How are you starting your season?

[jli2636]

I've gotten to play a few times this year and have gone out without any expectations. So far that philosophy is working out. New to me Big Bertha Alpha driver is working out nicely. I think I have lost a touch of distance but I am controlling the ball so much better that it's worth it. Haven't been on a monitor or anything to compare between that and my Nike VR Pro LE. Probably won't get to play for at least another week now though after all the rain here in MO.

[platgof]

I was having a hard time with the irons, really struggling. It was like I forgot how to swing the club, and very stiff. Getting older can be tough to adjust to at times. So I went through the basics on ball contact working from the ground up. Worked on hitting the ball correctly and keeping the hands moving with the swing, really basic stuff. I keep bouncing around on my scores, but am starting to really improve. Shot 90 yesterday on a very tough course. I have reverted back to a chipping game involving just my 7 and 9 irons, keeping it simple. This has really worked well for me, and builds confidence. It might be old school, but I was loosing big strokes on skulled shots with wedges. Had to do something. My driver is very consistent. Once I get the fw wds and irons on track again, I should get some more scores in the 80's. The thing I am trying to do most is not to get all bent out of shape over the score, I am not playing for money right now. I am having a blast with the scrambling part; chipping. I am getting very consistent with the chips, and mostly 2 putts for now. Bogey is getting real easy right now, so I expect this to pay off soon. The guys at work who are the better players, have now asked me to join them in scrambles. I am very surprised at this.

[tannyhoban]

Played a grand total of 36 holes this year and both were in sloppy conditions. Other obligations and a miserable spring have conspired to thwart play time. Ballstriking was spotty but acceptable, putting very mediocre. 79 and 81 on not so tough courses, a letdown after finishing '16 strong.

 

So with the downtime I've completely gutted the bag to fill the void as any self respecting wrx'er would. Suns shining this a.m. so playing today is not yet out of the question. Cautiously optimistic as I am 100% all in on 12 of the 14 clubs in this current setup.

[MtlJeff]

Our season has still only somewhat started. I've played like 8 rounds now. But Montreal got a historic amount of rain the past 2 weeks combined with snow melt of the weeks prior to that. We are experiencing severe flooding now. One of our 9's hasn't opened yet, and there's talk the bridge to my course might close due to flooding.

 

Of course these are first world problems as they say, my mom lives on an island west of the city and she is pretty much stranded on it since the bridges are closed (though she can walk over it through the water), my aunt's house was destroyed by the floods (while this has affected me personally, "only" 200 or so people have been evacuated i have heard, so it's not armageddon or anything). So people have it way worse than not being able to play golf. I am fortunate enough to live in an unaffected area

 

Anyway, golf courses are pretty waterlogged, the ones that are open.

[Garush34]

Started out the year thinking it was going to be a good one, unfortunately it hasn't started that way. Played well over the winter, then as soon as April rolls round I seem to have lost my swing and I am yet to break 100 in a comp, after shooting 82-85 all winter. Had 4 comps and shot 100, 100, 104 and one WD due to an injured knee.

 

I can't see that I am doing much different to what I was all winter, its just that my game has been lost some where. I need to get for a lesson but I am finding it difficult to find the time, and with a run of 4 straight comps over the next 4 weekends I don't know what to do.

 

At this point I just hope to find my game soon, and be able to tick off a couple of my goals for the season and then have to re-valuate things when I have the time.

[andrue]

Our season has still only somewhat started. I've played like 8 rounds now. But Montreal got a historic amount of rain the past 2 weeks combined with snow melt of the weeks prior to that. We are experiencing severe flooding now. One of our 9's hasn't opened yet, and there's talk the bridge to my course might close due to flooding.

 

Of course these are first world problems as they say, my mom lives on an island west of the city and she is pretty much stranded on it since the bridges are closed (though she can walk over it through the water), my aunt's house was destroyed by the floods (while this has affected me personally, "only" 200 or so people have been evacuated i have heard, so it's not armageddon or anything). So people have it way worse than not being able to play golf. I am fortunate enough to live in an unaffected area

 

Anyway, golf courses are pretty waterlogged, the ones that are open.

That sounds very bad. Meanwhile over here in the south-ish of the UK we're starting to see brown grass appearing on courses. It's not been very warm (other than one weird weekend over a month ago) but it's never really rained either. Our green keepers are getting concerned because apparently if they water the greens when it's cold it causes problems.

 

http://www.cbgc.co.u...eens_irrigation

 

Started out the year thinking it was going to be a good one, unfortunately it hasn't started that way. Played well over the winter, then as soon as April rolls round I seem to have lost my swing and I am yet to break 100 in a comp, after shooting 82-85 all winter. Had 4 comps and shot 100, 100, 104 and one WD due to an injured knee.

 

I can't see that I am doing much different to what I was all winter, its just that my game has been lost some where. I need to get for a lesson but I am finding it difficult to find the time, and with a run of 4 straight comps over the next 4 weekends I don't know what to do.

 

At this point I just hope to find my game soon, and be able to tick off a couple of my goals for the season and then have to re-valuate things when I have the time.

I had the same problem (although I only dropped from low 90s to high 90s). I eventually sorted out my problems for the most part but my new hybrids that had been wonderfully reliable are now less so. In my case three things went wrong with my swing:

* I stopped bumping my hip left.

* I got my ball position wrong.

* I wasn't allowing my wrists to bend at the top of my back swing.

 

I'm still struggling with my irons a bit but I think I just need to pay more attention to my swing and re-program my body. Still, like you, it was a depressing to go from an excellent summer, through a pretty good winter to a naff spring. And it came out of nowhere. I just apparently lost the ability to play golf during the month of March :dntknw:

[Garush34]

 

 

Started out the year thinking it was going to be a good one, unfortunately it hasn't started that way. Played well over the winter, then as soon as April rolls round I seem to have lost my swing and I am yet to break 100 in a comp, after shooting 82-85 all winter. Had 4 comps and shot 100, 100, 104 and one WD due to an injured knee.

 

I can't see that I am doing much different to what I was all winter, its just that my game has been lost some where. I need to get for a lesson but I am finding it difficult to find the time, and with a run of 4 straight comps over the next 4 weekends I don't know what to do.

 

At this point I just hope to find my game soon, and be able to tick off a couple of my goals for the season and then have to re-valuate things when I have the time.

I had the same problem (although I only dropped from low 90s to high 90s). I eventually sorted out my problems for the most part but my new hybrids that had been wonderfully reliable are now less so. In my case three things went wrong with my swing:

* I stopped bumping my hip left.

* I got my ball position wrong.

* I wasn't allowing my wrists to bend at the top of my back swing.

 

I'm still struggling with my irons a bit but I think I just need to pay more attention to my swing and re-program my body. Still, like you, it was a depressing to go from an excellent summer, through a pretty good winter to a naff spring. And it came out of nowhere. I just apparently lost the ability to play golf during the month of March :dntknw:

 

Yeah I've been through a couple of swing thoughts to see where I am going wrong, but nothing has worked so far, and I just can't get back to where I was. I'll keep plugging away, I'm sure that it will turn at one point.

[Darth Putter]

It started early.... a record breaking February 17th early.

 

I wish I was playing as well in May as I was in February. :cheesy:

[andrue]

Lol! Turns out there's another thing I'd forgotten - alignment. I've been picking my spot in front of the ball but only aligning the club head, without getting my feet parallel to the target line. Last night I took that extra step and my accuracy improved significantly. Ended up going round my club in 88 for the first time since October.

 

Hopefully that's everything restored now but what happened in March that made me forget all that? Weird.

[MtlJeff]

Since it's calling for another 75-80MM of rain here this weekend , which might trigger the Apocalypse, i snuck out early and played tonight

 

14gir's, 1 birdie and 1 bogey for a nice clean 72.

 

Solid ball striking for May baby

[DavePelz4]

my home club opens this week. I'm still really optimistic, hitting it very well, improved distance, and so far the scores are good. I think i've settled on which 14 clubs to go with this year too. I was mostly set but needed to settle on a putter and was flip flopping between lob wedges too

 

How much Cally product is in your bag?

[MtlJeff]

my home club opens this week. I'm still really optimistic, hitting it very well, improved distance, and so far the scores are good. I think i've settled on which 14 clubs to go with this year too. I was mostly set but needed to settle on a putter and was flip flopping between lob wedges too

 

How much Cally product is in your bag?

 

I'm currently using the entire bag i was fit for in SD. I swap out the putter sometimes for my SGC, but today i shot 72 with the Odyssey....so it's probably sticking around for a bit.

 

Rest of the bag is working really well

[Dent]

The season isn't starting too bad for me. Started with rounds of 80,82 followed by 3 rounds in the 70s. Really not hitting GIRs at all and if I am I'm lag putting. Most impressive part was the driving, really keeping the ball in play and usually having a shot at every GIR. Short game needs to shake off the rust.

[andrue]

Lol! Turns out there's another thing I'd forgotten - alignment. I've been picking my spot in front of the ball but only aligning the club head, without getting my feet parallel to the target line. Last night I took that extra step and my accuracy improved significantly. Ended up going round my club in 88 for the first time since October.

 

Hopefully that's everything restored now but what happened in March that made me forget all that? Weird.

84 tonight at my club. A slightly scraggy front 9 but the back 9 was great. Overall a very good result.

[Webby58]

I had my handicap down to the lowest it has been in many years by the end of last season. I was playing some very good golf for me and really enjoying it. I decided to make a pretty big change in my swing that will pay off in the long run. So far this season I have played 3 rounds and 2 of them were some of the highest scores I have had in years. My short game seems to have been the hardest hit by the swing change. I hope to work everything out by the end of this season.

 

So I ask, if you were playing so really good golf last year then why make the big swing change?? If it ain't broke why fix it?

[joshmb1999]

at 41 i'm starting to wonder if my really high level golf may be behind me. i hope not but the last 2 seasons have been a struggle to break par. working on swing a lot on the range and playing less to start the season to get rid of a few bad habits. I have high hopes for a great season with at least 1 tourney win!

[Jwin323]

After our TeamPlay ( Jan.- March, depending on how far you go if you make the playoffs) I usually take April off for a break as all the courses aerate their greens and start slowly ramping back up for tournament season beginning in June. I try to get my game to peak around 3-4 big tournaments over the Summer.

[MtlJeff]

My first 10 rounds of the year i have a 72 and a 74 (the 74 was in windy and rainy conditions on a course rated 75/140), my index is down to 1.2 which is good this early in the year. I'm hoping this will be a good season, but know how crazy this game can be!

[andrue]

And now my putting has gone to pieces. Everything else is good again but I'm having real difficulties with distance at the moment. Tuesday evening was the worst, greens even felt funny. We've had a dry hot week in the southern UK so you'd think the greens would be running faster but they aren't. Tuesday they were quite slow. They also made a weird kind of crackling/creaking sound as we walked on them. They felt quite *****ly to the touch almost like that stuff that's used to make door mats.

 

They seemed a bit better last night but I was still all over the place distance-wise. Don't know if it's me or the greens :-/

[DaRiz]

Definitely looking to be my best year yet. I finally broke into single digit HC late last year (year 6 of playing golf), and just realized I have been analyzing my game incorrectly and banging too many drivers at the range

 

After shooting 88, 85, 82 (scoring avg was 83 last year), I did some analysis on where I was really losing shots and surprise...... its proximity to hole from 120 in and...PUTTING. I can't blame a single shot on a long club unless it was a club selection/course management error. But wedges need to be closer and I need to make way more 5 footers to save par

 

So I stopped hitting irons/driver at the range and only do short game now, mostly hit wedges to specific yardages under 100 with the other 50% of my practice time being 4-10 footers (after reading a Tom Stickney article on here I realized my lag putting is above average for my HC and my scoring issue is mostly about converting shorter putts)

 

Anyways after one week of my new practice routine I dropped a 79, and I still feel like I left 10 shots out there due to proximity of chips/pitches and missed short putts. I have so much confidence in my long game now, I am really excited for whats to come once my putter starts rolling and my wedges game gets tighter

[RainShadow]

My season has started with crappy, cold, windy weather and some extra snow. Been so cold and windy The courses haven't grown in yet.

Moving to Tucson next month......hot, but at least I can play golf all year

[doctordwaynewilliams]

I'm looking forward to starting the new season soon. New sticks, retooled swing, and finally a healthy back and elbow.

[Steele47]

I played 6 times in November and twice in February (trips south visiting family) and was amazed I actually hit the ball pretty well even though felt rusty.

 

With that said, I'm really looking forward to getting out on regular basis within a few weeks. I will be focusing on short game and doing more stretching exercises.

[Sean2]

I am starting this season with the same clubs I had last season. :-)

[Razorback84]

My first round of the year will be on the 29th or 30th of this month, depending on if there is rain in the forecast.

 

I’m a little apprehensive about it since I haven’t swung a golf club in 3 months.

[deadsolid...shank]

Good start here. 73 & 71. Probably downhill from now on (I’m an eternal pessimist!)

[MtlJeff]

I am starting this season with the same clubs I had last season. :-)

 

Me too! I just have one more baby than i had last year. So this year from a golf perspective....not good

[deadsolid...shank]

I am starting this season with the same clubs I had last season. :-)

 

Me too! I just have one more baby than i had last year. So this year from a golf perspective....not good

 

I have one new grandbaby to start this season, and another one coming in August. As much as the Mrs wants to travel to see them it almost as impactful as one of your own.

 

They even want to have a reveal party on Masters weekend.

[Petethreeput]

I am starting this season with the same clubs I had last season. :-)

 

Me too! I just have one more baby than i had last year. So this year from a golf perspective....not good

 

I have one new grandbaby to start this season, and another one coming in August. As much as the Mrs wants to travel to see them it almost as impactful as one of your own.

 

They even want to have a reveal party on Masters weekend.

 

They can put it on YouTube so you can see the reveal later.

[Sean2]

I am starting this season with the same clubs I had last season. :-)

 

Me too! I just have one more baby than i had last year. So this year from a golf perspective....not good

 

You will be a great father, Jeff! :-)