WITB / Canada / Break-80

[Shlax]

Greetings everyone. I'm Shlax, from Canada, and as the 2023 season knocks at the door, I can't stop thinking about golf 24/7. I know I'm not the only one!

I've been golfing since my early teenage years and almost completely stopped during college and for a few years after. I fell back into the wonderful rabbit hole that is golf when the pandemic hit and now I have no interested in ever stopping. I routinely hovered around or broke 100 when I played 6-7 times per year at my local course during my teenage years and since getting back in golf shape, I have maxed out at a 10.3 index and shot 80 numerous times from various tees but never broke it! I would have never thought that golf would occupy such an important place in my life at this point and I am all for it.

This season is the first season where I feel like I am ready from the very beginning (i.e., went to the simulator on a regular basis this winter and seriously practiced with drills and video feedback). Therefore, my goal this year is to regularly break-80, become a single digit handicapper and hopefully keep this status until the end of the season. I play at least once a week, no matter if it's 35c or raining, or twice when I can and you can be sure that I will play 36 holes in the same day when I have some time off work. I try to go to the range to work on my swing and short game also once a week, weather permitting.

• My strength is my approach/iron play (e.g., from 50-180 yds out).
• Putting is pretty good. I am very satisfied with my approach/longer putts but my putting inside 5 feet could use some more success rate.
• Short game is decent. I dont have any complaint regarding my bunker play, bump and runs or chip shots but I would like to add the elusive low spinner (i.e., one hop and stop) to the bag as this would make a world of difference on my up and down ability.
•  Driving/off the tee is definitely my weakness. I cruise around 112-115 mph club head speed and reach 120+ mph when I lean on it so when I make a mistake, it is often quite costly. With driver, I have a steep swing and outside-in (-1 ou -2*) club path. The last few years, I could get by with my high spin cut costing me distance as accuracy was just okay but now that I want to shoot lower scores, I need to lower my spin and ideally be able to play a draw. The few times that I was successful in playing a draw, the carry distance was often 20-25 yds longer than my total driving distance with my cut.
  • When playing my high spin cut
    • Backspin: About 2700-2900 rpm (from sim data)
    • Launch angle: Steady 11-12* (from sim data)
    • Carry: Roughly 250 yds on average
  • When successful with a draw
    • Backspin Low 2000s rpm (from sim data)
    • Carry: Usually 270+ yds. My longest drive ever was when I hit such a draw and it totaled 337 yds (yes, on flat ground and at sea level).

That's about it for me. I did fall into the "get shallow" wormhole in order to hit draws and am still struggling but it is pleasant pain!

I am looking forward to read and share experience if some of you are going through a similar process.

Here is my WITB for posterity (detailed description in signature).

Enjoy the upcoming season!

Edited April 26 by Shlax
Typo and formatting.

[Christof]

10 hours ago, Shlax said:

Greetings everyone. I'm Shlax, from Canada, and as the 2023 season knocks at the door, I can't stop thinking about golf 24/7. I know I'm not the only one!

I've been golfing since my early teenage years and almost completely stopped during college and for a few years after. I fell back into the wonderful rabbit hole that is golf when the pandemic hit and now I have no interested in ever stopping. I routinely hovered around or broke 100 when I played 6-7 times per year at my local course during my teenage years and since getting back in golf shape, I have maxed out at a 10.3 index and shot 80 numerous times from various tees but never broke it! I would have never thought that golf would occupy such an important place in my life at this point and I am all for it.

This season is the first season where I feel like I am ready from the very beginning (i.e., went to the simulator on a regular basis this winter and seriously practiced with drills and video feedback). Therefore, my goal this year is to regularly break-80, become a single digit handicapper and hopefully keep this status until the end of the season. I play at least once a week, no matter if it's 35c or raining, or twice when I can and you can be sure that I will play 36 holes in the same day when I have some time off work. I try to go to the range to work on my swing and short game also once a week, weather permitting.

• My strength is my approach/iron play (e.g., from 50-180 yds out).
• Putting is pretty good. I am very satisfied with my approach/longer putts but my putting inside 5 feet could use some more success rate.
• Short game is decent. I dont have any complaint regarding my bunker play, bump and runs or chip shots but I would like to add the elusive low spinner (i.e., one hop and stop) to the bag as this would make a world of difference on my up and down ability.
•  Driving/off the tee is definitely my weakness. I cruise around 112-115 mph club head speed and reach 120+ mph when I lean on it so when I make a mistake, it is often quite costly. With driver, I have a steep swing and outside-in (-1 ou -2*) club path. The last few years, I could get by with my high spin cut costing me distance as accuracy was just okay but now that I want to shoot lower scores, I need to lower my spin and ideally be able to play a draw. The few times that I was successful in playing a draw, the carry distance was often 20-25 yds longer than my total driving distance with my cut.
  • When playing my high spin cut
    • Backspin: About 2700-2900 rpm (from sim data)
    • Launch angle: Steady 11-12* (from sim data)
    • Carry: Roughly 250 yds on average
  • When successful with a draw
    • Backspin Low 2000s rpm (from sim data)
    • Carry: Usually 270+ yds. My longest drive ever was when I hit such a draw and it totaled 337 yds (yes, on flat ground and at sea level).

That's about it for me. I did fall into the "get shallow" wormhole in order to hit draws and am still struggling but it is pleasant pain!

I am looking forward to read and share experience if some of you are going through a similar process.

Here is my WITB for posterity (detailed description in signature).

Enjoy the upcoming season!

Nice set of golf equipment.

 

[KC Golf]

Welcome fellow Canadian!  

That’s a nice looking set of clubs for the season.  How are the Srixon’s?  

I had an issue with Attack angle and Steepness on my driver last Summer, but my coach was able to fix it over the Winter with a lot of indoor GC Quad help.  Sadly, I don’t have any where near your club head speed.  Very envious.

Hope you have a great season.

[Shlax]

3 hours ago, KC Golf said:

Welcome fellow Canadian!  

That’s a nice looking set of clubs for the season.  How are the Srixon’s?  

I had an issue with Attack angle and Steepness on my driver last Summer, but my coach was able to fix it over the Winter with a lot of indoor GC Quad help.  Sadly, I don’t have any where near your club head speed.  Very envious.

Hope you have a great season.

Thank you.

I absolutely love these irons! It is the first set of forged irons that I own and the first piece of equipment that I changed upon getting back into it. It truly opened my eyes on the difference that equipment can make in this sport, provided that it suits the player's needs and ability, and triggered an avalanche of club upgrades in recent years. I happily recommend Srixon irons to anyone in the market for a new set (I tried this year's ZX7 MKIIs and WOW).

I sincerely wish that you will be able to reap the rewards or your hard work from last off-season!

Edited April 29 by Shlax
Typo