My quest to break 100

[sparnar]

If you have trouble with the hybrid being too springy, try the 5 iron or whatever your least lofted iron is.

 

I brought this over from the purpose of the 3 Wood thread. If you are going to play holes that are that long, and of course, you being at the higher elevation it may have some effect, but you really can only expect to hit 5 of those greens with any degree of regularity. So your short game is going to be key. I wish you could move up but I understand your reluctance. Sometimes during the week I play with a bunch of Seniors and they want me to play from the gold tees so it is easier on them, and they do not have to worry about driving in front of me and forgetting I am there, they are seniors you know. The first couple of times I was a bit embarrassed to be seen there but eventually I found it was not significantly easier to play from there. The only thing easier about it is if you can not reach the green in two, than you move up.

 

I think that was the purpose of the Tee it Forward campaign but the commercials do such a poor job of explaining it they have simply wasted the whole opportunity.

 

Thanks, RoverRick.

 

Unfortunately moving up a set of tees isn't really an option for me. But I do understand your point, and even though it makes perfect sense, there is no way I could convince my playing partners to play from the middle tees (I'll refrain from calling them the senior tees).

 

I can guarantee you that on the occassion that I do play courses with 4 sets of tees, we never play the back tees. That would be brutal.

 

Once I have my pitching sorted out, I will spend some time getting my driver sorted out. But at this time there are some more important things to work on.

[sparnar]

The way you groove good habits into your game is to practice good habits. Machine gunning balls at the range is likely to do the opposite and ingrain bad habits. That does not mean don't practice, it just means to view your practice as an extension of your game. You aren't practicing "hitting range balls", you are practicing "playing golf"! Your goal should be to get the most out of your practice, not hit the most balls. Instead of thinking about the "value" of your practice session in terms of golf balls hit, think of the value in terms of strokes off your 18 hole score! If you could choose between practicing for 2 hours and not shaving a stroke off your score, or practicing for 20 minutes and shooting 98 for the first time, which would you prefer?

 

Don't get me wrong, when I'm at the range I do not go through my entire pre-shot routine for every swing. That is because I am not always practicing that part of my game. But I am always working on SOMETHING. For example, right now I'm tweaking my swing a bit, trying to get my takeaway more vertical, working on my spine angle, and my weight transfer through the ball. I know that's alot and this isn't about me, but my point is that when I'm working on my takeaway I don't need or want to back away all the time, I'm working on changing my muscle memory on that part of my swing and I find that stepping off all the time is counterproductive to that goal.

 

But I still want to have good aim and alignment even when I'm doing that so I put a club or my alignment sticks down and while I don't step back behind the ball each time, I do step back out of my stance a bit and reestablish my stance for each swing. I am not at all trying to be fast, and I am not trying to hit as many balls as I can, I'm trying to hit as many balls as are helpful, and I am also very mindful of fatigue because fatigue will ingrain bad habits and poor positions moreso than almost anything. So I might hit 5-8 balls only standing up and stepping back, but then I do back off behind the ball, take a drink of water, get behind the ball and shake out a bit and stay loose.

 

What you are describing is what many of the guys here mean when they say that going to the range, especially when your swing is ok is to be avoided. I happen to disagree with that opinion pretty strongly, but ONLY if the person knows how to practice! Know what you want to work on before you even get to the range. Put some good quality time into working on that, if you don't know how to work on what you want to improve, find out before you get there! Then spend some quality time focusing on that particular thing. Then bomb some drives at the 300 marker just because it's fun!

 

Thanks, Tyk!

 

You know what the funniest thing is, I get everything you are saying, and I know it makes 100% sense. And I know for a fact that just hitting a gajillion balls in a short space of time is doing more damage than good, I just couldn't stop myself.

 

That practice facility was just like a little piece of golfing heaven, and I got greedy, wanting to try everything out.

 

Next time I'll have to make a very conscious effort to not do the same. Luckily this facility is quite a drive from my home, so for regular practice, I go to a range where you pay for a bucket of balls. When that bucket is finished, practice time is over. In that kind of scenario I tend to take more care with each shot. Still probably not as much as I should, but it isn't the scrape and hit mode I get into at a all-you-can-eat-buffet style practice facility.

[sparnar]

Why not just play that particular hole as a par 5 and treat is as such on the score card? You won't be able to get an accurate handicap calculation, but you'll have more options for playing that hole and probably have more fun...

Thanks, WD.

 

I am actually trying to get into a bogey mindset. Where I aim to reach a par 4 in 3 shots, and two putt for a bogey.

 

As they say, 18 bogies is a score of 90. I have been doing reasonably well on par 3s lately, and I back myself to make the occassional par here, and I also do fairly well on shorter par 4s. So if I can make a bunch of bogeys, and a few pars, I am easily under 90.

 

This is ALOT easier said than done, but I need to have lofty goals. Loftier than breaking 100.

 

Although I do see the breaking 100 as a barrier, or rather an obstacle on my way.

[RoverRick]

Sparnar,

 

This is the fourth attempt I have made today to add to this thread and something keeps coming up. OK, I get that you are going to be mostly playing a long course and therefore it changes the way I would approach things if it were me. I will phrase this as if it were me because other than what you have written, I do not know your swing.

 

I will have to have an excellent short game and I have to make friends with my driver and I have to be able to hit the long clubs. Playing a course of this length really brings out all facets of the game. The good news is there is one thing that I now know that transfers across all these areas. They say that the ball is the only piece of equipment that is played every stroke, well there is only one thing that is constant every stroke. TEMPO.

 

Go to you tube and look at videos of Ernie Els driving, hitting irons, hitting wedges and even putting and notice that the hand go back smooth and slow, and through smooth and slow on all these shots. I said hands not club head. (I actually prefer Fred Couples to EE but both are excellent examples) Ernie makes no visible effort to have a fast club head speed. I have done it and I see highcappers do it every week. Everyone has heard that if you want to hit the ball far you have to have club head speed and therefore we really try to swing hard.

 

This is a huge fault. A smooth proper swing delivering the club head square is much more important and if you work on the delayed release the clubs head speed will come. Even in the short game, or especially in the short game, guys take the club back slow and then really swing fast coming through. Hand speed should be close to the same back and through, head speed picks up because of a late wrist release.

 

The same goes for putting, I see guys go back slow and then come through fast, when smoother tempo works best, Ok, you get the idea.

 

But the lofts and lengths of the will care of more length. If you can hit a 52* wedge 100 yards than the same swing but with a driver will travel 243 based solely on length and loft changes. (of course I am discounting spin, wind, elevation, etc,) but the point is you do not have to swing harder to make the ball go farther. You just have to make square contact.

 

That is it for now.

[sparnar]

Sparnar,

 

This is the fourth attempt I have made today to add to this thread and something keeps coming up. OK, I get that you are going to be mostly playing a long course and therefore it changes the way I would approach things if it were me. I will phrase this as if it were me because other than what you have written, I do not know your swing.

 

I will have to have an excellent short game and I have to make friends with my driver and I have to be able to hit the long clubs. Playing a course of this length really brings out all facets of the game. The good news is there is one thing that I now know that transfers across all these areas. They say that the ball is the only piece of equipment that is played every stroke, well there is only one thing that is constant every stroke. TEMPO.

 

Go to you tube and look at videos of Ernie Els driving, hitting irons, hitting wedges and even putting and notice that the hand go back smooth and slow, and through smooth and slow on all these shots. I said hands not club head. (I actually prefer Fred Couples to EE but both are excellent examples) Ernie makes no visible effort to have a fast club head speed. I have done it and I see highcappers do it every week. Everyone has heard that if you want to hit the ball far you have to have club head speed and therefore we really try to swing hard.

 

This is a huge fault. A smooth proper swing delivering the club head square is much more important and if you work on the delayed release the clubs head speed will come. Even in the short game, or especially in the short game, guys take the club back slow and then really swing fast coming through. Hand speed should be close to the same back and through, head speed picks up because of a late wrist release.

 

The same goes for putting, I see guys go back slow and then come through fast, when smoother tempo works best, Ok, you get the idea.

 

But the lofts and lengths of the will care of more length. If you can hit a 52* wedge 100 yards than the same swing but with a driver will travel 243 based solely on length and loft changes. (of course I am discounting spin, wind, elevation, etc,) but the point is you do not have to swing harder to make the ball go farther. You just have to make square contact.

 

That is it for now.

 

Thanks, RoverRick!

 

I am definitely guilty of trying too swing my driver too fast.

 

I can really feel my tempo is good when swinging with the wedges. With the wedges it is as if the club feels heavier, and that gives me the confidence that the club will do the work.

 

I think I have a pretty good tempo down with my putting, as well as chipping. Perhaps the chipping tempo comes from the amount of putting practice I put in. Not the same swing, but it is a similar tempo.

 

I really have to work on my tempo on driver. I have some confidence in my 3h currently off the tee, but can't hit either the 3H or 4h off the deck, as I just try to murder it. I also think I am not trusting the loft enough on these shots.

 

I bought Tour Tempo a while ago, but haven't really practiced with it. I'll make a point of doing so.

[RoverRick]

Thanks, RoverRick!

 

I am definitely guilty of trying too swing my driver too fast.

 

 

I bought Tour Tempo a while ago, but haven't really practiced with it. I'll make a point of doing so.

 

Last things first, I know nothing about the Tour Tempo. I have a Medicus Swing Speed meter. And here is the amazing thing. I swung and swung harder and swung harder still, and could get 94 to 96 mph on the LM. I would buy a shaft or club based on that data, get it to the course, and absolutely could not hit it. Anything from a bowling for dollars roll to WWII AAA type shot. So I get the meter and go to the range and try to hit fast 94-96 mph. Then I go to the course, and I stick the meter on there and think, I need to just hit this out there and keep it in play. The meter says 105-106 mph. How can this be?

 

Simple, it only matters how fast the club is at impact. It is what is in between the knees that counts. Do not read anything else in to that. The club head when traveling either direction from the right knee up and the left knee up only matters because it is hard to get it at the right speed in the right place if it is wrong. It is speed and position at impact that matters.

 

I was plagued for years with an over the top. early release swing. I read the Four Magic Moves of Golf. They are not that magic. And these are not them but it is the variation that I use. Early wrist set to start the swing. Turn the shoulders to get behind the ball. Start the down swing by shifting the hips forward and dropping the hands straight down. When the hands get to waist high feel like I am hitting the ball with my right hip, and keep my head and most of my body behind the ball at impact.

 

And as hard as this is to do I try to keep my tempo the same on every club, putter to driver. I simply vary the length of the stroke and the club that is used. Last November I was a 14 handicap or there about. Now, I list a three but I vary from par or below and 10 over. It averages out to about a 3. I just can not seem to play well 3 or 4 times in a row. I have a great round and a crappy round. I guess that is why I do not do it for a living.

[sparnar]

Thanks again, RoverRick and Richard. Appreciate all the comments so far, and the ones to still come :-)

 

I've only been able to make some practice swings in the garden.

 

I will make some time hit some putts tonight, hopefully get in an hour or so worth of practice.

 

I won't have much time to play over the weekend, and might only go play a par 3 nine-holer (all holes between 55m and 108m). This will serve as pitching practice. If time permits I might hit a few balls on the range as well.

[sparnar]

I practiced my putting at home yesterday evening, and took a few swings (both full, and pitch shots) in the garden.

 

Will be going to the range this afternoon after work, and have finally managed to get a time that suits both myself and my pro. Sunday afternoon we'll be checking my fundamentals, and I'll be taking notes this time around. None of this I'll write it down later, that doesn't work.

[sparnar]

Was planning on going to the driving range on Friday after work, but on the way there I decided it was time to put the new push cart and bag in play. The range close to my home, has 18 holes broken up into a 6 hole loop consisting of par 3's, and a 12 hole loop with some short par 4's and par 3's.

 

I thought I would walk the 6 hole loop. On the first hole, when I went to pull out my putter, I realized it was still standing bedside, after my putting practice on Thursday evening. Tried to putt with my hybrid, but quit trying after the second hole.

 

By the third hole I decided to play 3 balls, and to hit some extra chip shots around the greens.

 

Played some good shots, but also some poor ones. Chipping was really good. I am really getting good results, when aiming for a certain spot, and feel confident when I am greenside, that I can get up and down.

 

Had to leave after 5 holes though, as my wife were upset over some work stuff. Raced home to console her.

[sparnar]

Finally managed to work out a suitable time with my pro to check my fundamentals. Met up with him at the range yesterday afternoon.

 

I suspected that some of my basics were off, and boy, was I right. My grip had slipped again, and was very weak.

 

I also had the reverse pivot again, and after my pro pointed out the two of these, I were hitting some great shots at the range. Was mostly hitting 7i while we worked on these two things, and later hit some 6i's as well. Since I am hitting the 7i so much at the range I have some good confidence in it, want to get that same kind on confidence in the 6i also.

 

I also took the 4H along, as I wanted to hit some off the deck with my pro watching. Really smoked some shots, and they went much higher than before.

 

Couldn't believe how high, and far my shots were flying again. Without much effort.

 

I went through a bucket of 65 balls with the pro watching, and hit some really sweet shots.

 

For the first time in 4/5 months, I had that sweet, sweet feeling of hitting a Mizuno flush again and again.

 

I have two things to really focus on now, and that is my grip, and making sure my left shoulder points behind the ball on my turn back. Luckily I can practice both of these at home, so I will make some work of it.

 

Sat with my LW while watching the golf last night, and worked on my grip.

 

I want to take a playing lesson with my pro, but we still have a few things to work on before I get there. I will be taking some more lessons in the upcoming weeks.

 

Another thought I forget all too often, and is such a simple thought, is this:

 

Swing, don't hit!

[GolfSpy WD]

Swing, don't hit!

 

I like that, nice and and simple. Continued luck to your on your quest sparnar. Sounds like you're doing the right stuff. Just don't break 80 before me

[sparnar]

I like that, nice and and simple. Continued luck to your on your quest sparnar. Sounds like you're doing the right stuff. Just don't break 80 before me

Thanks, wdgolf!

 

I'm gonna my darndest...

 

I have a bit of an advantage over you, in that I can play all year round. Although some might say the enforced off-season most of you "enjoy", can be beneficial in some circumstances.

 

I now have to find the balance between working on the two changes, and actually playing. I now I should probably get some serious range time in with those changes, before taking it to the course.

 

But I'm itching to play!

[Wannabegolfer67]

Sparnar,

 

As a golfer of similar handicap I won't begin to offer any advice to you since it would probably move you in the wrong direction. I just wanted to let you know that I have enjoyed reading your posts and keeping up with your progress. Wish you the very best and am sure you will be under 100 in no time.

[sparnar]

Sparnar,

 

As a golfer of similar handicap I won't begin to offer any advice to you since it would probably move you in the wrong direction. I just wanted to let you know that I have enjoyed reading your posts and keeping up with your progress. Wish you the very best and am sure you will be under 100 in no time.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Wannabegolfer67!

 

If anything specific seems to work for you, please feel free to share. Maybe this post can become some sort of reference for other players in the same boat as us, where they can get some ideas on how to break 100.

 

I can't break 100 if I'm not playing unfortunately. :-( Just too busy over the weekends right now.

[sparnar]

Yesterday I decided that come hell or high water, I would be doing my utmost to walk 9 after work this afternoon.

 

But it dawned on me (after reading a blog), that it might be wiser to meet with my pro, and continue working on the two things we are currently looking at. I'm pretty sure if I go out on the course, it won't be long before my old habits are back.

 

So I made the rather tough choice to pass up on a all-too-rare playing opportunity, and instead go to the range to work with my pro.

 

I will have some time to spend at the short game area before the lesson, so will practice some pitch shots, and also some bunker shots.

 

I'll be playing quite a few rounds over December, so I need to work hard on these changes over the next two weeks. I am also hoping to set a date for a playing lesson with my pro early in December.

[sparnar]

Had the lesson with my pro yesterday. Just took the 7i, and worked on a couple more things.

 

I had become a little slouched in my posture, and we were working on being more upright.

 

We also worked on my release.

 

Again, the maxim of "stroke, don't hit" proved to be very useful.

 

I hit some very nice shots, the ball going very high, and very accurate. I also hit a few draws, and my pro explained to me how my follow through affects ball flight.

 

Just a note, I am not trying to change ball flight at this stage, it was just something that happened while we were working on other things. But it is something I'll stick in the memory bank.

 

Will make some time for another range session later this week, and have some at-home putting practice "scheduled" for Thursday, when the wife is away.

 

Had to cancel my round for next Saturday, because of work. Looks like my next 18, will only be around the 8th of Dec. So I have some time to practice.

 

Also spent about half an hour at the short game area yesterday. Hit some chips, pitches and even some flop shots. Feeling much more confident about my pitch shots. My chip shots are still going very well.

[revkev]

Was planning on going to the driving range on Friday after work, but on the way there I decided it was time to put the new push cart and bag in play. The range close to my home, has 18 holes broken up into a 6 hole loop consisting of par 3's, and a 12 hole loop with some short par 4's and par 3's.

 

I thought I would walk the 6 hole loop. On the first hole, when I went to pull out my putter, I realized it was still standing bedside, after my putting practice on Thursday evening. Tried to putt with my hybrid, but quit trying after the second hole.

 

By the third hole I decided to play 3 holes, and to hit some extra chip shots around the greens.

 

Played some good shots, but also some poor ones. Chipping was really good. I am really getting good results, when aiming for a certain spot, and feel confident when I am greenside, that I can get up and down.

 

Had to leave after 5 holes though, as my wife were upset over some work stuff. Raced home to console her.

 

And that my friend is what makes you a winner - not breaking 100 but taking care of your wife - way more important.

[sparnar]

And that my friend is what makes you a winner - not breaking 100 but taking care of your wife - way more important.

Thanks, revkev. I got home before she did, so I actually had time to finish the last two holes. But when we spoke on the phone, I realised it was no time to be on the golf course. Picked up and left.

 

Regardless of which model, ain't that a sweet feeling. I haven't really played any "custom" irons, but as far as 98% of the retail irons go, there ain't nothin like a flushed Mizzy!

 

Continued success in your quest

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

 

Thanks, Richard!

 

At my last lesson, I was joking with my pro, saying that if I kept hitting them like that, I might spend the night at the range... I want that feeling again and again!

[sparnar]

I was at the range again yesterday, and after each lesson I am a little more confident in self-diagnosing.

 

Even though I was struggling through the first half of my bucket, I figured it out by halfway, and started hitting them much better. Even managed to hit some really good shots with my 6i.

 

As mentioned earlier in the thread, I usually hit 4H and then 7i. I don't trust my 6i just yet. Is is just a mental thing. My 7i I hit pretty well, mostly because I don't try to murder it. 6i is the point where I feel I must really hit at the ball to make it go the distance.

 

But towards the end of my session yesterday, my timing was much better and I was able to stroke my 6i very nicely. Will continue working on the 6i to improve my confidence with it.

 

One interesting thing I will mention, is that at my last lesson, a week or so ago, my pro had me hit a few balls of a tee, with my feet together. This was to help me get the right feeling at impact. My body tends to get way ahead and I then hit the biggest divots you'll ever see.

 

Yesterday when I started hitting these big divots again, I reverted back to this drill. I couldn't believe that I was hitting them further feet together, than feet apart.

 

Doing this drill forces me to stay in balance, and I can't attempt to kill the ball. I will keep working on this, and will be making some practice swings like this at home. I was actually flushing them with my feet together, while I was struggling with my feet apart.

 

This drill also made me realize that my feet was probably a bit too far apart for my 7i. I narrowed my stance a bit, and I think this also helped.

 

Anyway, my self-diagnosis is improving a little bit. It is made easier, because of the rigorous note-taking during lessons. If anyone is still reading this, make notes when you take a lesson. As my pro said to me, that little notebook is my pro-on-paper when I am struggling at the range.

[sparnar]

I have also been doing putting practice diligently, and managed to get 2 hours of practice in last week.

 

It might not sound like much, but I literally hit hundreds of putts in those 2 hours. My first practice session I was hitting 100 three footers, and only missed 4. This is on a indoor mat, so it is definitely much easier than on a putting green. But this is mostly for building my confidence on those three footers.

 

During my second practice session I was hitting all different distances, between 3 and 9 feet. I ended with the 3 putts from 3 feet, then 3 from 6 feet, then 3 from 9 feet. Managed to hit the 9 consecutive putts on the third attempt, where before I spent quite a bit of time finishing this drill.

 

I focus on three things mainly in my putting right now:

 

1. Eyes above the ball

2. Standing tall (Personally, I feel more comfortable this way, and it feels like I can see the line better)

3. Keeping the back of the left hand to the target during follow through (this is a FEEL, and not a REAL, as my hands are on an arc, but this 'feeling' helps me personally)

 

I only have another 10 working days left for the year (including today), so my playing opportunities will drastically increase very soon. Looking to play at least 4 rounds over December. And I am targeting these rounds to break 100.

 

I will be focusing on each shot, and making sure I get the best outcome from that specific shot. I have more confidence in my short game, more confidence out of the bunker, and I might even put the driver in play soon. Those three things should help my considerably.

 

I am already beginning to think of Richard's advice of moving the goalposts to breaking 90, instead of 100. In fact, I now see the breaking 100 as just a very small part of the journey to sub 90 golf. But it remains something that I need to get out of the way.

[sparnar]

I will be playing my first round in quite a bit this coming Sunday.

 

I have been putting in quite a bit of practice (would have loved even more practice...), and will also be going for another lesson tomorrow afternoon.

 

Also planning to get to a short game practice area on Saturday afternoon, as I have noticed practising short game shortly before a round, helps immensely with my confidence.

 

I am a little torn, now that I have taken another couple of lessons, I know that my swing is a work in progress, and I might not reach my goal while making changes.

 

But I have to get out on the course, and the changes we are making aren't huge things. Well, they don't seem like huge things. They do make a huge difference to the result of my shots though.

 

So, I'll be going out on Sunday morning early and will be doing my best to get as close to 90 as possible. Yes, you heard right. I am planning on blazing past 100, by really going for a score close to 90.

 

I won't be concentrating too much on score though. I will be focusing on each shot, and visualizing before I hit each shot.

 

Hold your thumbs.

 

Well, maybe wait until the weekend before you start holding them...

[RoverRick]

I will be playing my first round in quite a bit this coming Sunday.

 

I have been putting in quite a bit of practice (would have loved even more practice...), and will also be going for another lesson tomorrow afternoon.

 

Also planning to get to a short game practice area on Saturday afternoon, as I have noticed practising short game shortly before a round, helps immensely with my confidence.

 

I am a little torn, now that I have taken another couple of lessons, I know that my swing is a work in progress, and I might not reach my goal while making changes.

 

But I have to get out on the course, and the changes we are making aren't huge things. Well, they don't seem like huge things. They do make a huge difference to the result of my shots though.

 

So, I'll be going out on Sunday morning early and will be doing my best to get as close to 90 as possible. Yes, you heard right. I am planning on blazing past 100, by really going for a score close to 90.

 

I won't be concentrating too much on score though. I will be focusing on each shot, and visualizing before I hit each shot.

 

Hold your thumbs.

 

Well, maybe wait until the weekend before you start holding them...

 

 

To me practicing short shots before the round is much more important. Since I have the same pace for all shots and just vary the length of the back swing I want to ingrain that into my short game before the match. I see guys all the time make pretty good shots and then get up by the green and take the club back at a nice slow pace and then start the forward swing as fast as they can and decelerate before impact. They have no distance control and since they often do with the putter also, they turn a simple 4 into a six.

 

As far as your swing being a work in progress, welcome to golf. The only ones who are not trying to improve are the ones who have a great foot wedge game and Muligan game.

 

I had my wife translate "Hold you thumbs" for me and here we say "Cross you fingers." Not to be confused with "Pull my finger." Two different results.

 

Yeah. I wish there was a way that you could play golf and keep score without knowing how you were doing. I know after every stroke how I am doiing. I was really low yesterday (67 at the time.) and then became scared of blowing the great round and almost blew it. But held it together for a 68. No golf today though.

[sparnar]

To me practicing short shots before the round is much more important. Since I have the same pace for all shots and just vary the length of the back swing I want to ingrain that into my short game before the match. I see guys all the time make pretty good shots and then get up by the green and take the club back at a nice slow pace and then start the forward swing as fast as they can and decelerate before impact. They have no distance control and since they often do with the putter also, they turn a simple 4 into a six.

 

As far as your swing being a work in progress, welcome to golf. The only ones who are not trying to improve are the ones who have a great foot wedge game and Muligan game.

 

I had my wife translate "Hold you thumbs" for me and here we say "Cross you fingers." Not to be confused with "Pull my finger." Two different results.

 

Yeah. I wish there was a way that you could play golf and keep score without knowing how you were doing. I know after every stroke how I am doiing. I was really low yesterday (67 at the time.) and then became scared of blowing the great round and almost blew it. But held it together for a 68. No golf today though.

Thanks, RoverRick. Didn't even think about the 'thumbs' saying being lost in translation.

 

The "pull my finger" is well understood in SA. That has to be universal!

[red golfer]

I went from high 90's to low 80's after getting a hinged club from a weak slice to straight and powerful my golf buds threatened to take it away it was such a big help

[sparnar]

Had anothher lesson yesterday, and it feels like the swing is coming together nicely now.

 

Was hitting some really nice and high 7is. My misses now are some short, when not quite hitting it flush, and I am also hitting some pulls, because of not finishing high. Worked on making my takeaway more vertical, and that seemed to help with the misses to the left. Don't know if that makes sense to you guys.

 

Also hit some drivers with the pro watching me. Figured out that I need a stiffer shaft in my RBZ. The driver won't be coming to the course this weekend, the 3H will be my tee club. Hope to sort out the shaft soon.

 

Anyway, also had some good short game practice. Hit some chips, and worked my way from 10 yards all the way to about 50 yards with pitch shots.

 

Feeling more confident with the pitch shots.

 

Unfortunately couldn't use the practice bunker yesterday, as my pro was giving lessons to someone else in it. Will try to get to a bunker on Saturday, before Sunday's round.

 

Really looking forward to Sunday's round.

[finalist]

Just posting more to agree with what's already been said and add my own experience...

I broke 100 by not taking penalty strokes.

Once I broke 100 breaking 90 was mostly just dedicating myself to chipping for a few months daily.

[Wannabegolfer67]

Had anothher lesson yesterday, and it feels like the swing is coming together nicely now.

 

Was hitting some really nice and high 7is. My misses now are some short, when not quite hitting it flush, and I am also hitting some pulls, because of not finishing high. Worked on making my takeaway more vertical, and that seemed to help with the misses to the left. Don't know if that makes sense to you guys.

 

Also hit some drivers with the pro watching me. Figured out that I need a stiffer shaft in my RBZ. The driver won't be coming to the course this weekend, the 3H will be my tee club. Hope to sort out the shaft soon.

 

Anyway, also had some good short game practice. Hit some chips, and worked my way from 10 yards all the way to about 50 yards with pitch shots.

 

Feeling more confident with the pitch shots.

 

Unfortunately couldn't use the practice bunker yesterday, as my pro was giving lessons to someone else in it. Will try to get to a bunker on Saturday, before Sunday's round.

 

Really looking forward to Sunday's round.

 

 

Hey Sparnar, thought about you today. Played a round with some buddies and when adding up the score at the end had a dead even 100. What stinks is my ball striking was really good today but I couldn't make a putt. Hope to hear you make your goal soon and am impressed that you changed it to 90 instead of 100.

[sparnar]

Hi spies

I played 18 yesterday, and scored 101. Again.

 

Not happy about it all.

 

My concentration was missing for much of the round on the longer shots, and I had way too many triples because of it.

 

On the upside, I made 5 pars. Up to now, the best I had done was one birdie and one par over 18 holes. So I am chuffed with that. Now I just need to convert those triples into bogeys, and I'll shoot much lower.

 

The highlights of my round:

 

1. Made 5 pars (these were made on the stroke 3, 17, 1, 14 and 6. If I can par the holes that are stroke 1, 3 and 6, I surely should be able to par the lower ranked stroke holes.

2. Had 6 one-putts (made some very good putts, including a 25 footer, a 12 footer and a 10 footer)

3. My pitching was MUCH better than before. I had some trouble in previous rounds with my pitching, and the practice I put in paid off.

4. Was chipping very well, and had some really good up-and-downs.

5. Hit the green on a par 5 from 180m out. Hit my 4H, and it had a good bounce to end up about 8 feet short of the cup, and I drained the putt. Unfortunately it took my 4 shots to reach the green, but I made the par.

 

The disappointments:

 

1. Made 7 triple bogeys!!!

2. Made 2 doubles

3. My tee shots with the 3H was erratic. I was hooking some, and when compensating for the shape, I was hitting them dead straigh, but into the right rough. Only hit 3 FIR.

4. Had 5 three putts

5. Missed a 2 footer for a sixth par. Shocker! This was after what I think was probably my best shot of the day, had a very delicate chip over a severe downhill, and managed to get it to 2 feet.

6. Took some penalties, hitting one into the drink, and two OB. The two OB's happened on one hole, so the three penalties led to 2 triples.

 

Par 3s: 5 over (4 holes)

Par 4s: 18 over (14 holes)

Par 5s: 6 over (4 holes)

 

Interestingly, only three of the 7 triple bogeys were because of 3 putts.

 

Which, I think, shows that putting didn't really account for the poor scoring. I remember one of the three putts, where I had a VERY long first putt (downhill, and quite severe right to left), and in that instance I am not too worried about the three putt. Left myself with a tricky 5 footer, which I just missed. Another of the three putts came after missing my first putt by maybe 2 feet. My ball was close to the line of a playing partner's, and I tried to finish up with one of those awkward stances. I learnt from that, and later in the round I rather marked the ball, than risk another three putt because of that. But the rest was just poor.

 

I just couldn't get my tee shots going on the day, and late in the round, when I switched to my 4H off the tee, my tee shots were more manageable. Should have made the switch earlier.

 

But I am happy with my pitching from inside of 80m, and also my chipping. Especially with my chipping I feel confident that I can get it in one putt range. As for the pitching inside of 80m, I am confident of getting it on the green in two putt range. Can still work on improving this, but right now I feel my tee shots are hurting me more than my

 

At my lesson last week, my pro advised that I get a stiff shaft for my driver, as I currently have a regular. My irons are all stiff shaft. So I am hoping to get that sorted this week, and then I can maybe put the driver in play.

 

Will be putting in some more practice this week, and will also try to arrange for another lesson, I think my next round will only be next week.

 

When I walked off the last green (having made two consecutive pars to end the round), I just knew my score was going to be 100 or 101 again. It really sucks, but this round has made me realize how important it is to keep concentration at the right times.

[sparnar]

I can finally write this post.

 

I managed to break 100 on the 31st of December. I shot a 97 on a par 72 course.

 

I played another round before this round, where I shot 104. This was at the 7th best course in South Africa, so I wasn't too focused on score on that day.

 

Back to my 97...

 

I was striking the ball really well, for most of the round. And my short game was really good (even though I still had a few opportunities for up-and-downs which I didn't convert). I am very confident around the greens these days, and I always feel like I have a decent chance of making the up and down. But there is always room for improvement, and I will keep working on my short game.

 

Some of my highlights from the round:

 

* Hit my GW from 92m, and the ball lipped out. Had a tap-in for my first par of the day.

* Hit a pin-high 6i on a 157m par 3 to about 15 feet from the hole. Two-putted for the second par of the day.

* On the 13th hole, I hit a 50m pitch shot with my 60 LW to a blind flag position, and the ball went in! Great feeling (Don't want to complain, but would have been great to see it roll in). This was for my 3rd par of the day.

* On the par 5 14th hole, I ended up in the greenside bunker. The bunker had quite a high lip, and I had very little green to work with. Played a beatiful bunker shot, which ended up 3 feet from the hole. Sunk the putt for my first sand save since January 2012.

* On the par 4 15th hole, I managed to up-and-down for my 4th par of the day.

 

I was striking the ball really well, and managed to put myself in some good positions. Had to play alot of layups, as I had plenty of times where I had more than 250m to go to the green. Struck these shots beatifully.

 

I shot 51 on the front 9 after ending with two triple bogeys, that really should have been bogeys at worst. On the 8th hole, my shot drifted a touch left, and I was short-sided in thick rough, in a downhill lie.

 

On the ninth hole, I took my only penalty of the day, after not chipping\punching out to the FW.

 

On the back 9, I shot a 46. This is my best 9 hole score to date, and I think the big reason was that I was just focusing on making a smooth swing. Some good short game shots, helped plenty as well.

 

I had 33 putts on the day, and this could have been better. I had two three putts. One on the very first green, where I was a bit tentative on my first putt. And the second three putt was when playing a pitch shot out of the rough, over bunkers. I was a little afraid of short siding myself in the bunker, and flew the shot a bit too far. This left me with a 45 foot first putt. I hit a very poor first putt, and could only get the second putt to 3 feet.

 

My tee shots are still a big problem. I managed to hit 6 FIR, but I really need to get this up to at least 10 FIR's per round.

 

This year I will be working on my driver. I need to get some confidence with it.

 

At least now, I have seen that I just need to swing smoothly, and let the club do the work. I have got this down pat from the LW down to the 8i. With the 7i and 6i I am in between, sometimes forcing it, sometimes stroking the ball beautifully.

 

With my hybrids and long irons, I am not there yet. But I will get there.

[sparnar]

Having shot that 46 on the back 9, made me realize that I am really not that far away from breaking 90.

 

Sure, I need a little more consistency, especially in the longer clubs, but my short game is coming along very, very nicely.

 

If I can get some more distance off the tee, and be close to the FW, I will shoot even lower scores.

 

That 51 on the front 9, could easily have been 47/48, which would have left me with a 93/94.

 

And I have to mention that I haven't been making too many putts outside of 5 feet. Sometime soon my putter will get hot, and that will drop another shot or two. I do have to practice my lag putting though. 20ft and outside, I still concede too many 3 putts. Luckily I tend not to be that distance from the hole too often.

 

I must also concede, that the course I was playing, is most definitely not the toughest course. My brother in law, has now broken 80 4 times (with 3 of those times happening on this course). But it was still my first time playing this specific course, so I still think that I did quite well.

 

But, as always, there is room for improvement.

 

The things I will focus on next:

 

* Swing smoothly, and with good tempo (I find that just thinking swing smooth, takes care of the tempo)

* Working on my longer clubs, especially driver (If I can stop trying to murder the ball with the big stick, I'm pretty sure I can hit a decent drive)

* Lag putting from outside of 20 feet. I don't get these close enough.

* Continue working on my short game (with a bit of focus on bunker shots, and pitching from 30m-60m)

 

Just one other thought, while I am rambling...

 

In my warmup before this round of 97, I hit about 10 chips, about 7/8 bunker shots and maybe 8 full shots with the GW.

 

Bunker play has always been a bit of a concern for me. I was focusing too much on the 'slap' sound when hitting the sand, and wasn't following through. My thoughts in the sand now, are to swing smoothly, and to finish my swing with close to a full follow through.

 

Where before I was hitting them fat\thin\you-name-it from the bunker, I hit all 8 of my warm up sand shots on the green, and in the general area of the targets I was aiming at.

 

Another thing that I kept in mind on the back 9, was that I need to make a 5 on each hole, to break 90 (that is over 18 holes).

 

By the second 9 I knew breaking 90 was obviously not on the cards, but keeping that in mind, calmed me down. When I had made three consecutive 5s on the starting holes of the back 9, I was feeling confident of getting close to a 45. This was in the back of my head most of the time, and I think it took some of the pressure off.