How'd you play?

[chisag]

4 minutes ago, JerryB said:

Pretty much.  I'm also guilty of popping up as I swing in a poor attempt to almost scoop the ball softly, to predictably disastrous results!

 

... Next time you are faced with that shot, put your focus on the very front of the ball and try and hit it there. It solves quite a few flaws from scooping to staying on your back foot because there is nothing to scoop or lift. You aren't "getting under the ball" but just hitting through the very front of it. 

[Syks7]

Very meh kind of day.  45/45 90.  Just a funny day.  Nothing catastrophic, just mediocre across the board.   On to the next round.

[JerryB]

46 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Next time you are faced with that shot, put your focus on the very front of the ball and try and hit it there. It solves quite a few flaws from scooping to staying on your back foot because there is nothing to scoop or lift. You aren't "getting under the ball" but just hitting through the very front of it. 

Great advice!  And I highlighted the most important part for me, at least:  FOCUS!  Being a little more mindful during each stroke goes a long way.

[skraeling]

9 minutes ago, JerryB said:

Great advice!  And I highlighted the most important part for me, at least:  FOCUS!  Being a little more mindful during each stroke goes a long way.

My biggest issue this year (so far) was poor overly over the ball posture.

fell back into old baseball habits.  Got too squat and kept bottoming out behind the ball.

Found a pre shot routine finally and started actually striking the ball with more authority than I have any right to.

till the fireball hits anyway.

[GaryF]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... Next time you are faced with that shot, put your focus on the very front of the ball and try and hit it there. It solves quite a few flaws from scooping to staying on your back foot because there is nothing to scoop or lift. You aren't "getting under the ball" but just hitting through the very front of it. 

That’s the very thing my teacher/coach was telling me.  Focus on the front where the club should bottom out.  I’ve worked on it on the range but it still feels uncomfortable. I mean, if I focus on the front of the ball, how do I know the club is still there? Going to take time to make it a habit. 

[richk9holes]

Rode the front 9 at Cream Ridge GC at twilight, tough time scoring had 22 putts started with ️ peridotite hands and finished with baby arms and a couple lost balls leading to something like a +16 on the 9 holes. 

Driver was sketchy enough I'm going to bring my dad's old Ping G25 out on the course tomorrow and see what happens. I hit it 5 times at the range it felt very good for being as old as it is.

[chisag]

52 minutes ago, GaryF said:

That’s the very thing my teacher/coach was telling me.  Focus on the front where the club should bottom out.  I’ve worked on it on the range but it still feels uncomfortable. I mean, if I focus on the front of the ball, how do I know the club is still there? Going to take time to make it a habit. 

 

... It can certainly be used for full iron shots. In Jerry's case I am not concerned with the club bottoming out. I have a feeling he is leaning back and trying to lift the ball, attempting to get it in the air. Many of my students talked about getting "underneath the ball" not yet understanding it is the loft of the club and spin that gets the ball in the air. Hit down to make the ball go up is really a foreign concept to many because it goes against our natural logic.

... But I don't really understand your thought. Could you explain it? 

[sirchunksalot]

5 hours ago, Kenny B said:

Get your weight off your back foot!!! {said someone who’s done that for years} 

Where you listening in on my fitting? I heard something similar to that from him quite a few times. 

[EasyPutter]

6 hours ago, richk9holes said:

The MGS Forum Tour bag tag looks really good on your bag!

[RollingGreens]

Played early yesterday morning in some cold temps. Really needed to warm up more. First time playing this course and my playing partner/Sherpa wasn’t the most helpful. Didn’t write down the pin location for the day so the first 9 we were off all day, I’m used to the red white blue system. The greens were like glass, incredibly fast and tons of movement. My driver was off until the last few holes, tempo needed some adjusting. I managed a 43 off the front but a 46 on the back. While I played better in the back I just could not sink any putts and had 6 3 putts alone. 2-3 of those cost me pars, even when I wanted to leave myself short with a tap in opportunity I was incredibly short or long. It was a positive day. I wouldn’t say I was mad with how I played because I bounced back and the putting wasn’t there yesterday. Tons of blind shots in a course are really hard for me the first time playing a course. I really like to pick lines and play off angles.

[GaryF]

7 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... It can certainly be used for full iron shots. In Jerry's case I am not concerned with the club bottoming out. I have a feeling he is leaning back and trying to lift the ball, attempting to get it in the air. Many of my students talked about getting "underneath the ball" not yet understanding it is the loft of the club and spin that gets the ball in the air. Hit down to make the ball go up is really a foreign concept to many because it goes against our natural logic.

... But I don't really understand your thought. Could you explain it? 

I was being facetious.  But after years of having the focal point at the back of the ball  and the face of the club, it feels awkward focusing at the front and it does take the club out of direct view and taking some getting used to.  Of course the club is there and exactly how I positioned it but I still need about 900 more range practice shots to get comfortable with it.  

Played an extremely frustrating round yesterday. Very slow play and we ended up skipping 2 slow groups and holes. Second time in a week greens have been sanded and greens were very hard.  I hit numerous approach shots, some within 4-6 feet of the pins only to have rollout of 20-30 feet.  My normal high trajectory full swing wedge shots not leaving any ball mark, but bouncing.  Last few weeks have been testing new putters and was doing well with them but reverted back to my putter that has too light of a head and had countless 3 putts.  
 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by GaryF
Add

[skraeling]

8 hours ago, GaryF said:

That’s the very thing my teacher/coach was telling me.  Focus on the front where the club should bottom out.  I’ve worked on it on the range but it still feels uncomfortable. I mean, if I focus on the front of the ball, how do I know the club is still there? Going to take time to make it a habit. 

I stumbled on a mistake I was making.  I dunno how tall you are but tallish dudes tend to lean over the ball too much or squat down too much.  Doesnt help if you played a lot of baseball either and you find yourself getting into too athletic of a stance.

I was having the BIGGESt issue with fatting behind the ball, and it didnt matter what I tried for anything else.  I just needed to fix my posture.  I wasnt steep persay and i do a lot of things right so other people might have more than one mechanic screwy.  I never topped balls always fat.

This vid is what really gave me a lightbulb moment and the posture wasnt even the main focus of it too.  Went to the range and doof 2 out of maybe 35 shots off grass.  Noted improvement for me.

Please note i am NOT a golf pro or even barely competent.  This is just what worked for me and my particular swing and misshit.

Edited May 26, 2023 by skraeling

[GaryF]

4 minutes ago, GaryF said:

I was being facetious.  But after years of having the focal point at the back of the ball  and the face of the club, it feels awkward focusing at the front and it does take the club out of direct view and taking some getting used to.  Of course the club is there and exactly how I positioned it but I still need about 900 more range practice shots to get comfortable with it.  

 

[GaryF]

5 minutes ago, skraeling said:

I stumbled on a mistake I was making.  I dunno how tall you are but tallish dudes tend to lean over the ball too much or squat down too much.  Doesnt help if you played a lot of baseball either and you find yourself getting into too athletic of a stance.

I was having the BIGGESt issue with fatting behind the ball, and it didnt matter what I tried for anything else.  I just needed to fix my posture.  I wasnt steep persay and i do a lot of things right so other people might have more than one mechanic screwy.  I never topped balls always fat.

This vid is what really gave me a lightbulb moment and the posture wasnt even the main focus of it too.  Went to the range and doof 2 out of maybe 35 shots off grass.  Noted improvement for me.

Please note i am NOT a golf pro or even barely competent.  This is just what worked for me and my particular swing and misshit.

Unfortunately being tall was not in my dna, but I did play a lot of baseball.  After a game against Smoltz’s HS (I’m a lot older) where I relieved and shut them out for six innings an Oriole scout who was scouting one of the opponents came up to me and said ‘you’ve got really good stuff, but you’re too small’ (5’-9”), then walked away.  It was ok, I didn’t know he was there and heard that a lot growing up.

Anyways, I hit very few fat shots unless I have a downward lie.  I do hit an occasional thin shot, which was why my coach mentioned changing my focal point to the front of the ball.  

[skraeling]

1 hour ago, GaryF said:

Unfortunately being tall was not in my dna, but I did play a lot of baseball.  After a game against Smoltz’s HS (I’m a lot older) where I relieved and shut them out for six innings an Oriole scout who was scouting one of the opponents came up to me and said ‘you’ve got really good stuff, but you’re too small’ (5’-9”), then walked away.  It was ok, I didn’t know he was there and heard that a lot growing up.

Anyways, I hit very few fat shots unless I have a downward lie.  I do hit an occasional thin shot, which was why my coach mentioned changing my focal point to the front of the ball.  

Yeah I never thin s*** so probably why it ended up working for me.  Also why you listen to your coach and not me haha.

Edited May 26, 2023 by skraeling

[GaryF]

21 minutes ago, skraeling said:

Yeah I never thin s*** so probably why it ended up working for me.  Also why listen to your coach and not me haha.

But a lot of good info in your post and in reading through issues that others have there are a lot of hidden nuggets.  My view is that if we aren’t continuous learners, we aren’t going to improve. 

[cksurfdude]

14 hours ago, cnosil said:

First number is difficulty for scratch golfers and second number is difficulty for bogey golfers.   

https://thegolfacademy.org/2018/07/15/slope-vs-course-rating-two-of-golfs-most-confused-numbers/

Aha great article, thx .. very clear explanations of the two numbers .. and def suggested reading for anyone else like me who had it bass-ackwards

[cksurfdude]

9 hours ago, richk9holes said:

Rode the front 9 at Cream Ridge GC  ...

Hey what's that wiry round pasta or boiled egg scooper looking device on the right side of your bag..?

[skraeling]

2 minutes ago, cksurfdude said:

Hey what's that wiry round pasta or boiled egg scooper looking device on the right side of your bag..?

ball retriever is my guess

[warrenator8]

Played Wednesday afternoon after I got off work and was pleased with my round. I didn't keep score as I wanted to use this round as a stress release and practice session. Drove the ball pretty well, a little more offline than I usually am but longer than usual. Irons were good, including a 7-iron I hit into a par 5 that almost went in for 2. Short game was hit or miss (wishing I had a area to practice that more). Putting was solid but uneventful. Made almost everything inside 5 feet. Overall, not a bad practice day.

[Fred Mitchell]

9 hours ago, richk9holes said:

Rode the front 9 at Cream Ridge GC at twilight, tough time scoring had 22 putts started with ️ peridotite hands and finished with baby arms and a couple lost balls leading to something like a +16 on the 9 holes. 

Driver was sketchy enough I'm going to bring my dad's old Ping G25 out on the course tomorrow and see what happens. I hit it 5 times at the range it felt very good for being as old as it is.

My buddies are like why did you buy Ping woods when several brands are longer. They are usually yelling this to me from the rough or woods while I wait patiently in the fairway.

[richk9holes]

2 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Hey what's that wiry round pasta or boiled egg scooper looking device on the right side of your bag..?

Butt scratcher...get your butt scratchers here! Butt scratcher!

[Rickp]

4 hours ago, richk9holes said:

Butt scratcher...get your butt scratchers here! Butt scratcher!

Jiffy Pop popcorn handle

[Sluggo42]

6 over through the first 5 holes. Ugh. Rallied back to play even for the rest of the round, with a net result of a 77. Im a bit a of a stumbler after I hit the ball, poor balance (altho not as bad as Berg I think). So the back side I really focused on holding my finish, and Its now going to be my entire focus moving forward. Man I hit some good shots. Funny how that works eh? 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Just got home from my work trip and golf outing. Played well today. Tied for second and won in the score card review. Here is the kicker. They paid 1st and 10th place only. What kind of crap is that. So I then drove 5-1/2 hours home thinking about that one stroke that would have tied for first place.

It was a fun day and the course was in good condition. Good weather, good company and good golf. What else can you ask for?

[cnosil]

25 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

 They paid 1st and 10th place only. What kind of crap is that.

That was the way it was at the MGS outing last year;  only first and last got rewarded

[Tom the Golf Nut]

2 minutes ago, cnosil said:

That was the way it was at the MGS outing last year;  only first and last got rewarded

That’s ok for a MGS outing. But it was $400 to enter this one. 

[richk9holes]

Walked 9 holes at Clearbrook GC. Best score here is +7 for 42. Today was +8 43, 2 pars 6 bogeys and a double. No penalties. No luck today, had 3 looks at birdie bad 3 putt on one and the other 2 buckled my knees. 1 good lag from off the fringe. Hit 4/6 FW 4/9 gir. The Ping g25 driver did everything asked of it, 4 in the fairway were 215-225y the 1 miss right was a bomb that was out in a clearing. The other miss was only because I hit it 240y and ran out of FW. Putting needs to get better. 

[Grand Stranded]

On 5/19/2023 at 7:54 PM, sirchunksalot said:

I got home from work today and headed to the course. My wife was hanging out with some friends and I went with the intention of either playing or if the course was crowded, hitting the range.

I started out behind a foursome that was playing slow. I think it got into my head since I have to work tomorrow and made a disaster of the first hole. Pulled a drive, shanked a 7 iron, shanked a wedge OB, you get the idea. I carded an 8 on the par 4. 

I settled down after that carding 3 bogeys in a row before a double on the 5th. Driver was in play all day and I only hit 3 drives that were way off line, but they were good misses. Overall, I feel like all my clubs were behaving and while I wasn't striping a lot of shots, they were good. I hit a couple of fairway woods that were pummeled by my standards. On the 3rd, I ripped a 5 wood, but pulled it into the 1st fairway. 

I still need a little time dialing in my wedges, but I'm not going to complain with how they performed. It's mostly a me thing.

The Agera was solid, not spectacular, but solid. I need to work on distance control because I was leaving a lot of mid too long range putts short. I'm nitpicking here since I had 8 2 putts and one 3 putt where I chipped into a downhill green and ended up 39 feet from the hole. 

My shot of the day came on the 9th hole. Hit my drive beside the cart path with enough room that I could stand comfortably without being on it. I had 143 uphill and pulled 7 iron. I aimed a little left of the green due to wind coming from that direction and let it fly. I hit dead center about 2 grooves low and watched the ball soar in the air and fade toward the green. It landed just long of the flag and on the fringe. I chipped to 6 feet and made the par.

I shot 49, which is the best I have scored in quite a while. 

That’s fantastic! You bounced back from that 1st hole like a champ. 

 

[Grand Stranded]

On 5/23/2023 at 9:13 PM, Rickp said:

Played well this morning EXCEPT putting.  Need an intervention!!  Got a couple ideas for drills from other spies and have grabbed my Ping BECU Anser 2 for tomorrow round!!  

Ugh. You had to mention a BeCu Anser 2 and ruin my night!

About 10 years ago I’m playing our Norman course. I hit a wedge onto the green to about 3’. I pulled the birdie putt to the right and threw mine as hard as I could. As I’m in the throwing motion I realized that water runs up the entire right side of the hole, and it was only about 10 yards from where I was.
It almost felt like I was reaching out to grab the putter as it left my hand, soaring high and far looking like a helicopter blade until it finally landed about 25 yards out into the middle of the pond.

My gamer was a Yes! Tracy but I cherished that  mint condition Ping because I knew what a classic it was, and then on one of the rare times I took it out from display bag I kept it in with a full set of BeCu Eye 2’s, I threw it in a pond because I’m a (not the word I want to use here…) freaking idiot!

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by Grand Stranded