Going sub 90

[GolfSpy WD]

Hey Bro, hope all's well. Do you have the Bladez?

 

What are your thoughts?

 

I can't wait to hit the Tours!

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

 

All's well, thanks...I've been kinda lurking because all the golf talk kinda depresses me since I can't play. Definitely loving the bladez still though, can't wait to get back out there. Plus there may be a Covert in my future since I've decided against spending a stupid amount of cash on LASIK.

 

I still owe a review on the Black Ops 3 wood shaft, but I need to actually play before I can write anything!

[sparnar]

Sparnar, I did the same on the right leg(straightened) & though it was intentional(multiple knee surgeries), and though Stack And Tilt teaches this, it was throwing my downswing timing off.

 

Not so much from the reverse pivot standpoint, cuz I would load on my left and just rotate the sh*t outa my hips, which was fine if my timing was perfect.

 

If not, I was sendin huge blocks out to right field(and a few into the right field stands, HaHa).

 

The L drill with an 8i then 5i then driver, got me flexed(right knee) properly. This was before TT, though as I've said, I've used the drills for a while.

 

The Best to ya

 

Have a nice day

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

Thanks, Richard. Will keep that in mind.

 

Will definitely do some Y's and L's at home over the weekend, and will get to the range as well.

[sparnar]

I know what you mean. At first, the MP-53's were terrific, and I was hitting them very straight. Over time though, I started losing distance and had them tweeked to a stringer loft. I thought that would help....WRONG! I got more distance, but that was overshadowed by increasing divots. I guess when I had them bent, I decresed the bounce and they started gouging Mother Earth. currently, i am gaming the 4i & 5i that match my Nike VR Pros....and hit them pretty well. Only problem is I do not get to use the 4i that much as i have a terrific 170 club in my 4 Hybrid. Be careful with the RBZ 4i.....I got a free RBZ 5i last year and it was lofted as a 4i.

 

 

The RBZ and Rbladez are totally different irons, but you're right about the loft. The 4i is 20*, which is a degree stronger than many 3 irons.

 

Fozcycle, the Rocketbladez 4i I got is 20 degrees as wdgolf pointed out as well. This is probably even less lofted than my MP 53 iron. But I really am more concerned with the forgiveness/accuracy, than the actual loft\distance on it.

 

I have been hooking my hybrids, and can't seem to get my confidence back, so I need a option off the tee. And from what I have read from the Rocketbladez reviews, it seems like the Rocketbladez long irons are very easy to hit (for a long iron, that is).

 

I just have more confidence with an iron in hand, than with a hybrid at this moment. Even though I wouldn't really be using the 3i and 4i from my set of MP 53s right now when playing a round. Off the tee, I have had some decent shots with the 4i, but it is the consistency that is lacking. I am hoping that the Rocketbladez 4i can help in this regard.

 

As I mentioned earlier, I will be looking into more forgiving irons sometime this year. If the Rocketbladez 4i performs well, I will definitely consider to get a full set. But at this time the JPX range will be top of the list to try out. Will look into the 800s and the 825s. From what I have seen on the bay, any set of the 800s wouldn't set me back too much. Will have to spend some time at the local pro shop hitting these. Also have a small golf shop in my neighborhoud that allows customers to take a set to the range before buying.

[sparnar]

I couldn't get any practice in over the weekend, since it was raining most of the time.

 

I have a round scheduled for this coming Saturday, and will get range session or two in before then. If weather permits, I might try to sneak in a 9 holer after work on Thursday.

 

Will be pulling out the driver this Saturday. I've got some confidence going with the big stick, and I have to start hitting some drivers out on the course for my game to progress.

 

Thursday's possible 9 holer might be a great time to pull out the big dog. The course should be quiet, so I might even be able to hit some extra drives to build some confidence.

 

Will also be doing some research this week about getting fit for some more forgiving irons. But unfortunately had a fender bender over the weekend, that will impact my golfing budget.

 

I must also make some time to work on my 20ft plus putts, to completely eliminate the three putts (I average around 2 three putts these days, and it is almost exclusively when faced with a first putt of more than 20 ft).

[sparnar]

Had a range session last night, and was hitting the driver well again. Had some that I skied badly, but in general I am getting a repetitive ball flight, which is a slight fade. It can occasionally turn into a slice, if I go after it too hard.

 

But my accuracy has improved quite a bit in the last few weeks, and I am ready to pull out the big dog over the weekend.

 

You guys might laugh at this, but I kept thinking of how Michael Breed swings his driver on the Golf Fix (I know, I know, he is annoying, but we don't have a lot of Golf TV to watch, so I watch most clips on Golf Channel's website). Anyway, he always looks like he really isn't putting much into his driver swing (and he probably wouldn't, as it is just into a net), but that thought of not trying to overpower the ball really helped me to just let the club do the work. Listen, it works. However strange it might to watch Michael Breed...

 

I received a Rocketbladez 4i yesterday (posted some of my thoughts on the review thread), and I will be looking at it as an option off the tee. As I was just having some fun, I tried out this type of a knockdown shot with it, and I'll have to practice it some more, but this might become my go-to shot when the swing isn't too consistent.

 

I feel like I'm in a good spot before Saturday's round.

 

Key things for me will be:

 

1. Not to force anything. Play the round shot for shot, and the score will take care of itself.

2. Play smart, and aim for the safe areas of the FW, and club for the back center of the green.

3. Most importantly, swing the club, instead of hitting the ball. This one always gets to me.

4. Focus on the target, whether it is a tee shot, approach shot, chip or putt. Really intense focus on the target.

 

Will try to get another range session in tonight.

[sparnar]

Played 18 on Saturday, and shot 103. Not so great.

 

I was definitely a little rusty, a month between rounds is too long.

 

I will post some more stats tomorrow, when I have the scorecard handy.

 

My long game was much improved, mostly because of the Rocketbladez 4i. Hit some really nice shots with the club, off the tee and off the deck. The club was very forgiving on some poorly struck shots.

 

Also had the courage to pull out the driver 4 times, and although I hit one OB, I had two in the FW, and another very playable miss.

 

My short game was a little rusty, with my putts not really falling. I had a couple of three putts, and a 4 putt. One of the three putts, and the 4 putt came from not taking my time. You know those times, when your playing partners go: "Knock it in, and finish up... But take your time." I usually mark my ball, to take some time over it, and only hit my putt when it is my turn again. I didn't do this on Saturday, and cost me a few strokes. The 4 putt was the same scenario, and when I missed my second putt, I took no time at all when stepping up for putt nr 3, and missed it as well from very short range. I have once again learned the lesson, of taking my time over putts and marking and picking up if not comfortable.

 

Did have some good chips, had about 3 that could have gone in. I think I had around 6 one putts on the day, will confirm tomorrow. But there were at least two times where my chip didn't leave me in one putt range. This is unacceptable for me. Around the greens, is where I make up some shots, and this could have been better on Saturday.

 

Sometime during the round, I started keeping another stat (nothing scientific or anything). This is to measure my shots around the green. Basically anytime I have to chip (not pitch) around the green, I would keep count of how many strokes I needed around the greens (basically chips and putts).

 

At the very least I will take a 3 for this stat, but the aim really is to get as many 2s with this stat as possible. But by taking three putts on occasion, it meant I was taking 4 shots around the green.

 

Very silly, if I'm only taking 2, or maybe 3 shots to reach the green.

 

I will mention though, that I made par on 3 of the par 5s. I usually don't fare too well on the par 5s, because poor tee shots put alot of pressure on the 3rd and 4th shots. This time around, good tee shots took some of the pressure of the subsequent shots.

 

Also, I lost maybe two strokes be cause of lies on rockhard ground (not a single shred of grass). I don't know how to play these lies, and felt like they cost me a stroke or two. The course we played is most certainly not the best conditioned course. But the course is a good deal shorter than most other courses in my area.

 

I did take 3 penalties during the round, which cost me some more strokes.

 

All in all, I know what cost me strokes, and what I need to do to get those strokes back.

 

Will try to play 9 holes in the afternoon sometime this week. I need to play regularly if I want to threaten 90. At least I now have a solid option off the tee with the new 4i.

[Wannabegolfer67]

Sparnar, just keep after it and it will come.

 

I will agree that it is harder to make any progress unless you play more regularly.

 

As always good luck to you and go low!!

[sparnar]

Sparnar, just keep after it and it will come.

 

I will agree that it is harder to make any progress unless you play more regularly.

 

As always good luck to you and go low!!

Thanks, Wannabegolfer67!

 

Will get out for 9 holes after work this afternoon.

[RoverRick]

I started to write something this morning and then watched the tourney and forgot but the short version is this. The best way to stop the occasional slice is to hit a draw. No secret here. Simply take your normal set up. Then move both your feet a couple in inches closer to the target. ("Move the ball back in you set up). Then move your right foot (trail) a couple of inches to your rear. This causes an inside out swingpath and a right to left ball flight.

 

If you push the ball(starts right and goes right) strengthen your grip. Your slice is caused by an outside in swing with an open club face. A fade is an outside in swing withs square club face. A draw is an inside out swing with a square face. And a hook is inside out with a closed face. Push is in to out / open face and pull is out to in / closed face.

 

The ball flight tells you what you are doing wrong. Once you learn to fix it you can intentionally make these changes to "work the ball".

[sparnar]

Ok, so I've had a look at the stats from my 103 and it doesn't make very good reading.

 

Had 36 putts on the day, which in itself sounds okay (definitely not good). But that included 4 three-putts, and 1 four-putt. Which made my 6 one-putts come to nothing. I will say that the 6 one-putts came from good chip shots, and weren't long putts that I sank.

 

I took 4 penalties, because of three balls in the drink, and another lost ball. In some parts the rough was quite penalizing. Still shouldn't have been in it though. Two of the penalties came from wayward tee shots, and a third came when I didn't stick with the percentages.

 

Just the penalties, and the extra putts (should have been on 30 putts), already amounts to close to 10 shots.

 

As for the shots-around-the-green stat that I will be keeping from now on, holes 6-18 read like this:

 

3-3-2-3-3-3-3-2-5-2-4-3-3 (which is a total of 39 short game shots over 13 holes for an average of 3 per hole). I can't recall the exact details of the first 5 holes, and only wrote this number down from hole 6 onwards.

 

That 5 was because of the 4 putt, and the 4 was because of leaving one in the bunker, and then sculling it across the green, before up-and-downing with a nice chip.

 

Ideally, I would like this stat to have only 3s and 2s, and over time I must get these to primarily be 2s. I'll take the occasional 3, but it really shouldn't happen too often.

 

If I can get greenside in regulation, or one over regulation at worst, and I can play 2 short game shots consistently, I will be playing bogey-or-better golf. But playing only two greenside shots, does rather largely depend on missing in the right area, and staying out of bunkers. The bunker remains a nemesis of mine, and I should perhaps have another sand lesson with my pro.

 

All in all, it wasn't a great round. But I know where my shortcomings were, and what I need to do to fix them. And in the light of not having played for a month, I'll take this one on the chin and accept it, even though I don't like it.

 

Most important, is to treat every putt with equal respect, even if pressed for time. This alone could have saved me 3-4 strokes.

 

But I am excited about my tee shots, and although I only hit 4 FIR, I had a number of playable misses where I could hit a normal second shot. Off-the-tee has been a bit of a worry recently, and was probably (alongside bunker play), one of my weaknesses.

 

During my round this afternoon, I will focus on these things:

 

* Cut out the penalties

* Make sure of every putt

[sparnar]

I started to write something this morning and then watched the tourney and forgot but the short version is this. The best way to stop the occasional slice is to hit a draw. No secret here. Simply take your normal set up. Then move both your feet a couple in inches closer to the target. ("Move the ball back in you set up). Then move your right foot (trail) a couple of inches to your rear. This causes an inside out swingpath and a right to left ball flight.

 

If you push the ball(starts right and goes right) strengthen your grip. Your slice is caused by an outside in swing with an open club face. A fade is an outside in swing withs square club face. A draw is an inside out swing with a square face. And a hook is inside out with a closed face. Push is in to out / open face and pull is out to in / closed face.

 

The ball flight tells you what you are doing wrong. Once you learn to fix it you can intentionally make these changes to "work the ball".

Thanks, RoverRick. I will keep that in mind.

 

I kind of like experimenting with some different shots when I am at the range, and will definitely give this a shot.

[sparnar]

I played 9 holes after work yesterday, and was surprised to find the course very close to empty.

 

Started off nicely with a bogey, after topping both my tee shot, and my 2nd shot.

 

On the second hole, I decided against focusing on score, and actually dropped some extra balls to practice some pitch shots. From the third hole onwards, I was hitting multiple balls.

 

Biggest revelation: when not focusing on score, and stressing myself out, golf can be fun!

 

I think I would have scored 49/50 over the 9 holes, which isn't great. But because I didn't focus on keeping score, and rather hitting some shots, I think I actually have more confidence now.

 

I was hitting greens from 200yards, and was having fun out of the fairways. Also have some new found hybrid love, after hitting two great shots. One was a 185yd par 3, where my ball pitched 2 feet from the hole, and finished about 10 feet past the hole. I drained the putt for a birdie. But this was on my second ball on the hole, so it doesn't really count. Made a par with my first ball, after coming up a little short with my tee shot with a 5i.

 

On a par 5, I dropped a ball around the 190yd distance, and promptly hit it on the green with my hybrid also. So I will definitely be using the old hybrids again.

 

Also, with no pressure, I managed to drain some longer putts again. I haven't really had too many putts from outside of 5 feet go in recently. Yesterday, I drained some 10 and 12 footers, without too much trouble. In fact, over the 9 holes I hit 16 putts (incl one three putt). I kept the greenside stat for my first ball on each hole, and that reads as follows:

 

2-3-2-4-3-2-2-2-4 for a total of 25 greenside shots. The first 4 came from a three putt on a tricky hole position where I misread the speed, and the second 4 came from greenside bunkers.

 

On the second and third hole, I shortsided myself a little bit, and was in thickish greenside rough. In a scoring round, I wouldn't have considered a flop shot, but I thought what the heck, and went for it. Played some pretty good flops, and won't be as reluctant in future if I may need to play this shot.

 

Also, hit some drivers, and hit some terrible drives, before figuring something out, and hitting some nice drives. My ball flight is a bit of a fade, which can get away from me and turn into a terrible slice if I try to hit it too hard. If I swing within myself, the ball fades a relatively predictable amount. I have come to accept that my drives will most likely always have a bit of fade shape to them, and if nothing else, it takes one side of the course out of play.

 

Hit some more nice tee shots with the 4i, and ball flight is much straighter with the club compared to the driver. So when there is trouble on the right hand side, or a fairway is tight, I've got the option of the 4i instead of the driver.

 

All in all, this round was fun, and even though my score wouldn't have been much better, dropping some balls in the fairway and hitting to greens makes me more confident about my game.

 

Will definitely try to get in more of these practice rounds on weekday afternoons.

 

Bunker play is still a bit of a worry. Have been watching some youtube videos, and will see if I can figure something out. If I can't make any progress, I will have to go see my pro.

[sparnar]

I started reading dr. Bob Rotella's Golf is not a game of perfect yesterday, and applied some of it during my round. I really think it helped.

 

What I took from it, was to really, really focus on the target (much the same as dr Gio Valiante's "What is my target?" question). If you can really focus on the target, it eliminates alot of the technical thoughts that might creep in.

 

Also, on some shots your swing becomes more of a reaction to the target, than a forced thing. This helps with keeping my swing a little more natural.

 

I think my chipping has been a strong part of my game over the last few months, as this was the one part of the game, where I would pick a very specific target, a landing spot, and really just focus on getting the ball to hit that spot.

 

I will work on that target focus on my longer shots as well.

[Blade]

I started reading dr. Bob Rotella's Golf is not a game of perfect yesterday, and applied some of it during my round. I really think it helped.

 

What I took from it, was to really, really focus on the target (much the same as dr Gio Valiante's "What is my target?" question). If you can really focus on the target, it eliminates alot of the technical thoughts that might creep in.

 

Also, on some shots your swing becomes more of a reaction to the target, than a forced thing. This helps with keeping my swing a little more natural.

 

I think my chipping has been a strong part of my game over the last few months, as this was the one part of the game, where I would pick a very specific target, a landing spot, and really just focus on getting the ball to hit that spot.

 

I will work on that target focus on my longer shots as well.

YES 100%! I've let that slip some and it shows, especially my short game. I would always focus on my landing spot, close my eyes as I turned back to the ball and mentally stay on that spot. I would just drop the ball there somehow. Gotta get that back.

[sparnar]

YES 100%! I've let that slip some and it shows, especially my short game. I would always focus on my landing spot, close my eyes as I turned back to the ball and mentally stay on that spot. I would just drop the ball there somehow. Gotta get that back.

On the days where my focus is better, I have hit some crazy good chip shots. But, once you have the technique down, and have a consistent chipping stroke, target focus is all you need to hit some good shots.

 

Obviously, you need to develop a little bit of feel, which helps in picking the correct spot.

 

In that round of 103, I hit a downhill chip shot that finished a foot from the hole. My playing partners were complimenting me, and I said (it might have sounded a bit arrogant at the time, but that was not the intention) that it was actually a really easy chip shot. Just had to land it in the right spot, and the downhill would funnel it to the hole. The one guy's comment: "You still had to pitch it in the right spot".

 

But when the focus is there, I don't doubt myself, I know I will be close to the right spot.

 

I just need to take that same focus into the rest of my game, and that will help plenty. I am working on this same very specific landing spot focus on my pitches.

[Blade]

I am working on this same very specific landing spot focus on my pitches.

Last year I felt more confident pitching it close and stopping it by the hole than trying to read the green and figure the roll. It's usually easier for me to fly it there and land soft with little or no roll. The times I've been out lately, I've lost that. I need to get that back. That was always the one part of my game I could count on to save or make up for not so great shots. It's all mental!

[Wannabegolfer67]

Sparnar & Blade,

 

I think I have really gained a lot of good advice from the posts you have both contributed to this thread and am attempting to put them to good use.

 

Just wanted to let you both know that I appreciate all the good information!

 

Thanks!!

[sparnar]

Last year I felt more confident pitching it close and stopping it by the hole than trying to read the green and figure the roll. It's usually easier for me to fly it there and land soft with little or no roll. The times I've been out lately, I've lost that. I need to get that back. That was always the one part of my game I could count on to save or make up for not so great shots. It's all mental!

That's a shot I do not have.

 

My pitches normally has some rollout.

 

At some point, I will have to work on adding that shot.

[sparnar]

Sparnar & Blade,

 

I think I have really gained a lot of good advice from the posts you have both contributed to this thread and am attempting to put them to good use.

 

Just wanted to let you both know that I appreciate all the good information!

 

Thanks!!

No worries, Wannabegolfer67.

 

Please feel free to post if you have any ideas to contribute. There is always something to learn.

[Blade]

Sparnar & Blade,

 

I think I have really gained a lot of good advice from the posts you have both contributed to this thread and am attempting to put them to good use.

 

Just wanted to let you both know that I appreciate all the good information!

 

Thanks!!

Thanks for saying so. Don't automatically take things I say as gospel though. I have more yet to learn than I know at this point. Sometimes I'll ramble about something that helps me. But it may not be right or relevant to someone else, or may be flat wrong for that matter. Great to hear ideas from everyone here though. Best golf site out there for sure.

[sparnar]

On Saturday afternoon, I had about two hours of free time, and decided to go to my home course and try to get 9 holes in. I was hoping the course would be quiet, but unfortunately this wasn't the case.

 

Only got 6 holes in, but had some fun. Hit a few extra balls on some of the holes as well.

 

Wasn't too worried about the score, and I did have some fun. Hit some nice shots, including two drives that went FIR, and two more drives of which one was in the first cut, and playable, and the other drive required a punch out, even though it was just of the FW.

 

Also hit some hybrids again, and the hybrid love is back. Hitting them nicely.

 

I did make two triple bogeys in those 6 holes though, one of those coming from a penalty. But I also made a nice par with an up and down, and three putted for another bogey after hitting FIR (driver off tee) and GIR (6i from 165yds) on the first hole.

 

The greens were hollow-tined early last week, so my putting could have been better. I reckon I would have saved about two strokes if the greens were in normal condition.

 

I wasn't too worried about score though.

 

Right now, I want to feel more comfortable when I get on the course. Because I only get to play once, maybe twice a month (I'm talking 18 hole rounds here) I tend to be quite nervous before a round, as I know that I have very few chances to make my HC drop. This is a bit too results-focused, and this leads to some poor shots because of tension.

 

Last week I played the 9 hole and the 6 hole rounds in a much more relaxed frame of mind, which I hope I can replicate during my next 18 hole round. These practice rounds are also helping me with my confidence off the tee, and approaching the green from 165yds and out, where I haven't always gone for the green.

 

With it being a pratice round, I am taking some chances that I might not in a scoring round, and I'm finding that trusting my swing and the club in my hand, it is not such a big ask to hit the green, or at least be greenside, from distances around 180yds. With my short game being quite sharp, especially on chip shots, I can afford to miss the green with longer approaches, and still be quite confident of getting up and down.

 

These practice rounds also gives my a chance to work on a target focus on each shot, which I will hopefully also be able to implement in my next 18 hole round.

 

I won't have time to get to the course this week, but I will try to get some short game practice in.

 

I have hit enough really good shots in these two practice rounds, that I am becoming very confident that I will break 90 in the next 6 months.

 

I know this sounds a little like consultant speak, but focusing more on the process of getting better, instead of focusing simply on the number on the scorecard, seems to help me. It is a way of making sure you do everything in your power to give the next shot the best chance of success. I now trust that with every golf shot I hit on the course, and in practice, I am getting incrementally better, and that in the long run this will pay off. And I trust that sub 90 is coming, and I don't have to worry about it being the very next round I play.

[sparnar]

I haven't had time to hit the range, or get to the course this week.

 

It is my son's first birthday on Sunday, so I doubt I will get to the range over the weekend with all the family visiting.

 

I will try to get a 9 hole round in next Monday after work.

 

I have been reading Golf is a game of confidence, The Unstoppable Golfer and Putting out of your mind, all by dr Bob Rotella. Look forward to working on his concepts.

 

I think the mental side is my next biggest barrier. I can hit good shots, I just need to get out of my own way.

[sparnar]

Had my son's birthday over the weekend, so there wasn't any time for practice.

 

I see that my HC was cut to 27 after my last 9 hole round (as 28 before that).

 

I'm looking to play 18 on the next two Saturdays. Will try to get to the range this week.

 

Have been reading plenty, and will try to implement some of those things.

[sparnar]

I played two 9 hole rounds over the weekend. One on Saturday morning, and another on Sunday morning.

 

Shot a 53 and a 50. Not great.

 

My ballstriking was off, and my short game let me down. I didn't chunk any chips\pitches, but I couldn't quite get inside of one-putt range on these shots. Usually I am good for about 6/7 one putts during a 18 hole round, but I think I had only two 1 putts over the two rounds.

 

My putting has also deteriorated a little bit. I had quite a few putts in the 5-10 foot range, and just couldn't sink any of these. I think I was trying to hard to focus on just a single spot on these spots, instead of just looking at the hole, and letting the putt go a little more instinctively.

 

I think I made only one par, which is poor. This was on the first hole Sunday, where I hit a nice 4i in the middle of the fairway, and then hit my pitch on the temporary green, about 10 feet from the hole. Really should have drained that putt, but started off nicely with a par. Then it went downhill.

 

Had a few drop shots, one or two could be attributed to not knowing the course very well. But this isn't really an excuse.

 

Will be playing 18 holes on this same course on Saturday morning. Hoping to go much lower.

 

Will be doing plenty of L drills this week!

[sparnar]

I am feeling much better about my golf this morning.

 

I played 18 this past Saturday, and although the first 9 holes felt like a big struggle, I managed to shoot exactly 100 again.

 

I had 2 penalties and had 4 three putts, that contributed to a front nine 53, and a back nine 47.

 

Around the 13th hole I finally found my swing, after having had some thoughts about leaving the course.

 

During the last 6 holes, I hit 4/4 FIR's, and I also hit 3/5 GIR's. I really should have hit 4/5 GIR's, as I was sitting pretty on a par 5, but pulled my PW approach just a bit. The other green I missed, was a tricky par 3 of 140 yards.

 

The disappointing thing though, was that I three putted all of those GIR's. My putting from outside of 20 feet is just not good enough. I have mentioned this before, and I really need to take some action.

 

But all in all, I feel quite good about my game. It felt like a major struggle out there for the first 9 holes, and even though I took 3 penalties and had 3 three putts, I still managed to equal my 2nd best score.

 

I believe that shows my game is going in the right direction.

 

Although the first 9 holes didn't go according to plan from tee to green, I one-putted all of the first 4 holes because of some good chipping.

 

All in all, I took 34 putts. Decent, but I want that figure to be around the 30 mark. I had 6 one putts on the day, which is pretty much where I want to be. Just need to eliminate those three putts.

 

I must also work on my pitching. If I can pitch if inside of 20 feet more often from 30-60 yards, my scores will improve. These shots probably cost me 3-4 strokes as well.

 

Over the past two weekends I have played some really good bunker shots (okay, only two of them), but it has bolstered my confidence from the sand. I think the new sandwedge, coupled with one or two specific thoughts when in the sand, has helped plenty,

 

I am very proud of the last few holes I played though, if I had putted a bit better, I could have been around the 97 mark again.

 

Will get some 9 hole rounds in, and I am confident that pretty soon I will be shooting 45 over 9 hole rounds.

 

I know where I need to improve, now I just need to put in the hard yards.

[sparnar]

I haven't had much time to update this thread, mostly because I haven't had much time to spend on the course.

 

I still try to go to the range once or twice a week, and have been putting in some practice.

 

I've got two rounds coming up next weekend, I am taking part in a comp with some friends. We will be playing the same course on consecutive days, both days betterball stableford. This course has a stretch of 5 comps running over 5 days, but none of our better halves would be too happy if we went for that option.

 

I am playing with my best mate in a two ball. One problem though, he shoots 105ish, but doesn't have a HC. Over here, when playing in a comp without HC, they make you play off scratch.

 

So even though both days will be as part of a comp, I am not in the least worried about competing.

 

I just want to make sure I play some good golf. Had one of those range sessions last night, where everything was just working. Hit a bucket of 85 balls, and had this effortless swing going really well. After those 85 balls, I felt like I could hit another 30 or 40. Wasn't getting as tired as I would be with my typical 'murder the ball' swing.

 

Hope I can take this range form to the course next week.

 

I have a few days off now, so I can put in some more practice. Really want to put in some serious short game work, both pitching/chipping/bunker play, and at least one session dedicated to putting alone.

 

Next week's two rounds is my Major (in Dave Pelz-speak). I would love to play well. Hoping to schoot some good scores, and will keep trying to go sub 90.

[sparnar]

Haven't posted an update lately.

 

My last round was about three weeks ago at the Gary Player Country Club at the Sun City resort. This is where they play the Nedbank Golf Challenge (it was originally known as the Million Dollar tournament). Previous winners include Seve, Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Jm Furyk).

 

This course has been the number 1 course in South Africa a number of times. In recent years it has been surpassed by another course, but still consistently ranks in the top 3 courses.

 

It was my first time playing this course, and it was a huge privilege.

 

The Gary Player course is well known for very fast greens, and very penalising kikuyu rough.

 

I used my Rocketbladez 4i off the tee with excellent results. Can't recall the number of FIR's, but there were plenty. I also had a few GIR's, which was as a result of some good tee shots and some nice approaches. I made 4 pars on the front 9, with a blowup hole or two to shoot 47.

 

On the back nine I got a little tired and the swing left me, I managed to scrape by in 50.

 

This led to a score of 97, a tie for my best score ever. And this was at the Gary Player!

 

Anyway, really enjoyed the round. Went into it with a mindset of not worrying about the golf, just wanting to enjoy the course. And it was awesome walking past the plaques of previous winners on the way to the ninth green.

 

After the round I was thinking about some of my shots, and finally concluded that the MP 53s probably cost me anything between 3 and 5 shots on the day at a conservative guess.

 

I have since ordered the Rocketbladez 5i and 6i. If the results are similar to what I am seeing from the 4i, I will be sub 90 in no time.

 

This does leave me with a bit of gap between the Rocketbladez 6i and the MP 53 6i in the short term, but I'll play around it.

 

The plan is to see how these work out. After a few rounds, I'll then determine whether I should maybe bend the 6i a degree weaker and the 7i a degree stronger, or whether I should just get the Rocketbladez 7-PW. This will then leave a gap between the PW and the 52*. But that is a worry for much later.

 

The 5i and 6i should arrive this week, and I'll try to take them out to the executive course down the road from my home. I should have a few opportunities to pull these, and give them a bit of a workout.

 

I think a good bit of forgiveness will do wonders for my game. I just don't have the time to groove the swing enough for the MP 53s.

[sparnar]

Thanks, Richard.

 

I am definitely getting closer. My long game is getting better, and that is making a huge difference already.

[fsav]

Love this about this site. honest golfers stuggling to make the ends meet and set goals which 99% of the golifng world can't break. continued success SPARNAR keep up the good work and I look forward to that first post with an 8 in front of the score.

 

my thoughts on your success and goals.....

 

this is a time you will grow to love your longer clubs. since you have 200 yards or so into greens yes teeing it forward would be a good start but you will learn how to hit harder clubs into greens in this stage of your career. whatever you do as you progress don't take those clubs out of your bag thinking you can have a pro bag (for isntnace if you love your 4,5,7 wood keep them and if you want to updgrade jus tyuse newer technology) I fell into this when I hit college. loved my 4 woods and my 5 wood but wanted to carry a 2 iron to be like the big boys. my FIR were always 80% or higher but my GIR were 25%-40% causing me to struggle to get to a scratch. I also wanted forged/blade clubs etc etc etc...

 

WORK WORK WORK ON YOUR SHORT GAME!!! the first thing my coach asked our team when we arrive freshamn year was our strong points everyone said short game and everyones short game wasn't close to where it needed to be. try different shots from differet lies you would anticipate on courses you play. try differnt clubs don't get fixated on one club. bump and runs work well at this stage another shot you can master and grow accustom too for your future success.

 

PUTTTING good god putting is the road to all evil. instead of throwing balls on the green go with a purpose (this goes for all practice sessions) to the putting green. get you one of the great devices reviewed here (putting fork works wonders) and start at 3 foot. I would spend a month or so between 3-15 feet working on getting the ball started on line and contorlling speed. you will alway see people at your course throw three balls on the green hit 6 putts and off to the tee. and they spent 30 minutes hitting balls all ove rthe range. if you ask them they will say I wanted the speed of the green BALONIEE I say....they go out an have 35-40 putts in a round of 90-100. not counting all the OB as true stroke and distance so its more like 100-110.

 

Anyways you get the idea have a purpose to your practice, if possible go one tee up, stay true to the clubs that got you this far and by all means have fun!!!! we love to hate this sport but man is it satisfying beating the course once every millenium

[sparnar]

Love this about this site. honest golfers stuggling to make the ends meet and set goals which 99% of the golifng world can't break. continued success SPARNAR keep up the good work and I look forward to that first post with an 8 in front of the score.

 

my thoughts on your success and goals.....

 

this is a time you will grow to love your longer clubs. since you have 200 yards or so into greens yes teeing it forward would be a good start but you will learn how to hit harder clubs into greens in this stage of your career. whatever you do as you progress don't take those clubs out of your bag thinking you can have a pro bag (for isntnace if you love your 4,5,7 wood keep them and if you want to updgrade jus tyuse newer technology) I fell into this when I hit college. loved my 4 woods and my 5 wood but wanted to carry a 2 iron to be like the big boys. my FIR were always 80% or higher but my GIR were 25%-40% causing me to struggle to get to a scratch. I also wanted forged/blade clubs etc etc etc...

 

WORK WORK WORK ON YOUR SHORT GAME!!! the first thing my coach asked our team when we arrive freshamn year was our strong points everyone said short game and everyones short game wasn't close to where it needed to be. try different shots from differet lies you would anticipate on courses you play. try differnt clubs don't get fixated on one club. bump and runs work well at this stage another shot you can master and grow accustom too for your future success.

 

PUTTTING good god putting is the road to all evil. instead of throwing balls on the green go with a purpose (this goes for all practice sessions) to the putting green. get you one of the great devices reviewed here (putting fork works wonders) and start at 3 foot. I would spend a month or so between 3-15 feet working on getting the ball started on line and contorlling speed. you will alway see people at your course throw three balls on the green hit 6 putts and off to the tee. and they spent 30 minutes hitting balls all ove rthe range. if you ask them they will say I wanted the speed of the green BALONIEE I say....they go out an have 35-40 putts in a round of 90-100. not counting all the OB as true stroke and distance so its more like 100-110.

 

Anyways you get the idea have a purpose to your practice, if possible go one tee up, stay true to the clubs that got you this far and by all means have fun!!!! we love to hate this sport but man is it satisfying beating the course once every millenium

Hi fsav

Thanks for the kind words, and all the advice.

 

Bump and runs are my stock short game shot at the moment. I just need to learn to miss in the right spot, so I have a easy bump and run, rather than a tight pitch over a bunker. But that is easier said than done, my misses aren't always consistent. But I am getting there.

 

As for putting practice, I used to take 3/4 balls and hit them all to the same hole. Nowadays I take a single ball, and setup a little course on the practice green. I then have to get around the course in par(each hole is a par 2). If I finish over par, I start again. I have been in some real pressure situations after having missed a short putt early on. I then have to make a long one, otherwise I have to start over.

 

It is a fun and challenging practice game.

 

Thanks again for the advice.