quest to break 100

I found this forum through a post on FGI that linked to Slicefixers 9 - 3 stuff. Which I'm still trying to digest.

I picked up golf maybe 6 years ago at about 32. I'm not know for my athletic ability but I found the game to be fun. I play almost exclusively 9 hole rounds. Please keep that in mind as I post numbers.

My personal best was a 51 back in 04 or 05. I was playing more regularly then. I also got a few lessons during the 04/05 timeframe. I only played maybe 8 rounds total in 06 and 07, average scores were mid 60s.

This year I've got a weekly tee time going with some coworkers. So I've played 3 rounds in the last 3 weeks. I really want to try to break 100, well shoot 49 or 50 for 9.

Week 1 I shot 58. Not bad after only 2 range sessions. About 17 putts. I hit a couple good drives. My mishits were going straight and rolling 30 - 40 yards sometimes a bit more.

Week 2 - 63. I had a 12 on a par 5 with 3 penalty strokes (1 ob and 2 pond balls). Course management issues and a lack of a short game. I came away feeling that I made alot of strokes inside 100 yds. Chips were either short or too long and pitches were either over the green or short of the green. I also sailed a par 3 with my PW into a bunker, took 3 strokes to get out for a 6. 20 putts, not great but serviceable.

I picked up Art of the Short game by Utley. I also added a GW and got a new SW. I worked on his chipping technique for an hour or two and I really like it. Overall better results then I was having with my 7i. Not perfect but I was getting more balls close to the hole then before.

Week 3 - 77 - I am embarrassed. Overall 6 penalty strokes in the round. 12 on the par 5 with no penalty strokes. It took 9 shots to reach the green. I was hitting on top of the ball all day long. Leaving a nice 'divot' from the ball being driven into the ground at impact, not from the club. Fairways were real wet so what may have rolled 40 yds was going maybe 15. I also carded two 10s. Some interesting tee shots - 3 wd on a par 4 drive the ball into the turf and it doesn't make it out of the short grass for the tee box. 3 wd next shot from the turf and I get within 100 yds. I used driver on 2 holes (8 and 9, both par 4s) I get a mishit for about 210ish yds just out of the FW. The next hole I had a low and left mishit, not too bad except it came to a rest under a small tree seperating fairways

I almost holed 2 chips though, one stopped a couple inches short, the other caught the lip and stopped within maybe 4 inches of the cup. I also mishit a pitch to within 2 feet of the cup, but I 2 putted that. It was the last hole and my focus was off, how do you leave a short putt short???? I haven't added up my putts yet, I think it's over 20 even with the two 1 putts because I had 3 3 putts.

So, now that i have admitted to all of you the magnitude of my suckitude here's my thoughts on how to reach my goal.

1 - short game. I've been working on the Utley method of chipping and pitching. It needs alot of work but I'm seeing positive results even with my small amount of practice. I just switched balls from Volvik Crystal, which I like but no one carries them locally anymore, to the D2 that's lower spin. Not sure I like these balls for chipping. I used them for the first time yesterday while practicing and I had more issues with control then I did with the Volviks. I might have to order some balls online...

2 - putting. This seems serviceable right now. I'm working my way through the Art of Putting though. I haven't started practicing it yet. I'm hoping to keep my putting close to or under 18 per round. If the chipping is there, it's a possibility. Not as much room for improvement here but if I improve this, esp lag putting, I have more chances to get bogey when I get on the green with an approach shot but am still a ways from the hole.

3 - long game. Clueless and frustrated here. I can be a long hitter, compared to my group. I've seen flashes at times and when I make good contact w/ driver I can get the ball out there 250 - 260. A mishit is still good for 210 - 220. I know it's not awesome but I'm keeping this in perspective of my game and group. I'm frustrated because I see the good shots i make scattered through a round and feel like if I could get close to the green with a reasonable number of shots, my score would be so much better.

The course is as follows for tee shots:
par 4 dogleg 7w,
par 3 PW/SW,
par 5 5w(carry with trouble) if i got driver or 3w
par 3 pw/9i
par 4 dogleg 5w. I risk driving through the FW into trees if i use my 3w. A good 5 leaves me within 120 of the green.
par 3 pw/9i.
par 4 3 w,short hole and some people can drive the green. Trees on one side so i try to play it safer
Par 4 driver. I historically get good drives on this hole.
par 4 driver, wide open so a slice or hook will land in a fairway of another hole.

I just started to look at the 9 - 3 stuff. I think I actually got 1 good hit while practicing it at the range yesterday. I was also working on some pitches, so I figure 1 good one out of 20. Lols.

I think you should get lessons. The books are good but you don't have a foundation yet. Get a pro to steer you the right way and then go from there. Good luck, you'll be there soon enough if you stay at it. Take your time hitting the ball on the range, observe the ball flight and what you think you might have done "wrong" or "right" and try to repeat it. Don't mindlessly pound balls...maybe buy some impact tape and throw it on the front of the club and see where you are "striking the ball" on the club face and adjust from there...good luck.

Lessons probably will make sense. I'm using the books for short game and putting. Luckily Utley does a good job explaining what the process is.

My full swing can't be fixed the same way, I don't think.

The previous lessons didn't seem to have a lasting impact on my game. Perhaps I just need to see a different pro or it's a lack of practice on my end. I try to spend most range time working wedge shots, not full swing.

Before the first round, when I shot the 58, a coworker went to the range with me. He gave me some pointers and I started hitting the ball great. Too fast backswing, coming up on the backswing, not bringing the club back straight, following through like I was swinging a baseball bat, my alignment was a bit off. I guess only my grip is ok... We worked through that stuff and by the time we got to driver I was killing the ball nice and far and straight. Of course ,that's too many things to deal with at once.

I think I'll find a new pro, the old one is at a different course now, and get some lessons once I have the short game a little more settled. Hopefully that is a legit approach.

do you ever play 18? as in, your regular 9 hole course twice in one day.

Most of my best 9 hole scores have come at the expense of a blow up front nine.(or back 9)

give your self twice the chance .

Sounds like you have the drive to get better.

Seconded on finding a good pro.

A good pro will help you define your swing, not just make your swing like theirs.

Reading too much on swing technique, be it here or in books, can cause you to think too much instead of feel.

Good luck !

you can do it, but one problem with golf is after you break 50 you'll want to break 45 then 40 ect.....

Been there and I feel your pain. I began playing last summer (age 49) and I swing scores between mid-80s and 101! Here is my advice (in addition to a few lessons) now that I routinely shoot 90 or less:

1) find putting drills and spend 30% of your energy there. I missed 4 footer impacts the scorecard as much as an errant drive.

2) spend 40% of your energy finding figuring out short wedge play. I'm now getting up and down a couple of holes a round and it makes a big scoring impact -- pars and bogies versus doubles and worse.

3) spend 20% of your time on a 150 yard shot -- find a club that works for this shot. Don't worry if the approach is 185 (see #2)

4) spend 10% of your time finding one 200-230 yard club that you can reliably hit more or less straight most of the time. Forget about bombing it for now.

You'll reliably shoot in the 90s hitting fairways (even if short) and being on the greens in regulation + 1. Think 3 shots for the longer par 4s and 1 to 2 putts as the strategy.

My $.02.

I'm no pro so I'll limit my swing advice to keep your lower body quiet, use a slow compact (3/4 or less) backswing and swing easy to finish. Don't practice trying to kill the ball. Left foot down, base stable, slow to 3/4 back and simply unwind.

I'd consider picking up a copy of Break 100 Now: From Hacker to Golfer in Just 90 Days by Mike Adams & T.J. Tomasi. The last chapter is a 13 week plan to break 100.

And, of course, lessons would be helpful.

Hi Botass,

I have been following your posts here and on FGI. I can relate, granted I am not a teacher or anything but here is what I did.

I played the game recreationally for 10 years or so (3-4 times a year just to drink beer). Then 4 years ago my father semi-retired and my brother moved back to town, they both play golf so it became a family day out and I really liked those days, but hated shooting 105-115 :drinks: . I was 36 at the time.

3 years ago I decided to improve, went and bought new irons (TM OS2) and had them fitted for me with loft and lie. Got some lessons, basically just for the basics, grip, set up ect. Read Hogan 5 lessons, again helped me a lot just for the grip and stance sections since my swing sucked so bad the rest went over my head (tough to worry about lag when you are barely hitting the ball 50% of the time ). Spent 1-2 days a week hitting 50 balls at lunch almost exclusively with the 4-pw. By the end of the summer I was shooting 100-107 pretty consistently, the most improvement was just making contact with the ball and advancing it, even if direction wasn’t the best I was eliminating the 4-7 dribblers per round. I play about the same amount as you 9 holes per week but also played 1-2 18’s per month with the family.

Year 2 bought a new driver and 5 wood (Adams RMP with Graffoley shaft). Again had a lesson (this time at Golf Galaxy with the video, I recommend it if only to actually see your swing). Spent the time at lunch at the range working on the driver, distance was never really a problem, again very similar to you I average 250ish, but needed to eliminate the 4 penalties per round. I know some will say use the 5 wood or whatever to tee off with, I made the decision that at some point I was going to have to use the driver I might just as well learn now. Driving became, and still is for the most part, the part of my game I like the most. That year towards the end I was down to 1-2 trouble drives per 18 (by trouble I mean needing to punch out or OB). By the end of last year I was shooting 95-100.

This year I bought new wedges (Adams Tom Watson) and a putter (Ping B2) and read the Pelz book. I have been spending most of my practice days now at the putting and chipping greens. This is by far the least expensive way to improve your game. My average this year is 92 and I have been in the 80’s several times and have not had anything above a 99! The rest of the summer my plan is to split my time between short game and driving range to help my all around game. I am actually now as good as my father and better then my brother and it feels much better to spend $75 to play a nice course with them and not shoot a 110 and lose 8 balls.

I still don’t hit the ball anywhere near as good as most on this forum, but I can go to most courses now and not be totally embarrassed.

Here is what I would work on based on my experience. Make sure of your set up, Grip, Posture, Feet, Aim, Ball Placement. Even if my swing sucks compared to all the studs on these forums there is no reason my set up cant be equally as good as theirs. Keep stats, I use the one on FGI, but I also track my driving distance and I note on the card if I had a bad shot (if I consistently get the same note I know what to work on). I still think that just making good contact with the ball in that first year was big for my psychi, those dribblers will frustrate you more than anything, so practice with the 7-pw the most and just make good contact, the rest will come.

Keep up the work and it will pay off ! Joe

I'd consider picking up a copy of Break 100 Now: From Hacker to Golfer in Just 90 Days by Mike Adams & T.J. Tomasi. The last chapter is a 13 week plan to break 100.

 

And, of course, lessons would be helpful.

Actually I have that and How to Break 90. I bought Break 100 a few years ago and I've read through most of it. I hope to be able start working on the club yardages. I have a GPS now and a baseball field across the street. I should be able to work things out up to about a 7w I think.

The part I liked on Break 100 was course management. That's also when I started teeing off w/ my 5i. I was shotting mid 50s then. One of my last lessons the pro told me to start using driver. "Aim left for the slice and if it goes straight, you should still be ok. You need to learn to hit those clubs."

One problem with the course that's 10 minutes from my house is the range. It's all grass but against a road, so no woods, drivers, long irons. That's where I got my lessons years ago and dunno if I want to go there or another course that may be grass or may be mats. A lesson off mats would be a waste unless I told him "let's do short game stuff".

Hi Botass,

 

 

 

I have been following your posts here and on FGI. I can relate, granted I am not a teacher or anything but here is what I did.

 

 

 

I played the game recreationally for 10 years or so (3-4 times a year just to drink beer). Then 4 years ago my father semi-retired and my brother moved back to town, they both play golf so it became a family day out and I really liked those days, but hated shooting 105-115 :drinks: . I was 36 at the time.

 

 

 

3 years ago I decided to improve, went and bought new irons (TM OS2) and had them fitted for me with loft and lie.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep stats, I use the one on FGI, but I also track my driving distance and I note on the card if I had a bad shot (if I consistently get the same note I know what to work on). I still think that just making good contact with the ball in that first year was big for my psychi, those dribblers will frustrate you more than anything, so practice with the 7-pw the most and just make good contact, the rest will come.

 

 

 

Keep up the work and it will pay off ! Joe

My irons are fitted and my SW and GW I had the lie angle adjusted to match my irons. The only other club modification is the grip on my driver is a bit larger to also match my irons. 3w,5w, 7w, and putter are not fitted. But I don't have a club that I just cannot hit in my bag, so they may not be perfect but completely bad either.

I do track my rounds. Years ago it was using the Golf Channel one and I'm using FGI now. I want to start adding distance notes since I have a gps now.

At least I seem to be on a good path :lol:

Played this morning. Shot a 61 :drinks: . I was at 28 after 3. 9, 5, 13.... there was only 1 penalty stroke in the mix on #1. I should have taken an unplayable. It would have saved me at least 1 stroke. Instead i tried to chip a ball to close to a tree and lost it in a drainage ditch.

Things got interesting after that though. I hit GIR on number 5 and 3 putted for bogey. My first putt was 15+ yards and I left it someplace around 5 feet short. My PW approach shot actually sucked back as well. Never ever have done that before. It was not on purpose though.

I got up and down twice on 2 par 4s. Another set of firsts. I've gotten up and down maybe 3 times over the years until today. I also very rarely get par and it's normally a par 3. I have gotten maybe 2 pars on par 4 holes prior to today.

So the total score still sucked but I saw some real glimmers of an ok game. I shot 33 for the last 6 holes and the par is 22. Real close to dbl bogey golf which is what you need to break 100.

I'll try to post more details later today. I tracked tee shot club and distance for the first time.

How I broke 100 without practicing too much:

- Made sure I made good contact on each shot. As long as I kept moving the ball forward and relatively straight, I was ok.

- Get out of sand traps in 1 shot, unless you have a really crappy lie.

- Reduce 3 putts. Learn how and when to lag. This only takes a few shorts sessions on the practice green.

- Eliminate chuncks and shanks 50 yards and in. This creeps into my game on occasion. I learned what causes me to do this, so I try to eliminate the causes when it starts to creep back in.

As long as you play bogey golf, you will still break 100. So think of par as birdie and bogey as par and you will find breaking 100 easier than you think.

Here's the details of the round:

I only hit 1 fairway or green with my tee shots. Good news is I never found trees, OB, or water with them either.

1 - 7W for 65. I topped this pretty straight but short of the FW. Nice little ball divot infront of the tee where I jammed the ball into the turf. I had some issues but got to 40 - 50 yards out in 4. My pitch went straight right, a push I think. I ended up on the wrong side of a cartpath bordering the green near a tree. I had a crappy shot but tried to chip it. Mishit sent it off 90 degrees into a drainage ditch. I get on and 2 putt for 9. I should have taken an unplayable as it may have saved me 1 stroke.

2- GW for 130 yards. Yes, I mishit my GW about 130 over the green. I got some air under the ball but I think I hit it thin too. I had a downhill lie in the rough. 2 chips and 2 putts later a 5 for dbl bogey. Not great but I'll take that any day. The downhill chip was steep and I just got my ball to the fringe.

3 - 7W for 82. Another topped ball that rolled that far. The ball was sitting down in some long wet grass. I decided to use my 3w. I sliced it into the trees and maybe got 20 yds closer to the hole. I should have just used a wedge to get into the fairway. I attribute this to poor club/shot selection based on inexperience. I get to about 40 yards out in 7 shots. I'm dubbing my way there. 40ish yards out i sail my approach shot over the green. It comes to rest in a wet spot with a tuft of long grass right behind the ball but it's bare in front. I'm also under some trees but it's open. I was hoping to see water for a casual water drop but no dice. It squished but remained out of sight. My chip came out fast and rolled off the green. Now the ball is in this small crease maybe a inch or so deep filled with longer grass, since the mowers can't get to it. I dub that chip too. Finally get on and 2 putt for an awesome 13. I rule!

4 - 8i for 88 another mishit that rolled 80+ yards. Approach shot lands in a green side bunker. I get out of the bunker and on the fringe in 1. Chip and 2 putt for a 6 on a par 3. Only good thing was I got out of the bunker on my first attempt.

5 - 7w for 152. Again a mishit. This is a dogleg right and the end of the fairway from my tee was just over 200 yds. I've hit 3w and 5w here in the past and end up in the rough at the end of the fairway. that's why I chose the 7w. I sliced the shot and was about 130 out from the center of the green in the rough. I have a good lie and a shot at the pin. Woods on the right and a lone tree to the left. The opening looked like it was safe enough to go for the pin. I might hit the left tree but it wasn't a real high risk shot. I hit PW and I'm on in 2. I have my first GIR in a long time! My ball also sucked back. never done that before and it wasn't on purpose. it's a long green and i'm near the front and the pin is near the rear. i'm looking at a 15+ yd putt. I get it within about 6 feet but 2 putt from there for bogey. My approach shot was coming into the green at an angle so a 9i may have gone over the green into a bunker. I saw my chance and I took the shot. It's probably a yellow light for you Break 100 readers.

6 - SW for 3 yards. I hit this ball into the turf bad. I have no idea what happened to the tee. There was just a crater from the ball. Second shot is pushed right into a pond. Pitch over the green(a trend is forming), chip on 2 putt for a 7. Awesome par 3 again...

7 - 3w 124. I send this to the left and low. It bounced off the ridge seperating 7 and 8 into the FW. My only FW of the round and a cheap one at that. Second shot gets me close, maybe 30ish out. I pitch on and 1 putt for par. Up and down!

8 - driver 197. A mishit left that lands on top of the ridge seperating fairways. 7,8,9, and 18th fairways all border each other. So I feel safe hitting driver here. A hook or slice is likely to find one of the bordering fairways. I have a good flat lie. I play it safe and hit a partial wedge into the FW. I'm now 100 yards out and above the green. I decide instead of a partial wedge to try a bump and run ty[pe shot with my PW :russian_roulette: . Pretty sure that's the wrong club. I end up pushing it right and it's a nice high partial wedge shot, bounces on the cart path into a pond.... Bad execution really cost me. I have a wide open path to the green and blew it. Take my drop and chip on. I miss the hole by an inch with my first putt, I had a downhill shot and was now about 2 feet away. My second put lips out. I sink the tap in for a 3 putt 7. I came close to pulling a bogey outta my butt, not quite though. The brain fart on trying a runner shot with a PW really hurt. A 7i Pelz style chip or maybe a 5i would have gotten the job done better at less risk, or so i think.

9 - driver 187 mishit left at about the 150 marker in the 18th fairway. 170 out and blind shot to my green. There's just a ridge between fairways that you can quite see over. I hit my shot and wasn't too happy. Then i see my ball in the rough on the other side of the fairway 20 yards out from the green. I pitch on within 5 feet and 1 putt for my second up and down and par.

I had 18 putts again. Not great but serviceable. The short game is still shakey but I had better results then the prior week. I have never, ever, gotten up and down twice in 1 round nor gotten two pars on par 4 holes. I have gotten 2 pars on par 3 one time before.

So I have a 61 but I feel good. I see more glimmers of what I can do. I now know I can get up and down. I can get GIR. No idea when i'll do it again but it is possible.

I plan to continue working on putting and the short game. I also got some driveway markers to help with alignment. I hope to work on some static stuff like setup alignment and grip for my fullswing. I also need to work out my ball position. Woohoo.

Anyone read this far? :clapping:

Here is how I ended going from the mid 100's to the mid 80's. When I play golf I try to hit the same yardages over and over; so I'm playing with clubs I'm confident with. For instance, I usually hit my 9I 150 - 155 yards, so I try to end up around that yardage when I need to hit into the green. The idea is just to build your confidence in a few clubs so you aren't standing over the ball "man, I hope this goes straight", you're just reacting at this point and allowing your brain to do the work. I do agree with alot of responses about putting and short game saving strokes but if its taking you 5 - 6 shots to get to a par 4 green then its obvious where you are losing strokes.

Buy a scorecard book, so you can keep track of your stats... fairways hit, number of putts, up/downs, sand saves, etc.... It will give you something specific to work on instead of having all parts of your game glaring at you. There is light at the end of tunnel :drinks:....

If you can afford to get lessons, do it... You will be amazed on how starting in the correct position (spine tilt, alignment, etc...) can sometimes fix other flaws in your swing. Do you have a preshot routine? If not, get one.

All,

Great advice, follows a similar thread that I posted earlier (When do you get better) I am basically in the same situation, I took up golf in college and played infrequently over the last 12 years. Somehow over the last two years (after leaving the military) I have an abundance of free time and have been more addicted to the game than ever. I realized at the end of last season that I needed to go back to the basics. I took lesson at the beginning of summer at the PGA learning center in Florida and it was a bit humiliating as the instructor pointed many flaws in my swing....okay take it like a man and spend some time on the range.

Well the last month was spent on the range just working the 6 iron and on occasion 3i Hybrid and maybe a driver. Generally working on my impact area over and over again. Typically I get 70 balls to hit and see at least one turnover of people on the range while I am practicing. Makes me believe that I am practicing with a purpose and not just mindlessly hitting golf balls. I try to watch the ball flight and interpret what it means with regard to my swing. I find the time on the range is a great hour relief from the day to day things that make up our lives.

That time on the range has drastically improved my confidence on the course I still have along way to go to get below 100, typically I shot 54-58 on 9 holes. Because of time constraints I usually don't get in a full 18 holes, but I figure 9 is better than nothing. My last round I took the advice of some people on this forum to "Use whatever club you need to keep it in the fairway” So I was teeing of with my 5i on most holes and doing respectful. In the end 190 yards in the fairway is better than 250 yards OOB or behind a tree. Hitting from the fairway in your short game makes it so much easier and enjoyable as I was frequently [putting the ball on the green from 100-135 yds. In the end I shot the best round yet at a 50. I only broke out the driver on one par 5 520 yard hole.

I am going back to lessons, in fact I have signed up for 6 lessons. At this point I still want to improve my swing, and think a lesson and a couple weeks of practice followed by another lesson is the way to go. Golf through a FIRE HOSE in a 2 day intensive course in Florida is nice but not much chance to work on you weak areas and then have it validated by the instructor.

So I don't know if this helps or hinders, but the above has worked for me so far, there is still room for improvement. Keep us posted on your progress and I will let you know how it goes on my end.

Thanks

Erik

Erik,

Definately not hindering. This topic is my log of sorts on trying to see if I can break 100, though tying it with a 50 like you would be awesome. My best ever round was 51 and that was years ago when I played more and really worked on my partial wedges. I read the Short Game Bible that year.

If nothing else maybe someone else may learn from the comments/advice.

Yesterday I went to the local range and tried the 9 - 3 drill with a small bucket of balls and my SW. I think there are around 40 balls in the bucket.

The main things I was trying to ingrain were:

The grip that Slicefixer describes. This went well. I normally don't have big issues with grip changes. I do need to watch out a bit because I was working on putting earlier this week and every once in a while I'd find myself taking the putting grip when I was about to pitch or chip.

Keeping my body in alignment with itself. I was not trying to hit a target, so was not trying to align along a target line. I noticed a few years ago that my upper body is not square with my hips when I am relaxed. My right shoulder is a bit forward and my left is a bit back.

Posting my weight on the left with my left shoulder, hip, and foot kinda stacked. This needs more work. I was remembering to do it more at the end.

Ball position. I decided to play around with the 1 ball position and sliding the right foot forward or back depending on the club. This seemed to work but I was only using a SW.

Hand position. I think I have too much of a forward press delofting the club. I held the club a little more upright but hands are still forward.

It was a mixed bag. I hit a number of nice looking shots. I also hit some thin hooks that rolled left. Other thin mishits went pretty straight. I did push 1 right when the wedge slid under the ball because i hit it kinda fat.

I need to post some questions for SF and his disciples but I hope to be able to got to the range a couple more times this weekend and work that drill.

All,

 

Great advice, follows a similar thread that I posted earlier (When do you get better) I am basically in the same situation, I took up golf in college and played infrequently over the last 12 years. Somehow over the last two years (after leaving the military) I have an abundance of free time and have been more addicted to the game than ever. I realized at the end of last season that I needed to go back to the basics. I took lesson at the beginning of summer at the PGA learning center in Florida and it was a bit humiliating as the instructor pointed many flaws in my swing....okay take it like a man and spend some time on the range.

 

Well the last month was spent on the range just working the 6 iron and on occasion 3i Hybrid and maybe a driver. Generally working on my impact area over and over again. Typically I get 70 balls to hit and see at least one turnover of people on the range while I am practicing. Makes me believe that I am practicing with a purpose and not just mindlessly hitting golf balls. I try to watch the ball flight and interpret what it means with regard to my swing. I find the time on the range is a great hour relief from the day to day things that make up our lives.

 

That time on the range has drastically improved my confidence on the course I still have along way to go to get below 100, typically I shot 54-58 on 9 holes. Because of time constraints I usually don't get in a full 18 holes, but I figure 9 is better than nothing. My last round I took the advice of some people on this forum to "Use whatever club you need to keep it in the fairway” So I was teeing of with my 5i on most holes and doing respectful. In the end 190 yards in the fairway is better than 250 yards OOB or behind a tree. Hitting from the fairway in your short game makes it so much easier and enjoyable as I was frequently [putting the ball on the green from 100-135 yds. In the end I shot the best round yet at a 50. I only broke out the driver on one par 5 520 yard hole.

 

I am going back to lessons, in fact I have signed up for 6 lessons. At this point I still want to improve my swing, and think a lesson and a couple weeks of practice followed by another lesson is the way to go. Golf through a FIRE HOSE in a 2 day intensive course in Florida is nice but not much chance to work on you weak areas and then have it validated by the instructor.

 

So I don't know if this helps or hinders, but the above has worked for me so far, there is still room for improvement. Keep us posted on your progress and I will let you know how it goes on my end.

 

Thanks

Erik

Great post Erik, thanks! :clapping:

Hi Botass,

 

 

 

I have been following your posts here and on FGI. I can relate, granted I am not a teacher or anything but here is what I did.

 

 

 

I played the game recreationally for 10 years or so (3-4 times a year just to drink beer). Then 4 years ago my father semi-retired and my brother moved back to town, they both play golf so it became a family day out and I really liked those days, but hated shooting 105-115 :clapping: . I was 36 at the time.

 

 

 

3 years ago I decided to improve, went and bought new irons (TM OS2) and had them fitted for me with loft and lie. Got some lessons, basically just for the basics, grip, set up ect. Read Hogan 5 lessons, again helped me a lot just for the grip and stance sections since my swing sucked so bad the rest went over my head (tough to worry about lag when you are barely hitting the ball 50% of the time ). Spent 1-2 days a week hitting 50 balls at lunch almost exclusively with the 4-pw. By the end of the summer I was shooting 100-107 pretty consistently, the most improvement was just making contact with the ball and advancing it, even if direction wasn't the best I was eliminating the 4-7 dribblers per round. I play about the same amount as you 9 holes per week but also played 1-2 18's per month with the family.

 

 

 

Year 2 bought a new driver and 5 wood (Adams RMP with Graffoley shaft). Again had a lesson (this time at Golf Galaxy with the video, I recommend it if only to actually see your swing). Spent the time at lunch at the range working on the driver, distance was never really a problem, again very similar to you I average 250ish, but needed to eliminate the 4 penalties per round. I know some will say use the 5 wood or whatever to tee off with, I made the decision that at some point I was going to have to use the driver I might just as well learn now. Driving became, and still is for the most part, the part of my game I like the most. That year towards the end I was down to 1-2 trouble drives per 18 (by trouble I mean needing to punch out or OB). By the end of last year I was shooting 95-100.

 

 

 

This year I bought new wedges (Adams Tom Watson) and a putter (Ping B2) and read the Pelz book. I have been spending most of my practice days now at the putting and chipping greens. This is by far the least expensive way to improve your game. My average this year is 92 and I have been in the 80's several times and have not had anything above a 99! The rest of the summer my plan is to split my time between short game and driving range to help my all around game. I am actually now as good as my father and better then my brother and it feels much better to spend $75 to play a nice course with them and not shoot a 110 and lose 8 balls.

 

 

 

I still don't hit the ball anywhere near as good as most on this forum, but I can go to most courses now and not be totally embarrassed.

 

 

 

Here is what I would work on based on my experience. Make sure of your set up, Grip, Posture, Feet, Aim, Ball Placement. Even if my swing sucks compared to all the studs on these forums there is no reason my set up cant be equally as good as theirs. Keep stats, I use the one on FGI, but I also track my driving distance and I note on the card if I had a bad shot (if I consistently get the same note I know what to work on). I still think that just making good contact with the ball in that first year was big for my psychi, those dribblers will frustrate you more than anything, so practice with the 7-pw the most and just make good contact, the rest will come.

 

 

 

Keep up the work and it will pay off ! Joe

That's a great post -- thanks for taking the time to write it. It helps people like me to read things like this.

Your situation is almost identical to mine. I've generally played 9 holes and I was scoring in the 60's. This April I started playing 2 or 3 times a week and made it my goal to play double-bogey golf. I decided that some new clubs were in order now that I was taking the game seriously. I went into golf galaxy for some advice on irons. I started a fitting and after a couple swings the tech decided to give me an impromptu swing lesson instead. The half an hour he worked with me had a huge impact. I stopped trying to kill the ball and just tried to hit it well. I started scoring in the mid 50's with the same clubs, so my next goal was to break 50. The next thing I did was to add a gap and a sand wedge to my arsenal (TM r7 XD, super cheap from golfstockpile.com). The wedges helped out a lot, I used to overshoot the green (or hit it and roll off) with my PW, but with the new precision tools I found most of my chips sticking to the green. I got a few 51s and 52s but still couldn't break 50. Then last week I picked up some Adams Tech OS irons; scored a 48 the first round! The switch from steel to graphite was nice, they really help me get the ball in the air. The hybrids are great too, I can hit the 3 farther than I hit my old 5-wood.

So for me it was a combination of lessons, practice (2-4 rounds and a few hours on the practice green each week), adding the wedges and switching to the GI irons. My short term goal is to keep it under 50 consistently and hopefully get some 45s by the end of the season (October, around here); and as cheesy as it sounds, I just want to keep having fun (that is, afterall, why we do it, right?).

Interesting round this week. I went to the range about 3 times or so since last round. I was just working on the 9 - 3 drill, along with a little chipping and putting. I get mostly good shots with it but only a few feel like I'm getting the right contact.

This week I shot a 58 with 16 putts and 3 penalty strokes.

1 - 7w for 84. Again I top it but it goes fairly straight. I dub a few more and 1 putt for a 7. I just wasn't getting good contact.

2 - GW for 116 with a major slice through the trees towards the 3rd tee box. I hit this one thin. My shot to the green has to go between some large trees but I have no other option. I figure i'll do a mini punch with a 7i. First try hits a tree and bounces back. Next one gets through. 2 shots get me on the green and I 1 putt for 6.

3- Par 5 from hell, last three scores are 12, 12, 13. 7w for 185 through the fairway. This par 5 has a layup area off the tees about 200 yards out. Then it drops down and the fairway begins again maybe 30ish yards further. This lower area is usually full of long grass and crap. They seem to have mown it back though. So I got off a pretty good tee shot except there's a birch with 2 trunks about 2 - 3 yards in front of my ball. I have no shot towards the fairway. I do a 7i punch into the rough on the right. Followed by an easy pw punch leaving me about 113 yards out in 3. I have a up and down attempt here but fail. My pitch in goes right and short. I chip over the green, bladed the ball. Chip on and 2 putt for 8. I'm kinda happy with this hole today. 8 sucks but par 5s, especially this one, are my bane. I got close enough in 3 for up and down to be legit.

I have triple bogeyed the first 3 holes. Not great but it's 7 strokes less for those holes then the prior week.

4 - PW for 61 yards. I don't remember what I did wrong but I got no air and it went left on me. It stayed in bounds but I now have a severe uphill lie with a greenside bunker that needed to be carried. I figure there's no way I try to get over the bunker and on the green. This has trouble written all over it. I try to chip out sideways and hit it too hard. pitch/chip woes continue and I card a 7 after a 2 putt on a par 3. I feel that I made the right call to play sideways on my second shot. I had a shot for double bogey if I don't mess up my other shots so bad.

5 - 7w for 192 through the fairway. I'm getting good tee shots off with the 7w. I've been dailing back my club on the tee shot because it's a dogleg right and I'm always hitting through the fairway. I'll probably stick with the 7w and try to aim more right to cut some distance on the hole. I'm sitting about 130 out and I mishit my PW a bit but am on the green in 2. I made GIR again on this hole and 2 putt for par.

6- par 3 and I hit my GW for about 135. Bladed it off the tee, line drive skips a few times over the green into a hazard. The tee was about 117 from the center. I have to take a drop. the grass is wet and a bit long. I'm worried about coming out to fast and leave it short in the long grass. Another short long grass chip. I finally get on and 2 putt for 7.

7 - 3w 154+, I pushed this into the trees on the right side. My gps read 154 where it entered the woods and it was still going strong. I made good contact and it flew straight. Just not where I wanted. I take my drop and have no shot at the green. I play out at an angle. I'm over 120 out so i hit my PW. I wasn't too happy with it at first. It went left on me but straight. I was worried it was heading into the pond. The shot was better then i first thought. I was in the short grass with an easy chip/pitch into the green. I ended up 2 putting for a 7... Not a real good hole. Maybe I should have stuck with my 7w off the tee.

8 - Driver for 67 into a pond. Normally I drive well on this hole. This is where I figure out I should stick with the 7w cuz I've been hitting it good. Take my drop but it rolls closer to the pond. I have no good shot because I can't get a legit stance. I do a 5i punch that does into the rough on the left side of the fairway. 140 out but the green is downhill. I hit PW and get on. I have a long putt ahead of me. I nailed it well past the hole(uphill) into the fringe. Chip on and sink the next putt for 7.

9 - 7w for 172. This ball kinda faded on me and went into the right rough. 170ish out and I hit 6i within 33 yards of the center. i now have my second up and down chance here. I get on with a mishit chip and have a 9 foot putt for par. I leave my putt short. In the end I 3 putted for a 6. My only 3 jack of the day.

I played smarter golf this round but have more room to improve ie tee shots. par 3s are killing me. I'm getting 6 and 7s on them because I'm blading my tee shots. I need some range time with teed up wedges and full swings. Pitches still need work, etc.

Still I'm happy with this round. my worst hole was an 8 on a par 5. I was playing alot of triple bogey golf, which isn't bad for me.

Like Duffer said above, I think the most important thing is advancing the ball down the fairway. I've had problems with chunks in the past, and they just kill my game. Also, I 've lost a lot of shots with blading chips over the green, or chunking them. If you were just to get on the green, you would save strokes.

Personally, I wouldn't even start on the 9 - 3 quite yet. I like to work backwards. Start with chipping and make sure you have the proper feeling of weight on your left side, and trapping the ball with your right hand angle not breaking down.

If you can find that proper feeling, you can then take those same feelings to the pitch shot, and once you have that feeling there, then move on to something like the 9 - 3.

I know that if I can't hit a chip correctly, I won't be able to hit my 3 iron correctly.

My 2 cents

Great advice so far.

I usually hit around high 90s and the part of the my game that is holding me back is the short stuff.

I recently shot a 97, and after the round I counted a total of 64 strokes from 80 yds and in (39 Putts, 11 pitches, 10 chips, 4 sand).of those, I had 5 three putts, and 10 flubbs and chunks with PW, GW, SW... 15 avoidable mistakes.... so yeah, practice that short game because the iron and wood play will come with time on the course.

Like Duffer said above, I think the most important thing is advancing the ball down the fairway. I've had problems with chunks in the past, and they just kill my game. Also, I 've lost a lot of shots with blading chips over the green, or chunking them. If you were just to get on the green, you would save strokes.

 

Personally, I wouldn't even start on the 9 - 3 quite yet. I like to work backwards. Start with chipping and make sure you have the proper feeling of weight on your left side, and trapping the ball with your right hand angle not breaking down.

 

If you can find that proper feeling, you can then take those same feelings to the pitch shot, and once you have that feeling there, then move on to something like the 9 - 3.

 

I know that if I can't hit a chip correctly, I won't be able to hit my 3 iron correctly.

 

My 2 cents

My chipping does have my weight left and I don't feel like the right hand is breaking down. Most chipping problem are in two areas: Sometimes I don't keep the clubhead low enough and I blade it; The other is when the ball is sitting in long grass. These either come out hot or slow. I started practicing that chip the other day. My chipping is definately improved and could use more improvement.

My 3i has sat in the trunk of my car for the last 4 years :rolleyes: Yes, I know you weren't suggesting i use that club.

I was just going over my club selection in my mind and it was interesting, your 3i comment brought it on.

I used D and 3w once only. The other clubs I used 7w for 3 tee shots. 5i and 7i for low punch shots. 1 full 6i. PW, GW, SW for the par 3s, approaches, and chipping/pitching(sw only). I never touched my 5w, 8i, 9i, nor 4i, which I rarely use anyways. I was never legitimately a full club out of the green, with a shot at the green, that was longer then my PW except that 1 6i shot.

Part of this is due to the nature of my shots. When I was in postion to use a longer then PW club based on distance, I was out of position based on my lie. Also both GIR over the last 2 rounds were the same hole and I had PW into the green. I wonder if thes should tell me something.

I really need a bigger scorecard to track some other stats. I'll add chipping/pitching. For the stuff off the green, I may be able to note yardages from center of the green. The GPS is good for this stuff, except I can't slow things down.

4) spend 10% of your time finding one 200-230 yard club that you can reliably hit more or less straight most of the time. Forget about bombing it for now.

Hmmm. Counting myself, there are four guys in my usual Saturday foursome who would save strokes if they had a shot that went 200-230 yards reliably straight. I would say we're a pretty typical set of middle-aged double-digit handicappers (actually Chip is about a 9 or 10) and I'd say our driver distances are about 220, 210, 205 and 185 yards and we average putting the ball in play 80%, 70%, 70% and 90% of the time respectively. The guy who hits it 185 and usually finds the fairway can break 90 most days and can flirt with 80 if he's putting well.

Of the 30+ guys I play with at least occasionally in the Sunday dogfight there are three or four who can hit it 230+ yards more than once in a round and at most a dozen who can hit the fairway or first cut of rough at least 80% of the time while driving it 220-ish. I think if our fellow adult-beginner friend can get that 150-yard shot down well enough to hit the fairway every time he can break 100 easily from any tees he ought to be playing (i.e. not playing a 6,600 yard course).

4) spend 10% of your time finding one 200-230 yard club that you can reliably hit more or less straight most of the time. Forget about bombing it for now.

 

Hmmm. Counting myself, there are four guys in my usual Saturday foursome who would save strokes if they had a shot that went 200-230 yards reliably straight. I would say we're a pretty typical set of middle-aged double-digit handicappers (actually Chip is about a 9 or 10) and I'd say our driver distances are about 220, 210, 205 and 185 yards and we average putting the ball in play 80%, 70%, 70% and 90% of the time respectively. The guy who hits it 185 and usually finds the fairway can break 90 most days and can flirt with 80 if he's putting well.

 

Of the 30+ guys I play with at least occasionally in the Sunday dogfight there are three or four who can hit it 230+ yards more than once in a round and at most a dozen who can hit the fairway or first cut of rough at least 80% of the time while driving it 220-ish. I think if our fellow adult-beginner friend can get that 150-yard shot down well enough to hit the fairway every time he can break 100 easily from any tees he ought to be playing (i.e. not playing a 6,600 yard course).

Well I play the whites and the front 9 is 2645. It's not a long course. Rating and slope for 18 on the whites is 63.4/115. So it isn't terribly hard.

I think i'll just use the 7w on 'driving' holes. I can get that 180 - 190 out with solid connection. Even my dubs with it haven't been too bad, 80+ yards but fairly straight.

I still think I should spend 1 range session this week on teed full wedges. If I can narrow down my par 3 trouble, which has been tee shot related, I can save maybe 4 strokes. There are 3 par 3s and I average about 6 on them. That would mean I'd be trying to bogey them for the most part.

Again, I appreciate all the comments and thoughts.

BTW, just to add two more cents worth...the first time I ever broke 100 it was on a 6,000-ish yard course. I had a crick in my neck and couldn't make a backswing that got my hands over waist high. I teed off with a 6-iron on every hole, about a 125 yard 3/4 swing. Then hit it a second and if necessary a third time to get up around the green. A chip and one or two putts and before I knew it I had finished up with a 99. But every single tee shot found the middle of the fairway that day and I can't recall playing a single shot from anything but fairway or maybe some short rough near the green.

Hmmm, maybe I'll take the old 6-iron out this weekend and see what I can do with it at my current course. I hit so many pull-hooks into trouble last Saturday I barely kept it in the 90's and lost three golf balls to boot. Yikes!

maybe i missed it in the thread somewhere, but do you have plans for any lessons? i don't want to sound rude or anything, but imo there is a big difference between a 30+ handicap trying to fix his homegrown swing versus a mid handicapper trying to work out the kinks on his own. in addition, i find that most new golfers that are able to notice faults in their swing, fix them accordingly, and have success are those with some sort of athletic background in which hand-eye coordination, core strength, etc. was important. considering how often you play and your dedication to lower your handicap, i think lessons would quickly help you work out the inconsistencies you are facing.

One piece of advice, I'm not sure if it's the 'right' way to do it, but it works for me. When I chip from the fairway I line the ball up with the inside of my back foot and set up with the blade an inch and a half behind the ball, that wall I always get under it. When I'm in the rough I line up with the ball farther forward in my stance and set up with the blade a few mm from the ball; since you don't need to take a divot to get under it in the tall grass this helps my pop it up without skying it.

I'm not usually one to give advice because... well look at my handicap; but chipping is one place I am very confident. Once again this may not be the correct way to do it, but it works for me.

Like I mentioned above I was in the same place as you a couple months ago. I just signed up for some lessons from the pro at my local course, looking forward to knocking a few more strokes off my game. Good luck with your quest!

maybe i missed it in the thread somewhere, but do you have plans for any lessons? i don't want to sound rude or anything, but imo there is a big difference between a 30+ handicap trying to fix his homegrown swing versus a mid handicapper trying to work out the kinks on his own. in addition, i find that most new golfers that are able to notice faults in their swing, fix them accordingly, and have success are those with some sort of athletic background in which hand-eye coordination, core strength, etc. was important. considering how often you play and your dedication to lower your handicap, i think lessons would quickly help you work out the inconsistencies you are facing.

You didn't miss it. I am not completely set on lessons as of yet. I had a number of lessons years ago and they didn't seem to have a huge impact. I'd hit balls awesome as the lesson progressed then be unable to recreate it later. However that may be because I didn't retain enough, not because the lesson wasn't good. The local course has a new pro this year. I think I'm going to setup a lesson with him shortly though.

I will say one thing about my inconsistencies to date with full shots. I'm not sliceing or hooking. The ball is going straight 90% of the time. The mishits are either topped and it rolls or a push to the right. The topping sounds like a ball position issue to me. The par three issue is blading related, agian sounds like ball position.

Yup, a lesson sounds good. I'll have to call today to see when he can see me. I think there may be a handful of issues with my swing. I'll give him the rundown of what I experience and let him do his thing.

bortass,

FWIW, while I know ball position is important and can result in those sorts of bad swings I also know my own game well enough to understand where that combination of tops, pushes (or push-fades) and the occasional skully on a 3-par come form when I do it...

Tension. Specifically tension in the hands, forearms and especially shoulders. I tend to want to steer the club through the swing and all that does is clench up the connection from the club's grip to my big trunk muscles, passing through hands and arms. The result is no hinging of the second lever in the swing and bringing the club into the ball steeply with an open face and a very abrupt bottom to the swing arc (hardly an arc at all, worse case).

You may be different but for my swing tension causes tops and pushes very reliably. In a lesser form I make decent contact but it robs me of 10-20mph of clubhead speed. We all have our crosses to bear, mine is practicing too little and then trying too hard.

Well, I have scheduled a lesson with the new pro at the local course. So Monday at 11:30 another set of eyes will be checking my swing out. Wish I could have gotten in sooner but no such luck.

Hopefully the weather is nice. Just don't want it to get cancelled due to rain.