work on taking practice swings to left arm parallel. 2) place a ball behind your club at address and use the upper body to turn and push that away without it going flying back.

In the one piece takeaway  approach your hands should be working even to where they start at address and not further away from the body and almost getting closer to the right leg. Once your hands pass the right leg your wrist should start to set. This will start the club going parallel to the ground then from there you should a very slight bend in the right elbow. From this point it’s a bend of the elbow and completing the shoulder turn

[Jonny_Crash 252]

Aces! Thank you! 

[Jonny_Crash 252]

Played a soggy 9 this morning.  Didn't hit the range at all this week, so I had some low expectations going into the round and was just hoping to hit some good ones here and there.  

Finished with a 55.  Couple of silly mistakes here and there, but overall was pretty decent.  Stats:

• 18 Putts
• 8 chip/pitch shots (3 holes with doubles).  This is an area I can really cut down some strokes... just get the ball on the green with these.
• 4 penalty strokes was also a killer.  1 3u pushed into a lateral, 1 tee shoot into a big tree, 1 blade over a green into a hazard; and 1 pushed 9i on a par 3 (I did stick my reload to 5' though, missed the putt by 1").   
• Only 1 GIR and 1 FW

Highlights:

• Stuck a 58* from 77yds to about 8'  just missed the putt
• 2 really good 5i off the tee that ended up 220 ish
• Putting was pretty good on wet and slow greens.  Only 3 putts were the first two holes

Takeaways: 

• If a club isn't working off the tee... keep working down until I find something that does.  I was topping some balls off the tee with my 3U, which led to some long recovery shots.  Should have switched to the 5i, which I was striping off the tee. 
• I just need to pitch/chip to the middle of the green and then 2 putt.  I almost always 2 putt (averaging 2.2 putts per hole over the past 24 rounds)

Edited October 8, 2021 by Jonny_Crash
added picture

[cnosil 24,439]

7 minutes ago, Jonny_Crash said:

Played a soggy 9 this morning.  Didn't hit the range at all this week, so I had some low expectations going into the round and was just hoping to hit some good ones here and there.  

Finished with a 55.  Couple of silly mistakes here and there, but overall was pretty decent.  Stats:

• 18 Putts
• 8 chip/pitch shots (3 holes with doubles).  This is an area I can really cut down some strokes... just get the ball on the green with these.
• 4 penalty strokes was also a killer.  1 3u pushed into a lateral, 1 tee shoot into a big tree, 1 blade over a green into a hazard; and 1 pushed 9i on a par 3 (I did stick my reload to 5' though, missed the putt by 1").   
• Only 1 GIR and 1 FW

Highlights:

• Stuck a 58* from 77yds to about 8'  just missed the putt
• 2 really good 5i off the tee that ended up 220 ish
• Putting was pretty good on wet and slow greens.  Only 3 putts were the first two holes

Takeaways: 

• If a club isn't working off the tee... keep working down until I find something that does.  I was topping some balls off the tee with my 3U, which led to some long recovery shots.  Should have switched to the 5i, which I was striping off the tee. 
• I just need to pitch/chip to the middle of the green and then 2 putt.  I almost always 2 putt (averaging 2.2 putts per hole over the past 24 rounds)

Love the scenery in you photo.

penalty strokes are a killer; I know this is an obvious statement but really work to avoid those.  
 

what was the issue with the 8 pitch/chip shots?  Missing greens will result in lots of these shots.  I am guessing lots of thin and fat shots.  No need to get to a range for these,  just go in your backyard and work on contact and hitting these short shots.  

[Jonny_Crash 252]

45 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Love the scenery in you photo.

penalty strokes are a killer; I know this is an obvious statement but really work to avoid those.  
 

what was the issue with the 8 pitch/chip shots?  Missing greens will result in lots of these shots.  I am guessing lots of thin and fat shots.  No need to get to a range for these,  just go in your backyard and work on contact and hitting these short shots.  

Yeah, the penalty strokes always get me.  I only lost one ball today, which was nice... Part of the pitch/chip shots is blading/chunking.  Sometimes I simply just pitch from one side to the other (distance control issues). 

I have had a hard time lately getting solid contact on 50 yd shots.  This used to be a great part of my game, but I've gotten really steep lately and it has resulted in a lot of chunks and leaving myself short of the green.  I'd wager I lose 2-4 strokes per nine on shots left short from 100 yards and in.  

 

[BMart519 1,385]

1 hour ago, Jonny_Crash said:

• Only 1 GIR and 1 FW

Highlights:

• Putting was pretty good on wet and slow greens.  Only 3 putts were the first two holes

Takeaways: 

• I just need to pitch/chip to the middle of the green and then 2 putt.  I almost always 2 putt (averaging 2.2 putts per hole over the past 24 rounds)

 

Some combination of your putting and chipping need attention. 18 putts on 1 GIR should not be considered a highlight. 18 putts if you hit 6+ (or 9 lol) GIR would be a more reasonable highlight, but 2 putts/hole is the maximum you should allow for if you want to break 90. The assumption is you should be able to chip some balls close enough to 1 putt (30% is a good number) along with the occasional 1 putt after a GIR. A 3 putt on a GIR will happen, but shouldn't be happening on a missed green where you chipped on. 

[BMart519 1,385]

9 minutes ago, Jonny_Crash said:

I'd wager I lose 2-4 strokes per nine on shots left short from 100 yards and in.  

 

From your summary above you mention you had 3 holes with 2 chips, so that 3 lost shots, +1 penalty from a skull for 4, and another hole with a 3 putt after a chip is 5. Not to mention the easier chips that should be leaving you 1 putts. So you are probably losing 5-7 strokes per nine from inside 100. (Plus the longer shots in this range that finish out of position). 

[Jonny_Crash 252]

10 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

Some combination of your putting and chipping need attention. 18 putts on 1 GIR should not be considered a highlight. 18 putts if you hit 6+ (or 9 lol) GIR would be a more reasonable highlight, but 2 putts/hole is the maximum you should allow for if you want to break 90. The assumption is you should be able to chip some balls close enough to 1 putt (30% is a good number) along with the occasional 1 putt after a GIR. A 3 putt on a GIR will happen, but shouldn't be happening on a missed green where you chipped on. 

It's definitely that I'm not chipping/pitching close enough to the hole (or leaving myself a tough putt).  Some of it is just weird greens as well.  

Here is how today went: 

1. GIR:  Really tough two tier green.  1st, left 5' back up hill.  Finished 2" short on 2nd.
2. approach from 50 yds to front of green (back pin) 40' from hole.  1st putt left short in the wet to about 10'  2nd putt to 3"
3. Duffed a pitch from 20 yds,  Second pitch from 15 yds onto the green, but left a 15' putt.  2 putt.
4. Pitched from 50 yds to front of green.  20' two putt
5. Really nasty two tier green (pin was on back/lower).  Pitched on from about 10 yds, rolled off back.  Chipped back up  (off a severe uphill lie) to 5'  missed the uphill putt, made comeback.
6. Par 3, short about 30 yds.  Chipped to 5' and made putt
7. 58* from 77 yards to 8' 1st putt missed by 2" 
8. Chunked a pitch from 30 yds to rough in front of elevated green.  Chipped past hole to back fringe.  Tough 2 putt
9. Par 3 (first shot ob, stuck second to 5'), one putt. 

I was really close to knocking down a couple of these putts, but didn't.   I'm seeing two issues in writing this out.  First, I don't lag putt very well on longer putts I need to leave myself better 2nd putts.  Second,  I'm really bad at pitching the ball.  My consistency and distance control is poor.  This leaves longer putts that I'm not making.  

 

 

[Jonny_Crash 252]

18 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

From your summary above you mention you had 3 holes with 2 chips, so that 3 lost shots, +1 penalty from a skull for 4, and another hole with a 3 putt after a chip is 5. Not to mention the easier chips that should be leaving you 1 putts. So you are probably losing 5-7 strokes per nine from inside 100. (Plus the longer shots in this range that finish out of position). 

That sounds about right.  This is definitely an area of my game I need to work on.  

[Lsuarez@bigv 0]

If you can't break 90 with your yardages as quoted, you are in serious need of a mental coach not a swing coach!

[dlow206 10,591]

1 minute ago, Lsuarez@bigv said:

If you can't break 90 with your yardages as quoted, you are in serious need of a mental coach not a swing coach!

Don't think this is an appropriate comment. There is much more to golf and scoring than how far you can hit the ball. 

[Jonny_Crash 252]

3 hours ago, Lsuarez@bigv said:

If you can't break 90 with your yardages as quoted, you are in serious need of a mental coach not a swing coach!

There is a lot of truth to this.  My playing partners are frequently amazed at how high my score is... given my swing. 

[Richard Fahrney 6]

Keep it in the short grass and work on chipping and putting. 

[Riverboat 789]

How are you controlling distance on pitches, chips, and putts? If you are taking a long backswing and trying to adjust how "hard" you swing, I think that is much harder to do for most golfers. For most, distance should be controlled by adjusting the length of the backswing and follow through. In general, the shorter the swing, the smaller the misses will be. Just be sure to keep a smooth tempo. Shorter doesn't mean quicker. 

Also, most players benefit from focusing more on the big muscles with shorter shots. If you are using a lot of wrist/ hand action, you are again risking bigger misses. You will find that less wrist and hand action will usually mean playing lower shots that release more. As long as you are not flopping over a bunker, leave the high shots to those with the serious touch needed to play them. Clearly, when you are missing the green so often from such short distances, you need to go with more conservative shots that reduce the size of errors. 

There is nothing wrong with getting the ball on the ground and rolling as quickly as possible. It may not look as pretty as the high flyer or spinning stopper, but it's a far more effective way to play for most golfers. And contrary to the opinion of some on these threads, you can shoot low scores this way. I've been as low as a three and in single digits virtually my whole adult life, and I much prefer the ground game whenever possible. 

[Jonny_Crash 252]

I try to keep things more or less on a clock system and adjust the backswing based upon the distance.  I sometimes get a bit handsy (haha) which lets to the inconsistency.  My best short game is when I'm using the big muscles.  

I've been trying to get the ball on the ground a lot quicker (it seems more repeatable and controllable).  

Still a work in progress... evidently haha.

[Jonny_Crash 252]

I haven't been out much lately, but did hit the range a couple times last week.  I was working on getting away from the inside takeaway, but realized I was getting disconnected and causing a sway.  Keeping my left arm attached to my chest in the backswing helped to keep things more in sync and the backswing shorter.  

One thing I've really noticed is that I try to muscle my swing too much.  I get steep and quick when this happens and end up with a lot of chunks.  If I take it easy and swing free I'm a lot more in sync (and generally hit much further).  So, a big thought is swing easy for me.  

I'll try to get some video next time I'm out (tomorrow probably).